Title: Complement
	Author: Michele(iadara@aol.com)
	Rating: This Part PGEventually NC-17
	Pairing: F/B eventually and the usual W/T X/A etc...
	Series: Complement - Prologue
	Feedback:  Please, please!
	Spoilers: Angel, Judgment.(Part I) 
	Disclaimer: Joss and co. own them, not me
	Summary: Starts in the future that only lives in my head (Prologue).  
	Will follow along current plot lines of BTVS & Angel with my own 
	little twists. 
	Author Notes:  This is my first fanfic, I finally decided to stop 
	lurking and come out of the shadows. Many, many thanks to John 
	O'Connor for beta reading this for me!!!! Any comments
	criticisms,hints, suggestions, will be much appreciated, I have thick 
	skin. < > Contains thoughts... 

Complement  

com-ple-ment n. 1.a. Something that completes, makes up a
whole, or brings to perfection b. Either of two parts that complete 
the whole or mutually complete each other.  


The old woman spread her red plaid blanket on the ground under the 
ancient oak tree.   She placed her basket on top of the blanket and 
took out a bottle of wine and a corkscrew.    With an agility and 
dexterity that belied her 97 years, she spun the corkscrew between 
her fingers like it was a drum stick, and finished the motion by 
uncorking the wine.   She sat down upon the blanket and carefully 
placed the wine bottle down next to her.  No point in spilling good 
wine, she thought to herself. She looked up through the branches at 
the bright, cloudless sky and thought idly to herself that she had 
picked a good day for her picnic.   A gentle breeze blew her hair, 
which had long since gone pure white, around her face.   With hands 
that were wrinkled and spotted with age. Hands that were surprisingly 
steady and deceptively strong, she tucked the stray locks behind her 
ears. 

She had picnicked often through out the years under the massive oak.  
You could find her out here at least once a month.  This was however 
the first time she had been here since she had brought her lover out 
here almost six months ago.   She knew the others that lived on 500-
acre ranch with her were worried about her.   But the young always 
had a tendency to fret over the old.  She expected that, they 
believed like she did when she was their age. That the old were 
pretty much helpless and could no longer take care of themselves.  
Then again, she never imagined she would ever even come close to the 
age she was now.  She knew that their worries were more than about 
her being old, she had been old for quite sometime now.   What 
worried them was the sadness they saw behind her smiles, the sorrow 
they heard echoed in her laughter that even in the darkest of times 
had never been there. So, they fretted, fussed,and worried over her 
like a bunch of mother hens.  It was endearing and she loved them all 
for it, though there were times, if she was honest with herself, that 
it annoyed the hell out of her!  

She poured herself a glass of wine, and raised it in a silent toast 
to her family.   She rested her back against the tree and for just a 
spilt second felt as ancient as it.  In her heart though she would 
always be the passionate, stubborn, charming, cocky young woman she 
once was.  She sighed and shook her head as if to clear the cobwebs 
from it, and gazed over at her family.   They were all here now, 
every one of them.  She paused briefly when she came to Anya, and 
smiled.  It was her they had to thank for the beautiful sprawling 
ranch.  Who knew that beneath the breast of the ex vengeance demon 
beat the heart of a financial wizard?   The investments she had made 
for all of them had made them all wealthy beyond their wildest 
dreams.  In the way that all of them came to think of as
"Anyaspeak", she demanded that they give her money to invest, which 
they finally did when they tired of hearing her ask over and over 
again.  They also gave in to help save poor Xander's  sanity, from her
constant questions as to why no one trusted her with their money. 
When she showed them their first returns it was with an "I told you
so" smirk on her face, and a hand out for more money to invest. After 
that they never questioned her again, and eventually she became the 
manager for all of their portfolios.   Together they had all bought 
the 500 acres of land and had all eventually built homes and settled 
here. 

The old woman continued her lazy inspection of them, coming at last 
to her lover.  The woman who had brought such joy to her life, pain, 
sorrow, laughter, love and every other emotion in the spectrum.  They 
had taught each other things about themselves that they hadn't 
imagined possible.  There was a time when all they had been able to 
do was bring out the worse in each other.  They had eventually 
figured out though they brought out the best in each other too. They 
were after all the "Chosen Two". 

They had done the impossible, something no other slayer had ever 
done.   They had loved, laughed, argued, and had children, 
grandchildren, and even great grandchildren.  They had built a home, 
a life with eachother, and their family of friends. They had lived, 
and grown old together, despite all the odds, and those damn pesky 
prophecies.   They had found their soul mate in each other's
arms. Their strength and support came from each other, and in form of 
their family of friends. Together they were strong, and with their 
family of friends they were unstoppable.  Most of all they had loved 
and been loved in return by each other, and by the friends who became 
more than that, had become their family.  How could they have not 
beaten the odds?  The old woman thanked the Powers-That-Be everyday 
for this, for giving them, her, all of them a second chance. The old 
woman, leaned her head back against the tree and let the peace and 
tranquility of this place surround and soothe her.  Here in the 
private cemetery, where all of her loved ones were laid to rest, the 
old woman who was now just the "Chosen One", closed her eyes
and let herself remember. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and the nights grow colder / and the days get older / and the nights 
grow colder / so many times i thought of giving up better luck this 
time things aren't gonna be this way / and everything i felt from
my heart from the start i knew it then i didn't have the strength
to say / turn around to the sound of the voice that you're flowing to 
it's inside your head / if i said that i would then i could and i 
shouldn't lie cause i'd end up dead / looking up all my life but i 
just saw the sky i couldn't look beyond myself to realize / that the 
pain you come from is the pain you go through and you will do 
anything you can until you / turn around to the sound of the voice 
that you're flowing to it's inside your head / if i said that i would 
then i could and i shouldn't lie cause i'd end up dead / and the 
nights grow colder / and the days get older / and the nights grow 
colder / it's inside your head / and the nights grow colder / and
the days get older - Tantric


She was pacing back in forth in the small cell, she had too much 
energy and no way to release it. To much time to think, to remember, 
to hate herself.  Faith sighed and threw herself down on the 
bed. It had been four months since she had turned herself in. She had 
been convicted of 1 assault and battery charge and given an eighteen-
month jail term, eligible for parole in eight. She had been sentenced 
as a juvenile, which her idiot lawyer was ecstatic about. The felony 
murder charge was pending the out come of a "D.A. Office 
Investigation". She didn't understand why they need to investigate, 
why they just couldn't take her at her word.  She knew she belonged here, 
so what the hell was taking them so long to figure it out? What else 
did they need from her, she had given them a confession. Did they 
want it in blood? She would gladly give it to them, all they needed 
to do was ask.  She thought inanely to 
herself.

 But, she was tired of it, of always 
running. Never taking responsibility for her actions, of hiding, of 
being alone, of wanting to be someone other than who she was. She 
wanted to be that person the girl had thanked at the church. So when 
B had said jail, she had jumped at the chance, her chance at 
changing, choosing to also believe in Angel when he said she could 
change. He had said it would be hard, painful, and he hadn't been 
lying. For once in her worthless life she desperately wanted to make 
things right, do the right thing, and she felt good about the 
decision. If it meant the only way she could do it was by spending 
the rest of her life behind prison walls well, then that's what
she would do. Whatever it took. She wanted to find redemption, she 
wanted to be able to someday look at her reflection in the mirror and 
not feel hate. Running, taking her own life or trying to get someone 
else to do it for her where no longer options she even considered. 
 Faith wondered once again. Her court appointed lawyer gave 
her the spiel about the wheels of justice turning slowly, when she 
had asked him that question two weeks ago. He tried to encourage her, 
telling her not to worry, let him take care of everything, she had to 
suppress the urge to throttle him every time he came to see her. He 
was unable to accept the idea that she didn't want to get out of 
this, that she deserved this. She told him she didn't need or want a 
lawyer. As a minor however, the courts didn't give her that option, 
so she was stuck with him whether she liked it or not. In the 
meantime she remained in L.A. County Jail, lucky her they didn't
have any room for her at the juvenile detention center. Actually she 
had been glad they weren't putting her there, she didn't think
she belonged anywhere near children, regardless that quite a few of 
them there had committed worse crimes then herself.

She got up from the cot that was a sorry excuse for a bed, and 
started pacing again. Too much time to think, to many images from her 
past came back to haunt her. She spent some of her free time in the 
gym lifting weights and using the punching bag, trying to expend some 
of her excess energy. But she couldn't go full out, it would raise to 
many questions that she would be unable to answer. She missed 
training with B.  Images of her last encounter with Buffy rose up in her mind. 
Bringing with them the pain, the loss she had experienced. She had 
little doubt that she could ever make things right between them 
again, or any of the Scooby Gang for that matter. Her only saving 
grace over the last four months had come in the form of a 200-plus-
year-old vampire with a soul. Angel had forgiven her. He understood 
where she was coming from, what she was trying to do, and had been 
trying to help her. It was still tough going but she had the desire 
to change, and he was sincere in his effort to help her. He often 
told her, "We'll get through this together." He would talk to her 
about what was happening on the outside, bringing her magazines and 
such, in order to keep her up to date. This way, when the day came 
and she got to leave this place, she would not feel so out of place. 
Faith would just smile a sad smile at him when he talked about her 
leaving here. She never thought about it, didn't believe it would 
ever happen, didn't believe there would ever be a place for her
on the outside. In her heart she believed she was where she was 
suppose to be, where she was always meant to be. If the truth be 
told, even though with all her heart she wanted to change, wanted to 
find redemption, Faith didn't truly believe it was possible.

She stopped pacing and leaned up against the bars of her cells 
looking out into the common room. Glaring at her from across the way, 
was Ridge. Faith had definitely made an enemy in her.  she thought with a self-depreciating 
chuckle. Ridge as it turned out was Faith's most persistent suitor, 
in fact was now her only one. Faith had been approached by a few of 
the inmates, some looking for friendship, others looking for 
something more. She had no desire to befriend any of the inmates, and 
none of the inmates even came close to interesting her in any other 
way. In any case her standard practice of "Get some, get gone", would 
be a little hard to pull off in jail, there wasn't anywhere to "get 
gone" to.

Some inmates had taken "no" for an answer and never asked again. The 
other inmates that hadn't given up so easy dropped their suit when 
Ridge let it be known that she had her own plans for Faith. Their 
fear of Ridge outweighed their lust for Faith. Not to long ago Faith 
might have been attracted to Ridge. Ridge was taller than Faith, her 
hair was long and jet-black, her body well muscled and slim, her eyes 
an intense gray, and her mouth generous and seemed to be in a 
perpetual pout. It wasn't so much her looks that would have attracted 
Faith, but more her bad girl attitude, the air of danger around her, 
and the knowledge that she was a don't-play-by-the-rules,live-on-the-
edge, anything-goes-kind of girl. Faith no longer wanted or needed 
anyone in her life like that anymore. The only woman she wanted in 
her life was forever out of her reach. There was a part of Faith that 
still couldn't help but wish, if only, maybe someday.  

Against her will her thoughts started to stray down that familiar 
path.  Faith felt the pain rush up in her, for 
the pain she had caused "her", for trying to steal "her" life, for 
making "her" a victim. Pain for all that she herself had for the 
asking and had lost, had pretty much thrown away. She couldn't do 
this right now, not while Ridge was standing there watching her. She 
didn't know if she ever could. She needed to do something besides 
think, needed to release the energy. She didn't feel like practicing 
her Tai Chi, didn't want to meditate about the thoughts that had
been going through her mind. She changed quickly into a pair of gym 
shorts and workout top and went out to the yard to workout for the 
second time that day.

Faith had only been in the yard for a little over 10 minutes when she 
saw Ridge come towards the gated section of the yard that served as 
the "gym". As usual right behind her were "Ridge's Girls", the 
nickname that the other inmates had bestowed upon the women who where 
always with her. Ridge found it amusing so the nickname stuck. Trying 
to appear casual Faith finished a series of kicks to the punching 
bag, and grabbed her towel. She was hoping to get out of the "gym" 
and back to her cell before Ridge had a chance to approach her. Her 
senses were tingling, and she was getting a very bad feeling about 
this. Her intuition was proven right when she saw Ridge casually 
leaning her frame against the exit, effectively blocking Faith's 
retreat. As if that wasn't bad enough Faith noticed that the guards 
that were usually present in the yard had mysteriously disappeared. 
Faith walked over to the exit gate, careful to keep her expression 
neutral, and her tone even, said, "Excuse me." 
"Oh, did you want to get by?" 
"Yes"
"What do we say?" Smirked Ridge, while Faith looked at her with 
a "you've got to be kidding me look". Suppressing the urge to just 
knock the woman into Tuesday, Faith kept her tone even and said, 
"Please".
"Hmm, I changed my mind, not really what I want, lets see, think
I'd prefer something else."
 Faith thought. 
"Something else?" said Faith, playing dumb. 
"Yeah, something else." Husked Ridge, and lifted a finger and 
caressed Faith's bottom lip. Faith felt her insides cringe in 
revulsion at the touch and snapped her head back. She felt anger 
creeping up the back of her neck, and she fought the urge to put a 
serious hurting on Ridge. The rogue slayer knew she could do it. What 
scared her was that she wanted to, almost needed to. The dark side of 
her was jumping up and down in joy at the thought.  she started repeating over 
and over in her head. 

Faith's thoughts raced back to when Angel had first taught her that 
damn mantra. She had laughed right in his face. "What kind of stupid 
shit is that soul-boy? That's suppose to work riiiiiiiight.." she
had scoffed. "Try it." was his only answer. The next time she felt 
her dark side rise up in her and try to take control, she thought 
"What the fuck", and found much to her surprise, that the mantra 
seemed to help her gain some control. "You were right soul-boy the 
dumb mantra worked." She mumbled at him embarrassed on his next 
visit. He then began to explain to her that the purpose of the mantra 
was to teach her to find her center, and to learn how to find her 
focus. Without her knowing he was beginning to teach her basic 
principles of the ancient art of Tai Chi. Over the 4 months she had 
been here he had been teaching her little by little the movements, 
meditations and exercises of the art. He helped her to begin to 
understand that her dark side would always be with her, but like him 
she needed to learn how to control and tame it. She was still in the 
early stages of learning control and she really hadn't been tested at 
any serious level yet.  
She thought, as she consciously sought to regain her self-control, 
visualizing the anger going from red, to blue.
"Thanks, but no thanks." Faith murmured quietly, careful to keep the 
loathing out of her voice. Her best option now was to push Ridge out 
of the way and run like hell back to her cell, she had lost her 
desire to hurt the other woman. That was until she felt the knife 
pressing lightly up against her rib cage.
 
"Guess we are going to have to do this my way," Ridge smiled a smile 
that left no doubt in Faith's mind that she preferred it this way. "I 
still get what I want, and in the end you'll do what I say." Faith 
didn't react; all her effort was going to controlling the anger that 
was once again pounding through her veins. She was desperately 
maintaining her control by a thin thread. Ridge reached out quickly 
and painfully grabbed her breast and pressed the knife into her with 
just enough pressure to break the skin and draw blood. The thin 
thread snapped, and the rage streaked through her veins like molten 
lava. Her demon, her dark side took over.

Almost as if it were happening in slow motion, she saw, felt herself, 
push, bend, grab the wrist with the knife, and sweep Ridge's feet
out from under her. Holding the arm with the knife out and away from 
her she allowed the momentum of Ridge's falling body to carry her
down with her. Straddling the other woman, Faith leaned down and 
snarling whispered in her ear, "Fuck you bitch, not gonna happen, 
ever again." Ridge felt a shutter go through her as she looked into 
the cold deadly eyes of Faith. Faith started applying pressure to the
Ridge's wrist, she dimly heard through the buzzing in her head the 
knife fall from the woman's numb hand. She smiled a feral smile, and 
with a deliberate final squeeze broke her wrist. Faith saw the rage 
in the other woman's eyes turn to pain. The dark side of her was 
urging her on, relishing the pain it was causing, inciting her to 
cause more. It pleaded, it begged, it wanted blood, no it needed 
blood. It was screaming, yelling, in her head, demanding to be 
unleashed. Behind the din in her head Faith heard another voice 
speaking to her softly. Reminding her what it was she wanted. 
Reminding her of the pain she had caused. Reminding her of the other 
path she could take. The darkness in her tried to drown out the quiet 
voice, and it was winning. She felt herself wanting to let it out, to 
take the easy way, let herself let go of the pain, the remorse, the 
guilt. The quiet voice reminded her gently of words Angel had spoken 
to her, "All that pain, all that suffering you caused is coming back 
on you. Feel it! Deal with it! Then maybe you've got a shot at being 
free." Free, oh god, she desperately wanted to feel free, so she let 
herself feel the pain. She heard the darkness inside her howl in 
defeat, and fade away.

As if waking from a deep sleep, Faith blinked her eyes rapidly, and 
let go of Ridge's wrist, and slowly rose to her feet. She kicked
the knife out of the other woman's reach, and looked down at her.
Faith recoiled from the pure hatred she saw in Ridge's eyes. 
"This ain't over bitch!" Ridge hissed at her through clenched
teeth. Faith ignored her and started to cross the yard towards the 
door inside. She heard, the other women run up to Ridge, and heard 
her mumble that Faith had just gotten lucky, but she wouldn't be so
lucky next time.
The first blow of the baton across her shoulders caught her by 
surprise, and brought her to her knees. She rolled, coming quickly 
back up to her feet, and turned around. She started backing up. She 
saw the two guards who had been mysteriously missing cautiously 
approaching her with their batons raised. She saw Ridge get up and 
start coming toward her and the guards, a smile on her face. Faith 
saw Ridge lick her lips in what was almost sensuous anticipation of 
the beating that the guards without a doubt intended to give her. She 
could see the exhilaration, joy in Ridges eyes at the thought of 
Faith's coming pain. In that moment Faith saw her own dark side 
reflected in Ridge's face. The thought that there was a part of
her like that revolted and sickened her. Faith stopped backing up. 
She closed her eyes, and waited for the blows to come. 

Repeatedly they came, bringing her to her knees, knocking her to the 
ground. She curled herself into a ball and used her arms to protect 
her head. She could hear heavy breathing and could smell the scent of 
arousal coming from the guards and Ridge. She bit her lip drawing 
blood, refusing to give them the satisfaction and pleasure of hearing 
her scream out in pain, as the blows continued to rain down on her. 
After what felt like an eternity, they stopped, unable to raise their 
batons any longer. She heard someone approach her, and felt a foot on 
her shoulder. She was slowly pushed onto her side, she raised her 
eyes, struggling to stay conscious. Ridge was smiling down at her, 
her breathing labored, her face flushed from her arousal. 
"Like I said, this ain't over, the fun has barely begun." She
drew back her foot and kicked Faith hard, breaking at least two of 
her ribs. Faith passed out from the pain.

She had no idea how long she remained unconscious. When she woke pain 
hit her like a tidal wave, making her head spin. Taking deep breaths, 
she pushed down the nausea, and somehow managed to sit up. Waiting 
for the spinning to stop again, she slowly regained her feet. She 
forced herself to stand up straight. Taking small slow steps she made 
her way to her cell. As she walked threw the common room to her cell 
she heard the other inmates whispering about her.
"Not so high 'n mighty, now."
"Ya think Ridge will let me have her when she's done with her?"
"Black and blue seems to be her color"
"Yeah I hear Ridge likes to keep them that color"
"Think she'll share her like the others?" 
The voices began to blur together, as she felt the dizziness come 
over her again. She prayed that she would make it back to her cell 
before she passed out. She quickened her paced and willed herself to 
ignore the pain. She entered her cell wanting nothing more that to 
crawl on her cot, but the need to check her injuries came first. Jaw 
clenched, she wrapped her ribs as best as she could, quietly moaning 
in pain. She ran her hands over the rest of her body and was relieved 
nothing else seemed to be broken. She was going to be in pain for 
days. She crawled onto her cot, her body exhausted, lost the struggle 
to stay awake as the blackness claimed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She woke to the sound of one of the guards calling her name. 
"Whatthfuck? Leave ME alone!" 
"Whatever I'll tell him you're out."
"What?" She tried to clear her head, but it was throbbing and not a 
part of her body didn't hurt. 
"You have a visitor."
"A visitor?" She had forgotten Angel was visiting today. How the was 
she going to explain this? She didn't want to open this door, he had 
learned to read her to well. She had no doubt that he would see that 
there was more to this than just her objecting to being someone's 
bitch. He would know this went deeper, would see, see things, she 
herself had been refusing to see for years. 
"Would you like me to spell it for you?" The guard asked 
sarcastically.
"No, no, I'll be right there." Faith rose from the bed and pain
shot through her like a bolt of electricity. She bit down hard on her 
lip to keep herself from groaning out load. She could not show any 
weakness. She could feel the vultures here just waiting for a chance 
to pounce. Trying to walk as normal as possible she followed the 
guard to the visitors room. She smiled when she saw Angel at one of 
the booths waiting for her. 
"Hey" he said when she picked up the phone.
"Hey"
"How are you doing?"
"Pretty good, I guess. I did sign up for this."
"Regretting the choice?"
"Bad day. One of the girls in the yard tried to build a rep by 
throwing down with me. She had low self esteem, and a home-made 
knife." Not quite the truth but close enough.
"Oh. - Is she -- you know -- alive?" Almost afraid to ask.
"She lives to tell the tale. -- Took a big beating from the guards, 
too" Faith told him with a grimace.
"Sorry"
"Earned worse. Guys like us kind of got it coming." In truth she 
thought she deserved worse, she could put up with anything they 
dished out to her, but they would have to kill her before she became 
anyone's bitch. . Angel knew she was
holding something back, he didn't push, when she was ready she would 
tell him, instead he said, "I had to sing Barry Manilow".... 
They talked until visiting hours where over. He told her he would 
bring her the meditation and Tai Chi books next time, he had finally 
finished translating them for her. Angel left feeling relief and a 
little bit of pride at her progress. Like she had said, she could 
have killed the other woman but she didn't. He knew she had wanted 
to, had probably come close. But like she had said.
"The road to redemption is a rocky path."
"That it is." He knew the road well, had been on it for a long time 
himself.
"You think we might make it?" She looked at him earnestly. He smiled.
"We might." And for the first time he felt a little bit of hope for 
both of them. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith woke the next morning, in serious pain. There wasn't a part
of her body that didn't hurt. Still she felt rested, hell, she felt 
good. For the first time since Allan, she slept without nightmares. 
She immediately felt guilty, she had considered the nightly terrors 
part of her punishment. She was a little afraid without them, she 
would forget about the life she took. The pain she had caused.  Faith wondered. She was missing something here, 
what was it? It began to slowly dawn on her, she had made a choice 
yesterday, she chose not to take a life. It would have been so easy, 
she had nothing left to lose. She had already lost everything, 
everyone she held dear. Ok there was still soul-boy; but even if she 
had killed Ridge, he would still be there for her, she knew that, and 
yet she still hadn't taken that life. She had seen the look of 
surprise in his face when she had told him the other woman still 
lived. For the first time in her fucked up life she had done the 
right thing, not because she was trying to prove it to anyone, but 
because it was right. Granted she hadn't needed to break Ridge's 
wrist, but she had regained control. She had reined herself back in, 
where before she never could. Faith felt a small spark of hope ignite 
in her, she felt like she could really do this, like she could stop 
fucking up, could really change, prove them wrong, prove herself 
wrong. Until this moment she really hadn't truly believed it was 
possible, but now, oh god she was starting to believe in the 
impossible. 

The rest of the week went by quickly. Visiting day came and went, 
Angel had brought her the books like he promised, he taught her a few 
more Tai Chi exercises, and corrected some of her movements. On 
Friday her lawyer came to let her know that he had started an appeal 
of her conviction on the assault and battery charge, and the trail 
date had been set for four weeks from Monday. He seemed optimistic 
that they would be able to get the conviction overturned. If they 
did, since she was now eighteen, which meant she wasn't a ward of
the state anymore, and would be a free woman. At least until they 
decided to finally file the felony murder charge. She wanted to 
throttle him, she ranted at him, what gave him the right she asked? 
He let her know it was his job and technically she was stuck with him 
because she had been minor at the time. She tried once again to 
convince him she didn't want to get off, didn't think she should ever 
get out, and that she belonged here. God he was dense! He just smiled 
at her, ignoring her and continued blabbing. Whatever, fuck him, he 
was an idiot anyway, they wouldn't be able to ignore her once she was 
in court. She had no doubt that she would be able to convince the 
Judge that she was psychotic and it would be in the best interest of 
the state of California to deny the appeal. Just accept her guilty 
plea, lock her up and throw away the key. Despite or in spite of her 
revelation earlier this week she was still completely convinced that 
she belonged here. Whether she changed her ways or not, Faith 
believed that the path to redemption for her lay along the road that 
kept her behind bars.

Another week passed by, Angel visit came and went. She had spent most 
of it reading about Tai Chi, practicing the meditations, and 
exercises of the ancient art. She found Tai Chi helped to calm the 
turmoil in her, kept her focused on her goals. The rest of her time 
was spent in the gym, always making sure that there where other women 
present when she worked out. She kept her eyes focused on the outer 
yard's door, this would leave her plenty of time to escape the gated 
gym should it look like a confrontation was heading her way. Being a 
slayer she already possessed inhuman strength, but you would not have 
known that. Before she had been lean, slim, and didn't look like
she could hurt a fly let alone a person. However, now with all the 
hours spent working out she was cut, ripped and lean. Her muscles 
rippled when she moved, she had a six-pack for a stomach, each muscle 
was clearly defined. The panther-like quality Faith had always exuded 
when she moved was now even more pronounced. The other inmates made a 
wide path around her now, and she supposed it was in part the muscle 
and in some sick way the throw down with Ridge. She had been tense in 
the last 2 weeks waiting for some kind of retaliation from Ridge, but 
none had come. Perhaps the head case had learned her lesson and would 
leave her alone. Perhaps for once something worse wouldn't come
from actions, perhaps for once she could get 
lucky. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was Sunday and most of the inmates were at the church services the 
jail provided. Faith decided it was a good time to take a shower. 
When she entered the large open shower room, and saw it was empty, 
she gave a soft sigh of relief. She really wasn't into the whole 
community shower thing, the way the other women looked at her just 
made her skin crawl, leering like a bunch of dirty old men, she could 
feel their lust for her, and it brought up to many bad memories from 
her childhood. 

She moved quickly to the far corner of the room, wrenching her 
thoughts away from the unbidden memories. She wasn't ready to
deal with that shit, didn't know if she could ever deal with that
shit. Better to leave it buried, hidden away, her ugly secret. She 
turned the water on full blast, adjusting the temperature to 
scalding. She leaned into the shower, supporting herself by putting 
her palms up against the tile wall. She let the water cascade over 
her, beating a hard tempo on her head and shoulders. She took a deep 
cleansing breath, glad that her ribs were finally healed, and cleared 
her mind of the disturbing images that came with the memories of her 
childhood. Instead she thought about Angel, he had been so good to 
her over the last four and a half months. Who would have thought that 
when she had tried to kill him, then tried to get him to kill her, 
that he would be the one to help her to find the courage to live. 
That she a slayer no less, one of the "Chosen Two", , would be learning from a vampire. How to heal 
herself, how to find redemption, salvation, to try and heal the pain 
she had caused others. To fight and win against the darkness that lie 
within her. She knew she still had a very long way to go, but every 
day it got easier to control her dark side. The little spark of hope 
that started the day after her throw down with Ridge, had brighten a 
little more everyday. 

She grabbed the shampoo, which she hated with a passion, it smelled 
like disinfectant, and lathered her head. She closed her eyes and 
allowed herself to relax under the soothing spray of the shower. She 
let her thoughts drift, and her guard down.

Faith sensed them a second to late. They body slammed her into the 
wall. Her head hitting the tile with a sickening crack, her knees 
buckled, and she felt blood pouring from the gash in her head as she 
started to slide down the wall. They slammed her again, her head once 
more crashing into the tile. Her thoughts became jumbled, she wasn't 
sure if she was actually conscious anymore. Dimly she heard, "Let the 
fun begin". 

She landed hard on her knees, a blow landed on the back of her head, 
a kick to her ribs, and the pain came screaming at her. There were 
too many of them, they beat her face first into the floor, and kept 
beating her as she lay in a pool of her own blood unable to even 
protect herself. There was too much screaming in her head, her dark 
side screamed for blood. The child in her screamed in terror, sure of 
what was to come, until her mind and body could not handle anymore 
and slipped into the quietness of the abyss. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ice cold water shocked her awake. She was on her back, her mind 
was barely functioning, pain ripped threw her, she was confused, 
disoriented, not even sure where she was. She was in jail wasn't
she, or was she home at her Mom's and Johnny's? Someone was
bending over her, who was it, she couldn't see clearly and her eyes 
burned.Was it Ridge? Johnny? Why did she hurt so much, she had been 
good,hadn't she, she hadn't done anything wrong, or had she? A voice
whispered in her ear, "Time to play little girl, be good or daddy 
will have to let the other kids play some more." She felt a hand 
 on her stomach, felt it start to slide down towards 
the junction between her legs. He legs were pulled apart.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO" Faith screamed. The adrenaline rushed through her, 
forcing down the pain, and her slayer instincts took over. She pulled 
the hand away from her body and pushed its owner away from her hard. 
She rolled to her side and was on her feet before the other women 
could even react. The dark side in her tried to take control, but it 
was no longer the strongest part of her. Instead, a quiet voice, the 
voice that was the "Faith", that Faith always wanted to be, spoke to 
her, calming the blood lust of her dark side. She saw through eyes 
blurred with shampoo and blood, a punch coming towards her, she 
blocked the punch and kicked the woman away from her. They kept 
coming at her, there were six of them, two she was almost sure were 
the guards from the yard, and one she knew was Ridge. She blocked 
their punches, and kept kicking them away, but not seriously hurting 
any of them. She didn't know how much longer she was going to be able 
to keep standing or remain conscious, the pain was beginning to creep 
back up on her. She was halfway across the shower room and she had 
just finished knocking them away once again. She hoped they wouldn't 
come at her again, she took a staggering step towards the door when 
Ridge tackled her from the side. 

They fell to the ground, Faith's head hitting the floor hard. Using 
what little strength she had left Faith broke away from Ridge and 
rolled away. She was on her stomach trying to rise when Ridge kicked 
her in the side knocking her over onto her back. Ridge landed on top 
of her knocking the air from her lungs. She grabbed Faith by the hair 
and began to slam her head against the tile floor, while continuing 
to punch her in the face with her other hand. Faith tried blocking 
the punches, but her movements where beginning to become sluggish as 
tried to stay conscious, she knew if she didn't get Ridge off her 
soon she would die. In a last ditch effort she tried to push the 
larger woman off her. She threw her hands up and out at the other 
woman, but her vision was blurred her aim off, instead she connected 
with Ridge's cheekbone, breaking it and splitting it open. Her
other hand, landed a blow to Ridge's nose, breaking it too and 
knocking her out. 

Ridge's blood gushed down over Faith' s hands and face. Pushing Ridge 
off her, she got up from the floor, and through blurry vision saw the 
other five women backing away from her. She stood on wobbly legs, 
pain ripping through her, the blood from her forehead dripping into 
her eyes. She raised her hands to wipe her eyes, that's when she
saw the blood on them. Blood, oh my god, there was blood on her 
hands. She frantically looked around, and saw Ridge lying in a pool 
of her own blood. She had killed her, she had killed someone again, 
and the blood, so much blood all of it on her hands. Whimpering she 
fell to her knees, screaming, "ohgodno", over and over in her head.

She didn't hear as the other guards rushed into the shower room. She 
didn't hear as one of the two guards that attacked her told them she 
came after them. She didn't hear the guard who told her to lay down 
on her stomach and put her hands behind her head. She didn't hear one 
of the guards' approach her cautiously with baton raised. She didn't 
hear as the baton came rushing down towards her. All she heard was 
the voice screaming in her head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pain woke her from her forced slumber. She was curled up in a 
fetal ball on the floor, in solitary confinement. She could feel the 
blood caked in her hair and on her face. She wasn't sure but she 
thought her ribs might be broken again, but it was hard to tell with 
all the other pain. Her thoughts were still jumbled, from what was 
probably a serious concussion. She remembered going to take a shower 
yesterday, she remembered getting jumped, fighting back, being 
careful not to hurt anyone, and then she remembered the blood.

More blood on her hands, she had killed someone again, she hadn't 
meant to, she had been trying not to. She had fucked up again, 
stupid, stupid, stupid! God, she was so stupid to think she could 
change, she could never change! She raged and screamed at herself in 
her head. She rose her hands up and looked at the blood on her hands 
in the dim light of the cell. So much blood, there was layers and 
layers of it on her hands. Ridge's, Allan's, her watchers,
her Mother's, how much more would there be? How many more would she
kill by accident, how many more times would she fuck up? She had to 
get it off, needed to get it off. She looked around frantically for 
the sink, there wasn't one, why wasn't there one? How was she
going to get the blood off, it was starting to burn her skin, she had 
to get it off. She started rubbing her hands up against the rough 
brick wall of the cell. She pressed them harder against the wall, 
scraping the dried blood from her hands, causing welts to raise up on 
the backs and then the palms of her hands. But it still wasn't coming 
off! She started to claw at the blood with her nails, more and more 
franticly. She kept at it until both her hands were covered in deep 
gashes, that even with her slayer healing would still scar. Still it 
was there. She would never be able to get it off, it would never go 
away. Obsessed she kept clawing at it until her hands were covered in 
her own blood, but she could still feel theirs. She was overwhelmed 
by it and her mind just shut down. She retreated to a far corner of 
it, caught in the nightmare that consisted of only the blood on her 
hands.

For twelve days Faith remained in solitary confinement, neither food 
nor water was given to her. They wanted to break her, make her think 
twice about attacking a guard again. They were expecting that like 
other prisoners who had been taught this lesson eventually she would 
beg for food, for water. She disappointed them. After three days they 
decided to add a little something to the lesson plan.

Faith stayed huddled in the corner of her cell, still trapped in her 
own mind. The only thing that mattered to her was getting the blood 
off her hands. Her nails were broken, her finger tips raw and ripped 
open, and blood dripped slowly from the gashes and scrapes almost non-
stop. She didn't hear the guards enter the cell. She didn't even 
realize they were the same ones from the yard and the shower, Cameron 
and Troy. They spoke to her and she ignored them until a baton 
smashed into her arm. She raised dead eyes to them. They told her to 
stand up, she tried but her legs were to stiff and weak to support 
her. They told her to get up again, and to ensure she heard them the 
baton came down across her shoulder. She tried unsuccessfully to 
rise, her body trembling, still recovering from the injuries received 
in the shower room. They repeated their request and when she was 
unable to comply, they hit her again, and so it continued until 
either their arms grew to tired to raise their batons again, or Faith 
slipped into unconsciousness.

For nine days the guards came into her cell to teach the slayer a 
lesson. She deserved this, she was evil, she had killed again. Her 
own guilt over all the others had over ridden the fact that she had 
only struck back in self-defense. Had her mind been clearer at the 
time she would have realized that she had not hit Ridge with enough 
force to kill her. Faith waited for them, in her mind this was part 
of her punishment for the blood on her hands. Waited for the oblivion 
to claim her where the blood and the pain could mercifully not reach 
her. 

They came for her on the twelfth day and dragged her from the cell. 
They threw her under the spray of a cold shower, and told her to 
wash. She struggled to get to her feet, but in the end they had to 
help her, she was too weak from the beatings, the lack of food and 
the dehydration, to even wash herself. They had to dress her, and 
that was when Cameron noticed her hands.
"What the fuck? What the fuck did you do to your hands scumbag?" 
Cameron asked Faith roughly. Faith didn't respond.
"Shit we need to take her to see the Doc. Fuck!" The two guards half 
dragged half carried the slayer to the infirmary. When the Doctor saw 
Faith's hands he had to choke back the bile that rose up in his 
throat. He didn't even know where to start, there were too many 
gashes, scrapes, and welts on her hands. He cleaned them up and 
wrapped them in gauze. He turned around to get a pain pill for the 
girl, by the time he turned back Faith had the bandages removed, and 
was once more clawing at her hands. They had to restrain her, 
weakened as she was she struggled against them. Her shirt came off 
her shoulder and the Doctor saw the bruises, and contusions, both 
fresh and healing. He said nothing to the guards, he knew these marks 
were from them, not another inmate. They finally managed to get Faith 
restrained and sedated. The Doctor once more cleaned and bandaged her 
hands. He told the guards that the girl would need to stay here for 
at least a week, they told him he had two days and then she was due 
in court. He just nodded his agreement. They finally left him alone 
with her.

He stared down at the gaunt face and wondered how long she had been 
without food and water. How long had the guards been beating her? 
While she was still out from the drug-induced sleep he inspected her 
for other injuries. He had no trouble seeing that three of her ribs 
where broken, sticking out from her body as they were from the lack 
of food. He gently wrapped them. He was repulsed by the damage the 
guards had done to her; there wasn't a square inch of her body
that wasn't covered in bruises, his best guess being they had been
beating her for a least a week. His guess would have been different 
had he known about her slayer healing. He didn't know how she had
managed to survive. He started an IV drip and checked to make sure 
she was sleeping soundly before he left her alone. He left the room 
and went about finding out more on his new patient. Sunday night 
after his shift the Doctor made a phone call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They escorted Faith to the courtroom. Her feet were shackled, her 
hands cuffed in front of her. She shuffled over to the defense table, 
taking slow, stiff, steps. Her head hung low, her eyes focused on the 
ground, her hair covering her face. The county issued jumpsuit she 
wore look about five sizes to big for her, if anyone had looked 
closely they would have seen the bandages that covered her hands as 
she gingerly sat down on the chair wincing in pain. Her mind was 
becoming clearer by the minute; the drugs the Doctor had been giving 
her were beginning to wear off. But there was a price, as her mind 
cleared the pain came, and the memory of the blood still on her 
hands. Keeping her hands under the table, Faith began to tear the 
bandages from her hands.

The trial began, she dimly understood they were talking about her. 
She heard the D.A. talking then her idiot lawyer. No one noticed the 
blood that was beginning to pool on the floor by her feet. Someone 
spoke her name, she ignored them. She felt a hand on her shoulder and 
she pulled away in pain. She looked up for the first time, trying to 
focus on what the idiot was telling her. Free, was he telling her she 
was free, they had dropped all the charges? Yes, she was free, he 
said, all the charges had been dropped, and the conviction overturned 
on appeal.
"NO you can't I'm EVIL, I killed Allan, I killed Ridge, I KILL." she 
screamed hysterically. The Judge turned and looked at the young girl. 
The bruises he saw on her face shocked and appalled him.
"Can't you see, look, can't you see the blood, it's theirs, it's all 
of theirs." She pleaded desperately, raising her hands to the Judge. 
An unnatural quiet settled over the courtroom as they all stared in 
horror at Faith's raised hands. Until, the silence was broken by the 
sound of her blood as it dripped and splattered on the table.
"Please, please, you have to lock me up, please before there is more 
blood." She whispered brokenly, as tears streamed down her face. The 
Judge shook himself out of his shocked stupor and started giving 
orders. Faith was escorted from the room and taken to a private room 
in the courthouse. Someone approached the Judge. They spoke privately 
and arrangements were made. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was crouched and huddled in the corner of the small room. Her 
eyes unfocused, her mind trapped again in the nightmare where only 
the layers of blood on her hands existed. The blood she couldn't
get off, couldn't scrub off, couldn't claw off. The guilt had
claimed and overwhelmed her again. They had tried to tell her that 
she hadn't killed Ridge. It didn't matter, there was other blood on 
her hands, and there would always be blood on her hands. Even now she 
was trying to scrape it from her hands, unaware, uncaring, of the 
pain, and her own blood that seeped from beneath her clawing nails.
That was how Angel found her. He was beside her in a second, 
crouching low and gently putting his hands on her shoulders.
"Faith. Faith, look at me." He whispered softly. She raised her tear 
stained eyes to his. Angel she thought, he would know what to do, he 
had blood on his hands too.
"Please, please, make it go away, why won't it go away?" she asked in 
a broken ragged voice.
"What Faith, what?" 
"The blood, their blood." She showed him her hands. Her torn and 
shredded hands. "It won't come off, I can't get it OFF, pleaseplease 
help me!."
He gathered her into his arms, and felt himself crying. Crying for 
her, for him. He understood her pain, he understood only to well.
"Sssh now, I'll help you, it will be alright, don't worry, we'll make 
it better." Gently he picked her up, whispering soothing words, and 
carried her from the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her movements were precise, graceful and fluid as she did her Tai Chi 
exercises. Focused, an air of tranquility and peace surrounded her. 
Peace, tranquility, words she thought would never be applied to her. 
The exercises she performed were ancient and would probably not be 
recognized by most practitioners of the art, then again, it was 
unlikely that anyone else had a 200 plus-year-old vampire with a soul 
as an instructor. Practicing Tai Chi had taught her how to channel 
her destructive energy, to release it from her. It had given her an 
inner peace she had never experience before and never thought she 
could. She still had a long way to go there were demons from her past 
that she had yet to face. But, her feet were firmly planted on the 
right path. 

Her focus drifted, and she thought of the people in her life that she 
had hurt. Her movements became hesitant and shaky. The guilt washed 
over and through her. Guilt over having taken a life, Allan's
life. No matter what she did, who she was, become, she could never 
make it right. Self-disgust, self-hatred, and remorse crash into her, 
and for a second she could once again see the blood on her hands, the 
layers of blood. The urge to try and wash the blood from her hands 
became almost overwhelming.

She could hear Angel in her head "Focus, find your focus." Using her 
strength of will and an amazing amount of self-control, she struggled 
to find her center and focus. Acknowledging to herself that the guilt 
was something she would always carry with her, like the metaphorical 
blood on her hands. She needed to focus her energies on never going 
down that path again. Instead to continue along the path of light. 
Her movements once again became precise, graceful and fluid, as an 
inner calm once more surrounded her. She had come a long way since 
the night she had turned herself in and for the first time in her 
life, she allowed herself to think about the future.

It was doubtful that any of the gang from Sunnydale would have 
recognized the woman as Faith.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

yellow bird flying get shot in the wing / good year for hunters / and 
Christmas parties / and I hate and I hate and I hate and I hate 
elevator music / the way we fight / the way I'm left here silent / oh 
these little earthquakes / here we go again / these little 
earthquakes / doesn't take much to RIP us into pieces  


She was still numb, still couldn't believe her Mom was actually gone. 
 How was she suppose to survive without her? How was she going 
to take care of Dawn? She was the one who was suppose to go first, 
the life expectancy of a Slayer was short at best. Who was going to 
take care of Dawn when she was gone? It was all too much, she 
couldn't think straight, she needed to get out of the house, and away 
from the ghosts that haunted her here. But she couldn't she had to be 
here when Dawn came home. Could not leave her little sister alone 
with the ghosts that she knew haunted her too.  She sat down on the 
couch and waited for her sister, staring into space, letting the 
numbness surround her. She jumped when the phone rang, and for a 
second wasn't even sure what the sound was. 

"Hello?"

"Buffy."

"Dawn. Where are you?" She looked at the clock and saw a hour had 
gone by while she was sitting on the couch.  Where did it go? Where 
had she gone?

"I'm at the magic shop with Willow and Tara, 
canIstaytheirhousetonight please." Dawn rushed out.

"Um, a, sure, if you want to, I guess."

"You sure you'll be OK?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, try not to drive Will and Tara crazy, 'K.." 

"Ok....Bye"

"Dawn...Wait!" 

"Yeah"

"Love - You, be good. I'll see you tomorrow.." 

"Me to, bye Buffy.." Before she even hung up the phone, Buffy felt 
the need to get out of the bearing down on her again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She walked out into the too bright afternoon sun. She didn't have any 
particular destination in mind. Away was all she could think clearly. 
She wandered aimlessly, letting her feet take her where they willed. 
Two hours later she blinked in surprise when she found herself 
standing outside of Angel's old basement apartment. Why here? She 
hadn't been here in a long time, to many bad memories and to many 
good. 

She felt herself move forward, as if something was drawing her here. 
No, as if SOMEONE was drawing her here. She walked up to the door, 
stood on her tippy toes and felt for the key over the door. The key 
was still there and for some reason it didn't surprise her. She put 
the key in the lock, hesitated and as if against her will or perhaps 
a little afraid of what she might find inside, she unlocked the door. 

She returned the key to its hiding spot, entered, closed and locked 
the door behind her. 'It looks the same,' she thought as she went 
from room to room running her hands lightly over everything in her 
path. Memories of her time spent here with Angel idly drifted through 
her mind.  

She had only been in the apartment a few minutes when she heard a 
noise outside the door. The sound of the key being inserted into the 
lock was unmistakable.  She quickly ran behind the Chinese 
Screen in the corner of the living room and hid. Who knew what might 
come through the door, this was the Hellmouth after all.

She heard someone  enter, her slayer senses telling her 
immediately that it  wasn't something demonic. Briefly she thought 
she should reveal herself but immediately pushed the thought aside. 
Her slayer instincts again? She listened as the person crossed the 
room, heard a click and music start to  play softly. Gregorian 
Chants, god she hadn't heard these since Angel had  lived here. 

Silently Buffy moved to the side so she could see around the screen.  



The light in the apartment was dim as dusk settled upon Sunnydale. It 
was the time of the day that some called the "tween hour", when it 
was neither day nor night. The hour when the veil between the mundane 
and magical was lifted and the two co-existed on the mortal plane.  

Buffy was feeling the effects of the "tween", there was something so 
surreal about all this. Here she was the slayer hiding from what she 
could now tell was a woman standing by the fireplace. There was 
something eerily familiar about her Buffy thought as she lazily let 
her eyes roam over her.

She was dressed in a workout top and pants. Her long dark hair flowed 
out from under the bandana on her head. It fell softly onto painfully 
thin but what Buffy saw were well-muscled shoulders. Buffy's gaze 
traveled down the other woman's back and she could see her ribcage 
protruding through the skin of her back. Her eyes move down to a 
waist that was far to thin, over softly rounded buttocks, to long 
legs. It was almost obscene all that muscle on such an emaciated 
body. How was it even possible to be both at the same time? The 
woman's skin glowed palely, she had the look of someone who hadn't 
seen sunlight in a very long time. Buffy couldn't help but wonder 
what could have befallen the woman to have caused such deterioration.

The woman began to move in what Buffy recognized as Tai Chi. The 
movements she was using were the ancient ones that were no longer 
taught, and known by only the oldest of the art's practitioners. As 
she watched her, she could see a blue silhouette begin to radiate 
from the woman, 'Her aura?'? The aura expanded and Buffy felt the 
tranquility, calm and peace that surrounded the woman reach out and 
encompass her. She saw as the aura shimmered, the intensity of it 
begin to dim. The woman hesitated, her movements became jerky, and 
her body trembled. Buffy saw her freeze as her hands passed in front 
of her face. She saw her take a deep breath and within seconds the 
young woman regained her focus. Buffy was once again surrounded, and 
cradled by the tranquility, calm and peace. The sight before her 
transfixed her, then the woman turned and Buffy gasped when she saw 
her face, the peace, and tranquility shattered.

Faith turned quickly towards the screen her eyes flying open at the 
gasp. She knew even before she saw her hiding there in the shadows, 
who it was. She had  sensed her the minute she entered the apartment, 
but had brushed it off as  her imagination. She knew from experience 
that no matter how much, how hard,  you wished for something it very 
rarely came true. For Faith it had never come true.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"B?" she whispered softly. 

 Buffy raged 
silently. 

Buffy stood and stepped out from behind the screen. Time stood still 
as the two slayers stared at each other. Buffy was stunned again by 
how thin Faith was. Taken aback by her gaunt, but still beautiful 
face. By the calm, pain filled haunted eyes. Her eyes trailed down to 
Faith's concave stomach and she saw the pale scar. 'The scar I gave 
her.' She wanted, almost needed to reach out and gently caress away 
the scar, erasing the hurt, the pain she had caused. 

Faith stared at Buffy, drinking, almost drowning in the sight of her 
when she stepped from behind the screen. She watched as Buffy's eyes 
were drawn as if against her will to the knife scar on her abdomen. 
The constant reminder of Buffy that Faith would always carry with 
her. The constant reminder of the Faith that she never wanted to be 
again. Faith wanted to cover the scar. Wanted to say it was all 
right, that she as "five by five", but the words failed her. She saw 
Buffy raise her head to look at her and once again felt herself 
falling into those amazing eyes.

Buffy stared into the eyes of her one time friend, and now her enemy? 
Her emotions ran the gamut, pain, regret, sorrow, remorse, hate, all 
there, all mixed up. She saw Faith take a hesitant step towards her, 
her hand reaching out as if to touch her. 

"B?" she said again, breaking the spell.

All the emotions Buffy was feeling were replaced by an icy coldness 
at Faith's hesitant step. She launched a flying kick at her, catching 
Faith squarely in the chest and knocking her to the floor. She heard 
Faith's head crack against the floor. She jumped on top of her and 
began pummeling her. She was ranting, screaming, cursing Faith, 
cursing god, and cursing the world as tears flowed down her face. Her 
punches fell but there was no real power behind them.

Faith moaned in pain as her head hit the floor. 

 
An hysterical giggle almost escaped her at the absurdity of that 
thought given the seriousness of the situation. 

 She was stunned 
she hadn't expected B to attack her. Attacking first, asking 
questions later was her style not B's. 

 Faith's 
instincts were yelling at her to knock Buffy off her, but she ignored 
them. There was a small part of her  that believed she deserved this. 
Payback for all the pain she had caused Buffy. So Faith remained 
unmoving and let the other slayer take it all out on her. Her own 
silent tears joined that of the golden haired slayer. 

Buffy kept pummeling Faith, until there was nothing left but the 
overwhelming grief. She rolled off Faith and fell to her side on the 
floor, wrapping her arms around herself, the sobs coming from the 
depths of her soul. She cried for everything, for everyone lost to 
her, for the ones she couldn't save, for herself, for Faith, for her 
Mom, for the pointlessness of it all. 

"God I'm so alone." She whispered aloud, unknowingly.

Faith cautiously moved next to the sobbing slayer. She reached out 
tentatively and with care gathered Buffy into her arms. At first 
Buffy resisted her, then turned and buried herself deeper into 
Faith's arms.  Faith whispered words of comfort to her, letting her 
know she was safe, not alone, never alone. She tightened her arms 
around Buffy as she continued to sob. 

Faith never wanted to let her go, wanted to keep her safe forever. Oh 
god she knew what it was like to be in this much pain, and her heart 
was  quietly breaking for the golden haired slayer.

Buffy sobs tapered off slowly. Feeling safe for the first time in god 
only knew how long, her body exhausted, she drifted off to sleep.

Faith heard as her sobs gradually stop, her breathing become even and 
steady. Knew she had fallen to sleep. She gazed down at her as she 
rested in her arms. Had Buffy opened her eyes at the moment she would 
have been amazed at the depth of love coming from the eyes that 
looked upon her. Eyes that kept that love hidden away until there was 
no around to see it. 

Bit by bit Faith inched herself and Buffy backwards, closer to the 
fireplace. She leaned back still cradling Buffy in her arms. She 
gently brushed away the tears from Buffy's face. Then soothingly 
stroked her golden hair. Her fingers traced a path delicately along 
Buffy's jawbone. She inhaled deeply the scent that was uniquely 
Buffy, letting it fill her senses. She then leaned down and softly 
kissed the other slayer's forehead. Her own tears still fell 
silently, for Buffy, for herself. For what had been lost, all that 
could never be, until she too joined the other slayer in sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy drifted up from sleep as the sun was just beginning its assent 
in the morning sky. She snuggled deeper into the warmth of the arms 
that surrounded her. She raised sleep-laden eyes to the face of the 
woman who held her so loving, held her so safe. She looked so 
innocent, so young in her sleep. Buffy reached up and tenderly 
stroked the cheek of the rogue slayer. She couldn't remember ever 
feeling this safe, not even with Angel. 

She noticed the tear tracks on the other slayer's cheeks. Maybe she 
had changed. 

 came the unbidden 
thought. This was Faith, the same Faith who had tried to destroy her 
life, the same Faith who had threatened her Mom. Her Mom who had 
never hurt a fly, who now lay dead and buried. It echoed in her 
mind. 'The same Faith who had threatened Mom, HER MOM!'. With that 
echoed thought came rage, an all consuming rage. 

Crazily it suddenly all became Faith's fault. Maybe if she hadn't 
gone to the dark side, had stayed here where she belonged. Had been 
here to help share the slayer burden, Buffy could have spent more 
time with her Mom. . Could have seen what was happening, could have 
stopped it. Had Faith done all that then maybe Buffy's Mom would 
still be alive. The thought that she was laying in the arms of Faith 
who, was in her mind now the one to blame, safe and warm, while her 
Mom lay in the cold embrace of the ground sickened Buffy. She sat up 
and flung herself away from Faith. The same hand that had been just 
tenderly caressing Faith's face, drew back and viciously "bitch" 
slapped her.

Faith instinctively curled herself into a ball to protect herself the 
instant the blow registered in her mind. She started trembling, 
waiting for the next to fall. What the fuck happened? One minute she 
had been having the most  wonderful dream. She had been holding Buffy 
in her arms, had felt her warmth, felt her snuggling deeper in her 
embrace; it had seemed so real.  The next minute she was being hit. 
What had she done to piss off the guards again? 

 She wasn't in jail anymore! She hadn't been 
dreaming, it had been real, Buffy had been in her arms! Faith could 
almost still feel her there. The reality of who had just struck her, 
was being like struck all over again, only this time the impact was 
more painful than any physical blow could ever be.

Buffy flinched when she saw Faiths reaction to the slap.  

As quickly as the sympathy rose in her for the dark slayer, Buffy 
squashed it. The icy coldness from the night before settled around 
her again. It's numbing effect seduced and comforted her. Her anger 
was righteous, she thought wildly. She looked down at Faith without 
emotion, almost clinically, and saw how her bottom lip trembled in an 
effort to keep the tears from escaping from her eyes. 

Those eyes that were filled with so much hurt, so much pain and, and, 
and . Pain, and hurt Buffy had caused.  Buffy 
chose not to believe what she was seeing. After all she had first 
hand experience at how good an actress Faith was. What was that 
stupid expression Buffy thought, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 
twice, shame on me." And reaffirms to herself, 'I'm no fool'.

Faith looked up at Buffy, it was taking all her energy not to cry. 
But try as she might she couldn't keep the hurt out of her eyes. She 
didn't recognize the woman standing in front of her. This wasn't the 
Buffy she knew. No she thought sadly this wasn't B, she was 
more "Dark Faith", than B. She had been expecting anger from Buffy, 
she knew she deserved her anger.  She also knew grief did strange 
things to people, made them act strange, react strange, but in her 
wildest dreams, she never expected this. She felt a shiver go up the 
back of her neck, making her hair stand on end as she looked up into 
Buffy's cold hate filled eyes.

"Bu..." 

"DON'T! DON'T say a fucking word. What game are you playing now? How 
are you planning on hurting me this time, huh Faith, huh tell ME!!" 
Buffy screeched. 

"I would never h hhhur.."

"What, wouldn't hurt me, is that what you were going to say? That 
you're here to help. Turned over a new leaf, is that it? So I should 
just forgive and forget. Was that how you were going to play it? Set 
me up, figured you had an edge, since I'm all alone, no Angel, no 
Riley. Try to sedu.. t-t-take advantage of me. Figured it be 
easy. Well FUCK YOU! Not going to work! You're nothing! Your 
Disgusting! You Murderous bitch! So crawl back to whatever gutter you 
came from you skanky whore, and leave me ALONE!!" Buffy shrieked at 
Faith. Her body trembling from the rage, her fists clenched at her 
side. 

She watched with cold unbelieving eyes as tears silently fell from 
the rogue slayers eyes.

"Tears Faith, for me, I'm touched." Buffy said smiling cruelly. "I 
think you missed your R-E-A-L calling, you should have been an 
actress. Almost believable. Nice touch though..." she sneered.

"Buffy.............I'm sor..." Faith stammered...

"I" 

"T O L D"

"Y O U"

"I F"

"Y O U"

"E V E R" 

"T R I E D"

"T O" 

"A P O L O G I Z E"

"I"

"W O U L D"

"B E A T"

"Y O U"

"T O"

"D E A T H." 

Buffy hissed slowly venom dripping from each word, as she raised her 
clenched fists poising them strike. 

Faith raised her hands up in self-defense. Fear streaked through her, 
then she just let it go. It was almost as if someone else was pulling 
the strings, as if some outside force was making them reenact the 
past. Faith dropped her hands with a sigh of what was a kind of 
relief. Relief that it would all  finally play out, like it should 
have played out all those months ago. She heard herself say quietly.

"Go ahead...", and then retreated deep into the recesses of her mind. 
Back to the place she knew so well as a child. Now, like all those 
years ago, there would be no Angel to stop the blows that where to 
come. 

Faith closed her eyes and awaited her fate at Buffy's hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy sees the fear flash in Faiths eyes. She sees Faith threw a red 
haze, raise up her hands to defend herself, to only lower them with a 
sigh of relief. . She sees as the light goes out of Faith's 
eyes and she  retreats. She sees it's not behind Faith's usual wall 
of indifference, but instead into a state of resigned acceptance, 
into a sort of nothingness. 

The words Faith whispered an echo from the past, in this macabre game 
that Fate seemed to be playing with them. Only this time there was no 
Angel to stop Buffy. Watches, as if it were a dream, as Faith calmly 
closes her eyes, as Buffy's fists start to descend. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fate continued to play it's surreal game with them. Buffy hears Angel 
in her mind, as clearly as if he were whispering in her ear.  

"This is not gonna happen...I know Faith did some bad things to you...
And you can't possibly know what she's going through..." 

The voice changes as he trails off and now it is Faith's raspy voice 
whispering to her from the past. 

"You have no idea what it's like on the other side! Where nothing's 
in control, nothing makes sense! There is just pain and hate and 
nothing you do means anything. You can't even.." 

"Understand, is that what you were going to say Faith?" Buffy quietly 
whispers. 

I can, I can, Faith she thinks as her fists fall harmlessly to her 
side. I so can understand. Right now, right here I can, and the 
horror of what she had almost just done turns her stomach. She had 
been completely out of control, blaming Faith for everything that was 
wrong in her life. Blaming her for her own mistakes. Trying to force 
on her, her own guilt. Blaming her irrationally for her Mom's death. 
Her anger was justified. Just as Faith's would be justified. They had 
both made mistakes, each paying the price in a different way. 

But kill her? Killing Faith would be like killing a part of herself.
 
 

It was all too much, Buffy was on overload. It was staggering, she 
couldn't handle any more, the grief, seeing Faith, the, the, the.... 

Buffy looked into Faiths eyes, and for a brief second she let what 
she truly felt for her show. Then she turned and fled the apartment. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith opened her eyes warily when the blows didn't come. She watched 
Buffy, her head was cocked to one side as if she were leaning in 
listening to someone whisper in her ear. Faith concentrated, she took 
a deep breath and let all of her slayer senses free. Almost, almost, 
she could swear she heard Angels words from the past. She looked 
intently into Buffy's eyes, and she knew what was happening behind 
those eyes. That night, the words, were permanently etched upon her 
mind. For a brief moment Faith could swear, that when Buffy had gazed 
down so intensely at her she saw love for her in Buffy's eyes. Then 
she was gone running out into the early morning light. 

Running, just like Faith had always run. It was ironic, it was sad, 
it was almost funny, in a very twisted fucked up way.


we danced in graveyards / with vampires till dawn / we laughed in the 
faces of kings / never afraid to burn / and I hate and I hate and I 
hate and I hate disintegration / watching us wither / black winged 
roses that safely changed their COLOR / I can't reach you I can't 
reach you / give me life / give me pain / give me myself again 
- Tori Amos

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You wear guilt / Like shackles on your feet / Like a halo in 
reverse / I can feel it / The discomfort in your seat / And in your 
head it's worse / There's a pain / A famine in your heart / An aching 
to be free


Buffy ran, but where could she run to? Who was there to run to?  What 
was she running from? Who was she running from?  Faith? Herself?  So 
she just kept running, she ran until she couldn't run anymore,  'til 
her legs gave out and she stumbled and fell to the ground.  

She lay there her thoughts, feelings one big jumble.  She couldn't 
distinguish one from the other.  She was terrified.  Afraid of 
opening up, afraid not to. Afraid to love, afraid to be loved. Afraid 
of what she was becoming, afraid of what she might not become. Afraid 
to risk anything, afraid not to, afraid to lose more than she had 
already lost.  All the fear, the grief, the regret, the guilt, the 
remorse, all of it was to much.  

She knew she had been pulling away for quite sometime.  She had been 
shutting down, closing herself off from everything, from everyone. It 
would be easier, she had thought. Easier for them if she moved away, 
easier for them when she died, died young like every other slayer 
before her.  But she hadn't been the one to die, and now....now she 
didn't know anymore. She had to wonder who she had been trying to 
make it easier for, them or herself. 

Now on top of everything there was Faith.  Faith who had once been 
her friend, the wild part of Buffy, the other half of herself.  Faith 
who was now her enemy, or was it that she was Faith's enemy? The 
special bond they had shared, the only one who could ever really 
understand her.  Even Angel couldn't understand, only another slayer 
could.  

Only Faith could appreciate the weight that had found a home on her 
shoulders the day she was called.  Faith bore that weight too. Only 
Faith could comprehend waking up every morning with your first 
thought being whether or not this was the day you were going to die.  
Only Faith grasped what it was like to know that you wouldn't live 
long enough to see a gray hair on your head, hold your grandchild in 
your arms, if you even lived long enough to have your own child. 
That, at best, they only had a year or two left on this plane of 
existences. Only Faith could know the anguish of all those you hadn't 
saved, because you were a second too slow, because there was only one 
of you and thousands of them.  

The same Faith that she had been a hair's-breadth away from beating 
to death this morning. The same Faith that would not have stopped 
her.  Would have let it happen to try, in Faith's way, to make things 
right between them.  Buffy silently thanked whoever was in charge up 
there for sending the voices of the past to her.   For making her 
actually HEAR and comprehend the words.  She had a small glimpse this 
morning at how effortless it would be to give into the seductive 
siren's call of the dark side.   The promises it made sweet, as 
poison fell from its lips.  

But for all that Buffy had learned, admitted to herself this morning 
there were still a few things she wasn't ready to deal with.  Didn't 
know if she ever could deal with. She purposely steered her thoughts 
away from them. Away from how she had felt being held in Faith's 
arms, away from what she had glimpsed in the other slayers eyes, away 
from the feelings she herself had been denying.  

Despite all of it she still wondered whether she could trust Faith.  
Had she changed?  What was she really doing here?  Why wasn't she 
still in jail?  What did she really want?  Who was Faith really?  Was 
she the woman who had wreaked havoc on Buffy's life or was she the 
woman who had held Buffy safe in her arms last night? Too many 
questions and not enough answers.  

Underlying all of this there was the hard cold fact that she was 
still angry at Faith.  For holding a knife to Willows throat. 
Strangling Xander. Poisoning Angel. Threatening her Mom. Forcing 
Buffy to hurt her. For turning to the dark side. Rejecting the hands 
 that were held out in friendship, in trust, to help.  For 
betraying them, betraying her.  Angry for so many reasons she 
couldn't even count them all.  

It was all too much again.  She was so weary of it all.  Without 
blinking Buffy let herself slip back into the armor she had been 
wrapping herself from the world in.  She picked herself up off the 
ground and started walking, only this time she had a destination in 
mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was still in the same position since Buffy had run out earlier 
this morning.   Her arms wrapped around her drawn up legs, her 
forehead resting upon her knees.  Occasionally a soft sigh escaped 
her. At this point she pretty much had no feeling in her lower 
extremities, but she didn't care.  She was too busy trying to make 
sense out of everything that had happened in the last twenty-four 
hours.  

What the fuck had happened last night and this morning?  What had 
happened to the Buffy she knew?  B had been acting more like Faith's 
old self.  Had things really been that bad over the last year?  Faith 
knew there was more to this than just Mrs. S's death.  There was a 
sort of detachment about her now and Faith knew all about that.  She 
was an expert at pushing people away.  Even so, it was funny how 
after all this time there was still the connection between them.  The 
connection that allowed them to see what lie beneath the surface of 
the face they both showed the world.  

It was different now though. Buffy had closed off a part of herself.  
Faith suspected that it wasn't just her that was shut out, but 
Buffy's friends and family too.  She had seen the coldness in Buffy's 
eyes. A coldness that she hadn't even seen the night Buffy had 
stabbed her, and it scared the shit out of Faith.

She knew what it was like, knew where it led, when you killed off a 
part of yourself.  When you stopped letting people in, stopped 
allowing yourself to feel.  Knew what a lonely place it was.  Knew 
the longer you stayed there the harder it was to come back.  To reach 
out, to ask for help, to grasp onto the hand that was reaching out.  
How easy it was to just let the nothing, the numbness be your friend, 
lover. She knew what it was like to think there was no who could 
possibly understand.  Looking into Buffy's eyes had been like looking 
at her own reflection in the mirror not to long ago. 

Faith made a decision right then and there. No matter what it took, 
no matter whether Buffy wanted her help or not.  She didn't care if 
it meant letting Buffy beat the living shit out of her, Faith would 
do anything to make that coldness in Buffy's eyes go away.  There was 
no way Faith was going to let her go down that road.  Faith had lived 
through and caused enough pain for both of their lifetimes, she could 
share.  Whether Buffy fucking liked it or not she was going to learn 
from Faith's mistakes.  Unlike Faith, Buffy was going to learn the 
easy way... Even if it meant that Buffy ended up hating her for it...  
Even if it meant that Faith ended up hating herself again for it...


Can't you see / All love's luxuries / Are here for you and me / And 
when our worlds they fall apart / When the walls come tumbling in / 
Though we may deserve it / It will be worth it / Bring your chains / 
Your lips of tragedy / And fall into my arms - Depeche Mode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you want, then start to laugh / If you must, then start to cry / 
Be yourself don't hide / Just believe in destiny / Don't care what 
people say / Just follow your own way / Don't give up and use the 
chance / To return to innocence / That's not the beginning of the 
end / That's the return to yourself / The return to innocence - Enigma


Faith closed her eyes and let herself remember the feeling of Buffy 
in her arms.  She couldn't remember how many times she had dreamed of 
just such a moment.  It didn't matter to her that it didn't happen 
the way she had pictured it, all that mattered was how it felt.  God 
it felt, shit she couldn't even think of a word to describe it.  

'Liar!' her heart of hearts whispered to her.  She knew exactly how 
it felt, she was just afraid to admit it to herself.  Once she did 
there was no going back.  No more excuses.  Admitting it would make 
it one hundred times harder to keep it to herself.  The fact that 
Faith was determined that Buffy learn from Faith's own mistakes added 
to that fear.  She knew there was a real possibility that when all 
was said and done Buffy might hate her.  

But oh shit, it had felt so good!  It made her feel a little giddy, 
which was ridiculous.  But damn it felt like, like, 
[Coward]

[You're a coward, just another thing you can run away from, too hard 
is?]

[Fuck you]

Oh great now she was having an argument with her own self.  Her head 
definitely must have hit the ground harder than she thought. She was 
starting to feel like she was caught up in a "Twilight Zone" episode 
gone bad.  

If she was honest with herself she would admit that she didn't really 
believe for one minute that she and Buffy would ever be more than 
friends, 'Friends, oh but I want so much more' she sighed in her 
mind.  Or was it that she didn't want to believe it because it scared 
her?  Hell she barely knew how to be a friend to someone, let alone 
someone's lover.  Hell she wouldn't even know where to 
start.   

Still and all Buffy hadn't killed her this morning that had to count 
for something didn't it?  In fact other than the slap she really 
hadn't hurt her at all.  Well her words had hurt, but it wasn't like 
she hadn't done all of those things.  In fact Buffy had thrown her 
own words back at her, the same words she had screamed at herself 
when she was in Buffy's body. There was still the undeniable fact 
that Buffy had spent the night in her arms!  Had let Faith hold her, 
comfort her, keep her safe.  Then this morning, before the world came 
crashing down, Buffy had been tenderly  caressing her 
cheek. 

After all maybe it wasn't so ridiculous to have hope.  Maybe, just 
maybe they could get past, well the past.  Forgive each other.  Maybe 
they could be the "Chosen Two" again.  Maybe Faith could show her 
that she had changed, that she was really sorry.  She would take 
whatever Buffy had to offer, she wanted, needed to be a part of her 
life.  Maybe they could start over, clear the air, be honest with 
each other.

[How are you going to be honest with her if you can't even be honest 
with yourself?]

[Not gonna happen.  You're a coward, always have been, always will 
be!]

[Coward]


"Home." With that simple whispered word Faith felt another of her 
well built walls crumble.  A freeing of a part of herself that had 
been caged for so very long.  The beautiful smile that grew on her 
face, even god couldn't have stopped if he tried.

[Um, not to interrupt the moment or anything aren't you forgetting 
something?]

This fucking voice in her head was starting to annoy her.  But it was 
right she was forgetting something, so with a sigh, Faith got up from 
the floor and almost fell.

  

She felt the pins and needles start to stab her up and down her 
legs.    She started doing 
that weird little dance, that every single person who ever had their 
limbs fall asleep on them did...  She caught sight of herself in the 
mirror, . She started giggling at the 
image of herself like a two-year-old who suddenly discovered he had 
toes, and thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. 

'Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck' she thought with each gingerly 
taken step she took towards the phone.  Which of course was on the 
other side of the room. 

'Oh thank god' she thought when she finally reached it and started 
giggling all over again.  She picked up the phone and dialed the 
number she had come to know by heart.

"Hello?" The sound of the voice at the other end immediately sobered 
Faith up. 

"Yeah it's me she knows I'm here..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

these things that we too soon forget / collecting dust...spider webs 
that grow and grow till there's nothing left / except for shreds that 
you can't quite call evidence / that i had a life before today / see 
i forget things i associate with pain / i think it's time that i 
start to look back on my life / sitting around watching things go / 
these things that remind me of my home


"Giles!  NOW!" Buffy yelled, bursting through the door of the Magic 
Shop.  The door slamming against the wall hard enough to make the 
items on the shelves shake.  "GILES!" she yelled again.  

The one customer in the shop looked around at her.  The look on her 
face was frightening.  He swore he could see red sparks flashing from 
her eyes.  

"I, ah, ah, changed my mind." he stammered to Anya.  He headed for 
the door and cautiously made his way around the "she-demon" by the 
entrance. 

Giles came running out of the back of the Magic Shop at the sound of 
her voice.  He saw Anya out of the corner of his eye throw a look 
that could kill at Buffy.  'Oh no.' He quickly headed over to the 
counter hoping he would be able to stop the confrontation that was 
sure to come.   

Most of the time Anya was indifferent to everything that went on, 
Giles supposed being 1,200 years old might do that to you.  Her weak 
spot however was "MONEY", and Buffy had just ruined a sale.  The Ex-
Vengeance demon was as enamored by money, as she was obsessed with 
her "Orgasm Buddy" Xander.

"You, you, the Money..."  

"Not now Anya big problem, like in huge." Buffy said cutting her off.

"Well, what seems to be the problem Buffy?"

"Faith."

"Faith?" Giles asked puzzled.

"You know, as in Faith bad slayer. Evil slayer.  Psycho slayer.  That 
Faith."  Giles hated it when Buffy got like this.  He just raised his 
eyebrow and waited for her to continue.

"She's out!"

"Out?"

"Like N-O-T in jail, like here."

"What, Faith's here in Sunnydale?"

"That would be a yes, I saw her last night at Angel's apartment."

"You wait until now to tell me!"  Irritated Giles took off his 
glasses and started cleaning them.  

"Well I only left there an hour or so ago..."    "Um, I, uh" How 
the hell was she going to explain this.

"Y-y-y-y-ou uh, ahmm, spent t-t-he night with Faith?"  Giles choked 
out.

"Is Faith your 'Orgasm Buddy'?"

"NO! SO SO SO SO NOT! NO!"  Buffy yelled at Anya a little too loud 
and a little to vehemently.

"Oh do you want her to be? Is that why you spent the night with her. 
Because you know Willow and Tara are and you know it would be OK. ..." 
Giles and Buffy just stared at Anya, both wondering how they had even 
gotten side tracked into this topic.

"Anya enough. Buffy and Faith are not um, ah, that. What is she doing 
here?"

"Don't know, I think we need to call a Scooby meeting. Yup a Scooby 
meeting would be good."

"Perhaps you should call Angel as well. Although I am surprised he 
didn't call and let us know she was out of jail.  Unless of course he 
doesn't know."

"I'll call Angel, you call the Gang."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"WHAT!... You didn't...  Psychotic super...  At your word...  Right an...   
Bullshit..." The Scooby Gang was sitting around the table in the Magic 
Shop listening to Buffy yell at Angel on the phone.  They could only 
hear bits and pieces of the conversation but it didn't sound as if 
things were going well.  They all jumped when they heard Buffy slam 
down the phone.   Giles wondered if it was still in one piece.   
Apparently it was because they heard her talking to someone else, all 
they heard this time though was the word "NOW".  Buffy stormed back 
into the main room of the shop in time to hear Xander's question.

"So psycho slut is back?"

"Yes and Buffy spent the night with her.  But they aren't 'Orgasm 
Buddies'.  But I told her it would be Ok if she wan... hmpf" The rest 
was cut off by Xander's hand over Anya's mouth.

Everyone just stared open mouth at first Anya, and then at Buffy.  
Buffy threw an exasperated look at Anya.

"You... you... spent the night with her?"  Willow gasped.  "How, why 
would you, I mean, she is evil, unless of course she's not anymore 
which is..."

"Why don't we just let Buffy explain, shall we?"  Giles had left out 
the part about Buffy spending the night with Faith when he had filled 
the Scooby Gang in.  Well what little information there was, which 
pretty much consisted of Faith was back and nothing else. He should 
have known better with Anya around.  Everyone look expectantly at 
Buffy.

"Well I ran into her last night and just to be safe I stayed to keep 
an eye on her."  The answer sounded even lame to Buffy. 

"Was Angel able to shed any light on Faith being here?"  

"He refused to tell me much of anything."  Buffy said as she sat down 
with the rest of them at the round table.  "Faith has been out of 
jail since October. Angel had her stashed in some apartment.  He said 
he has been trying to help her control her dark side."

"Brood-Boy helping Evil-Slayer-Girl, kind of makes sense in a very 
weird sort of way."

"Wait, what do you mean she's been out since October? What happened 
to she killed someone, tortured and threatened others, they only give 
five months for that kind of stuff now. Cause I mean usually that's 
like a life thing and, um, I mean, she was sentenced to eighteen 
months just for the assault and battery wasn't she? And it hasn't 
been that long yet has it?  And I think..."  

"Will, Will, hold on a sec OK." Buffy held up her hand to get Willow 
to stop babbling.  "Seems the so-called smart people in like the 
Judge and the D.A. dropped the other charges, and the assault 
conviction was overturned.  Cause I mean what's one more psychopath 
on the streets anyway right.  This is why they make the big bucks, 
they make the big dumb decisions. Angel says Faith isn't evil 
anymore.  Angel said she's trying to make up for the past.  Be a good 
little girl.  He said to ask her my questions.  So I, um, called 
her.  She should be here soon."
 
"WHAT!?!  Should we get weapons or something? Cause, I mean, who 
knows if she is going to go all psycho on us.  I mean, she did 
threaten Willow with a knife and she tried to strangle me. Who knows 
what she is going to do now." 

Before Buffy could answer Xander they heard the bell ring on the 
door, signaling someone's entrance. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith had been standing outside of the Magic Shop for ten minutes 
trying to get up enough nerve to go inside.  She had been peeking in 
the window fervently praying she didn't get caught.  She was hoping 
to get the temperature of the room before she went in and from what 
she could see there were no happy campers in there.  She didn't 
expect that they would greet her with open arms.  She had pretty much 
destroyed any chance of that, what she was hoping was that they would 
at least give her a chance.

  Faith sighed and leaned 
her head up against the building.  Funny Soul-boy forgot to tell her 
about this part.   She straightened up and squared her shoulders, she 
still had a little pride left, and walked over to the door.  

Seven heads turned towards her. She moved away from the door and came 
into the shop out of the bright sunlight. There was a collective gasp 
from the original Scooby Gang as they saw how her clothes hung off 
her emaciated body.  They saw her large haunted brown eyes stare back 
at them from her gaunt face.  For once it seemed Faith wasn't hiding 
behind her usual facade of indifference. There was a second gasp from 
the group when they noticed the fresh bruises in the shape of a 
handprint on each of her cheeks.  It didn't even enter their minds 
that there was only one person who could hit the dark slayer hard 
enough to leave such lasting vivid bruises on her face.  

The cocky attitude seemed to be gone as well, and in its place there 
seemed to be oddly enough a calm sort of confidence. This certainly 
didn't appear to be the Faith they had known.

Faith started walking towards them. When she saw the looks of 
apprehension they were giving her, she stopped in mid-stride. She 
knew they were wondering if she was going to attack them.    So she 
veered away from the them towards the counter.  She hopped up onto 
the counter top and saw how everyone jumped when she jumped.  She saw 
Giles look of disapproval and suppressing a sigh she slid off the 
counter and leaned back against it instead.  She shoved her hands 
into her pockets, and curiously enough it seemed she was wearing 
lifting gloves.  She tried to make her demeanor as non-threatening as 
possible.

"Going for that anorexic body-building look now, Faith?" Anya looked 
at Xander, she was a little perplexed by the bitterness, and meanness 
of his tone. 

As she had over the last twenty-four hours where it concerned Faith, 
Buffy chose to ignore what her heart and eyes were desperately trying 
to tell her; what some of the Scooby Gang seemed to see. This wasn't 
the same Faith that they all had come to hate.  Buffy was still too 
angry, at Angel, at Faith, at herself, and so she let the anger 
control her.

"Me, I preferred the sleazy street slut look over the whole waif 
thing you've got going on Faith. Is this whole wasting away to 
nothing look part of the twisted psycho game you're playing this 
time?  Oh look at me! The guilt is eating me alive.  I can't eat; I 
can't sleep, POOR, POOR, PITIFUL ME!  Did you think we'd feel sorry 
for you and just open our arms and let you back in? Cause it's not 
working for me, how about the rest of you guys?"  

Faith wasn't the only one to look at Buffy in shock. Well they 
thought it was Buffy, she looked like Buffy, sounded like Buffy, but 
she didn't act like Buffy.  At least not the Buffy they knew.  They 
had been noticing, even before her Mom had died little changes in her 
in the last few weeks.  Had been noticing she seemed to be a little 
distant, only now they were realizing how far away she had actually 
moved. 

"Waiting here!"

"Buffy!"

"Giles!"

"Enough! This is accomplishing nothing."  Giles rose to stand in 
front of Buffy as he spoke.  

"Um...   I would...  ah, like to say something first before...    I do 
that, well I mean if... um, that's OK."  Faith stumbled unsure of how 
to start.  Her calm confidence was slowly turning to acute 
nervousness. This definitely wasn't going as she planned, but then 
again very few things in her life ever did.  Buffy interrupted her 
before she could continue.

"Giles move," Buffy waved him to the side. "You're going to make me 
miss the start of the performance."

"Look I'm not here to cause trouble."

"Could a fooled me."  Faith chose to ignored Buffy, getting into a 
verbal tug of war with her would not help anything.

"I want to say I'm..." Faith shot a nervous look at Buffy before 
continuing. "Sorry."

"Right and I'm Kate Moss." They heard Buffy snort under her breath.  
Faith had to stop herself from making a short joke, she doubted it 
would have gone over well with the Scoobs.

"Buffy, enough, let Faith speak.  You are not helping matters" Giles 
spoke to her as if she were a wayward four-year-old.  Buffy opened 
her mouth to say something again and Giles gave her that fatherly 
look of disapproval that always stopped her in her tracks.  Buffy 
turned her cold eyes back to Faith and nodded at her to continue.

"I messed up big, I know that.  I was too busy running and feeling 
sorry for myself to see what was right in front of me.  I spit on all 
of you, your friendship, your trust.  I betrayed my calling, all of 
you and myself. If I could I would go back and change it all."

"You mean, like actually kill us this time don't you?" Xander mumbled 
under his breath. Faith took a shuddering breath and continued, the 
pain of Xanders words like a knife in her gut again.  Her voice 
trembled a little.

"No! If I had really wanted to kill you, you would be dead right 
now." That gave them pause, because it suddenly became obvious that 
what she said was true.  It was something none of them had ever 
really thought about before now.  

"I know I can't change what happened.  I know you have no reason to 
believe me when I tell you I am not that Faith anymore.  That I never 
want to be her again, that I never wanted to be her.  I am not going 
to offer any excuses, try to blame it on a bad childhood or some 
other bullshit. I was out of control, I couldn't... didn't know how 
to ask for or accept help.  I thought my only way out was to become 
evil enough, do enough damage that...  that... that... someone would 
be forced to kill me to get me to stop.  I don't ever want to go down 
that path again.  I have learned a lot from Angel over the last few 
months.  And the guilt like the blood on my hands will be with me for 
the rest of my life. "  Faith lost her composure a little and paused 
to take a shaky breath. 

"I am not asking you for your forgiveness or your friendship. I 
couldn't have that kind of luck a second time. But I am sorry for 
everything." Again they saw her look a little nervously at 
Buffy. "All I am asking for is a chance to show you.  I came here to 
help."  She looked out at the Scoobs and waited for their reaction. 

"Yeah, well, I mean, if you're not evil anymore, that's like a good 
thing, but it's kinda hard to believe, you know, cause it looks like 
you've already been um, well, I mean, like...... like you've only 
been here a day and you show up here all, um, bruised face and 
all..." Willow trailed off at the look the two slayers exchange at 
the mention of Faith's bruises.  

Faith saw as it dawned on them who she had gotten the bruises from.  
There was a little bit of horror in their eyes when they took note 
that there didn't seem to be a hair out of place on Buffy. Faith 
didn't like this.  She didn't want them to lose their, well, faith in 
Buffy.  Didn't want them to actually realize how distant Buffy had 
become. Buffy needed them now more than ever.  Needed their continued 
support.  If they started to distance themselves from her as well, it 
would not help at all.  Faith knew what the feeling of being all 
alone in the world could do you, could make you do.  She wanted them 
to continue to believe that "Their Buffy" only used her fists when 
given no other choice, no matter what the person had done.  

Buffy cringed inside when she felt their eyes move to her, she knew 
what they were thinking.  They were looking to her for an answer as 
to why it looked as if she was the only one who had done any hitting. 
She didn't have an answer for them, or at least not one she was 
willing to admit to.

Faith didn't like the speculative looks the Scoobs were giving 
Buffy.  She sure as hell couldn't tell them what had really happened 
so she did the only thing she could think of: she lied.

"Nope! No fighting here. I, ah, had a run-in with a few vamps before 
dawn this morning and they, ah... kinda caught me by surprise, you 
know.  You can see I'm......um......ah......not exactly in the best 
of shape, ah, not at, ah full slayer strength. I, um, kinda bruise 
easy and don't heal as fast you know." 'Fuck, Faith, channel Willow 
much?' she thought to herself.   Faith saw the surprise and the brief 
hint of gratitude in Buffy's eyes.  The gratitude didn't last very 
long and Buffy retreated back behind the wall of ice, the coldness 
once more clear in her eyes. 

"Your kind of help we don't need, it's like no help at all."

"B, I'm not leaving even if you don't let me help. This is where I'm 
suppose to be."

"Go back to L.A. Faith. Is that clear enough for you, or would you 
like me to spell it out for you, given that you can read?"

"NO."

"Don't make me drag you back there."

"I'll only come back, I'm not running anymore, not from slaying, not 
from my past, not from anything.  Something big and bad is coming 
down and I AM SUPPOSE to be here. I AM NOT leaving.  I am going to 
help whether you like it or not B. I will do whatever it takes, 
whatever you want, just say the word, everything but leave.  You'll 
have to kill me to keep me away." Her words were wrapped in a quiet 
defiance, there was nothing threatening about them, simply because 
they were not meant as a threat.

"Faith, perhaps it would help if you told us why you are sure you are 
supposed to be here."  Giles gave his do-not-interrupt look at Buffy.

"There this demon that Soul- ah, Angel knows that owns a club and he 
can, ah, sort of see your soul...... Read your aura...... Point you 
where you're supposed to be...... Your destiny or some such thing. 
Angel took me to see him."  Suddenly Faith found the tops of her 
shoes very interesting.

"A demon you say?  What kind?"

"A...  a...  Ana something, I don't know, he's green, red eyes, horns; a 
demon demon. Ya know."  Faith said still fascinated by the tops of 
her shoes.

"Oh I know that, it is a ANAGOGIC demon. They are connected to the 
mystics.  You have to sin..."

"Ahyeahthat'sitsothat'swhyI'mhere" Faith rushed out before Anya could 
finish.

"Anya did you say you have to sin for this demon to read your Aura?"  
Puzzled Giles ask.

"No. If she wasn't such a rude human and did not interrupt me, I 
would have said: You have to sing in order for them to read your 
aura."

"I know about this Cordy told me about it.  Angel sang Barry 
Manilow!"  Right about now Faith was hoping a hole would open up and 
swallow her into the ground.  If she were the old Faith, which she 
wasn't, she would be seriously considering hurting Anya and Willow.  
Instead she just kept looking at her shoes, hoping no one would 
notice the blush creeping up her neck.  She knew they wouldn't let 
her off that easy though.

"You sang Faith?  Buffy asked sweetly. Oh this was way too good! So 
much to play with!  Buffy couldn't resist the urge to make the rogue 
slayer squirm just a little.  She had heard Faith sing, well, if you 
could call it that.  If Buffy remembered correctly Faith sang in the 
key of 'O-F-F'.

"Yes."  Faith mumbled and looked pleadingly at Buffy. 
  But Faith knew she would.

"So what did you sing F?"

"B"

"F, it could be important."  Just for a brief moment in time it was 
like none of the bad blood had happened between them.  It was just 
the "Chosen Two" teasing each other again.

Faith mumbled into her feet. "Bl.mmmm S...".

"What?  I couldn't hear you. Could you guys?"  Buffy asked followed 
by a chorus of "No's"



"Blue Sun by Darling Violetta."  Faith looked at Buffy, wondering if 
she would remember.

"Hey that was the..."
 
 

"...song the band was playing the night Buffy met you and brought you 
over to our table at the Bronze." 

  

Faith was back to inspecting her shoes again, but not before she saw 
the surprise in Buffy's eyes.  She could not help it but she had to 
grin, but the grin didn't last very long when what Buffy was saying 
started to sink in.

"Hmm, I'm thinkin' it would be a good thing, yup a really, really 
good thing if Faith sang it for us now."  Faith's head snapped up, 
she knew her face had to be scarlet by now.  She gave her best please-
please-don't-make-me-do-this look at Buffy who was just sitting there 
smiling like the cat that just ate the canary.

"BBBBBB?" She begged. 


"You said you'd do whatever it takes F."  She shrugged and gave Faith 
an innocent look, but there was an impish grin playing around the 
corner of her lips. 

  There was a little part of 
Buffy that was secretly thrilled, but the bigger part of herself 
vehemently denied it.

Faith stared into Buffy's eyes, and caught a glimpse of was it 
delight over the song she had picked? For just that second Faith 
could have sworn that she heard the distinct sound of a wall 
beginning to crumble. 

.  

With a sheepish grin Faith shook her head and shrugged her shoulders 
as if to say "What-the-Fuck". Buffy let her sweat it out a few 
seconds longer, this was way to much fun.  

Buffy raised her hand and stopped Faith just before she started to 
sing.
 


"OK, OK you don't have to sing.  Torturing the Scoobs won't help 
prove you've changed......  I am going to give you your chance 
Faith.  But you will be on probation.   Angel wants for you to move 
into the mansion. Do it tonight, and I expect you here at 10 a.m. 
tomorrow to train, and don't even think about being late."

"Thank you B... B...uffy. I won't let you down, I won't let any of you 
down, I swear."  Faith tried to keep herself from smiling as she 
turned to leave but a little bit of the smile escaped anyway.

"And Faith."  Buffy said just as the rogue slayer opened the door to 
leave.  Faith turned around to look at the Slayer. 

"You better not let any of us down.  If I even see a hint that you 
are going back to you're old ways, you'll be lucky if all I do to you 
is kick your ass all the way back to L.A."  The temperature in the 
room plummeted about fifty degrees before Faith turned around and 
left.  The connection between the slayers once again broken.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As each of the "Chosen Two" drifted off to sleep that night, it was 
with thoughts of the other.  They would have been surprised at just 
how similar those thought were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Slayer woke from her slumber, and was not in her own bed.  Where 
was she? She hated these damn slayer dreams. She looked around, and 
saw she was standing in a very large room. Over in the corner was a 
young woman spinning threads with a staff.  A distaff, a voice in her 
head told her.  The Slayer watched as she carefully selected, and 
prepared the thread. The young woman walked over to another older 
woman who was sitting at a very large Loom in the center of the 
room.  The Slayer always hated it when people, things would just 
suddenly be there when they weren't before, these damn slayer dreams 
were enough to give someone a heart attack.

The middle-aged woman at the loom was weaving a tapestry so 
expansive, so intricate, it stretched beyond the scope of the 
Slayer's vision. Even had she been able to see the whole of it, it 
was doubtful that the Slayers mind could comprehend its magnitude.

The Slayer watched as the woman slipped the new thread into the loom 
through the shuttle.   She watched as the thread seemed to slip 
smoothly into its allotted place within the tapestry, winding into 
even braids, crossing and touching other threads as if by plan.  

The young woman returned with another thread and gave it to the 
weaver, only this one was unruly, and wild.  The Slayer saw as the 
weaver took this thread and began to weave it into the tapestry by 
hand.  She wove the thread with careful loving fingers.  As the 
Slayer looked she saw other similar threads in the tapestry.  Saw how 
some had frayed in places, tangled in others, they seemed almost 
unpredictable, and they seem to disrupt the planned design.

The Slayer turned towards a sound that had just sent a shiver up her 
spine.  She saw an ancient woman emerge from the darkness beyond, a 
pair of shears in her hands.   She watched as the weaver held a 
thread tight and the ancient woman snipped it.  With the snipping of 
the thread came a sense of sorrow to the Slayer, and with an 
unbelieving hand she wiped away the single tear that had escaped from 
her eye.
 
"Child, come here."  Beckoned the ancient woman.

The Slayer walked over towards the three women who now stood 
together.  She stopped a foot or two from them.

"Who are you?"  Did she actually speak these words or were they only 
in her mind?

"We are known by many names my sisters and I."  

The ancient woman pointed to the youngest of them and said, "She is 
known as 'The Maiden', Clotho, or 'The Spinner'."  

She then pointed at the middle-aged woman "She is know as 'The 
Mother', 'Lachesis' or the 'The Weaver', and I am known as 'The 
Crone', 'Atropos', or 'The Harvester'.  We are also known together as 
the 'Aspects of Fate'."

"Where am I?"

"You are in the room where the tapestry of life is woven.  Clotho 
spins the threads of life.  While Lachesis measure and weaves the 
threads of life into the tapestry, and I child am the one who finally 
snips them."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"For now, all you need to know is that each person, whether human, 
god, or immortal, is given and equal share of good and evil at 
birth.   The choices they make during the course of their lives can 
change the destiny that has been planned in the tapestry for them, as 
well as the lives of the other lives they touch.   There are times 
when these choices can tip the balance of the world causing chaos 
where none should be. There would be no balance in life, in the 
world, if there was only one without the other."

"OK.... I think?"  

"How would you know what Cold is if you have never known Hot? How 
would you know what Love is if you have never known Hate? How would 
you know what Pleasure is if you have never known Pain. How would you 
know what Joy is if you have never known Sorrow. How would you know 
what Good is if you have never known Evil?  How would you know what 
Light is if you have never known Darkness"

"Ok, OK I GET IT!!" 'Yup, took those smart slayer pills today, cause 
it would probably be a good thing to get snotty, and annoyed with 
the "Fates" and piss them off.' the Slayer chided herself. 

"What is it that you want from me?"

"For now this is all you need to know.  Now you must return, until 
the next time we met Child."  The "Fates" smiled at the Slayer and 
faded back into the darkness and she was once more in her own bed.


i think it's time that i start to look back on my life / cuz i don't 
want to be in doubt / and i don't need to know  what this life's all 
about / i just wanna to know right now, right now are you gonna be 
around / when i need to find what i'm missing / and i can't recall 
what it was i believed in / take me home, surround me with friends / 
take me home...home - 8Stops7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've wrapped myself up / In a universe again / And let the darkness 
quell / My matchflame confidence / And unwillingly I hide / The lever 
I must find / To release the deep / The tears withheld inside / But I 
can't explain / I can't make sense of the things I'm saying


She was sitting on the other side of the bed across from her lover 
pretending to read.  In  reality she was  watching her over the top 
of the book.  It still amazed her that they were together, every once 
in a while she had to pinch herself just to make sure it was true.  

"Hey there's staring going on here, definitely staring."

"Sorry."

"I don't mind staring, staring can lead to other things, like 
smoochie type things."

She scooted quickly over across the bed, a little smile played across 
her mouth.  She leaned down and lightly kissed her lover.  She felt 
her lover reach up and run her fingers caressingly through her hair.  
It sent a shudder of pleasure coursing through her body.  Her lover 
deepened the kiss, delicately parting her lips with her tongue.  She 
pulled away and began teasingly tracing her lover's lip with the tips 
of her fingers, and placing soft  kisses along her check, and down 
the side of her neck.  Occasionally letting her tongue sneak out to 
taste the sweetness that was her. She leaned back and opened her 
eyes. 

That's when she saw the time on the clock beside the bed.

"Crap!"
 
"What?"

"We are going to be late."

"Don't wanna go!  Wanna stay here, definitely here, not there."

"We have to! We promised, now open your eyes..."  

"No, and No again." She struggled to open her eyes only to see her 
own patented 'Resolve Face' staring right back at her.  "Damn!"

Tara just smiled at Willow. The glint in her eyes letting Willow know 
that they would without a doubt finish what they had started later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow felt Tara staring at her again as they were walking over to 
the Magic Shop.  She saw that Tara had on her 'How-do-I-say-this' 
face.  She smiled at her encouragingly.

"She wasn't lying."

"Who?"

"Faith." 

"Tara." Now it was Willows turn to wear the 'How-do-I-say-this' 
face.  She didn't want to hurt her feelings but Tara had only met 
Faith once, and Willow knew from experience how good an actress Faith 
was.  

"Tara" She began again. "I know she might have sounded sincere, but 
Faith is a pretty good actress.  She had all of us fooled."

"I know but she wasn't acting."  She says forcefully, and without a 
hint of doubt.

"How can you be so sure?  I mean, Faith was evil, maybe she's using 
some kind of magic or something..." But Willow knew that it wasn't 
true, if Faith had been using magic to cover her true self she would 
have known.  Plus there was Angel, who Buffy said was convinced Faith 
had changed.

"I am not sure how to explain it or even if I can. It has to do with 
a person's energy, it's like I sense as well as almost see it.  
Whether their energy is in balance, or conflict, peaceful or calm.  
It was how I explained it to you when I knew it wasn't Buffy when 
Faith switched their bodies or rather the essence in their bodies.   
The energy didn't belong in that body. It was in conflict, out of 
harmony, there was no unity to it." 

Tara honestly didn't know how she knew these things, they just sort 
of came to her, and she had learned over the years to trust 
these 'feelings'. She silently cursed herself for not being able to 
explain this better.  How do you explain something that isn't exactly 
tangible, that was more abstract? 

"It's a good thing if she's changed.  But there is still that whole 
tried to kill us thing, and well I just don't think that I can just 
forgive her for that, even if she has changed.  I'm not even sure if 
I would have given her a second chance like Buffy is doing, and she 
did far worse things to her.  How do we know she won't just go back 
to how she was?......  Are you really sure she wasn't lying?"

"Yeah I am."  Tara hesitated here, but decided it was best to tell 
Willow the truth.  "She did lie once though."

"I knew it, Faith wouldn't be Faith if she didn't.  She must be doing 
something to hide who her true self is, even from you.  I guess she 
couldn't maintain it though, cause you saw through it. I knew it 
couldn't be true." Willow had to wonder a little if it was more she 
that she didn't want it to be true, because she didn't want to give 
Faith a second, fourth, hundredth whatever number it was chance.

"No Will.  The only thing she lied about was how she got the bruises 
on her face."  

"I don't want to know do I?"  Willow knew she didn't she was afraid 
of the answer, which deep down she already knew.

"She didn't get those bruises from vampires.  I... I... think you
know 
how she got them."

Willow knew, it was more she just didn't want to know.  She had seen 
the look the two slayers had exchanged, and she hadn't missed the 
guilty flush that came to Buffy's face when she had mentioned them.  
She also knew that Buffy hadn't hit Faith in self-defense. Had she 
Faith wouldn't have lied. If Faith was lying why didn't Buffy say 
something?  Faith was covering up for Buffy, but why?

They were silent on the rest of their walk over to the Magic Shop.  
Willow thought about Faith. The Faith she had known would have used 
this to her advantage, would have tried to make Buffy out to be the 
bad guy and herself the self-sacrificing martyr. 'Oh look at me, 
Buffy's hitting me for no reason!'  The more Willow thought about it, 
the more she didn't like any of the conclusions she was coming to.  
Buffy was changing and Willow didn't like it one bit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was quarter pass nine as Buffy was walking down the street towards 
the Magic Shop.  She wanted to get there early to talk with Giles 
about Faith, get his take on the whole situation.  It was unlikely 
however that in her current state of mind she would take heed of 
anything he said unless it was in total accord with her own thoughts 
on the matter.  She paused right before the alleyway that was next to 
the shop.

"Faith." She said in a low snarl, a second before the rogue slayer 
stepped out of the alley. "Lurking in the shadows now, waiting to 
pounce on some unsuspecting passerby?"

Now that Faith was back Buffy had opened up the connection they 
shared at least to the point where she was aware of the other 
slayer's presence before she actual saw her.  Obviously Faith had 
too, since she stepped out to the crosswalk almost the same instance 
Buffy spoke her name.

"No... I... ah... just got here. I heard a noise in the alley
and went ta check it out, it was just... a... ah... cat?!?"  In
reality
Faith had been standing in the alley since eight-thirty trying to 
work up the courage to go inside.  She was a little nervous about 
facing the Scoobs on her own, who where already there when she 
arrived.  Like Buffy she had been hoping to get to talk with Giles.

Buffy studied Faith's face, and knew she was lying, what she saw 
there surprised her though.  Faith was nervous, Buffy couldn't 
remember when she had ever seen her nervous before. Wait, no, that 
wasn't true, Faith had been nervous the night she had shown up for 
Christmas Eve dinner after turning down the original invitation.  She 
had shown up with some transparent excuse about the party being a big 
drag.  Buffy remembered thinking that she had looked so endearing, 
shy, nervous and all, standing in the doorway.  She remembered having 
to fight down the urge to pull Faith into a hug and kiss her she had 
looked so damn cute.  'In a friendly, sisterly-ish way.' Buffy told 
herself.

"What's the matter? Is big bad Faith afraid to go inside all by her 
lonesome?  Were you waiting on little ole' me to come to protect you 
from the mean ole' Scoobies?  Is this a new game Faith?  Were you 
waiting for me to play too?" 

Damn but she loved to tease Faith, had always loved the banter that 
went on between them, it was something she missed;  only now there 
was a meanness in her undertone and words that had never been there 
before.  Like everything else that concerned her reactions to Faith, 
Buffy chose to ignore it. 

Faith's blush was all the answer Buffy needed.  Buffy just smiled at 
her, and walked towards the door not giving her a chance to answer.  
Faith gave a little sigh of relief she had already made an ass out of 
herself once today with that lame excuse for being in the alley, she 
didn't have any desire to do it again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 'Chosen Two' entered the shop to a chorus of "Good mornings", 
which they returned.  Although Faith's greeting was directed more at 
the floor than at any individual.  She could feel their general 
distrust, resentment, and even a little bit of fear, with some hate 
thrown in for good measure at her being here.   Angel had warned her 
this wasn't going to be easy, but she hadn't expected it to be so 
hard. 

It hadn't been this hard the first time she was in Sunnydale, but 
then again the only one who's opinion of her she really cared about 
back then was Buffy's .  The Scoobs would have just been icing on the 
cake.  Things were different this time, she cared about their opinion 
of her almost as much as Buffy's.

Not wanting to force her presence on them, she mumbled to the room in 
general something along the lines of going to the training room and 
doing her Tai-Chi before they started. She started to walk then 
stopped realizing she didn't even know where they were going to 
train, if it was here or somewhere else.  Xander saw her confusion 
and pointed to the back with a smirk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was pretty impressed with the training room.  She looked around 
hoping to see some weight lifting equipment. There wasn't any, too 
bad she liked working out with the weights, liked the way her muscles 
looked all cut.  She supposed she could always join a gym. 

She had already done her Tai-Chi this morning.  It was part of her 
morning routine, after she had her coffee that is.  First coffee, 
definitely coffee first, Faith was not now and never would be a 
morning person.  Hell, she was scared to even talk to herself in the 
morning before her coffee. 

She wandered around the room feeling for the right spot to do her Tai-
Chi again.  She found a spot over by the one of the few windows in 
the room.  Facing the sun she cleared her mind and began the 'tai-
yin' or 'Taoist Breathing' exercises Angel had taught her.  She began 
moving going from the Cloud Hands to the Winds Sweeps the Plum 
Blossoms movements smoothly, with familiar ease and purpose.  She 
went deep into her own mind to her center and let the tranquility 
find her.

Faith didn't notice the others as they came in one by one to watch 
her.  Collectively they thought she was a beautiful sight, and for a 
time forgot just who they were watching.  Tara was seeing, feeling 
the same blue energy Buffy had seen the other night at Angels 
apartment, it only served to re-affirm her 'feeling' that Faith was 
not the same person who's energy she had seen in Buffy's body. She 
could sense, that the others were also feeling it in varying degrees 
too. Tara reached out and clasped Willows hand, leaned in close to 
her and whispered in her ear.

"Clear your mind, and try to see / feel the energy that surrounds and 
is part of her with more than your eyes."

Willow nodded agreement to Tara and cleared her mind, much like she 
did before casting a spell.  She allowed her eyes to become slightly 
unfocused and opened her mind and senses to room.  She was beginning 
to get a very good glimpse of what it was that Tara sensed / saw.  
The calm and tranquility she felt coming from the dark slayer 
surprised her.  Willow lost her focus when she saw Buffy start to 
move across the room.

Buffy moved towards Faith, as if being drawn by an invisible thread.  
She longed for the tranquility the other slayer seemed to have 
found.  It had been a long time since she had had that kind of peace 
in her life.  She moved next to the slayer, she was familiar with the 
movements of Faiths exercises, Angel had started teaching them to her 
a long time ago.  She practiced them sporadically.  Buffy began to 
move with Faith, and Faith who eyes where closed sensed Buffy 
presence.   

Faith felt Buffy's hesitant movements and her struggle to find her 
focus. So she opened her mind further, and visualized her energy, her 
tranquility encompassing them both.  Tara let out a little gasp as 
she saw Faith's energy expand to include Buffy, as the essence of 
both slayers merged.

Buffy felt Faith reach out to her with the connection they shared as 
slayers.  She resisted it, not wanting to open herself to Faith that 
fully, but the need for the peace, the calm overcame her resistance.  
Buffy relaxed as she realized that Faith was not trying to do 
anything more than share with her the tranquility she herself was 
bathed in.

Only a few moments before they had thought they could not see a sight 
more beautiful than Faith. Now the sight before them of the light and 
dark slayer moving together as one stunned and transfixed them.  A 
glimmer of understanding came to Tara as she watched them.  Quietly 
so as not to disturb them, Tara shooed the others one by one out of 
the room, closing the door softly behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were standing side by side, with their eyes closed, neither 
wanting to break the silence.  Both knowing once it was broken that 
things would go right back to the way they were. But at least for a 
little while there had been a fragile peace between them.

"Thank you." Buffy said quietly, then just as quietly retreated back 
behind the wall that Faith already hated.

"Ready?"  Before Faith even had a chance to respond she felt herself 
get knocked on her ass.

"No fair B."

"Tell that to a vamp the next time he sneaks up on you F."  Buffy 
said coming at her again.  This time Faith was ready for her and 
dodged her, it was Buffy who ended up on the floor this time.

Buffy jumped up and with an evil grin, and a wicked look in her eyes 
came for her yelling; 

"Woo Hoo let the fun begin!"  Faith froze for a second at the 
memories those almost exact words elicited. She ended up on her ass 
again.  

Faith got up and quirking an eyebrow, held out her hand, palm upward, 
and beckoned for Buffy to come and get her.
 
They trained for two hours, emerging from the room into the Magic 
Shop covered in sweat.  Anya caught a whiff of them and wrinkled her 
nose.  They were walking over to the table to sit down when she 
stopped them.

"No. Out.  Shower.  You will smell out the patrons."  When they kept 
moving towards the table ignoring her she yelled at them again.

"NOW. OUT. You both smell.  Not a good smell, not like from sex.  
Although there is a little of that sme......"  

"OK, OK we'll leave, were gone, see, gone here!" Buffy cut her off 
before she could go where Buffy was almost sure she was going.

They stood outside of the shop awkwardly.  Now what?

"Now, what, what, B?" Shit, she didn't realize she had spoken the 
words out loud.

"Now, we, ah, go get something to eat.  Because frankly I don't trust 
you to feed yourself.  You look like shit Faith.  It's obviously 
affecting your fighting because you hit like a girl today."  Buffy 
ignored the flash of hurt she saw in the other slayers eyes.  It 
never once occurred to her that Faith had not actually hit her full 
force on purpose today.  Buffy had failed to notice that Faith had 
either blocked, dodged, or simply hit her with enough power to get 
Buffy away from her.

"Whatever B, you're the boss."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith stood outside of Giles apartment, and as was par for the course 
today she was trying to work up the courage to knock on the door. 

She was here for dinner, not because she was wanted, but because 
Buffy told her to be here.  After lunch Buffy had made it very clear 
again that she didn't trust Faith to feed herself.  Without coming 
out and saying it she knew Buffy thought this was all part of game 
she was playing.  Like Faith would actually starve herself to death 
to get Buffy to let her back into her life!  Right!  There were other 
things Faith could do, things she could tell her, that would work 
better than this if she wanted to.  

Buffy would have been surprised if she knew just how much Faith was 
eating.  For once her slayer metabolism was working against her.  
While it had been easy to lose the thirty or so pounds after what she 
called "The Incident", it was four times harder to put it back on.  
She had only managed to put 10 pounds back on. It didn't matter 
though because twenty pounds lighter on what was already a lean thin 
frame, still made her look like someone had caged her up and had  
given her only bread and water for a very long time.  Which was 
pretty close to the truth, the difference being that the cage had 
only existed in Faith's mind.



Faith walked up to door and knocked.  Giles answered, and with a 
polite 'Good evening' lead her into the dining room, where Faith sat 
down to one of the worst meals of her life.   

By the end of the meal Faith had the urge to run for the very first 
time in a year. She had no idea what she had eaten, nor could she eat 
it fast enough.  Buffy and Giles had spent the whole meal watching 
her eat. What did they think she was going to feed it to the non-
existent dog under the table?  Not to mention that they didn't ask 
her if she wanted seconds, they just gave it to her.  She ate it too, 
afraid that if she didn't Buffy would force feed it to her.  

After the meal was over she excused herself to use the bathroom.  
When she came out she caught a guilty looking Buffy standing outside 
of the door.  Faith could have sworn she had been listening at the 
door.  What the fuck?  Did Buffy actually think she had gone in there 
to bring up her food?  'Apparently.' Faith thought to herself.

Faith was just grateful that no one had asked her how or why she had 
lost so much weight.  She wasn't ready to share what had happened 
with either of them.  Faith didn't want to regain their trust because 
they felt sorry for her.  She didn't need anyone's pity.  The words 
still didn't come easy, she was still struggling with it, and talking 
about it brought up not only memories of Allan but of her other ugly 
secrets.  And that Faith had even begun to deal with.  She had 
repressed a lot of the memories, tried to deny them, pretend they 
weren't hers but some other Faith's. There were times though when 
they would catch her by surprise, it she heard a certain phrase, or 
saw a certain sight.  Most of the time she could force the memories 
back into the box she had beening keeping them locked up in for 
years, but sometimes they would escape and when they did she was 
caught in their grasp helpless to escape them until they finished 
playing out their twisted rerun, leaving her cowering in terror.

'Shit this sucks!'  Faith thought for about the millionth time.

After the dishes where washed and put away Buffy announced it was 
time to sweep the cemeteries.  She waited for the usual 'shit-eating-
grin' that Faith would always give her when it was time to "Go-A-
Slaying".  Instead all Buffy got was a mumbled "'K".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy had just dusted two vamp's and turned in time to see Faith 
jumping off of a tombstone and launching herself at three vampires.
 
Faith sensed the other vampires before she saw them.  Ever since she 
had learned how to focus her energy it was a rare thing when they 
were able to sneak up on her.  She quickly staked the vamp in front 
of her, still loving the little poof they made when they turned to 
dust.  She turned and saw that three vamps were trying to sneak up 
behind Buffy while two other vamps occupied her. She needed to get 
over there fast.

Faith ran jumping onto the tombstone in her way and launched herself 
at them.   She kicked one squarely in the chest sending him flying a 
few feet away into a tree with a satisfying thud.  One she took out 
with a stake while still in the air and then gracefully landed on her 
feet like a cat.   The third turned and tried to run, she kicked him 
in the back of the legs, sending him to his knees to land face first 
in the dirt.  She turned and with a flick of her wrist hurled her 
last stake at the one by the tree who was coming at her from the side.

"Faith!"

Without even turning her head Faith caught the stake Buffy tossed her 
and staked the last vampire who was just getting up off the ground.

"Yee-fucking-ha!" she said under her breath.  God that had felt 
great!  Even with all that had happened Faith hadn't lost the joy she 
felt when she was slaying.  She still thought it was the best thing 
that had ever happened to her whole fucked up life.  She had found a 
renewed pride in the fact she had been chosen and no longer thought 
of her being called as a mistake.  She was a "Chosen One" and she 
fucking loved it.

"Thanks B." She said turning around.  Buffy was staring at her with a 
little bit of amazement in her eyes and a speculative look that Faith 
didn't like at all.

"Welcome." Buffy said automatically.  She was still thinking about 
what she had seen.  She had intended to go help the rogue slayer when 
she had turned around, but had stopped in her tracks and watched 
instead amazed. It was Faith the wild child, the same Faith who was 
so passionate about slaying, who took pleasure, joy in it, but at the 
same time it wasn't.  This Faith had taken out those three vamps just 
like, just like...  This Faith was no longer the
slay-by-the-seat-of-your-pants Faith, she had achieved the focus and 
control they had tried to instill in her the first time she was here 
in Sunnydale. Buffy was impressed but she would never tell Faith that.

Another thought came to Buffy as she stood there, Faith certainly 
hadn't hit those vamps like a girl.  In fact despite how thin she was 
she seemed stronger than ever before.  Buffy began to wonder at what 
game Faith had been playing at today during training.  It never once 
crossed her mind that Faith hadn't hit her with everything she had 
because she didn't want to hurt her.  Why should it, Buffy was 
convinced now more than ever, that Faith was up to something.

"Come on, let go get something to eat."

Faith groaned at the thought of another silent, awkward meal with 
Buffy, but she was hungry.  So she followed along after Buffy in a 
very un-like Faith puppy-dog way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was fuming on her way home from the diner.  Another fucking 
meal with Buffy watching her to make sure she ate every bite.  She 
was surprise Buffy didn't order her to lick the goddamn plate clean.  
Faith still couldn't believe the conversation. No, not a 
conversation, Buffy talked and Faith sat there and listened 
dumbfounded with her mouth hanging open.

"Faith"

"B"  Faith said with a mouth full of food.  



"Here's the deal.  Starting tomorrow, be at my house at Eight."

"Eight!" Faith squeaked.

"If you don't like it you can always leave."  Buffy waited until 
Faith nodded her head in agreement before she continued.

"Again, be at my house at eight for breakfast. Then we will go to the 
Magic Shop. First Tai-Chi, followed by a minimum of two hours of 
training.  Maybe longer for you we'll have to see what Giles thinks.  
Then lunch.  Then you can go to the gym at least until we get some 
weight equipment at the shop.  After the gym, shower, then dinner, 
then slaying, and if you don't like it you can leave, cause leaving 
is definitely still an option."  

'Fuck if Buffy didn't sound just like Wesley.' Faith thought.

Faith actually had to sit on her hands to keep herself from 
saluting.  Instead she just nodded her head in agreement.  Hell she had, 
had more freedom in jail.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As each of the "Chosen Two" drifted off to sleep that night, it was 
with thoughts of the other.   They would have been surprised at just 
how different those thought were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Welcome again Child"



"Hi."  The Slayer once again found herself in the cavernous room with 
the  'Fates'.  She walked over to the loom and gazed down at the 
tapestry.  She didn't think there was a word to describe the number 
of life threads there were.  It staggered her mind to think that each 
one of them was a life.  She could see where some started and ended, 
while others started or ended somewhere else in the tapestry who's 
beginning and end was somewhere beyond the confines of the room.
 
The Slayer did not doubt that the thread of life that was hers was 
frayed.  She searched in the tapestry hoping to figure out which was 
hers, at the same time looking for the threads that belonged to the 
others in her life.  The  Slayer had a sneaky feeling that theirs too 
would be a little bit frayed.

"That is not for you to know yet."

"Did you just read..."

"No." Atropos said cutting her off.  



"It is what most think about or want to know when they look upon the 
Tapestry."

"So why am I here this time?"

"Come sit here by me."  Atropos beckoned the Slayer patting the 
cushion next to her.  She noticed that they were now in a small cozy 
sitting room.  The Slayer walked over and sat down.  She felt 
comfortable with the old woman. She had done a little research on the 
Q.T. about the 'Fates'.  The Slayer had discovered that while all 
three 'Fates' were feared, Atropos was feared the most.  She alone 
was the one who could end a life be it god, immortal or human.  
Strangely enough the Slayer had no fear of her.  She wondered if it 
was because she already knew her life would be short and was grateful 
for every sunrise she was granted by this ancient woman.

"There is a great darkness coming."  The Slayer gave the old woman 
the 'And-Your-Point-Is?' look.  

Atropos just smiled at her, she genuinely liked the young Slayer.  
She was just sorry... no... it was better not to think about
that..  
Atropos had learned after all the years, whose numbers she herself 
could no longer count, it was better not to let emotions get in the 
way of what it was she needed to do.  The last time she had done that 
Chaos had ensued and she promised herself to never, never do it 
again.  While she had saved one life from a harsh destiny, thousands 
of others had suffered because of it.

"Yes Child I know this is nothing new to you.  Unlike the other times 
the emissary of the coming darkness was not a 'God'.  She, Glory, as 
she now calls herself, can not be defeated in the same way as the 
others."

"You know who she is!?  What can you tell me about her?"

"What I know about Glory is not for you to know."

"Yet?" The Slayer asked hopefully.

"No Child, I wish that I could but I can not.  I can only tell, what 
I can tell."  Atropos saw the puzzlement on the Slayer's face.

"In other words, I can not directly tell you anything.  In the end it 
is still up to you how you use or what you do with the knowledge I do 
give you and the things I  can tell you."

'Oh great, this is like a prophecy, I hate those even more than 
slayer dreams' the Slayer groaned to herself.

Atropos smiled, amused at the Slayer's expression, and again as if 
reading her mind said;

"Yes this works much like a prophecy!  But time grows short and I 
still haven't told you what I need to tell you.  Know that this time 
you cannot win by yourself alone.  You will need the help of others." 

"Who's help?"

"You will know who to choose when the time comes."

"But..."

Atropos just smiled, nodded, and faded away into the darkness. 

The Slayer was once more in her own bed dreaming of the other half of 
the 'Chosen Two'.


The crystal tears / Are sliding down again / Your moonlit cheeks / 
And soaking silken lips / If this pain is so real / There's a hand 
that someday must heal / And give us the words / That time steals and 
won't let us Say - Sixpence None the Richer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've run from these feelings for so long / Telling my heart I didn't 
mean it / Pretending that I was better off alone / But I know that 
it's just a lie / So afraid of taking a chance again / So afraid of 
what I'd feel inside 


Faith was beginning to reach the end of her rope.  She hadn't a clue 
what to do.  Today was the first day of her third week in good ole' 
Sunnyhell.  The only things she had to be thankful for was the gym 
equipment Giles had gotten for her within the first four days of her 
arrival, and that she was staying at the mansion instead of the 
shitty motel on the edge of town like the first time.

Faith sighed her daily routine under the ever watchful, ever bitchy, 
ever critical, ever self-righteous, pain-in-the-the-ass , stay-at-
arms-length, , controlling eye of 'GB' 
{'General B'}; was fast becoming one of her new mantras.  

With another sigh, something Faith seemed to be doing a lot of over 
the last few weeks, she picked up a hand-held dumbbell and began 
doing bicep curls.  Might as well lift while waiting for Buffy. 
Unconsciously she chanted with each repetition another of her new 
mantra's: Eat - Tai-Chi - Eat -Train - Eat - Slay - Eat - Sleep then 
Eat - Tai-Chi - Eat - Train - Eat - Slay - Eat - Sleep and so forth, 
and so on, forever and a day. Amen.  All praise General B!

She switched arms and changed to yet another of her new mantra: Yes 
B - No B - Anything you say B - Whatever B you're the boss - I'll try 
harder B - You're right B, I'm wrong - Let me kiss your ass B  and so forth, and so on, forever and a day. 
Amen.  All praise General B!

Nothing seemed to be working.  If anything the distance between them 
had grown.  The only time there was any kind of connection between 
them at all was when they were doing Tai-Chi and it was only because 
of that Faith hadn't completely given up hope.  In the hour or so 
that they did the exercises together there was a connection, a trust 
that they had never had before.  Faith knew that Buffy had only 
allowed it because she had not once tried to abuse the connection in 
any way.  All she had done was to share her center, her tranquility 
with Buffy, lending Buffy her strength, giving Buffy her own peace 
and calm.  

The very second they finished though it was back behind the wall for 
Buffy. If that wall had been a physical thing Faith would have torn 
it apart with her bare hands by now.  Even their slaying together was 
affected.  While they still worked well together it was almost like 
Buffy was keeping one eye on the vamps and the other on Faith to make 
sure she didn't stake her in the back.  If Faith didn't like her own 
hair so much she would have ripped it out of her head by now.

Hell, even the Scoobs had started calling her 'General B' after 
hearing Faith call her that under her breath.  That was the other 
thing that was grating on Faith's nerves, the way she was treating 
them.  Treating them more like her private army  rather than her friends.  She was pushing them away and 
they were starting to let her.

Faith tried to interfere by taking Buffy's attention off the Scoobs 
and getting her to take out whatever on her instead.  She was an 
expert at directing the blame at herself she had learned at a young 
age how to do it.  One of the perks of growing up with Ozzy and 
Harriet.  Most of the times it worked,  Faith had become the person 
to blame for just about everything.  In the process though it had 
widened the gap between her and Buffy even more. At least though she 
had kept the distance between Buffy and the Scoobs down.  If she 
hadn't been here the Scoobs might have stopped talking to Buffy by 
now.

Faith had also tried subtlety to tell Buffy what she was doing.  But 
she wasn't a wordsmith, she didn't have the know how.  Mending 
bridges wasn't something she had ever tried to do before.  Most of 
the time Buffy either ignored her, accused her of playing some kind 
of mind game, or just got plain ole pissed off at Faith, telling her 
to; "Mind her own business, she didn't need help from someone the 
likes of her."

She needed to think about something else, she was getting nowhere 
fast with this, just endlessly circling.  So she thought about her 
training sessions with Buffy.  Which inevitability led her to 
thoughts of touching Buffy.   She felt a rush of desire course 
through her body.  There were times when they were training that 
Faith would get distracted just looking at her.  When that happened 
she would usually end up on her back with Buffy sitting on her, her 
fist inches from Faith's heart with an imaginary stake poised for the 
final kill.  Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing having that tight 
little body sitting on her.  Feeling the heat of Buffy's core on her 
stomach.  The smell of Buffy's arousal filling her senses.  

B got off on it the training; the slaying, the whole nine yards, no 
matter how much she tried to deny it. Faith had been dead serious 
when she had said that slaying made her "Hungry and horny", she knew 
that Buffy felt it too, she was just too much of a Miss-Goody-Two-
Shoes to admit it.  It had to be a part of their slayer make up, the 
adrenaline rush, the heightened senses, the quicksilver reflexes, it 
was like everything was on hyper-drive.  Faith sighed wishing that 
arousal was for her.  She was worried that she was going to do 
something stupid one of these times, the urge to touch Buffy, to kiss 
her was becoming harder and harder to suppress.  

Right now though, she needed to stop thinking about this before Buffy 
came back.  Faith could smell her own arousal that these thoughts had 
invoked and she knew damn well that Buffy would be able to as well.  
Faith sure as shit didn't want to have explain this.

Something had to give soon, Faith just hoped it wasn't her sanity.  
Faith sighed and laid back on the weight bench putting her forearms 
over her eyes and sighed again. She would have been surprised at how 
similar the thoughts Buffy's was having about her at the moment were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was sitting in Giles office with her feet propped up on his 
desk.  She knew if he came in right now and saw her that he would 
give her his famous look of disapproval, but she wasn't worried about 
that right now.  Her thoughts were focused entirely on Faith. A 
familiar shock of desire ran threw her at the thought of the rogue 
slayer.  

At first she had tried to brush it off, when she realized what it was 
she was feeling.  Then she tried to blame it on the whole slaying 
thing.  Though she would never admit it to anyone Faith had been 
right about slaying making you "Hungry and horny". She could not 
blame it just on the slaying anymore, because now she got aroused 
just by being in the same room with Faith.  She didn't know how much 
longer she could keep denying the lust she felt for the dark slayer.  
How much longer could she keep it from showing when she looked at 
Faith.  

The problem Buffy was having with this wasn't that Faith was a woman, 
it was because it was, simply, Faith.  The same Faith she still 
didn't know if she could trust.  The same Faith who she still wasn't 
sure had changed.  Wasn't sure if she would go back to the dark side 
again even if she had changed.  The same Faith who she was still 
angry with over what had happened in the past.  Buffy knew Faith felt 
the same way about her, she could smell the desire for her on Faith.  
Well, Buffy was almost positive it was for her. Sometimes having 
slayer senses did not help things at all.

Desire she reluctantly admitted to herself that she had felt  for 
Faith from the very first time she had seen her. Just desire, lust, 
that was all, nothing else, it was all she was willing, capable of 
admitting to right now. 

Maybe it did have something to do with both of them being slayers, 
two halves of the same whole, had something to do with the connection 
they shared.  Denial seemed to be becoming second nature to Buffy 
lately, she knew it, but she denied it.

How could she feel desire for Faith on one hand and almost hate her 
on the other?  The conflict confused and scared the hell out of her.

Buffy had let the distance between them grow, instead of confronting 
her feelings for Faith, had continued to try and push them down. Had 
started taking out all of her anger on Faith.    Had become mean, 
nasty and even more controlling. Buffy had in effect become Faith's 
new jailer.

She realized in a vague way that she really wasn't even giving the 
rogue slayer a chance to prove she had changed. All this effort to 
keep her at arms length, because Buffy couldn't, wouldn't confront or 
control her own lust for Faith.  

Faith had become the scapegoat for all of Buffy's pain.  The only 
time there was peace between them was when they did their Tai-Chi, it 
was the only time that Buffy allowed herself to be open to anything 
the rogue slayer had to offer.  Then Buffy took them right back to 
where they had started, her behind the wall clothed once again in the 
armor she used to seal herself off from the world, and Faith out on 
the peripheral of Buffy's world.

This wasn't her, not the Buffy she had always been, and she was 
shutting down more every day.  In some ways she felt like she was 
losing her humanity.  Buffy also knew it wasn't just Faith that she 
was closing herself off from, it was everyone else as well.  If was 
as if she couldn't stop herself, as if someone else were controlling 
her actions, pulling the strings.  Or was this just a convenient 
excuse, one she could use to keep denying what her heart and soul 
already knew. 

With a sigh Buffy got up from the chair.  It was time to train, 
something she didn't really desire to do anymore, but did because it 
was an excuse to touch Faith.  With another sigh she headed back 
towards the training room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had been circling each other for what felt like hours, Faith was 
beginning to get dizzy, so was Buffy for that matter.  In the hour 
they had been training neither one had been able to get an edge.  
They had been keeping each other at arms length by using kicks almost 
exclusively.  It was almost like they were afraid to get within a 
foot of each other.  Perhaps both a little afraid that if they did 
they would give into the urges each was feeling for the other. They 
echoed each other's thoughts, wondering what kind of game the other 
was playing.  

The "Chosen Two" had become extremely frustrated with each other.

Buffy watched Faith as they circled.  She loved the way Faith moved, 
she reminded her of a cat, a panther to be exact.  Sleek, graceful, 
and sensuous. She reeked sensuality. It was in her every gesture, in 
her every look, the sound of her low, raspy voice and Buffy was so 
aroused by the sight of her right now it was almost painful.  She 
loved the way her muscles seem to undulate and ripple when she 
moved.  Buffy wanted to feel them move under her hands. She saw the 
sweat glistening on Faith's skin and wanted to know its taste.

Faith was watching Buffy too.  That tight, little, gorgeous lithe 
body. As her pert breasts rose and fell with each breathe.  Faith 
knew that they would fit perfectly in her hand.  Her gazed traveled 
down to her flat stomach, then to the junction between Buffy's legs. 
Faith had to suppress a groan of desire at the thought of what was 
hidden from her sight by those tight tiny shorts.  She let her gaze 
travel lazily back up to Buffy face, and she could swear that the way 
Buffy was looking at her was...

Hungry!

Faith was going to explode from the lust that look sent quickening 
through her body.

Something or someone needed to give soon.

Faith broke the silence, patience was not one of her many virtues, 
she was actually surprised she had lasted this long. 

"Come on already, B, make your move." Faith's voice was low, raspy, 
and thick with her desire. "Or don't you think you can handle me?"

The double meaning of her words she saw where not, for once, lost on 
Buffy. A part of Faith couldn't believe what she had just said.  But 
it was out there now, and she wasn't going to try and cover it up.  
The ball was in Buffy's court, the gauntlet had been thrown, and the 
only question was: Would Buffy accept the challenge?

Apparently not.  Buffy smiled, a predatory smile at Faith. In the 
blink of an eye Buffy brought her knee out to the side and extending 
her foot, swung her knee forward, pivoting on the ball of her bottom 
foot, extending her lower leg sharply, and tried to hit Faith with a 
round house kick.  

Instead of trying to evade the kick Faith came right at Buffy and 
tackled her, knocking Buffy onto her back on the floor. Faith came 
down right on top of her.  Buffy grabbed Faith and flipped her off 
and to the side. She quickly rolled over on top of Faith, pinning 
both of Faith's arms to the ground with her hands.  Buffy was 
kneeling over Faith a knee on either side of Faith's thighs. 

Buffy's slayer strength, combined with her weight kept Faith from 
getting her arms free. So, Faith tried to buck Buffy off her. Raising 
her hips up hard, Faith only succeeded in pressing herself intimately 
into Buffy.  She had to bite her lip to keep from groaning aloud at 
the heat the contact generated in her.  In a panic she tried to 
dislodge her again. 

Buffy's head was lowered, her hair hiding her face from Faith. The 
feeling of Faith's core as she had pressed up against her so 
intimately played total havoc with Buffy's hormones. She was 
breathing heavily, trying to get herself under control. She had 
almost won too, until Faith tried to buck her off again. This time 
she gave up the fight, letting her lust finally win, and with a low, 
husky moan followed the rogue slayer's hips with her own as they 
lowered back to the ground. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy rose her head up to look at Faith, and the look she gave was 
purely carnal.  Faith gasped when she saw that look.  Unbelieving, 
Faith felt as Buffy followed her lowering hips, not letting the 
contact between their heat end.  Buffy started to slide her body up 
onto Faith, while moving Faiths arms until the were stretched over 
her head. 



But she knew it wasn't a dream the second she felt Buffy's mouth on 
hers.  There was nothing gentle, caring, or loving about the kiss.  
It was hard and hot. All the pent-up lust Buffy had been feeling was 
in that kiss.  Faith was shocked at first, to the point where she 
didn't even kiss her back. Then Buffy plunged her tongue into her 
mouth, and Faith wildly returned the kiss, moaning into Buffy's 
mouth. Buffy increased the pressure of the kiss when Faith moaned.  
Then it was her turn to moan as Faith's tongue began to duel with her 
own.

Her hands somehow got tangled up in Faith's hair.  Faith arms came 
around her pulling her even tighter to her if that was at all 
possible.  Buffy had never wanted someone as much as she wanted Faith 
right now, not even Angel.

Buffy felt Faith begin to trace delicate patterns on her back with 
the tips of her fingers.  Buffy began to tremble a little, deepening 
their kiss even further.  She felt Faith run her hand up to the back 
of her neck, the lifting glove rough against her skin.  Buffy wanted 
to know the feel of Faith's hands against her skin.

 she thought.
 
Reluctantly Buffy broke off the kiss to tell Faith just that.  

"Faith." 

Buffy didn't even recognize her own voice, it was so deep and throaty.

"Buffy, Faith come out here straight away!" Giles yelled from the 
shop.

"Fuck me!" Faith groaned out, her and her fucking luck, just once she 
would like to catch a break. Buffy just smiled at Faith and raised an 
eyebrow as she rose from her onto shaky legs.  She held out a hand to 
help Faith up when she saw she was having trouble standing. It seemed 
Faith's legs were just as shaky as her own.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The slayers rushed into the shop.  Both were hoping that everyone 
would assume their flushed faces and heavy breathing were from 
training.  They made the mistake of standing next to Anya.

"Oh!"  Anya said her nostrils flaring. She stared so hard at the two 
slayers they both turned a brighter shade of red if that was at all 
possible.  She smirked at them, looking from one to the other 
watching them squirm.  For once she thought it was best to keep her 
mouth shut, it was more fun watching them fidget under her gaze.

"What's up G-Man?"  At Faith's husky voice Buffy felt a shiver of 
desire shoot down her spine.  Much to her chagrin she saw that Anya 
didn't miss the slight tremble. 

Buffy tried to focus on what Giles was telling them.  There seemed to 
be a new demon horde taking up residence somewhere in Sunnydale's 
extensive sewer system.  He had information that there where ten 
members of this particular clan.  Giles thought it was best that the 
slayers split up into different teams, this way they could cover 
twice as much of the sewers.  Everything else was to be put on hold 
until they had found the demons and dispatched them.

For the next two days the 'Chosen Two' did not get a minute, nay, a 
second to be alone together.  They practically spent those two days 
living in the sewers. 

Faith returned to the Magic Shop with Willow and Tara on the second 
day for their 8:00 p.m. check in.  They had spent the last four hours 
between check-ins looking for the remaining demon and had no luck at 
all. 
"Good you are back.  Buffy found the last demon about an hour ago."

All three girls gave a sigh of relief; they were all tired of 
trudging around in the slime of the sewer and smelling like something 
the cat dragged in.

"I've got to shower before slaying. Can you tell Buffy I'll meet her 
here in an hour G-Man?"

"That won't be necessary Faith.  I decided after the last two 
grueling days that everyone could use a night off."

"K, thanks G-Man."  Grumbling under her breath, it was going to be a 
long lonely night at the mansion, Faith ran into the back to grab her 
stuff.  

She knew she would spend the night sitting around thinking about that 
kiss of two days ago.  That hot, wet, kiss, that now felt like a 
century ago. 

  

Faith ran out of the training room before her thoughts and her body 
got anymore out of control.

"G'night all, see you tomorrow."  Faith was out the door before they 
had a chance to even respond.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Faith, wait for."  Faith turned around at Tara's voice.  She saw the 
two witches practically running to catch up to her.  

"What's up, G-Man change his mind about the night off?" She asked 
when they reached her.  She hoped that she would at least have enough 
time to go home and shower the stench of the sewer from her.  She 
could use a cold shower too while she was at it.

"We are going over to the Bronze tonight." Tara started to stutter a 
little under the piercing gaze of the dark slayer. "W-w-e thought you 
might want to ah, j-ion us."

For a second Faith thought they were fucking with her, but she knew 
Tara wasn't like that.  Tara was the only one who wasn't overtly 
hostile to her.  Considering how nasty Faith had been to her the 
first time they had met when she had been in Buffy's body it had 
surprised her the whole non-hostility thing; and that wasn't even 
counting the fact that Tara was Red's girl.  It further surprised her 
that she would like to hang out with the two witches, but she knew 
Buffy would flip if she went out partying, even if it was only to the 
Bronze.  

"Don't worry about General B, we'll handle her."  Surprising Faith 
even further since it was Willow who said this.

"We'll just tell her it was our way of torturing you, forcing you to 
hang out with us."  Willow smiled a conspiratorial grin at 
her.  'Wow, blow my mind Red's actually smiling at me' Faith thought 
to herself, and returned the grin in kind.

"Just meet us at our place when you're ready."  The two Wiccan's 
turned and headed in the direction of home, while Faith practically 
ran all the way back to the mansion.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Little by little over the last month Tara had been helping Willow to 
see the changes in Faith.  Tara had told her that yes, Faith still 
had a dark side, in fact everyone had a dark side.  The only 
difference between an evil and good person was that one had let the 
dark side control them, while the other had not.  This was nothing 
new; Willow knew this from her own experience with 'Vamp Willow'.  
Hell, she had even been approached about becoming a 'Vengeance 
Demon'.  The only difference between her and Faith was that Willow 
had never really given into her dark side.  

Willow had to wonder if they all hadn't helped a little to push Faith 
over to the dark side.  As much as she liked to try and tell herself 
that Faith was all to blame she couldn't.  She had been jealous of 
Faith, jealous of that whole it's a 'Slayer Thing' between the two 
slayers.  Willow had felt like she was losing her place in Buffy's 
life after Faith had come along.  The fact that she at the time she 
had a secret crush on Buffy probably did not help either.  She had 
underestimated her own relationship with Buffy.  Willow knew she 
could have tried harder to reach out to Faith the first time around, 
could have treated her like she was a friend instead of an outsider.  
Had she ever even invited the rogue slayer to her home?  No, she had 
let her spend her nights alone, eating taking out in the shitty motel 
Faith had called home.  She had reached out to Faith in friendship, 
with a helping hand, but only half-heartedly, because deep down 
Willow had thought that Faith wasn't good enough to be one of them.

It wasn't until Willow had met Tara that she began to understand the 
connection thing between Faith and Buffy.  Willow and Tara shared 
that same type of connection, theirs being a 'Witches Thing'.  She 
had begun to see her actions for what they really were after that, 
but by then it was too late.  Faith had already slipped over to the 
dark side.

Over the last month Willow had been covertly watching the dark 
slayer, paying attention to her actions, her words.  She had been 
reserving her judgment.  Between what Tara pointed out to her, but 
did not try to influence in any way, and from what Willow had 
observed it seemed the dark slayer really had changed. Willow had 
still been a little unsure until she had spent almost all of the last 
thirty hours straight with the dark slayer hunting demons in the 
sewer.  Willow had no doubt in her mind now that Faith had changed; 
now all she had to do was help Buffy see that too.

Willow chuckled to herself at the memory of the surprised look on 
Tara face when she had suggested that they invite Faith to go with 
them to the Bronze tonight.  Willow turned and smiled at her lover, 
Faith had just called and said she would be an hour or so.  

Tara looked up and smiled at her lover as she approached her, within 
a few minutes she was wearing that surprised look for the second time 
that day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy walked into the Bronze and headed straight for their usual 
table.  She was surprised when Willow and Tara had called her and 
told her they were all going to go to the Bronze to hang out, relax, 
have a little fun.  They had even gone so far as to get Giles to 
agree to watch Dawn for the night so Buffy wouldn't have to worry 
about getting in late.  

Buffy had no intention of going to the Bronze, but she was going to 
take advantage of Giles offer, she had another destination altogether 
in mind.  That was until Willow told her that Faith was going with 
them, and by the tone of her voice Buffy could tell that Willow had 
on her "Resolve Face" which brooked no resistance.  

She said her hello's, told Xander what she wanted to drink, then he 
and Anya left her with just the two witches. Buffy turned towards the 
dance floor her eyes unerringly finding Faith.  Buffy's eyes traveled 
lazily over the rogue slayer.  Taking in the skintight black hip-
hugger leather pants, up to the equally tight, sleeveless black 
spandex top.   Buffy wasn't surprised when Faith turned and looked 
directly at her.  

Faith felt Buffy's eyes on her the second they started their lazy 
travel over her body.  She turned locking eyes with Buffy.  Another 
song came on, a little slower than the one before. Faith started to 
move in time with the music, her eyes never leaving Buffy's face.  
Her hips gyrating, she slowly ran her hands down her own breasts 
seeming to pause slightly, then continuing their decent over her flat 
stomach, stopping just shy of the junction between her legs.  Her 
eyes locked on Buffy she slowly ran her hands down lower to the 
inside of her thighs then back up again over her stomach, up over her 
breasts pausing again briefly, then continuing up to tangle in her 
own raven tresses.

Their eyes blazed at each other from across the room as Faith walked 
off the dance floor when the song ended.  

"Hey." Faith looked into Buffy's eyes and for once saw something 
other than the ice she had grown accustomed to over the last month.

"Hey back."

"Nice show Faith. Might want to think about that as a second 
career."  

Faith shot Xander a look.  She had tried to apologize to him, but he 
was unwilling to accept it, and Faith had backed off giving him 
time.  He made it very clear he didn't like having her around.  That 
he was just tolerating her until Buffy caught Faith at her new game 
and kicked her ass out of Sunnydale.

"Ooops looks like I forgot your drink Faith.  So sorry."

"Whatever Xand, need to use the ladies anyway, anyone else want?"  



Buffy was half a step behind Faith, she slipped through the bathroom 
door and had Faith pinned up against it before she even knew what hit 
her.

 

But that hot mouth was on hers again.  Wet, demanding, kissing Faith 
like there was no tomorrow.  Buffy held Faith fiercely against the 
closed door, pressing her body into her.  Faith's mouth opened for 
her kiss, her tongue meeting with Buffy's wildly.  They battled each 
other for dominance of the kiss, neither winning, neither losing, 
neither backing down.

Incredibly Faith felt Buffy's hand slide up to cup her breast.  She 
pulled her mouth away and leaned her head back against the door 
arching into Buffy's touch, groaning deep in her throat.  Buffy took 
advantage of Faith's exposed neck, placing tiny kisses, and
scraping her teeth along its length.  She felt Faith's nipple harden 
under her hand, and when she realized that she didn't have a bra on, 
Buffy slide her hand down, then up and under Faith's shirt.

Faith thought her knees where going to buckle at the touch of Buffy's 
hot hand against her flesh.  She put her hand behind Buffy's neck and 
pulled her back up to her for another kiss.  Faith captured Buffy's 
lower lip and nipped it, running her tongue over it, then into her 
mouth to run along her teeth.  Buffy leaned up into Faith trying to 
deepen the kiss, but Faith wouldn't let her, she just kept on teasing 
her with light touches of her tongue, hovering close, and pulling 
away.

Buffy pressed further into Faith, moving a thigh in between her legs 
and pressing up into her.  She smiled when she heard Faith gasp.  She 
rolled Faith's nipple between her fingers, pulling on it, raking her 
nails lightly over it, and was rewarded with another moan from Faith. 
She brought up her other hand to the small of Faith's back, bringing 
her hips forward and sliding Faith's core along her thigh. She felt 
the heat of Faith on her thigh and she wanted, needed to feel, touch 
that heat.  

Buffy slide her hand around and drew teasing patterns on Faith 
stomach.  Leaving Faith trembling in their wake.  It was a second 
before Faith realized that Buffy's hand had dipped down below the 
waistband of her leather pants.  Faith grabbed Buffy's arm, stopping 
her from going any further.  Faith couldn't believe she was stopping 
her, she had been dreaming of Buffy touching her for over two years 
now, and here she was stopping her.  



"Faith?" Buffy looked up into those big brown eyes, and saw the same 
lust she knew was in hers staring right back at her.

"B...  I...  won't be able... one touch... too close... over the edge... 
too fast... too soon... Fuck I..."  Faith trailed off at the ravenous 
look B gave her. 

"What's that you always say Faith?"  The smile Buffy gave her was 
wicked; fuck it was down right evil.

"Want." Buffy's hand moved and inch or two lower as she said it.

"Take."  Another few inches lower.
 
"Have."

Faith surged up as Buffy's hand delved into her.  As her hot little 
fingers found her clit and teased it.  Buffy moaned as she felt how 
wet Faith was.  She slid her hand in further, popping open the 
buttons on Faith's pants with her forearm.  She nudged the rogue 
slayers legs further apart, and plunged two fingers into her, rubbing 
her clit in circular motions with her thumb.

"B... don't... Oh Shit B!..." And then she was coming so hard her knees did 
buckle, her body trembling with the force of it. She screamed out 
Buffy's name once, twice. 

Buffy continued to stroke her until she was sure that Faith had 
nothing left to give.

Buffy softly smiled at Faith. 

"Been saving that for awhile Faith?"  For once there was nothing 
malicious in her tone, instead there was a little bit of amazement in 
it.  Amazement at the effect she had on the raven-haired slayer.

"Since the day I met you B."  Faith said softy, almost shyly.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Those softly spoken words sent Buffy into a tailspin.  She had not 
expected them, did not know how to respond to them.  Didn't even know 
if she could respond to them.  Couldn't even believe what had just 
happened between them in the bathroom of the Bronze. 

Instead of saying anything, Buffy gently gathered the still trembling 
raven-haired slayer into her arms.

They stayed that way, silent, at peace, warm in each other's arms.  

Until the insistent pounding on the door broke the moment between the 
two slayers.  

Faith was not willing to let the moment go so quickly. That embrace 
meant more to her than any caress, any word ever had before.  Gently 
she reached up and touched Buffy's face.  She looked down into those 
hazel eyes and leaning down kissed Buffy.  With more tenderness, 
delicacy, gentleness, and love than anyone had ever kissed Buffy 
before. 

A little more of that wall could be heard crumbling.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy went back to the table alone while Faith went and got them 
drinks. Anya was staring at her intently, making her uncomfortable. 
Buffy had to consciously keep herself from fidgeting under her stare.

"Been gone a long time Buff-ster."

"Long line, you know as in a very long line, stood there for a very, 
very long time, had to wait, no cutting, cutting is bad.."  Buffy 
snapped her mouth shut when she realized she was babbling.

Faith returned to the table in time to catch the tail end of Buffy's 
babbling. She handed Buffy her drink, accidentally brushing their 
arms.  Buffy jumped at the contact, her arm on fire, her insides 
quivering from Faith's accidental touch.  

Faith put her drink down quickly, almost dropping it, her hand had 
started trembling the second she had touched Buffy. She hadn't missed 
Buffy's reaction at her touch either.

  

Faith started to chuckle at the thought until she looked up to see 
Anya staring at them.  The look Anya was giving them left not a 
single doubt in either slayers mind that Anya knew exactly why they 
had been gone for so long.  They would have been hard pressed to fool 
the 1,200-year-old ex-demon, whose only thoughts Twenty-four hours a 
day where about money and orgasms. 

Anya turned and gave Xander a voracious look; obviously she found the 
thought of the two slayers together exciting. He was going to be in 
for a very long night.  

After seeing the look Anya gave Xander, Faith did chuckle, low and 
throaty. Wouldn't he be pissed if he found out that his up and coming 
orgasmic night was in part due to Faith and Buffy?  Faith doubted he 
would mind the Buffy part though.

"What's so funny?"

"Tell you later."  Faith said it so low that only Buffy with her 
slayer hearing could hear her, and the way she had said 'later' 
carried with it a promise of more than just talk.
 


"Buffy, Faith, come, join, sit" Willow patted the cushion on the 
couch next to her.

Both slayers eyed the small amount of space left on the couch.  They 
would practically have to sit on each other's laps for both of them 
to fit.  Not that either one of them didn't think that the idea had 
merit, but if the bathroom were any indication, the Bronze would be 
treated to a very, very public display of affection.  Almost 
reluctantly the slayers walked over to join the two witches.

"Go ahead B you sit."

"No that's alright you sit."

"Nah, I don't mind standing B."

"Sit Faith! Sit!"

"What am I a dog now?"

"Oh for Goddess sake! Buffy you sit on the couch." Willow pointed, in 
total 'Resolve Face', not missing the smirk Faith shot Buffy's way.

"And Faith, you can sit on the arm of the couch if you aren't 
comfortable squishing in."  Faith didn't move she just crossed her 
arms and shook her head no.

"NOW!"  Willow smiled in satisfaction when she saw Faith jump a 
little, and then sit on the arm of the couch.

"Never mess with 'Resolve Face Willow' Faith.  Even the vamps fear 
her."  Buffy said feigning terror.

Tara had been watching the exchange between the slayers. Something 
was different.  She couldn't put her finger on it, couldn't really 
get a sense of what it was, she just knew it.  Another one of 
her 'feelings', but before she could figure it out, she got 
distracted by Willow in 'Resolve Face'.  Tara would never tell her 
but she thought Willow looked cute as hell when she wore that face.  

Tara turned her eyes back to the two slayers and gasped. Faith was 
sitting on the arm of the couch, she was leaning her weight on her 
hand that was gripping the back of the couch. Buffy's hair was 
brushing against Faith's arm. Tara could almost swear that Faith was 
running her thumb lightly back and forth across the bottom of the 
nape of Buffy's neck, but it was too dim to really see in here.

Then it came at her all at once; with a force so strong it made Tara 
catch her breath.  What she was sensing from the two slayers, almost 
overpowered her, Tara felt her whole body become flushed.  The 
glimmer of understanding she had gotten the day she had seen the two 
slayers doing Tai Chi together now became a tiny flame of light. 

"Holy Shit" Tara said under her breath.

Tara felt Faith's gaze on her after her utterance.  Tara looked in to 
the dark slayers eyes which were pleading with her. For the first 
time, since Tara had known Faith, she saw a glimpse of happiness in 
Faith's eye's as well.  Tara knew just like she always knew
things that happiness was not something Faith had experience a whole 
hell of a lot of in her lifetime.

Faith heard Tara as she cursed.  She looked over at the witch.  Tara 
looked up at her and Faith knew Tara had one of her 'feelings'.  
Panic rose in her, she gripped the back of the couch so hard she was 
afraid she was going to break it.  Willow might be starting to 
forgive her or at least tolerate her, but Faith knew there was no way 
in hell she would accept this, whatever this turned out to be between 
her and Buffy.  With her eyes she pleaded with Tara, knowing the 
witch would understand what she was asking.  Faith was asking a lot, 
she knew that, asking Tara to keep her, their, secret from her lover, 
but she asked anyway. 



The smile Tara gave her was both understanding and caring.  She 
nodded her head in assent just to make sure that Faith understood she 
would keep her secret.  Faith let out the breath she didn't even 
realize she was holding and relaxed again.  Falling back into the 
sensations of Buffy's hair against her arm, and the softness of 
Buffy's neck under her thumb.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was the longest night of both the slayers lives.  Buffy was 
slowly going crazy just from the touch of Faith's thumb stroking the 
nape of her neck.  Her whole body was tingling; little streaks of 
heat running through her veins.  Her whole being was centered on that 
faint touch.  More than once during the long, hellish, stimulating 
night, she had considered becoming 'Cave-Girl-Buffy' and just 
throwing Faith over her shoulder and making off with her into the 
night.  She had almost done it too when Faith had leaned down, 
reaching for her drink from the low coffee table and whispered into 
her ear so low, hot, and raspy, only for her slayer hearing:

"I want to touch you so bad it hurts. I want to hear you scream my 
name the way I screamed yours."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy almost started clapping in ecstasy when Xander and Anya rose to 
leave.

"Well all, it has been, well just been, we are off to our happy 
little home."

"Yes home, where Xander can give me multiple orgasm's." Anya looked 
from one slayer to the other as she said this.

"Anya!"

"Well you are, aren't you Xander?"

"Sorry!" Xander said sheepishly.  "Good night."  He dragged Anya away 
before she could say anything more.

"EWW! I so did not need to know that, T.M.I, EWW!  Did I say EWW?"  
All four women laughed.

"We should be heading home too honey, early classes and all."

"Buffy you going to walk back with us?"  Faith held her breath while 
she waited for Buffy to answer Willow's question.

"Um, sure Willow."  Buffy saw Faith's shoulders droop a little at her 
first three words.  Quickly she rushed out;

"Gonnasweepthecememtarytoo. Wanna come, Faith?" 

Buffy was rewarded with that all to familiar 'Shit-Eating-Faith-
Grin', only this time it had nothing to do with slaying.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This time it was Buffy who's back was pressed up against the door.  
Faith had pinned her against the door before it was even closed.  The 
door had slammed shut with such force a picture had fallen off the 
wall.

Faith was holding Buffy's arms up over her head.  She was raining 
hard, then soft, wet kisses along Buffy's arched neck.  Licking and 
nibbling, leaving tiny little love bites, she knew would be gone by 
morning thanks to their slayer healing.  She ran her tongue up the 
length of Buffy's neck to her ear, catching and biting Buffy's 
earlobe with her teeth.  Faith heard Buffy moan low and long and 
groaned in response.  

Although Faith would die before ever admitting it she was a nervous 
wreck.  She wanted Buffy to feel the same way Buffy had made her feel 
earlier tonight. Faith was terrified she might not be able too. 

Buffy was arching her body off the door in effort to get any kind of 
contact with Faith's body, which Faith was so cruelly withholding 
from her.  The hot, wet, teasing kisses that Faith was lavishing on 
her face and neck were driving her insane.  It was another form of 
torture, just like that faint touching at the nape of her neck at the 
Bronze tonight.  Those little streaks of fire that had been running 
through her veins had turned into a raging inferno.  

"Please!" She whimpered.  

Faith looked into those hazel eyes. In them she saw desire so strong 
that any thoughts she had of not being able to please Buffy flew from 
her mind.  With a wolfish grin, she let go of Buffy's hands and slid 
her own hand's down to Buffy's hips.  Faith picked Buffy up,
silently thanking whomever for her slayer strength. 

Buffy wrapped her legs so tightly around Faith's waist she almost 
squeezed all the breath from her.  Buffy arched herself further into 
Faith using her shoulders for leverage against the door, trying to 
get more pressure against her achingly wet core.  

Faith looked down and saw Buffy's breasts thrusting up towards her.  
Not caring about the consequence she grabbed Buffy's shirt and ripped 
it open, buttons flying everywhere.  A millisecond before she tore 
off Buffy's bra too, Faith saw the clasp in the front. She unhooked 
it, freeing those gorgeous breasts to her gaze.  

Mumbling  'Sorry bout shirt' she leaned down and captured one harden 
nipple in her mouth.  Faith's hands came around to hold Buffy at the 
small of her back.  She continued her assault on Buffy's breast, 
sucking her nipple into her mouth; lightly flicking it's tip with her 
tongue as she moved away from the door stumbling towards the couch.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They fell into a heap on the couch.  Faith sat back onto her calves, 
and smiled when she heard Buffy's moan of protest at the loss of 
contact.  Reaching out she unbuttoned Buffy's leather pants; slowly 
she slid them down taking her underwear with them.  Rising from the 
couch she pulled them from Buffy, taking her boots and socks off with 
the pants and dropping them in a pile on the floor at her feet.

Faith gazed down at the vision before her.  Even her wildest dreams 
did not prepare her for the sight before her, she could not even 
think of words to describe it, is simply made her catch her breath.
 
With a hand on each ankle Faith with painstakingly slowness began to 
slide her hands up Buffy's legs.

"Faith." Buffy gasped. "Off... gloves... need to feel your hands... oh god 
please."

Faith had forgotten about the lifting gloves that over the months had 
become a part of her anatomy. She ripped them from her hands, 
forgetting for the first time the reasons why she wore them.  Buffy 
would not have noticed in any case. 

She once again started her agonizing assent up Buffy's legs, 
sometimes using the whole of her hands, sometimes just the tips of 
her fingers.  The heat coming from Buffy amazed Faith. The scent of 
Buffy's arousal, strong and sweet, filled every part of Faith with 
longing.  

As Faith's hands reached her thighs they dipped inward and Buffy 
parted her legs wide giving Faith total freedom. A part of Buffy was 
surprised at the wantonness of her own actions. Faith kneeled on the 
couch between Buffy legs and Buffy nearly jumped out of her skin as 
Faith's hands lightly skimmed her core. Continuing their slow, 
torturous assent, Faith's hands moved across her stomach, over her 
breasts, her neck to finally come to rest on Buffy's face.  

Growling Buffy pulled Faith down to her roughly.  Straining up 
towards her, Buffy kissed Faith with so much passion that in reaction 
Faith began grinding herself into Buffy.  

Buffy wrapped her legs around Faith hips trying to bring her down 
into her even more, desperate to get more pressure against her 
throbbing center.  

God she couldn't take this anymore! This craving, that had begun two 
long days ago with their first kiss, then escalating out of control 
when she had first touched...no, first seen Faith at the Bronze,
then the waiting in the club which had felt like hours upon hours of 
foreplay, the thumb upon her neck promising but giving no relief.  

Buffy started to whimpered with each circular motion of Faith's 
center against her own, but the leather pants, slick now with her own 
wetness only teased, offering no release. 

Faith wrenched her mouth away from Buffy when her whimpering finally 
reached her through her own haze of passion.  Faiths own passion was 
quickly spiraling out of control.

"God." She panted, as her own passion rose even higher when she saw 
Buffy looking at her with such blatant need. 

"Please... Faith. Touch me."

Faith reached behind her and grabbed one of Buffy's legs from her 
hip.  She pulled Buffy's leg down flat and moved over her straddling 
Buffy's thigh.  With a feather light touch she drifted her hand down 
towards Buffy's center.

Faith's hand slid down into the junction between Buffy's thighs, her 
hand soaked instantly by the golden-haired slayer.

"So... wet... jesus B... you feel so good..." Faith moaned as Buffy drove 
herself up forcefully into her hand.  

Faith began to nimbly trace every part of Buffy's center, never 
stopping in one spot for long.  Glancing over her engorged clit, 
circling it once, twice, before moving down further to slip her 
fingers into Buffy just beyond her entrance. 

Faith felt Buffy straining up trying to force her fingers into her 
deeper, sobbing in need, mumbling under her breath 'please oh 
please'.  Suddenly Faith plunged her fingers into Buffy as deep as 
they could go.

"FAITH!" 

Faith began a slow, steady rhythm, grinning wickedly when Buffy tried 
to force her to increase the rhythm.  She brought her other hand 
down, and began teasing Buffy's clit, her touches light, with no real 
pressure.  

Buffy didn't know how much more she could take.  Faith was torturing 
her bringing her right to the edge then pulling her back. Over and 
over. Again and again. Buffy was begging, pleading, threatening, back 
to begging again.  She grabbed Faith's arm and tried to force Faith's 
hand  where she wanted it to be, in the end she was clinging onto 
Faith's arm for dear life.

Faith watched Buffy from under hooded eyes, she had never seen 
anything as wild, untamed, and beautiful as Buffy was right now.  She 
finally relented. 

Faith began applying pressure slowly, steadily to Buffy's clit, 
increasing the rhythm of her thrusting fingers, bringing Buffy right 
up to the edge, hanging there, waiting...

"Don't stop... oh god please... don't Faith please..."  She was sobbing, 
one touch that was all she needed, just one touch.

"Open your eyes. Please B... I... need to see you."

Buffy struggled to open her desire-laden eyes and looked up into eyes 
that hid absolutely nothing from her gaze.  

Then Faith took her over the edge. Buffy arched up off the couch so 
hard that Faith was afraid she  would break in half.  

Buffy screamed Faith's name. It was primal. It was music to Faith's 
ears.

The strength of Buffy's orgasm was so intense it frightened her. So 
out of her control that she almost pulled back from it in fear. Then 
she heard Faith whispering to her, encouraging her, and Buffy gave up 
all control, knowing that Faith would keep her safe.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy stirred from her daze when Faith placed a soft kiss on her 
lips.  Faith was smiling down at her, an impish look in her eyes.  
Faith whose fingers where still inside of Buffy, thrust into her once 
gently and was reward by a hoarse groan.

"Faith, I, don't... don't you dare."  Faith withdrew her fingers
from Buffy. Buffy rolled on her side facing her.  Her breathing still 
rapid, her heart still racing.

"Need to B." Faith rasped at her, gently pushing Buffy over onto her 
back again.  "Have to taste you."

"I, Faith, I don't think it's... I don't think I can..."  Buffy
trailed off when she saw Faith giving her the same wicked and evil 
smile, that Buffy had given her earlier that night.  The words she 
had said to Faith earlier came back to mock her.

"I do... What's my favorite expression again B? Oh yeah..."

"Want." 

Faith lowered her head and trailed her tongue down Buffy's neck.  To 
the hollow between her breasts, then to run under and up to a nipple 
that was already hardening, belying Buffy's words. She teased it with 
her tongue, biting down hard, but not hard enough to cause any real 
pain.  Faith trailed small kisses back into the hollow between her 
breasts.  Then up the slope of the other breast to takes it's nipple 
into her mouth, sucking at it flicking it with her tongue.  Smiling 
when she heard Buffy moan.
 
"Take."

Faith blazed a trail with her tongue down to Buffy's stomach.  
Stopping to swirl it into her navel, eliciting another moan from 
Buffy and smiled again.

"Have." 

Faith hovered over Buffy's center and blew lightly into her curls, 
tickling Buffy's clit with her breath. She smiled yet again when 
Buffy bucked up into her breath.

Buffy was incredulous as the desire stirred up in her again, as 
strong and swift... no, stronger, swifter than before.  Buffy was 
holding her breath waiting for Faith to touch her.  Needing Faith to 
touch her.

"Please Faith, I need you to touch me." Her voice was hoarse, low and 
scratchy.

Buffy was lost as she felt Faith's tongue slide over her.  As Faith's 
mouth lavished her with attention.  Plunging into her to slide up and 
flick at her clit.  Taking it gently between her teeth, bringing her 
up to the edge.  Desperately Buffy reached down and held onto Faith 
head, as she gasped out her pleasure.  Urging her on, raising her 
hips up, bucking into Faith's mouth as Faith flicked her tongue over 
and around her nub.  Gently biting her clit again and scraping her 
teeth lightly along its length. 

Faith was ravenous, she could not get enough of Buffy's sweetness.  
She devoured her,  bringing her fingers up to  thrust into Buffy, 
curling them up into her, finding her sweet spot, stroking her there, 
feeling it swell.  

"Faith! Don't stop... almost... there... don't... OH! I can't... FAITH!..."

Faith felt the first contraction of Buffy's orgasm gripping her 
fingers, and she started thrusting into Buffy harder, faster, her 
tongue going wild on her clit.

Buffy screamed Faith's name again, as her orgasm overtook her fast, 
furiously.  She clutched Faith's head to her keeping her there as her 
hips arched up into that incredible mouth that was on her.  She 
yelled out Faith's name again as the orgasm continued to roll over 
her.  Until she had nothing left, and sank back into the couch, 
pulling Faith up to her, holding her tight within her embrace.

Buffy reached down and tilted Faith's face up towards her.  Leaning 
up she kissed her tenderly, tasting herself on the dark slayer.  She 
ran her hands down Faith's back feeling as she trembled within her 
arms.  Faith's breathing shallow, and ragged.  Buffy rolled them over 
to the side.  She smiled seductively at Faith.

"Those clothes gotta go."  Buffy grabbed Faith's hand pulling her up 
off couch and towards the stairs.
 
And so forth, and so on, forever and a day.  Amen.  All praise the 
recuperative powers of 'The Slayers'.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the 'Chosen Two' lay down that night, it wasn't to sleep nor to 
dream of each other. 

Why should they when the reality in their arms was so much better?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Atropos was on the couch in the sitting room.  She was doing 
needlepoint on a tapestry the size of a wall hanging.  The stitches 
she was making were so small that a human eye would not be able to 
see them.  The images that were emerging on it were so life-like that 
you would not have been surprised to see them step off the tapestry.  
She was waiting on the Slayer and didn't want to get caught by 
surprise, this tapestry was not for her eyes, at least not yet.

She was surprise the child was not here yet, Atropos knew that it had 
to be nearing dawn.  Perhaps they had not caught the last of the 
demons yet, but she could have sworn what she had seen in 
the 'Tapestry of Life' earlier today indicated that they had.  She 
put the needlepoint aside and walked quietly into the other room.  
Chuckling to herself that slayers weren't the only one who could move 
stealthily.

She watched her sister, who was bent over the tapestry, loving 
weaving two frayed and tattered Threads of Life.  Although weaving 
was not the proper term.  It was more a gentling, a taming, a 
coaxing, of the stubborn Life Threads.  Not wanting to force or break 
these Life Threads spirits.  Unpredictable yes they were, these types 
of frayed  Life Threads had caused more chaos, pain, sadness, 
happiness, than millions of others combined.  As she Atropos watched 
her sister she knew deep in the pit of her stomach who those two 
Threads of Life belonged to.

"Lachesis!"  Atropos watched as her sister jumped guiltily.  "What 
have you done?"

"Nothing, I haven't done anything."  Atropos raised and eyebrow at 
her younger sister, and looked at her disbelievingly. 

"Well... I helped a little.  Fixed what should have been long ago.  
Nothing in the future has changed.  What is meant to be, is meant to 
be.  We both know that.  No matter what we do in the end we cannot 
force the Life Threads to do anything they do not want to do.  
Especially these stubborn wild ones."

"Yes, but by your interference you have just made both of those Life 
Threads, lives all the harder.  Made their choices harder by two-
fold.  You should have left them as they were."

"What you say may be true.  Their choices may be harder, but had 
things happened as the tapestry had originally shown, the choices 
would have been just as hard, nay, even harder.  Had things stayed as 
they were before today, all that they go through would have... At
least now, they will have this time to help them through the 
darkness.  It is the least either of us could do.  The burden these 
two bear is not a light one, sister."

Atropos knew her sister words were true.  What she had done would not 
change what was meant to be.  Would not influence the choices the two 
needed to make.  Like Lachesis had said: 

'In the end, it did not matter what the 'Fates' did. The choice's, 
the path's they took, belonged and always would, entirely to the 
owner of the Life Thread'.

"Do not interfere again!"  Atropos returned to the sitting room to 
continue to work on her needlepoint.  Secretly she was glad of the 
reason The Slayer had not visited her tonight.  She would give her 
this time, and if The Slayer did not come on her own again, Atropos 
would only call upon her when it became absolutely necessary.


Here with you, Near with you / Oh I / I need to be next to you 
- Sixpence None the Richer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... cause out of all this hurt we have / beauty thus become / beauty 
thus become...

An hour before the sun was getting ready to bring forth another day, 
Faith finally let Buffy get some sleep.  She lay quietly holding the 
golden-haired slayer in her arms.  A part of her still couldn't 
believe any of this had happened.  Couldn't believe she was lying 
here holding the woman she had been dreaming about for years.  
Holding the woman who she never thought, not in million years would 
ever want to hold her back.

Faith shifted her position a little trying to get comfortable.  She 
winced, she was tired, bruised, fuck she was down right sore, and 
loving every little ache and pain. She looked down at the dream lying 
in her arms. This was all so new to her, only once before had she 
held someone in her arms through the night, and she silently thanked 
whoever it was that had given her the chance to hold that same 
someone again.    

Faith was afraid if she closed her eyes that when she opened them 
again it would turn out that this really had been a dream after all. 
Faith tightened her arms around the sleeping slayer, she didn't want 
to sleep, she didn't want this night to ever end.



Faith gently ran her hand over the arm that lay across her stomach.  
She felt desire rise up in her again from that simple touch. 

She slowly untangled herself from Buffy, knowing that if she didn't 
she would soon be waking Buffy.  Faith was pretty sure that she would 
have an angry slayer on her hands then.  By the end of the night 
Buffy had been alternating between begging Faith to touch her to 
begging Faith to just let her sleep. 'Ten minutes', Buffy kept 
saying, that was all she was asking for,  'Just ten minutes please 
Faith!'. 

For the first time in her life, the 'Get some, get gone' girl, had 
nowhere she wanted to get gone to.  

Buffy gave a little sigh of protest, mumbling in her sleep as Faith 
rose from the bed.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith pulled on big oversized T-Shirt, and left a robe on the bed for 
Buffy.  She made her way downstairs and put on a very large pot of 
coffee.  She was going to have to wake Buffy soon, she vaguely 
remembered Buffy saying something about getting home before Giles 
brought Dawn back.

She waited until there was about two cups of coffee in the pot and 
poured herself a large cup.  She loved these new coffee makers that 
let you pour yourself a cup before the coffee finished brewing the 
whole pot. While to the rest of the world this wasn't anything new, 
it was to the dark slayer.  Faith had been grateful if the water from 
the tap in the endless shitty hotels she had lived in for so long, 
got hot enough to make a cup of instant.
 
Faith put about eighteen billion spoons of sugar, and at least two 
inches of cream in her coffee.  She thought it was the funniest thing 
in the world when people would ask her who she was fixing the coffee 
for.  For some reason everyone assumed she would drink her coffee 
black. As if it was a requirement that  she drank black coffee to go 
with the whole 'Bad Girl' image. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She took her coffee and went outside to the walled  in garden to sit 
in the pre-dawn light and wait for the sunrise.  Faith might not have 
been a morning person, but that didn't mean she didn't get up early 
every day.  This was her favorite time of the day it was special to 
her, had been since she was a child. It was one of her secrets. One 
she had never shared with anyone, had ever cared to share with 
anyone. Now though there was one person who shared this secret with 
her, Angel. She had not told him about it, he had discovered it on 
his own.

When he had first brought her home from the courtroom after 'The 
Incident', she had been unresponsive, almost cationic.  Faith had 
felt like she was living inside of a plastic bubble.  When she tried 
to reach out all she met was the resistance of the plastic.  As hard 
as she tried she could not seem to break the plastic barrier, it 
would stretch, but never break, and in the end it just kept her 
trapped inside. 

Angel stayed with her twenty-four hours a day for over a week 
straight.  

He would talk to her about everything and anything. Faith probably 
knew more about Angel than any other living person on the earth. 
Sometimes for hours on end he would read to her, until his voice 
would get hoarse, and then he would just sit quietly with her,  
holding her two warm hands within his cold ones.  Faith would have 
sworn that he never slept during that first week.  She never 
responded to him, she had not spoken a single word to anyone since 
that day.  Faith's hands were always in constant motion. When she 
would try and claw at them he would once again gather them into his 
own, soothing her, comforting her, until she slept.

Every morning she would wake at the pre-dawn, and see him out there 
on the balcony with his face turned up to the sky.  He would stay out 
there until the sun rose and the first pale rays of day streaked 
across the horizon. Until the demon in him would roar in his mind in 
fear, pleading for him to get inside.  Faith longed to be out there 
staring up into sky with him, watching the sunrise.  But, Faith was 
unable to escape from the prison of her own making and Angel could 
not hear the yelling, the screaming coming from her mind. 

On the third day, he came to her and lifting her up carried her 
outside with him.  Something inside of Angel must have recognized the 
silent pleading of the dark slayer.  Something minuscule in her 
expression that only his vampire eyes had seen. Or maybe it was just 
two souls who were traveling down the same path, seeking the same 
things, one calling out to the other.
 
Together in silence, the vampire with a soul and the dark slayer, 
stood in the pre-dawn. The time of the day when the sky is no longer 
black, but a dark, dark azure blue.  Both of their faces turned up 
into the promise of a new day.

Faith hadn't been surprised to learn that Angel felt the same way 
about this time of the day. The time of the day that carried with it 
the promise of hope.  When they both made their secret wishes, 
dreamed all those secret dreams.  Gave leave to all the hidden 
emotions that lie within their heart of hearts.  Both hoping that the 
coming day carried with it the promise that today would be better 
than yesterday.

As the days passed, and the comfort level between them grew, Faith 
began to talk to him, in the near dark.  Whispering to him.  As if he 
were just a shadow, keeping her company, as if she were whispering to 
herself alone in the dark, alone like she had always been since she 
was a child.

During that time Angel came to know Faith, the Faith that the world 
never got to see.  The frightened little girl, who he knew had other 
secrets, secrets she even kept from herself.  Secrets he knew that 
even she was afraid to whisper to herself in the dark. Angel was the 
first person to see the woman that frightened child could grow to be. 

Angel learned to read her expressions with just a glance.  He was the 
one who had bought Faith the lifting gloves. He had seen panic in her 
eyes when someone had so thoughtlessly asked about the scars upon her 
hands.  

The scars she now kept hidden.  The scars that were etched upon her 
soul as well as her hands. Scars still too painful to talk about with 
anyone but Angel.  The scars of her own making, the scars even with 
her slayer healing still remained.  They were a reminder like the 
scar on her stomach of the Faith she never wanted to be again.  

Faith reflected that she now had one more reason to think of this 
time of the day as special. Angel was her first.  

In those pre-dawn hours the vampire with a soul known as Angel was 
the first person to ever make Faith feel safe, not all alone in the 
world, give her hope and feel loved. 

The second was upstairs sleeping in her bed, a secret wish Faith had 
made that she never thought would come true.

Faith curled herself into the chair.  She rested her head against 
it's high back, a soft beautiful smile played on her face. She raised 
her eyes towards the sky to watch the sun rise and to listen for the 
promises of the day.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was how Buffy found her, head thrown back, eyes looking up at 
the sky, smiling softly.  She paused in the doorway and her breath 
caught in her throat, at the beauty her eyes beheld.  

It frightened her a little, no, not just a little it frightened her a 
lot.  This was only lust she told herself, but before Buffy could 
start dwelling on it, start to let the fear take control of her, 
start to retreat behind her safe wall; Faith turned towards her, her 
smile widening and held out her hand to Buffy in silent 
supplication.  

Buffy moved towards her, as if being drawn by an invisible thread. 
She curled up into Faith's lap and together in silence they watched 
the sun rise to a brand new day.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Morning."  Faith whispered hoarsely, breaking the silence between 
them.  The now familiar heat was rising in her just from having Buffy 
curled up in her arms.

"Morning to you too. Mmmmm, is that coffee I smell?" 

Faith nodded and reaching over picked up her cup from the table and 
handed it to Buffy.  

Faith giggled at the face Buffy made after taking a sip.  Then 
giggled again at the face Buffy made when she had giggled.

"Tell me you just didn't giggle."  Faith's smile broadened.  All 
Buffy could do was shake her head in wonder and smile back.  She took 
another sip of the coffee without thinking.

"Geez Faith, like some coffee with your sugar?"

"What?  Too sweet, let me taste."  Buffy handed her the coffee.  
Instead of taking a sip, Faith put it down on the table, and gathered 
Buffy close to her and leaned in for a kiss.  It was a gentle, sweet 
kiss.

"Don't know B, thinkin' I  need another taste."

Faith leaned down and kissed Buffy again. Another sweet gentle kiss, 
that quickly got out of control. 

Faith parted Buffy's lips by lightly teasing her with her tongue.  
Pulling back she ran her tongue over Buffy's mouth, then leaned back 
in and deepened their kiss.  Buffy felt the heat start to rise up in 
her, she couldn't believe the passion that Faith managed to invoke in 
her.  It had never been like this before.  Buffy pulled out of the 
kiss, her breathing already labored.

"Faith?" She whispered softly.

Faith looked at her, hearing the desire in Buffy's voice.  She buried 
her head in Buffy's neck.  Licking her skin, tasting the sweat and 
desire there.  Faith bit, nibbled, sucked on Buffy's neck, bit a 
little harder, sucked a little harder, and marked her. Faith heard 
Buffy's gasp, her breath catching in her throat. 

"God B, you smell like Armani and sex.  It's driving me wild."  
Faith's raspy voice sent another shiver of lust through Buffy.

Faith picked Buffy up,  turning her so 
that Buffy was facing her, straddling her thighs.  She opened her 
robe, exposing Buffy to the pale morning light, then pulled it 
completely off throwing it carelessly to the ground.  Faith let out a 
groan of desire as she felt how wet Buffy was already as she came 
down upon her thighs.  Good god, they were turning into slut-
puppies.  They should have been worn out, too tired, too sore, but 
Faith knew she was just as wet, was aching just as much for Buffy's 
touch as Buffy's was for hers.

Faith nuzzled her face in between Buffy's breasts, her hands running 
up and down Buffy's thighs.  She captured a harden nipple in her 
mouth, biting and roughly tugging on it with her teeth.  

Clutching Faith's shoulders hard at the touch of her mouth on her, 
Buffy practically snarled.

"Faith, don't tease me."  Somehow her lust had gotten completely out 
of control in seconds. She needed, wanted Faith's touch right now. 
She didn't need, want any foreplay, no teasingly soft touches.  
Gentle wasn't what she wanted right now.

Not even giving Faith a chance to react, Buffy rose up to her knees, 
and grabbing Faith's hand showed her where she wanted it to be. 
Guiding Faith exactly to where she wanted to be touched, how she 
wanted Faith to touch her.

"God B, so hot...  you're so hot..." Faith husked as she let Buffy guide 
her hand to her slick center.

Faith could feel the flush of arousal hot across Buffy's skin. She 
slid her hand along Buffy's opening, plunging in three fingers, hard 
and fast. She used the heel of her hand and applied pressure to 
Buffy's clit.  Faith leaned back in the chair and watched as Buffy, 
her body arching, rode her hand.  Faith's other hand reached up to 
torture Buffy's nipples.  

"Feels... so.. good... you feel so good!" Faith let Buffy set her own 
pace and followed her as Buffy increased the speed of her ride.  

Buffy practically sobbed as she felt Faith reach down with her other 
hand and rub her clit between her fingers.

Faith thought she was going to come from just watching Buffy.  Faith 
increased her thrusts as she felt Buffy's insides clutching her 
fingers. Buffy's juices where dripping down her hand, her wrist.  
Faith tweaked Buffy's clit, rubbing it harder, in circular motions, 
then back to capture it between her fingers.  Faith knew Buffy was 
close.

"That's it... B... come on... "  Faith kept whispering to her, encouraging 
her. With each word Buffy felt her lust rise even higher.

"Faith... harder... Faith... so close..."  Buffy went wild on her hand.  
Faith followed her, thrusting into her harder, deeper, and faster.  
She captured Buffy clit pinching it between her fingers, increasing 
the pressure. 

"Show me B... oh god, show me..." Faith whispered, watching as Buffy 
stiffened, throwing her head back, trembling. Until finally as the 
last contraction ceased she collapsed into Faith laying her head down 
upon her shoulder, idly stroking Faith's neck.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy started to slide her hand down Faith's neck, over her shoulder, 
towards her breasts.  Faith grabbed Buffy's wandering hand and 
brought it up to her mouth.  Kissing first the back of it then the 
palm, sneaking out her tongue for a quick taste.  She let out a shaky 
breath, not believing she was stopping Buffy, Faith was going to need 
a very, very, very, long cold shower.

"No time B, you've gotta get home for Dawn."

"Not likin' that at all, not -  at - all."

"Tell me about it B."  Buffy leaned down and gave Faith a kiss that 
left her squirming,  and soaking wet. Her body screaming in need.  

"No fair B."  Faith gasped.

"Later, I promise later."  Buffy said as she rose from Faith running 
into the house to get dressed.  

Faith knew better than to follow her, if she did Dawn would be 
walking into an empty house.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith walked into the Magic Shop on time that morning.  Despite 
having absolutely no sleep the night before, there was a big smile on 
her face, and a lightness to her step.

"Morning all!"  She said brightly very un-Faith-like and in a very 
raspy hoarse whisper.  

Faith's smile broadened at the thought of what had made her voice 
even more raspy than normal.  She had never thought of herself as a 
screamer, a talker yeah, a screamer no.  Buffy had certainly 
disproved that theory.  Her smile grew getting almost impossibly 
wide, apparently she wasn't the only one who was a talker and a 
screamer.  Buffy's voice had been pretty damn hoarse too earlier this 
morning.  

Faith noticed that the Scoobs and Giles where looking at her a little 
funny. They were probably wondering if she had gone psycho again, 
standing there with a very big cat-that-ate-the-canary grin on her 
face for absolutely no reason, at eight o'clock in the morning no 
less. 

"What?"

"You're smiling, you and smiling, makes me nervous, smiling... nervous 
here."

"What Xander, I'm not allowed to smile now?  Anything else I should 
know about?  Cause I'll add it to my list."  The smile leaving her 
face, her good mood evaporating. 



Buffy walked in just then.  She stopped short when she saw that 
everyone was staring at Faith.  Xander and Giles both looked 
suspicious.  Willow looked curious.  Tara looked protective and Anya 
looked amused. Buffy looked at Faith who was standing with her arms 
crossed, her posture defensive, facing off against Xander.

"Faith what's going on?" Buffy's voice sounded even rougher than 
Faith's. Now everyone was looking at her funny.

"WHAT?"  Yelling at the room in general. Making Buffy's already 
strained vocal cords hurt even more.

"She was smiling." Hell that sounded lame to even him, stupid even.  
That didn't stop him though.  "Why is she smiling?  She never smiles 
unless she is up to something." 

"Are you kidding me Xander?" Buffy croaked out and noticed that Faith 
smiled at the sound of her voice. "You're upset because Faith was 
smiling."  

"See, she's doing it again."  Xander pointed to Faith, his voice 
cracking on the last word.
 
Faith and Buffy looked at each other when they realized that Xander 
voice was just as hoarse as their own.  That he had that same tired 
look on his face as they did, so did Anya, Tara and Willow for that 
matter.  Everyone it seemed except Giles. 'Damn what the hell was in 
those drinks last night.' Buffy thought.  

"What's the what with the voice dude?"  

"He screamed a lot last night during sex." Anya croaked out and 
Xander turned beat red.

Faith wiggled her eyebrows at Buffy, and they both started laughing 
at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. Xander mumbled something 
about having to go to work and fled out the door.  While Giles just 
said something along the lines of 'Yes, um, well.' And practically 
ran for his office.

Buffy and Faith started laughing even harder, Tara, Willow, and Anya 
joined in.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't until later that day that Willow suddenly realized that 
Xander wasn't the only one who's voice had been very hoarse that 
morning.  'No way' she thought to herself.  'There was just no way.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday morning found Faith in the training room lying on the couch, 
one leg hooked over the back, hands behind her head, eyes closed, 
headphones on listening to one of her favorite cd's.  As Cordy would 
have said, Faith was pulling 'An Angel'.  She was lying there 
brooding, pouting at the empty room.

It had been a little over two weeks since the night she and Buffy had 
spent together. It was in fact the only full night they had spent 
together. Faith was happy, miserable, up, down, left, right, 
frustrated, every damn emotion under the sky.  Other than the fact 
that she and Buffy had their hands all over each other every chance 
they got, nothing much else had changed.  

That goddamn, mother-fucking, son-of-a-bitch wall was still there.  
Every once in a while Faith would get a glimpse over the top of it, 
but that was all.  The one concession Buffy had made was to trust 
Faith far enough to eat on her own but that was all. 

  

General B was now a three star General instead of a four.

Faith knew she was being unrealistic to think that things would 
change over night, just because they were sleeping together.  That 
all of a sudden Buffy would forget about everything that had 
happened.  Trust her just because she was good in bed, the cemetery, 
the bathroom, the training room, and anywhere else they had a moment 
alone.  Faith knew that just because Buffy was in lust with her, 
everything else Buffy felt about her would not just up and 
disappear.  That didn't mean she couldn't help but wish.

Buffy was just as far away as before, still keeping everyone at arms 
length.  In some ways Faith felt like the distance between them had 
grown even more.  Almost as if now that Buffy had let Faith into that 
part of her life, she needed to push her even further away from the 
rest.

All the late nights, all the emotional turmoil had exhausted Faith; 
she fell asleep on the couch.  Probably one of the deepest sleeps she 
had since she had arrived in Sunnydale.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little while later Buffy walked in to the training room.  She 
stopped in the doorway watching Faith sleep.  Immediately she felt 
the heat rush through her at  the sight of the dark slayer.  It just 
added to the confusion of the last two weeks.

The morning after their brief shared laughter, Buffy had 
unconsciously slipped back into her armor the second after they 
finished their Tai-Chi exercises.  While she could now readily admit 
that she was in total lust with Faith that was all she could admit 
to.  When she thought of how she was when she was with Faith she 
didn't recognize herself.  She had never been that way with anyone 
else; Faith brought out the wild side in her and it scared the shit 
out of her.  A part of her wanted to stop this; and a part of her 
never wanted it to stop, and that frightened her even more.

Buffy still didn't know if she could trust Faith, still didn't know 
what Faith was after. Was even more afraid to give Faith a second 
chance, because now she wasn't sure if it would be because she lusted 
after the dark slayer, or because she truly believed Faith had 
changed.  There was still the anger, Buffy was still pissed over all 
that had happened, perhaps even more now than before.  So many 
conflicting emotions surrounded Faith and what it was that Buffy felt 
about her, it just added more onto Buffy's already overburden 
shoulders.  

Buffy had to give Faith credit though. Faith had attempted numerous 
times to try and get her to talk about what happened in the past, but 
Buffy rebuffed her every time.  Faith had even tried to apologize to 
her again, but had stopped short at the look Buffy had given her, 
Faith had actually backed away from Buffy. 

Buffy knew her anger at Faith was her last defense and subconsciously 
she wasn't ready to let it go.  Once she did, there would be nothing 
left between her and what terrified Buffy the most.  What it was that 
she actually felt about Faith.

So Buffy did what was becoming increasing easier, and each time she 
did, it became less of a conscious effort. She retreated behind the 
wall and into her protective armor.  Letting only her lust out for 
the dark slayer, but not letting anyone or anything else out or in.

Had she been listening to anything Faith had been trying to tell her 
over the last few weeks;  Buffy would have known she was heading down 
the path that Faith herself was all too familiar with.  Would have 
seen that while Faith was moving closer to who she wanted to become, 
Buffy was moving closer to everything Faith never wanted to be 
again.  In essence the slayers were changing places.

Buffy wondered if what was happening between them was part of some 
plan of Faith's to get her to trust her and let her back in. 

 

Buffy conveniently let herself forget; that it was she who had 
initiated the first kiss. She who had followed Faith into the 
bathroom at the Bronze. She who had started them down this path in 
the first place. That it was she who had initiated every touch 
between them since that first morning.

Buffy shook these thoughts from her mind and walked over to the 
sleeping slayer. Reaching down she started trailing her hand along 
Faith's neck and collarbone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was having one of the most erotic, heat filled dream of her 
life.  Feather light fingers were touching her.  Drawing teasing 
patterns over her neck, down the hollow between her breast, up and 
over to delicately pinch a nipple, down across her stomach, circling 
her navel, down towards her center.  To only veer away a second 
before they touched her there.

"B!" Faith moaned in her sleep, her hips raising in search of that 
touch.  

God, Buffy thought she was incorrigible when it came to Faith.  A 
part of her secretly pleased that it was her name Faith had moaned 
out in her sleep.
 
Buffy reached down and delicately traced the contours of that 
beautiful face.  Running her fingers over Faith's mouth wondering if 
the same mouth that gave her so much pleasure, was also lying to 
her.  Leaning down Buffy kissed the slumbering slayer awake.

"Hey sleepy head. Shouldn't you be working out?" Buffy voice was 
harsh with her desire.  

Faith sat up quickly still half asleep, totally misreading Buffy's 
tone.  Forgetting about the headphones in her effort to sit up they 
managed to get all tangled up in her hair.  

"Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep."  Faith mumbled an apology.  
Frantic she tried to get the headphones untangled from her hair and 
just succeeded in getting them more tangled.  She did not want to get 
Buffy pissed off, did not want to hear whatever stinging remarks 
might come out of her mouth.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"  How the fuck could Buffy go from kissing her to 
General B in just a second.  Faith's frustration and anger was 
apparent in her tone. Faith was angry at Buffy for doing this to her, 
and angry with herself for letting Buffy do this to her, as well as 
her own reaction to it.
 
Buffy was a little flustered by Faith's reaction to her casual 
words.  Had she really been that harsh, that demanding with Faith 
over the last few weeks, so much so that Faith was acting more like 
Buffy had slapped her rather than spoken to her. Buffy felt herself 
start to push the thought aside and for once she stopped herself. She 
knew it was true, she had been treating Faith more like her personal 
verbal punching bag, rather than like a human being.  Buffy missed 
the cocky slayer who gave back as good as she got, who little by 
little Buffy had been pushing down, trying to break her spirit.  
Punishing her for the past, but not giving her any opportunity to 
make up for it. 

For the first time since Faith had arrived in Sunnydale Buffy felt 
guilty over the way she had been treating Faith, and didn't try to 
fool herself into denying it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...is there something that you are trying to say / don't hold back 
now / it's been a long time since i felt this way / so don't hold 
back now / i purposely forgot about loving anyone / cause i'm the 
only one who has been stepped upon...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Here, let me help you." Buffy gently brushed Faith's hands out of 
the way and sat down beside her.  Looking at Faith she wondered if 
she really knew her.  Had she ever really bother to try and get to 
know her at all; the first time around and now?  Or had she just been 
content to look at only the surface, afraid maybe of what she might 
find if she looked beyond the dark slayer's 'Bad Girl' exterior.

Faith stood up and moved away from Buffy the second Buffy got the 
headphones untangled from her hair.  Buffy rose quickly from the 
couch, and placing a hand on Faith's arm, stopped her.  Buffy turned 
Faith until they faced one another.  Buffy ran her hand up Faith's 
arm, over her shoulder to behind her neck and pulled Faith's head 
down towards her.

"What about the oth..." 

"They're not here." Buffy's said a second before her mouth claimed 
Faith's.  The anger, frustration Faith was feeling merged with her 
desire and became a white-hot flame.  Faith tried to fight against 
it, wanting to let herself be angry, but she gave up quickly knowing 
it was a losing battle.

Buffy's tongue was like liquid fire in her mouth, as it explored 
every inch.  Faith pulled back from the kiss gasping for air.  Buffy 
seeing the chance pulled Faith's tee shirt over her head, and ducking 
down took her nipple into her mouth.  Coaxing it into a hard little 
nub, biting down on it until she heard Faith moan, letting go long 
enough to let Faith pull Buffy's own shirt off.  

Buffy leaned back down, and swirled her tongue over and around 
Faith's breast, coming close to her nipple but never actually 
touching it, driving Faith insane.  Reaching down she slid her hand 
up Faith inner thigh coming to rest on her core.  Buffy moaned as she 
felt Faith's wetness through her shorts.  Buffy started flicking her 
tongue rapidly over Faith's nipple as she slid her hand back and 
forth over the dark slayers center through her clothes. 

Faith pulled Buffy up to her roughly.  Bringing her mouth down in a 
demanding kiss, sucking Buffy's tongue into her mouth, capturing it 
with her teeth.  They broke apart long enough to strip each other of 
their clothes.  Kneeling Buffy pulled Faith down with her. They 
embraced, their hands urgent upon each other.  Lying back Buffy 
pulled Faith down to her, opening her legs, as Faith settled between 
them.

Both slayers moaned as Faith lowered her body down on Buffy. 
Supporting her weight on her elbows, Faith slid her body along the 
deceptively soft one under her, eliciting another moan from Buffy.

Buffy ran her hands down Faith's back tracing the contours of her 
muscles, loving the feel of them as they moved under her hands. Faith 
skin like silk beneath her hands. Buffy pulled Faith tighter to her 
wanting to feel the weight of Faith's completely nude body more fully 
upon her own bare flesh.

But Faith didn't allow Buffy that luxury for long, a little bit of 
her anger was still was controlling her.  Faith did not want to 
pretend this was more that what it was.  Buffy wanted her to fuck her 
like a good little girl, so she would.

Faith raised herself up to support her weight upon her hands, 
pressing her hips into Buffy, to bring her wetness to join with 
Buffy's.  She began a slow circular motion sliding heat against 
heat.  Buffy bent her knees giving Faith fuller access to her, 
pressing her hips up to follow Faith's.

"B..." Faith moaned as her need  came at her fast and furiously as it 
always seemed to between them. Losing her anger as Buffy reached up 
and gently caressed her face. 

"Faith... so beautiful." Buffy whispered to her softly.

Faith pressed down harder into Buffy, her desire now raging out of 
control from that simple gentle caress, those softly spoken words. 

Buffy stared up into that beautiful face locking eyes with Faith. All 
that she saw in Faith's eyes, caused Buffy's own desire to rise up 
just as fast and furiously, and match that of the dark slayers.  
Without even knowing, all the other emotions Buffy saw in Faith's 
eyes when she looked at her was what really caused her to respond so 
completely to the dark slayer. 

Faith began alternating thrusting hard into Buffy, with circling her 
center over and around and into Buffy. Sliding into and on the 
wetness that was both of them. Increasing the tension, the heat 
between them. Buffy wrapped her legs tightly around Faith's hips 
meeting her with equal force.  Faith's arms where straining with her 
effort.  Faith's eyes so intense as she looked at Buffy, saying all 
she could not say, all that Buffy would not let her say.
 
"That's it baby... come on... "  Buffy knew Faith was teetering on the 
edge. Watching Faith's face as it contorted in her pleasure, her body 
beginning to tremble as she rose up the crest, almost frantic in her 
desire, hanging on the edge, so close.

Buffy reached down to slid her hand between their bodies.  Pressing 
her fingers up into Faith as she found Faith's clit with her thumb.

With that single touch Faith lost control, thrusting hard into 
Buffy's hand. For just a brief second Faith saw what lay beyond the 
desire in Buffy's eyes.  That was all it took to send her hurdling 
over the edge.

"B... god... B I lo...!" Faith's body started trembling almost violently, 
as she drove into Buffy's hand, once, twice, three, times. Her voice 
strangling deep in her throat, stopping herself before she finished 
what she longed to say.
 
"That's it, cum for me Faith... cum for me baby..."  Buffy moaned as she 
felt Faith's body contracting around her fingers tightly, drawing her 
deeper inside.

Faith's arms gave out as her orgasm consumed her.  She collapsed into 
Buffy, rolling them over on their sides. Faith reached down sliding 
her hand into Buffy's center, taking Buffy with her over the edge.   
Clinging to each other the slayers rode out their orgasms, calling 
out each other's name.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


They lay holding each other until their bodies had quieted.  Faith 
rose quickly and moved away from Buffy. She knew the routine, and 
wasn't about to make a fool of herself over something she thought she 
might have seen in Buffy's eyes during the heat of passion. 

There would be no cuddling, no gentle words, no holding onto each 
other in the aftermath, no soft sighs, no light touches, gentle 
caresses, there never was, and Faith didn't expect it to be any 
different today.  After all she wasn't Angel, or Riley, she was 
Faith 'Evil-Slayer', Faith the 'Get some, get gone' girl.  Only now 
Buffy owned that particular title.  Faith wasn't about to asked for 
something from Buffy that she knew would only lead to rejection. In 
some ways Faith had begun to stop giving Buffy a second chance too.

Over the last two weeks Faith got a very clear picture of how she had 
treated Xander the night she had taken his virginity.  Throwing him 
out into the night in just his underwear, with the excuse that she 
needed to take a shower.  She finally understood why he was still so 
angry with her.  

Not for the first time the dark slayer underestimated her own self-
worth and what she had to offer.  Had she looked at Buffy's face 
before she pulled away she would have been surprised to see that the 
ice-cold look she had come to expect wasn't there.  Instead there was 
a gentle questioning in its place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...is there something that you're trying to say / cause i can take it/ 
cause i grew up a man that way and if i'm hurt i'll shake it/ i'll 
crawl back into my cave / that's how i'll make it / cause out of all 
this hurt we have / beauty thus become / beauty thus become...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy missed Faith the second she moved away from her, and realized 
the reason.  It was always Buffy who moved away first, never Faith.  
After that first night there had been nothing between them 
afterwards, no gentleness, no nothing. And Buffy knew it was her 
fault.  In her effort to convince herself that all she felt was lust, 
she had turned it into just that.  Had pushed Faith into finally 
giving up, she could see it in her slumped shoulders as Faith walked 
out of the room without a word, without a smile.  

Still Buffy just let her, trapped behind the wall of her own making.  
Unable, perhaps unwilling to take her share of the blame over what 
had happened, was happening now, at this moment between them.  It was 
too easy to put the blame all on Faith's shoulders.  Why had Faith 
given up now, now when she was ready to explore the possibilities.  
Buffy ignored, and she was getting so good at it, that she had not 
said a word, did not stop Faith from walking away.  Had irrationally 
expected Faith to all of a sudden become a mind reader.  Expected 
Faith to know what she was feeling by using the connection that was 
between them as slayers. Which Buffy handily chose to forget she had 
all but shut down between them.

She became angry at Faith for giving up, once again Buffy placed the 
blame illogically at the dark slayers feet.

  Buffy thought unreasonably. As she rushed to put her 
clothes on and leave the room, never once acknowledging that Faith 
had been the only one making an effort at all, while Buffy had been 
the one constantly knocking it carelessly away.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Scooby Gang entered the Magic Shop ready to go into full-scale 
marathon research mode.  Two grim faced slayers greeted them.  It 
turned out to be the highlight of the day. 

Buffy spent most of her time watching Faith and thinking about all 
that had happened since Faith had arrived back in Sunnydale. That 
little bit of guilt Buffy had been feeling earlier in the training 
room was eating away at her.  Making her re-evaluate everything, 
Faith, herself, her own judgment.

Little by little as the day progressed Buffy started to begin to see 
all that she had been ignoring over the last few weeks.  The inner 
peace the dark slayer had found, and shared without reservation with 
her. Faith's calm confidence, her control when slaying. How she 
subtly and gently tried to let Buffy know she was shutting down, 
pushing people away.  How Faith had not made any excuses to explain 
away the past, but had taken instead full responsibility for her 
actions. Did everything Buffy asked without questions or compliant 
despite all the abuse Buffy threw her way. Faith's repeated attempts 
to try and get Buffy to talk about the past, to clear the air between 
them, so they could move past it.  The way Faith came to the Scoobs 
defense, turning if she could Buffy's tirade against herself and away 
from them. The way Faith had been giving asking nothing for herself 
in return. 

The Faith, Buffy had known would have been out the door by now.  
Throwing a 'Fuck this shit', back in Buffy's face, regardless of the 
consequences.  That Faith would not have cared what the Scoobs 
thought of her, would have not even tried to make things right 
between them.  That Faith would have tried to use Buffy's tirades to 
get the Scoobs to turn against Buffy, not get Buffy to against her.  
That Faith had lived behind a wall of indifference.

The Faith that was here now, was not that 'Faith', was not even close 
to that 'Faith'. Buffy knew this Faith would not leave she was here 
to help. Buffy knew this Faith meant it when she had said if Buffy 
dragged her away she would just come back, that Buffy would have to 
kill her to keep her away.  This Faith thought about the consequences 
of her actions, and lived everyday with the consequences of her past 
actions.  This Faith cared what the Scoobs, Giles, Buffy thought 
about her, it was in her eyes, her expression, in her gestures and 
actions every day.  This Faith protected Buffy from Buffy's own 
actions and consequences at the expense of taking the hits herself.  
This Faith did not hide behind a wall of indifference, did not hide 
behind anything, this Faith showed the world what she felt.  The only 
thing she ever hid was what she felt for Buffy, only occasionally 
letting it show when she thought Buffy couldn't see. 

Whether Buffy liked it or not, Faith had changed, and Buffy had been 
treating her no better than an unwanted pet; and in the last two 
weeks like her own personal whore.  After that first morning, never 
had Buffy just held Faith, never once kissed Faith, for the simple 
reason of 'just because'. Any contact between them was always 
initiated by Buffy, and Buffy used her knowing Faith would not say 
no; because Buffy knew for Faith this was more than just simple lust. 
Never once had she held Faith afterwards with the exception of the 
very first time. Buffy would practically rip herself out of Faith's 
arms, which always released her reluctantly, until this morning. This 
morning Buffy had finally managed to kill a little bit of the dark 
slayers spirit.

Faith had changed. Had changed even more the last two weeks thanks to 
Buffy, who was slowly but surely strangling the spirit of the dark 
slayer and all because Buffy was afraid.  Buffy looked across the 
room and saw pain, and sadness on that beautiful face, the pain, and 
sadness she had put there.  Buffy felt shame and loathing for herself 
rise up like bile in the back of throat, what she didn't realize was 
that it showed in her eyes.  And sadly for the 'Chosen Two', Faith 
chose that moment to look up at Buffy.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith saw the look of loathing Buffy was giving her, and recoiled 
from it. Did Buffy really hate her that much?  Was all of this a 
game?  The hope Faith had of ever making things right between them 
died in that instant. 



Faith wanted to run, to hide, but she knew she couldn't, she 
wouldn't.  Ok so Buffy could never be with her, they could never be 
lovers, friends, she could learn to live with that... eventually.  
Faith would not walk away, this was where she was suppose to be for 
now.  Faith knew if Buffy continued down the path she was on that at 
the end of it Buffy would be standing all alone.  If that happened 
Faith knew Buffy would not survive.  Buffy had survived this long as 
a slayer because of the people that surrounded her, and she could not 
lose them now.  Not when she was facing an ex-god. Buffy needed them 
all, more than ever before. 

Faith had fucked up; she should have never let this happen between 
them. She should have said no.  Should have known better than to 
think they could be anything more when they weren't even friends, not 
even on friendly terms. When Buffy didn't even trust her, didn't even 
think she had changed.  She had fucked everything up, let her 
emotions get in the way of what needed to be done. Faith firmed up 
her resolve, determined that Buffy would learn from her mistakes.  
Even if it meant that Buffy ended up hating her for it...  

Even if it meant that Faith ended up hating herself again for it... 

Faith hated herself already a little, for once again fucking up.  She 
felt shame and loathing for herself rise up like bile in the back of 
throat, what Faith didn't realize was that it also showed in her 
eyes.  

This time it was Buffy who misread the loathing that was in the other 
slayers eyes; and a little seed of doubt began to replant itself in 
Buffy's mind.

The day had just gone from bad to worse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...in the mourning i can see the sights / no wonder i can never keep 
you satisfied / in the mourning i can see inside / myself and all the 
things that you were trying to hide / beauty thus become / beauty 
thus become...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After almost ten hours of researching trying to find something, 
anything, to help them defeat Glory and getting nowhere and nothing 
everyone was running on a short fuse.  Buffy had managed to get 
herself promoted back up to a four star General again, and Faith 
needed to get out of the shop even if only for a few minutes.  She 
offered to go on a coffee run, offered to buy, just to make sure they 
said yes.  

Faith went into the training room to get money.  As she pulled out 
her wallet she saw the message light flashing on the cell phone Angel 
had given her.  It was Angel, he wanted her to call him.  

"Hey Cordy, Soul-boy there?"

"Hey Faith, he's here, hang on.  ANGEL!" Faith moved the phone 
quickly away from her ear, she hated when Cordy did that.  It felt 
good though to hear a friendly voice.

"He's gonna be a few minutes."

"K.  So how is everything?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wondering what the hell was taking Faith so long to come out of the 
back Buffy got up and headed towards the door.  She paused outside of 
the doorway when she heard Faith talking to someone on the phone.  
She felt a little guilty but she eavesdropped anyway catching only 
the tail end of the conversation.

"Yup, that's all she wrote."

"Faith be careful please...  I don't want to have to worry about you." 
Angel emphasized the careful.  He was worried about her, he knew 
something was wrong. Knew without her telling him that it had 
something to do with Buffy.  There was something in her voice, as if 
she was a little bit broken,  a little bit beaten down. She sounded 
like she needed a little T.L.C.  

"No need. I'm five by five."  Faith tried to make her voice light, 
she could hear the concern in his voice.  They had come to know each 
other too well.

"You know I actually miss that whole 'five by five' thing. Miss 
sharing the dawn with you,  guess what I'm trying to say is I miss 
having you around." So he wasn't the greatest at this kind of stuff, 
but he knew she understood him.  He really did miss having her 
around.  

Angel had found a kindred soul in Faith.  After all the years of 
being alone it was good to have someone who understood what it was he 
was seeking.  Who was seeking the same things.  They gave each other 
hope that someday they would both achieve what it was they sought, 
redemption.

"Yeah, I miss that too. Nobody understands.  I miss you too."  There 
was such loneliness and longing in her voice, that Angel felt his 
heart bleed for her.

"Faith, things will get better.  You know that don't you?" 

"I do, and.. I love you, ya know..." Faith said softly, letting her 
emotions carry to him through the phone.  Those were three very hard 
words for her to say.  She needed him to know though, because in the 
end she knew she was going to hurt him.
 
Buffy walked away from the doorway having heard enough. The seed of 
doubt began to grow. Instead of the sound of a wall crumbling, there 
was the sound of new brick being laid.

"Ditto."  Angel smiled when her heard her laugh, she knew he had 
stolen that from one of his favorite movies, 'Ghost.'

"Remember though it's just like in a brotherly way, Soul-boy!"

"Just know you can talk to me about anything."  Serious again.

"'K, got fly now, Soul-boy. Talk to you soon." Faith sighed as she 
hung up the phone.

Angel was the only one she wanted to talk to about Buffy, and he was 
the last person she could talk to.  She wouldn't, couldn't, hurt him 
for the world, but she knew eventually she was going to have to. It 
broke her heart a little. He had been, was so good to her, believing 
in her when she hadn't even believed in herself. Faith knew she would 
not be able to lie to him forever.  Knew that he would not walk away 
even when she hurt him, would be there to support her, comfort her, 
and encourage her. Would help her once again find her way out of the 
darkness and into the light. He deserved better, so much better than 
this from her.  

Faith grabbed her wallet out of the bag, feeling pretty shitty about 
herself at the moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Faith ran out of the Magic Shop shouting she would be back in a 
flash.  She didn't see the daggers Buffy was throwing at her back.



Buffy was seeing red, although green would have been a more 
appropriate color.  When she heard Faith say those three simple 
words, with such tenderness, heard the longing in her voice, Buffy 
felt as if she had been stabbed.  Her earlier feelings of guilt over 
how she had been treating the dark slayer were gone. Her short-lived 
belief that Faith had changed, was completely gone the seed of doubt 
had grown into a grand old oak tree. 

Had she kept listening with her slayer hearing as she had walked away 
she would have heard as Faith said good-bye to 'Soul-boy'.  Instead 
all she heard was the roaring in her own ears.  

Faith was fucking with her again.  What kind of game was she playing 
this time? Buffy pushed aside the thought that jealousy was the cause 
of her reaction, jealousy of whoever was on the other end of the 
phone that Faith was in love with.  You had to be in love with someone or at the 
very least care for someone to be jealous.  Buffy knew as sure as she 
knew her own name was Elisabeth Anne Summers, that she didn't even 
like, let alone love, wasn't even remotely close to falling in love 
with the dark slayer.  Get her to fall in 
love with Faith? To only mind fuck her at the last minute? Play with 
her life, make Buffy the victim again?  Well, Buffy wasn't going to 
let her, this time she was going to beat Faith at her own game.

Unfortunately for the Scoobies Faith was out getting the coffee.  
They got hit with the beginnings of Buffy's storm. A storm that was 
slowly churning into a full-blown hurricane. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...then you conned me into thinking / that all i had was you / the 
small insinuations were cutting me through cutting me through / and 
now i stand alone here / stronger than before / and i'll never go 
back never go back never go  / beauty thus become / beauty thus 
become...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Faith walked back into the Magic Shop with the coffee, and right into 
the middle of Hurricane Buffy's private storm.  Hurricane Buffy was 
out in full force, ranting at the Scoobs like a mad woman. Willow 
threw a grateful look her way, over the last few weeks they had a 
form a fragile sort of trust, and Faith knew she had Tara to thank 
for that.  She stood unbelievingly listening to Buffy accuse them of 
not trying hard enough to find out more about Glory and the key so 
that SHE could defeat Glory.

Buffy couldn't be serious, the Scoobs had been spending all of their 
free time doing research.  Helping with patrols, helping with Dawn, 
feeding Faith.  They had given up their lives, never once 
complaining, always asking how they could help, what more they could 
do.  Faith couldn't remember the last time Buffy had even thanked one 
of them, or given them some time off so they could take care of 
personal matters, or just plain old relax.  The last time any of them 
had any free time was when Giles had forced them to take the day off 
after their sewer adventure.

Couldn't Buffy see the dark circles under all of their eyes from all 
the late nights spent helping her?

"B" she said in a low voice.

"WHAT?"

"I think you've said enough."

"Really?  Cause I didn't know you could think Faith."

Buffy turned her attention back to the Scoobs ignoring Faith.  She 
wasn't done with them yet.

"Don't."

"Excuse me.  Go back into the other room and mind you're fucking 
business. Don't make me throw you back there, or you know...  You 
leaving Sunnydale is still an option Faith."

Faith determination returned ten-fold, as well as a little bit of her 
self-respect.  It was time someone stood up to Hurricane Buffy and 
knocked the wind right out of her.  Besides Faith was tired of it, 
tired of waiting for it all to come out. Faith had finally had 
enough.  She was tired of being talked to worse than the lowest scum 
on the street.  She was tired of Buffy constantly threatening her 
with physical violence. Tired of Buffy always telling her she could 
leave or threatening to 'help' her to leave. Tired of being treated 
like Buffy's private wh...Faith couldn't even finish that thought. 
Desperate not to believe what she thought about of herself deep down, 
Buffy believed too. 

Fuck it she was just plain old tired.  Never again would she let 
herself be someone's verbal or physical punching bag.  Been there, 
done that, not going there again.

"This is my business B, and I don't care if you like or not."

"I don't think so, and I am sure they would agree with me."

"Not this time."

"Oh and what now they're on your side Faith?  You really are crazy, 
they hate you Faith, or haven't you noticed?"

"It's not me I'm worried about them hating B, I deserve their hate, I 
treated all of you like shit.  It's you B, you who I'm worried about 
them hating.  Can't you see what you're doing?"

"Me?  Please. I'm not doing anything."

Faith stepped in closer to Buffy.  The coldness in Buffy's eyes 
killing her, she had to break through that ice somehow.

"Yes you are.  You are pushing everyone away.  You are treating them 
like shit.  Every day you cut yourself off more and more.  Every day 
you become colder, more distant.  You are losing all the good things 
about you.  The things that make them follow you, make them look up 
to you.  The things that have them here night after night helping 
you. The things that make them risk their lives every night helping 
you slay.  The reasons Willow decided to stay here and go to college 
instead of somewhere safe.  The things that make me want to be just 
like you.  Made me want to change who I was, made me want to gain 
your trust, your respect.  You are losing everything that 
make "Buffy", "Buffy".  Believe me you don't want to go there.  It's 
a dark, lonely angry place."

"Did I miss something? When did you start caring about other people?  
What happened to the 'Get some, Get gone' girl? The girl who only 
cared about herself and what she could get out of people? What 
happened to the "Want, Take, Have" girl who never cared about the 
consequences? When did you become such an expert on people, is it 
something they taught you in jail?"

"I was always the expert, I learned the hard way how. I learned young 
how to keep people at a distance.  Look where it got me.  It got me 
nowhere, it got people hurt, someone killed.  If you want to know 
what happened to that girl well she looked in the mirror one day and 
didn't like what she saw. In fact she hated what she saw.  Hated it 
enough to head down a road that she hoped would get her killed.  If 
you get nothing else from me, at least learn from my mistakes.  Don't 
learn how I had to learn, don't risk everything you have here.  I 
would give anything for an hour of what you have here with these 
people. Hate me if you want to, pick on me, keep me at a distance, I 
can take it, there is nothing you can do to me that hasn't been done 
before. The worst you couldn't even do if you wanted too.  But don't 
do it to them, they don't deserve it. Cause B if you keep it up 
you're gonna end up on that road, end up losing them.  B don't do 
it.  Cause I gotta tell you that when I look at you, I don't know who 
you are anymore.  When I look at you I see..."  Buffy cut her off.

"Tell me, Faith. Who do you see when you look at me? Tell me!"  Buffy 
voice was steel, Faith looked at her and her gut was telling her she 
wasn't getting through to Buffy.  The Scoobs were holding their 
breaths waiting for Faith to answer.



Faith took a deep shuddering breath and said what she knew would be 
the worst insult she could ever give Buffy.

"Me.  I see me. The me that you put a knife into, the me that 
threatened Willow, the me that tried to strangle Xander, the me that 
threatened your Mom, the me that slept with Riley, the me that tried 
to kill Angel.  When I look at you I see that me. You've seen her 
too, she was the part of you that let you put the knife in me."  She 
felt it coming, the rage from deep down inside of Buffy. Faith felt 
it coming.  

Faith saw the deadly look in Buffy's eyes, but she also saw the hurt, 
the confusion. There was hate for Faith there, hate for Faith for 
doing this in front of the Scoobs, hate for Faith because she had 
compared Buffy to herself.  But Faith saw an even deeper hate. No. 
Not hate but a hurt, and somehow she knew it was a hurt she had 
caused, but she didn't know how.

"FUCK YOU!! How dare you compare me to you!  I am nothing like you! I 
could never be anything like you!  I don't hurt, kill people!  I help 
people do you hear me! I - AM  - NOTHING - LIKE  - YOU!!"  Even as 
she was yelling it, she knew it was a lie. Knew that there was a part 
of her that was just like Faith. Knew she was going down that road. 
She was... had been losing her humanity.  

Buffy was lost, she didn't know what to do anymore.  Didn't 
understand why she had been doing this, or why she had taking the 
brunt of it out on Faith.  Why out of everyone it was Faith who she 
needed to push away the hardest, the most.  

Then she remembered the phone call, Faith might be right about how 
she had been acting.  But Buffy was now more than ever convinced that 
in order for Faith's game to work she needed the old Buffy not this 
new Buffy.  She had to help Buffy in order to hurt her, only this 
time the only one who was going to benefit from it would be Buffy.  

Buffy locked eyes with Faith.  Faith stared back at her not hiding 
anything, everything she felt was in that stare.  Buffy knew one 
thing from that stare, Faith may love whoever was on the phone, but 
she was in love with Buffy.

And it should have been enough to stop this now before it got worse. 
Would have been if Buffy hadn't given over totally to the rage, the 
hurt, the pain, the jealousy. Had let the dark slayer say all the 
things that should have been said before, instead of stopping her 
time after time.

All the things that needed to be said between them, the hurt, the 
fear, the pain; all of it was there. Things they should have talked 
about but never did; all of it was there in the raging storm that was 
Buffy. What came crashing through the surf on a tidal wave of anger, 
were angry words, twisted words, cruel words. Words that deep down 
inside Buffy knew were lies. Words that would haunt Buffy forever. 
Words that Buffy said anyway.  

They came from an ugly place inside of her... a place that Faith had 
been trying so hard to keep her away from.

"Faith.  Do you remember what I said to you that night on Angel's 
roof when you told me that Angel said I would never give you a chance?

Faith knew. That night was seared into her soul.  Could hear Buffy as 
clearly in her mind as she did that night.

**"I gave you every chance!  I tried so hard to help you, and you 
spat on me.  My life was just something for you to play with.  Angel -
 Riley - anything that you could take from me - you took.  I've lost 
battles before - but nobody else has -ever- made me a victim."**

"You said I was the only one who had ever made you a victim.  It was 
the reason why I could never make things right between us."  Faith 
had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"These last two weeks, have just been a game to keep me occupied.  
You know that don't you Faith? I took what you had to offer.  How 
could you even think it could be more than that? Did you honestly 
think that I could ever love someone like you? Spike would have a 
better chance. What? Did you forget who... what you are? What you've 
always been? How could anyone ever love that? How does it feel to 
have your life be something for someone to play with?  How does it 
feel to lose? Tell me Faith how does it feel to be a victim?"  The 
second the words were out Buffy wanted to take them back. Who was 
she, what had she become? She felt sick to her stomach, but still she 
just stood there, trapped inside the walls of her own making.

Buffy's words came at Faith, familiar words, words she had heard many 
times before, and they added their voice to the words from the 
past.  "Love you?...  What's to love?... Your nothing, nobody... Trash... 
worse than trash... Who could ever love trash?..." So many words, words 
Faith had always believed. But she had forgotten to protect herself 
this time. Had forgotten to close off that part of herself, so the 
words could never hurt her again.  Had always protected herself in 
order to survive, and now she remembered why.

Faith started trembling; she closed her eyes, not wanting them to see 
her cry.  The tears came anyway, seeping out from beneath her closed 
lids.

"Pain, it is all pain." Faith whispered brokenly. "You want to know 
what it else it feels like B... it feels like I never left my mother's 
home."

Faith opened her eyes, the tears still silently falling.  The hurt, 
the pain, the shame, they all saw in her eyes was as deep and endless 
as a black hole.  New hurt, new pain, old hurt, old pain, old shame.  
The kind of hurt and pain that leaves hidden scars forever etched 
upon your soul.

"Fai..." Buffy started to reach towards her but Faith pushed her away, 
knocking Buffy to the floor and ran out into the black night.

"W - H - Y????"  They all shivered when they heard that heart 
wrenching, anguished cry that came from outside.  No one had to tell 
them who it came from.

  Buffy rose from the 
floor running out the door after Faith calling her name.

Buffy ran for hours until her legs gave out.  She looked everywhere 
but never found Faith.  It was like the darkness had taken her, and 
hid her from Buffy's sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...and now i will say goodbye / cause all the shit that we've been 
though / put wisdom in my eyes / so walk away, don't turn around / 
cause i won't be standing here / cause all the lies that i've been 
living through are becoming very clear / and beauty thus become / 
beauty thus become / beauty thus become - Tantric

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stood in the warmth of the light / Chilled to the bone / Hundreds 
of faces in sight / Still I was alone / Door after door / And room 
after empty room / I've stood here before / But under a different 
moon...

She ran blinded by her tears, she didn't know where she was going? 
What did it matter anyway?  She ran from the voices in her head, from 
her past, from the pain, the never-ending pain.  Had there ever been 
a time in her life when it wasn't there?

Faith kept running, until she stumbled and fell coming down hard on 
her knees.  All the pain she had caused others was coming back at her 
ten-fold, to join with the pain she had carried with her since she 
was a child.  It all became confused, jumbled, mixed together, even 
the pain, the shame she still believed she deserved as a child.

  How many times had her Mother told her that?  
Hundreds, thousands, more than that? It was all her fault wasn't it?  
Her fault her Mother couldn't love her, her fault that Johnny came to 
her in the night, her fault that her bones got broken, her fault her 
mind, body, soul, were raped and abused. Year after year, time and 
time again. 

When would she learn? How many times had her Mother asked her that? 
She still hadn't learned, had she?  In the end, and deep down Faith 
believed this, she had become everything they always told her she 
was, everything they said she'd be.  Hadn't she?

Faith got up and started running again. From the ugly little secrets 
she kept locked up tightly in a deep dark place inside her, that had 
managed to get free.  From the 'Reaper' hot on her heels, it was 
harvest time, and Faith doubted he would show any mercy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... I've walked in and out of the fire / Between truth and lies / Now 
how many children watch / While one child cry's / I'll tear down 
these walls / And watch while their souls are freed / I'll throw away 
pride / To drown in this endless sea...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She checked the Magic Shop, the cemeteries, the Mansion, screaming 
Faith's name, until her throat was raw, and her voice could not rise 
above a whisper.  Still she called hoping that Faith would hear her 
with her slayer hearing. But there was no sign of Faith.  All her 
things were still at the Mansion, her wallet, her bag still at the 
Magic Shop. 

Buffy went home, got Dawn and went back to the Mansion to wait.

She curled up on the couch, staring blankly into the empty 
fireplace.  Her mind was racing a mile a minute, she prayed Faith was 
someplace safe.  

  

Had the years, the weight of slaying done this to her?  

Unlike Faith who thought that being the Slayer was a gift, an honor 
to have been chosen.  A way for her to do the right thing, a way to 
give back to the world something good; even to a world that had never 
given her anything but pain.  To Faith, being chosen had been her 
salvation, the chance for her to be the hero, to help the innocent, 
to right something that was wrong.

 

It felt like the weight of the world lived on her shoulders and in a 
way it did.  Buffy had begun to believe that she needed to be 
uncaring, tough, hard in order to be the Slayer.  That caring just 
got in the way, might cause her to hesitate, make mistakes.  Little 
by little she felt like she was losing her humanity. 

Every thought of what she had done to Faith was like a punch in the 
stomach.  How she had callously used Faith, verbally abusing her.  
Had actually slapped her hard enough to bruise her that first night.  
Threatened her and in the end this morning had hurt Faith just 
because she knew she could. Had used the one thing against Faith that 
she knew would cut her the deepest.  Had taken the love that Faith 
gave her freely, that she gave to Buffy without once ever asking 
anything of Buffy in return.





Punishing her for what had happened when the world came crashing down 
around the both of them the night Allan died.  Punishing Faith for 
Buffy's own mistakes.  How hard had she really tried to help Faith 
after that night?  She was too busy with her own problems, so she had 
let herself believe Faith false bravado, false words that she had it 
all under control. But Buffy knew better, had known better that 
night. Had opportunities after that night to help the dark slayer.  
Had tried but only half-heartedly.  She may have only been a teen-
ager herself but she knew Faith had been hurting, knew because of the 
connection that they shared.  

It went even deeper than that, because even back then Buffy felt more 
for Faith than just a 'slayer connection' and it scared her then just 
like it had now.  Fear, Buffy knew now was a big part of her 
inability to help Faith in the past, and her unwillingness to forgive 
Faith when she had returned.  There was blame to be shared by both of 
them and it was time Buffy took her own fair share.
 
Buffy had made sacrifices as the Slayer, had been willing to give up 
her life to save the world, had sent Angel to hell those were the 
easy choices.  But when was the last time she had ever made a 
personal sacrifice?  Had put someone else needs before her own?  
Buffy realized with a sickening feeling that she couldn't remember 
the last time she had done that.

Faith had though.  Faith had come to Sunnydale with no other thought 
but to help her. What Buffy finally understood was that she would not 
have a chance of surviving Glory if she kept going down the path she 
was on.  Would not survive at all if she lost everyone, would not 
have survived this long if she hadn't had the Scoobs and Giles in the 
first place.  Buffy wondered how Faith had managed to survive this 
long all alone. She had to admire her for it, because Buffy doubted 
she would have been able to.  Was amazed that Faith still could find 
any joy at all.

Faith had been willing to risk everything, including her own life to 
make Buffy understand what it was that was happening to her.  Buffy 
doubted that she would have been able to make that same sacrifice.  
Faith had proven herself time and again over the last few weeks.  
Starting from the very first night Buffy had found her in Angel's 
apartment.  Today... today... Faith had made the ultimate sacrifice, she 
had put aside her own wants, desires, needs, and said the one thing 
to Buffy, that Faith had to have known would cause Buffy to hate her; 
in a final effort to get Buffy off her current path.  

All of it came crashing into Buffy at once, all her actions, her 
words, the cruel words she had said today, when she knew... she knew 
that what Faith said was true. When she knew Faith had changed.  When 
she knew Faith was in love with her.  When she knew that she felt the 
same way.  Why? Because she was jealous, because she had forgotten 
how to forgive, because she was afraid, because somewhere along the 
line she had lost her way.  She knew all of this, knew it in a 
blinding moment of clarity, knew it and said and did it anyway.  

Buffy felt sick to her stomach, she got up running for the bathroom, 
and barely made it there in time.  

She curled back up onto the couch into a little ball and started to 
cry. It wasn't for herself she cried, she cried for all the pain she 
had seen in the dark slayer's eyes, and for the pain she carelessly 
and cruelly added to them. 



As she cried one thing became very clear to her, it was she who 
didn't deserve Faith not the other way around.

And as she drifted off into an exhausted sleep it was wondering;  How 
was it that Faith who the world had never given anything to but pain, 
hurt, sorrow, loneliness, and abuse, had managed to keep her 
humanity; while Buffy who the world had given everything to, love, 
joy, friends, family, a home, had managed to lose hers?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... Hundreds of tears on the water / Mercy come rain down on me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith ran until she reached the highway.  She put out her thumb 
trying to hitch a ride with a passing car.  The driver slowed down 
and took one look at the wild eyed, disheveled slayer and sped off.  
She could only imagine what she looked like.  She would probably be 
afraid to pick her up too.  She saw a gas station up in the distance 
and quickly headed towards it.

Luckily the bathroom wasn't locked, although she didn't think it 
would have been a problem for her to break in.  She gasped when she 
saw herself in the mirror.  Her face was streaked with dirt, mascara 
and tears.  She didn't think there was any white left in her eyes, 
which were almost swollen shut from all the crying.  The pain she saw 
in her own eyes scared even her. Her hair, had leaves, and twigs in 
it, and looked like someone had taken a damn teasing comb to it.  She 
was not only an emotion mess, but a physical one too.

There were cuts, scrapes, bruises, on her face, chest, arms, legs, 
you name it.  She was still in the same clothes from this morning and 
they too were covered in dirt.  Faith turned on the water, no hot 
water, hell why should there be, that would be asking too much 
wouldn't it?  She took off the lifting gloves and her hands shook a 
little when she saw the scars, which stood out even more since they 
were the only part of her hands not covered in dirt.

Mentally she slapped herself.  She couldn't keep falling apart, she 
had to get her shit back together.  She wouldn't be any good to 
herself this way.  She cleaned up as best she could, cause there 
wasn't any damn soap either.

She drank water from the grungy tap because she had lost her wallet 
someplace after she had ran out of the Magic Shop.



She needed to get away, even if only for a few days.  Faith knew she 
couldn't go back right now, knew if she saw Buffy she would lose it, 
not hurt her, never hurt her, not ever again. Hell and how screwed up 
was she, she knew if Buffy wanted to still be with her, even if 
things went right back to the way the were, she wouldn't say no.

Faith had to wonder if she didn't like the abuse. She disregarded 
that thought quickly...  She didn't like to be abused.  No, what 
attracted her to Buffy were all the things Faith knew Buffy was.  Had 
been there when Faith first meet her, the things that Faith knew 
instinctively where still there behind the wall Buffy had been hiding 
behind.  Faith realized something else as well, both of their lives 
had taken a turn for the worst the night Allan had died.  The only 
difference between them was that while Faith had taken a short cut, 
Buffy had taken the long way, but both had been heading for the same 
destination.

She finished cleaning up.  Took one last look at herself in the 
mirror.  She smiled a little sad smile at herself.  No matter what 
else had happened today, she knew that Buffy was no longer on that 
path.  Regardless of everything else that happened Faith could be 
proud of that.  She left the bathroom, still shaky, still scared, but 
her back was straight, her shoulders square.  Life sucked anyway, but 
fuck she had always known that.

She started walking down the highway in the direction of the only 
place the dark slayer had ever come close to calling home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... Hundreds of tears on the water / Mercy come rain down on me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Buffy practically broke her neck running for the phone that was in 
Faith's gym bag at the bottom of the stairs.  

"Hello..."  Buffy peered at the clock it was four-thirty in the morning.

"Buffy?"

"Angel..."  There was silence for a minute. Neither one was sure what 
to say.

"Is everything OK?  Is Faith alright?  Why are you answering her 
phone? Can I talk to her? Where is she?"  He knew he should have 
called earlier.  Buffy cut him off.

"No. I don't know if she's OK, I don't know where she is."  She 
started crying softly again.

"What happened? What did you do Buffy?" There was real anger in his 
voice... Buffy couldn't remember... No, she could remember the last 
time.  

It was night at his office, the last time she had saw Faith, when 
Buffy had told her to go to jail. What was she going to tell him? How 
was she going to tell him.  She didn't want to hurt him anymore than 
Faith did.  He was her first love, he would always be special to 
her.  They might even still be together if things had been 
different.  Although she wasn't really sure of that anymore.  Inside 
though she knew that even if he told her tomorrow that they could be 
together that it wouldn't be him she would choose if she was given 
the chance.

"I... I... fucked up.  I, we, well I had a fight, I said things... Things, 
cruel things, things no one shou... I hurt her... I hurt her bad Angel 
and all she was trying to do was help me.  But I couldn't, wouldn't 
see that... I  was wrong so wrong... and now I don't know where she is. I 
don't know where to look... I came back here hoping she would come here 
but she hasn't... I've been treating her like shit and she just kept 
trying harder...  I looked everywhere.  Her stuff is still here, her 
bag and her wallet were at the shop... I don't know where she is and 
I'm scared.  Scared for her."  She started crying harder.

"How..." He had to stop himself, he was so angry.  He should have never 
let Faith go there, he knew it! He also knew he couldn't have stopped 
her either.  Goddamn it.  He took a deep breath, even though he had 
no need for air.  "I knew it. I knew something was wrong, goddamn it! 
I knew it when I talked to her today."

"You talked to Faith today? When? What time was it maybe she called 
you after she left, at least then we'll know she's alright..."  The 
sick feeling in her stomach already telling her what he was going to 
say.  It was him that she had heard Faith talking to today when she 
eavesdropped on her phone call.

"Early it was around eight or so, she said something about going out 
to get coffee so it had to be before she took off.  Tell me what 
happened.  What the fuck has been going on there that she felt she 
needed to run."

Buffy told him everything, well almost everything, she did not tell 
him about her and Faith sleeping together.  She would not screw up 
Faith's relationship with Angel by telling him that. She told him 
everything else, and did not try to make the picture pretty for 
herself at all.  She was brutally honest about what she had done.

"H - o - w could you? Are you blind, couldn't you see she had 
changed?  Couldn't you have believed me? I had no reason to lie to 
you.  Why didn't you call me if you were still doubtful? What's 
happened to you? The person, the Buffy I knew would have never done 
this ever..."  There was so much anger in his voice, so much concern 
there for Faith.  He truly cared for her, and Buffy felt even worse 
than before.

"I don't know... I have no excuse... I was so wrong... I'm not sure who I 
am anymore..."  Angel didn't say anything, there was nothing that he 
wanted to say that could help the situation.  Right now he had no 
desire to help Buffy at all, his only concern was for Faith.  His 
only hope that Faith would come here, come to the only place she had 
once told him, 'Feel safe here Soul-boy. First time in a long time. 
Thanks.'

"Angel?"

"What?"

"Please, I know... I know you don't have to but if she comes there, 
please, please let me know... I need to know if she's safe... That she's 
alright."  She waited for him to answer her.  "Angel, please?"

"Fine."  He hung up on her without another word.

Buffy went back to the couch.  She looked out the glass doors at the 
garden, dawn was on it's way.  As she stared out there all she could 
see in her mind was Faith that morning.  As she sat there turning 
towards her with her hand out towards Buffy, in a silent request.  
How for a brief moment in time as they watched the sun rise, there 
was only them, comfortable, warm, together, and that was enough, it 
was more than enough.

Buffy watched as the sun rose into the sky, only this time it brought 
no promises with the new day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel found her on the balcony waiting for him.  She was sitting on 
the ground, her back against the wall, her arms wrapped around her 
knees, shivering in the damp morning air.

He went to her and lifted her into his arms, cradling her, like he 
had all those months ago.

Together in silence, as the vampire with a soul held the dark slayer, 
both of their faces turned up to the sky, they waited for the sunrise 
to bring them the promises of the new day.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He carried her into the room that he still kept for her.  He had lied 
to Buffy when he told her that Faith had been staying in an 
apartment.  She had been with him here at the hotel.  He didn't think 
that it would have gone over to well with Buffy.

Faith slept for almost twenty-four hours straight.  When she had 
first got there Angel had worried that she had slipped back into that 
dark place.  She was quick to assure him that she was alright.  Ok 
well, not exactly 'Five by Five', more like 'One by One' but she 
would be OK...  She was exhausted she had walked for hours until some 
elderly couple finally had taken pity on her and gave her a lift.  
Otherwise she would probably still be walking.  As was his way Angel 
didn't push her, when she was ready she would talk.

Angel was waiting for her in the kitchen when she got out of the 
shower.  Thankfully she still had clothes here.  He had a huge 
breakfast waiting for her.  She gave him a grateful smile, even 
though she wasn't hungry she ate.  She was not looking forward to the 
up coming conversation she was going to have with him.  He deserved 
to know the whole truth.  She knew he had talked to Buffy, and also 
knew that whatever Buffy had told him she hadn't told him everything. 

Angel watched Faith while she ate.  She kept peeking out at him from 
under her lashes when she thought he wasn't looking.  He could tell 
she was nervous.  There was a little bit of fear in her eyes as well, 
he knew she was afraid she would lose him after she told him what had 
happened between her and Buffy.  He knew what she was going to tell 
him.  His vampire senses had told him the second he caught her scent 
out on the balcony that night.  He could have told her, but he knew 
this was something she needed to do.  He was hurt, but he wasn't 
going to fool himself. He was over two-hundred-years-old, he was 
realistic. He had come to terms with the fact that he couldn't be 
with Buffy that way a long time ago.  That he was probably never 
meant to be in the first place. He was alright with it now, his time 
would come someday, he knew that Buffy wasn't his destiny.  
The 'Chosen Two' would have been surprised to know that if he had to 
pick someone for either of them to share their lives with, he would 
have picked them for each other.

Angel had hoped that when he had told Buffy she could apologize 
herself that she would get her butt in gear and come to L.A.  That 
apology needed to come from Buffy's lips not his. 

Faith finally finished her food.  Angel would have smiled if the 
situation wasn't so serious, he had never seen her eat so slow.  She 
lifted her head, and stared unwavering into his eyes, so much pain in 
those eyes he thought, for someone so young.

"So I guess ya wanna know what happened..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That's all of it.  I'm sorry Angel.  I never meant to hurt you.  I 
didn't want to lie to you.  Please don't hate me."  Faith waited for 
him to say something.  

She figured he would throw her out, she could feel the anger coming 
off him in waves.  Once again she had hurt someone, it didn't matter 
whether it was intentional or not.  Didn't matter whether she started 
it, she still had done it, she could have said no, but she didn't.  
She knew better, and had hurt one of the few people in her life that 
had ever been good to her.  They were right. She was a piece of shit, 
and she always would be.  

Angel watched Faith as she sat there, her eyes were downcast, she was 
biting her lip, he knew she was trying not to cry.  Her body was 
tense, as if she were waiting for a blow to come, he knew that Faith 
knew he was angry.  He was pissed alright, but it wasn't at her, it 
was at Buffy.

"Faith."  He tried to keep the anger out of his voice but didn't 
succeed.  He saw Faith jump a little at the tone of his voice.  

"Faith."  He tried again, this time his voice held nothing but 
concern for the dark slayer.  Still she didn't look at him.  "Faith, 
please look at me."

She raised her eyes to him, he thought to himself once again, so much 
pain, in one so young.  At least now he had an idea of where some of 
it had come from, the answer she had given to Buffy about being a 
victim was telling, in of itself.  Although he had suspected as much 
before.

"I'm not angry with you Faith.  I am angry, but it's for you, not at 
you."  He could tell that she wanted to believe him, but after all 
the years of being hurt and what had just happened with Buffy she was 
struggling with it.  She expected the worst from people, and they 
very rarely disappointed her.  He wasn't going to be one of them.  He 
wished he was better at this.

"But..."  He held up his hand to halt her, and cringed internally when 
he saw she shrank back a little.

"No buts.  You did nothing wrong.  I won't lie and say it doesn't 
hurt, because it does.  But I knew a long time ago that Buffy and I 
weren't meant to be together.  I dealt with it.  What she did to you 
was wrong, and I am pissed at her, not you.  A part of me can't even 
believe she did that.  She's a fool if she doesn't see what's 
standing in front of her.  Right now I don't think she deserves 
anything you have to offer her."  Angel saw the confusion in Faith's 
face.  

Buffy didn't deserve her? He must have gone insane while she was gone.

"Look I knew there was something between the two of you from the 
start.  You and she share a connection as Slayers.  A bond and 
understanding that even she and I could never share.  I saw it the 
night I saw the two of you dancing together at the Bronze, had felt 
it even before that.  You two understand each other in ways that no 
one else ever could.  If I hadn't come back from hell, things might 
have turned out different back then between you two.  Although Buffy 
always has been good at denial, and I think that it frighten her back 
then like it does now.  If I had to pick someone for you and her to 
share your lives with, it would be each other."

Faith stared at him in surprise and amazement.  He could tell that 
she didn't believed him, thought that he was lying to try and make 
her feel better.  Faith couldn't figure out why. Why bother?  Even if 
he did believe what he was saying, Faith didn't. Had never believed 
she was good enough for anyone, had always believed what she had been 
told and still did, now more than ever... 

Angel was determined that he would somehow find a way to show the 
dark slayer she was wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The five days since Faith had left felt like the longest in Buffy's 
life.  A lot had happened.  She had found herself again.  Had spent 
the days after the  'Quest' she had gone on for answers re-evaluating 
her life, herself. She had gotten some of the answers she sought, she 
didn't like all of them, but she knew what she wanted, knew what to 
do next. Now all she needed was for Dawn to get home from school.  

Buffy let her mind drift back, to the events that led up to 
her 'Quest'.  She closes her eyes and sees piece of it as if they 
were snippets of a movie.  It had started with the phone call from 
Angel the morning after Faith had disappeared...

"Is she OK?"

"No she's not. Thanks to you."

"Can I tal..."

"No you can't talk to her.  If she wants to talk to you she'll call 
you.  Get your shit together Buffy.  Figure out what you want, where 
you're going.  Because you are no good to anyone the way you are 
now.  Until you do that I don't want you calling here.  You've 
already caused enough damage, I won't let you cause anymore. Do you 
understand?"

"Yes... I understand.  Angel... tell her, tell her I'm sorry."

"No.  You can tell her yourself if she ever talks to you again."  For 
the second time he hung up on her without another word.

She had spent the day thinking about what Angel said.  Thinking about 
how she got to this point, why she had gotten to this point.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

then her conversation with Giles later that night...

"...I've been feeling kind of uneasy about stuff...  Training, slaying... 
All of it. I mean, I can beat up demons until the cows come home, and 
then I can beat up the cows, but I'm not sure I like what it's doing 
to me....  Yeah, strength and resilience, those are like words for 
hardness. I'm starting to feel like, like being the Slayer is sort of 
turning me to stone.... I'm just... look, think about it. I was never 
really there for Riley, not like I was for Angel. I was terrible to 
Dawn... Before that. Riley left because I was shut down. He's gone  and Mom's gone and I really loved her, but I don't know 
if I... if I let her know... To slay, to kill, you have to be kind of 
hard inside. Maybe being the perfect Slayer means being too hard to 
love at all. I already feel like I can hardly say the words."

"How serious are you about this?"  Giles had asked.
 
"Ten. Serious to the amount of ten."

"There is something. In the Watcher's Diaries. A Quest.

"A quest. Like find a grail or something?"

"Not a grail. Maybe some answers. It would take a day, perhaps two. 
As your Watcher, I'd be part of it. There's
an incantation..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

then with her Guide in the desert the next night...

"I know you. You're the first Slayer."

"This is a form. I am the Guide."

"This Slayer thing.  What about... love?" 

"You think you're losing your ability to love... You're afraid that 
being the Slayer means losing your humanity."

"Does it?"

"You are full of love.  You love with all of your soul.  It's 
brighter than the fire, blinding.  That's why you pull away from it."

"I'm full of love? I'm not losing it?"

"Only if you reject it. Love is pain and the Slayer forges strength 
from pain... Love. Give. Forgive.  Risk the pain.  It is your nature.  
Love will bring you to your gift... Death is your gift...  Your question 
has been answered..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Buffy I'm home."

Buffy came out of her almost trance like state.  She got up quickly 
from the couch and stopped Dawn from taking off her coat.

"Come on we have to go."

"Where we going? What's going on. Is everything OK?  Is Glory..." Dawn 
looked a little scared, nervous.



"Everything is fine,  I'll explain in the car, 'K?"

Ten minutes later they pulled up in front of Willow and Tara's 
place.  Buffy and Dawn went inside.  Buffy knocked praying that the 
two witches were home. 

"Buffy?" Willow barely got out before Buffy brushed past her into the 
apartment.

"Will, Tara I need your help..." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hundreds of tears on the water / Mercy come rain down on me / In the 
longest days and the darkest nights / Down the longest road there's a 
presence of light / I hear a voice that calls me / It's love's name I 
call / In the end - Sheryl Crow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was laying on the couch in the office brooding.  She was 
becoming quite good at it.  She was returning to Sunnydale in two 
days.  She knew she had to go back, she was supposed to help Buffy 
with the whole Glory thing.  The demon had told her as much when she 
had sung.  She felt like a lifetime had passed since she had gone 
back to Sunnydale.  She had no idea how she was going to handle being 
back there.  She was embarrassed to face the Scoobs again.  
Embarrassed and shamed by what everyone now probably knew about her.  
What did it matter? They probably hated her again anyway for what she 
had done.  

Angel was watching her from his, actually Wesley's desk now.  He knew 
she was thinking about Sunnydale.  He knew she was dreading going 
back in two days. Without her telling him he knew Faith thought she 
was going to get an even worse reception than she did the last time 
she went back.  She was refusing to talk to him about it, thinking 
that she was sparing his feelings.  Faith was back to hiding behind 
the protective wall that had enabled her to survive for so long.

Angel had told Faith repeatedly that Buffy had asked him to call her 
to let her know Faith was alright if she came there to him.  The 
first time he told her, he had seen a spark of hope in her eyes.  He 
was just about to tell her that Buffy had also asked him to tell 
Faith she was sorry.  That Buffy had realized she was wrong.  That 
she was worried about Faith.  He cut himself short when he saw the 
hope fade from Faith's eyes to be replaced by disbelief.  With dismay 
he realized he had screwed up.  It should have been the first thing 
he told her when she woke up after sleeping that first day.  Should 
have never given her the chance to retreat behind her protective 
wall.  Now she just thought he was lying to make her feel better.  
Damn Buffy, he had believed her.  Thought for sure she would show up 
in L.A., at the very least try to call.  There had not been one phone 
call and after five days he had little hope that Buffy would show.

He had made absolutely no progress in persuading Faith that she was 
wrong. That she did deserve happiness, someone to love her. Angel 
realized that it wasn't him she needed to hear the 'I'm sorry' from, 
wasn't him that could convince her she was worthy.  Faith accepted 
his love for her, because she thought of them as kindred souls.  Both 
seeking redemption, both having caused pain and suffering in others 
lives.  

Faith had told Angel that unlike him she would always be unworthy.  
She thought that the only reason he had lost his soul after his one 
true moment of happiness was because he had not found redemption 
yet.  She believed that once he did find redemption his soul would 
become permanent.  But unlike him there would never be any real 
redemption for her.

'Why do you think that Faith?' he had asked her. 

'Because Soul-Boy you didn't have a choice. The demon was 
controlling you, you didn't have a soul. I don't have the same 
excuse.'

So Angel just sat and brooded with the dark slayer. There was nothing 
left he could say to help her. It was hard. He hoped that time and 
patience would help Faith to heal, to find her way and realize her 
own self-worth.  He was considering going with her back to Sunnydale, 
he had the feeling though that this was something she should do alone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 'Brooding Twins' were at it again for the fourth day in a row.   
Cordelia had started calling Faith 'Junior' for Angel Jr.  She would 
kick Buffy's ass, slayer or no slayer next time she set eyes on her.  

The Cordelia who had always been quick with the cutting remarks, that 
seldom missed their mark no longer existed.  Sure she still threw out 
a zinger or two, she was only human.  But she no longer went for the 
jugular, was no longer vindictive, malicious.  Usually her cuts were 
more as a wake up call, not meant to hurt someone in any real sense. 

She had become more sensitive to the pain of others.  First when she 
had been thrown into virtual poverty after her father had his run in 
with the I.R.S.  Then more as she worked with Angel, seeing him on a 
daily basis, and the work he did to help the innocent.  But for her 
it had really hit home after Doyle had passed on his gift to her.  
Her visions had given her an empathy for others. Cordelia felt, 
experienced all of the emotions of the innocents in her visions, 
their fear, pain, helplessness.  She had begun to be able to 
recognize the pain in others, had learned that how everyone dealt 
with it was different.  The world and people's reaction to what had 
happened to them in it where no longer black and white for her.

Angel had come to Cordelia for help with Faith after the second week 
of bringing her back after "The Incident".  He had realized that he 
could not take care of Faith alone and needed help.  He could not be 
with her twenty-four seven.  He was having trouble getting Faith to 
eat.  After so many years of not having to eat food, he had no idea 
of what kinds of foods to feed Faith to tempt her to eat.  He was 
hoping that Cordelia would be able to help him, having known Faith 
the first time she was in Sunnydale.
 
Angel filled Cordelia in on everything that had happened with Faith 
since she had gone to jail, up to the events that led to him bringing 
her back to the hotel. She couldn't believe that Angel had managed to 
hide Faith right in the hotel without any of them knowing.  Cordelia 
was extremely doubtful, suspicious of what Angel told her about the 
dark slayer. Her initial reaction was that Faith was pulling the wool 
over Angel's eyes.  Sometimes his need to help others and find 
redemption got in the way of his good judgment.  

Any doubt, suspicion Cordelia had was dispelled instantly the moment 
she saw the dark slayer.  One look and Cordelia knew that no one was 
that good of an actor.

'Queen C' immediately sprung into action.  She didn't know the 
meaning of the word 'No'.  She bullied, cajoled, pushed, tugged, 
gently threatened, but she got Faith to start eating again.  Then 
Angel had gone off the deep end for a while after Darla had been 
turned and  Cordelia had taken over sole responsibility for 
Faith.  'Queen C' came back into play and enlisted both Gunn's and 
Wesley's help.  

Wesley had taken a little work, after all Faith had introduced him to 
the five basic torture groups.  In some ways he even blamed himself 
for Faith's trip over to the dark side.  Maybe if he had listened to 
Giles a little more instead of trying to be a by-the-book watcher, 
none of it would have happened.  He had trusted in Angel's judgment 
before so he gave in to Cordelia and agreed to help.  After a week of 
helping with the dark slayer, he realized that the torture Faith was 
inflicting on herself both mentally and physically had long surpassed 
anything she had done to him.  Wesley realized the Faith that had 
tortured him no longer existed, the dark slayer had for all intent 
and purposes killed that Faith.

In the process of helping Faith, Cordelia had become extremely 
protective of her.  The pain she had seen in Faith's eyes could have 
more than filled the entire hotel.  Faith had made very little 
progress with Angel gone.  She was reluctant to talk with any of the 
others, and spoke only to apologize.  Every morning Faith would go 
and wait out on the balcony for Angel to come and bring the new day 
in with her.  When he didn't Faith would sink back into the dark 
place she lived in for hours, sometimes days.  It would take the 
three of them to restrain her from clawing at her hands.  Even though 
Cordelia was pissed at Angel, she was thankful when he finally had 
his epiphany and returned. If for nothing else that he was the only 
one who seemed to be able to truly reach Faith, who began to steadily 
get better after he came back.

Looking at them now she realized that they were a lot alike and 
completely different at the same time.  It was a little confusing 
but, at the same time, it wasn't.  Despite all the bad they had done 
in their lives, all the pain they had inflicted and endured, there 
was an innocence about them both.  The simple things brought them 
joy.  Neither one of them took anything for granted, each grateful 
for another day.  Each striving to make up for the past, to learn to 
accept, like and maybe someday even love themselves. It didn't 
surprise Cordelia in the least that Buffy got involved with both of 
them. There was an air of hope about them that was contagious.  
Although Faith had seemed to lose hers after what happened and it 
worried Cordelia a little. Actually it worried her a lot..

Sighing she rose from her desk and walked over to Angel's or rather 
Wesley's office, it was time for 'Queen C' to get involved.  Both 
Angel and Faith saw Cordy coming. They knew that look, both started 
scrambling.   Faith sat up and started to get off the couch.  Angel 
stood up so fast he tipped the chair over.  Cordy just stopped in the 
doorway, raised an eyebrow at them and smiled.

"Let me guess.  All of a sudden you both have somewhere to be."  
Cordy found it vastly amusing that both the vampire and the Slayer 
went running when she had on her 'Queen C' face.  Her smile grew even 
broader.

"Ah yeah... Have to go see a...demon...about a.. demon."

"Really?"

"Yup a Que...um Cord - yd - delia.  We should get going don't ya think 
Angel?"  Cordelia didn't believe them for a second.

"Sounds interesting, maybe I'll tag along.  It's a little boring here 
today anyway."  Angel and Faith looked at each other.  No matter what 
they said they were trapped.

"We could be gone for at least two maybe three hours. You'd just get 
bored."  Angel didn't know why he was even bothering, they all knew 
the gig was up.  Whatever Cordelia wanted, Cordelia would get.

"Really that's all?" Okay, here it comes thought both the vampire and 
the Slayer. "Good. That's really good. Cause then you will both have 
plenty of time to rest a little and get ready."

"Ready?" Both Angel and Faith practically squeaked out.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? We're going dancing tonight.  I expect to be 
picked up by both of you at ten-thirty.  In fact I think I will 
invite both Wesley and Gunn, make it a group night out."

"Dancing? Cordy I don't dance."

"You didn't sing either Angel.  There is always a first time.  
Besides Faith's a good dancer she can give you lessons."  Cordelia 
just shook her head at Faith before she could protest.  As she was 
walking out of the room she heard both Angel and Faith groan.  She 
smiled and over her shoulder said.

"Oh and try and leave the whole pathetic brooding thing at home will 
you.  It is just so not attractive."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Faith and Angel where looking around the crowded dance floor.  
Both where wondering how it was that just a look from 'Queen C' 
managed to instill the fear of God in them.  They could face down 
vampires, master vampires, demons, aspiring gods, and all other 
assorted evil entities, but not a mere human.  They both knew from 
experience how miserable 'Queen C' could make their lives if she 
didn't get her way.  Especially when she felt it was important. For 
some reason she felt it was important for them to come here tonight.  
Faith had a sneaky suspicion it was because of her. 

This was not going the way Cordelia had planned.  She was beginning 
to think that it was a bad idea.  The two of them were still doing 
the pathetic brooding thing. Angel had an uncomfortable thing going 
on and Faith was scaring anyone away that tried to approach her with 
just a look.  

Angel's cell phone rang and the look of relief that came over both 
his and Faith faces made Cordelia laugh.  Angel mumbled something 
about going outside to take the call and practically ran for the 
door. About five minutes after Angel left to take the call Cordelia 
felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Gunn standing 
there.  

"Hey"

"Hey" Faith and Cordelia said in tandem.

"Let's dance."  Cordelia grabbed both Gunn and Faith by the hand not 
bothering to wait for an answer and dragged them towards the dance 
floor.  

Cordelia knew Faith loved to dance, although tonight she was doing a 
good job making it seem like it was torture.  You would have to have 
been blind not to know the smile on Faith was fake. Faith danced but 
her heart wasn't in it.  There wasn't any of the usual joy, none of 
the wild child could be found out on the dance floor tonight.  Her 
movements were stiff, and she danced as if by rote.  There was no 
passion, no abandonment, no rush, none of the raw sexuality that 
normally seemed to come from her.  From the look in Faith's eyes 
Cordelia knew that Faith was thinking about Buffy.

Faith had hoped that coming to the club and dancing would help to 
take her mind off Buffy.  Instead it just served to remind her.  
Every time a petite blonde walked by her, her breath would catch 
until she saw it wasn't Buffy.  

{Delusional now.  Like Buffy would come looking for me.  She hates 
me.} 

She had to stop thinking about it.  Faith tried to block out 
everything but the music.  She closed her eyes and just let the music 
flow through her filling her senses. In her mind's eye, Faith could 
see she and Buffy dancing that night at the Bronze before the world 
came crashing down on them.  There had been an abandonment, a 
wildness, about Buffy that night.  There was freedom in that dance, 
for once they weren't two Slayers, but just two girls out having fun. 
Faith could almost sense Buffy. But that was silly there was no way 
the blonde-haired slayer would be here.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was just starting to relax into the music, when she heard the 
opening strains of an all too familiar song being mixed in. Faith 
stopped moving. It was the song that had been playing the first time 
she met Buffy. The song she had sung for the Anagogic demon. Her 
slayer senses started tingling. 

Faith began turning around before she even felt the gentle touch of a 
hand on her arm.  Afraid Faith slowly opened her eyes. 

And there she was standing right in front of her.  Faith wondered if 
she was dreaming. Dimly she heard Cordelia protesting as Gunn dragged 
her from the dance floor. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I remember the first time / How could I ever forget / It was only the 
beginning / Of everything I'd ever get... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy stared up into those deep brown eyes.  The rest of the world 
ceased to exist for her as she drowned in their depths. She lifted 
her hand from Faith's arm and lightly rested it against Faith's cheek.

"I'm sorry, God I am so sorry. I'm so..." Buffy whispered to her, to 
only be stopped by Faith tenderly placing her finger on her mouth. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Here's to ancient times and distant memories / To the most lavish 
feast my mind has ever seen... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith stopped Buffy, she wanted this moment, before the rest of the 
world intruded.  Before her own doubts, her own fears forced their 
way in, before she retreated back to her safe place.  Then Buffy was 
pulling her into those misleadingly strong arms.  Faith leaned her 
forehead against Buffy's, closed her eyes and just gave herself over 
to the feel of those arms around her once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...I tasted your wine, then I drank your soul / (I) saw through your 
kaleidoscope... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy sighed as she felt Faith's arms hesitantly slide around her 
waist.  She pulled Faith tighter into her embrace and felt the dark 
slayer tremble slightly.  They began to sway together to the music.  
Each lost in the feel of the other.  Each wanting this moment to last 
forever. Each wanting to pretend for a little while. Neither wanting 
to let reality interfere, knowing that it would not be that simple.  
For neither slayer life had never been simple. So, they just 
continued to sway together, clinging tightly to each other almost 
desperately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Blue Sun / Blue Sun / I never should have come / Never should have 
left / Blue Sun...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was adrift, lost, confused, overwhelmed by all of the emotions 
she was feeling from being in Buffy's arms again. Her mind filled 
with a kaleidoscope of images, sensations, of Buffy, of her and Buffy 
together.  Faith knew they only had this short time,  she wasn't good 
enough for Buffy, never could be, never would be.  It never once 
occurred to Faith to wonder how this three-year-old song was suddenly 
playing just when Buffy showed up.  Or why  Buffy was here in L.A., 
here in this club.  No it never occurred to Faith that Buffy had come 
here for her, came after her because she cared, not even once.

Faith gave her feelings for Buffy free rein one last time, and it was 
Faith who tightened the embrace this time.  She would let herself 
have this moment, have this one song.  Then she would retreat, she 
couldn't risk it again, couldn't risk the hurt.  So, she just rocked 
with the golden-haired slayer thinking it was for the last time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.These emotions can't be mine / I don't want to feel again / Fill 
the void just one more time / This will all be over soon...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy relaxed into the tightening embrace of the still trembling dark 
slayer.  The song was going to come to an end soon and Buffy knew 
that the second it did Faith would retreat back into her protective 
shell.  

Angel had warned her outside of the club, he had not told her much, 
just enough. She had asked Angel if Faith even felt anything at all 
for her anymore after what had happened, and oddly enough it did not 
feel strange asking him this.  Angel told Buffy that she needed to 
discover that answer for herself. He had told Buffy not to push to 
hard, until Faith believed in her own self-worth, she would never 
believe what Buffy felt for her. It was up to Buffy to help Faith 
find that belief, but Faith needed to lead the way, not Buffy.    

Buffy pulled her head back from Faith and looked up at her, into her 
closed eyes.  Eyes that had been so open to her before, and Buffy 
feared they never would be again.  Feared she had destroyed any 
chance they might have had.  

"Faith." Buffy waited for Faith to look at her, but she didn't. 

Faith was afraid, she knew she couldn't hide what she was feeling.  
Didn't want to be that vulnerable, was afraid of what she might see 
in Buffy's eyes, afraid she'd see rejection, but more afraid of 
seeing something else. Faith was afraid that she might see what she 
knew was showing in her own eyes, in Buffy's eyes too.  Afraid 
because deep down inside she already knew the truth, but didn't want 
to believe it, couldn't believe it.  It would make her pulling away 
even harder, would make shutting down the hardest thing she ever 
would have to do, and do it she was convinced she needed to.  Buffy 
deserved better than her, and Faith would make sure that she didn't 
stand in her way, make sure Buffy believed it too, no matter how much 
it cost Faith, no matter how much Faith knew it would hurt herself.

"Please Faith... Please open your eyes, please look at me..." And Faith 
opened her eyes unable to resist Buffy's whispered plea.  

This was her moment, her time, and it would be over soon.  Faith 
needed to know, she needed that little bit of hope, needed it to help 
her through, needed it like the air in her lungs.  Wanted it to be 
true, so she would at least have this second, this moment to cherish, 
to carry with her close to her heart.

The 'Chosen Two' looked intently into each other's eyes.  For once 
there was absolutely nothing hidden between them.  Buffy's heart 
leaped at all she saw in those eyes, and it gave her hope and firmed 
up her determination that she would make things right between them no 
matter what.  She wasn't going to lose Faith again. Ever.  Buffy 
wanted it all, wanted them both to have it all.  No matter how long 
it took, no matter what she had to do, she would do it.  She had 
found the other half of herself in the raven-haired slayer and she 
was never going to let her go.  Whatever time the two slayers had 
left in their short lives Buffy wanted them to spend it together, in 
every sense of the word...

Leaning up Buffy kissed Faith tenderly, softly, with love, trying to 
convey with that kiss everything she felt for the raven-haired 
slayer...  Trying to kiss Faith in the same way, with all the same 
feeling, Faith had kissed her that night at the Bronze after the 
first time they were together.

Faith abandoned herself in those eyes, in the emotions she saw 
there.  Then Buffy was kissing her in a way that no one had ever 
kissed her before.  Faith trembled even more from all that kiss 
revealed to her.  And then the song was ending...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...I've begun to hear the siren song again / Dreaming in a pretty shade 
of nothingness / Transcendental melodies putting me to sleep / And I 
pray the Lord my soul to keep...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy almost started crying when Faith roughly pulled herself out of 
her embrace, abruptly ending their kiss.  She practically had to run 
to keep up with Faith as she walked off the dance floor quickly and 
away from her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Blue Sun / Blue Sun / I never should have come / Never should have 
left / Blue Sun...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel watched the slayers as they danced together.  He needed to, 
needed to be sure for himself that he  was really over Buffy.  While 
it hurt a little to see her with someone else, he realized that while 
he loved Buffy he was no longer in love with her.  Mostly what he 
felt when he watched the two slayers was sad.  Sad for them, sad that 
they were going through this.  He was worried and concerned about 
Faith.  As he watched them he realized one thing; that it was Buffy, 
Faith needed to help her truly heal herself.  The path to Faith's 
total redemption and self-healing lay in Sunnydale and Buffy.  Angel 
moved to stop Faith from running out of the bar, running away from 
herself and away from Buffy.  If she wouldn't start down that path on 
her own, he was going to drag her on it himself.

Angel had her by the arm stopping her before she could reach the 
door. {Shit gotta get out of here.}

"Leaving Faith?"

"Gotta Soul-boy." Her voice a little desperate.

"Well it would be rude not to say hello to Willow and Tara after they 
came all this way."

"What?"  Angel just pointed over to the edge of the dance floor where 
Willow and Tara where standing.  They were smiling at Faith, and 
started coming towards her.  Faith was in a panic now, she couldn't 
tell if they were friend or foe.  She was on overload, she had to get 
out of here, needed to.  Out of the corner of her eye Faith saw 
Cordelia intercept Buffy.

{Oh no, poor B, Queen C's got her}  Despite herself Faith couldn't 
help but smile. Faith moved to go over and help Buffy only to be 
stopped again by Angel.

"But... Cordy is..."

"No buts.  Cordelia is going to say her piece no matter what, we both 
know it.   Better to get it over now rather than later."  Faith 
nodded OK, she knew Angel was right.  The longer Cordelia stewed the 
worse it would be for Buffy.  Silently wishing Buffy luck, she turned 
her attention back to the approaching witches.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Tara and Willow could sense Faith's trepidation as they 
approached her.  They both had a  good idea what was going on in her 
mind, they had been part of the conversation between Angel and 
Buffy.  Willow's initial reaction to what had been going on between 
Faith and Buffy was at first disbelief, then suspicion, and finally 
acceptance.  Buffy had been the one to dispel the suspicion that 
morning she had shown up at the witches place to ask for help.   

Buffy had told, Tara, Willow, and Dawn everything that had happened 
including that it was her not Faith who had initiated the sex.  As 
Willow contemplated all of it on the drive from Sunnydale to L.A. she 
came to the understanding of just how much Faith loved Buffy.   The 
selflessness of Faith's act the night everything came to a head 
between the slayers, was what finally convinced Willow once and for 
all that Faith had changed.  That she loved Buffy so much that Faith 
was willing to give her up, let Buffy hate her, in an effort to help 
her.  There where very few people in this world who could lay claim 
to that. 

"Hey."

"Hey we were worried about you Faith." Willow said.  

"No need. I'm five by five."  Both witches knew she was lying.  They 
could both see that Faith had shut down a part of herself.  Then 
Willow surprised the shit out of both herself and Faith by pulling 
her into a hug.  

"Liar." Willow said only for the dark slayers ears.

Faith pulled out of Willow's hug a little embarrassed.  Did everyone 
know what was going on?  Was she becoming an open book. She wasn't 
sure she liked it.  She had spent too many years alone, too many 
years relying on only herself.  Before she had a chance to think 
about it too much, she was once again being hugged only this time it 
was by Tara.

Once again Faith untangled herself.  She looked over across the floor 
and saw that Buffy wasn't faring  quite as well.  She could just 
imagine what 'Queen C' was saying.  Faith wasn't sure she deserved 
such loyalty from these people, couldn't for the life of her figure 
out why they thought she was worth it.  Tara followed Faith's gaze 
and then looked at the dark slayer, sensing her confusion.  As if 
reading her thoughts Tara said;

"You are worth it, you just need to believe it yourself."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy didn't notice as Cordelia moved to intercept her.  She was too 
intent on keeping up with Faith and not losing her in the crowed 
bar.  At first when her path was blocked she didn't even realize it 
was Cordelia, she moved to go around her, only to be blocked again.  
Buffy looked at the person blocking her, and stared up into the face 
of 'Queen C', which was the equivalent of Willow's 'Resolve Face'. 
{OH Shit.}  Buffy tried to move around Cordelia once again, this time 
her arm was grabbed none to gently by Cordelia.

"Oh no you don't. I have a few things to say to you."  There was 
absolutely nothing friendly about Cordelia's tone.

"Not now Cordy, I have to catch Faith before..."

"Not until I say what I have to say."  Buffy looked over Cordelia's 
shoulder and saw as Angel stopped Faith from running out the door.

"OK, just say whatever it is you think you need to say.  It can't be 
any worse than what I've been saying, thinking about myself.  No 
worse than what Willow said to me."

Cordelia looked at Buffy hearing the sincerity in her voice, her 
words taking away some of her anger at Buffy.  That wasn't going to 
stop her though. She needed to be absolutely sure for Faith's sake 
that Buffy was not here to make things worse.  Cordelia had already 
come halfway to that conclusion as she had watched the 'Chosen Two' 
together out on the dance floor.  She just needed to hear Buffy say 
it.  Like Angel she had felt sadness for the two Slayers.  It would 
be nice if for once things were simple, good, easy for them, their 
lives were hard enough without all of this to further complicate 
things.

"How could you Buffy?  How could you do what you did, say those 
things to Faith?  Are you really that blind?  Do you think Angel 
would have let Faith go there if he thought even just a little that 
she was going to hurt you?"  There was hurt in Cordelia's voice, not 
hurt for herself but for Faith, for what Buffy had done to Faith.

Buffy was still reeling,  a little surprised by the devotion, the 
care, the loyalty the L.A. group had for Faith.  If she hadn't been 
wholly convinced before that Faith had changed, she certainly would 
be now.  First she had to listen to a lecture from Wesley at the 
hotel for an hour.  Then it took Buffy another hour to convince him 
that she was sincere, that she didn't want to hurt Faith.  That she 
wasn't here playing any game, before he would tell Buffy where she 
could find Faith. It amazed her that this was the same Wesley who 
Faith had tortured within a hairs breath of his life.  Gunn had been 
a little more direct. 'Hurt her, you answer to me.'  

Wesley volunteered to watch Dawn while Gunn took, Willow, Tara and 
herself to the club.  Then outside the club, she had to answer to 
Angel, because Gunn refused to let her go in the club until he spoke 
with Angel. Gunn wanted Angel's approval.  Angel came out of the bar 
to talk with her.  It hadn't taken nearly as long with Angel, he 
would know instantly if she lying about her intentions.  Now she 
had 'Queen C' to deal with.  Buffy took a deep breath, trying to  
compose herself, calm her rioting emotions.  Not wanting too take to 
long, not wanting to give Faith too much time to retreat back into 
her protective shell.

"I don't know Cordelia.  I was lost, I was afraid.  Afraid of what I 
felt for Faith.  Still angry at her, unwilling, almost unable, to 
forgive her.  Blaming her for things that where both our fault, 
things that were just my fault.  I won't hurt her ever again.  I want 
to be with her, need to be with her.  She is a part of me, and if it 
takes the rest of my life I will make it up to her.  Please believe 
me." Then Buffy did push her way past Cordelia, not giving her a 
chance to answer her, and Cordelia stopped her again, just long 
enough to tell her.

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt Buffy.  But know this. If you 
ever hurt Faith again on purpose, I will kick your ass into the next 
state, slayer or no slayer!!"  And Buffy believed her and believed if 
anyone could do it Cordelia could.  Cordelia let her arm go, and 
Buffy headed towards Faith and her future.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy noticed as she walked towards the group how they were hovering 
protectively around Faith.   She really couldn't blame them, what she 
had done, had said to Faith was completely wrong.  Instinctively 
Buffy had gone for Faith's jugular, without even knowing in any real 
way about her past. She had said what she knew would cut, hurt Faith 
the deepest.  Buffy had sent the dark slayer running back behind her 
protective wall and now she had to figure out how to get Faith to 
come back out.

Buffy stopped in front of the group for once, she was the outsider.  
She couldn't help but notice as Faith moved closer to her, as if to 
protect Buffy from them.  They all stood there in awkward silence.  
Buffy's skin was tingling just being this close to the dark slayer.  
More than anything else in the world she wanted to be in those arms 
right now, but she knew they needed to talk.  Needed to say all the 
things they should have said before, needed to start over with a 
clean slate.  They needed to forgive each other.  Buffy also knew 
that whatever direction their relationship went in it would be up to 
Faith this time.  Buffy turned and faced Faith, reaching out she took 
her hand into hers.

"Is there somewhere we can go and talk?"

Buffy saw as the panic flashed across Faith's face and she groaned in 
her head.  She had done so much damage over the course of the last 
few weeks.  Would she ever be able to mend it?  Faith pulled her hand 
out of Buffy's as if she had been burned.  Buffy sobbed internally as 
she saw the veil come down over Faith's eyes.

"Why? What's to talk about?"
 
"Us Faith, what happened between us.  What happened in the past.  I 
was wrong to stop you every time you tried to talk to me about it.  
Wrong in so many ways I can't even begin to count them.  If we had 
talked like you wanted then what happened at the shop would have 
never happened.  This time I'm asking you please we need to talk 
about it all."  

"Fine we can talk right here, I'll even go first.  Hmm... Where should 
I start?  How about I'm a scumbag, murdering whore, we all know 
that.  What I did to you was wrong, and whether you believe it or not 
I am sorry.  Sorry for what I did to you, what I did to all of you.  
I can never make up for it, I know that now.  As for the rest of it 
well you made yourself pretty clear in the Magic Shop.  You don't 
need to worry about that anymore.  I know my place, and I will stay 
there. So now we talked.  I didn't miss anything did I B?"  There was 
a sort of deadness to Faith's tone.  She started to turn around and 
stopped when she heard Buffy's words.

"You did miss a few things Faith."  Buffy saw how Faith's whole body 
tensed, Buffy knew she was expecting the worse.  Well she was in for 
a surprise.  Buffy moved so that she was once again facing the dark 
slayer.

"You forgot the part where I tell you how sorry I am.  Sorry for not 
being there for you after Allan.  For putting all the blame on your 
shoulders, not taking my own fair share.  For not being a better 
friend.  For not seeing you had changed.  Not seeing all you had to 
offer.  For the way I've been treating you.  For the cruel things I 
said, and didn't mean.  Said just to hurt you because I was afraid.  
Afraid of what I felt, what I feel for you.  I was wrong so wrong.  I 
began thinking that being a Slayer meant you could no longer love, I 
was wrong, you showed me that."  Buffy reached out once again to 
capture Faith's hand.

Faith backed away when Buffy reached out to touch her.  Faith 
believed that Buffy was sorry for what had happened.  It was the rest 
of what she was saying, things that she couldn't, wouldn't let 
herself believe.  It was the dark slayers turn for denial.  Not 
denial of what she felt for Buffy, but what Buffy felt for her. What 
Faith thought she wasn't good enough to deserve.

Buffy let her hand drop down between them.  It was bizarre them 
having this conversation in the middle of a club, with everyone 
standing around listening.  Buffy didn't care though, all that 
mattered to her was Faith.

"I'm sorry for the pain, the hurt I caused you Faith.  Please believe 
me. Tell me what I need to do to make things right between us.  Can 
you ever forgive me?  Can you find it in your heart to give me 
another chance.  Whatever you want, whatever you want us to be it's 
up to you.  I'll do whatever you say."

"It's not you that needs to be forgiven B.  I got what I deserved for 
all that I did to you, to everyone.  I deserve worse.  Nothing you 
said wasn't true.  Not a big deal B, I've heard worse so don't sweat 
it.  I know you can never forgive me.  I must have gone a little 
crazy there for a while thinking that I would ever be good enough for 
you.  I know better now,  I know what I am.  So ya see B there ain't 
nothin' to forgive you for."

"Faith that's not true, what I did was wrong.  Don't ever say that 
you deserved what I did to you.  No one deserves to be treated that 
way, have those things said to them, least of all you. You proved 
yourself time and time again over the last few weeks. Everyone saw it 
except for me.  I wouldn't let myself, I was afraid to. Your actions, 
your words more than made up for what happened between us.  God only 
knows what would have happened to me, my sister, the Scoobs if you 
didn't help me to see what was going on.  How do I repay you, I repay 
you by hurting you.  It's me that doesn't deserve you, not the other 
way around."

"No B you got it wrong.  There is nothing you can say or do that will 
ever make me believe that.  So just let it go.  If it makes you feel 
better your forgiven. Okay?  Just let it go please."  

Faith brushed past Buffy, she had to get out of here.  She was on 
over-load, she was afraid she would do something stupid like give 
in.  Afraid of what she felt, afraid of what Buffy felt.  Afraid to 
hope, afraid of getting hurt again, afraid to take a chance.  Even 
more than thinking she didn't deserve Buffy, Faith was afraid to let 
herself feel again. 

Buffy moved to go after Faith to only be stopped by Angel.

"Let her go.  She needs time.  Time to think.  She needs to believe 
in herself before she can believe you.  Believe in the two of you.  
Otherwise she will always live with the fear of you leaving, of one 
mistake making you walk.  She knows what you are telling her is true, 
she needs to accept it for herself.  You need to be patient."

Standing there letting Faith walk away was one of the hardest things 
Buffy ever had to do.  But she knew Angel was right.  Buffy wanted 
things to be equal between them.  She didn't want Faith to live in 
fear, didn't want either of them to have to live walking on 
eggshells.  She wanted Faith to be comfortable enough to tell her 
what she was feeling, comfortable enough to disagree with her, tell 
her she was wrong.  Buffy was even more determined now to make things 
right between, she wanted them to have it all. 

There wasn't a doubt in Buffy's mind of Faith's feelings.  Not a 
doubt that she and Faith belonged together. Not a doubt about her own 
feelings for Faith.  The time for running away was over for both of 
them, it was time they started running to something. Running towards 
both of their futures together. 

If Faith wouldn't believe Buffy's words then Buffy would just have to 
find a way to show her.  She remembered her Mom once telling her 
that 'Actions sometimes speak louder than words'.  It was time for 
action and no one could ever say that Elizabeth Anne Summers wasn't 
an action kind of girl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I remember the first time / How could I ever forget / It was only the 
beginning / Of everything I'd ever get / Here's to ancient times and 
distant memories / To the most lavish feast my mind has ever seen / I 
tasted your wine, then I drank your soul / (I) saw through your 
kaleidoscope - Darling Violetta

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Atropos found the Slayer in the weaving room staring down at 
the 'Tapestry of Life'.  It had been some time since she had visited 
them and Atropos was glad that she had decided to come on her own.  
The Slayer did not realize it yet, but once the 'Fates' had allowed 
her access to their domain or dimension she had the ability to come 
here anytime she wished when she slept.  Eventually as her slayer 
powers grew she could even learn to come here while she meditated 
during her waking hours.  There were very few, gods, immortals and 
mortals that the 'Fates' had ever granted this kind of access into 
their domain.

"Welcome again child."  The Slayer turned at the sound of the old 
woman's voice.  Atropos could see the sadness in the Slayers eyes.  
She knew the last few weeks had been a roller coaster ride for both 
the Slayers or rather the 'Chosen Two' as they liked to call 
themselves.  Such a difficult life the 'Chosen Two' had.  They had 
both more than earned some peaceful time in their lives.  She 
secretly admired both of them for managing to find any happiness, 
joy, and the grandest prize of all, love, amidst the chaos, the evils 
they had both seen and lived through.

"Hey."  The Slayer opened her mouth but closed it hesitating.  She 
doubted the old woman would answer her question anyway.

"Was there something you wished to ask child?"  The Slayer just 
nodded her assent to the old woman.  "Well than ask, either I can 
answer it or not.  There is no harm in asking."

"This. All of this, is it all planned out?  Our destinies I mean.  
Does it even matter at all what we do?"  The Slayer pointed towards 
the 'Tapestry of Life' as she spoke.  Her gaze returning once again 
to the intricate design.  

The Slayer turned her attention back to the old woman.  The smile 
Atropos gave her contained a little bit of pride for the Slayer.  She 
had a funny feeling that whatever the old woman told her was what she 
was suppose to learn on this visit with the 'Fates'. 

"Well the answer for that isn't black and white or a simple yes or 
no."  Atropos laughed at the 'I-should-of-known-better' look the 
Slayer threw her way.  The laugh was surprisingly young sounding for 
the ancient woman.  The Slayer could only smile, you would think by 
now she would know better than to expect a straight answer for 
anything that had to do with slaying, slayer dreams, or prophesies.  
One could still hope though couldn't one?

"There are two types of 'Life Threads'.  There are the ones that are 
smooth, and the ones that are frayed.  Each 'Life Thread' is given 
abilities, possibilities, gifts, this applies whether they are of the 
light or the dark.  For the smooth ones their path or place within 
the design of the Tapestry is predictable.  In other words, they are 
not out of the ordinary, they are not the risk takers, so in a sense 
you could say that their destinies are pre-ordained, and the effect 
they have on the Tapestry and those they met along the course they 
take through it is destined.  But if for some reason they break away 
from the ordinary, the mundane; then well, that 'Life Thread' will 
start to fray a little and the courses they can take and their effect 
upon the Tapestry becomes infinite."  Atropos paused and looked at 
the Slayer trying to gauge if she was understanding what she was 
trying to explain to her.  The Slayer just nodded at the old woman 
for her to continue.

"Now the frayed 'Life Threads' they are a completely different 
story.  They are the wild children of the tapestry.  They are 
unpredictable, they are the risk takers, the ones who make the hard 
choices.  The ones who take chances, change the course of history.  
They can cause unimaginable chaos.  They do not know the meaning of 
can not.  They are capable of great evil and great good.  With every 
choice they make the course of their destiny changes, and the destiny 
of those who's 'Life Threads' they touch.  For them there can be an 
educated guess at their destinies, but in no real sense is it pre-
determined.  The number of possible courses these 'Life Threads' can 
take through the Tapestry boogles even my mind."   

Atropos paused again and patted the space on the couch next to her.  
The Slayer saw they were now in the sitting room, she hated when that 
happened in these dreams.  It was disorienting.  She walked over and 
sat next to the old woman taking comfort in her presence, her 
nearness.

"That is not to say that we don't try to influence the choices.  You 
know that from your own experiences that gods, demons, the council, 
all try to influence those choices.  As you have probably already 
figured out both you and your sister Slayer have frayed, unruly, down 
right tattered 'Life Threads' as do most of the people that you both 
surround yourselves with.  But you see in the end the choices you 
make ultimately are yours and yours alone, no one can make them for 
you.  Even the choice of fulfilling you calling as the Slayer was 
yours alone.  So your destiny is what you make of it in the long 
run.  This is regardless of whether or not your 'Life Thread' is 
frayed or smooth.  In the end what this all comes down to is; for 
each 'Life Thread' no matter whether it is god, immortal, or human, 
the only thing that is destined is that all have a beginning and all 
can have an end."

"So what you are saying is our destinies are our own.  Just like 
whether we chose to travel down the path of dark or light.  Even 
things that happen to us that are out of our control, what we chose 
to do after that is up to us.   How we react to or use that knowledge 
is our choice.  To steal a phrase, 'Life is what we make of it.'  The 
difference between some of us is the that the consequences of some of 
our choices are further reaching than just our own lives, or those 
lives who we actually touch.  In some cases those choices can effect 
the balance of the world."

"Yes child, that is correct."

"This was what I was supposed to learn on this visit wasn't it?"

"Again you are correct.  Now it is time for you to go, until next 
time child."

Atropos rose from the couch and surprising both herself and the 
Slayer, she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss upon the Slayer's 
cheek.  Treating her much like a grandmother treats a treasured 
grandchild.  Atropos straightened, nodding, she smiled at the Slayer 
and faded away into the darkness.

The Slayer was once again in bed dreaming.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy woke up a little over an hour before dawn.  She rolled over and 
groaned not wanting to get out of bed yet.  Try as hard as she could, 
she could not fall back to sleep.  She lay in bed for a time 
listening to the even breathing of her sister as she slept.  

Angel had been kind enough to let the four of them stay at the 
hotel.  Buffy didn't think that Faith had been to happy about it 
though.  Faith had barely mumbled a good night to them all before 
retreating to the solitude of her own room.  Although Dawn had told 
Buffy that Faith had treated her as she always had.  Faith had 
actually been chatting with Dawn when they all had come back from the 
club about an hour after Faith had left.  Angel had decided they 
should wait a while and give the dark slayer a little space before 
returning.

Giving up on trying to sleep Buffy quietly let herself out of the 
room, just because she couldn't sleep didn't mean she needed to wake 
her sister. Buffy wandered threw the hotel for about a half an hour 
before finding the door that led up to the roof.  She remembered 
Angel telling her that he had put a garden up there and that you 
could practically see all of L.A. from there.  Buffy opened the door 
and started climbing the stairs.  She had only climbed up two steps 
when her slayer senses called out to her.

As she climbed the last step onto the roof's landing she stopped in 
the doorway already knowing what, rather who, she would see.  Buffy 
paused in the doorway, her breath catching in her chest as it had 
those few short weeks ago the first time she beheld the beauty that 
was Faith in the pale light of the pre-dawn.  This time however there 
was no welcoming smile as Faith turned towards her, no hand held out 
to her in a silent request.  Faith's expression held neither an 
invitation nor a rejection.  Buffy stood in the doorway unsure of 
what to do.  Angel took the decision out of her hands when he came 
from around the other side of the roof and silently beckoned Buffy to 
join them.

Buffy watched as both the dark slayer and the vampire moved over to 
the edge of the roof and turned their faces up towards the sky.  
Waiting for the rising sun to bring the new day.  As she watched them 
she realized that this was a special time of day for them.  Not sure 
why or how she knew that this was the time of the day that brought 
hope to them.  She came to the understanding that unknowingly for her 
the dawning of a new day had always meant the same thing for her as 
well.  Quietly she rose and joined them at the edge of the roof 
turning her face skyward grateful that all three of them had lived to 
see another day.

Angel left silently as the sun started to peek over the horizon.  
Leaving Faith and Buffy alone as the sun finished it's assent into 
the morning sky.  Buffy stayed with her face turned upward basking in 
the warmth of the morning sun.  She heard as Faith quietly turned and 
started walking away towards the door.

"Thank you."  Buffy whispered to Faith stopping her before she left 
the rooftop.

"For what?" Faith whispered back just as softly.

"For letting me share this with you. Share this special time of the 
day with you again."

Faith let out the breath she had been unconsciously holding while she 
waited for Buffy's answer.  Then  it caught again in her throat as 
the memory of that morning, of holding Buffy in her arms out in the 
garden rose up strong in her mind.  As she remembered being thankful 
that one of her secret wishes had been granted.  Remembered not 
having any doubts that what had happened between them was right.

"Your welcome."  Faith's voice was thick with emotion, and Buffy knew 
that Faith was remembering that morning as well.  Remembering like 
Buffy did that for a brief time there was just them, the sun rising 
and everything was right with the world, right with them.
 
Then Faith was rushing down the stairs away from Buffy, away from the 
memory, away from what she thought she could never have again.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everybody wants to believe in something / Something that fill them up 
inside / Everybody wants the answers to questions / To all the 
questions that fill them up inside / I just want to believe...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn woke around nine o'clock and saw that her sister was already up 
and gone from their room.  When she entered the hallway she followed 
the smell of brewed coffee and made her way to the kitchen.  Dawn was 
surprised to see only Faith sitting at the table.  Faith looked up 
and smiled at her, Dawn thought she looked sad.

"Morning kiddo."

"Morning."  Dawn went over and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Coffee kiddo? It's gonna stunt your growth ya know."  

They both let out a little giggle.  It was sort of a private joke 
between them.  The first time Faith had said it to Dawn was at one of 
the mandatory breakfasts Buffy had made her attend after she had 
first arrived in Sunnydale.  

Buffy had been standing with her back to Dawn and when Faith made her 
comment, Dawn had pointed at her sister then held her hand over her 
own head then over Buffy's and shook her head no.  Dawn was already 
the same height as her older sister and still growing.  It was 
unlikely that she would be the smaller of the two Summer's sisters.  
Buffy saw the smirk that Faith directed at her and turned around and 
saw an answering smirk on her sister's face.  The subtle joke about 
her height hadn't sat with her too well at the time.  Nor did the 
fact that her sister was sharing it with Faith at her expense. 

The giggle died as Faith remembered the tirade Buffy went off on that 
morning about how she guessed manners where something Faith obviously 
hadn't learned in jail.  'But', Buffy had said, 'what could she 
expect from someone the likes of her?'.  Faith couldn't count the 
number of times Buffy had used the expression 'Someone the likes of 
you' letting the rest of what she meant hang in the air.

Dawn watched as Faith's smile faded and the giggle died, and her 
expression once again became sad.  She liked the dark slayer, always 
had.  Faith didn't treat her like a kid and she was fun to be around. 

Dawn knew about everything that had happened when Faith had gone to 
work for the Mayor.  Her Mom had explained all of it to her.  Her Mom 
had told Dawn that she thought Faith was hurting, angry, and lost.  
Faith was scared and thought she was all alone, that no one cared 
about her. Cared whether she lived or died.  Her Mom thought that 
Faith had probably been alone for most of her life. That Faith 
probably had a very bad childhood.  That Faith didn't know how to ask 
for or receive help from others.  That her actions were a cry for 
help. 

That didn't mean though that her Mom hadn't been pissed over what had 
happened and probably would have been just as leery as Buffy that 
Faith had changed when she came back.  Even so Faith had never once 
tried to hurt her, and in the end the only one she had really hurt 
was herself.  She had not meant to kill Allan, even Buffy admitted 
that from the beginning.  As Faith had said herself in the Magic Shop 
that first day, if she had really wanted to kill any of them they 
would be dead right now.

While Dawn realized that the memories she had of Faith and that Faith 
had of her weren't real in the literal sense of the word, one thing 
struck her.  All of the memories she had of everyone and they had of 
her were consistent with who they were as a person and how they would 
interact and be with her.  The monks had known that no matter what, 
no matter how far over to the dark side Faith went, would have gone, 
she never would hurt a child, and Dawn was a child when Faith had 
been around the first time.

When her Mom had explained all of this to her Dawn didn't really 
understand.  She had a loving family, friends, didn't know in any 
real way what it felt like to be alone in the world.  What it could 
do to you, what it could make you do.  Over the last few months 
beginning when her Mom had gotten sick, then finding out about 
herself being 'The Key', and then after her Mom had died, she had 
begun to get a very good idea.  She had felt like there was no one to 
turn to, Buffy had already begun to start pushing people away before 
her Mom had gotten sick and after that she had furthered the distance 
between them.  She could understand a little bit of how Faith felt, 
and even as young as she was she knew the way that Buffy had treated 
Faith was out and out wrong. 

"Faith."

Faith looked up at Dawn, and saw the hesitant expression on her face, 
Faith smiled encouragingly at her.  She knew what it felt like to 
have no one listen to what you have to say just because they think 
you are a kid.  She had made a vow to herself a long time ago that 
she would never treat a child that way.  While their fears, concerns, 
and worries may seem trivial to an adult, they weren't to the child 
who was having them.  To that child they are major, sometimes even 
life changing. 

"What's up kiddo?" Still Dawn hesitated.

"You know Gamin, you can tell or ask me anything."  Faith smiled 
encouragingly again at Dawn.  Who returned a shy smile back at her.  
Dawn liked when Faith called her Gamin, it made her feel like part of 
the gang, especially since Faith had a nickname for everyone else.  
Her favorite so far had to be General B though.  Even though she 
liked the nickname she hoped it was a side of her sister she never 
saw again.  

Faith never did have the heart to tell Dawn that her nickname meant 
brat in French nor did Faith have a clue as to where she learned it.  
As Faith looked at that innocent face she couldn't help but wondered 
what it was like to be that innocent.  Lord knows she never had been; 
never was allowed to be.

"Buffy told me, well us, me Willow and Tara that is, everything that 
happened with you guys."

"Everything?" Faith asked a little confused, embarrassed, fearful and 
amazed all at once.

"Pretty much.  I'm not a kid you know.  I mean like, I know Willow 
and Tara aren't just friends. 

{Oh shit!  Calm down girl. Deep breaths you knew they knew.  B 
practically said it at the shop.  Okay not exactly said it, kinda 
sorta said it but not exactly.}

"What exactly did B, uh, Buffy say?" Faith choked out.

"That you and her were like Willow and Tara, only that... That it was 
her idea not yours and that she had been treating you like shit." 
Dawn smiled at the shocked expression on the dark slayers face when 
she cursed.

"Dawn!  No cursing, you know Buffy will get pissed if she hears you."

{Me telling Dawn not to curse...funny kinda like the pot calling the 
kettle black.}

"I'm just sayin what Buffy said."

"That doesn't make it right."

"Look who's talking.  You curse more than anybody I ever knew.  If 
everyone didn't yell at you all the time every other word out of your 
mouth would be the 'F' word."  Dawn was quick to point out.

Faith had to smile, although she did try her best not to.  She was 
trying to pull what mothers for centuries had tried, the old 'Do-as-I-
say-not-as-I-do' routine.  It didn't work for them and it was even 
more unlikely to work for her.

"Okay, Okay, your right.  Still doesn't make it okay for you kiddo."  
Faith mumbled.  Despite herself Faith just couldn't throw up the 
protective shell around the kid, the minute Dawn had walked into the 
kitchen it had come down all on it's own.  Dawn wouldn't understand 
Faith being cold or standoffish to her, and Faith wouldn't hurt the 
kid for anything in the world.  

Faith knew Dawn wouldn't lie to her, and Buffy wouldn't lie to Dawn, 
she would just leave out what she didn't want the kid to know. 
Curiosity got the best of her and Faith was unable to resist asking.  

"What else did Buffy say?"  

"She had been afraid of what she was feeling for you.  That she had 
been pushing everyone away, you the most.  I mean I know she was 
cause she had been doing it to me too.  Still was a little bit, but 
not anymore and that's cause of you. I know that. Being the slayer 
was making her forget how to care anymore.  That you had been trying 
to help her see that since you got here.  That you didn't want her to 
become like you use to be. That you tried to talk about all that 
happened before the first time but she wouldn't let you.  That she 
was still angry at you and she was afraid not to be because of 
everything else.  She said she had shut down and forgot how to not be 
that way anymore.  That it had gotten worse after Mom died.  It was 
harder.  She was afraid to feel anymore." Dawn paused wondering if 
she was making any sense.  

"She said she had gotten lost and you were trying to help her find 
her way again.  She said that you risked everything to help her.  And 
she hurt you anyway even when she knew what you said was true.  Buffy 
said something about a phone call, it had made her jealous.  That she 
was sorry and wrong and didn't deserve you. That if it wasn't for you 
she might never have found her way again and that..."

"We should all be thanking you."  Willow said as she walked into the 
kitchen.  "And we do, thank you that is.  There is a lot of thanking 
going on from here."  

Willow placed her hand lightly on Faith shoulder as she said it.  She 
felt how Faith tensed immediately under her light touch and then 
slowly began to relax.  Faith was feeling a little overwhelmed by 
everything Dawn had told her.  Buffy had said much of the same last 
night, but hearing that she had told the others the same thing before 
she had come here just somehow made it more real.  Made her believe a 
little, made it harder to want to retreat into the safe numb place 
she had lived in for so long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Can you hear me? / Can you see me? / What's inside of me? / I just 
want to believe...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tara straggled into the kitchen a few minutes after 
Willow.  "Morning." She mumbled to everyone in general.  She placed a 
grateful kiss on Willows cheek when she handed her a steaming cup of 
coffee.  Faith was still sitting at the table a little dumbfounded.  

"Where's Buffy?"  When no one answered her Tara looked at Dawn.  "Is 
she still sleeping?"

"No, she was gone when I got up. I don't know where she is."  Hearing 
the worry in Dawn's voice pulled Faith out of her semi-stupor.

"She was on the roof with me this morning we watched the sun rise 
together."  Faith felt herself blushing at the look both Tara and 
Willow gave her.

{Shit B! Whatcha do? Tell them everything?}

Faith felt herself turning an even brighter shade of red when the 
image of Buffy naked on her lap came unbidden into her mind.  A very 
familiar heat began to streak threw her at the thought. 

{Get a grip, for Christ's sake. The kid's here.}

As if the mention of her name had conjured her, Buffy walked into the 
kitchen.  She was still half asleep, her eyes half open, her face a 
little sunburned from having fallen asleep out on the roof after 
Faith left.  Her hair was in disarray and a sleepy sort of sensual 
warmth seemed to be coming from her.

The only thought that came to Faith's mind when she saw her was that 
Buffy looked absolutely delicious.  Much to her chagrin Faith's face 
turned an even brighter shade of red.

Buffy hesitated but a second when she saw the smiles that the two 
witches where directing at both her and Faith.  She noticed that 
Faith was blushing and the look in her eyes made Buffy blush in 
turn.  She didn't have to be a genius to know what Faith was thinking.

"Mmmmm, is that coffee I smell?" Consciously using the same words 
from the last time they had shared a sunrise together.  Buffy lightly 
brushed her fingertips across Faith's arm, murmuring 'Morning', as 
she walked past her towards the counter for a cup of coffee.  A part 
of her hoping that Faith would offer hers; a part of Faith wanting 
desperately to make that offer.  Buffy felt as little goose bumps 
rose under the pads of her fingers on the dark slayer's arm a second 
after she touches Faith.

Buffy sat down at the table with her coffee across from Faith.  Buffy 
looked directly into Faith's eyes, and captured them before Faith had 
a chance to hide behind her safe wall.  Both slayers where caught in 
a weird sort of d"j€ vu. 

Willow and Tara continued to watch them with silly grins on their 
faces.  They all had forgotten about Dawn.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So what are we going to do today?"  Everyone jumped at the sound of 
Dawn's voice, which made her giggle.

All four adults had the same guilty look a child has when they get 
caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"What do you want to do Gamin?" Faith's voice came out far too husky 
for her liking.  Buffy didn't seemed to mind though as she smiled 
slowly at Faith.

{Why she gotta look at me like that?  Chill girlie, you know she 
likes fucking you.  Don't mean nothin.}

Buffy smile faded as she saw the veil start to fall over Faith's 
eyes.  

"I don't know something fun. Is Disney World far from here? Or maybe... 
I don't know... fun. You know fun.  Something we can all do... No demons 
or other thingies... just...."  Dawn trailed off when Faith turned and 
looked at her.  There was a sort of blankness, a coldness in her 
gaze.  

"Faith?"  Dawn asked hesitantly afraid she had said, did something 
wrong.

Faith blinked rapidly when she saw the effect her retreat was having 
on Dawn. {Shit, shit, shit!}  She shook her head to clear it of the 
numbness she had let so quickly settle in.

"Sorry kiddo went on a little Star Trek in my head.  But I'm back 
now, just glad it wasn't a five year voyage!"  Faith gave Dawn her 
infamous, 'Five-by-Five', grin. Dawn was quick to smile back.

"Why don't you go run and ask Gunn what's to do, I'm sure he knows of 
something fun."

"'K." Dawn jumped up to go do what Faith suggested.  When she got to 
the doorway she turned around.

"Faith, have Buffy tell you about what happened with Spike after she 
got back from her Quest with Giles.  It was kind of funny and yucky 
at the same time."  She flashed a smirk at her sister.  They didn't 
know she knew about that.  She heard Willow and Tara laugh as she ran 
from the room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Quest? Spike?"  Faith asked as she got up and put on a fresh pot of 
coffee. 

Willow and Tara joined Faith as she sat back down at the kitchen 
table.

"After you left the Magic Shop..."  Buffy paused the pain she had 
caused Faith rising up fresh in her mind.  Hearing again Faith's 
anguished cry from outside of the shop.  She closed her eyes and took 
a deep shaky breath and started again.

"After what I did, said to you at the shop and you left, well, my 
only concern was to find you.  As I looked for you I kept wondering 
what I had become, how could I have done what I did?  I kept looking 
for you, calling for you, when I couldn't find you I went and got 
Dawn and we went back to the mansion to wait.  I hoped that you would 
come there.  While I was waiting I began to think about it all.  I 
realized that this had started long before now, that it had really 
begun the night that Allan died. We had both started down the same 
path that night, the only difference was you traveled it faster than 
me. I knew you were hurting but couldn't deal with it, because 
dealing with it meant that I would have to share in the blame too. It 
was easier to put all the blame on you.  I went through the motions 
of trying to help you.  I was in denial, I knew that it could have 
been me that had staked Allan by accident just as easily.  I was 
afraid to look beneath the surface that was you, because then I would 
have to look beneath my own. The fear went deeper than that because I 
knew even back then that what I felt for you was more than simple 
friendship, more than just the whole slayer connection.  It was just 
too much for me. I left you alone for the vultures. I can never tell 
you how sorry I am.  I think a part of both of us died with Allan 
that night."  

Buffy paused again taking a sip of her coffee, her throat dry. 

"Aah... We're gonna go now so you two can talk.  We'll keep Dawn 
occupied for you."

Willow stood and Tara quickly followed.  Both realizing that this 
conversation was turning into more than about the Quest.  The slayers 
should have privacy. Unlike last night, this morning Faith seemed a 
little more receptive. Instinctively both witches knew that neither 
slayer had come close to saying all they needed to say to each other. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...If my life can have a purpose / Help me to believe / I just want to 
believe / Can you hear me? / Can you see me? / What's inside of me? / 
I just want to believe...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy watched as a riot of emotions crossed Faith's face after the 
two witches left.  She waited patiently to see if Faith was going to 
retreat. There was so much still left unsaid between them.  So much 
that Buffy didn't get to say or at least not say the way she wanted 
to last night. 

Buffy held her breath waiting to see if Faith was going to give her 
the chance that Buffy had never given Faith.

Faith was in a panic, she wanted to run, to hide, to retreat back 
into that safe numb place she lived in for years upon years.  She 
didn't want to feel, it hurt, there was pain in feeling, and Buffy 
made her feel.  It came to her though that Buffy wasn't the only one 
who made her feel, Angel made her feel too.  Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn... 
all cared about her, and she cared about them in return.  Willow, 
Tara, Giles, Dawn, even Xander and Anya made her feel. 

A dawning realization came to her that she had started to let herself 
feel long before now.  She had begun to let herself feel again the 
day the girl who's life she had saved in the church had said thank-
you.  Slowly but surely over time she had let herself begin to feel 
again.  In a blinding moment of clarity Faith realized that she 
didn't want to go back to that safe numb place anymore.  If she 
stayed there she would never be good enough for anyone.  That most of 
her fear of not being good enough came from a place far deeper than 
what had happened the first time she was in Sunnydale.

She liked it in the warmth of the light, she was weary of always 
being cold and alone in the dark.  While she may have needed that 
safe haven when she was a child she no longer needed it, no longer 
wanted it. Faith knew if she let herself go back into that safe place 
and stayed there she would never find the redemption she wanted with 
all of her soul.

The question now was: Was she going to stop Buffy from talking about 
their past? Finally get it all out in the open so they could forgive 
each other, give themselves the chance to start over. Or was she 
going to stop her because of the same fear that made Buffy stop Faith 
for the last few weeks?  

Faith had decided to stop running months ago and she didn't want to 
start again now. 

Faith looked at Buffy and gave her a cautious smile, which grew a 
little bigger when she heard the whoosh of air Buffy's let go of as 
she released the breath she had been obviously holding.

"B.  You weren't the only one who was afraid back then you know..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They talked for hours about the past.  Old hurts, where brought out, 
re-hashed and forgiven.  Faith got up to pour them some more coffee.  
As she walked back to the table with the cups she felt Buffy's eyes 
upon her.  When she looked she saw that Buffy's gaze was drawn to her 
stomach, to where the scar from the knife wound was hidden beneath 
her shirt.  Faith remember that all the times they had lay together 
Buffy's gaze, her hands had always avoided the scar.  Even in their 
discussion just now they had sort of skirted around that whole issue 
and moved beyond it.  It was the last thing from the past they had 
left to discuss.

Faith put the coffee cups down on the table and went and stood in 
front of Buffy.  Buffy tentatively reached out to touch Faith where 
she knew the scar lay, not sure if the dark slayer would let her, 
would move away.

Faith saw how Buffy's hand shook as she reached towards her.  She 
understood, she knew intimately what it was like to hurt someone, 
almost kill them, only Faith actually knew what it was like to take a 
life.

"Its okay B."  Faith lifted her shirt up and taking Buffy's trembling 
hand placed it upon the scar.  "I don't mind it, it helped, helps to 
remind me of all that I never want to be again."

Buffy ran her shaky fingers along the length of the jagged scar.  The 
guilt she felt over stabbing Faith, almost killing her, still as 
fresh and as strong as the day it had happened.  How could Faith ever 
forgive her for this?  How could she ever forgive herself?  Had she 
really been trying to kill Faith that night on the roof or had she 
been trying to kill off the part of herself that was just like Faith?

"I'm so sorry.  I... I still can't believe... I never wanted to hurt you. 
I  can never make this up to you. I don't know how you can even stand 
to be around me.  I almost killed you... I took away eight months of 
your life... and even after that you helped me to defeat the mayor... How 
can you ever forgive me?"  The guilt, the self-loathing was thick in 
Buffy voice.  Her hand still trembled against the dark slayer's 
stomach.

"But you didn't, you could of but you didn't.  You could have stabbed 
me somewhere else, somewhere that would have killed me but you 
didn't.  There was a part of me that wanted you to kill me.  A part 
of me that wanted you to stop me, cause I couldn't stop myself.  I 
pushed you into a corner, I tried to kill the love of your life. I 
won't lie and tell you I wasn't pissed, that I couldn't believe that 
you actually stabbed me.  Cause I was.  I was out of control, if it 
had been me that night with the knife... I don't know if you would be 
here now..."

"I don't believe that Faith.  I don't believe that even back then you 
could have killed me.  If you wanted me dead any of us dead you would 
have never told me how to defeat the mayor.  You didn't have to come 
to me in a slayer dream.  The part of you, the person that you are 
now was aware even in a coma.  You made sure none of us would die, 
that the mayor wouldn't win.  So don't ever believe that because I 
never will."

Faith was a little amazed that even after everything that had 
happened between them, everything she had done that Buffy believed 
that she would never really hurt her, not even back then.  She put 
her hand over Buffy's still trembling one, stroking it softly.

"How can you ever forgive me? I can't forgive me."  Buffy whispered 
so softly that even Faith had a hard time hearing her with her slayer 
hearing.  Faith didn't think that Buffy even knew she had spoken the 
words out loud.

"I forgave you for this a long time ago B.  It's time for you to 
forgive yourself."

"I don't know if I can Faith."

"I... I need you to. Please B?  I need you to for me, for us, or we 
will never be free of it. I want so badly for us to be free of it.  
Be free of the past."

"I'll try Faith."

"Promise."

"I promise."

The 'Chosen Two' looked at each other for a minute.  Faith's gaze was 
still cautious, but still open to Buffy.  Both were reluctant to move 
onto the more recent past that had led them to be here in L.A. 
instead of Sunnydale.  Those wounds, those hurts, that pain, was 
still fresh and this time Buffy knew all the blame lay with her.  She 
took a few shaky breaths trying to compose herself and reluctantly 
pulled her hand away from the dark slayer's stomach.

"I never thanked you for keeping me safe that first night in Angel's 
apartment.  I never thanked you for making me wake up to what I was 
doing to my family, my friends, to you.  I know now that if I kept 
heading down that road that none of us would survive... I want to thank 
you now... Thank you because you did it even after all I had done to 
you, after the way I had treated you..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"WHAT?"

"...the FUCK..."

"...Goddamn BITCH..."

"...KILL..."

"...OVER MY DEAD BODY..."

"...FUCKING KILL..."

"FAITH! STOP!"

Willow, Tara, Dawn, Gunn, Cordelia, Wesley, and Angel came rushing in 
the kitchen after Buffy yelled for Faith to stop.  Things had been 
pretty quiet up until five minutes ago.  They all looked a little 
ashamed when they saw Buffy calmly sitting at the table and Faith who 
had been pacing stopped to look at them like they all had three 
heads. 

Buffy and Faith looked at each other and busted out laughing.  They 
all looked silly standing there all bunched up together.  Angel had 
stopped short when he realized that they were mistaken in their 
assumption of what was suddenly happening between the slayers.  When 
he stopped short, Wesley slammed into his back, which in turn cause 
Cordelia to slam into his, then Gunn into hers, Dawn into Gunn, Tara 
into Dawn, and finally Willow into Tara.  They looked like something 
out of a 'Three Stooges' movie only doubled.

"Can't breath here." Cordelia gasped out and started laughing 
herself.  They all started laughing even Angel.  There was a chorus 
of "Sorry" following the laughter.

Dawn looked between the two slayers.  It was good to see them laugh.  
It had seemed like forever since she had seen her sister laugh, and 
she couldn't recall the last time she had seen Faith laugh.

"Why were you yelling?" Leave it to the young to jump right in and 
ask what none of the grown-ups would.

"I ah, just got finished telling Faith about my 'Slayer Quest'.  
About what Glory did to Spike and his little robot. That Spike was 
willing to give his own life to protect the key.  I filled her in on 
all that we know about Glory.  And I told her everything we know 
about the key. I also told her about Glory's threat to go after my 
family and friends one by one until I gave her the key.  Faith got a 
little upset."  Upset was an understatement. 

Buffy told Faith about what happened after she had gotten back from 
her Quest.  How Spike had a sex robot built for him that looked 
exactly like Buffy. That was the beginning of Faith's pacing back and 
forth.  She continued the story telling how Glory tortured Spike to 
within an inch of his undead life before Buffy and the Scoobs came to 
the rescued.  With the 'sex-bot's' help as well.  

Then how later she pretended to be the 'sex-bot' to find out if Spike 
had told Glory that Dawn was the key.  Without thinking Buffy told 
Faith how she had kissed Spike in thanks for what he was willing to 
do in order to protect Dawn. He had been willing to die.  

That's when the yelling started.  Buffy sat back in the chair 
watching Faith as she paced, ranting, and throwing her hands in the 
air.  Switching back and forth between anger and jealously over a 
simple thank-you kiss.  Buffy thought Faith looked so cute, adorable 
in fact, she had to fight the urge to get up and just kiss her.  
Faith continued ranting, first about how she was going to beat the 
shit out Spike when she got back to Sunnydale then Glory. 'Hell' 
Faith had finally said, 'I'll kill two birds with one stone, and just 
beat the shit out of them together.' 

Buffy heart had leaped in joy when Faith had yelled she was going 
back to Sunnydale.  Up until that point Buffy didn't know if Faith 
would return.  There were still three things the slayers had yet to 
talk about.  Whether Faith would come back home with Buffy.  Their 
feelings for each other;  which Buffy was already felt sure they both 
knew how each other felt. The third was if Faith did return to 
Sunnydale where did they go from there.  Buffy knew where she wanted 
to go, and knew that fear was stopping Faith from wanting the same 
thing.

Buffy and Faith stopped laughing when they saw the fear that was 
written clearly across Dawn's face.  The mention of Glory's name 
caused terror to streak instantly through the youngest Summer's girl 
every time. 

"Don't worry Gamin, that fucking bitch won't get a within a foot of 
you with me an B around."

"Faith!"  Both Dawn and Buffy yelled in unison.

"What?"

"You said the 'F' word!"  Dawn giggled forgetting her fear, acting 
more like a ten year old instead of a fourteen year old.

Apparently it was contagious because everyone started laughing 
again.  Lord knew they could all use a little more laughter in all 
their lives.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Faith stepped onto the roof the next morning she found both the 
vampire with a soul and the golden-haired slayer waiting for her.

Faith stood between them both and watched the sun rise.  Really 
hearing for the first time the promise of hope the new day brought.  

Silently thanking whomever it was in charge for sending her Angel. 
The first person to ever make her feel safe, and loved, and she 
thanked them for giving her a second chance with Buffy the only 
person who's arms had ever felt like home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Everybody wants to find the circle / The line of truth that has no 
end / Because so many nights I've slept with the feeling of empty / 
And I say, right now I'm ready to believe -- Sprung Monkey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ride home from L.A. on Sunday was actually fun.  Well after Dawn 
and Faith had finished arguing over who was going to ride shotgun.  
Faith only pouted for about a half an hour after losing the fight.  
She just couldn't say no to that damn kid.  Buffy had a good laugh at 
the look on Faith's face when Tara innocently asked her if she wanted 
to sit in the middle between her and Willow.  Faith practically 
stuttering out 'No, no way, not...' before she realized Tara was 
teasing her.

Buffy had spent the first half hour of the drive, sneaking glances at 
the dark slayer in the rear view mirror.  Thinking how much she would 
love to catch that pouting lowered lip between her teeth.  How much 
she would love to slowly kiss away that pout until that delectable 
mouth moaned into hers. Her palms actually started sweating and Buffy 
could feel herself getting wet.   She wiped her sweaty palms against 
her jeans and looked into the rear view mirror to see Faith staring 
back at her with a smile on her face. Faith quirked an eyebrow at 
Buffy, and a very low 'tsk, tsk' came from the back seat.  

Buffy silently berated herself, Christ, her sister was in the car!  
Vowing to herself that if not tonight than first thing tomorrow 
morning she and Faith would be having a talk about them, about what 
they were going to do.  Their being just friends was not an option as 
far as Buffy was concerned.  Well, that was an assumption but she was 
pretty damn sure that it wasn't an option for Faith either.  Though 
Buffy figured she just might have to remind the dark slayer of that.  
Faith still had that 'I'm-not-good-enough-for-you' thing going on.  

Buffy was afraid that Faith might want to go back to just being 'fuck-
buddies'.  That would be safe for the dark slayer, she knew that, it 
was all Faith had ever known.  You didn't have to be good enough or 
deserve someone to be that.  

But Buffy wanted it all: the lust, the passion, the romance.  Candle-
lit dinners, holding hands, making love, the comfort of arms around 
her at night, the comfortable silences.  Oh, the list just went on 
and on... And further she wanted to give all that to Faith, who she 
was sure, had never had any of it. Ever.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy felt it the second Faith got tense.  They had just passed 
the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign.  She caught her eyes in the rear 
view mirror, and whispered under her breath knowing that Faith would 
be able to hear her.

"It's okay.  Everything will be okay, I promise."  In the mirror she 
saw Faith give her a weak smile, then turn and give Tara a smile 
too.  Glancing quickly over the back seat Buffy saw that Tara who 
must have sensed the tension in Faith had reached over and was 
holding her hand.

Buffy dropped off the two witches first, thanking them again for 
coming with her on the road trip, helping with Dawn, helping her 
period.

Buffy headed towards the mansion to drop Faith off, mentally 
grumbling to herself that she would much rather bring Faith home with 
her.

"Thanks for the ride B. See you tomorrow kiddo."  Faith tousled 
Dawn's hair. She stiffened when what Buffy's said to her registered 
as she was climbing out of the car.

"Faith.  Breakfast at my house at eight, then over to the Magic 
Shop." 

"Whatever B, you're the boss." Faith had to keep herself from hissing 
out the words.  She moved quickly away from the car.

{Stupid shit, shoulda known better. Fuck me. Ten minutes back in 
SunnyD' and General B is back.}

{Shit! Stupid, how stupid am I? Shit!}  Buffy thought as she jumped 
out of the car to chase after Faith.

"Faith!  Wait!"

Faith stopped in her tracks, her whole body as tight as an over wound 
bowstring that would snap from the lightest touch.  She did not turn 
around as Buffy ran up to her.  

{Christ, need to be more careful what.. how I say stuff. Stupid. 
Stupid. Stupid.}

"Faith.  Christ I'm so stupid. I'm sorry.  I didn't mean it the way 
it sounded. Stupid here. I talk without thinking. No thinking going 
on in here. I didn't mean it as a command. I meant to ask. Stupid. 
Sorry.  I just want. Would like to have breakfast with you is all. 
Would you I... You don't. I mean..."  Buffy paused, she was babbling, 
even she didn't understand what she was saying.  

"What I am trying to say is would you like to have breakfast with 
Dawn and me tomorrow morning?  Then if you want we can go to the 
Magic Shop.  Do Tai-Chi, which I really like doing with you.  It's 
has been the best part of my day over the last few weeks. Okay well 
not the best, best. There were other things that were higher, but 
definitely in the top five.  Top five most assuredly..."  

"Okay, okay..." Faith cut off Buffy's babble, she couldn't help the 
silly grin that grew on her face.  Buffy looked all cute 
flustered.  "You're starting to sound like Red, B.  Breakfast with 
you and the kid at eight would be great. And B...  I like doing Tai-
Chi with you too..."

"Good. That's good. Really, really, really, good."  Now it was 
official she was a babbling idiot.  Buffy returned Faith's silly 
grin.  So now they both were standing there looking like two lunatics 
with silly grins on their faces.

"K.  Gotta go don't want to leave Dawn alone to long, ya know.  See 
you in the morning."  Then Buffy surprised the dark slayer. 

Buffy pulled Faith into a tight hug, and planted a very soft, quick 
kiss on her mouth.  Then she was off and running back to the car 
before Faith even had a chance to react.  

Faith stood stock still for a few minutes after Buffy left. Her legs 
were just a little bit wobbly from that two-second hug and kiss, and 
she had a big 'shit-eating' grin on her face. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith arrived at the house early, she had been pacing impatiently 
back and forth in front of the house for five long minutes.  

{Not to eager are we... Showing up this early... Maybe I should go for a 
walk...}

"Come on in.  The neighbors are going to call the cops if you are out 
there pacing any longer."

"I was just... um..." Faith just let it go anything she said was going to 
sound lame anyway.

Faith followed Buffy into the kitchen.  The table was already set, 
the eggs and bacon out on  the counter, ready to be cooked.

"Do you need help with anything?"  Faith felt a little awkward, small 
talk not her strong point.  

She wasn't sure how to act, the meals she had shared with Buffy over 
the last few weeks, were more of a twisted version of 'Get Some, Get 
Gone' only with food.  They very rarely had spoken to each other.   
Buffy waved at her to sit down, and a few seconds later placed a 
steaming cup of coffee in front of her.  Faith took a grateful sip of 
the coffee, surprised that it was fixed just the way she liked it, 
then remembered her manners.

"Ah... Thanks B."

"Is it okay?"

"What?"

"The coffee."

"Yeah fine."

"Good."  Buffy walked over to the doorway of the kitchen, and yelled 
for Dawn on the top of her lungs. "DAWN! GET MOVING!!!."

"And you were worried about the neighbors calling the cops on me? 
Ever hear of noise pollution B?"

Dawn came running into the kitchen before Buffy had a chance to 
answer.

"Morning!"

"Morning kiddo."  Dawn walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Dawn."

"Buffy."

"Coffee?"  Dawn just stared at her sister and took a sip, then smiled 
at her.

"You know Dawn, drinking coffee can stunt your growth."

Unable to help herself Faith let out a snort of laughter and spewed 
the coffee she was just about to swallow all over the kitchen table 
and Buffy. 

Dawn started laughing, not really believing her sister had made a 
short joke and Faith had just covered Buffy in a mouthful of coffee.

"Swift Faith!" Dawn choked out between giggles.

{Shit! Oh Shit! B's gonna kill me.}

"Sorry."  Faith mumbled into the table.  Her body tensing as she 
waited for Buffy to deliver whatever cutting remark she could think 
of.  Faith stared at the mess she had made on the table.  Her neck 
and face flushed with embarrassment.  She expected that Buffy would 
throw her out.  

{Didn't take you too long to fuck up again, did it ass? Shoulda known 
better.  Why would B want anything from someone who can't even drink 
a fucking cup of coffee.}

Buffy saw Faith tense up, lower her head and stare at the 
table.  'Patience,' she thought to herself.  She couldn't expect that 
Faith would realize overnight that Buffy would no longer attack her 
over mistakes, or for no reason at all. That 'Buffy' was dead. If she 
had been treated these last few weeks the way she had treated Faith, 
she would have the same reaction.  Consciously she made sure her 
voice was light when she spoke.

"Don't worry about it.  Didn't like this shirt with these pants 
anyway.  Truth be told don't like this shirt at all."  Buffy smiled 
at the now open-mouthed, staring, raven-haired slayer.  

Carefully Faith returned Buffy's smile, wanting to pinch herself to 
make sure she truly was awake.  So much had happened over the last 
two days her head was swimming from it all.

"Dawn why don't you start breakfast while I go change."  Buffy 
started to leave stopping in front of Faith she reached out and wiped 
away the little bit of coffee that had dribbled on Faith's chin with 
her thumb.  Gently she closed Faith's mouth, and winking at her said:

"Wouldn't want you to catch any fly's there F."  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was sitting on a tombstone, swinging her feet like a little 
kid, watching Buffy tangle with two vampires.  She had moved to go 
help her when she finished dusting her three, but Buffy had waved her 
off.  

The morning after they had gotten back to Sunnydale Buffy had asked 
Faith if they could talk.  Faith had tried to play dumb but Buffy 
didn't believe it for a second.  Faith replayed the conversation in 
her mind.

"Faith, can we talk?"

"Sure B.  What's up?"

"Us.  I want to talk about us.  It's the only thing we never got a 
chance to talk about."

"Us?" Faith said playing stupid.  She didn't know if she was ready 
for this conversation.  Her mind was still trying to make sense out 
of everything.  She still felt a little awkward around Buffy.  Didn't 
know how to act around her, which had been made painfully obvious 
this morning after the coffee thing. She was still reacting to Buffy 
as if she was General B. That wasn't good.  She knew it was her own 
fear.  Fear of actually getting what she wanted, and a little bit of 
the 'I'm-not-good-enough-for-her' attitude.

Did she know what she wanted?  Faith could say without a doubt that, 
yes, she did.

"Faith." Buffy moved close to the dark slayer, capturing her 
fidgeting hands with her own.  "You know what I mean."

Faith jumped a little at the contact.  It was strange to have Buffy 
touch her, unless it was while they were sparing or in a purely 
sexual way.  Faith pulled her hands away and moved halfway across the 
room away from Buffy. It was too hard to think when Buffy was 
standing that close, when she was touching her.

"I'm not sure how to say this."  Faith looked at Buffy and saw as 
Buffy's face dropped.   Buffy had an all too familiar look on her 
face, it was one Faith had worn many times, it was the face of 
someone expecting rejection.

{Think before you speak shit head!}  Faith berated herself.

"That's okay."  Buffy rushed out.  "You don't have to say anything.  
I understand.  I don't blame you.  I guess I was wrong, I thought you 
felt the same way as me.   I wouldn't want... I just hope..."

Faith rushed over closing the distance between them again.

"No.  It's not that. I'm not good at this.  Not good with words.  
I'm... so much has happened over the last few days.  I'm just having a 
hard time making sense of all of it.  You are the same as when I met 
you but different.  You know.  The same 'Buffy' that I fel... um...  It 
just I need a little time.  I don't want things to be... I'm still 
acting like you are General B.  I still don't feel like I'm good 
enough for you.  I don't even know how to be a friend let alone 
anything more to someone.  I want us to be together, I want it to be 
right.  I just feel like I need a little bit of time.  Not a lot of 
time, just a few days to adjust to everything.  I'm just use to 
people letting me down, and me letting them down and I'm afraid.  It 
still hard for me to believe all of this, and B... I do want to believe 
it."  

There was such longing in Faith's voice, that it broke Buffy's heart 
a little bit. Buffy felt something very close to hatred for whomever 
had done this to the dark slayer.  Buffy knew some of it was her 
fault, but she also knew that these beliefs had been with Faith long 
before Buffy had ever met her.

"Is this making any sense B?"

Faith was making absolute sense to Buffy.  Angel had told her not to 
push Faith to hard, to, in essence, let Faith call the shots, move 
the relationship between them along.  Apparently Faith wasn't the 
only one who couldn't count Patience as one of her virtues.  Buffy 
knew if she told Faith she had to make a decision today that Faith 
would choose to be with her. General B would demand something like 
that, not Buffy. Buffy knew if she forced Faith to decide today that 
things would never be equal, would never be right between them.  
Buffy didn't want fear of losing her to be Faith's motivation to be 
with her.  Buffy could wait as long as it took, eventually she knew 
within her heart of hearts that Faith would come to her.  They were 
meant to be together, they were two halves of the same soul.  Both 
whole in of themselves, but the circle was only complete when they 
were together..  Buffy had no intention of going anywhere. Nor was 
she going to hide how she felt about Faith. She would show her 
without crossing whatever line Faith set.

"Yes.  You make sense.  I understand what you are saying.  I want to 
do this right this time too.  I want things to be equal between us.  
I don't want you to live in fear that I am going to leave every time 
you or I make a mistake, or when you disagree with me.  Neither one 
of us is perfect.  I don't want either one of us to have to worry 
about speaking our minds.  And for the record you are more than good 
enough for me, I just wish you would believe it too.  So the 
proverbial ball is in your court now.  When you are ready to take 
this to the next level just let me know."  Buffy gave Faith a wicked 
smile.  "Or you could just show me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now as she was sitting on the tombstone Faith felt like she was ready 
for them to try.  She didn't want to pick up where they had left 
off.  She wanted, if it was at all possible, to start that part of 
their relationship over.  She wanted to do it right.  She wanted it 
to be as if they had just met each other.   While in theory she knew 
it wasn't really possible exactly, she wanted them to try the whole 
dating thing anyway. For once in her life Faith wanted to take things 
slow.  She wasn't stupid she knew it would be hard, extremely hard to 
simply kiss Buffy goodnight at the door and go home alone to her own 
bed, but she wanted to at least give it a try...

Now all she had to do was figure out how one actually dated. Maybe 
she should talk to the witches, they should be able to help her. 
Faith had never dated, not once, not anyone.  There had only been one 
other person in her life besides Buffy whom she had even slept with 
more than once.  This time though she wanted it all, wanted it all 
for both of them.  Over the last six days since their conversation 
Buffy had given her little glimpses into what it would be like to be 
in a romantic relationship with her.

It was in the casual touches that Buffy gave her whenever she passed 
by Faith.  Touches that were the 'just because' touches lovers give 
each other.  The gentle way Buffy encouraged Faith to speak her mind. 
How she asked for Faith's opinion. How she really listened to what 
Faith had to say.  How she made up excuses for them to be together, 
that even Faith could see through.  It was in the spontaneous hugs.  
The gentle teasing, the bantering they had re-established. It was in 
the fact that Buffy sensed Faith the second she came near and was 
waiting for her with a warm smile.  It was in the happiness that lit 
Buffy's face when she first saw Faith in the morning.  In was in the 
sadness of her voice when they said goodnight and parted at the end 
of the day. How Buffy had opened back up the connection between them 
as Slayers, more fully than even before.  It was more intense, more 
profound, even more apparent when they slayed together moving like 
mirror images of each other, in perfect harmony. How Buffy asked now, 
instead of told or demanded things from Faith. How she did not try to 
push Faith into anything more than what she was ready for, but still 
let her know that when Faith was ready she would be right there 
waiting. It was in those expressive eyes every time she looked at 
Faith. In the way that they seemed to touch Faith that was more 
intimate than any physical caress.  

Faith was still afraid, she knew all about sex, and hate, but almost 
nothing about love and making love. Faith was starting to begin to 
realize her own self-worth and she was determined that she wasn't 
going to let fear rule her life anymore.  Fear had ruled it for far 
to many years, and it was time to put a stop to it.

Now if Buffy would just dust those damn vampires so Faith could tell 
her, or maybe just show her a little.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somewhere in cyberspace the minutes turn to hours / The world is in 
my hands unfolding like a flower / A golden energy was rising out of 
my head / I shed my evil skin and found myself again / I was wrong  I 
don't mind / The impossible seems possible this time / I'm an 
electric wire / If the sun can radiate than so can I...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy turned around smiling after she dusted the last of the two 
vampires she had been fighting.

"Finally B!" Faith let out an exaggerated sigh.  "Thought we were 
going to be here all night.  Can think of better things to do."

Faith sensed the vampire behind her at the same time she heard Buffy 
shout out a warning.  She had let her guard down when her mind had 
wandered.  She started turning on the tombstone towards the vampire, 
then she was flying through the air.

"Faith!"  Buffy started running towards her, and heard the sickening 
pop of something being dislocated and the crack of Faith's head 
against the tombstone the vampire had thrown her into.

{ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod}

Buffy reached Faith in time to stop her from sliding down sideways to 
the ground.  Terror, dread, and rage mingled in Buffy when she saw 
the dark wetness that was spreading down the side of Faith's face, 
from where her head had hit. 

"Beheyednd choo!" Was all Faith could manage to slur out to Buffy as 
she struggled to stay conscious.

Buffy turned towards the vampire, her mouth pulled back baring her 
teeth in a snarl like a rabid animal.

"You hurt her! You're dust, mother-fucker!"  She hissed.

The vampire started backing away from the golden-haired slayer who 
had a very unnatural light in her eyes.  With a ferocious growl Buffy 
launched herself at him. She dropped kicked him to the ground, and 
came down on top of him.  She began to beat the living shit out of 
him.  Her anger in total control now.

Faith pulled herself up to her feet using the tombstone for 
leverage.  She stood swaying on her feet, the cemetery was spinning 
and she was seeing two of everything.  She took a few staggering 
steps towards Buffy.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw another 
vampire coming out of the woods running towards Buffy.

"B! Anutter un!"  

Buffy's rage reached out to Faith through their connection.  Faith 
knew Buffy had lost her control, and slaying in rage got you hurt, 
made you make mistakes, Faith knew that from her own past 
experiences. She saw as the second vampire rapidly approached Buffy. 
Faith didn't know if Buffy had heard her or was even aware of him.  
Faith stumbled towards Buffy, keeping herself standing, conscious and 
moving by shear force of will.  She would rather die herself than let 
anything happen to Buffy.  She had failed Buffy to many times, she 
wasn't going to fail her now. 

"Later asshole." Buffy said a second before she dusted the vampire 
having heard Faith's slurred warning.  She turned and started rising 
to her feet.  The second vampire caught her with a kick to the chest, 
knocking her to the ground on her back.  He came down on top of her, 
forcing the breath from her and pinning her arms with his knees.   He 
punched her with a right cross then a left cross, then another 
right.  Buffy struggled under him, trying to free her arms.  She had 
to get out of this or both she and Faith were dead.  Echoing the dark 
slayers thoughts of only a moment before Buffy thought; she would 
rather die than let anything happen to Faith, she had failed Faith to 
many times she wasn't going to fail her now.

"You lose slayer!"  He smiled baring his fangs at her as he started 
to lower his mouth towards her neck.  He ignored the other human who 
was staggering towards him from behind.  That turned out to be the 
last mistake the vampire made in his undead life.

The vampire was staked in synchronicity, in the chest by the golden-
haired slayer who managed to get her arm free by shear determination, 
and in the back by the raven-haired slayer who used the last bit of 
energy she had left.

As if they truly were one, the only thought the slayers had as the 
vampire turned to dust was: 'She's safe.'

Buffy looked up to see Faith standing over her with a lopsided goofy 
grin. She was tilting to the side, swaying.  Her eyes where unfocused 
and blood covered one side of her face, her left arm hung limply at 
her side.  The stake she had used to dust the second vampire fell 
from her hand. Faith put her hand out in front of her as she started 
to pitch forward, the ground rising up quickly to meet her. 

Buffy got up just in time to catch Faith as she passed out.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith came thrashing back into consciousness on a sea of pain.  Her 
arms flailing at invisible vampires, a bolt of pain shooting threw 
her from her dislocated left shoulder.

"BUFFY!"  She yelled sitting up straight in the bed, her eyes wild, 
not really seeing where she was.

{BGottahelpBHelpBHelpB.}

Hearing Faith shout her name shocked Buffy out of her light doze.  
She immediately rushed over to the hospital bed. 

{Thankyouthankyouthankyou!}

"Ssshh.  It's okay. I'm right here baby.  It's okay."

Faith calmed down immediately upon hearing Buffy's voice.  She 
grimaced at the throbbing in her head as she turned towards the sound 
of Buffy's voice.  She took in the wrinkled and dirty clothes, the 
red swollen eyes, and the already fading bruises on Buffy's face from 
where the vampire had punched her.

The memory of what had happened came back to her.  She gingerly 
raised her right hand to her head, only to have it captured by 
Buffy's two shaky ones.   

"How long?"  Faith asked Buffy when it finally hit her that she was 
in the hospital.

"A day.  I was so worried... so scared...  The doctors didn't know 
when you were going to wake up, if you were going to wake up.  You 
scared the shit out of me.  Don't ever do that again Faith!  Promise 
me!"  Though Buffy was sure she had cried them all out over the last 
twenty-four hours, the tears came anyway.  Only this time they were 
tears of happiness.

Faith was stunned, amazed as she saw the tears fall from Buffy's 
eyes.  Tears for her?  The red, swollen eyes, were they from tears 
Buffy had shed for her while she lay unconscious?  Finally as if 
someone had taken a sledgehammer to the dark slayer's thick skull, it 
began to sink in just how much Buffy cared for her.  That while she 
might not believe in herself, Buffy believed in her, believed in 
them.  That someone like Buffy could cry over her, awed and humbled 
the raven-haired slayer.  

There was finally for Faith light coming into the long dark tunnel 
that had been her life for so long.  Like that little spark of hope 
that had started all those months ago when she had first thought it 
was possible to find redemption.  Now there was a light calling out 
to her, dispelling the shadows, showing her, giving her the courage, 
to reach out to finally try and to begin to believe in her own self-
worth, and what she had to offer. To finally began to hear what they 
all had been trying to tell her, what her heart, her soul had know 
all along that she could be.

Buffy would swear until the day she died that her heart had skipped a 
million beats at the beautiful smile that radiated from some bright 
place within the dark slayer, that she gave to Buffy at that moment.  
Faith would swear the same thing about the smile that Buffy gave to 
her in return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...This is a good day for a revolution of the mind / Voices ride the 
wind and take me to the light / I crawled over broken glass to find a 
place in the sun / It was with me all along the circle had begun / I 
was wrong  I don't mind / The impossible seems possible this time / 
I'm an electric wire / If the sun can radiate than so can I...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow and Tara stopped dead in their tracks as the entered Faith's 
hospital room.  For the first time Willow was catching a glimpse of 
what Tara had seen/sensed/felt that day the 'Chosen Two' had done Tai-
Chi together.  It was different then what Willow had seen/sensed 
about just Faith.  This 'knowing' was about both slayers, not as 
individuals, but as a 'knowing' of what they were together.  What 
both witches thought to themselves the 'Chosen Two' probably didn't 
even know themselves yet.

Willow wondered to herself if that was what she would see/sense if 
she could see her and Tara from outside herself.  As if she had heard 
the question Tara whispered softly into Willow's ear, 'Yes'.

Both slayers turned towards the door, and shared with the witches the 
smiles they were giving to each other.  Causing both Willow and Tara 
to catch their breaths. There was almost an ethereal becoming about 
them.  Then the moment faded as such moments always seem to fade, to 
quickly become a distant almost surreal memory.  

Faith pulled Buffy down on the bed to sit next to her.  Taking 
comfort in Buffy's presence beside her.

"Hey." Faith greeted the witches.

"Hey yourself. You had us worried Faith!"

"How are you feeling?" Tara asked finishing for Willow.

"Five by Five.  Well I will be as soon as B gets me out of here.  
Good thing I got a hard head."

"You sure you're ready to get out of here?"  The concern showing on 
Buffy's face, and in the tone of her voice.

"Yeah B.  I want to go home."

"'K.  I'll see about getting you out of here."  Buffy tried to get 
up, but Faith wasn't quite ready to let her hands go.

"You have to let go Faith, otherwise I'll never be able to get you 
out of here.  I'm sure you don't want me to yell for the doctor, not 
after that hit you took to the head.  It's gonna cost me a bundle to 
replace that tombstone."

"Think maybe we could work out a trade or something B?"  Reluctantly 
Faith let go of Buffy's hands.

"Oh I'm sure I can think of something."  Buffy rushed out of the 
room.  While Faith felt herself blush a little thinking about 
what 'something' could be.  

Faith got out of bed and stood for a minute, her legs a little shaky, 
and waited for the room to stop spinning.  So she lied, it was only a 
small white lie, but she would rather be home and dizzy than in a 
hospital any day.  She hated hospitals with a passion, she had spent 
far too much of her life in them.  Though she wouldn't admit it to 
anyone they gave her the 'willies'.

"Thanks." Faith said gratefully to Willow when she placed Faith's 
clothes on the bed for her.

"You need help getting dressed?"

"Nah.  I think I can manage Red.  Just close the curtain will ya."

Faith managed to get her, socks, pants, and boots on but not her 
shirt, she didn't even bother to try to put on her bra.  She hated 
them, only wearing them when she went slaying.

She could only get the shirt over her injured arm, figures she was 
wearing a button down, instead of a 'ginny tee' this time.  Even with 
her slayer healing her dislocated shoulder was still to painfully 
sore to allow her to raise her arm high enough to get the other half 
over her right shoulder.

"Um... I a... might need some help."  Her face already turning red at the 
thought of either witch seeing her naked from the waist up.  For some 
reason unknown to her, she had become suddenly shy.

"Did I hear someone say they needed help?"  Buffy said as she stepped 
behind the curtain.

The throaty tone of Buffy's voice sent a tingle through Faith's body 
right from her hair clear down to her toes. Her eyes locked with 
Buffy's as she came towards her, Faith blushed as she felt her 
nipples get hard just from that look.

Buffy stopped right in front of her and reached around behind Faith 
to catch her shirt and pull it up so she could put her right arm 
threw it.  As Faith moved her arm back and up to put threw the 
armhole of the shirt her upper body lightly brushed up against 
Buffy.  Both slayers gasped at the contact.

A soft sensuous smile played around Buffy's lips as she pulled the 
shirt up the dark slayer's arm.  She delicately ran her fingers along 
Faith's collarbone, then down the base of her neck.  Buffy began to 
button up Faith's shirt, skimming her fingers along the raven-haired 
slayers skin as she did up each button slowly. Faith's breathing 
became a little more erratic with each feather light touch of Buffy's 
fingers against her skin.

Buffy stepped back from Faith when she finished buttoning up her 
shirt.  The tips of her fingers were vibrating from touching Faith's 
warm skin.  Her breathing just as erratic as Faiths.  Faith took a 
half step towards her, and stopped at the soft cough that came from 
outside of the curtain, reminding both slayers they were not alone.

"Ready?"  The question implying so much more.

"Was ready yesterday B. Never got a chance to tell ya."  Faith opted 
to answer Buffy's silent question instead.  

The smile Buffy gave Faith let her know she had made the right choice.

"Just..."  Faith hesitated feeling a little shy.

"What baby?"

"Can we... If it's okay with you, try and take it a little slow? I mean 
I know we kinda, well not kinda we sorta already skipped right to the 
sex.  No dating or anything.  I like to try and start from the 
beginning.  Ya know?"

{Oh Christ how stupid did that sound?  Smooth Faith, taking lessons 
from Pee-Wee Herman now are we?}

Buffy looked at the suddenly shy and awkward dark slayer and thought 
she looked absolutely fucking adorable.  Buffy wanted to show Faith 
all about the romance, the wooing, the dating, the slow build up, the 
anticipation that came with the waiting for the time to be right.  
Show her the difference between making love and fucking.  Being in 
love and being in lust.  Buffy wanted them to remember that as the 
start of what she hoped was their future together, not the two weeks 
that 'General B' had treated Faith like her new toy.

"Slow is good. I was hoping you would say that.  A new beginning is 
just what I would love for us both to have. Ready to go home now?" 

The smile Faith gave Buffy was all the answer the golden-hair slayer 
needed.

The 'Chosen Two' emerged from behind the hospital curtain hand in 
hand.  Faith forgetting about her lifting gloves, and the scars upon 
her hands.  Buffy not mentioning them, the scars she had chosen to 
ignore before, and now wanted to know about, but knowing now was not 
the time to ask.  There was nothing that she didn't want to know 
about the dark slayer and Buffy hoped that some day Faith would trust 
her enough to tell her about it all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As each of the "Chosen Two" drifted off to sleep that night, it was 
cradled within the arms of the other.   Both knowing that whether 
they were at Buffy's house, the Mansion or anywhere else, for 
the 'Chosen Two' home would always be within the circle of each 
other's arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...This is a good day for a revolution of the mind / Voices ride the 
wind and take me to the light / I crawled over broken glass to find a 
place in the sun / It was with me all along the circle had begun / I 
was wrong I don't mind / The impossible seems possible this time / 
I'm an electric wire / If the sun can radiate than so can I 
-- Darling Violetta

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith snuggled deeper into the warm arms that were holding her.  She 
was so liking this dream.  Slowly as she came fully awake, the 
reality that the warm flesh she felt beneath her hand, the heart she 
could hear beating steadily in the chest on which her head lay, the 
scent she was surrounded by (Faith could only describe as 
just 'Buffy') wasn't a dream.  She was so liking this much better 
than any dream.

"Morning," came to her softly as Faith felt Buffy's hand slide up her 
arm, and gently brush the hair back from her face.

"Morning to you too."  

Faith slid up the bed and turned on her side so she could see Buffy.  
Still a little, hell, a lot, amazed that she was here.  She had 
expected that when Buffy said she would take her home that she would 
bring her back to the Mansion.  Faith had almost blurted out as much 
when they had pulled up in front of Buffy's house.  Buffy had used 
the excuse that the doctor had told her to keep an eye on Faith for 
at the very least two days, because of the seriousness of her head 
injury.  The doctor would only release Faith if Buffy gave him her 
word.
 
Buffy further surprised the dark slayer when she insisted that Faith 
stay in her room that night.  Faith had agreed shyly, and wondered 
once again where the shyness was coming from.  Shy was not a word she 
would have ever thought to use to describe herself.  Brash, cocky, 
aggressive those where more like it. Shy? Not in a million years.  
Then again these last months had been full of surprises, she had been 
discovering things about herself that she still couldn't believe.

Buffy was already awake when Faith woke up.  She had been listening 
to Faith's steady and even breathing as she had for most of the 
night.  She had been afraid to sleep, after coming so close to almost 
losing her.  Losing her before they even had a chance to begin again. 
Knowing they would need to talk about this, they had let themselves 
get distracted by each other, and they both could have ended up 
dead.  Buffy once again gave silent thanks to whoever had granted 
them both another sunrise and had just spent the night listening to 
Faith breathe. 

She propped herself up on her side, bending her elbow and resting the 
side of her head in her hand.  Looking into Faith's deep dark brown 
eyes, Buffy let herself fall into them.  Lifting her other hand she 
traced along Faith's hairline over her forehead, down between her 
eyebrows, along the bridge of her nose,  down the side of it, to 
follow the line of her cheekbone, then to finally come to stop at the 
corner of her mouth. Buffy's paused for a second then let her 
fingertips continued their journey.  Tracing around the outside of 
those slightly pouting lips, then dipping in to trace along the line 
that separated them.

Faith stared back into Buffy's open gaze.  Letting herself tumble 
into the tantalizing faint touch of Buffy's fingertips as they 
explored the contours of her face.  Faith could never remember anyone 
ever touching her this way.  She struggled to think of a word to 
describe the feelings it created in her and then gave up, and just 
allowed herself to feel it.  Faith captured Buffy's fingertips 
between her lips. Her breath caught as she felt Buffy's fingertips 
continued their exploration, running along the inside of her lower 
lip, grazing along her teeth.

Buffy couldn't resist any longer she had to taste what her fingertips 
were exploring.  Slowly she leaned down and captured Faith's mouth.  
Softly, so softly she kissed Faith, her mouth a mere whisper, her 
tongue tracing delicately, following along the same path her 
fingertips had taken on their exploration of Faith's mouth. 

Faith let herself get caught up in the intricate spider web of 
feelings Buffy's kiss was stirring in her.  So many different 
feelings, desire, lust, passion, joy, to many to count; all from 
those fingertips that had touched her so gently, and now from this 
light as air kiss. Faith began to tremble, the desire building up in 
her slowly, smoldering like a burning ember, so different than 
anything she had ever felt before. And Faith knew Buffy was feeling 
it too, could feel as the trembling started in Buffy.  Then Buffy was 
pulling away, and Faith wanted to scream at the loss.  Faith opened 
her eyes and saw the soft smile on Buffy's face and the promise in 
her eyes that there were would be many more such kisses.

That kiss left Faith wondering why everyone always rushed off in the 
morning.  It certainly didn't explain the whole ta-do about 'morning 
breath', because as far as Faith was concerned, Buffy breath was like 
roses, and her kiss tasted better than even the sweetest wine.  The 
smile Faith bestowed on Buffy was brilliant, this was her very 
first 'Spend-the-night-wake-up-next-to-and-share-a-morning- breath-
kiss-with-someone'.  

This was the second one of Faith's secret wishes that Buffy had made 
come true for the dark slayer.  Actually the second and third, 
because part of that secret wish was that the 'someone' be Buffy.

Buffy saw the innocence in Faith in that brilliant smile and the 
breath caught in her chest.  Her soft smile turned into a very large 
grin, then a giggle when Faith stomach chose that moment to growl.

"Come on let's feed you.  I think I'm scared of the way that stomach 
of yours growls."  

It was a good thing Faith's stomach broke the moment; otherwise Buffy 
knew that if they stayed there a few seconds longer she would have 
forgotten what slow meant.  More than anything Buffy wanted to show 
the dark slayer how it should have been between them from the 
beginning.  How it could have been if they both could have kept their 
innocence's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can feel the magic floating in the air / Being with you gets me 
that way / I watch the sunlight dance across your face / And I've 
never been this swept away /All my thoughts just seem to settle on 
the breeze...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was still amazed at the amount of food Faith could eat and 
still keep that luscious, mouth-watering, delectable body.

{Easy there girl.  Slow. Sister here.  Hurt slayer. Down girl.  Slow, 
remember slow. Recite the alphabet, count sheep... Go crazy.}

"Do you want more to eat Faith?"  Buffy was almost afraid to ask.

"I don't think there is anymore food left.  I think there might be 
some crumbs left in the bottom of the bread bin..."  Dawn said 
mischievously.

"Real funny kiddo.  Good thing for you I'm hurt or there would be 
some serious tickling going on about right now."

"I'm not the one who's ticklish. Remember Faith?"

"You're ticklish Faith?" Buffy said with a cunning grin.

Oh this wasn't good.  Faith didn't like the 'evil' look that was in 
Buffy's eyes.  Nope not good at all.  Faith threw Dawn a 'Thanks-a-
whole-lot-for-telling' look.  Dawn just smiled at her.  She liked 
having the dark slayer around.  She was fun and she made Buffy smile.

"Don't know what she's talkin bout B.  Not ticklish. Nope not me.  
Not a ticklish bone in this body.  Lots of healed broken bones, but 
no ticklish ones.  Not a one." Faith knew she was snagged, 
the 'Willow babble' mode did it.  She never use to babble, lately she 
had become a babbling idiot, in fact both her and Buffy had become 
babbling idiots.  Even if she wasn't snagged she certainly was after 
Dawn's comment following her babble.

"Liar.  You are such a liar.  You know you're ticklish.  If you 
weren't hurt I'd show Buffy just how ticklish you are.  Even Mom knew 
you were ticklish.  Sides it was the only way I ever won at Mortal 
Kombat.  Liar!"

That 'evil' gleam in Buffy's eyes just grew larger.  Dawn had just 
given away one of the dark slayers most well kept secrets.  Being 
ticklish did not fit in with her whole Bad Girl image, not at all.  
Question now was:  Was Buffy ticklish as well?  At least that would 
even the playing field.

"So.. Buffy... Are you ticklish?"  Faith asked with a sly look.  She 
didn't really expect Buffy to answer, she did expect that Dawn would 
though.

"Buffy is..."

"Dawn!  We're sisters remember?"  A little desperate.

"No fair B.  That's sooooooo not fair."  Faith tried out her best 
pout on Buffy.  It didn't work.

"Who said anything about fair.  This is tickling we're talking about 
here.  There is nothing fair about tickling."

"True.  Just be warned though.  I will find out B.  Ya coulda made it 
easy. But noooooo....  You are gonna make me find out the hard way.  
Just remember that simple fact, when all is said and done. "  

This time, it was Buffy who didn't like the 'evil' gleam in Faith's 
eyes.  Faith wiggled her eyebrows at Buffy when she saw the 'evil' 
gleam replaced by a 'ut-oh' look.

Dawn started giggling at how silly the 'Chosen Two' were being, Buffy 
joined her.  Neither Summer's sisters had felt this happy, carefree, 
or young in a very long time.  

Faith tried to keep the pain she felt when she wiggled her eyebrows 
out of her expression. She had forgotten the stitches she had gotten 
on and around her left temple and the large bruised lump.  While she 
was healing faster than normal because of her slayer healing, she was 
still in the 'It-hurts-like-hell' stage of healing. Faith didn't care 
though because it was worth the pain just to hear the joyous sound of 
the two Summer's sisters giggles. 

"Dawn do me a favor."  

"What?"  Dawn asked suspiciously. 

"Run upstairs grab my wallet and car keys.  We'll go rent some movies 
and do an all day movie, pizza and popcorn day.  'K?"

"Yeah! I like those!"  

Buffy waited until her sister was out of earshot to speak.  She 
didn't want to worry Dawn anymore, she had been almost hysterical 
when Faith hadn't woken up right away at the hospital.  The doctor 
hadn't helped when he told Buffy in front of Dawn the next morning 
when Faith still hadn't woken up. That considering the seriousness of 
Faith's head injury, he didn't know how long or even if Faith would 
wake up.  They would have to wait and see.  Dawn was afraid Faith had 
slipped into another coma, or worse she was going to die on them, 
like their Mom had.  It had taken all of Buffy's powers of persuasion 
to calm her down, especially since the same thoughts where echoing 
loudly through her own head.

"You okay?  Do you want one of those pills?"  Buffy hadn't missed the 
pain that flashed across Faith face.  She even had sort of sensed, 
almost felt a echo of it in herself.  Odd.

"Nah. Don't like pills, no drugs. I'd rather be in pain."  A shadow 
passed for the briefest second over the dark slayers face and then it 
was gone.  If Buffy didn't know better she would have thought she 
imagined it.

Buffy took in Faith's droopy eyes and knew Faith was getting tired 
and was in pain, the food and the conversation having sapped most of 
her energy. Not that Faith would ever admit it Buffy thought, 
wouldn't fit her whole 'Bad Girl' image.

"My shoulder and head hurt a little and I am kinda tired though B."  
Faith smiled when Buffy's mouth dropped open.  First though she had 
to close her own because it had dropped open the second after she 
said it.  It was a first for her, she never admitted to any weakness, 
showing weakness made you vulnerable to people. Not even to Angel, he 
had just always seemed to know.  Most of the people she had met in 
her life took advantage of the vulnerable, the weak. But Faith knew 
Buffy wasn't one of those people.  Faith had just taken the first 
baby steps in giving her trust to Buffy.

Buffy decided it was time she stopped making any assumptions about 
the dark slayer, and instead just take the time to get to know the 
woman who was sitting in front of her.  The woman who had been 
surprising her left and right since her return to Sunnydale.  Had she 
done that in the first place, the whole 'General B's got a new toy 
mess' would have never happened.

Buffy made sure Faith was comfortable on the couch in the den before 
she and Dawn went out to get movies.  She leaned down and gave Faith 
a quick kiss on the cheek before she left, whispering in her ear: "I 
miss you already."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The doorbell woke Faith from her nap.  Grumbling Faith staggered to 
the front door, thinking Buffy had forgotten her keys, and wondering 
why she would even bother to lock the door anyway.  She could kick 
the shit out of anyone who came in un-invited, so what was the point? 
Faith was cranky, her head was throbbing, her shoulder was throbbing, 
as well as another part of her body, thanks to the dream she had been 
having about Buffy. 

Faith was not a 'happy camper' at the moment and she became even more 
unhappy when she saw who was standing on the doorstep.
 
"Hello.  We came by to wish that you 'Get Well Later'."  

"Soon.  Not later.  It's 'Get Well Soon'. 

Faith stood there with her mouth hanging open, another thing she 
noticed she had been doing a lot of lately.  Right now she really 
wished she was dreaming.

"Oh.  Are you sure?"

"Trust me it's 'Soon'."

"Okay then 'Get Well Soon...  Faith!  These are for you. 
Traditional 'Get Well Soon' gifts.  I wanted to keep the Teddy Bear 
but Xander wouldn't let me."  A card, a little teddy bear, a basket 
of candy, and a first aid kit where shoved into her arms.

Faith juggled the four items in her good arm, snapping her mouth 
closed before she started drooling like an idiot. Please oh please 
she thought let me be dreaming.

"Ah... Thanks?"  Faith let out a sigh of relief when she saw Buffy and 
Dawn pull up in front of the house.

"Xander didn't want to come here.  But I told him it wouldn't be 
proper.  You are after all Buffy's 'Orgasm Buddy'."

"Anya." Xander groaned.

"What? Its true.  Tell him that it's true."

"Tell him what's true Anya."  Buffy asked as she walked up with Dawn.

Faith frantically shook her head no at Buffy.  A sharp pain went 
through her skull, it felt like someone had just jabbed her threw the 
eye with an acupuncture needle.  She hissed in pain, a wave of 
dizziness came at her swiftly, everything started to spin.  Faith 
reached out blindly with her good arm seeking something to keep her 
from falling on her face. Her 'Get Well Soon' gifts went flying, as 
well as Anya when Buffy pushed her out of the way to get to Faith. 

For the second time in two days Buffy caught Faith before she could 
fall. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An few hours later Faith was almost wishing she had stayed at the 
hospital.  Their movie, pizza and popcorn day had turned into a 
Scooby Fest.  Willow and Tara had shown up a few minutes after Xander 
and Anya. Didn't these people have jobs, school, something, anything?

The only good thing about the day was that she had spent it lying on 
the couch with her head cradled in Buffy's lap.  Relaxing into the 
feel of the hand that stroked her hair, and fingertips that ran 
random patterns across her neck, shoulder, and arm.  There was 
comfort in those touches, a secure warm fuzzy feeling, of those 'just 
because' touches.  Faith was beginning to think getting hurt wasn't 
such a bad thing after all.

The absolute best part was that Buffy didn't care what anyone thought 
either.  When they had first sat down to  watch a movie, Faith had 
tried sitting on one end of the couch, but Buffy wasn't having any of 
it.  She sat on the couch with her and gently, but firmly pulled the 
dark slayer towards her, until Faith lay with her head in Buffy's 
lap. While Faith didn't care what anyone else thought (which really 
wasn't true), she just wasn't going to let it stop her from being 
with Buffy, she did care about what Dawn thought.  It was one thing 
for Dawn to know that she and Buffy were like Red and Blondie, but 
did she really understand what that meant?  Faith would have known at 
fourteen, but Dawn wasn't her.

Dawn had seemed fine though, had even offered to get Faith a pillow 
to make her more comfortable.  Even Dawn knew that while Buffy may 
look all soft and petite, it was deceptive, she was hard as a rock 
underneath.  Faith declined the offer, preferring to lay her head 
again Buffy's warmth than a pillow any day.

This was a completely new type of P.D.A., 'Public-Display-of-
Affection' for Faith.  Her previous experiences with it where more 
all the 'shove-your-tongue-down-someone's-throat-and-go-get-a-room' 
type P.D.A.'s.  Holding hands, an arm around the shoulder, soft 
kisses, things that lovers did, they were new to her.  And she found 
she liked it, oh she liked it a whole god-damn lot.  All these new 
sensations, these new types of emotions, feelings Buffy had aroused 
in her in just one day, amazed, and overwhelmed her a little.  One 
thing they did not do was scare her. No, not at all, not even a 
little.  She couldn't wait to see what tomorrow would bring.

As Buffy continued to stroke her hair, the raven-haired slayer 
drifted off once again to sleep.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the second morning in a row Faith woke to the feeling of being 
cradled in Buffy's arms.  This time it was she who just lay listening 
to Buffy's even and steady breathing, her heart beating slowly.  The 
Scoobs had left around nine the night before, when Tara had ushered 
them out after seeing how tired Buffy was.  

Tara took one look at Buffy and figured that she hadn't had much 
sleep since Faith had gotten hurt.  Faith was already asleep, her 
head still on Buffy's lap, and Buffy seemed more asleep than awake.  
Faith was so deeply asleep that she didn't even wake up until Buffy 
had tucked her into bed, waking when Buffy hadn't crawled right in 
beside her.  She mumbled a protest, and Buffy was immediately by her 
side, soothing her, telling her she would be gone only for a second, 
she needed to get ready for bed.  Both slayers fell to sleep seconds 
after Buffy crawled into bed beside Faith.

The 'Chosen Two' both jumped when Buffy's alarm clock went off.

"Nonononononono."  Grumbling, she didn't want to wake 
up. "Damndamndamndamn"

One of them had to move and shut off the clock or at least hit the 
snooze button.  Supporting herself with her good arm Faith reached 
over Buffy with her injured arm, it still hurt, but the pain wasn't 
quite as bad as yesterday.  She slammed the clock's snooze button.

Buffy's arms came fully around her pulling Faith down and closer to 
her. Faith leaned down and planted a light butterfly kiss first on 
one closed eyelid and then on the other.

"Mmmmmm.  Like this."

Faith continued to place light butterfly kisses all over Buffy's 
face.  She was liking this morning thing.  Finally after a dozen or 
so kisses Faith leaned in and claimed Buffy's mouth with her own.  
Giving to Buffy that same light as air kiss, Buffy had given to her 
yesterday.  Pulling away she traced along Buffy's jaw line with her 
tongue up to her ear.  She caught Buffy's earlobe with her teeth and 
nibbled it gently.  

"Morning." The sound of Faith's voice, low, raspy, and laced with 
desire, sent a shudder of electricity through Buffy.

Buffy pulled Faith down onto her and gently pressed Faith's head into 
her shoulder.  Slow, remember slow she thought.  

"Morning.  How are you feeling today?"

"Better.  Less pain in my shoulder.  Throbbing is gone in my head."  
Faith left out the part about other parts of her anatomy throbbing.  
Slow, slow, want to take this slow she thought echoing Buffy's 
sentiments.

"Good morning."  Dawn yelled from the hallway, in a voice that was 
way too cheerful for either slayers.  Morning people they were not.

With a groan both got up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

..When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms / The whole world just 
fades away / The only thing I hear / Is the beating of your heart... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Buffy got back from driving Dawn to school Faith was nowhere to 
be found.  She climbed the stairs up to her bedroom thinking that 
maybe she had gone back to bed.

"God-damn, son-of-bitch!  This sucks! Ahhhhh..."

Buffy went back down the hall when she realized that Faith was in the 
bathroom.

"Faith.  You alright?"  Buffy asked threw the door.

Faith had run herself a bath after Buffy left.  She had thought it 
would be easier than taking a shower, since she wasn't suppose to get 
her stitches wet.  She was wrong, she couldn't figure out how to get 
her hair wet without drowning herself and she really, really, wanted 
to wash her hair.

"Faith?"  

"I...um..."  Fuck this was embarrassing.  "B, I kinda need some help."

Buffy rushed threw the door, her first thought that Faith was hurt.  
She stopped so abruptly that she slid on the bathroom floor and 
almost fell. There was Faith smiling at her, sitting in all her naked 
glory in the bathtub and Buffy felt herself turning beet red.

{OHMYGOD! Control! Control is goooood! OHMYGOD!} 

"Help... ah... help with what?"  

{Help with touching... That would be... Touching help... Hope its touching 
help...}

"I want to wash my hair but I can't seem to..."  Faith trailed off when 
she felt the desire that was radiating from Buffy reach out and wash 
over her.  A low moan escaped from her lips.

Buffy moved towards Faith in a trance.  She knelt down besides the 
tub.  Reaching past Faith she grabbed the plastic cup off the tub.

"I can help with that."   Buffy leaned towards Faith and placed her 
hand behind her neck and under her hair.  "Lean back."

Faith leaned back into Buffy's hand, her eyes never leaving her 
face.  Buffy dipped the cup into the water filling it.  She wanted to 
dip her head down and capture one of those tantalizing breasts that 
were jutting up out at the water at her, just begging for the touch 
of her mouth. Instead she poured the water over Faith's hair, 
refilling the cup time and again until her hair was thoroughly wet, 
just like Buffy was.

Buffy stood and took the shampoo off the shelf.  She sat down on the 
side of the tub and poured some of the shampoo onto Faith's hair. 
Leaning into her, Buffy began to massage the shampoo into Faith's 
scalp, careful to keep it away from the stitches along her hairline.  
How many times had she run her hands threw Faith's hair and had never 
let herself notice how thick it was, how much like raw silk it felt 
beneath her fingers.  She applied pressure with her thumbs and 
fingertips, rubbing in small circles.  Sliding the pads of her 
fingers from Faith's hairline down to the nape of her neck, then 
using just her thumbs she massaged all the way around Faith's 
hairline.  The warmth of Faith's breath caressing her neck and chest 
with each exhale of air.  The tickling sensation of each breath 
causing even more heat to flood through Buffy's veins.

Faith closed her eyes and relaxed into Buffy's touch.  A tingling 
sensation ran down the length of her spine with each touch of Buffy's 
fingers against her scalp.  She gasped in pleasure when Buffy touched 
a sensitive spot behind her ears, sending a bolt of fire running down 
her back.  Buffy washed Faith's hair for what seemed like hours.  
Then her hand was once more behind her neck.  Faith leaned back 
without being told, as Buffy rinsed the shampoo from her hair.

Faith ran her hand up Buffy's arm, over her shoulder to reach behind 
her neck and draw her down, bringing B's mouth to her.  Kissing Buffy 
with raw desire, her tongue deftly gained access.  Buffy moaned into 
Faith's mouth, and Faith deepened their kiss.  Running her tongue 
along the length of Buffy's, then retreating, only to have Buffy's 
follow.  Faith pulled Buffy's tongue deeper into her mouth sucking on 
it gently.  

Faith's whole body was quivering with passion, a fire burned inside 
her, reaching down into her core.  Buffy felt like she was on fire, 
she felt Faith quivering beneath her hand and it only added more fuel 
to the fire.  A that fire streaked right down to the core of her, she 
felt like she was going to go over the edge just from this kiss.  

The 'Chosen Two' broke apart, both breathing heavily.  Buffy slowly 
opened her eyes and found Faith's were still closed.

"Faith?"  Was that her voice, so deep, so low, so husky?  

With every part of her being Buffy wanted to make love with Faith and 
she had no doubts that Faith wanted that too.  But... Slow, Faith had 
asked her to go slow... And Buffy wanted that too.  How much longer 
either one of them could go slow Buffy didn't know.  Was she waiting 
for some sign?  Some sign from Faith that she had finally given up 
the foolish notion that she wasn't good enough. A sign that Faith had 
given her, her trust?  A sign that Faith no longer saw her 
as 'General B', but as Buffy. Somehow Buffy knew they would both know 
when the time was right.  Give them both sometime to move away from 
the bad memories, and build some new ones.  

When they did finally make love Buffy wanted it to be perfect.  
Without ever being told she knew that Faith had never made love...  She 
waited for the raven-hair slayer to look at her, her eyes would tell 
Buffy if the time was now.  She didn't know how she knew, but she 
knew that Faith felt the same way as she did.

Faith slowly opened her eyes.  She was physically ready to make love 
with Buffy, her body was demanding it, but emotionally she wasn't 
ready.  She wanted a little more time.  A little more time to 
separate these new emotions, a little more time to experience what it 
was like to be innocent... A little more time to move away from the bad 
memories.  A little more time to build the good memories...  A little 
more time because she was truly beginning to believe that she was 
good enough... A little more time for that light in the dark tunnel 
that had been her life to get brighter...

Buffy looked in Faith's eyes and searched for her answer... It was what 
she hoped.  She smiled and let out a shaky breath.

"B... I want to... But... I'm..."  Buffy stopped her with a brief, light as 
air morning kiss.

"I know... I do too... I hoped though you would feel the same..."

Faith let out a sigh of both relief and frustration.  Relief because 
Buffy understood and frustration because Faith's own body didn't.

"I think I better let you finish your bath now..."  Buffy rose from the 
side of the tub.  She wasn't quite sure how she made it to the door 
her legs were so weak.  She turned around before she left.

"If you need me I'll be in Mom's bathroom taking about an hour long 
cold shower."  She closed the door to the sound of Faith's light 
laughter and a grumbled, 'I know exactly how you feel.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...'Cause I can feel you breathe / It's washing over me / And suddenly 
I'm melting into you / There's nothing left to prove / Baby, all we 
need is just to be / Caught up in the touch / Slow and steady rush / 
Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be / I can feel you 
breathe / Just breathe... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy went downstairs and found Faith sitting at the kitchen table, a 
cup of coffee in front of her.  Buffy poured herself a cup and joined 
the dark slayer at the table.  They sat in comfortable silence at the 
table drinking their coffee.

The scorching fire that had been running through both slayer's veins, 
was still there, only now it was more like a steady stream of warmth 
flowing through their veins.  Both knew that a single touch would set 
the fire ablaze in seconds.  Both knew that if they wanted to go slow 
staying in the same house, sleeping in the same bed every night was 
not going to work.  Both knew the time would come soon enough for 
that, for now they were both in perfect accord they wanted to take it 
slow, for as long, well not too long, as they could.  Now all one of 
them needed to do was to find the courage to say it aloud.
 
{Fear.  Not gonna let the fear own me anymore.}

"Thanks for washing my hair B. " Not the best way to start this 
conversation Faith thought as she felt herself blushing.

"It was my pleasure..."  There was so much more implied in that simple 
phrase, and Buffy joined Faith in blushing.

"B?"  Buffy looks expectantly at Faith and she knows that Faith is 
the one who has found the courage to bring up the subject of her 
going back to the Mansion.  

It dawns on Buffy that over the last few weeks it has been Faith who, 
despite any insecurities, any fears she may have, has always been the 
one to tackle the difficult things, the stuff that was really 
important.  The Faith Buffy had known would have avoided them, played 
them off.  The Faith sitting in front of Buffy now did not avoid the 
hard stuff, she took it head on and tried to resolve it.  And Buffy 
was proud of her, proud because Faith had managed to pull herself out 
of the cesspool that had been her life and rise above it.  Faith had 
her feet squarely planted on the road to redemption, to making a 
better life for herself, making a better, safer world, and no matter 
what anyone threw her way she wasn't budging off that path.  Buffy 
was finally beginning to truly see the woman Faith was, the woman 
Faith was becoming, the woman that Angel had seen that Faith could 
be.  The Faith she was inside, the woman that she had always been in 
her soul.  The light that shined from the dark slayer was blinding.  
And Buffy felt honored and fortunate that Faith wanted to share it 
with her.

Buffy smiled encouragingly at Faith as she watched her struggle to 
find the right words.

"B.  This morning... The bath... Shit I'm not sure how to even say 
this."  Faith paused trying to make some coherency out of her jumbled 
thought.  She knew what she wanted to say but not how.  This talking 
about things was hard, it was going to take some practice and she was 
sure that she would screw it up a lot, she just hoped that Buffy 
would understand her meaning behind the words rather than what the 
words themselves said.  She had a funny feeling this was never going 
to be one of her strong points.  

"It was nice... Well, it was more than nice, way, way, more, ya know?"  
Faith felt the heat rush to her groin just at the thought.  If  she 
kept this up they would be celebrating their one-year anniversary by 
the time she finished what she wanted to say.

{Whoa! One-year anniversary! Me and Buffy.  Woo Hoo!}

Buffy watched as a... the only way she could think of it was as a 
dreamy far off look came into Faith eyes.  She wanted to know what 
that look was, and she fervently hoped that whatever it was for 
included her.
 
"What ya thinking about Faith?"

Faith was so caught up in the fantasy of her and Buffy and a future 
together, that without giving it a second thought she answered Buffy, 
and said exactly what was on her mind.  

"That at the rate I'm going trying to tell you that I should probably 
go and stay at the mansion if this whole slow thing is going to work, 
we'll be celebrating our one-year anniversary."

Faith's own words shocked her right back into the here and now.  She 
looked directly at Buffy and for once Buffy saw that the dark slayers 
eyes held not the slightest hint that Buffy would reject her or the 
idea of a future of them together.  Instead what Buffy saw was hope, 
and Buffy knew that her eyes held that same look. Hope that given 
their short lives as slayers they would both still be alive.

As they continued to look at each other there was no need for them to 
speak to understand what the other was thinking. Because in both 
their heart of hearts they both now truly believed that whatever time 
they had left would be spent together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...In a way I know my heart is waking up / As all the walls come 
tumbling down / Closer than I've ever felt before / And I know, and 
you know / There's no need for words right now... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were clothes strewn all over the room.  Across the bed, on the 
floor, over the back of the chaise lounge, a trail from the closet 
into the bathroom.  There was even a pair of underwear hanging off 
the chandelier. 

"This - nothing - skanky - who - never - gonna - now I'm gonna be 
late - shit - sucks - not a fucking thing - tramp wear - should of 
went shopping - dumb ass."

Willow and Tara where sitting on the chaise lounge watching the dark 
slayer as she mumbled under her breath.  Pulling out her clothes and 
quickly flinging them across the room... She was running around in a 
silk robe, her hair still dripping wet, no make-up on yet and Buffy 
was due to pick her up in an hour for their first ever real date.  It 
was an understatement to say that Faith was a fucking nervous wreck.  

Faith turned and looked at the two witches when she heard a snicker 
come from over in their direction.

"This ain't funny!"  Faith started ranting, and started rummaging 
threw her closet again, throwing cloths." I can't go out lookin like 
a skanky whore. Who the fuck taught me how  to dress.  Look at these 
clothes. Fucking A! I can't go.  That's it!  I musta had a screw 
loose.  Who am I kidding..."  Faith trailed off when she heard the 
witches out and out giggling.  She turned towards them again.

"It's not funny!!!!  Who invited you here anyway.  You're no help.  
Come on its not funny!  Stop laughing."  

{Oh my god!  I'm whining.  I don't whine.}

Willow and Tara started laughing even harder, tears rolling down 
their faces.  As she watched them she started to see the humor in the 
situation.  Faith started laughing herself, she couldn't help it.  
How stupid was she being, it was pretty obvious by now Buffy could 
give two-shits what Faith wore.  The last three days with Buffy had 
been the most amazing of her life, and she had been in sweats and a 
tee-shirt for all of them, and Buffy didn't seem to mind at all.  
Still Faith wanted to look nice, they were after all going out to 
dinner, making their first public appearance as a couple.  She didn't 
want anyone wondering why the golden-haired slayer was out with the 
skanky slut.  Faith didn't give a damn what anyone thought of her, 
but she did care about what other people thought about Buffy.

"This issss just tooooooo cute..."  Willow choked out between fits of 
laughter.

"This is not cute. Its not funny. Its, its, its..."

Willow got up from the chaise deciding to help Faith now that it 
looked like she had calmed down.  She had tried before but had 
practically gotten covered in clothes as the dark slayer rejected 
just about everything in her closet, her dresser drawers, and the 
boxes that up until an hour ago had still been unpacked.

"Okay let's see what we've got here."  

Faith turned towards Willow about to start ranting again until she 
saw Willow standing less than a foot from her, hands on her hips in 
total 'Resolve Face'...

Even Faith knew better than to fuck with 'Resolve Face' Willow.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hi Buffy. Dawnie."  Tara had run downstairs to get the door while 
Willow helped Faith finish getting ready.  "Faith will be down in a 
minute."

Tara had to suppress the smile that was threatening to appear.  Buffy 
was rocking from foot to foot, it was obvious that she was just as 
nervous as Faith.  You would think that these two barely knew each 
other, but the more Tara thought about it in a way they really 
didn't.  Having sex with someone didn't mean squat when it came to 
knowing who a person was.  Both Buffy and Faith had changed a lot 
over the last year or so.  Granted Faith had changed a hell of a lot 
more, but Tara had a sneaky suspicion that Buffy's soul had always 
recognized who the real Faith was. It had just taken her a while to 
understand and accept that.  

It was so cute that they were trying to start over, both witches knew 
that it couldn't be easy.  Hell you couldn't stand too close to 
either of them when they were in the room together without getting 
scorched by the heat that was between them.  Secretly both witches 
were glad they were taking this time to get to really know each other 
instead of trying to pick up where they had left off and change it 
from there.  While Faith might still have a hard time believing it 
both Willow and Tara were pulling for her, pulling for both her and 
Buffy.  The witches knew, had absolutely no doubt that the 'Chosen 
Two' belonged together.

Tara and Willow had volunteered to watch Dawn.  It was Faith 
suggestion that they do it at the mansion since Glory didn't know 
about her.  They all thought it would be safest here.  Neither Buffy 
nor Faith liked the idea of leaving Dawn alone for too long, it had 
taken quite a lot of doing to get them to go out alone tonight.  

"So what movies did you get for us to watch Dawn?"  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy rose from the couch and started walking towards the stair when 
she heard Faith and Willow coming down.   Buffy stopped moving the 
second Faith came into view, she stopped breathing too.

Faith had on a pair of dove gray hip-hugger glove leather pants, with 
black platform 'Muro' boots. A silk gray v-neck sleeveless shirt, 
that had an even lighter stitched paisley design running threw it. 
She wore a full-length woman's lightweight black silk blend duster.  
Her raven hair was its customary wild 'finger-running' threw it 
look.  Her eyelids were done in brown and green tones of eye shadow 
to bring out the little specks of jade that were almost invisible in 
those dark brown eyes.  White eyeliner was used with a thin-line of 
dark brown liquid eyeliner drawn over the top of the white.  The 
combination of dark on light made her eyes appear even larger. Her 
black eyelashes seemed almost impossibly long. Instead of her 
customary red lipstick, her lips where outlined in a dark chocolate 
brown and glossed with a very light bronze.

Faith walked hesitantly towards Buffy, that whole shyness thing 
kicking in again.  

{Damn shoulda never let Red dress me, do the make up!  What the fuck 
is with this shy thing?}

Faith stopped in front of Buffy, feeling a little awkward, not really 
sure how to stand, what to do with her hands. Buffy saw the shyness 
in Faith's eyes, and if she could stop gawking long enough she could 
maybe say something.

"Is a.. this alri..."

"Beautiful. My god. You are beautiful... Not that you aren't all the 
time.. But.. Wow!..."

"Thank Red she..."  Faith nervously looked around for Willow and saw 
that everyone else had disappeared from the room.  She wasn't use to 
anyone telling her she was beautiful, other not so nice things yes, 
and those she knew how to respond to, but not beautiful.

Buffy had one of Faith's hands in hers and was removing the lifting 
glove from it before she had a chance to stop her.  Faith had refused 
to remove them even when Willow had pulled 'Resolve Face' on her 
again.  Buffy saw the panic flare up in Faith's eyes when it sunk in 
what she was doing.  Buffy didn't want to ruin this moment, this date 
by starting off this way, but she didn't want Faith to feel like she 
needed to hide her hands or the scars, just because she wasn't ready 
to talk about them.  

When Buffy had seen or rather acknowledge their presence in the 
hospital, she had wondered how Faith had gotten them.  Then over the 
course of the next two days when she had gotten a better look at them 
when Faith was sleeping she began to get a very good idea of how they 
had gotten there.  Her heart broke a little when she realized they 
were self inflicted and once again Buffy silently thanked Angel for 
seeing in Faith what she had refused to let herself see.  Buffy knew 
he had gotten Faith through this, had gotten her stop inflicting upon 
herself this self-mutilation.

"B don't! I like them.  Want to keep them on..."

"It's okay Faith.  I've seen the scars.  I refused to acknowledge 
them when I saw them before.  And I am ashamed of that.  Then at the 
hospital I... You don't have to tell me about them if you don't want.  
When you're ready you can tell me.  You don't have to hide them. I 
promise not to ask.  I can wait."  Buffy paused and smiled at her. 

"B... I want to tell you... I... its just... Its  still to hard... And my 
hands... they're ugly... they..."  

Faith was struggling she wanted to tell Buffy about it, she just 
couldn't yet.  Didn't even know if she could explain it.  Was a 
little afraid to travel back into that quiet dark place to tell her 
about it.  She could look at her hands now, she still saw/sensed the 
blood, but just acknowledged it presence, accepting it as part of 
her.  Though, every once in a while she still had nightmares about 
it.  The damage though she had done to her hands was ugly and she 
didn't want to let anyone see it.  Didn't want to see that pitying 
look in anyone's eyes when they realized how the scars had come to be.

"There is absolutely nothing ugly about you Faith.  Nothing ugly 
about those scars."  Then Buffy raised Faith's hand to her mouth and 
kissed the back of her hand very softly.

Still holding the dark slayers hand Buffy said a little shyly, a 
little embarrassed;

"I like the warmth of your hand in mine.  I know that's selfish of 
me. I can't help it.  I just like the feel of you."

Faith looked into Buffy's eyes, eyes that did not stare back at her 
with any pity.  Eyes that stared back at her with so much more, but 
pity wasn't any part of that more.  

Faith took off the other glove for herself. For the first time since 
Angel had bought them for her, she went out into the world without 
them and it wasn't because she had momentarily forgotten about the 
scars upon her hands.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They went to a nice little 'Family', as in gay, restaurant and dance 
club that Red and Blondie had told Faith about right outside of town.

They had a quiet dinner, just being together was enough, they held 
hands threw most of it.  Both of them got a good laugh first at the 
look the waiter had given them when they ordered so much food, then 
later when he came back to clear the table and saw they had eaten it 
all.  The look however he gave Faith when she asked him what they had 
for dessert was priceless.  Faith swore to Buffy after he left that 
he was ready to look under the table to see if they had hidden any 
food under there.  They weren't laughing so hard though when the bill 
came.  Unless one of them hit the lottery both slayer knew that they 
wouldn't be eating out a lot, it was just to expensive with the 
amount of food they ate.  Then again they could always eat a big 
snack before they went out to eat.  

Money was going to become an issue soon for Faith.  The money she had 
made while working for Angel wasn't going to last forever, she was 
going to need to find a job.  A real job.  Had Faith ever bothered to 
look at the balance for her checking account instead of just always 
throwing away the slips from the ATM machine, she would have been 
surprised to see how much money was actually in there. Without 
telling her Angel had taken a portion of her pay each week and given 
it to Wesley to invest for her, and as it turned out the investments 
had been good ones.

"I should start looking for a job.  Especially since I doubt the 
council is going to put me on the payroll."

"Do you know what you would like to do?"

"Never really thought about it much.  Figured it didn't matter ya 
know, being a slayer and all...  I never even finished high school.  
I guess I really won't have many choices in any case cause of that."

"What about getting your G.E.D. first.  Willow could help you.  Then 
maybe college."

"G.E.D. hmmm... That I could do.  College?  Don't know about that B.  
Me and college.  Not really the book smart type.  Street smart type 
is more like it."

"I don't believe that for a second.  I think you can do anything you 
set your mind to."

"You're just saying that cause you want to get in my pants."  Faith 
turned beet red.  Christ how the hell could she have said that?  

{Real smooth!  Way to go.  Way to impress Buffy.  Sure can dress me 
up but can't keep the trash out.}

"Your right about that.  Get in them. Oh yeah.  Get them off too..."  
Faith swore Buffy purred as she said that.  Before Faith had a chance 
to react Buffy got all serious on her again.

"You can do whatever you set your mind to.  You've already proven 
that.  You turned your whole life around Faith, not many people can 
do that."

"I had help.  Angel helped me.  I could never have done it without 
him."  Faith saw as the guilt flashed across Buffy's face, in a weird 
way she kind of almost felt an echo of it in herself.

"B... I didn't mean to... Ah fuck!"

"It's okay Faith.  He was the one that helped you.  We both know, we 
talked about this. I am glad he was there for you.  Glad someone was 
there for you.  When I couldn't, wouldn't be there for you.  In the 
long run though it was you who did this for yourself.  You who had to 
want to change.  You could have had a hundred people helping you, but 
if you didn't want to change it wouldn't have mattered.  Give 
yourself some, no, a lot of credit.  It was all you in the end."

What do you say to something like that?  Say to someone that has that 
much belief in you.  It kind of scared Faith in a way that Buffy 
believed in her so much, scared her because she was afraid to 
disappoint her.  The more though Faith thought about it the more she 
realized that Buffy was right, in the end it all came down to her 
making the choice to change.  To take back control of her life, going 
to Angel had been the first step.  The second had been asking for his 
help, so trying to kill him as a way to ask for it wasn't the best 
way she could have done it, there were better ways for sure.  Faith 
finally realized that asking for help didn't make you weak, wasn't 
something to be embarrassed about, it meant simply that you just 
needed help, and there was no shame in that.

"Maybe tomorrow we can go find out about me getting a G.E.D., not 
promising about the college thing though.  But I kinda always thought 
I would like to do something that helped deprived kids ya know.  I 
suppose I would have to go to school for that.  What do ya think B?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They sat at the table holding hands and talking for hours.  At first 
Faith was uncomfortable with Buffy holding her hands, with having her 
scars exposed so out in the open.  Expecting, that despite her 
promise Buffy would ask her anyway about the scars, but Buffy 
surprised Faith, she didn't ask once or even hint around or about 
them.  It was like she accepted them as part of Faith, much in the 
same way that Faith had accepted them herself.

It wasn't like Buffy was ignoring them either.  She was just waiting 
for Faith to tell her about them.  Faith realized after a while that 
for most of the night while Buffy had been holding her hands, she had 
been running her thumbs lightly across the scars.  Tracing them as if 
to soothe away the hurt, the pain, as if she understood the how and 
the why they came to be.  At some level Faith knew that Buffy did 
understand, did know the how and why.  Like Faith, Buffy had blood on 
her hands, only the blood on her hands was Faith's.  And Faith knew 
that Buffy still hadn't forgiven herself, and didn't really believe 
that Faith had forgiven her either. Had to believe otherwise the past 
would always haunt them, they would never really move past it.  Faith 
had to figure out a way to get Buffy to really believe within her 
heart that Faith had forgiven her and then she would be able to 
forgive herself.

"Hey."  Faith pulled herself out of her contemplation.  She smiled at 
Buffy.  "Want to dance Faith?"

"Sure."  Faith said before she realized it was a slow song.  Slow 
dancing wasn't something she was really experienced with.  Buffy was 
already pulling her towards the dance floor.  Faith tugged at her to 
stop, and Buffy turned giving her a quizzical look.

"B... I... well I don't really know how to slow dance."

"I do."  Buffy pulled a semi-reluctant Faith out to the dance floor 
before she had a chance to protest further.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy pulled Faith close to her, sliding her arms around her waist 
under her jacket.  Buffy began to move them as Faith arms came up and 
around her neck.  Their bodies brushing intimately against each 
other, thigh brushing thigh, hips pressed to hips, breast to breast.  
Buffy could feel Faith's heartbeat against her breast.

Faith leaned her forehead against Buffy's, her breath caressing 
Buffy's face.  She let Buffy move them slowly around the dance floor 
and not once did the thought occur to her that this would be the last 
time, like it had the only other time they had slow danced.

Faith ran her hand up the back of Buffy's neck to tangle in her 
hair.  Buffy tighten her arms around Faith in response. Her other 
hand ran down to Buffy's shoulder lightly massaging the muscle there, 
sliding up along the muscle along her collarbone with slight, almost 
non-existent touches, then back again.

Buffy's own hands were wandering in random patterns over Faith's 
back.  Liking the way the silk felt under hands, cool and smooth in 
contrast to the heat she could feel coming from Faith. Awaking in her 
a similar heat.  She ran one of her hands along Faith's side, her 
thumb grazing along the outside of Faith's breast and was rewarded 
with a low gasp from her.

Buffy's other hand moved lower down Faith's back pressing them 
closer.  A low moan escaped Buffy as she felt Faith's lips graze her 
ear, down to right below it to kiss her softly, her tongue sneaking 
out for a quick taste.  Buffy continued to move them around the dance 
floor her feet having a will of their own, dancing was the last thing 
on her mind.

Faith pulled back a little from her, her gaze traveling down to 
Buffy's mouth.  Buffy's lips parted slightly in anticipation as Faith 
began to lower her head towards her.  Her heart was beating wildly in 
her chest, she closed her eyes waiting, wanting that kiss.  That 
delectable mouth upon her, wanting to taste the sweetness that was 
Faith.

Faith lowered her head towards Buffy her own heart beating an erratic 
cadence in her chest.  She saw as Buffy's lips parted slightly in 
anticipation, as her eyes closed waiting for her kiss.  Her hand slid 
once more up the back of Buffy's neck to tangle in her hair, she 
moved Buffy's head towards her to meet her half way.  Then she found 
Buffy's mouth with her own. 

The rest of the world ceased to exist for the two slayers.  There was 
nothing but the feel of being in each other's arms.  Nothing but the 
feel of their mouths upon the other in that delicate, tender, sweet 
kiss. The sensation of tasting each other's breath, a feeling of 
breathing in each other souls.  The call of the other, as tongues 
touched, explored and tasted. The warm flow of passion that was 
running through both of their veins, the current of electricity that 
flowed between them.  Knowing that for right now this was enough, 
this slow building fire, this anticipation of what would eventually 
come, this feeling of falling in love all over again. Of at last 
falling in love with the each other they had both finally allowed the 
other to see.  Each knowing that what they had felt before did not 
even come close to what was beginning to happen between them now.  

Now that they had finally learned to see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...'Cause I can feel you breathe / It's washing over me / And suddenly 
I'm melting into you / There's nothing left to prove / Baby, all we 
need is just to be / Caught up in the touch / Slow and steady rush / 
Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be / I can feel you 
breathe / Just breathe... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"There is no way that all of us, and all of them are going to fit in 
the car!"

Faith, Buffy and Dawn where standing by one of the rides at the fair 
they decided would be a fun date for not only the slayers, but 
something they could do with Dawn.  Fifteen stuffed animals that 
Faith had won surrounded them, there would have been more had Buffy 
not stopped Faith.  

They had spent the night going on the rides, eating cotton candy, 
hamburgers, hot dogs, more cotton candy.  Buffy had fun watching the 
dark slayer all night, it was inconceivable to Buffy that Faith had 
never been to a fair before. Inconceivable that no one had ever taken 
Faith to one ever. All night long Buffy watched as Faith and Dawn 
giggled like little kids. How Faith seemed to find joy in the 
simplest of things.  From the thrill Faith got from going on her 
first ever roller coaster, begging to go on it again and again.  How 
she blushed when Buffy wanted to go on the 'Tunnel of Love' ride, how 
she seemed almost shy when Buffy took her hand into hers and held it 
the whole of the ride. How Faith dragged Buffy and Dawn from ride to 
ride, food stand to food stand.  The sound of her laughter, so young 
and carefree in the house of mirrors.  To her later grumbling under 
her breath when she couldn't find her way out of the maze.  The way 
she clutched Buffy's hand in a death grip when they went through the 
Haunted House.

Then Buffy had made the mistake of saying how cute the stuff animals 
all were, and Faith had found herself a mission.  She was determined 
to get every single different one for Buffy.

"Ah B, come on look how cute they are!"

"I didn't say they weren't cute.  All I said was that we all can't 
possible fit in the car."  

Faith knew Buffy was right, what the heck was she going to do with 
them?  She looked around and an idea came to her.  She picked up the 
little black teddy bear.  She walked over to a little boy who had 
been staring at all of the stuffed animals.  Faith smiled at his 
mother, who in spite of herself smiled back at the dark slayer.  
Bending down low so that she was at eye level with the little boy, 
she held out the teddy bear to him.

"This is for you."  The little boy looked up at his mother who nodded 
her head it was alright.  He turned and gave Faith a toothless smiled 
and took the teddy bear eagerly from her.
 
"Take good care of him, 'K."

"'K.  Thanks"

"Your welcome."  Faith waved good-bye and walked back over towards 
the Summers'.

Faith was rewarded by a  beautiful smile from them Summer's sisters 
when she reached them.  She snatched up a few more of the stuffed 
animals and looking around again headed off towards other little 
children to give them away.  Buffy noticed that the children Faith 
gave them to where the ones who seemed to come from poor families.  
Whose parents didn't have seem to have the means to waste twenty 
dollars trying to win a five dollar stuffed animal for their kids. 
Faith continued to amaze Buffy every day, this caring side of her, 
the way she noticed the little things, there was so much more to her 
than Buffy ever imagined.  It awed her how much Faith gave back to a 
world that had never given her much of anything at all.

Faith returned for the last time and held out her hands for the white 
and black stuffed panthers that Buffy was holding.

"Not these.  I want to keep them."   Something about the way Buffy 
said it aroused Faith's curiosity.
 
"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to keep them B?"

"Because."

"That's not an answer B."

"Well that's the only answer you're gonna get F!"

"Really..."  Faith started to advance on Buffy, and Buffy didn't like 
the 'evil' gleam in her eyes.  Buffy turned and started to run, she 
knew that 'evil' gleam.  

Dawn chased after the slayers, thinking 'Oh here we go again!', Dawn 
knew what that 'evil' gleam meant as well, it didn't matter which of 
them had it.

Faith caught Buffy on the field outside of the fair grounds and 
tackled her, twisting so that it was Faith who fell to the ground 
Buffy on top of her.  Faith quickly reversed their positions.  
Kneeling with a knee on either side of Buffy's waist, she looked down 
at the beautiful woman who was still holding the two panthers tightly 
to her chest.

"Last chance to tell B!"  Buffy shook her head no at Faith.  "Okay, 
don't say I didn't warn you."

Faith began tickling Buffy, who started yelling for her to stop, or 
she was going to pay in between fits of laughter. Buffy could get out 
of this, but she loved the almost child-like joy Faith got out of 
this.  She seemed so young and carefree, and in return it made Buffy 
feel the same way.  In a way it made them both feel like they were 
just two ordinary people.  Faith continued to tickle Buffy, until 
Dawn who had finally caught up, tackled her.  Now it was her turn to 
be tickled by Summer's sisters, begging them to stop, in between 
shrieks of laughter.  Then Buffy and Faith ganged up on Dawn, then 
Dawn and Faith on Buffy, until they were all gasping for breath, 
their sides hurting from laughing so hard, and tears were rolling 
down their faces.

Faith never did find out why Buffy wanted to keep the light and dark 
stuffed panthers.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next evening found Buffy pinned up against the padded wall in the 
training room.  Faith was holding both of Buffy's wrists with one of 
her hands above her head.  She leaned the upper part of her body into 
Buffy's, using her foot she placed it in between Buffy's and applying 
a little pressure widen the distances between Buffy's legs.  Then she 
moved between them and brought her lower body into intimate contact 
with Buffy's.  Starting at her thigh she delicately raked her nails 
up the length of it, over Buffy's hips, up her torso, the side of her 
breast. Faith then changed to using the pads of fingers to run up the 
sensitive underside of Buffy's arm, reaching her wrists, she switched 
hands and did the same in reverse down the other side of Buffy's 
body.  The sound of Buffy panting low in her ear, sent a vibration of 
heat straight down to coil in the pit of Faith stomach, then reach 
down and added more heat to Faith's already overheated center.  

When she could reach no further, Faith slid her body down Buffy's 
just far enough to kiss along the top of Buffy's workout shirt.  
Tasting with her tongue the sweat that was there both from their 
training session and from desire.  There was nothing like it. Faith 
could feel the heat and the moisture from Buffy's core hot upon her 
stomach.  Faith felt an answering moisture in her own core.  She slid 
her free hand up the back of Buffy's thigh, and slowly slid her body 
back up Buffy's, trailing her tongue, raking her teeth along her skin 
on her way to Buffy's neck.  She placed little love bites there, 
sucking on her skin, leaving little tiny marks.  Her hand came up to 
cup Buffy's ass and she pulled Buffy into her even more tightly.  
Buffy bucked up into Faith, this exquisite torment driving her crazy. 
Faith pressed back into her, moaning...

Her hand came round to slid over Buffy's stomach, and teasing dip 
below the waistband of Buffy's shorts, making a promise that neither 
slayer was ready to fulfill just yet.   Buffy's whole body felt like 
one hot current, there wasn't a part of her that wasn't tingling, 
oversensitive to the slightest touch from Faith.  At this point a 
kiss on the cheek caused both slayers to get soaking wet.  Neither 
could count the number of cold shower they took each day, but still 
they continued to torture each other.  Living each day in a haze of 
desire, lust, passion, in the heat that was between them waiting to 
be fulfilled.

Faith's hand slid further up Buffy's torso, over the top of her shirt 
to play with a painfully erect nipple.  She ran her fingers around 
it, racking her nails over it through the shirt. Then using the palm 
of her hand Faith raised Buffy's breast to her, dipping her head down 
to capture Buffy's nipple with her mouth through the shirt. Biting 
it, teasing it with hard flicks of her tongue, across it's sensitive 
tip, causing Buffy to moan with each touch.

Buffy struggled to get her hands free, needing to touch the dark 
slayer.  Wanting to feel that hot flesh beneath her hands.

"Faith..."  She moaned, and Faith felt herself get even wetter from the 
husky sound of her name on Buffy's lips.

Faith relented and let go of Buffy's wrists, wanting to feel her 
touch.  Every part of her body had become an erogenous zone over the 
last few days.  Faith had never experienced anything like this 
before.  Her other hand came down to torture Buffy's other nipple, 
until Buffy grabbed her forceful by the arms, bringing Faith up to 
her and leaning into her captured Faith's mouth.

Their kiss was wet, hot, wide open, each trying to devour the other.  
Their tongues dueling, running over each others teeth, lips, sucking 
them into each others mouth like candy.  Faith moaned into Buffy's 
mouth, the vibration of it ran straight down into Buffy' s core 
making her even more impossibly wet.  She pressed her hips up even 
harder into Faith who pressed back down in return, starting a rhythm 
between them.  Neither slayer knew how they were still standing.

They had been torturing each other like this for days now.  They 
still hadn't made love, they weren't quite sure why they were 
waiting.  Both wanted to more than anything they ever wanted to do in 
their whole lives, but still they waited.  Waited for something to 
tell them that the time was right, that the past had been completely 
forgiven, would not rise up to haunt them.  Would not be used as a 
weapon to hurt each other.  So they tortured each other with the 
kissing and the touching, the promising of more, the promising of a 
release that was yet to come.  They made out on the couch at night 
after Dawn went to sleep like high school kids, a new experience for 
Faith and one that Buffy was more than happy to teach her.  They had 
their hands on each other every second they had alone.  They were 
driving each other crazy and enjoying every minute of it.  They had 
found each of the others hidden, non-obvious erogenous zones.  They 
were learning each other's likes and dislikes, they were taking their 
time with each other.

Buffy had taught Faith over the last few days the difference between 
a sexual kiss and the 'I'm-happy-to-see-you' kiss, to the slow 
building passionate kiss, to the out and out 'I-want-you-now' kiss.  
The difference between I want to 'just touch' you because caress and 
the 'I want you' touch.

But they also spent hours talking, learning about each other.  
Surprising each other, having fun, giggling, laughing, even a few 
quarrels over what to watch on T.V.  They spent time alone with each 
other, time with Dawn, time with Willow, Tara, Anya, and Giles as 
they all started to get to know each other.  Discover who the real 
people where beneath the surface.  Only Xander was still reluctant to 
give Faith a chance.  She knew she needed to talk to him, but she was 
too caught up in the whirlwind that was Buffy right now to do it.

"I can't take much more of this.  God..."

Faith pushed herself away from Buffy, after all this waiting she 
didn't want the first time they did make love to be on the floor of 
the training room.  They stood staring at each other, their bodies 
pulsating with unfulfilled desire, a little bit unsteady, breathing 
erratically, but smiling.

The Faith stepped closer to Buffy and gathered her back into her 
arms, just holding her, loving the feel of her there.  The way it 
just felt right.  They held each other tightly waiting until their 
bodies calmed down enough so they could go face the rest of the 
world.  That was how Willow and Tara found them.

"S-s-s-sorry."

"No problem."  

The slayers moved apart, but remained holding hands.  They were 
comfortable showing their affection for each other in front of the 
witches and Dawn now, well not quite as affectionate in front of Dawn.

"Buffy, Dawn is out front she needs to talk to you."

"I'll  meet you out front I just want to wash up.  'K, B?"

Buffy gave Faith a quick kiss and went into the shop to see what her 
sister wanted.

"So guys everything set for tomorrow morning?"  

Faith had finally come up with an idea on how she might be able to 
get Buffy to forgive herself for stabbing Faith.  She just hoped it 
didn't backfire on her.  She had discussed it with Willow and Tara 
and they seemed to think that it was worth a shot.  Faith then 
enlisted their help.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They talked for about five minutes, the witches seemed to have 
everything under control.  Faith started to walk towards the bathroom 
to wash up when a wave.  No, not a wave, an echo of fear hit her, 
followed quickly by anger, only it wasn't hers, it was Buffy's.  
Without even giving a second thought to how she knew this or why she 
was feeling it Faith ran for the front of the Magic Shop.

She skidded to a stop when she entered the store when she saw who 
Buffy was facing off against.  Faith didn't know them personally but 
she knew who they worked for.  Fear rushed through her like wild 
fire, panic was hot on its heels.

{NO! NO! NO!  Why can't they just leave me alone?  WHY?}

Buffy turned towards Faith the second she came into the room.  This 
time Buffy got the echo of emotions, Faith's fear and panic 
reverberating in her.  It was odd this echoing thing, but she didn't 
have time to dwell on it now.  Buffy walked towards Faith, smiling at 
her reassuringly and Faith started moving to meet her half way.   
The 'Chosen Two' stood side by side facing down the three members of 
the Watchers Council.  

"Tell the others to get their asses in here and to stand where I can 
see them Quentin."  Buffy demanded.  

Quentin Travers nods to one of the other men with him who looks more 
like hired muscle than a watcher.  The man leaves the shop and 
returns quickly with four other well muscled Watchers.  Although 
Quentin hadn't said why he was here yet, there wasn't a person in the 
shop that doesn't know the reason.  They were here for Faith, they 
were going to be in for a big surprise.  They had been searching for 
her since she had gotten out of jail, but Angel had kept her well 
hidden.  Had kept the fact that a slayer was working for him in L.A. 
when she had been well enough to do so very quiet.  Kate had set up a 
fake paper trail for him that led to the East Coast, which is where 
they had been looking.  

It was only shear luck they had found out that Faith was here.  They 
still had a spy working for them at the hospital who had called them 
just yesterday to let them know that Faith was here in Sunnydale.  
Their spy had been on holiday when Faith had her run in with the 
tombstone.  They had arrived on the first flight in, and had come 
here to speak with Giles and Buffy about helping them capture her.  
The council was still under the mistaken belief that the two slayers 
were enemies.  They didn't want a rogue slayer on the loose.

"Since I doubt you are all here for tea and bisques, mind telling me 
what the hell you are doing here?  We had a deal. Remember Quentin?"  

Buffy folded her arms across her chest.  She had gotten control of 
her initial anger, there was a cold calm detachment to her tone.  She 
was trying to in the same way that they shared their 'aura' with each 
other while they practiced Tai-Chi together, to share her calmness 
with Faith now.  Buffy visualized it surrounding them both, and again 
felt that odd little echo of Faith's emotions come back to her, and 
this time knew that Faith felt it too from her.  Knew because Faith 
had whispered low only for her ears, 'Thanks B. Okay now.'.

"I think you already know the reason we are here."

"Why don't you tell me, tell us so that we are all clear on it.  I 
would hate for us to be on two different pages, you know what I 
mean?  Especially since we were all just beginning to play so nicely 
together again."

"Perhaps, you, Giles and myself should talk about this privately."

"Not happening."

"But I think..." 

"Well I don't.  It's not gonna happen. So speak."

"We've come for her to take her back to England."

"You mean like you did the last time?"

"Well, no.  We want to reeducate her.  She needs to atone for what 
she did."  Quentin is clearly uncomfortable now. He had been 
expecting assistance not resistance.

"She has already atoned for what she did.  I guess even the mighty 
council couldn't get to her when she was in jail.  Lucky for her.  As 
for you're reeducation, I know first hand what kind of reeducation 
you people believe in."

"Ms. Summers you have to understand, to know that she is unstable."

"I understand nothing and for the record Faith is not unstable."

"After all she did to you?  Did to your family, your friends.  She 
tried to kill your lover.  She stole your body."

"Your point is?"

"You can't possibly expect that we would let her run free.  She needs 
help.  She needs to be trained properly.  Only we can provide that 
for her."

"Faith has everything she needs right here.  There is nothing that 
you can provide for her, nothing she even remotely needs from you!  
She isn't going anywhere with you.  Not now! Not ever!"

"I am afraid that it isn't your choice Ms. Summers"

"No you're right it isn't B's choice.  It is mine! And I'm not going 
anywhere with you people! I kinda like breathing."

"I am afraid that it isn't your choice either young lady." This was 
not the way he wanted to play this.  One uncontrollable slayer was 
enough, two was unacceptable.  He was still chafing over his last 
meeting with the 'Chosen One' not that long ago, still angry she had 
managed to get the upper hand over him.

"Think long and hard before you do something stupid Quentin.  
Especially since it hasn't been that long since we all kissed and 
made up.  So that there is no misunderstanding between us.  Faith is 
not going anywhere with you people.  She is part of my family and no 
one. NO ONE touches my family.  You will have to go through me to get 
to her.  So if you think you can beat me give it your best shot."

"And me." Dawn moved over to stand beside her sister and Faith.

"As well as me." Giles joined the slayers.

"And us." Holding hands the witches also joined the slayers.

"Us too." Xander came and stood next to Faith.  He smiled at her, he 
was still angry but this was his family come hell or high water and 
he was one hundred percent behind Buffy when it came to family. No 
one touched his family.  Anya stood next to him.

"Don't forget me luv."  Spike came out of the back, where he had been 
hiding and watching, to join the gang in their unified front.

Faith's eyes widen in amazement and gratitude as they all surrounded 
her.  Once again the dark slayer was humbled and awed, but not just 
by Buffy, but by all of them.  These people who she had caused so 
much pain, had hurt, had threatened to kill where standing up for 
her.  Thought that she was worth fighting for, thought she had 
something to offer.  Any doubts that Faith had about her own self-
worth, what she had to offer to others, about not being good enough 
where forever destroyed in that moment. 

Quentin knew when he was beaten, at least for now.  He would let them 
think this was over, but for him it was far from over.  He looked at 
Giles.

"She is your responsibility."

"One which I am honored to accept."

"We will be monitoring you and your new charge." Quentin nodded to 
them and turned to leave.  Just before he walked out the door Buffy 
stopped him.

"Quentin."  Buffy waited for him to turn back around before 
continuing.  "One or two minor things.  Since Giles now has two 
slayers to watch, I believe his salary should double.  Faith will be 
put back on the payroll.  It also seems she might be going to college 
next fall, I'm thinkin the 'Watchers Council' should pay for that as 
well."  Buffy waited for Quentin's nod of agreement, which he finally 
gave. 

Quentin started turning once more to leave only to be stopped by 
Buffy again.

"Oh and one more thing.  Do your watching from across the ocean.  And 
so I am very clear.  If anything should happen to Faith. Anything out 
of the ordinary, an accident perhaps?  Anything that I even think 
smells of the council well I... I just might have to tell Glory that 
this key she is looking for... well that the council has had it all 
along.  That if she wants  to know where it is she should talk to you 
personally... She would believe me, funny thing she seems to know about 
our previous history... And if by chance something should happen to 
Faith after we take care of Glory.  Something that I think smells 
like the council... It won't be vampires I hunt anymore..."

Quentin left the Magic Shop with the sound of Buffy's threat ringing 
in his ears.  He had just seen for himself first hand the dark side 
of who everyone called the light slayer and it scared him.  No one in 
the shop really believed that it was completely over. For now though 
they had a cease-fire.  At least until the threat of Glory was gone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I... I don't know what to say..."  

Faith had to stop herself.  She was in awe of them, and even though 
she didn't want to she started to cry.  She was used to having to 
fight for herself.  She did not doubt that Buffy and Dawn would stand 
beside her but she never expected the rest of them too.  She knew the 
L.A. group would have if they were here, but the Scoobs, and even 
Spike.  It overwhelmed her.  She wiped the tears away with the back 
of her hands and tried again.

"I... thank you all... For standing up for me... I can't believe... after 
all... I just never..."

Willow took pity on the dark slayer, not in sense that she felt sorry 
for her, but in the sense of how hard she was struggling to find the 
right words to express her feelings.

"No biggie. I mean you are part of our happy little family now.  This 
is what family does for each other. You know stand up for each 
other.  Save each other from vamps and evil things.  Annoy each 
other.  Get on each other's nerves. Lend money.  Do favors. General 
nice things. You know family things.  Of course now that means you're 
stuck with us. Which is a good thing and a bad thing.  But not a bad 
thing in a bad way but in a good sort of way.  You know like..."

"I get it Red.  Thanks.  Thank all of you."  Faith smiled at them.  
They thought of her as family, she was a little shell shocked by it.  
There was still one member of the family though that she had to make 
things right with.

"X-man we gotta talk." Faith walked over to Xander and grabbing him 
by the arm dragged him towards the door to the training room not 
giving him a choice.

"Thank you for what you did.  I know things still aren't right 
between us.  I can understand that.  I can appreciate that now.  What 
I did was wrong.  I'm not even sure if I can explain to you why I did 
it.  Even if I could it still wouldn't make it right."

"Why don't you try to explain it to me Faith. I think I deserve to 
know why." There was less anger in Xander's voice, but the hurt was 
still there.  Somehow Faith knew it had more to do with the way she 
had used him as opposed to her trying to strangle him. 

"I used you and treated you like trash. I treated you how I was 
treated my whole life. I didn't know any better, was afraid to know 
any better. But you kept coming back.  You tried to make me see 
myself in another way and I was afraid of that.  Afraid of what you 
were offering and I knew that you would keep on trying.  I didn't 
believe I was worth it.  I was afraid if I even tried that in the end 
I would end up destroying you.  So I did the only thing I could think 
of to finally get you to see me the way I saw myself.  I can never 
tell you how sorry I am for that.  You were the only one who really 
tried whole heartily... Not even B did that.  I'm sorry I hurt you 
Xander, I really am."

Faith held Xanders eyes with her own. Hoping that he would see the 
truth in them.  See all that she was trying to tell him.

"Apology accepted Faith."  

Xander looked at her.  He was starting to see her for the first 
time.  He had thought he had known her two years ago, but he really 
hadn't.  He understood what she had been trying to tell him without 
actually saying it out loud.  He wondered how she had managed to make 
it this far, survived this long all alone.  The hurt he was feeling, 
the betrayal began to ebb, the anger was gone.  He had changed, hell 
he was dating an twelve-hundred-year-old ex-vengeance-demon.  Anya 
had caused more damage, more hurt to others than Faith could hope to 
in three life times, and he had forgiven her. Hadn't he?

Faith smiled tentatively at Xander and for the first time he smiled 
back at her.  The hurt was still there but he wasn't angry anymore.

For once when Faith exited a room with one of the Sunnydale crew 
after a heart to heart, the rest of them weren't hovering around 
waiting for some kind of disaster or brawl.  They had all finally 
given her their trust, finally no longer thought of her as a threat.  
She was family after all and family did not hurt family.  At least 
not their family.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 'Chosen Two' woke up on the couch the next morning a little over 
an hour before dawn.  Buffy had insisted that Faith spend the night 
at her house after what happened with the council.  Faith had not 
protested, she didn't want to be alone anyway.  In any case she 
didn't need an excuse to spend the night with Buffy, just wanting to 
be with each other was enough excuse for both of them.

"Come on sleepy head we need to get dressed before Red and Blondie 
get here."

Faith jumped up off the couch before Buffy had a chance to distract 
her.  Which wasn't hard at all these days.  Buffy mumbled some kind 
of protest, but Faith knew better than to get within arms reach of 
the golden-haired slayer.

"Not gonna work B."

They had barely finished dressing when a quiet knock came from the 
front door.  Faith opened the door and found two very sleepy witches 
standing there.

"Big time. Owe us so big time Faith." Tara mumbled at her as they 
walked in and headed straight for the couch.

They were asleep before the door closed behind the  'Chosen Two'.

"So you never did tell me where you were taking me Faith."  Buffy 
asked as they walked hand in hand threw Sunnydale.

"Um... Not gonna either B."  Try as hard as she could Faith couldn't 
keep the nervousness out of her voice, they were getting close to 
their destination, and she wasn't sure how Buffy was going to react.

{Great plan.  What if it backfires.  Maybe I should have thought 
about this more.  Gotta do this. We gotta get past this.  Have to.  
Otherwise...}

Faith stopped her musing when her arm was almost torn out of its 
socket, when Buffy had stopped walking tightening her grip on Faith's 
hand, while Faith had continued walking.

"Faith?"  There was a tremor in Buffy's voice.  Faith didn't have to 
ask, she knew Buffy realized where Faith was taking her.  

Faith turned around and faced Buffy, closing the distance between 
them.  She grabbed up both of Buffy's hands into hers and looked 
deeply into her eyes.

"You know I would never do anything to hurt you. Hurt us.  Don't you 
B?"

"Yes."  Buffy answered her without the slightest hesitation, and 
Faith knew she was speaking the truth.

"Then can you just trust me?  Trust me cause we need to do this.  
Need to, to make it finally all right."

Buffy nodded her head, again without the slightest hesitation.  They 
started walking again in silence to where the last of their bad 
memories lay, to where Faith hoped that by the time the sun rose in 
the morning sky they would finally be laid to rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They walked into Faith's old apartment, the one the mayor had given 
her.  The apartment where one slayer had wanted her life to end and 
the other had been there to end it.

Buffy stood just inside of the entrance.  The memory of that day 
still fresh, like the guilt, the regret, the loss, the remorse.  She 
sees the ghost of Faith reclining on the bed, reading a comic book, 
sees her own ghost shut off the stereo.  As the ghost of Faith rolls 
off the bed and faces her, locking eyes.  As Buffy's own voice 
reaches out to her from the past:

"Thought I'd stop by."

"Is he dead yet?"  Ghost Faith smiles at her, while Buffy's, Faith 
comes up behind her and wraps her arms around her.  

She is listening too, can see this day as clearly as Buffy, can her 
the voices from the past whispering to her too.  They are once again 
sharing this odd echoing of emotions from each other.  Faith knows 
now that coming here was the right thing to do, knows Buffy hasn't 
forgiven herself.  Knows that Buffy doesn't truly believe that Faith 
has forgiven her either.

"He's not gonna die. Good try, though. "A" for effort. Your plan?"  
Ghost Buffy's voice is hard, cold.

"Uh-huh. Mayor got me the poison. Said it was wicked painful." There 
is almost a gleeful sound to ghost Faith's voice.

"There's a cure."

"Damn. What is it?"

"Your blood."  A flicker of surprise goes across ghost Faith's face 
as she takes in what ghost Buffy has told her.  Then a flicker of 
understanding is there.

"As justice goes, it's not unpoetic. Don't you think?"

"You come here to get me? Gonna feed me to Angel?" There is almost 
the sound of relief in ghost Faith's voice.  A knowing that it is 
finally going to be over.  Ghost Buffy nods at her. "You know you're 
not gonna take me alive."

"That's not a problem." Ghost Buffy says.

The 'Chosen Two' watch and listen as the ghost of themselves finish 
playing out the past.  As they begin to fight, exchanging blows, 
hurting, punishing each other.  They follow their ghosts out onto the 
roof terrace. Then over to the edge of the roof by the ledge where 
the last of the nightmare plays out.

Ghost Faith moves ghost Buffy closer to the edge of the roof, she 
clearly has the upper hand.  With sincerity she says;

"Man, I'm gonna miss this..."

Ghost Buffy wrenches her arm free with the knife and buries it into 
ghost Faith's stomach.  She watches the shock spread across that 
beautiful face, a tiny stream of blood coming from her mouth, and she 
pulls the blade free and watches as ghost Faith clutches at her 
stomach as she starts to sag, then throws an uppercut sending her 
halfway across the roof to land on her back.

"You did it..." There is both confusion and pride in her voice as she 
looks at the ghost of Buffy. "You killed me."  The ghost of Faith 
looks over the side of the ledge. "Still won't help your boy, 
though."  She smiles at the ghost of Buffy there is a numbness to it, 
a dead look in her eyes. "You shoulda been there, Buff. Quite a ride."

The ghost of Faith leans back and in a slow, graceful twisted way 
falls over the side.  The ghost of Buffy runs over and hears a skull 
crushing impact, as she looks over the edge of the building she see 
the twisted bleeding unnaturally still body of ghost Faith laying on 
the bed of a moving truck.

"No..."  She says in an empty small voice.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 'Chosen Two' stood holding each other as the memories faded.  
Faith could feel Buffy trembling in her arms. Hears her as she keeps 
saying I'm sorry, over and over under her breath.  Buffy pulls free 
of Faith and falls down to her knees, sobbing.  Faith walks around 
her and kneels in front of her, she gathers Buffy's hands into hers, 
as her own tears fall to join that of the golden-haired slayer.

"Buffy."  Faith whispers softly, and Buffy looks up at her in 
surprise. Faith smiles at her softly seeing the surprise mixed in 
with all of the other emotions that Faith is all too familiar with 
herself. "Yeah B.  I know your whole name."

And despite everything that she is feeling Buffy can't help but let 
out a soft laugh at that inane statement.

"I'm sorry Faith." It sounded so inadequate to Buffy.  There would 
never be a way to fully express the guilt, the remorse she felt.

"I know that B. I'm sorry too.  But you have to forgive yourself.  
You have to let yourself move past this.  So we can move past this. 
You have to believe that I have forgiven you."

Buffy looks down at her hands that are clasped in the dark slayers, 
and when she raises her eyes back up to Faith, Faith knows exactly 
what Buffy had seen when she was looking at her hands.  Faith sees it 
on her own hands everyday.

"I don't know if I can Faith.  There blood. I see blood on my hands... 
your blood.  I feel dirty inside.  Like something sick has moved in 
there and it's eating me alive.  Haunting me.  I hurt you, I tried to 
kill you.  How can you ever forgive that? How can I?"

"I'm not going to lie to you.  You did hurt me. You did try to kill 
me.  And I have forgiven you.  And you can forgive yourself.  I know 
you can, because I've learned to forgive myself.  I can help you if 
you'll let me.  It's not going to be easy.  You may forgive yourself, 
but you will never forget.  It will be something you will carry with 
you forever.  But if you don't it will in the end destroy you, 
destroy us, destroy any chance for us.  You will carry the blood on 
your hands just like I do.  The sickness you feel inside is the guilt 
and you're right it will keep on eating you alive if you let it.  I 
know. I know what it can do to you.  It's how I got the scars on my 
hands.  If you'll let me I will tell you about it."

Faith drew Buffy up to her feet.  Holding her hand she walked them 
over to the other side of the roof terrace, where a blanket was 
spread out on the ground a small basket sat upon it.  Faith silently 
thanked the witches for doing this for her.  Faith sat down upon the 
blanket and opened her arms to Buffy.  She waited holding her breath 
waiting for Buffy to decide.  It came out in a whoosh of relief when 
Buffy came down onto the blanket and crawled into the waiting arms of 
the dark slayer.

"When I was in jail there was this woman Ridge..." Faith began softly.  

Faith told Buffy the tale of how she began to forgive and heal 
herself.  There were things she left out, things Buffy knew that went 
further back from before any one of them knew Faith.  As Faith told 
her story of how she learned to forgive herself and to heal, Faith 
gave to Buffy the courage to began to heal and forgive herself.

As the 'Chosen Two' sat upon the rooftop dispelling the bad memories, 
creating a new one of trust, the sun rose into the sky, bringing with 
it the promise of hope for the new day.  This time it also gave a 
gift to the 'Chosen Two' as it crushed that last of the walls that 
separated them.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Caught up in the touch / Slow and steady rush / Baby, isn't that the 
way that love's suppose to be / I can feel you breathe / Just 
breathe / I can feel the magic floating in the air / Being with you 
gets me that way 
- Faith Hill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They spent the morning up on the roof terrace.  Faith told Buffy 
everything that had happened to her after she had gone to jail.  Then 
all of what had occurred after Angel had come for her at the 
courthouse.  How he had taken care of her.  How 'Queen C' had taken 
over when he had temporarily gone mad, how Cordy had enlisted the aid 
of Wesley and Gunn.  How she had worked for Angel before she came 
here, her struggle the first time when she actually had to stake a 
vamp.  Finally the story leading up to her coming back to Sunnydale.

Buffy moved out of Faith's arms, and turned to face her, kneeling.  
She reached out and gently wiped away the tears from Faith eyes.  
Tears Faith hadn't even realized she was crying.  She gently cupped 
that beautiful face between her hands.

"Have I ever told you how amazing I think you are.  How proud I am of 
all that you've done.  How honored I am just to know you.  How much 
you awe me.  How humbled I am by you.  How I admire that you aren't 
afraid to show the world who you are or how much you care..."

"Enough B.  You're gonna give me a big head!"  Faith laughed softly, 
pulling Buffy back down into her arms, placing a tender kiss on her 
lips.

Then softy Faith told her, "Those are all the things I saw in you.  
All the things I still see and feel about you.  Things that you 
always were, things that you are now, things that no matter what you 
do will always be. Always be to me."

Buffy snuggled back into those strong arms, feeling safe, feeling 
loved, feeling forgiven.  Faith began to gently probe her with 
questions.  Drawing Buffy out, getting her to talk about what 
happened in the same manner that Angel had gotten her to talk.  
Letting her release it all, all the dark demons that had been 
haunting her.  The demons that had nothing to do with Faith, the 
demons that had everything to do with Faith.  The things that had 
nothing and everything to do with each other.  Faith directed the 
conversation like a conductor, leading Buffy to the road she had been 
on and after they had finished talking they lay secure in each 
other's arms.  Comfortable in the silence, and Faith knew that Buffy 
was well on the road to healing and forgiving herself.  There was 
nothing left to stand in their way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel you / Your sun it shines / I feel you / Within my mind / You 
take me there...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had barely made it in the door before Dawn rushed them.

"Willow and Tara said I could sleep over.  They're gonna teach me 
some spells! SocanIcanIBuffy? Pleaseeeee!"

Faith had to hide her smile behind her hand when she saw that there 
was already a bag packed by the bottom of the stairs.

"Well can I?"  Dawn impatiently asked again.

"Well... I don't know Dawn..."  

Dawn turned and looked at Faith begging her with her eyes to help her.

"Come on B.  What harm can it do."  Faith said playing along with 
Buffy.

"I don't know Faith.  You know spells and things.  I mean she could 
get hurt."

"I'll be careful I promise.  Please Buffy!"

Buffy leaned against the wall, rubbing her chin pretending to think 
about it.  Dawn looked pleadingly at Faith again.

"The kid said she'd be careful.  I 'm sure Red and Blondie won't 
teach her anything bad.  Right guys?"

"Right no bad spells... Just good spells... No bad type spells... 
Like blowing up spells... or turning people into furry things...  You 
know like the spell I did... Ah... forget that..."

"Right what Willow said I think..."  Tara said pretending to be 
confused. Actually she was confused. Wondering if Willow really did 
blow something up, she already knew about Willow turning Amy into a 
rat.

"Still..."  Buffy said.  "I don't know..."

Dawn took a good look at her sister.  She had that 'evil' gleam in 
her eyes, like the one she got just before a tickle fest was heading 
someone's way.  Buffy was teasing her, she knew it!

"You're teasing Buffy!  That's not fair!"

"Of course I am.  Why wouldn't I let you stay with Will and Tara?"  
Buffy smiled at her sister.  "Why don't you go pack a bag."

Faith started laughing, and was joined by the others, Buffy watched 
them confused. 

"What's so funny?"

"You know for a slayer sometimes you're powers of observation are 
severely lacking."  Faith pointed at the bag by the stairs.

"Why you..."  Buffy looked at Dawn.  "You already knew I would say yes 
didn't you?"

"Well I kinda hoped you would."  Then Dawn surprised her sister, by 
hugging her quickly.  "Thanks." 

Dawn ran over and grabbed her bag.

"Did you remember to pack your toothbrush."  'God,' Buffy thought 'I 
sound like Mom'.

Dawn shook her head no, and Buffy pointed towards the stairs.  Dawn 
rushed up them two at a time.

"Pack your travel one, not the other one." Buffy yelled up after her.

"So what are you two going to do on your Dawn free night?"  Goddamn 
if all four of them didn't turn beet red after Willows innocent 
question.

"Well Faith here has to go meet Giles for her physical therapy 
session for her shoulder, and of course her stamina training.  Seems 
that Giles thinks Faith has a little problem with her stamina, as he 
says, 'Buffy did you notice as of late Faith seems to be quite winded 
after training'.  What could I do?"  Buffy couldn't stop the 
amusement in her tone.

"Ya coulda said no B!  After all its your fault.  What do you have, 
radar or something? It's like you know two minutes before he's going 
to walk into the training room."  Faith pouted.  

It was like Buffy really did have radar, over the last few days right 
before Giles would come and check how their training was going Buffy 
would attack Faith.  Leaving her breathing heavy just when Giles 
walked in.  They thought he was oblivious to the fact that Faith's 
labored breathing had nothing to do with training and everything to 
do with Buffy, and Buffy's hands, her mouth, just her in general.  
Neither slayer knew Giles as well as they thought they did, thus his 
suggestion for the new addition to Faith's training routine.  He 
might be old by their standards but he had been young once too, he 
was waiting to see how far they would let this go, before they told 
him about their relationship.  It saddened him a little that Buffy 
didn't feel comfortable enough to tell him about it yet.  Or tell him 
about what happened between them even before this, he wished that she 
had. Maybe things could have turned out differently the first time if 
she had.

"I'm sorry baby."  Buffy walked over and put her arms around the 
pouting dark slayer.  "How about I make it up to you?  While you're 
training I'll go shopping and when you get back to the Mansion I'll 
have dinner waiting for you... And of course dessert..." The last part 
was said so low and throaty that Faith felt her knees get weak, and 
herself get wet at the thought of just what or rather who she would 
like to have for dessert.  

Faith was  ready to burst, a single touch from Buffy after all the 
days of torturous foreplay was all it would take to send her 
spiraling over the edge.  The temperature in the room rose about a 
hundred degrees.  Even the witches began to sweat. 

"You don't play fair B."  Faith groaned under her breath, as she felt 
Buffy's hand slide down and lightly caress her ass out of view of the 
witches.

"Found it!  Let's go!"  Dawn screamed running down the stairs.

"Hold up there a second Dawn." Buffy said, halting her sister's 
headlong rush out the front door.  "Be good and listen to Will and 
Tara.  Faith why don't you walk with them since you have to go to the 
Magic Shop anyway. "  Faith didn't argue, knowing that Buffy was a 
little worried about Dawn being out alone even if she was with the 
two witches.  

"Sure B."  Faith stole a quick kiss, as she moved to go out the 
door.   

Buffy stopped her for a second and said for her ears only, "Call me 
when you're done.  I'll make sure that everything is ready when you 
get home."

Faith leaned back a little from Buffy and looked her directly in the 
eyes.  Both knew without saying that the time was right for them to 
take the next step in their relationship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel you / Your sun it shines / I feel you / Within my mind / You 
take me there...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Honey I'm home..."  Faith yelled as she came threw the door of the 
Mansion, her nervousness getting the best of her.

She didn't know why she was so nervous, it wasn't like they hadn't 
done this before.  But she knew that wasn't true, this was 
different.  This wasn't a 'Get some, Get gone' deal, a quick fuck in 
bathroom and then a see-ya-bye thing.  This was different, it felt 
different and with all her heart the dark slayer wanted it to be 
different.  Wanted to know what it was like to have someone touch her 
with love, not just lust, wanted to touch Buffy, be with Buffy in the 
same way.  Faith was afraid she wouldn't know how, afraid she would 
disappoint her.  What Faith didn't realize was that she had always 
touched Buffy that way, it had always been in her touch, in her eyes, 
for her it had always been more than just simple lust, she had just 
never given full rein to those feelings.  And in a small way it 
always had been that way for Buffy too.

"In here."  Buffy yelled from the kitchen.  She kept her voice light; 
she was nervous, and if she knew Faith the way she thought she did, 
then Faith was probably a hundred times more nervous than Buffy was.  
Buffy had gotten another of those weird little echoes of Faith's 
emotions the second she had come through the door.  They had always 
been able to sense each other's presence, sense how each other felt. 
But this was different, it was like she was getting a muffled version 
of  what Faith  actually felt.  She needed to talk to Giles about 
this, there was a lot she needed to talk to Giles about.  Now however 
was not the time to think about that.  Now was the time to center her 
thoughts around Faith.

Buffy wanted this to go right, wanted it to be perfect.  They were 
both like over-wound tops, it would be so easy after this week to 
just rush it, reduce it back to nothing but lust.  The romance, the 
anticipation weren't new to her, this was just a little different, 
they had already been together, but this was something more, and 
Buffy wanted to make sure that she showed this to Faith.  For Buffy, 
tonight was all about Faith.  All about showing and giving to Faith 
everything she should have had from the beginning.  They both needed 
to relax and Buffy had just the thing in mind, a little unfinished 
business one might say.  

"Hey." Faith stood fidgeting by the counter.  

"Hey."  Buffy walked over and folded Faith into her arms.  She 
pressed a soft kiss on the base of her neck, not quite able to stop 
herself from taking a quick taste of the sweat that was there.  "Why 
don't you go shower and change while I finish in here."  

Buffy gently detangled herself from Faith and gave her a light shove 
towards the stairs.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith walked into her bedroom shedding her clothes as she went.  When 
she sat down on the chaise lounge she looked around.  The bedroom was 
clean, Buffy had cleaned her bedroom.  Now that she thought about the 
whole Mansion was clean. While Faith wasn't dirty, she wasn't very 
neat either, so she reasoned, it had to be B.  

Upon the bed there was a single white and red rose wired together, 
the roses where flanked by the white and black stuffed panthers Faith 
had won for Buffy at the fair.  Faith knew that each different color 
rose meant something but she didn't know what.  She picked them up 
and smelled them, she loved the smell of roses, actually all flowers, 
she loved flowers.  Another of her well kept 'Bad Girl' secrets.  As 
for the panthers she still didn't know why Buffy had wanted to keep 
them.  She reminded herself to ask about them tonight.

She finished getting undressed, actually picking up her clothes and 
throwing them in the hamper.  Naked she padded over to the closed 
bathroom door, she opened it and stopped in her tracks.

The bathroom was lit by what must have been close to fifty candles.  
They flickered in the slight breeze creating dancing shadows upon the 
marble wall.  The Jacuzzi tub was filled and steaming the jets 
already on keeping the water warm. There was an alluring scent rising 
from the steaming water. Faith wasn't sure what it was, but whatever 
it was smelled both heavenly and sensuous at the same time.  Next to 
the tub was a little table that hadn't been there earlier today and 
it was the same height as the tub, making it easy for the person in 
it to reach whatever they might put on it. Hanging on a hook by the 
tub there was a brand new deep, dark purple, almost black, silk 
robe.  Faith touched the robe liking the feel of the silk beneath her 
fingers, its smooth texture, soft, and delicate.  There were two very 
large black bath pillows, and a large, soft-looking body sponge.

{Wow!  B did this for me?  Wow!  I wonder if she'll believe me if I 
tell her I need help washing my hair again?}

Faith climbed gratefully into the tub.  She dunked her head under 
wetting her hair, then she leaned her head back resting it on one of 
the pillows. Faith relaxed into the silky, seductive heat of the oil 
scented water, closing her eyes.  Faith let herself drift off into a 
light sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...You take me where / The kingdom comes / You take me to / And lead me 
through Babylon...  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Knock. Knock."  Faith opened her eyes slowly and saw a vision 
standing in the doorway of the bathroom. "I thought you might be 
thirsty or want some company."

Buffy walked into the bathroom. In her hand she carried an ice bucket 
with a bottle of... was that champagne in the bucket? In her other 
hand she had two  flute glasses with a strawberry in each.  She had 
on a dark amber silk robe that looked to be exactly like the one that 
was hanging on the wall for Faith.  Her hair hung loosely around her 
shoulders, she didn't have a trace of makeup on, there was a hint of 
mischief in her hazel eyes, and a soft sensuous smiled played around 
her lips.  Faith was speechless all she was capable of was staring at 
the vision before her.

"You don't mind if I join you? Do you Faith?"  Her tone was light 
almost casual.  She waited for Faith to answer her.

"N-n-n-o."  

{Did I say that out loud? I did not just stutter.  When did I start 
stuttering?} 

Buffy moved closer to the side of the tub and smiled at Faith.  It 
was a very wicked smile, a fucking downright 'Cat-that-ate-the-
canary' smile.  A smile that made Faith shudder in anticipation.
 
"Good... because... you know... we never really did get to finish that last 
bath...  Well... At least not the way I would have liked to..."  

Buffy voice flowed over Faith in the same silky, seductive way the 
water in the bath flowed around her.

Buffy put down the ice bucket and the glasses on the table. She 
looked at Faith in the tub than at where the table was, and then 
moved it a little off to the other side.  She poured champagne into 
each glass.  Locking her eyes with Faith's she slowly untied the sash 
of the robe then slid it from her to the floor.  Her smile grew a 
little larger as Faith eyes widen upon seeing what she had on 
underneath, or rather what she didn't have on underneath.

{ Christ I'm gonna have a heart attack just looking at her.  OHGOD!}

Buffy climbed into the tub with her, sliding down the side facing her 
sideways.  One of her legs moved behind Faith's back, and slowly 
Buffy slid behind her, until she had leg on either side of Faith.  
She reached out and took hold of Faith by the waist and slid her back 
to her.  Stopping when Faith's back was almost flush against her 
front. The heat coming from Buffy was warmer, hotter than the water, 
and Faith moaned when that heat touched her.  Buffy slid Faith's hips 
forward slightly, while gently pulling her torso back against her so 
that Faith was semi-reclining against her, her head leaning back upon 
Buffy's shoulder.

Buffy reached over and picked up a glass and handed it to Faith, and 
reaching back picked up the other for herself.

"Here's to us. And to you: the newest member of my family."
 
Faith smiled up at Buffy as she said this.  She would have liked to 
have said something in return but she had been rendered incapable of 
speech the second Buffy had gotten in the tub with her.  It felt like 
there were two holes being burnt right through her back where Buffy's 
breasts touch her.  The sides of her thighs felt like they were going 
to melt where they came in contact with Buffy's legs.  She couldn't 
even begin to think about the slick heat that was only a few inches 
away from her lower back and buttocks.

"You know it's bad luck if you don't drink for a toast Faith."  Buffy 
took a sip of champagne, and smiled at the dark slayer.

Faith raised her glass to her mouth but in her haste and not having a 
lot of experience with flute glasses she tipped it just a little too 
far when it touched her lips.  The strawberry came rushing towards 
the rim of the glass, propelling the champagne out of the glass in a 
river over her lips, down her chin, her neck, heading towards her 
breasts.

{Shit! Goddamn it!  Real fucking attractive!  Suave aren't...}  

Faith's thoughts trailed off as she tried to sit up to only have 
Buffy hold her against her as she trailed her hand up the side of 
Faith's neck, turning Faith's head towards her.

"Wouldn't want to waste that..." Low, throaty, and husky, Buffy's voice 
wrapped around Faith as her head started to lower.

Beginning with Faith's lips Buffy began to lick up every bit of 
spilled champagne.  Lingering, teasing with the promise of a deeper 
kiss.  But these kisses where only meant to promise, to tempt, to 
tease.  She trailed her way down Faith's chin, licking, nipping.  
Coming back up to her mouth murmuring under her breath something 
about missing a spot.  Her hand tangled in Faith's hair keeping her 
turned towards her, and Faith pressed tightly to her.  

Buffy's other hand which had magically put down her own glass came up 
to capture the champagne that had managed to make its way to Faith's 
breasts.  While her head moved lower to find the sweet champagne that 
had dripped down the dark slayers neck.  Buffy's mouth slid up to 
behind Faith's ear, remembering the sensitive spot she had found 
during the last bath.  She scraped her teeth along it with slightly 
more pressure repeatedly, then used her tongue to soothe the tender 
spot.  Faith moaned so low and deep that Buffy actually felt it 
vibrate through her.

Faith tried to turn in Buffy's embraced, but Buffy stopped her.

"Stay.  Just stay like this."

"B. I..."

"Just let me touch you. I've thought about touching you all day... Just 
thinking about it... I had to stop myself from..."

"From what B?"  Faith barely managed to get out because Buffy's hand 
was once again moving on her breast.  Swirling the champagne around 
her nipple, the sides of her fingers brushing against Faith's nipple 
but not really touching it.  

"I had to stop myself from... touching myself just at the thought of 
you..." Buffy breathed into Faith's ear, eliciting another moan from 
the dark slayer at the thought of Buffy touching herself.  

"You like that idea Faith?" Buffy laughed softly in her ear.  Was 
there a promise in that question?

Faith never got a chance to answer because Buffy's mouth came down on 
hers in a kiss that seared the dark slayer.
 
Buffy's tongue ravaged Faith's mouth.  Plunging into Faith's mouth 
forcefully, banishing any coherent thoughts.  Buffy dominated the 
kiss, dueling with Faith's tongue, opening her mouth even wider as if 
to swallow the dark slayer whole.  Then she was pulling back from the 
kiss, and began to tease Faith again.  With light touches of her lips 
upon Faith's, running her tongue along their outline, sneaking in to 
taste quickly, pulling back every time Faith tried to deepen the 
kiss. Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, nibbling on it, 
sucking it into her mouth, and running her tongue along it.  

Every touch of Buffy's mouth on her was sending sparks of desire 
right from Faith's mouth straight down to her core.  Faith could 
already feel her insides clutching, feel tiny spasms rippling through 
her.  Almost like little aftershocks, no one had ever made her feel 
like this.  This heat, this smoldering desire, Faith knew if she 
wasn't in the water right now, her desire would be dripping down the 
insides of her thighs, making them just as wet, as her center was 
right now. Still she didn't want this delicious torture to stop.  
Never wanted it to end.

Faith tried again to turn around in Buffy's arms.  Buffy broke off 
kissing Faith.  This time instead of stopping Faith, Buffy moved her 
slightly off to her side so that now she was reclining up against one 
of the bath pillows instead of Buffy.  Leaving one of her legs behind 
Faith, Buffy brought the other over the top of both of Faith's, 
bending it slightly. 

Then she put her hand on Faith's hips and slid Faith closer to her, 
not stopping until the side of Faith's thigh and buttock were flush 
against the scorching heat of Buffy's center.  Even through the water 
Faith could feel how wet Buffy was.  Once again Faith reached out to 
touch Buffy and Buffy once again stopped her.

"No. Just lean back, relax and let me spoil you.  I want to spoil 
you.  Will you let me?"  The smile Buffy gave Faith was so endearing, 
so sincere that Faith didn't know how she could say no.  

Spoil her?  No one had ever wanted to spoil her.  She wasn't a sit-
back-and-spoil-me kind of girl. Faith wasn't even sure if she would 
know how to let someone even do that.  That didn't stop her from 
nodding yes anyway, totally caught up in the web of desire that Buffy 
was spinning around her.

"Good. Now just lean back and relax.  Let me take care of everything."

Buffy grabbed the champagne out of the ice bucket, reaching over 
Faith she refilled the glass which Faith was amazingly enough still 
holding, clutched in a death grip, and thankfully hadn't crushed.  

Faith hissed through her teeth when the ice-cold condensation on the 
side of the bottle dripped onto her breasts; making her nipples 
harder, if that was even at all possible.

"Ooops!  Sorry."  There was an impish tone to Buffy's voice.  

She quickly put down the bottle.  Then her hot mouth was just as 
quickly on Faith's breast.  Lapping up the cold drops.  Swirling her 
tongue and licking off the sticky champagne that had trailed there 
from before.  She ran her tongue round and round Faith's nipple, 
occasionally in an almost absent-minded way flicking the hard bud.  
Again that odd echo came to Buffy. This time it was Faith's need, her 
passion, desire, lust, all of it. And Buffy felt her own body 
responding to it.  

Buffy lifted her head and smiled again at Faith.  She took the glass 
of champagne from her and took a large sip before putting it down on 
the table.  Faith did not notice however that she didn't swallow the 
champagne.

Buffy lowered her head down to Faith's breast once again.  She 
wrapped her lips around her nipple, and Faith arched her back, 
thrusting her breast further into Buffy's mouth, as the ice-cold 
champagne warred with the heat of Buffy's tongue as it mercilessly 
lashed her nipple.  Her hand came up to tangle in Buffy's hair 
holding her there.  While Buffy's hands began to run teasing patterns 
all over her body, everywhere but where Faith needed to be touched.

Buffy caught Faith's nipple between her teeth biting on it gently and 
pulling on it, letting the champagne seep out around it.  One of 
Buffy's hands came up running along Faith's neck to her mouth, 
tracing it with her fingertips, until Faith caught them with her 
teeth sucking them deep into her mouth, running her tongue along 
their length.  Buffy moaned Faith's name biting down harder than she 
wanted causing the dark slayers to gasp out in pleasure that bordered 
on pain.  Buffy trailed her mouth and tongue up Faith's chest over 
her collarbone, back to the sensitive spot behind her ear again.  
Biting and dragging her teeth over it, licking at the tender area, 
causing little ripples of desire to shoot down to Faith throbbing 
center.  Buffy lifted her head and saw the mark she had left.  In a 
very primitive way, it pleased Buffy that even with Faith's slayer 
healing she knew the mark would still be there tomorrow. 

Buffy withdrew her fingers from Faith's mouth slowly exploring on her 
way the soft mouth, Faith's skin, as her fingers trailed down.  She 
ran her fingers down over the dark slayers skin, raked her nails down 
over her neck, to the hollow between her breast then up and over one, 
around to the other.

"Mmmmm sticky... Need to fix that."  Buffy leaned into Faith and 
reaching over her took the large soft body sponge and a bottle of 
liquid soap.  She paused to rub her breasts over Faith's body and 
smiled at Faith's gasp.  

Leaning back against the tub Buffy dipped the sponge into the water, 
pouring soap onto it. Before she had a chance to stop her, Faith's 
mouth was on her breast.  Buffy's nipple was caught between her teeth 
as the tip of Faith's tongue flicked across it.  Her teeth pulling on 
it, drawing it further out of her body.

"Faith!"  Buffy felt Faith smile around her breast as she arched her 
body into Faith's hot mouth. 

Faith groaned as she felt Buffy's slick center thrust into her side, 
sliding along her body.  This was torture, delicious, but torture.  
She felt as Buffy started to run the sponge over her back and 
shoulders the combination of the soft, but slightly coarse sponge 
sending tingling sensations down her spine. 

Then Buffy was gently but firmly pulling Faith away from her breast.  
God only knew where she found the control to do it but she did.  She 
smiled sweetly at the confused looking dark slayer as she pushed her 
back to recline once again against the bath pillow.

"Spoil you. Want to spoil you.  You said I could."  Buffy pouted out.

Picking up one of Faith's hands Buffy began to bathe the dark 
slayer.  Taking her time with each of her fingers, lightly washing 
them with the sponge, washing first the palm of her hand, then the 
back.  Running the sponge up the outside of her forearm than over to 
the inside to the sensitive skin there.  Applying a little more 
pressure against the skin, leaving little streaks of fire in its 
wake.  As Buffy worked her way up Faith's arm she followed the sponge 
with her other hand, caressing and massaging, dragging her nails or 
using just her fingertips on Faith's skin.  By the time Buffy had 
worked her way across Faith's shoulders to her other arm, Faith felt 
an answering flush of heat, her insides clutching with every light 
touch of the sponge, at every almost non-existent touch of Buffy's 
hand, her fingers, her nails against her skin.

Buffy slid the sponge down towards Faith's breasts, and smiled as 
Faith rose up to meet the sponge.  Buffy slid her leg out from behind 
Faith, and brought her other leg back over and between Faith's legs 
without once loosing contact with Faith. Buffy rose to her knees and 
sat back resting on the dark slayers thigh. A soft moan escaped her 
as her heat came into contact with Faith's thigh.  Unable to help 
herself she rocked against that firm thigh, sliding easily from both 
her own wetness and the bath oil in the water.  

Faith ran her hands down Buffy's body, returning the same exquisite 
torture that Buffy had been inflicting on her.  One hand went up to 
capture a firm breast, to trace along it, learning its shape and 
texture.   Faintly running her fingertips over just the top of 
Buffy's nipple.  Her other hand slid down Buffy's stomach, circling 
around her belly button, then sliding down to the curls right above 
her heat.  Her thumb moved down and began a slow circular motion on 
Buffy's pelvic bone right at the base of the skin that covered 
Buffy's clit.  

"Oh God Faith!"  It came out as a strangled cry.

Buffy leaned forward again, and started to run the sponge over 
Faith's breast, her other hand playing with Faith's throbbing nipple, 
rolling it between her fingers, pinching it, then soothing it with 
her fingertips.  She switched the sponge to her other hand and gave 
the same treatment to Faith's other breast, while continuing to ride 
the dark slayer's thigh.

Then Buffy was sliding away and out of Faith's reach, while she still 
had some control left.  She ran the sponge down the dark slayers 
stomach, as she brought her other leg over Faith's nudging her until 
she was kneeling between them.  Buffy slid a little further back and 
lifted one of Faith's legs from the water.  She placed Faith's foot 
flat on her chest, and ran the sponge down the outside of Faith's 
leg, while her hand ran down the inside.  Tracing delicate little 
patterns, moving closer to Faith's core, teasingly coming close, 
brushing against her folds, then up and around, skipping lightly over 
her clit than back down the inside of her thigh.

Faith's head was thrown back on the pillow, her breath coming in 
short little pants.  She was whimpering with need, her whole body was 
throbbing, her insides clutching, quivering.  Then Buffy's fingertips 
lightly brushed over her clit again and Faith arched up out of the 
water, seeking Buffy's touch, which was already gone.

"B! Please! Can't take it anymore..."  Buffy ignored her, lowering 
Faith's leg and bringing her other one up to replace it.  

She switched the sponge to the other hand and ran it up the inside of 
the lowered leg to finally come to rest on the dark slayers core not 
moving, and Faith once again arched up out of the water rising 
herself into the sponge, desperate now for any kind of pressure.

"Ohgodohgodplease." Mumbling, whimpering, pleading.

Buffy stroked the sponge, once, twice over the Faith's slick center, 
and then over and under her thigh to the outside.  Her other hand 
trailing close behind.  Her fingers thrust once quickly into the dark 
slayer and then were just as quickly gone.

"Cruel. You're cruel, B."  Faith moaned.  She didn't know how much 
longer she could take this, Buffy had been teasing her for god only 
knew how long, but it felt like days.  

Faith tried to sit up again to only be pushed gently back down.  
Buffy dropped the sponge into the water and slid her hand up to 
Faith's ankle and brought it up and placed it on her shoulder.  She 
leaned down towards Faith as Faith's leg hooked over her shoulder, 
and began torturing her breasts again.  Faith clutched Buffy's head 
to her thrusting her breast harder into Buffy's mouth.  She was 
keening under her breath, moaning low in her throat, almost growling 
at Buffy.  Her hips were bucking up trying to get any kind of 
pressure on her core, but Buffy was still withholding herself from 
her.  Buffy was flicking her tongue rapidly back and forth over her 
nipple and it was sending an electric bolt straight to Faith's core, 
with each flick of Buffy's tongue.

Then Buffy was sliding up her body, her breast blazing a trail, 
rubbing over Faith's and then her mouth was on her again.  Faith's 
own thigh was pressed against her chest, with her free hand she held 
Buffy to her tightly, rubbing her breasts against Buffy's desperate 
for any kind of contact.  Her hip rhythmically pushing up into Buffy, 
but it wasn't enough.  

Faith sucked Buffy's tongue into her mouth, moaning Buffy's name.  
Buffy's mouth went wild on hers, her tongue took possession of 
Faith's mouth, dominating  the wet, wide-open kiss.  Exploring every 
inch of Faith's mouth, grazing her teeth, her gums, pulling back to 
run her tongue along Faith's lips again.  Kissing along her jaw line 
and up to Faith's ear, grabbing her lobe between her teeth and biting 
on it.

"Easy baby..." Buffy whispered low in her ear, sending a shudder 
through Faith.

Buffy leaned back, sitting on her calves, she started running her 
hands over Faith's body again in random patterns, never staying 
anywhere for to long.  Using light touches, then rough, sometimes the 
whole of her hands, sometimes just her fingertips, her nails.  Over 
Faith's arms, her breasts, her neck, her face, her legs, her slick 
hot center, her clit, and Faith began to tremble, as Buffy teased and 
tormented her.

"TouchmeBpleaseohplease..." Faith began chanting under her breath 
between gasps.

Finally Buffy's hand came to rest against her core and again Faith 
surged up out of the water hard against her hand, her leg falling off 
Buffy's shoulder.

Buffy's fingers moved excruciating slow, and so lightly over Faith's 
slick center, along the folds of her core, tracing along the outside 
of them over and around her clit.  Thrusting shallowly into the dark 
slayer who bucked again trying to get Buffy's fingers in her deeper.

There was a raging inferno streaking through every cell of Faith's 
body, her skin oversensitive to even the movement of the water 
flowing around her.  No one had ever made her feel like this before, 
even Buffy.  Buffy brought her up the crest, holding her there.  Then 
Buffy eased her back down.  Teasing her, taking her up the hill again 
then back down.  Her fingers never stopped their exploration, 
thrusting shallowly, her other hand on Faith's stomach keeping her 
from bucking up to high, and getting her fingers in her deeper.  The 
fire in the pit of Faith's  stomach continued to build, spreading and 
fanning out to every part of her body.

Buffy watched Faith, bringing her up to the edge over and over, but 
denying her release.  She was getting those echoes of Faith's 
sensations from her again, and Buffy rose with her each time.  The 
gently she thrust one finger into the dark slayer and felt her walls 
clutch tightly around her.

"Beeeeeee! Oh God!"

Buffy started a slow and steady rhythm, building up the tension in 
Faith again.  Cooing to her, knowing this wasn't enough to send her 
over, keeping her there on the brink.

"Sssh... not yet, baby..." Buffy whispered to her stopping the motion of 
her hand.

"I can't B.... I can't..."

"Yes you can..."  Then Buffy started up the rhythm again adding another 
finger, as Faith's hips kept pace with her...

"Can't take anymore.  Bohgodohgodpleasecan'ttakeit..."  The hand on 
Faith's stomach slid down stopping just above Faith's curls.

Buffy's slid her fingers out of Faith, and started teasing her again 
running them along her folds, while her other hand, her fingers slid 
down and brushed lightly so lightly along the length of Faith's 
clit.  Faith's heart was beating frantically, as the fire in her 
continued to get hotter, scorching her...

Steadily Buffy applied pressure to the dark slayer's clit... She thrust 
three finger into Faith hard and deep, her other hand circling her 
clit pressing down harder.  As Faith's hips rose up  and she pushed 
herself harder onto Buffy's thrusting fingers. Buffy plunged her 
fingers into Faith faster, pinching her clit, catching it between her 
fingers sliding her fingers over, around Faith's clit.
 
"B!  God I...can't... Beeeee I'm gonna.... OHGODBOHGODBEEEEE!"  

Buffy felt the first contraction around her fingers as Faith's orgasm 
hit her.  She went wild on the on the dark slayer center as Faith 
screamed out her name thrashing.

Faith's orgasm overtook her like a tornado she felt it with every 
part of her body and Buffy went wild on her, dragging it out and when 
it was starting to slow Faith felt Buffy's fingers curled up inside 
her searching for and finding her sweet spot.  

As Buffy felt Faith's orgasm begin to ebb she curled her fingers up 
and found Faith's sweet spot, circling it feeling it swell beneath 
her fingertips.  Her other hand went wild on Faith's clit again, 
pinching it, rubbing, circling, pressing down hard. Then Faith was 
screaming her name again as Buffy felt the contractions from the 
second orgasm clench her fingers tightly, and the dark slayer 
trembled from head to toe pushing herself forcefully into, onto 
Buffy's fingers driving them in deeper, holding them tightly inside 
her.  Buffy stayed with her drawing out all that Faith could give 
until Faith collapsed her body slowly sinking back down into the 
water.
 
Carefully she withdrew her fingers and slid her body up Faith's and 
gathered her into her arms, holding Faith close to her pressed up 
against her chest, pressed to her heart.  Smiling again as Faith's 
arms came round her to hold Buffy tighter to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They stay holding each other in the water for a time.  Buffy's body 
screaming in need, Faith lying exhausted against her chest.  They had 
to move sooner or later, neither wanting to.  

"Faith?"

"Hmmmm."

"You okay baby?  I did't hurt you did I?"

"No! No way. Never felt like this before. No one ever..."

Faith lifted herself from Buffy and looked at that beautiful face.  
She didn't know if she could even explain to her how she had made her 
feel.  No one had ever made her feel like that. No one had even come 
close.  Not even Buffy herself before.  No  one had ever been that 
unselfish with her before.  Always before it had been about getting 
off and getting gone. Even between them before it had only been about 
that.  Yes they had teased each other but it had been different, 
Faith couldn't explain it but different.  For the first  time ever 
Faith had come close to actually giving up complete and total control 
to someone else.   Almost releasing that part of herself that she 
still kept safely locked away, since she was very young, even just 
now with Buffy.  But after this she didn't know if she would be able 
to again, and for the first time Faith actually thought that she 
could give up that control and take the final steps in giving Buffy 
her complete trust.  

"I'm hungry.  How about you?"

Faith just nodded at Buffy, still trying to sort out all she was 
feeling.  Buffy drew her up out of the water, releasing the plug from 
the drain first.  Holding Faith to her as the water drained around 
them.  Releasing Faith from her embrace Buffy turned on the water 
once again then switched it to the showerhead so they could rinse the 
soap and the bath oil from their bodies.

Faith came up behind Buffy when she straightened back up, embracing 
her from behind.  Buffy leaned back into Faith, despite herself her 
body trembled and shuddered as she felt the full length of Faith's 
body pressing into her from behind.  Faith rubbed her breasts against 
Buffy's back and incredibly, felt herself getting wet, as the passion 
rose up in her again.  She felt Buffy trembling in her arms, and got 
one of those odd little echoes from Buffy, the heat, the desire, the 
lust Buffy is feeling for her, the fact that Buffy is painfully close 
to going over the edge just from the feel of her pressed into Buffy's 
back.  These echoes of emotions that she been getting, and that Buffy 
has been getting from her over the last week were more than just 
their slayer connection, but Faith was distracted from dwelling on it 
by the quivering golden-haired slayer in her arms.  There will be 
plenty of time later; right now there was something else that 
required her attention.

Buffy's knees almost give out on her as Faith slid her hands up from 
her waist to capture her breast.  Her fingers sliding up and around 
the aureoles that surround her nipples, glancing over them in an 
almost casual way.  Her head fell back upon the dark slayers shoulder 
and Faith was quick to take advantage of her exposed throat.  The 
feel of Faith's mouth hot and wet as it slides along her throat 
making her moan low and long.  Buffy can feel her own wetness 
dripping down the insides of her thighs.  Touching and teasing Faith 
for so long was a double edge sword.  Touching Faith had excited 
Buffy almost as much as it had excited Faith, and that odd sharing of 
emotions, sensations that were happening between them only added to 
that excitement. 

Faith's hands were tormenting her nipples, rolling them between her 
fingers, tugging on them, flicking her fingers across them, sometimes 
roughly, sometimes with almost non-existent touches. Her mouth on 
Buffy's neck and throat, sliding her tongue down to her pulse point, 
sucking it, biting, nipping, scraping her teeth along it.  She 
shifted Buffy slightly so now the pulsating spray of the showerhead 
added its caress to Faith's roaming hands.  The water beat down on 
Buffy's neck, chest, breasts, and stomach.  The warmth of it and 
Faith's hands sending currents of electricity throughout her body.  

Buffy pressed herself back harder into Faith's body, one of her hands 
reaching behind her to run the length of Faith's thigh.  She was 
panting like she had just run a marathon, her whole body quivering in 
need.  Her insides clutching convulsively, she needed Faith to touch 
her.  Buffy doubted it would take more than a touch or two of Faith's 
hand upon her center for her to go head long over the edge.

"Faith please..." Already pleading.

Buffy felt Faith smile against her neck, her own breathing none to 
even.  One hand slide down Buffy's stomach to rest just above the 
curls that hid her sex.  Faith began to rotate her hips in a circular 
motion from behind, with each circular motion the tips of Faith's 
fingers brushed against the base of Buffy's clit, in a touch that was 
lighter than air.  With each light touch Buffy felt an answering 
pulse in her core, a clutching of her muscles.  Her other hand was 
roaming over Buffy's breast, neck and stomach.  Using her nails and 
delicately tracing little paths of fire over Buffy's body.

With each light as air touch Buffy could feel her excitement coiling 
tighter and tighter in the pit of her stomach, little shocks of 
pleasure running through her body.  Even with this light touch Buffy 
was close to falling over the edge.

Buffy brought her own hand over Faith's.  She intertwined her fingers 
with Faith's and slowly started to slide both their hands down into 
her dripping center.

"Jesus B! You're so wet!"  Faith groaned out and watched with 
fascination as both of their hands moved into Buffy's slick center.  
Faith felt her own desire begin to drip down the insides of her 
thighs.  At the rate they were going they would never leave the 
bathroom.

"Faith!  God baby!"  Buffy moaned and surged up hard into both of 
their hands.  Buffy slid her other hand behind her and in between 
their bodies, finding without a problem Faith's own hot core.  She 
let out another moan upon feeling just how wet Faith was too.

Buffy was guiding Faith's hand upon her, while her other hand 
duplicated exactly what her and Faith were both doing to Buffy's own 
core.

Buffy slide both their hands further into her center, pressing both 
their fingers into her, with her other hand Buffy pressed her thumb 
into Faith's clit starting a quick circular motion.  Moaning as she 
felt Faith duplicate it upon her own clit, as she felt Faith driving 
harder into her hand from behind, her breathing hot and erratic in 
her ear.

Buffy slid her hand away from Faith's running up to caress her arm, 
as Faith plunged her fingers into her.  Buffy thought briefly about 
turning around but the thought flew from her mind as Faith's fingers 
ran along her dripping slit to her clit capturing it, running along 
it's length, flicking, stroking.

"YES!  Right there!  Don't stop!"  Buffy was driving into Faith's 
hand as hard as she could, with her free hand she reached out, 
placing it on the marble wall.

Her other hand became rougher on Faith's clit, her wrist, hand 
beginning to hurt from this odd angle they had managed to get 
themselves into.  Faith was chanting her name under her breath, 
driving herself into Buffy's hand with all she was worth, incredulous 
that she could feel this way again so soon after the two previous 
earth shattering orgasms Buffy had given her.

"Faith... baby oh god... I'm gonnacumFaithdon'tstop..."  Buffy chanted out 
between pants.  

Her orgasm hit her hard and fast, overtaking her like a freight 
train.  She let out a high-pitched scream, as Faith held onto her 
tightly around the waist as her whole body convulsed.  Faith's finger 
pinching, pressing harder into her clit.  Milking Buffy's climax, 
slamming her own hips harder into Buffy's hand, grinding herself 
against Buffy's fingers on her clit.  At the same time getting those 
muffled echoed sensations of Buffy's orgasm, and Faith felt herself 
climaxing around those fingers and with Buffy, feeling the intensity 
of both her own orgasm and the echo of Buffy's at the same time.  
Groaning out Buffy's name as the fire raced through her.  Holding 
them both up as she felt Buffy's legs give out.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Would you mind lighting the candles baby?"  

Faith looked around the living room which had too many candles to 
count scatter throughout the room.  She was awed again, all this for 
her?  Buffy must have run around like a lunatic setting all of this 
up when she had gone upstairs to shower.  Over by the fireplace Faith 
saw that there were huge throw pillows the kind you could lean back 
against and recline on with a small low table like a Japanese 
restaurant would have.  The table was already laid out with glasses, 
plates and candles. Cleaning, shopping, cooking, Faith was blown 
away, and inexplicably, after all that had just happened between them 
in the bathroom, Faith felt a case of shyness coming over her.  No 
one ever had gone to this much trouble for her.  It was almost 
overwhelming, she had seen glimpses of this side of Buffy.  Glimpses 
since they had returned to Sunnydale from L.A. and before when she 
had been here the first time those few short years ago, but nothing 
had prepared her for this.

Buffy peeked out from the kitchen and saw Faith just standing in the 
middle of the living room with an almost awed, dazed look on her 
face.  Picking up the kitchen matches she walked silently over to 
her, and wrapped her arms around the dark slayer from behind, her 
chin resting on Faith's shoulder.

"Thought you might need these."  Buffy held out the matches in front 
of Faith, who took them from her.  "Dinner will be ready in about ten 
minutes.  So why don't you light the candles and then go sit and 
relax.  You probably figured out that we'll be eating in front of the 
fireplace. 'K?"  Buffy released Faith, but not before placing a light 
kiss on her neck.

"'K."  Faith turned and caught Buffy up in a tight bear hug before 
she could get more than a step away from her. Buffy's arms came back 
around her, holding Faith just as tightly.  Faith reluctantly 
released her after a minute and set about lighting all the candles.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dinner is served!" 

Faith can't help but laugh at the size of the tray Buffy was carrying 
loaded down and piled high with food.  There looked to be enough food 
for about ten people.  They were going to need three jobs apiece just 
to be able to afford to feed both of them.  

"No stay there, I've got it under control."  Buffy told Faith when 
she started to rise from the floor. Buffy placed the tray carefully 
upon the low table, and was proud that she managed not to knock 
anything off.  She ran back into the kitchen and came back with 
another ice bucket with champagne.
 
"I thought we would try Japanese tonight."  Buffy said as she sat 
down to the left of the dark slayer.

"Wow B, this looks great. I can't believe you made all of this."  
Faith looked at the tray which was loaded with lobster, filet mignon, 
tempura, shrimp, chicken, and other food that she didn't recognize.  
There appeared to be a variety of sauces to dip all of the food in as 
well.

"Well... I... um... didn't exactly make it."  It came out a low 
mumble.

"What?"

"I didn't exactly make it... I kinda bought it... I just heated it 
up... I really can't cook and I didn't want to go out to dinner and I 
didn't want burgers you know... so I ordered it..."

"It doesn't matter, it's great!  And you did all this other stuff.  I 
mean you cleaned the Mansion.  The bath..."  Faith felt herself 
blushing, and she suddenly got nervous and shy all over again.  "And 
a... the candles and... the roses... I like flowers... did I ever 
tell you that... no probably not... and all of this... No one's ever 
done anything like this for me before.. I don't even know how to 
begin to thank you and I am babbling just like Red and I think I will 
stop now. Except what's with the panthers B?"  This time Faith 
watched as Buffy started to blush.

"The panthers?"

"The panthers, you know the ones on the bed.  The black and white 
stuffed panthers. The ones I won for you at the fai...."  Suddenly it 
becomes clear why Buffy wanted to keep them.  A big goofy grin slowly 
spreads over Faith's face and she sees that Buffy is turning a little 
redder because she knows that she has finally figured out why.

"They're us! Aren't they?  They remind you of us, don't they B?  The 
light and dark slayers, the light and dark panthers!  I'm right 
aren't I?  Aren't I B?"  The goofy grin grew a little bigger, and 
Buffy couldn't help but give one in return to Faith, she sounded like 
a little kid who just discovered where the candy was hidden.

"Guilty as charged." 

"But why the panthers B?  There were other 'light and dark' 
animals."  Faith was surprised to see Buffy blush all over again.

  In her effort to find out why Buffy 
picked the panthers Faith was forgetting about being nervous and shy. 

Now it was Buffy's turn to babble.

"Just cause.  I liked them.  They're cute.  Real cute ya know.  Like 
cats.  Really like them."  

"Not gonna work this time.  I want to know why.... Remember what 
happened last time when you wouldn't tell."  That evil 'gleam' 
suddenly appeared in Faith's eyes.

"Okay.  Okay.  I'll tell.  Well... you see..."  With each word 
Buffy's voice got a little husker, sending a shudder of desire 
through the dark slayer.  "I wanted to keep them because of you. 
Because you... when I think of you... You remind me of one... All 
sleek and smooth.  Muscular, but soft in a way.  The way your muscles 
seem to almost ripple under your skin when you move, the way they 
feel under my hands...  The way you are wild and untamed but still 
cuddly in a way... The way you move so sensuously and gracefully... 
The heat that comes from you... The way you almost purr, or sometimes 
growl when we...."  Buffy trailed off, taking a page from Faith's 
book of late and becoming suddenly shy.

Faith was blown away again.  She hadn't expected that answer, not 
that she didn't like it. Funny thing was she kind of always thought 
of Buffy that way too.

Buffy could swear that Faith was purring now, and she was certainly 
puffing out her chest, sort of like a peacock displaying its colors.  
It was damn cute.  She was arching her eyebrow at Buffy waiting for 
her to continue.

"Oh no.  That's it, if I tell you anything else I'm going to have to 
get you all new hats to fit that ego of yours in Faith."  Faith 
pouted at her.

"Not gonna work."  Buffy decided to change the topic.  "I'm hungry 
aren't you?"  

Faith smirked at her, knowing exactly what Buffy was doing. And Buffy 
caught a glimpse of that wild child that Faith had been when they 
first met.  It was a different wild child to be sure, but still the 
same and Buffy had to admit she missed that part of Faith, and was 
glad that she was finally letting her out again.

Buffy handed a pair of chopsticks to Faith and picked up a pair for 
herself.

"What is all this stuff B?"

"Well there is lobster, shrimp, filet mignon and... Well I'm not really 
sure... I ordered it but... I guess we'll find out together."

Faith watched Buffy as she used the chopsticks to pick up a piece of 
lobster.  She had never tried using chopsticks but hell how hard 
could it be?  She put one chopstick between her index and middle 
finger, the other she held  with her thumb and ring finger then she 
tried to pick up a piece of food.  She got it halfway to her mouth 
before it fell, the chopsticks crossing.  She tried again this time 
she couldn't even pick up anything.  She looked up and saw that Buffy 
was smiling at her, a smile that bordered on a smirk.  

Buffy watched Faith wondering how long it was going to take before 
she will ask for help or at least a fork.  She was having fun teasing 
her and Faith knew it, which meant she would be stubborn about it.  
So the dinner wasn't going exactly how she had planned but they had 
finally managed to relax with each other. Buffy supposed the bath had 
a little to do with it, but somehow the bantering, the teasing 
between them was lighter, like it was always meant to be.  

Faith is watching Buffy watch her, and she knows Buffy is waiting for 
her to ask for help, but she wasn't going to.  She was being stubborn 
she knew it, and damn if she wasn't hungry and Buffy just kept on 
eating watching her.  Faith watched as she picked up a piece of 
lobster and dipped it into some butter and brought it up to her 
mouth.  Buffy's lips were glistening from the butter and Faith's 
thoughts turned to a different type of hunger.  She licked her own 
lips thinking about licking the butter from Buffy's.  She sees Buffy 
gaze lower to her mouth, and how she licks her own lips in response, 
and when she raises her eyes back up to Faith's they are filled with 
burning hot desire.

Faith smiles slowly and stabs a piece of lobster with a single 
chopstick following Buffy's lead she dips it into the butter and 
brings it up slowly to her mouth, Buffy's eyes never leaving her 
mouth. 

Buffy puts down her own chopsticks and rises up to her knees, smiling 
as Faith eyes grow a little larger.  As Faith's eyes dip down quickly 
to where the silk robe opened exposing part of Buffy's breast.  Buffy 
scoots over until she is behind Faith and leans down to her, her 
breath warm against Faith's ear.

"Why don't you let me show you how to use those..."  A shiver goes down 
Faith's spine as Buffy breathes in her ear, at the husky tone of her 
voice, at the feel of her breasts brushing lightly against her back, 
as a different kind of hungry coils in the lower regions of her body.

Buffy scoots in a little closer to Faith. She leans further into 
Faith's back and runs her hand down the length of Faith's arm, taking 
the single chopstick from Faith's now nerveless fingers.  She picks 
up the other chopstick from the table and reaches around until she is 
basically hugging the dark slayer from behind; switching the 
chopsticks to her other hand.

Buffy intertwines their hands and  places the chopsticks correctly 
between  both of their fingers.  

"Ready to give this a try again?"  Buffy leans fully into Faith's 
back as together they reach down to pick up a piece of lobster from 
the tray.  

Faith couldn't help the low moan that escaped her as Buffy pressed 
herself fully against her back.  Food was the last thing on the dark 
slayers mind at this moment.  Together they dipped the lobster into 
the butter and with Buffy guiding both of their hands brought it up 
to the dark slayer's mouth.

"Good?" Faith shuddered as Buffy's breath tickled her ear and her 
lips brushed against it.  

Together they leaned down again and pick up a piece of filet, as 
Buffy lightly placed kisses along the side of Faith's neck.  Buffy 
continued to help the dark slayer all the while placing light kisses 
along her neck and jaw line, along her exposed shoulder, sliding 
herself lightly along Faith's back.  Her other hand resting on 
Faith's stomach her thumb rubbing in a slight circular motion.

Faith turned slightly and captured Buffy's mouth with her own.  The 
kiss was light.  Just mouth upon mouth, lips caressing lips, a slow, 
sensuous sliding of tongues.  Faith turned further into Buffy, still 
kissing her lightly as the chopsticks fell from their hands forgotten 
to the floor.  

Finally they broke apart both a little breathless, they stared at the 
other in a little bit of wide-eyed wonder.

The moment was broken by Buffy's stomach rumbling, which turned into 
a very loud growl.  She had spent the whole day running around trying 
to get everything ready that she had forgotten to eat.  Not eating 
with their slayer metabolism was not an option, and something their 
bodies did not let them forget.  Both slayers started laughing in 
shared understanding.

Faith picked up the chopsticks from the floor looked at them and then 
tossed them aside and rasped out to Buffy, "Why don't we try this my 
way?"

Without giving Buffy a chance to react Faith pulled her down and 
across her lap so that Buffy was sitting next to her, her legs across 
the dark slayers.  Faith leaned forward and slid the low table closer 
to her.  This time it was Faith who pushed Buffy back against the 
pillows.

"Relax.  I don't bite."  At Buffy's arched eyebrow Faith 
conceded, "Okay... Well... maybe sometimes I do."

"Hmmmm... So many things to choose from..."  Faith dipped her finger into 
one of the sauces and brought it up to her mouth for a taste.  She 
ran her finger the length of her mouth before dipping it inside, 
slowly removing it, then running the tip of her tongue around her 
lips to gather up the sauce she had only seconds ago put there. Faith 
repeated the action with the other six sauces making a show of it for 
Buffy, while Buffy watched her with an amused and hungry look on her 
face.

Faith reached over and picked up a piece of lobster and thoroughly 
dipped it into one of the sweeter brown thick sauces and brought it 
carefully up to Buffy's mouth.  Buffy took the lobster from Faith's 
fingers, at the same time trying to capture those fingers with her 
mouth, Faith denied her that particular pleasure.  It was her turn to 
tease Buffy and from the look at her face she was determined.

Faith continued to feed both Buffy and herself, with her free hand 
she ran random patterns over Buffy's neck and shoulders starting a 
slow burning ache in Buffy.  

Buffy lifted her hand up to wipe away a little of one of the sauces 
that had dripped down the corner of her mouth, only to have Faith 
stop her rising hand.

"Let me..."  Faith ran her thumb along Buffy's bottom lip, wiping up 
the sauce, then brought her thumb back to her own mouth and licked 
off the sauce there.

"Yummm... Taste good.  Think I want more..."  Then Faith was leaning down 
towards her, and Buffy held her breath waiting for her kiss.

Faith's kiss was soft, slow, tender and sensuous.  More like a light 
caress of a summer breeze.  It caused an ache in Buffy like never 
before.  A wanting to be a part of someone in a way that she couldn't 
even begin to describe, couldn't even fathom how to wrap words 
around.  Buffy returned Faith's kiss, giving herself totally over to 
the dark slayer, in a way that she had never given herself to anyone 
else.  There was something different about this kiss, there was 
passion in the kiss, but for the first time they were both kissing 
each other with love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...This is just the morning of our love / It's just the dawning of our 
love... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They finished the rest of the food on the tray continuing to feed 
each other.  When it was all gone they cleaned up and Buffy put on a 
pot of coffee, while Faith started a fire.  They were both still a 
little bit dazed by the kiss they shared, perhaps realizing for the 
first time all that they really meant to the other.  Buffy realizing 
that what she had felt before,  even for Angel was pale in comparison 
to what she felt for Faith.  And Faith who had thought she was in 
love with Buffy two years ago realizing that what she felt then 
hadn't even come close, bore absolutely no resemblance to what she 
felt now.  

Both slayers where suddenly feeling shy around the other, both knew 
it was kind of silly considering all that had happened between them. 
It didn't stop them from feeling that way anyway.

Buffy walked back into the living room and stopped to look at Faith. 
Faith was sitting back away from the fireplace by the couch her knees 
drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them.  Her chin was 
resting atop her knees and she was staring into the fire across the 
room.  

Buffy set the coffee mugs down on the floor and sat down behind Faith 
drawing her back into her embrace.  Faith relaxed back into her with 
a contented sigh, loving the feel of Buffy's arms around her.  They 
sat that way for a while both content staring into the fire, basking 
in the warmth of the other.

"Thank you for all of this."  Faith whispers softy to Buffy.  

"Your welcome."  Buffy leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Faith's 
neck, and feels her tremble slightly.

Buffy gently withdrew her arms from around Faith and rose up to her 
feet.  She moves to stand in front of Faith, holding her hand out to 
her, helping the dark slayer to her feet. Gently, lightly she runs 
her hand down the side of Faith's face, smiling at her, looking deep 
into her eyes.  Buffy walks them over to in front of the fireplace 
over to where the dark plush throw carpet lay, with the soft large 
pillows.

"I want to make love with you."

Faith's whole being soars with joy at those softly spoken words of 
Buffys.  Somehow, something is different, the feeling between them is 
different.  Different even from two hours ago, she isn't sure how she 
just knows.

"I want that too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...I feel you / Your heart it sings / I feel you / The joy it brings / 
Where heaven waits / Those golden gates / And back again / You take 
me to / And lead me through oblivion / This is just the morning of 
our love / It's just the dawning of our love... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy's hands slide down to untie the sash of Faith's robe.  As light 
as air they glide back up to push the silk robe from her shoulders to 
the ground.  Her eyes wander lazily over Faith as Faith removes the 
silk robe from Buffy, Faith's own eyes performing the same lazy 
inspection of Buffy's body.

"My God Faith. You are beautiful."

"I'm not the one that's beautiful B.  You are."  Faith said 
earnestly, sincerely.

Buffy watched as shadows reached out from the fire and danced across 
Faith. There was an almost otherworldly look about her.  There were 
times when Buffy looked at her that she could see the innocence in 
her, see how young she was in some ways, see the unguarded side of 
Faith, the part of Faith that even now she kept locked away from 
Buffy, this was one of those times.

"No, Faith you are beautiful.  I don't just mean on the outside.  You 
are beautiful where it truly counts.  Here..."  Buffy placed her hand 
over Faith's heart.  "Don't let anyone, not yourself, not me, ever 
tell you any differently."

"If I am like that it's because I learned it from you Buffy."

They smiled at each other knowing that neither of them would win this 
argument.  Buffy brought Faith into her embrace and they stood 
holding each other.  Luxuriating in the feel of bare thigh against 
thigh, stomach against stomach, breasts against breast.  The softness 
and hardness of both of their bodies, the silky feel of each others 
skin.  Buffy began to run lazy trails over Faith's back and buttocks 
with her fingertips.  Loving the way the goose bumps rose on the dark 
slayers skin wherever she touched her.

Faith placed soft kisses along Buffy's neck and shoulders.  Running 
her tongue up to Buffy's ear, to run along the outside of it, causing 
Buffy to shudder in her arms.  Then they were sinking down to the 
soft rug, to recline on the pillows, laying on their sides facing 
each other, legs entwined.

They leaned towards each other in a gentle kiss, which soon turned 
more passionate.  Caressing each other with light teases of their 
tongues, nibbling upon each other's lips.  Building the passion 
between them slowly.  There hands upon each other gentle, soft, 
light, teasing.   Buffy gently rolled Faith over onto her back and 
followed her until she was lying on top of her.

She places airy kisses all over the dark slayer's face.  Her 
fingertips following the path of her mouth.  She rises up to her 
elbows supporting herself and trails her mouth down, still with the 
light as air kisses, with tender touches of her tongue upon Faith's 
neck, eliciting little gasps of pleasure from her. Buffy trails 
feathery kisses over every part of Faith's skin.  Down her shoulders, 
down to each arm, to lightly nip the sensitive skin on the inside of 
Faith's forearm, receiving a low moan of pleasure from Faith in 
return.  She kisses the tips of each of the raven-haired slayer's 
fingers, bringing each one into her mouth to taste and suck on 
gently.  Down over her chest, to caress and kiss each breast with her 
hands, with her lips with her tongue, each touch still feather light, 
each touch given with love.  

She slides down slowly to Faith's stomach, lying between her legs, 
her hands, her fingers once again following the path of her mouth, 
with the same gentle caresses.  She slide further running her mouth, 
her tongue down each of Faith's legs until finally coming to hover 
over the raven-haired slayer's center.  Blowing lightly into the 
raven-haired slayer's damp curls, Buffy smiles as Faith's hips rise 
up to greet her breath.

"B... Oh God..."  Her whole body was on fire, this feeling more intense 
than ever before.  Every part of her was in need, every part of her 
felt loved, felt whole.  The intensity of this feeling more than 
anything she ever experienced, this slow burning ember that grew ever 
brighter.  It almost scared her, as she felt her control slipping 
from her grasp.

At the touch of Buffy's tongue upon her a low strangled moan tore 
from her and her hips surged up into that beautiful mouth.  Buffy 
runs her tongue along the length of Faith's center, loving the sweet 
musky taste of her.  Dipping in further into her to gather more of it 
onto her tongue.  Running the length of her folds, thrusting in as 
deep as she could go.  Keeping her touches just as feather light as 
her lips and hands had been upon Faith's body.  

"God B... You feel so good..."

Buffy is building her up slowly, taking her time, to explore every 
part of the raven-haired slayers core. Buffy runs her tongue up to 
Faith's clit, gently sliding across and around it, catching it 
lightly between her teeth, sucking on it, as Faith pushes herself 
harder into her mouth. Still using those same gentle touches, those 
lighter than air touches of her tongue.Feeling those echoes coming to 
her from Faith, knowing she is getting 
close.

"B... Wait... Please.."

Faith is gently pulling Buffy up and over her, away from her core.  
She smiles at the confused, concerned look on Buffy face. 

"Did I hurt you? Do something wrong?"

Faith pulls Buffy into her arms rolling her over onto her back.  
Smiling down at her she says, "No.  You were doing everything right.  
Too right.  It's just..."  Faith trails off, becoming shy again.  Buffy 
smiles encouragingly at her.

"I just want... I want to touch you... I want us to... us together... I want 
to with you... do you know what I mean?"  The smile that Buffy gives 
Faith is all the answer she needs. 

Running her hands over Buffy's face, Faith draws delicate patterns, 
exploring all the contours of  that beautiful face.  Giving for the 
first time full rein to all that she feels for the golden-haired 
slayer.  Tracing along with her fingertips like a blind person trying 
to paint a mental image of the person before them.  She uses the same 
feather light touches that Buffy had been using on her.  Taking her 
time to taste, to touch every inch of Buffy's skin.  Drinking in the 
sweat of desire, the smell of her arousal, musky, and uniquely 
Buffy.  Caressing and massaging lightly along Buffy's arms, over to 
her breasts, suckling her nipples, biting delicately.  Living little 
love marks to show where she's been.

Buffy is in awe of these touches, no one had ever touched her with 
such gentleness, such tenderness, such love as Faith was touching her 
now.  Her whole body quivering from each of her touches, her kisses.  
A kaleidoscope of colors flashing brightly behind her eyes, a raging 
fire building beneath her skin.  

"Faith."  Saying it just to say her name, trying to convey with it 
how she is making her feel.

Faith trails her mouth down to Buffy's center.  Using her thumbs she 
opens Buffy's to her. 'B' she moans out before she lowers her head to 
taste the sweetness that is her lover.  Shallowly thrusting into her 
with her tongue, drinking of her essences, plunging in deeper, 
running up to flick at Buffy's clit.  Smiling when she hears her moan 
low, as her hips rise up to met her.  Tracing random patterns with 
her tongue over every inch of Buffy's wet center.  Loving every 
second, reveling and awed that she can make Buffy feel this way.  
Receiving from Buffy those echoes of what she is making her feel, no 
longer caring where it is coming from this new connection, just 
knowing that it is suppose to be.

"Faith. Baby..."

Now Buffy is pulling Faith up and away from her.  She pulls her into 
her embrace and rolls them over to their sides.  Kissing Faith with 
more passion than before, as they taste each other on the others 
mouth.  Their tongues dancing with each other, breathing into each 
other, as their hands start to wander over each other bodies again 
with more urgency than before.

They break from the kiss, staring into each other eyes.  Buffy's hand 
slides lower, coming to rest between Faith's legs, she lightly flicks 
the raven-haired slayers clit and smiles as her eyes widen and her 
breath catches.  Faith returns the favor.  They lay side-by-side 
mirroring each other's actions, each other's gentle, feather light 
touches...

"B... I'm so close..."  

"So am I baby..."

Buffy looks deep into Faith's eyes and see that there is still a part 
of herself she is holding back.  She more than sees it, she can feel 
it in those odd little echoes they are sharing.  Without any real 
conscious thought, Buffy lets herself open up fully to Faith, using 
the connection they share as slayer, the connection they have while 
they are practicing Tai-Chi, and now this odd echoing.  Enveloping, 
surrounding Faith with everything that she is, all that she feels, 
reaching out to Faith with her soul, telling her all she has yet to 
express with words.

Faith feels Buffy reaching out to her.  Feels that connection, not 
doubting it for a minute.  Feels all that Buffy feels for her and she 
opens herself to it, letting it surround her, embrace her.  And in 
return Faith opens herself fully up to Buffy finally releasing all 
that she feels, had felt before, finally releasing to Buffy the part 
of herself that she has kept locked away for as long as she can 
remember.

As she releases that part of herself Faith feels as Buffy's starts to 
climax, and as her own body joins her. They ride out the storm 
together, breathing each others name, prolonging it as long as 
possible.  Clinging to each other afterwards.

After a while Faith leans down and kisses Buffy.  Trying to convey 
with that sweet, loving, tender, caress all which she could not 
explain with words, giving over to Buffy all of herself, giving to 
her that piece of herself that because of Buffy she could finally let 
free.

Buffy loses herself in that kiss that tells her all she needs to 
know.  Knowing somehow that Faith has just given her complete trust 
and made Buffy the keeper of her heart and soul, and Buffy makes 
Faith hers in return.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...I feel you  / Your precious soul / I feel you / And I am whole / I 
feel you / Your rising sun / My kingdom comes / I feel you / Each 
move you make / I feel you / Each breath you take / Where angels 
sing / And spread their wings / My love's on high / You take me 
home / To glory's throne / By and by / This is the morning of our 
love / It's just the dawning of our love -- Depeche Mode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As each of the 'Chosen Two' drifted off to sleep that night, it was 
cradled within the arms that were home, the arms that were love, the 
arms that were each other's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Slayer found herself staring down at the magnificent 'Tapestry of 
Life' once again.  Trying to discern amongst the millions upon 
millions of 'Life Threads' that which belonged to her and her 
family.  It was an impossible task,  the threads were so thin, split 
off, frayed, and intertwined that she doubted given a hundred 
lifetimes she would ever find one let alone them all.  She sighed 
wearily and rubbed her eyes like a sleepy child.  Somehow she knew 
the answer or the knowledge she was to learn from the 'Fates' lay 
within the tapestry.  Obviously they weren't going to point them out 
to her, nothing is ever that simple at least not when it came to 
being a Slayer.  Actually if she thought about it she could no longer 
separate the core of herself from the slayer part, they were one in 
the same.  It was just part of who she was.

She wandered around the large room, running her hands over the loom, 
the staff where the threads were spun.  Idly she wondered where 
the 'Fates' where, it wasn't usual for them to just let her wander 
around alone.  She thought maybe this was some sort of test.  She was 
surprised to see that Atropos's shears were laying on a table over in 
the corner. There was a lot of damage someone could do it they could 
get their hands on those. As she roamed around the Slayer started to 
get worried. Why was she here this time?  Was the time drawing near 
for their confrontation with Glory?  Was that why she was here?  Why 
now?  Why now when things were finally happening, finally right, 
finally the way they should have been from the beginning between her 
and...

"Child.  Welcome."  The Slayer could almost swear that Atropos 
sounded surprised.

"Hey."  The Slayer paused unsure of what to say. "Um... You kinda left 
your shears lying around.  Not a good idea I'm thinking."

"Did I?"

The Slayer looked at the table and saw that the shears were no longer 
there.  She wondered if she had tried to pick them up if they would 
have just disappeared, she had a funny feeling that they would have.  
She smiled at Atropos, the old woman was a wily old fox, she was.

"This was a test wasn't it?"

"Actually no child it wasn't."

"Then why am I here?  Why did you bring me here?"  The Slayer is 
truly confused now.  If she wasn't brought here for this than what?

"You tell me." Atropos said no hint in her voice.

"What's that suppose to mean?  You brought me here."  

Atropos just shrugged her shoulders.  The Slayer is really confused 
now and to make matters worse they were in the sitting room instead 
of the tapestry room.  She hated when that happened.  She walked over 
to where Atropos was sitting on the couch doing needlepoint on a 
rather large tapestry.  For the first time she notices the paintings 
on the walls.  They were so lifelike, the Slayer almost expected the 
people to walk off the canvas.  As she moved closer to them she 
realized that they weren't paintings, rather they were intricate 
needlepoint's.  The stitches so small, and fine that she doubted 
without her 'slayer vision' she would have been able to see any of 
the stitches. They were breathtakingly beautiful each and every one 
of them.  Her eyes traveled over the different portraits, stopping 
when she came to, two very familiar faces.

"Hey that's..."  Then another caught her eye, and another, and another, 
as she scanned the portraits, unbelievably.  "Hey that is..."

"Yes and yes, and yes... They are and you were not supposed to see them 
just yet.  In fact not for quite sometime.  I am afraid you caught me 
off guard.  Which hasn't happened to me in... Hmmm.. I can't even 
tell you how long it's been child since someone has done that.  I 
forget sometimes that you are a Slayer."  

"But... Why are..."

"Don't ask. Because I can not tell you."

"What do you mean I caught you off guard?  You brought me here.  How 
can I catch... Oh..."  The Slayer trailed off realizing that if 
the 'Fates' didn't bring her here than she must have somehow brought 
herself here.  But how?

"I can see that you have figured it out.  But by the look on your 
face you aren't sure how you managed to get here.  Correct?"

The Slayer just nodded her head.  Temporarily forgetting about the 
portraits, wondering how, why she would be given this kind of access 
to the 'Fates' domain.

"Since the first time we brought you here, you had the ability to 
return anytime you wished.  I guess that doesn't explain much, does 
it?  When you sleep if you wish you can come here when you need to, 
and if you just simply desire to visit us.  In time as your powers as 
a Slayer grow you will be able to come here if you wish during your 
waking hours while you meditate.  You will also be able to, in time 
teach, and share this place with your other half.  This time you came 
on your own, the reason for which is known only to you."

"Why?  Why am I allowed this privilege?"

"Well that my child I am afraid I can not tell you just yet."  
Atropos laughed at the 'I-should-have-known-better' look the Slayer 
gave her.

"Figures... I'm not sure why I wanted to come here myself.  I think it 
has to do with the 'Tapestry of Life' something I am missing... Not 
sure though...  Did you do the tapestries on the wall?"  The Slayer 
looked at the wall of portraits, a puzzled look came over her face, 
something was wrong.  What was it?  There were portraits missing 
wasn't there?  She couldn't really remember though, it was sort of 
fuzzy.  Strange.

Atropos saw the puzzled look on the Slayers face.  She had weaved a 
little magic of her own and made the Slayer forget about the other 
portraits, well not exactly forget, sort of blurred the memory as 
best she could.  It would resurface when the time was right, which 
wasn't now.  There was one other thing she had neglected to tell the 
Slayer about her ability to come here and that was the reason why she 
could for now only come here in her dreams.  It was because for now 
the only time the Slayer remembered coming here was while she 
dreamed.  The memories of the 'Fates' and what they told her, and 
their domain was only in her unconscious mind, for now.  When the 
time was right she would remember them and all that she was told, and 
with her last call here by the 'Fates' an understanding of what was 
to happen and the choice she had to make would be made clear. 

"Yes I did.  It is a hobby of mine. Come sit I will show you."

The Slayer and Atropos sat for a while and talked about mundane 
things.  Atropos showed the Slayer how she worked the needle and 
threads in the designs and the Slayer was amazed at the skill and the 
patience it took, as well as the amount of time and care that went 
into each of the portraits or scenes.  It was nice for a while to 
forget about who they were, to put the reality of their everyday 
lives on hold for a time.  All to soon it seemed their time together 
came to an end.

"It was good to see you again child.  Until next time."  Atropos 
hugged the Slayer and this time the Slayer was given the chance to 
return that hug before Atropos faded and was gone.

The Slayer was once more in bed dreaming.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith woke to the smell of fresh brewed coffee, eggs, bacon and burnt 
toast.  Her stomach growled in response to the enticing aromas, even 
the burnt toast.  She grumbled a little when she realized that Buffy 
couldn't be next to her if the smells coming from downstairs were any 
indication.  She had been looking forward to one of those morning 
kisses they had shared after she was hurt.  Looking forward to that 
and a little more, now that there was nothing holding them back.  She 
looked over at the clock, already knowing that it would be about an 
hour until the sunrise.  Every morning since they had left L.A. with 
the exception of the two when she was hurt, she and Buffy had been 
sharing the sunrise together.

Grumbling a little more at being denied her kiss she got out of the 
bed.   She saw a yellow sticky note on the mirror.  

'Morning sleepy head.  Take a quick shower and meet me in the 
garden.  B.  P.S.  I was afraid if I signed it Buffy you wouldn't 
know who it was from : )'

Faith let out a chuckle she had a feeling that she would be finding a 
lot of these little notes in the future.  It was cute, even if it 
wasn't the equivalent of a kiss.  Faith practically skipped into the 
bathroom.  She took a quick shower, and put on the silk robe Buffy 
had bought for her, she had thought briefly about putting on shorts 
and a tee-shirt.  But what was the point? While they might get up to 
watch the sunrise they very rarely stayed awake after, usually they 
would sleep a few more hours until it was time to take Dawn to school 
and then go to the shop and train.  So there was really no point in 
getting dressed the robe would just have to do.  And this morning the 
witches were going to take Dawn to school for them, another reason to 
wear just the robe.

Buffy was just coming back inside from the garden when Faith came 
flying down the stairs.  She found herself being lifted up into those 
strong arms, while Faith planted kisses all over her face, spinning 
them around in circles 'til they were both dizzy.

"Someone is happy this morning."  Buffy smiled at Faith, after she 
figured out which one the real Faith was, her head was still spinning.

"How could I not be!"  Faith said with a silly grin.

"OH SHIT!"  Buffy took off running for the kitchen. Faith followed 
her, the smell of freshly burnt toast assailing her nostrils.

"Damn, damn, damn. What did I ever do to you?  Why don't you like 
me?"  Buffy mumbled at the toaster.

Faith looked at the pile of burnt toast on the counter, it looked to 
be about a half a bags worth.

"Ah... B... It's not you, that toaster doesn't like anyone.  It kinda 
doesn't work right. I meant to throw it away but I forgot. You have 
to use the toaster oven to make toast. Why don't you let me make the 
toast?  You finish whatever else needs to be done.  'K?"

"'K"  Buffy grabbed up Faith and gave her a kiss that made her hair 
curl even more.  Then she was out of her arms and out of her reach 
before she had a chance to pursue it further.  Faith went after her.

Buffy turned around her hand out halting Faith and giving her a 
pretty good imitation of Willow's 'Resolve Face'. "No!  Toast!" 

Faith pouted at her. 

"We have plenty of time.  Let's eat first before everything gets 
cold.  This way there won't be anything interrupting us later.  Like 
your stomach growling!"  Buffy said in a softer tone, with an impish 
grin, while her eyes lazily raked over the raven-haired slayer. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith met Buffy out in the garden after finishing making the toast.  
There was a large picnic blanket on the ground. The pillows that had 
been in front of the fireplace where piled on it, and the low table 
was out there as well. Faith had to laugh at the amount of food that 
was piled upon the table.  There was a very large platter with eggs, 
bacon, and sausage.  Another platter piled high with fresh fruit, 
strawberries, melon, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and 
cantaloupe.  As well as fair size bowl of fresh whipped cream.  There 
were two big glasses of orange juice and a container with coffee.

"Wow!  I thought you said you couldn't cook B."  Faith sat down next 
to Buffy.

"Eggs, bacon, and sausage, that's about the extent of my culinary 
abilities."

"Looks great.  I'm starved."

"Gee that's a big surprise."  Buffy smiled at the dark slayer.

Faith piled a plate high with food.  Taking a little bit of 
everything and surprised Buffy by handing it to her.  She poured a 
cup of coffee added two sugars and a little cream and handed that to 
Buffy as well.  Then Faith set about making herself a plate which she 
piled even higher, as well as making herself a cup of sugar and cream 
with a little bit of coffee thrown in for good measure.

"Thanks." Buffy said finally remembering her manners.

"Welcome.  It's the least I could do after all you did last night and 
now this morning.  Even if I do have a huge hickey!"  Faith gave 
Buffy one of her lopsided grins, which countered the last part that 
was grumbled out.

"Really.  A hickey?"  Buffy asked all innocent and sweet between 
bites.

"Yeah B.  As if you didn't know."  Faith grumbled a little more.  In 
reality it didn't bother her. 

Buffy put her plate down and slid closer to Faith, reaching out to 
move Faith's hair out of the way.  

"Let me see."  Buffy saw the rather good size hickey on Faith's neck 
by her ear.  Again she felt that primal pleasure at leaving her mark 
on Faith.  She had no clue where the feeling was coming from but she 
couldn't help but smile.

"Oh my.  So sorry.  Let me kiss it and make it better."  She purred 
out to Faith.

Buffy leaned into Faith and placed a light tender kiss on the mark.  
Whispering to her around the kiss. "Better?"

"Almost." Faith whispered back.

Buffy ran her mouth down the length of Faith's neck then back up to 
the tender spot.  Lightly kissing it again.  Running her tongue along 
the spot, then scraping her teeth along it.  She nipped it, scraped 
her teeth a little harder, kissing it again, sucking on the mark, 
making it even darker.

Faith could swear that Buffy was purring like a cat while she was 
doing this.  Could swear that the spot on her neck had a direct link 
with her center as well.  Faith gasped low, when Buffy began to suck 
on her neck, feeling the familiar heat rise up again.  

Buffy pulled back from her and traced the mark with her fingertips.

"Ooops!  Think I made it worse!"  Buffy slid back over and picked up 
her plate and began eating her breakfast again, and impish glint in 
her eyes.

"You don't play fair.  You know that B?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After they had polished off all the eggs, bacon and sausage Buffy 
pulled Faith back into her embrace.  Faith found herself reclining 
back against Buffy's raised knee, her legs over the top of the both 
of Buffy's. Buffy pulled the low table closer to her, reaching over 
she picked up one of the ripe strawberries.  

"Want?"  Buffy asked Faith holding the strawberry over Faith's 
mouth.  Her other hand nonchalantly running over Faith's shoulders 
and neck.

Faith just nodded yes, amazed by the smoldering ember of arousal that 
was starting just from the sound of Buffy's voice so close to her 
ear.  This side of Buffy awed Faith, she had a sneaky feeling that 
being the seducer rather than the seduced was new to Buffy.  She knew 
for herself that she had always been the aggressor, so this was new 
to her, and damn if she wasn't loving it. It made her feel wanted in 
ways that she never dreamed possible. And damn if Buffy wasn't good 
at being the seductress.

"Another?"  This time before Buffy brought the strawberry to Faith's 
mouth she bit a little off the tip.  Buffy stopped shy of Faith's 
mouth and slowly ran it along her lips, tempting Faith with it but 
not letting her have it.  Then impishly she popped into her own 
mouth. 

Her other hand continued to run over Faith nonchalantly, reaching 
lower.  

"Mmmmm.  These are good.  Sweet."  Murmuring low in Faith's ear, 
causing Faith to shudder.  While her other hand untied the sash to 
Faith's robe, then glided up to open the robe baring Faith to the 
pale pre-dawn light.  Her hand once again nonchalantly continuing its 
lazy travels over Faith's now exposed body.

Buffy picked up another strawberry .  She brought it to Faith's lips 
running it along them again.  

"Open."  Faith did as she was told and Buffy put the strawberry 
halfway into Faith's mouth.  

"Bite."  Again Faith did as she was told.  Her voice low and husky 
tickled Faith's ear.  

Buffy then ran the half eaten strawberry around Faith's mouth.  
Squeezing the strawberry lightly so that the juice dripped down from 
Faith's lips towards her chin. Faith's mouth glistened with the 
strawberry juice.  Buffy fed the rest of the strawberry to Faith.   
Buffy ran her hand up behind Faith's neck and pulled her towards her, 
leaning into her. Buffy began to lap up the strawberry juice from 
Faith's chin and lips.  

The touch of her tongue feather light, she smiled when she heard 
Faith growl low in her throat.  Faith reached around Buffy and 
grabbed a strawberry for herself, wanting to return the favor.  Buffy 
snatched it from her hand, shaking a finger at Faith in the age-old 
sign of 'No'.

"Never got to finish spoiling you last night.  Want to finish now.  
Can I?"  Buffy's smile seducing Faith, who just nodded yes.

Buffy continued to feed Faith from the tray.  Teasing her with the 
fruit, tasting it from her mouth, her lips, with feather light 
touches of her tongue and mouth.  Until Faith was aching for just a 
little more of a kiss, a little more pressure.  Something more then 
just these teasing kisses that were driving her crazy.  

"B..."  Buffy looked at Faith and saw raw need in her eyes, written 
across her face.  Her hand slid lower delving into the slick hot 
wetness of Faith. Faith drove herself up hard into Buffy's hand, her 
need overwhelming her.  The desire had come over Faith, hard, fast 
and urgent, seemingly from out of nowhere.

Buffy plunged her fingers into Faith forcefully knowing that now was 
not the time to tease her.  Even without their shared echoing of 
feelings Buffy could feel the burning need coming off Faith.  She was 
feeling it herself, it was like they had both suddenly gone into 
heat.  It was primal, as if last night had released a part of the 
first slayer in both of them.  It wasn't just lust though, lust was 
part of it, but there was tenderness, passion, desire, all wrapped in 
the love the slayers had for each other.  Their need to physically 
express that to each other had taken hold in the form of raw primal 
desire.

Faith pulled Buffy down to her almost violently.  Her mouth slamming 
into Buffy's in a fierce kiss.  Plunging her tongue deep into Buffy's 
mouth, moaning in need.  Buffy moaning back, her fingers plunging 
into Faith at a punishing rate.  Her thumb seeking out her clit, and 
pressing into it hard, circling, punishing it too.  Faith's body 
arched up hard and stilled for a second before her orgasm rolled over 
her, her muscles tightening around Buffy's fingers with such force 
that they almost went numb.  Faith wrenched her mouth away, yelling 
out Buffy's name so loud Buffy's ears actually rang.  A primal 
satisfaction went through Buffy at the thought that she had made 
Faith feel this way.

Faith was in the throes of one of the most intense orgasms of her 
life.  Every part of her felt it, it was like a live wire was 
touching every nerve in her body.  Dimly Faith heard the sound of 
platters hitting the tiled ground as Buffy continued driving into 
her, prolonging her orgasm, intensifying it.  Then Buffy was lifting 
her and placing her on the low table. Later she would swear she heard 
Buffy actually growling and then Buffy's mouth was on her and Faith 
was sent off into ecstasy again as another wave rolled over her 
prolonging the fire in her even longer.  

Buffy plunged her tongue into Faith's slick center with almost the 
same punishing force of her fingers only a few seconds ago. Her 
fingers moved to torture Faith's clit, while her other hand slid up 
Faith's body to capture a nipple between her fingers, rolling it, 
playing with it, with equal abandonment.  

Buffy ruthlessly drove Faith to a second orgasm then a third, Faith 
was helpless under Buffy's hands and mouth.  Buffy's own desire rose 
higher, out of her control, each time Faith screamed out her name.  
Faith sat up still in the throes of her last climax, she pulled Buffy 
away from her, pushing her none to gently onto her back, moaning as 
her body still convulsed. 

Faith's mouth was on Buffy's own dripping center before Buffy was 
even completely lying back, Faith's fingers thrusting, curling up 
into Buffy with the same punishing force Buffy had used on her.  Her 
tongue flicking hard over Buffy's clit, biting, sucking it into her 
mouth.  Within seconds she felt Buffy's core clenching her fingers, 
as Buffy pushed herself even harder into her mouth.  Screaming out 
Faith's name as loudly as Faith had screamed hers only a short time 
ago.

Buffy's body convulsed so forcefully she almost came up into a 
sitting position.  Then a second climax was steam rolling over her 
before the first had even finished. Faith still driving into her 
moaning around her clit sending the vibration throughout her body.  
Liquid fire running through every cell of her body, Buffy screamed 
out Faith's name again.

Buffy pulled Faith up and over her, sliding her hand behind her neck 
pulling her down to her mouth.  Kissing her without mercy, her other 
hand sliding down into Faith moist heat.  Faith's fingers still 
plunging into Buffy, as they mercilessly propelled each other toward 
another climax.  Faith pulled away from the kiss her head dropping 
down to Buffy's shoulder as she chanted Buffy's name like a mantra.  
Faith bite down hard on Buffy's shoulder as she felt herself start to 
climax, her fingers increasing their rhythm, delving deeper into 
Buffy.  Faith's orgasm ripped through her, scorching her, searing 
her, she saw colors flashing behind her closed eyes.  It rose even 
higher as she felt Buffy climaxing around her fingers, and yell out 
her name hoarsely.

Afterwards they lay holding each other tightly, still trembling, 
exhausted, smiling they drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know you feel it / This is a serious chemistry / You don't have to 
believe it / But the truth will set you free / You're flashing like 
white neon / in my mind and it's alright / I must be spoiled and 
rotten / cause no one else will ever do / Don't you forget I get what 
I want / All I want is you... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally after a very long shower and three or four attempts at 
getting dressed two very sedate, sleepy, silly ass smiling, sore 
slayers emerged from the Mansion.  It was early evening and if they 
didn't have to go pick up Dawn at the witches they would probably 
still be trying to get dressed. Together they dragged out the garbage 
can to curb.  

"Holy shit B.  What was that like total lust-puppy mode or what?"  
Faith asked blushing, half joking, half not.  Sighing inside, that 
had come out completely the wrong way.

How it was possible that she could be blushing after last night, and 
today she hadn't a fucking clue, but the heat she felt on her neck 
and face told her that she was.  They had devoured each other all 
morning into the early evening. Even now she could feel the desire 
rising up in her again, hell she could feel it coming from Buffy too.

Buffy looked at Faith, her own thoughts along the same line.  She 
felt the passion rising in her again, even knowing that her body 
couldn't take anymore or Faith's for that matter.  It was almost like 
they were trying to get in a lifetime together in a few short days.  
Trying to make up for all that they had lost out on, but it was more 
than just that.  Buffy believed it had to do with the connection they 
shared, the echoing of feelings that was happening between them.  It 
seemed to escalate and double the feelings, the emotions.  They 
really needed to talk about it, they needed to talk to Giles about 
this echoing thing, among other things as well.

"Lust-puppy mode, yes, but... It was more than just lust Faith.  Lust 
was part of it sure.  But there was desire, passion, tenderness... more 
then even that... I don't even know how to explain it.  It was like I 
wanted to be part of you and you to be a part of me.  Its like we are 
connected in a way that I've never, and I don't think you've ever 
been, with anyone before. More than just by our connection as 
slayers. I just know I feel more alive, more whole with you than I've 
ever have in my life."  

Buffy wanted to tell Faith that she loved her, but something was 
holding her back.  Some deep seeded instinct was telling her not to, 
not yet.  Over the years she had learned to trust this internal 
voice. No, it hadn't always been right, but somehow Buffy just knew 
that it was this time.  Somehow she knew it had to do with Faith's 
past.  Just knew that Faith needed to be the one to say it first, not 
why, not how, she just knew.  Faith closed the distance between them, 
bringing Buffy into her embrace, whispering in her ear.  "That how it 
felt, how it feels for me too."

They pulled apart when they heard the next-door neighbor that neither 
of them had ever met before, dragging his garbage can down the 
driveway.  Another man followed him dragging a second can.  They 
walked over towards the slayers, waving a hello.

"Hi.  I'm Gary and this is James."  Gary said extending his hand to 
Faith, while James extended his hand to Buffy. "So which one of you 
is Faith and which one is Bee?"

The 'Chosen Two' turned scarlet, both knowing how the neighbors knew 
their names.

"Oh shit!"  Faith mumbled. "Ah.. we... ah..."

"Hey don't worry about."  Gary said.  "James and I have been known to 
frolic in the garden ourselves.  Although not at five o'clock in the 
morning."

They stared at the men with open mouths.  What the hell where they 
supposed to say?

"You've got about as much tact as a bulldozer Gary."  James said 
playfully punching him on the arm.  "Welcome to the neighborhood.  
Just watch out for old-lady Crabtree.  She doesn't like our kind.  So 
which of you is which?"

"She's Faith and I'm B, I mean Buffy."  Buffy was a little flustered 
to say the lest.

"Buffy?  I think I like Bee better." Gary smiled at Buffy.

"See B.  It isn't just me."  Faith smirked.

Both Gary and Faith were rewarded by playful punches from both their 
significant others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were in the training room.  Faith was practicing her spinning 
kicks, she still had some trouble with them, specifically following 
through with her head.  Buffy was holding the body bag for her.   
Buffy moved the bag out of her way so she could get a clear look at 
Faith whose back was to her.  She watched as Faith rolled her 
shoulders trying to ease some of the tension from them.  Buffy's eyes 
traversed lower down the length of Faith's spine, seeing the muscles 
move there, feeling the all too familiar heat rise in her again.  
Buffy was wondering after the last two days if it would always be 
like this between them.  It had never been like this for her with 
anyone else.  

They still needed to tell Giles about their relationship, and Buffy 
had been putting it off.  He was like a father to her and she was 
afraid of disappointing him.  She knew she wasn't being fair to him, 
he didn't seem to have a problem with Willow and Tara being together 
so she had no reason to think that he would have a problem with her 
and Faith. 

{Damn but she's got a nice ass.}

Buffy was so busy checking out Faith's ass, and lost in thought about 
how to talk to Giles that she didn't see Faith's kick coming at her 
until it was too late.

Faith, who once again didn't follow through correctly, didn't see she 
was about to hit Buffy in the face until a second before it 
happened.  She twisted her body trying to pull out and succeeded in 
only coming down hard on her hand, knowing instantly that it was 
sprained. At the same time, she realized she had sent Buffy flying 
across the room, knocking her out cold.

"B?" She questioned softly.

No answer came from the still body lying about ten feet from her. 
Blood was pouring from Buffy's nose where the ball of Faith's foot 
had hit her, her heel had caught Buffy in the mouth and that too was 
bleeding.

"B?"  She  queried softly again.  Scrambling over to Buffy on her 
hands and knees.  Pulling her head into her lap,  wiping away the 
blood that was still coming from her nose. Wiping away the blood 
coming from her split and swollen lip.

"BUFFY!"  She screamed terrified. 

{OH GOD!  Why isn't she moving? Fuck me!  OH God!}

Giles, Willow, Tara and Spike came rushing into the training room 
after hearing Faith's tortured scream.  They hesitated but a second 
upon seeing Faith cradling Buffy in her arms and the blood that 
covered both slayers.

"What happened here?"  Giles asked Faith as he knelt besides them, 
quickly scanning the room.  Thinking that Glory might have something 
to do with this.

"I... I don't know.  I was practicing my kicks and I hit her... I tried 
to stop... Why isn't she moving Giles? Why?"

Willow ran and got the first aid kit and some towels before Giles 
even asked.

"Faith.  Let Buffy go so I can take a look at her."  Giles waited for 
Faith to release Buffy but it was like she hadn't heard him.  "Faith 
you need to let Buffy go so I can see what you did to her."  It came 
out harsher then he wanted, and not exactly the way he wanted to say 
it.  

Giles saw the hurt in Faith's eyes that his words had caused when she 
looked up at him. Right now though his only thoughts were to check 
Buffy, he would apologize later to Faith for his harsh tone and 
words.  He knew she hadn't meant to hurt Buffy, he didn't have any 
idea how deep his words affected her. Carefully Faith laid Buffy on 
floor.  Propping her head up on the cushion that Tara had dragged 
over from the couch.

"I didn't mean to hurt her.  I didn't."  Faith stood and backed 
away.  Wiping her bloody hands on her shorts.  She watched as Giles 
carefully cleaned away the blood from Buffy's face. Faith started 
trembling when she saw Buffy's face, nose bruised, swollen, bleeding, 
and her mouth split, swollen, and bleeding.  Unconsciously she began 
to claw at the blood on her hands, causing welts to rise, and small 
scrapes that began to bleed lightly.

"I don't think her nose is broken.  Seems to be more bluster than 
anything else.  It looks like the kick just knocked her out.  Willow 
is there any smelling salt in that kit?"  Giles asked relieved.

Spike who had been standing off to the side not saying anything, 
caught the scent of 'new' blood.  He looked over at Faith and saw 
what she was doing to her hands. 'Christ' he uttered under his breath 
as he made his way over towards the dark slayer.   While no one had 
told him what was going on between the two slayers his vampire senses 
had told him.  He might be in love with Buffy, but he was old enough 
to know that he didn't have a shot in hell with her.  Any hope he 
might have been harboring had disappeared over the last few weeks 
after seeing the two of them together.  The day that the Watchers 
Council had shown up had killed the very last of it.  As he saw what 
Faith was doing to her hands he instantly understood, there was 
plenty of blood on his own hands that was for sure.  

Ever since the chip had been put in his head, he had been slowly but 
surely changing.  He often wondered now if in fact it was true that 
he didn't have a soul.  Or if it was more that once infected with the 
demon when he was turned, it combined with the dark side or evil that 
everyone has had so outweighed the good part of his soul that those 
combined essences had caused his actual soul to become dormant.
 
He knew as he approached Faith that she would not accept his help or 
any kind words.  He best approach with her right now was to revert 
back to 'William the Bloody', and make Faith angry.  What she was 
doing to herself was a good indication that a part of her didn't 
believe that she had not meant to hurt Buffy, and thought the other 
would not believe it too.  Giles words had found a hidden insecurity 
in the dark slayer.  The old Spike would have used this to his 
advantage, but to hurt Faith would be like hurting Buffy and that was 
something Spike no longer had the desire to do.  He envied what they 
had, and in an odd way was happy for them both.  While he would live 
forever, or at the very least many more lifetimes, they're lives 
because of being Slayers was short at best.  So while he wished he 
could have Buffy for himself, he could not begrudge either of them 
the happiness and love they had found with each other.

"Nice job Slayer."  Spike said sarcastically as he stood next to 
Faith.  She ignored him.  "Next time you should try a little harder."

Faith turned to him, her eyes blazing with anger.  "Fuck you Spike.  
I didn't mean to hurt her."

Giles helped Buffy to sit up now that she was awake.  Willow, Tara 
and Giles where oblivious to the interaction going on between Spike 
and Faith.  Buffy heard what Faith said and turned towards them.  She 
caught Spikes quick glance down at Faith's hands, which she was still 
clawing at and saw the furrow between his eyebrows and the quickly 
hidden concern in his eyes before he spoke again.   Buffy knew in an 
instant what he was trying to do.

"Right Slayer, sure you didn't mean to hurt her."

"Fuck you!"  Faith's tone furious and loud.  She shoved Spike, 
sending him flying backwards.  Clenching her fists she took a 
threatening step towards him.  "I didn't mean to hurt her!  It was an 
a-c-c-i-d-e-n-t."   She said slowly through clenched teeth.

"Faith."  Buffy called to her softly.  Faith moved over to Buffy side 
so fast she made everyone's head spin, she knelt down next to the 
golden-haired slayer.

"B.  You okay? I'm sorry... I didn't mean..."

"I know baby.  It wasn't your fault..." Buffy grabbed both of Faith's 
hands.  Faith winced at the pain, and looked down at her hands 
noticing for the first time what she had done to them... again.

"Oh shit..." It dawned on Faith suddenly what Spike had been trying 
to do.  She looked at Spike, and waited for him to return her gaze, 
she silently thanked him with her eyes.
 
Spike just nodded his acceptance of her thanks.  It was time for him 
to make a quiet exit.  While he might realize that he could never 
have Buffy it was painful to watch her with someone else.

"Faith why don't you help Buffy into my office. I would like to talk 
to the two of you."  

Giles watched as Faith simply picked up Buffy.  Cradling her in her 
arms like a newborn infant.  If he did not already know what was 
going on between them he would have known that instant.  Both wore 
their feelings for each other on their sleeves.  It was in every look 
they exchanged, in the tone of their voices when they spoke to each 
other, in the unconscious way they always stayed within arms length, 
the light touches they shared when they passed by each other.  He 
would have had to be deaf, dumb and blind not to see, or hear it.  
Unfortunately though for them, they were going to have to learn how 
to block it out when they were training and slaying, this was twice 
now that one of them had gotten hurt because they had allowed 
themselves to get distracted by their feelings for the other.  It was 
unfortunate all right and Giles wasn't looking forward to having this 
talk with them.  He had hoped that they would come to him.  Now 
however he was going to have to force the issue, he couldn't risk 
either of them getting hurt.  He already thought of Buffy and Dawn as 
his own daughters, Willow, Tara, Xander, and even Anya like they were 
his children as well.  And of late he had begun to think of Faith 
that way too.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith laid Buffy down gently on the couch in Giles office.  She 
perched on the arm of the couch by Buffy's head, her hands shoved in 
her pockets hoping that none of the other's had seen what she had 
done to them.  Fuck she was going to have to wear the lifting gloves 
for a few days again.  Especially since she didn't want to alarm Dawn 
even further once she saw Buffy.

Giles entered the office a few seconds after the slayers, the two 
witches trailed behind him.  The three of  them where looking back 
and forth between the two slayers,  their gazes finally coming to 
rest on Faith.  She squirmed a little under their gaze and stood.

"I... I didn't mean to hurt her.  I swear... You know that don't 
you?"  Faith pleaded.  She was desperate for them to believe her.  
She didn't want to lose their trust, not after so recently gaining it 
completely.

"That goes without saying Faith.  I apologize for being so harsh with 
you.  If you mistook what I said in any way that made you think that 
I thought you did this on purpose, I am sorry.  It was not my 
intention.  My concern for Buffy got the best of me."

Faith smiled a little at him.  She turned her gaze to the two 
witches.  "Willow? Tara?"

Willow and Tara where a little shocked to realized that Faith 
actually thought they might think that she would hurt Buffy on 
purpose.  Although, Willow realized, it really would have been her 
first thought not to long ago.  The fact that Faith had actually used 
both of their names, instead of her nicknames for them showed them 
the seriousness of her question.

"Of course we know you wouldn't hurt Buffy on purpose."  

Faith looked a little doubtful at Willow, not sure whether to believe 
her words or not.  It became clear to Willow by that look that it 
wasn't really them that Faith doubted but herself.  Afraid perhaps 
that some hidden place inside of her still wanted to hurt Buffy.  
Faith was looking to them to help re-enforce what she herself 
couldn't, would not believe was true.  Faith knew that if any one of 
them thought for a second that she had tried to hurt Buffy on 
purpose, that there really was a hidden part of her that was still 
angry, still hadn't changed...

"Faith I think I am safe in saying that you would rather die than 
ever hurt Buffy in any way ever again.  We all believe that, even 
Xander.  And further I think I am safe in saying that Buffy feels the 
same way about you."

"It wasn't even your fault Faith.  If I didn't get distracted you 
would have hit the bag instead of me."  Buffy said slowly, it was a 
little hard to speak clearly with the split, swollen lip.  Not to 
mention it hurt.

"Yes.  Um... Before we get on the subject of your getting distracted 
Buffy, I believe Faith's hands need some medical attention."

"Ah... they're fine G-Man.   Just fine."

Giles was not going to take no for an answer.  He beckoned to Faith 
to come over to him, giving her the 'Stern-Father-Resolve-Face".  
Like Willow's 'Resolve-Face' Gile's face clearly stated the 
Borgs, 'Resistance is futile' mantra.

{What the fuck?  Everybody got a 'Resolve Face' but me?}  Faith 
thought, still refusing to budge from her perch.

"Faith." Giles said softly. "I know all about the scars.  So please 
come here and let me take care of your hands."

Faith and Buffy exchanged looks.  Faith knew that Buffy would not 
have told Giles about this without first asking her if it was all 
right to do so.  So how then did he know?

It looked like this talk was going to be about more than just the two 
of them allowing their feelings for each other to distract them.  He 
would tell them the whole of it, it was time they knew anyway.  Both 
he and Angel had held their tongues on this, agreeing in the 
beginning when Faith first returned to Sunnydale that the time was 
not right.  They both had often wondered if things would have 
happened differently had they not.  Of late though both had begun to 
think that it might have made things worse instead of better.  The 
time for secrets though was long since past. Giles saw the confused 
look the slayers exchanged and said;

"Let me take care of your hands first and I will explain everything 
to you."

Willow and Tara couldn't help the gasp that escaped them when Faith 
held out her hands to Giles.  They had seen the scars but unlike 
Buffy they had not seen them up close.  They had asked Buffy about 
them, but she had told them to ask Faith or to wait until Faith felt 
comfortable enough to tell them about the scars.  Without actually 
seeing them up close the witches had not been able to determine like 
Buffy that they had been self-inflicted.  Now seeing the fresh marks 
on Faith's hands they had no doubt how the dark slayer had gotten 
them.  Then as if someone had whispered in their minds and painted a 
picture both witches got a flash of Faith's words of 'So much blood 
on my hands', and an image of the blood she saw on her hands in her 
own mind everyday.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles cleaned and bandaged Faith's hands and wrapped her sprained 
wrist. He tried to keep his face expressionless when he saw the 
amount of damage Faith had done to her hands.  He felt guilt as he 
looked at them and a sense of having failed her.  Surely there was 
something he could have done that could have stopped this.  Could 
have helped the dark slayer, prevented her from going down that 
path.  He mentally berated himself for being a snob, because like the 
others, back then he had deep down inside thought that Faith hadn't 
been good enough to be one of them.  Like the others he had never 
looked beneath the surface of the girl, instead he had judged her by 
her appearance alone.  Had never heard the meaning behind her words, 
had never looked into her eyes to see if they echoed the words that 
fell from her lips.  They had all made mistakes where Faith was 
concerned, but it was she who had paid the highest price for them.  
There was more than enough blame to go around; only back then none of 
them had been willing to take their fair share.  And like Buffy had 
thought not to long ago he thanked whomever for giving him a chance 
to make things right, giving him a chance to redeem himself for his 
earlier actions.

As if she had read his thoughts, Faith lightly put her hand on Giles 
shoulder.  She looked him in the eyes and smiled softy at him.

"It's okay G-man.  It's all in the past now."

Faith walked back over towards Buffy on the couch, who sat up and 
made room for her.  Without even thinking, as if it were second 
nature to both of them, Buffy laid her head back down in Faith's lap, 
who started to gently stroke her hair soothingly.

"Maybe we should leave."  Tara stood up, Willow was quick to follow.

Giles looked to Faith.  This was her choice, what he was about to 
tell them had to do with the scars, and it wasn't his place to decide 
whether the witches should know about it.

"Stay."  She said simply.

Giles took off his glasses and started cleaning them, while he waited 
for Willow and Tara to sit back down. 

"Yes.  Well, I suppose it would be best to start at the beginning."  
Giles cleared his throat, trying to compose his thoughts.

"Faith did you ever wonder how Angel knew to come and get you at the 
courthouse that day, when you were released from prison?"

Faith shook her head no.  That day was still a little fuzzy for her.  
She had never asked Angel and he had never told her.  Actually she 
had never given it much thought, over the last year Angel just had 
been there for her when she needed him.  She had never questioned it.

Giles took a deep breath, he knew what he was about to say was going 
to shock everyone in the room, it certainly had shocked him when he 
was told.

"Buffy's mother, Joyce, called Angel that day to come and get you 
Faith."

"What? Mom never said..."

"Mrs. S. was..."

"Mom called..."

"...there?"

"...Angel... How?"

"...I don't remember her..."

"...Why?..."

Giles held up his hand for silence as the 'Chosen Two' both talked 
over the other in their rush to question Giles.

"Let me tell you the whole of it.  Then you can ask me your questions 
and I will answer them as best as I can."  Taking another deep breath 
Giles began again.

"A few days before Joyce passed away she asked to speak alone with 
me.  That day she told me that she was planning to go to L.A. to see 
you Faith.  By then, you were working for Angel at the agency.  When 
I asked her why, she told me the whole of it.  When Buffy returned 
from L.A. after you had turned yourself in, Joyce decided to keep 
tabs on your progress.  She was surprised, Buffy, by your refusal to 
believe that Faith could change, or at the very least that Faith 
wanted to change. You see, there was a part of her, despite 
everything that had happened, that did not believe that you were 
evil, Faith.  She contacted a detective on the L.A.P.D. whom I 
believe you know Faith, named Kate Lockley who agreed to keep her 
informed.  Detective Lockley also managed to have Joyce listed as a 
contact in your prison file should something happen to you while you 
were in custody.   A few months ago she got a phone call from the 
prison doctor about you.  He told her..."  Giles trailed off here, 
looking at Faith.  She nodded at him to continue.

"The doctor told her about what the guards had done to you.  He told 
her that it appeared the guards had been beating you daily for about 
a week.  How you were dehydrated and suffering from malnutrition. The 
doctor also told her of the carnage you had inflicted upon your own 
hands.  He told her he didn't know how or why you ended up in 
solitary. What Joyce didn't tell him was that he was probably wrong 
about the amount of time you had spent in solitary.  Joyce figured 
with your slayer healing you had been in solitary for twice the 
amount of time he estimated.  She was right wasn't she Faith?"

"Twelve days." Her voice came out a hoarse whisper, her mouth dry.  
She had not expected to have to talk of this ever again.  She did not 
expect that it would still be so painful, but then again she had not 
expected that she would ever do to her hands again what she had done 
less than an hour ago.

Faith's hand trembled against Buffy's hair, who immediately sat up 
and pulled her close to her.  Buffy's arms coming around the raven-
haired slayer in support, in comfort.

"I was attacked in the shower by four inmates and two guards..."

Faith retold the tale of what happened to her in prison.  How she was 
attacked and then thrown in solitary.  How the guards had tried to 
break her first by denying her food and water.  When that didn't work 
how they had tried to break her by beating her, sometimes more than 
once a day.  Until they were too tired to beat her anymore or she had 
passed out.  Her voice became a hoarse whisper when she told them of 
the blood she saw on her hands, and what she had done to them to try 
and get it off.  The guards she said had tried to break her what they 
didn't realize was that she was already broken.

There was silence in the room for a time after Faith finished 
speaking.  All of them wondering if they would have had the strength 
to have survived all of that.   Would have had the strength to 
survive all of what Faith had implied had been her life even before 
coming to Sunnydale.  There wasn't one person in that room who didn't 
admire the dark slayer for the strength of will it had taken for her 
to survive against all the odds and turn her life around.

Willow started to speak only to be stopped by Faith's raised 
trembling hand.  "No, Red... Please just let Giles finish his 
story... Another time we can talk about this.  Okay?"

Giles cleared his throat again, fiddling with his glasses. "After 
Joyce spoke with the doctor she decided to go to L.A., she already 
knew that you where going to court the next day Faith, so she made 
arrangements to go.  If you recall Buffy your Mother left on an 
unexpected trip for an art auction on a Sunday a few months ago.  At 
this point even Angel did not know that she would be there.  She told 
me she knew the instant that you came into the courtroom Faith that 
you had changed, and the Mother in her told her that not only had you 
changed but that you were in pain, and something was terribly wrong.  
She decided in that second that no matter what the outcome of the 
trial that she was going to do everything in her power to help you.  
She had not been prepared however for what happened when all the 
charges had been dropped and she saw what you had done to yourself.  
When the Judge had you removed from the courtroom, she heard him 
mention something about having you institutionalized. She did not 
think that would be best for you.  Any talk of being a Slayer would 
land you drugged and locked away for the rest of your life.  She also 
feared that the 'Watcher's Council' would be able to get their hands 
on you in an institution whereas they could not while you were in 
prison.  She ran up and spoke with the Judge introducing herself as 
your Aunt.  Which, believe it or not, she was listed as on your 
file.  With the judge's help, she made arrangements to have Angel 
come for you.  You had trusted him once to help you and she hoped 
that you would again.  She waited outside of the room you were in 
until he arrived.  Joyce and Angel kept in contact with each other.  
He told her of your progress and then later it was Wesley who kept 
her up to date.  She had planned on coming to see you sooner, but 
then she had gotten sick.  When I spoke with her that day she told me 
that she wanted to let you know that she had forgiven you, but that 
was not her only reason for going.   She said there was another 
reason, one that she had not even told to Angel.  She had been 
dreaming about the two of you.  There was darkness and light 
surrounding you in the dreams. She said she came to understand of the 
darkness and light, how one complimented the other.  How they 
completed the other, making a full circle.  Like the yin and yang."  

No one noticed the look the two witches exchanged as Giles said this 
last part.  

"What she took for the meaning of the dreams was that in order for 
the two of you to heal and to forgive yourselves you needed to do it 
together.  That even more importantly as she watched you two in the 
dreams together she felt that there was a rightness to it, a 
belonging, as if you two were separate, but still part of the other.  
So she was going to L.A. to talk with you Faith about coming back 
here.  To see if you were strong enough, because she did not think 
that it would be easy.  She knew that Buffy had not forgiven herself 
for stabbing you.  Had not forgiven herself for any of it and had 
certainly not forgiven you Faith.  She knew too Faith that you would 
never really forgive yourself until Buffy forgave you.  She was 
determined that you two would work things out and forgive each 
other.  Only she never got the chance to come and see you Faith or to 
talk to you about it Buffy. "
 
"Giles why didn't you or Angel tell me this when Faith first came 
back to Sunnydale?"  

"Would you have listened Buffy?  Would you have believed either of 
us?  Or would you have convinced yourself that Faith had found some 
way to fool your Mother?"

"I..." She was going to say yes she would have believed them, but she 
knew that was a lie.  "No.  I am ashamed to say I would not have 
believed either of you.  I was too determined not to believe Faith 
had changed.  I am not even sure if I would have even believed Mom."

"She forgave me?"  Faith whispered so softly only Buffy heard her.

Buffy smiled at Faith, she saw the unshed tears in her eyes.  She 
knew that Faith regretted never having the chance to make things 
right with her Mom.  Buffy sent up a silent thanks to her Mother, 
grateful for Faith's sake that her Mom had been able to see past her 
own anger and see who Faith really was.

"I have to say that seeing you two together I have to agree with 
Joyce."  Giles watched the 'Chosen Two' waiting for them to grasp the 
meaning and implications of his words.

"You... you... Giles you know?  But how?  When?"  Buffy asked him, her 
arms still wrapped possessively, protectively around Faith.  

Faith looked at Giles puzzled from where her head lay against Buffy 
shoulder, as her hand idly worried Buffy's workout shorts from where 
it rested against Buffy's thigh.  Though they had not spoken the 
words to each other, the moment they had become the keeper of each 
other's heart and soul, their actions had become natural to them, as 
if they had been born to be that way with each other.  They were 
unconscious of the fact that there was indeed an air of 'rightness' 
about them, a belonging, when they were near each other.

Tara and Willow couldn't help but giggle at how inane Buffy's 
reaction to Giles statement was.  Even Giles couldn't help but to 
smile.

"What's so funny?"

"Gee Buffy... I don't ever recall sitting on the couch quite that way 
with you."  Willow told the 'Chosen Two' between giggles.

The Slayers both turned bright red, but they did not move apart.  At 
the same time they both realized that being together for them was as 
natural as breathing and neither was ashamed of that, and they were 
no longer willing to hide it. Faith's hand sought out and found 
Buffy's at the same time that Buffy's was seeking hers.

"Giles?"  Buffy questioned him, knowing he would know what she was 
asking.

"I do not have a problem with this Buffy.  I have to agree with what 
your Mother said, there is a rightness about the two of you being 
together."

Buffy and Faith both looked at Giles a little bit amazed, they had 
expected that he would be at least a little uncomfortable about 
this.  But, he showed not the slightest bit of discomfort and it 
thrilled both of them that he accepted them.

"What I do have a problem with however... is when one of you gets hurt 
because you have allowed your feelings for each other to distract 
you.  Like today, and when Faith ended up in the hospital a few weeks 
ago...  Now..."

The 'Chosen Two' and the two witches made themselves a little more 
comfortable as Giles started to talk.  They knew he was right and 
further they knew he would go on about it for quite some time.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Giles there something we need to talk with you about, actually Will 
and Tara might be able to help as well."  Buffy paused for a second 
trying to organize her thoughts.

"You know how Faith and I always seemed to have this connection as 
slayers.  You know being able to sense when the other was near, like 
how our slayer senses go off when a vamp is near.  How we could 
always read each other's emotions or feelings...Well it's become more 
then just that."

"What do you mean by more?"

"Well we can sort of... not sort of... we can feel what each other is 
feeling.  It's kind of like a muffled echo... But for me at least it 
has been getting stronger.  It's like our slayer connection has 
evolved to be more."

"Faith this holds true for you as well?"

"Yeah."

"Can either of you give me an example?" 

The 'Chosen Two' looked at each other, they both blushed.  For the 
most part this happened when they were making love, it was the most 
intense then as well.  Over the last few weeks it had become a part 
of both of them, they had both just accepted it.  They could not read 
each other thoughts, but if they concentrated hard enough they could 
send out their feelings to each other.  They both knew they had to 
learn how to control it, how to block it if necessary, it could 
become a liability in a fight. If one of them got hurt and the other 
got distracted, or became frozen by what the other was feeling they 
would be of no help to each other, themselves or anyone else that was 
in danger.

"The day the council came here for me... I felt Buffy's fear, her 
anger, when I was in the back.  It was why I came running out here..."

"Then I felt Faith's terror when she saw who they were.  I also felt 
her fear that we would let them take her, only it wasn't fear that 
either Dawn or I would let them take her, but that the rest of you 
would.  I concentrated on sending the calmness I was feeling to her..."

"And I felt when Buffy did that.  But I think it started before even 
then... I think it started the first time we did Tai-Chi together."

"Why do you think that Faith?"  It was a little disconcerting to have 
them finishing each other's sentences.

"When Angel first brought me back to the Hyberian, and we started 
doing Tai-Chi in the morning together he used to share with me his 
peace, his tranquility.  I am not really sure how to explain it, but... 
it was like he surrounded me with it.  Later he taught me how to do 
it.  How to open my mind, how to visualize it growing and surrounding 
not just me but anyone else I wanted.  The first time Buffy and I did 
Tai-Chi I could sense her turmoil so I visualized sharing my 
tranquility with her..."

"And it worked but... actually the first time was in Angel's apartment 
the night you returned..."

"Ever since I got back to Sunnydale I've felt that our slayer 
connection was even stronger... Considering everything that had 
happened between us it was kind of weird... It's like somehow our 
slayer connection was opened u..."

"The spell!"  Willow shouted interrupting Faith.  Besides they were 
making her dizzy finishing each other's sentences like they had been 
doing.  "The spell.  The enjoining spell.  How stupid... How could we 
not realize that it would affect Faith too.  She's a slayer... Dumb.. 
Dumb... And the o...h..nothing"  Willow stopped herself looking at Tara.  
They shared a silent agreement not to say anything about what it was 
they saw/felt/sensed about the two slayers.  They were in silent 
accord that this was something the 'Chosen Two' should discover for 
themselves.
 
"I believe you may be correct Willow.  This indeed may have something 
to do with it."

"Huh?"  Faith looked around at them confused.

"Well you see there was this evil thingie that the Initiative created 
called Adam..."  Willow began.

"...So we did a spell called an enjoining spell.  It required me, 
Xander, and Giles.  What it did was give to Buffy our powers combined 
as well with the source of the Slayer's powers.  The Primeval One, 
the first Slayer, whom we now know, is the source of power for all of 
the Slayers.  I was the 'Spirit', Giles the 'Mind' and Xander 
the 'Heart', the vessel, the strength, came from the Primeval One, in 
essence the power of all the Slayers including you, joined with 
Buffy.  Although the first slayer wasn't to happy that we joined with 
Buffy and evoked the essence or the power of the first slayer. The 
first slayer had this whole Garbo 'I vant to be alone' thing going 
on."

"What Willow is suggesting sounds logical.  We can do a little more 
research, although I am not sure what we will find, considering that 
as far as I know there has never been two living Slayers.  However I 
would suggest it is safe to say that the spell has served to open the 
connection between you two even more.  Since you both share in the 
source of the power of the Slayer, and not as we original thought, 
that maybe Buffy had passed on part of her Slayer powers to Kendra, 
who in turn passed them to you Faith." 

The 'Chosen Two' looked at one another this might be part of the 
reason behind this new connection, but somehow they knew there was 
more to it then just that.  Time they knew would bring them their 
answer.  Giles excused himself mumbling something about looking 
through the 'Watchers' diaries, his mind already working on this new 
twist to the slayer's connection.   Buffy decided it was a good time 
to make a quick escape.

"You ready to go home Faith?"  

Faith's answer was to simply stand and pick Buffy up, and start 
walking towards the door.

"I can walk you know, you don't have to carry me."

"I know.  This makes me feel better.  Besides I like holding you.  
I'll take any excuse I can get to do it."

"You don't need an excuse to hold me Faith.  You can do that any time 
you want.  Trust me there will be no complaining going on from 
here."  

Faith ducked her head down and tenderly kissed Buffy on the 
forehead.  She gave her a lopsided grin and carried her out of the 
office.  The 'Chosen Two' were oblivious to the two witches who were 
smiling at them like indulgent parents.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

..Red rubies daffodils / Gentle breezes and windowsills / Starlight 
silver radiation / inside my mental television / An acid 
metamorphosis / An altered state of consciousness / Candy mansions of 
the soul / No compromises turn to gold / I must be spoiled and 
rotten / cause no one else will ever do / Don't you forget I get what 
I want / All I want is you --- Darling Violetta

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy gently untangled herself from Faith.  Faith mumbled a little 
protest as Buffy rose from the bed and then turned over onto her 
stomach mumbling some more in her sleep. Buffy dropped a light kiss 
on the raven-haired slayers forehead thinking  how young she looked 
while she slept.  She looked at the clock and saw that she had an 
hour and a half before sunrise, plenty of time for a quick shower.  
She had a restless sleep last night, things had been a little to 
quiet in Sunnydale lately, it made her nervous. Even Faith had been 
more restless in her sleep then usual last night. Buffy put on her 
silk robe after the shower, towel dried her hair, then quickly ran a 
brush through it, and left the bathroom.
 
When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Faith had rolled over onto 
her back; one arm over her eyes, her other arm flung out wide to the 
side of her, the sheets were tangled around her feet. How the hell 
could she look so young, innocent, hot, and sexy all at the same 
time? Any thoughts Buffy had of going right downstairs were banished 
by the sight of Faith laying naked on the bed. The desire rose up 
strong, hot and fast in Buffy, and a wicked smile started to play 
across her face as an idea of how to wake up the raven-haired beauty 
laying upon the bed formed in her mind. 

Buffy moved over to the bed, she crawled up onto it next to Faith 
sitting back on her calves.  One thing she knew from being a slayer 
herself was when they slept deeply it was the sleep of the, well of 
the dead.  This would most definitely work to her advantage.

Starting with Faith's face Buffy began to run her hands over it 
contours, learning its shape, memorizing it with light touches of her 
fingertips.  Running them along Faith's mouth, outlining her lips, 
which parted slightly at her touch.  Buffy leaned down and placed a 
feather light kiss on the sleeping dark slayer's mouth.  Allowing her 
tongue to sneak out and trace tenderly along the parted lips.  She 
let her fingers continue on their exploration down to Faith's neck 
keeping her touch light, delicate so as not to wake her.  Buffy's ran 
the pads of her fingers down to Faith's pulse point, her lips 
whispering along the path of her fingers.  Buffy moved lower, using 
her hair to trail and brush over Faith's breasts, watching as her 
nipples harden from the wispy touches of her hair over them.  Nimbly 
with a touch like air she circled Faith's nipple with her fingers, 
and gather the other into her mouth.  Using only the lightest of 
touches of her tongue, her lips upon it;  Faith arched up into her 
mouth, her hand, a moan coming from her.

Buffy switched her mouth to Faith's other breast.  Blowing lightly on 
her nipple causing it to harden even more, eliciting another moan 
from the sleeping raven-haired slayer.  Her other hand began to glide 
over Faith's body, barely touching her skin.  She smiled as she saw 
Faith's legs part slightly as her hand drew closer to Faith's 
center.  Skimming her hand even lower down over Faith's thigh, 
tracing random little circles, her own fingertips tingling from these 
light touches.  She watched fascinated as the dark slayers chest 
started to flush, as she become aroused while she slept. As Faith 
moved a little restlessly in her sleep, her breathing becoming a 
little erratic, just as Buffy's own was.  

Buffy's ran her hand up the inside of Faith's thigh and smiled again 
as Faith parted her legs even more.  She brushed across the curls 
that hid Faith's sex, not actually touching her.  Her other hand 
still teasing Faith's nipple, gliding over it with fingertips like 
feathers.  Tracing along her ribcage up over her collarbone and 
shoulders.  Always gently, always lightly.

Delving in deeper into the now moist curls of Faith's center, to 
nimbly explore, and lightly touch her.  Buffy's touch more akin to 
the caress of a warm breeze.  Faith's breath started to become even 
more erratic, her hips rising up to meet Buffy's hand. Buffy's own 
desire rose up ferociously, even quicker then the dark slayers. 
Slowly so as not to wake her Buffy gently sought entrance into 
Faith's wet heat, starting a shallow unhurried rhythm, carefully 
deepening it with each thrust of her finger. Her thumb came up to 
lightly circle the dark slayers clit. Even sleeping Faith's hips 
rose to match Buffy's rhythm and she risked adding another finger.

As Faith started to press up harder into Buffy's hand, Buffy slid her 
body up and over her. Straddling one of Faith's legs, Buffy moaned as 
her own wetness came into contact with Faith's thigh.  Running her 
lips, over the dark slayers neck, her tongue catching the sweat that 
had begun to glisten on Faith's skin.  Buffy increased the speed of 
her hand as she felt Faith begin to clutch at her fingers, increasing 
the pressure of her thumb against her clit.  Faith surged up harder 
into her hand, raising her knees, slamming her thigh up hard into 
Buffy's own throbbing center.

"B!"  Faith moaned, waking on a sea of pleasure.
 
Faith struggled to open her eyes as she felt the heat coiling inside 
of her, and the slick feel of Buffy's own hot core, sliding against 
her thigh.  Buffy looked into Faith's sleepy eyes and brought her 
mouth down in a hot open kiss, moaning into Faith's mouth as Faith 
brought one arm around her to pull her closer, rolling them to their 
sides.  Faith's other hand slid down to Buffy's heat, her hand 
instantly soaked sliding easily into Buffy's wetness, her palm 
pressing up into Buffy's swollen nub.

At Faith's touch upon her Buffy went wild.  Bringing another finger 
into play, Buffy thrust harder, faster and deeper into Faith.  Her 
thumb circling faster, pressing into the dark slayer harder, as Faith 
hips rocked back meeting her with equal force.  Buffy's own desire 
rising up even faster, just a few touches from Faith and she was out 
of control.  

Buffy's orgasm snuck up on her crashing into her with the same impact 
as a tractor-trailer, Buffy wrenched her mouth away from Faith, 
yelling out her name.  She heard Faith laugh softly, then yell out 
her own name as Buffy tweaked her clit again, pumping into her with a 
force and speed that would have hurt a normal person.  Causing Faith 
to thrust into Buffy more forcefully, back and forth it went, until 
neither had anything left and Buffy sank into the waiting embrace of 
Faith.

"Wow... I could wake up like that everyday for the rest of my life."  
Faith laughed softly, rolling them over so that she was on top, 
gazing down at Buffy.

"I could wake you up like that for the rest of your life.  Seems I 
don't have much control where you are concerned." 

Buffy blushed, she was a little embarrassed.  So much for her plan of 
waking Faith, one touch from Faith and it was her who had lost all 
control.

"So I noticed."  Faith chuckled.  Seeing the embarrassed look on 
Buffy's face, Faith's gaze softened and a questioning look came to 
her eyes.  

"What's wrong B?"  she asked Buffy softly.

"Well... I wanted to you know... wake you up... God you were barely 
even awake and I lost my control... I don't know... I just..."

"B.  What? You're embarrassed 'cause you..." Faith trailed off trying 
to figure out how to say this without sounding crude or making it 
seem less then what it was.  "B,  it's flattering that just touching 
me gets you that way.  Cause touching you certainly makes me feel 
that way.  This isn't about 'Getting some, and getting gone', or who 
gets off the most or first.  It's about us being together, about what 
we feel when we are together, how we make each other feel. Just a 
look from you is all I need, you make me feel things I never even 
dreamed were possible.  Even if we never made love again, just being 
able to hold you every night would be enough for me for the rest of 
my life."  

It was the closest Faith had ever come to telling Buffy she loved 
her, and in a way she just did.  She was afraid to say those words to 
Buffy, afraid because of all the times they had been thrown back in 
her face.  Afraid to even hear them because of the times they had 
been said to her, and the meaning, the intent behind them was warped 
and ugly.  Somehow Faith knew that Buffy understood this.  She did 
not doubt that Buffy was in love with her, and Faith knew that Buffy 
knew she was in love with her as well.  Maybe it was just the 
connection they shared as slayers, and, or maybe the odd echoing of 
feelings they were sharing with each other.  It didn't really matter 
where it was coming from, because Faith just knew.

Buffy cupped Faith's face in her hands and drew her down to her for a 
gentle kiss.

"How did you get to be so smart Faith?"

"I had a good teacher B."  Faith leaned down and kissed Buffy 
tenderly.  

"I'm thinking that I should show you nice and slow just how good a 
teacher you were..." Faith murmured low and husky. 

"Mmmm.  Sounds good to me..." Buffy laughed softy pulling Faith back 
down to her...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn got out of bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, not even 
wondering what she was even doing awake this early, the sun wasn't 
even up yet.  She walked over to the window that overlooked the 
garden and opened the curtains.  She looked down into the garden 
already knowing what, or rather, who she would see.  Her sister and 
Faith were curled up in one of the lounge chairs.  She could see that 
they were talking and giggling, and she smiled, glad for both of 
them.  There was something so fitting about the two of them being 
together, even at fourteen she knew that.  She could only hope that 
one day she would find someone who fit with her the same way that 
Buffy and Faith fit together.

Dawn knew that they watched the sunrise every morning.  When she had 
asked them why, they had told her it was in a sense a way of giving 
thanks that they got to see another day.  That the dawning of the new 
day brought to them hope that today would be better then yesterday.  
Though they very rarely talked about it they all lived with the 
knowledge that any given night either Buffy or Faith, or both could 
die, it was the harsh reality of being a Slayer, and being the 
Slayer's sister, and now the other Slayer's sister-in-law. A reality 
that Dawn probably hated more than both the Slayers combined.  Before 
her Mom had died, death had not been real to her in any sense of the 
word, but that had all changed.  So like her sister and Faith she had 
recently started rising before the sunrise, and giving thanks to 
whomever was in charge for giving not only just her sister another 
day but Faith as well.  Giving thanks for having two such caring 
people in her life, and thanks that they had managed to find each 
other and for the love they had found together.

Dawn headed downstairs to join her sister and Faith in the garden.  
She laughed a little when she saw the surprised look on their faces.  
Buffy beckoned for her sister to join them on the lounge chair.  She 
pulled Dawn down beside her, both Slayers looked curiously at Dawn.  
Dawn shrugged her shoulders.

"I figured it was time I joined in the family tradition."  She said 
simply and was rewarded with a welcoming smile from her sister and 
Faith, as they waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were up on the roof of the dorm, the same rooftop where Tara had 
taught her about the stars.  Well her version of what the stars 
were.  Willow could remember that night clearly.  The two of them 
sitting on the roof, Tara's head close to hers as Tara pointed and 
traced the outline of the stars telling Willow her names for them;

"**See those stars over there? 'Cow With Three Udders'. And 
that's 'Moose Getting a Sponge Bath,' 'The Short Man 
Looking Uncomfortable'. 'The Little Pile 0' Crackers' ... That one's 
a bit of a stretch..."

Sitting up on the roof that night with Tara, Willow had felt a 
closeness to her that she had never felt with anyone else.  That was 
why Willow, after deciding to take a page from Faith's book, chose to 
have the sunrise picnic up here.  When the witches had agreed to set 
up everything for Faith the morning she and Buffy returned to the 
apartment the Mayor had given Faith; Faith had explained to the two 
witches why that time of day was special to them. It was the time of 
the day Faith had said, that brought hope to both her and Buffy.  
Both witches had come to the realization that they shared this 
feeling with the 'Chosen Two.  How could anyone not that lived on the 
Hellmouth?

Willow leaned back against the building and held out her arms to 
Tara.  Tara moved quickly into Willow's embrace.  They stayed holding 
each other in comfortable silence as they waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He leaned against the counter waiting for the kettle to whistle.  He 
had given up on sleeping about fifteen minutes ago.  He was too 
restless.  For some reason he felt the need to watch the sunrise.  It 
had been quite a long time since he had done that, but he remembered 
in his youth, watching the sun rise and set had been one of his 
favorite pastimes. The kettle's whistle startled him out of his 
memories.  He poured the hot water into the large mug, added a 
teaspoon of sugar and a drop of milk.  He left the tea bag in the cup.

Picking up the mug he made his way out of the kitchen and through the 
living room.  He opened the double doors out to the garden.  He 
walked over to the table and set his mug down.

With a sigh Giles sat down taking a sip of his tea as he waited for 
the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike ran as fast as he could back to his crypt.  He didn't have a 
whole hell of a lot of time before he would be burning like a piece 
of bacon in a skillet.  He had just left the Mansion where he had 
been spying on the Slayers.  He had been surprised to say the least 
when he had seen Dawn join them in their morning vigil. He had been 
watching them the last few weeks, running for his crypt from either 
the Mansion or the Summer's house.  It was his way of making sure 
that they were safe.  That they had made it through the night and 
would be there the next day.  There had been only one night that he 
had left early and that had been the morning as he dubbed it 'Fun-
with-Fruit'.  The demon in him had howled all the way home in 
protest, it had wanted to stay and watch, hell it had wanted to join 
in the fun.  The other side of him which he was truly starting to 
believe was his awaking soul admonished him to leave.  The Slayers 
deserved their privacy, and that part of him was now the controlling 
part of Spike and after all these years he rather liked it.

No one had to tell him what the morning ritual meant to the 'Chosen 
Two'.  Because for him it meant the same things.  He crashed through 
the door of the crypt quickly closing it.  He saw the clock on the 
wall and laughed softly he still had a half hour.  He dragged his 
club chair over to the far corner and moved over to the window.  He 
drew aside the black curtain letting in the pale pre-dawn light.

Spike walked back over to the chair and sat down gratefully, smiling 
as he waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xander walked out of the bathroom, already dressed for work.  He 
looked at Anya sleeping in the bed a smile lit up his face.  Who 
would of thought that he would ever be in love with a twelve-hundred 
year old ex-vengeance demon.  And love her he did, with a passion 
that sometimes scared him.  What was even more amazing to him was 
that she loved him too.

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Anya lips and jumped a 
little in surprise when her arms came up to hold him.

"Morning."  She whispered to him.

"Morning to you too.  What are you doing up?"  

"Not sure.  Couldn't sleep."

Anya followed him into the kitchen.  Xander poured them both a cup of 
coffee.

"Why don't we sit outside on the balcony and drink our coffee. I have 
a little bit of time before I have to leave for work, we could enjoy 
the sunrise together,"  Xander suggested and was rewarded with a 
bright smile from Anya.

Xander pulled their chairs close together.  He held out his hand to 
Anya after they sat down, she placed her hand in his.

Holding hands they sat in silence as they waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gunn was sitting on the hood of his tricked out truck.  He had been 
up all night thinking.  While he felt good about everything he had 
done helping out Cordy, Wesley, and Angel, he was still tormented 
with guilt about leaving his crew.  He still felt responsible for 
them. He had led them, taken care of them, kept them safe, for so 
long how could he not? The weight of each one of his crew that had 
died since he left weighed heavy on his shoulders and in his heart. 
There was a part of him that felt if he had been there they might 
still be alive.  He knew he was torturing himself, but he couldn't 
help it.  There was an accusatory look in his former crew's eyes 
whenever he ran into them, and he had trouble returning their 
stares.  

He knew he had a decision to make, and so he sat mulling over 
everything as he waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wesley Wyndam-Price fumbled for his glasses on his bedside table.  
Christ he groaned what the hell was he doing wide-awake at this 
hour?  His sleep had been restless ever since he had been put in 
charge of Angel Investigations.  He couldn't help but wonder if he 
was capable of leading their little group.  He had been a 'Watcher' 
for so long that his first thought was research not action, not just 
sometimes, but almost ninety-nine percent of the time.  That he knew 
was not good, it got people killed.  He rose from bed and put on a 
pot of coffee knowing that sleep would not come to him again this 
night.

He opened the blinds that covered the sliding glass door.  Wesley 
curled himself up on the couch, sipping his black coffee as he waited 
for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was so not good for her complexion.  The visions were bad 
enough, but now this not being able to sleep, well it certainly 
didn't help the dark circles under her eyes.  Cordelia might have 
changed the way she saw the world, and how she treated the people in 
it, but she still had a little bit of the old vanity in her.  She 
liked when she looked good and she absolutely hated it when she 
looked bad.  Silently she mused to herself a few dark circles though 
were worth the price of helping to save the innocent.

She took the robe that Dennis floated over to her as he saw her 
shiver.  She was lonely even if she did have Dennis, it had felt like 
forever since she had been involved with anyone.  She longed for a 
time when there was someone in her life.  Someone to be there to hold 
her in the night, someone to curl up into in the early morning, 
someone to come home to.  Cordelia often wondered if she would ever 
find anyone again, it wasn't like she was just some ordinary girl 
anymore.

With a heavy sigh she walked over to the window, and crawled up on 
the ledge leaning her head against the cold pane of the  window as 
she waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stood at the edge of the roof like he did every morning.  He was 
restless, his thoughts echoing Buffy's that it had been too quiet 
lately.   He was so jaded and cynical that he couldn't just relax and 
enjoy the peacefulness of the last week or so.  He didn't want to 
think it, but something was coming, he could almost smell it with his 
vampire senses.  He tried to shake himself of these thoughts.

Angel thought about Faith instead, the last time he had spoken to her 
he could hear the happiness clearly in her voice.  His heart was 
genuinely glad for Faith and for Buffy.  They deserved whatever love 
and happiness they could find together and he did not begrudge either 
of them it.  He knew Faith still had secrets that she kept, secrets 
that were buried deep inside of her, but he felt with Buffy's love 
and his help that someday Faith would finally be able to speak of 
them, finally be able to lay them to rest.

He missed having Faith here to share the sunrise with him, he just 
missed her in general.  She was the only person he had felt 
comfortable with in a very long time.  Maybe he would pay them a 
visit soon.

He let out a breath that he didn't have, clearing his mind and let 
himself find his center. Angel felt the peace and tranquility 
surround him in the pale pre-dawn light as he waited for the sun to 
rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In silence, two Slayers, nine ordinary and not so ordinary people, a 
vampire who believed his soul was beginning to awaken, and a vampire 
with a soul, turned their faces up to the sky; and waited for the 
sunrise to bring them the promises of the new day, with hope in their 
hearts, both beating and not-beating, that today would be a better 
day then yesterday.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not one of them heard the dawn as it whispered to them of the coming 
storm; after today it would be a long time before any of the promises 
brought by the new day were fulfilled or anyone from Sunnydale or 
L.A. had hope in their hearts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All that you touch / All that you see / All that you taste / All that 
you feel / All that you love / All that you hate / All you distrust / 
All that you save / All that you give / All that you deal /All that 
you buy beg, borrow or steal / All you create / All you destroy / All 
that you do / All that you say / All that you eat everyone you meet / 
All that you slight everyone you fight / All that is now / All that 
is gone / All that's to come and everything under the sun is in 
tune / but the sun is eclipsed by the moon. --- Pink Floyd

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stood waiting in the hallway for the class to let out.  She was 
sad, funny she never thought she would be sad about not going to 
school.  But having to drop out of school this semester just brought 
back to her the grief, fresh and painful of her Mom's death.  

She and Faith had their first real fight this morning about her 
dropping out of school.  Buffy sighed, the day had started out so 
nicely, fantastic actually. First with her waking up Faith, then 
later as Dawn for the first time had joined them to watch the 
sunrise. Buffy pulled herself away from all the painful memories as 
the students filed out of the classroom.  She entered the class and 
saw Professor Lillian trying to get a jammed slide cartridge out of 
the projector.

"Um, Professor Lillian?"

"Sitting in the back today, Buffy?" He asked as he looked up at her.

"No. I'm sorry I missed the lecture... Was it good? I mean, I'm sure it 
was..."  Buffy felt a little embarrassed and dropped her eyes from 
him and looked at the projector instead.  "Want me to try?"  she 
asked him  a little hesitant.

"Thanks. The cartridge is struck."

A minute ticked by as Buffy fiddled with the projector, she took deep 
breaths, and tried to push down her reeling emotions. 

"I actually just came by to tell you that I have to drop this class. 
All my classes. I'm not finishing the semester."  Her voice was sad 
and she was unable to hide the emotion or keep it from showing on her 
face. "I'm sorry. I wish... but I can't be in school now. I've got to 
take care of my sister."

"I thought you might... I was sorry to hear of your loss."  He 
returned her smile with a sad one of his own.  He knew how she felt, 
he has lost loved ones too.

Buffy absently nodded her thanks to him.  She continued to fiddle 
with the projector a second or two longer and then stopped.

"Um, so I have these forms from the Registrar's office that I need 
you to sign..." Buffy took the form out of her bag and handed it to 
him, her hand trembling slightly.  She waited for him to sign it.

"Seems like they're trying to make it harder to get out of college 
than to get in."  He said as he handed the form back to her.

"Thanks."  

He looked quizzically at her, thinking she looked a little lost.  She 
was a little lost. She looked back at him, still not leaving.

"Is there something else?"  His voice was soft, gentle, soothing.

"Oh no... Yes... Actually, yeah. I wanted to tell you how much I 
loved this class. It's like, in the middle of all this, I'm paranoid 
that you'll think I don't like poetry."  

Buffy began to try and free the jammed slide cartridge again as she 
rambled...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben was running down the hallway of the hospital towards another 
doctor. Trying to smooth his rumpled hair, he looked like he had just 
crawled out of bed, his clothes were even more rumpled than his hair.

"Benjamin, this is a pleasant surprise."

"I'm sorry I'm late." Ben said hurriedly.

"You're not late."  

Ben looked at his watch and looked back up at the doctor who was 
practically smirking at him.
 
"But sir..."

"You can't be late to a job you don't have. Interestingly enough, 
I've decided to give your job to someone who'd actually do it."  The 
doctor was now openly smirking, his voice and stance were 
ironic. "Honest to God Ben, I've been calling you for two weeks. 
Where the hell have you been? I didn't want to...I'm sorry to fire 
you, but I need someone I can count on."

{Two weeks? I've been gone two weeks?} He was confused. 

"I haven't been here..." Ben was stunned, as the reality of the 
situation started to dawn on him. That fucking bitch he thought 
silently. "I haven't been here in two weeks. There's an explanation 
for this...  Which I can't exactly give you. I... can I just tell you 
it's not my fault?"

"Sure. You can also tell me that the dog ate your homework; or maybe 
eating Twinkies made you do it; or maybe, yeah, that there's a really 
wicked demonic creature living inside you that takes control of your 
body and forces you to do its bidding." The doctor paused in his 
sarcastic retort.  His voice getting hard.  "Take responsibility for 
your actions, Ben..."

Ben was furious, he was going to find a way to kill her, he swore 
silently to himself.  The doctor kept talking at him, he vaguely 
heard himself replying, but it was a blur, his mind too consumed by 
thoughts of killing Glory.  The doctor was asking him for his ID 
badge.  Ben took off his ID badge and stared at it for a moment, it 
was the one thing that had given him some identity of his own 
separate from Glory.  He tossed it at the doctor, saying 
bitterly; "Take it. It's worthless anyway."

Ben wandered aimlessly around the hospital for a little while. He was 
furious, beyond furious, he entered the locker room, a heavy sigh 
escaping him.  He opened his locker, and started shoveling his 
belongings into his duffel bag muttering in anger under his breath, 
emotionally he was a mess. 

"This is so unfair. You're taking everything away from me. Everything 
that I worked for. I earned. I care about. These are my choices. This 
is my life, and you're ruining it."  He stopped his ranting, putting 
his hand over his stomach.  He felt it, he felt her, the panic 
started rising up in him.  The anger draining away to be replaced by 
terror.

"No...no...not here...not now. Please."  He pleaded to no one, 
covering his face with his hands.  He began to chant his name like it 
was a mantra.  

"I'm Ben. I'm Ben. I'm Ben. I'm Ben. I'm Ben!"

He smashed his fist against the locker door as if to emphasis, to 
prove that he really was 'Ben'.

"I'M BEN! I'M BEN! I'M BEN!"  He yelled, but he wasn't strong 
enough.   He watched in horror as his hand started to tremble, and 
began to change.  To morph, like a vampire morphing into game face.  
His fingers became thinner, like a woman's, he whimpered as the nails 
grew longer and suddenly there was red polish on them.  They started 
to drum against the locker impatiently. Even though he tried to stop 
them they continued.  He felt the change speed up, and he began to 
fade...

She ran her hands down her body, then back up to smooth down her hair.

"I'm hungry." Glory told the empty locker room rather grouchily. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey Bumble Bee."  

"Hey Gary."  Buffy answered him as she walked towards the gate to the 
garden.  "I was hoping I would run into you or James today."

"Really. Why?  What's up?"

"We're having the gang over tonight for a little BBQ.  We were hoping 
that you two would like to join us."

"Sounds great. What time? And what would you like us to bring?"  

"Five is fine.  And the only thing you need to bring is yourselves."

"Okay we'll be there with bells on."  Gary laughed out.  

Buffy waved good-bye and walked into the garden, closing the gate 
softly behind her. Faith was stretched out on a lounge chair on her 
stomach, in nothing but a bikini thong. She was Buffy saw, sound 
asleep.  Her body was slick with tanning oil and Buffy knew the only 
reason she even had a thong on was because Faith didn't think it 
would be a good idea for Dawn to catch her sunbathing in the nude. 
Buffy walked over to Faith and stood beside her, looking down at 
her.  

Having to drop out of school today just made the reality that her Mom 
was really gone even harder to bare.  In a way she felt guilty, like 
she hadn't grieved enough, guilty that she had found love so soon 
after her Mom's death.  As if her dying hadn't meant anything, as if 
it were nothing, guilty that she could move on so easily. It was 
probably why she had been so harsh with Faith this morning. Buffy 
heard their argument again in her head...

"You don't have to drop out this semester B."

"Yes I do Faith.  I need to be here for Dawn.  I need to take care of 
her."

"I know that, but I can help.  I can watch out for her when you're 
not here."

"It's not the same thing."  Buffy wasn't even sure what the hell she 
was talking about.

"I know that.  I realize I'm not her sister.  But I love Dawn like 
she were my own sister.  You can trust me to take care of her." 

Buffy got mad in that second, she wasn't sure why, but it didn't stop 
her from feeling that way.

"How the hell would you know how to take care of her Faith?  I don't 
even know what I'm doing.  So how the hell could I trust you to do 
the right thing?  Huh Faith?"  Buffy saw the hurt in Faith's eyes and 
instantly regretted what she said.  She knew Faith was reading too 
much into her words, knew Faith thought she was referring to the past 
when she mentioned trust.  Shit! That wasn't what she meant at all, 
she was taking her own insecurities about taking care of Dawn and 
projecting them onto Faith.  Christ, she was scared, confused, and 
feeling way out of her league. Why didn't Faith know that?  Why 
wasn't she feeling that?  

Faith felt it all, got those goddamn fucking echoes and totally 
misinterpreted them.

"I love Dawn, Buffy. I would never do anything to hurt her." Faith 
said sadly.  

Again the anger came over Buffy, and she didn't know why.  Faith 
looked like she had been slapped, and Buffy knew she felt the anger 
coming from her.

"Faith... That's not what I..."

"That's exactly what you mean B.  Fuck it.  I wouldn't trust her with 
me either.  Forget it... I thought I could help... Thought I was part of 
the family... Stupid me... "  Faith's voice held no anger, it sounded 
almost defeated, resigned.  

Buffy took a step towards Faith, her anger leaving her instantly, but 
Faith moved away from her.  

"I gotta go Giles is waiting for me."  Faith turned and started 
walking towards the door.

"Faith! Wait! We need to talk about this...."  Faith ignored her and 
kept walking, and Buffy let her.  

"Fuck it, with the childhood I had I'd probably do more damage then 
good anyway."  Faith mumbled before she slammed the door closed 
behind her.

Buffy had to strain to hear that last part even with her Slayer 
hearing.  

Buffy blinked her eyes rapidly, hearing those last words of Faith's 
echoing in her head, and her eyes traveled down the length of Faith's 
back stopping at the crisscross of scars that were right above her 
buttocks, and the few that traveled down further.  They were faded, 
old, and thin, scars Faith had gotten long before she had been 
called. Scars that were almost non-existent, Faith's slayer healing 
having faded them more then they normally would.  But even her slayer 
healing couldn't make them go completely away.  Buffy might not have 
even noticed them all if it weren't for being a Slayer herself. 
And the scars on her back weren't the only old scars Faith had 
either.  

There was one that looked like a cigarette burn high up on the 
underside of her arm by her armpit.  There were other lighter scars 
around Faith's left shoulder blade, more on her thighs, even a few on 
the backs of her calves.  And two that made Buffy quiver at the 
thought of the pain they must have caused Faith.  Buffy had not seen 
them until the day she and Faith had made love outside in the bright 
afternoon sun. They were high up on the inside of her right thigh, 
they were lighter then the others, older, more faded.  At first Buffy 
didn't know what they were, and then she felt the horror come over 
her when she realized they were two sets of bite marks.  In that 
second of realization Buffy felt a red-hot hatred a hundred times 
worse then what she had felt when she had first seen the other 
scars.  The hatred was directed solely at whomever had made those 
marks on Faith.  She had and still wanted to rip that person to 
pieces with her bare hands wanted to make them suffer long and 
painfully for what they had done to Faith.

It was the ones on Faith's lower back that Buffy had noticed first, 
she had almost missed them they were so light, thin and faded.  She 
had started to trace along them with her fingers, trying to soothe 
away whatever pain was associated with them, knowing instinctively 
that Faith had not gotten them from anything slayer related. Faith 
had instantly stiffened under Buffy's gentle fingers, and Buffy got 
hit with one of the echoes so hard it made her gasp.  The terror, the 
pain and the shame coming from Faith, had made her feel dizzy. Buffy 
quickly moved her fingers away from the spot, and scooted up to pull 
Faith into her arms.  

"Faith?"  She had questioned softly.

"I can't... Please... I can't..."

"Sssh.  It's okay... It's okay baby... You don't have to..."  

Buffy had held Faith until she stopped trembling and drifted off into 
sleep.  

When she was sure that Faith was sleeping she had let go the tears 
she had been holding back.  Tears for the pain, the hurt, the abuse 
that had been inflicted on Faith.  Tears for the shame, the pain, the 
hurt, the fear that Faith still felt because of what was done to 
her.  Tears for the scars that she could not see with her eyes, that 
she knew where permanently etched upon Faith's soul.  Buffy had never 
tried to push Faith into talking about them, talking about what was 
done to her.  Buffy hoped someday, with time, as Faith learned to 
trust her more and more that she would come to her.  Tell her what 
happened, so together they could help her heal, help her finally lay 
those demons to rest.

Buffy blinked her eyes rapidly again coming out of the memory.  She 
smiled softly at the sleeping beauty that owned her heart and soul. 
She sat down next to her, and gently ran her hand over her back.

"Faith..."  Buffy said softly.

"B?"  Faith said sleepily.  She sat up rubbing the sleep from her 
eyes.  She grabbed the T-shirt by the chair and pulled it over her 
head. 

Buffy thought Faith looked like she had been crying.  

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean it this morning.  I didn't mean it to sound 
how it sounded.  I do trust you Faith.  I know you would never do 
anything to hurt Dawn.  I'm just confused. I'm scared.  I don't know 
what I'm doing. I miss Mom.  I'm afraid of screwing up Dawn's life.  
Afraid of making mistakes.  It all feels so out of my control.  I 
know how to be a Slayer, a sister, a friend, but I haven't any idea 
how to be a parent and I'm scared and I took it out on you.  I got 
angry and I don't know why.  I know that you love Dawn..."  As she said 
those last three words to Faith, it became clear to Buffy why she got 
angry.

She had gotten angry because Faith had no problem telling her that 
she loved Dawn, or saying it to Dawn for that matter.  Faith could 
say it to Angel, but she couldn't say it her.  It wasn't that Buffy 
doubted that Faith loved her, was in love with her, because she 
believed that with every part of soul.  It was that she needed to 
hear it sometimes, she needed to hear it this morning, when she was 
feeling so insecure, feeling so alone.  She needed to know that 
someone loved her no matter what, and it wasn't until now that Buffy 
realized how much she wanted, needed to hear those words from 
Faith.   But she wouldn't push her, knowing it was true was just 
going to have to be enough.  Because after what happened when Buffy 
had first discovered the scars, she was now more then ever convinced 
that those words had been used to hurt and punish Faith.  She would 
just have to keep trying to show her with her actions the real 
meaning of those three words. 

"I was afraid you wouldn't come back B." Faith voice was so soft, 
Buffy almost didn't hear her. 

Buffy gathered Faith into her arms, stroking her hair, holding her 
tight to her.

"Not come back.  How could I not come back? It was just a fight, you 
had to know that with both our tempers that sooner or later we would 
have one.  Hell we will probably have a lot of them.  Stubborn as we 
are, both of us always thinking we are right. But not coming back 
never entered my mind.  Just like it never entered my mind that you 
wouldn't be here when I got back.  Don't you know by now that I want 
to spend the rest of my life with you and if there is an after life I 
want to spend that with you too."  Buffy pulled back a little so she 
could look into Faith's eyes.  "Just so there is never any 
misunderstanding again.  Just because we fight, or because I get 
angry, don't ever think I won't come back.  I will always come back. 
I want to spend the rest of my life with you Faith.  I can't imagine 
even having a life without you in it."

Faith let out a sigh.

"I'm new at this relationship stuff.  I'm use to people just 
leaving.  It's been that way my whole life.  I'm sorry. I let my old 
insecurities get the best of me.  I was too busy jumping to 
conclusions to listen to you, to understand what you where going 
through.  I'm sorry and I'll try not to do it again... And B... I 
couldn't imagine a life without you in it either."

Buffy smiled at Faith, and was rewarded with a smile in return, a 
smile so bright it was almost blinding.

"That's good F.  You know why?"  Faith just shook her head no at 
Buffy.  "Cause I wasn't gonna give you a choice.  You're stuck with 
me whether you like it or not."

"That's okay. Cause ya know what B?"  This time Buffy shook her head 
no at Faith.  "Being stuck with you, I like it.  I like it a lot."

"Good!  Here something else new about this relationship stuff."  
Buffy started as she stood drawing Faith up from the lounge chair and 
leading her towards the house. "After a fight comes the fun part."

"The fun part?" 

"After the fight comes the making up.  Something which I can't wait 
to teach you."  

Faith felt a shudder of desire go right through her at the husky 
sound of Buffy's voice.  She couldn't wait for Buffy to teach her 
about the making up part either.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thinkin' I like this making up stuff a lot B."  Faith rose from the 
bed stretching her lean body, she laughed when she saw the gleam 
return to Buffy's sleepy eyes. 

Buffy sat up, and reached out, pulling Faith to her, lifting her, so 
that Faith was facing her, straddling her thighs.
 
"Wasn't quite finished making up yet."  She murmured in Faith's ear, 
her tongue snaking out to trace along the outer shell.   Buffy smiled 
against Faith's neck as she slid her mouth down and felt a shudder of 
desire go through Faith.

"Hmmm.  I think we already made up six or seven times so far B."  
Faith moaned out as Buffy leaned her back and captured one of her 
nipples between her teeth.

Buffy sat back up abruptly grinning at Faith, she shrugged her 
shoulders.  "Well... I suppose you're right.  I mean I understand if 
you're not up for anymore making up...  You youngins just don't have 
any stamina...  Maybe I should ask Giles to start your stamina training 
again."

By the time Buffy had finished speaking, Faith had pushed her gently 
but firmly back until she was lying back on the bed.  

Faith had leaned down, and brought her mouth down on Buffy's, she 
whispered softly against Buffy's lips, before her tongue sought 
entrance. "Didn't say I didn't wanna keep making up B. Just said we 
already did a few times.  We'll see who needs stamina training before 
we're finished making up."

Buffy flipped them over so that she was on top.  She broke off the 
kiss and sat up straddling Faith's hips. Buffy ran her hands down the 
column of Faith's neck, across her shoulder blades, down over her 
arms to her wrists.

"Faith baby..."  

"Yeah B..."

"Was that a challenge? Cause that sounded like a challenge to me."  
Buffy said sweetly, running her hands back up Faith's arms.

"What?"  Faith was having a hard time concentrating with that hot 
little body sitting on her.  Buffy was rocking herself slowly against 
Faith's hips. Faith doubted that Buffy even knew she was doing it.  
Faith ran her hands up Buffy's thighs to her hips.  Gently she 
encouraged her to rock more, watching through half closed eyes as 
Buffy arched into her touch.

"You know about who was going to need stamina training..." Buffy was 
giving Faith that wicked, down right fucking evil grin of hers.

{Oh No! I'm in trouble now. Oh but I like this kind of trouble! Like 
it a lot!}  Faith thought, and then couldn't help herself, as she 
returned a wicked and evil grin herself.  

She practically purred to Buffy, "Think you're up to the challenge B?"

"Oh I know I am F," Buffy purred back.  Grabbing Faith's hands from 
her hips, she slowly dragged them up her own body, sliding them over 
her breasts.

"You... ah... sure... B?" Faith groaned out as Buffy slowly stretched 
her arms up and over her head.  Buffy slid her body down, nudging 
Faith's legs apart, laying between them, bringing her heat down onto 
Faith's own, laying almost fully upon her.  Faith couldn't help 
herself as she instinctively lifted her hips into Buffy's.

"P-o-s-i-t-i-v-e-l-y... a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y..." Buffy rotated her 
hips slowly, pressing her heat hard into Faith's, with each drawn out 
word.  Faith groaned with each circular rotation of Buffy's heat 
against her.  Faith bent her knees, opening herself further to 
Buffy.  Buffy decided she liked this game and continued. " o-n-e... h-
u-n-d-r-e-d... p-e-r-c-e-n-t... u-p... f-o-r... i-t... F-a-i-t-h..."

Buffy continued to smile down at Faith, locking their eyes.  She kept 
up the slow circular motion of her hips, sliding against Faith, hot 
skin against hot skin, breasts brushing against breast, wet heat on 
wet heat, sliding easier with each circular motion as their bodies 
became slippery with sweat.  Faith was rising up to greet her giving 
back as good as she got, struggling a little to get her arms free, 
and Buffy just pressed down harder, holding her there.  

Buffy locked her eyes with Faith's again, and got lost in the those 
expressive eyes, eyes that were staring back at her with so much 
love, that it made her catch her breath. Buffy got so caught up in 
what she was feeling coming to her from Faith, that she stopped 
moving. She slid her hands back down Faith's arms, rising up slightly 
to rest on her elbows.

"What B?  Giving up so soon?"  Faith smirked.  

The smirked died on Faith's face when she saw how Buffy was looking 
at her, and her breath caught in return. Faith lifted her hand and 
lightly caressed the side of Buffy's face, she slid her hand down 
Buffy's neck, over her shoulder, down her back, and brought her other 
arm around and pulled Buffy down to her, holding her tightly.
 
"No. Not giving up. I... just..."  {I just want to tell you I love you 
Faith and not have you be afraid of that.} "I don't want to play who 
has more stamina... I just want to make love with you." Buffy's words 
wrapped around Faith like a caress.

Faith ran her hands up to cup Buffy's face, as Buffy leaned down 
towards her. Faith mumbled breathlessly against her lips, "It's all 
I've ever wanted...", a second before Buffy gave her one of the most, 
tender, gentle, loving, sensuous kisses of her life.

Faith's hands ran up behind Buffy's neck, tangling in her hair, 
deepening the kiss, wanting it to last forever.  Her whole body was 
quivering, a searing heat ran through her, and she was getting the 
same echo from Buffy.

Buffy leaned up a little on her elbows again, not breaking the kiss, 
her body was trembling, flushed, and she wanted it to never end.   
She began to circle her hips again unhurriedly, like they had all the 
time in the world.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It seemed like they had been moving against each other for hours.  
Sliding, thrusting, touching, kissing, caressing.  As their hands 
touched, fingers explored, learning each other's curves, the silken 
texture of the other's skin as if for the first time.  Kissing with 
passion, teasing, tongues dueling, tasting skin glistening with sweat 
and desire.  Kissing with tenderness, with love, with lust, with 
desire.  Hands and mouth's that left no part of each other untouched, 
unloved, tasted, or caressed.  They took each other up to the peak, 
eased each other down, time and again, not wanting this to end.  
Building up each others desire. Together they gave and took, neither 
one fighting for dominance or control, sharing the echoes of what the 
other was feeling, increasing the searing desire that was between, 
taking each other to new heights. Not seeking release, not yet, 
wanting to stay on the crest, to stay there forever.

"Oh... God... B..." Faith said between breaths that she couldn't seem 
to catch.  Buffy was above her again pressing, circling, rotating, 
her heat on her again.  She was being overwhelmed with what Buffy was 
making her feel, overwhelmed with the feelings that Buffy was sending 
to her in those odd echoes. 

Buffy rose up again on her elbows, knowing her arms would not support 
her, she gazed down at Faith locking their eyes.  She moved upon 
Faith in the same unhurried way as what had felt like only minutes 
before but hours at the same time.  The need for release was 
screaming through her body, screaming through Faith's, but still they 
both held back, building each other up higher, seeking something, 
neither sure what it was they wanted, needed, just knowing it was 
there.  Buffy wasn't even sure anymore what were her own feelings, 
and what were Faith's, they flowed together, merging increasing in 
intensity.

"Tell me..." She managed to gasp out. "Tell me what you are feeling 
Faith."

"Don't... know if I can..." Faith wrapped her legs around Buffy 
opening more to her, bringing her down harder into her.  Not sure 
anymore where Buffy ended and she began.  Moaning and rising up into 
Buffy as they slid against each other's wet heat.

"I can feel you... Feel what your feeling... Can you feel me?"  Buffy 
lifted her hips slightly sliding her hand down between their bodies.  
Moaning as her fingers delved into Faith's molten drenched center.  
Tremors ran through her own body as Faith let out a little scream 
when she touched her. 

Faith's legs fell from Buffy's waist as she surged up hard against 
Buffy's hand, forcing the back of it into contact with Buffy's 
oversensitive core, causing Buffy to let out a scream in return.

"Can feel you.....feel it all... not sure anymore... what's 
me...what's you... just know you make me feel wanted..."  Faith 
closed her eyes her whole body straining arching up into Buffy.  Her 
arms came around Buffy pulling her down to her rolling them over to 
their sides.  Their legs entwined, as she slid her own hand down the 
length of Buffy's body, slowly sliding her fingers into her slick 
center, as she continued to tell Buffy how she made her feel. "...you 
make me feel beautiful...  make me feel whole... "

Slowly they brought each other up to the edge for the last time, 
still not wanting this exquisite torture to end.  They were both 
trembling, shaking, quivering with need.  Faith's heart was racing, 
her breathing ragged, there was molten lava flowing under her skin, 
through every cell in her body.

"Faith... Open you eyes... I need to see you... Need to see what 
you're feeling... Please..."

Faith forced her eyes open and looked into Buffy's.  What she saw 
there was all she needed to go spiraling over the edge.  The feeling 
was so intense, so powerful she couldn't even scream, she gasped out 
Buffy's name as her body arched like a tightly strung bow into 
Buffy's.  It was frightening it was so out of her control, she almost 
wanted to pull back from it.

"God you are beautiful..." Buffy felt as Faith's climax echoed 
through her and she went over the edge with her.  The echoes she was 
getting from Faith joining with her own feelings sending her higher. 
She was breathless from the feelings, awed by them, every part of her 
bathing in them.

What Buffy was feeling crashed into Faith, intensifying what she was 
already feeling a hundred times.  It was overwhelming her, she was 
helpless, was scared by all she was feeling, and afraid she was going 
to pass out from all of it.

"B..." Buffy's arms came around her immediately, understanding 
without being told what was happening.

"It's okay... got you... safe... stay with me...."  Buffy mumbled 
out, pulling Faith close, soothing her, encourage her, bringing her 
even higher with her.

Faith fell into those arms, feeling safe, feeling loved, and went 
with Buffy, tumbling, giving up her control.  Faith let herself be 
swept away by Buffy, by what she was feeling, what Buffy was feeling, 
swept away by what they made each other feel. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith lay holding Buffy, stroking her hair, pressing her head tighter 
to her chest, to her heart.  She was still stunned, amazed, humbled, 
even a little scared by what had happened between them. Each time 
they were together it became so much more.  Each time they were 
together a little bit of the fear she felt that this would all go 
away became less.  Each time they were together a little more of the 
pain, the hurt, the fear created from her past quietly died.  Each 
time they were together she learned a little bit more about what love 
really was.

She heard Buffy's slow even breathing and thought she was asleep.  

"I love you B."  Faith whispered a little bit frightened into Buffy's 
hair while she slept. This was the only time she had the courage, was 
not afraid to truly express what she felt for Buffy.  With all her 
heart she wanted to, hoped someday she could tell Buffy this while 
she was awake without trembling from fear, waiting for the rejection 
she had been conditioned to expect.  Faith drifted off to sleep, her 
mind and body exhausted.

Buffy's soul sang with joy when she heard those whispered words.  She 
wanted to dance, to sing, she wanted to tell Faith she loved her 
too.  She knew though to wait, knew Faith only said it because she 
thought she was asleep.  Buffy could wait, there was still fear in 
Faith's voice, she could wait forever, but she knew she wouldn't have 
to.

{I love you too Faith!}  Buffy thought as she drifted off and joined 
Faith in sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I lift my lips from kissing you / To kiss the sky / Cloud soft and 
blue / And slow the sun melts down / Into your golden words for me / 
I lift my hands from touching you / To touch the wind that whispers 
through / This twilight garden / Turns into a world / Where dreams 
are real / No-one will ever take your place / I am lost in you / No-
one will ever take your place / So in love with you...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy rolled over and wearily opened her eyes, the first thing she 
saw was the time on the clock.

"Shit... Shit... Shit..." Christ! It was four o'clock! Everyone was 
going to be here in an hour! "Faith!  Get up..."  

Faith mumbled something and rolled over on her stomach, burying her 
head under a pillow.  What the hell had she been thinking letting 
Faith talk her into having a BBQ on a weeknight.  Thank god they had 
gone shopping yesterday for everything.  Buffy yanked the pillow off 
Faith's head and swatted her on the butt with it.

"Come on sleepy head... Everyone is gonna be here in a hour... Get 
up!"  More mumbling came from somewhere in the sheets from the raven-
haired slayer.  "This was your idea!" Buffy was treated to another 
mumble that sounded a lot like 'don't wanna'.  "FAITH! UP! NOW!"

"I'm up. I'm up."  Faith grouched, rolling over onto her back.  She 
raised her hands over her head and stretched arching off the bed, a 
small groan coming from her.  

Buffy watched her, hell, her eyes were glued to Faith stretching on 
the bed.  She was so beautiful in such an unconscious way, and 
unbelievably Buffy felt herself become incredibly wet.

{Bad Buffy.  Bad.. Bad... Bad... Cold shower... Company coming...} 
Buffy ran for the bathroom before she ended up jumping Faith.

She started the shower, got in and began to wash herself, groaning a 
little as she ran the washcloth over her breasts. Immediately her 
thoughts drifted to Faith and Faith's hands, her mouth, her tongue.  
{Bad Buffy. Later... Jump Faith later... Later after company leaves... 
Later...} Buffy felt Faith's arms come around her waist from behind. 
{Bad is good!  Jump Faith now!}

Buffy turned around and practically slammed Faith into the shower 
wall.  "Need you! Want you! Now!"  Buffy growled out to Faith, who 
just gave her a wolfish smile.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They ran down the stairs like two little kids, laughing, and 
giggling.  When they reached the bottom, Buffy caught Faith and 
picked her up in arms.  

"I've got you now my pretty."  Buffy did a bad imitation of 
the 'Wicked-Witch' from the 'Wizard of Oz'.  She started twirling 
them around in a circle, then out the door to the garden as her mouth 
came down to ravish Faith's.  Wanting to just carry her back 
upstairs, wanting more of what they just did in the shower.  God she 
was insatiable when it came to Faith, and Buffy smiled as Faith 
moaned low into her mouth, her hand sliding down over Buffy's breast. 
Apparently she wasn't the only one who was insatiable, Buffy stopped 
twirling them and deepened the kiss.

"Ah... You did say five right?"

Buffy almost dropped Faith when James spoke.  The 'Chosen Two' turned 
crimson when they saw that not just Gary and James were in the 
garden, but the Scoobs, Giles, Dawn, and Spike, who was lurking 
somewhere in the shadows.

"B... You wanna put me down?"

Buffy put Faith down as Gary scooted over closer to them.

"You know, you're not suppose to be late to your own BBQ." He told 
the two of them.

"Late?  Why didn't you just yell up and let us know you were here."  
Faith looked at Buffy incredulously not believing she had just played 
into Gary's hands.

"We ah did come in..." He looked at Buffy, lifting an eyebrow, and 
smiled at Faith, who was trying valiantly not to smile back. "But 
ah... Bumble Bee you were a little busy already yelling for ah... 
Faith.  Don't worry James and I covered for you both and kept 
everyone outside.  Although Dawn wanted to know why she couldn't go 
in the house," Gary whispered to the pair with a lecherous wink.

Buffy felt herself getting redder with each word.  "What time is it?" 
She choked out.

"Five-thirty Bumble Bee."

Faith started laughing, and Buffy turned redder.  "I wouldn't laugh 
too hard Faith wait until you get the water bill next month."

"Don't care B!  It will be more than worth it!"

Buffy practically ran into the house away from the amused expressions 
of everyone, Faith followed closely behind.  They gathered up 
everything for the BBQ and brought it out.  Faith went back in and 
filled up a cooler with soft drinks, and beer.  She heated some blood 
up for Spike in the microwave and put it into a new hot-thermos that 
they had bought for him yesterday.  Faith just hoped that Gary and 
James wouldn't notice and ask questions.  Then again very few people 
ever questioned anything weird on the Hellmouth.

Buffy cooked the hamburgers and hotdogs, while Faith doled out soda 
and or beer to everyone.  Faith helped her bring over the two 
platters of food and saw the look of amazement on Gary and James 
faces when they saw how many burgers and dogs Buffy had made.  There 
was enough food to feed a small army, or at the very least, the gang 
and two hungry Slayers.  Everyone dug in and Faith made a plate for 
Buffy and herself.  

"It gets hot standing over that grill."  Buffy said to no one in 
particular, while she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

Faith took a large bite of her burger and turned towards Buffy 
smiling and started choking.

{Oh shit! She's gonna kill me! Shit!} Faith thought frantically when 
she saw the bite mark which was turning into a bruise, on the side of 
Buffy's neck where it met her collarbone.

"B!  Hair..." Faith strangled out low, hoping no one else would 
notice.

"Feels cooler this way."

"No... put..."  Faith tried to get out, only to be cut off by Anya. 
{Shit. Should of known!}

"Buffy you have a tick...no that's not it..." Anya paused her brows 
furrowed as she tried to think of the right word, and before Faith 
could stop her she blurted out.  "A hickey!  That's it!  Buffy you 
have a hickey on your neck."  She smiled proud of herself for 
remembering the right word.  "Did you get that while you and F..." 

Xander's hand came over Anya mouth before she could finish her 
question.  He groaned and smiled at her while she glared back at 
him.  Everyone else was trying to get a look at Buffy's neck.

"Wicked.  Nice job Faith!" Dawn said with a smirk while Gary burst 
out laughing.

"Sorry B." Faith mumbled out, looking down blushing.

Buffy felt herself start to blush.  She raised her hand up to her 
neck, and then remembered the finger marks.  Fervently hoping that 
the tank she had on was hiding the finger marks on her shoulders. 
Faith had grabbed Buffy's shoulders to keep Buffy right where she was 
and doing what she was doing. Then her grip had tighten to keep 
herself from falling in the shower when her knees had buckled while 
Buffy had been... {Bad Buffy! Company's here. Don't go there...}  But 
her mind went there anyway.  Faith's head snapped up and she looked 
directly at Buffy.  The flush that spread over the 'Chosen Two's', 
chest, neck, and faces weren't just from embarrassment. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith finally got a minute alone with the two witches.  They were in 
the kitchen washing the dishes, while Buffy remained outside 
entertaining the rest of the troops.

"So did you pick that up for me today?"  Faith looked at the witches 
barely able to contain her excitement, she was bouncing from foot to 
foot waiting for one of them to answer her.

They just smiled at her, enjoying teasing her.  They knew she had 
been impatiently waiting, hoping that the shop owner would get the 
gift she had special ordered, or rather, had custom made in early so 
that she could make sure it was perfect.

"Weeeeellll?"  She gave them her best pleading face.  Didn't 
work.  "Come on guys don't tease.  Did ya get it???" 

"Yup."

"Where is it?  Let me see!  Let me see!"  Faith was bouncing on her 
feet, clapping her hands, like a little kid who was just told they 
were going out for ice cream.

Tara got her knapsack from the other room.  She pulled out a long 
thin box and handed it to Faith, after making sure that Buffy was 
still outside.  Faith opened the box, and let out a soft 'Wow'.  They 
had done a great job!  She turned around the box and showed the two 
witches.

"What do you think?"  Faith was nibbling on her bottom lip waiting 
for their reaction.

"It's beautiful... But why the st..."

"Oh!  I remember now..." Willow yelled excitedly cutting Tara off.

"Red! Keep your voice down or B's gonna come in here to see why 
you're yelling."

"Sorry!"

Faith was back to worrying her bottom lip again.  She handed the box 
back to Tara, and then surprised both the witches by jumping up on 
the counter top.  She opened the cabinet door and reached up grabbing 
something from the top shelf.  Jumping back down she handed an 
envelope to Tara.

"Do you think she'll like it?"

"I think she'll love it Faith.  Don't you Tara?"

"Yeah I do.  What's this Faith?"  Tara waved the envelope at her.

"It's a card, a letter sort of to go with the gift.  I ah... got 
inspired the other night."  Faith was blushing.

"You like so cute when you blush Faith." Willow just couldn't resist 
teasing.

"Funny Red. Nobody told me the whole redemption package included 
blushing."  Faith nibbled her bottom lip a little more. "Can you guys 
keep the stuff until this weekend?  If I keep it here she'll find it."

"Sure not a problem.  Now can someone please tell me..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That was fun, wasn't it B?"  

They were standing outside in the garden looking up at the stars.  
Everyone had left and Dawn was upstairs sleeping already. Faith was 
behind Buffy, her arms wrapped around her, her chin resting on 
Buffy's shoulder.

"Yeah it was.  It's been a long time since we all just hung out and 
had fun.  I really like Gary and James too.  Although I wish Gary 
would quit calling me Bumble Bee."

"I think it's kinda cute."

"You would." Buffy snorted.

Faith trailed her mouth down the side of Buffy's neck to her 
shoulder.  She pushed aside the tank with her nose and placed soft 
kisses along her shoulder.  She saw the finger marks on Buffy's 
shoulder, she straightened up, and pushed aside the tank on the other 
side and saw that they were there as well.  She delicately ran her 
fingertips along them.

"I'm sorry... I don't even remember doing that... I didn't..."

Buffy turned around immediately, she felt an echo of guilt coming 
from Faith.

"Don't apologize Faith. They will be gone by tomorrow.  I know you 
didn't mean to do it.  There is no reason for you to feel guilty.  
Further, I'm not sorry."  Buffy gently caressed Faith's face before 
she continued, "Hell do you know what it does to me to know that I 
make you feel like that?  That I can make you mindless, out of 
control, make your knees buckle.  That you trust me enough to even 
let me take you there.  I know that you don't give up your control to 
anyone, that it's hard for you to trust people."

"I've never let myself... Never gave up control like this with 
anyone.  Never let myself just go... Never trusted anyone enough 
before. Only you B, you're the only one who's ever made me feel like 
this. I... I..." Faith just pulled Buffy tightly into her arms, still 
afraid to tell her she loved her.  The child in her terrified that it 
would be thrown back in her face like it had always been.  Afraid 
that if she said it aloud to Buffy that the spell would be broken and 
the reality of what had always been her life would come crashing back 
in.

Buffy tightened the embrace even more.  "You're the only one that has 
ever made me feel this way Faith.  Not even Angel made me feel like 
this.  And you don't have to tell me, don't have to say it.  I know 
how you feel, I can feel it inside me, can feel you in there, just 
like I know you can feel me."

They stood for the longest time just holding each other.  Feeling the 
other's emotions echoing inside of them, and they both reveled in 
this new connection, couldn't imagine not having it there, couldn't 
remember what it was like before now, and somehow knowing that it had 
always been there. They just hadn't been ready to understand or 
accept it before.

"Come on let's go in."  Faith said as she felt Buffy shiver a little 
in her arms.  

Neither saw as a cloud passed over the moon, and the night grew 
darker.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

..I lift my eyes from watching you / To watch the star rise shine 
onto / Your dreaming face and dreaming smile / You're dreaming worlds 
for me / I lift my lips from kissing you / And kiss the sky wide 
deepest blue / And slow the moon swims up / Into your golden words 
for me / No-one will ever take your place / I am lost in you / No-one 
will ever take your place / So in love with you --- The Cure

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Storm warning / But there's no fear / Lies forming / The sacrament 
lays bare...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was one of those old very large lion-foot porcelain bathtubs.  She 
lay with her bad bleached blonde hair spread out behind her.  The 
water in the tub was almost to the rim, and over-flowing with 
bubbles.  Three minions who resembled human-like, plague-ridden rats 
with long greasy hair, kneeled blindfolded by the side of the tub.  
They were each holding a tray with various items on them.  A loofah, 
magazines, Mimosas, a box of chocolates, and other such nonsense 
where on the trays. 

Glory had been babbling at them for a while now, while they groveled, 
struggling to give her the right answers.  Hoping not to incur the 
wrath of the exiled 'God'.

"Okay, now I asked for the Key, and you brought me a vampire. A 
pulseless, impure, follicley-fried vampire. Loofah."  She hissed 
between whining and pouting.  They were idiots for the most part, but 
they had their uses, after all Jinx did managed to get Ben to slip 
about the 'Key' being changed into human form by the monks.  Although 
Jinx had almost died because of it, and if it wasn't for the fact 
that Ben had tried to kill him, Glory would have not believed the 
whole 'Key-In-Human-Form' thing.

All three minions paid closer attention to her the second she had 
mentioned the 'Key'.  The minion named Muck handed her the loofah. 
Glory lifted one of her legs from the water, resting it on the edge 
of the tub, she began using the loofah to rub away the dead skin.
 
"Now, what I think we have here is a failure... FOR YOU TO DO YOUR 
FRIGGIN' JOBS. Pardon my French. Mimosa."  Glory yelled, in a sickly 
sweet tone.  She held out her hand waiting for Slook to hand her the 
Mimosa, which he did trying to control his own trembling hand and not 
spill any.  Glory took a sip before continuing, "Mmm, vitamins! So, I 
think you better rack your little Minion brains and tell me 
everything that you saw when you were spying on Buffy and her wacky 
pals. Everything. Then I'll figure out who the Key is."  Again in 
that same sickly sweet voice.

Had Faith or Xander been there to witness the bizarre scene they 
would have thought that it looked like something out of a really, 
really, bad cartoon.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith straggled down the stairs to the kitchen and poured herself her 
usual large cup of sugar and cream with a little coffee.  She headed 
out to the garden where Buffy was.  She was surprised to see Buffy 
already showered and dressed.  That's right she remembered now Buffy 
was going to see Dawn's principal today, and she wasn't happy about 
it.

"Morning."  Faith voice was low and husky, slightly hoarse.  {Wonder 
how that happened?  Can we all say B!}

"Morning." Buffy turned towards Faith waiting for a kiss.  Faith 
leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the mouth and sat down in a 
chair.

"What was that?"  Buffy pouted.

"I didn't want to mess up your lipstick."

"I've got a whole tube of lipstick.  Now get over here and give me a 
real kiss good morning."  Buffy purred and Faith growled in response, 
moving quickly to accommodate Buffy.  They had definitely spent way 
too much time hanging around with vampires, they were starting to act 
like them, purring and growling.

"Mmmm.... Strawberry.  Like strawberry..." Now Faith was the one who 
was purring.

Buffy couldn't stop the quiver of desire that ran through her at the 
sound of Faith's purring voice.  It was a wonder they ever managed to 
leave the house at all.  Although being out of the house didn't stop 
them either. They were going to get caught, not just heard, 
for real one of these days.

"That was much better... Now go sit... Before I forget I have to go see 
Dawn's principal... Or I end up being late or looking like I just 
crawled out of bed with someone...  Christ!  Stop feeling like that..."  
Buffy was getting echoes of wave after wave of desire coming from 
Faith.

"Me!  What about you?  I'll stop when you stop!" Faith squirmed a 
little in her chair.  "Besides isn't it suppose to be like this in 
the beginning?"  Faith asked genuinely, not even thinking for a 
minute that Buffy didn't want her.  Not with those echoes she was 
getting from her.

"Yup!  And I'm not complaining believe me.  I'm just pissy that I 
have to leave.  Cause sitting in the principal's office is the last 
thing I want to be doing this morning.  Trust me!"  Then Buffy 
started giggling.  "We're like bunnies on Viagra!"

"Yeah B... but more like that little pink bunny with the sunglasses 
and the bass drum...the ahhh...the battery bunny... I got it...... We're 
the 'Energizer Bunnies' on Viagra, we just keep on going and going 
and going and going..." Faith started giggling herself.  

Damn if she didn't look like a kid when she did that, and that 
thought sobered Buffy up and made her think about Dawn and what the 
principal wanted, the giggle dying on her lips.  Faith immediately 
stopped herself seeing the worried expression  on Buffy's face.

"Worried about seeing the principal B?"

"Yeah.  I wish I knew what she wanted. I just feel like this is all 
way over my head.  I worry about messing up with Dawn. If I'm doing 
the right things.  I just don't know anymore.  I really wish Mom 
where here."  Suddenly Buffy felt tired and old, the weight on her 
shoulders had become a thousand times heavier and she was weary.

Before Buffy could even finish processing her own thoughts, Faith had 
picked her up and settled her down on her lap, cuddling her. 

"Don't worry B.  It will all work out.  We'll all work it out 
together.  I know we can.  I wish you're Mom where here too.  But I 
know that wherever she is, your Mom knows Dawn is in good hands, 
loved and safe as long as she's with you."

"And you.  She's in good hands, loved and safe with you too Faith."  
Buffy sat up pulling a little out of Faith's arms and turned so that 
she could look into her eyes, her expression getting even more 
serious.  "Faith there is something I want to ask you.  I don't want 
you to feel like you have to say yes.  Promise me you won't say yes 
cause you think that's what I want you to say."  

Buffy had been thinking about this for a while.  Had actually started 
considering the idea the day after they had returned from L.A.. It 
wasn't until yesterday that she had made her decision, and she had a 
feeling that even her Mom would approve.

"Okay.  I promise."  Faith's whole demeanor became solemn, 
instinctively she knew whatever it was that Buffy wanted to ask her 
was very important to her.

"Being a Slayer you know..."  Buffy paused, trying to figure out how to 
say what she wanted to say.  Taking a deep breath she decided to just 
say it. "Faith if something should happen to me... If I should d..."

"Nothing is going to happen to you Buffy. I won't let it!" Faith 
didn't want to talk about this.  Didn't want to think about it.  
Didn't want to hear those words come out of Buffy's mouth.  The 
second she realized what Buffy was going to say, she felt like 
someone had put a vice around her heart and started turning it.  She 
was unconsciously shaking her head in denial.

"Faith,"  Buffy said soothingly, capturing her face with her hands to 
stop her from shaking her head.  "Faith believe me I'm not planning 
on anything happening to me anytime soon. Anything happening to 
either of us. I plan on both of us being around a long, long time.  I 
wanna turn old and gray with you. I want us to both beat the odds.  
But there isn't just me to worry about anymore, now more then ever 
that Mom is gone.  There is Dawn. And there is you. But the reality 
is I'm a Slayer, and you are too. You know as well as I do what that 
means."

"Yeah I do.  But it doesn't mean we have to talk about.  It's bad 
enough waking up every morning and wondering if today is the day.  
It's not so bad anymore, not since you. At least I'm not alone. It 
makes it easier somehow. I just always figured I would be first. 
Until you I never even looked past getting through the day. I lived 
like there would be no tomorrow.  Now all I want is for there always 
to be a tomorrow. I don't think I can ever go back to being all alone 
again. I don't think I could survive without you, could survive all 
alone again..."  Faith whispered out the last part.

"Faith you'll never be alone again.  There is Dawn, Willow, Tara, 
Giles, Wesley, Cordy, Gunn, Xander, Anya and Angel, they all love 
you, care about you.  Hell even Spike cares about you. They would 
never abandon you, even if I weren't here."

"It's not the same.  They're not you B."

"I know baby. And none of them could ever be you... No one could ever 
even come close... You and Dawn are the two most important people in my 
life.  I don't know what I would do without either of you. Dawn is 
still a kid, still needs me, you... And if I should die..."  Buffy gently 
placed her fingers over Faith's mouth to stop her from 
protesting. "We both know it could happen to either of us. If I 
should die... I want to know if you would take care of Dawn.  Raise her 
for me, if she is still too young to take care of herself.  Would you 
do that?  Would you even want to do that Faith?"

"Me? You want me to take care of Dawn? I'm fucked up!  What if I went 
psycho, evil again? B there are things about me you don't know... 
ugly things.  Things I can't even think about.  Things I can't, don't 
want to remember. Why me? Why not Giles, or one of the Scoobs?  Fuck 
even Angel would be a better choice then me!"

"Why would I want anyone else to take care of one of the two most 
precious people in my life.  And if you don't already know it you are 
the other most precious person in my life. You won't go all evil 
again! I know that! I trust in that! I trust you! And yes I know 
there are things you haven't told me.  I can only guess at those 
things, but I am pretty sure what type of things they are. I can 
figure out what happened to you when you were just a child."  Buffy 
saw the panic, shame and fear rise up in Faith's eyes, felt it inside 
of her in one of those echoes.  

"None of it was your fault. You have nothing to be ashamed of. No 
child should ever have to go through that.  It makes me cry inside to 
think of what was done to you." That haunted look that Buffy had 
never wanted to ever see again in Faith's eyes was there again. Buffy 
could taste Faith's fear, bitter, and strong in the back of her 
throat, and she knew Faith was afraid that Buffy would ask her to 
talk about what happened, and afraid that once she found out, she 
would leave.  Buffy knew that like other children that had been 
subjected to this type of abuse, Faith blamed herself, held herself 
responsible for what happened.  

"B... Please... don't ask... I can't..."

"Sssh... It okay, you don't have to tell me.  You don't have to talk 
about it. If or when you're ready you can tell me, talk to me about 
it if you want to."  Buffy gather Faith back into her arms, holding 
her tightly, offering Faith her strength to lean upon.  Buffy tried 
to control her own rage at the person who had done this to 'Her 
Faith'.  She wanted to rip their fucking heart out. She waited until 
Faith stopped trembling, and her breathing became calm again, before 
continuing softly,  

"You wanted to know why I would pick you to raise Dawn if I should 
die. Why I would want the strongest, bravest, most loving, caring, 
tender, gentle, good, most beautiful souls I have ever had the honor 
to know take care of my sister?  Someone I know who would take care 
of Dawn, protect Dawn at the expense of their own life, someone who 
would love Dawn like she was their own sister, love Dawn like I love 
her.  Is that what you want to know Faith? It's because you are that 
person Faith. You are all those things."  Faith started shaking her 
head in denial of all that Buffy said. "Yes you are!  You are! I know 
it!"

"No. No I'm not! I can't be those things. I can't... I've done to 
many bad, evil things."  Buffy's heart broke a little for Faith.  She 
knew it wasn't just what happened between them that Faith was 
referring to, this all went so much deeper.

"Too late Faith, because you already are.  I know you are.  Are you 
forgetting I can feel you.  I can feel what you feel.  You are a part 
of me, just like I am a part of you.  There is a part of you that 
lives inside of me, is with me always, just like there is a part of 
me that lives inside of you, will be with you always.  I know what's 
in your heart, I know what's in your soul. There is a light that 
shines from you Faith that is so bright that it is almost blinding. 
If I can't be here to take care of Dawn, then I can't think of anyone 
else better then you to do it for me, if you wanted to. I'm sure if I 
asked Dawn she would pick you too.  The question is... Do you want to, 
Faith?"

Faith was crying and didn't even realize it until Buffy gently wiped 
away the tears.  "Do you want to, Faith?" she asked her softly again.

"How could I not want to B?  You and Dawn are the only family I've 
ever had.  How could I not want to take care of my family?"  Faith 
paused, Buffy believed in her, she had to learn to believe in 
herself.  She could do this, she could protect Dawn, she could make 
sure that nothing ever hurt her, could have the childhood that Faith 
never was allowed to have herself.  Determination, showed in her 
eyes, was in her voice when she swore to Buffy,  "I promise you I 
will take care of her, treat her, love her the way you would, like 
she was my own sister.  Cause in my heart that's exactly what Dawn 
is.  I'll make sure nothing bad ever happens to Dawn ever no matter 
what.  Not now! Not ever!"

"I know you will Faith.  You already do that now... and I know you will 
if something should ever happen to me.  Thank you."  Buffy laid her 
head down on Faith's shoulder, putting her arms around her, feeling 
Faith's surround her back.  She felt as if a two-ton weight had been 
lifted from her shoulders, knowing that her sister would be loved, 
protected, and safe no matter what happened.  And knowing that Faith 
would have someone who would love her unconditionally, someone to 
help her, someone who would never leave her all alone again, and a 
reason for Faith to keep on living should something happen to her.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lounging on the couch in one of those small tight dresses she was so 
fond of, Glory stared at the three minions who where standing in 
front of her.  Instead of the look of frustration the three minions 
had grown used to, there was a look of confidence, and a smile played 
around her lips.  They thought she looked almost serene.  This was 
the 'God' they were used to.  This was the 'God' they wanted back, 
wanted to restore to power.

"So it's her. Under our noses all this time. I like the detail work 
those monks did. Quirks, foibles, passions. It's all so cute, so 
human, ya know?"  Her smile grew a little larger.  The three minions 
nodded and smiled back at her. "Pretty convincing really. but not 
convincing enough."

She pondered about it for a minute, her smile turning a little evil.  
She stood slowly, and looked at each minion, being sure to lock eyes 
with each one for a second or two. Glory knew they were just waiting 
for her orders, but she wanted to savor the moment, she was so close 
to getting everything she wanted.  So close to beating that damn 
little blond Slayer and her inept gang.  Oh she couldn't wait to see 
that little bitch's face.

"You all know your assignments."  She paused relishing the taste of 
the words as they fall from her lips.  Her smile growing larger, 
almost impossibly so. "I think it's time to collect the Key."

She twirled around, a soft giggle coming from her, heading out the 
door.  The three minions, Murk, Slook, and Jinx followed her out 
single file.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...The sinner / Will testify / They'll suffer / When sacrificed on high...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were getting ready to go to the World Culture Fair that the 
college was having. Tara was in the closet searching for jackets for 
them. Willow sat down on the bed, bending to put on her shoes. She 
had paused in their conversation and was thinking again about Buffy's 
reaction to how they had been trying help Dawn with a geometry 
problem. Buffy was totally stressing over the fact that Dawn had been 
skipping school, Willow understood that, but she still felt Buffy had 
overreacted to the whole situation. Who said learning couldn't be 
educational and fun, that was all Willow had been trying to do. 
Breaking away from her internal musing Willow picked up her 
conversation with Tara where they had left off.

"It wasn't anything, really; Buffy was just being kinda crabby at 
Dawn about her schoolwork."  Was she trying to convince herself or 
Tara that this was all that was really bothering her?

"Well, it's understandable..."  Tara turned around closing the closet 
door and tossed two jackets on the bed.

"Sure it is! I'd totally be blowing off classes if I was in Dawnie's 
shoes."  Willow almost sounded convincing.  

Tara smiled at her shaking her head knowing better. Willow blow off 
classes, right, she thought, about as likely as the moon being made 
out of cheese. "Sweetie, you wouldn't blow off class if your head was 
on fire. And I meant Buffy."  

"Buffy what?"

"Understandable. About the crabby; I mean she has to look after Dawn 
now."

"Yeah, but not in a 'Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Girls' way, I 
mean she'll just make Dawn even more rebellious..." Willow said as she 
put on her jacket.

"I had to deal with my brother's problems after, I mean... you really 
can't know what it's like to..."  Tara was almost hesitant, she knew 
what Buffy was going through.  Went through a lot of the same things 
after her Mother had died and she had to take care of her brother, 
and her Father.  But she didn't want to hurt Willows feelings, losing 
a parent was something no one could really understand until it 
happened to them.

"I know that."  Willow's tone was defensive, there was a touch of 
bitterness in it too.  Just a little but it didn't escape Tara's 
notice.  She made a sound that was almost of displeasure, she 
frowned, not really at Willow, and sat on the bed next to her.

"I- I didn't mean..." Tara stuttered a little, something she hasn't 
done with Willow in a long time.   She was getting a bad feeling 
about this.

"No, I just, I mean I know I can't know what you went through, I 
just..."  Willow laughed, but it was a false laugh and they both knew 
it.  "It's no big."  Willow finished, but her tone was saying 
something else, there was a hint of... Tara wasn't sure but she thought 
it might be anger.

"I made you mad."  Tara was nervous, worried, and that bad feeling 
was growing stronger.

"No, no..."

"All I meant was that..."

Willow took a deep breath pausing before she spoke."...It's okay, the 
whole Buffy thing just... Forget it."

Tara wanted to let it go but she just couldn't. "No, please, if I... 
I mean, tell me if I said something wrong. Otherwise I know I'll say 
it again, probably often and in public."

Willow was thinking to herself she should let it go, but she didn't, 
this wasn't just about Buffy and what happened today, it had grown 
into more.  Though neither of them knew what. 

"No, I was snippy gal, it's just... I know I can't, on some level..." 
Willow sighed, "it's like my opinion isn't worth anything
because I haven't been through..." She stopped and sighed, "I didn't 
lose my mom, so I don't know..."

"Well I'm not the expert, I mean, I only lost one..." Tara paused and 
began again uncertainly, almost afraid to ask. "Do I act like I'm the 
big Knowledge Woman?"

Without even realizing it they had moved away from each other on the 
bed.  There was a good foot between them now as they looked at each 
other.

"No..."  Willows voice was weak and her 'No' was not convincing. And 
Tara knew it, and Willow knew, she knew it.

"Is that 'no' spelled Y-E-S?"

"S-O-R-T of... it's just... I mean I just feel like the junior 
partner sometimes, you've been doing everything longer than me, 
you've been out longer, and practicing witchcraft way longer..."

Tara frowned at Willow a little hesitant to say anything else but did 
anyway. "...Oh but you're way beyond me there. In just a few... I mean it 
frightens me how powerful you're getting."  Willow frowned at her and 
Tara knew it was the wrong thing to say.

"That's a weird word."

Tara smiled nervously at Willow and purposely picked the wrong word 
when she replied. "Getting?"

"It frightens you? I frighten you?"

She should have listened to her instincts, listened to 
her 'feeling'.  She knew better after all these years, Tara jumped up 
from the bed. "That's so not what I mean. I meant impresses, 
impressive..."

"Well I took Psyche 101...... I mean, I took it from an evil 
government scientist who was skewered by her Frankenstein-like 
creation right before the final...... but I know what a Freudian slip 
is."  Willow was upset, she saw that Tara was as well, but she had to 
know.  She had to ask her, she stumbled over her words a little. "D-D-
Don't you trust me?"

"With my life!"  Tara answered Willow quickly.  But she knew that was 
not what Willow was asking her.  Why didn't she just listen to her 
feeling, she berated herself silently again.

"That's not what I mean."

"Can't we just go the fair?"  Tara was silently praying that Willow 
would say yes, but she already knew she wouldn't.

"I'm not feeling real multicultural right now. Wh... What is it about 
me that you don't trust?"  Willow stood up, she was getting more 
upset by the second, but she couldn't let this go.  The old Willow 
might have, but she wasn't that Willow anymore.  

"It's not that. I worry. Sometimes... you're changing so much, so 
fast, I don't know... where you're heading..."

"Where I'm heading?"  Willow was confused.  This conversation was so 
far removed from where they had started.  How did that happen she 
wondered, what was going on here?

"I'm saying everything wrong."  She wasn't good at this, had never 
been good at expressing herself, explaining what it was that she 
wanted to say.  

"I think you're being pretty clear. It isn't the witch thing... this is 
about the other changes in my life."  There was so much vulnerability 
in Willows voice, and right now that was how she felt.

"I trust you. I just..."  Tara paused as she dropped her eyes from 
Willows, and looked at the ground. "I trust you. I just..." "I don't 
know where I'm gonna fit in. In your life, when..."

Willow cut Tara off, her stance, tone was confrontational.  She 
didn't miss the look of surprise on Tara face. "When I 'change back'? 
Yeah, this is just a college thing, just a little experimentation 
before I get over the thrill and head back to boys' town."  Willow 
paused, again a little afraid to ask, a little afraid of the answer 
Tara will give her. "You think that?"

"Should I?"

"You know, I'm really sorry I didn't establish my lesbo street creed 
before I got into this relationship. But you're the only woman I've 
ever fallen in love with, so how on earth could you possibly take me 
seriously?"  Willow's tone was bitter, she was angry, she was hurt, 
confused, so many emotions she couldn't handle them all.  

Willow turned and started walking towards the door.

"Willow, please..."  Tara pleaded.

"Have fun at the fair."  Willow said not turning around, she opened 
the door and walked out.  

Tara watched her receding back, and felt like the whole world had 
just dropped out from under her feet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside of the house, two of Glory's minions watched Buffy and her 
sister through the window.  Buffy was folding towels, while Dawn was 
sitting at the dining room table doing homework.  Dawn's expression 
changed from sullen to wary as she looked at her sister. Buffy was 
going on about charts and schedules, Dawn couldn't believe how 
excited her sister was about the whole chart idea thing.  Dawn was 
angry, upset, with her sister, with the world in general, she leaned 
back and crossed her arms.  Buffy stopped folding the towels and 
looked at Dawn.

"I'm just trying to give you a normal life."  

"Well, good luck."  

Buffy couldn't miss the sarcasm in Dawn's voice.  She looked at Dawn 
and waited for Dawn to return her gaze.  They stared at each other 
for a few seconds.

"What? What am I doing wrong now?"  Dawn rolled her eyes at her 
sister, something she had unconsciously picked up from Buffy.  They 
would never admit it but they were a lot alike the Summers sisters.
 
"This is for real, Dawn."

"No, it isn't. I'm not real, so why would my exciting graph of chores 
be real? Who cares if a Key gets an education anyway?" Dawn slammed 
her schoolbook closed, and shoved it defiantly towards Buffy. Angry 
she folded her arms again.

Buffy pushed the schoolbook back at her. "It's not a graph. It's a 
chart. And you are real."

"Yeah? Those Monks put grades K through Eight in my head. Can't we 
just wait and see if they drop Nine in there too?"

Buffy slammed her hand down on the table, 'That's it!' she thought.  
Dawn jumped and winced, surprised.

"Dammit, Dawn, this is serious!"

"Why? Why should I care about any of this?"

"Because they'll take you away!"  Buffy yelled it at Dawn, trying to 
keep the fear out of her voice. 

Dawn stared in shock at Buffy, while Buffy tried to compose herself.  
She did't want Dawn to see how scared she was, didn't want to scare 
Dawn.  There was enough for Dawn to worry about with Glory still on 
the loose, she was only fourteen.  More then anything else in the 
world Buffy wanted her sister to have some semblance of a real 
childhood, unlike herself.

Dawn unfolded her arms, she was trembling a little, and she was 
scared.

"Take me away? What do you mean?"

Buffy consciously kept her voice soft and calm when she answered her 
sister, but a little fear made it's way through anyway. "They'll take 
you away from me. That's what your principal told me when you weren't 
in the room. If I can't make you go to school, I won't be found fit 
to be your legal guardian."

There was a minute or two of silence between the two sisters as they 
stared at each other.  Buffy started folding the towels again, 
needing something to do with her hands.  

"Where would I go?"

"I don't... Dad, maybe? Or foster care? I didn't... I didn't really 
want to ask."  Buffy answered her still keeping her voice soft.

"You could've told me that."

"I just did."

Buffy locked eyes with her sister, Dawn's eyes were pleading with her 
silently for a way out of all of this. Buffy shrugged, she was 
helpless, she was scared, she didn't know how to fix this, how to 
make it better.  For the first time since being called, being a 
Slayer didn't give her an edge, an advantage, in fact it could make 
things worse.

Buffy sat down across from Dawn.  Even though only the length of the 
table separated them, they were very far apart, each caught up in 
their own nightmare.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith came in the house and found them still sitting at the table. 
She took one look at both of their faces, the cheerful greeting dying 
on her lips.  Something was seriously wrong.

"What? What happened? What's wrong?"

"Principal Stevens told Buffy they could take me away from her.  Send 
me to Dad's or a foster home."  Dawn's voice was trembling.

"LIKE FUCKING HELL THEY WILL!"

Buffy and Dawn looked at Faith in surprise.  Her anger, her panic, 
her fear, pulling them out of their own.  They watched as she started 
pacing around the table, ranting, throwing her hands up, mumbling 
under her breath.  They had learned this was something Faith did when 
she was upset. They let her, knowing that until she vented, Faith 
wouldn't listen to anything.

In the middle of this, Buffy couldn't help but think how adorable 
Faith looked when she did this.  Faith was just as upset over this as 
both Buffy and Dawn were, and if Buffy didn't already know she had 
made the right decision in asking Faith to take care of Dawn if 
something happened to her, she would have now.  And Buffy loved her 
even more for it.

Dawn watched Faith pacing in circles, ranting, getting a little bit 
dizzy.  As she watched her, a calm came over her, and the fear 
started to slip away.  Dawn believed without a doubt that between 
Buffy and Faith, no one would ever be able to take her away from 
them.  And Dawn loved them both even more for it.

Faith kept pacing and ranting. 

{No one! No one will  take away my family! No fucking way!  Think 
Faith!  Think!  You can beat the system!  You beat the system, the 
social workers all those years living with Mom and Johnny!  Fooled 
them all!  Know what they want to hear!  They can't take Dawn away!  
Won't let them!  Kill them first! Okay so I won't kill them.  They 
can't have her!  NO WAY!  I love them both too much!  Think!  Calm 
down and think!}

They watched as her pacing slowed down, and Faith stopped flinging 
her hands around, as the mumbling became less and less.  She finally 
stopped and stood at the head of the table.  Her hands on her hips, 
looking a lot like the cocky Slayer that Buffy had first met, only 
now were there had been indifference in her expression, there was a 
calm confidence and love.  She gave the sisters her infamous, 'Shit-
Eating-Five-by-Five' grin.

"Don't worry Gamin... For once, something good can come out of my 
fucked up childhood. I know my way inside and out, all around this 
whole social working, school system shit.  We'll work it all out.  It 
will be a cold day in hell before the fucking system beats me.  A 
cold day in hell before anyone fucking takes you away from me and B!"

"Faith!"  The sisters yelled together.

"What?"  She yelled back, knowing damn well what they were going to 
say.  She had cursed on purpose hoping to ease the tension a little.

"Cursing!"  The sisters said in almost perfect sync.

All three laughed, and they knew that between the three of them they 
could handle this.  No one, nothing, could separate them, together 
they could get through anything, together they were strong.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was sitting in the magic shop alone.  She was feeling afraid, 
sad, angry, confused and very alone.  Their first fight, had gotten 
so out of both of their controls.  Both saying the wrong things, both 
jumping to conclusions, and neither one saying what was really 
bothering them.

Willow sighed wearily, she knew one thing for certain, she loved Tara 
with all her heart and soul and she would do anything to keep her.  
She started to think about everything they had said.  She saw that 
her feelings of being a Jr. Partner when it came to the connection 
that Tara shared with Buffy was a lot like what she had felt when she 
was threatened by the Slayer connection that Buffy and Faith shared. 
That was the crux of it, wasn't it? 

Who was she afraid of losing?  Tara? Buffy? Or both? She had been 
feeling left out, insecure, and helpless.  Helpless because she 
didn't know what to do for Buffy and Dawn to make things better.  
Willow hadn't felt helpless in a very long time.  She didn't know 
what to say to either Buffy or Dawn, didn't know what to do.  Other 
than to mutter 'I'm sorry' she hadn't a clue as to what to say, to 
do.  What Willow began to realize was that it was the helplessness 
that really made her feel this way, the inability to help out her 
friends when they needed her most.  It was all confusing to her. But 
she knew one thing her reaction to this was wrong.  She should have 
talked to Tara about how she was feeling and not have let it build up 
until it all came out in the wrong way.

The whole frightened-of-her thing just blew her away though.  But the 
more she thought of it the more she could understand it.  How many 
times had she heard stories of women or men who experimented while 
they were in college.  If she remembered correctly it was called 
a 'one-off'.  It seemed to be happening more, now that being 'gay' 
was in a very odd way 'chic'. She couldn't blame Tara for being a 
little afraid, it hurt her though to think that Tara doubted her love 
for her for even one second.  She wondered though if it was simply 
that or was Tara truly afraid that Willow would leave her as her 
powers grew, if Tara's own powers didn't grow to be equal with hers.

They both should have talked to each other.  They both had let their 
own insecurities keep them from speaking about their fears, what it 
was they weren't getting from each other, what it was that they 
needed from each other.  They both had made mistakes.  Willow looked 
at the door, and made her decision.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tara was sitting alone on a bench at the fair, a woman walked by and 
smiled at her seeing the sad expression on her face.  The two witches 
would have been surprised to know that their thoughts almost echoed 
each other's exactly.  Tara watched as the happy, smiling students 
walked past her with a blank expression on her face.  There was music 
playing brightly in the background but Tara didn't hear it.  She 
didn't notice that the sun was out and warm upon her skin.  She 
vaguely registered the numerous booths that were set up with food, 
art and music from all different cultures.  A large Chinese Dragon 
puppet was weaving through the crowd a little ways off in the 
distance Tara barely spared it a glance.  There was an air of happy 
chaos on the quad.  All she could think about was the fight, and how 
sad, scared and all alone she felt and how much she missed Willow.

Tara blinked, looking at the hand that slid into hers gently 
squeezing. Her first thought was Willow had found her. She started to 
look up, turning her head  towards Willow a smile beginning to form 
on her face, which quickly turned to fear and shock.  

{OH GOD NO!}

Glory smiled at her, and Tara was frozen in place, the fear written 
across her face and Glory was loving it.

"This seat taken?"  Glory asked in that irritating voice of hers.  
She tightened her hold on Tara's hand, ensuring she couldn't escape.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...The burning sermons purge their evil words / Between the Hammer and 
the Anvil...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow got up from where she was sitting.  Her expression was blank, 
she wandered over towards Giles by the counter who was cutting open a 
package that was tied in twine.  When Giles asked her if she was 
alright she tried to lie but he wasn't buying it.

"I had a fight with Tara. It was awful."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"You two don't quarrel much, do you?"

"Never. 'Til today."

"Well, it's over now."
 
"Over? How can it be over? I just found her!"  Willow was panicked.

"The quarrel is over."  Giles said in a calm voice, when he saw the 
panic spreading across Willow's face and heard it in her voice.

"Oh. Yeah." 

As they talked Giles had picked up the merchandise and moved through 
the swinging doors, and placed the stuff on a shelf.  Willow had 
followed him.  He looked intently for a second at the side door.  
The 'Ripper' part of him could sense that there was something at the 
side door although it barely registered with him, the Giles part.  He 
continued speaking to Willow in a calm, even tone,

"And you'll feel better when you make your apologies. Then you'll 
know you can fight without the world ending."  Giles casually rested 
his hand on the doorknob while he continued speaking, "I know it must 
seem bleak now, but as they say, This too..." As his voice trailed 
off, Giles yanked open the door swiftly.  One of Glory's minions fell 
through the door.  Just as quickly Giles slammed the door halfway, 
cracking the minion's skull with it.  He pulled the door open again 
letting the minion fall face first onto the floor, and finished his 
sentence, "...shall pass."

Anya had run in during the commotion, she and Willow stared at Giles 
a little bit awed.  "Wow!"

Giles grabbed the minion Slook and dragged him into the open area of 
the shop.  Taking a hold of the minion by the hair he shoved him into 
a chair.

"Now, what do we have here?"

"He's one of those things that work for Glory."  Anya told both 
Willow and Giles.

"Yes. How helpful."

The minion looked Giles square in the eyes before he spoke. "I do 
indeed work for the God. Let me go if you do not wish to incur her 
anger."

"But she's not here. What a marvelous opportunity for you and me to 
talk."  There was something a little different about Giles, Willow 
thought as she looked at him.  Was Giles letting a little bit 
of 'Ripper' show through?

"I will never betray Glorificus. I will never talk, no matter what 
heinous torture..."

"Actually, you're talking quite a lot. But not about the right 
things. Tell us why you were here."  Giles voice was hard, calm and 
determined.  Now Willow was certain they were seeing a little bit of 
who Giles was, when he was called 'Ripper'.

"No words shall pass my lips that would bring peril to Glorificus."

Giles held the minion's gaze while he directed a command to Willow 
and Anya, "Quickly you two, on the counter... get the twine. Let's 
tie him up."

Willow and Anya moved to the counter quickly and gathered up the 
twine.  They were startled when they heard a loud crunching noise, 
followed by an anguished gasp and sob.  They turned around and were 
amazed to see the minion on his knees, he was pale, sweaty, and 
trembling at Giles feet.

Desperately Slook said to Giles, "Don't... I'll tell you anything. 
Please. Whatever you want to know. Just... I'll... anything..."  

"What happened?"  Anya was confused, so was Willow for that matter.  
Did Giles do something while their backs were turned?

"He changed his mind."  Giles tone was almost casual, sheepish.  He 
was once again just Giles, all traces of 'Ripper' were gone.

"I'm... I'm supposed to watch. We're watching the Slayer's people." 
Slook hesitated, trying to compose himself, it did not work. "While 
Glory fetches the Key."

There was a deathly silence in the room, none of them wanted to 
register or understand what the minion had just said.

"Glory knows who the Key is?"  Willow asked, panicked.  They are all 
panicked.

"Oh God." {Not my daughter.  Oh God NO!}

"We've got to call Buffy."

"Too late. Too late. Glorificus will find the witch and there's 
nothing you can do to stop her."

"Witch. What do you mean..."  Anya looked at him puzzled.

{TARA! OHGODNONONONO!} 

"Tara!"  Willow turned and started heading for the door.  Tara, she 
had to get to Tara!  

"Willow, wait. I'll go with..."

"No. Call Buffy. Go look in Tara's room. I'm going to check the 
Fair."  Willow yelled firmly heading out the door, and then she was 
gone, trying her best to shove down the panic that threatened to 
overwhelm her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Force rises / False rituals / Baptizes / The body and the soul...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Buffy... Faith... I think you better listen to this message."  Dawn 
yelled from the living room.

The 'Chosen Two' came running into the living room from the kitchen 
hearing the fear in Dawn's voice.

"What?  Who is it?"

"It's from Angel.  Cordy's missing."

"WHAT?"  Faith yelled.  Dawn just pushed the play button on the 
answering machine.

"... Cordy has been gone since yesterday.  Wesley is working on solving 
the scattering problem.  As soon as he figures it out we are going to 
try and rescue Cordy... Faith... Buffy... I don't know if we will make it 
back... I... just wanted to let you know... Faith there are papers in the 
safe here... Bank books... stocks and stuff that Wesley got for you from 
part of your salary... If we don't make it back make sure you come and 
get it... That's it... I'm not going to say good-bye... Just know I care 
about you both and Dawn too... Take care of each other, be good to each 
other... Later..."  Then the 'automated' voice came on saying the message 
was received at Eight-o'clock P.M., the day before.

Faith grabbed the phone and frantically dialed the Hyperion.  She 
slammed the phone down in frustration when no one answered, 
thankfully it didn't break.

"Why didn't he call me at the Mansion?  Why?  Why leave a message?"

Buffy walked over and put her arms around Faith, comforting her, 
trying to calm the fear that was radiating off her in waves.

"Angel was probably afraid that you would want to help. You know how 
he is. He wants you happy. Probably didn't want to interfere in what 
was going on with us here. Didn't want to risk everything you have 
now, knowing there was a chance that they might not make it back."

Faith stared at Buffy her mind racing a mile a minute.  She knew what 
Buffy said was true, Soul-boy was trying to protect her. Protect what 
she had with Buffy.  But how could she not help them? They had been 
there for her, all four of them.  God only knew what would have 
happened to her if Cordy hadn't taken over where Angel left off when 
he was going through his Darla struggle.  The four of them had pulled 
her back from the abyss.  If it weren't for them she wouldn't even be 
standing here now with Buffy and Dawn.  Wouldn't know what it was 
like  to be loved, have a family, be happy for the first time in her 
miserable, fucked up life.  How could he deny her the chance to repay 
any of them for that.  Faith knew what she had to do, and she prayed 
silently that Buffy would agree with her.  Either way, whether Buffy 
agreed or not, this was something she had to do, it was the right 
thing to do.

"B..."  Faith paused gathering her courage, she was risking everything 
here.  She started talking fast, not wanting Buffy to have a chance 
to interrupt her, "B, I have to go there.  I have to help them if I 
can... It's the right thing to do.  They saved me. I wouldn't be here 
with you now if it wasn't for them.  I owe them more than I can ever 
repay them. I have to do this. I know I am risking everything here by 
going.  But I have too, I just hope you understand."  

Faith held her breath waiting for a reaction, something from Buffy 
who just continued to stare into her eyes after her hurried speech.  
God for once why couldn't things be easy? For the first time in her 
life she had people who loved her and who she loved, friends, a 
family, a home and Faith was frightened, afraid she was going to 
losing everything if she went running off to L.A..

"I do understand Faith.  I want to be selfish and tell you not to go, 
but I can't. I know you have to do this. It's what I would do if the 
situation were reversed.  I'm just afraid of losing you after just 
finding you. FUCK! Why can't things just be easy? Why can't we just 
be normal people?"  

"Hey you're not going to lose me! For the first time in my life I 
have a home, people, to come back to.  I have you and believe me I 
would crawl through the depths of hell if that was what it took to 
come back to you.  God herself couldn't keep me from coming back to 
you."

"Maybe I should come with..."

"No.  You know you can't.  You have to stay here, have to take care 
of Dawn.  Have to play their game. Have to figure out how to kick 
that skanky bleached blond bimbo's ass.  I'll be back before you know 
it!"  Faith gave Buffy one of her lopsided grins, and threw in a 
little of her cocky attitude for good measure as well. 

"This sucks..." Dawn wasn't happy.  She didn't want Faith to leave, but 
even she knew what Faith was doing was right.

"Yeah Gamin it does.  But you know this is something I have to do.  
Don't you?"

"I know. It doesn't mean I have to like it."  Dawn voice was sullen, 
but there was also fear in it. "You'll be careful won't you?" Dawn 
asked Faith in a small voice.

"You know I will.  Cause I know if I'm not, I'll be tortured by the 
infamous ticking of the Summers sisters."  Faith  told her trying to 
lighten Dawn's mood a little. It didn't look like it was working.  
Faith moved out of Buffy's arms and went over to Dawn.  She gathered 
the young girl's hands into hers. "I promise I will be careful.  Like 
I told Buffy.  There is nothing powerful enough in this universe to 
keep me from coming back to my girls.  'K?"

"'K."  Dawn practically threw herself into Faith's arms, hugging her 
tightly and Faith hugged her just as tightly back.  Buffy moved over 
to them and wrapped her arms tightly around both of them.  They 
stayed that way for a few minutes, before Faith moved out of the 
sisters' embrace.

"I should get going.  The sooner I go the sooner I get back.  I need 
to go back to the Mansion first and pack a few things before I catch 
the bus to L.A." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Buffy and Dawn took Faith back to the Mansion to pack a few 
things, then they drove her to the bus station.  They waited with her 
for the bus to come even though she insisted that they didn't have to.

"I, we want to wait with you Faith.  Sides that means I... we get to 
do the long kiss good-bye thing like you see on T.V." 

"You're not really gonna kiss here are you?"  Dawn squeaked out.  She 
had already noticed the nasty glares her sister and Faith were 
getting from people, and all they were doing was holding hands.  Who 
knew what would happen if they actually started kissing in public.

The 'Chosen Two' looked at Dawn in surprise.  They had thought she 
was all right with them being together, maybe they were wrong.  Maybe 
they were seeing what they wanted to see and not what was really 
there. 

"Gamin..." How to say this?  How to ask? "Gamin is it not okay with 
you that me and B..uffy are together?  You know like a couple 
together?"

Now it was Dawn's turn to look at Faith in surprise.  "No..."  Dawn 
hesitated, she didn't want to say anything about how people were 
looking at the 'Chosen Two'.  She knew they were oblivious to the 
stares, she didn't want their feelings to get hurt.  She saw the 
fallen look the two of them were giving her and realized that her one 
word answer had been misinterpreted.  "I don't have a problem with 
it.  It's not me... Some other people here do though.  I just don't 
want you're feelings hurt if someone looks at you funny or says 
something is all.  I think you guys fit together.  I hope I find 
someone someday who fits me the way you guys fit."  Dawn blushed when 
she said the last part.

Buffy pulled her sister into a tight hug.  Dawn returned the hug and 
quickly squirmed out of it, feeling shy all of a sudden.  "We don't 
care what anyone else thinks Dawn.  We only care about what you 
think.  Let them stare, let them say something, it doesn't matter.  
You're all that matters.  As long as you're okay with me and Faith 
then that's all we care about." Over the P.A. system came the 
announcement of the boarding of the bus to L.A., effectively cutting 
off Buffy.

Dawn turned her back on them so they could say good-bye in semi-
privacy.  She stood glaring down anyone who even looked funny at 
the 'Chosen Two'.  A man who was passing by started to say something 
and the look the fourteen-year-old gave him, made him snap his mouth 
shut.

"I'm going to miss you.  Miss you a lot.  Promise me you'll be 
careful.  Promise me you'll come back to me.  You're doing the right 
thing and I'm proud of you. I'm still gonna miss you.  I kinda got 
used to waking up next to you in the morning ya know."

"I'm gonna miss you too.  I promise to be careful.  I'll be back, you 
can count on it.  You know Soul-boy, he's probably exaggerating the 
whole situation.  The whole brooding thing kinda makes you look at 
things in a different way.  Like the glass is half-empty instead of 
half full.  B, I like waking up next to you too.  I especially liked 
the way you woke me up yesterday."  Faith gave Buffy another of her 
goofy lopsided grins and then quickly pulled her into her arms, 
giving her a tender kiss.

"Hey Gamin.  Do I get a hug or what?"  Dawn was hugging Faith before 
she even finished.  "Take care of B for me while I'm gone. 'K?"

"'K.  Take care of yourself.  Remember your promise Faith."  Dawn 
squeezed her tighter.

"I will."  They announced the 'Last Call' for boarding of Faith's 
bus.  She squeezed Dawn one more time and turned and pulled Buffy to 
her again, kissing her a little more lingering and then she was off 
running for the bus.

Dawn and Buffy watched the bus with Faith on it until it disappeared 
over the horizon.  In silence they drove back to their house.  They 
entered the house to the sound of the phone ringing echoing loudly 
through the deathly still empty house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Our union / Their fall from grace / Confession (confess your sins) / 
Will seal them to their fate...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is nice. Just hanging out. Just us girls." Glory's voice was 
friendly, she was still holding Tara's hand. Tara was looking at 
Glory in fear and Glory was all but bathing in it.  She lived for the 
fear, it was like food to her. "You like this sort of thing, don't 
you?"

Glory was referring to the two of them, two women holding hands.  
Before Tara could answer her, Glory started to squeeze her hand 
tighter.  Tara's look of fear quickly turned to one of intense pain, 
and a gasp of pain forced itself out. If anyone had been listening 
they would have heard the sound of bones breaking.

"Don't make a sound."  Her voice was soft, menacing, evil.  Tara 
looked around wildly at the crowd, no one seemed to notice them, no 
one seemed to care.  Tara saw two large, burly men nearby a whimper 
escaped her lips, Glory followed her gaze.

"Nuh-uh. They won't help you." Three uniform cops passed them by on 
bicycles, Glory barely spared them a glance before continuing, "I'd 
kill them. You know that. There's no one here that can stop me."  
Glory waved her free hand indicating everyone in the crowd.  Tara was 
whimpering low in her throat in fear, in pain.  Glory started 
speaking to her again in a voice that terrified Tara deep down in her 
soul. "I'll kill her. And them. And I'll kill him. And him. And her. 
And it'll be all your fault."

Glory waved towards random people as she spoke.  When she was 
finished she began to squeeze Tara's hand again, her nails digging 
into her skin, blood started to drip from between their hands, and 
dimly Tara heard the sound of more bones breaking.  She whimpered 
softly again in pain, but managed to not make any other sound.  She 
did not want anyone else to get hurt because of her.  Her breathing 
was erratic and she idly wondered if she was going to pass out.

"It's kind of funny, isn't it? All these people here and nobody who 
can do a thing. Not a person who can help  you. That's people for 
you; pretty worthless." 

Tara looked up at Glory and the smile Glory gave Tara made her skin 
crawl.  Tara couldn't remember ever having seen such pure evil as 
this.  She whimpered again, feeling the bones that had broken through 
the skin as Glory continued to hold her hand.

"But Keys on the other hand... Keys are worth a very lot." Tara's 
eyes widen when the realization hit that  Glory thought she was 
the 'Key'. Tara frantically shook her head in denial, but it was 
already too late.  She watched in horror and fear as Glory raised her 
hand up, closing her eyes in anticipation and licked the blood that 
was dripping from between their entwined hands, savoring the blood 
and the moment.  Tara couldn't help the whimper of fear as Glory's 
eyes snapped open. Glory gagged, spitting out the blood in 
disgust.
 
"You lying little tramp. You're not the Key. You're nothing. Just 
another worthless human being."  Low and furious in that 
irritatingly, sickly sweet voice.

"I didn't..." Tara whimpered in fear.

"I hate being lied to. It makes me feel so betrayed!"  Glory smiled 
at Tara again, and Tara whimpered.

"Hey! Do you want to make it all better? If you tell me who the KEY 
really is I'll let you go. Think about it.   You think your hand 
hurts? Imagine what you'll feel with my fingers wiggling in your 
brain."  Glory squeezed Tara's hand again breaking more bones to 
emphasis her point.  Tara just whimpered again not saying anything.

"It doesn't kill you. What it does is make you feel like you're in a 
noisy little dark room. Naked, and ashamed. And there are things in 
the dark that need to hurt you 'cause you're bad. Little pinching 
things that go in your ears and crawl on the inside of your skull. 
And you know that if the noise and the crawling would stop, you could 
remember how to get out. But you never ever will."  Glory voice was 
quiet, and for a change it wasn't in that irritatingly, sickly sweet 
tone, Tara had noticed that Glory had fidgeted uncomfortably the 
whole time she had been speaking.  Glory's voice was that of a person 
who had experienced true madness herself.  Tara looked at Glory 
terrified, speechless.

"Who is the Key?"

As Tara looked at Glory, she knew that Glory would brainsuck her no 
matter what. Tara let her thoughts drift to Willow, her love, her 
life, her heart, her soul. Her thoughts drifted further to Dawn, 
Buffy, Giles, Xander, Anya, Faith and even Spike.  They were her 
family, they had stood up to her own Father, brother and cousin when 
they had come to Sunnydale to try and force Tara to return with 
them..  Stood up for her even when there was the possibility that she 
was a demon.  She would do nothing to harm them.  She loved them and 
they loved her, unconditionally.  Tara wanted to pull a 'Faith' and 
tell the ex-God to 'Go Fuck herself', but she wouldn't give Glory the 
satisfaction. Instead Tara straightened up a little, the fear left 
her face, proudly she faced Glory, jutting her chin out, offering 
herself to Glory, as the tears silently fell from her eyes.

"Fine," Oddly enough Glory gently caressed the side of Tara's face, 
she knew Tara would never tell her who the 'Key' was.  "Let's go 
crazy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...The burning sermons will survive their curse / Between the Hammer 
and the Anvil...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"TARA!............... TARA!......" Willow was yelling running through 
the happy fair goers.  Scanning the crowd she spotted Tara and Glory 
on a bench across the quad, she started heading in their direction, 
running faster, knocking people out of her way. Glory's hands were on 
Tara's temples, their face's were side by side, and there was 
something almost intimate about it.  Willow increased her speed and 
began chanting a spell.

"By force of heart, and mindful power, By waning time and waxing 
our..." Willow saw Glory's fingers sink a few inches into Tara's 
skull.  She picked up her pace a little more still chanting, ""I echo 
Diana, um, when I decree... what is it... what is it..."

Glory plunged her fingers deeper into Tara's skull. A light began to 
shine from where Glory's fingers went into Tara's head. As Glory's 
fingers began to go deeper, both cried out.  Glory began to writhe in 
an obscene imitation of ecstasy, while Tara writhed in very real 
agony.

"No...NOO! That she I love must now be..." Willow screamed at 
Glory. "Free. TARA!! NOOOOO!"

Willow saw as if in a dream Glory turn towards her and smile.  She 
lunged for her, only to be blocked by the Chinese Dragon puppet.  The 
dragon passed by in a blink of an eye, but it felt like forever, as 
she ran towards Tara she saw she was alone her head lolling to one 
side.  Reaching her Willow grabbed her by the shoulders, Tara didn't 
look at her, there was no reaction from her at all.

{Oh Goddess NO! PLEASENONONONONO!}

"Tara! Are you okay?"  Willow was terrified.

"It's dirty. It's all dirty. And all over me. Dirty, dirty, bad. 
Bad!"  Tara whimpered as she started brushing her stomach, brushing 
at some imagined dirt.  Willow began crying pulling Tara to her 
holding her desperately tight. She was too late!

"Tara, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."  Willow whispered over and over 
again, rocking Tara, as her tears continued to fall.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy walked into the hospital room heading straight to Willow 
pulling her into a tight hug. God she hated this place with a 
passion. "Will. I'm so sorry."

Over Willow's shoulder Buffy could see Tara, who was sitting on the 
bed in a hospital gown, one of her hands in a cast.  She looked at 
Buffy with glazed eyes and smiled strangely at her. Willow and Buffy 
pulled apart. Willow smiled brightly at Tara, but her heart wasn't in 
it.
 
"They kill mice."  Tara's voice was almost childlike and Willow 
couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

"Tara," Buffy said a second before she pulled Tara into a hug.  Tara 
didn't react to or acknowledge Buffy at all.  Pulling away slowly 
from Tara Buffy once again turned around to face Willow.

"I'm sorry it took me so long. But I'm here now and Dawn's safe with 
Spike so I-I can stay as long as you need me."  Willow nodded her 
gratitude to Buffy before gently taking Tara's uninjured hand into 
hers.

"I'm so scared."  Willows voice trembled, and Buffy silently cursed 
herself for ever letting any of them get involved with her.  She 
gently put her hand on Willow's cheek offering what little comfort 
she could. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn and Spike were walking through an underground cavern.  Spike had 
been trying to convince Dawn to not be scared.  So far he had been 
unsuccessful.  It was a difficult task considering he was still 
battered, bruised and limping from his encounter with Glory, which 
scared Dawn even more. She knew vampires healed quickly like Slayers, 
so for him to still be this damaged after all this time it made her 
shudder in fear and horror over what Glory could do to Tara.  Spike 
stopped walking when Dawn didn't respond to his last comment.  He 
turned around and saw her sitting on a rock, facing away from him, 
the fear he felt coming from her making his un-beating heart bleed 
for her.

"Hey," His voice was soft as he slowly made his way over to her.  He 
reached out to gently caress her hair, wanting to comfort her.
 
"You want to know what I'm scared of, Spike?"  Dawn turned around 
quickly facing him.  Spike pulled back his hand making like he was 
going to run it through his hair all cool-like.  Dawn was trying to 
keep the unshed tears in her eyes from falling. "...Me. Right now, 
Glory thinks Tara's the Key. But I'm the Key, Spike. I am. And 
anything that happens to Tara is 'cause of me."  Dawn pointed to his 
bruised and battered face while she continued to speak. "Your 
bruises, your limp... That's all me, too. I'm like a lightning rod  
for pain and hurt... and everyone around me suffers... and..."  She 
could no longer hold the tears back and they started to fall 
silently.. ."..And dies. I... This stupid Key must be something 
horrible... to cause so much... evil."

"Rot..."

"What do you know?"

Spike paused slightly before answering Dawn, "I'm a vampire. I know 
something about evil. You're not evil."

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I'm not evil but I don't think I can be 
good."  There was almost a hopeful expression on her face as she 
looked up at Spike.  He paused again before answering her, carefully 
considering his answer.

"Well, I'm not good, and I'm okay." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tara was frantic as the nurse wheeled her out of the room.  Willow 
silently cursed the doctor, silently cursed the hellmouth, Glory, and 
the stupid rules that said Tara had to spend the night in the 
psychiatric ward.

"Don't... please don't with that treachery. I told the cats. And now 
I beg my mother, sitting all alone."  Tara strained to look at Willow 
as the nurse wheeled her out of the room. 

"Bye Tara. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."  Tara reached out for 
Willow in desperation, fear on her face. Willow watched for a second, 
but she couldn't let her go.  She moved quickly towards Tara, but not 
quickly enough, Xander caught her around the waist stopping her, 
holding her.

"Will, no. It's just for one night."  Xander told her softly, he knew 
though the words would offer no comfort.

"Yeah, I-I know. but... it's a whole night and I don't think I can 
sleep without her."

"You can sleep with me." Anya paused when everyone turned and looked 
at her. She realized what she just said. "You know, that came out a 
lot more lesbian than it sounded in my head."

Buffy moved forward closer to Willow. "Will, you just have to rest. 
Right now there's nothing you can do."

Willow pondered about that for a second then a look of determination 
came over her face before she answered Buffy, "Yes, there is."  
Willow walked out the door into the hallway before anyone could stop 
her.  

"No. No way!"  Buffy yelled following Willow quickly out the door 
stopping her in the hallway before she had gotten too far.
"You can't even think about taking on Glory."  

Willow looked at Buffy with an expression that Buffy had never seen 
before on her face.  There was strength and determination in that 
look, and a little something that almost frightened Buffy.

"You saw what she did to Tara. I can't let her get away with it."

"No, you have to let her get away with it. Even I'm no match for her, 
you know that."

"But maybe I am."  Willow started to walk down the hall again, 
determined that no one would stop her. Buffy moved around her again, 
stopping her, grabbing her by the arm.

"You're not. And I won't let you go."

"It's not your choice, Buffy; it's mine."

"This is not the time."

"When, Buffy? When is? When you feel like it? When it's someone you 
love like I love Tara? When it's Dawn, is that it Buffy?"  Willow's 
tone was almost accusatory, and it was laced with red-hot anger.

"No. When we have a chance. We'll fight her when we have a chance. 
You wouldn't last five minutes Willow. She's a god."

Willow looked at Buffy, suddenly she felt as if the weight of the 
world had come crashing down upon her thin shoulders.  The sadness 
threatened to overwhelm her.  She wanted to rage, scream, hit 
something, she wanted to rip Glory to little tiny pieces with her 
bare hands, for what she did to Tara.  She wanted her Tara back. And 
suddenly it was all to much for Willow.

"Fine. I'll wait."  Willow's voice was weary.

Buffy tried to make her tone reassuring as she told Willow, "It's the 
only choice."

"Yeah." Willow turned away from Buffy and started walking down the 
hallway in the opposite direction.

"Can I do anything..."

"Just let me be alone."  Willow didn't turn around as she spoke, and 
Buffy watched her walk away feeling helpless.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She entered the closed Magic Shop moving fast, almost running.  She 
headed straight for the back to the ladder, with an agility that none 
of the other Scoobs had ever seen, she climbed up the ladder to the 
balcony.  She ignored the sign that said 'OFF-LIMITS-SECTION' just 
like Dawn had when she was searching for ingredients to perform the 
magic to raise her Mother from the grave.  There was nothing hesitant 
about her movements or actions, her decisions were quick and 
decisive, she moved with purpose, not worrying about putting things 
back the way she found them.

She scanned the shelf looking at the more evil, dangerous potions, 
things only a very experienced practitioner of Witchcraft should ever 
be able to access.  She found what she was looking for on the top 
shelf and pocketed a small leather bag that was full of powder and a 
red glass bottle.

She knelt down and yanked open the drawer on the bottom shelf.  She 
rummaged through the talismans, runes, knives, until she found the 
jeweled dagger that she was searching for and pocketed that as well.  
She continued to rummage through the shelves pulling off the bottles 
and potions that she needed and putting them in her bag along with 
the rest of what she had taken.

She started scanning the bookshelf again, searching. She stopped for 
a moment, thinking, then feverishly started to pull books from 
the shelf tossing them carelessly to the floor.  Finally after all 
the books lay scattered across the floor, she saw what she wanted, 
the giant black leather book with a huge brass lock on its page 
side.  It was in the far recesses of the shelf as if it were hiding. 
She pulled the book from the shelf struggling with its weight, until 
it lay upon the ground. She checked it again, reading the 
title 'Darkest Magick' to reassure herself.

Grabbing an axe, she swung it with deadly accuracy at the brass 
lock.  The lock broke open on the first try, and the evil, dangerous 
pages began to flutter as if they where being blown by a sudden gust 
of wind.  They continued to flip rapidly in the wind,  as Willow 
stood watching them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Transgression / They prey on grief / Our mission / To purify belief...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glory walked down the stairs in her apartment.  Her walk a little 
unsteady as if she had been drinking to excess. As usual her three 
minions followed her.  She looked out the window and noticed that it 
was the 'tween hour'  the time of the day when it was neither night 
nor day.

"You know, I think I'm a little buzzed from eating that witch. What a 
mind she had. Nummy treat." 

"...Is your grace not the slightest bit... concerned about..."

"What, about the Slayer? Don't be stupid. I know I'm closing in. The 
Key's as good as mine. Girl like Buffy's got just so many friends. 
All I gotta do is rip through 'em, one by one, until I finally..."  

Glory trailed off listening.  There was a noise that sounded 
suspiciously like thunder, it continued.  The floor began  to shake 
lightly, than with more gusto, a vase fell from the shelf, the 
thunder was getting louder, and more knick-knacks began  to fall.  
The minions looked at Glory in confusion, who returned their gaze 
just as confused.  The room began to get darker, and Glory saw that 
it was now completely dark.  Darkness had fallen over Sunnydale 
quickly and early.

"Did anybody order an apocalypse?"

Before she had even finished her question the bolts and the locks on 
the double doors unlocked themselves and the doors flew open.  

Floating in the doorway about a foot and a half above the floor; her 
palms facing forward, arms extended, her hair and clothes flying 
around her as if being blown by some unseen wind, was Willow.  Her 
eyes were completely black, there was no pupil, no green, and they 
were glowing with an unholy light.  She began to float slowly 
forward, towards Glory, an incantation falling from her lips, softly 
at first, then growing in volume.

"Kali, Hera, Kronos, Tonic..."  The minions ran from her in terror, 
hiding somewhere in the back of the apartment as she continued to 
come further into the room still chanting. "Air like nectar thick as 
Onyx... Cassiel by your second star..."

As if a light bulb had suddenly gone off in Glory's head she realized 
who the red-head was, ""It's the lover............ That's so cute."  

"Hold mine victim, as in tar!"  Willow chanted as Glory moved towards 
her.

Glory only made it a few steps closer to Willow before her spell 
stopped her dead in her tracks. She pushed against the invisible wall 
in surprise, but it was immobile. Glory snarled at Willow like a wild 
animal, not wanting to play with the witch anymore.

"I... Owe... You... Pain..." Willow's voice was strange she sounded almost 
like the 'Wicked-Witch' from the 'Wizard of Oz'.  On the last word, 
her eyes began to glow brighter.  She raised up her hands, pointing 
her fingertips at Glory, blue energy shot directly at Glory, hitting 
her in the shoulders.  Glory screamed in pain when the unholy energy 
hit her.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was running, pushing herself harder, faster than she ever had 
before.  She had to get to Glory's, she had to help Willow.  How 
could she have been so stupid?  How?  It had taken a vampire, Spike, 
and her fourteen-year-old sister to point out to her human reactions, 
emotions.  How could she have been so blind.  Christ!  She would have 
done the same thing if she were in Willow's place.  Buffy kept 
running hearing, her words, Spikes, and Dawn's echoing in her head.

"How's Willow?"

"She was looking to go all paybacky on Glory for a minute there, but 
I cooled her down a little. Actually, a lot."

"She's not gonna do anything rash, then.......  So, you're saying a 
powerful and mightily pissed-off witch was planning to go out and 
spill herself a few pints of God blood until you... ...explained?..."

"You think she'd...? No. I told Willow, fighting Glory'd be 
suicide..."

"I'd do it...... Right person. Person I loved...... I'd do it..."

"Think, Buffy. If Glory'd done that to me..."

As the voices faded Buffy's only thought was 'Stupid... Stupid... How 
stupid can I be?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tears streaked Willow's face, her eyes were still glowing strangely.  
She was standing on the ground, she was getting tired.  Glory's 
apartment was in  tatters, trashed.  Furniture was broken, curtains 
lay upon the ground.  The leather bag, and the red potion bottle 
Willow had taken from the Magic Shop were scattered on the floor by 
her feet broken.

"Shatter!"  A large mirror on the wall shattered at Willow's spoken 
command.  The pieces of fractured glass rained down over Glory.

Glory looked at the witch, she knew she was tiring.  She laughed at 
her, and continued laughing as she spoke, " Is that it? Is that the 
best you can do?"  Glory staggered a little as she moved towards 
Willow.  Despite her laughter, she looked like she had been dragged 
around the block a few times. 

"You think I care about all this? The apartment, the clothes..." To 
make her point perfectly clear to the red-headed witch, Glory ripped 
her dress from her, revealing the full black slip she wore 
underneath. 

"I don't give a rat's ass when it comes right down to it."  Glory was 
standing directly in front of Willow, she backhanded her, flinging 
Willow across the room, over the couch, where she landed on the 
floor. "Sucking on your girlfriend's mind, now that was something to 
treasure."

Willow raised her head, her eyes never leaving Glory as she continued 
to taunt her. She rose to her feet, her eyes still black, glowing 
brighter with the unholy light.  The leather bag Willow had brought 
with her slid across the floor fast to her.  It untied itself, 
opening, blossoming like a flower.

Glory shook her head amused. "What's this? Bag of tricks?"

A dozen or so knives rose up out of the bag, pointing at Glory, they 
hovered in mid-air frozen. "Bag of knives." At Willow's words the 
knives hurtled towards Glory all at once.

Glory didn't move.  In the blink of an eye she batted the knives away 
from her, the ones that did managed to get through, bounced 
harmlessly off her.  She laughed again at Willow. Picking up the 
coffee table, Glory threw it at Willow with incredible force.  

The table crashed into Willow knocking her to the ground. Groaning in 
pain, Willow managed to gasp out weakly, "Spirit of serpents now 
appear. Hissing, writhing, striking near."

The carpet rose up around Glory, forming into a snake.  She ignored 
it walking over the snake, as it dissolved around her feet. "Now this 
is getting weak..."  Glory bent down as she got close to Willow.  She 
reached out and grasped the red-headed witch by the face, like a 
hunter looking over it's prey. "And so are you, honey...  Aren't you?"

Willow was weak, in pain, her eyes had returned to normal, but that 
didn't stop her from spitting in Glory's face.

Glory just stared at her, not flinching, and let the spittle drip off 
her face, hiding how startled she was by the witches action. "You're 
going to regret that."

Glory grabbed Willow by the wrist and with ease started to drag her 
across the floor to where the knives lay, ignoring Willow's 
weak 'No'.  Without missing a beat Glory picked up a knife, and 
pulled Willow up by her wrist, shoving her against the wall, and 
holding her there by the throat.

"You know what they used to do to witches, Lover?"  Glory paused, 
then raised the knife high, getting ready to plunge it into the red-
headed witch. "Crucify 'em."

Glory looked up in surprise when her lowering hand with the knife was 
stopped dead.

"They used to bow down to gods." Glory smiled at Buffy as she said 
this, Buffy answered her smile by kicking her in the stomach.  Glory 
let go of Willow, and Willow weakened fell to the floor. Buffy 
twisted Glory's wrist, eliciting a gasp of pain from her. Punching 
her Buffy told her, "Things change!" 

Cartwheeling across the floor towards Glory, Buffy hit her hard with 
a roundhouse kick to the head.  The kick sent Glory flying sideways.  
Pressing her advantage, Buffy let go with a series of punches, in 
quick succession, landing all of them. Buffy continued to throw more 
punches. Glory evaded some of them, and countered.  Glory captured 
Buffy's arms and pinned them behind her back, then threw her over the 
couch.

"That witch barely slowed me down."  Glory glared at Buffy, she hated 
the blond Slayer bitch.

With everything Buffy had in her, she kicked the couch sending it 
flying at Glory and pinning her against the wall. Like a blur she ran 
over to Willow helping her to her feet.  Glory shoved the couch 
aside, purposely she moved towards the Slayer and the witch, her 
confidence showing in her stride, watching as Buffy started to lead 
Willow out of the apartment.  

Willow heard as Glory stalked them and over her shoulder with as much 
strength as she could muster, in a voice belying her weakened 
condition she said, "Thicken!"

The old clich" 'The air was so thick you could cut it with a knife' 
became a reality, immobilizing Glory.

"This isn't over. Do you hear me? It isn't over!"  Glory yelled at 
their retreating backs, the last few words, louder, angrier, as she 
screamed them at the empty doorway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...This altar / Gives power and light / They'll falter / While we are 
shining bright...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith slept fitfully on the long bus trip to L.A. From Sunnydale, it 
took almost four times longer to get there by bus. Her emotions had 
been running the gamut while she slept between fear, sorrow, pain, 
anger, calmness, back to fear, to anger, to pain...  She jerked up out 
of her sleep, sweat dripping off her skin.  She took a few gasping 
breaths.  'What the fuck?' she thought to herself.  It suddenly 
dawned on her what she had been feeling in her dreams weren't her 
emotions but Buffy's.  Fear began to coil in the pit of her stomach.  
What the hell had happened in Sunnydale since she had gotten on this 
godforsaken bus?  What the hell was going on?  She started to calm 
down a little as she felt Buffy's fear and anger start to recede, to 
be replaced by relief and concern.

She closed her eyes again and found her center.  She focused on Buffy 
like Giles had been teaching them, modifying the meditations they 
used while doing Tai-Chi, to further open the connection between 
them.  Faith reached out to Buffy with her concern, her worry, her 
curiosity.  Almost instantly she felt Buffy reaching back out to her, 
calming her fear, soothing her concern, and in an odd way letting her 
know to wait.  She reached back out sending Buffy her love, lending 
Buffy her strength, surrounding her in peace, and tranquility.  She 
relaxed against the seat and waited for her cell phone to ring.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy felt as Faith reached out to her.  She had been so concerned 
about Willow that she had not blocked her emotions from traveling to 
Faith.  That was not good, they needed to get a better grip on this.  
Giles had been teaching them how to control it, but they hadn't much 
practice yet.  The last thing she wanted to worry about was Faith 
rushing back here blind, not knowing what was going on and falling 
into Glory's waiting arms.

Buffy reached back out to Faith, letting her know she was alright, 
that everything was okay.  She then tried something new, she sent her 
the thought or the feeling of 'Wait'.  She was a little amazed when 
she felt Faith sending her back her understanding.  While helping 
Willow get comfortable, Buffy smiled as she felt Faith surround her 
with her love, giving Buffy her strength, enveloping her in peace and 
tranquility.  God she loved that woman!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"B!"  Faith practically shouted into the cell phone answering it 
before it had even finished its first ring.

"Faith."

"You okay?  Dawn okay? What happened? I felt you!  Is everyone 
okay?"  Faith rushed out and even without the echoes of emotions they 
shared, her concern, worry carried clearly over the phone to Buffy.

"Promise to stay calm baby. 'K?"

"'K," Faith said hesitantly not really wanting to make a promise she 
didn't know if she could keep.

"First everyone is okay.  Well not everyone... Tara... Let me start over... 
There was a little problem after you left..."  Buffy began.

By the time Buffy had finished telling Faith everything that 
happened, she was livid.  She desperately wanted to perform one of 
her ranting tirades, which was impossible to do on the bus.  Instead 
she just settled for the verbal part of it, "I'm gonna, fucking rip 
that skanky ass, ugly, fucking, bleached blonde..."  Faith trailed off 
lowering her voice as she saw the other passengers glaring at 
her.  "That's it! I'm getting off at the next stop and coming back... 
That bitch better hide cause when I get my hands on her..."

"Faith... Faith!  FAITH!"  Buffy yelled interrupting her ranting.  

"WHAT?"

"I don't want you to come back..."

"What? What do you mean you don't want me to come back? You don't 
want me back B?" Faith's voice became small, her insecurities taking 
a firm hold on her.

"I mean I want you to come back... come home to me... but, I want you to 
go to L.A first..  Find Angel... Bring him back, bring the whole crew 
back... We can use the help. Glory is going down. Can you do that baby?"

"Yeah... I can do that... Sorry I just had a lapse into 
insecurityville..."  Faith grumbled out a little embarrassed.

"It's okay baby.  I wish you were here too.  More then I can even 
possibly begin to tell you..."  Buffy's voice was soft, tender, loving, 
soothing.  "I miss you.  Miss seeing you. Touching you... Just miss 
you..."

"I miss you too B..."  Faith's voice was husky, the longing in it 
clutched at Buffy's heart.

They talked a little while longer.  Then Buffy had to go and check on 
everyone.  She needed to make sure they were all okay.  They hung up 
agreeing that Faith would call Buffy if she found out anything that 
couldn't wait until the morning, otherwise Buffy would call Faith 
after they got Tara home and settled down from the hospital.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith enter the hotel, it was dark and empty.  She yelled at the top 
of her lungs hello and only got the echo of her own voice as an 
answer.  She walked over to Cordy's desk and picked up the phone.  
First she called Cordy's thinking that if they had found her that was 
where they would be.  She stayed on the line until she heard Cordy's 
voice or rather 'Queen C's' voice when the answering machine picked 
up.  She hung up, not leaving a message.  Next she tried Wesley's, 
same results, then Gunn, no answering machine but no one picked up.  
Last she tried Angel's cell phone and was told the cell phone owner 
was out of range.  More like out of this dimension, Faith thought to 
herself.

She started nosing around the desk looking for anything that could 
give her a hint as to where they where.  She noticed a lined pad on 
the desk with just a torn corner of paper, it looked a lot like 
someone had ripped the paper off in haste.  She looked for a pencil 
on the desk, and whispered 'Eureka' under her breath when she found 
one.  She lightly shaded the paper with the pencil like she had seen 
in one of those late, late, T.V. movies.  She smiled when she saw two 
street names in Angel's hand writing, and doodles of Cordy's name 
around them.  Faith left the hotel quickly heading in the direction 
of the streets on the pad, silently praying that she would find them 
there.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After hours of searching, first at the two streets that were on the 
pad, then over to the Host's club, which was curiously closed, Faith 
went back to the hotel with the only thing she did find, a big black 
book.

She climbed the stairs up to her old room, and sat down on the bed 
wearily.  She pulled off her Doc's and rubbed her aching feet.  
Stripping out of her clothes, she crawled up the bed and under the 
sheets, thinking that the bed was way to big and lonely.  She reached 
out from under the covers and pulled the large black book up towards 
her and under the sheet, not trusting that her only clue wouldn't 
disappear into the night like the L.A. crew.  Sighing she fell asleep 
her hand holding the book who's name 'Shrsqwrn', she couldn't even 
begin to hope she could pronounce. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tara was sitting crossed-legged on her bed in her Dorm room, her 
expression blank.  Buffy, Dawn and Willow sat on the edges of the bed 
by her.  They all looked a little exhausted.  They were eating and 
chatting.  There was an air of peacefulness, a sense of being safe.  
As if the four people in the room had found a safe haven from the 
brewing storm.  They were enjoying the calm, joking but in more of a 
teasing sort of way that only true friends can share.

The subject turned to Tara and how she was doing.  What Willow would 
have to do in order to care for her until they found a way to undo 
what Glory had done.

"It's okay. I can do this. I'm gonna take care of her. Even if she 
never... She's my girl."

"I understand,"  And Buffy did, because without a single doubt she 
knew she would do the same thing for Faith.

"I know you do."  Willow locked eyes with Buffy, letting her know 
that she believed her.  Willow leaned in close to Tara and whispered 
for her ears only, "Hear that, baby? You're my always."

Willow kissed Tara's forehead, and Tara smiled sweetly back at her a 
second before all hell broke loose.

One minute they were bathed in the soft glow of the dorm room lamp, 
and the next they were blinking, blindly, rapidly into the raw light 
of a bright sunny day.  Where there used to be a wall now there was 
only the open expanse of the sky.  They were totally exposed, and 
suddenly the blinding light of the sun was blocked, and in it's stead 
stood their worst nightmare.
 
Dawn and Buffy jumped up, Buffy quickly crouching into a fighting 
stance.

"I told you this wasn't over."

"No! The place is cracking. It's cracking. Cracking, no, no, no..."  
Tara pleaded, frantic.

Willow anxiously tried to calm Tara. Dawn just stared at Tara, still 
feeling it was her fault this had happened to her.
 
"No, Tara, it's okay." Dawn's voice was soothing.  Tara stared at her 
transfixed.

"Oh, look at that, look at that. The light!"  Buffy turned her 
attention away from Glory to look at Tara as she continued to 
speak. "Oh, it's so pure! Such pure green energy!" Tara began to cry 
as she looked at the beauty that was Dawn. Dawn turned and gasped in 
horror looking at Glory, and Glory smiled at her, it was pure 
evil. "It's so beautiful."  Tara continued to cry.

Glory evil smile became impossibly large.  Dawn turned to Buffy, fear 
screaming from her in waves.  Buffy looked at her sister for a split 
second before turning to glare at Glory.  Who just smiled back and 
Buffy knew Glory knew Dawn was the 'Key'.

In that second of knowing Buffy went into total 'Slayer-Mode'.  
Grabbing her sister, she ran towards the back door, she crashed 
through it, running down the hall, dragging Dawn with her.  Her 
adrenaline pumping, her fear boosting it even more.

Willow held Tara tightly to her, kneeling beside her on the bed.  
Glory started after Buffy and Dawn, only to be stopped by Willow who 
held up a hand at her, chanting a spell in Latin.  Glory stopped 
moving, she was pissed, then she was flying backwards out of the 
building into some bushes.  Willow and Tara got up running after 
Buffy and Dawn.

They were running through students, Buffy still dragging Dawn by the 
hand.  She slammed through the door to the outside.  Glory crashed 
through the wall into the building they had just exited.  Students 
started screaming and running away.  Glory stopped, looking around 
carefully, and then saw the door the blond bitch and the 'Key' had 
just ran out of.  She started running again becoming merely a blur, 
moving faster than the human eye could comprehend.

The students stared at them, as Buffy and Dawn ran across the 
lawn. "Buffy!" Dawn gasped out to her sister.

"We have to keep moving!"

"I can't!"  Dawn stumbled and fell. Without a thought Buffy hauled 
her back up and scooped her into her arms, and started running again, 
jumping over the bench that was between her and the street.

'Just get to the street' was all Buffy could think and then she was 
there.  But so was Glory, standing right in front of her.  Buffy put 
Dawn down, they both stared at Glory.  This time Buffy couldn't 
control the terror that rolled over her, almost making her knees 
buckle.

"Last words, slay-runt?"

"Just one............ Truck." 

The sound of an eighteen-wheeler's horn blared out.  Whipping her 
head around Glory saw the truck baring down on her, but it was too 
late for her to get out of the way.  It slammed into her at full 
speed, rolling right over her, the semi's brakes squealing in agony 
as the driver tried to stop.

Grabbing Dawn's hand again, Buffy took off, heading for the park 
across the street running through it, the terror right behind her 
nipping viciously at her heels. 

Glory landed a few hundred yards from where the truck hit her on the 
roof of a parked car with an ear crunching crash.  The windows 
exploded, the car alarm sounded, she snarled. Glory was in a rage!  
She started to get up to go after Buffy and 'Her Key' but stopped 
suddenly, her face twisting in pain.

"No! Not now, you idiot! Let... go... of my..."  She yelled out to no 
one, to Ben, the human whose body she shared.  Her prison in this 
world, this dimension.

The transformation began, they yelled out together, "...BODY!"

Then there was just Ben collapsing to his knees, his body exhausted. 
He was feeling the pain from what Glory had been through.

"Oh god..." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith staggered, dropping the coffee pot on the floor and almost fell 
as the fear, the terror crashed into her with more force than a tidal 
wave.

"B!"  She choked out.  "OH GOD B...DAWN!"  She was frozen in place, her 
own fear joining with Buffy's, she hadn't felt this kind of fear 
since she was a child living in Boston with her Mom and Johnny.  That 
thought sobered her up.  With a strength of character that at one 
time only Angel could see, she straightened out and pushed the fear 
down.  Using the strength of will that had enabled her to survive for 
so long, Faith blocked out the echoes she was getting from Buffy.  
Leaving only a small opening so she could feel faintly any change.  
She didn't like doing it, but Faith knew she would be useless if she 
didn't.
 
Turning she ran for the stairs, not noticing as the glass from the 
shattered coffee pot sliced her feet.  She was dressed and out the 
door, in a minute flat, pausing only long enough to leave a hurried 
message on Angel's answering machine.  Letting them know there was 
big trouble in Sunnydale, to hurry up and come, they needed help and 
apologizing for taking Wesley's Harley, which she had been forbidden 
to drive.  

As she jumped onto the Harley, the bag with the book on her back, she 
thought for some odd reason about the movie 'The Perfect Storm'. And 
she had the eerie feeling that the storm that was brewing in 
Sunnydale would make the storm in the movie look like child's play...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...The burning sermons consecrate their sin / Between the Hammer and 
the Anvil / Storm warning / But there's no fear --- Judas Priest

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith almost dumped the bike when her cell phone suddenly started 
vibrating against her breast.  She pulled over quickly, and plucked 
the phone out of her sport's bra.  At the time it had been the only 
place she could think of to put it where she knew without a doubt 
that she would feel it vibrate, because she sure as shit wouldn't 
have been able to hear it ring while she was riding the bike.  'Not 
too bright Faith,' she thought to herself.

"Faith were okay!  Faith?" Buffy voice rushed out to her over the 
phone before Faith even had a chance to say hello. 

"Byousureyou'reokayDawn'sokayeveryonesokay..." Faith paused catching 
her breath, calming herself. "I... I... god... I was so scared for 
you, for Gamin. Are you really okay?"

"I am now.  Now that I hear your voice.  I miss you baby.  God I wish 
you were here."

"I miss you too.  I'm already on my way there.  I ah... took Wesley's 
Harley." Faith smiled when she heard Buffy chuckle softly. "Want to 
tell me what happened this morning?"

"Well we were all, Willow, Tara, Dawn and I, we were at Tara's dorm 
room eating, talking..." As Buffy told Faith what happened that 
morning, she could hear Faith mumbling quietly. Buffy knew that Faith 
was off on one her tirades.  She could see it in her mind's eye, 
Faith pacing around the bike, throwing her free hand around 
gesturing, and mumbling to herself under her breath.  It comforted 
Buffy in an odd sort of way.

"...if that truck hadn't come along I don't know what would have 
happened.  I don't even know if I could have kept Glory at bay long 
enough for Dawn to get away, Faith..."

"We'll figure out something B.  Don't worry I know we will."

"This is different Faith.  This isn't a chaos demon, or the Master.  
We were made, called, chosen whatever the fuck you want to call it, 
to slay, defeat those things.  Glory's an ex-god.  It's like the 
difference between slaying a fledgling and Kakistos, only imagine 
that Kakistos was a million times stronger.  You understand what I'm 
saying Faith?"

"Yeah B, I do..." Only once since Faith had been called, had become a 
Slayer, when she had run from Kakistos, had she felt this type of 
deep down soul wrenching to the marrow of her bones fear. And now for 
the second time she was felt that type of fear.
 
"They don't understand. No one else can understand, only you 
can...... This is the first time I've been afraid of anything I've 
had to face... I can't beat her... I can't beat Glory, Faith... I don't 
know what to do... what I can do."

"I don't know... B... I wish to the goddess that I did... Between 
Giles, the Scoobs, and us we'll figure out a way to take that bitch 
with the bad-hair down."

Buffy silently prayed that Faith was right.  "You're right... How 
about you get back on that bike now, 'cause the sooner you get moving 
again the sooner you'll be here, with me. I'll call you if anything 
changes... For now we are going to stay here at Xander's and Anya's.  
Be careful on the bike please."

"I will, I promise.  I miss you B. I can't wait to be with you, see 
you, hold you."  Faith felt a little weird saying that given the 
situation with Glory, but fuck it, they were Slayers, since when had 
their lives even been remotely close to normal.

"Me too Faith... Me too..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy stared out the window of Xander's and Anya's apartment.  Her 
eyes scanning nervously for Glory and or any of her minions. Wishing 
that it would be Faith she saw roaring up on Wesley's Harley, but she 
knew even if Faith drove a hundred miles per hour that she couldn't 
make it here that quickly.  She had finally gotten control over her 
fear, but just barely, hearing Faith's voice on the phone only a few 
seconds ago had a calming effect on her. Buffy's mind was racing a 
mile a minute, between yesterday and today she knew without any doubt 
that physically she could not beat Glory.  Hell she could barely even 
hurt her, and the fear which she thought she had conquered began to 
nibble away again at her gut.  Almost immediately she felt Faith 
surround her with calm, soothing thoughts, and Buffy leaned into 
those emotions, she idly listened to the conversation going on around 
her.  Buffy participated half-heartedly her mind still working on a 
plan.  She finally spoke when she made her decision.

"We can't fight her."

"W-well not yet, no, but..."  Giles started, but Buffy cut him off.

"Not ever. She's too strong, Giles. We're not going to win this with 
spells or stakes or yanking out uranium power cores. She's a god,  
and she's coming for us. So let's not be here when she starts 
knocking."

They all stared at her in surprise.  Run?  Buffy never ran from 
anything, not ever, not even the Master. Not even after she found out 
the Prophesy said it was her destiny to die when she went after the 
Master.

"Run away?! Finally a sensible plan."

"That's not what she meant." Xander told Anya, before looking at 
Buffy and asking her, "Is it?"

Buffy was fried, tired, scared, she hadn't a clue what to do.  One 
thing she knew for sure was they couldn't beat Glory, not right now, 
and she doubted if they ever could. "We can't stay here. Glory will 
kill us off one by one until there's nobody standing between her and 
Dawn." 

"Buffy, we all understand the severity of the situation, but there 
must be another way."

"No! We stay -- we die! Show of hands for that option?"  Buffy's 
voice was harsh, bitter and laced with a little bit of defeat.  The 
room was still, the silence so loud it hurt her ears. "All right. 
Nobody goes home, nobody tells anyone we're leaving. We grab whatever 
supplies we can and that's it... we're gone."

"Cool. Won't have to study for that geometry test."  Dawn tried to 
keep the fear out of her voice. The fact that her sister was scared 
and willing to run, frightened her more then facing Glory.

"What about wheels? I don't think everybody's gonna fit in the Xan-
mobile."

"Just get your stuff together. I'll take care of it."  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"B..."

"Yeah baby.  We've got a plan..."

"What?"

"Run..."

"Sounds good to me.  I've had a lot of experience at it."  Faith 
laughed, but it was a sad laugh, because the truth was she did.  

"We need to get as far away from here as possible.  There's that 
motel about an hour from here on the highway.  It's a lot like the 
one you stayed at here in Sunnydale, you know the one I'm talking 
about?"

"Fraid so."

"Head there, get a room, some rest.  We'll met you there or if you're 
not there when we get there we'll meet somewhere in-between where we 
are and you are.  Faith don't come back here, it's too dangerous.  
Promise me Faith.  Promise me you won't come back here and try and 
take on Glory by yourself."  Buffy closed her eyes and concentrated 
on Faith, on what she was feeling from Faith.  Buffy was afraid that 
Faith would do exactly what she just asked her not to do.  Would do 
it because she wanted to protect them, because she loved them.  And 
both of them knew it.

"I promise B."

"Swear to me Faith.  I couldn't handle it if something happened to 
you."

"I promise.  I swear I won't go after Glory."  'At least not right 
now,' Faith thought to herself.  She heard Buffy's sigh of relief.  
Nope... Faith wouldn't go after Glory now, she would wait until they 
could both kick the bitch's ass together, she wouldn't deny Buffy 
that satisfaction.

"Okay.  Then I'll see you in a while.  Be careful..."

"You too B."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy returned to her post at the window again after she got off the 
phone, she stared out into the street, she had her arms wrapped 
tightly around her, and there was a slight slump to her shoulders.  
She was tired, she was scared, she felt very alone and wished again 
for the millionth time that Faith was here with her.
 
As they saw her turn back to the window, a little rough around the 
edges, isolated from them, a little bit of the hope they had been 
clinging to that they would all get out of this in one piece, died.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben had changed into his own clothes, his body hurt from whatever had 
been inflicted upon Glory.  One of the many perks of sharing a body 
with an ex-God.  He made his way downstairs and was greeted by one 
of  'Her-Fucked-Up-Royal-Highnesses' minions.  Although this one 
looked like the rest, 'she' was female.  The minion, Gronx, Ben 
remembered, chatted with him, trying to get any information she could 
out of him.  Slowly his anger rose until he couldn't contain it any 
longer.

"Glory! Her name is Glory. And she's your god, you little scab. Not 
mine."

"With all due respect and fear of sharp objects, you exist, sir, only 
because of her divine greatness."

"You mean her divine failure, don't you?"  Ben was rewarded with an 
angry glare for his last comment.  He  got up and started pacing, 
still talking, "I didn't ask for any of this. I just want to be 
normal."

"We play the hand we're dealt."

"Nothing's mine, is it? This body, this life. It's all infected. The 
only thing I've ever cared about she's taken away from me." Ben 
paused when he saw his medical bag sitting on the end table. "You 
know why I wanted to become a doctor?"

"Flattering drawstring pants?"

"To be close to people. To witness their lives and their deaths. To 
be there, alongside them, a part of everyday humanity." Ben laughed 
bitterly and sighed, sitting again. "Or maybe it was the drugs."  He 
got up again and walked past Gronx, she rose and followed him.

"Drugs, sir?"

"Find the right combination... keep her buried where she belongs..."

"Impossible! Her magnificence can never be fully contained! She is a 
perfect, all-encompassing light... one you should feel honored to be 
bathed in."

"Oh yeah, I'm thrilled. Especially with the part where she gets her 
Key back and I cease to exist."

"True, this oh so appealing form... will by necessity be shrugged off..."

"Not if I get to the Key first."

Gronx was stunned, she didn't think he had it in him.  The boy was 
changing, she would need to tell Glory of this. "And if you did? What 
then?" She softened her tone before continuing, "But could you do it? 
Take a human life ... with your own hands?"  She didn't miss the way 
Ben squirmed a little, as if he were fighting his own internal 
demons. She softened her tone a little bit more til it was almost 
cloying. "Oblivion is such a small inconvenience in the service of a 
deity. Accept your fate. I mean, you said it yourself. This life was 
never really yours anyway, was it?" 

"It doesn't matter how I came by it. It's mine."  Everything about 
him became darker, as if a part of Glory now existed within the part 
of their shared body that was just Ben's soul. "And I plan on keeping 
it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had rescued their brother-in-arms from the hospital.  Checking 
him out of the Psych Ward, the same ward where Tara had been kept 
overnight after Glory had brainsucked her.  In fact the nurses and 
the Doctors had been whispering amongst themselves over the influx of 
mental patients with the same symptoms.  Dante and the other knight, 
took their freed brother, Orlando out to the woods where the rest of 
their brothers waited 

Impatiently he watched and waited for them.  He was a very large man, 
his face weather beaten by the years. Numerous scars covered one side 
of his face forming an intricate spider web.  There was a tattoo on 
his forehead like the others, only his was bigger, more ornate, 
signifying the mark of a commander.  His name was Gregor, and he was 
the General in command of the Knights of Byzantium. Knights whose 
sole purpose in life was to destroy the 'Key'.

Gregor spoke briefly with Orlando, offering him the comfort of one 
soldier to another.  He turned and began walking away. He stopped 
abruptly, turning back to Orlando when he heard him say, 'All shiny. 
Pretty little Key.'

"The Key? You've seen it?!"

"Pretty little shiny girl..."

"The monks. They've made it human." Gregor practically spit it out, 
putting it all together.

"We know the Slayer is protecting the Key. If what Orlando says is 
true ..."  Dante looked at the General while he spoke and saw that he 
had already put two and two together.

Gregor turned around facing the woods.  "Prepare to advance."  He 
yelled to the twenty plus men mounted on horseback at the edge of the 
woods. "We end this. Now."  There wasn't the slightest hint of mercy 
in his voice.

Xander and Faith would have agreed that the Knights looked like 
something straight out of a slightly warped Camelot.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were driving along the outskirts of town in Spike's beaten, run-
down Winnebago. It was dim and gloomy inside of the Winnie with all 
of the shades drawn, tinfoil covered the windshield, reflecting the 
light back out. A small hole had been made in the tinfoil so Giles 
could see where he was going. After the initial protest by the others 
over Spike even being with them, which Buffy squashed by saying he 
was the only one right here and now who besides her, stood a chance 
of protecting Dawn from Glory, they had all settled in. 

Buffy was in the back of the camper, listening to them as they 
bickered like brothers and sisters. As odd a group as they were...
 
A hacker,  a computer genius, who was also a powerful Witch in her 
own right.  Her best friend, a friend who chose to stay and fight the 
good fight even though she could have gone far away from here.  Did 
it because it was right, did it because she wanted to.  A Witch whose 
powers grew stronger everyday, a Witch whose first love was a 
Werewolf, a Witch who was now in love with another Witch.

Another Witch, with a pure heart, who had sacrificed herself to keep 
the 'Key' safe. Who had sacrificed herself to keep them all safe.  
The Witch who was in love with the other Witch.

A 'Watcher', a man of books, of learning, the scholar, an anchor in 
the storm. Who once had come close to belonging to the dark side, a 
Warlock in his own right and a man who had been and still was like a 
father to them all. 

A twelve-hundred-year-old ex-vengeance demon, who had become human 
and found a family, a place, and love with another among them. 

Her sister, who wasn't 'really' her sister, who was the 'Key' in 
human form.  Sought after by a 'god' who wanted her 'Key', and by 
Knights who want to destroy both the 'Key' and the god. A 'Key' that 
cried real tears, bled real blood, felt love, and gave love in 
return. A 'Key' who was her sister, real or not. A 'Key' that was as 
real to them as they all were to each other.
 
A mere human who had a heart of gold, and more courage then all of 
them put together and a soul so pure that even an ex-vengeance demon 
could love it. 

A vampire with a chip in his head that kept him from killing; but 
could not make him be good or love. That was something he had proven 
and done on his own. Making her wonder if he really didn't have a 
soul or if it had been merely 'sleeping' and had been forced awake 
after the chip had been put in his head.  

A two-hundred-year-plus vampire with a Soul.  Who had been her first 
love, who sought redemption, who sought peace, who had helped to save 
the other half of the 'Chosen Two', and had found a kindred spirit 
there.

The other 'Watcher' who had learned that doing things by-the-book was 
not always the best way.  And now worked with the vampire with a soul 
and had become more then just a 'Watcher'.  He had become a force to 
be reckoned with in the war for good.

The ex-high-school-cheerleader, who had learned there were more 
important things in the world than money.  Whose pain-wracked visions 
helped to save the innocent, helped the vampire with a soul find his 
redemption, helped those who could not help themselves.

A street kid who had been fighting the good fight before any of them 
and now fought with them.  Finding a place in the light, and like the 
other mere human had a pure heart and soul, and courage enough to 
rival the best among them.

Then there was her, one of the 'Chosen Two', who had started out as 
the 'Chosen One' and now would not have it any other way.  The 
protector of them all, a force for good, a force against evil. A 
woman who's first love had been a vampire with a soul, a woman in 
love with another woman

Lastly there was the other of the 'Chosen Two' who wasn't here with 
them now. A woman had been told her whole life that she was a 
mistake, was second best, and not loved, but had proven them all 
wrong.  A woman who stood like her for all that was good, a force 
against evil. The woman she was in love with and who loved her in 
return. She was a shining bright light in the darkness, and the 
keeper of her heart and soul.  

...they were a family, her family, just like she was theirs. 

Buffy looked out the rear window of the Winnie hoping to see a Harley 
flying down the road towards them, but all she saw was that they had 
left the outskirts of town, and had just turned onto a highway.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy could hear Tara in the main cabin of the Winnie becoming 
agitated.

"All the light... gone."

"No, baby. It's still light outside. Shh ..."  Willow voice was 
soothing, comforting, and ineffective.

"...dark....... all dark ..."  Tara continued to chant growing more 
agitated.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the Psych Ward of Sunnydale General Hospital the patients began to 
stir.  They all had the same glazed look as Tara, they were sweating, 
their bodies glistening palely, sickly in the hospital's harsh 
fluorescent lights.  They were fidgeting against their restraints, 
murmuring softly to themselves, to the empty air. Murmuring to an 
exiled 'god' perhaps?

"Dark."

"All dark."

"Soon."

"Dark."

"Soon..."

"Soon... soon," murmuring together, over and over again.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Glory's apartment the human-rat-like minion Gronx had drawn 
mystical symbols upon the floor in blood. Lit black candles formed a 
circle around the symbols.  Gronx and Murk sat across from each on 
the edge of the circle of candles.  Gronx cast Runic Stones into the 
circle.  She looked intently at them, her face becoming rapturous. 

"It's coming! ......The signs are in alignment. Soon victory will be in 
our grasp. All we need do is seize the moment... and squeeze until it 
bleeds."  Gronx her pointy teeth flashing, smiled a very dark smile.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were on a dirt road that ran through the desert, surrounded by 
miles upon miles of nothing.  In the far off distant the mountains 
rose up out of the ground, the peaks hidden by cloud cover, they 
beckoned to her, promising safety.  She let the blind drop back into 
place throwing the rear cabin of the Winnie back into it previous 
gloomy mood. She leaned against the wall as she sat on the bed, she 
was tired, she had nothing left, she was spent, physically, 
emotionally. Buffy turned her head when she heard the door slide 
open, and saw her sister peeking in smiling at her shyly.

"Hey. I think Anya's gonna try to cook. Wanna come watch the tears 
and recriminations?" 

"Maybe later."  Buffy voice was listless, she smiled weakly at Dawn.  

Dawn looked at her sister, who seemed so defeated, so bone weary 
tired, she turned to go, then hesitantly, softly, she said, "Thank 
you."
 
"For what?" 

"You know. Pretty much... everything."
 
"Yeah. I'm doing a great job."  Buffy's tone betraying her feeling of 
incompetents. 

"You are." Dawn tried to convey with those two words, that she 
believed in Buffy even if Buffy didn't believe in herself. 

"I'm the Slayer. The Chosen one, well one of the Chosen one's of 
the 'Chosen Two', all mythic and defendery. Evil Nasties are supposed 
to flee from me, not the other way around."  

"You're not fleeing. You're... moving at a brisk pace."

"Quaintly referred to in some cultures as the Big Scaredy Run Away."

Dawn sat down next to her sister, she looked her in the eyes, her 
expression was serious, her voice sincere. "It's the most amazing 
thing anyone's ever done for me."

But Buffy wasn't sure that she believed that anymore.  Maybe now she 
understood why Slayers didn't have a long life span.  The weight of 
slaying had taken its toll on her, making her feel years older then 
she actually was. "It just... keeps coming. Glory... Riley... Tara... 
Mom..." Buffy barely managed to get the word Mom out, she still felt 
like there was something she could have done. Still felt her Mom's 
loss, like it had only happened yesterday.

"I know." Dawns voice was soft, soothing, as if she were the older 
sister, not the other way around. "But there's a bright side."

"There is?"

"Yeah. At least things can't get any crazier, right?"

They both jumped as an arrow came flying through the window, less 
than a second after Dawn had finished speaking.  It lodged in the 
wall close to Buffy's head.  Dawn looked at it in shock, her first 
thought was, that it had just missed her sister.  Buffy turned 
looking at Dawn, a smile, more of a smirk forming on her lips, she 
was a little amused by this, sort of.
 
"You know this is your fault for saying that."  Dawn shot her sister 
a look not finding the humor in her remark.

Buffy pulled aside a corner of the blind, she saw about twenty 
Knights on horseback, they were a few hundred feet behind them but 
closing fast.  Buffy let out a sigh and rose quickly, she rushed into 
the main cabin, Dawn right behind her.

"Giles!"  Buffy yelled.

"I see them."  He told her grimly, as he glanced once again at the 
side view mirror.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Faith was pacing round and round the small hotel room.  Patience was 
not one of her many endearing traits.  She had made it to the hotel 
in record time.  Now she had to wait.  Wait and wonder, because she 
couldn't call B. Because B, didn't have a cell phone, in fact none of 
the Scoobs had one.  Something Faith decided was going to be 
rectified as soon as possible, even if it meant she had to use her 
last penny doing it!

Faith had been trying to block sending her anger, her fear, to 
Buffy.  Instead she had been concentrating on sending only her 
strength, comfort and love to Buffy.  She could feel the sadness, the 
weariness that Buffy was feeling, and she understood it.  Understood 
it because she was a Slayer too.  She remembered a word that 
described what it was that Buffy was feeling and what Faith had felt 
for most of her life.  Ennui, it meant world-weariness, and sometimes 
being a Slayer did that to you.

Faith stopped pacing the minute she felt it.  It was an adrenaline 
rush, and Buffy was having one, there was trouble.  But this time 
Faith didn't feel any fear. Calmly Faith lay down on the bed, and 
just let herself go with it, sending energy, strength, and 
encouragement to Buffy. The Slayer in her calling out to the Slayer 
in Buffy, cheering her on.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

General chaos ensued seconds after Buffy and Dawn busted into the 
main cabin of the Winnie. Buffy got Dawn down and under a table as 
arrows from the Knights riddled the Winnie.  

{Fucking pointy flying wooden sticks!  Hate them! Hate them! Bloody 
fucking HATE them!} 

"Weapons!?" Giles yelled to everyone and anyone, after an arrow 
pierced the side of the Winnie just missing his head.

"Hello! You're driving one!" {Bloody stupid Watcher!}

"Don't hurt the horsies!" 

"We won't."  Buffy yelled, {Rightttt, Will, whatever you say!}, then 
she leaned down and whispered in Giles ear, "Aim for the horsies," 
And Giles did swerving the Winnie hard to the left.

They were being bounced and tossed all over the Winnie as it sped 
down the bumpy dirt road.  

Xander felt the nausea rising up in him again. Oh shit, he was going 
to be sick! "Did we shake 'em?"  He asked jaw clenched, trying not to 
vomit.  He jumped a half a foot when a broadsword pierced the roof 
inches from his head.

Everyone dove for cover as the Knight on the roof started thrusting 
the broadsword through the Winnie's roof in random spots.  Everyone 
except Buffy, who yelled out needlessly, "Stay low! Watch out for..."

Spike lunged for the sword, grabbing it a second before it would have 
stabbed Buffy in the head. Buffy ducked but she knew that if it 
wasn't for Spike she might be dead right now. He hung onto it for 
dear un-dead life, hissing in pain through his teeth. He continued to 
hold it as it sliced his hands, even as the Knight tried to pull it 
free.

"Now might be a good time for something heroic." Spike hissed at 
Buffy.

Buffy scanned the roof and spotted the hatch.  Shit, she was too 
short to reach it! "Xander! Hatch!"  Xander was lifting her up to the 
hatch almost before she had finished speaking.  She smiled, feeling 
Faith cheering her on, feeling Faith wishing that she was there.  
Some things change, some things stay the same, and Faith always did 
like a good fight.  Buffy punched out the hatch and scrambled up onto 
the roof.

She sneaked up behind the Knight, as he pulled his sword free, and 
Spike screamed bloody murder from the pain.  The Knight saw her 
shadow as she crept up behind him, he swung his sword at her.  Buffy 
ducked and backed away as he swung at her again, lowering her center 
of gravity she swept his feet out from under him.  Buffy came down on 
top of him, blocking another thrust of the sword and popped him, and 
the sword fell from his hand.  She hit him with a few left and right 
crosses, finally he managed to block her and get in a punch of his 
own.  They wrestled, he managed to kick her in the head and Buffy 
felt herself falling over the side of the Winnie.  

{Fuck me!}  She grabbed onto the railing, hanging there, another 
Knight approaching her on horseback.  The Knight on the roof crouched 
low pulling back his arm to punch her.  She sent him flying as she 
kicked upward, and then vaulted herself back onto the roof.  They 
stood facing off against each other.  Using grabbling hooks another 
Knight began to climb up onto the roof, Buffy ignored him, 
concentrating instead on the one standing in front of her. She 
punched him hard, following up with a spinning roundhouse kick, 
sending him sailing off the roof screaming. Buffy felt a 'Yea B!' 
come to her from Faith.

She turned and faced the two Knights who had crawled up onto the 
roof.  One had an axe, the other a morning star.  Feinting at the one 
with the morning star, she hit the other Knight with a fist-hammer 
punch, following up with a front-thrust-kick at the Knight with the 
morning star.  Then hit the first knight with a spinning roundhouse 
kick, ducking and turning she took a blow on her back, and returned 
the blow with a fist-hammer punch.  Steeling herself she back-
flipped, then hit them both with a double jumping-front-kick to the 
face. 

Bending down fast, she picked up the broadsword the other Knight had 
dropped, twirling it.  The Knight swung the morning star at her; she 
blocked the swing with the sword and the chain from the morning star 
wrapped around it. Using that, she yanked the Knight towards her. The 
Knight with the axe tried to come up behind her and she back-kicked 
him away from her. She spun the knight with the morning star around 
using the sword, using a kneestrike she kicked him the stomach, 
letting go of the sword and sending him off the roof of the camper.

She turned ducking, as the axe whistled harmlessly over her head, she 
hit the Knight in the chest with a hard kick.  She grabbed the hand 
with the axe, and then hit him with a four-knuckle punch.  She turned 
slightly hearing another Knight climbing up the side of the Winnie, 
the Knight with the axe grabbed her from behind.  Swinging down she 
hit the hand holding the axe. Screaming in pain the Knight let go of 
the axe, which Buffy caught before it could hit the ground. Spinning 
she swung the axe at him, he barely ducked in time. She let go with a 
knife-edge kick, sending him too off the roof.  Turning quickly she 
threw the axe at the Knight just topping the Winnie, it slammed into 
his chest knocking him from the ladder.

Buffy stood, her breathing rapid, erratic, hard.  She looked down the 
road behind the moving Winnie and saw that the road behind them was 
empty. She had defeated all of the Knights. 'Yea me!' she thought as 
she tried slowing down her breathing.  It felt good to have finally 
kicked some ass, instead of getting her ass kicked!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was lying on the bed, pillows propped up behind her. Her eyes 
were moving rapidly behind her closed lids, almost as if she was 
asleep and dreaming. 

"Ye fucking ha! Ride em' cowboys!"  She mumbled to the empty room.  
Now that was weird, how was it that she knew there were horses... and... 
Knights?  It seemed that their odd echoing was expanding, she was 
still feeling Buffy's emotions but she was also getting vague 
impressions too.  It was weird, sort of. It was like the echo she was 
getting was not only what Buffy felt but also of what Buffy felt when 
she saw a horse and Faith couldn't explain it.  These new types 
of 'echoes' were forming sort of a pattern. And Faith was getting the 
feeling of what a horse was rather then actually seeing it through 
Buffy's eyes, and her mind was creating the image for her.  She 
couldn't read Buffy's thoughts but she was sort of feeling them too. 
It was almost like watching an odd sort of cartoon in her mind. 
Whatever it was, Faith just went with it, not questioning the 
connection anymore. 

"Woo Hoo! You go B! Kick their asses!"  Faith yelled out like a 
little kid.

Buffy was kicking some serious ass, and loving every minute of it, 
and Faith felt it.  The adrenaline rush, blood pumping hard roaring 
in your ears, the satisfaction that came with executing a move 
perfectly.  The way your body moved gracefully and sensuously, 
muscles tightening, flexing, stretching, reacting without thought, 
letting just pure instinct take over. 

Faith threw a right cross then a left cross at the empty air.  Then 
she kicked out, sweeping imaginary feet out from under the ghost in 
her head.  Her actions a second behind what Buffy was doing, it was 
almost like being there with her.  Ut-oh, there were two of them now, 
but Buffy wasn't sweating it, and neither was Faith. Damn but she 
wished she was there!

It was over almost as quickly as it started.  Faith could almost feel 
the wind whipping through her own hair.  She felt the satisfaction 
that Buffy was feeling, and Faith smiled knowing that some of Buffy's 
self-confidence had been restored, she sent B that smile.  

{That was wicked cool.  You rock B!}  Damn but she was hungry! And 
how fucked up was she? 'Cause she felt horny too, even though she 
really hadn't fought.  Then again she couldn't be all that fucked 
up, 'cause Buffy was feeling that way too. 

{Always knew, B, that slaying made ya hungry and horny!} 

The 'Chosen Two' one in the hotel room, the other standing on top of 
the moving the Winnebago, realized they were both feeling the same 
way, smiled in sync, and savored the moment.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was quiet inside of the Winnie, Giles glanced in the side view 
mirror and saw that there weren't anymore Knights behind them, he 
gave a sigh of relief.

He glanced back over his shoulder at the Scoobs and asked, "Everyone 
all right?"  He returned his gaze to the road smiling slightly it 
appeared that they were all for the most part no worse for the wear 
and tear.  He eyes opened wide in surprise and horror when he saw 
what or rather who was coming right at the Winnie.
 
A Knight on horseback was heading straight for them. The knight 
raised his arm and tossed a spear right at the front windshield,  
Giles twisted the wheel trying to avoid the spear as it came hurdling 
right at him.  It shattered the windshield and impaled Giles before 
he could get out of the way.  He slumped over the wheel, passing out, 
and the Winnie went hurtling recklessly down the road out of control.

The Winnie veered off the road, bouncing, and lurching over potholes, 
it hit the loose gravel hard and began to tilt over, starting to tip.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was standing on the roof of the Winnie. [Faith shared Buffy's 
enjoyment of the wind blowing through her hair and their shared 
arousal from the fight.]  Buffy was struggling to stay on both her 
feet and the roof of the Winnie, as it swerved sharply, hitting 
potholes and jostling her. [Faith felt the confusion roll over Buffy, 
and her struggle to stay on the roof.]

Buffy leaped off the roof. [Faith felt Buffy's sensation of flying 
through the air].  Buffy landed hard, rolling, until she finally sat 
up, turning to look at the Winnie down the road from her. [Faith 
got 'echoes' of pain, and a jarring in her bones, as Buffy landed 
hard on the side of the dirt road.].  Buffy watched as the Winnie 
careened out of control and tipped over, skidding in the dirt on its 
side. [An 'echo' of fear for Dawn, Giles and the Scoobs streaked 
through Faith, and she shuddered in horror with Buffy, and felt as 
Buffy leaned into her seeking her strength].

{What the fuck just happened?}  Both Slayers thought in sync.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They limped away from the wrecked Winnie.  Buffy and Xander 
supporting Giles between them and made their way as quickly as 
possible to the abandoned gas station in the distance.  With the 
exception of Giles who was losing blood and unconscious, everyone was 
fine, suffering only a few bumps, scrapes and bruises.

Spike kicked open the door, he felt a lot like a piece of bacon left 
on the fire a tad to long, the blanket he was holding over his head 
had offered only minimal protection from the suns rays.  Xander and 
Buffy gently lay Giles down on one of the counter tops.  His stomach 
was covered in blood.

There were three connecting rooms, and an out of order pay phone.  
The service garage off to the side was boarded up, as well as all the 
windows in the station.  However, it was possible to peek outside by 
looking through the narrow gaps between the boards that had been put 
up haphazardly.

Willow cast a healing spell on Giles at Buffy's half spoken request 
and was able to slow down the bleeding, but she was unable to stop 
the bleeding completely, the damage was too extensive. 

Buffy peeked out through one of the gaps in the boards scanning the 
barren landscape nervously.  She turned away from the window, and 
walked over to check on Giles.  Snapping at everyone who got in her 
way, she was on her last leg, she was overloaded and the 
responsibility for getting them all out of this alive weighted her 
down like never before.  

{Please... Please... don't let me lose him too...}  Buffy couldn't even 
wrap her mind around the thought of losing the man who had been more 
of a father to her than her own.  She felt as the tears began to well 
up in her eyes, and before she had a chance to shed them, the shit 
hit the proverbial fan again.

Everyone dove for cover as flaming arrows came flying threw the 
boarded up windows, everyone except Xander, who risked sneaking a 
peek out one of the gaps.

"We got company...... and they brought a Crusade!"

"Willow!"  Buffy yelled, as she heard the sound of axes hitting the 
walls, as the Knights rushed the gas station.

"I'm working on it!" Willow yelled back, grabbing her spell book and 
desperately paging through it. 

The agonizing sound of wood as it was splintered filled the air.  The 
walls trembled with the force of the Knights attack. They gained 
entrance into the gas station through the now broken down office 
door.  Buffy felt the adrenaline coursing through her, Slayer-Mode 
kicked in, and she began throwing punches and kicks, knocking the 
Knights that came at her out of commission.  Vaguely she heard Spike 
scream in pain after hitting and taking out one of the Knights.

"The Key!"  Buffy spun around and saw Gregor. His broadsword was 
raised and poised to strike Dawn.  

Quickly Buffy grabbed a mace from one of the fallen Knights and 
hurled it at him, striking his sword hand.  Gregor dropped his sword 
as the pain ran straight from his hand and up his arm, he turned and 
looked right into the eyes of the Slayer, and if looks could kill he 
knew he would be dead. He charged at Buffy and she punched him hard 
in the face, knocking him into a beam, a smile of satisfaction on her 
face as she watched him fall to the floor unconscious.

There were too many of them, they were smashing chain mailed hands 
through the rotting boards of the abandoned gas station.  Xander 
thought almost hysterically to himself that it was like a warped 
version of 'Camelot Meets the Night of the Living Dead'.

"Enemies, fly and fall...circling arms, raise a wall!" Willow chanted 
her eyes once again glowing black with an unholy light. She raised 
her arms and the near equivalent of a nuclear explosion, exploded out 
from around Willow,  out through the walls, flinging and throwing the 
Knights backwards like dolls.

Willow's nose was bleeding, and she casually wiped away the blood 
with her sleeve, acting as if it were an everyday occurrence. She 
brushed off their concerned inquiries as to her well-being.  More 
concerned about the two clerics outside chanting, trying to punch a 
hole in the energy barrier she had put up around the gas station.

Spike walked over and looked down at Gregor laying unconscious on the 
ground, massaging his temples. "So. What's the story with these role-
playing rejects?" 

Her voice hard, Buffy said, "Let's find out."  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was going crazy, getting vague impressions, she knew Giles was 
hurt bad, and silently she prayed with Buffy that he would be 
alright.  She was pacing around the room trying to control her own 
fear, not fear for herself, but fear for them.  She could feel how 
tired Buffy was, how bone weary, how defeated she was starting to 
feel, her world was reeling , and Faith was frustrated and angry at 
herself for ever leaving.  Fuck! She should be there!  Instead all 
she could do was try and send Buffy her energy, her strength, her 
love, support and every other fucking emotion she could think of to 
try and uplift her.

Then the adrenaline rush hit her and she knew Buffy was fighting 
again. Unable to just stand there and do nothing, she began punching 
and kicking at imaginary enemies.  Had the 'Chosen Two' been able to 
see each other, they would have seen that they were executing the 
same exact moves, in perfect synchronicity with each other. Faith 
turned and felt a moment of fear, for... for... Dawn, followed by a 
murderous rage, and then she was bending picking up an imaginary 
weapon and hurling it. She threw a punch, and then felt the 
adrenaline rush leave her.  Faith felt a nervous calm come over 
Buffy, and sighed in relief knowing that they were all safe, at least 
for a little while.  

Then unable to contain her own fear and rage she pivoted and put her 
fist through the wall, relishing the pain, and cursing herself again 
for not being there.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy, Dawn, Xander and Spike looked at Gregor whose was tied to one 
of the lifts that were used to raise the cars. Gregor was glaring at 
Buffy and she was glaring right back.

"You sure Scarface here can habla the English?"

Buffy kept her eyes on Gregor when she answered Spike, "He 
understands me. Don't you?"

"You were warned we would return, Slayer."

"Took you long enough." Looking at his tattoo she asked him, "You 
supposed to be some kind of chief?"

Not breaking eye contact with Buffy, he glowered at her, trying to 
intimidate her. "General."

It didn't work, she stared him down and sarcastically asked; "In 
charge of what? Getting captured?"

"You do not frighten me, child." Turning his gaze away from Buffy he 
locked eyes with Dawn.  Dawn squirmed, frighten by the look he was 
giving her. "The instrument of chaos will be destroyed..."

Within a second Buffy was on him. [Faith felt Buffy's control slip 
and rage well up in her.] Buffy grabbed Gregor roughly by the face, 
twisting his face back hard to look at her. "Look at her that way 
again, and she'll be the last thing you ever see." Buffy snarled at 
him.

"As I was told. You protect the Key of the Beast." He snarled back.

Buffy backed away from him. [Buffy was struggling to regain her 
composure and Faith surrounded Buffy with calming thoughts.] "It's 
not that simple."  

For the first time Buffy saw something other than hate in his face.  
Gregor's face softened, and he looked at Dawn with something that was 
almost akin to the concerned eyes of a father.

"Yes. The Key has been transformed. Given breath. Life."  He 
continued telling Buffy sadly, "Yet this makes no difference. The Key 
is the link. The link must be severed. Such is the will of God."

Buffy quickly looked at Dawn out of the corner of her eye and saw how 
scared she was. [Faith felt Buffy get upset.] "She doesn't remember 
anything about being this Key everyone's looking for! All she 
remembers is growing up with a mother and a sister that love her. 
What kind of god would demand her life for something she has no 
control over?" Buffy waited for him to respond, when he didn't she 
softly told him, "We're not your enemy. Tell your men to stand down."

Gregor hesitated but a second before answering her, "No."

"It's not her fault! She's human now!" Buffy yelled! [Faith felt as 
Buffy lost her composure again.]

"The Key is too dangerous to be allowed to exist... no matter what form 
it has been pressed into."

Buffy moved closer to him menacingly. ['Echoing' waves of anger 
rolled over Faith, and she knew whatever was happening was not good, 
not good at all.] "I'm not going to let anyone..."  Buffy trailed off 
as she heard wailing coming from the other room from Tara.

"Buffy!"  Anya yelled.

{Now what?} Both Slayers thought in sync.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tara raged in the gas station.  

Orlando raged outside of the gas station.  

The patients raged at Sunnydale General Hospital.  

All whispering, yelling out 'Time... it's time... it's time..." 

Tara broke free from Willow scrambling for the door, clawing at it, 
falling to her knees, sobbing.

Dante pulled Orlando tightly into his embrace, and slipped a dagger 
into Orlando's heart to stop his pain. And Dante saw the moment of 
sanity in Orlando's eyes before he died.

The patients at Sunnydale General Hospital broke free of their 
restraints, knocking the nurses aside. They made their way out of the 
hospital into the night.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles was barely conscious, but he felt Buffy gripping his hand 
fiercely. [Buffy was struggling to keep from falling apart into tiny 
little pieces, and Faith silently cursed herself again for not being 
there.  She did the only thing she could, she visualized surrounding 
Buffy with her arms, with her love.]

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"We should have stayed. If we had, none of this..."

"Don't."  Giles paused for a brief second, his face etched with 
pain. "What you did... w-was necessary... what I've always admired."

"Running away?" Buffy smiled at him.

"Being able to place... your heart... above all else." He paused again 
taking a pained breath. "I'm so proud of you. How far you've come. 
You're everything a Watcher... everything I could have hoped for ..."  

{Everything a father could hope for...} He thought to himself before he 
drifted back into the quiet of unconsciousness.

Buffy continued to cling to Giles hand after he passed out. [Faith's 
own bone deep sorrow joined that of Buffy's. She could feel Buffy 
struggling to find answers, struggling to figure out what to do. 
Faith smiled when an 'echo' of calm, determination come to her from 
Buffy, and Faith knew Buffy had made her decision.]

"Willow."  Buffy waited for Willow to look up at her. "Open a door."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Car lights shined into the gas station and they all turned their head 
towards the door when they heard the car screech to a halt outside.  
The Knights surround the car their weapons at the ready, and Ben's 
eyes flickered with fear.  Taking a deep breath and he squashed down 
his fear, he grabbed his medical bag and got out of the car.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They all watch him worriedly as he examined Giles.  It was Xander 
they had to thank that Ben was here, Buffy had been making very 
little progress in getting the Knights to allow help to come for 
Giles. Xander had stepped in and reminded them of the 'Rules of War', 
and that they had their General, Gregor.  

Buffy had tried to use the phone a second time to call Faith, but it 
seemed that the spell Willow had cast to get it to work was a one 
shot deal.  Willow had tried casting the spell again for Buffy but it 
didn't work.  Had she not been so worried about Giles she might have 
thought to have Ben call Faith for her.  Then again maybe it was for 
the best, because Faith would have wanted to come here and there was 
no way she could have gotten past the Knights outside.  And Buffy 
wasn't going to put Faith in danger too, no matter how much she 
wanted her here.  Buffy purposely tried to block Faith from knowing 
that she was only about fifteen minutes down the road from the 
abandoned gas station. Buffy could have run to the motel without 
breaking a sweat if she wanted too, and she desperately wanted too.
 
Buffy hovered close to Giles as Ben finished applying a fresh 
dressing to Giles wound.  They talked, Buffy trying to explain away 
the weird version of Camelot outside, while Ben just seemed to 
casually brush it off.  Had she been in a clearer state of mind she 
might have wondered at his casualness of the completely weird 
situation like any other normal person.  Instead she focused on Giles 
holding his hand, watching his chest, making sure he was still 
breathing.  When she was sure that Giles wasn't going to stop 
breathing she wandered into the back where they were keeping Gregor 
and heard the tail end of Spike and Xander's conversation.

"Could make a run for it. Use General Armor-All as a shield, get to 
the doc's car and..."

"Great plan. And while all the hacking and slashing is going on, what 
are you going to be doing? Throwing migraines at 'em?"

"Look, we stay here, we all die. At least this way some of us might..."

"No!" Buffy cut Spike off, the man and the vampire turned to look at 
her. "We're all going to make it. I'm not losing anyone." [Faith felt 
as Buffy tried to sound, be confident, but there was an 
additional 'echo' of underlying fear and denial too.  And Faith had a 
funny feeling that whoever Buffy was talking to would be able to hear 
a little of it in her voice if they just listened. Faith also 
realized that as this day had progressed the 'echo' which was how she 
now referred to this new connection, had been getting stronger, 
broadening and she knew that Buffy was beginning to realize it too.  
Faith opened herself up totally to it, and just let herself feel all 
that Buffy was feeling, was doing.]

Buffy stared at Spike, he stared back and then dropped his 
gaze. "Check the supplies. See if anyone's hungry."  She watched them 
as they left and turned back around when she heard Gregor's amused 
laughter, and moved closer to him. 

"Dissension in the ranks. Seldom the harbinger of glad tidings."

Something snapped and Buffy raised her hand swinging it...[Fuck! Buffy 
had lost her control again! And Faith's own hand rose up swinging, 
slapping the ghost face of the Knight in front of her. 'Easy B' Faith 
sent to her.] 

"Shut up!"  Dispassionately Buffy watched as the General spat out 
blood, not caring that he was 'human' and that she had just 
physically hurt him.  Buffy felt  Faith surrounding her with her 
love, her strength, enveloping her, almost as if she were here 
holding her in her arms, and mentally she leaned into that touch. 

Gregor looked at her with pity, with sadness. "Poor, frightened girl. 
You've no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

"Then why don't you fill me in?"

"Would it make a difference?" Gregor locked eyes with her.  He saw 
the desperation in her eyes for a brief second.  Maybe, just maybe he 
thought to himself he could make her understand why they needed to do 
this, maybe he could reach past the human weakness in her that saw 
the 'Key' as her sister, and not what it really was.  Make her see 
that while the 'Key' may be in human form, nothing about it or what 
she remembered about it was real. "What do you know of the Beast?"

"Strong. Fast. Hellgod."

"From a dimension of unspeakable torment."

"A demon dimension, I know. There were two other Hellgods that ruled 
with her, weren't there?"

"Along with the Beast, they were a triumvirate of suffering and 
despair, ruling with equal vengeance. But the power of the Beast grew 
beyond even what they could conceive -- as did her lust for pain and 
misery. They looked upon her, what she had become... and trembled."

"A god afraid?"

"Such was her power. They feared she would attempt to seize the 
dimension for herself, and decided to strike first. A great battle 
erupted. The very bowels of Hell trembled as the war of the gods 
spanned a thousand years. In the end, they stood victorious over the 
Beast... barely. She was cast out, banished to this "lower" plane of 
existence, forced to live and ultimately die trapped within the body 
of a mortal, a newborn male, created as her prison. Her own living 
Hell."

"Wait... male?"

"That was her punishment. To finish an ageless existence buried deep 
inside the flesh tomb of a normal average human man. A man that would 
grow, age, and eventually die, like all the rest of us. That is the 
Beast's only weakness."

Buffy nodded at Gregor. [Faith felt as an of understanding of 
something dawned on Buffy... but Faith didn't know what it was for.]

"Kill the man, and the god dies."

Gregor nodded and smiled at her, thinking he was getting through to 
her. "Unfortunately the identity of the human vessel has never been 
discovered."

"I don't understand. I've seen Glory. Not a whole lot going on in the 
hairy chest department."

"You have seen a glimpse of the true Beast. Her power was too great 
to be completely contained. She's found a way to escape her mortal 
prison for brief periods before her energies are exhausted and she's 
forced back into her living cell of meat and bone."

"What about me?" Dawn asked from the doorway of the garage, Buffy 
turned to her. "What about the Key?"

"Dawn..."

Dawn looked at her sister, she may be scared, but one thing she had 
learned from Buffy was not to let fear rule you, not to let it stop 
you from doing or asking the hard things or questions.  It was and 
still was one of things Dawn admired in her sister, Giles, the 
Scoobs, and, over the last few weeks in Faith. Especially Faith who 
Dawn knew had spent a good part, if not most of her life ruled by 
fear, and had managed to conquer it and turn her life around. "I want 
to know."  

Buffy looked at her sister and she had to admire her.  The kid was 
tough, as she looked at Dawn she saw the determination and the fear. 
And Buffy knew it was a face that she herself had worn many times, 
and so had Faith.  Dawn, like them, was refusing to let her fear make 
her run or back down.  Proud of her sister Buffy turned back to 
Gregor and waited for him to answer her sister.  [Faith felt the 
pride Buffy was feeling for her sister, and oddly enough for Faith 
herself.]

"The Key is almost as old as the Beast itself. Where it came from, 
how it was created -- the deepest of mysteries. All that is certain 
is that its power is absolute. Countless generations of my people 
have sacrificed their lives in search of it, to destroy it before its 
wrath could be unleashed."

"But the monks found it first."

"Yes. And hid it with their magicks." Gregor voice was bitter when he 
spat out his answer to Dawn's question. 

"Why didn't they destroy it? If the Key's as dangerous as you..." 
Gregor cut Buffy off before she could finish.

"Because they were fools! They thought they could harness its power 
for the forces of light. They failed... and paid with their blood."

"What do I do? What was I created for?" 

"You were created to open the gates that separate dimensions. The 
Beast will use your power to return home and seize control of the 
Hell she was banished from."

Buffy and Dawn were stunned.  Then Buffy laughed. [Stunned relief, 
relief was good, and laughter, that was good too. And Faith smiled.]

"That's it? That's Glory's master plan... to go home?"

"You misunderstand. Once the Key is activated, it won't just open a 
gate to the Beast's dimension... it's going to open all the gates. The 
walls separating realities will crumble." [The amusement and relief 
faded and Faith thought, 'What now?'.] "Dimensions will bleed into 
one another. Order will be overthrown and the universe will tumble 
into chaos. All dark. Forever." He paused and turned to look at 
Dawn. "That is what you were created for."

A feeling of devastation crawled over Dawn's skin. {Oh God, please 
no!} 

['Echoing' waves of devastation and despair came at Faith. Then she 
felt as Buffy reached out for her, seeking her love, her strength, 
and Faith gave them to her, leaning further into the feel of Buffy 
being inside her.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy walked through the doorway looking for her sister, she was 
sitting at a table with her back to the door.  There was something so 
lost, so alone about Dawn, that it made Buffy's heart hurt.

"Dawn."

"You think it's true... what he said?" She said it softly not turning 
around.  Buffy sighed, and moved to join Dawn, sitting down next to 
her.  They looked at each other, looked for answers. 

[Faith could feel Buffy struggling, looking deep inside herself for 
an answer, and not finding one.] 

"I don't know."

"Destroyer of the universe." Dawn paused trying to calm herself, 
holding back the tears she desperately wanted to cry. "Guess cutting 
school doesn't seem so bad now, huh?"

"It's not you... You know that."

"But it's in me, isn't it? It's inside me......  What are we going to do?"

[Uncertainty, worry, and concern for... Dawn? Yes, Dawn.  Faith could 
feel as Buffy surrounded Dawn with her love.  Faith closed her eyes 
and visualized her love for both of them, expanding it to surround 
them,  to enfold them in it, just like Angel had taught her to do.  
And she prayed silently that not just Buffy, but Dawn would feel it 
too.] 

Buffy pulled her sister into her arms, and rested her cheek against 
her head and promised her softly, "I won't let anything happen to 
you, Dawn... I promise." [I promise too, Gamin.]

Dawn leaned into her sister, taking comfort in her strength, in her 
love, and didn't think it was odd that she felt like Faith was there 
with them too.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gregor looked the doctor over carefully as he cleaned his surgical 
equipment in the sink.  He wasn't a part of this little rag-tag group 
of the Slayers, maybe he had a chance with him. 

"You!"  Ben froze.  Did the General know who or what he was? "You are 
not a part of this, are you?"

Ben relaxed, and suppressed the sigh of relief. "Just a friend of the 
family"

"And would you die for them?" Ben turned around and faced him.  
Gregor smiled at him, though it was more of a grimace. "Because that 
is what your future holds if you align yourself with the Slayer and 
her misguided people."

"It's my life. I'll do what I please with it." 

"It's not just your life. Unimaginable legions will perish, including 
everyone here." Gregor lowered his voice, continuing to speak to Ben 
as if they were co-conspirators, "You can stop this. You can save all 
their lives... by ending one. The little girl. The Key. Destroy it, 
and the will of the Beast will be broken. She will fade, a distant 
memory... and this madness will end."

Ben turned his back to Gregor, he was thoughtfully considering his 
words.  This might be his only chance to destroy the 'K... to destroy 
Glory, and be free of her, free to live his own life.  He had to 
wonder if someone up there liked him, otherwise why would it have 
been him of all people that Dawn had let slip that she was 
the 'Key'.  Him that Buffy had called for help. That had to mean 
something. Didn't it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn watched Giles, he was still unconscious.  She saw that he was in 
pain, could hear the pain in his labored breathing.  The concern, the 
love for Giles  written clearly across her face. 

Ben approached, he quickly scanned the room, he was alone with Dawn.  
He chatted with Dawn about Giles condition, while he checked Giles 
pulse. 

"You don't know what's happening." Dawn told Ben softly, her eyes 
still fixed on Giles.

"I don't have to." Ben moved behind Dawn over to his medical bag. He 
took a hypo out of it and began to prepare it, he continued to talk 
to Dawn. "I just know that sometimes terrible things happen to good 
people. It shouldn't, but... it does. And it's nobody's fault." Ben 
turned away from his bag, the hypo poised, he saw that Dawn's back 
was still to him.  He slowly approached her from behind, his face 
unreadable, as his mind warred with itself.  Ben's voice softened as 
he continued speaking. "That's just the way life is," he paused but a 
second when he reached her side, then moved past her and gave Giles 
the shot and watched as the older man's face relaxed.

"Is that going to help?"  Dawn looked at his back and saw him 
stiffened, worry began to etch her face.  "Ben?"

The hypo dropped from his nerveless fingers. He felt the terror, the 
panic start to overwhelm him, freezing him to the spot. Glory was 
coming, forcing her way out. 

{Oh god NO! Not now! Not now you fucking bitch! Gotta get out of 
here!} and that thought broke his paralysis.  He turned quickly and 
went tearing into the garage bay where Gregor was tied up.  Dawn 
followed him, close on his heels.

"You have to let me out!" His voice laced with panic, with terror.

"Ben..."  

"You don't understand! I got to get out! Open a door! NOW!" 

Spike and Buffy rushed in and looked at the terror stricken Ben.  

"What happened?"

"I don't know! He just freaked out!"

"LET ME OUT!" Ben was frantic.

"Okay, W-Will, open a..."

Buffy was cut off by Ben's wordless scream of 
agony.  'Nonononononononotoolatetoolate', he thought, and could only 
get out an agonized cry of 'NO!'.  The change came over him quickly,  
quicker then ever before, and they all stood there in shock, in 
horror, at what they were seeing.  Buffy pushed Dawn behind her, and 
took up a fighting stance.  An echo came to her, and Buffy could have 
sworn it was Faith's voice in her head saying, 'What the fuck is 
happening?'.

Glory stretched, surprised for a second, and then quickly took in her 
surroundings. She smiled evilly in delight. "Well what do you know! 
Little Ben finally did something right."

"The Beast!" Gregor was genuinely terrified for the first time in his 
life. His voice trembled and his body quickly followed.

"Hey! It's Gregor!" Before anyone could move, Glory grabbed an old 
rusted hubcap off the workbench that was laying next to the medical 
bag, and flung it at Gregor like a Frisbee.  It sliced through the 
air, and buried itself into his chest, his spinal cord  stopping it 
from slicing him completely in half.  Gregor's eyes showed only a 
second of surprise, then the light died out of them, and his body 
slumped forward as he died. "Now it's not."

Screaming bloody murder, Spike launched himself at Glory.  Xander 
half a step behind him.  Glory whirled and backhanded Spike across 
the chest, sending him flying into Xander, knocking them both into 
the wall a few feet away, where they both slid down to the floor.  

Hearing Tara whimper in fear, Willow's eyes flashed black, the unholy 
light glowing from them once again.  Willow lowered her head and 
closed her eyes, and began to chant in Latin.

Buffy propelled herself at Glory with brutal force, while Spike and 
Xander tried to untangle themselves from each other and regain their 
feet.  Without a thought Glory swatted at Buffy like she was no more 
than just an irritating fly. The force of Glory's hit lifted Buffy 
off her feet, flinging her backwards. Airborne, Buffy crashed into 
Willow, sending them both slamming into the wall. Both women bounced 
off the wall and landed painfully in a heap on the floor, Buffy's leg 
twisting under her.

Glory smiled, turned and looked at Dawn. She laughed at the fright 
she saw on Dawn's face. Glory moved quickly, and grabbed Dawn by the 
hand and started dragging her.  Anya rushed forward and grabbed 
Dawn's other arm, effortlessly, Glory pulled Dawn free of Anya, and 
started running towards the door.  

"Buffy!" Dawn screamed, the terror thick in her voice.

Buffy struggled painfully to get back up to her feet, and watched in 
horror as Glory crashed through the door taking her sister with her.  

Glory's headlong rush into the night was stopped as she slammed into 
Willow's barrier.  With a look of contempt, she sneered, "Yeah 
right!"  Swinging her arm Glory's fist smashed into the barrier, 
punching a hole in it.  Energy cracked from around the edges of the 
hole as it started to close almost immediately. Not wasting any time 
Glory pulled Dawn through the hole with her.

Buffy ran out of the smashed door in time to see Glory pulling her 
sister through the hole. Running as fast as she could Buffy dove at 
the hole not making it in time, and collided painfully into the now 
closed barrier. 

"Dawn!" The 'Chosen Two' yelled together in anguish, one from the 
parking lot of the abandoned gas station, one from the inside of the 
run-down rattrap motel.

To the sound of the Knight's battle cries, mixed with sounds of the 
dying, Buffy turned and ran with a slight limp back into the 
abandoned garage. She used the pain to keep herself from total panic, 
as the image of her sister's terror filled face threatened to 
overwhelm her. 

"Willow!" Willow raised her head looking at Buffy when she yelled, 
her eyes were already glowing darkly with the unholy light. "Get it 
down! Now!"

"Hear... hear my plea... circling arms protecting me..."

Buffy turned around again, running outside, the barrier crackled and 
disappeared before her eyes.  Skidding to a halt, she slowly limped 
forward, her mind rebelling at the horror she was seeing around her.  
Scattered around her were the broken dead bodies of the Knights of 
Byzantium and the clerics. Buffy choked, forcing the bile back down.

Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara and Spiked rushed out from the building 
behind Buffy. They all slowed, then stopped as they too stood staring 
in horror at the carnage around them.  The sight even made Spike feel 
sick, and the thought that the 'thing' responsible for doing this now 
had 'Little Bit' made him reel with terror.  Something he had not 
really felt in over a hundred years.

"We have to..." Willow trailed off, not even sure what it was she 
wanted to say, not yet able to even form a coherent thought.

Buffy slowly kept walking forward, her mind almost numb, her world 
reeling.  She turned her head when she heard the dying gasp of the 
Knight called Dante; 'The Beast.'

Xander and Spike stood deathly still and staring, both frozen with 
shock.  Tara whimpered and buried her face in Willow's shoulder, the 
whimper broke Spike out of his daze.

"The car! Get the keys!" Spike pointed at Ben's car, the motion of 
his hand released Xander from his daze, and both rushed towards the 
car.

Buffy stood still, her eyes wide with shock, unable to accept what 
she was seeing, what had happened.  Willow, Tara, and Anya moved 
forward towards her. Buffy's knees threatened to give out on her, her 
eyes filled with tears, she failed, she let them all down, and Glory 
had her sister.  'DAWN! I'M SORRY! OHGODNO!' her mind screamed.  Her 
promise to her sister meant nothing, she has failed her totally, 
completely.

"Buffy! Buffy, we have to find Dawn. We... We can't let Glory..."

Buffy knees finally gave out and she fell crying, sitting down hard 
on the ground.  Her mind shutting down, as a deep down to her bones 
fear settled in, hurling her down a dark tunnel into the abyss of her 
mind.  Away from all of this... away from the carnage around her... 
the harsh reminder of her failure. Buffy let herself fall into the 
darkness, welcoming the coldness of its absolute blackness. She was 
tired... afraid... without hope for the first time in her life... and 
helpless in the wake of all that had happened.

"Buffy? Buffy!"

Willow walked over towards Buffy, bringing Tara with her.  Her 
concern for the blond-haired slayer was quickly turning to fear over 
what was happening to her best friend.
 
"Buffy...You have to get up... We need you..." Willow looked down at 
Buffy and saw the silent tears that ran down her face, and watched as 
the light slowly faded from Buffy's eyes.  "Buffy, please! Buffy..."

The silent tears continued to fall from Buffy's now empty, dead eyes, 
and Willow's voice began to fade.... As the reality of losing, of 
failing her sister slammed into Buffy again, sending her tumbling 
over the edge that she had been teetering on, into the dark, cool, 
calm of the open arms of the complete silence and darkness... 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dawn!" Faith screamed out into the empty room again, her gut 
twisting in fear, her body shaking in terror. Faith hadn't felt this 
kind of terror or helplessness since she was a child.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP IN THERE YOU CRAZY BITCH!"  Came a yell from one of 
the rooms next to her.

"FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!" Faith screamed back putting her fist through the 
wall again.

Faith was reeling, her mind in a tailspin.  In the last five minutes 
she had gotten so many different 'echoes' from Buffy that she felt 
dizzy, disoriented.  They were coming at her so hard and fast that 
she was powerless, unable to block them. The only thing Faith knew 
for sure was that Glory had Dawn, and that she had failed them.  She 
tried to calm her erratic breathing and concentrate, she began to 
focus, trying to find her center, and then the wave of desolation, 
the despondency, hit her like a blow to the stomach, doubling her 
over.  Tumbling over it came the helplessness, the hopelessness that 
Buffy was feeling.  The utter absolute failure Buffy felt at losing 
Dawn.  They called out to their sisters that had lived inside of 
Faith for so long, awaking them again, the weight of them bringing 
Faith to her knees.  She felt as Buffy started to slide down the dark 
tunnel, one that Faith was all too familiar with, and cried out for 
Buffy to come back hoarsely. Afraid for her, afraid of what Faith 
knew lay in the darkness Buffy was descending into. Then Buffy's bone-
deep fear and sorrow joined forces with the despair and anguish and 
they crashed into Faith, joining with her own escalating emotions.  

She too hadn't kept her promises. Her promise to Buffy to kept Dawn 
safe no matter what.  Her promise to Dawn. She had failed like she 
always failed, and Faith felt herself following Buffy down that 
tunnel, welcoming the darkness, the silence, the numbness, that she 
knew existed there, and her silent tears joined that of the keeper of 
her heart and soul.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gronx and Murk were packing.  They talked about Glory in low tones, 
grumbling under their fetid breath about her and her many 
possessions.  She yelled to them from the other room, letting them 
know that she could hear them.  They scurried quickly into the other 
room, bickering and blaming the other on their way. She glared at 
them, they bowed to her in supplication, in fear.  Hitting, and 
pushing each other, stopping immediately when Glory waved a hand at 
them bored with their behavior.

"Guys - I'm not gonna kill you. Not in the mood...... What do you 
think that's about?"  A look of confusion crossed her face.

"In mercy does your power lie." 

Glory looked at Gronx like he was an idiot, which she thought to 
herself he was, all her minions were, they did serve a purpose though.

"No, brainless. In torture, death and chaos does my power lie. So 
tell me. Why am I not popping your head like a zit right now?"  She 
looked to them for an answer and all she received was open-mouthed 
stares, and dumfounded expressions.  Did she honestly think that they 
would know? Righttttt! "Maybe I'm just hungry."

"Yes! We shall fetch a ..."

"Nah, I'm not hungry."  She began pacing, the seamstress minion, who 
had been working on her ceremonial robe following behind her. "Uhhh! 
I'm just a little tight in this skin, is all. I've been waiting an 
eternity - well, twenty-five human years - and it all comes down to 
tonight." 

"The portal shall open."

"And the Great Glorificus shall return."

"To the Hell I came from. Where I'm gonna rain down more super sized 
portions of slaughter, mayhem, and bloodshed than you scabs can even 
dream about." She flopped down ungracefully onto the sofa, a look of 
confusion again on her face. "So how come I ain't happy?"  The 
minions looked at her even more confused then before. "I got 
everything I ever wanted. Still - something's off."  She raised her 
hand, twirling, stretching her wrist as if it were stiff.  Looking up 
turning her head asking "I don't know.... What do you think?"

Bound and gagged, tears silently falling, terrified, Dawn stared back 
at Glory.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were still at the abandoned gas station, Spike had managed to 
hot-wire Ben's car, but no one moved to get in the car.  Giles was 
thankfully conscious, in pain, but sitting up.  Buffy was sitting on 
the floor, hands in her lap, her eyes empty, staring at nothing, 
catatonic, still shrouded in her silence.

Willow had been trying repeatedly to reach Buffy, calling her name, 
and getting no response.  They needed to get out of here it had been 
almost a half an hour since Glory had taken Dawn.  Still they sat or 
stood, staring at Buffy waiting for her to move.  Xander and Spike 
started arguing over what was wrong with her.  Spike having had 
enough already, roughly grabbed Buffy by the shoulders shaking her, 
trying to snap her out of it.  They look at him with skepticism, he 
was scared, and he was pissed that he was scared, but he wasn't about 
to let them know that.  He grabbed Buffy again, and shook her even 
harder, still no response.  Taking a deep breath that he didn't need, 
Spike pulled back his hand and slapped Buffy hard across the face, 
and then immediately grabbed his head in pain. 

{GODDAMN FUCKING BLOODY CHIP!}

Xander grabbed Spike and shoved him away from Buffy screaming at 
him, "Are you insane!? We could be dealing with neurological damage 
here. You want to kill her?"

"We've got to do something! I can't just sit here watching. You waste 
time with kid gloves. I'm willing to 
gamble when all's said and done... Buffy likes it rough."  Spike was 
on the edge of total panic.

Xander turned and punched him in the face, they began to go at it.  

Willow raised her head, her eyes not quite black, and said one word 
in a quiet hard voice, "Separate."

Some unseen force pushed Xander and Spike back, away from each 
other.  They were freaked, and stared at Willow.  As did Giles and 
Anya, they all waited for an explanation from Willow.
 
Standing still, she turned her head and looked at each one of them.  
This was not the Willow they all knew. A little bit of the unholy 
light still glowed in her eyes as she glared at them. When she 
finally spoke, her voice was calm, determined, intense, and 
soft.  "Buffy's out. Glory has Dawn. Sometime real soon she's gonna 
use Dawn to tear down the barrier between every dimension there is so 
if you two want to fight, you do it after the world ends. 'kay?" 
While she had phrased it as a question, there was no mistaking it for 
one, she was telling them, not asking.  Neither wanted to try and 
find out what would happen if they decided to test her.  

Spike glared at Xander. Xander ignored Spike and moved away from him 
and joined Giles and Anya at the counter. Willow waited until 
everyone was still again before she continued. "Alright. First, we 
head back to Sunnydale. Xander'll take Giles to a hospital. Anya's 
looking after Tara, and Spike... you find Glory. Check her apartment, 
first, see if she's still there. Try anything stupid like payback and 
I will get very cranky."  She paused and looked at each one of them 
again. "Everyone clear? Or do we have questions?"

There was long pause, they were scared of her, and a part of Willow 
was relishing that fear.  Anya slowly, cautiously, tentatively raised 
her hand.

"Anya."

"Um... w-what will you do?"  Okay, maybe not a good idea, Anya 
thought after she spoke.

"I'll help Buffy."

"Okay, then."

"The world is spinning."  Willow moved over to Tara, her expression 
her mannerisms, her voice immediately softened. "The world is 
spinning. Straight, to the new day. Big day, big big day ..."

"Shh, shh..." Willow gently told Tara, who began whimpering. Spiked 
moved closer to them, hesitant, afraid of the redhead that he always 
had thought was cute, but timid.

"Uh, Will?...  Now, uh, don't turn me into a horned toad for asking, 
but... what if we come across Ben?" Spike was confused when they all 
turned and looked at him like he was stupid for even asking Willow 
that.

"Nothing, I don't think a doctor's what Buffy needs right now."

"Well, yeah. Specially not one who also happens to be Glory." Now he 
was sure they were looking at him like he had two heads, in fact they 
all looked confused too.

"What do you mean?"

"You know... Ben is Glory." Spike enunciated slowly, getting a little 
frustrated and confused himself.

"You mean... Ben's with Glory?" Willow was frowning at him, wondering 
what game Spike was up to now.

"*With* in what sense?"

"They're working together?"

"No no. Ben is Glory. Glory's Ben. They're one and the same." Spike 
grounded out between clenched teeth. {Bloody stupid humans!}

"When did all this happen?"

"Not one hour ago! Right here, before your very eyes! Ben came, 
turned into Glory, snatched the kid, and... phht!... 
vanished. Remember?" Spike was practically squeaking by the time he 
finished.  They were all staring at him with the same blank stare 
that both Buffy and Tara now shared.  Uncertainly he asked them, "You 
do remember?"  He paused squinting at all of them, wondering if they 
had gotten into Ben's medical bag. "Is everyone here very stoned?"  
They continued to stare at him with that same confused, blank look, 
like he had been drinking some drunk persons blood.  Now he was 
bloody annoyed! "Ben! Glory! He's a doctor. She's the Beast! Two 
entirely separate entities, sharing one body! It's like a bloody 
sitcom! Surely, you remember!"

Nope! He could see they still weren't getting it.  Spike had to force 
down the urge to slap Xander silly when he started talking to him 
like he was a two-year-old. "So you're saying... Ben, and Glory ..."

"Have a... connection...." Anya finished for Xander.

"Yes, obviously. But what kind?"  Giles mused aloud. 

Suddenly it was like someone had turned on the lights in Spikes head, 
he laughed and nodded to himself. "Ah! I get it. Very crafty. Glory's 
worked the kind of mojo where anyone who sees her little presto-
chango instantly forgets. And yours truly, being somewhat other than 
human, stands immune."

"So... Ben and Glory... are... are... the same person?"  Willow was 
still frowning, not sure if she had it right or not.

"Glory can turn into Ben, and Ben turns back into Glory." Xander's 
voice was low, awed, as he were speaking about finding 'Noah's Ark'.

"And anyone who sees it instantly forgets."

{Score one for the ex-vengeance demon!} Spiked nodded and put his 
finger on his nose, and pointed his other hand at Anya as if they had 
been playing a game of charades.  "And a kewpie doll for the lady."

"Excellent." Giles paused and looked at all of them. "Now. Do we 
suspect there could be any kind of link between Ben and Glory?"

They turn and looked at Spike expectantly. Forcing air out of his 
lungs that he didn't have he just sighed very loudly, and rolled his 
eyes, he really wanted to growl at them, but he didn't want to get 
stuck out here in the middle of fucking nowhere. {Stupid bloody 
humans.  Fucking stupid fucking chip!}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow grabbed Tara's hand, Xander and Anya supported Giles between 
them, and Spiked picked up the deathly still Slayer. They walked out 
into the night, all acutely aware of the missing member of their road 
trip crew and of the silence that hung heavy and thick in the air.

While Faith all alone in the run-down rattrap motel, eyes empty, was 
on her knees, ensnared in the tunnel of her own absolute darkness and 
silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again. / 
Because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I lay 
sleeping. / And the vision that was that was planted in my brain 
still remains within the sound of silence. - Simon and Garfunkel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We can see it all from here / The starless night across the mountain 
side / No one left to talk to / There's nothing left to say / Into 
the valleys / The shadow of death / Griefs silently across the 
darkened sea / This is it / We stand alone / You and me / We stand 
alone / We can see it all from here / Stretched far and wide / The 
barren skies / Fighting a silence / From deep inside...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Something was there, murmuring low, softly, almost non-existent.  
Like the phantom seen out of the corner of an eye, but gone when the 
head turned to look.  It whispered making no sense, were there words, 
or just humming? Faintly it called, cajoling, asking, but not  
pleading, and received no answer.  Steadily it grew, determined, no 
longer asking, now telling.  It climbed, clawed, scraped, pushed, and 
tugged itself, up the slope, towards something that it had known 
occasionally over time, and had been allowed to live in only recently 
for a brief but glorious time. By sheer force of will it worked it's 
way up, growing in volume, becoming coherent, demanding, wanting, 
needing, loving, repeating itself and with brutal force it tore 
through the veil...

'getupgetupgetupgetupgetuPgetUpgeTupGetuPGpgETUpgeTUPgETUPGETUP... 
GETUPGETUPGETUP...... GET UP! GET UP! GET THE FUCK UP! GET THE FUCK 
UP NOW! NO HIDING! NO RUNNING! NO GIVING UP! NOT NOW! NOT EVER! NOW 
GET THE FUCK UP! YOU HAVE NOT FAILED! YOU ONLY FAIL IF YOU DON'T EVEN 
TRY! NOW GET THE FUCK UP! NOW!!!!'

It was screaming, screeching, shrieking, demanding, and Faith brought 
her hands up covering her ears, trying to block out the familiar 
voice.  She shook her head in denial and pressed her hands harder 
against her ears, but you can't ignore something that lived inside of 
your head. She did not want to listen to the familiar voice, she just 
wanted to follow Buffy down into the safety of the abyss.  To the 
place that Faith had lived for most of her childhood, most of her 
life.  It was safe there, there was no pain, but there was also no 
joy, no love, no light, only darkness and silence.   

'IF YOU FOLLOW YOU CANNOT HELP.  THEN YOU WILL HAVE FAILED. FAILED 
THEM ALL, FAILED YOURSELF.  SO GET THE FUCK UP NOW!'

It was the voice, the part of herself that... had been kept safely 
hidden away... hidden from the light... coming out only when it meant 
her survival throughout the years... that had whispered to her in 
jail... that had conquered and tamed the dark side within her... that 
held her innocence... that had kept on hoping throughout the years... 
that remembered how to love... was her strength... her will... her 
heart and soul... was who she always wanted to be... who she was 
becoming... the core of all that she was... all that she could be... 
was the she that Angel had seen... was the shining bright light 
inside... 

Was who she was... who she fought so hard to be... The voice in her 
head was *Faith*...

And *SHE* wasn't going back down into the darkness, not after being 
allowed to live in the light, not without a fight. Not now! Not ever 
again!

Faith staggered to her feet, weeping, as she felt Buffy slipping over 
the edge, falling, sliding down into the tunnel, into the darkness, 
leaving only emptiness and silence, in the place inside of Faith that 
Buffy had lived.
 
Taking a deep cleansing breath, hiccupping, wiping angrily at the 
tears, Faith searched for her center. Searched for it all alone for 
the first time in weeks.  She concentrated trying to make sense out 
of the 'echoes' she had gotten that had formed images in her mind.  
She remembered seeing in a movie how a young man had taught his blind 
girlfriend how to see, to see things that you could not touch.  Like 
clouds, or colors.  He had filled a sink with bubbles and had led her 
there and placed a mass of the soapy bubbles in her hands, and for 
the first time the young blind girl knew what and saw a cloud was. 
Faith closed her eyes, and led her subconscious down a similar path, 
let it guide her through the 'echoes' of images she had shared with 
Buffy that day.  And she drifted letting the images come to life 
inside of her mind. 

Tears streaming down her face from behind the light blue sunglasses, 
riding like the devil was nipping at her heels, Faith tore down the 
road on Wesley's Harley towards the abandoned gas station which was 
only ten minutes down the dirt road from the run-down rattrap motel.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Muttering to themselves, the escaped mental patients from Sunnydale 
General Hospital worked at various jobs around the construction 
site.  There was an illogical sort of synchronization to how they 
were carrying out their tasks, still it worked more or less.  One man 
was using a blow torch, another hammering nails, a woman struggled 
carrying a two-by-four plank of wood, bringing it to another woman 
who was waiting impatiently with a saw in her hand.

One by one they stopped abruptly, their expression changing quickly 
from blankness, to awe, they fell to their knees, bowing their 
heads.  In her ceremonial gown, Glory passed them without a glance, 
pulling Dawn along behind her, who was followed by Glory's ever 
present minions.  She entered the large warehouse, the minions and 
humans inside displaying the same look of awe, all falling to their 
knees, and bowing their heads.  Some of the mental patients begin to 
chant, 'The Key. The Key.'  Glory ignored them heading straight for 
the door in the back.

Murk opened the door to the construction site's office and peeked 
in.  He opened the door fully and entered, followed by Glory, Dawn 
and two other minions.  Without a word Glory shoved Dawn down into a 
chair. Turning her back on Dawn, she raised her hand to her head and 
rubbed her temple as if she were in pain and sat down heavily. 

Out of the corner of her eye Dawn looked at the minion hovering near, 
almost over her.  He was taller, larger, then the other minions and 
had a beard, and seemed older.  He wore ornate robes, and Dawn 
thought that he would make a perfect High Priest or High Cleric in a 
fantasy movie.  The thing that stood out the most though was the hint 
of intelligence in his eyes, something she hadn't noticed in any of 
the other minions so far. 

The large minion reached a hand with some kind of green paste on it 
towards her. Dawn jerked back in fear.  He put the paste on her 
forehead, ignoring her fear. He started chanting in some language she 
didn't understand.  And Dawn realized that the role she had cast him 
in the movie in her head, was in fact, really what he was, a High 
Priest.

Glory looked over at the High Priest, between his droning voice and 
the groupies she was getting a killer headache. 

"What's he doing?" In that irritating, now whiny, sickly sweet voice 
Glory asked the room in general.

"I must anoint the key," the High Priest answered her.

"Really don't. Go." Glory waved her hand at the High Priest in 
dismissal.

"But..."

Yelling, Glory cut the High Priest's protest off, "Out! Get out, get 
out!"

Murk rushed forward, half pushing, half dragging the priest towards 
the door; shoving him through the door before following the High 
Priest out himself.  Dawn watched them frightened by the 
bizarre 'real life' cartoon happening in front of her. {Please let me 
be dreaming!}

"You know... you recapture your Godhood and unleash Armageddon..." 
Glory picked up a rag from the table and walked over to Dawn while 
she was talking.  She began to wipe the green paste off Dawn's 
forehead, "All of a sudden everybody wants to be part of the inner 
circle." 

When she finished, she saw  that there was still some green paste 
left on Dawn's forehead. She did what Mother's for centuries had 
done.  She wet the rag with spittle from her tongue and wiped away 
the rest of the green paste from Dawn's forehead.

Dawn wrinkled her brow, and managed to keep the look of disgust off 
her face.  She had hated it when her Mom had done that. Let alone 
some, 'Skanky-ass-bad-hair-lunatic-exiled-god' (as Faith would have 
said) who wanted to end the world.  All 'cause the stupid 'bitch' 
(Faith again) had tried to kill off her co-gods in her own world... 
dimension... whatever... and had gotten her stupid dumb-ass (Faith again) 
self exiled here! 

Glory stood up, with a sigh she tossed the rag away and almost 
sounded sincere when she asked Dawn, "You okay?"

"I wanna go home." Dawn hated how weak her voice sounded, but she was 
scared.  Where was Buffy? Where was Faith? Where were the 'Chosen 
Two'?

"Sweetie... ohh..." Glory grabbed a chair and dragged it over close 
to Dawn, directly in front of her.  She climbed up onto the chair and 
sat on it's back, with her feet on the seat.  "You're about to."  
There was a hopeful look on Dawn's face, and Glory who lived for 
causing pain, waited a few seconds before she continued.  "Not that 
fake suburban nightmare the monks cooked up for you. I mean your real 
home." Dawn began crying softly as Glory spoke, Glory gave her a 
puzzled look. "As the Key. You fit the lock... well, it's like a 
lock. Hey!" Glory patted Dawn's knee, friendly like. "You want pizza?"

"No." Dawn said softly with a puzzled, frightened look, wondering 
what kind of game Glory was playing at.

"Pillow? .........I don't know if this thing gets cable. Doubtful..."

Dawn began crying again. "Please. Stop."

"You're nervous." 

"Yes."

"I know how you feel. It's your last night." Glory stopped talking as 
she slid off the back of the chair, and actually sat on it 
correctly.  A part of her relishing the look of terror on Dawn's 
face. "As, you know, a human." She picked up Dawn's hand by the 
wrist, "This body," She started shaking Dawn's hand, to emphasis her 
point. "... It's just a rental, Dawnie. Being human? It's like a 
costume for girls like you and me. Being something else - *that's* 
what we are."

Firmly, with courage that both Buffy and Faith would have been proud 
of, courage that she had learned from both of them from all the 
Scoobs, her Mom, and Giles, Dawn told Glory, "Don't"

Glory smiled at her curiously; "What?"

"Don't - call - me - *Dawnie*." Her teeth were clenched, there was 
fear in her eyes, but she stared Glory down.

Glory dropped Dawn's wrist with a surprised laugh and leaned back 
against the chair.  Part of her admiring the courage of the child in 
front of her, a part of her hurt by Dawn's rejection of the 
affectionate name. "Huh.. Wow. You know ... that actually hurt my 
feelings."

Dawn was surprised to realize that Glory was genuinely hurt, it was 
in the sound of her almost child-like voice, in the little bit of 
hurt that had slipped through.  Dawn was surprised even further to 
realize that she felt bad for hurting her, she had an odd sort of 
empathy for the exiled God.  She knew what it felt like to feel all 
alone, and unloved. Even if Glory was a hell god, she still had 
feelings. Didn't she?  Besides the logical part or the 'Buffy' part 
of her brain, as Dawn called it, thought it certainly wouldn't help 
her to pull a 'Faith' and piss Glory off.  

Softly, Dawn apologized to Glory, "I'm sorry."

Her tone snappish, her eyes pinning Dawn with an unspoken 
accusation. "You did this to me, didn't you? Some kind of spell.   
You've been hanging with the Wicca, you could've......... But no! It's not 
magic. It's something else." Glory backed off a little, raising her 
hand to her head as if in pain, or concentrating hard.  The look she 
gave Dawn one of pure hate, anger, and Dawn recoiled from 
it. "Still... It is you doing this."

Dawn shook her head in denial, shrinking even further back in the 
chair, holding back the tears. "I'm not doing anything, I swear."

"We'll see."  Glory moved away and tore open the door, to reveal the 
minions just waiting outside of it, like they had been eavesdropping. 
She sent another glare at Dawn. "Anoint this thing! Now!"

The High Priest, Murk and Gronk entered the room, Dawn's eyes were 
round, wide open with fright. {Someone please help me!}

"Know what they're all chanting for out there, *Dawnie?* 
Blood. 'Cause we found out your blood... is the Key to the Key." The 
High Priest began putting the green paste on Dawn's forehead again 
while Glory talked.  Talking again in that irritating, sickly sweet 
tone. "All I gotta do is bleed you dry, the Portal opens up, and I go 
home. So knock yourself out, girlfriend. Make me feel bad as you 
can," Glory lowered her voice, softly she told Dawn, the evil glint 
restored in her eyes again, "'cause tomorrow.................... You 
bleed, little girl!"

{Buffy! Faith! Someone! Anyone! Please, please, please help me!}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She flew into the gas station's parking lot doing about seventy-
five.  Her eyes were tearing badly, the light blue sunglasses not 
helping much in the way of keeping the dust and wind out.  At first 
it didn't register what it was she was seeing, swerving to avoid a 
body, she slammed on the hand and foot brake's locking them up.  The 
rear of the bike slid out from under her. She put her right foot 
down, pushing up, trying to bring the bike out of the slide, but the 
Harley was too heavy for even her.  Faith and the bike wiped out, 
sliding through the dirt and stopping about twenty feet away from 
where they had started.  She gave a silent prayer of thanks that 
neither she nor the bike had skidded into a body.

She rose to her feet, her right foot was throbbing and bleeding again 
from the gashes she had gotten from the broken coffeepot.  She had to 
fight down the bile that rose up hot and strong in the back of her 
throat at the sight of the carnage in front of her.  The bodies of 
the dead Knights lay scattered around her feet.  Some were twisted in 
unnatural positions, other with missing limbs, one was decapitated, 
there was blood and guts everywhere.

Fear coiled deep in the pit of her stomach, settled into her bones, 
making her shiver. Faith was terrified for Dawn who was now at the 
mercy of the monster who had done this. She closed her eyes, opening 
herself to the night and listened. The night air was still, the 
silence echoing loudly in her ears.  She could not detect any living 
creature in the parking lot, in fact anywhere in the immediate area. 
Carefully she made her way through the field of the dead, towards the 
building, hoping to find some clue to where everyone had gone.

The first thing Faith saw as she drew closer to the building was the 
smashed door.  She cautiously went inside, she scanned the room 
quickly and saw the blood on the counter. Giles blood?  She walked 
over to the pay phone and picked up the receiver and put it to her 
ear, no dial tone.  Her hand had tingled a little when she had 
touched it and vaguely she wondered if Willow had tried casting some 
sort of spell on the phone.

She left the customer area of the gas station and entered the garage 
bay and was greeted by the site of Gregor.  There was a pool of blood 
at his feet and Faith felt her stomach churning again.  She saw that 
he had been almost cut in half by a hubcap and she knew even with 
their slayer strength that neither she nor Buffy could have done 
that.  Which only left Glory. In an odd sort of way she was glad that 
it was Glory and not Buffy, she hoped that Buffy never had to know 
what it felt like to take a human life.  Deep down inside Faith 
didn't believe that Buffy could ever take a life deliberately, 
regardless of what they may have done. 

Faith's eyes fell upon the medical bag on the workbench and she made 
her way over to it.  She knew this didn't belong to any of the 
Scoobs, a first aid kit, yes, but, not a medical bag. She doubted 
that it belonged to the Knights either, especially since she had seen 
nothing but swords, javelins, bows and arrows, and various other 
medieval weaponry outside. Curiously she opened the bag, hoping to 
find something that would tell her who it belonged to.  She dumped 
the contents of the bag out onto the workbench.  Faith sifted through 
the scattered items but found nothing to identify the owner.  

She did a quick search of the rest of the garage and went back 
outside.  She took a sword from one of the fallen Knights apologizing 
to the dead soldier for stealing from him, and put it in the 
saddlebag of the Harley.  She managed to get the Harley upright 
without to much trouble, she carefully looked it over seeing if her 
wipe out had caused any damage.  As far as she could see only the 
damage was a slightly bent rear foot peg. She crossed her fingers, 
and kick started the bike.  It turned over on the first try, and she 
gave another silent prayer of thanks, not even sure who it was that 
she was thanking. 

It seemed lately or rather the longer she was a Slayer the line 
between good and evil were blurring, becoming gray.  Spike, and now 
the Knights serving as prime examples.

Mentally she made a list of possible places the gang could have gone 
to, and came to the conclusion that out of all of them, two where the 
most likely.  Faith pointed the Harley towards Sunnydale, spinning 
the rear wheel as she took off, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You sure you know what you're doing?" Anya asked Willow in a soft 
tone.  

They were in Anya and Xander's apartment.  Anya sat on one couch 
while Willow sat holding Tara's hand on the other.  Every so often 
Willow would gently stroke Tara, offering her what little comfort she 
could.  Even in her current condition Tara's bond with Willow was 
strong.  It was to Willow that Tara turned to for comfort when she 
was frighten.  It was Willow that Tara tried to communicate with, 
tried desperately to make sense from the confused recesses of her 
mind so she could warn them, help them, help Willow.

"I think so......... I don't know. It's... not exactly well-explored 
territory, but... I gotta try," and Willow didn't know.  But there 
weren't many options left open to them at this point.  Buffy was her 
best friend and like Faith there was now an even deeper connection 
between them because of the enjoining spell.  Granted it was 
different then what Faith and Buffy shared but it was still there.  
She could at times feel Buffy there on the edges of her mind.  Willow 
owed Buffy a lot. It was doubtful that she would be alive today if it 
weren't for Buffy, who had taken the first step towards being friends 
with the shy, self-conscious girl that Willow used to be. There was 
no way that Willow could leave her like she was, just because the 
spell was dangerous.  No way in hell!

"Spells like this ... It could be dangerous for Buffy. And you."

"Time... oh, time is coming..." Tara tried to warn them, the part of 
her that was still 'Tara' hoped that they would understand.

"Shh... It's okay. I'm here." Gently, soothingly, Willow told Tara as 
Tara began to whimper.  Anya moved over and joined them on the couch, 
the concern in her eyes.  Willow realized just how much Anya had 
changed. 

"You'll look after her while I'm ..."

"Sure. What do I do?"

"Mostly... just... be here for her." Anya nodded her understanding to 
Willow. "And... and there's some pills in my knapsack. Half of one 
every two hours keeps her... pretty mellow."

"Y-you think you'll be gone more than two hours?"  She was nervous 
about this, she wished that Willow would wait until the others got 
back.  Anya knew she still wasn't that good when it came to emergency 
situations.  What happens if things go wrong?  She knew though that 
Willow wouldn't wait, couldn't wait.

Willow shrugged her shoulders, she really didn't have a clue how long 
it would take, didn't know if the spell would work at all. "Wish me 
luck."

"Okay."  Anya punched Willow on the arm, remembering that she had 
seen someone do it a movie once.  She felt awkward, and she punched 
Willow just a little to hard a forced smile on her face. "Good Luck."

"Thanks."  Willow looked at Anya for just a minute, it dawned on her 
that she really had come to like the ex-vengeance demon.  The 
sincerity was in her voice and face when she had thanked Anya.  
Willow turned her attention to Tara... to her 'always', "Okay. Be good 
now, sweetie. I-I'll be back soon as I can, okay? We're good?"

Tara stared at Willow intently while she was talking, Willow kissed 
her on the forehead and smiled at her and rose from the couch.  Tara 
held out her hand towards her, whimpering, silently pleading for her 
to come back.  Willow ignored that silent plea as best she could, and 
gathered up what she needed from the nearby table.  Without a glance 
backwards at them she opened the door to the master bedroom, entered 
and closed it softly behind her.

"Good luck." Anya whispered softly at the closed door.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the small nightstand beside the bed Willow placed a few candles 
and lit them.  It was more for atmosphere then anything else, this 
was not an elaborate spell, no gigantic magic, it was actually quite 
simple.  She placed a few more candles on the nightstand on the other 
side of the bed, lighting them too.  She walked back around and sat 
on the edge of the bed, trying to keep her mind clear, she raised her 
eyes and looked at her best friend, who was sitting across from her 
in a chair, catatonic.  Willow locked her eyes with the unseeing, 
empty, dead eyes of Buffy, giving a silent prayer to the goddesses 
that this would work, and let her mind drift. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow blinked rapidly in confusion and saw she was standing inside 
of a house that she had never been in before.  She looked down at 
herself and saw that she was still wearing the same clothes she had 
on when she entered the master bedroom at Xander's and Anya's.  
Mentally she smiled knowing that the spell had worked... so far.

She looked at her surroundings, there were flowers, a lot of them 
scattered around the room in vases.  Knick-knacks on all of the 
tables, and the furniture looked like it was from the late seventies 
or early eighties, she couldn't be sure, furniture wasn't her thing.  
The room was cheerful the curtains open making the room a bright 
happy place.

Taking a last look around, Willow walked slowly over to the doorway 
and left the room.  The first thing she noticed was the large photo 
of a woman with a baby hanging on the wall over the fireplace 
mantle.  There was something familiar about the woman and child in 
the photo.  Other pictures were on top of the mantle, with some small 
sculptures.  As Willow gazed around the room she saw that there quite 
a few more pictures scattered around the room, and something nagged 
at the back of her mind that she should know who they were. She 
turned away from fireplace, panning slowly around.

She saw more pictures, tasteful small pieces of artwork, sculptures, 
a record player and records.  She could see out of the corner of her 
eye a couch was behind her.

>From behind her, startling her came a voice. A child's voice. "Hi 
Willow."

Willow turned around and saw a little blonde-haired girl.  Her hair 
was in pigtails, and the child looked to be around six or seven years 
old.  The little girl was sitting at a round child's table, toys were 
scattered on the table and on the floor around her.  She was holding 
a doll, looking at Willow with bright, innocent, hazel eyes.

Willow smiled at the little girl, "Hello, Buffy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He kicked the door open with a loud crash, grinning, thinking he had 
done that better then any cop he ever saw on the telly.  He knew 
that 'Red' wouldn't be happy if she found out but fuck it, she had 
only said no looking for paybacks, she never said he had to be quiet 
when he went to see if Glory was at her apartment.  Nothing he could 
do if Glory came after him, except defend himself, right?

Spike stuck his head through the open door and jumped back quickly 
when he thought he saw something, someone move.  When nothing 
happened he laughed softly at himself, thinking it was a good thing 
no one was around to see 'William the Bloody' acting like a 'scaredy-
cat'.  He listened attentively for any signs of life inside the 
apartment.  He didn't hear any, he entered, flipped on the lights and 
lit a cigarette.

He walked around, rather he ambled through the apartment the faЌade 
of 'William the Bloody' wrapped around him like a cloak.  Truth be 
told though he would prefer not to take on Glory by himself. Now that 
he thought about it,  kicking in the door had been rather bloody 
stupid, had Glory been here it would have taken away any element of 
surprise he would have had.  He flicked his ashes carelessly on the 
floor, picking up items as he wandered and tossing them carelessly on 
the floor.  He smiled every time he heard something break.

He turned to walk out of the apartment not finding anything that 
could help them when something caught him out of the corner of his 
eye.  Spike turned around and saw the small, almost hidden door off 
to the side, no wonder he almost missed it, the door was practically 
invisible. If it wasn't for his heightened vampire senses, he would 
have missed it. He walked over to it and ran his fingers around the 
almost imperceptible seam of the door, pushing gently against it 
noticing the dim light that came from inside.  Reaching down he 
cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was just slightly larger then a walk-in closet.  There were 
no personal items, no pictures, no books, no records, there was only, 
a small bed, a lamp and some green medical scrubs lying upon the 
floor.  Hell the room even depressed him, his crypt had more then 
this. Obviously this was Ben's room and from appearances Ben didn't 
rate too high on Glory's list.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anya pulled her eyes away from the 'Scooby-Doo' video that she and 
Tara were watching when she heard the soft knock on the door.  For a 
second her eyes flashed with fear but it quickly faded, it was 
unlikely that Glory would knock first.  She rose and went over to the 
door, still a little afraid to find out who was on the other 
side. "Who is it?" she queried softly.

"Faith."

Anya opened the door with a grateful sigh, only to be pushed aside 
roughly by Faith.  Faith stood for just a split second, opening 
herself to the apartment, to Buffy. Then Faith turned not even 
questioning how she knew and made a bee-line for the master bedroom 
where she knew Buffy was.
 
"Stop!" Anya yelled, but Faith ignored her and kept walking across 
the room determined.  Anya ran after her, and somehow managed to put 
herself between Faith and the door. "Wait!  You can't go in there,"  
and how the hell did Faith know Buffy was in the bedroom anyway?

Faith looked at her like she was nuts, and why the hell was she 
whispering.  Faith growled at Anya, "Move out of my way."

For the first time since meeting Faith, Anya was afraid of her.  In a 
glance Anya took in Faith's disheveled appearance.  She was covered 
in road dust, her hair was in total disarray, her face raw and red 
from wind-burn, and there was something wild in Faith's stare. It was 
as if she was holding onto her self-control by a very thin, frayed 
thread. Then Anya noticed how red and swollen Faith's eyes were, and 
the way her lip was trembling as well as her body.  Anya saw the 
sadness and fear in Faith's eyes, and she knew that the fear she was 
seeing in Faith's eyes wasn't for herself, but for Dawn and Buffy, 
for everyone of them.  

Faith reached out to shove Anya out of her way, her only thought to 
get to Buffy and that no one was going to stop her.  She froze when 
Anya gently placed her hand on her arm.
 
"Faith..." Anya said gently, touching the raven-haired Slayer lightly 
on the arm.  "Willow is in there with Buffy trying to help her. 
She..."  She hesitated, staring into those eyes that seemed to almost 
burn her. "She did a spell... You can't go in there. It could be 
dangerous for both of them if you do."  Anya relaxed when she saw the 
thunder go out of Faith's eyes to be replaced by concern.  "Come... sit 
down.  I will tell you what happened."  Gently she led Faith over to 
the couch, and had to practically shove her onto it.

Anya began telling Faith what had happened to them that day.  Faith 
listened with half an ear, her eyes riveted to the master bedroom 
door.  Every part of her called out to the Slayer on the other side 
of the door.  She still had that empty feeling inside of her, it 
echoed loudly, endlessly.  Faith re-opened the connection between 
them, she had shut it down on her way here, she had to in order to 
keep focused.  Closing her eyes Faith reached out to Buffy hoping to 
break through that silence.  She almost pulled back when she felt 
something, someone... someone that was not Buffy in there and then she 
recognized who it was.  It was Red and Faith got a flash of 
irritation from her, a gentle warning to back off, to get out.  Which 
she did quickly, this had to have something to do with the current 
spell and Faith suspected the enjoining spell as well.

Faith opened her eyes and looked at Anya who it seemed was 
rambling.  "Red's in B's mind, how? Tell me what this spell is that 
Red did..." Faith asked hoarsely.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow felt Faith the second she reached out for Buffy. It threw her 
off balance, but she quickly reached back out to Faith, warning her, 
gently asking her to leave.  The spell was dangerous enough for Buffy 
and Willow as it was, she had no idea what would happen if Faith 
entered into the equation. She hadn't realized just how deep the 
connection between the 'Chosen Two' had gotten. Wow was all she could 
think, but pulled herself away from those thoughts, she could talk to 
them about it later, now she needed to concentrate her energies on 
Buffy. She gave a mental sigh of relief when she felt Faith retreat.  
Willow turned her attention back to the child Buffy in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" Child Buffy asked Willow, looking up at 
her with innocent eyes.  Innocence was something Willow couldn't ever 
recall seeing in Buffy's eyes, not the Buffy she had always known.  
Her Buffy had her innocence taken away from her the day she was 
called.  They all had their innocence taken from them when they were 
way to young. Shaking herself again mentally Willow focused on the 
six year old in front of her.

"Actually, I'm, um...... looking for you."

"Do you like dolls?" The child began stroking the doll's hair, there 
was a sort of sadness surrounding her.

"Buffy, what are you doing here?"

"I like it here." Willow caught a slight hint of a plea in the 
child's voice, or maybe she was imagining it.

"But..."  Willow knelt down next to Buffy, bringing her eyes level 
with the childs, locking them with hers. "You know we need you. You 
have to come out."

"Why?" The child Buffy was genuinely curious.

"To be with your friends."

"It's a big day for me." She told Willow looking over towards the 
front door, which Willow heard open a second later.

"Hello!"  The voice was younger, lighter, but Willow knew it belonged 
to Joyce.

"Mommy, Daddy!" The child Buffy got up quickly, handing her doll to 
Willow and ran towards her parents, smiling brightly, a carefree 
smile, that Willow hadn't seen on Buffy's face for a long time.  It 
was only recently that she had begun to see that smile again, thanks 
to Faith. "You're back! You're back!"

Willow rose to her feet and turned towards the door.  She watched as 
a young Joyce and Hank Summers came through the door.  Joyce was 
holding a newborn bundled in blankets in her arms. 

"Hello, Buffy."

Hank leaned down to his daughter, placing his hands on his knees, 
bringing his eyes level with her. "How's my girl?" He was rewarded 
with a smile from his daughter.

"Ready to meet your new baby sister?"

The child Buffy backed away from her Mother, frowning, crossing her 
arms protectively, holding herself. Willow wondered as she watched 
her if Buffy was being shy or was afraid.

"Oh c'mon now, Buffy... she's nothing to be afraid of."

"Who's afraid?" There was something almost defiant in her voice.  
Almost as if the thought of her being afraid was ludicrous. The word 
precocious came to Willow's mind as she watched young Buffy.

"Don't you want to be the big sister?"

"No, I wanna be the baby."  Again Willow heard a hint of a plea in 
the child Buffy's voice.

"Buffy..." Her father began, but his daughter cut him off.

"You're gonna pay more attention to her and forget all about me."

"Ohh..." Joyce knelt down beside her oldest child, the baby cooing 
softly in her arms.  

Six-year-old Buffy looked quickly at the baby and turned to 
Willow, "Doesn't she look funny? Like a wrinkly old grandpa."  Child 
Buffy didn't wait for Willow to answer her, instead she turned back 
around to look at her Mom and the baby.

Joyce smiled at her daughter, and carefully, gently she placed the 
newborn in her sister's arms. "Here. Like this. Support the head. 
There you go. We're calling her Dawn."

"Dawn."  Willow whispered softly more to herself then to anyone 
else.  

Child Buffy's whole demeanor changed the instant Joyce placed the 
baby in her arms.  She hugged her sister, Dawn to her tightly and 
smiled down at the baby. "I ... I could be the one to look after her 
sometimes, if you need a helper........ Mom? Can I take care of her?"

"Yes, Buffy. You can take care of her." Joyce gently stroked her 
older daughter's hair.

Willow watched them a soft smile on her face, she heard a sound from 
behind her and turned around. She saw adult Buffy standing alone in 
the Magic Shop.  Willow took a step closer.  Buffy's hair was loose 
and flowing around her shoulders, she was wearing a sleeveless shirt, 
and a skirt.  She had a book in her hand.  Buffy walked over to the 
bookshelves and placed the book in her hand on the shelf. She paused 
for just a second, then turned and walked away.

Willow watched as grown-up Buffy walked past her without a word or a 
glance.  Willow was a little confused, what was the point of this?  
Willow turned around and looked back at where the child Buffy was, or 
rather had been.  

Willow furrowed her brows in confusing, blinking rapidly. What the 
hell happened?  She was no longer in either Buffy's childhood home in 
L.A. or in the Magic Shop.  Instead she was outside, it was night, 
and she was standing next to a bonfire. "Ohh... kay..." 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was pacing in the living room.  What was taking Willow so 
long?  She was mumbling under her breath, waving her hands around, 
ignoring the pain in her feet, the longer they were in there the more 
she worried.  She didn't like this not knowing, didn't like that she 
had to cut herself completely off from Buffy, couldn't even reach out 
a little to try and feel what was happening.  She knew she couldn't 
not after Anya explained to her what Willow was trying.  She could 
put all three of them in danger if she did.  So instead she paced and 
mutter, going into a soft, worried tirade, similar to the angry ones 
Buffy and Dawn were usually treated to. 

Anya was getting dizzy watching her, she noticed that Faith had been 
limping a little.  When she had asked about it Faith had just brushed 
her concern aside.  Tara alternated between looking at the bedroom 
door, watching the Scooby Doo video and watching Faith pace.  She 
giggled at Faith as she paced finding her almost as amusing as the 
video.

Faith stopped her pacing at Tara's giggle and smiled at the witch.  
She was so going to enjoy ripping that skanky-bad-haired-fucking-
bitch to pieces with her bare hands for what she had done.  She 
didn't give a flying fuck whether Glory was a god or not, she had yet 
to met the 'dark slayer' and Faith had every intention of introducing 
Glory to the 'dark slayer' when Faith finally did meet her.  Faith 
went back to her pacing, mumbling and hand waving.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles tried to put on his jacket, but it was next to impossible.  He 
couldn't move his left arm at all and only managed to get the jacket 
onto his right arm.  He got up gingerly from the hospital bed, his 
face grimacing in pain, he placed his right hand over his stomach 
where he had been hit by the spear.  Xander walked over and helped 
him put his jacket on the rest of the way, and they walked together 
out to the hallway.

"There. How you doing?"

"Only hurts when I answer pointless questions. Where's Buffy?" Giles 
voice was dry.

"Willow's on it. Or, in it. She's working some spell, trying to reach 
Buffy psychically."

"She's gone into Buffy's mind?" There was concern in his voice.  That 
spell was dangerous for both of them.

"Pretty trippy stuff."

"It's extraordinarily advanced." Giles just hoped that Willow was up 
to it.  He knew she was becoming more powerful, he just hadn't 
realized how powerful a witch she had become. "I'm thinking we might 
check on Glory's victims while we're here."

Spike joined Xander and Giles after he pilfered a bag of blood off of 
one of the medical carts in the hallway.  Xander looked at the blood 
that Spike had hidden poorly in his trench coat, but didn't say 
anything.  

"The mental ward? Already been.  Vegetable section's closed. Nobody 
there. It's like they all just got up and walked away."

"Checked out Glory's flat... looks like the Great One has scampered."

"Gone to... uh... perform her ritual with Dawn. And leaving us 
entirely clueless." Giles tried to keep his voice even, keep the fear 
for Dawn out of it, but he didn't succeed. 

"Not entirely." Spike smiled at them when they looked at him 
surprised. He knew they were wondering if he had been holding out on 
them again like in the early days. "I know this bloke. Well, not so 
much a "bloke" so much as demon, but still... Bookish. All tuned in 
to the nastier corners of this, our magic world. Bit of a last 
resort, really, but still..." Spike paused and lit a cigarette, 
ignoring the 'No Smoking' sign on the wall. "... Might persuade him 
to suss out Glory's game plan. Sound worthy?" He waited but neither 
Giles or Xander said anything, "Off we go, then."  He looked at 
Giles."Meet back at the shop." Giles nodded his head yes, and Spike 
turned and walked away, Xander trailing after him.  "Found Ben's room 
at Glory's. Didn't learn much."

"Wait... wait, wait.... Ben? At Glory's?" Xander saw Spike roll his 
eyes at him. "So you're saying that all this time he was sub-letting 
from her?"

Arching his eyebrow, Spike let a little evil grin play around his 
mouth. "This... is gonna be worth it." He smiled again and smacked 
Xander hard upside his head.

"Ow!" Both Xander and Spike yelled out together. 

"Last time, from the top ..." Spike said exasperated as they exited 
the hospital, both were rubbing their heads.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was leaning up against the wall, pinching the bridge of her nose 
between her fingers like she had a migraine.  Her body was tense, she 
was tense, she wanted this to be over.  Something didn't feel right, 
she didn't feel right, and it was giving her a killer headache.

"I'm hating this, Murk." Glory whined and sighed it out.  Watching as 
her idiot minions looked at each other in confusion and fear. Well 
the fear made her feel a little bit better.  She so loved pain and 
fear.

"And *this* would be what exactly, your holiness?" Gronx asked her 
his voice trembling just a little.

"Memories. I'm starting to remember the things Ben did. People he 
spoke with, stuff he wore..." The minions look at each other in fear, 
alarmed by this. Glory shuddered, and turned her attention to 
Dawn. "Kid!"  She walked over to Dawn, the minions parted and moved 
out of her way, only the High Priest hovered close by. "I came... 
He... came to see you."

"Ben?" Dawn asked Glory nervously, she liked it a lot better when 
Glory didn't pay attention to her.

"Yeah. Ben. You..." Glory paused and closed her eyes, concentrating 
remembering what she shouldn't. "You called him. To the desert, when 
you were hiding from me. And he came. And then, he was me. You 
remember?"

"Yes." Dawn was even more nervous and scared, the second she said yes 
to Glory she knew that was the wrong answer, why didn't she lie? 
{Buffy, Faith, anyone where are you?}

Glory spun around glaring at her minions, yelling at them. "See?!? 
She's not supposed to remember that! Nobody should." She rubbed her 
chest over her heart, she was beginning to have a panic attack. "The 
cloak between Ben and me is fading. I almost helped her! He..." She 
turned back again to Dawn, glaring. "I wanted to..." Glory groaned, 
shaking her head violently in denial, this wasn't right, this was not 
supposed to happen damn it! "I can't do this."

Glory stormed past Dawn and grabbed the High Priest by the robes, she 
was tempted to fling him across the room.  She had waited too long 
for this, planned, plotted and it was all starting to fall apart on 
her at the last moment. "Get him out of me." She shouted at the High 
Priest.

"What?" The High Priest was confused, and then he became terrified 
when his god started crying.

"Ben! The human meatsack who's infecting me. Do your mojo, make a 
surgical..." She paused searching for the right word, and 
sniffling. "Incision or removal or whatever it is you gotta do! Help 
me!" Glory started pacing becoming more and more distraught. "I'm 
thinking Ben's thoughts and feeling his feelings and... I - I - I - 
I..."

Glory morphed into Ben in the blink of an eye.  Surprising everyone 
in the room, the change had never happened that quickly before, and 
no one was more surprised then Ben to be standing there, he was 
almost ghost-like, and he already felt the change beginning to happen 
again, he blurted out; "... Can't kill the girl...!"

He barely finished his sentence before he morphed back into Glory.  
She staggered, grabbed her throat, she was horrified, afraid and 
disoriented.  She collapsed to the floor, pushing herself up with her 
arms, barely able to hold herself up. "Damn it!" She looked to the 
priest. "Help me." It was half a plea and half a command.  Dawn 
watched terrified.

"This I cannot do. You risk terrible Magicks in opening the Portal. 
Nothing comes without a price. This is yours." He was speaking to her 
like a wayward child.  

"Gods don't pay." She rose from the ground with a feral growl, in 
control of herself again.  She walked towards Dawn, who was pushing 
herself further back in the chair, cowering from Glory.  Glory 
grabbed Dawn by the throat, yanking her out of the chair, holding her 
off the floor, causing her to gasp desperately for air. "We do this 
*now*."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the other side of the bonfire from her and off a little to her 
right was Buffy sitting on a rock.  To the left of her was the 
Primitive, it took Willow a second to recognize her, but she 
remembered her from when she had invaded their dreams.  This was 
getting way surreal.  Buffy and the Primitive stared at each other 
from across the fire.

"Hey... I know you. You're that first original Slayer who tried 
killing us all in our dreams........" Willow paused for a second then 
trailed off lamely. "How've you been?"

The First Slayer either ignored Willow or didn't know she was there, 
instead she spoke to Buffy, staring at her intently. They were re-
enacting what had happened during Buffy's 'Slayer Quest. "Death is 
your gift."

"Death is my gift?" Buffy asked her puzzled.

"Wait... Death is her what?" Willow looked at the First Slayer just 
as puzzled, and was ignored again. 

"Death is your gift." The First Slayer once again told Buffy.

Willow looked at Buffy squinting at her in confusion.  Suddenly she 
found herself once again in the Magic Shop.  The same exact scene 
played out again.  Willow frowned again in confusion only this time 
as she watched she saw how Buffy frowned, how she seemed for a second 
lost in thought.  Then she turned around and walked past Willow again 
without a glance, without a word.  

Willow watched her concentrating, what was it that she was missing?  
She wished she had taken more psych classes now.  Willow turned to 
her right and saw that she was once again somewhere new, only this 
place she knew, probably as well as her own house.  They were in the 
upstairs hallway of the Summers house.  Buffy was walking away from 
her, she was dressed in jeans and a black tank top, her hair was 
pulled back in a ponytail.  Buffy walked down the hallway away from 
Willow heading towards the doorway at the end where bright sunlight 
splashed upon the floor in front of the partially opened door.

Willow hurried down the hallway trying to catch up to Buffy. "Where 
you going?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glory was holding Dawn up by her throat choking her.  Dawn was 
gasping for air, struggling against the god to no avail, she was 
beginning to feel light headed, and knew she was going to pass out 
soon.

"Glorificus! Wait! Kill the Key now, all will be lost!"

"You will be stuck on this mortal plane forever."

The minions pleaded with her, hoping to break through her rage, her 
blood lust.  

"All right, you're right..." Regaining control of herself, Glory 
released Dawn. "...it's cool." Dawn staggered backwards, grabbing her 
throat, gasping in large gulps of pain filled air.  Glory smiled 
enjoying her pain. "I'm just a little emotional right now..." Glory 
let out a small almost hysterical giggle. "Which, if you're into 
irony: funny."  Dawn backed away a little bit more from Glory and 
reached out towards a pillar using it for support still gasping.  
Glory looked over at her minions, and commanded them, "Leave. We need 
a little girl time." They began to bow to her groveling, she waved 
impatiently at them. "Goodbye!"

Glory watched them leave, she rubbed her neck trying to ease some of 
the tension there. Dawn glared daggers at her from the pillar, giving 
her a look, and showing a spirit that the 'Chosen Two' would have 
been proud of.  It might not have been the smartest thing to do, but 
she really had nothing to lose now did she?  Glory turned her 
attention back to Dawn after the minions finally left the room, 
taking that droll High Priest with them.

"How do they do it?"  There was genuine curiosity in Glory's voice.

"Do what?" It hurt Dawn to talk, her voice was hoarse and laced with 
suspicion. 

Glory shot Dawn a 'duh' look, like she should know what she was 
talking about.  She walked towards Dawn as she talked. "People. How 
do they function? Here. Like this, in the world, with all this bile 
running through them. Every day, it's whoo-ooo......"  She waved her 
hand at Dawn, it took Dawn a second to realize that Glory was 
imitating a roller-coaster.  "You have no control. They're not even 
animals, they're just these meatbaggy slaves to hormones and 
pheromones and their, and their... *feelings*...... Hate 'em."

Dawn stopped rubbing her neck and looked at Glory, not sure if she 
should be afraid, amazed, stunned, or laugh in her face.  This exiled 
god was off her rocker.  She watched Glory move to stand behind one 
of the large drafting tables and lean on it. Once Glory was 
comfortable, she started talking again. 

"I mean really, is this what the poets go on about? This?"  Glory 
slapped her chest over her heart, shaking her head, a little amazed 
and sighed dramatically.  Dawn thought she would have made a great 
actress. "Call me crazy. But as hard core drugs go, human emotion's 
just useless. People are puppets, everyone getting jerked around by 
what they're feeling... am I wrong? Really, I want to know." Glory 
looked at Dawn, who stared back at her. Dawn dropped her eyes to the 
floor and closed them, and leaned into the pillar a little more. What 
the hell did she want from her, she was only a fourteen-year-old kid 
for Christ's sake. "Gonna bleed you either way."

Dawn opened her eyes and looked up at Glory, so maybe she knew a 
little bit about this.  She had some good role-models, the Scoobs, 
the L.A. Crew, her sister and Faith. "It depends on the person." Dawn 
told Glory softly.

"So, you're saying some people like this?"

"Some." Dawn told her, her tone was defensive, she couldn't tell if 
Glory was mocking them, humans in general, for feeling.  She felt a 
second of pity for the exiled god, who would never know the joys that 
love could bring you.  Her world only consisted of pain and fear. 
Dawn found that extremely sad.  Not sad enough where she wasn't 
hoping that her sister, Faith and the Scoobs wouldn't still come and 
destroy the bad-haired-bitch (Faith again).

"Funny, 'cause I look around at this world you're so eager to be a 
part of, and all I see's six billion lunatics looking for the fastest 
ride out."  Glory stopped to give Dawn what she thought was a 
winning, endearing smile, as if she were sharing some big secret with 
her. "Who's not crazy? Look around... everyone's drinkin', smokin', 
shootin' up, shootin' each other or just plain screwing their brains 
out because they don't want 'em anymore. *I'm* crazy?" Glory looked 
to Dawn for confirmation.  You're crazy all right, crazier then you 
think, Dawn couldn't help but think to herself. "Honey, I am the 
original one-eyed chicklet in the kingdom of the blind" Again Glory 
paused sighing dramatically, like she was the only sane person on the 
planet 'cause she admitted that she wasn't sane.  It made sense to 
her. "'cause at least I admit the world makes me nuts". 

Glory stopped talking and walked out from behind the drafting table.  
She walked towards Dawn, and stopped in front of her. "Name one 
person who can take it here. That's all I'm asking..."  Glory got 
right up in Dawn's face, almost close enough to kiss her.  "Name one."

Dawn stared right back at her, and told her firmly, without 
hesitation and with conviction. "Buffy," and in her head she 
continued the list... Faith, Tara, Willow, Giles, Xander, Anya, 
Spike, Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn and her Mom when she was alive.  
But Dawn knew better then to push it, knew better then to give Glory 
anything else.  She knew it and it was enough.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow followed after Buffy down the upstairs hallway of her house. 
None of this was making sense to her yet. She wondered if it would. 
Was there something she should be doing other then this? She hurried 
a little to catch up with Buffy, babble mode kicking in, "I can't 
keep following you around like this, Buffy. We have to go. You have 
to talk to ..."

Buffy pushed open the door to her Mom's bedroom and entered, Willow 
entered the room right behind her. Willow stopped cold in her tracks 
her babble trailing off. "......me."

Willow knew this was Joyce's room, somewhere in recesses of her mind 
she realized that she was seeing it how Buffy saw it in her own 
mind.  Slowly Willow walked further into the bedroom.  The room was 
exactly how it had always been with a rather large exception, there 
wasn't a bed or carpet.  Instead there was grass, and a mound of 
fresh dirt, with a headstone.  As Willow moved closer she could see 
what it said, 'Joyce Summers 1958 - 2001'.  Willow moved next to 
Buffy who was standing at the end of the grave looking at it her arms 
crossed defensively.  They stood side by side looking down at the 
grave, Willow felt inadequate, just because this was a dream or 
rather Buffy's mind didn't change the fact that she still didn't know 
how or what to do to help her best friend deal with the loss of her 
Mother.  But this wasn't about her, it was about Buffy and helping 
her out of the catatonic state she had fallen into.

"I'm sorry." Willow told her softly.

Buffy shook her head, but didn't turn to look at Willow when she 
spoke. "Don't be, Will. Death is my gift."  Buffy turned and walked 
out of the room still without looking at Willow, who just followed 
behind her talking.

"Yeah, I keep hearing that, but I'm not sure what it means."

Buffy continued walking towards another door speaking to Willow over 
her shoulder. "It's really not that complicated."

"Not to you, maybe ..."  Willow followed Buffy into the room, she saw 
Dawn lying in bed, and watched as Buffy sat down on the bed next to 
Dawn and briefly looked at her. Buffy raised her head, turned it, and 
for the first time looked directly at Willow.  There was something a 
little empty about her eyes even here in the dreamscape, and an air 
of sadness, almost a sense of finality surrounded her, it made Willow 
shiver a little.

"It's  what I do."  Buffy tone was a little too flat, a little too 
calm, as if she were speaking from rote. Dawn was breathing slow, 
even and she seemed to be crying. "I mean, c'mon, you've known me... 
for how long? It's what I'm here for. It's what I am."

Buffy looked away from Willow and back down at her sister.  She 
reached over in a unhurried manner and picked up a pillow from beside 
Dawn's head.  Casually she placed the pillow over Dawn's face. Buffy 
ignored Dawn's smothered protests and her struggles to get out from 
under the pillow.

Willow watched in horror for a second before finding her 
voice. "Buffy! Stop! No!" Buffy calmly ignored her sister's flailing 
arms and legs, Willow's shouts, and continued to press the pillow 
down onto Dawn's face. "God! NO!" Willow pleaded with Buffy.

"What?" Buffy turned to Willow, as Dawn's struggling slowed. "I keep 
telling you. I figured it out. Death is my gift."

Buffy continued to hold the pillow over Dawn's now motionless body.  
Willow could do nothing but stare in horror at the scene in front of 
her and at the calm continence of her best friend.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glory was struggling she walked forward towards Dawn, her face 
contorted, she was trying to retain control of the body she shared 
with Ben.

"Ohh, Ben! This is really... not a good time..." Glory gave up 
control and morphed into Ben in the blink of an eye.  Ben continued 
to walk towards Dawn. 

"Dawn. Has Glory hurt you?"

"Uh... No. Not yet."  Dawn saw that he was trembling, shaky. She saw 
the fear on his face as he sat down in a chair opposite her. "But I 
have to get out of here. Ben?"  She was nervous, he was staring at 
his hands, as if waiting for them to change back. "You okay?"

Ben was still staring at his hands, there was blood on them. Where 
did it come from? How did it get there?  What did he did do? What did 
Glory do?  He asked Dawn about it, it took her a second or two but 
then she realized that Ben too was beginning to remember what Glory 
did while she was in control of the body.  Dawn told Ben how Glory 
had explained to her that the magic that kept them separate was 
beginning to break down.  He wanted to know why, but Dawn didn't have 
the answers he sought.  Her only objective now was to get him to help 
her to get out of here, to get to Buffy.  She tried to convince him 
but he seemed to be caught up in his own little nightmare.  Dawn was 
a little frightened of him, he was acting more like Glory then the 
Ben she had come to know.

Dawn stared at him pleadingly, then a knock at the door startled them 
both.  They both looked at the door, anxious, unsure of what to 
do.  "Help me." Dawn pleaded with him once again.

"How?"

"Highness?" Questioned the High Priest from the other side of the 
door. Ben turned towards Dawn, she could not read his expression.

"Please." She begged him softly when he rose from the chair and 
headed towards the door.

"Is everything all right?" The High Priest's voice came again to them 
from the other side of the door.  Ben opened the door, and the High 
Priest began to enter. "You're not...."

Ben didn't give him a chance to finish, he grabbed the High Priest by 
his ornate robe and yanked him through the door.  Before he gave it 
to much thought, Ben ferociously head-butted him and knocked him into 
the wall.  Ben cold-cocked him, knocking the High Priest out cold. He 
turned away from the unconscious minion and looked into the terrified 
eye's of Dawn.

"I'll take you as far as I can. Ditch you before she comes back." He 
grabbed her hand and they ran out the door together.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, turn, one, two, three...' Faith was 
counting the number of steps from one end of the room to the other 
and driving Anya nuts.  At least she had stopped mumbling to herself 
and throwing her hands around.  Anya had been watching her pace for a 
good while now.  She noticed how Faith winced in pain with every step 
she took. She had asked her more then once what happened, what was 
wrong with her feet, but Faith just kept brushing her off.  Every so 
often she would stop and look at the door, Anya could almost hear her 
wishing for Buffy to emerge from it.  Anya finally had enough, she 
stood, blocking Faith's pacing route.  Faith looked at Anya with 
tired, sad eyes and Anya couldn't help but wonder when the dark 
slayer had slept last.

Faith looked wearily at Anya standing in front of her, hands on her 
hips, staring at her with the ex-vengeance-demon's own version 
of 'Resolve Face'.  Okay, it was official everyone had a 'Resolve-
Face' but her, hell even Dawn had one.  'Dawn!' her mind screamed at 
her.  Just the thought of Dawn and what had, was happening to her 
made Faith want to hurt something, rant, scream, cry, put a hurting 
on that skanky-ass-bad-hair-fucking-bitch-exiled-god.  She clenched 
her fists at her side, forcing down the rage inside of her.  Fuck, 
what was going on in that bedroom? What the hell was taking Red so 
long?  She had been so wrapped up in her own head, thoughts, that she 
didn't even notice that Anya had moved her over to the couch, until 
she had shoved her down onto it.

Anya knelt on the floor in front of Faith, watching the emotions run 
rampant across her face.  She knew she would feel the same way if it 
were Xander in that room with Willow or being held hostage by Glory.  
As she watched Faith, she realized though that the reason she 
recognized all of the emotions crossing Faith's face, was because she 
felt the same way as Faith did about what was going on.  It shocked 
her.  When had that happened?  When had she started considering the 
other members of the Scoobies as her family?  Xander yes, she loved 
him, he had shown her what love was.  After twelve-hundred-years as a 
vengeance demon she had not thought that possible, but he had proved 
her wrong.  They had all accepted her into their homes, their lives, 
into their tight knit group of friends that were more of a family. 
More of family then quite a few 'real families' Anya had seen 
throughout her twelve-hundred plus years.  They had accepted who she 
had been, who she was now and who she was becoming.  And she had 
learned to love them all and without her even knowing it they had 
become her family too. So she understood completely how Faith was 
feeling, it was something they had in common, this was the first real 
family either of them had ever had.

Anya wasn't prepared for the dried blood soaked socks when she pulled 
off Faith's boots.  She tried to gently pull off the socks that were 
stuck to the cuts on Faith's feet.  Faith impatient as ever, moved 
Anya's hands aside and just yanked them off, sucking in the hiss of 
pain as the gashes ripped open again.  Probably would have been 
a good idea to pull the glass out of her feet before she had put the 
shoes and socks on she thought to herself.  Then again she had been 
in a panic that morning, and had seemed to be in one since then.

"What? How?" Anya asked in a strangled voice when she saw the 
embedded glass in Faith's feet.  How the hell had she been walking 
with all those shards of glass in her feet was beyond Anya's 
comprehension.

"Dropped a coffee pot this morning, when I felt Glory attack Buffy, 
Dawn, Red and Blondie."  Faith mumbled out.  "Guess I shoulda pulled 
out the glass, probably why they didn't heal, like they should of."  

"Don't move."  Anya told Faith when she rose to go fetch the first 
aid kit out from under the sink, as well as get a wet warm wash cloth 
and towel.  Normally this was something she wouldn't do, but for some 
odd reason she felt empathy for Faith.  Perhaps it was this new found 
sense of family she had just discovered. Anya re-settled herself back 
on the floor in front of Faith.  She began to gently wash away the 
blood, she heard a hiss of pain come from Faith when a shard of glass 
caught in the washrag.  "Sorry."

"It's okay. I've had far worse cuts then these. A lot worse."  Faith 
whispered the last part almost as an afterthought.

There was something disquieting about the ring of truth in that 
statement to Anya.  She got the feeling Faith was talking about hurts 
that had nothing to do with being a Slayer. She didn't know why she 
thought that, either way it made her shiver a little.  "What did you 
mean that you felt Glory attack the others?"  Anya asked her, 
thinking if the dark slayer was distracted by talking she wouldn't 
notice as Anya began to pull out the shards of glass from her badly 
cut up feet.

"Well you know about the Slayer connection me and B share."  Faith 
saw Anya shake her head no.  "Oh... Well ya see, me and B we kinda 
share this connection......"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay... now this is weird."  Willow was standing once again in the 
Summer's home in L.A..  In the exact same spot she started in when 
she first entered Buffy's mind, dreamscape.  Six-year-old Buffy was 
sitting at the child size table, holding her doll, and as far as 
Willow could tell there was not one thing different.  

Willow wasn't the lest bit surprised when the child looked up at her 
and said, "Hi, Willow. What are you doing here?"

"Actually, I'm, um... looking for you. Here. Again." {Okay who keeps 
hitting the rewind and play button here?}

"Do you like dolls?" 

{Hmmm... let me guess she gonna start stroking the dollies 
hair....Okay need to stop this now, acting like Vamp Willow here.}  
Willow shook her head a little to clear it. Maybe she was getting a 
little delirious here, she needed to focus.

"No..." Willow knelt down next to the six-year-old "And I think we 
already deja'd this vu."  Willow couldn't help but smile when the 
child let out a giggle.

"You talk funny."

"Yes, as you'll tell me again when we're older, and in chem class." 
Willow frowned, her tone got serious, "Buffy...what 
are we doing here?"

Six-year-old Buffy shrugged her shoulders, "Don't you like it here?"

"We don't have time."  Willow trailed off as she heard the front door 
open.  

The child got up, smiled, handed her doll to Willow and ran for the 
front door, yelling to her parents. Exactly like she did the first 
time Willow entered into the dreamscape. "Mommy! Daddy!"

"We're home." Hank Summer's told his daughter.  

"You're back! You're back!" Young Buffy shouted out excited.

Standing again, Willow turned her head towards the door, not 
surprised when she saw Joyce and Hank Summer's come through the front 
door.  Joyce holding a newborn in her arms.

"Hi, Buffy." Joyce smiled down at her oldest daughter. Joyce knelt 
down and handed her daughter the newborn.  Telling her softly. "We're 
calling her "Dawn."

Willow turned her head to the right again and saw the interior of the 
Magic Shop.  She was not surprise, more confused.  What was she 
missing?  She watched as Buffy once again put the book back on the 
shelf.

She stood holding the doll, and turned back towards the front door.  
Joyce was still kneeling by young Buffy, Hank was leaning down with 
his hands on his knees, Buffy was still holding infant Dawn. Nothing 
had changed. Or had it?

"I could be the one to look after her sometimes." Willow smiled a 
small smile as she heard six-year-old Buffy say that again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"It's always open," Came the response from inside of the shop to 
their knock upon the door.

They entered and Xander looked around curiously.  There was a fire 
roaring in the fireplace, books were scattered, stacked on the floor, 
desks, shelves, just about everywhere, and papers too.  Doc, as he 
was called, was sitting behind a rather large cluttered desk, 
flipping through a book, he was, Xander guessed, in his late fifties 
early sixties.

"What can I do for you boys? You want some cocoa?" They  walked over 
and stood by the desk, waiting for Doc to look up from his book, but 
he didn't.

"No. We need information. We need ..."

"Ben is Glory!" Xander blurted out cutting off Spike.  The light had 
suddenly turned on in Xander Harris's head, he grinned like the 
village idiot.

"Who's what?"  Doc finally looked up and almost smirked at the boy 
standing in front of him.

"Look at this. Special Ed remembers."  Spike sneered, to cover his 
surprise and smirked at Xander.

"Yeah. I do. Ben's Glory and Glory's Ben. It's like this..." He circled 
his hand around his head to illustrate, "fog is lifting."

Spiked nodded at Xander a little relieved that he remembered, he was 
beginning to think that maybe the bloody chip was starting to make 
him crazy. "Wonderful. But not why we're here." Spike turned his 
attention back to Doc, who turned his attention back to his book, 
thinking the floor show was over. "Hellgod type, name of Glory..."

"A.K.A. *Ben* ..." Xander interjected.

Spike continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "... is gone 
missing. Brewing up some major league bad. And she's nicked 
the Slayer's kid sister in the bargain."

That caught Doc's attention, he looked up and nodded. "That girl you 
brought here? Sweet little thing... how'd it work out with her mom? 
Changed her mind, didn't she?"

Spike squirmed a little.  Last thing he needed was for the Scoobies 
to find out that he had anything to do with helping Dawn try to bring 
back her Mum. He played it off lightly. "Yeah, yeah. Got any idea 
where Glory would take her?"

Doc closed his book and looked up at them.  He had a look of intense 
concentration on his face. "Glory? Glory... ooh..." He rose from the 
desk, the book still in his hand, and walked around it moving towards 
them. "you don't mean Glorificus? Gosh, what do you want to get mixed 
up with her for? That's a sure way to get yourselves killed. I hear 
she's awfully unpleasant." He veered away from them and moved over to 
a table off to the side by the storefront windows.  He placed the 
book on the table. "When it comes to Hellgods, my best advice is to 
get out of the way and stay there."

"Love to. Can't." Spike told him shaking his head in denial.

"Well, other than that ..." While he was talking, he moved himself 
subtly, or so he thought, in front of an antique wooden box on the 
side table.  Doc had missed the quick flicker of Spike's eyes in his 
direction, he kept on talking, "... I'd like to help, but I-I'm just 
a small town guy. This Glorificus, if it is her... whoo, she's *Big 
City*."

"She's got Dawn."  Spike kept his gaze level, his tone even, but he 
wasn't liking this whole thing, something just didn't feel right to 
him.

"Right." Doc rubbed his chin, thinking for a minute. "Well... I may 
know a fella... you know, who knows a fella..." He rubbed his chin again 
thinking, "in China. He might..."

Cutting Doc off,  Spike asked sarcastically, "How the hell are we 
supposed to get to China? Teleport?"

"I guess..."  Doc began... Spike looked at him, barely able to contain 
his suspicion, he looked downward hoping that Doc hadn't caught 
it.  "...You know, if you're in that much of a hurry. Wish you luck."

Spike raised his eyes and gave Doc the once over.  Doc was trying too 
hard to appear casual, his hands where intertwined in front of him, 
but there was just a glint of something not right sparkling in his 
eyes.  He had shifted a little bit more, trying to once again block 
the antique box from their view, it was all Spike needed. "You're 
lying." 

Xander looked at Spike in surprise, out of the corner of his eye he 
saw Doc remove his glasses, reminding him of Giles for a split second.

Calmly Spike told Doc, "And what's more... I believe you're standing 
right in front of the very thing we need."

They all stood frozen for a moment.  Then with speed that belied his 
age, Doc leapt to the left, grabbed a sword from off the wall and  
was behind Spike, all in one fluid motion, all in less then a 
heartbeat.  Spike turned in surprise and stopped short when he felt 
the sword tip pressed against his undead throat. 

"Idiot," Doc whispered to Spike. 

Xander saw that Doc's eyes where now completely black, and he got a 
second reminder in the shop that night of another of the Scooby 
gang.  A Scooby member  who eyes had also gone a similar color that 
same night.

Doc thrust the sword at Spike, who jerked back, knocking the sword 
aside, and then proceeded to trip over the pile of books behind him.  
He landed on his back hard, on the floor, another stack of books 
falling on top of him.  Xander launched himself at Doc, and was 
smacked in the chest hard, by what had to be at least a ten-foot-long 
tongue, knocking him into the wall.  Big eww factor there, Xander 
thought to himself as he slid down to the floor. 

Doc coiled his extra-long tongue back into his mouth in a flash, he 
walked over and looked down at the stunned vampire laying at his 
feet.  His eyes glittered dangerously, a malicious smile played 
around his lips. "You think only underworld bottom feeders worship 
the Beast?" He giggled like a girl as he twirled around, moved the 
few steps over to the side table, grabbed the antique box, turned and 
tossed it into the fire.  He turned back around, walked over to Spike 
again, looked down at him and smirked. "Her day is coming, boys!" Doc 
lifted Spike part of the way off the floor by his shirt.  "And when 
she returns... then you're gonna see something."

Xander jumped up from the floor, using a move he had seen the 
Slayer's use often, a kneestrike; one that he executed perfectly, he 
kicked Doc right in the chest.  Xander came down right on top of Doc 
as he fell on his ass on the floor.  They fought, Spike saw his 
chance and dove for the fireplace, without a thought for himself he 
reached in and grabbed the antique box out of the fireplace, and 
screamed on the top of his lungs. "OW!" {FUCKFUCKFUCK!  Bloody hell 
that fucking hurt!}

Spike turned around, saw Xander rise up to his knees, grab the sword 
and plunge it into Doc's chest.  A fountain of blue blood spurted up 
at Xander, covering him.  {Go you bloody little wanker!}

Xander wiped the 'EWW!' blue blood from his face and looked at Spike 
a 'Shit-eating' grin splitting his face that Faith would have been 
proud of.  Spike made his way over to Xander, holding the undamaged 
but smoking antique box tightly in his hands.

"What do we got?" Xander nodded his head at the box.

Spike looked down at demon covered in blue blood at his 
feet. "Something worth dying for."

Together, they turned and headed out the door into the night. Had 
they waited but a few seconds longer, they'd have seen Doc's eyes 
snap open.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Buffy, will you just stop a second and listen to me?"  Willow 
followed franticly behind Buffy as she walked calmly once again down 
the upstairs hallway of her house in this twisted repeating 
dreamscape of Buffy's mind.  "Buffy!"  Buffy ignored Willow and kept 
walking.  Not having any other choice Willow picked up her pace and 
got in front of Buffy in the hallway.  She put out her hand and 
stopped Buffy by putting a hand on her arm. "You have to stop doing 
this."

"Doing what?" Dreamscape Buffy was genuinely puzzled, but there was 
something a little dead about her voice.

"Killing Dawn." Willow told her, desperate to get through to her.  
She was beginning to think she understood what Buffy was going 
through, but she still wasn't one-hundred-percent positive.

"Why?" Again with the same puzzled slightly dead voice.

"Because this never happened. You never killed your sister!" Willow 
told her, hoping the ring of truth in her tone, of her words would be 
heard by dreamscape and catatonic Buffy. 

"Will, I did this." Dreamscape Buffy told Willow with just as much 
conviction, with the same amount of truth ringing in the tone of her 
voice.

"In your imagination! None of this is real! Y-you're stuck in some 
kind of loop." 

"I don't know what you're talking about. 'Scuse me?"  Dreamscape 
Buffy looked at Willow for just a second longer.  Then she walked 
around her, heading towards Dawn's room again.  Willow followed 
behind her.

"Why are you doing this?!?" Willow asked her.  Shit! What the hell 
was she going to do?  How was she going to convince Buffy that this 
wasn't real?  That this didn't happen?  Willow was starting to get 
very frustrated, and just a little bit irritated by the whole goddess-
damn thing!  She followed dreamscape Buffy into Dawn's room, not 
liking any of this at all.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thank you." Faith told Anya who had just finished getting all the 
shards of glass out of her feet and cleaning them again.  Anya had 
put anti-bacterial cream on the gashes to help prevent infection, 
then wrapped both of Faith's feet in gauze.

"You're welcome. It looks like they are already healing now that the 
glass is out, so I don't think they will scar."

"Few more scars more or less won't make much difference."

Anya got that disquieting feeling again from Faith's voice.  Again 
she thought that Faith was talking about something that had nothing 
to do with being a Slayer.  As she looked up and saw the haunted look 
in Faith's eyes, Anya didn't wonder at how she knew that this time.  
What she saw in Faith's eyes was something she had seen reflected in 
her own eyes over twelve-hundred-years ago.  There were some things 
that you could never forget, it was after all the reason she had been 
offered the job of becoming a vengeance demon in the first place. 
Anya gave Faith a small smile of understanding, she saw the look of 
surprise on Faith's face, before she smiled back.

The look was replaced in a blink by something else as Faith's head 
snapped to the side, her gaze riveted to the bedroom door.  She had 
felt something, a flash, she closed her eyes and concentrated. {B?} 
No it wasn't B, it was Red.  Red was getting frustrated, and a little 
bit angry.  Faith had to suppress the urge to go into the bedroom, to 
protect Buffy.  She realized though the thought of Red ever hurting 
Buffy in any way was ludicrous and if Red was getting pissed she 
probably had a good reason. Hell she knew just how stubborn Buffy 
could be.  Red though could be just as stubborn, and had a backbone 
made out of steel when she needed too.  If anyone could take on B, it 
was Red.  Still it felt weird to feel someone else's emotions besides 
Buffys 'echoing' inside of her.

She got up from the couch muttering, 'Scuse me' to Anya and walked 
over to the master bedroom door.  Faith placed her hand lightly on 
the door wanting nothing more then to go in there and gather Buffy 
into her arms.  It was killing her that she had to sit out here and 
wait.  Killing her that there was nothing she could do to help 
Buffy.  Killing her that she couldn't even reach out to her through 
their connection to let Buffy know that she was still here, was 
waiting for her, loved her.  Faith slid down to the floor in front of 
the door and leaned her head against it, forcing the terror down that 
threatened to overwhelm her at the slightest thought that she could 
lose Buffy.

"B, come back to me. Come back to us. Please." She whispered softly.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was practically dragging her down the main street of Sunnydale by 
the wrist.  Ben was still wearing the ceremonial gown it never even 
dawned on him how conspicuous he was.  Dawn was worried and she 
looked nervously over her shoulder.  She told him she thought they 
were being followed.  He mumbled something back to her but it didn't 
even register with her.  The next thing she knew he was shoving her 
into an alleyway. He pressed her up against the brick wall, and told 
her to stay put as he went to peek out to see if, in fact, they had 
been followed.

Dawn quickly scanned the alley, she saw a pile of heavy-weight metal 
link chain on the ground right by her feet.  Quietly she picked up the
chain, and waited for Ben to turn around.  The second he turned back 
towards her, she cracked him in the head with the chain, knocking him 
unconscious.  "Sorry." She mumbled, she dropped the chain and stepped 
over him to make her bid for freedom.

Dawn had made it about three steps before a voice she had come to 
know only to well this past day stopped her. "Sorry?" Dawn stopped 
dead in her tracks, turned around, horrified and scared shitless. 
"That actually hurt, you pre-pubescent puke." Glory picked herself up 
from the ground, making sure to grab the chain.  She was pissed, and 
she smiled at the Slayer-bitch's kid sister's terrified face.

Glory grabbed Dawn by the arm and held her fast. "Okay, first 
thought, just totally spontaneous, unfiltered, off the top of my 
head.... Ow!" She brought the chain up to Dawn's face.  Loving the 
look of terror, the fear she could almost smell coming from the 
girl.  Oh how she missed this!  She lived for the fear, the pain, the 
agony she was so good at creating.  Here in this dimension she had to 
brainsuck these lower beings to actually taste it.  Home, though, 
home she could feed off of it without doing that, making them re-live 
any of it, all of it over and over again, it was her sustenance, her 
food.  Damn, but she could wait to get back home.  Glory shook the 
chain in Dawn's face, and shudder with something akin to desire when 
Dawn jumped in fear. "You hit Ben in his soft human head. And I 
remember the pain!"  She threw the chain aside it had served it's 
purpose.

She forced the arm she was holding up and behind Dawn's back, pushing 
her further, deeper into the alley, away from the sidewalk and any 
prying eyes.  Dawn bit her lip in an effort to stifle her gasp of 
pain, not wanting to give Glory the satisfaction. She failed, and 
heard Glory's gasp of pleasure at the pain she had caused.  Glory let 
Dawn go with a little shove when they were almost at the end of the 
alleyway.

"You probably think I won't waste any precious blood of yours 'til 
tonight. You're right. But I know a thousand ways to hurt you that 
won't spill a drop."

Dawn didn't doubt Glory for a millisecond, she started to quiver in 
fear. Glory shoved Dawn a little harder this time.  Dawn stumbled 
backwards into the metal staircase that went up the side of the 
building.  She sat down hard on the metal stair and clung to the rail 
for dear life, scared out of her wits.

Glory started walking towards her, the evil that was her very essence 
seemed to almost radiate out from her, making Dawn tremble. "You know 
all those pesky feelings Ben's been having? Like guilt, empathy ... ? 
I'm gonna take 'em and mash 'em back down where they belong. Okay? 
Now..." She stroked the side of Dawn's face, almost like a lover.  Dawn 
shuddered in revulsion. "...let's have big-girl fun..." She grabbed 
Dawn's chin, hard, painfully. "...just you and..." Glory paused a 
flicker of confusion rippled across her face, she let go of Dawn's 
chin.  When she started talking again her voice was odd, not quite 
hers. "Leave her alone!" 

Glory morphed into Ben so fast that Dawn would have missed it had she 
blinked.

"I said leave her alone!" Ben shouted at Glory and then in less then 
a blink of an eye it was Glory standing where Ben had just been.

"No. NO! Little late in the game to start growing a backbone, 
Benjamin." Dawn watched the bizarre show with fear. "Now be good and 
stay quiet. No - you - don't! Get over yourself, Ben! This is the way 
things are! I'm strong, you're weak..." Glory let slip a giggle, a 
sound that Dawn would never forget. It was the sound only a madwoman 
would make. "...this is reality. Stop trying to infect me with 
your... " Glory whirled around and when she faced Dawn again, it 
wasn't her, it was Ben.

"Do you ever stop talking? I don't know which is worse, waking up in 
a dress not knowing where I've been, or having to hear all your self-
involved ranting." His voice was laced with disdain.   

"Animal..." Glory snarled at him, turning her back to Dawn.

Dawn watched them... her... him... it... whatever it was they were thinking 
inanely to herself, 'Can we all say Sybil'.  This was like watching a 
schizophrenic's different personalities come to life and fight for 
dominance. Then Ben was in front of Dawn again. 

"Wrong, Glory. I'm no animal. This is humanity you're feeling. 
Welcome to the world." 

Dawn saw her chance for escape; they were busy fighting each other, 
not paying any attention to her at all.  She got to her feet slowly, 
quietly and started to move away from them, edging along the wall, 
holding her breath.

Ben turned back towards Dawn. "No no no." Shouted Glory, reaching out 
in a flash, she grabbed Dawn and threw her across the alley.

Dawn crashed into a dumpster, hitting it hard. She slid down to the 
ground when her knees gave out from under her.  She went back to 
watching the exiled-crazy-god and Ben fighting.

"Stick around, chica." Glory told her.

"I won't let you hurt her, Glory."

"Shut your hole, you sanctimonious little meatworm." She moved 
towards Dawn like a predator.  Basking in the fear she saw on the 
girls face, she almost purred, "I'm going home no matter what you do."

Glory looked around, and spied an empty glass bottle by her feet. She 
bent down to get it and morphed back into Ben just as she picked it 
up.  Ben slammed the bottle against the dumpster viciously, Dawn 
wasn't sure who she was more afraid of anymore.  He held the jagged 
edge of the bottle to Dawn's face.  Dawn pressed back into the 
dumpster away from him the bottle in terror.

"You really think I'll just let that happen?" He snarled at Glory.

"Benjamin. What are you doing?" Glory asked keeping the mixture of 
amusement and fear she felt out of her voice. 

"You need her blood?" Right now Dawn was definitely more afraid of 
Ben. "When I'm through there won't be enough left to fill a bottle 
cap. Then you, Hellbitch, have nowhere left..." 

"...to go. HUH!" Glory finished for him, taunting him like a two-year-
old.  She yanked Dawn up and away from the dumpster.  Glory tossed 
Dawn across the alley again like she was no more then a rag-doll.  
With a vengeance she threw the broken glass bottle against the wall, 
it shattered echoing loudly in the alleyway.

Dawn was trembling crouched down on the ground, her eyes wild with 
fright.

"You can't hurt her and you know it, Ben." Glory sat down on a pile 
of bricks, a smug look on her face. " I know it, because I feel what 
you're feeling. Scared?"  She sat and waited for herself to morph 
back into Ben so he could answer.  She smiled when she didn't get a 
response. "Shh! Shh! It's okay."  Glory spoke to him as if he were a 
child she was trying to comfort after they had a nightmare.  And Dawn 
wished that, that was all this was, a nightmare, and she would wake 
up and be in her own bed, in her own house. "You don't want to die. 
Who would? I don't." Her voice was light, soft, meant to soothe him.

"You can't. You're immortal."  Ben's voice was bitter.  Dawn was 
getting dizzy watching them morph back and forth in less then a blink 
of an eye.

"Nobody has to die here, Ben. Just let me bleed the girl and go home. 
Everything will work out fine." 

"Do you really believe, with all I know, that you can trick me?" He 
made a 'do-you-think-I'm-stupid' face and then realized he was stupid 
because Glory couldn't actually see him.

"Stop... and think, baby. We bleed the kid. Return me to my seat of 
power. I become a God again......"

Dawn began to tremble again, not liking where this was going. 

"And I disappear." Ben couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"Ooh....Unless somebody up there likes you. Give up the girl......... I could 
like you a lot."

Dawn's eyes grew wide, her body trembled harder, she held her breath 
waiting for Glory to morph so Ben could answer her.

"I won't make a deal with you, Glory."

Dawn and Glory sighed together, one in relief, one in anger. 

"When exactly did you get stupid? I'm offering immortality here!"

"I believe you," And Ben did believe her, so did Dawn for that 
matter. "That's not the problem. You make me immortal, then what?"  
Ben got up from the brick pile. He walked over to Dawn and yanked her 
up roughly by the arm, making her his visual illustration. He shook 
her a little when he started talking again. "I have to kill her to do 
it and I won't be able live with that! Not even for a day... forget 
about eternity." He started whirling both himself and Dawn in a 
circle, he morphed into Glory mid-whirl.

"Baby, baby, baby Ben..." Glory let go of Dawn when she stopped 
whirling.  Dawn fell to the ground, dizzy. "...why do you worry so 
much? When you're immortal, all this crap you've been carrying around 
inside..." She was a little tired, so she leaned up against the wall.  
This morphing back and forth was taking a lot out of both of them.  
She didn't know how long either of them could keep doing it. "...the 
guilt... the anger... the crazy-making pain..." Glory smiled at the 
thought of pain, not hers but the pain she caused others. "Ooh, it 
all just melts away, like ice cream. Trust me. When all this is over, 
I can set you up real nice. I'm making it easy. It's you......... or the 
girl." Glory slid down the wall, exhausted, and morphed halfway down.

"I can't accept that." Ben gasped, he was having a hard time 
breathing, his, their body ached like it had gone twenty rounds in 
the ring with Ali.

"Accept it." Glory smiled again and giggled.  "I'm a God, stupid."

She morphed into Ben.  He slid the rest of the way down the wall. He 
had nothing left, he was beyond exhausted. He sat on the ground 
panting hanging his head. He smiled anyway, he beat her. He, Ben, 
mere human, had beat Glory, Glory the god had been beaten by him, he 
was victorious! Calling up some reserved strength from only 'god' 
knew where, he got up on his feet. He looked at Dawn who stared at 
him in fright. He walked over to her slowly, he wasn't capable of 
anything more. He stopped in front of her and held his hand out to 
her...

"I'm sorry." He whispered to Dawn.

Dawn smiled at him hesitantly, the relief washing through her.  She 
lifted her hand, reaching for his and he snatched her by the wrist 
quickly.

"NO!" Dawn yelled in fright. {PLEASEGODNOPLEASE}

Ben yanked Dawn to her feet in one rough motion, and began to drag 
her, Dawn resisted him and he pulled her harder, telling her; "Don't 
make this harder than it already is. I'm sorry, I got no choice. It's 
you or me."

She couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it, how could he?  
She opened her mouth to say something that snapped it closed, her 
teeth clicking together, the sound echoing loud inside of her head.
 
He pulled her out to the sidewalk.  Three minions scurried over to 
join them.  He began dragging her down the street. As they walked, 
the night sky started to change.  They continued walking in the pre-
dawn light in the direction of the rising sun.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were standing in Buffy's Mom's room again.  They stood side by 
side in front of the grave again staring at the headstone.  Buffy 
turned to leave.

"No. Buffy. Leave Dawn alone, what is this?"  Willow was getting 
tired of this, she was a little pissy at this point.  Tired of the 
strangeness of it all.  Wondering what the hell it was that she was 
missing.  She followed Buffy down the hallway to Dawn's room yet 
again.

"My gift. This is what I do." Buffy told her as she opened the door.

"I'm not talking about this, I'm talking about..." Buffy walked 
through the door to Dawn's room.  Willow followed right behind her, 
and blinked in surprise when she saw they were in the Magic Shop 
instead.  Magic Shop Buffy walked over to the bookshelves like 
before. Only this time standing right next to Willow was the Buffy 
from the Summer's house.  "...this." Willow finished her sentence as an 
afterthought.  Okay now this was new.  Why?  Think! Why?  What am I 
missing? Goddess-damn it! Willow silently cursed herself.

House Buffy and Willow watch the Buffy in the Magic Shop put the book 
on the shelf, look down pensively and sigh. Rewind... and they watch 
her repeat the same action again.

Willow started talking almost as if to herself, as if she hadn't 
stopped at all from before. "Right here, it happened. I know it's 
something small, but..." They watched as the other Buffy repeated 
putting the book on the shelf, look down and sigh. "...it's something. 
What?"

"Don't go there, Will." The Buffy standing next to her told her.

"I'm not! You're the one who keeps dragging me back here! A-and you 
wouldn't be doing that if you weren't trying to show me something."  
Willow told the Buffy next to her with a little bit of anger.

The Buffy next to her turned her head and asked her, "Do I?"

"Buffy, c'mon. It's your brain. Just tell me."  Time for 'Resolve 
Face' Willow thought to herself. They watched the other Buffy yet 
again walk over, put the book on the shelf, look down and sigh. "What 
happened here?" Asked 'Resolve Face' Willow.

The Buffy next to her just stared.  She didn't, couldn't, or wouldn't 
answer her. Instead without turning to look the Buffy standing by the 
bookshelves did, very quietly.

"This was when I quit, Will."  Such sadness in those words.

"You did?"  Buffy quit? Her Buffy never quit, okay well once she did, 
but hey she had just sent the then love-of-he-life to hell.  Anyone 
would have quit, wouldn't they? 

"Just for a second." The Buffy standing next to her told her.

"I remember I was in the magic shop." The other Buffy told her 
turning to face Willow. 

"I put a book back for Giles." Said the one next to her.

"Nothing special about it. And then, it hit me." The Buffy from the 
Magic Shop said in the same quiet voice. 

"What hit you?" Willow was getting a little dizzy with them going 
back and forth finishing each other's sentences. 

"I can't beat Glory." Buffy said so softly that Willow had to strain 
to hear her even though she was standing next to her.

"Glory's going to win."

"You can't know that." Willow turned to the Buffy next to her, it 
should be her turn to answer her.  The Buffy next to her turned and 
looked at her before answering.

"I didn't just know it."

"I felt it. Glory will beat me." The other Buffy told her and stared 
out into space at nothing.

"And in that second of knowing it, Will..." Willow turned her head 
and watched the Buffy next to her answer, hoping to see some clue in 
her face, but Buffy turned her gaze away from her. When she finished 
Willow turned her head to look at the Buffy in the Magic Shop.

"I wanted it to happen." Magic Shop Buffy told her.

"Why?" Willow asked her directly hoping that she would answer her, 
she was beginning to feel like she was the ball in a tennis match.  
And she hated tennis.

"I wanted it over. This is all... all of it... it's too much for me." 
Willow contained her sigh of relief when the Buffy from the Magic 
Shop did answer her.  It was short lived, because they switched off 
again.

"I just wanted it over..."

Turn head, look at Magic Shop Buffy, Willow thought to herself. "If 
Glory wins... then Dawn dies."

Turn, look, at the Buffy next to her, this was starting to exasperate 
her. "And I would grieve and people would feel sorry for me." The 
Buffy next to her finally turned to look at her. "But it would all be 
over." Then she looked away again, staring into space as she 
continued to talk. "And I imagined what a relief that would be." 
Willow turned her head and watched as the Buffy in the Magic shop 
once again put the book on the shelf, look down and sighed. The Buffy 
next to her continued, "I killed Dawn."

Willow turned and looked at the Buffy next to her for a second, she 
frowned before she asked her, "Is that what you think?" Only to have 
the Buffy in the Magic Shop answer her.

"My thinking it made it happen. Some part of me wanted it. And in the 
moment Glory took Dawn..."

Next to her Buffy said, "I know I could have done something better. 
And I didn't. I was off by some fraction of a second."

Now Magic Shop Buffy, "And this is why..."

And of course Willow thought the Buffy next to her would finish the 
sentence. "...I killed my sister."

Now Willow scowled, she was dizzy with the back and forth, the self-
pity she was hearing in both Buffy's voices.  She looked first at the 
Buffy standing next to her.  Then she looked at the Buffy in the 
Magic Shop and watched her put the book on the shelf yet again, look 
down, and sigh heavily.  'Hey how about an encore, cause I sure can't 
get enough of this!' Willow thought to herself.  It was official she 
was definitely a little bit pissed, tired, and exasperated. 

She began softly, slowly telling both Buffy's, "I think Spike was 
right, back at the gas station........." Willow hesitated a second and 
then, "SNAP OUT OF IT!" Willow told them in a near shout.

"What?" Both Buffys said in perfect sync, both turning to look at her 
with shock.

"All this... it has a name. It's called guilt." The Buffys exchanged 
looks with each other. "It's a feeling, and it's important," Willow 
looked at the Buffy next to her, "But it's not more than that, 
Buffy." She glanced back and forth between them, they look pensively 
at her. "Buffys. You've carried the weight of the world on your 
shoulders since high school. And I... I know you didn't ask for this, 
but... you do it every day. And so you wanted out for one second. So 
what?"

"I got Dawn killed..."  The Buffy next to Willow told her in a quiet 
mournful voice.

"Hello! Your sister... not dead yet! But she will be if you stay 
locked inside here and never come back to us."  Just a hint of 
exasperation slipped out this time.

The Buffy next to her looked at the Buffy in the Magic Shop when she 
asked Willow, "But what if I can't."

"Then I guess you're right. And... you did kill your sister."  Willow 
turned around and started walking toward the Magic Shop door.

The Buffy that had been standing next to her turned around. She 
yelled out to Willow anxiously. "Wait! Where are you going?"

Willow stopped when she reached the door.  She squared her shoulders 
and put on her best ever 'Resolve Face' and turned around to answer 
Buffy. "Where you're needed." Willow stared at her for a second or 
two then asked her, "Are you coming?"

The Buffy that had been standing next to her stared back.  Behind her 
the Magic Shop Buffy once again walked up to the bookshelves and 
placed the book on the shelf.  This time instead of looking down she 
paused, and then turned to look at them.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the master bedroom of Xander and Anya's apartment, Willow sat 
silently on the edge of the king size bed facing her best friend. 
Buffy sat in the chair across from her, silent, expressionless, with 
empty, dead eyes. 

With her head laying up against the master bedroom door, her hand 
resting lightly upon it, the dark slayer sat and waited for her 
heart, her soul to come back to her, come back to them all. 

Suddenly Buffy jolted awake, her back arched, she took huge breaths 
of air painfully, quickly, into her lungs.  Her eyes widened, and 
everything she was feeling flashed rapidly through them.  Her 
awakening was akin to a newborn vampire's rebirth.

On the other side of the door the dark slayer, jumped, feeling Buffy 
the second she came back, the tears silently started to fall. And 
Anya heard her whispering softly, 'B... B... you came back. Thank you 
Red... Thank you...' 
 
Buffy looked at Willow, confused, startled.  She quickly took in her 
surroundings, realized where she was, who she was with, who she 
wasn't with, and... began to sob, great wracking sobs from the depths 
of her soul.

Willow blinked rapidly, coming out of the dreamscape.  She jumped off 
the bed, and knelt in front of Buffy, pulling her into her arms, 
holding her as she cried. 

Buffy continued to cry, she lifted her tear-filled eyes and looked at 
the door... "Faith," she whispered.

The dark slayer was on her feet and barreling through the door before 
Buffy even finished whispering her name.  She knelt on the floor next 
to Willow and gathered both women into her embrace.  Faith rested her 
head up against Buffy's, her own tears still falling, mixing and 
joining Buffy's.  She whispered her name, and thanked Willow.  And 
just held them both, surrounding them both with her love. And letting 
Buffy once again fill up the empty place inside of Faith she had left 
when she had gone into the dark place.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bell over the door to the Magic Shop rang signaling someone had 
entered.  Giles looked out from between the shelves of the 
freestanding bookcase towards the door.

"Buffy?" He questioned softly, then practically yelled, "She's back." 
They all quickly gather around the table. Xander and Spike sat at the 
table next to Giles.

"You're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." Buffy gave Xander a small smile hoping to alleviate 
a little of the worry she saw in his eyes.

Buffy stood by the table, Faith was a little to her left, slightly 
behind her with her hand resting lightly on Buffy's lower back.

"Hear you found the ritual text." Buffy said to Giles.

"Um.. Something like that, yes."

"Did you know that... Ben is Glory?" Xander asked Buffy, he was still 
excited over this discovery.

"So I'm told." She said then turned her attention back to Giles 
slipping into Slayer mode. "What do we know?"  She didn't miss the 
slight hesitation before Giles answered her.

"Um... well, um..." Willow, Anya and Tara sat down at the table while 
Giles stumbled over his words. "...according to these scrolls, um... it's 
possible for Glory to be stopped."  Giles paused taking a deep 
breath.  Buffy stared at him, quirked her eyebrow and gave him 
a 'yeah-and' look. "I-I'm afraid it's, um... well, Buffy. I've read 
these things very carefully and there's not much...... margin for error. 
You understand what I'm saying?"

"Might help if you actually said it." 

He smiled at her and took off his glasses, he put down his tea, and 
wiped his glasses, he nodded at her. "Um... Glory... plans to open a... 
dimensional portal... by way of ritual bloodletting."

"Dawn's blood?" She didn't want to ask, she didn't want to know.  Was 
afraid of what he was going to tell her.  She felt as Faith began to 
rub her thumb in soothing circles on her back. 

"Yes............ Once the blood is shed at a certain time and place... the 
fabric separating all realities will... be ripped apart."  Willow held 
Tara's hand while she watched and listened to Giles.  Tara stared at 
the ceiling liking the pretty patterns there.  Spike lowered his eyes 
and looked down at the table. "Dimensions will... pour into one 
another, um, with no barriers to stop them."  Xander and Anya looked 
up paying attention.  Faith felt Buffy stiffen under her hand, and 
her own body tensed up. "Reality as we know it will be destroyed, 
and... chaos will reign on Earth."

"So how do we stop it?" I don't want to know this do I? Buffy thought 
to herself.

"The portal will only close once the blood is stopped... and the only 
way for that to happen is, um......" Giles stopped talking he dropped 
his eyes from Buffy's gaze.  He couldn't look at her.  He took a deep 
shuddering breath.  He looked up, locked his eyes with hers, a grim 
expression etched his face. "Buffy... the only way is to kill Dawn."

Buffy couldn't breathe, she felt the desolation wanting to lay claim 
to her again, wanting to take her back into the dark place.  She 
fought it back, she was needed here, there was no way she would ever 
go back there, not ever again. Then a pair of loving arms were 
surrounding her from behind, holding her close, adding their strength 
to hers.  Buffy leaned back into Faith and wrapped her arms over the 
top of Faith's, sinking into her.  Together, all of us together we 
can find another way she thought.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy turned her head and looked at the pre-dawn sky through the 
front window of the Magic Shop.  Together the 'Chosen Two' walked out 
of the shop to stand on the sidewalk. They stood holding each other 
in the pre-dawn light and waited. One by one all the members of the 
Scooby Gang, even Spike, who hid in the shadow of the building close 
to the door, followed them outside.  They waited with the 'Chosen 
Two' for the sun to light up the sky.

This time all of them heard the dawn as it whispered to them of the 
impending storm.  They listened together for the promises of the new 
day.  Each making a secret wish that tomorrow would see them all 
together, all safe. With faces turned up to the sky they watched and 
waited as the sunrise brought to them a brand new day. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...We can see it all from here / The starless night across the mountain 
side / No one left to talk to / There's nothing left to say / Into 
the valleys / The shadow of death / Griefs silently it's in you and 
me / It's in you and me / You and me / We stand alone / We can see it 
all from here / Stretched far and wide - Sarah McLachlin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They all went back into the shop immediately after the sun rose 
brightly in the sky. 

Giles slowly headed over to the bookshelves, obviously in pain, a 
little dopey still from the pain medication but ready to go into 
research mode regardless.  Willow helped Faith get Tara comfortable 
at the table, she gathered some paper and pens, giving them to Faith 
and left the two of them giggling and drawing.  Willow joined Giles 
over at the bookshelves, quickly switching from 'Blondie's-girl' 
to 'Research-girl' in the blink of an eye.
 
Spike ran for the back corner away from the suns rays that were 
falling across the floor. He wondered if Giles had any blood here, he 
couldn't remember the last time he had fed. "Watcher... Toss me a 
book..." He demanded in a bored tone.  Didn't want the bloody wankers 
to think he really wanted to help, just that he had nothing better to 
do.

Anya started puttering around, moving things, cleaning, doing 
something to keep herself occupied.  Xander followed her wanting to 
help but just kept getting in her way.  He decided to go help Willow 
and Giles with researching before he ended up just pissing off his 
girlfriend.

Buffy stood a few feet just inside of the door. She watched all of 
them, each helping her, Dawn, the world, in their own way.  She loved 
them all, she would need more then just this one lifetime to ever be 
able to tell or show them just how much.  She knew without them she 
would have been dead by now.  She would not have survived without 
their support, encouragement and love.   She looked at Faith with a 
renewed sense of amazement, and awe that she had managed to survive 
all alone.  Buffy couldn't imagine going through all that Faith had 
been through all alone in the world. 

Buffy walked over to the table and stood behind her lover.  She 
draped her arms over Faith's shoulders and rested her chin on the top 
of her head.  She was tired and as she looked around she saw that she 
wasn't the only one.  It was in all of their body language, in the 
way they were moving as if they were underwater.  In the heavy, 
droopy-eyed look they all shared.  It had been close to twenty-four 
hours since any of them had slept.  Still they were here pushing 
themselves beyond their limits, doing it because they were a family.  
And at least for their family, family took care of family.  They were 
all like the walking dead, well, one of them actually was the walking 
dead and even he looked tired. She knew they would stay here 
researching, looking for answers until they fell on their faces from 
exhaustion.  If they all didn't get some rest none of them would be 
good for anything or anyone. Buffy had to trust her instinct that 
Glory wouldn't harm her sister until it was time to perform the 
ritual.  Spilling Dawn's blood prematurely would only ruin all of her 
plans. Like every other time she had to deal with demon's and some 
type of magic she was sure that the ritual wouldn't be performed 
until after nightfall, sometime probably around midnight. 

It was time for 'Slayer Buffy' and just plain ole' Buffy to send her 
family home to get some much needed rest. 

"Hey guys..." she waited until they all turned their attention to
her before continuing. "I think that we should call it a night...
um... morning and all go get some rest.  Then meet back here later 
this afternoon."

They all started to protest at once, 'Time was of the essence', Giles 
pointed out to her.  Buffy knew that better then anyone else. It was 
her sister that the skanky-ass-bad-haired-exiled-god wanted to bleed 
just so she could go home. God, she thought,  she was starting to 
sound like Faith.  Who then tipped her head back and smiled at her 
like she knew what Buffy was thinking. But she also knew that they 
were all way past the point of exhaustion and were more likely to 
miss things, make mistakes.  And she loved them all the more for 
protesting.

"I understand that better then anyone Giles. But we're all exhausted, 
we all need sleep.  How are we even going to defeat Glory if we are 
all falling down from exhaustion.  Are we going to dream her to 
death?"  So maybe she didn't need to add that part. "Sorry. I'm tired 
too.  None of us have slept or eaten since yesterday morning. I 
appreciate that you all want to stay and research....but... the only 
person we help is Glory if we don't at least get a little rest."

After a few more grumbling protests she finally got them all to agree 
to go home and get some rest.  They decided to meet back at the Magic 
Shop at four.  Willow and Tara were going to stay with the Slayers at 
the mansion, since they now had an open-air room thanks to Glory.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith had waited in the shower for Buffy who was showing Willow and 
Tara to  one of the many bedrooms in the Mansion.  After about 
fifteen minutes she finally gave up and got out.   She was already 
dressed in sweat pants and a tee-shirt when Buffy entered the 
bedroom.  Buffy just walked right over to her, Faith wrapped Buffy in 
her arms and held her tight.  They stayed that way for long minutes, 
neither needed to say anything they could feel what the other was 
feeling.

Reluctantly, Buffy moved out of Faith's arms.  She gently ran her 
hand down the side of her lovers face, who captured it and held it 
pressed over her heart. 

"Why don't you go take a nice hot shower and I'll go downstairs and 
get us something to eat and drink." 

"'K," Buffy leaned up and gave Faith a soft kiss, before she left to 
go take a shower.

Faith was surprised to see Willow sitting at the counter in the 
kitchen.  A glass of Orange Juice in front of her, she quickly 
glanced around but she didn't see Tara anywhere. "Hey Red. Couldn't 
sleep?"

"Hey."  Willow looked up at Faith, and saw how tired, worried the 
dark slayer was. "Where's Buffy?"

"Takin' a shower.  Ah... Red... Willow."  That certainly got Willow's 
attention, Faith only used people's full names when she was dead 
serious about something.  Willow watched her and waited, curious 
about what it was that Faith wanted to talk or ask her about. Faith 
had been wondering if she had actually felt Willow when she tried to 
re-open her connection with Buffy at the apartment.  She tried to 
remember if it happened before or after Anya had told her what type 
of spell Willow had been doing.  But everything that happened at the 
apartment was kind of blurry. "When you a were doing that 'mind-meld' 
thing with Buffy did you ah... did you a..."

"Yes." Willow cut Faith off, knowing what she was going to ask. "I 
felt the connection.  It kinda set me off balance.  I didn't realize 
how strong the connection between you and Buffy had grown. But I 
never expected that I would be able to feel you, or recognize that it 
was you. Even if I was inside of Buffy's mind.  It was sort of..."

"Strange... Yeah I know... But it's grown, well at least for me, to be 
even more than just 'echoes' of feelings between us now... I'm 
getting..." Faith stopped talking, she turned her head up towards the 
stairs, a look of concentration coming over her face. "We'll have 
to finish this later Red, I gotta..." 

Willow didn't' catch the rest as Faith took off running for the 
stairs, taking them two at a time.  Hesitating but a second Willow 
took off after Faith.  Her first thought after Faith left so abruptly 
was Glory.  Shit! What if Glory had found them here!  That was all it 
took to get the witch up and moving, her eyes already beginning to 
glow darkly.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith raced into the bathroom and found Buffy huddled in the corner 
of the large tub.  She was curled up into a fetal ball, crying.  The 
sadness, the guilt surrounding her was so thick that Faith almost 
felt like she was pushing her way through it. Faith climbed into the 
tub, she knelt down, and picked Buffy up in her arms, cradling her 
like a delicate piece of china.  She whispered soothing words to her 
as she carried her out of the bathroom, stopping only long enough to 
grab a towel to wrap around her lover.

Buffy burrowed deeper into Faith's arms, she wrapped her own arms 
around Faith's neck, and buried her head there, crying softly. She 
was releasing everything that had built up inside of her over the 
last forty-eight hours.  All the guilt over what happened to Tara, 
happened to Giles. For the dead Knight's who were only doing what 
they thought was right when they tried to kill Dawn, but still didn't 
deserve to die that way.  For what happened and was happening to her 
sister, who was now at the mercy of a lunatic exiled-god.

Willow entered the bedroom just as Faith exited the bathroom holding 
Buffy.  Faith stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Willow standing 
there her eyes completely black, with an unholy light in them. Willow 
turned her gaze on Faith, and Faith backed up a step, a little afraid 
of the redheaded witch, not sure if Willow even recognized her.  

"Red?" Faith whispered.  

Buffy lifted her head from Faith's shoulder and looked at Willow. 
"Will?"  Willow turned her gaze on Buffy and Buffy felt a shiver go 
down her spine when she looked into the black eyes of Willow.  
"Willow." She said again a little more firmly.

Willow closed her eyes, and when she opened them again they were back 
to their normal shade of emerald green. She saw the 'Chosen Two' 
staring at her with concern and... was that a little bit of fear she 
saw too? "I ah... I... when you took off like that I thought maybe Glory 
was here... so I followed... I was worried something had happened to 
Buffy... so I was getting ready with a spell to help you know... I' m 
sorry... I didn't mean to ah... intrude... " 

Both the Slayer's smiled at her, that was the Willow they had come to 
know and love.  The babbler, the best friend who would face any enemy 
to protect her friend.

"It's okay Red... I shouldn't of run off like that. I didn't mean to 
scare you.  It's just I felt B calling out to me.  I guess I panicked 
a little myself." Faith smiled at her again, but she couldn't erase 
the image of Willow staring at her with those black eyes.  Red and 
her were going to have a little talk after all this Glory business 
was put to rest.  That was for sure, cause Faith knew those black 
eyes and that unholy light, had nothing to do with white magic.  
Faith knew from her own experience you could not straddle the fence 
between darkness and light, not just dabble with the dark side, it 
had a way of sucking you in, even if you didn't want to go there. She 
was going to make sure that Willow learned it too, make sure she 
learned it the easy way, not the hard way like Faith had too.

"Are you all right Buffy?"

"Yeah Wills, I just had a little pity party for myself in the shower 
is all.  I'm okay now."  Buffy smiled genuinely at Willow to let her 
know she really was okay.  "Why don't you go get some sleep.  You 
have to be tired." 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith moved over to the bed and gently placed Buffy on it, Buffy 
reluctantly let her go.  She propped Buffy up against the pillows, 
pulling the sheet and comforter up and over her.  She placed a soft 
kiss on Buffy's forehead.  "You better now?" Faith asked her quietly, 
a little awkward.

"I am now.  I just needed to let it out you know? So much has 
happened over the last two days.  I guess I'm on overload.  Well not 
guess, pretty much was on overload.  Probably why I did that whole 
lets make like a 'Buffy-mannequin' thing. I guess I'm just feeling a 
little needy right now."

Faith looked into Buffy's tired, sad eyes, there was strength, 
determination there, and need.  With a shock Faith realized that the 
need was for her.  Buffy needed her, was looking to, was turning to 
her for what it was that she needed.  Not Willow, Giles, or Xander.  
It was to her Faith that Buffy was turning to.  She who had never had 
anyone ever need anything from her before, not anything that counted 
anyway. The only thing anyone ever wanted or needed from her was sex, 
taking it from her if she didn't give it willingly.  Was that what 
Buffy wanted from her?  But she couldn't believe that was it, she 
knew on some deep level that it wasn't what Buffy needed or wanted 
from her right now.  There was more to them then just that she knew 
that.  Still she was confused.

If just never occurred to her that Buffy would ever need her, not in 
any real way, not in any way that counted. It scared her a little. 
Did she even know how to do this?  What if she disappointed her, 
didn't give Buffy what it was she needed? What if she failed?  What 
could she possible have to offer Buffy that Buffy couldn't or didn't 
already get from someone else?

Buffy watched Faith as the emotions flitted across her face, as she 
felt them in the 'echoes' that had become increasingly stronger 
between them over the last two days. She watched as the realization 
came to Faith that it was her she needed, not someone else.  As a 
little fear seeped in, fear that she wouldn't be able to give her 
what she needed.  Confusion as to what she should do, how to handle 
the whole thing.  It came to Buffy that no one had ever needed Faith 
before, not in any real way. Then she got the 'echo' of the only 
thing that anyone had ever wanted, needed or taken from Faith was 
sex. It saddened her to think that Faith had been taught the only 
thing of value she had to offer anyone was that.

Faith felt Buffy's eyes upon her, and raised her gaze up to her.  In 
an instant she knew that Buffy was getting all of this in those 
'echoes'.  As she stared into those eyes, Faith realized that she had 
more value to Buffy then just how good in bed she was.  She felt a 
little ridiculous even thinking after all that had happened between 
them that that was all there was between them. She believed, knew 
Buffy loved her, but old habits, old insecurities just didn't die 
overnight, because you wanted them too.  They managed to rear their 
ugly heads when you were the most vulnerable.  

Buffy smiled encouragingly at Faith letting her know she understood 
what was going through the dark slayers mind, and giving her time to 
figure it out on her own. Buffy wasn't being mean or trying to put 
Faith on the spot, she just wanted Faith to realize her own self 
worth.  To realize what it was that she meant to Buffy and to truly 
believe it.

That smile was enough, Faith wasn't sure exactly what Buffy needed 
from her, but she knew it wasn't just sex.  She believed she meant 
more to Buffy then just that, and she learned a little bit more in 
that instant what love really was. Standing there dripping on the 
carpet in her wet clothes, shivering a little in the chilly morning 
air, she gather her courage around her and just spoke from her heart, 
"I never had anyone ever need me before. The only thing anyone ever 
needed from me or wanted from me was sex and I know that's not what 
you need from me right now.  So I'm not really sure what you need 
from me or what it is I have to offer you know.  I just know that 
whatever it is, if you tell me I will do everything within my power 
to give it to you..."

"Whether you realize it or not Faith you already have been giving me 
what I need.  Have been before this. Coming up stairs, lifting me 
from the tub, holding me while I cried.  Putting me in bed.  Just 
being here. It's not anything you can buy or go get from downstairs.  
It's just you I need. You've been there for me, even when you weren't 
actually with me. I could feel you inside, in those 'echoes' we 
share.  All I need is you... Just you..."

"You've already got me..." It finally became clear to the dark 
slayer, it was to her Buffy now looked to.  To be comforted, for a 
strong shoulder to cry or lean upon.  To share her happiness, her 
sorrow, her joys, her pain.  And it wasn't until now that Faith 
realized that Buffy needed her just as much as she needed Buffy. They 
were partners, equals, lovers, all of that and sharing and helping 
each other was all part of it.  A little bit more of the fear, the 
insecurities, she had grown up believing started to fall away.

"And you've got me... now come to bed, we both need to get some 
sleep..."

" 'K... just gotta get changed... my clothes got kinda a little, well 
a lot wet..."

"Just take them off... I want to feel the warmth of you... just you 
next to me..."

Faith took off her wet sweats and tee-shirt and tossed them across 
the room aiming for the bathroom.  She crawled into bed next to 
Buffy, laying on her back.  She pulled Buffy over on top of her, 
folding her into her arms.  One hand came up to gently stroke her 
hair, the other to rest lightly against Buffy's waist.  Buffy buried 
her head once again in Faith's neck and shoulder, her hand came up to 
soothingly stroke along her neck and collarbone.

"I missed you B.  Missed you more then I ever missed anyone or 
anything ever in my life."

"I missed you too baby." Buffy snuggled in closer to Faith, feeling 
safe for the first time in two days, and knowing that together they 
would get through this, see to it that everyone came through it safe 
and sound.  She let out a small sigh, lightly kissed the dark slayer 
on the neck and drifted off to sleep.

Faith listened to Buffy's even, steady breathing, she kissed the top 
of Buffy's head, then drifted off joining her in sleep.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Welcome, child."

The Slayer looked up, seeing the old woman, blinking in surprise.  
Only a second ago she had been snuggled in bed with her lover, 
sleeping deeply for the first time in two days.  She should be 
cranky, but she wasn't, instead what she felt was fear.  Fear because 
she knew she didn't come here on her own, rather the 'Fates' had 
called her here, which could only mean one thing.

"The time has come, hasn't it?" Her voice trembled a little.  The 
Slayer looked into Atropos's eyes and saw that they were a little 
sad.  Atropos just nodded at her.

"Come over here child." Lachesis beckoned her.

The Slayer walked over to the 'Mother' who was weaving away on the 
'Tapestry of Life'.  She had known whatever it was that she needed to 
learn lay within the tapestry.  Atropos followed the Slayer as well 
as Clotho who put down her distaff and joined them. They stood around 
the Tapestry, but the Slayer stubbornly refused to look down at it.

"What good is any of this.  'Cause if I'm not mistaken I don't 
remember any of it when I'm awake do I?"  The Slayer smiled at the 
startled expressions of the 'Fates'.  She guessed she wasn't supposed 
to remember that, they had underestimated the Slayer again. "Didn't 
think I knew that did you? So what's the point?"

Of course it was Atropos who spoke for the 'Fates'. "Well actually 
no.  Neither here nor during your waking hours are you supposed to 
remember that.  Then again we should have expected that, as the time 
drew nearer, the veil of magic making you forget would grow 
thinner."  Atropos smiled at the Slayer, when she gave her a 'and-
your-point-is' look. "Yes well... It is not that we don't want you to 
remember, it is more that we were trying to protect you in a way.  
There were things that needed to take their natural course without 
our interference, without the knowledge you will gain from us here.  
By doing it this way, when the time comes for you to make your choice 
in the coming battle, it will not be influenced by us in any way. We 
are only here to show you what those choices are, we will not show 
you the consequences of your choice however.  Once you understand 
your choices you will know the consequence of each one of them.  So 
look upon the tapestry and learn the last of it.  When the time is 
right you will remember all of it. And you will remember us forever 
after that... should you choose to."

The Slayer looked down at the 'Tapestry of Life' with a heavy heart 
and watched as it came to life, showing her what she needed to know, 
showing the choices, all of which would, could forever change her 
life. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith woke just before noon.  She felt incredibly rested, slayer 
metabolism, she thought, gotta love it.  Just like their accelerated 
healing their bodies required less sleep to rejuvenate.  She knew one 
of the reasons she had slept so well was because Buffy had slept 
beside her. Faith had always slept so much before out of simple 
boredom.  There hadn't been a whole hell of a lot in her life that 
made her have any desire to get out of bed.  Her dreams for the most 
part were more welcome than the reality of her everyday life before 
now.  

All that had changed over the last few weeks, and months.  Thanks to 
a certain vampire with a soul who refused to give up on her, who had 
offered her a hand in friendship, in understanding, not once but 
three times. And to a certain blond-haired slayer who gave her 
another chance, became her friend, her lover, the keeper of her heart 
and soul. And because of Buffy's, no, THEIR friends that were more 
then just that, they were their family. Now she couldn't wait to wake 
in the morning and see what the new day brought to her.  Wake up to 
spend time with her family, her lover, just enjoy the simplicity of 
living life. 

Now there was some skanky-bad-haired-bitch threatening Dawn, Buffy's 
sister. Dawn, who was for all intent and purposes, Faith's sister, if 
not by actual blood, most definitely by reasons of the heart.  Not 
just threatening Dawn but all of reality. Who had sucked Tara's 
brain, and who knew how many others. The exiled-god who was 
threatening to take all of that away, not just from her but from all 
of them. Faith pushed down the rage, calming herself, it would get 
her nowhere, except to wake Buffy which she didn't want to do.  She 
had been exhausted that morning, the last two days taking more of an 
emotional and physical toll on her then they had on Faith.  She knew 
Buffy wouldn't sleep much longer, but whatever little bit extra she 
could get, Faith didn't want to cut short.

Faith gently untangled herself from Buffy, and smiled like she did 
every time as Buffy grumbled a protest in her sleep.  She gently 
brushed Buffy's hair off her face before she went downstairs.  She 
quietly made her way to the kitchen not wanting to wake the witches 
whom she was sure needed more sleep then they did.  She put on a 
large pot of coffee, and gathered the makings for breakfast out of 
the refrigerator.  She tried to keep her mind focused on the simple 
task of making breakfast.  She didn't want to think about the fear 
that was twisting her insides into knots.  Not fear for herself, but 
fear for Dawn, for Buffy, for everyone.  As much as she tried not to 
think about it she knew the odds were against all of them surviving 
this night.  Faith knew she would, without the slightest hesitation, 
sacrifice her own life to save any one of them.  She silently thanked 
whoever it was for giving her this second chance.  For giving her the 
opportunity to know what it felt like to feel whole. What it was 
like to be needed just because it was her, and not because someone 
was looking to get something from her.  But most of all for giving 
her a family and to know what it was like to love and to be loved in 
return.

She finished making the pancakes and jumped up on the counter, glad 
no one was around to see her do it.  B or Dawn always yelled at her 
for putting her bare feet up on the counter instead of pulling over a 
chair and using that to reach the top shelves.  But hell it was just 
easier this way.  She grabbed the hot coffee carafe and the snack 
tables down from the shelf.

She filled the carafe with the fresh coffee, and the creamer with 
half-and-half.  She went through a mental check list as she put 
everything on the snack tray.  Carafe of coffee, creamer, sugar, 
platter of pancakes, syrup, powdered sugar, butter, plates, napkins, 
coffee cups, silverware, and two large glasses of orange juice. Faith 
looked at the overloaded tray and laughed, there was no way she was 
getting up the stairs without an accident, no way in hell. But Faith 
being who she was didn't do the logical or practical thing and make 
two trips, that would be out of character for her. Instead, she 
carefully lifted the tray and make her way from the kitchen to her, 
no, their bedroom upstairs.  She mumbled to herself the whole way, 
talking to the items on the tray and asking them nicely not to fall 
off.

Buffy was sitting up in bed four pillows propped up behind her.  She 
was giggling when Faith entered the room, and Faith turned beet red 
knowing that Buffy had probably heard her talking to the food nicely, 
and then threatening it when the platter of pancakes almost took a 
header off the tray.

Faith paused right inside the doorway; she looked at that beautiful 
smiling face.  Heard the lightness in Buffy's giggles, making Faith 
feel young herself. She gave Buffy a lopsided grin and for just a 
second it was as if everything was right with the world. For just a 
second they were two ordinary people in love; vampires, demons, and 
lunatic exiled-gods where just stuff that fairy tales where made of.  
For just a second... and then that second was gone.  But what a 
beautiful second it was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy watched Faith as she stood in the doorway, all shy and 
blushing, and thought she looked adorable.  No matter how insane it 
was to be having these thoughts when the whole world could become one 
big demon playground tonight she still had them. She had learned 
after all of these years as a Slayer to live within the moment.  To 
take the happiness when it came even if it was surrounded with 
sorrow, or fear, because she might never get the chance again, 
especially since she woke up every morning wondering if today was the 
day she was going to die.  It did not make her forget her 
responsibility as the Slayer, or that a lunatic exiled-god had her 
sister. If anything, it was moments like these that made her remember 
those things even more clearly.  Pointed out to her glaringly, 
harshly, that her sister wasn't here. That Dawn wouldn't be enjoying 
Faith's famous strawberry pancakes with them.  It didn't stop the 
laughter from falling from her lips, it was just laughter that was 
wrapped in sadness.
 
"Ah baby, you don't know how cute you look standing there talking to 
our breakfast." Buffy giggled again as Faith turned even redder, she 
half expected Faith to start shuffling her feet on the ground and 
going 'Ah shucks B'. But if that really happened Buffy would have 
been demanding to know who the impostor standing in their doorway 
was, because she knew that wouldn't be her Faith, and Faith didn't 
disappoint her.
 
"Yeah B, just fucking adorable.  That's me all right. Fucking a-d-o-r-
a-b-le"  Faith grumbled but was secretly pleased that Buffy thought 
she was cute. She set the tray down on one of the nightstands and 
went about removing everything.  As she set up the snack tray, and 
made a plate of food, and a cup of coffee for Buffy and then for 
herself, her thoughts traveled down almost the same exact path as 
Buffy's had only moments earlier.  The only difference between them 
was that Faith had started to learn to appreciate and seize the 
moments of happiness when she could way before she had been called.  
She had started learning that lesson two days after her father had 
left her mother when she was only six years old.

Faith made herself comfortable on the bed with Buffy. After about 
five minutes, even though she didn't want to bring it up, she asked 
Buffy anyway. "You want to tell me what happened yesterday when you 
left Xander's and Anya's?"

Buffy had been watching Faith while she ate, lost in thought.  She 
had noticed how the dark slayer wolfed down her food, like she 
expected someone to take it from her, or that if she didn't eat it 
fast enough she wouldn't be able to get enough or seconds. Buffy had 
never asked or said anything to Faith about it.  She couldn't help 
but wonder how many times Faith had gone hungry either because the 
food had been taken from her, or there just simply wasn't any or 
enough.

"B?"

"Huh?" Buffy pulled herself away from her thoughts and realized Faith 
had asked her a question. "What?"

"Wanna tell me what happened after you left the apartment yesterday 
morning?"

"Well....after I told you our plan to run away...." Buffy began to re-
tell Faith about what happened after they left the apartment.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy wasn't in the least bit surprised that Faith  was on her feet 
pacing around doing one of her little 'Faith' tirades by the time she 
was finished telling her the events of the day before. Buffy was so 
busy watching Faith after she finished and thinking how cute, 
endearing, downright sexy Faith was when she did this, that Buffy was 
only catching pieces of what Faith was saying to her.

"Piece by piece..."

"...drag her by that bad-hair..." 

"...no... too good.... kick her butt from here to fucking Jersey and 
back again..." Faith did a spinning roundhouse kick almost taking out 
the floor lamp to illustrate, then went on pacing again, mumbling 
some more. 

"... stomp on her... do a tap dance on her face..." Faith spun around 
caught up in her own little world and she stopped at the end of the 
bed, throwing her hands around growling as she continued.  Buffy kept 
right on watching her, grinning at Faith like an idiot, as Faith 
started pacing again.

"....to Dawn, she got another fucking thing coming.  Nobody.... 
touches Dawn. I love Dawn like she was my own sister, she is my 
sister, and if that bitch thinks she can hurt her she's wrong.  
Nobody will hurt Dawn not only cause she's like my sister but because 
it would hurt you too." As she continued to rant her voice got lower, 
huskier, she was almost growling. 

"...And nobody will hurt you, not without coming through me first.  
No way, no how, not some skanky-ass-bad-hair-ugly-scum-fucking-
dumbass-god or not! No fucking way, not any god, not anybody, not 
ever, even if I wasn't in love with you B, I still wouldn't let 
anybody hurt you or Dawn.  The only way would be over my dead body 
and I don't pla..."  Faith froze realizing what she had just said.  She 
had just told Buffy that she was in love with her, in a half ass way, 
but still she had said it.  

Buffy watched Faith as she paced and ranted.  Loving how protective 
and possessive Faith was when she was like this.  Then Faith's voice 
lowered, growing huskier, raspier. She was practically growling. The 
sound sent a shudder down Buffy's spine that had absolutely nothing 
to do with fear. She watched as Faith stride lengthened, as she moved 
with a feline grace, all sensual, almost predatory, reminding Buffy 
again of a panther. Her voice and the way Faith was moving sent Buffy 
drifting off into her own little sensual mind trip, she barely 
registered what Faith was actually saying. 

Faith stood stiff, tense, waiting with her back to Buffy, afraid to 
turn around and face her.  Waiting for Buffy to say something, 
anything, laugh, just do something.  Waiting for the inevitable 
rejection she had been conditioned for years to expect.  And as she 
waited she began to pray. Pray fervently that what she felt in 
those 'echoes' from Buffy was real, not just her imagination.  Pray 
that what she believed with all of her own heart and soul that Buffy 
felt for her was not just wishful thinking.  

Faith's head lowered dropping to  her chest, her shoulder slumped in 
defeat, rejection, as her memories rose up.  As the voices from her 
past came screeching out of the deep dark place she kept them locked 
up in inside of herself forever.  They drowned out the voice that 
was 'Faith', who tried to shout above the din that she knew better. 
They screamed at her, and reminded her of the words she had grown up 
hearing and believing, reminded her of what Buffy herself had said to 
her not to long ago. In mere seconds they had thrown her into the 
nightmare world of her past, holding her securely there, helpless 
like she was when she was just a child.

//"I love you mommy." The six year old told her mom, and then waited 
for her mom to tell her she loved her back like she always did, or at 
least she had when her daddy used to live with them. "Mommy...... Mommy?"
"WHAT? What the fuck do you want now Faith? What?"
"I l-l-l-ove y-you Mommy...  Don't you love me?"
"Do I love you?  If it weren't for you, your dad would still be 
here.  He's leaves and sticks me with a fuckin, whiney, little, ugly
brat.  Come're  I'll show ya just how much I love you." The six year 
old walked slowly over to her mother.  She was afraid of her when she 
had that smell on her breath. A smell she didn't find out until she 
was older was whiskey. Her mother reached out and grabbed her cruelly 
by the arm, squeezing until the child cried out in pain.  Her other 
had lashed out and viscously backhanded her across the face, 
splitting her lip. "Love you?  There ain't a fucking thing to love 
about you.  Now leave me the fuck alone unless you want me to show 
you again."//

Still Faith stood and waited, a helpless prisoner of her own 
memories, her body beginning to shake as they tore through her mind 
at the speed of light.

//"Come over here and let 'daddy' show you how much he loves you."
"NO! You're not my daddy. You're not! Not daddy! You're NOT. NOT......" 
She ran away from him as fast as her seven-year-old legs could carry 
her. 
But he was bigger and faster, he caught her by her hair, and dragged 
her back to the couch throwing her on it. He sat down next to her, 
and grabbed her hand, and forced it down onto his lap.  "See how 
much 'daddy' loves you.  Now tell 'daddy' you love him too Faithy. 
Come on you little bitch. Tell 'daddy' that you love him." He yelled 
as his own large hands descended upon the seven-year-old hurting her 
until she screamed in pain and told him what he wanted to hear.//

Still she stood in fear, in defeat, in rejection, for what felt like 
an eternity but had only been mere seconds, the tears falling 
silently down her face.

//"Did you honestly think that I could ever love someone like you? 
Spike would have a better chance. What? Did you forget who... what you 
are? What you've always been? How could anyone ever love that?"//
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was only a second or two before Buffy realized Faith had stopped 
moving and talking.  She took in Faith's stiff, trembling, body. Her 
hanging head and slumped shoulders. The whole air of rejection 
radiating around her. 'What the f....' she started to think before it 
crashed into her brain what Faith had said.

Buffy jumped out from under the sheet, not caring that she sent the 
trays, food, plates, coffee flying all over the place.  Faith had 
said she was in love with her and she had done nothing.  Knowing 
that 'love' had been used to hurt her, to trick her. Knowing that 
Faith was afraid to tell her for fear Buffy would throw it back in 
her face again. She started running across the bed, and was slammed 
by what Faith was feeling in one of the strongest 'echoes' ever, and 
it almost brought her to her knees.  She could practically hear her 
own voice from the past screaming in her head. She didn't miss as 
Faith flinched as the plates broke on the ground, waiting, as if 
expecting a blow or a dish to come flying at her. 

Buffy was silently cursing herself and whoever else was responsible 
for making Faith react this way.  She forced down the rage she was 
feeling when she felt an answering response of fear coming from 
Faith. All of this screamed through her head as she ran across the 
bed, and not since she sent Angel to hell had Buffy felt the kind of 
hatred for herself that she did at this moment.

She ran off the edge of the bed her feet tangled in the sheets, 
sending her flying, her hands coming out in front of her barely in 
time to stop her face from smashing into the floor. Buffy hissed in 
pain as her left wrist snapped back painfully, and her elbow smashed 
hard into the hardwood floor.
 
The sound of Buffy falling and her gasped cry of pain broke Faith of 
her paralyses. She whirled around and was by Buffy's side in the 
blink of an eye, she lifted her from the floor.  Cradling Buffy in 
her arms, holding her unbearably tight, the tears still streaming 
down her face.  Faith gently deposited her on the bed, running light, 
tender hands down Buffy's arms to make sure nothing was broken.  It 
didn't matter to her that what she had believed was between them 
wasn't. Didn't matter that she had been rejected again. All that 
mattered to her was that Buffy had cried out in pain. She ignored the 
voice in her head that was telling her the voices of her past were 
wrong. She had believed that voice once, but she wasn't willing, was 
afraid to believe it again.

Buffy looked up into that beautiful, defeated, pain-filled face, into 
those haunted eyes, and her heart broke. She had added to that pain, 
added to that haunted look, added to it all............ again.  Even in the 
midst of this, thinking that Buffy was rejecting her, even as she was 
being tormented by her memories Faith's first concern was for her.  
Buffy had waited to tell Faith she was in love with her, knowing that 
Faith needed to do it first. Now she had and Buffy had fucked up. 
Buffy couldn't even think of words harsh enough for the hatred she 
felt for herself for causing this unnecessary pain.

>From the time that Faith had said she was in love with Buffy to the 
time that she had picked her up from the floor to deposit her 
carefully back onto the bed, had been not even a single minute of 
time. A minute that might have destroyed what was between them. A 
minute that might have destroyed the fragile trust that Faith had 
given to her, that Buffy knew she had never given completely to 
anyone else before. A minute that felt like a blink of an eye, and 
eternity at the same time for both slayers. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy reached out and pulled Faith down into her arms. She held the 
struggling, trembling raven-haired slayer tight, not giving her the 
chance to get away.

"Oh god, I'm sorry.  I love you Faith.  I'm in love with you. I 
wasn't listening. I was daydreaming. I fucked up. I'm sorry.  God 
when did I become such a fuck up?" Buffy's tears joined Faith's own.  
Faith continued to struggle to get away from her, she knew Faith 
wasn't hearing her. "Faith I love you. I've never loved anyone the 
way I love you. Please..."

Faith broke free of Buffy's embrace and was off the bed moving 
towards the door fast.  But Buffy was quicker, she scrambled off the 
bed mumbling, berating herself under her breath, 'Stupid, fucking ass 
you are Summers. Dirt Summers, you're dirt.'. Buffy got in front of 
Faith, whose steps had slowed slightly when she heard what Buffy was 
mumbling to herself as she came after her.

Faith stopped, looking down at Buffy's feet. "Get out of my way."

"No. You'll have to move me if you want to get by." Buffy snapped her 
mouth shut, realizing how harsh that sounded.  She fucked up, she 
knew that, but she wasn't going to let Faith run away from her.  She 
loved her, now she needed Faith to believe that. 'How the hell did I 
get to be such a fuck up?', she wondered again. "Faith." She said 
quietly, and waited for her to look up, and waited.  "Faith, please 
look at me."

Faith was being stubborn, she wouldn't look up.  Her old insecurities 
and those fucking voices in her head were keeping her eyes firmly 
glued to the floor.  Buffy needed, wanted Faith to look at her, 
convinced if she could just get her to look at her, she would see the 
truth in her eyes.  Buffy opened herself fully to Faith, letting 
everything she felt reach out to her and did the only thing she could 
think of.  She reached out grabbing Faith lightly by the waist, 
cringing inside when she felt Faith flinch from her touch, but she 
didn't let go.  Holding onto Faith by her waist, Elizabeth Anne 
Summers, fell to her knees and looked up at the woman who owned her 
heart and soul.

"Faith I love you. I'm in love with you. More then I could ever hope 
to show... to tell you.  I'm sorry. I know you've been hurt. I hurt you 
before and now I've hurt you again. I was too busy fantasizing, 
daydreaming about you that I didn't hear what you said at first." 
Buffy paused catching her breath staring up into those eyes that she 
knew wanted to believe her.  She continued softly, "I love you, am in 
love with you more then I've ever been with anyone.  More then I ever 
dreamed possible... Nothing I've ever felt before can even come close 
to what I feel for you. I love your laughter, your smiles, the 
little 'Faith' tirades you go into, the way you're so good with Dawn, 
your passion, the wild child in you, the gentleness of you. There is 
nothing I don't love about you, no part of you that I don't love. 
Everyday it grows brighter.  Every second I spend with you I fall 
deeper in love with you.  I would be lost without you... I can't lose 
you... " Now it was Buffy's turn to wait as Faith stared down at her 
with eyes for the first time that Buffy couldn't read.  Nor did she 
know what Faith was feeling, there were so many conflicting 'echoes' 
coming at her fast and furiously that she couldn't separate them. So 
she waited and prayed, not even conscious of the tears that rained 
down her face.

Faith couldn't believe it when Buffy fell to her knees in front of 
her.  She stared down into Buffy's eyes, wanting to fall into them, 
wanting to believe her as the words started to fall from her lips.  
Believe in something, in someone more then she ever had in her life.  
With each word Buffy said, the voices from her past got quieter.  
With each word, the fear started to leave her.  With each word, she 
started to believe.  With each word, she started to melt.  With each 
word, the voice in her head, that was *her*, urged her to believe 
with her mind, what her heart, her soul already knew was true.

She continued to stare down at Buffy, seeing the tears roll down her 
face.  A part of her still held out, unbelieving, still afraid.  
Afraid, because of her past, to give anyone that kind of power over 
her again.  Afraid, because of her insecurities, doubting her own 
self-worth again, because of the voices from her past. The doubting 
of Buffy, the self-doubt, the not believing, was swirling around in 
her head. *Her* voice whispered to her, asking her if she was going 
to forever let the past, let the fear rule her? When was she going to 
learn to trust herself, what she knew, what she felt, again?

Buffy continued to stare up at her lover.  Angry at herself for 
letting this happen.  Hating herself even more then she did when she 
sent Angel to hell.  This time when the rage hit that was 'Hurricane 
Buffy' it was directed at herself.  She sat back on her calves, 
bending over at the waist, hiding her face in her hands and cried 
harder.  Cried in rage, in fear, in self-loathing, but most of all 
over Faith, over the pain she had caused, and who she thought she had 
lost. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rage, fear, loathing, pain and loss.  All of them thundered through 
Faith, all of them coming at her from Buffy in one large pain 
filled 'echo', as Buffy collapsed to the floor in front of her.  All 
the 'echoes' Faith thought at first where directed at her.  All of 
which made Faith want to run away as far and as fast as possible. 
>From them. From Buffy. Until she heard Buffy's soft anguished sobs. 
For the briefest second Faith closed her eyes, closed her mind off, 
found her center and listened, really listened to the 'echoes', with 
her heart, with her soul.

When she listened, she felt the 'echoes' from Buffy weren't directed 
at her but directed at Buffy herself. The rage, fear, self-loathing, 
pain and loss were because Buffy thought she had lost her... Faith.  

Faith... the dark slayer, the rogue slayer, the evil slayer, the second 
slayer, the insecure, cocky, brash, shy, immature, too mature, abused 
child, one time psycho-murderer, the wild child, the 'want, take, 
have', 'get some, get gone' girl, one of the 'Chosen Two'. It 
stunned, awed, humbled Faith and she believed.  Believed with all of 
herself, every part of her being and she knew nothing, no one, not 
the voices of her past, not even herself, would ever make her doubt 
the love that Buffy felt for her again.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith fell down to her knees in front of Buffy, pulling her up, into 
her arms.  Buffy fell into her embrace, bring her arms around Faith, 
hugging her to her so tight, she forced the breath out of her.  She 
sobbed into Faith's shoulder 'I'm sorry' over and over again.

Faith reached up, she placed her hands on Buffy's shoulders, she 
moved Buffy so that she could see her face.  This time it was Buffy 
whose eyes were lowered.

"B?"  Faith waited for Buffy to look at her, and waited. Softly she 
asked her, "B... Please look at me."

Buffy raised her eyes up to Faith's, and her heart leapt. She prayed 
she wasn't imagining what she saw in Faith's eyes. "Faith... I'm sorry. 
I..." 

Faith stopped her by placing her fingers gently against her 
mouth. "I'm sorry too..." She took a shuddering breath, this was hard 
for her. "I... let my past, my fear control me. Let it make me believe 
that... that... you didn't love me.  Make me believe it before you even 
got a chance to say anything. Make me disbelieve what I already knew 
was true in my heart, in my soul.  I heard what I always expected to 
hear, what I always heard. But... I don't want it to own me anymore.  I 
won't let it own me anymore."  Faith paused again and gathered her 
courage. "I love, am in love with you B... Buffy... Elizabeth Anne 
Summers... More then I can ever show you or tell you... From now until 
the end of time, corny as that is.  I think I loved you before I ever 
even met you. I think I was born loving you."

For a second Faith felt the familiar flash of fear go through her, 
but she squashed it down with a vengeance that Anya would have been 
proud of.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to hear you say that. How long 
I've wanted to tell you that I loved you.  I think I was born loving 
you too, Faith...ah..."  Buffy trailed off wracking her brain, she knew 
Faith's last name didn't she? How could she not remember her last 
name?

"I never told you." Faith told Buffy before she could ask. "I don't 
remember my real father's last name. I was too young to remember when 
he left. And... Joh...*he* adopted me and I won't use his name anymore. 
Haven't used it since I got away from him. So I don't have one."

"You can if you want Faith."

"What do you mean?"

"You can have mine."

Faith didn't answer her, instead she leaned down and kissed her.  The 
rest of the world fell away as they kissed.  Sharing each other's 
breath, this kiss more intimate then any touch, any caress before.  
They opened themselves fully to each other, sharing the 'echoes' of 
emotions between them.  Surrounding themselves in what they felt for 
each other.  Words could never hope to describe what it was they were 
both feeling.  Something inside of Faith recognized something inside 
of Buffy that it had been searching for, and something inside of 
Buffy found the same thing inside of Faith. They flowed together in 
that kiss, merging, bathing in each other's souls. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow walked up to the Slayer's open bedroom door with Tara in 
hand.  Tara grew silent, the part of her that was still *Tara* 
quieting her befuddled mind, understanding what she was seeing.  

She watched with Willow in silent awe, before they quietly left the 
Slayers alone, as the 'Chosen Two' lost themselves in that intimate 
kiss.  Watched as the essence, or the souls of the 'Chosen Two' 
seemed to merge. Each still distinct, separate, still whole in their 
own right, but somehow just simply more together.  The light that 
shone from them, their aura, souls, surrounded, joined, entwined, 
balanced, complimented, and interwove with each other like a finely 
spun silk thread. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
all of my life i've had a longing for knowledge / and all which lets 
my thoughts be free / duties for which i'm destined seem to haunt 
me / confusing all i really want to need / and i see you again and i 
know its true / my dreams that have left me call out once again / 
together we'll find the strengths to make love real / because i 
wanted to do what i know is true / my thoughts lead me on i only see 
one way / the way to what lies beyond / i will follow my heart - 
Sarah McLachlan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The vampire had the teenage boy cornered in the dead end alley.  The 
boy backed up in fear and confusion. He didn't understand what was 
going on.  Why was this guy chasing him?  Why was this guy interested 
in whether or not his blood was hot? What was with this guy wanting 
to rip his throat out and drink his blood? The boy felt like he was 
in some bad 'B' horror movie, or in one hell of a warped, weird 
dream. 

The teenage boy and vampire turned at the sound of a door opening. A 
head popped out, they saw a young blond-haired woman, her hair was 
long, straight and parted down the middle, her complexion light, she 
had sparkling light hazel-green eyes, and a  lazy smile playing 
around her lips. Even as scared as he was the boy couldn't help but 
think how beautiful she was.  Less then a second later another head 
popped out of the open door over the shoulder of the blond.  It too 
belonged to a young woman.  Only where the first woman was light this 
one was dark.  With long wavy raven/auburn tresses, a sprinkle of 
freckles ran  across the bridge of her nose and over the tops of her 
cheeks, her eyes were a very dark-chocolate-brown, and a sensual 
lopsided grin played around her lips.  Her hand rested on the blond 
woman's shoulder, thumb gently caressing. They were a striking pair, 
light on dark, and the young boy would have many a dream about the 
two of them for years to come.

"Hey. What's going on?" The blonde's tone was innocent and sweet. 
There was nothing threatening about either of the women. But had 
either the vampire or teenage boy looked closely they would have 
seen, a flash, a flicker, in the eyes of both women.  Would have seen 
that with that simple look both of the women had assessed the 
situation in just a single glance.

"Help me! Call the police!" The black-haired boy squeaked in fright. 

The vampire glared at the two women trying to intimidate them. He 
snarled at blond, "Get out of here, girl." The vampire turned his 
back on the girls dismissing them, and his attention back to his meal.

The blond moved out of the doorway into the alleyway playing the 
stereotypical 'dumb-blond', "You guys havin' a fight? 'Cause, you 
know, fighting's not cool."

The raven-haired woman leaned her lanky body up against the 
doorframe, her arms crossed, and barely contained her snicker at the 
blonde's question, a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

The vamp turned his head and glared again at the stupid girls.  The 
teenage boy tried to warn them one more time. "Get out of here!"

The vampire waved off the boy, "No, no, she wants to stay..." He 
turned around and directed the full weight of his stare at the blond, 
he leered at her. "...I don't mind a little appetizer..."

The blond frowned at the vamp, a look of concentration on her face as 
she moved casually closer to him. "Have you ever heard the expression,
'biting off more than you can chew'?" The vampire frowned at her, 
shaking his head no, but not showing any fear. 'Where's the fear?' 
the blond wondered. The woman in the doorway did snicker this time, 
and whispered 'Good one!' but the blond was the only one who heard 
her. "O-k-a-y... Um...... how about the expression, 'Vampire Slayer'?

"What the Hell are you talking about?" The vampire was confused and 
by the look on the blonde's face she was confused, that he was 
confused.

"Wow! Never heard that one. Okay, how about, 'Oh God! My leg, my 
leg?'" 

This time the raven-haired beauty out and out laughed at the blonde's 
words. The vampire was pissed and decided he had enough of this shit. 
He lunged at the blond, thinking to himself the one in the doorway 
would be next. It looked like he was going to have a three-course 
meal tonight. The blond casually sidestepped the vampire's lunge.  
Then hit him with a hard roundhouse punch, spinning him a little, she 
followed through with a front-snap kick to his knee. The sound of 
breaking bones loudly echoed in the alleyway.

The vampire growled out as he fell, "Oh God, my leg! Ahhh!"
	
"See?  Now we're communicating." The blond leaned down pointing a 
finger at the vamp.

The raven-haired woman watched from the doorway as an almost physical 
change came over her lover.  As she went from playing the 'dumb-
blond' to 'The Slayer'.  She couldn't help but feel that somehow this 
time it felt different.  Something was different, but what?  The 
connection between them as Slayers felt stronger and it... it... Then it 
hit her what it was, always before it felt the same but different, 
different in the way as to how each women felt about being 'Chosen'. 
Always before the blond fought against, resented, tried to keep 
herself and 'The Slayer' separate, but not now.  That was the 
difference the conflict that had never existed for the raven-haired 
beauty was finally gone in the blond now.  Something over the last 
twenty-four hours had changed that.  Elizabeth Anne 'Buffy' Summers 
had finally merged, accepted, that 'The Slayer' was her and she was 
the 'The Slayer'.  That there was never a difference that she had 
been since the day she was born, Buffy and 'The Slayer', not separate 
but one in the same.  She finally saw, understood, and believed what 
Faith always had; who and what being the Slayer was, is.  As a gift, 
as an honor, protector, defender of the light, as something she was 
always born to be.  And that simple acknowledgement strengthened, and 
heightened all the connections between them.  It made them stronger, 
and opened the door for both Slayers' full potential to be awakened. 

Faith turned her attention back to Buffy and the vampire, leaving the 
exploration of this stronger, newer connection/realization for 
tomorrow, and gave a silent prayer that there would be a tomorrow. 
Right now she wanted to watch the fun, she loved to watch Buffy in 
action, she was staying out of the fight because instinctively she 
knew this was something Buffy needed to do on her own.  She moved a 
little making herself more comfortable against the door jam.

The vampire after a few stunned seconds jumped back up ignoring his 
broken leg, grabbed Buffy by the throat and threw her against the 
brick wall. He followed her, and tried to grab her again, she blocked 
him, pushing his reaching hands aside with ease.  She punched him in 
the face hard and fast, then kneed him, and was behind him before he 
even had a chance to react.  She kicked him from behind and sent him 
flying into a dumpster.  Really pissed off now, the vampire half-
turned and backhanded Buffy, sending her stumbling backwards towards 
the teenage boy.

The boy scrambled out of her way, running for cover and cowering in 
the corner of the alley.  The vampire growled and punched Buffy in 
the face. {Hate it when they hit me in the face! Asshole!} He picked 
her up by the neck and slammed her down on top of another dumpster. 
Wanting to return the favor Buffy kicked the vamp in the face.  
{There!}, mentally she stuck her tongue out at the vamp. 

Unable to resist showing off for Faith who stood watching amused and 
aroused, {Woo Hoo! Love those 'echoes'} in the doorway, Buffy did a 
cartwheel off the dumpster landing on her feet gracefully. Moving 
like a predator, she hit the vampire with a series of staggering 
kicks, forcing him backwards, until he landed on top of a pile of 
wooden crates.  The crates shattered under his weight, and pieces of 
splintered wood flew into the air. The vampire gave a short-lived 
sigh of relief that he hadn't been staked by one of the splintered 
pieces of wood.

His sigh quickly turned to a strangled rumble of fury.  In the blink 
of an eye Buffy snatched a piece of the flying crate out of the air, 
with dexterity and speed the vampire knew wasn't quite 'human'.  He 
lunged up at her and saw almost as if in slow motion the makeshift 
stake coming towards him, and then he was just dust. She dropped the 
makeshift stake and stared down at the vampire's dust, she could see 
the boy still cowering in shock, in fear, out of the corner of her 
eye.

"Wow. Been a long while since I met one didn't know me."  She turned 
around towards the doorway and Faith, she took a step towards her and 
paused, she turned her head and looked back at the boy, " You should 
get home."

She started to walk towards the raven-haired beauty again, whose eyes 
where raking over her with a very hungry look.

"H-h-ow did you...do that?" Came the boy's trembling voice from 
behind her.

Buffy answered him without turning around, keeping her eyes locked on 
her lover in the doorway, "It's what I do," her voice was low and 
throaty, and she didn't miss the little shudder that rippled under 
Faith's skin.

"But you're... you're just a girl ..." The boy said as if trying to 
convince her, the other woman, and himself.

Buffy stopped, still keeping her eyes on the woman in front of her, 
"That's what *I* keep saying."  She was just a very special kind of 
girl, just like Faith.  Special indeed, and in that second Buffy's 
conscious mind accepted what her unconscious mind already had. She 
looked at Faith, the 'echo' she got from her telling her that Faith 
had already known this, and got a sweeping sensation of the changes 
between them, their connections, she gasped and Faith smiled at her 
in understanding

The boy took off running down the alleyway.  The raven-haired slayer 
watched as the blond-haired slayer started moving towards her again.  
Moving like a predator stalking it's prey, slow, graceful, sensuous, 
and this time it was Faith who was reminded of a panther.  The second 
the other Slayer was within arms reach, she grabbed her by the waist 
of the pants and dragged her to her, trying to pin her up against the 
wall by the door.

It was the raven-haired slayer though who found herself pinned next 
to the door, arms above her head, back up against the wall.  

The first of the 'Chosen Two' leaned up into to her, her lips a 
hairsbreadth away from Faith's. Who couldn't have stop the shudder 
that went through her even if she wanted to, when her lover whispered 
to her, low, husky, "You know there was one thing that I lied 
about..."

"What's that?" she whispered back, and smiled at the answering 
shudder she felt go through her lover.

The look she received was purely carnal, primal. "That the whole 
slaying thing didn't make me hungry and...." Then the blond-haired 
slayer leaned the length and weight of her body fully against the 
raven-haired slayer, who managed to get a moaned 'B' out before her 
mouth was captured, and devoured.

The sound of a lone wolf howling at the moon split the silence of the 
night.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She slid her hands down the length of Faith's arms, dragging her 
nails down the sensitive underside of them.  She continued running 
them down over the length of her torso, stopping briefly to rest upon 
Faith's waist.  She slid them behind Faith, resting them right above 
her buttocks, and pulled Faith's hips towards her hard, sliding Faith 
over her slightly raised thigh, which was now between Faith's legs.  
Both Slayers were having flashbacks to the night at the Bronze.  Only 
now it felt like they both had been waiting two years to feel the 
touch of the other.

Faith who was not to be outdone slid her hands behind Buffy's back, 
and pulled her to her tighter and slightly down onto her own raised 
thigh.  She let her knees buckle and arched her back letting her 
shoulders slide down the wall behind her, pulling Buffy with her, 
never breaking their kiss. She sat back almost completely onto her 
calves and pulled Buffy closer to her, until the were both straddling 
each other thighs. 

Buffy moaned into Faith's mouth. Faith captured it and drank it down 
like it was the sweetest nectar on the face of the earth.  Buffy 
pulled out of the kiss, gasping for breath, her heart racing, lava 
running through her veins.  She skimmed her mouth along Faith's 
cheek, over to her ear, stopping to capture, nibble on her lobe.  
Then she found the sensitive spot behind Faith's ear, scraping her 
teeth along it, mumbling, "We shouldn't... be... doing this...... We 
should......... stop........." 

Buffy continued running her mouth, her tongue, raking her teeth along 
that sensitive spot, mumbling the same thing, over and over.  While 
Faith's hands roamed, over her back, around up her sides, brushing 
along the sides of her breasts. Stifling her moans of agreement 
against her neck,  'You're...... right...B...... Stop......... now.........'  that only 
served to send shudders of desire down Buffy's spine.  

She knew it was inappropriate, knew it was selfish. Knew that it was 
out and out wrong in so many ways to be doing this in the back 
alleyway of the Magic Shop, that she couldn't even count them.  Doing 
this, feeling the need, the desire, the want, while some fucking 
lunatic-exiled-god held the fate of her sister, them, the world as 
they knew it, in the balance. But in the back of her mind ran the 
continuous harsh, cold, very real reality, that there might not be a 
tomorrow for her, Faith, both of them, any of them. 

This wasn't the 'Master',  Kakistos, Drusilla, 'The Judge', Adam, 
'William the Bloody', Darla, The Mayor, or even 'The Scourge of 
Europe - Angelus', this was a 'God' they were going up against 
tonight. A 'God' who had kicked her ass more then once, a 'God' who 
she couldn't seem to damage, hurt at all, a 'God' who they didn't 
know how to kill. While the threat of dying had always been there, 
the odds were with them, not against them. This time though, they 
weren't. This time the smart bet, the only bet was on the 'God', not 
the slayers, not even with the two of them fighting together. And she 
could feel in those 'echoes' that Faith knew all of this too. 

But knowing that only made the desire, the passion, escalate, fast, 
furiously, and out of control for both Slayers in a matter of 
seconds. It was more than that, it was in the need to feel alive, to 
be with, to touch, to feel the warmth, the rush, to memorize each 
other, their sighs, their moans, feel their breath, their heat 
against you one more time, and the ice-cold bone deep fear that you 
might never get the chance again.  It was a reaffirmation of feelings 
and even more. Buffy moved her mouth away from Faith's neck and 
looked at her locking their eyes.  Everything she was feeling she saw 
reflected back in those dark, dark, brown eyes. The thoughts, the 
feeling were exactly the same, they could see it in each other eyes, 
feel it in the 'echoes', feel it in the place inside of themselves 
that held the other. 

The act of dusting a ridiculously simple vampire brought to the 
surface all of the hidden thoughts, fears of the 'Chosen Two', and 
drove home with vicious force the very real reality that this could 
truly be the last time they were together as just simply Faith and 
Buffy. Once they went back into the Magic Shop Buffy and Faith would 
fade and the 'Chosen Two' would take their place.  While it was true 
that *they* and 'The Slayer' were one in the same, there were times 
when they were just 'The Slayer'. When what they felt for each other 
came secondary, had to come second to what they had to do, had to be, 
how they had to act, react, and they might not ever get the chance to 
be just *them*, after tonight.

Buffy brought her mouth down almost brutally onto Faith's. It was all 
in that kiss, the love, the fear, the desperation, the wrongness, the 
rightness, the passion, all of it and more. Faith was keening into 
her mouth, and Buffy was moaning back, dimly she realized they were 
both shivering, trembling, crying. 

Buffy pulled back from the kiss, and both slayers reached up at the 
same time to brush the tears gently away from each other's face. 
Faith leaned in and caught a few of the still silently falling tears 
from Buffy with her tongue.  She took a shaky breath and leaned her 
forehead against Buffy's and stared into her eyes. "I love you," she 
whispered and if it weren't for Buffy's slayer hearing she would not 
have heard her. 

Buffy's whole body shook from those so softly spoken words, because 
unlike other people she not only heard them but felt the truth of 
them, was surrounded by them, encompassed and awed by them in the 
'echo' she got from Faith. And she sent back her own love for Faith 
and Faith gasped, trembling.  Something happened between them in that 
second that Buffy couldn't even begin to try to put into words.  It 
was like a sharing of energy, a merging, she felt like hot currents 
of electricity were running between them, every hair on her body was 
standing on end and when Faith nodded slightly to her, she knew Faith 
was feeling the same thing too.

Buffy ducked down her head and kissed Faith. The kiss was the same 
but more than what they had shared earlier that day.  And Buffy 
didn't care that she was being selfish, didn't care that this was 
wrong, because something inside of her was urging her on, some deep 
seeded instinct, and it felt like some outside force was there too, 
telling her no matter how wrong this was, it was just as right. It 
was almost like a prophecy was being played out, almost like the 
choice was being taken out of both the slayers hands. Like before 
everything faded from both slayers minds, there was just them and 
what was between them.  For them and the rest of the world it was as 
if time stood still. As if the 'gods' themselves were giving the 
'Chosen Two' these few minutes in time. Giving them not to the 
slayers, but to Buffy and Faith.

Buffy broke their kiss and once again locked her eyes with Faith, 
they didn't need any words between them because with absolute 
certainty she knew Faith felt it all, and understood it too. As if 
they had a mind of their own, her hands slid down to Faith's hips.  
Faith's own hands mirrored Buffy's exactly. Their hands upon each 
other's hips they encouraged the other to rock, slide upon each 
other's thighs. They started a rhythm between them that was as old as 
time, moving together in perfect synchronicity. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were still moving against each other, breath labored, hearts 
pounding a furious beat, sparks of heat running under their skins, 
molten heat pumping through their veins.  All in perfect sync with 
the other, together but separately, feeling the other 'emotions', 
feeling their own.  Separate but the same.  One but individual.  It 
was all to much and too little at the same time. Too fast and too 
slow.  Rushed, but as if they had taken all the time in the world 
with each other.

They took each other to a place they had never been before in the 
back alley, amidst the dumpsters and garbage on the ground.  It 
didn't matter, they didn't see it, all they saw was the other, all 
they felt was the other.  All they had was this moment in time before 
their world could possible change forever.  It felt like hours, but 
was only minutes in reality.

"I love you Faith"

"I love you B."

Had they said that aloud, or did they only hear it in their minds? 
Then all coherent thought fled as the world they had made for each 
other exploded in a kaleidoscope of colors around them. They clung to 
each other like there was no tomorrow, as their bodies trembled, 
convulsed around the other, as sparks seemed to fly from inside and 
outside of their skin.  As they felt as if they were inside, a part 
of the other, separate, but the same.  As they created a link between 
them, and left a piece of themselves inside of the other for all 
time.  The connection between them solidified, merged, became a bond 
that could never be severed by anyone, anything, not even themselves.

They collapsed into each other a little awed, humbled, terrified, 
overwhelmed, but reveling in this anyway.  Certain that nothing and 
no one could ever truly separate them again, not even death. They 
leaned their foreheads together realizing they had never once stopped 
crying. They moved towards each other again at the same time, as one 
but separate, as the world started to come back into focus, as 
reality started to intrude once again, and softly they kissed. 

They rose on shaky legs, straightening out their clothes, their hair 
with equally trembling hands.  They calmed their breathing. No words 
were exchanged between them, there wasn't a need, there was a perfect 
understanding between them now, in the 'echoes' that lived within 
them.  They moved over to the door and turned to each other and 
kissed once more, before entering; each praying that it wouldn't be 
their last.

They reached together and opened the door, hand in hand they walked 
into the Magic Shop.  With each step they took down the hallway they 
let the part of themselves that was just Buffy and Faith fade, and it 
was 'The Slayers', the 'Chosen Two' that emerged into the main room 
of the shop. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were in pure hardcore research mode, well, Willow, Xander and 
Giles were.  Spike was sitting on the ladder that led up to the 'Off-
Limits' loft of the shop, smoking a cigarette. Anya was off to the 
side fiddling with something on one of the shelves.  Tara was just 
looking around blankly rocking, humming and muttering to herself. 
Buffy and Faith's attention was entirely focused on Giles, they 
barely even noticed anyone else in the room. 

Xander looked up from his book when they came back into the shop, he 
noticed the light gleam of sweat on both of their skins and the 
slightly flushed look they shared, "Something going on out back?"

The 'Chosen Two' dropped their linked hands and Buffy moved forward 
towards the table, Faith stayed where she was. "Vampire." Buffy told 
him not dropping her gaze from Giles.

"Oh." 

"Anything?" Buffy waited for Giles to look up from his book and 
answer her.  

Giles could feel the weight of her stare on him.  He raised his hand 
towards his glasses as if to take them off.  His hand hovered over 
them for a second in indecision, then he dropped it back down to the 
table and raised his eyes to her.

"Nothing you want to hear. The ritual is... uh..." Buffy cut his 
stammering off.

"Explain it to me again."

"There's nothing new to..." His tone was filled with sorrow,remorse.  
Buffy and Dawn were like his own daughters, this was killing him 
inside.

"Go through it again."  Buffy's told him in a slow, calm, almost 
soothing voice.

Everyone except Faith and Anya looked nervously at Buffy.  There was 
something almost too calm about her.  Anya looked first at Buffy and 
then Faith, there was something different about them, something if 
she were still a vengeance demon she would recognize, but now 
couldn't quite put her finger on it.  Something had happened besides 
just sex between the two of them since they had gone out back and 
come back inside.  It was eluding her, she dropped it from her mind 
and turned her attention to Giles instead.

"The Key was... living energy. It needed to be channeled, poured into a 
specific place at a specific time. The energy... would flow into that 
spot, the walls between the dimensions break down. It stops... the 
energy's used up... the walls come back up. Glory uses that time to get 
back to her dimension, not caring that all manner of hell will be 
unleashed on Earth in the meantime."

Anya looked between the two grim faces of the 'Chosen Two' and felt 
fear, real fear coil in the pit of her stomach for the first time in 
over a thousand years.  She didn't want to ask, didn't want to hear 
the answer that she already feared she knew, but she did anyway.
"Um... But only for a little while, right? The walls come back, uh... n-
no more hell?"  Anya looked expectantly at Giles, but it was Willow 
who answered her.

"That's only if the energy is stopped. And now the Key is human... " 
Willow paused not even for a second and looked over her shoulder at 
Buffy before she finished, "...is Dawn."

Giles looked down and began to read from the book in front of him, 
"The blood flows, the gates will open. The gates will close when it 
flows no more." He took off his glasses again, not even remembering 
putting them on, and looked up at Buffy and continued, "When Dawn is 
dead."

The sound of a pin dropping could have been heard when Giles finished 
reading the harsh, unrelenting, terrifying words from the book, 
silence ruled until Tara broke it. "I have places to be!"

They all looked over at her, she had curled up into a ball in a 
chair. She was quiet again, staring at them blankly, lost in the 
world that Glory had forced her into.

"Why blood? Why is it Dawn's blood, why couldn't it be, like, a lymph 
ritual?"

'Stupid bloody humans!  After all this time you would think they 
would get it!', Spike couldn't help but think to himself.  He could 
barely contain his sarcasm and contempt when he answered Xander, 
"'Cause it's always gotta be blood."

"We're not actually discussing dinner right now." Xander snorted.

{Fucking bloody chip. Hate it, hate it!} "Blood is life, lackbrain. 
Why do you think we eat it? It's what keeps you going, makes you 
warm, makes you hard, makes you other than dead." This time a little 
bit of his contempt and sarcasm did slip through.  Spike lowered his 
voice when it hit him that it was 'Little Bit' he was in essence 
talking about, and he finished in a quiet regretful tone, "*Course* 
it's her blood." 

Spike looked from one to the other, finally they were getting it.  As 
he looked though from Giles, to Willow, to Buffy and then Faith he 
saw that they had always understood this on some level, even if they 
didn't want to admit it to themselves.

Buffy moved closer to the table, her gaze still intent on Giles, 
Faith moved to stand off to the side right behind her.

"Pretty simple math, here. We stop Glory before she can start the 
ritual. There's still a couple of hours, right?" It was a little 
eerie how calm Buffy's voice was.

"If my calculations are right, but Buffy..." 

Buffy cut him off, her voice was hard, demanding, like a General 
addressing her troops. "I don't want to hear it..." She turned her back 
on him as if dismissing him.

"I understand that..." Giles tone was soft, he did understand that, but 
someone had to make the hard choice and he didn't think that Buffy 
could.

She whipped back around to face him, "No! No, you don't understand! 
We're not talking about this!"
 
Giles jumped up facing her down.  He didn't want to do it but he did, 
it wasn't simply just Dawn's life in the balance here it was the fate 
of the worlds as well.  "Yes we bloody well are!" Everyone looked at 
Giles in shock.  They could probably count the number of times on one 
hand that he had ever yelled at Buffy.  He saw their shocked 
expressions, he calmed himself and lowered his voice, "If Glory 
begins the ritual... If we can't stop her..."

"Say it. Come on, we're bloody well talking about this, tell me to 
kill my sister!" Buffy's voice had a hardness to it that Giles had 
never heard directed at him before.

Though it killed him inside to say it to her, he did it anyway in a 
quiet firm voice, "She's not your sister."

She waited a beat before answering him, there was a thoughtful look 
on her face. "No. She's not. She's more than that. She's me. The 
monks made her out of me. I hold her... I feel closer to her than..." 
Buffy looked down at the table, her 'slayer' faЌade slipping from 
her.  Right now she was just plain ole' Buffy, Dawn's sister.  But 
the 'slayer' disagreed, Dawn was her sister too. She looked back up, 
and she continued the 'slayer' and Buffy were in total accord, "It's 
not just the memories they built. It's physical. Dawn... is a part
of me. The only part that I..."

"We'll solve this. We will. Don't have another coma, okay?"  Willow 
smiled at Buffy who gave her a small smile in return.

Still keeping his voice quiet Giles told her, all of them, "If the 
ritual starts, then every living creature in this and every other 
dimension imaginable will suffer unbearable torment and death..." He 
looked directly at Buffy, "...including Dawn."

"Then the last thing she'll see is me protecting her." Buffy's voice, 
determination was made of steel, they all knew that she was not going 
to change her mind. She didn't need to turn around to know that Faith 
had nodded her agreement behind her.

Giles looked at Faith first, then at Buffy, he knew that neither of 
them would veer from their chosen course. His whole being was filled 
with sorrow it was reflected in his soft voice. "You'll fail. You'll 
die. We all will." Then he turned away from the table, from them.

"I'm sorry." Buffy told his slowly retreating back as she and the 
others watched him walk away from her. "I love you all... but I'm 
sorry." Then she turned away from the table and them looking to Faith 
for comfort, understanding.  

Giles paused and turned to look back at her. Then they all jumped a 
little when Anya spoke up in a loud voice out of practically nowhere.

"OKAY!" Anya raised her hand casting her own vote first, something 
she had seen on television. "All in favor of stopping Glory *BEFORE* 
the ritual! Suggestions? Ideas?" She snapped her fingers, trying to 
get them to pay attention, participate, raise their hands.  Xander 
was thinking to himself he was going to have to cut down on her 
television, but he loved her anyway. "Time's 'a-wastin'..."

Spike looked at Buffy he couldn't help it, a bloke could wish after 
all, "Uh... when you say you love us *all*..."

"Shut up." Giles and Xander yelled at him together, while Faith just 
gave him a look and raised her eyebrow at him in warning.  She didn't 
feel bad for him but she could totally relate to what it felt like to 
love Buffy, and not have her love you in return. After all she had 
'been there and done that' and fuck if she wasn't glad that it was no 
longer true.

"Willow! I bet you've got some dark spell a 'brewin'. Uh... make her 
a.. ah... a toad? Little hoppy toad, we hit her with a hammer..."

"Hoppy toad..." Tara giggled out at Anya's suggestion.

"What about Ben? He can be killed, right? I mean, I know he's an 
innocent, but, you know, not, like *Dawn* innocent. We could kill 
a... regular guy..."  Everyone looked at Xander, surprised, confused 
but considering what he said.  No one noticed the flicker in both 
Giles and Faith's eyes.  As he considered it himself he felt 
disgusted that he even made the suggestion, it was apparent in his 
softly spoken 'God'.

"It's doubtful he'll surface again this close to the ritual. We have 
to expect it's Glory we're dealing with." Giles was back in full 
scale 'Watcher' mode.

"We don't have to kill her... um... we just stop her from performing the 
ritual. I mean, there's just the one time she can do it, right?" 
Willow was still in the take charge mode, still thinking on her feet. 
She had changed over the last year, the shy, young red-head had 
turned into a confident powerful witch.

"Yeah, we get her on the ropes, we just gotta keep her occupied till 
it's too late!" Spike agreed with Willow.

"Okay, but I'm still not hearing enough ideas, she's a god, let's 
think outside the box!" Anya was still playing the cheerleader, 
encouraging her fellow squad-mates to get into the games.  Too much 
television definitely Xander thought to himself.

"Why don't you go think outside the bleedin' box?"

"Yes, Anya, apart from your incredibly un-infectious enthusiasm, have 
you anything to contribute?"

Anya thought about it for a minute then blurted out, "The Dagon's 
Sphere!"

"Sorry?" The confusion was clearly written across Giles face.

"When Buffy first met Glory she found that magical..." She gestured 
over towards the wall. "...glowy sphere that was meant to repel Glory. 
We've got it in the basement." Okay, everyone was looking at her in 
surprise. She smiled proudly, happy to finally be able to contribute, 
to help. "It might drive her back, or hurt her... Ooooh!" Anya 
hurried over to  the display case, in full scale cheerleader slash 
game-show hostess mode.  She waved her hand showing, presenting the 
item in the case just like she had seen the women do on 'The Price is 
Right' game show. "And... Olaf the Troll-god's enchanted hammer." She 
moved her hand away so that everyone could see the very large, heavy 
hammer in the case. "You wanna fight a god, use the weapon of a god." 
Anya finished beaming proudly, having to hold herself back from 
clapping her hands in enthusiasm like a two-year-old.

Spike watched as Buffy walked over to the display cabinet he started 
to tell her, "Uh... Nah... that thing's too heavy to..." And barely kept 
his mouth from dropping open as Buffy lifted it with ease.  Almost 
like it was made out the same thing that nerf balls were. "Yeah. 
Good." He finished lamely.

"I like this." Buffy smiled at Anya, "Thanks!"

"Here to help. Want to live!"

Everyone was a little bit bewildered by how smart, and how helpful 
Anya was suddenly being.  Xander puffed up his chest proud of his 
girlfriend and looked at her with something short of a leer, but with 
total devotion and love, "Smart chicks are sooooo hot." 

"You couldn't have figured that out in tenth grade...?"

Willow and Xander exchanged smiles, and for just a second, they were 
once again just the two plain old goofball kids that grew up together.

"Well. We have some ideas, if we could actually get Glory on the run, 
but, um...."

"But we still have no idea how to find her." Buffy said to Giles as 
she watched Faith who was giving the hammer an almost sensual look. 
One thing that hadn't changed about Faith was she still loved new 
toys.

"Big day... Oh, it calls me! I have to be there!" Tara told them, the 
deep seeded part of herself hoping they would understand. They all 
looked at Tara, then at each other, speculatively. Buffy and Faith 
exchanged thoughtful glances. "Big day!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn was sitting on the floor, eyes closed, knees drawn up to her 
chest, arms wrapped tightly around them. She heard Ben enter the 
room, she knew it was him without having to look.  She ignored him, 
but he was insisting on talking to her.  He wanted her to change into 
an antique looking gown, and then he was trying to explain to her why 
he was doing this, but she didn't care.  She answered him 
sarcastically, he made her sick, she didn't want to look, hear, or be 
around him anymore.

"Change!"

"What?" He was confused change into what? He already had on what he 
was supposed to wear, she was the one who needed to change.

"Change. Be her. I don't wanna look at you." 'You piece of shit 
(Faith again), Dawn thought to herself.

He shook his head no at her, confused, contrite, in sorrow, "Dawn, I 
don't think you wanna..."

Her voice started out low but with each word it grew louder until she 
was yelling at him, "Be Glory! Be Glory! GloRY! GLORY! GLORY!"

"Will you just stop..."

"...shouting already?" Glory finished for Ben after he morphed.Dawn 
glowered at her, and Glory was a little bit confused, she thought the 
kid wanted her here.  "Huh." She looked over the medieval dress that 
she was holding that Dawn was supposed to put on.  She shook it, as 
if shaking out imaginary wrinkles, then turned her attention back to 
Dawn. "So... what's the hubbub, bub?" Glory sat down in a chair and
made herself comfortable, "...What do you got against old Benjy?"

"He's a monster. At least you're up front about it."

Glory started playing, picking at the dress, fidgeting like a 
remorseful three-year-old. "Don't be so hard on the boy. He just 
wants to live... most guys would do the same. Besides, he's probably 
the reason your sis and her little cartoon pals are still alive. That 
little nagging pinch of humanity that makes me go for the hurt 
instead of the kill." She looked directly at Dawn so she would know 
that she was telling her the truth, so the kid could see it in her 
eyes. But 'god' only knew why this was important to her. "Lowering 
myself to trade blows with a Slayer when I should have just put my 
fist through her heart." She stood up irritated now and looked at the 
damn dress again. "It's gotta be Ben."

"Or maybe you just can't take her." Dawn told her pulling a 'Faith' 
only this time she said it aloud. 'Fuck it, the bitch is gonna bleed 
me anyway', (Faith again). Did it really matter that she was cursing 
now anyway?

Glory flung the gown at Dawn, who grabbed a hold of it startled.  
Glory smiled and furiously yanked on it. Pulling Dawn right up off 
the floor.  Dawn was proud of herself when she didn't lose her 
balance and she stood glaring at Glory facing off against her. Dawn 
watched as a flicker of something flashed across Glory's face and she 
knew that when she spoke it was going to be in that irritatingly, 
sickly-sweet voice that grated her last nerve.

"Hmmm... funny thing... You've been here for a few hours now and I 
haven't seen big sis galloping in to save you. She probably knows 
what a terrible mistake that'd be."

"She's not afraid of you." Dawn stared at Glory with confidence.  She 
knew her sister and it wouldn't matter even if she was afraid of her, 
her sister when it came down to it would be here for her, she knew 
that.

"Oh, no, sweetie baby, I'm talking about the ritual. 'Cause you know, 
I bleed  you, the portals open, but once you die, they close. The 
faster you die, the better for your sorry species."  Glory grabbed 
Dawn hurtfully by the face, and drank in the fear she saw there.  
Damn she couldn't wait to get home, she so missed this. "I'm bettin' 
Buffy knows that. And since your not really her *sister*...  "I'm 
guessing she isn't gonna show. And if she does..." Glory squeezed 
Dawns face tighter, and almost swooned as Dawn flinched in pain.
"...it might not be to *save* you."  Glory tossed Dawn from her like a 
ragdoll, letting out a brief second of that hysterical madwoman 
giggle that made chills go down Dawn's spine.  

Down landed on the floor hard, face first, and jerked her head back 
just in time from smashing against the grating on the floor.  She 
felt the gown fall down beside her, and she looked up at Glory who 
was smirking at her.  Dawn pressed her face up against the grating, a 
solitary tear fell from her eye as she whispered, "Buffy."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was in the training room alone.  Faith was out front rummaging 
though the weapons chest in delight, acting a lot like a five-year-
old who had been given free rein in a candy store. Giles took one 
last look at her shaking his head before he left the main area of the 
shop to go join Buffy.

When he entered, he stood for a second watching Buffy pound away at 
the body-bag.  With alternating punches of deadly force, she was 
hitting the bag with everything she was worth.  He walked over 
towards her, his heart was breaking for her, they were too young 
these slayers to have so much weight on their slim shoulders. "You 
sure you're not going to tire yourself out?"

She stopped punching the bag, there was still a little bit of anger 
in her demeanor, "I'm sure." She started beating up the bag again 
after she answered him.

"We're... still working on ideas." Buffy stopped hitting the bag
again, the anger draining out of her as Giles spoke to her. "Time's 
short, but, uh... best leave it to the last moment." He watched Buffy as
she stretched out her muscles. "If we go in too early and she takes 
us out, no chance of getting her to miss her window."

"Then we wait." She threw a punch at the bag with such force that the 
chain snapped.  The bag flew a few feet and hit the ground hard, had 
it been a person the next sounds would have been ones of pain and 
bones breaking.  She shook out her arm as she stared at the bag.

"I imagine you hate me right now." There was such sadness in his 
voice.  He heard her sigh in sadness as well, but she didn't turn 
around, or answer him. He took a few hesitant steps closer to her. "I 
love Dawn." The truth of it could be heard loud and clear in his 
words.  But both of them knew it didn't change a thing.

"I know." Still with her back to him.  He was like a father to her, 
it was killing her that it had come to this between them.

"But I have sworn to protect this sorry world, and sometimes that 
means saying and doing... what other people can't. What they 
shouldn't have to."

Buffy composed herself as best as possible and turned to face 
him, "You try to hurt her, you know I'll stop you."

"I know."

A second passed, Buffy turned and walked over to the couch and sat 
down. Giles trailed slowly after her, stopping and standing in front 
of her.  Both silently wishing that they were just ordinary people, 
oblivious like the majority of the world to what evil there really 
was in it. 

"How many apocalypses is this for us?" Her voice was tired and way 
too old sounding for her age.

"Oh... uh... well..." He sat down, taking off his glasses like he always 
did when he was thinking. "...six, at least." He leaned back carefully, 
still mindful of his wound. "Feels like a hundred." This time it was 
his voice which sounded weary.  He was tired, truth be told. 

"I've always stopped them. Always won."

"Yes."

"I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much... But I 
knew... What was right, I don't have that any more. I don't 
understand. I don't know how to live in this world, if these are the 
choices." His heart was breaking for her, for all of them.  For the 
deep-down, bone weariness he heard in her voice. "If everything just 
gets stripped away... I don't see the point. I just wish... " The tears 
were forming in her eyes and she was having a hard time holding them 
back. "I just wish my mom was here."

Giles watched as she held the tears back, she was almost resigned to 
them.  He noticed though a change in her, and realized like Faith had 
earlier that there was no longer a conflict in her.  Buffy had 
finally accepted that she and 'The Slayer' were one in the same.  It 
was this acceptance Giles knew, that was giving her the knowledge 
that something was, felt not quite right about what was going on now 
with Glory. 

Buffy got up from the couch and started heading to the door.  She 
stopped when she was almost there and turned around to look at him 
once again.  There was one thing she still hadn't told Giles about 
her 'Slayer Quest', in fact only Faith, and now Willow who found out 
about it during their 'mind-meld' knew.  Buffy decided now was as 
good a time as any to tell him, "The spirit guide told me... that Death 
is my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after 
all."

"I think you're wrong about that." And Giles had the feeling that she 
knew it too.

"It doesn't matter. If Dawn dies, then I'm done with it. I'm 
quitting."

She turned back around, needing to be with Faith and left him alone 
sitting on the couch mulling over her words.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn was wearing the gown that Ben brought in for her.  Glory had 
given her the choice of either putting it on herself or having one of 
the minions do it for her.  The thought of one of those human-rat 
like things touching her made her skin crawl.  She had folded her 
clothes in a neat pile and carried them over to a chair, she placed 
them upon it and knelt beside the chair. Her eyes were wet and her 
face streaked with dried tear tracks.  She was silent, lost inside of 
her own head.  Calling to her sister, Faith, the Scoobs, Spike, Giles 
over and over inside of her head.  Hoping somehow that she shared a 
connection with one of them, any of them in the same way that Buffy 
and Faith shared one.

Glory was standing off to the side, writing, she had a gleeful smile 
on her face.  A minion entered the room and hurried over to her 
whispering close to the exiled god's ear something too low for Dawn 
to hear.  Dawn watched them out of the corner of her eye as she 
neatly arranged her sneakers under the chair.  She turned her head 
and looked up as Glory started talking in that fucking irritating, 
sickly, sweet-as-goddamn-syrup voice of hers.

"Okay, campers! It's almost stab time!" Glory smiled at Dawn and the 
minions in general. "You two, get her."

The minion in the room and another one who came through the door on 
Glory's command hurried over to Dawn.  Dawn started to back away, 
fear taking hold of her, she screamed at them, at the room, at the 
world, "NO! NO!" {pleaseohpleaseohpleaseidon'twanttodie} "BUFFY!!!!"

The minions ignored her screams and grabbed her, she continued 
screaming as she tried to get out of their grasp.  No words just 
whimpers and shouts of fear.  Glory watched them, licking her lips 
tasting the fear of the girl upon them.  Loving it, she smiled in 
pleasure, growling out in sensual voice, "See you in a few."  Glory 
was almost disappointed when they dragged the struggling girl out of 
the room.  Then again she would see her soon, and even better she 
would be going home soon.  

They dragged Dawn through the outer courtyard while she still 
struggled to free herself from their painful grip.  They dragged her 
past the crazies that were still working away and it wasn't until 
they dragged her up the first step that she raised her head, looked 
up and saw what everyone had been so busy building.  Confusion and 
fear threatened to overwhelm her at the sight above her.

A tower rose up out of the ground, over a hundred feet high. 
Reminding her in an odd way of an oil well.  The only thing spoiling 
the illusion was a platform forty feet in length that stuck out like 
some obscene narrow diving board.  The 'diving board' had what looked 
like poles jutting from it and ended in a half circle.  They began to 
drag her again and she flung herself backwards, trying to break away 
from them. They tightened their hold on her and continued to drag her 
up the steps. 

The tower was a monster, something surreal, something that should 
only be in nightmares, as it stood stark and absolute against the 
darkness of the night sky.

{BUFFYFAITHBUFFYFAITHBUFFYFAITHBUFFYFAITHBUFFYFAITHBUFFYFAITHBUFFY...}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles yelled down to Xander and Anya in the basement, "Any luck? Have 
you found the Dagon Sphere?"

Anya yelled up to him coming out from behind the stairs,  trying to 
put her shirt back on fast, afraid that Giles might decide to come 
down there. "Umm... I'm sure it's here! Just be a minute..."

Xander came out from under the stairs, buttoning and zipping his 
trousers up.  It was inappropriate for them to have just done what 
they just did.  Even though she couldn't say it with an absolute 
certainty, Anya suspected they weren't the only ones that had been 
inappropriate tonight.

This time Xander yelled up at Giles, trying to keep his voice calm, 
"Yeah, we're on it..." He raised his voice a little more to make sure 
that Giles could hear him, "...let's look over here! Where we didn't 
look yet!"

"Well, time's a factor..." Giles shouted back down reminding them. He 
wondered what they really had been doing down there the basement 
wasn't that big.  Then again he really didn't want to know.

"Yes! Yes! Not to worry."  

Giles shut the door and they heard him as he walked away, they both 
sighed in relief and actually started to look for the sphere.

"So, are you more, um... relaxed?"

Anya didn't look at him instead she kept looking through the boxes in 
front of her. "No."  The thought of dying actually scared her, it was 
something she hadn't had to think about in over a thousand years.

"No? I mean, it sounded like you... uh... arrived." Xander started to 
pace around her, confused.

"No. Yes um... I had the pleasure moment, and the blissful calm that 
comes right after it. But that only lasted a couple of seconds and 
now I'm terrified again."

He could understand terrified, he was a little terrified himself. He 
tried to calm her, "You don't have to be." Xander moved past her and 
yanked a drop-cloth off something over by the shelves, he shrieked in 
surprise. "Gaaah!" He leapt back away from the 'ewww' 'Buffy-bot'.

"Gaaah! What?" Anya jumped too, for a second frantic that Glory had 
somehow managed to get past them and was hiding under the drop-cloth.

"Spike's sexbot.. Why didn't they melt this thing into scrap?"

The 'Buffy bot' was staring at them with it's eyes open and 
unblinking, they stared back at it. It was creeping them both out.

"Maybe Willow wanted it." Anya saw the uncomfortable look on Xander's 
face at that comment.  She still needed practice on how to phrase 
things.  

He turned around to look at Anya and his breath caught like it always 
did when he looked at her. "I don't think Willow feels that way about 
Buffy... I mean she's gone through a lot of changes, but..."
 
Anya took pity on 'her Xander' and cut him off as a way of 
explanation of what she meant. "To study it."

"Right. Robotics." He blushed embarrassed, and Anya smiled at how 
cute he looked when he did that. "Science."

They both began to search for the Dagon Sphere separately suddenly 
Anya blurted out teasing him, "Pervert."

"Other pervert."

"And don't frighten me like thaAAAHHH!" Anya shrieked in terror, 
Xander was by her side in less then a second. "Oh god, who,  who 
would put something like that there, is this supposed to be some sort 
of sick joke?" She reached into the box again and brought out a small 
stuffed child's toy bunny. "I mean things aren't bad enough..." Deep 
breath, "... This is an omen!" 

"Hey... Hey... shhhhh..." Xander started rubbing her shoulders to soothe 
and comfort her.

"No, no! It's an omen, it's a higher power, trying to tell me through 
bunnies that we're all gonna die! Oh, God..." She was well and truly 
terrified now.

"No it's not." Xander put his arms around her from behind, pulling 
her tightly to him, as she let the bunny drop back into the box. 
"It's okay."

"No, you see, usually, when there's an apocalypse, I skedaddle. But 
now I love you so much that instead I have inappropriately timed sex 
and try to think of ways to fight a god... and worry terribly that 
something might happen to you, and also worry that something'll 
happen to me. And then I have guilt that I'm not more worried about 
everyone else, but I just don't have enough! I'm just on total 
overload, and I honestly don't think anything could make me be more 
nervous than I am right now."

He took one of his hands away from her waist and reached into his 
pocket. "Care to wager on that?" Xander asked her as he held open a 
tiny velvet box with a small diamond engagement ring in it, in front 
of her. Anya's mouth dropped open in stunned surprised.  He let her 
go as she turned to face him.  The smile he gave her was both 
beautiful and gentle, the love he felt for her radiated from him. 
"Anya... you wanna marry me?" Anya continued to look at him in stunned 
surprise for a few more seconds, then she slapped him across the 
face. "Can I take that as a *maybe*?"  He wasn't quite sure how to 
react to that slap, she was an ex-vengeance demon after all.

"You're proposing to me!"

"Yes..." Xander bit down the 'duh'.

"You're proposing to me 'cause we're gonna die! And, and, you think 
it's romantic and sexy and you know you're not gonna have to go 
through with it, cause the world's gonna end!" She was starting to 
sound a little like 'babble mode Willow'.

"I'm proposing to you, Anya, because it's not."

"You can't know that."

"I believe it. I think we're gonna get through this. I think I'm 
gonna live a long... and silly life and I'm not interested in doing 
that without you around." 

She could hear it in his voice the hope and the total belief that the 
world was not going to end.  She felt that belief and hope surround 
her and it somehow humbled her. "Oh............ Okay."

"Okay?" Xander looked at her in wide-eyed wonder, and thought to 
himself again how lucky he was, how much he loved this woman in front 
of him.

"Yes." Anya smiled at this boy, no, this man who had changed her so 
much. "I mean yes."

They both smiled like lunatics at the ring, almost as if they 
expected it to smile back at them.  Xander began to remove the ring 
from the box, Anya held out her hand to him.  Then gently she stopped 
him with a single softly spoken word, "No."

"No?" Xander was back to being confused and unsure of how to react.

"After. Give it to me when the world *doesn't* end."

He smiled at her in perfect understanding.  This would give them 
something to look forward to.  Anya put her arms around his neck and 
drew him to her for a loving kiss.  A kiss for once that had nothing 
to do with sex, a kiss that was all about what they felt, what she 
felt for him, and he for her.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy walked right over to Faith when she left the training room. 
Faith was still rummaging through the weapons chest with enthusiasm.  
Faith looked up at Buffy, the expression on her face was one of pure 
child-like joy, and Buffy had to force herself to breath. Again Buffy 
was amazed by how such simple things seemed to bring the dark slayer 
such joy.

Faith straighten up and opened her arms to Buffy, who eagerly went 
into them.  They stayed holding each other tightly, listening to each 
other's heart beat.  Warmth, love, safety lay within the arms of the 
of each other for the 'Chosen Two'.  Reluctantly they separated.

"B?"

"I'm okay. But thanks for asking."

"Whatever you need, and I mean whatever you need. You only have to 
ask me. I'll do it B, no matter what it is, no matter what the cost.  
You know that don't you?"

Buffy knew it, as sure as she knew she loved the woman standing in 
front of her. She knew if she told Faith the only way to stop this 
was for Faith to take a gun and blow off her own head she would do 
it.  Without an argument, without a word, she would do it for her, 
for Dawn, probably for all of them.  And just because Buffy asked her 
to.  It scared Buffy to have that kind of power over someone, she 
needed to be mindful of it, she had already taken advantage of it 
once during her 'General B' mode, she needed to make sure she never 
did that again.  Whether she realized it or not, Buffy had come a 
long way from that person, a long way even from the Buffy, Faith had 
met two years ago.  The person she was now would never do that, the 
person she was now would do the same thing for Faith if Faith asked 
her to.

"I know.  But all I need is you here with me. It's all I need, all I 
want."

"You've already got that."

"Let's go see if Willow's found anything."  Hand in hand they walked 
over to the table where Willow had her nose deep in a book, while 
Tara was napping in a chair behind her.

"Will, what do got for me?"

"Some ideas..." Willow paused and waited for Faith and Buffy to get 
settled on the ladder that led to the loft. Faith put her arm around 
Buffy who leaned into her warmth. "Well, notions. Or theories, based 
on wild speculation. Did I mention I'm not good under pressure?"

"I need you, Will. You're my big gun."

Fear, panic streaked through Willow. "I'm your... no, I-I never was a 
gun... Someone else should be the gun,." Willow looked to Faith for 
help, and didn't find any there. "I-I-I could maybe be a... a... 
cudgel. Or pointy stick..." Willow had a hopeful look on her face and 
in her eyes.

"You're the strongest person here. You know that, right?"  Buffy told 
Willow, thinking of what she saw in Glory's apartment, the day that 
she had sucked Tara's brain.

"Well, no..." She frowned, her brow furrowing in concentration, 
wondering what Buffy was talking about.  She had never thought of 
herself as a force to be reckoned with. Not her, not Willow, Buffy 
and Faith yes, but not her.

"Will, you're the only person that's ever hurt Glory. At all. You're 
my best shot at getting her on the ropes so don't get a jelly belly 
now." Buffy elbowed Faith when she heard her snort when she said 
'jelly belly'.

"Well... I, I... do sort of have one idea. But...last few days, I've 
mostly been looking into ways to help Tara. I-I know that shouldn't 
be my priority..."

Buffy leaned over and placed her hand on Willow's knee, her whole 
demeanor was sincere, "Of course it should." Buffy leaned back into 
Faith, and Willow smiled gratefully at her.  

"Well I've been charting their essences." It was something she would 
never have thought of, if it wasn't for the 'Chosen Two'.  Wasn't for 
the fact that Tara herself had showed her how to actually see/sense 
essences.  The Slayers essences were so strong that it had made her 
start to wonder if Glory's and Tara's wouldn't be too.  Since none of 
them were exactly 'normal' people. "Mapping out. I think... if I can 
get close enough, I may be able to reverse what Glory did. Like, take 
back what she took from Tara. It might weaken Glory, or... make her 
less coherent. Or make all our heads explode..." Willow had one of 
those 'I-really-really-hope-that-doesn't-happen' looks on her face.  
Before she could finished she was interuppted by Giles.

"Buffy!" 

All three women looked over at Giles who was standing with Xander and 
Anya, they were all gathered around looking at something.

"I'll try to work it."

Buffy, gently stroked Faith's thigh before she got up from the 
ladder. She paused for a second in front of Willow and lightly 
touched her on the shoulder in a show of confidence in her.  Buffy 
went over to the group to see what Giles wanted.

Faith got up from the ladder and joined Willow, who passed her a 
book, and grabbed another for herself.  She looked up at Tara who was 
now awake, and sobbed inside at the lost look on her face. God how 
she missed her. "Don't worry, love. It won't be too long."  Willow 
smiled at Tara.

Tara looked right through Willow, then hauled off and slapped Willow 
hard across the face.  Willow flinched back in pain. Faith jumped up, 
ready to restrain Tara if need be, only to stop when Willow placed 
her hand on her arm.  Faith looked down at Willow and saw the pain, 
not from the slap, but pain that comes from the heart, pain for both 
herself and Tara.  Faith felt the frustration grow inside her for not 
being able to do anything for them.  Oh she was so gonna hurt that 
fucking exiled-god.

"Bitch!" Tara voice came out hard, bitter, angry. "I'm supposed to 
work on the factors..." Then the anger left her, she became anxious, 
Willow just smiled at her sadly, her heart breaking even more, as she 
held back the tears. "I'm, I'm not... I'm not..."

Tara was once again the lost child; deep inside the part that still 
remembered, that was trapped, cried.  The tears started to fall and 
she gently lay her hand upon Willow's cheek.  Wanting to tell her, 
but unable to get out of the darkness that Glory had plunged her 
into.  Willow looked at her love, the tears flooding her own eyes.  
She took a deep breath, and Faith could almost feel the determination 
coming off her in waves, or was she actually getting a faint, very 
faint 'echo' of it?

"I'm gonna bring you back." Willow was determined her voice daring 
anyone to contradict her.

Giles was holding the ornate Dagon Sphere, it was roughly the size of 
a softball, and not too heavy.

"No. No, no, that's good. That could be pivotal." Buffy turned to 
look at Anya and Xander, and smiled. "Thank you guys."

Giles nodded, happy that they were all in agreement with this. "Well, 
um, then you're going to need some..."

"Way ahead of you. We got time?" Buffy quirked an eyebrow at Giles in 
question.

"Yes. If you hurry."

"Okay. I'll grab some weapons, too."  Buffy saw Spike approach them 
out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm looking for something in a broadsword..."

"Don't be swingin' that thing near me." Spike snarled at Xander.  
Buffy took the Dagon Sphere from Giles to examine it.  Testing it's 
weight and girth in her hand.

"Hey, I happen to be..."

"A glorified brick-layer?" Spike said sarcastically cutting Xander 
off.

"I'm also a swell bowler."  

'Lame comeback, X-man', Faith thought from across the room.

"Has his own shoes."  Way to defend your man Anya!

"The Gods themselves do tremble."

"Spike! Shut your mouth, come with me." 

Spike couldn't help but send a smirk Xander's way at Buffy's choice 
of him over Xander.  Buffy handed the Dagon Sphere back to Giles.  

"Faith. Will you walk me out? Please."  Buffy, Faith and a surprised 
looking Spike left the Magic Shop.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith and Buffy stood facing each other outside of the shop.  Buffy 
had shooed Spike down the street to wait for her, waving him far 
enough away so that she knew he couldn't hear them.

"What's up B?"

"What I... I... said to Giles about Dawn.  About stopping him, anyone 
from hur..."

"B... Buffy... you don't think I'd ever h...."

Buffy grabbed Faith's hands, "NO! No... I know you would never hurt 
Dawn. That's not what I meant. I know that you would stop anyone, 
including everyone in the Magic Shop from hurting her. I know that. I 
just needed to... I don't know how to explain it. I know they think 
she's not really my sister.  But she is... It's more than that, it 
almost like she's my daughter too.." Buffy paused wondering how she 
could possible articulate what it was she needed to explain.  Explain 
to Faith, explain to herself. "It's like she is more than just  
family.  When I hold her, it's more than just remembering the 
memories the monks planted.  They... they made her from me.  From 
me... she is me or parts of me... maybe the parts of me that I lost 
when I got called... It's physical... it's more... I feel closer to 
her then anyone, anything... I don't know how to explain it... It's 
like how we can feel each other, me and you... It's like that with 
her, only even more... I can't explain it any better than that..."

"You don't have to explain it at all.  I think I understand it, 
understood before.  Could feel how you felt in those 'echoes'. It's 
like how we are a part of each other physically because of what makes 
us slayers.  You know?  Even if it wasn't like that. I would never 
let anyone hurt Gamin'.  She was the first family I ever had,  the 
first person to see me. Just me two, three years ago."  Faith saw the 
brief flash of hurt, pain go through Buffy's face. "B... I didn't 
mean..." 

"It's okay Faith... She was and she did.  Children see the world as 
it is. Unlike us as we get older who tend to look only at what's on 
the surface, not what is really there underneath it.  I'm glad that 
she did. I'm glad that all of her memories of you are good.  Cause it 
feels right that they are." Buffy gently stroked Faith's face, who 
leaned instinctively into her touch.

"B... I would give my life protecting Dawn.  I would give my life 
gladly for either of you if it that was what it took to keep both of 
you safe."

"You know that I would do the same for Dawn, for you Faith. Don't 
you?"

"Yeah B... I do."  Faith pulled Buffy into her arms, both slayers 
prayed that it wouldn't come to that.  Faith determined that it never 
would.  There was one thought running hidden through her mind from 
Buffy.  She couldn't stop hearing what Xander had said over and over 
again.  

They broke apart and Faith stood outside the shop and watched until 
Buffy and Spike faded from her sight.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy opened the door to her Mother's, no, now her, Dawn and even 
Faith's house, she headed straight for the stairs yelling over her 
shoulder at Spike "The weapons are in the chest by the TV, I'll grab 
the stuff upstairs..."

Spike was standing right outside the door, the invisible barrier that 
kept vampires from entering a home without being invited, keeping him 
out.  Apparently the Slayer had forgotten about the revoking spell 
Willow had cast.  "Uh, Buffy..." Spike was surprised to hear her name 
and not 'Slayer' come out of his mouth.

Buffy stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned around.  She was 
momentarily annoyed when she saw Spike wave at her, like he was 
saying hello.  What the hell?  She frowned at him, really not in the 
mood to play games. 

Hesitant, uncertain, not wanting to anger her, "If you wanna just 
hand them over the threshold, I'll..."

She cut him off, not hesitating, not needing to even think about 
it. "Come in, Spike."

He stood in the doorway for a beat or two, trying to control himself. 
Not wanting her to know how much those three little words meant to 
him.  She had just showed her trust for him without the slightest 
hesitation, without even sparing a thought for it.  He tentatively 
stepped over the threshold.  He could more than understand now how 
the big 'Poof' fell in love with this woman. He made a decision right 
there and then.  If he got out of this in one piece he was going to 
have a long talk with 'Red' about something he had been toying with 
for some time now.

"Hmmm. Presto. No barrier." He tried to sound cheery, like the old 
Spike, play it casual he told himself.  But he felt a closeness to 
her nonetheless.  They locked eyes for a brief moment, then Spike 
moved towards the living room, not wanting to make a fool of 
himself. "Um, won't bother with the small stuff.  Couple of good axes 
should hold off  Glory's mates while you take on the lady herself."  
He started to set aside what he thought they would need from the 
chest.

Buffy watched him for a minute, he had changed, and it wasn't all the 
chip's doing. She knew that. "We're not all gonna make it. You know 
that."

"Yeah." He gathered up the weapons he had set aside in the chest, and 
walked back out into the hallway towards Buffy. "Hey, I always knew 
I'd go down fightin'." He never thought it would  be on this side 
though. Or because he had actually come to care about the Slayer and 
her little sister.  {Ah fuck, admit it Spike old man you friggin' 
care about all the bloody goddamn wankers.} 

"I'm counting on you... to protect her." It didn't surprise her that 
she trusted he would do this.  He had already proven his love for her 
sister.  He had been willing to give up his own life, to protect 
Dawn's.  He may have said he had done it for her, but Buffy knew he 
did it because he truly cared about Dawn.

"'Til the end of the world. Even if that happens to be tonight." 

"I'll be one minute." Buffy started up the stairs. 

"Yeah," Spike watched her go, gathering his courage around him. 
Him, 'William the Bloody', needed to gather courage, to speak to a 
little chit of a girl, Slayer or no Slayer. "I know you'll never love 
me." Buffy stopped, and slowly turned to look at him, she didn't know 
what to say to him. He was unable to read what she was thinking, it 
didn't matter, he was going to say what he needed to say anyway. "I 
know that I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man, and that's..." 
He stopped himself, as Buffy continued to look at him silently. "Get 
your stuff. I'll be here."  He finished, it was the first time in 
over a hundred years, the first time since he had been turned, that 
he had spoken from the heart of the man that he once used to be.

Buffy hesitated for just a second, she understood on some deep level, 
maybe it was her experience with Angel that helped her to 
understand.  She turned and ran up the stairs, if he had still 
been 'Spike the Vampire, AKA William the Bloody', she would have had 
a smart-ass remark.  But right then, right now, he wasn't, he was a 
vampire, yes, but it was the man who had spoken to her, and she let 
William the man keep his dignity.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were tying her to the tower with coarse thick corded rope.  She 
was scared but still she struggled against them, not willing to give 
up without a fight.  The wind this high up was whipping around her 
hair, the strands striking her face like tiny whips.  She was at the 
end of the platform, her bare toes hanging over the edge.  Faintly 
she could still hear the sounds of the crazed, brain-sucked people 
working, still building something, though Dawn didn't want to look 
down, didn't want to know.

They finished tying her securely to the tower, she turned her head 
away from them not wanting them to see her tears.  They turned and 
started to walk away from her, intending to leave her all alone on 
the tower. One turned back to look at her, "She will come to you 
soon."

They left her there all alone in her terror.  She struggled against 
her bonds even harder, but stopped, they were too strong and she was 
afraid of cutting herself on them. Bleeding was not part of the plan, 
not now, not later, not if Dawn had anything to say about it.  She 
was quite sure that both Buffy and Faith would have a few choice 
words to say about it as well.  Dawn closed her eyes and let the 
tears leak out from under her closed lids.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xander and Anya were making  goo-goo-eyes at each other, oblivious to 
the rest of the room.  Willow came out of the back from the basement 
and couldn't suppress the snort of laughter she threw Faith's way.  
Faith looked up from the floor where all the 'new toys' she had 
pulled out of the chest where scattered around her feet.  She shot a 
look of confusion Willow's way, then looked back down trying to 
figure out how many she could actually take with her before they 
became a hindrance.  Tara stood staring into the display case 
watching all the pretty colors.  Giles sat relaxing, well, as close 
to relaxing as possible given the circumstances.

Buffy thought they all looked pretty calm and relaxed, considering 
that the fate of the world rested on all of their shoulders.  Mostly 
though on hers.  "We on schedule?" The question directed at anyone 
who cared to answer.

Spike dropped the weapons he had been carrying on the desk next to 
Giles, who looked up from contemplating the axe he was holding to 
answer Buffy. "Yes, it's time."

"Will?"

Willow nodded to Buffy and went over to Tara who was still staring at 
the pretty colors in the display case. "Tara... baby? Is there 
somewhere you should be?"

Tara looked at Buffy, "They held me down..." There was frustration in 
her voice. And fear.

"No one's holding you. It's the big day, right?"  Tara looked at 
Willow then turned her head away. Willow followed her gaze, they both 
looked at Buffy.  Buffy returned Willow's gaze with a concerned, 
slightly confused look. "Do you wanna go?"

The anxiety rose up in Tara, her *real* voice wanting to be heard, 
understood.  She looked back and forth between Willow and Buffy, 
confused, anxious. She turned, faced Buffy and started moving towards 
both Buffy and the door.  She passed by Spike without a glance as he 
packed up the weapons.  Giles took a sword from the pile and pulled 
it out of its sheath. Tara stopped walking and pointed at Giles, 
"You're a killer." Both Giles and Spike looked at her in surprise, 
both from the bitterness of her tone and the accusation. "This is all 
set down."  Tara started moving towards the exit again, whatever she 
had been trying to tell them forgotten by now as the blank expression 
settled once again over her face.

Buffy kept her voice low, as Willow came near her, she did not want 
to distract Tara, "Stay close but don't crowd her. We'll follow in a 
minute."  Willow who had started to follow Tara again stopped when 
Buffy began speaking to everyone else in the room. "Everyone knows 
their jobs. Remember, the ritual starts, we all die. And I'll kill 
anyone who comes near Dawn." Not one person, alive or dead doubted 
her words.  Buffy turned and headed towards the basement, Faith close 
on her heels.  

Willow turned her attention back to Tara, and hurriedly followed her 
'always' out of the open Magic Shop door.

Spike glanced at Giles, then where Buffy and Faith had gone off to.  
He turned his attention back to Giles and noticed that he was 
clutching his side where he had been injured.  Spike had to give him 
credit, the old 'Watcher's' face betrayed nothing of his pain. "Not 
exactly the St. Crispin's Day speech, was it?" 

Giles rose from his chair and put *his* axe in the bag Spike had 
filled with the other weapons.  He looked at Spike in agreement and 
then began mockingly, "We few..."  Giles went around Spike and picked 
up the bag of weapons. "...we happy few..."

Spike finished for him, "We band of buggered...", together they 
headed off.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You ready to go?"  They stood facing each other, both of their 
expressions solemn. 

"Yeah B." Faith took a hesitant step closer to Buffy, then just flung 
herself into Buffy's arms, almost knocking them both over.

Faith was holding Buffy so tight she couldn't breath, what Buffy 
didn't realize was that she was holding Faith equally as tight.  They 
relaxed their death grip on each other, Buffy leaned back in Faith's 
embrace and gave her a soft slightly confused, amused look.  Buffy 
lifted her eyebrow in a questioning look and her smile grew bigger 
when Faith blushed.  Faith ran a shaky hand through her auburn hair, 
and shyly smiled back at Buffy.

"I... ah... sorry 'bout that..." Faith stammered out.

"Don't be..." Buffy smiled at her own little pun on her name. "I'm 
not."  Then she leaned up and kissed Faith, so softly, so tenderly, 
like she was a delicate piece of porcelain that would break from the 
slightest touch.  "We have to go..."

"B... there's just... so much I never got..." 

Buffy silenced Faith by gently placing her fingertips against her 
mouth.  "I know... me too... Tomorrow Faith, we can tell each other 
tomorrow."

They linked hands and left the Magic Shop together, tightly clutching 
the promise of tomorrow to their hearts. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow followed a few paces behind Tara as she made her way through 
the neighborhood near the Magic Shop; taking them down streets that 
they were all familiar with.  Streets both Xander and Willow had run, 
and played upon as children. When the most frightening thing the 
night held for them was the boogie-man that lived under their beds.  
They didn't know then that the boogie-man was actually real, then 
they would have laugh at it. Now they would start researching how to 
kill it. 

Tara turned the corner onto another familiar street, she stopped 
suddenly, and looked upwards.  Then she continued to walk at a slow 
pace.

Willow rounded the corner a few seconds after Tara, Spike a few paces 
behind her holding a crossbow, the bag of weapons slung across his 
back.  Anya had a baseball bat which she was slapping against the 
palm of her hand like a street thug, another thing she had seen done 
on television.  Xander caught up to her, thinking once again he was 
going to have to monitor her T.V.  Giles was a half a step behind 
them, moving a little bit slower because of his wounded side.  Faith 
and Buffy still holding hands brought up the rear.

Tara whimpered quietly while her hands became agitated twisting at 
her clothes, as she looked up again.  Tara continued walking away 
from them looking up at the sky, while Willow had stopped dead in her 
tracks after she had looked up into the night sky.
  
Willow looked up in awe. Uneasy, she knew what she was seeing now had 
not been there two days ago.  Xander and Anya moved up next to her on 
her left, Giles next to them.  Spike walked up and stood to her 
right.  All five stood staring up into the night sky blinking their 
eyes hoping that they weren't seeing what they were seeing.  Buffy 
and Faith came around the corner last and paused but a second when 
they saw everyone standing staring up into the sky, they joined 
them.  Buffy lightly nudged Spike aside and stood next to Willow, 
Spike moved a little further and let Faith in between him and Buffy.  
They followed their gazes up into the night sky and gaped open-
mouthed at the ominous black tower, that stood stark, surreal against 
the bright night stars.

"Shpadoinkle..." Xander groaned out his version of 'yikes'.

"What is that... ?"

"The portal must open up there." Giles of course ever the 'Watcher' 
answered Anya.

Faith and Buffy were both assessing the situation, the tower, Giles 
words.  Buffy glanced quickly at Willow, "Will, you're up."

Willow put on her best 'Resolve/Determined Face' and took a deep 
breath.

"Need anything?"

"Could use some courage..."  Spike shoved a hand with a flask in her 
face his answer to her request to Giles for courage. "The real kind." 
Spike looked at her and she looked at him back, a little smile on her 
face, he had tried after all. "But thanks." He nodded his acceptance 
and put the flask away, moving back to his place in the rank and 
file.  

Willow took another deep breath.  She closed her eyes and began 
mumbling an incantation under her breath.  They stood together 
shoulder to shoulder, this odd little family, thinking of the two 
that were missing.  Tara who had wondered ahead lost in the world 
that Glory had plunged her into, and Dawn who Glory had snatched from 
their midst only two days ago. Side by side in silence, eyes closed 
as if in prayer, the six of them waited for Willow to finish her 
spell, so they could go and take back from the lunatic exiled god 
what she had stolen from them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Young girl in my younger girl days, thinking I could live for 
always. / But like an ocean tide I'm drawn back inside and I know. / 
Seasons pass like sand inside a glass and nothing, nothing returns. / 
Standing with the friends I've made, I'll race them to the grave. / 
Well who won, won the extra days? / When you take away the years toll 
on the waters wide, shallow high and low. / In the autumn sky, happy 
to know I'm going home. / Even with my eyes closed, funny how I know 
it's finally, has it finally begun? 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 'Crazies' were still performing a few tasks, but no longer 
building.  Still they gathered, holding saws, linked metal chains, 
metal bars, anything that could be used as a weapon.  A few minions 
stood milling around with swords keeping an eye on the 'Crazies', 
keeping them in line if necessary.  Tara joined in, she pulled the 
cast off her broken hand and threw it aside.  She walked through them 
muttering to herself, she spied a pile of bricks, headed over and 
picked one up.

Tara jumped a little when a hand clamped down on her shoulder and 
spun her around.  She looked blankly back at the eyes that stared at 
her suspiciously.

"You. What are you doing here?" Glory sneered at the blonde Witch she 
had thought was the 'Key'. She barely finished her sentence before 
the brain-sucked blond witch's redheaded lover appeared virtually out 
of nowhere, stepping between her and the blond witch. Before Glory 
had a chance to react, Willow snarled, "She's with me." and shoved 
her fingers into both Glory's and Tara's heads.

The two witches and the exiled god screamed in pain, in agony, as 
blue-white energy, electricity streaked between them, around them. A 
stream of blue energy flowed from Glory's head, through Willow's 
fingers, down her arm, across her shoulders, up her other arm, 
through her fingers into Tara's head.  The three were paralyzed, 
caught in the grip of the energy stream, then the energy expanded out 
in a sudden blizzard of white and exploded around and out  from 
them.  The energy surge sent the two witches and the exiled god 
flying in different directions.  Willow flew into a pile of wood and 
slipped into unconsciousness, the spell having taken everything out 
of her for the moment.  

Glory landed on her back on the hard concrete. After a second she sat 
up and shook her head to clear it. "What the frickin' hell did that 
bitch do to me?" she asked the minions that had rushed over to her.

The minions looked at each other then at her, then back at each 
other.  One finally found the courage to say something, "You look 
fine! Truly!"

Glory grabbed her head in pain, in confusion, she almost had the same 
blank look of the 'Crazies', "She made a little... she made a hole... 
Uh... I need a brain to eat..."

"Oh... take mine, oh groove-tastic one..." The minion who had found 
the courage to speak before, groveled and bowed to her.

"I said a BRAIN, you worthless dirt!" She stood up and began walking 
aimlessly, appearing even more like one of the 'Crazies', she raised 
her hand to her forehead in confusion.  Her human-ratlike minions 
followed her in concern. "Big day... I got places to be, big day. 
Need a brain..."  Glory dropped her hand to her side, she smiled 
snidely at the woman in front of her. "Suppose I could always use 
yours."

Buffy stood facing the exiled god calmly.  Her hands were clasped 
behind her back, the embodiment of cool. "Okay then." She smiled 
slightly, with raised eyebrow, totally battle ready, she taunted, 
beckoned the exiled god, "Come and get it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glory and Buffy stood facing off against each other.  Glory smiled at 
Buffy with disdain, regarding her more like an annoying little gnat, 
than a Slayer.  

While Buffy watched Glory waiting, she caught a flicker of something 
in her eyes before she looked away.  Glory took an unsteady step, and 
flexed her arms as if in pain.  Buffy smiled at her innocently, and 
said with feigned concern, "You don't seem very well." 

"Your little witch-bitch... gave me kind of a headache there." Glory 
shrugged off her ceremonial gown, it was too hot, she had a simple 
'skanky' black dress on underneath. "But if you think this is gonna 
last more than eight seconds..."

"I notice that you're talking, whereas in your position I would 
attack me."  This time it was Buffy who smiled at the exiled god with 
disdain.

A minion took Glory's ceremonial robe, concern on his face. "Oh most 
sweaty-naughty-feelings-causing one, should we..."

"Go guard the girl! This is a... a..." Glory stumbled over her words, 
that red-headed bitch had really done a number on her.

"Diversionary tactic?"  The minion smiled proud of his deduction.

"Go! Guard!" Glory snarled at the minions.

The minions scrambled away from her in fear, they grabbed as 
many 'Crazies' as they could and positioned them around the bottom of 
the tower.  Their job to guard the stairs leading up to the 'Key'.

Glory kept a careful eye on the blonde slayer-bitch, she was still a 
little unsteady on her feet. Her mind still foggy, her head pounding. 
Glory moved towards the Slayer, hesitated, not bothering to hide the 
confusion on her face.  Cautiously she took another step closer, but 
it took a very concentrated effort.

"It's strange... You're not as blurry with speed as usual, either." 
Buffy continued as if Glory had never interrupted her before.

"The witch..." Glory began, wondering why she was even bothering to 
give any type of explanation at all. Only to be cut off by the 
meatbaggy-slayer in front of her.

"It's not her."  With a smirk, Buffy brought the Dagon's Sphere out 
from behind her back. "It might be this..." Glory growled in alarm at 
the sphere. "I heard it was supposed to repel you. So my guess is... 
that you probably shouldn't touch it."

Buffy tossed the sphere at Glory quickly, who reflexively caught it.  
Energy glowed from the sphere, distorting the air around where it 
touched Glory's hand.   Glory's face contorted in agony, she dropped 
her hand with the sphere to her side.  Buffy followed her hand down 
and watched as Glory crushed the sphere. Watched as the energy glow 
slowly died.  

Glory's breath came in pained gasps, she looked down one last time at 
the crushed Dagon Sphere.  Slowly she trailed her eyes up the blonde 
slayer bitch.  She waited, murder in her eyes, for the bitch to look 
at her. When the Slayer's eyes locked with hers, Glory snarled at 
her, "You're gonna wish..."

The Slayer cut Glory off with a right-cross to the jaw. Glory 
stumbled back. Not giving her a chance to recover, the Slayer hit her 
with a roundhouse kick, then a left-cross to the face. The Slayer 
began hitting Glory with a series of lightening fast left and right 
crosses stunning the exiled god. 

Glory could barely defend herself or return any of her own punches.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 'Crazies' and the minions around the stairs nervously watched as 
their 'god' was getting her ass handed to her by the Slayer.

"Stand fast!" A minion commanded. "Kill anyone who dares approach! 
This will be our day of glory!"

"Well punned!" Another minion told his fellow minion-in-arms.

"Well, it just called out to me..." His thin lips curled up into a 
smile, then quickly turned down into a grimace of pain.  The punning 
minion looked down and stared dumbfounded at the arrow sticking out 
of his chest, before he crumbled to the ground.

Spike smiled hugely at Giles and Anya who were standing next to him, 
showing them his fangs.  Damn he liked this crossbow, no fuss, no 
muss.  Giles and Anya rushed the 'Crazies' and minions alike.  

Ignoring the pain in his side, Giles swung his sword like 'Errol 
Flynn'... 

Anya meanwhile started swinging the bat, pretending to be 'Babe 
Ruth'. She went for home runs just like 'The Babe' had, trying to hit 
as many as possible, using the minions heads as her baseballs.
 
Spike literally jumped into the fray with an ear-splitting battle cry 
that would have made 'Genghis Kahn' proud.  He tackled two minions at 
once, tumbling them all to the ground.  His striking fists were 
merely blurs that only Faith or Buffy could have seen.

"YEA FUCKIN' HA!" Faith screamed as she ran straight into the thick 
of the battle.  Swinging her 'Labrys', having picked it because it 
was appropriate for her as a Slayer, as a Warrior of the Light. The  
doubled-bladed axe had been used by the Neolithic Amazons, warrior 
women of the first order. It was also used as a scepter by the 
Amazonian goddess, Gaea. Besides, it felt right in her hands.

As Faith attacked she was careful not to seriously injure or kill any 
of the 'Crazies' there would be enough blood on her hands before the 
night was over, she didn't need to add anymore. While she was focused 
on the fight at hand she was keeping careful track of what was going 
on with Buffy. Also making sure that the non-stop thought that had 
been running through her head all day was not being sent out to Buffy 
in an 'echo'.

Dawn opened her eyes when she heard two shouts from somewhere down 
below her.  She stretched her neck as far as she could trying to peer 
over the edge of the platform.  She squinted her eyes, she could make 
out a fight going on below her by the stairs, and thought she saw 
both Spike's bleached-blonde head, and Faith's long, auburn hair down 
there.  She scanned around them looking for Buffy, and then spotted 
her off to the side, facing off against Glory.  From what she could 
see Buffy was kicking Glory's ass. "You go, Big Sis! Kick that skanky-
bitch's ass!" Dawn whispered into the wind. She watched wide-eyed, 
hope pounding through her veins.

Glory was stunned as the little blonde slayer-bitch flipped her over 
and slammed her down hard onto a pile of bricks.  The breath was 
knocked out of her, and Glory felt the bricks crack and crumble 
beneath her.  She rolled to her side, barely escaping the punch 
coming at her face.  She smiled in satisfaction when she heard the 
Slayer's fist smash into the bricks.  The little slayer-bitch hadn't 
even worked up a sweat yet, while she, a 'god', was tired, 
disoriented, and out of breath.  This time Glory anticipated the 
punch from the slayer-bitch, she grabbed Buffy's arms and tossed her 
across the way like she was made out of nothing more than paper.

Willow sat up bleary eyed, pieces of broken wood poking into her.  
Her head hurt, she looked over and blinked, bringing both Glory and 
Buffy into focus.  The sound of them fighting seemed distant and far 
away, though they were only a few feet from her.  Franticly she 
looked around, her eyes searching, looking for... "Tara!"  Willow 
started crawling towards Tara, who lay unconscious a few yards from 
her.  She managed to stagger to her feet, "Tara?"  Relief flooded 
through her as Tara opened her eyes and looked at her. Did the spell 
work? "Tara?"

"W... Willow?" Tara voice was weak, but Willow couldn't stop the rush 
of hope that swept through her.  Tara knew her name!

Willow smiled at her. "Tara?"

Her eyes filled up with tears as she looked at her lover, her  
'Willow'. "Willow... I got so lost..."

"I found you." Willow couldn't have stopped the ear-splitting grin if 
she tried. She started raining kisses all over Tara's face, pulling 
her into a fierce hug. The smiled happily at each other. "I'll always 
find you..."  They clung even tighter to each other, glad to be home 
again in each others arms.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You know what?" Glory caught Buffy's fist in her hand as she threw 
at punch at her. "I'm feeling a little better. And now... I'm a 
little bored."

"Oh, I'm sorry. 'Cause you're about..."

Glory decided to cut off Buffy's remark with a vicious kick to the 
face.  Her eyes went wide with shock, 'Oh Shit!', she thought as 
the 'Slayer's' head went flying off her shoulders.  Squinting her 
eyes at the headless body, Glory stared in confusion at the black, 
yellow, and green wires sticking out of where the 'Slayer's' neck 
should have been.  Gleefully she watched as the 'Slayer's' headless 
body fell over, loving the little light show from the sparks that 
flew out of the neck hole when the 'Slayer' hit the ground.

Glory stared at the fallen 'robot' trying to contain her confusion 
and amusement. "Hey! Wow!  The 'Slayer's' a robot!" Glory looked 
around wanting to share her discovery. "Did everybody else know 
the 'Slayer' was a robot?" Glory whined, then smiled proud of her 
victory over the pain-in-the-ass-little-blonde Slayer...

"Glory..." The smiled faded from her face. How could this be? Glory 
spun around to face the 'dead' Slayer and was greeted by Olaf the 
Troll-god's hammer right in her face. It was a 'Grand Slam' for 
Buffy. Which meant an 'out-of-the-park' for Glory who went flying 
backward across the yard and into a wall.  Which the exiled god then 
proceeded to slide down in a bemused heap. "You're not the brightest 
god in the heavens, are you?"

Buffy's head snapped up when she heard her sister screaming, "Buffy! 
I'M UP HERE!"  Buffy stared spellbound at the small barely 
discernable figure of her sister at the edge of the platform at the 
top of the tower.  "BUFFY!" Dawn screamed again, breaking Buffy of 
her immobility.

She ran at neck-break speed towards the tower, leaping over a pile of 
bricks in her way and landing on the bottom stair.  Buffy barely 
noticed the minion who tried to block her path up the stairs. She 
dispatched him with a hard punch to the face and then tossed him like 
a sack of grain over the side.

Glory shook her head, clearing the sluggishness from it. She looked 
around quickly and spotted the Slayer heading up the stairs of the 
tower.  Jumping to her feet she went after the Slayer screeching, "Oh 
no, you don't..."

"BUFFY! I'M UP HERE!" Dawn's terrified screams came down to her 
again, and Buffy forced her legs to move faster.  

She was only one level below her sister when the stairs ended, 
changing over to ladders. As she reached for the ladder Glory 
appeared out of nowhere in front of her.  Buffy swung the hammer at 
her again, connecting but not knocking her away.  Glory returned the 
blow, kicking Buffy hard in the chest sending her crashing into the 
scaffolding.  They began exchanging blows, quick, hard, punishing, 
lightening fast, so fast that only another 'god' or Slayer could have 
seen them.  

Glory landed a blow on the arm that was holding the hammer, it 
loosened in Buffy's grip. A second blow knocked the hammer from 
Buffy's hand, sending it over the side only to get snagged in the 
chains that were hanging from the tower. 

Buffy grabbed onto the tower and swung out reaching for the hammer.  
Glory countered her move by grabbing onto a piece of chain and 
swinging around, knocking Buffy out of the way and away from the 
hammer.  

The Slayer fell to the side. She scrambled to her feet quickly, 
taking a kick from Glory in her abs.  Grabbing onto one of the poles, 
Buffy used the momentum from the kick to swing her around the 
scaffolding returning Glory's kick with one of her own.

Glory swung, cursing as the Slayer ducked and she felt only air.  
Buffy spun as she ducked, putting herself behind the exiled god. She 
kicked Glory in the back with all of her might.

"BUFFY!"  Dawn screamed frantically as she watched the fight.
 
Buffy ran for the ladder again, turning her back on Glory.  Growling, 
Glory went after her, smashing Buffy across the legs, smiling and 
licking her lips when she heard the little slayer-bitch gasp in 
pain.  Buffy turned and they began exchanging blow after blow.  Buffy 
finally gained the advantage and knocked Glory away from her.  She 
turned quickly and started climbing up again.

Climbing up the ladder off to the side of the Slayer, Glory kicked 
out at the Slayer who was now climbing up a pipe.  One of those 
little hysterical giggles that had made Dawn's skin crawl escaped 
Glory as Buffy lost her grip and slid back down to the level below.

Spying a ramp, Buffy ran up it, hitting Glory in the face with a 
jumping-front-kick when she reached the top.  Buffy whirled around 
not giving Glory a chance to retaliate and ran back down the ramp, 
heading for the hammer.  She managed to get the hammer free just in 
time.  Standing up quickly, Buffy spun around, she held the hammer 
like a baseball bat as she spun and caught Glory solidly across the 
face.  Buffy started hitting Glory in rapid succession.  Glory 
struggled to get her bearings again as blow after hammer blow hit 
her.  

Buffy focused whole heartedly on beating the 'god' into the ground, 
into submission, wanting to end this here and now.   

After what felt like a thousand hammer hits, Glory managed to finally 
duck. The hammer whooshed over her head harmlessly and hit one of the 
ladders hard, knocking it over, breaking Buffy's concentration.  
Glory came up swinging, catching Buffy with a hard undercut to the 
jaw. 

Buffy stumbled backwards, losing her balance. Glory smirked at the 
slayer-bitch as she began to fall off the scaffolding.
 
{Smirk at this you skanky-ass-bad-hair-bitch!} Buffy reached out and 
grabbed Glory by the bad black dress she had on and took Glory with 
her over the side.

The Slayer and the exiled god landed on the concrete a few feet away 
from each other, with  bone crunching force.  The hammer flew out of 
Buffy's hand and landed outside of her reach.

Buffy gained her feet first, Glory a second behind her, who got right 
up into the Slayer's face.  Buffy pushed Glory from her by the 
shoulders, sending her a few dozen yards away from her, right next to 
a section of drywall.

Glory smirked thinking the slayer-bitch wasn't all that and taunted 
her, "You lost your hammer, sweet cheeks. What're you gonna hit me 
with now.?"

Something caught Buffy out of the corner of her eye, she looked at 
Glory then looked at the wall. Glory who was proving to Buffy with 
each passing second that she really wasn't the 'sharpest tool in the 
tool shed' turned around and looked at the wall.

Turned around just in time to be caught dead on by the giant wrecking 
ball that came through it.  It sent Glory soaring through the air 
into another wall, as the wrecking ball followed.  Glory went through 
a second wall, the wrecking ball still in pursuit, as it dropped her 
on the other side.  Buffy saw with a smile that the wrecking ball 
swung back out from the second wall without Glory.

Unable to help herself Buffy yelled out to the exiled god on the 
other side of the wall, "Whatever's handy," finally answering her 
question.

Without another glance, Buffy turned and took off running. She ran 
past Xander who was sitting in the operator's seat of the crane's 
control booth.  A 'Faith-shit-eating-grin' was plastered on his face.

"And the glorified brick-layer picks up a spare..." Xander told the 
air as he shut off the crane's engine and climbed coolly out of the 
cab.

Still running Buffy slowed long enough to pick up the hammer, then 
she sped up again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike, Anya, Giles and Faith had been beaten back behind a large pile 
of debris, and machines.  It seemed as if for every one minion they 
killed or one 'Crazie' they knocked out of the game, twenty more took 
their place.  The tired group dodged the occasional brick or metal 
bar that was hurled at them over the debris.  The minions and 
'Crazie' had made a living barricade between them and the stairs.

"Has anybody noticed that we're moving backwards?"

Faith shot a look at the ex-vengeance demon, wondering why someone 
always had to state the obvious.

Deciding to risk taking a glance, Spike poked his head over the top 
of one of the machines.  A brick cracking him in the head was his 
reward.  He snarled annoyed, and snarled again at Faith's stifled 
laugh as he ducked back down again. 

"It's crossed my mind..."  {Good one Spike old man, even if you do 
say so yourself!}

"As long as..."  Giles stopped taking a few pain filled breaths. "Buffy 
can keep Glory down... long enough, it won't matter."  He paused again 
looking up at the tower. "There's only a few minutes left to start 
the ritual."

Faith barely heard him as he spoke, she was concentrating on Buffy.  
Her eyes where closed, she was 'watching' the images the 'echoes' 
were making behind her closed lids.  She was waiting, waiting to see 
if the god became just the man.  Waiting because she knew that if 
that happened Buffy would never be able to... to... do... what Faith 
herself didn't even want to think about, let alone put into words.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One second she was all alone on the platform, the next she wasn't.  
Dawn screamed before she could stop herself, her mind automatically 
seeing Glory.  Slowly as the scream died from her lips, she saw it 
was a man.  An older man, the man from the shop, the man who had 
helped her with the spell to resurrect her Mother.  He looked 
different though all dressed up in the formal black suit.

"You... You can help me? Untie me... Please!  Help me!  She's 
coming!" Her voice rose up on the last few words in fear.

Doc, yes, Doc that was his name she remembered now, moved closer to 
her. 

"Well, it seems she's running a bit late, is the thing. And... uh... if 
her Splendidness can't be here in time to bleed you..."

The color drained out of Dawn's face as she realized he wasn't going 
to help her.  The fear coiled in the pit of her stomach and started 
to rise up the back of her throat.

"Hey!" He whispered and winked at her like he was going to tell her a 
secret, "Kid. Wanna see a trick?"

Dawn shrunk back in fear as he produced a shiny, large, evil looking 
knife seemingly out of thin air.  He held it in front of his face, 
his smile filled with malice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He leapt over the fence, then crouched low, running towards them like 
a soldier in the trenches. His experience from the Halloween that 
Ethan had cast the spell, turning people into their costumes, working 
for him in this situation. Xander squatted down besides Anya.  "How 
are we doing?" He asked her still high off the rush of knocking Glory 
flat on her ass with the crane.

"So far, it's a tie."

"We haven't gotten up to Dawn, but neither has anyone else."

Spike squinted up at the platform, he nudged Faith, jerking his head 
up towards where Dawn was.  He looked to her for confirmation, which 
he got in her silent nod. "Someone's up there."

They all looked up, Xander kicked back into 'GI Joe' mode, "Okay, we 
gotta charge or something..."

"We tried that."

Spike scrunched up his face, looking at Faith hoping she would have a 
plan.  Faith looked at him and blinked when it seemed as though he 
froze, cocking his head like he was listening to something the rest 
of them couldn't hear.

"Spike..." Whoa! Was that Red's voice he was hearing in his head? 
"Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear..." Spike frowned, this was strange, hearing the 
little witch in his head. He didn't know the little witch could count 
telepathy amongst her hat tricks.

Faith smiled, it had to be Red doing a variation of the 'mind-meld' 
she did with Buffy.

"Is there someone up there with Dawn?" Came the voice in his head 
again.

"Yeah. Can't see who." Spike felt a little foolish talking to the 
thin air.

"Are you talking to us?"

"Get up there. Go now." 

He peered over the wall of debris, the barrier of humans and minions 
seemed to be even thicker now.  They were milling about waiting for a 
fight, armed and ready to do battle. "Yeah. But..." He answered her 
choosing to ignore Xander's earlier question. 

"GO!" {Not so bloody friggin' loud Red!}

Spike jumped up and charged out anyway, as they all looked at him in 
surprise, all but Faith.  She had known Buffy was going to send Spike 
to protect Dawn. With the chip in his head Spike would be virtually 
useless against stopping the Scoobs and Giles if they decided to 
ignore Buffy's warning.  Keeping the Scoobs and Giles from harming 
Dawn should it come down to that was Faith's job.  Faith wished with 
all her heart that it didn't come down to that. 

Spike ran like the 'devil' was on his heels towards the barrier of 
flesh, he almost stumbled and fell when they parted in front of him.  
Splitting into two halves like the 'hand of god' herself had pushed 
them apart.  He ran straight through them not sparing any of them a 
glance, he was intent only on the stairs in front of him.  He leapt 
onto the third step, and started running up them two at a time, not 
once slowing down.  Glad that he didn't have to breath. 

Faith watched him as he quickly grew smaller, until he reached the 
last level and began to climb up the ladder.  The ladder that led to 
the platform, the ladder that led to Dawn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where was her sister, Faith, Spike anyone?  Was Glory right? Were 
they going to leave her here to die?  No, she couldn't believe that, 
wouldn't believe that.  They wouldn't do that to her.  She had seen 
her sister fighting Glory.  It was the fear that was making her think 
this.  Dawn tried to control the fear, but it rose up hotter, 
stronger as Doc took another step closer to her.  He reached into his 
pocket, and Dawn flinched, involuntarily shrinking back. 

He took out an antique pocket-watch and looked at it. "Well, what do 
you know?"  Doc smiled as he said it. Dawn saw Spike pull himself up 
onto the platform behind Doc, and she bit her lip to keep herself 
from calling out his name or sighing in relief. "Just about that 
time." Doc whirled around to greet the vampire, smiling at him as 
Spike approached him.

"Doesn't a fellow stay dead when you kill him?" Spike kept his eyes 
on Doc, he wanted to look over at Dawn to reassure her. He knew 
better though then to let his concentration wander from the demon in 
front of him.

"Look who's talking."

"Come on, Doc. Let's you and me have a go."

"I..." Doc tapped the knife in his other hand as if he were thinking 
about Spike's challenge. "...do have a prior appointment"

"This won't take long."

"No, I-I don't imagine it will."

Doc smiled as Spike lunged at him.  Doc sidestepped Spike, grabbing 
him nonchalantly around the neck.  Raising his hand with the knife he 
plunged it into Spike's back right to the hilt.  Spike gasped in 
pain, Dawn in fear.  He thought his knees were going to buckle.  He 
might be technically dead, but that shit still hurt like a mother, he 
gasped again in pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was beating the living shit out of Glory with the hammer.  
Hitting her over and over again, for her sister, for what she did to 
Tara, for the others she had done the same thing to as well.  For 
what she wanted to do to this reality.

Blood was running down Glory's face. A river of blood flowed from her 
nose as well. She was in pain, she was in anguish, close to tears.  
What was so wrong with her wanting to go home?  Why was this slayer-
bitch so concerned with saving the 'Key'? It wasn't like the 'Key' 
was really real after all. "You're just a mortal... you couldn't 
understand my pain." Glory was having a hard time keeping back the 
tears.

"Then I'll just have to settle for causing it." There was a part of 
Buffy that was enjoying this, the power of the Slayer running hotly 
through her veins.

She slammed the hammer into Glory again with all of her might.  Glory 
staggered to the side, reeling from the blow, she shook it off and 
turned back to Buffy.

"You can't kill me..." Glory snarled.

"No..."  Buffy raised the hammer again, poising it to strike,  
"...but my arm's not even tired yet."

Buffy slammed the hammer home again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith turned around and saw that Giles was gone.  {FUCKFUCKFUCK!}, if 
anyone was going to go after Dawn it would be him!  And she had 
fucking lost him.  FUCK!  She had been to busy paying attention to 
what was happening between Glory and Buffy, knowing that whatever was 
going to happen would happen soon.  Buffy was kicking the shit out of 
Glory and from everything that Faith had learned about Glory she 
wouldn't put it past her to use Ben as a defense against Buffy.  

Between that and trying to see what was going on up on the platform 
of the tower, she hadn't been keeping an eye on Giles. Faith looked 
at the tower scanning it.  She didn't see any sign of Giles trying to 
climb it.  Then again in his condition it would be unlikely that he 
would make it.  She looked around her and thought she saw a shadow, a 
movement over near Buffy and Glory. FUCK!

She mumbled, "I'll be back." to Xander and Anya, keeping low she 
headed off in the direction of Buffy and Glory. Not before she heard 
Xander quip back, "Okay Arnie..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doc dropped the bloody knife down onto the platform after he pulled 
it out of Spike's back.  Somehow or another during their struggle the 
damn vampire had managed to position himself in front of Dawn.  
Effectively blocking Doc's path to the 'Key'.

"You don't come near the girl, Doc." Spike growled, barely keeping 
his demon from surfacing.  He didn't want to scare Dawn anymore than 
she already was by vamping out.

"I don't smell a soul anywhere on you... why do you even care?"

"I made a promise to a lady." And one to myself to protect 'Little 
Bit'.  Besides he didn't like, hell he down-right-hated that skanky-
ho-bad-dressing-bitch-hellgod.

"Ohhh." Spike dodged the ten-foot-long tongue that came shooting out 
of Doc's mouth.  Gracefully Doc dropped down to his knees and sweep 
Spike's legs out from under him.  Spike fell to the ground onto his 
injured back, hissing in pain.  They struggled on the ground, Dawn 
watched them frightened, anxious.  They both regained their feet, but 
Doc got the upper hand. He had a hold of Spike and had managed to pin 
his arms behind his back. "Well I'll send the lady your regrets." 

Spike locked his eyes with Dawn.  She saw sorrow, regret, panic, 
agony in Spike's eyes.  She heard it in his whispered "No" before Doc 
pushed him over the edge.

"AAH! NOOOOO!" Dawn screamed as Spike fell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He hit the ground with bone-breaking force on a pile of bloody 
fucking bricks.  His body convulsed in agony.  He opened his eyes, 
they were filled with fear, not for himself but for his 'Little 
Bit'.  Spike groaned in agony, weeping inside over his failing Dawn, 
failing Buffy, failing them all, as he struggled to get up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was thrashing Glory to within an inch of her 'god' life.  Glory 
was dazed, from the blows, from the fact that the little slayer-bitch 
was whipping her ass.  She couldn't seem to catch her breath, her 
body was in pain, and tears rimmed her eyes.  Gods don't cry, damn 
it, but she wanted to, wanted to bad.  The bitch was sending another 
hammer right-cross her way and Glory held her breath waiting for it, 
there was nothing she could do to stop it.  The blow knocked her to 
her knees, she looked up at the bitch, the tears threatening  to 
spill over.  "Stop it,"  that couldn't be her voice pleading with the 
slayer-bitch. Could it?

"You're a god..." Neither Buffy's eyes or voice held any mercy for 
the exiled god on her knees in front of her.  Buffy slammed the 
hammer into Glory again, without mercy. An undercut that sent Glory 
up off her knees through the air and onto her back. "MAKE it stop."

The Slayer walked over to the fallen god and knelt beside her.  She 
brought the hammer up again, Glory could do nothing but watch as it 
descended towards her.  Over and over again the Slayer brought the 
hammer down, with determination, ruthlessness beating the exiled 
god.  Beating her until her face was nothing but a bloody mess.  
Until the defeat showed through the blood.  Until the blood was 
flying around, splattering the walls, the ground, each time the 
Slayer swung the hammer.

The Slayer brought the hammer up again, through her haze she saw 
Glory morph into Ben.  She dropped her hand and the hammer harmlessly 
to her side.  The man laying on the ground under her was broken and 
bloody, bearing all the marks of the beating the exiled god had 
taken.  

Ben's breathing was labored, pain-filled, he could barely move, 
barely speak but managed to whisper out, "I'm sorry..."

The Slayer schooled her features, careful not to show any sympathy 
for the man on the ground under her, "Tell her it's over. She missed 
her shot."  She looked in his eyes trying to see if he understood 
her. "She goes. She ever - EVER - comes near me and mine again..." 
The Slayer let the implied threat hang in the air.  

Buffy knew she should end this now, should kill Ben.  Kill the man 
and the god dies.  She couldn't though, she could not kill an 
innocent. Sharing his body with an evil hellgod had not been his 
choice, he was innocent in all of this.  Buffy might have thought 
differently had she known about the deal he had made with Glory.  Had 
she known that he could have prevented this by letting Dawn get 
away.  Then again even knowing that, the odds were against her still 
killing him. Elizabeth Anne 'Buffy' Summers could not take a human 
life, innocent or not in cold-blood.  No matter how much she might 
want to, no matter what they might have done. Not in cold-blood.

"We won't. I swear." Ben coughed painfully, wondering if he would 
even survive.  He was badly injured, there was only so much he could 
take, even if he did share his body with a 'god'.

Buffy gave him one last look, rose to her feet, turned and ran 
towards the tower.  Towards her sister.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was hiding behind one of the large wooden crates close to where 
Buffy was fighting Glory.  She had not found Giles, at this point in 
the game he wasn't her priority. Her priority was to make sure that 
neither Glory or Ben got to Dawn.  So she waited knowing that this 
was coming to an end. She felt it in the echoes, felt the fury, the 
power, the thrill running through Buffy, pumping through her veins 
with hot intensity.  Felt it in the 'echoes' which were now as much a 
part of her as her own beating heart.  

She felt it the second things changed, felt as the urge to destroy 
Glory, to pulverize her, left Buffy, and knew that Glory had morphed. 
She risked peeking out from behind the crate so that her eyes could 
confirm what she already knew. She saw she was right it was Ben who 
lay on the ground, Buffy kneeling over him.  

Faith started to tremble, she couldn't stop it.  She kept watching, 
knowing deep in her soul that Buffy would not be able to end it, 
would not be able to kill Ben.  Even without the 'echo' telling her 
of the internal struggle Buffy was going through, she would bet her 
life that Buffy would not be able to kill him.  Not in cold-blood.  
She might have if Glory hadn't morphed between blows, might have done 
it by accident, but never on purpose.  

Faith watched just in case, because even if Buffy decided she could, 
there was no way that Faith would let her.  There was no way Faith 
would ever let Buffy find out what it was like to take a life.  No 
way she wanted Buffy to know what the guilt, the remorse, the pain of 
taking a life did, could do to you.  You're insides, your heart, your 
soul.

That wasn't why she was trembling.  She was trembling because she 
would do what she wasn't willing to let Buffy do, do what she knew 
Buffy could never do.

And in the end, in the long run Faith knew it would destroy 
everything. Her chance for redemption, the trust she had built, her 
place in the family she now had.  It would destroy who she had 
become, wanted to be. Destroy eventually her relationship with Buffy. 
Buffy would still love her, she did not doubt that, but things would 
never be the same again between them.  Eventually it would destroy 
her, maybe destroy them both. 

In the end killing Ben in cold-blood would annihilate her, and 
everything she had worked so hard to achieve.

But it was still a sacrifice she was willing to make, even knowing 
that killing someone in cold-blood was wrong.  Wrong for moral 
reasons, wrong because she was a Slayer.  Willing to make it because 
she couldn't risk, Buffy, Dawn, Giles, the Scoobs any of them; in the 
hopes that Glory wouldn't come after them if she missed her window to 
go home. Somehow Faith doubted that hellgod's practiced the tradition 
of 'forgive and forget'.

So she would sacrifice her soul, would do it for them, in return for 
all that they had given her.  Grateful for the time she had with 
them, her L.A. family, her Sunnydale family, for her lover who was 
her heart and soul.  Grateful she got to find out what it was to even 
have a family, to know love, to give love. Grateful because it was 
more then she ever thought she could have, ever thought she had 
deserved.
 
Faith trembled harder because for the first time, in almost a year 
she could hear her dark side whispering faintly in her head.  She 
knew she would have to let it out again, give it free rein, had to, 
it was the only way she would ever be able to do this. And she was 
terrified that she might not be able to bring it to heel again once 
she did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles and Faith stepped out from behind the different crates they had 
been hiding behind at the same time.  They stood facing each other 
from across the ten feet that separated them. Ben lay on the ground 
between them, oblivious to everything but his pain.

It surprised him, but didn't, to see the dark slayer standing across 
from him.  Giles knew why she was there, she would make herself do 
what Buffy could not. Not because she wanted to, not because she was 
evil, but because she felt she should.  He saw how she was trembling, 
this was going against everything she was, everything she had become. 
He saw the set determination in her face, she would do this even 
knowing that it would destroy her, destroy her totally and completely 
for all time.  Giles had no doubt in his mind at all, that she would 
do it because she thought she owed them all something.  

He had failed her the first time around, he would not fail her now.  
There was no way in hell he would let her do this.  He could live 
with this sin on his soul, he knew she could not. He had decided 
earlier if it came to this that he would do what he knew Buffy would 
never be able to do.  Had made this decision before Xander had even 
mentioned it in the Magic Shop earlier tonight. 

Had made this decision the second that Buffy had told him what Gregor 
had said about the exiled god sharing the body of a mortal human.  

Giles and the dark slayer stared at each for long seconds. Faith 
nodded slightly then turned and went after Buffy, only a few seconds 
behind her.

Faith looked back one last time before she rounded the corner, she 
saw him kneel on the ground next to Ben.  And knew that it wasn't 
Giles who knelt down next to Ben, but a man called 'Ripper'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben coughed painfully again, and smiled, a smile filled with 
bitterness, "I guess we're stuck with each other, huh baby?"

A figure loomed over him, he could not see who it was.  They knelt 
and he saw with relief that it was Giles.  Giles, whom he had saved 
at the abandoned gas station two days ago.  Had it really only been 
two days ago when all this had started? 

"Can you move?"

"Need... a minute... She could have killed me." Ben could barely
manage to get the words out, he was in so much pain.  It wasn't fair 
he thought, he felt the pain in human terms, while Glory felt it in
'god' terms.  He had no doubt that she would be feeling pain right 
now, but not like this.

Giles voice was calm, serene, cold, when he spoke, "No she couldn't. 
Never. And sooner or later, Glory will re-emerge, and... make Buffy
pay for that mercy. And the world with her. Buffy even knows that..."
Giles reached in and took his glasses out of his pocket.  He fiddled 
with them as continued talking. "...and still she wouldn't take a human 
life."  He paused again filling his lungs with air. "She's a hero, 
you see." He put his glasses on, adjusting them until they rested 
comfortably on his face. "She's not like us."

"Us?"  Ben was suddenly afraid of this man who knelt next to him, it 
was almost like he had changed before his eyes.  Like an outer mask 
had disappeared and the true man had emerged.

Giles gave the part of him that was 'Ripper' free rein.  He reached 
out and calmly, coldly clamped his hand over Ben's nose and mouth, 
cutting off his air.  Ben struggled against the hand that was his 
death, but he was too weak, and the hand never let up or loosened. 
Gradually his struggling slowed until finally it ceased.

Giles expression had remained calm, consistent throughout, as he 
waited for the man beneath him to go still, it was as if the blood in 
his  veins had suddenly turned to ice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With one swift move Doc sliced through the material of the antique 
gown and through the skin of Dawn's stomach.  Dawn screamed out in 
pain, in terror, tears began to flow down her face.  He was right in 
front of her, she could taste his breath, grinning at her with a mad, 
evil glint in his eyes. "Shallow cuts, shallow cuts..." He made 
another swift shallow cut, he was enjoying this, he loved the pain of 
others. "Let the blood flow..." Dawn felt the blood flowing down her 
body, down over her legs, along her feet, over her toes to drip off 
them failing to the ground far below. "...freeee."  He continued to 
slice shallowly away, her arms, her ribs, her stomach, lost in the 
ecstasy of it.

He didn't see Buffy as she climbed up on the platform.  "Dawn!"

"Buffy!"  Her voice, heavy, thick with pain.

Doc whirled around, hiding his surprise at seeing the Slayer.  
Confidently she moved towards him.

"This should be interesting..." He sneered at her, over-confident, sure 
his 'god' couldn't be far behind.

The Slayer kept moving towards him, almost as if he weren't there.  
Without even so much as looking at him, she strode past him, and 
pushed him like the piece of dirt he was right over the side.  
Cheering in her head as she heard him screaming as he fell.

Buffy picked up her pace and untied her sister within a second.  
"Here." She whispered, when the ropes were all undone.

"Buffy, it hurts..."

"I got you...  Come here. You're gonna be okay..."

Neither the Slayer nor her sister saw as the falling drops of blood 
met some invisible mystical force on the way down from the platform.  
More drops joined them, the blood began to transform into a small 
glowing ball, which crackled with energy.  A bright white light of 
power in the center of the energy growing stronger, as the glowing 
ball grew steadily larger. Faith saw it though and scrambled even 
faster up the ladder trying to reach them. 

Limping, Dawn let Buffy propel her across the platform towards the 
tower entrance.  Dawn glanced back at her sister, and then stopped. 
She turned around to face her.

"Go!" Buffy urged her. 

"Buffy, it's started."

Buffy whirled around and saw what her sister had seen, the glowing 
light of the newborn portal. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The portal continued to grow larger, gaining speed with each passing 
minute. A huge lightening bolt shot out of it's center, the large 
bolt splintered as it freed itself of the portal, breaking into 
tentacles of energy as it hit the night air.

A lightening bolt hit the intersection of Main Street.  The force, 
the power, opened a hole  the size of a crater in the middle of the 
street.  The few souls who had braved the night in downtown Sunnydale 
screamed in terror, running from the unnatural energy the lightening 
brought with it.

Another bolt struck one of the newer, taller, office complexes, which 
instantly burst into flames.  White-faced zombies, scabby decaying, 
walking corpses, but definitely not human corpses, began crawling out 
of the burning holes of the building.

Buffy and Dawn looked down at the portal at the blinding light and 
knew it had begun.

Faith pushed herself even harder up the ladder, feeling the power of 
the white light within the portal almost searing her skin, and knew 
it had begun.

Giles jerked his head upward towards the light.  His hand falling 
from Ben's still form, he rose to his feet, forgetting about checking 
for a pulse. He walked over to where the wrecking ball had punched a 
hole through the wall and stepped through it.  The white-rainbow 
light above him painfully bright, he felt the energy, the power of it 
thrumming across his skin. The ground beneath his feet began to 
shake, he grabbed onto the wall to keep himself from falling. He knew 
it had begun.

They fell to the ground, minions and 'Crazies' alike. They prostrated 
themselves for their 'god', to the powerful light, the portal that 
would bring her home, and open the gates that would turn the world 
into a living hell. Trembling with joy because they knew it had begun.

Anya clutched Xander to her in fear as another bolt of lightening 
flashed past their heads.  They knew it had begun.

Willow and Tara held each other as they stared at the display of 
power over their heads.  They turned to each other, locking eyes, no 
words were needed, they both knew it had begun.

Spike rolled painfully aside as he felt the earth begin to spilt from 
under the bricks.  Panting in pain he looked up and knew it had begun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xander and Anya were stilling looking up as another bolt of 
lightening streaked over their heads. They heard it explode in the 
distance.  A rumbling started and Anya cried out in fear, "Xander."

She shoved him hard away from her, saving his life, as a wall of 
concrete and metal fell on top of her. 

Horror, panic rushed through Xander as he saw the wall collapse onto 
Anya, burying her.

"ANYA!" He screamed at her unmoving body.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She climbed the last few steps of the ladder and was finally on the 
platform.  Buffy and Dawn were less then twenty feet away with their 
backs to her. A low rumble started, and Faith moved a few feet closer 
to her family.  She grabbed onto the scaffolding for dear life as she 
almost fell off the platform as it started shaking.  

Buffy turned towards Dawn holding her by the arm as the platform 
shook violently. She saw Faith moving towards them, but she had 
already known that she was up here with them. Buffy held onto her 
sister until the shaking stopped, keeping her safe, but were any of 
them safe now? Now that it had begun?

A river of tears flowed down her face as she looked at her sister.  
Her sister who had tried her best to stop this from happening. "I'm 
sorry..." Dawn choked out.

"It doesn't matter. Nothing..." Dawn caught her off guard as she 
pushed past her, running for the end of the platform.  Buffy whirled 
and caught her almost immediately.  She pulled her back to her, and 
placed herself between Dawn and the end of the platform. "What are 
you doing?"  But Buffy already knew, she just didn't want to know.  

"I have to jump. The energy..." Dawn looked at Buffy with 
determination.  The type of determination Buffy had seen reflected in 
her own eyes many times.

Faith stayed where she was, listening to them, listening to the 
'echo' Buffy was sending her to stay where she was.  This was 
something that the sisters, who were more then just sisters, needed 
to deal with themselves.

"It'll kill you!"  This wasn't supposed to have happened, it 
shouldn't be happening.  It wasn't right, it wasn't fair!

Dawn voice was soft, almost comforting, but strangely enough held no 
fear, "I know..." Buffy stared at her little sister, who seemed so 
grown up right now. "Buffy, I know about the ritual! I have to stop 
it."

"NO!"  Buffy's determination now matched that of her sister, she was 
the one who had taught her it after all.

The three woman who where barely more than girls, stumbled as the 
tower shook ferociously again.

"I have to! Look at what's happening!"

They all looked up as lightening crackled over their heads, a bolt 
larger then any before. There came a sound unlike nothing any of them 
had heard before, almost but not quite like a scream of agony. They 
watched as a hole was ripped in fabric of their reality in the portal 
by the lightening.  Flying out of the hole was a huge dragon, 
something until now that had only lived in fairy tales.  It swooped 
up and buzzed over the tower, then took off flying into the west.

Something kept itching her, scratching at the surface of her 
consciousness, something she was forgetting, what was it?  Faith 
listened to them she couldn't let Dawn die, there had to be a way to 
stop this. She couldn't, wouldn't let this happen.

Dawn tried to get her arm out of her sisters grip, "Buffy... You have 
to let me go! Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, 
it'll never stop." Buffy stared at Dawn in despair, in anguish.  
Something tickled the edges of her mind, something she wasn't seeing. 
There had to be a way to stop this. She could not let this happen. 
She should have killed Ben, she could have lived easier with his 
death on her conscious. But she couldn't live with Dawn's knowing 
that there had been something she could have done.  This wasn't right 
damn it all! She stared at Dawn's tear filled eyes as she continued 
to speak to her, "You  know you have to let me. It has to have the 
blood..."

The breeze carried three simple whispered words to each of the Chosen 
Two. One heard them spoken with the voice of the first Slayer, the 
other with the voice of the oldest of the 'Fates'. "Learn and 
Remember...." Time stood still for the 'Chosen Two' while in the 
reality of the world that they lived in less than a second passed.  
Realization swept the features of both the Slayers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Slayer looked down at the 'Tapestry of Life'.  Her eyes drawn to 
a thread that she somehow knew wasn't a life in the terms of a living 
creature, be it mortal or immortal.  It was a thread of pure cobalt-
blue energy, a color of power, it was she knew the source of what 
made them Slayers.  She followed it through the tapestry.  Saw how it 
stayed with each of the slayers even after death, seeming to 
duplicate itself as it passed to the next slayer.  Letting the Slayer 
remain the Slayer even in the after life.  And until Buffy had died 
there never had been more then one Slayer at any given time.  For 
once the Council truly had not lied.

Faith saw where the 'Thread of Life' that was Buffy's had been cut, 
when she had died briefly at the hands of the master.  Saw how the 
cobalt-blue thread was imbedded through all the strands that made up 
Buffy's 'Life Thread'. The 'Slayer Thread' was there, present from 
the very beginning of Buffy's 'Life Thread'. It was a confirmation of 
all that Faith believed, that they were built to be Slayers, that 
*they* and the Slayer were one in the same.  She gained a further 
understanding as she saw that it did not glow at the start of 
the 'Life Thread' but somewhere further along, she assumed that it 
started glowing when Buffy had been called.

So the Council had been wrong, the power of the Slayer did not leave 
the body of one Slayer when she died and get passed to the next.  The 
power of the Slayer was with them from the time of  their birth, and 
stayed with them even after death.  The only thing the death of a 
Slayer did was 'awaken' the power that already lay within the new 
'Chosen One'.  

Faith need only look at the 'Life Thread' of Kendra, and her own to 
confirm this.  She wondered if it was possible to 'awaken' the power 
of the Slayer before the current 'Chosen One' died.

The same power that ran through Buffy ran through her too.  She was 
not a mistake, she was always meant to be.  If only she had known 
this before, things might have been different.  She was a part of 
Buffy and Buffy was a part of her.

She saw in the tapestry how her own 'Life Thread' moved closer to 
Buffy's, how Buffy's moved closer towards hers.  How for a time in 
the Tapestry they traveled side by side.  How frayed pieces of 
her 'Life Thread' reached out to frayed pieces of Buffy's 'Life 
Thread', but never quite managed to touch.

Then their 'Life Threads' moved apart, far apart, neither reaching 
for the other.  Then how they steadily began to move closer together 
again, 'til they were once more side by side.  This time as the 
frayed pieces reached towards each other they met and intertwined.  
Faith moved her eyes to where she knew the present was within the 
tapestry.  Little by little, she saw more and more of she and 
Buffy's 'Life Threads' intermingle, wrap around each other to became 
one while still remaining separate. As their 'Life Thread' merged, 
each distinguishable from the other while mirroring the other. Whole 
in of themselves but even more whole together.  She saw that they 
were, now and forever, soul-mates.  Each a part of the other, home 
for them lay within the heart and soul of the other.

She followed Buffy's 'Life Thread' up and saw were two thin almost 
invisible red threads came from two other 'Life Threads' and she knew 
they belonged to Buffy's parents.  Without having to be told she knew 
the red threads were blood.  Blood which carried the genetic traits 
of the parents, blood the giver of life.  Blood which made Buffy a 
living representative of both Joyce and Hank.

Her eyes were drawn to another 'Life Thread' and this one was similar 
to hers and Buffy's the only difference was that the glowing energy 
within it was a brilliant emerald green.  It was the energy of 
the 'Key', and this 'Life Thread' belonged to Dawn.  She saw a small 
very thin piece of cobalt-blue energy mixed in with the emerald 
green.  

Against their will, Faith eyes moved up Dawn's thread to the 
beginning.  What she saw sent her mind into a tailspin.  The two thin 
threads that connected Dawn to Joyce and Hank were clear, unlike 
Buffy's which were red.  There was only one red blood thread, the 
thread of life that connected to Dawn.  And that thread came from 
Buffy, not Joyce and Hank. Dawn's genetic make-up came from Joyce and 
Hank, but the blood that gave her life came from Buffy. From Buffy 
also came a tiny sliver of what made her a Slayer, and in return Dawn 
gave Buffy a tiny sliver of what made her the 'Key'. Dawn wasn't 
simply Buffy's sister.  She was a part of Buffy, or parts of Buffy. 
More than a sister, almost a daughter. 

Rapidly the 'Tapestry of Life' changed as Faith went through each of 
the different things that could happen.  She saw all of the 
consequences of each of the different choices happen clearly, like a 
movie playing in her mind.

Faith raised her eyes from the 'Tapestry of Life', she slowly looked 
at each of the 'Fates', finally letting her eyes rest on Atropos.

"You call these choices?  What kind of choices are these?  These 
aren't choices, they're fucking death sentences!  Why did I need to 
know this?  Why the fuck did you drag me up here?  Was it so you 
could torment me with the fact that someone I love is going to die, 
or that the whole world will be destroyed?  Torment me because there 
is nothing I can do to stop this shit?  Is this my punishment for the 
horrible things I did in my life?  So what the fuck was the purpose 
of this? HUH?  TELL ME YOU DECREPIT OLD FUCK! Was it to show me that 
I've found my soul-mate only to.. to..."

Faith couldn't finish her sentence, she knew that when the time came 
Buffy would be faced with the same choices.  Deep down in her soul, 
Faith knew which one Buffy would pick. The 'Fates', she was pretty 
sure, also knew what Buffy's choice would be. She, Faith, was the 
wild card, the only one that could change, stop or influence Buffy's 
choice, that was why the 'Fates' wanted her to know all this. So that 
when the time came she would also understand all of the consequences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'It has to have the blood....' Buffy drifted deep into her mind, 
Dawn's words finally brought to the surface what had been skirting 
around the edges of consciousness.  Brought to the surface an 
understanding.  

Her mind  drifted to the Magic Shop earlier today......... 

"Why blood? Why is it Dawn's blood, why couldn't it be, like, a lymph 
ritual?"

''Cause it's always gotta be blood."

..then she drifted to the night at the hospital after one of their 
confrontations with Glory...

Buffy and Dawn were sitting on the floor of the hospital both were 
tired, hurt and bleeding.

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I love you. You're my sister."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are." Buffy lifted Dawn's arm, so that Dawn could see the 
blood on both her arm and hand. "Look, it's blood. It's Summers 
blood."   Buffy pressed her own hand against the still bleeding wound 
she had gotten from the tire-iron.  She looked at her sister and 
clasped her own bloody hand with her sister's bloody hand. "It's just 
like mine. It doesn't matter where you came from, or, or how you got 
here. You are my sister...."

...then back to the Magic Shop earlier today when she was trying to 
explain to Giles and the Scoobs...

"She's me. The monks made her out of me."

...then later to outside the Magic Shop with Faith...

It's more than that, it almost like she's my daughter too....... It's 
like she is more than just family.  When I hold her, it's more than 
just remembering the memories the monks planted.  They... they made 
her from me.  From me... she is me or parts of me... maybe the parts 
of me that I lost when I got called... It's physical... it's more... 
I feel closer to her then anyone, anything..." 

...then to her 'Slayer Quest' sitting by the fire with the First 
Slayer...

"Death is your gift."

"Death..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy slowly opened her eyes, it all made sense to her, she heard 
softly on the wind the First Slayer finishing her sentence....
"...is your gift."

She frowned and turned around.  It was unnaturally quiet all of a 
sudden. The wind raged but carried no sound with it.  She saw in the 
far off distance, holes ripping open the fabric of their reality.  
The walls between dimension were beginning to crumble.  She looked to 
the end of the platform, this time of the day had become very 
familiar to her over the last few months.  She looked out over the 
platform at the pre-dawn light and knew the sun would rise soon.

Faith watched her as she turned around, and looked out into the pre-
dawn, as the night became suddenly quiet.  It was their special time 
of the day, when they made their secret wishes, and waited for the 
promises of the new day.  Tears started to silently fall down her 
face, this wasn't fair, it wasn't right.  She took a step, then 
another, until there was only a few feet that separated her from 
Buffy, from Dawn.  She didn't care, didn't care if the whole world 
went to hell in a hand basket, she wasn't going to let this happen, 
she couldn't. Fuck the rest of the world, it had never done anything 
for her, but the two people standing in front of her, they did, still 
did, they taught her what love was, is. She started to take another 
step, then stopped when Buffy turned around and their eyes met.

Faith forgot how to breath when she saw the beautiful, peaceful 
expression on Buffy's face.  Their eyes locked and held, there were 
no words, they didn't need them, they lived inside of the other.  
Faith gripped the side of scaffolding, her knuckles turned white, 
afraid to let go, afraid if she did, she would do what she knew was 
wrong, would condemn the world, them all, to a fate worst then 
death.  She hated this, hated it all, but she knew what Buffy was 
going to do was right.  The tears fell harder, harder still as she 
felt Buffy's love surround her, felt it fill every part of her, and 
she returned it and more.  Buffy smiled softly at her before turning 
to Dawn.

Slowly the apocalyptic noise returned, time was growing short as the 
sun began it's assent into the sky.

Dawn's eyes grew wide, when she saw the expression on her sister's 
face, she knew what Buffy was going to do.  NO! She was the 'Key' not 
Buffy... "Buffy!  NO!"

"Dawnie... I have to..." Serene, calm, peaceful.

"NO!"

"Listen to me! There's no time, Dawn, please listen."

Faith watched as Buffy leaned in close to Dawn, as she began to 
whisper in her ear.  The tears rolled down Dawn's face, Faith could 
not hear Buffy, but she didn't need to, she could feel the essence of 
what she was saying deep inside herself.  Buffy lightly, tenderly, 
softly stroked the side of her sister's face.  She leaned in closer 
and placed a loving kiss on her cheek.  She straightened up, and 
looked at Faith, her eyes saying it all.  Then she turned and started 
to run towards the end of the platform.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn stood immobile, paralyzed with grief, anger at the world, angry 
at her helplessness. She watched as her sister reached the end of the 
platform and Swan-dived into the night air, down towards the portal. 
She was unable to control, stop her tears, unable even to reach out 
to Faith as she half staggered, half ran down the platform in Buffy's 
wake.

As she ran, staggered, down the platform after Buffy all she wanted 
to do was follow her into abyss.  But she couldn't, she had promised 
Buffy she would take care of Dawn, promised her no matter what.  She 
had to keep that promise, no matter how hard it would be, no matter 
how much it would hurt, no matter how empty the world would be for 
her now. Didn't she? Wasn't that what she was suppose to do? Wasn't 
that what the 'Fates' wanted? For her to do nothing. She had to keep 
her promise to Buffy, didn't she? She slowed her steps, she staggered 
once, twice more, almost stopped then...

A cold gust of air whipped the her hair around her face, and she felt 
a chill go down her spine.  The kind of chill her Mom used to 
describe felt like; 'Someone had just walked over her grave'.  Dawn 
hadn't understood that analogy until just now.  For a second she 
thought she heard the sound of the hysterical giggle of a madwoman, 
and her skin crawled, then the sound was gone.

A strangled 'NO!' was wrenched from the depths of Dawn's soul, as she 
saw Faith take two more staggering steps.  Then Faith was lunging off 
the edge of the platform almost as it she had been thrown, following 
her sister into the spectral light of the portal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A second before she hit the white light at the center of the portal, 
she felt Faith. Faith was in the portal, Faith had... Then coherent 
thought fled. The energy expanded even wider as Buffy hit the white 
light in it's center.  Her eyes were open, her body in pain as 
lightening hit her, sending thousands of volts of electricity through 
her.  She floated in the middle of the storm, the energy coursing 
through her, ravaging her, as her eyes slowly closed. Dimly before 
all thought ceased she realized Faith was now with her in the center 
of the energy storm, she reached her hand out seeking her. 

She was tumbling down towards the white light in the center, not once 
taking her eyes off Buffy.  She felt the electricity going through 
Buffy, the pain coming to her in an 'echo'.  Then she too was in the 
eye of the energy storm, floating, pain coursing through her body,  
Buffy somewhere beside her. She ignored the pain and forced herself 
to find her, felt Buffy seeking her.  With the last bit of strength 
she had, Faith reached out her hand and found Buffy's, her lover, her 
heart, her soul.  Faith closed her eyes, clinging tightly to Buffy's 
hand, thinking only of Buffy before all thought ceased.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn closed her eyes to the rising sun, almost numb with the thought 
that she had lost them both.  She heard the words her sister had 
whispered in her ear before she had sacrificed herself for her....

"Dawn listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you." 
..They floated together suspended in the eye of the energy storm of 
the portal. 

"But this is the work I have to do."
..The energy ball expanded, then began to shrink as if collapsing 
into itself, smaller and smaller it grew until it was nothing more 
then a speck. Then it was gone. The sun hissed as it came up over the 
horizon. Willow and Tara held each other up as they walked towards 
the tower. Giles was only a few feet behind them, moving slowly, in 
pain. Xander walked towards them cradling Anya in his arm like an 
infant.  All their eyes fixed on the same spot. 

"Tell Giles... tell Giles... I figured it out. And, and I'm okay." 
..Their gazes all fell first on the lifeless body of Buffy, laying 
amidst a pile of rubble, Faith lay not a half a foot away from her.  
Each Slayer had a hand stretched out as if reaching for the other, 
even in death. Spike moved forward, then hissed in pain as the 
sunlight hit him, he fell to the ground. His face was covered in 
blood.  Willow and Tara began crying quietly at the sight before 
them. 

"And give my love to my friends." 
..Xander held his eyes wide open in an effort to keep the tears from 
falling.  Anya buried her head in his shoulder, sobbing quietly. 

"You have to take care of them now..." 
..Giles face was a mass of raw pain, he had not just lost a Slayer, 
he had lost a daughter, no, two daughters. 

"You have to take care of each other." 
..Giles couldn't stop them, the tears, they were overwhelming him. 
He had failed them, his daughters, his Slayers.  Spike covered his 
face with his hands, the sobs wracking his body as he cried for the 
first time in over a hundred years. 

"You have to be strong." 
..Limping Dawn made her way slowly, carefully, down the stairs.  Her 
free hand holding her side, she spotted the others and started to 
make her way towards them. 

"Dawn, the hardest thing in this world... is to live in it." 
Dawn started to cry again when she saw the 'Chosen Two' from where 
she was on the stairs. 

"Be brave. Live. For me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They all stood together in the pre-dawn.  The Sunnydale crew, Giles, 
Dawn, Tara, Willow, Xander, Anya and Spike. The L.A. crew, Wesley, 
Cordelia, Gunn.  Only Angel stood off to the side by himself, he had 
only spoken once since Willow had gone to get him in L.A. Once to 
tell them; 'Use my real first name...', and that had been three days 
ago.

They stood there all together in a place they were all too familiar 
with.  Dawn stepped forward and placed the specially made 
arrangements of a single white and a single red rose wired together 
on the ground for each of them.  She had asked Buffy once, why she 
always got the roses for Faith like that.  Buffy had explained to her 
that a single red rose signified passionate love, a single white, 
pure love, wired together they signified unity, commitment, and 
undying love.  And then Buffy had told her not to tell Faith, she had 
been waiting for Faith to ask on her own. Dawn stepped back and felt 
Willow's arm come around her shoulder.  

They all just stood in silence and stared as the sun began to rise, 
bringing them the promises of the new day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS                       FAITH LIAM
         1981-2001                              1981-2001
BELOVED SISTER, DEVOTED FRIEND               LOVED & CHOSEN
     SHE SAVED THE WORLD                         BY ONE
            A LOT                               BY US ALL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to my nightmare / I think you're gonna like it / I think 
you're gonna feel like you belong / A nocturnal vacation / 
Unnecessary sedation / You want to feel at home 'cause you belong.../
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She struggled to open her eyes, but they were so heavy and... and... the 
pain.  The pain thrummed, raced through every part of her body.  She 
felt it in every cell, her head was pounding, and she could smell 
singed hair.  She whimpered low in her throat, she never knew such 
intense pain existed.  She tried to reach out with her hands, 
seeking, searching, but her arms wouldn't move and then she slipped 
back into the darkness, the pain forcing her back there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pain... Pain... Pain... It was all pain.  Pain was nothing new to her, she 
had lived for years in pain.  But not like this, never like this.  
Everything hurt; fuck, even her nails hurt.  It felt like all her 
bones where broken, her muscles torn, her joints popped.  She had to 
open her eyes, she had to find, she had to... to... to... The silence of 
sweet relief, of unconsciousness claimed her once again, giving her 
some release from the pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were all tired, they were all still in shock, their minds unable 
to accept all that had happened to them over the last three  days. 
They left Sunnydale right after sundown the day the 'Chosen Two' were 
buried.  They would have stayed longer, but they had left a 
disoriented Fred at the Hyperion all alone.  They had asked her to 
come along but she had waved them off, she wanted some time to  
herself after spending the last five years in Pylea. Though she 
didn't tell them, she thought her presence in Sunnydale would only 
add more confusion, more stress to an already stressful situation.

Angel still hadn't said a word, not one word, not since he had told 
them in no uncertain terms to not use Faith's 'legal' last name on 
her gravestone.  She didn't use it, and although he didn't say why 
they all could guess as to the reasons.  So instead he gave her the 
only thing he had left, his real first name, not his last.  He 
thought if anyone could appreciate the irony of it Faith could. 

The four of them entered the dimly lit lobby of the hotel.  Angel 
stood hesitantly just inside the doorway, he was lost.  His mind 
reeling.  He was over two-hundred years old and he couldn't remember 
ever feeling the kind of grief he was feeling now.  He had lost two 
of the most important people in his life in one fell swoop. Buffy the 
first woman he had loved in he didn't even know how long, who had 
made him feel like a man again, had given to him the initial hope 
that he could actually achieve redemption . And Faith... Faith in whom 
he had found a kindred spirit.  Someone who understood him in a way 
that no one else could.  Faith who had changed her life around, found 
love, family.  Faith who gave him hope.  They both had given him 
hope, hope that he, like them, who had found their soul-mate in each 
other, despite all that had been between them in the past.  Hope that 
someday he too would find his redemption, and the person that would 
complete him.

He ran the gamut between extreme grief, and extreme rage.  He wanted 
to let his demon loose, wanted to let it rage, maim, punch, kick, 
scream.  But he didn't, he was afraid that if he did he wouldn't be 
able to control it, wouldn't be able to suppress it again.  Because 
whether Angelus admitted it or not he too loved both of these woman.  
Their bravery, their sense of duty, their loyalty, to each other and 
those they cared about.  The little bit of innocence they both 
managed to keep in spite of all the evil they had seen, had been 
inflicted upon one, if not both of them.  But most of all he admired, 
loved them for their courage.

Cordelia walked over to her desk in a haze and sat down.  Without 
thinking she pushed the button for the phone messages.

"Soul-boy, big trouble in Sunnydale," her voice trembled, they could 
hear the fear in it.  "I gotta get back there fast.  We need your 
help. Need all the help we can get.  Please... please when you get back 
from rescuing Queen C come to Sunnydale.  I found some book on the 
street I'm taking it with me. Maybe it can help, this skanky-
hellbitch is from another dimension. B's scared and so am I.  Tell 
Wesley I'm sorry I took his bike, couldn't wait for the bus, takes to 
long.  Please ask him not to call the cops. I'll make it up to him I 
swear. I gotta go, I can feel how scared she is, I gotta help them..."

They all stood frozen in place, they would have had to be deaf not to 
hear the fear, the panic in her voice.  The desperation.  Wesley 
shook his head, sad that Faith had even thought for a second that he 
would call the cops on her.  Sad that he not been able to truly 
convince her that he had totally forgiven her and counted her amongst 
his family.  They continued to stand frozen as the impersonal 
computerized voice told them the message was left two days before 
the 'Chosen Two' went to confront Glory.  Before Cordelia could get 
herself together enough to stop the damn machine, Faith's voice 
floated out to them again breaking the silence.

"Soul-boy... Angel.  I wanted to call... Wanted to let you know just 
in case... Just in case something happens to me tonight, how much I 
appreciate, how grateful I am for all  that you, that all of you, 
Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn did for me.  You were the first person to ever 
see the me inside and believe in me.  You believed enough in me, to 
make me believe, and you never gave up.  Thank you. Thank all of 
you.  You all were the first true family I ever had and I can never 
tell you how much I... How much it means to me.  Because of all of 
you I feel like I've really got a shot at redemption. The Scoobs, 
Giles and B have forgiven me, have become my family too.  Because of 
all of you I have learned what it is like to love, to give it and to 
have it returned.  Something I never thought I could ever have, 
something I never thought I ever deserved. Thank you again. Angel, 
Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, I... I... I... loveyouguys... I can never 
thank any of you enough... I gotta go... You know me Soul-boy not 
really good at this kinda stuff... Later... "

Angel tipped his head back and roared, howled.  It wasn't just Angel 
roaring but the demon too.  Roared without words, in anguish, in 
grief, in anger, in sorrow, at how wrong this whole fucked-up thing 
was.  He was roaring for them all, they all felt what he was feeling 
and wished that they could roar with him.  They kept their distance 
knowing he would accept no comfort from any of them, knowing he 
needed to let it out, so they let him roar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were all at the Magic Shop the day after the funeral.  Willow 
was working on getting the 'Buffybot' fixed.  They had sent Spike 
late last night to retrieve it for them.  He was still a little shell 
shocked from the experience of going back to the site of his 
failure.  He was sitting in the back corner of the shop, speaking as 
little as possible and not really looking at any of them if he could 
help it.  He was surprised that they even wanted him around, 
considering how miserably he had failed them.  Spike blamed himself 
for both Slayers' deaths.  It was him they had been relying on to 
keep Dawn safe, to protect her from getting cut. To stop anyone from 
starting the ritual. He just had never figured on Doc being anywhere 
in the equation.  He had underestimated the demon, and couldn't help 
but feel that Doc should have never gotten the best of him.  It was 
his fault, and if it weren't for 'Little Bit' he would have seen his 
first and last sunrise in over a hundred years by now.  Guilt 
weighted heavy on his shoulders, along with the grief.  He had found 
himself crying at the oddest of times over the last four days.

Dawn was sitting on the ladder that led up to the loft, she shared 
Spike's guilt.  It was she who was to blame for the death of the 
Slayer's not Spike.  Her, she was the one that was supposed to die.  
Not Buffy, and certainly not Faith.  Buffy had given her life to save 
Dawn's, to save all of them.  To save her life, when up until six 
months ago she hadn't had one, hadn't even been real.  It wasn't 
supposed to be this way.  Why didn't she try harder to stop Buffy?  
Why?  Why hadn't she reached out to stop Faith from going off the 
platform? Instead she had stood there frozen and watched first Buffy, 
then Faith jump from the platform into the white energy of the 
portal.  She hated herself, and she hated herself even more for being 
mad at both the 'Chosen Two' for leaving her.  Her hate was matched 
only by her grief.  

Dawn missed them, it was like an endless ache that refused to go 
away. She missed hearing their laughter, their giggles. The smiles 
they bestowed on each other, on her.  She missed their family meals, 
she even missed smelling the food that Buffy always seemed to burn.  
She missed their general silliness, even the tickle fights.  Dawn 
missed teasing them with the 'Ewwww gross.. Get a room already!' 
every time she caught them kissing, which had been a lot.  Hearing 
their voices, even Buffy screaming for her to get up in the morning. 
Missed fighting with her sister when she borrowed her clothes without 
asking. Missed playing Nintendo with Faith, which Buffy swore at 
first was going to turn their minds to mush.  That was until Faith 
told her it was only cause she couldn't beat either one of them, 
which began the Nintendo wars, which Dawn had been currently winning. 
She missed them arguing over whether to watch X-Men cartoons or some 
mushy romantic movie on one of the movie channels.  She missed the 
way they showed their love for each other, for her, for all of their 
family. She just missed them. 

Now she was living with the witches at the Mansion, she couldn't 
handle going back to her house, with both her Mom and Buffy gone.  
The Mansion was a little easier, though there were reminders of them 
everywhere.  From their 'Slaying boots' by the side door.  To the 
obscenely huge coffee mugs they had. To the enormous amount of food 
in the refrigerator and freezer.  To  the pictures that lined the 
mantel over the fireplace. To the stacks of CD's that ranged from 
Sade (Buffy's) to Nine Inch Nails (Faith's) piled on the floor by the 
stereo. When they were at the Mansion, it was like all three of them 
expected Buffy and Faith to come running in, chasing each other 
through the door.  Every time they heard an unfamiliar noise they all 
turned their heads expectantly towards the door, a little bit of hope 
in their hearts.


Dawn had thought that she would end up staying with Giles, but it was 
him who had suggested that she have the witches move in with her.  
They had all agreed not to call her father, remembering that he had 
not even bothered to call back after receiving word of Joyce's 
death.  Had not called once since then.  Thus the idea to resurrect 
the 'Buffybot' to perpetuate the myth that Buffy was still alive.   
Dawn was just glad that school had let out for the year right before 
the shit hit the fan with Glory.  She didn't think that she could 
have made it through the school day pretending that everything in her 
life was okay when it wasn't. Anger, hate, grief, sorrow, loneliness, 
betrayal, all of it and more warred with each other.  She was on 
overload, not sure how to deal with any of it.  Talking about it 
didn't seem to help at all, looking at pictures, talking about them, 
nothing seemed to help fill the emptiness inside her.

Dawn looked over a Giles who was sitting at the table idly paging 
through a book.  He hadn't been quite able to look her completely in 
the eyes since that night.  She knew he resented that it was her here 
and not Buffy, he wasn't alone in that feeling she resented it 
herself.  She knew it shouldn't be her here, it should be Buffy.  
Further she knew if Buffy was here so would Faith, Faith would have 
never thrown herself off the platform.  Not only had she lost her 
sister and Faith who was like a sister to her, but the man who had 
become more of a father to her than her own father. Dawn fought back 
the hot tears that threatened to spill, she bit her lip to keep them 
back until she bled. 

Giles could feel the weight of Dawn's stare on him.  He kept his eyes 
lowered, he had trouble meeting her gaze.  He loved her,  truly he 
did like a daughter, but there was a part of him that blamed her.  
Blamed her that Buffy wasn't here.  He also blamed himself, blamed 
himself for not finding out more before and perhaps putting and end 
to this before anyone's life was ended.  Perhaps if he had found out 
more about the Knights they may have found Ben sooner.  But he had 
not pursued that avenue after Buffy had told him of her initial 
encounter with them.  He had not even tried at all.  He blamed 
himself for Faith's death as well.  He should have never let her go 
after Buffy, it was illogical he knew. None of them could have known 
what Buffy was going to do, none of them could have known that Faith 
would follow her off the platform.  He just couldn't wrap him mind 
around it.  He knew she had promised Buffy to take care of Dawn if 
something should happened to her.  The Faith that he had come to know 
over the last months would not have broken that promise on purpose.  
Something just didn't feel right about the whole thing to him. 

His spent his nights crying over the loss of Buffy, the young girl 
who had grown into a beautiful young woman over the last five years.  
A young woman who was proud, independent, caring, loving, a young 
woman whom in his heart was his daughter. A young woman he was 
honored to know, felt proud to have her come to him as daughter would 
to a father. And Faith whom he had started to regard as a daughter 
too.  To have gone through so much in her short life and survived it 
all only to die when it had started to get better.  Who had finally 
found happiness, forgiveness, and love, who's life had just truly 
started, he couldn't even begin to understand it.  His grief 
threatened to overwhelm him. He hated the part of himself that 
resented Dawn being here instead of Buffy.  It was one of his main 
reasons for deciding to return to England.  He wasn't needed here 
anymore, and he was afraid that eventually Dawn would come to realize 
what he felt.  She was struggling with her own grief, her own guilt, 
she didn't need his resentment to be added to all that.  

Xander was sitting at the table next to Giles, watching Anya as she 
slowly moved around the shop.  Thanking whomever was in charge for 
the zillionth time that she was alive. He didn't know what he would 
have done had he lost her too.  There was a part of  him that felt 
guilty that he was glad she wasn't the one to have died.  Then again 
like everyone else he felt partially responsible for Buffy's death, 
and even Faith's.  After all the times Buffy had saved his, all of 
their lives they had failed her this one time.  He had yet to even 
begin to deal with his grief, for him like everyone else none of this 
felt quite real yet.  He expected to see her at every turn.  He cried 
though when he was alone, he cried for Dawn who seemed so lost and 
all alone.  She refused to talk to any of them.  He cried over the 
loss of Buffy and even Faith whom he had come to love over the last 
few months. He looked over at Anya again, feeling the brief flash of 
guilt, but grateful none-the-less that she was still here with him.

Anya looked up and smiled at Xander, it was a sad smile. She knew he 
cried over Buffy and Faith too, when he was alone.  Knew he felt a 
little guilty that he was glad it wasn't her who had died. For 
herself she was sad, she had lost two of her family, a family she had 
just realized she had thanks to Faith.  After twelve-hundred odd 
years she felt for the first time truly sorry over the loss of 
anyone.  Though she kept quiet about it, she knew she expressed 
things the wrong way, and did not want to upset them anymore than 
they already were.  They were all like ticking time bombs waiting to 
explode.  She had seen enough grief over the years to know that it 
wasn't real to them yet. That the 'Chosen Two' were gone.  She had a 
feeling that the explosion would be coming soon.

Willow pushed down the tears that threatened to overwhelm her.  She 
was still in shock and couldn't shake the feeling that something 
about this whole thing didn't feel right.  Tara shared this feeling 
with her.  Though neither witch could put a finger on why, but 
something was wrong, something, but what?  Somehow or another Willow 
had been put in the position of leader of their little band.  Giles 
was merely functioning out of pure habit, his red rimmed eyes 
betraying his nights of crying.  He was making plans to return to 
England, would be leaving as soon as Anya was well enough to take 
over running the shop for him.  He couldn't see the point in staying, 
there were no Slayers anymore to watch.  They were all sure that if 
the Council did decide to send the new 'Chosen One' here she would 
arrive with her own Watcher. So there was no point in his staying 
here.  Because despite the fact that he loved Dawn like a daughter, 
he felt a little resentment towards her.  If the choice had been his 
on who had to die that day, well he had made his choice very clear.

Willow still expected to see, to hear Buffy at every turn.  She still 
couldn't believe that she was gone, that both she and Faith were 
gone.  She had been so sure that they would beat all the odds, would 
live long healthy lives.  So sure...

Tara stood by the counter watching Willow work on fixing the 
'Buffybot'.  She had been trying to stay so strong, except for 
when they had first seen the 'Chosen Two' laying on the ground at the 
bottom of the tower she had not shed a single tear.  Willow had 
become the strength of all of them.  Keeping them all together, the 
shoulder that everyone else, including Tara had cried upon.  She 
already had Tara researching into how they could resurrect both 
Slayers, whole, with their original bodies and souls intact.  Willow 
was convinced that there had to be a way.  Though they had not spoken 
to anyone about this yet, they didn't want to raise any hopes.

Over the last four days the Wiccans had talked well into the night 
about the 'Chosen Two'. Now they could laugh over the fact that Faith 
had been the first to recognize what had been going on between them. 
What they remember most vividly about Faith though, was the excited 
child-like innocence of her the day the Wiccans brought back the 
present she had custom made for Buffy. Neither one of them though 
could shake the deep down feeling that they were missing something.  
There was something nagging around the edges of their minds about the 
whole thing.  Something just didn't feel right.  Tara's memory of 
that night's events as well as Willows was foggy, the spells had 
taken a lot out of both of them.  Tara was hoping that with time they 
would remember. The one thing they could not reconcile was Faith 
breaking her promise to Buffy to take care of Dawn should something 
happen to her.

"Hey," she called softly, "how's it going?" The 'Buffybot' gave her 
the creeps, and she didn't know if she could do what Willow was 
doing. If she could be strong enough to work on a robot that looked 
exactly like her best friend that had just died.

"Just finished, was going to turn her on and see."  

Tara walked over to stand next to Willow, neither one of them saw 
Dawn as she moved over behind them.  Willow reached behind the 
'Buffybot' and switched her on.  The 'Buffybot's' eyes snapped open.  
She looked at Tara, then Willow, and smiled.

"Hey Wills!"  She said in a perky voice, a voice that sounded exactly 
like Buffy's.  

Willow burst out crying, unable to hold the tears back anymore, she 
crumbled to her knees.  Tara by her side immediately her own tears 
falling, pulling her tightly to her.  Dawn stood in shock looking at 
that  thing, that wire and metal thing that looked just like her 
sister, sounded just like her sister.  Her anger rose to the surface, 
her anger at her sister, the world and she flew at the 'Buffybot' in 
a rage.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" She screamed at the robot, punching it, 
smacking it, kicking, crying.  "How could you leave me? How? It 
wasn't supposed to be you... You weren't supposed to die.  I was... I 
was... It was supposed to be me, not you, ME! Why? Why? Why? why.... 
why..." Dawn sobbed, the fight going out of her.

The 'Buffybot' gathered up the crying girl into her arms awkwardly, 
she patted her back lightly, a confused look on her face. 

Whatever resentment, blame he had been placing on Dawn flew out the 
window when he realized the depth and breath of her guilt, of her 
grief.  She may have not come into this world in the 'normal' way, 
may not have been real before six months ago, but she was real now, 
and she was only just a child. A child who had lost her Mother, her 
sister, and another who was just like her sister, and now had been 
losing him, the man she looked at like a father. 

Giles realized within those brief seconds how he had been hurting not 
only her but himself.  And how he had been disrespecting everything 
Buffy stood for, and the sacrifice she had made by acting this way 
towards her sister, towards the child he considered his own daughter. 

Giles rose from the table quickly, he gently pulled Dawn into his 
embrace. He murmured comforting words, holding her impossibly tight 
to him, his own tears joining hers, as they comforted each over their 
loss. 

Spike launched himself at that obscene mockery of the Slayer he had 
built for himself and shut her off.  He was breathing hard, trying to 
contain his own grief.  His own guilt over adding two more Slayers to 
his numbers. He held back his tears with shear will power, he needed 
to get out of here, away from here.  He was a fucking vampire. A 
master vampire, for Christ' sake!  He could not act like this. He 
turned to leave and was stopped by a gentle hand on his arm.  He 
turned around to find it was Willow. 

"Stay. I know you don't want to be alone. No one should be alone at a 
time like this." He opened his mouth to reply but she stopped him, 
"Not even you Spike. Stay with us."

They all gathered around the table, really all there for the first 
time in four days.  They smiled weakly at each other, tears in all of 
their eyes.

"Do you remember the time that Buffy...." Willow began.

They talked, they cried  they reminisced, they got angry, they began 
to grieve, to heal.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was in a place between consciousness and unconsciousness. The 
pain was still present though not as bad, or was it just that she had 
gotten used to it so it didn't feel quite as bad.  Her jumbled 
thoughts were beginning to reorganize themselves.  Somehow this 
wasn't quite right, she shouldn't be feeling pain if she was dead.  
Should she?  She shouldn't even have a body at all. She didn't 
remember it being like this when she had died at the hands of 'The 
Master'.  She remember floating then, remembered seeing her body 
laying upon the hard cold ground, then drifting away.  None of that 
happened at all this time.  This time there had only been pain 
streaking through her body non-stop for what had felt like hours, 
days.  Until her body, her mind, exhausted and unable to handle it 
any longer had sucked her into the darkness of sweet oblivion. 

She tried to remember all that had happened, it was all a little 
fuzzy still. Dawn! She had taken Dawn's place.  Had done a nose dive 
off of the platform so that the portal would close.  So that the 
fabric that separated realities would not be ripped away.  The blood, 
hers and Dawn's were what opened the portal, their blood was the same 
blood.  Was this her punishment then, for taking her own life?  Had 
all the good she done been outweighed by that one act of sacrificing, 
taking her own life?  Was she in hell? Was that why there was the 
pain?  But no she didn't feel dead, she could feel her body 
struggling to repair itself from the damage the lightening, the 
electricity had done to her.  Although she felt like she had taken a 
vicious beating as well.

As her mind started to clear, she remembered even more.  Falling into 
the white energy of the portal, the lightning hitting her, the 
electricity streaking through her veins, burning like liquid fire.  
Starting to lose the ability to form coherent thought, floating, then 
feeling her.  Faith! Faith had been in the energy with her. Oh my 
god! Faith had jumped, no, she remembered thinking something else, 
then the only thing she had thought of was reaching out for her. 
Searching for her, reaching out her hand, feeling Faith's find hers 
before all thinking had ceased.  Was Faith here too, were they 
together?  Where was she?  Buffy tried to reach out to her with their 
connection, but her body, her mind, was exhausted from even this 
little bit of effort.  She slipped back into the darkness, calling 
for her lover in her mind...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She could see the spotted light from behind her closed eyelids.  Her 
body still in pain but repairing itself thanks to her slayer healing. 
She should be dead though, shouldn't she?  If she was, then where was 
she?  Why did she even still have a body?  Why was there all this 
pain?  Was this her punishment for all the wrong she had done in her 
life? Was she in hell? 

{No you're in fucking heaven ass.  A few months on the side of right 
makes up for years worth of wrong and taking a life.  Good one Faith!}

The snort of self-depreciating laughter hurt her raw dry throat. Had 
she been screaming?  She felt fear rising up in her at the 
possibility that she was in hell. Scared of what the devil might have 
planned for her. FUCK! She couldn't really remember what happened.  
Buffy had decided to take her sister's place.  She had staggered 
after her down the platform, crying, fighting within her mind over 
what it was she was supposed to do.  She had stopped two steps from 
the edge, and then she had been flying through the air.  Had she 
jumped?  No she wouldn't have, would she? She had promised Buffy she 
would take care of Dawn.  So she wouldn't have jumped.  So how then? 
How did she end up in the energy storm with Buffy?  How? She couldn't 
really remember.

She let herself drift back to that night. It had felt like it all 
happened in slow motion.  Falling towards the white energy in the 
center of the portal, her eyes locked on Buffy.  She had watched and 
felt in an 'echo' the pain of the lightning as it struck Buffy.  Then 
she was floating in the eye of the storm, feeling her own pain as the 
lightning hit her as well.  She had pushed the pain down, focusing, 
using the last bit of her strength, she had reached out and found 
Buffy's hand, which had been seeking hers too.  Then nothing for a 
time, there had been a very brief moment of intense pain since she 
had been here, then nothing again. But Faith didn't know how long ago 
that had been.  How long had she been here? 

One thing she did know was that all the damage that was done to her 
body wasn't just from the lightning. She knew this type of pain, had 
lived with it for years. Someone, something had beaten the living 
shit out of her while she was unconscious.

The pain was bearable now, she had lived with worse pain than this 
before.  She slowly found her mind clearing, as it swam up from that 
place that wasn't quite consciousness.  So if she wasn't dead, and 
she sure as shit didn't feel dead, then where was she?  She couldn't 
hear any noise, so unless she had somehow lost her hearing, she 
wasn't in the hospital.  And if she wasn't dead, did that mean Buffy 
wasn't either? Was Buffy here too somewhere?  Faith quieted her mind 
and sought her out, she sighed in relief she could still feel her, 
but fretted when she got no answering response.  What did that mean?  
And if she was dead did that mean she had dragged Buffy somehow here 
to hell with her?  Because hell, Faith knew, was where she would be 
if she was dead.

Finding her courage, pushing down the sinking feeling in the pit of 
her stomach, Faith forced herself to open her eyes. Opened them to 
the place her nightmares were made of, opened them to the hell she 
knew only to well for years.  The hell that had been her real life 
nightmare for years.

"OHNOONNONONONOPLEASENOGODNO!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clawing she fought to bring herself to consciousness.  The fear, 
terror, shame, was making the pain of her body feel insignificant, 
and dimly even in her state she could hear Faith's hoarse voice 
pleading. It was her emotions Buffy was feeling, was getting in such 
a strong 'echo' that it had pierced the veil of her unconsciousness.  
She struggled to open her eyes, finding her voice which would not 
come out as more than a very hoarse whisper, "Faith! Faith!"

Buffy took in her surroundings.  It looked like she was in an 
oversized cabin.  A large fireplace dominated the wall across the 
room from her.  There was a deer's head mounted over it, a rifle, and 
one of those white bear rugs with the head, claws, still attached on 
the floor in front of it.  There was a brown leather recliner that 
was so popular in the late eighties.  A plaid couch, with a couple of 
quilts over the back of it. The hardwood floor had a few of those 
thick corded throw rugs strewn across it.  It looked like a hunting 
cabin, one of those pseudo-log cabins.  Buffy scanned the main room 
of the cabin quickly but didn't see Faith, she could hear her though.

"Faith baby..." She tried again forcing her voice above a whisper. 

"B - b - b?  B-b-buffy?" Faith's voice came to her from the other 
side of the couch. 

"Over here."  Buffy made herself move, it took almost all of her 
energy to raise herself into a sitting position and then to her knees.

Faith pulled herself up using the side-board table next to her for 
leverage.  Her bruised body screamed at her in protest.  She turned 
her head towards where Buffy's voice had come from.  Her eyes 
disbelieving what she was seeing.  Buffy's face, her body, was one 
big massive contusion, and she was naked as the day she was born. 
Buffy looked like someone had beaten the hell out of her too.  
Belatedly Faith realized that Buffy wasn't the only one that was 
naked.  She glanced down at her own body and saw the bruises and 
welts across them.  Faith stumbled over to the couch and grabbed the 
quilts off the back of it.  Slowly, painfully, stopping every few 
steps to catch her breath, Faith made her way across the room to 
Buffy. 

Buffy gasped when she saw Faith, her earlier thought of feeling like 
someone had beaten her now confirmed by the condition Faith was in.  
There didn't seem to be a square inch of her body that wasn't covered 
in bruises or angry red welts. Buffy  took a quick look down at her 
own body, and saw that whomever had beaten her, had beaten Faith 
about ten times worse. 

Who the hell had done this to them?  Where the hell where they?  What 
the hell was going on?  She ignored the protesting of her body and 
got up to her feet.  She swayed dizzily for a second, praying she 
wouldn't pass out.  Praying that there was someone there to even hear 
her prayers.

If felt like it took hours to reach each other.  They fell into the 
other's arms, Faith wrapping one of the quilts around them both.  
Together they staggered over to the recliner and collapsed into it.  
Faith covered them with the other quilt, and ignoring the pain pulled 
Buffy into her arms, who wrapped her own around Faith and pulled them 
even closer together.  

"I'm sorry. So sorry." Faith whispered to her, unable to stop the 
tears that ran down her face.

"Sorry? For what?" Buffy felt the wave of fear again, it was familiar 
somehow.  Different, and then it dawned on her.  It felt the same as 
the fear that always came from Faith when something reminded her of 
her childhood. Oh God! Where had the portal taken them? 

"I don't know how... how... but somehow... I dragged you here with 
me... my nightmare... my hell... This... this... this place... B... 
it's where... it's...."

Faith didn't get to finish, the cabin door burst open, slamming 
against the wall with force.  Making the pictures on the walls shake, 
a knickknack fell off of the bookshelf from the impact.  A man, a 
very large muscular man, at least six-feet tall stood in the doorway. 
He had a ruddy complexion, pitch black hair, thin mean lips, and 
piercing gray eyes.  The look he was giving them made Buffy's skin 
crawl.  Buffy pulled Faith tighter to her as she felt her begin to 
tremble, could smell the fear coming off her.

The man smiled at them, "Faithy, baby girl... Did you miss me?" he 
waited for her to answer him. "No? Well I missed you... If fact I 
missed you so much I couldn't even wait for you to wake up to show 
you how much.  Show you both how much.  Don't worry though I saved 
the real fun for when you were awake." He moved out of the doorway, 
closing the door and locking the deadbolt, putting the key in his 
pocket.  

Faith shoved Buffy behind her in the chair, shielding Buffy with her 
body, shielding her from his evil eyes.

He started moving towards them, "Welcome home baby girl.  It's been 
what?  Four, five years? Now be nice, and come show 'daddy' how much 
you missed him."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
..Welcome to my nightmare  / I think you're gonna like it / I think 
you're gonna feel that you belong / We sweat laugh and scream here 
/ 'cuz life is just a dream here  / You know inside you feel right at 
home here / Welcome to my nightmare --Alice Cooper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They cry in the dark, so you can't see their tears / They hide in the 
light, so you can't see their fears / Forgive and forget, all the 
while / Love and pain become one and the same / In the eyes of a 
wounded child / Because Hell / Hell Is For Children / And you know 
that their little lives can become such a mess / Hell / Hell Is For 
Children / And you shouldn't have to pay for your love with your 
bones and your flesh / It's all so confusing, this brutal abusing / 
They blacken your eyes, and then apologize / You're daddy's good 
girl, and don't tell mommy a thing / Be a good little boy, and you'll 
get a new toy / Tell grandma you fell off the swing / Because Hell / 
Hell Is For Children - Pat Benatar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"ATROPOS!!!!" 

Atropos jumped up from her settee, the intricate needlepoint she had 
been working on for years fell to the floor forgotten. Quickly she 
rose to her feet, fear churning in her stomach, she hadn't heard that 
much fear in her sister's voice since the ill fated lovers from eons 
ago.  She ran from the sitting room to the 'Tapestry of Life' room, 
trampling the delicate needlepoint under her feet.  It was the first 
time in over a century that she had run or for that matter had 
physically moved from room to room, such was the state that she was 
in.  Contradicting her incalculable age, she ran as if she were a 
spring flower in its first bloom. She skidded to a halt in front of 
the 'Tapestry of Life' where her two sisters were staring confused, 
crying.  Another thing that hadn't happened since the ill fated union 
of Romeo and Juliet; yes, whether he knew it or not Shakespeare had 
written a true story. A story, a tragedy that had happened at almost 
the beginning of mankind. A tragedy that the 'Fates' themselves had 
missed in the endless possibilities that the 'Tapestry of Life' held 
for each 'Life Thread'.  And as was their roles in the grand scheme 
of things, now, like then, they were forbidden to change or influence 
what had, or was to happened.

"What? What has happened?"

Lachesis just pointed down at the 'Tapestry of Life', not speaking, 
she was crying too hard.  How could she have missed this? This should 
have been there...... they *SHE* should have seen this.  

Atropos looked down at the 'Tapestry of Life', she watched, as her 
sisters' watched with her again the events unfold starting with the 
night the 'Chosen Two' fought their final battle against the Hellgod, 
Glory.  Watched as the last four days within the mortal realm for the 
loved ones of the Chosen Two unfolded. She mourned with the mortal 
and immortal family that the 'Chosen Two' had surrounded themselves 
with. Wishing most desperately that she could offer them some kind of 
hope, some kind of comfort, even a small sign of something, anything. 

Hesitatingly she moved her eyes to the entwined 'Life Threads' of the 
Chosen Two. Afraid almost to look, to watch, to see what had happened 
that would cause her sisters to sob so heart-wrenchingly. Then her 
eyes were upon their 'Life Threads' and she watched as the last seven 
days of the 'Chosen Two' unfolded before her, holding back the tears 
that came to her own eyes.  She could not hold them back any longer 
as she watched them beaten more than once as they lay helpless and 
unconscious.  As the brunt of the lunatic's anger was taken out on 
Faith with fists, with feet and with belt.  She cried harder as she 
watched them wake, weak, almost helpless, in pain to the nightmare 
monster that had ruled Faith's childhood.

"But......... How? What?" She asked her sister, unable for the first time 
in over a millennium to even form a sentence.

"I-I-I don't know? I didn't see this as a possibility while I was 
weaving... It was almost as if my eyes were blinded to it. What can we 
do?" Lachesis looked at her sister with pleading eyes. Praying that 
for once Atropos would forget the damn rules, knowing though that 
she, they, could not.

"Nothing. I wish that it were so that we could.  We can only hope 
that she remembers... That she will..." Atropos trailed off, her tears 
falling harder, joining that of her sisters. They watched with horror 
and sorrow, their time now at pace with that of the 'Chosen Two's' as 
the 'Tapestry of Life' continued to weave the 'Life Treads' of the 
chosen Slayers.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Come show 'daddy' how much you missed him.' The words thundered 
through her brain, echoing, as familiar to her as her own name.  
Faith launched herself at him from the recliner when he was only a 
step or two inside of the door, the words bouncing and crashing 
around her head, causing something deep inside of her to rise up in 
fury.

{I'll fucking show you just how much I missed you, you fucking 
sadistic scumbag!}

She let loose the rage in her that had been trapped inside since she 
had been a child.  Let it loose for the first time ever, consciously, 
with bad intent.  Rage that had been created by his hands, by his 
abuse of her over nine long years. From the time she was seven until 
she had escaped him the fall after her sixteenth birthday, the same 
year her mother had died.  The same rage that had given birth, life, 
breath to her dark side.  Fear, terror, she had felt then, was 
feeling now, added fuel to the already white-hot flame of her rage 
making it burn brighter, hotter.

The dark side of her, and the child within were screaming in joy.  
Joy for finally being given the chance to take out it's, their rage, 
fear, pain, and shame on the cause of their existence.

The light side of her, the 'Faith' side of her joined it's cries of 
joy with the dark side and the child.  Joy because her slayer senses 
were telling her that he was no longer completely human, that part of 
him was demon.  Joy because she would not be hurting, perhaps 
killing, a human, no matter what he had done. This time there would 
be no blood added to her hands.  No misplaced guilt over what she was 
about to do.

For the first time in her life, Faith's dark and light side were in 
complete agreement with each other.  They wanted to hurt, to maim, to 
rage against the man/demon coming towards her.  To inflict even the 
smallest fraction of the pain, the fear, that he had forced, 
inflicted upon her, 'them', for all those years.

Faith was literally growling at him as she flew towards him with all 
of her slayer strength and rage.  Unable to even formulate words. 
There were no words that could even come close to conveying the riot 
of emotions, the hate that she felt for him.  The hate, shame, pain, 
guilt that she felt now, then, that he had made her feel for herself.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not more than a second behind Faith, Buffy flew out of the recliner 
in her wake. 

{Show you! Fucking A! I'll show you scumbag!  Show you my fucking 
fists asshole!} Buffy's own thoughts echoing Faith's as she moved 
towards him.

Buffy didn't need Faith to tell her who this man was, what he had 
done.  She felt everything Faith was feeling, was familiar with 
the 'echo', remembered, could never forget it, it was seared upon her 
soul.  This 'echo' that only came when Faith's past came back to 
haunt her.  Buffy could remember each and every time this 'echo' had 
come to her, knew it because like Faith was, it too was a permanent 
part of her.  Buffy's own rage joined with Faith's, turning her white-
hot flame into a cold-steel blue.  She was going to enjoy helping 
Faith rip him apart. Yes, she admitted to herself, this time she was 
going to enjoy causing pain.  Enjoy making him suffer, feel pain, 
make him bleed.

For the first time in her life, Buffy knew deep down inside that it 
would not matter to her had he still been just human.  She knew from 
her slayer senses that he wasn't.  She was, in fact, a little 
thrilled that he wasn't, simply because that meant that they could 
make him suffer, make him bleed all the longer.  This was the man who 
had hurt her mate, and the rage inside of her was purely primal.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Johnny took in both of them in just a glance.  Loving the way they 
looked together, light and dark.  His 'baby girl' had grown into a 
beautiful woman and he was getting excited just by the thought of 
what it was he was going to do to her.  Excited by the fact that now 
she was a slayer he could make it last all the longer.  Excited by 
the fact that she would be able to take, five, ten times more than 
when she had been just a 'normal' girl.  Excited that she would heal 
much faster because of her slayer healing. Excited because he 
wouldn't have to wait so long now between their play time. Excited 
because both his 'baby girl' and her lover Buffy, or 'B', as Faithy 
liked to call her, had been given to him.  Given to him to do with 
what he wanted, more or less.

He broke from his internal fantasies as Faith launched herself at 
him.  It was one of the many things that he 'loved' about her, her 
spirit, her fight.  She had fought him even as a child, refusing to 
just submit, even knowing that it would only make things worse.  
'Loved' it because it meant he didn't get to break her just once, but 
over and over again. He smiled amused when he saw Faith's blonde-
haired lover fly out of the chair a step behind her.  Damn they were 
magnificent.  

Johnny waited until Faith was upon him before he swatted her from him 
like an irritating gnat.

Faith was sent airborne from his casual back-hand to her chest.  She 
flew across the room slamming hard into the log wall, cracking some 
of the logs from the force of her impact.  She bounced off the wall 
and fell to the floor, gasping, feeling a little dizzy as the edges 
of her world blurred.  New pain joined with the pain from the vicious 
beating she was now sure both she and Buffy had received at Johnny's 
hand when they lay helpless and unconscious. 

He stopped Buffy's charge by snapping out his arm and grabbing her by 
the neck.  He lifted her with ease, holding her a good foot off the 
floor.

Immediately Buffy began kicking out at him, but she might as well 
have been trying to kick through ten foot steel.  He giggled at her 
like a two year old and told her in a totally out of place teasing 
tone, "Stop that! It tickles!".  

His giggles trailed off, and his whole face changed when he smiled 
maliciously at her.  Slowly he started to tighten his grip around her 
throat, cutting off her air.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{FUCKFUCK! B! Gotta help her! Shit!}

Faith struggled back up to her feet pushing down the pain coursing 
through her.  She ran across the room at him.  Full slayer mode 
kicking back in, adrenaline pumping, numbing the pain, sending energy 
throughout her body.

He back-handed Faith across the shoulder, spinning her around, 
knocking her off her feet.  He turned his attention back to the 
blonde-haired slayer who was now franticly clawing at his hand around 
her throat.

She was seeing black spots in front of her eyes.  She was light-
headed and knew it wouldn't be long before she passed out, everything 
was a little bit out of focus.  Buffy re-doubled her efforts to get 
free when she saw how easily he had knocked Faith away from him 
again.  She grabbed a hold of his thumb, trying to pry it loose from 
her throat.  He laughed in her face, the enjoyment, excitement he was 
feeling, getting from this showing in his eyes.  He grabbed one of 
her arms by the wrist and began to twist it away from his hand, she 
fought against his twisting, she stopped fighting him the second 
before he would have broken it.

Faith forced herself back up to her feet again, she had to help 
Buffy!  He had turned his back to her, and she looked at it as an 
advantage, you never turned your back on an enemy.  She ran at him 
again full force, hoping to hit him hard enough that he would let go 
of Buffy.

Johnny whirled around to face Faith, swinging Buffy by the neck with 
him like he was holding nothing more than a stuffed animal.  He 
punched Faith hard in the chest, knocking the air right out of her, 
causing her legs to collapse out from under her.  She fell to her 
knees, gasping painfully for air, seeing the proverbial 'stars'.  
Right up until that moment Faith had thought that 'seeing stars' was 
nothing more than a quaint metaphor, she knew better now. 

It was getting harder and harder for Buffy to lift her arms.  They 
felt like they were made out of lead.  She felt like she was moving 
underwater, her limbs were laden, slow, her senses dulling, her head 
was spinning relentlessly.

>From her knees Faith saw how pale Buffy was.  Could hear her 
desperate attempts at getting air into her lungs.  How hard it was 
becoming for her to even move.  A ghost of a long suppressed memory 
flittered across her mind.  She was intimately familiar with what he 
was doing she remembered now that she had experienced it many times 
at Johnny's hand.  Now she knew why she had done this to Xander that 
night, she had been taking out her rage for Johnny on him.  Doing to 
Xander what had been done to her so many times, doing it to him 
because she had thought he was pretending to care, just like Johnny 
had. 

She felt Buffy beginning to slip away into the darkness, and she was 
pulled out of the ghost memory's grip.  Afraid now that Johnny might 
actually kill Buffy.  'Do something' her mind screamed, she could not 
let Buffy die.  She had failed her too many times before, had let her 
down, this was all her fault, this was her nightmare and Buffy 
shouldn't be here at all.   Physically Faith knew she couldn't beat 
him, not now, and not ever when she was a child, so she did the only 
thing she could think of to help Buffy.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith lowered her eyes and head, lowered them away from his 
triumphant familiar stare.  She forced the rage back down to it's 
former home inside of her.  All that was left now was the terror, the 
shame, the pain, and the guilt.  She tried but she could not force 
them down too, they had too strong a grip on her battered, bruised 
soul. The child inside of her was already screaming in fear at what 
she knew was to come, and what Faith had tried so long to forget. 

"Please.................. please Johnny..............." Faith's voice trembled, the words 
heavy, thick as they fell from her tongue.

"Please what, Faithy?"

She could hear the enjoyment, excitement, the lu..., (she couldn't even 
let her mind go there), in his voice that her fear created in him.  
But she had already known that from her past, known how much he 
enjoyed both hearing and creating the fear in her.  How much the sick 
bastard got off on it.  Faith risked peeking up at Buffy through her 
hair, she saw that Johnny had loosened his grip slightly.  Saw that 
Buffy was no longer having to fight for every breath.  She bit back 
the angry words, knowing that Buffy was still far from safe.  Instead 
Faith gave him the answer she knew he wanted, knew it from 
experience. "Please don't hurt her.  I'm...... s-s-sorry.  Please let her 
go!  I'll d-d-do whatever you want.  Please Johnny!"

"Faith! NO! Don't!"  Buffy managed to croak out.  She couldn't, she 
would not let Faith do this, not to protect her.  She couldn't bare 
to think of Faith having to do something like this.  Not for her, oh 
please god she thought don't... But Buffy too couldn't bare to let her 
mind go there, afraid if she even thought it, it would come true.  
She had to help her, she had to get free, had to protect Faith from 
him!  This was her greatest fear, not being able to help, to save the 
innocent, and in this Faith was the innocent.  Only this time the 
fear of failure was a million times worse, because this time it was 
her heart, her soul, her Faith that she might not be able to save.  
She had failed her before, had failed to be there when Faith had 
needed her help. She couldn't, WOULD NOT fail her now.

Johnny shook Buffy, "Shut up bitch!"

"Fuck you scumbag! I'm gonna kill you!" Buffy rasped, snarled out at 
him. She lashed out at him with her foot again, her strength 
returning fueled by her fear for Faith.  She aimed for the one spot 
she knew was vulnerable to every man and demon alike she had ever met.

He laughed in her face again as he felt her kick out.  He was quickly 
choking on his laughter as her kick caught him hard in the groin!  A 
high-pitched howled of pain came from him, he barely managed to keep 
his knees from buckling.  Buffy smiled,  purred with satisfaction, 
she pulled her foot back intending to kick him again, but, she never 
got the chance.  Johnny flung her from him with brutal force. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luckily for Buffy she hit the couch toppling it over with the 
momentum of her flight.  Had she hit something less soft it would 
have probably caused severe trauma to her spine.  He followed her 
across the room, jumping over the fallen couch to get at her.  
Snarling he started kicking her rapidly, chortling  with glee as each 
kick landed.  His kicks were so randomly placed and rapid fire that 
Buffy had a hard time blocking or protecting herself from them, she 
didn't even have a chance to try and get up off the floor.  A kick 
caught her hard in the ribs, cracking them.  She curled up into a 
small fetal ball trying to protect both her ribs and her head from 
the brutal force of his kicks.  She was whimpering low in the back of 
her throat in pain as each kick landed, adding layers of pain on top 
of her already bruised, pain wracked body.

Faith scrambled across the floor on her hands and knees after them.  
She heard him break something, and each whimper of pain coming from 
Buffy was like a knife through her heart.  She had to do something!  
She began begging and pleading with him to stop as she made her way 
across what felt like the endless expanse of a black hole to reach 
them.

Johnny ignored Faith's pleading, he was enjoying too much the sound 
of the blonde slayer's whimpers of pain. Was enjoying too much 
causing that pain, enjoying too the pleading of his 'baby girl' for 
her lover.  He never had any intention of killing the slayer at his 
feet, but neither slayer ever needed to know that, because that would 
just ruin everything. Despite how it had looked he knew exactly how 
much pressure he could exert before he would have crushed her 
windpipe.  His kicks though they may have looked random were 
carefully placed, as well as the force with which he was delivering 
them.  His objective was to cause, bring about the highest level of 
fear, anguish, and pain in both slayers, not about killing them.  He 
had been born, then re-born to do just this, it was his 'calling', 
just like being slayers was the 'Chosen Two's', as they had named 
themselves, calling.  After all he had already done it to Faith once. 
Hadn't he. 

He had been re-born into something more than just a mere human so 
that he could do it to them both this time. Re-born so that he could 
re-shape them into living human vessels of pain, anguish, terror, 
fear.  Re-born so that he could do what he did best and the one that 
had given him new life could live, feed off, bathe in what he re-
shaped the slayers into.

When she finally reached them, Faith wrapped herself around his legs, 
stopping his next kick, giving Buffy a chance to move out of his 
reach.
 
Buffy half crawled, half dragged herself across the floor away from 
him. Her lungs filling with what felt like fire. She never remembered 
ever being in this much pain, never even knew pain like this could 
exist.

Johnny let the slayer crawl away from him, grinning like a madman at 
the sight of her naked on her hands and knees.  This was definitely 
more fun than he had ever imagined.  He reached down and grabbed one 
of his 'baby girl's' wrists forcing it loose from his leg.  He yanked 
her up hard almost dislocating her arm from her shoulder.  When he 
had her almost standing, he grabbed her with his free hand under her 
armpit.  He lifted her and threw her, as he let go of the wrist he 
was holding.
 
Faith found herself airborne again, she landed on her back, her head 
snapping backwards, smashing into the hardwood floor.  She groaned in 
pain, feeling blood dribble down the back of her scalp, and 
saw 'stars' again.

"POP!" he giggled.

Snarling Buffy re-gained her feet and charged him.  He stood amused, 
they sure did have spirit these two, he had to give them that.  This 
was going to be so much fun!  He waited for her to get close enough 
then punched her in the stomach.

Buffy doubled over from the blow, stumbling backwards, she tripped 
over Faith, and started to fall.

Faith managed to sit up in time to catch Buffy.  She cradled Buffy in 
her arms, looking into those beautiful, loving eyes. For a timeless 
second they gazed at each other, nothing but them existed, nothing 
but them and the love that was between them. But that timeless second 
wasn't really timeless and they were once again back in the log cabin 
being held captive by a madman now half demon from Faith's past. Not 
knowing where here was, or even how they had gotten here.  Looking 
into those eyes Faith saw a fierce determination, a determination 
that Buffy was going to try and protect her at all cost, including 
her own life.  Faith couldn't let her do it.  She had survived Johnny 
before, she could survive him again.  But never would she let Buffy 
have to survive more than what he had already done to her.

Faith leaned down towards Buffy, softly she whispered, "I'm sorry..."  
She gently kissed away Buffy's protest, and before Buffy knew what 
was happening Faith cold-cocked her on the temple, knocking her out 
cold.

"Sniff, sniff, that was so sweet.  Who would have ever thought that 
my little 'baby girl' could be so gallant."  The sarcasm, the 
contempt dripped sickly sweet, from his tongue like honey. He stared 
down at Faith waiting for her to look at him.  In reality he was 
extremely pleased by her actions, this was going better than he 
expected.  Actually both of their actions pleased him, they were 
playing right into his hands, so to speak.  It was as if they were 
acting out the script that played in his head.

Faith tenderly moved Buffy off her lap and put her gently on the 
floor.  She gazed down at her one more time, then shut down the 
connection, the 'echoes', between them.  Faith found however that it 
was no longer possible to completely cut herself off from Buffy. The 
parts of themselves that now lived, entwined with and in the other, 
would now and forever always leave a little of the connection open to 
the soul it had once belonged.

Faith rose painfully, slowly to her feet, her mind racing a mile a 
minute trying to find some way, any way to get them out of this. Find 
a way to prevent what was about to happen.  There was no way out, and 
even if she could escape right now, there was no way that she would 
ever leave Buffy behind.  She would rather endure the tortures of 
hell for eternity than leave Buffy to him.  She could do this, she 
would do anything to keep Buffy safe from him.  She stood tall in 
front of him and looked him squarely in the face, unable to hide the 
revulsion she felt for him as she saw the victorious sneer that 
marred his otherwise angelic face.  Often she had wondered how it was 
possible such an angelic face could harbor, contain so evil, so black 
a soul as his. Faith felt his eyes raking lazily over her body and 
her skin crawled every placed they touched.  Though she tried she 
could not stop her body from trembling. A knot of fear coiled deep in 
the pit of her stomach, and bile rose up hot, strong, and thick in 
the back of her throat at the thought of this sick twisted bastard 
touching her again.

He smiled expectantly at her, his tongue sneaking out to trace his 
upper lip, his eyes growing harsh, cruel. She could not look at him 
any longer, she dropped her gaze afraid that her reactions other than 
the fear would anger him further.  She could not incur his wrath 
until she was sure that Buffy was completely safe from him.  She 
wasn't really sure what he wanted from her, than a fleeting ghost of 
a memory came to her and she knew.  "I'm sorry......." she mumbled, 
the words eating away at her, going against all that she had fought 
so hard to become.

"I'm sorry......... who?" he prompted her.

Faith swallowed rapidly, forcing the bile back down, afraid that it 
would come up, out with the words, she choked out, "I'm... sorry 'd-d-
daddy'"

{Sorry that I didn't fucking kill you when I had the chance!}

"That's okay, 'baby girl', 'daddy' forgives you." He punched her in 
the stomach just to show her how much, hell it was only a tap.

A tap that doubled Faith over, causing her legs to buckle. A tap that 
sent her down hard again onto her knees. Her immediate reaction was 
to jump back up and go at him. But, she stilled herself, clenching 
her teeth, her hands balled up into tight fists at her sides, hissing 
in pain, and stayed as she was.  She kept her head lowered, and just 
prayed that he wouldn't turn his attention back to Buffy laying 
helpless on the floor.  She flinched out of age-old habit, a habit 
she had broken herself of, a habit that she had relearned quickly 
today, as she saw his hand coming towards her face through the 
curtain of her hair.

His impossibly large hand. A hand that had looked so large to her 
when she was young, had been  large compared to her own seven-year-
old hand.  It came to her in that second, that all of it, him, the 
cabin, and everything in it was too large in relation to her and 
Buffy. It was as if things were proportioned to her the same as when 
she was only seven.  So that now, like then the size of him was 
intimidating just like when she was a child.  Now like then, he was 
large, she was small. He was powerful, strong, while she was weak.  
Only now it was a million times worse because it wasn't just her he 
was hurting but Buffy too.  He was the predator, and she and Buffy 
were the prey.

Johnny dropped his hand and moved behind Faith, and smiled yet again 
as he saw her whole body tense, tremble.  Leaning down he picked up 
the still unconscious blond slayer and tossed her over his shoulder 
like a sack of grain.  He reached out behind him and grabbed Faith by 
the hair.  Carrying Buffy, and dragging Faith he starting walking 
towards the door on the other side of the room.
 
Every instinct in Faith yelled at her to get away from him, even if 
it meant having the hair on her head pulled out by the roots. But she 
couldn't, not while he had Buffy.  She knew where that door led to, 
she wished she didn't but she did, oh god she wished she didn't! It 
was his 'special', 'their' special room, the room he fondly called 
the Play room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Play room had been changed to fulfill his every twisted, sick 
desire.  The cage in the corner enlarged and reinforced.  It was big 
enough now to hold two grown slayers as well as strong enough to kept 
them captive within it.  He had tested it out himself to be sure, 
even him half human/half Demon God could not break out of it.  The 
brass bed, the centerpiece of the room, was larger than a 'normal' 
king-sized bed with the added attraction of chains with cuffs welded 
to the four corners. There was also a mirror on the ceiling over the 
bed.  An extremely large wardrobe was in one corner, it was filled 
with all the toys he had only been able to dream about, and some he 
hadn't, not even in his wildest dreams. Filled thanks to his *oh so 
thoughtful* benefactress. He was grinning from ear to ear as his gaze 
lovingly scanned around the room, almost like he was caressing all 
the delightful things the room contained with his eyes.  All those 
lovely play things to explore, to show, to use upon the Chosen Two 
were here now for him. Things, toys that before had only existed in 
his wildest fantasies.

The Play room, in fact, the whole cabin had been constructed or 
rather created by the simple wave of the hand of his Demon Goddess. 
New and improved, updated from the one he had back in his own 
dimension, to have everything he desired then, but had only existed 
in his own warped mind.  All of it had been done during the time the 
Chosen Two had lay unconscious after their fall through the portal to 
here.  All of it was thanks to the Demon Goddess who had literally 
rescued him from his torment in the bowels of hell.

Even he had been changed when he was brought here and the deal 
struck.  The change had brought with it an unexpected surprise or 
bonus besides the extended life or un-life span here in this 
dimension. The superhuman strength, or half demon god strength, 
enough strength and stamina to outlast, to beat, not one, but two 
slayers together.  His added bonus had been to the part of him that 
made him a 'man' or in his own mind what made a man a man.  Now he 
could say he was 'super-sized or rather demon-god-sized'.  The 
thought brought a quiet chuckle to his lips.

It was because of his *special* connection to his 'baby girl' that 
the Demon Goddess had rescued him. Had offered him a deal which he 
would have had to been crazy not to accept.  It was a deal made 
in 'heaven' he liked to think, and fuck, even the few restrictions he 
had to abide by were more than easy enough to live with.  Shit, he 
would have to have been stupid to turn down such a plum opportunity.  
It was a fulfillment of almost every fantasy, dream he had ever had 
during his mortal life. Along with the deal not only did he get 
his 'baby girl', his 'daughter', but her blonde-haired lover, Buffy, 
as well.  Two slayers for the price of one, and for the ridiculously 
simple price of eternally damning his own soul. Which had been for 
all intent and purposes already damned, since he had been rescued 
literally from the bowels of hell.  The only difference now was that 
here, unlike there, he could never achieve redemption for his sins. 
Here if he failed or died again, he would for eternity be damned to 
the hell of this dimension.  Since he had no intention of failing it 
was a risk he was willing to take.  Besides he was sure he would have 
been bored in heaven anyway.  And he absolutely adored his Demon 
Goddess, there was nothing that he wouldn't do for her.  He sincerely 
hoped that she was enjoying the show so far! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He shook his head clear of his brief trip down memory lane, it was 
time to turn his attention back to his 'baby girls'.  He walked over 
to the cage still dragging Faith behind him by the hair. He knew she 
wouldn't start fighting back again until her 'B' was safe, so he took 
his sweet ass time crossing the room.  The Chosen Two would have been 
surprised by how much he did know about them, their relationship, how 
they reacted to each other and situations.  He probably, like his 
Demon Goddess, knew more about them and how their hearts and minds 
worked then they knew about themselves.

Johnny nudged open the door to the cage, tossed Buffy in, and giggled 
a little at the crunch her body made when it hit the hard floor.  He 
closed the door, locked it, and pocketed the key.  He grinned widely; 
it was finally time to start re-teaching, re-introducing, helping 
his 'baby girl' to remember all the 'fun' they, well at least he, 
used to have here in the Play room together.

Patiently Faith waited for him to release her hair. It was taking all 
of her will power not to attack him while he still held it.  He 
turned around towards her, finally letting go of her hair. She 
pounced, tackling him around the waist.

Johnny stumbled backwards, letting her think that she had the 
advantage for a change. He did so love it when she fought back.  It 
made it all the more fun for him.  She released her grip on his waist 
and swung an upper cut at his chin.

{OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCK} 

Faith started to back away from him cradling her injured fist in her 
hand. Punching him had been like hitting a mile thick concrete wall, 
her fucking knuckles were bleeding.  While he just stood there, 
unhurt, un-bruised, fucking smiling, laughing at her. What the hell 
was she going to do?  She couldn't, wouldn't just submit to him.  She 
was still scared of him, the fear still thrummed through her like a 
live thing, but the rage was there too. She had only begged, pleaded, 
acted submissive to kept Buffy safe, but she couldn't, would not do 
that for herself.  Would not give that to him, would not let the fear 
rule her, not anymore.  She had to fight, even knowing that he would 
probably win in the end. Knowing too that it would just make it ten 
times worse for her, if not more. Knowing that in the end she still 
might plead with him anyway.  Still she had to fight him, because if 
she just submitted, he would end up owning her, and that sure as shit 
was never going to happen.  Because if she didn't fight then he would 
really win, and she would rather die, suffer things worse by a 
thousand-fold, than to ever let him destroy her, or her soul.

Johnny stalked her as she moved away from him, a rabid smile on his 
face. He practically knew what she was thinking, it was written 
across her face.  She surprised him when she half-spun as if to run 
from him then turned back towards him. She leapt at him, her foot 
lashing out, hitting his erection dead on, just like that little 
Slayer-Runt had.  He howled in pain and this time it was her who was 
laughing in his face.

It felt good to laugh at him for a change, to hear the cry of pain 
come from his mouth and not hers. It felt real damn good in fact.  
Faith crouched down low, intending to sweep his feet out from under 
him, then remembered what it had felt like when her fist had 
connected with his face.  The last thing she wanted was to break her 
foot on him.  So she modified her sweep. She slid and instead of 
trying to sweep his ankles. She shot her leg past his ankles and 
hooked her calf behind them pulling his feet towards her and lifting 
them up as she started to rise out of the half crouch. She watched as 
he fell backwards, landing on his back, his head cracking against the 
floor. "Pop!" She mimicked him from earlier.

Okay this was quickly not becoming fun for him anymore. He did not 
like it! Not one bit!  This was just a little too much fight. He got 
up painfully to his feet his groin still throbbing with pain, he 
tried to push it down, but he didn't have the same discipline that 
either of the slayers possessed.  He moved towards her walking a 
little awkwardly, pretending though that he was in more pain then he 
actually was.

Faith lashed out at him with her foot again thinking she had the 
advantage while he was hurt. She realized a second too late that it 
was a mistake.

He caught her foot easily in his hand and dragged her struggling 
towards him.  When she was close enough he reached out and grabbed 
her by the throat, he lifted her just like he had Buffy, until she 
was dangling in the air a good foot off the floor.  "That hurt bitch!"

"Good!"  Faith lashed out at him with her hands and feet as he held 
her.  She clawed, scratched at his hand around her neck, as he 
started squeezing, cutting off her air.  This was one of his favorite 
games.  He was once again laughing in her face and it infuriated her 
even more.  Using every ounce of strength she possessed she arched 
her body towards him, kicking out with her foot and caught him once 
again hard in the groin.  Smiling at him as he howled in pain. "Hope... 
that... hurt... even... more..." she gasped out between breaths.

"Nighty-nite 'baby girl'".  He hit her on the side of the temple just 
like she had hit Buffy and knocked her out cold.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith awoke to find herself obscenely chained spread-eagle on the big 
brass bed, her image staring back at her from the ceiling mirror.  
She stared wide-eyed at herself, she looked like one big bruise. 
There wasn't an inch of her body that wasn't covered by blue, green, 
yellow, purple, black bruises or angry red welts from the belt he had 
used on her while she was unconscious.  There was dried blood on her 
chin, lips, under her nose. There was a clearly visible handprint 
across her cheek and the fact that it was there scared the shit out 
of her. It was as vivid, as brightly colored as the one that Buffy 
had given her that night in Angel's old basement apartment when she 
had first returned to Sunnydale.  It drove home with certainty that 
Johnny was just as strong as them now, if not stronger.  Before him, 
only the Chosen Two could have, and had bruised or hurt each other to 
this extent. 

It was weird but there was a sort of relief that went through Faith 
as she stared at the amount of damage that had been done to her.  
What Johnny had done to her was at least ten times worse than what he 
had done to Buffy, and that was why she was relieved.  While he might 
toy with, hurt Buffy, Faith knew that almost all of his focus, his 
energy, and even his abuse would be directed at her.  He was still 
obsessed with her, like he had been for all those years.  

She knew what he wanted, he wanted her to love him and for a time she 
had.  That first year he had lived with them she had loved him.  It 
was to him she had run to for protection from her mother's rages, 
from her stinging, hurting hands and words.  It was in the safety of 
his arms at six-years-old she had found shelter, acceptance, love. 
And she had loved him in return for it.  Then it all changed the year 
she turned seven, it was then that he had begun to show her, to force 
her to learn what his idea of love was. And the love she had felt for 
the angelic-looking man who had protected her for a year turned to 
fear, to hate.  

He would tell her he didn't understand why. His 'daddy' had loved him 
that way, and he still loved his 'daddy', so why didn't she love him 
too? She had been too young then to understand what he meant. Even 
now there was a part of her that felt sorry, felt empathy, cried 
with, cried for the child he had been, the abuse that child had been 
subjected to.  The man he had become hadn't, and still didn't show 
any remorse, shame, guilt or sorrow over what he had done, was doing 
now. So the sorrow, the empathy she felt for the child he had been 
did not extend to the man. Nothing that had been done to him as a 
child or a man, could excuse what he had done to her, not even being 
abused himself.  The idea of ever doing to a child what had been done 
to her made her feel physically ill. She could never, not even when 
her dark side had ruled, not even in her most warp, twisted, evil 
dreams, nightmares ever think, conceive of doing this to a child. It 
still made her sick to think that she had done some of the cruel 
things to others, like Xander and Wesley, that he had done to her.

At seven-years-old for Faith, love became something that was ugly, 
something that was used to trick and hurt you.  Something that was 
demanded, dragged from you with brutal force.  And the words 'I love 
you' were the preamble to pain at his hands and things that made her 
tremble and scream, cry in fear, in pain; and words she said to stop 
the pain and his cruel hands from hurting her even more. A lesson he 
had been taught by his father, and a lesson he in turn had taught to 
Faith. A lesson unfortunately that she had learned over and over 
again at the hands of others throughout the years too.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She tried to break free of the chains, already half knowing that she 
wouldn't be able to, but she had to try anyway.  They gave not an 
inch, in fact she found she had very little slack in the chains at 
all.  Already her wrists and ankles were raw, chaffed from the cuffs, 
and she couldn't help but think that they would probably bleed before 
this was over.

Johnny crawled onto the bed between her legs, naked as she was. He 
placed his hands on either side of her head and leaned down towards 
her, almost whispering, "You know Faithy, that wasn't anyway to 
show 'daddy' how much you miss and love him." He sounded sincerely 
hurt.

She shrunk back into the mattress away from him, her skin crawling 
where his knees touched the inside of her thighs.  But it was his 
voice, tone, which was calm, almost soothing, that scared Faith the 
most, even more than his snarls and anger. 'Fuck it!' she thought, he 
was going to hurt her anyway, and even chained she wasn't going down 
without a fight, so she used the only weapon she had available to her 
now, her mouth. 

"Miss you? Love you? Unchain me you pathetic fucking excuse for a 
man, a demon, whatever the fuck you are and I'll show you exactly 
what I feel for you."  She looked at him with all the hate, the rage, 
and even the fear she felt for him. Her eyes burned into his, and 
when she was absolutely sure that she had his full attention, she 
spit in his face.

He reared back from her, recoiling in disbelief, roaring wordlessly 
in anger. 'HOW DARE SHE! HOW DARE SHE DISRESPECT HIM LIKE THAT! SHE 
FUCKING SPIT ON HIM! ON HIM! NO ONE EVER SPAT ON HIM! NOT BEFORE AND 
NOT FUCKING NOW!'

Faith smiled at him with something akin to glee on her face.  Almost 
unbelieving herself at how angry, how much the simple act of her 
spitting on him had sent him into a tizzy.  Something that looked a 
lot like pain crossed his face, and she was glad for it, glad to 
cause him even the smallest amount of pain. She knew she was 
dangerously flirting with death, but some deep seeded instinct told 
her he wouldn't kill her. It was almost like that knowledge had been 
whispered in her ear. He kept on staring at her with rage, as he 
trembled above her in shock.

He wiped the spittle from his face, smearing it on the sheet by her 
head, a momentary flicker of disgust shuddered through him. He pulled 
back his arm, his hand balling into a fist and raised it 
threateningly over her face. He smiled with satisfaction as he saw 
her shrink back from him, fear showing in her eyes that still stared 
at him defiantly anyway. "You'll pay for that!" he hissed at her 
through clenched teeth.

She just laughed at him, he really was a pathetic little man.  Her 
laugher infuriated him even more.  He leaned back and slid his hands 
down to her hips he lifted them up.  'We'll see who's laughing in a 
minute bitch' he thought as he smiled maliciously at her, he reared 
back.........


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scream of pain was torn from her against her will.  She screamed 
as he viscously slammed himself into her unwilling,  un-welcoming 
body.  Screamed as it felt like he was ripping her in two, as she 
felt herself tear when she could not stretch any further. Screamed as 
he invaded her body trying to once again shred the fabric of her 
soul. Screamed as the memories assaulted her. The memories she had 
fought to forget, the memories she had suppressed. They assailed her, 
flashing through her mind in a sick kaleidoscope of images and 
feelings. She screamed in rage, in pain, in sorrow, in anguish. 
Screamed for all that had been done to her, for all that she had 
lost, had been lost to her, and for all that had been taken from her. 
Screamed for the child she had been, for the child inside of her now, 
who still screamed in fear, in pain, and in anguish.  Screamed for 
the guilt they shared, still shared, and thought belonged to them 
once again for now, for this, for all of this being their fault.

She continued to scream up into his laughing face in a red-hot haze 
of rage, of pain, of sorrow, of fear, of anguish, of hate. She 
screamed until every last drop of air left her body, and then she 
screamed a little longer. And then she just fell silent.  Praying in 
her mind that this was just a grotesque, cruel, twisted, nightmare 
that she would wake up from safe in the  strong loving arms of 
Buffy.  

Faith closed her eyes from the sight of him, the tears falling from 
them in a river.  She prayed that what had been her life with Buffy 
and her new found family had not been just a dream. 

Because right now, right here, with him on top of her, violating her, 
his fetid breath hot and heavy on her face, felt like the only 
reality she had ever known, and everything else had merely been a 
dream. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scream, Faith's scream shattered the darkness that held Buffy 
captive.  The darkness that Faith herself had sent Buffy into.  She 
fought her way up through the darkness towards the light, towards the 
sound of her mate's anguished scream.  The fear she felt for Faith 
overshadowing her own pain, her own fear, her own rage.

Then the scream stopped and the silence was deafening.  The silence 
terrorized her more then the scream.  She couldn't feel her! 
No 'echoes'! No nothing.  Just silence! Oh God! Please NONONONO!, she 
panicked, she didn't want to live, not without Faith, she couldn't 
survive.  There would be no life for her anymore, not without Faith.  
Then she felt it, that tiny thread that Faith could not shut down. 
She followed along that thread back to the soul it had first belonged 
to.  Followed it up towards the light, fighting to open her eyes.

She was almost sent reeling back down into the darkness as the wall 
crumbled.  Crumbled as Faith was no longer able to keep blocking 
Buffy. Crumbled as he violated her body and tried to violate her 
soul.  As the floodgates opened and Buffy was slammed with the force 
of it all, the pain, the rage, the terror, the guilt, the fear, the 
hate all in one terrifyingly large 'echo'.  As the years of abuse and 
all it wrought flooded her, as the emotions formed images in her mind.

Buffy whispered Faith's name in an agonized sob, as she forced 
herself to open her eyes. Opened them to the sight of Faith being 
defiled by that deranged twisted bastard who had the nerve to call 
himself her father.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through everything that was happening to her, Faith felt it the 
second Buffy became conscious again.  She turned her face away from 
Johnny towards Buffy, opening her eyes.  Unerringly her eyes found 
Buffy's.

She looked into those hazel depths expecting to find disgust, hate 
for her, blazing out of Buffy's eyes, now that Buffy knew.  Knew what 
she had been, was again, knew all her ugly little secrets. Knew that 
it was all Faith's fault.  Had been, still was. Knew the real truth 
of it, and not just what she thought she had figured out on her own. 

Faith heard her own words loud, clear in her head.  The words she had 
shouted at her own body, self as she had pummeled it in the church, 
when she had stolen Buffy's. *You're nothing!  Disgusting! Murderous 
bitch! You're nothing! You're disgusting!*

So Faith waited in expectation of seeing those feelings for her to 
show in Buffy's eyes, when Buffy realized Faith was all those things 
and more. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy held back her gasp when she saw that haunted look, much more 
intense than ever before. The feelings it carried with it, it's hold 
on Faith growing stronger with each passing second. She felt them 
all, saw them all reflected in those eyes.  The self-loathing, self-
disgust, the helplessness, the misplaced guilt that this had been and 
was once again all her fault.  Fear, pain and heart-wrenching loss, 
all of them jumbled, overlapping, merging with the feelings from 
before, with the feelings of now. And what broke her heart even a 
little more was that in her eyes Buffy could see that Faith was 
waiting for her to reject her. To hate her, to blame and feel disgust 
for her.  She had no doubt of it because she heard the words that 
were echoing in Faith's own mind at the same time in hers.

The connection between them had expanded so much, that Buffy could 
actually physically feel what Faith was feeling. More than just 
physically feel it, could feel ghost-like touches on her own body. 
Could feel the ghost of his fingers biting hard, bruising into 
Faith's hips as he roughly lifted them to him. Could feel the ghost 
of the cuffs around Faith's wrists and ankles.  Feel where the skin 
had broken and blood was flowing. Could feel the pain and cramping as 
Faith's limbs were stretched and pulled beyond their capacity. Could 
feel him tearing Faith on the inside, and the blood that was seeping 
from between Faith's thighs, pooling on the sheet below.

Buffy's eyes broke away from Faith's for just a second and moved down 
to the already large stain of blood on the sheets that was steadily 
growing larger.  Her mind screaming in horror, in terror. There was 
so much blood!

Buffy's eyes quickly returned and locked with Faith's.  She could 
feel Faith slipping away with every thrust of that demented bastard 
in her. She wouldn't let that happened, she couldn't let him destroy 
Faith.

Buffy charged the door of the cage, her eyes never straying from 
Faith's.  She hit the door with all her body weight, slayer strength, 
the rage, fear, adding to it.  It didn't budge, didn't even bend a 
little.  She charged it again and again, ignoring the pain that 
screamed through her body, her broken ribs.  She kicked it, punched, 
pulled, slammed against it until her legs collapsed from underneath 
her when she tried to rise again.  Not once breaking her gaze with 
Faith who had slipped even further away from her, from herself.

Buffy reached out to her in the only way she had left to her.  
Keeping her eye's locked with Faith's almost dead ones, she let 
everything she was flow out; she let her soul flow to Faith, into 
Faith through their connection.  Embracing her with it, surround her 
with it, letting it live within her.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith watched almost dispassionately as Buffy slammed, charged, 
kicked, in an effort to get out of the cage. She was retreating, away 
from all the memories. Away from all the remembered things she had 
done during those nine years in order to survive.  Things he had done 
to her, things her mother had done to her.  Things her mother had 
knowingly let him do to her in exchange for the drugs he supplied for 
her. Things they had both let others do to her.  And now Buffy knew 
it all, knew because of the connection between them.  And so she kept 
her eyes locked with those hazel ones, waiting for the hate and 
loathing to show in their depths.  Waiting for them to echo what she 
was beginning to once again feel for, believe about herself with 
every unwanted thrust of him within her body.

Instead what Faith found in those eyes, what she felt, Buffy 
surround, embrace her with; was compassion, sympathy, empathy, fear. 
Not Buffy herself, but for her, rage, actually beyond rage at what 
was happening, but not a hint of accusation or disgust. And above all 
else, stronger than before, stronger then all of them together was 
love. Unwavering, eternal, unconditional love for her.

For just a brief second, time stood still for Faith, what was 
happening to her body faded, as she bathed in the unconditional love 
she felt coming from Buffy. As she felt Buffy fill her with it, hold, 
surround, blanket her in it. For the first time in her life she felt 
truly completely whole, as fucked up as it was that it was happening 
here, now.  Felt whole because every one of her ugly little secrets 
were known, there was nothing left hidden from Buffy and Buffy still 
loved her.  She was seeing herself, her real, true self clearly for 
the first time.  And that fierce determination and strength of will 
came back to her ten-fold.  He might break her, violate her body, 
make her bleed, make her scream, make her beg, plead, but he would 
NEVER, NEVER OWN OR DESTROY HER! Not again, not ever again!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With amazement Buffy saw Faith give her that cocky lopsided grin, she 
loved so much.  Watched as her eyes cleared.  All of it was still 
there, the pain, the fear, everything. But there was a quiet 
defiance, and strength of will too.  The same defiance and strength 
that had enabled Faith to survive his nine-year rein of terror over 
her, but it was even stronger now.  Now too was determination, 
determination that she would survive, they would survive, that they 
would get out of here somehow, some way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy ignored him after he had unlocked the cage and made his way to 
the door that led out of the Play room. There was a self-satisfied 
smugness on his face that she longed, needed to claw off.She pulled 
herself up off the floor using the bars of the cage for leverage.  
She willed herself to stand, then half ran, half staggered to the 
cage door.  She drew strength from someplace inside of her she never 
knew existed before today.  Forcing down the pain coursing through 
her body from all the damage he had inflicted and she herself had 
inflicted in her efforts to escape the cage over the course of the 
last twenty-four hours.

Every fiber of her being was centered on her mate who still lay 
chained unconscious to the bed. On the long half walk, half stagger 
to the bed, every wheezing pain-filled breath Faith took, created a 
ghost-like 'echo' of his fingers around Faith's throat on her own. 
Buffy tried to push away the memories of everything she had heard, 
everything he had done to Faith, to her. Everything she had seen over 
last twenty-four hours, was forced to watch by his threats. And a 
memory came unbidden to her mind anyway.

//At Faith's silent pleading, Buffy had turned her back on what was 
happening on the bed. She sank to her knees, burying her head in her 
hands, quietly sobbing for her lover.  

But Johnny didn't like that idea, he wanted the blonde-haired slayer 
bitch to watch.  Wanted to see that helpless look on her face. Wanted 
to drive home the fact that there wasn't a fucking thing she could 
do.  Wanted her to see as he fucked his 'baby girl', her lover. 
Wanted to see the same pain, fear, reflected in her eyes that was in 
Faith's. "Hey Slayer-Runt..." He yelled out to her.  She ignored 
him, "Slayer-Runt, look at me when I'm talking to you."

"Come here and make me, you lowlife piece of shit." She snarled at 
him from within her hands.

"Nah, thinkin' I'll just do it from here instead." 

She couldn't mistake the menace in his tone. With her slayer hearing 
she heard the rush of his fist, the grunt of pain that came from 
Faith, then the strange, ghost-like echo of a fist against her own 
temple.  Then she felt Faith slip away into the darkness as she 
passed out. She heard the rush of his hand again as he started to hit 
Faith, the whimpers of pain forced from her even though she was 
unconscious. 

"STOPITSTOPIT!" She screamed at him turning around.  Surprising her 
he did, and gave her a charming smile that never reached his 
glittering cruel eyes.

"That's much better........."  His whole demeanor turned menacing 
again, "Turn around, away again, or even close your eyes and I'll 
make it a hundred times worse for her.  By the time I get done with 
her, what I'm doing now will seem like a stroll in the park."  He 
raked his nails from Faith's collarbone down to mid-thigh leaving 
four trails of seeping bloody tracks in their wake to illustrate, 
drive home his threat. "Understand?"

"Yes." She hissed at him her voice laced with hate-filled venom.

He looked at her questioningly, not sure if he believed her or not, 
didn't matter, he won either way.  In the meantime he needed to do 
something else while Faith was unconscious.  He thought about it for 
a second or two and decided that for the hell of it he would just 
beat a little bit of that understanding into the Slayer-Runt.  

Buffy watched him as he withdrew from Faith, she didn't want to but 
she was afraid if she turned away he would follow through on his 
threat. Her eyes grew wide with horror, when she saw the size of him. 
Her heart clutching with terror at the amount of blood on and around 
his groin. Not his blood, but Faith's.  

She crouched into a fighting stance as she watched him approach her 
key in hand.  Determination to beat him, to spill his blood, to get 
them out of this, coursing through every cell in her body. 
Determination that didn't stop him from beating her into a bloody 
puddle on the floor.//
 
The memory fled from her mind as she reached the bed and her gaze 
fell upon Faith. Her heart skipping beats in unmitigated terror when 
she saw the amount of blood on the bed. Her mind became incapable of 
any coherent thought.  Just an endless litany of 'ohmygodohmygod' 
echoing loudly in her head. She moved quickly now, any pain of her 
own forgotten.  She undid the cuffs, her own tears falling unnoticed 
from her eyes onto the bed. She rubbed some warmth back into Faith's 
hands and feet, grateful that she was still unconscious. Grateful 
only because in the darkness Faith wouldn't be feeling any pain. 

She grabbed some pillows from the floor and put them under Faith's 
head hoping to ease her breathing. Keeping her mind firmly away from 
why Faith was wheezing, her breathing labored and painful. She went 
over to the wardrobe in the corner hoping to finds some towels or 
something to use to clean up Faith.  She opened the door and wished 
to god that she hadn't.  Her mind was unable to even grasp what she 
saw in there, her body trembled uncontrollably just at the mere 
thought of any of those things being used.  She slammed the door shut 
quickly.  She scanned the room, there was nothing in here, no 
clothes, no towels, nothing.  She had to get them out of here, she 
didn't want Faith waking in here.

She made her way over to the door and stopped in front of it.  She 
opened her mind to the room behind it using her slayer senses.  She 
didn't hear any movement and she no longer felt his presence.  She 
reached out and grabbed the doorknob giving it a hard twist expecting 
she would have to break it, and was surprised that it turned easily 
in her hand.  She opened the door a little suspiciously, expecting a 
trap and peeked out.  Not seeing anyone, Buffy walked out into the 
main room.  She paused again, listening intently but did not hear 
anything.  She scanned the room and saw that everything was the same, 
the couch was still overturned, there was still blood on the floor 
behind it, the quilts still lay on the floor by the recliner from the 
fight the day before.  She righted the couch and picked the quilts up 
off the floor, thinking that being out here would definitely be 
better than being in there.  Anywhere would be better than in there.

She went in search of a bathroom or a kitchen praying that she would 
find a first aid kit.  She moved quickly blocking her own body's 
pain, Faith her only concern.  She wanted to clean her up and bandage 
her before she woke up.  She had just found the bathroom when she 
felt Faith wake up, heard the whimpers of pain, felt them echo 
through her.  Everything was forgotten as she ran back to the Play 
room for Faith.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She climbed up out of the darkness into a world full with nothing but 
pain.  Her first thought was for Buffy. She turned her head towards 
the cage, but she couldn't see too well.  Her vision was blurry, her 
eyes almost swollen completely shut from his blows. Dimly she 
realized she was no longer chained. "B?" her voice not even a 
whisper.  She tried to sit up and found she couldn't.  By sheer will 
power, whimpering low in her throat, she rolled herself over. She 
tried to rise to her hands and knees but couldn't support herself. 
"B?" It hurt to talk, but her fear for Buffy overrode everything 
else.  Terror struck deep inside of her when Buffy didn't answer her 
again, nor could she feel her through the thick wall of her own 
pain.  Inch by torturous inch she pulled herself towards the edge of 
the bed, towards the cage.

Dully she heard the sound of someone running, then a hand was 
reaching towards her.  Faith involuntary flinched back from it, "No 
more... please..." she pleaded.

Buffy's hand froze, "Faith..." 

Faith didn't recognize the voice as Buffy's, it was too low, deep and 
husky. She might have realized that it sounded that way from all the 
screaming Buffy had done over the last day, if her own head, thoughts 
had been clearer.  She started pushing herself backwards fast, away 
from the hand, across the bed.  Whispering, asking brokenly, 
incoherently for the voice not to hurt her. 

Buffy dropped to her knees beside the bed, so that Faith could see 
her, when she realized that she didn't know it was her.  She was 
afraid to reach out for her, afraid Faith would keep backing up and 
fall off the bed hurting herself even more.  "Faith," she whispered 
softly, and this time Buffy didn't even recognize her own voice.  
"Faith...... b-b-b-ab..." Buffy stumbled over the word 'baby' not wanting 
to use it after hearing him call Faith his 'baby girl' over and over 
again.  "Faith it's me... Buffy.  B..."

Faith raised her head in the direction of the voice, trembling in 
fear, praying this wasn't another of his twisted games.  Blearily she 
looked across the bed, trying to focus, a surge of relief ran through 
her when she saw it was Buffy. "B...... You oka..." she asked reaching out 
towards her, never finishing as she passed out again, her body, mind 
exhausted unable to handle the pain any longer.

Buffy rose and scrambled around the bed to the other side.  She 
turned Faith over as gently as possible, afraid to even touch her 
lest she hurt her even more.  Her heart clutching when she saw the 
fresh blood on the sheets.  She shouldn't still be bleeding, why was 
she still bleeding?  Buffy was frantic now, Faith's slayer healing 
should have stopped the bleeding by now. An all consuming rage rose 
up in her, she wanted to rip him apart with her hands, her teeth. 
Something feral, primal growled deep inside of her in response.  Her 
anger was washed away and replaced by her concern for Faith as her 
eyes fell upon her again.  She picked her up cradling Faith in her 
arms delicately.  Slowly she walked out to the main room, praying 
with each step that her own legs would not give out on her.  She 
placed Faith on the couch and covered her with a quilt, then went to 
the bathroom to get supplies. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wearing one, and carrying the other, Buffy had on a robe she had 
found on the back of the door, she came out of the bathroom with some 
warm wet towels, a few dry ones, and a first aid kit from under the 
sink.

She set everything on the table by the couch and removed the quilt 
from Faith.  She took a deep breath, forcing herself into slayer 
mode. Forcing herself to look at Faith wounds with clinical eyes, and 
not those of a lover.  She set about cleaning them, trying to be as 
careful, gentle as possible so as not to cause her any unnecessary 
pain.  Grateful again that Faith was unconscious because she knew no 
matter how gentle she was, this would hurt and hurt bad.

Buffy had almost finished cleaning up the last of the cuts when Faith 
sat straight up.  She scrambled away from Buffy across the couch 
before she could stop her.  Her eyes wild, she tried to scream 
out 'Please no!', but it came out as a hoarse, painful whimper.

"Faith...... Faith it's me."

Faith drew her knees up to her chest, she whimpered at the pain, but 
wrapped her arms around them anyway.  She began rocking, crying, "I'm 
sorry... sorry... I'm sorry B..." over and over again.

Buffy could barely hear what she was saying.  She moved down the 
couch and sat next to Faith, gathering her into her arms.  Holding 
her tenderly, rocking with her, Buffy's own tears falling. "Ssshhh... 
not your fault... ssshhh... never your fault..." Buffy continued holding 
the shivering dark slayer, stroking her hair, crooning to her 
softly.  Telling her again and again it wasn't her fault, that she 
was, they were, safe for now.

Both slayers jumped when a familiar sickly sweet voice asked them, 
"So girls...... did you enjoy your first wide-awake day here in my 
world?"  The Chosen Two stared across the room, both thinking they 
had to be dreaming.  The woman continued when they didn't answer her 
in that same irritating, sickly, sweet voice. "'Cause I gotta tell 
ya, I sure as hell enjoyed watching it!"

Buffy heard Faith begin to growl low, feral in the back of her 
throat, could feel it vibrating through her skin. With surprise she 
realized that she was growling in sync with the dark slayer, and once 
again could feel something ancient, remembered rising up from 
somewhere deep inside of her.  She heard an answering call to it from 
somewhere deep inside of Faith.

Faith forced her bruised throat to rise above a whisper as she 
snarled out, "You skanky-ass-bad-hair-scum-sucking-fucking-bitch, I'm 
gonna rip your fucking heart out." 

Buffy could feel the pain and fear radiating off of Faith in waves.  
She knew the effort it was taking for her not to shrink back in fear 
after all that had been done to her that day.  The sheer strength of 
will that was even keeping her conscious at this point. As weird and 
almost out of place as it was Buffy couldn't help but feel admiration 
for Faith's courage at this moment. 

The slight pressure of Buffy's hand upon her stopped Faith from 
attacking. Knowledge that they could not defeat this enemy, not yet, 
not now, not in the condition they both were in came to her from 
Buffy. She stilled in Buffy's embrace, the fear and rage continuing 
to keep the pain at bay.  She kept growling low, feral in the back of 
her throat, in sync with her mate.

Her nostrils flaring she took a deep breath, basking in the fear 
coming from the Chosen Two.  The layers upon layers of fear, so much 
stronger, sweeter than the fear that came from the demons that lived 
within this realm.  Humans had so many more layers, levels of fear, 
anguish and pain, it was heady, delectable, and additive. Her head 
was almost spinning from it, it was so much stronger here in the room 
with them.  She smiled, glad that she had decided to take the raven-
haired slayer and the Slayer-Runt back home with her. She sat back in 
the chair, relaxing, letting the emotions caress her, "So... I suppose 
you want to know what happened..." Glory's smile grew wider, her mood 
friendly, open, as the soothing fear coming from the Chosen Two, made 
her a little drunk.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hmmmm...... Where to start?"  Glory tapped her finger against her chin 
thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I don't need to tell you that the ritual 
worked.  Do I? Your little watcher man didn't quite finish the job on 
Ben.  He got a little distracted by the portal opening.  Only a 
second or two longer and well Ben would have been dead, maybe... not 
quite sure on that point though. Once the portal opened the energy 
was already working, restoring me to my former Glory." She paused 
giggling at her own pun, thinking how smart she was.  "Before you get 
your hopes up, let me tell you that your little... what is it that they 
call themselves?"  She paused for dramatic effect, breathing deeply 
of the fear again. She giggled so heady was the sensation. 

"Scoobies!  That's it! I'm right aren't I?" She continued not waiting 
for either slayer to reply. "Your Scoobies won't be rescuing you this 
time. 'Cause you see they all think you're both dead.  I really 
hadn't planned on bringing either of you here, it was a spur-of-the-
moment-type thingie.  But you see, Faithy was standing in my path and 
I kind of knocked into her, and the second I brushed up against 
you 'baby girl' and got a taste of all those sweet, hidden layers of 
fear and pain in you......" Glory paused and savored the shudder that 
resembled desire, that rippled under skin just at the thought. 

"Well what's a girl to do? I just couldn't resist you Faithy!  That's 
when I got the idea, especially after I discover Faithy's 'daddy' 
hidden deep inside. The thing is...... in the Portal time doesn't exist, 
not in any real sense. So while you two were floating in the energy I 
went and visited an old friend and got him to give me Johnny. It just 
wouldn't have worked without Johnny. Every girl needs her father. 
Don't you agree Faithy? Once I got him well...... enough said. Then it 
came to me; Why not take them both?  Especially since you are so 
attached to the Slayer-Runt here 'baby girl'. So you can thank your 
girl here, Slayer-Runt for getting to join the party........."  

Glory stopped and watched their faces, in particular Faith's as she 
revealed why they were here.  She had played on Faith's guilt, 
licking her lips in anticipation of the anguish she knew would be 
coming from the girl.

"You fucking bitch.  Don't try blaming her for your sick twisted 
actions." Buffy spat out at Glory, figuring out quickly what she was 
trying to do to Faith.  She wasn't going to let her. "This isn't her 
fault! None of this was ever her fault! I know it, you know it and 
that scumbag Johnny knows it. So go play your fucking mind games with 
someone else!"

In less than the blink of an eye, Faith was taken from Buffy's arms.  
Glory stared down Buffy as she made herself comfortable, one arm 
around the dark slayer now in her lap, the other hand gently 
caressing her hair. 

Fear for Faith kept Buffy deathly still, her stomach churning with 
revulsion when she saw the lust in Glory's eyes that her fear 
created.  'Oh god! Why didn't I keep my mouth shut?' Buffy thought as 
she prayed that her big mouth wasn't the cause of further pain for 
Faith. She watched helpless as Glory's hand glided down from Faith's 
hair to her neck, as her fingers touched reverently over the finger 
marks Johnny had left there. She debated launching herself at Glory, 
and something in her demeanor must have tipped off the insane bitch 
because she smiled with malice at Buffy first, before her gaze 
lowered. Her fingers tightened around Faith's throat, then Glory 
cocked her head as if her neck had been snapped, in silent warning.  
Buffy stilled, afraid to blink, to breathe, afraid that the slightest 
movement on her part and Glory would follow through on that silent 
threat and snap Faith's neck.

Faith's whole body started to tremble violently, she bit her lip 
making it bleed to keep from whimpering in fear.  She whimpered in 
pain and fear anyway when Glory's fingers bit cruelly into the marks 
on her throat that Johnny had left.  The fingers started to squeeze, 
increasing the pain in her bruised windpipe even more.  Her air was 
cut off again for the, she didn't know how many times over the last 
twenty-four hours.  Cold sweat poured from her, as Glory started to 
play Johnny's favorite game.  She felt herself sliding towards the 
darkness, the terror overwhelming her just like it did when he did 
this to her.  Afraid that this time her windpipe would be crushed.  
This time she would not return from the darkness.  Because despite 
everything that had happened to her in the past, had happened now, 
Faith didn't want to die. A second before she slipped into the 
darkness's welcoming cold embrace the squeezing fingers were gone.  
She gulped huge frantic, fiery breaths into her lungs.  She choked 
back the bile that rose in her throat, as Glory licked the sweat from 
her fingertips, whispering to her how sweet she tasted.

Faith's fear, the taste of it sweet and intoxicating on her tongue 
returned Glory's friendly, generous mood.  She began to softly stroke 
Faith's cheek, loving even the nausea, the revulsion the girl felt at 
her touch.  Oh yes, humans were so much more delicious than her own 
kind! "As I was saying Slayer-Runt. I brought you along because you 
mean so much to sweet little Faithy here.  But you are probably 
wondering why everyone thinks you two are dead aren't you?" She 
smiled at Buffy, waiting for a response.  

This was inhuman, bizarre, surreal. So fuck-up in so many ways that 
Buffy would never be able to name or count them all. She couldn't 
help but think that this 'God' was a bona-fide raving idiot lunatic, 
and pure insane evil. Did the Demon Goddess actual expect to have a 
civil, friendly conversation with them?  Expect it while Buffy was 
sitting horrified, shocked, in fear for both Faith's life and her 
sanity, as well as her own.  After she had been bruised from head to 
toe, her ribs broken, thanks to that other evil scum that Glory had 
unleashed on them.  After her lover had been violated in one of, if 
not the worst way that a woman possibly could be, was covered in even 
more bruises, welts then Buffy was. Expect it while Faith sat 
trembling naked, terrified, in unimaginable pain, her cheek being 
stroked, in the lap of the same fucking lunatic-god who had pulled 
them into this nightmare. Glory really didn't think that did she? 

Buffy stared back at Glory and saw that she did, that she wanted to 
have a nice, friendly conversation, as if they were all old friends 
playing catch up!  Buffy was almost convinced that it was she who was 
insane, or perhaps someone had slipped some extra-strong acid in her 
drink and this was all a bad nightmare of a trip. She almost started 
laughing in insane hysterics as Glory waited patiently for her to 
answer, "Um... Yes."

"Oh good, I was right! I knew you would want to know. You could say I 
pulled a 'Monk' on them!" Glory giggled, that same hysterical giggle 
of a madwoman that Dawn had sworn she would never forget. "Anyway all 
I needed was a drop of each of your blood and 'POOF' instant soulless 
slayer clones. And since the Slayer-Runt clone, is you just soulless 
it had your blood running through it. When it died, the portal 
closed.  Closed, just like it would have if you had died runt. That 
was so noble of you to sacrifice yourself for the 'Key'. I mean you 
can't blame them for thinking you are dead.  After the portal closed  
two bodies fell to the ground. Imagine, two bodies that looked 
exactly like you two, lay dead on the ground, the Cloned-Slayer-Runt 
and her lover the Cloned-Slayer-Slut." Glory laughed again, amused by 
her names for them. 

"Once back here I obliterated the two who had exiled me. It was so 
simple you should have seen it.  It was beautiful!" Glory paused for 
a second, her eyes getting a little dreamy, "It's so much better 
here..." Glory's voice lowered as she continued in a conspiratorial 
whisper, "You see here I don't have to brain-suck you to find out 
what is behind all of those hidden layers.  A simple touch will do." 

Glory was beginning to remind Buffy of Drusilla.  Another shudder of 
revulsion ran through Faith at the thought of this obviously insane-
god feeling around in her mind. She had to force down the bile again 
as Glory ran her hand down the length of her body, pressing just hard 
enough to cause a trail of pain. 

Buffy hissed at Glory when she started to move her hand down the 
length of Faith's body.  She started to growl, low, softly under her 
breath, the desire to rip Glory apart with her bare hands pounding 
through her when she felt the pain Faith was feeling, saw it on 
Faith's face.

"Such a deliciously tormented soul you have Faithy. So many hidden 
delights you have." Glory's voice grew huskier with each word, her 
eyes glittered with unconcealed lust as they roamed over Faith. 

Faith averted her gaze, what she saw in Glory's eyes terrified her 
more then anything or anyone ever had, even Johnny. Glory smiled, 
amused at Buffy's snarls of warning at the looks, the touches, Glory 
was lavishing on her lover. "...and well the rest that happened over 
the first seven days is just boring details.......... Although I did 
like the beatings, they kind of broke up the monotony. But all that 
really doesn't matter now.  'Cause I'm home, I'm the only god in 
charge, well actually the only god left... I have you two here with me, 
and Johnny! Girls we are going to have so much fun the four us. You 
can't imagine the fun we are going to have!!" Glory laughed, 
delighted, and for just a second something shifted.  The air around 
her seemed to bend, in her excitement and lust, she lost a little of 
the control that kept what she really was hidden under the human mask 
that she was wearing.

The hand that had been sliding over the length of Faith's body 
changed slightly into something resembling a claw.  The nails razor 
sharp as they sliced through Faith's skin, leaving a trail of blood 
now with the pain. It felt like something infinitely cold, slimly, 
something that was evil in it purest sense was touching her naked 
skin.  Myriad's of images flashed, were pushed into her mind with 
that touch, as if they were seeping into, under her skin.  Images of 
promised horrors, of unimaginable pain and torture.  Hers, Buffy's, 
others that Faith didn't know.  It ran under her skin, like a snake 
slithering around inside of her and it repulsed and sickened her.

Surprising both Glory and Buffy, Faith violently pushed against Glory 
trying to rip herself free of her touch.  Desperate to get free as 
she felt the bile rising up quickly, hot, thick in the back of her 
throat.  She knew she wouldn't be able to hold it back and was 
terrified of what Glory would do to her if she vomited on her. 

Buffy was off the couch and running at them less than a second after 
Faith moved. With a wave of her hand Glory sent Buffy flying across 
the room without even touching her. She was pissed at Faith for 
destroying her delicious, lustful 'high', but she would fix that. 
Glory stood grabbing Faith by the arm, her nails sinking through her 
skin, ripping the muscles underneath. Holding Faith high up in the 
air, she dropped her like a soccer ball, then kicked her as she fell. 

She smiled widely, licking her lips with sensual pleasure as the pain 
and fear washed over her from the Chosen Two again.  Laughing at them 
she was gone before Faith even hit the ground a few feet from Buffy.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She landed on the floor near Buffy face first, putting her hands out 
in front of her to break her fall.  They gave right out, unable after 
all that had happened in the last day to support her.  The right side 
of her face smashed into the floor, her cheek split open,  but the 
pain was nothing compared to the pain lancing up and down her spine, 
her legs from Glory's kick.  The contents of her stomach gushed out 
from her in wave after wave, as if ridding her body of the vile thing 
that had been crawling under her skin from Glory's malevolent touch.  
When her stomach was empty her body was wracked with dry heaves that 
left her gasping for air, her stomach cramping, convulsing.  Moaning 
she tried to move away but her body had been pushed beyond even her 
slayer endurance, and she could not move or rise.  She lay there 
helpless, sobbing in pain, ashamed, in a pool of her own blood and 
vomit; wanting more than anything else to wash away the dirt that 
felt like a live thing under her skin from all that had happened to 
her, to Buffy that day.

Buffy scrambled over to Faith on her hands and knees.  She ignored 
her broken ribs, the pain from all the beatings over the course of 
this eternally long day.  Ignored them because they were nothing 
compared to what had been done to Faith, nothing compared to the pain 
that Buffy could feel from the 'echo'.  Guilt hummed through her 
because there was now even more pain, all because she couldn't keep 
her fucking stupid mouth shut.  She reached for Faith and stopped at 
her pain-filled whispered 'No.' Then the rest of what Faith was 
feeling seeped out of the pain that had been surrounding it.  

Buffy gathered Faith up in her arms, ssshing her protests.  Telling 
her she was sorry, she wasn't dirty, this wasn't her fault.  Telling 
her they would find a way out of this, wanting desperately to believe 
that it was true herself. She whispered to her of her unconditional 
love, kept whispering to Faith everything she was to her, felt for 
her, as she rose up to shaky legs and carried her to the bathroom.

She put Faith gently down upon the floor, and turned on the water in 
the bathtub.  As gently as possible she washed away the blood and 
vomit with a soft cloth, still whispering to Faith as she whimpered 
in pain.  Relief flooded through Buffy when she saw the worst of the 
bleeding had stopped. Once again came the growling of anger at what 
had been done to Faith, then a softer purr of compassion from 
something ancient, something hidden deep inside that ran through her 
blood. It quickened in her as she felt an answering response from the 
same thing that lived deep inside of Faith.

When she was finished washing away the blood and vomit, she ran a 
warm bath. She lifted Faith once again into her arms.  The ancient 
thing inside of her lending her strength.  She climbed into the tub 
with Faith, and sat down pulling her back against her.  She whispered 
to her of all the things they would do when they escaped this place.  
Whispered to her of their future together, kept whispering to her 
long after Faith finally fell asleep in her arms.  She kept 
whispering of her love until her own voice trailed off and she joined 
her heart, her soul in the blessed release of sleep.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Atropos lifted her eyes from the tapestry after the slayers fell to 
sleep.  She waved her hand over the 'Tapestry of Life', doing the 
only thing she could that would not be deemed interfering.  With the 
wave of her hand she cast a little magic so that the water in the 
bath would stay warm and comforting until they awoke and rose from it.

She looked at her two sisters, and a silent understanding of how this 
had come to pass, how they had missed it, went from one to the other. 
Lachesis and Clotho took a step back as they saw the fury building up 
in their oldest sister's eyes.  They felt sorry for him, because 
Atropos fury was something to be feared. 

Atropos moved to the center of the room, she bellowed out in a voice 
that had sent 'gods' falling to their knees in fear of her, "LUC! GET 
UP HERE NOW!!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was sitting or rather slouching in the large, deep, plush, 
midnight black leather couch in his den.  His head lay wearily back 
against it, his piercing eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling. Eyes 
which changed colors like the sea did with the tide and the weather. 
>From the almost crystal clear blue of the Mediterranean Sea when his 
mood was light and cheerful; to the almost pitch-blue-black of the 
Atlantic Ocean as it tossed, and howled with rage during a storm when 
he was angry. Now though they were the bluish-green of the Atlantic 
Ocean right before a coming storm, as the colors seemed to swirl and 
change with each motion of the sea. When his eyes were this color it 
almost always signaled he was in his deep thought. This time was no 
exception, he was contemplating the sorry state of the world and the 
human race.

Over the years the hope he had held in his heart for the human race 
had slowly but surely faded.  Where as once he had been innocent and 
optimistic, now he was jaded and cynical.  It never seemed to amaze 
him the amount of harm, damage, humans could inflict on, do to each 
other.  The amount of hate they could feel for each other, hate that 
they bred from generation to generation. 

The more jaded and cynical he became the less and less he started to 
believe that humans could ever eradicate the hate. He begun to 
believe of late that they would as a race have to be on the verge of 
extinction before they learned how to live with tolerance and 
possibly love for each other.  Live with all the differences between 
them from the color of their skin, to their sexual preferences, to 
different religions, to not believing in the same 'God' or not 
believing in one at all, as well as all the other nonsense that they 
used to justify their hatred, their killing of each other. 

He was tired of 'man' blaming their evil on a 'Higher' or 'Lower' 
power as it were. It was time for them to take responsibility for 
their own actions.  Their endless litany of doing it in the 'Name of 
God' or 'The Devil made me do it', was tiresome to him and just a cop-
out, a way to justify actions that were not justifiable. 

When would they learn to appreciate each other's individuality, 
differences, rather than hate each other for them?  Would they ever? 
Was it even possible anymore? Or, had the hate been perpetuated for 
so many years that they could never rise above and out from under it? 

Personally he was tired of getting blamed for all of man's evil. 
Whether the human race realized it or not his job was to redeem the 
sinner, not create him.

With a heavy sigh that came from the depths of his world-weary soul, 
and yes he did have one, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. 
A few minutes, or perhaps hours later he nearly fell off the couch 
when Atropos bellowing summoning of him to get to her domain startled 
him out of his deep, merciful dreamless sleep.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stared at her with curiosity, not fear, like every other 
'Incarnate' would have. But not him. Never him.  She gave him the 
once over while he casually leaned against the loom that held the 
'Tapestry of Life', arrogant as ever. Her eyes traveled over him, 
starting with the shock of thick blue-black hair, a piece of which 
lay gently against his forehead.  Down to his thick eyebrows that 
accented his all-seeing eyes; she could tell by their color he had 
been once again fretting over the world. Down over the strong bridge 
of his nose which was very roman like, to the full lips, the bottom 
which always seemed to be in a perpetual pout. His chin was firm and 
square with a dimple dead center.  He stood close to six-two, and was 
firmly muscled, his hands almost delicate, the fingers, long, the 
nails always meticulously manicured.  His chest was wide, his hips 
narrow, his legs long, the black leather pants he wore showed every 
muscle in his thighs. Right down to his lightly tapping, black motor-
cycle boot encased foot.  Every time she saw him it always amazed her 
how wrong all the artists were when they depicted him over the 
centuries, nay, millenniums. 

His eyes lazily inspected her while she inspected him.  He saw the 
real her, not the mask that she put up for all the others, the mask 
that anyone, mortal or immortal could see through if they but looked. 
He saw and always had seen the eternal beauty that she was and always 
would be. His eyes caressed her long flowing black hair with the 
mahogany highlights.  Over to her sculptured thin arched black 
eyebrows, to her long curly eyelashes that framed her crystal light 
jade green eyes. To her not narrow, not wide aristocratic nose.  To 
her wide, generous, full lips (that caused them to argue so often 
over who really had the perpetual pout).  Up over her narrow high 
cheeks, down her jaw line, then over her thin, just the right length 
neck.  She was just the right height for him at five-eight, with a 
lean long body of a twenty-two year old.  High firm breasts, over a 
narrow waist, to her slightly flared hips, to her well toned long 
legs, right down to her perfect little feet.  Like her, it amazed him 
that over the millenniums how wrong all the artists depictions of not 
just her but of her sisters were.

Slowly he trailed his eyes back up to hers, his famous lopsided grin 
faded into a frown when he saw the pain and sorrow in them.  Whatever 
anger she had been feeling when she had called him here was gone in 
the wake of whatever it was that weighed so heavily upon her heart. 
He waited for her to speak and saw a flash of anger again before she 
did.

"Do you know what you've done?"

"No. But I suppose you are going to tell me."  He drawled, pretending 
that he didn't care, but he knew that she knew he did. It must be a 
male thing, he silently mused to himself, that or all these years of 
hearing rumors of who or what he was, was finally rubbing off on him.

"You've let one that belongs here in our dimension, within our sphere 
of control go." 

"So.  I've done this before, there was never a problem. Who is it, 
I'll just get them back." He was confused, it was within his scope of 
power to 'give away' one in his care. So why were they, she, getting 
involved.  He honestly didn't know who she was talking about. 

"He is the one you gave to that 'god' Glory." she sneered when she 
said the Demon Goddess's name.  She couldn't though bring herself to 
utter the other scum of the earth's name.

"Him. He's just scum, there was no redeeming him." The man was a 
sadist, a pedophile, without remorse, without pity.  He didn't 
believe he had done anything wrong and after all the years of reading 
men's heart, he knew that the man never would. There was no 
redemption for him. "What's the problem?  He went to another hell-
world in a different dimension. A world that is filled with nothing 
but pain and torture.  Too good for him if you ask me but... There are 
no children there, Glory wanted him as a new 'Pet'. When she tires of 
him she will 'kill' him and send him to her hell, in her dimension.  
The hell there is infinitely worse then the one here.  So... I don't 
understand, what in the world could you possibly want him back for?" 

"She changed him when she brought him home." 

He gave her a puzzled look. Glory was outside of the sight of the 
'Tapestry of Life' now. She had only been a part of it during her 
time here because she had shared the body of a human male and 
effected the course of other ' Life Threads' within the Tapestry.  
Once she went back to her own dimension she should have dropped from 
the 'Tapestry'.  Johnny should not be in it any longer since he was 
dead, or at least not in the present time line. So he was puzzled by 
how Atropos could know about Glory and Johnny...... the only way.... 
'Oh Fuck!'....
 
Atropos saw the look of understanding come over his face.  The only 
way that she, her and her sisters could know about this was if Glory 
and Johnny were somehow entwined or touching 'Life Threads' that 
existed within the 'Tapestry of Life'.  'Life Threads' that were 
still alive, and belonged within this dimension. "Glory dragged the 
Slayers back to her world. The only reason she took them was because 
you gave her that... that... lower than a chaos demon man!" 

The full force of Atropos angry words hit him with the impact of a 
nuclear blast. It crashed through his brain exactly who Johnny was, 
or rather who he was to one of the Chosen Two. "But...... How? Fuck!"

She held out her hand to him, he needed to understand it all, because 
it was going to be up to him to set things to right, "Come I will 
show you."

Atropos led him over to the 'Tapestry of Life' and he stared down, 
watching as the life of the Chosen Two unfolded, starting with their 
births.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stretched, it felt like he had been standing staring at the 
Tapestry for eons.  In their reality it had been a little over four 
weeks, as well as Glory's, but only two weeks in mortal time.  The 
eyes that he raised up to Atropos were filled with sadness, pain, and 
remorse.  He had royally fucked up.  His loathing of the kind of man 
that Johnny was had led him to make a hasty decision. He would have 
never released a human so quickly to someone outside the sphere of 
his power if it had been any other 'type' of human.  He should have 
known better, especially since it was Glory he had been dealing with.

"Tell me what you want me to do." He doubted now that Glory would 
give Johnny back to him, not after what he had seen.  His stomach was 
churning, what he had seen sickened him, and he had seen a lot in his 
long life.

"You know I cannot tell you that."

He looked at Atropos incredulously, for once he wished she would 
break the fucking rules! He knew she had done it once before and it 
had almost brought about the annihilation of all of the dimension 
they held power over and dwelled in. She swore that she never would 
again, and she had not broken that vow. He was like all of the 
other 'Life Threads' within the Tapestry, the choice whether to do 
something or not was solely within his hands.  There was something 
though he knew that she could do however. "Let me look upon my 
own 'Life Thread'."

Atropos smiled at him, and he returned her smile.  They both knew 
when he looked upon it that he would see like Faith had all the 
possibilities that could happen once he left this place.  All of the 
choices would lay within the 'Tapestry' and in a sense the 
consequences from each choice would too.

Once again she led him over to the 'Tapestry of Life'. Once again it 
began to move to form pictures for him. He stood unblinking, unmoving 
for two full weeks as his choices and their consequences played out 
for him. He blinked coming out of his trance-like state, he had seen 
a path, the road however would not be easy.  He wondered how he was 
going to get them to listen to him, get them to believe that he was 
there to help, without coming right out and saying it.  He was bound 
just like the 'Fates' were not to directly change anything.  He could 
however unlike them, give a gentle push, drop a few hints, help steer 
someone around the curves so to speak. He could in essence influence 
them, but he could not come out and directly tell them the what, 
where, how and why of it.

She stood waiting patiently for him, she also had not moved in that 
time. She knew now the reason none of them had foreseen this was 
because Glory had been hidden from them within the Portal.  The 
portal was outside of time and space, outside of the sight of all 
dimensions. So her taking of Johnny back home with her had not been 
there. The only reason that the Fates knew what was happening to the 
Slayers now was because unlike Glory they belonged within the sphere 
of this dimension, so their 'Life Threads' would continued to unfold 
within the Tapestry until Atropos was called to cut them. 

She wished that they could have done this faster, but the 'Tapestry 
of Life' showed the events in it's own time. She knew that Faith had 
forgotten, or chosen to forget her time here, and them. Chosen to 
forget because she had been upset. Upset was rather mild, Faith had 
been beyond angry at what the Tapestry had shown her were her 
choices. They needed her to remember them, remember here and he was 
the key to that. He had a freedom that the Fates did not. 

Atropos shuddered to think what had happened to the Slayers over the 
last six weeks, she prayed that it wasn't too late. Her prayers were 
answered when he turned to her and gave her that cocky lopsided grin, 
that reminded her so much of Faith.

He smiled at her wrapping himself back into the faЌade that those who 
did not know him well expected.  The smile did not reach his eyes, 
they glittered with sadness, remorse, and anger for another 'god' who 
had used him to knowingly break the rules that existed between the 
different dimensions for ages. 

He straightened out his black leather trench coat, smoothed down the 
equally black silk shirt, hitched up his pants, and pushed back the 
stray lock of hair that lay across his forehead. He nodded his head 
to her, signaling his departure, his understanding and his assurance 
that he would try his best to set things to right. 

"Be careful Luc........."  She warned him, knowing that he would be putting 
himself, the Slayers, the Scoobs and the L.A. crew in mortal and 
immortal danger alike.  He would be going up against, though 
indirectly, a Demon-Goddess in her own dimension, where his powers 
were her equal, or maybe even surpassed his. If Glory even suspected 
his motives he might never return here to his own dimension. A 
dimension where his job, despite what the human race thought, was 
about redemption not about creating, tempting those that eventual 
needed it. Man whether he wanted to admit it or own up to it created 
his own evil, had created the 'First Evil' not the other way around.

"I will." He flashed her his smile one more time, it was time for him 
to put his 'game' face on. 

Then Luc, as he was know as to his friends was gone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were huddled in the corner of the locked cage, getting whatever 
warmth they could in the cold room from each other. Faith was gently 
stroking Buffy's hair, who rested against her trembling, crying 
softly against her chest.  Her tears mixed with Faith's own and the 
blood that was both of theirs.  They were covered in it, as if they 
had been bathing in it. It was still flowing freely from the re-
opened gash under Faith's bottom lip, where she had put her teeth 
through her flesh repeatedly over the last weeks in an effort to keep 
from screaming, pleading, begging.  Buffy had almost the exact same 
gash under her bottom lip.  They both knew even with their slayer 
healing that it would scar. Another scar that forever marked her as 
his that Faith would carry with her for the rest of her life. Like 
the scars on her shoulders, arms, thighs, back, buttocks, calves. But 
none marked her and her soul the way the first one did, the bite 
marks on the inside of her right thigh.

He had just left after first beating Faith for hours and then Buffy, 
careful as always not to break any bones.  Their day was far from 
over. Neither one of them knew how long they had been here, they had 
stopped measuring time in any real way. It was measured now in pain 
and the nightmare routine that had become their life. They just knew 
that their days, their pain, started with him pulling one or the 
other, sometimes both of them out of the bath or off the couch. He 
called it his morning warm-up routine. There were times when they 
were already awake waiting for him. Waiting for the chance to catch 
him by surprise, bring him down, or get past him out of the front 
door. 

Every morning that he came for them, they fought him tooth and nail. 
Fought until they could no longer rise or were knocked unconscious. 
Refusing to simply give in. They would beg and plead for him to stop 
hurting the other but almost never for themselves. They took the pain 
until it overwhelmed them, and inevitably it did, and then sometimes, 
though not always they would beg for it to stop.  Every time though 
he would leave hearing a 'Fuck you...' falling from one or both of 
their lips, even if they had begged. 

Each sought to protect the other, each sought to draw his attention 
to themselves and away from the other. Though it was Faith that was 
more proficient at it. She had nine years of experience at diverting 
Johnny's wrath away from her mother and onto herself, no matter what 
the cost. 

Buffy cursed that woman every day, the one that had the balls to call 
herself a mother. Even worse, to call herself Faith's mother. Cursed 
her for what she had allowed to be done to her own daughter. Cursed 
her because she had allowed her daughter to protect her from his 
fists by using her own child's frail body. Cursed her because she 
had allowed him to abuse her daughter in every way possible so that 
he would continue to feed  her the drugs; drugs that eventually 
killed her.  Cursed her because she had given her daughter to 
strangers to get drugs when he kept them from her as a form of 
punishment. Cursed Faith's mother because she had done all this and 
more, using the knowledge that all her daughter wanted from her was 
to love her, used it to trick her, used it to leave her with the kind 
of scars the eyes can't see. Cursed her because she should have loved 
her daughter unconditionally, freely, simply because she was her 
daughter. Cursed her because she should have been protecting her 
daughter, not the other way around. In some ways she blamed and hated 
the woman more than Johnny.  Buffy prayed, hoped with all her heart 
that Faith's mother was rotting in hell, that there was a special 
place for that kind of mother in hell and that she would rot there 
for all eternity. 

Their days ended or rather each play session ended with him leaving 
the room after he unlocked the cage, leaving the one in there who was 
usually the most recovered free to take care of the other. They would 
be left alone for a time then, like they had been the first day.  
They would take care of each other, help each other to clean up, then 
scrounge whatever food he had left for them. They would crawl onto 
the couch sometimes, but more often then not they would take a bath.  
Sleeping in the water that they had begun to think was magical since 
it never grew cold.  Letting the warmth of it seep into their 
battered bodies, cleansing them, soothing them in a way that was 
similar to the feelings that they found now only in each others arms. 
They sought shelter, comfort, re-assurance, and love in each other's 
arms. Where Faith had once thought that the only place that had ever 
felt like home had been within the circle of Buffy's arms, now in the 
truest sense this had become a reality. For both Slayers, home 
literally for them was within the arms of the other.

Glory would show up for one of her friendly little 'girl-talk' chats 
after every few play sessions, though her visits had become more and 
more frequent of late. She would tell them all about her days, while 
she got high off of the fear and pain that now radiated almost 
nonstop from both of the Slayers.  Sometimes grabbing up one or the 
other to lick the fear and pain-tainted sweat from their faces or 
neck.  To gather it up upon her fingertips and lick it from them. It 
was the times that she showed up and didn't say a word that were the 
worst. The sole purpose of those visits had nothing to do with 
talking and everything to do with causing more pain and feeding her 
addiction to their terror and pain.
 
Glory terrified them more than Johnny. They had figured out quickly 
that Johnny wouldn't kill them, just make them wish they were dead. 
Glory though was a wild card, and like Johnny she seemed to be 
fixated on Faith.  Faith was petrified of the crazy 'god', every time 
Glory touched her she could feel the vileness of her get under her 
skin making her feel unclean in a way that even with everything that 
Johnny had done, was doing to her, couldn't. Glory was addicted to 
Faith's terror, but what neither slayer knew was that Glory was even 
more addicted to the feelings of guilt, helplessness, and terror that 
radiated from Buffy when it was Faith that Glory would hold within 
her iron clad embrace. Faith waited in agony of the day that Glory 
took this game of hers with them past the point of just physical and 
mental abuse. She knew it was coming and she knew that it would be 
her that it was inflicted upon. The thought of it alone made her 
insides, every cell in her body clench, shudder and tremble with 
dread, with revulsion in a way that nothing, and no one ever had.  
Every time Glory touched her it took all her will power to keep the 
contents of her stomach down until she left.

They had tried once, and only once, to try and take Glory down. It 
had been more than enough to stop them from ever trying again.  
Johnny's evil mind and strength compared to Glory's was like the 
difference between the amount of light a lamp gave off and the light 
of the sun. What she had done to them had made Johnny's 'games' seem 
like child's play.  She had left them broken and bloody on the floor 
of the main room unconscious, it was two days before one of them 
woke. Another two days before one of them could rise from the ground 
to help the other. Even now weeks later neither of them could bear to 
even think about it.  Afraid if they did Glory would feel the fear 
coming from them again and would remember how drunk she had gotten 
from feeding off of their anguish, their screams and would want to 
repeat it. Both knew though it was just a matter of time before the 
sadistic bitch did it again anyway, just because she could.

When they were alone they never strayed from the other's side, some 
part of them was always touching. Touching to be sure the other was 
still with them, touching to be sure they were still alive. Touching 
to feel a hand, a caress, that was not there to cause more pain. They 
spoke of getting away from here, from him, from her.  Spoke of their 
dreams, for themselves, for each other, of things they would do when 
they were free of here. They told each other things that they had 
never told anyone else before.  All of their secret wishes, desires, 
fears, dreams, hopes, wants.

They became intimate with each other in a way that would normally 
take years of loving and being loved by someone. Not intimate in a 
sexual sense, but in the way of knowing who the person inside really 
was, who the soul was that resided inside the shell of the body.  
They connected with each other on an even deeper level than either 
had thought possible. Their love, admiration, and devotion to the 
other grew ever stronger, in this fucked up nightmare they lived in. 
The bond between them grew surer, more unbreakable if that was even 
possible.  What was happening to them every day in this place might 
have torn other soul-mates apart, instead it only served to bring 
them closer. They told each other everything they had never gotten 
the chance to say to the other before.  Hoping against the odds that 
there would come a day that they could say them again away from this 
place. But they said them now, here, not willing to risk that if they 
did die they would forever remain unspoken. They each had found in 
themselves, and in each other a strength, a will to survive, for 
themselves, for each other, that they had never known had existed. 

Buffy tightened her arms around Faith, careful not to hurt her. They 
were never really given enough time to completely heal, and Faith had 
what looked like permanent finger marks on her throat from him. From 
him playing his favorite fucked up game of cutting off her air 'til 
she passed out, a game he played many times a day, always with Faith, 
but only occasionally with her. His favorite game to play with her 
was to drown her, over and over again. She felt Faith tighten her 
arms in response they were both silent now, grateful for even these 
few minutes alone with each other.  Buffy now understood why such 
simple things had always brought such joy to Faith.  

They stayed holding each other speaking to each other through 
the 'echoes' they shared.  They had built for themselves a dream 
world of images, of a home, of a future.  Now while they sat 
shivering in the cold room in their minds they were together, sitting 
on a blanket on the beach, luxuriating in the warmth of the afternoon 
sun upon their skin. They could share the 'echoes' sending and 
receiving them with little or no effort now. It had become a part of 
them like their own beating hearts.  Trying at times to take the 
other there, take them away from what was happening to them in the 
here and now, by his hand, by Glory's. Often though it did not work, 
the pain overrode, forced everything else to flee their minds. 

The connection between them had expanded even further since they had 
been here. They both physically felt the ghost on their own skin of 
what was being done to the other.  It was like a muffled sensation 
upon their skin as if they were being touched through twenty layers 
of clothing.  This more than anything else they tried to block from 
the other when he or Glory had them within their grasp.  Even as 
strong willed as they were they could only keep the block up for so 
long, until it crumbled under the onslaught of everything else that 
he or Glory was doing to them. 

For now they kept holding each other, living within their dream 
world, both quietly alert in the back of their minds knowing it 
wouldn't be long until he came back. Whatever he did to Buffy he 
always finished the day doing something five times worse to Faith. He 
used his fists, his feet, his belt and other things that Faith didn't 
want to even think about to beat and torture them.  His sexual abuse, 
however, was solely inflicted, forced upon Faith. And for that, as 
fucked up as it was, Faith was grateful.  She never wanted Buffy to 
know what that particular torture felt like.  So Faith refused to 
even think about how it made her feel, she pushed it deep, deep down 
inside herself for now.  Years of remembered practice helped her to 
disassociate what it made her feel like inside. She shoved all of it 
behind the re-erected solid steel wall that she had carried around 
with her for years. She knew that if, WHEN, they got out of here she 
would have to deal with it, with how it made her feel on the inside.  
Afraid though that it would send her hurtling once again down that 
self-destructive path. For now all her energy, her strength, went to 
staying strong, surviving, them both surviving, in the face of and in 
spite of, it all.

In her mind Faith heard Buffy calling her back to her gently, she 
could feel how tired Buffy was.  Her body, mind exhausted from being 
beaten for hours. They drifted in their dream world together, wrapped 
around each other in the cage the Chosen Two slipped into sleep, 
dreaming of the ocean, and the sun's warmth caressing them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was sitting or rather slouching in the large, deep, plush, 
midnight black leather couch in his den.  His head lay wearily back 
against it, his piercing eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling. Eyes 
which changed colors like the sea did with the tide and the weather. 
>From the almost crystal clear blue of the Mediterranean Sea when his 
mood was light and cheerful; to the almost pitch-blue-black of the 
Atlantic Ocean as it tossed, and howled with rage during a storm when 
he was angry. Now though they were the bluish-green of the Atlantic 
Ocean right before a coming storm, as the colors seemed to swirl and 
change with each motion of the sea. When his eyes were this color it 
almost always signaled he was in his deep thought. This time was no 
exception, he was contemplating the sorry state of the world and the 
human race.

Over the years the hope he had held in his heart for the human race 
had slowly but surely faded.  Where as once he had been innocent and 
optimistic, now he was jaded and cynical.  It never seemed to amaze 
him the amount of harm, damage, humans could inflict on, do to each 
other.  The amount of hate they could feel for each other, hate that 
they bred from generation to generation. 

The more jaded and cynical he became the less and less he started to 
believe that humans could ever eradicate the hate. He begun to 
believe of late that they would as a race have to be on the verge of 
extinction before they learned how to live with tolerance and 
possibly love for each other.  Live with all the differences between 
them from the color of their skin, to their sexual preferences, to 
different religions, to not believing in the same 'God' or not 
believing in one at all, as well as all the other nonsense that they 
used to justify their hatred, their killing of each other. 

He was tired of 'man' blaming their evil on a 'Higher' or 'Lower' 
power as it were. It was time for them to take responsibility for 
their own actions.  Their endless litany of doing it in the 'Name of 
God' or 'The Devil made me do it', was tiresome to him and just a cop-
out, a way to justify actions that were not justifiable. 

When would they learn to appreciate each other's individuality, 
differences, rather than hate each other for them?  Would they ever? 
Was it even possible anymore? Or, had the hate been perpetuated for 
so many years that they could never rise above and out from under it? 

Personally he was tired of getting blamed for all of man's evil. 
Whether the human race realized it or not his job was to redeem the 
sinner, not create him.

With a heavy sigh that came from the depths of his world-weary soul, 
and yes he did have one, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. 
A few minutes, or perhaps hours later he nearly fell off the couch 
when Atropos bellowing summoning of him to get to her domain startled 
him out of his deep, merciful dreamless sleep.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stared at her with curiosity, not fear, like every other 
'Incarnate' would have. But not him. Never him.  She gave him the 
once over while he casually leaned against the loom that held the 
'Tapestry of Life', arrogant as ever. Her eyes traveled over him, 
starting with the shock of thick blue-black hair, a piece of which 
lay gently against his forehead.  Down to his thick eyebrows that 
accented his all-seeing eyes; she could tell by their color he had 
been once again fretting over the world. Down over the strong bridge 
of his nose which was very roman like, to the full lips, the bottom 
which always seemed to be in a perpetual pout. His chin was firm and 
square with a dimple dead center.  He stood close to six-two, and was 
firmly muscled, his hands almost delicate, the fingers, long, the 
nails always meticulously manicured.  His chest was wide, his hips 
narrow, his legs long, the black leather pants he wore showed every 
muscle in his thighs. Right down to his lightly tapping, black motor-
cycle boot encased foot.  Every time she saw him it always amazed her 
how wrong all the artists were when they depicted him over the 
centuries, nay, millenniums. 

His eyes lazily inspected her while she inspected him.  He saw the 
real her, not the mask that she put up for all the others, the mask 
that anyone, mortal or immortal could see through if they but looked. 
He saw and always had seen the eternal beauty that she was and always 
would be. His eyes caressed her long flowing black hair with the 
mahogany highlights.  Over to her sculptured thin arched black 
eyebrows, to her long curly eyelashes that framed her crystal light 
jade green eyes. To her not narrow, not wide aristocratic nose.  To 
her wide, generous, full lips (that caused them to argue so often 
over who really had the perpetual pout).  Up over her narrow high 
cheeks, down her jaw line, then over her thin, just the right length 
neck.  She was just the right height for him at five-eight, with a 
lean long body of a twenty-two year old.  High firm breasts, over a 
narrow waist, to her slightly flared hips, to her well toned long 
legs, right down to her perfect little feet.  Like her, it amazed him 
that over the millenniums how wrong all the artists depictions of not 
just her but of her sisters were.

Slowly he trailed his eyes back up to hers, his famous lopsided grin 
faded into a frown when he saw the pain and sorrow in them.  Whatever 
anger she had been feeling when she had called him here was gone in 
the wake of whatever it was that weighed so heavily upon her heart. 
He waited for her to speak and saw a flash of anger again before she 
did.

"Do you know what you've done?"

"No. But I suppose you are going to tell me."  He drawled, pretending 
that he didn't care, but he knew that she knew he did. It must be a 
male thing, he silently mused to himself, that or all these years of 
hearing rumors of who or what he was, was finally rubbing off on him.

"You've let one that belongs here in our dimension, within our sphere 
of control go." 

"So.  I've done this before, there was never a problem. Who is it, 
I'll just get them back." He was confused, it was within his scope of 
power to 'give away' one in his care. So why were they, she, getting 
involved.  He honestly didn't know who she was talking about. 

"He is the one you gave to that 'god' Glory." she sneered when she 
said the Demon Goddess's name.  She couldn't though bring herself to 
utter the other scum of the earth's name.

"Him. He's just scum, there was no redeeming him." The man was a 
sadist, a pedophile, without remorse, without pity.  He didn't 
believe he had done anything wrong and after all the years of reading 
men's heart, he knew that the man never would. There was no 
redemption for him. "What's the problem?  He went to another hell-
world in a different dimension. A world that is filled with nothing 
but pain and torture.  Too good for him if you ask me but... There are 
no children there, Glory wanted him as a new 'Pet'. When she tires of 
him she will 'kill' him and send him to her hell, in her dimension.  
The hell there is infinitely worse then the one here.  So... I don't 
understand, what in the world could you possibly want him back for?" 

"She changed him when she brought him home." 

He gave her a puzzled look. Glory was outside of the sight of the 
'Tapestry of Life' now. She had only been a part of it during her 
time here because she had shared the body of a human male and 
effected the course of other ' Life Threads' within the Tapestry.  
Once she went back to her own dimension she should have dropped from 
the 'Tapestry'.  Johnny should not be in it any longer since he was 
dead, or at least not in the present time line. So he was puzzled by 
how Atropos could know about Glory and Johnny...... the only way.... 
'Oh Fuck!'....
 
Atropos saw the look of understanding come over his face.  The only 
way that she, her and her sisters could know about this was if Glory 
and Johnny were somehow entwined or touching 'Life Threads' that 
existed within the 'Tapestry of Life'.  'Life Threads' that were 
still alive, and belonged within this dimension. "Glory dragged the 
Slayers back to her world. The only reason she took them was because 
you gave her that... that... lower than a chaos demon man!" 

The full force of Atropos angry words hit him with the impact of a 
nuclear blast. It crashed through his brain exactly who Johnny was, 
or rather who he was to one of the Chosen Two. "But...... How? Fuck!"

She held out her hand to him, he needed to understand it all, because 
it was going to be up to him to set things to right, "Come I will 
show you."

Atropos led him over to the 'Tapestry of Life' and he stared down, 
watching as the life of the Chosen Two unfolded, starting with their 
births.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stretched, it felt like he had been standing staring at the 
Tapestry for eons.  In their reality it had been a little over four 
weeks, as well as Glory's, but only two weeks in mortal time.  The 
eyes that he raised up to Atropos were filled with sadness, pain, and 
remorse.  He had royally fucked up.  His loathing of the kind of man 
that Johnny was had led him to make a hasty decision. He would have 
never released a human so quickly to someone outside the sphere of 
his power if it had been any other 'type' of human.  He should have 
known better, especially since it was Glory he had been dealing with.

"Tell me what you want me to do." He doubted now that Glory would 
give Johnny back to him, not after what he had seen.  His stomach was 
churning, what he had seen sickened him, and he had seen a lot in his 
long life.

"You know I cannot tell you that."

He looked at Atropos incredulously, for once he wished she would 
break the fucking rules! He knew she had done it once before and it 
had almost brought about the annihilation of all of the dimension 
they held power over and dwelled in. She swore that she never would 
again, and she had not broken that vow. He was like all of the 
other 'Life Threads' within the Tapestry, the choice whether to do 
something or not was solely within his hands.  There was something 
though he knew that she could do however. "Let me look upon my 
own 'Life Thread'."

Atropos smiled at him, and he returned her smile.  They both knew 
when he looked upon it that he would see like Faith had all the 
possibilities that could happen once he left this place.  All of the 
choices would lay within the 'Tapestry' and in a sense the 
consequences from each choice would too.

Once again she led him over to the 'Tapestry of Life'. Once again it 
began to move to form pictures for him. He stood unblinking, unmoving 
for two full weeks as his choices and their consequences played out 
for him. He blinked coming out of his trance-like state, he had seen 
a path, the road however would not be easy.  He wondered how he was 
going to get them to listen to him, get them to believe that he was 
there to help, without coming right out and saying it.  He was bound 
just like the 'Fates' were not to directly change anything.  He could 
however unlike them, give a gentle push, drop a few hints, help steer 
someone around the curves so to speak. He could in essence influence 
them, but he could not come out and directly tell them the what, 
where, how and why of it.

She stood waiting patiently for him, she also had not moved in that 
time. She knew now the reason none of them had foreseen this was 
because Glory had been hidden from them within the Portal.  The 
portal was outside of time and space, outside of the sight of all 
dimensions. So her taking of Johnny back home with her had not been 
there. The only reason that the Fates knew what was happening to the 
Slayers now was because unlike Glory they belonged within the sphere 
of this dimension, so their 'Life Threads' would continued to unfold 
within the Tapestry until Atropos was called to cut them. 

She wished that they could have done this faster, but the 'Tapestry 
of Life' showed the events in it's own time. She knew that Faith had 
forgotten, or chosen to forget her time here, and them. Chosen to 
forget because she had been upset. Upset was rather mild, Faith had 
been beyond angry at what the Tapestry had shown her were her 
choices. They needed her to remember them, remember here and he was 
the key to that. He had a freedom that the Fates did not. 

Atropos shuddered to think what had happened to the Slayers over the 
last six weeks, she prayed that it wasn't too late. Her prayers were 
answered when he turned to her and gave her that cocky lopsided grin, 
that reminded her so much of Faith.

He smiled at her wrapping himself back into the faЌade that those who 
did not know him well expected.  The smile did not reach his eyes, 
they glittered with sadness, remorse, and anger for another 'god' who 
had used him to knowingly break the rules that existed between the 
different dimensions for ages. 

He straightened out his black leather trench coat, smoothed down the 
equally black silk shirt, hitched up his pants, and pushed back the 
stray lock of hair that lay across his forehead. He nodded his head 
to her, signaling his departure, his understanding and his assurance 
that he would try his best to set things to right. 

"Be careful Luc........."  She warned him, knowing that he would be putting 
himself, the Slayers, the Scoobs and the L.A. crew in mortal and 
immortal danger alike.  He would be going up against, though 
indirectly, a Demon-Goddess in her own dimension, where his powers 
were her equal, or maybe even surpassed his. If Glory even suspected 
his motives he might never return here to his own dimension. A 
dimension where his job, despite what the human race thought, was 
about redemption not about creating, tempting those that eventual 
needed it. Man whether he wanted to admit it or own up to it created 
his own evil, had created the 'First Evil' not the other way around.

"I will." He flashed her his smile one more time, it was time for him 
to put his 'game' face on. 

Then Luc, as he was know as to his friends was gone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were huddled in the corner of the locked cage, getting whatever 
warmth they could in the cold room from each other. Faith was gently 
stroking Buffy's hair, who rested against her trembling, crying 
softly against her chest.  Her tears mixed with Faith's own and the 
blood that was both of theirs.  They were covered in it, as if they 
had been bathing in it. It was still flowing freely from the re-
opened gash under Faith's bottom lip, where she had put her teeth 
through her flesh repeatedly over the last weeks in an effort to keep 
from screaming, pleading, begging.  Buffy had almost the exact same 
gash under her bottom lip.  They both knew even with their slayer 
healing that it would scar. Another scar that forever marked her as 
his that Faith would carry with her for the rest of her life. Like 
the scars on her shoulders, arms, thighs, back, buttocks, calves. But 
none marked her and her soul the way the first one did, the bite 
marks on the inside of her right thigh.

He had just left after first beating Faith for hours and then Buffy, 
careful as always not to break any bones.  Their day was far from 
over. Neither one of them knew how long they had been here, they had 
stopped measuring time in any real way. It was measured now in pain 
and the nightmare routine that had become their life. They just knew 
that their days, their pain, started with him pulling one or the 
other, sometimes both of them out of the bath or off the couch. He 
called it his morning warm-up routine. There were times when they 
were already awake waiting for him. Waiting for the chance to catch 
him by surprise, bring him down, or get past him out of the front 
door. 

Every morning that he came for them, they fought him tooth and nail. 
Fought until they could no longer rise or were knocked unconscious. 
Refusing to simply give in. They would beg and plead for him to stop 
hurting the other but almost never for themselves. They took the pain 
until it overwhelmed them, and inevitably it did, and then sometimes, 
though not always they would beg for it to stop.  Every time though 
he would leave hearing a 'Fuck you...' falling from one or both of 
their lips, even if they had begged. 

Each sought to protect the other, each sought to draw his attention 
to themselves and away from the other. Though it was Faith that was 
more proficient at it. She had nine years of experience at diverting 
Johnny's wrath away from her mother and onto herself, no matter what 
the cost. 

Buffy cursed that woman every day, the one that had the balls to call 
herself a mother. Even worse, to call herself Faith's mother. Cursed 
her for what she had allowed to be done to her own daughter. Cursed 
her because she had allowed her daughter to protect her from his 
fists by using her own child's frail body. Cursed her because she 
had allowed him to abuse her daughter in every way possible so that 
he would continue to feed  her the drugs; drugs that eventually 
killed her.  Cursed her because she had given her daughter to 
strangers to get drugs when he kept them from her as a form of 
punishment. Cursed Faith's mother because she had done all this and 
more, using the knowledge that all her daughter wanted from her was 
to love her, used it to trick her, used it to leave her with the kind 
of scars the eyes can't see. Cursed her because she should have loved 
her daughter unconditionally, freely, simply because she was her 
daughter. Cursed her because she should have been protecting her 
daughter, not the other way around. In some ways she blamed and hated 
the woman more than Johnny.  Buffy prayed, hoped with all her heart 
that Faith's mother was rotting in hell, that there was a special 
place for that kind of mother in hell and that she would rot there 
for all eternity. 

Their days ended or rather each play session ended with him leaving 
the room after he unlocked the cage, leaving the one in there who was 
usually the most recovered free to take care of the other. They would 
be left alone for a time then, like they had been the first day.  
They would take care of each other, help each other to clean up, then 
scrounge whatever food he had left for them. They would crawl onto 
the couch sometimes, but more often then not they would take a bath.  
Sleeping in the water that they had begun to think was magical since 
it never grew cold.  Letting the warmth of it seep into their 
battered bodies, cleansing them, soothing them in a way that was 
similar to the feelings that they found now only in each others arms. 
They sought shelter, comfort, re-assurance, and love in each other's 
arms. Where Faith had once thought that the only place that had ever 
felt like home had been within the circle of Buffy's arms, now in the 
truest sense this had become a reality. For both Slayers, home 
literally for them was within the arms of the other.

Glory would show up for one of her friendly little 'girl-talk' chats 
after every few play sessions, though her visits had become more and 
more frequent of late. She would tell them all about her days, while 
she got high off of the fear and pain that now radiated almost 
nonstop from both of the Slayers.  Sometimes grabbing up one or the 
other to lick the fear and pain-tainted sweat from their faces or 
neck.  To gather it up upon her fingertips and lick it from them. It 
was the times that she showed up and didn't say a word that were the 
worst. The sole purpose of those visits had nothing to do with 
talking and everything to do with causing more pain and feeding her 
addiction to their terror and pain.
 
Glory terrified them more than Johnny. They had figured out quickly 
that Johnny wouldn't kill them, just make them wish they were dead. 
Glory though was a wild card, and like Johnny she seemed to be 
fixated on Faith.  Faith was petrified of the crazy 'god', every time 
Glory touched her she could feel the vileness of her get under her 
skin making her feel unclean in a way that even with everything that 
Johnny had done, was doing to her, couldn't. Glory was addicted to 
Faith's terror, but what neither slayer knew was that Glory was even 
more addicted to the feelings of guilt, helplessness, and terror that 
radiated from Buffy when it was Faith that Glory would hold within 
her iron clad embrace. Faith waited in agony of the day that Glory 
took this game of hers with them past the point of just physical and 
mental abuse. She knew it was coming and she knew that it would be 
her that it was inflicted upon. The thought of it alone made her 
insides, every cell in her body clench, shudder and tremble with 
dread, with revulsion in a way that nothing, and no one ever had.  
Every time Glory touched her it took all her will power to keep the 
contents of her stomach down until she left.

They had tried once, and only once, to try and take Glory down. It 
had been more than enough to stop them from ever trying again.  
Johnny's evil mind and strength compared to Glory's was like the 
difference between the amount of light a lamp gave off and the light 
of the sun. What she had done to them had made Johnny's 'games' seem 
like child's play.  She had left them broken and bloody on the floor 
of the main room unconscious, it was two days before one of them 
woke. Another two days before one of them could rise from the ground 
to help the other. Even now weeks later neither of them could bear to 
even think about it.  Afraid if they did Glory would feel the fear 
coming from them again and would remember how drunk she had gotten 
from feeding off of their anguish, their screams and would want to 
repeat it. Both knew though it was just a matter of time before the 
sadistic bitch did it again anyway, just because she could.

When they were alone they never strayed from the other's side, some 
part of them was always touching. Touching to be sure the other was 
still with them, touching to be sure they were still alive. Touching 
to feel a hand, a caress, that was not there to cause more pain. They 
spoke of getting away from here, from him, from her.  Spoke of their 
dreams, for themselves, for each other, of things they would do when 
they were free of here. They told each other things that they had 
never told anyone else before.  All of their secret wishes, desires, 
fears, dreams, hopes, wants.

They became intimate with each other in a way that would normally 
take years of loving and being loved by someone. Not intimate in a 
sexual sense, but in the way of knowing who the person inside really 
was, who the soul was that resided inside the shell of the body.  
They connected with each other on an even deeper level than either 
had thought possible. Their love, admiration, and devotion to the 
other grew ever stronger, in this fucked up nightmare they lived in. 
The bond between them grew surer, more unbreakable if that was even 
possible.  What was happening to them every day in this place might 
have torn other soul-mates apart, instead it only served to bring 
them closer. They told each other everything they had never gotten 
the chance to say to the other before.  Hoping against the odds that 
there would come a day that they could say them again away from this 
place. But they said them now, here, not willing to risk that if they 
did die they would forever remain unspoken. They each had found in 
themselves, and in each other a strength, a will to survive, for 
themselves, for each other, that they had never known had existed. 

Buffy tightened her arms around Faith, careful not to hurt her. They 
were never really given enough time to completely heal, and Faith had 
what looked like permanent finger marks on her throat from him. From 
him playing his favorite fucked up game of cutting off her air 'til 
she passed out, a game he played many times a day, always with Faith, 
but only occasionally with her. His favorite game to play with her 
was to drown her, over and over again. She felt Faith tighten her 
arms in response they were both silent now, grateful for even these 
few minutes alone with each other.  Buffy now understood why such 
simple things had always brought such joy to Faith.  

They stayed holding each other speaking to each other through 
the 'echoes' they shared.  They had built for themselves a dream 
world of images, of a home, of a future.  Now while they sat 
shivering in the cold room in their minds they were together, sitting 
on a blanket on the beach, luxuriating in the warmth of the afternoon 
sun upon their skin. They could share the 'echoes' sending and 
receiving them with little or no effort now. It had become a part of 
them like their own beating hearts.  Trying at times to take the 
other there, take them away from what was happening to them in the 
here and now, by his hand, by Glory's. Often though it did not work, 
the pain overrode, forced everything else to flee their minds. 

The connection between them had expanded even further since they had 
been here. They both physically felt the ghost on their own skin of 
what was being done to the other.  It was like a muffled sensation 
upon their skin as if they were being touched through twenty layers 
of clothing.  This more than anything else they tried to block from 
the other when he or Glory had them within their grasp.  Even as 
strong willed as they were they could only keep the block up for so 
long, until it crumbled under the onslaught of everything else that 
he or Glory was doing to them. 

For now they kept holding each other, living within their dream 
world, both quietly alert in the back of their minds knowing it 
wouldn't be long until he came back. Whatever he did to Buffy he 
always finished the day doing something five times worse to Faith. He 
used his fists, his feet, his belt and other things that Faith didn't 
want to even think about to beat and torture them.  His sexual abuse, 
however, was solely inflicted, forced upon Faith. And for that, as 
fucked up as it was, Faith was grateful.  She never wanted Buffy to 
know what that particular torture felt like.  So Faith refused to 
even think about how it made her feel, she pushed it deep, deep down 
inside herself for now.  Years of remembered practice helped her to 
disassociate what it made her feel like inside. She shoved all of it 
behind the re-erected solid steel wall that she had carried around 
with her for years. She knew that if, WHEN, they got out of here she 
would have to deal with it, with how it made her feel on the inside.  
Afraid though that it would send her hurtling once again down that 
self-destructive path. For now all her energy, her strength, went to 
staying strong, surviving, them both surviving, in the face of and in 
spite of, it all.

In her mind Faith heard Buffy calling her back to her gently, she 
could feel how tired Buffy was.  Her body, mind exhausted from being 
beaten for hours. They drifted in their dream world together, wrapped 
around each other in the cage the Chosen Two slipped into sleep, 
dreaming of the ocean, and the sun's warmth caressing them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their slayer senses started to tingle the second he entered the 
cabin.  They waited patiently for him to come into the Play room, 
hoping against hope that he would step into the enclosed, small space 
of the cage. They stayed as they were, keeping their breathing steady 
and even, feigning sleep.  Their bodies coiled, tensed, waiting for 
the right moment to spring, they ignored the pain, it was secondary 
to the need to escape.

His eyes drank them in as he made his way over to the cage. He 
thought they looked exquisite huddled together, clinging to each 
other in their sleep covered in blood and tears. He felt his 
excitement grow, but he pushed it down, he would have time for that 
later.  He unlocked the cage door and quietly opened it. Carelessly 
he left the keys in lock as he tiptoed in wanting to surprise them. 
Slowly, carefully he made his way over towards them, maybe he would 
play with them for few minutes anyway, he knew how much *she* loved 
their fear, their pain.  He stood towering over them, feeling 
superior to them, over confidant.  Whispering he leaned down toward 
them, reaching out, "Wakey, wakey, compa........."

They moved together as one, rising from the floor in a blur, defying 
their battered bodies, their pain.  Growling, moving at him with all 
the rage, fear, hate that he had made them feel. Again both felt an 
ancient answering response from somewhere deep inside themselves 
calling to the other. They lifted him off the ground together, 
needing no words between them, the 'echoes' between them doing all 
the speaking.  They threw him across the cage, purring in 
satisfaction when they heard his head crack hard against the bars, 
and his accompanying groan of pain.  Fluidly they turned as one and 
ran out of the cage. One slayer slammed the door, while the other 
locked it, taking the key. 'Fuck you.........' floated softly from their 
lips in sync, as he snarled his rage at them, at his getting caught 
off guard, before he blacked out. 

They ran hand in hand out into the main room towards the front door 
almost giddy with the knowledge that freedom was right at their 
fingertips.  They stopped in front of the door, a trembling hand 
reached for the lock with the keys. A sigh of relief came from both 
of them, at the thought that this was finally going to be over.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't think so......" came the sickly sweet voice from somewhere in 
the room behind them.

They didn't even have a chance to react as they went flying through 
the air in opposite directions. Ripping gashes in each other's palms 
with their nails as their hands were torn apart.  They each hit a 
wall with equal force, cracking the logs. Their heads smashed into 
the unyielding walls.  Both felt blood trickling down the back of 
their scalps as they bounced off the walls, to land in heaps on the 
floor face first. Echoing each other's thoughts of 'ohgodnoohgodno' 
over and over as they remembered the last time they had pissed her 
off. They had been so intent on escape that they had been careless.  
They could feel her presence's now and....... another's? Though the 
others set their slayers senses tingling, there was something 
different about it, something that somehow felt familiar to Faith.

"Get up! NOW!" Glory snarled at them in that same fucking sickly 
sweet voice.

They rose up to trembling legs, both of them shaking in fear.  Afraid 
to even raise their eyes from the floor.  Silently they reached for 
each other in their minds, each trying to soothe the others terror.  
Each seeking comfort, solace in the feel of being entwined in their 
mind with the other.  Both bit through the gash under their bottom 
lips, feeling the pain, the ghost of the bite of the other.  The 
blood tasting coppery, bitter on their tongues.

Deep inside of themselves they felt the rumbling of something 
ancient, something in their blood, something that recognized the same 
thing inside of the other. Maybe it was the taste of their own blood, 
or the ghost feeling of the other biting through their own flesh in 
an effort not to whimper with fear. The sensation, the almost taste 
of their mate's blood thick, somehow familiar upon their tongues.  
Maybe it was the inner strength that each had found in themselves and 
within each other.  Maybe it was their refusal to simply just submit.
Maybe it was just who, and what made them the Chosen One's, the 
Chosen Two, and simply Buffy and Faith.  Maybe it was all of it, or 
some of it.  Whatever it was it would not allow them to just stand 
their cowering like cornered frightened animals.  Whatever it was it 
would not allow them to stand there with their heads hanging low, as 
if they were ashamed of who and what they were.  Whatever it was it 
would not allow them to play the bottom to Glory's top anymore than 
they would with Johnny.  Whatever it was, it was smart enough not to 
throw caution to the wind and have them attack an enemy they could 
not defeat, not yet, nor would it let someone or something else 
define who, what, they were.  

Whatever it was, it was them, and they were it, both familiar, new, 
forgotten and ancient all at the same time. And each Slayer found 
it's mate inside of the other.
 
Within a second of rising from the floor all this and more flashed 
through both of the Chosen One's minds. They came to a silent 
understanding.  Together they raised their heads, chocolate brown 
eyes stared into hazel for but a fraction of a second. They 
straightened theirs spines, standing tall, strong and proud.  Still 
terrified, still trembling, but no longer cowering, they turned and 
locked their defiant eyes on Glory, waiting for the wrath they were 
sure was to come.

Their respite from Glory's anger came from the beautiful angelic 
looking man, (demon?), who stood next to Glory. Faith was seeing the 
angelic man clearly, while Buffy was flashing between seeing the 
demon he was so often portrayed as, and how Faith saw him.  It was 
confusing and a little dizzying. They both heard the deep rumble of a 
chuckle come from him, though Faith could swear she heard him gasp 
first.  Could almost swear the chuckle was to cover the gasp.

He clapped his hands faking a delight he didn't feel. "Bravo Glory..."
He almost sighed in relief when Glory dropped her hand, staying 
whatever it was she was going to do to the Slayers.  Glory turned and 
smiled at him. "I always knew you were a smart one." He placed his 
hand lightly on Glory's arm and felt her vileness creeping along his 
skin. Feeling what Faith felt every time the Demon Goddess touched 
her. He made the shudder of disgust that ran through him look like a 
ripple of desire, by sensually tracing his lips with his tongue. He 
lowered his voice, letting it become husky, and looked at her through 
his incredibly long thick, black lashes. "So clever of you my dear 
not to break them. The despair, desolation, the pain, the fear is so 
much sweeter, so much more exquisite if they still believe they have 
a chance at escaping, or defeating you. Why even I could not have 
come up with such a sinfully wicked evil plan!"

"Yes it was, wasn't it!" Glory wasn't about to admit that it had 
never been her plan.  But now that she thought about it, it most 
definitely had possibilities.  Time enough to think on that later, 
now she was enjoying too much the attention of this delectable demon-
man.  She shivered a little as the lust raced through her.  She so 
wanted to devour him.

"Although........" he returned her smile, letting his eyes roam over 
the human mask that she wore, purposely not allowing himself to see 
her true face.

"Yes......" She was practically preening under his stare, the Chosen 
Two all but forgotten. Glory ran her fingertips down his arms, her 
nails raking the skin, almost breaking it. She smiled again as she 
felt his muscle's quiver with what she thought was lust.

Seeing Glory's attention diverted Faith cautiously made her way over 
to Buffy. Careful not to make any move towards the front door. Glory 
might be distracted but neither slayer was stupid enough to think 
that they would make it out the door with her in the room. She made 
it to the other side of the room without incident or drawing Glory's 
gaze to her.  Both slayers kept their sigh of relief to themselves, 
instinctively they moved their hands towards the other.  They stood 
taking comfort in the feel of the backs of their hands touching 
lightly against the others.  They watched the scene playing out 
before them.  

Buffy blinking her eyes trying to get him to stay in one form, as he 
seemed to shifted back and forth.  She wondered if her head had hit 
harder than she thought.  She knew that Faith was seeing just the 
man.  Why were they seeing different things? It was like this with 
Glory too, only the opposite, sort of. Buffy only saw Glory's human 
mask, while after that first day, Faith now caught vague glimpses of 
what lay beneath the mask.  

For Faith, Glory's human mask seemed to always be shimmering, 
shifting. Although Glory's hands were always the claw-like things 
with razor-sharp nails she had seen that first day. Faith never saw 
them any other way, they had sliced through her flesh, and Buffy's 
too many times for her to ever be fooled by the mask hiding them 
again. He, she knew from the echoes of Buffy's, wore a mask too, but 
she never saw it with her own eyes, only with Buffy's.  For some 
reason Faith was convinced that it was her, not Buffy, who was seeing 
his true face, she just didn't know why. Something about him was 
nagging her, and there was absolutely no fear, or any sense of evil 
about him for some reason accompanying her slayer perception of him.  
Faith however was careful to keep both the familiarity she sensed 
from him and the fact that she didn't fear him away from the surface 
of her mind, from Glory and even Buffy for now.  She knew Glory would 
smell, sense it and somehow something was telling her that would not 
be a good thing for any of them.

"Well not to be....... It seems however that if we weren't here they 
may have gotten away. Or was that your plan?  A hunt perhaps? A 
little entertainment for us?"

Glory waved her hand and Luc held his breath thinking she was once 
again going to do something to the slayers.  He bit back the sigh of 
relief when nothing happened to them, he turned around when he felt 
another presence in the room behind him. 

Johnny stood in the doorway, his head lowered, his body trembled 
slightly. A trail of blood ran down from somewhere under his scalp 
over his ear, and down his neck. The terror radiating off of him was 
the equal if not more powerful than both of the Chosen Two's 
together. Even Buffy and Faith could feel it, and both were quick to 
hide the grin of pure satisfaction it brought.

Glory folded her arms across her chest, and glared at Johnny, her 
eyes flashed yellow for a brief second, "Care to explain?" Her whole 
body thrilled by all the terror in the room at the moment. Oh, this 
was so much fun!

"I...... ah...." Johnny raised his eyes to look at Glory and his 
terror increased a hundred-fold. "I, ah slipped and fell in the cage, 
they locked me in before I had a chance to get up?" He gave Glory his 
most boyish, charming smile, hoping that she had not been watching. 
Hoping that she had been distracted by the presence of Luc at the 
time.  Johnny knew he would be punished for this anyway, he was just 
hoping to lessen the punishment.

She looked at him trying to decide whether he was lying to her.  She 
decided he wasn't, he was too stupid to lie, too frightened. "Stupid 
much?" She sneered, and decided to be gracious since she did have 
company after all.  She would rather be spending her time with Luc 
instead of spending the next few days punishing Johnny. "If it ever 
happens again...... Well, let's just say you will be spending a few 
days with me, getting some first hand experience.  Oh the things I 
know..." She turned her gaze to the Slayers, "You two on the other 
hand, well...... I might just have to put on a little demonstration 
for my guest here......" She left the threat hanging in the air.  She 
got a little dizzy, and reached out to grasp the back of the couch to 
steady herself. The terror coming from the Chosen Two had escalated a 
million times after she finished speaking. 

Johnny couldn't believe his luck!  The fear receded quickly and 
excitement took its place at the thought of what Glory would do to 
the Slayers, he loved to watch her work!  He smirked at them in 
unadulterated joy, his eyes glittering with lust, glee, triumphant 
over them once again. 

When Faith saw that smirk, saw the message in his eyes, something 
just snapped a little inside of her.

{FUCK THAT! Fuck you Johnny! Time for a little pain of your own for a 
change!}

The part of Faith that had thrown caution to the wind, who never 
worried about the consequences, came roaring out in full force.  How 
she managed to keep what she was going to do from Buffy she never 
knew, but she did. "LIAR!" she snarled, she rushed Johnny no more 
then a blur of motion.

It was over before Buffy had even taken more than a step to help her 
mate. She stopped abruptly, standing deathly still. The man/demon who 
shifted between what Buffy imagined an angel looked like and what she 
imagined the devil himself looked like had snagged Faith easily by 
her waist.  He stood holding a thrashing Faith quite easily against 
his body as if she were no more than an agitated infant. 

Faith kept right on struggling trying to get out of the man's 
surprisingly gentle embrace around her waist.  Somehow instinctively 
she knew he would not hurt her. "YOU FUCKING LIAR!" She reached out 
for Johnny wanting to rip that fucking smirk off his face. "WE THREW 
YOU ACROSS THE CAGE, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT DIRTBAG LIAR!"

Glory had a look on her face like she was amused, lustful, delighted, 
and stoned all at once. 

A wave of fear shot through Buffy when Faith moved towards Johnny in 
a blur that was almost even to fast for her to see.  A second wave of 
fear hit her when Faith had been captured so easily by the man/demon. 
Buffy's fear was only matched by the fear Faith was feeling at the 
thought of what Glory would eventually do to her for throwing her 
little 'temper tantrum'.  

Glory was grinning like a crazed lunatic the room was practically 
flooded to overflowing with fear.  Glory felt like she was literally 
bathing, swimming in it!  This was all too delicious and it looked 
like it was only going to get better!
 
Johnny stepped up close to Faith, though not close enough for her to 
reach him.  He smirked at her, knowing that Glory would never believe 
her. He thought he had the advantage as he saw the amused expression 
on his Demon-Goddess's face. "Right! As if you two pathetic excuses 
could! You're the liar 'baby girl' you were always the liar!" he 
snorted out, chuckling to himself.

It took a second for Buffy to realize that the fear Faith was feeling 
had nothing to do with the man/demon who was holding her.  With that 
realization he stopped shifting and she saw him exactly as Faith did, 
with his true face.  When Johnny smirked and laughed, something in 
Buffy snapped.  Like Faith she threw caution, along with any 
consequences right into the face of the fucking wind. This time the 
blur shouting at Johnny crossing the room was her. "FUCK YOU SCUMBAG! 
YOU'RE THE ONE LYING! NOT HER!"

Luc was now holding a thrashing slayer in each arm, having caught 
Buffy just as easily as Faith. 'Fuck!' he thought to himself, 'How 
the hell had everything gotten so out of control?'

"And...... we're supposed to believe you runt 'cause..........?"

"LIAR! YOU KNOW YOU'RE LYING!" Faith started thrashing again, just 
wanting to get in one good shot. At this point she could give two 
shits if she broke her hand on his face.  She was furious at herself, 
irrationally blaming herself for them not getting away.  For having 
somehow fucked up their, Buffy's, chance at escaping.  She could care 
less what Glory did to her for this, it terrified her, but she wanted 
to make sure that Johnny shared in that pain. Faith's mouth was 
pulled back in a rabid snarl, she was growling low in her throat like 
the panther that Buffy had so often compared her to.

"Like anyone here is gonna believe Faithy the white-trash-whore and 
her little slutty runt lover, over me."  Johnny spat out with 
malicious glee, then laughed right in Faith's face.

His laughter was cut short when she jabbed him square in the mouth, 
splitting his lip, and loosening his front teeth.  He pulled his arm 
back balling his hand into a fist, not caring at all if he broke her 
bones.  He aimed for Faith's jaw, tired of hearing her words, tired 
of not hearing what it really was that he wanted to hear.

None of them saw it happen.  One second he was holding a slayer in 
each arm. The next, Luc had both Slayers in one arm, and Johnny's 
fist captured within his own. "I believe them........."

Nobody moved, nobody blinked at his calmly spoken words.  Johnny felt 
sweat beginning to drip down the back of his neck. He had forgotten a 
major power the man in front of him possessed.  Luc had the ability 
to read the truth in 'men's' hearts, in their words.  

Johnny knew he was fucked.

Glory was the first to move, she was next to Luc in the blink of an 
eye. "Are you telling me......"

Luc saw her eyes glow yellow with her anger, and was glad because it 
was for the lowlife Johnny and not for the Slayers. "You know I am. 
It is one of the many things I have the power to do. To know without 
a shred of doubt whether a human is lying or telling the truth. It's 
what enables me to do my job so well!  While lying doesn't bother me 
per say, and I, just like you, my beautifully wicked Goddess, enjoy 
the pleasure of a good beating. Which by the condition of these two, 
the idiot here seems to be good at.  Though not as good as you, my 
dear, of course.  There is one thing I can not abide."  His voice 
grew hard, and mentally he thought to himself; he couldn't stomach or 
abide men like Johnny period, they made him physically ill. "One 
thing I do not, WILL NOT abide, WILL NOT allow, even if it interferes 
with my own pleasure. And may I be so bold as to say, that I am sure 
that we are alike in this Glory.  I DO NOT, WILL NEVER tolerate or 
let one of my minion's go unpunished when they LIE TO ME!" 

Though no one saw it they all heard the sound of bones breaking, as 
Luc crushed Johnny's hand within his fist. The sound seemed to go on 
forever as Luc made sure to crush every last one. He smiled with 
satisfaction, his most famous faked (though not this time), evil grin 
spreading across his face, as Johnny screamed out in wordless agony, 
in pain.  Luc's grin grew even wider as he heard for his ears only, 
the low, soft purring of approval of the Chosen Two at his actions. 

"Lying is so not good. Not good at all." Her eyes flashed yellow 
again at the dumb fuck.

Johnny's fear was only equaled by the pain running up from his hand 
through his arm, through every cell in his body. It had been a long 
time since he had felt pain that wasn't accompanied by pleasure.  He 
felt blood dripping from his hand that was still being squeezed in 
Luc's iron clad fist. A surge of anger ran through him and he just 
barely restrained himself from lashing out and smacking the pleasure 
filled smirks the Slayers were giving him off their faces. 

Unable to restrain herself Faith lashed out with her fist again, 
breaking Johnny's nose, practically squashing it flat against his 
face. She giggled with pleasure, a little crazy right now, and not 
really giving a shit that her knuckles were bleeding, or that she had 
probably broken her hand on his face.  The adrenaline rush at finally 
giving back just a little of what he had been giving to her numbing 
any and all pain. She giggled even harder as he howled in pain.

"You fucking little bit......."

Johnny never got to finish because Buffy who was feeling a little 
crazy herself lashed out with her foot.  Dead on, dead center with 
every ounce of strength her little slayer-runt, as he was so fond of 
calling her, body had and a little bit extra from only god knew 
where, she kicked him in the groin.  "Ooops! So sorry!" Her own 
laughter joined in with Faith's and surprising them both, Glory and 
Luc laughed with them.

That ancient remembered thing that ran deep inside, in both their 
blood purred with its mate inside the other in satisfaction.  
Satisfaction at returning just a little bit of the pain, the 
humiliation that Johnny had inflicted upon both of them.

This had been one of the most entertaining, most delightful day since 
she had returned home.  The fear, pain, terror today had been even 
thicker than the day the Chosen Two had tried to attack her.  She was 
reeling, drunk, stoned like never before from all of it.  They would 
have to do this more often!  Why she hadn't laughed like this in 
eons, this whole thing was borderline ridiculous.  That he was here 
just made it all the better. Now what to do, what to do, hmmm? All 
around punishment, or punishment and reward?  She stopped laughing 
although the amused smile remained on her face.  All eyes turned 
towards her.  Johnny's were filled with hope that he still might get 
out of this with his skin intact.  The Chosen Two's were a mix 
between fear of what she would do to them, defiance, and glee over 
what had happened to Johnny and their part in it.  Luc's eyes were 
hooded, with what she imagined was lust for her.

She made her decision, she turned her gaze at Johnny her eyes glowing 
yellow. "I think it's time you learned a few new things first hand.  
Things only I can teach you..." She smiled as the sweat reeking with 
terror began to drip from Johnny's brow. "Go! You know where to wait 
for me. Don't even think of disappointing me!"  She shooed him away 
with a queen-like wave of her hand.

Johnny scurried from the room like the rat that he was, cradling his 
broken, bleeding hand to him.  The snide laughter of the Chosen Two 
trailing in his wake. If he got out of this alive he was going to 
make them pay a million times over for humiliating him like this.  It 
would be a long time before they forgot who was master here, he'd 
make sure of that.  Comforting himself with thoughts of revenge, he 
closed the door behind him. 

Glory started to turn her body and her attention to the Chosen Two 
and Luc.  Before she even finished turning, Luc had deposited the 
slayers onto the couch, and had pulled her onto his lap on the 
recliner.  Glory giggled delighted by this little turn. Oh she was 
going to have fun dominating him later! She turned her attention to 
the Slayers huddled together on the couch, they really were a 
beautiful sight to her, light and dark, black and blue.  She chuckled 
at her own thoughts. 

"Hmmmm.... now what to do with you two......" She pretended to think 
about it already having made her decision.  

She was a HellGod after all, one who did not know the meaning of 
love, compassion, forgiveness, happiness. Any pleasure, joy, 
amusement, laughter or delight came only from the pain, fear,anguish, 
helplessness, and terror she reined on others. Her world was one 
big Sadist's playground, the difference being that here the only ones 
who received pleasure were the doers.  Here it was not a game of 
bondage, played amongst consenting adults. Here it was not a game at 
all, it was everyday real life.  Death was the only 'safe' word that 
those being tortured were ever given. 

Luc leaned in close to Glory, he whispered into her ear. "Let me 
first apologize for the incompetence, the disrespectful behavior of 
the 'Pet' I gave to you. I've half a mind to take him back and send 
you someone much more qualified than him...."

"No! Thank you, but no. He's too much a part of this whole little 
game with the Slayers to let go.  I assure you, it won't happen 
again, unless of course I want it to..."

{SHIT! FUCK!  So close, almost got him.  Should of killed the 
bastard! Fuck!}

Luc leaned in a little closer to Glory's ear, letting his breath 
caress it.  Knowing exactly how Faith felt when she was this close to 
Glory. He was glad he had not eaten today, his stomach was churning 
with revulsion. "You are far to generous, my luscious one!" He was 
making himself sick, but the dumb insane bitch seemed to be falling 
for it if her sigh meant anything. "Knowing you and your gentle, 
forgiving heart I am sure you will only torture him for a week 
instead the two weeks, if not more, I would.... Perhaps you would be 
so kind as to let me watch you work......" He snaked his tongue 
around the shell of Glory's ear, he moaned low in disgust, silently 
praying that she would mistake it for desire. She squirmed in his lap 
a little, and he felt relief at her stupidity again.  She wasn't the 
brightest crayon in the box, was she? He doubted that there was 
enough mouthwash in all the realms to ever rid him of the vile taste 
of her upon his tongue.  Once again he silently cursed himself for 
what he had done, his own loathing of men like Johnny had blinded him 
to the consequences of his actions.  You would think at his age that 
it wouldn't be possible, but like mere mortals, he wasn't perfect 
either.  He pulled himself back to the here and now.

"Of course you can watch.  Watch as long as you like." She said in 
that sickly, sweet voice that grated his last nerve.

"Thank you, you are, as always, most gracious... If I may be so bold? 
If you would allow me...  May I try and guess what your oh so 
sinfully wicked mind has planned for your little pets on the 
couch...." He pulled back to look at her, hoping that she would say 
yes.  Already she had played along with the pretense of this all 
being a game of letting the slayers think they could escape just to 
please him.  He was hoping that she would go along with his next 
suggestion.  He needed to buy some time for himself and the Slayers 
so he could set into motion everything else that needed to be done to 
free the Slayers. 

Glory nodded eagerly. Had he not stopped her earlier today, the day 
would not have turned out so pleasurable for her.  Luc after all knew 
the hearts, souls of humans so much more intimately than she did.  
She was sure that whatever it was that he 'guessed' was her plan 
would be infinitely better than what she wanted to do.  Sure that it 
would increase her pleasure of the Chosen Two's terror a hundred-fold.

He leaned in close to her ear once again, making his voice husky, 
sensual, as if he were her lover and telling her what it was he 
wanted to do to her in bed that night. "I imagine that you will let 
them believe that you are going to end Johnny's miserable existence 
by torturing him over the next week. Of course having no intention of 
doing that, much as you may want to.  Rather you will be giving him 
lessons, as it were. Some personal instruction, first hand 
experience, by your so delicate hand.......  Things that he in turn can 
practice on them, knowing now first hand what it feels like." He 
nipped lightly at her earlobe, wondering if his teeth would rot and 
fall out from the foulness of her. "Seeing how delightfully your mind 
works, I am sure that you will leave them here alone.  With enough 
food, to help them heal quicker.  Leave them to plot, thinking that 
they have a chance at escaping this place, you.  I can just imagine, 
on the eighth day, their faces when, low and behold, there is the 
supposedly dead Johnny. How sweet, tasty, stronger than today their 
fear will be after seven days of recovering and plotting. How much 
more they will feel the pain he will inflict upon their healed 
bodies.  How much more exquisite their anguish will be when they 
realize there is no escape, at least not right then...... Tell me my 
dear... am I right... am I... or... do you have something even more evil 
planned for them?"  He held his breath while he waited to see if 
Glory would take the bait.

Oh! Oh! He was just so.... so... evil... it was the only word Glory 
could think of to describe him to herself.  She knew he was right, 
today had proven that.... oh and to lead them to believe... it was just 
making her excited thinking about it!! This week would not go fast 
enough for her.... "Luc?"

"Yes my beautiful one?" He was disgusting himself, he couldn't wait 
to get out of here and shower.

"Did you forget to tell me you knew how to read minds?" Glory smiled 
engagingly at him.

He grinned widely at her, flashing her his pearly whites. "I was 
right! Oh you are so clever! I just knew you were!" He doubted he 
would be able to eat anything sweet for a while. The shit coming from 
his mouth was so sweet it was making him ill. "Perhaps you would 
allow me the honor of coming back in eight days and watching with 
you?"

She nodded her agreement to him. He stood holding her in his arms for 
a second, before sliding her down his body 'til her feet lit lightly 
upon the floor. He shuddered at the foulness of her against him, and 
hoped she took it as a shudder of desire. He wanted with every fiber 
of his being to just crush her beneath his hands, till she 
experienced a little bit of what she had done to the Slayers.  But he 
couldn't. He didn't know if he could beat her here on her home 
field.  If he lost to her, there was no hope of any of them getting 
out.  He winked at her and thought, let the game begin, he hoped, 
prayed that the Slayers were good at reading between the lines. "I 
can see you are eager to go prepare for your session with 
Johnny......" 

He waited, then waited a little more for Glory to answer him. 

{HELLO! Oh hello Glory...... Come on you freakin' insane moron bitch 
answer me!} 

He was getting way too sarcastic for his own good. He needed to work 
on it sometime real soon.  He wiggled his eyebrows at her and almost 
jumped with joy when he saw that she got it.  Someone had finally 
turned on the light switch in her brain, a dull light, but a light 
anyway.

"Huh? Oh! Yes!  A lot of preparation needs to be done. Um.. by me of 
course... a lot's involved in torturing a demon, even a half demon like 
Johnny to death!" Her voice rang out falsely, he couldn't help 
thinking, 'Yup! Not the brightest crayon in the box this one!'. Well 
he need not have worried about the Chosen Two having to read between 
the lines to know this was a trick or game Glory was playing.

"Yes don't I know it.  How about you go prepare, my oh so 
imperceptive one! I will meet you in a few minutes after I get 
acquainted with your two 'Pets' here.  Yes?"

"Um.... ah.... sure."  Glory walked closer to the Chosen Two who had 
remained quiet and unmoving on the couch since Johnny had left. 

"As for you two...... I will be back to deal with you in... ah... 
eight days.... after, ah... I kill Johnny!" She smiled at them, her 
yellow eyes glittering dangerously.  

Unable to resist she leaned down towards Faith and ran her fingertips 
along her neck. She pressed into the finger marks left by Johnny, 
that everyday were becoming more like a permanent tattoo.  She smiled 
with sensual pleasure at the gasp of pain that came from the Slayer.  
Glory gathered up the sweat from Faith's neck, and with a twisted 
sort of awe licked it from her fingertips.  "Delicious...." she 
sighed, she waved her hand and disappeared right in front of them.

He moved to stand in front of the couch. He stared down at the Chosen 
Two huddled together on it.  He remembered, in his mind's eye, the 
images of Faith in the Tapestry from when she had her breakdown in 
jail.  How gaunt, frail, fragile, thin, beyond thin, emaciated she 
had been. She had looked healthy then compared to how she and Buffy 
now looked. This was all his fault and he wanted nothing more than to 
gather them up into his arms and take them from here. Only he did not 
have that power.  He wanted to drop to his knees and beg their 
forgiveness, but he dared not.  He did not believe for one second 
that Glory had really left.  Rather he thought she had made herself 
merely not visible.  She was stupid, but not that stupid. HellGods 
weren't the trusting type, no matter who it was they were dealing 
with.

Faith moved slightly on the couch, using her body as a shield for 
Buffy.  She did not fear this man in front of her, she did not know 
why though. What she did know was that just because she didn't fear 
him didn't mean that she could trust him.  That was something he 
would have to prove that he was worthy of. She realized from the 
conversation he had with Glory that he had bought them some 'Get out 
of jail free' time from both Glory and Johnny. Why though, what was 
his game?  He had to be some sort of demon or 'god' in order to be 
here.  To be that familiar with Glory, he had to be. There was though 
oddly enough something so strangely familiar about him. Something 
familiar about the tingle she got from her slayer senses.  If she 
didn't know better she would swear that she had seen him somewhere 
before, but she couldn't remember where or when, or how. 

Faith stared directly into his eyes and asked him, "Who are you?"

He felt a slight motion in the air behind him and knew with absolute 
certainty that Glory was still here in the room with them.  He had to 
be clever about this.  He needed for Faith to remember the Fates, 
there was something the Slayers needed to learn from them, well not 
learn, but be shown by them, via the Tapestry of course. Which role 
to play that would convince Glory that he was playing with their 
minds?  He decided on the gallant gentleman, it was the one that 
always confused people the most when they met him, he was hoping 
though the Slayers would see through it.

But how to ensure that they would see through it?  He chewed on it 
for a second or two before an idea came to him.  A ridiculous idea 
but it was so ridiculous that they had to see through it.  Didn't 
they?

He knelt down in front of them upon one knee and grabbed up a hand 
from each Slayer into each one of his.  He smiled his most evil 
smile, while his eyes begged them for their forgiveness.  They shrunk 
back into the couch from him, from his touch, but he knew that the 
fear they were feeling wasn't for him. He knew that they both could 
sense that Glory was still here. 

He took a deep breath and began......"Please allow me to introduce 
myself... I'm a man of wealth and taste..." First he saw surprise, then 
disbelief, and then a hint of amusement in Faith eyes which she 
quickly blinked away. Surprise when she recognized the lyrics. 
Disbelief at what he was telling her, them.  Amusement that he was 
half singing, half speaking it to them. He continued, winking slowly 
at her, trying to make it look more like a leering thing, rather than 
an acknowledgement. "I've been around for a long long year stolen 
many man's soul and faith... Pleased to meet you hope you guess my 
name... " He smiled pausing, giving them an opening.

"You... you're..." Buffy took a deep breath, fear coming off her in 
waves.  This nightmare just kept getting worse.... Then strangely 
enough she felt the calm coming to her from Faith.  She risked taking 
a quick peek at her, and saw that while Faith looked afraid of him, 
in reality Buffy could feel no fear of him coming from Faith in an 
echo.  She decided to play along too, trusting Faith knew what she 
was doing. 

Consciously Faith made her voice tremble with fear, " You're Luc...."

Luc cut Faith off on purpose, "Luc to my friends, but you can call me 
Lucifer....  ah... But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game.... 
That my dear 'Pets' is something best left for another time.  Let me 
just say that today the pleasure has been all mine." He bent his head 
slightly. Silently he cursed himself for having to do this, and 
cursed Glory for still being here and making this a necessity. He 
started to slowly squeeze each of their hands hoping they would catch 
on and play along. He brought each of their hands up to his mouth and 
kissed the back of them. He kept squeezing slowly as he silently 
mouthed I'm sorry against each of their hands.  He almost sighed 
aloud in relief when Faith started struggling to pull her hand out of 
his, whimpering in feigned pain, Buffy was quick to follow.  He 
silently thanked the 'Creator' for not having to truly make him hurt 
them while playing this fucked up charade.  He held onto their hands 
a little longer, giving his best fake evil chuckle.  He let go when 
Faith finally, gasped out 'Please stop it hurts... please...'

Luc rose from the floor, he knew they had a million questions. His 
eyes cautioned them to hold their tongues and to pay attention.  

He locked his eyes with Faith, it was up to her to understand his 
message, to remember. "Such a beautiful *Tapestry* of pain your 
bodies are. I wish I could stay and add my *threads* to both your 
*Tapestry's* *weaves* of such dark colors of agony...... But alas...right 
now my 'Pets' a beautifully sinful Goddess awaits me..... Perhaps 
someday the *Fates* will allow me to *weave* a little magic of my own 
upon both your beautifully bruised, pain filled, body *Tapestry's*....
Til then."  

He began to bow to them.

What they did not know about him was that there had been very few 
times in his long life that he had bowed to anyone. Even in jest.  
Bowing was a sign of admiration, of respect, of honor for the person 
you are bowing to.  He had met very few mortals and immortals alike 
that he had ever had those feelings for. 

The two woman in front of him, and not just because they were the 
Slayers, but who they were as individuals, and together, to them he 
showed.........

...the admiration, the respect, the honor, the awe that he held for 
them by humbling himself and bowing low to them, touching his hand to 
his forehead, followed by his heart; then 'The Prince of Darkness', 
Lucifer, or Luc as he was known by to his friends was gone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hello, Anyanka," he said taking off his sunglasses as he walked into 
the Magic Shop.

Anya spun around. She squinted into the noon-day sun shining in 
through the doorway trying to see who was standing there, but all she 
could see was a glowing silhouette. There was something familiar 
about him and his voice. Obviously it was someone who had known her 
when she was still a Vengeance Demon. Which never boded well. "Anya...... 
It's just Anya now."

"Well then hello, Anya."  

He moved out of the doorway coming towards her.  For a second all she 
could see was brightly colored dots. "Luc?"

"In the flesh. Miss me darlin'?" He smiled at her, he had always 
liked her, despite what she had done for a living so to speak.  

He knew the reasons behind her becoming a Vengeance Demon and he 
could understand it.  He had always kept a little bit of hope in his 
heart that some day she would be able to let go of the anger, the 
hate in her heart. Once she did that he knew, even if she didn't that 
she would be able to live out the life that she should have had from 
the beginning, before it was destroyed over twelve-hundred years ago. 
Destroyed by a man that was exactly like the man that tried, was 
still trying to destroy Faith's life.  

Luc's smile grew a little larger as he saw the dark-haired young man 
behind the counter with Anya move protectively closer to her. Like 
the 'Wiccans' he too could see aura's and he could see the love that 
flowed between Anya and Xander.

Xander moved closer to Anya not liking the familiarity the angelic 
looking man in the doorway was showing towards Anya.  Was this 
another old boyfriend? Maybe the tip off was him calling her by her 
Vengeance Demon name which meant...... Xander moved quickly shoving Anya 
behind him and grabbed up an axe from under the counter.  "What do 
you want?"

Before Luc had a chance to answer he found himself flying across the 
room.  Dazed he shook his head and raised it from the floor to see 
the two 'Wiccans' standing just inside of the doorway.  Shit it had 
been eons since anyone had managed to sneak up, let alone use magic 
on him in this realm. Him and his smart-ass mouth.  He sat up 
wincing, damn that had hurt. 

"I come in peace." First the Stones, now the, shit he couldn't 
remember what movie that was from.

"Move." Anya pushed Xander aside, secretly pleased at him protecting 
her.  She ignored his 'hey' and ran quickly over to Luc's side.  She 
helped him back up to his feet and led him over to the table.  
"Getting a little slow in your old age Luc?"

"Honey... I think you may have jumped the gun there a little."

"Well... how was I supposed to know... Xander's being protector-man and 
all with an axe and everything... it looked... you know... and with Buffy 
and Faith dea... um... dealing with um... the stuff you know the stuff... oh 
hell can I just say oops." 

The 'Wiccan's' moved over to the counter by Xander.  Willow looked at 
the man and couldn't help but think that he looked like an angel that 
had somehow fallen directly from heaven into the shop. She smiled 
wanly at him and murmured, "Sorry?  Are you alright? I ah... didn't 
mean... well I mean I did mean to... but ah I didn't know that you knew 
ah... know......" She stopped when he raised up a hand, the little red-
headed witch was making him dizzier.

"It's okay.  More surprised than hurt."  He smiled at her, and she 
smiled back at him.  This one, in fact both witches were powerful, 
they hadn't even begun to know how powerful they were.  He squinted a 
little at Willow, he sensed, saw, that she had dabbled in the darker 
side of magic.  That was not good, he didn't want her to end up in 
his care one day.  He didn't want that at all.

"The one who caught you off guard is Willow. Never thought I'd see 
that, someone catching you off guard that is.  That's her girlfriend 
Tara. And this is Xander my 'Orgasm Buddy'."  Anya pointed to 
everyone in turn, they all waved rather sheepishly to him.  "And this 
is..."

Luc stopped her, "Anya... I'd rather do this myself...... Please allow me 
to introduce myself... I'm a man..." Luc trailed off with a groan. What 
the fuck was it with him and that song? That was twice now in so many 
days. 

Though no one knew it he actually got a kick out of the song. When it 
had first come out he had run around humming and singing it to 
himself for days.  Now that he thought about he seemed to introduce 
himself using it when he was nervous.  Who would ever believe that he 
could be nervous about anything?  But he was, what if he couldn't fix 
this? 

Not to mention even if they did get the Slayers back what was going 
to happen?  It wasn't like they had gone on vacation to Disneyland.  
There was bound to be repercussions, emotional, physical. Their bond 
had grown stronger since they had been there, they were united in a 
fight against a common enemy.  Putting aside all of the emotional 
turmoil, damage in their effort to take care of each other, to 
escape.  What was going to happen though once they were free and they 
actually had to deal with what did happen, what was done to them?  He 
pulled himself away from those thoughts, his priority now was getting 
them free, or rather getting the right people in the right place to 
help get them free.  He noticed that Xander was staring at him, he 
could almost see the wheels turning in his head as his words sank in.

"Hey that's a line from the Rolling Stones song Sympathy for the... 
ohhhhhhh shit..." Xander trailed off, he locked his eyes with Anya's.  
"Anya? ......... Anya is this ah... is this...."

"Lucifer?" Anya smiled at Xander, not really sure what the problem 
was.  Surely they didn't believe all the rumors that had been 
circulating for all these eons about him.  Did they? After all their 
years of living on the Hell Mouth you would think they would know 
better than to just take everything at face value.  

Xander reached under the counter and pulled out a cross.  He held it 
out in front of him towards Luc, who just looked at him amused.  Luc 
couldn't help it.  "Get thee behind me Satan!"  Xander heaved a sigh 
of relief when Luc disappeared. "It worked? Of course it worked... I 
knew it would work..." He smiled, puffing out his chest a little 
proud of himself.  Watching all those movies had finally paid off.

"Okay so now what?" Luc asked Xander.

"AH!" Xander jumped about ten feet in the air turning around mid-
flight. The 'Devil' was behind him, leaning, arms folded across his 
chest, casually against the wall. Xander thrust the cross out in 
front of him again at Luc, "Um... ah... go away?"

Luc took the cross out of Xander's hand and walked around him 
returning to the table.  This was not going well at all, sometimes 
his own stupidity amazed him, him and that dumb song!  He saw that 
the two 'Wiccan's' were holding hands and chanting under their 
breath, he needed to stop this before it got further out of hand.  
"Ladies please... I am not here to cause any trouble... I am..."

"Yeah right... The devil not cause trouble... Good one..." Xander 
snorted.  Okay was he stupid much or what? "Ah... what I mean is... 
ah... of course you're not... no trouble... we don't want trouble 
here... nope, not us..." He was starting to sound like Willow.

"Enough!" Everyone turned and stared at Anya.  "Luc is a friend. 
We've known each other for over a thousand years." She stared back 
at them smiling as if she expected that to explain it all and calm 
their fear.

"Anya honey... I don't mean to offend you or anything.... but your 
telling us he's your friend is not exactly a ringing endorsement... 
ah.. considering you're an ex-vengeance demon and all..." Xander 
looked quickly at Luc and mumbled, "No offense."

"No offense taken. Completely understandable."  This was bordering on 
the inane. Before he had a chance to continue Anya held up a hand 
stopping him.  He looked at her and could see that her clearing this 
up was important to her.
 
Anya thought carefully before speaking, she knew she wasn't always 
clear in getting across what it was that she was trying to say.  She 
wanted to make sure that she did this time. "Do you trust me Xander?" 
She waited for him to answer her, instead he just nodded mutely 'yes' 
at her. "Do you think I would do anything to hurt you or stand here 
casually if I thought that Luc would harm you? Friend or not?"  She 
looked at Xander, then Willow and Tara in turn. "Do you think I would 
do that to any of you? Do you not trust me?" This time he nodded his 
head 'no', as well as Willow and Tara."Well then what's the problem?"

They all looked at Anya and realized that she was right.  She was a 
Scooby just like them, and even more she was family. Xander felt a 
little ashamed of himself, they all did.  Did they really believe 
that she would be standing there so calmly if they were in danger 
even if it was from someone that she considered a friend?

"Sorry... it's just well he's the Devil you know... all grr and evil 
like or supposed to be and well... we just.  We should have known 
better..." Willow finished lamely.

"I understand but... You would think after living on the Hell Mouth 
all these years you would know better than too..." Anya paused trying 
to think of the right words. "Um... 'judge a book by it's cover.' 
Or 'things aren't always what they seem' or 'believe everything you 
read' or......"

"I think they get it Anya." Luc smiled at her, they were getting way 
sidetracked. 

"So then if you're not all grr... evil and stuff then what..." Willow 
started to ask him, curiosity overriding her fear.  Because despite 
what Anya said how could she not be afraid.  He was the 'Devil' after 
all.  She trailed off when he held up his hand.

"That is a conversation best left for another time.  There are those 
who would be better equipped than me to explain who, what I am then 
I.  In fact you know one or two of them and I have a feeling that you 
would be more likely to believe them rather than me."  He waved her 
off again before she could question him about who. "I don't mean to 
be rude but I am rather pressed for time."

"Why are you here then um... ah...?" Willow wasn't sure what to call 
him. He certainly didn't look like any of his pictures, and as soon 
as she had that thought she realized how ridiculous it was.  In fact 
she wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming all this.

"Luc. Just call me Luc. It's what all my friends call me. I came 
because Anyanka, ah... Anya here purchased a certain item through a 
broker of mine. I've haven't seen her in so long I thought that I 
would hand deliver it." He had many working for him within this 
realm. It was a way for him to keep an eye on things. Luckily for him 
Anya had gone through one of them for this particular item.

"Is it the 'Indigo Phallic Idol' or the 'Stone of Perpetual Bliss' or 
the 'Statue of Aphrodite' or..."

"No, Anya... it is a certain Urn..."

"You have an Urn of Osiris!"

He felt the air in the room change immediately.  They all grew 
somber, he could see the tenseness in all of their bodies and the 
overwhelming grief that radiated from them. He hated the fucking 
rules that said he couldn't just out and out tell them what was going 
on, instead of having to play these stupid damn games. "Yes... You do 
know what this is for don't you?" His question was directed at 
Willow, he knew she was the one who would be performing the spell.

Willow looked at Luc, her face was so solemn it broke his heart.  Did 
she realize the kind of magic she was looking to do? The 
repercussions to her? He doubted if she would even care.  There was 
nothing she wouldn't do for Buffy and now even for Faith. 

"Can I see the Urn before we answer that?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luc produced the Urn seemingly from thin air.  He handed it to Willow.

"The Desert Gnome in Cairo works for you? I should have known. He 
drove a hard bargain, but I finally got him to throw in a limited 
edition Backstreet Boys lunch box for..." Anya was cut off by 
Xander's loud cough, "...a friend..." she trailed off.

"Yes the Gnome works for me. Your other item... hrmpf... will be 
shipped to you in the usual way." Luc said looking directly at 
Xander.

Xander looked away sheepishly, "You got your somber on, Will. The urn 
not up to spec?"

It was a second or two before Willow raised her eyes from inspecting 
the Urn, she looked at Tara and they shared a silent understanding.
"It's the one." Willow pulled her gaze away from Tara and looked 
between Xander and Anya. "Which means it's time."

Xander opened and closed his mouth a few times before he finally 
managed to nervously stammer out, "It's time? Like, time time? With 
the... timeliness?"

"Are you sure?" Anya's voice quivered a little.  

Luc realized that they had forgotten about him.  He sat quietly, 
still as if he were a statue, waiting for an opportunity to join back 
into conversation.  He looked at Willow waiting for her to answer and 
was treated to his first ever 'Resolve Face Willow'.

"I am." No hesitation in her voice at all, she was no longer the shy 
timid hacker, but every bit the powerful witch.

"Mercury's in retrograde, and we have... do we have everything?"

Willow turned her gaze to Tara before she answered her.  Her stance, 
her look everything about her was determined. "Just about."

"But why the sudden rushy-rush? Did the bot blow her cover at 
school?" Xander was rocking from foot to foot, Luc doubted whether 
anyone in the room except him could detect the slight movement.

Luc turned his attention to the blonde-haired witch when she 
answered Xander.  He liked her, there was a very bright white aura, 
an innocence that surrounded her. She was someone he knew who would 
never willing go over to the dark side. He knew the only thing or 
rather person who could ever make her take that step was the 
redheaded witch beside her. Only though if it meant saving Willow's 
life.  Magic from the dark-side for this one would be a last ditch 
attempt.

"No, she did great. She impressed all the teachers."

"And they still thought it was Buffy?" Xander smiled his goofy smile 
at the thought, and gave a little sigh of relief thinking he had 
turned the conversation away from what Willow was planning.  His 
relief was short lived.

"Tomorrow night. We'll meet at your..."

Luc still waited patiently he had a feeling that Xander would draw 
the witch into a place in the conversation where he could start to 
plant the seeds of doubt about the Slayers' death. Once again he 
cursed the rules he was bound by. 

"Whoah! Let's apply the brake and check rear and side mirrors here! 
This is deep stuff, Willow. We're talking about raising the dead."

"You do realize..." Luc began only to have Willow not only ignore him 
but cut him off. So much for this group being afraid of little ole' 
him, the big bad 'Prince of Darkness'.

"And it's time to stop talking. Tomorrow night, we're bringing Buffy 
and Faith back."

Everyone stopped, almost like time itself had halted.  They all 
showed fear on their faces, all but Willow who was still in full 
scale 'Resolve Face'.

"Tomorrow." Anya squeaked out, this was the first time Luc had ever 
seen her scared.

"I don't know..." Xander began, but Anya cut him off going into total 
panic babble mode.

"Discovery Channel has monkeys. And our tape machine's sorta wonky..."

"Guys. I need you guys on board here."

"It just... it feels wrong." Xander didn't know why but it just did, 
something deep inside of him told him it was.  Something wasn't right 
about the whole thing.

"I..." Luc tried again only to be cut off and ignored by the blonde-
haired witch this time. 

"It is wrong." Willow shot Tara a surprised, hurt confused look, she 
hadn't expected that from her.  Tara took a deep breath before she 
continued, and Luc thought maybe he might not have to say anything 
at all. " It's against all the laws of nature and practically 
impossible to do but it's what we agreed to. If you guys are changing 
your minds..."

So maybe he would have to do something, Luc started to open his 
mouth, but he should have known better.

"Nobody's changing their minds. Period."

At this point Luc decided to wait until they were done, this was 
something he thought they should finish playing out.

"Excuse me. Who made you the boss of the group?"

"You did." Anya told Xander, then Tara backed her up.

"You said 'Willow should be boss.'"

"And then you said 'Let's vote' and it was unanimous."

"You made her that little plaque that said 'BOSS OF US,' you put on 
sparkles..."

Xander cut Tara off he had enough of her and Anya ganging up on him, 
"Valid points all. But we... I mean, we were just talking then..."

"I can do this, Xander. I promise. But not without you."

"And if something does go wrong......." Tara ventured hesitantly looking 
at her lover. Good, Luc thought, now they might get somewhere.

"I'm telling you it won't."

Shit! Luc thought if anything Willow's 'Resolved Face' was even more 
resolved now.

"Scenario: We raise Buffy and Faith from the grave. They try to eat 
our brains. Do we, 'A': congratulate ourselves on a job well done..."

"This isn't Zombies, Xander."

"Zombies don't eat brains anyway. Unless instructed to by their 
Zombie masters. Lotta people get that wrong." Anya told them almost 
smugly.  This was something she knew about, she was an ex-Vengeance 
Demon after all.

"Very good..." Luc snapped his mouth closed again.  He should have know 
better.

"This isn't like Dawn trying to bring back Mrs. Summers or anything 
we've dealt with before. Buffy and Faith didn't die a natural death. 
They were killed by mystical energy."

Two points for the redhead, she was right.  It wasn't anything like 
Joyce, she sadly was really dead.  But in either case Willow was 
right because if the Slayers were dead this was one of their options. 
Perhaps even their only option to bring the Chosen Two back to life.  
But in order to use this they had to be dead, which they weren't.  

"Which means we do have a shot." 

Willow smiled at Tara, silently thanking her for her support. 

"We saw their bodies, Will. We buried them."

Shit, fuck, damn it. Now he had let it go to far! He really was 
becoming a royal screw up. First he let Johnny go, now this.  How the 
hell was he going to fix this now?

"Their bodies, yeah, but their souls, their essences..." Willow's 
'Resolve Face' started to crack just a tiny bit, "...they could be 
somewhere else, trapped it some Hell dimension like Angel was. 
Suffering some eternal torment that we can't even imagine just 
because she saved us and for some unknown fucking reason Faith 
decided to go with her.... I am not gonna let her, them..." Now there 
was a big gaping hole in it, she was holding her eye's wide open 
trying to keep back the tears. Luc couldn't help but feel for her, 
for them. If only they knew where the Slayer's really were. He cursed 
himself silently again. "...I'm not gonna leave them there." Willow 
took a deep shuddering breath.  She blinked, holding her eyes closed 
for a second.  When she opened them again, the tears were gone and 
her 'Resolve Face' was firmly back in place. She faced off against 
Xander again. "It's Buffy and Faith..."

Luc cleared his throat.  They all turned towards him, they looked a 
little surprised, as if they truly had forgotten that he was there. 

"Well I see that you know what the Urn is for. How are you so sure 
that they are in a Hell dimension and not somewhere else? A better 
place perhaps? Did you try to find them, contact them? Did you even 
see where their essences went to? You realize, don't you, that you 
risk bringing back something other than them if you are wrong. Don't 
you?  They were the Slayers after all.  You should be absolutely sure 
before you do this."    He rose from the chair, he had to admire this 
group of young people including Anya.  

He bowed his head to them and spoke again, "I am afraid I have to 
take my leave now. I wish you luck." He moved swiftly towards the 
door, a blur really, he opened the door and turned to them, "As Anya 
said everything, everyone isn't always what, they or it seem." 

Then the 'Prince of Darkness' was gone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luc silently cursed himself for fucking up again all the way to 
L.A.. He hoped that he had put enough doubt into their minds.  If  
Willow tried to reach out to their spirits he knew she would find the 
connection she shared with the Slayers from the Enjoining spell. Then
she would know they weren't dead. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was standing on the other side of the counter in the Hyperian 
watching the interplay between the L.A. crew.  They, just like the 
Sunnydale crew, were a family.  All of them amazed him, humbled and 
awed him.  In the past few days between the Slayers', the Scoobies 
and the L.A. crew he had regained some of his hope for mankind.  
Between what he had seen in the Tapestry and with his own eyes he 
knew that as long as there were people like them in the world there 
would always be hope. How could there not be?  They were a ragtag 
crew and probably in all his long life the oddest crew of Warriors 
for the Light he had ever seen.  Mortal enemies fighting together, in 
harmony, in peace, for the good of the world.  The loyalty, the love, 
the bond that was between all of them strong, if not one of the 
strongest he had ever seen. 

Luc moved from the counter and made his way over to stand beside 
Cordelia. 

Angel lifted his eyes from the book he was reading he looked around 
sharply.  Something had sent his senses to tingling.  He sniffed the 
air, and opened himself fully to the room.  It was there on the edges 
of his mind tickling him, he did not get a feeling that it was 
looking to harm them, in fact it felt almost benevolent. He shook his 
head to clear it, maybe he was imagining it.  Ever since the Slayers 
had died he had been having these weird little feelings like 
something was trying to reach him through the veil between realities, 
between life and death.  He had been putting it down to wishful 
thinking, wanting something to be there that simply just wasn't.  No 
matter what he told himself though he could not shake the feeling 
that something about their deaths just wasn't right.

Softly Luc whispered, 'Sorry', then lightly touched Cordelia on the 
shoulder.  He stepped back away from her, waiting for the vision to 
come.

"What?" Cordelia looked up at Angel.

"Huh?"

"Wh....ah shit!" Cordelia moaned out, grabbing her head.

Angel was out of his chair. Using his vampiric speed, he managed to 
catch her as she started to pitch forward.  

Cordelia's hands fell away from her head, the searing pain made her 
eyes tear and glaze over.  Her body started to quiver, convulse as 
her brain was inundated with the rapid fire images.

Each flashed series of images was accompanied by a blinding stream of 
pain in her head:

(Blinding white circular light, swirling, turbulent, mystical, bolts 
of lightning flashed through it, startling, maiming, hitting 
something, something unseen within the light. Something was wrong 
there were too many in the light... The lightning was hitting too 
many...)

(Daylight, moving fast, green highway sign, with white around the 
edges, only the words: 'Welcome to S' were clear enough to read.)

(A bedroom, dusty, unused, sunlight filtered in through the partially 
open curtains, running across the floor like a beacon toward the 
object under the bed. A black backpack almost completely hidden under 
one corner of the large bed. It lay open, a very old, large, black 
book partially falling out of it.)

(An antique vase, some kind of hieroglyphics on it held in a delicate 
pair of hands.  The sunlight highlighting it warred with the darkness 
of the object itself.)

(An enclosed garden, tables, chairs, lounge, tiled patio, gate, walls 
the sun moved across the ivy on the wall.)

(Tween hour, hazel, green, chocolate-brown eyes floating, long 
lashes, sadness, fear, love flashed through them as they faded.)

(Dusk side by side graves, not new, not old, new grass, slowing dying 
with the coming fall.)

(Darkness, the moon slowly changing color, the same graves, three 
candles seemly suspended in the air, the same delicate hands holding 
the same antique vase with the hieroglyphics, something dark, thick 
in the bottom of it, red, blood.)

(Darker still, silent, the three candles lay extinguished, discarded 
by the side of the same graves, first from one then from the other, 
hands, reaching from beneath the ground they were buried in, reaching 
into the night, towards freedom, frantic, panicked, pushing aside the 
dirt that kept them trapped below.) 

(Darkness laced through with red from the glow of the now blood red 
moon, hazel, chocolate-brown eyes floating, fading turning to pitch 
black hate-filled, cruel, uncaring, malicious, eyes of pure evil.)

(Two shape's silhouetted running away from the empty graves through 
the cemetery, shrouded in darkness, bathed by the light of the now 
bleeding blood-red moon.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She brought her hands up and rubbed her eyes not really caring if she 
smeared her mascara all over face. She started to sit up when she 
realized at some point while she was out of it Angel must have put 
her on the couch.  She fell back down and groaned in pain at the tiny 
shooting poker-like aftershocks that ripped through her head.  She 
moved her hands to her temples and lightly massaged them trying to 
alleviate some of the pressure behind her eyes.

Angel leaned over, gently he lifted her head and placed a throw 
pillow under it. "Are you okay?" he asked her in an almost whisper.

Cordelia smiled weakly at him, even seeing his concerned filled face 
she couldn't stop the 'Queen C' in her coming out.  "Sure just fine 
for someone who just had what felt like red-hot needles being shoved 
through her eyes.  No problem, feel great!"

He ducked his head, murmuring 'Sorry' under his breath, and she 
couldn't help but feel a little bad.

"No... I'm sorry." She noticed Wesley, Fred and Gunn hovering in the 
background.  She could see that Wesley was almost busting a gut to 
keep from asking her what she had seen. Cordelia waved them over to 
her weakly.

"Can you tell us what you saw?" Wesley asked her quietly, more 
concerned with her welfare then anything else.

Cordelia realized in that second that she had misread his face, he 
had been busting at the gut to ask her how she was not what she saw.  
Considering how she always seemed to rant at them whenever they asked 
she really couldn't blame him for holding his tongue.

"Could someone get me a pad and paper I need to draw something as 
well..." She sat up with Angel's help, feeling infinitely better now 
that the shooting pain had changed to a dull ache.  

Something about this vision had been a little different then the 
others.  For one thing there were no actual faces, no truly 
recognizable places. It was more like subtle hints, or a gentle push 
in the right direction. This time it felt more like the PTB's were 
trying to tell her something rather then get them to kill some demon 
thing.  Whatever it was Cordelia had no doubt about the who, what, 
and where, she just didn't know the why.  She couldn't forget those 
haunted eyes even if she tried.  

"Thanks..." she said to Fred as she handed her the pad and pencil.  
She took a deep breath, this wasn't going to be easy it had only been 
three months since... "Here's what I saw..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They looked at each other when she finished, they agreed with her 
something about this vision was different. It didn't matter though 
that it was different, they knew where they needed to go and the 
sooner the better.  Wesley, Cordelia, Gunn and Angel all thought 
silently to themselves that the why would be revealed to them when 
they got there.

"Road trip?"

"Road trip..." They all chorused.

Luc smiled from where he was sitting on the counter after listening 
to their conversation. Finally something had gone right!  The seeds 
of doubt had been planted, and he knew that the vampire with a soul 
would figure it out.  He smiled a little wider, they really were an 
amazing group. 

Then the 'Prince of Darkness' was gone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She slowly opened her eyes trying not to think about how fragile 
Buffy felt within her arms. She felt almost completely rested for the 
first time since they had been dragged here to Glory's Hell World. 
Last night was the first time she had slept without the fear of being 
dragged bodily off the couch or out of the bath. She was still in 
pain and could feel her body struggling to heal itself. Her slayer 
healing helping it along but not as quickly for either of them as it 
normally did.  She imagined the slower healing had to do with the 
lack of sleep and food.

Her stomach grumbled low and deep at the thought of food.  She didn't 
really notice the hunger pains, she had lived with them for almost 
her whole life. Up until recently there had only been two times in 
all her twenty years when she hadn't gone hungry.  The first time had 
been when she had thrown in with the Mayor and the second was when 
she had been in jail. 

Buffy, she knew, had only gone hungry once in her life and even that 
had been short lived.  It had been the summer she had  run away to 
L.A. after sending Angel to hell.  Up until now Buffy hadn't known 
what it was like to live with the constant hunger pains that after 
awhile became like a part of your anatomy. 

Faith's stomach grumbled again louder and she couldn't help but smile 
when she heard Buffy's grumble in response.  Faith's smile grew a 
little softer when Buffy rubbed her hand across her stomach, before 
she snuggled deeper into her arms.

Another sort of rumbling grew louder in Faith as she felt Buffy's 
soothing touch upon her belly. She realized she was purring, deep 
inside, and belatedly she realized that she had been purring since 
she had woken up.  Softly she stroked Buffy, making small comforting 
circles on her back and heard an answering rumbling purr from Buffy. 
At Buffy's purr she felt that ancient, remembered thing deep inside, 
in her blood quicken and answer its mate.  It scared and exhilarated 
her in a way, there was something almost primeval, feral about it. 
Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that since they had been 
here they had started to express themselves more with growls, purrs, 
hiss's, snarls, rather than through speech. Was it another 'Slayer 
Thing'? They had even purred their satisfaction, approval to Luc 
yesterday when he had crushed Johnny's hand with his fist.

Faith kept gently stoking Buffy's back and let her thoughts drift to 
Luc. Was he really Satan? She didn't know why, but she was almost one-
hundred percent positive that he was.  Which was weird because she 
had from the second she met him no fear of him.  In fact he was 
somehow familiar to her and that scared the shit out of her now that 
she knew who he was. Not familiar in the sense that she had met him 
before, but more like she had seen him somewhere. Did he remind her 
of a male model from one of the magazines?  He was certainly 
beautiful enough to be one.  But that didn't feel right either. She 
let it go for now, sooner or later it would come to her. 

So what was that whole singing the Stones song thing about? Was he 
trying to put them at ease? She could tell by his eyes that he had 
been.  So what the fuck was that all about? And what the fuck was all 
that crap about weaving, threads, tapestries, like he was some 
goddamn seamstress.  Faith chuckled silently to herself at the visual 
she got of the devil sitting on a couch sewing a hem in a pair of 
pants... then the image of the pants in his hand slowly changed into 
something that looked more like a square piece of canvas.  

Faith pulled away from the changing images in her mind, afraid.  Did 
she really want to figure out what he had been trying to tell her? 
She knew he had been trying to get his message across to her, not 
Buffy.  Should she trust him? What if she did and this turned out to 
be another of Glory's or Johnny's games? 

But the bigger questions were: What if it wasn't? What if she ignored 
this, refused to try and this turned out to be a way to help them get 
out of this nightmare? What if this was their only chance and she 
missed it because she was afraid? 

She had to try, she had to try for Buffy's sake. If it turned out 
that she was being set up, that this was another game well... 

Faith had figured out Glory's game after the very first day. Glory 
had practically told them, had shown them it. 

After nine years of Johnny's games it hadn't been hard to figure out 
even through her own fear.  Glory was addicted to their fear, their 
pain, their anguish, so she used the things, people, situations 
against them that they feared the most. 

For Buffy it was not being able to help, to save, to protect, to do 
what she had been *Chosen* to do. Glory had made it a millions times 
worse by making it Faith that Buffy was unable to help or protect.  
Making Buffy helpless to save or protect her soul-mate from her 
greatest fear, which was Johnny and what he had done and was doing to 
Faith again.  

What none of them knew, including Buffy, was what Johnny had done, 
was doing to her again, was no longer her greatest fear.  Faith's 
greatest fear now was that Johnny would do to Buffy what he was doing 
to her.  She didn't know how, maybe it was sheer willpower or 
strength of mind, or simply just the love she felt for Buffy that 
enabled her to keep it hidden from all of them. But hidden from them 
all it remained. Even now Faith shied away from dwelling on it to 
long.  

Knowing what Glory's game  was, was why Faith knew with absolutely 
certainty that if this was a game that Luc was playing with them, and 
they, she was being set up, that she would receive the worst of it. 
Just like she did now. She could live with that, but she wouldn't be 
able to live with herself if it turned out that this wasn't a game 
and Luc was truly trying to help them and she didn't try.

Having made up her mind, she cleared it, making it blank like Angel 
had taught her. She relaxed back into the softness of the couch and 
the comfort that came from having Buffy in her arms. She knew she 
needed to let her subconscious take over, to let it puzzle through 
the images. She tried to focus her mind for the first time since 
being dragged here, looking for her center.  

As she waded through all the pain, both physical and emotional, she 
slowly found her way to her center. She sank into the meditative 
trance-like state that Angel had taught her.  She visualized once 
again Luc sitting on the couch hemming a pair of pants, then she just 
let her mind go and the images started to flow.

Faith watched him as he drew the needle through the pants, the thread 
pulling through the cloth. His hands moving in practiced rhythm as if 
this were something he did often. Then the thread grew thicker, the 
needle longer, the fingers holding it, smaller, more delicate.  They 
were a woman's fingers, long, delicate, wrinkled and spotted with 
age, but still nimble nonetheless.  The material of the pants grew 
coarser, changing color to beige, the legs began to merge, 'til now 
the needle passed through what looked like a canvas.  There was an 
image or images drawn very lightly in different colors on the 
canvas.  She drifted down the length of the large canvas over a dark 
rose colored settee, over the cushions her eyes being drawn up the 
back of it to the wall.  She hesitated not sure if she wanted to see 
what was there on the wall, but she pushed aside her fear and looked 
anyway...

Faith's eyes were drawn to one painting in particular.  It was him, 
Luc. Was he younger then he was now? No, it was his eyes, they looked 
younger, more carefree, less world-weary, and they were a clear light 
blue.  He was holding his hand out to a young woman, with flowing 
black hair. There was almost an ethereal quality about her, and her 
jade green eyes were looking adoringly at him.  Faith's eyes were 
drawn against their own accord down the length of the woman's arm to 
her hands, hands that had long delicate fingers...

Fingers, hands that looked familiar, Faith realized she wasn't 
looking at a painting but at an intricate needlepoint. She started 
turning the room changing as she did. She remembered now, knew why 
the Slayer tingle she got from Luc was familiar, because she was 
getting that............


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Child, welc........." Atropos greeting died on her lips when Faith 
finished turning.  Nothing, not even the images the 'Tapestry of 
Life' had shown, had prepared her for the vision of Faith standing in 
front of her.

Atropos bit back the gasp of horror, blinking away the tears that 
came to her eyes. Her eyes quickly traveled up Faith's body as she 
stood shaking by the loom, naked and vulnerable.  Faith's whole body, 
including her face was covered in bruises, both old and new.  She 
couldn't even begin to count the number of cuts, from fingernails, 
knives, and other things Atropos didn't even want to think about.  
She could see every single muscle clearly as if she was looking at 
one of those pictures in an anatomy book.  See how they moved, worked 
with each other as Faith trembled in front of her.  Her stomach was 
concave, from lack of food, and Atropos imagined that it was that way 
instead of bloated because of her Slayer metabolism.  Her body using 
even the gas in Faith's stomach in an effort to try and heal itself.  
The skin over her ribcage was pulled so tight that Atropos could see 
the actual breaks in two of Faith's ribs. Her face sunken, and gaunt, 
the cheekbones so sharp that even a model would not want them.  The 
gash under her bottom lip from her own teeth biting clean through her 
flesh was still not scabbed. Her slayer healing not bothering with 
such a minor injury compared to the others.
 
It was her eyes though that made Atropos want to cry the hardest.  
They were so large and round, seeming even darker against the pallor 
of her face. A face that was frighteningly pale, even under the 
extensive bruising.  They were almost lifeless, eyes that were weary, 
haunted and had seen far to much for one so young.  They were filled 
with fear and pain.  They stared back at Atropos asking her why.  Why 
had this happened?  Why? 

More than anything ever in her very, very long life, Atropos wished 
she had the answer for her.  

She opened her mouth to say something to the young woman in front of 
her. Before Atropos could start, Faith closed her eyes, when she 
opened them they blazed a trail of anger right at Atropos.

"Well I'm here! Got your fucking message!" Her voice came out five 
octaves deeper than normal, it was rusty, rough. The words not 
falling from her lips easily.  It had been a long time since she had 
done more then scream in pain, or whisper nonsense words to Buffy.  A 
long time since she had done anything but plead or beg, a long time 
since she had tried to communicate in anything but growls. "Now what? 
Ya want to show me some more great choices.  Leaving out the best of 
course, like last time.  Or maybe you just want to show me that I 
don't have any more fucking choices.  That no matter what I do the 
scumbag is gonna eventually use all that shit on me that he likes to 
show me he has in the wardrobe in the play room.  Maybe... maybe ya 
just wanna show me all the fun things Glory's gonna fucking do to me 
when she finally gives into her lust. Show me all the things that are 
gonna happen to Buffy that I CAN'T FUCKING STOP. Or is it that you 
people, or gods whatever the FUCK you are, are so goddamn bored that 
you've got nothing better to do but FUCK WITH OUR LIVES? IS THIS JUST 
ALL SOME FUCKING TWISTED SICK GAME YOU'RE PLAYING?" 

Atropos took a step towards Faith, but stopped when Faith backed away 
from her quickly in fear.  She didn't miss the pain that flashed 
across Faith's face at having to move so quickly.  Atropos looked 
into those haunted eyes and watched as the anger, the rage faded from 
them and they filled with pain.  The kind of pain that came from 
somewhere deep inside of your soul.

"This is all my fault." Atropos had to strain to hear Faith, her 
voice was so hoarse, low, tortured. "This is my punishment for all 
the bad I did all my life isn't it? That's why he came so I would 
know isn't it?  I deserve this..." Faith choked a little on the tears 
that started to fall freely, "I know I deserve this... I've done evil 
things for as long as I can remember... They told me I was no good and 
I proved them all right... but... but B... Buffy she doesn't deserve this... 
She's never done anything bad, she's the hero... She's saved lives, 
she... she tried to save me... She gave her life for the world... She 
doesn't deserve this... She shouldn't be there... I should, but not her... 
not her..." Atropos had moved closer to Faith while she was speaking.  
Faith let her this time, she locked her eyes with Atropos, "... Please... 
please... I'm begging you... let her go..." 

"Faith. I can't. I can't let Buffy go... I w..."

Faith dropped to her knees before Atropos could finish. She bowed her 
head putting herself in a completely submissive position to the  
'Incarnate'.  She clutched at the hem of her dark green velvet gown 
and rushed out before Atropos could stop her. "Please... she doesn't 
deserve this... I'm no good, I'm evil... I know that... Please let 
her go... " Faith started sobbing great wrenching sobs from her 
soul, "I'll do anything you want... be anything you want... I'll be 
good... please... please just let her go... Please let Buffy go 
home..." 

Faith fell back onto her calves, her sobs wracking her body making 
her double over, her thoughts just an endless litany of, 'I'm sorry 
B... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...'.

Atropos dropped to her knees in front of Faith, she gently put her 
hand on her shoulder. She cringed inside when Faith flinched from the 
gentle touch her whole body tensing as if waiting for a blow. "I'm 
sorry Faith... None of this is your fault. If I could, if I had the 
power to do so, I would send you both home..." She gathered the 
trembling, crying Slayer into her arms, her own tears falling 
unnoticed. "I'm sorry... I wish more than anything else in the world 
that I had the power to send you both home... I so sorry..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Faith...?" Buffy mumbled in her sleep, restless, something wasn't 
right.  From her subconscious, she reached out to her.  She could 
feel her pain, a different kind of pain, not physical pain. 

"Faith?" She mumbled again, something didn't feel right about the 
body she was holding, like it was empty somehow. Panic flared in 
her.  She started to climb up out of sleep, at some point she 
realized there was something familiar about this. Similar to how they 
shared their 'echoes', what they felt without speaking.  

Buffy let herself stay in that place between sleeping and waking.  
She focused, concentrated on finding her center like Faith had not 
too long ago and just let herself drift towards Faith.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What the......? She started running towards them, "Get away from her. 
What the fuck? FAITH!"

Faith struggled out of Atropos arms, she whipped her head up. "B......? 
Don't..."

Buffy didn't hear her, she dove for Atropos. Only to find herself 
captured easily, lightly by the ancient woman she thought had hurt 
her mate.  She struggled within the ancient woman's embrace, her arms 
flailing wildly, as she tried to get loose.  She almost punched Faith 
by accident as she was rising up to her feet from the floor.

"B... Buffy it's okay... B! She didn't hurt me!"

Atropos put the blonde-haired slayer down gently.

Buffy flung herself at Faith. Faith just pulled Buffy into her 
embrace hugging Buffy tightly to her, ignoring the pain that hummed 
through her.  

"I... I..." Buffy just gave up and hugged Faith tighter in return.  She 
couldn't stop the hiss of pain that escaped her as Buffy's arm 
pressed down on her broken ribs.  Buffy immediately loosened her grip 
and leaned back from her, Atropos completely forgotten by both 
Slayers. "Oh god I'm sorry I didn't..."

"It's okay B... I know you didn't mean it..." 

"I heard you calling to me... I got scared... Something felt wrong... 
different... like your body was there... but you weren't. Don't ever do 
that again Faith! Don't ever leave me like that! I got... I got..."  
Buffy started to cry softly, and Faith pulled her back into her arms 
again.  

"Sssh... I'm sorry... I won't leave you again..."

"Promise?" 

Faith leaned back a little and tenderly wiped the tears away. "I 
promise B..." 

When she calmed down Buffy looked around the room. She saw they were 
in a vast room, a large loom was in the center of it.  There was a 
massive intricate tapestry on the loom that extended beyond her sight 
in both directions. "Where are we?"

"You are in what we call the 'Tapestry of Life' room." Both Slayers 
looked a little surprised at the sound of her voice.  They had 
obviously forgotten about her in their concern for each other. "I am 
Atropos, Elizabeth. Or you may know me as 'The Crone' one of the 
three aspect of the 'Fates'" She held her hand up when she saw Buffy 
was about to ask her a million questions. "Why don't the two of you 
clean up and rest a little first, then I will explain to you what I 
can.  The 'Tapestry of Life' will show you the rest."  Atropos waved 
her hand and they were in another room.

"I hate when you do that..." Faith grumbled, though she really couldn't 
complain too much the room they were in was extremely appealing. Not 
to mention she felt absolutely no fear of anything or anyone for the 
first time in what felt like forever.   

The room gave off an earthy warmth, that was both inviting and 
comforting at the same time.  It was done in the deep browns,yellows, 
oranges and greens, of the forest in the fall.  A fire blazed in the 
hearth, and both Slayers basked in the heat it gave off. They 
couldn't help but to rub their toes in the dark, dark russet plush 
carpet under their feet. A large canopy bed with a thick down 
comforter was across the room and the lure of sleeping in such 
luxury, such comfort beckoned to them both. But it wasn't nearly as 
alluring as the tub-Jacuzzi that could easily fit six people in it on 
the other side of the room.  Both could imagine how good the 
massaging jets would feel against their battered bodies.  Already it 
was steaming with hot water and the scent of jasmine floated softly 
to them from it.

"I will leave you two to bathe and rest. There are clothes in the 
wardrobe. I will return for you in a little while." Atropos faded and 
then was gone.

"I really hate when she does that too."  Faith's smile belied her 
words, she was grateful for just this little bit of time they were 
being granted here.

Buffy returned Faith's smile as she led them over to the tub.  With 
weary, contented sighs they sank into it.  Buffy pulled Faith back to 
rest against her. She had gotten used to being in the bath with her 
this way over the last weeks, or had it been months?  Right now 
though she didn't want to think about that, or *there*. She idly 
wondered if the bath water was magical because her body was pain free 
for the first time since this nightmare had started. She really 
didn't care though, because right this second, this moment, she just 
wanted to enjoy the feeling, and if Faith's purring was any 
indication she was feeling the effects of the magical bath water too.
 
"Seems as though they know you here. Want to tell me about it...?"  
Faith didn't answer her, she was too busy purring contently, taking 
pleasure in the warm water, Buffy, and the wondrous, mysterious 
feeling of no physical pain. Completely ignoring the fact that she 
knew this couldn't last forever, sooner or later they would have to 
go back *there*.  For now she wanted to pretend that *there* didn't 
exist.  That none of it had ever happened. 

"Faith baby?  Want to tell me about it... Hmmm baby..."  

Faith sat up, turned around and looked wide-eyed at Buffy.  

"What?" Buffy asked her, then it hit her like a two-ton brick. How 
fucking stupid could she be? Fuck, she called her baby, using his 
name.  "I... I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you that it slipped 
out... I'm..."

Faith stopped Buffy by placing her fingers tenderly on her mouth. 
"No... I like when you call me that... It takes away his power... takes it 
away from him... gives it back to me... I don't know how to explain it 
any better then that... I missed you calling me that... " She smiled 
softly at Buffy, who return her smile.

Buffy pulled her back down to her, and Faith settled into her, 
leaning her head on her shoulder.  They felt safe with each other, 
soothed by the feel of the other.

"I love you Faith..."

"I love you too B... Buffy..."

They fell asleep in the bath, purring deep inside, each in perfect 
sync with her mate.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Willow can we talk?"

They were sitting on the couch in the Mansion, in a half an hour the 
sun would be rising.  Dawn had stayed over a friends for the night 
and the Buffybot was back at the Summers house recharging.  Spike was 
off somewhere in the recess of the Mansion sleeping, preferring to 
spend the night here rather than alone in his crypt. Xander and Anya 
had left for their own home hours ago. 

They were all a little depressed, sad over Giles leaving yesterday.  
He had tried to slip away without even saying good-bye.  Luckily Anya 
had found the note in enough time for them to get to the airport 
before his plane took off for England.  They had debated telling him 
their plan about trying to bring back Buffy and Faith but had decided 
not to.  Why get his hopes up, what if it didn't work?  

Willow turned to Tara, silently thanking the Goddesses once again for 
getting her back.  "What did you want to talk about."

"You know how all along we felt like something wasn't right about 
their deaths?  How something just didn't feel right, beside all the 
mystical stuff.  How it didn't make sense that Faith would jump into 
the portal after Buffy.  Especially since she had promised her that 
she would take care of Dawn if something happened."  Tara paused 
looking at Willow, she knew she was rambling a little.  Every time 
she saw that sad look it broke her heart a little. 

"Go on..." Willow wondered if Tara was going to try and talk her out of 
doing the spell.  She was going to do it with or without their help.  
She would find three other people if she had too.  But she was going 
to do it.   

"Well something ah.. Luc said struck a chord." Tara paused again 
trying to figure out how to explain, make sense out of her 
thoughts. "You know how I can see 'aura's', you've been able to see 
them too.  Almost as well as I can.  Especially Buffy's and Faith's 
because theirs is so strong and a little different because they are 
Slayers and soul-mates.  That's what's been bothering me and I think 
on some level bothering you too."  Tara knew that didn't make sense, 
sometimes she really hated her inability to get her point across.

"I'm not sure I understand Tara."

She hesitated she didn't want to bring that night up or the vision of 
the Chosen Two lying broken on the ground by the tower.  "That night 
at the tower... When we saw their bodies... there was no aura around 
either of them..."

"Of course not they were dead. Why would there be..." Willow snapped at 
her then instantly regretted it.  "I'm sorry... it's just..."

Tara immediately moved over and gathered Willow into her arms. "No. 
No.. It's alright.  But you see there should have been something even 
if they were dead.  Like..." Tara struggled to find the word. "Like a 
shadow almost... a residual of their aura's, their souls... But there was 
nothing... Like they were empty shells that never had any souls.  I 
don't know how to explain it any better.  But it was like they 
weren't Buffy and Faith but just copies of them... There should have 
been something..."

Willow closed her eyes and thought back to that night, visualizing 
the painful sight of the Slayers lying dead. She tried to see past 
her pain, feel past the pain, the sorrow she had felt, still felt.  
She remembered thinking that it wasn't them, couldn't be them, that 
it wasn't right. Remembered thinking on some very deep level that she 
felt absolutely no connection with either of the Slayers on the 
ground in front of them.  Remembered thinking that she should, 
shouldn't she?  She should feel some type of connection because of 
the Enjoining spell.  Especially with Buffy whom she was not only 
connected to through the spell, but because of the time she had 
entered into her mind the night Dawn had been taken by Glory. There 
was also the certainty that they were trapped somewhere and weren't 
at peace?  Why was she so sure of that?

"You're right... Tara, is there a spell we can do that will help us 
find them on the spiritual plane?"

"Yes... we just need a few things."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was high up in the sky when they finished gathering 
everything they needed.  They made a small circle of candles  on the 
floor in front of the fireplace creating a protective circle.  They 
had decided that Willow would be the one to look for them, well, 
actually Buffy since her connection was strongest with her. It wasn't 
really a spell like casting a fireball, but more of a meditative 
state that allowed the spirit or soul to wander into the realm of the 
dead.  They made themselves comfortable in the circle and were just 
about to begin when the patio doors burst open.

Angel came running in, the blanket over his head smoking, on fire.  
He ran past the witches and tossed it into the fireplace.  The rest 
of the L.A. crew straggled in behind him.  Looking a little frayed 
around the edges, they needed to get a bigger car.  They had all 
worked each other's last nerve on the drive from L.A..

"You would think after two-hundred odd years that you would know by 
now that sunlight is bad for your complexion, ya bloody poof." 

Angel ignored Spike who had just entered the living room and turned 
to look at the witches. "Cordy had a vision," he said by way of 
explanation. "Did we interrupt something? It looks like you were just 
about to do a spell."  Angel sighed in relief thinking they had 
stopped whatever it was they were supposed to stop.  Then he noticed 
that there wasn't any Urn on the floor.  This wasn't what they were 
supposed to stop.

Willow got up from the floor, she hugged Angel quickly in Hello. "Why 
don't you sit down.  You can tell us about Cordy's vision and we can 
tell you what's been happening here.  What it is that we were about 
to do."

"Oh good! Willow's going to tell a story!" Anya said as she and 
Xander came in through the open patio doors.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow was once again within the protective circle.  She closed her 
eyes, she relaxed into the meditative state and let herself, her 
soul, find the connection that she shared with Buffy.

They were all scattered around the room, quiet, still.  They had 
decided to wait until the witches were finished to pursue Cordy's 
vision.  Tara watched Willow intently, she saw a slight shimmering, 
then a movement in the aura that surrounded her lover. She nodded to 
the others, Willow had found what she was looking for.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel had been standing by the stairs, preferring not to sit.  He 
watched them intently, he knew he would not be able to wait.  
Something was telling him not to wait. It had been almost twenty-four 
hours since Cordy had her vision, and as the hours had passed he 
increasingly felt like they needed to move faster.  Like time was 
running out.  He waited until he saw Tara's nod then silently he 
slipped up the stairs, heading for the Chosen Two's bedroom.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith woke up and hour or so after they had fallen asleep in the 
bathtub.  She lifted Buffy up out of the water, whispering to her 
softly when Buffy murmured a sleepy protest.  She sat Buffy on the 
side of the tub, she quickly dried her off, while Buffy clung loosely 
to her around the waist, her head resting in the crook of Faith's 
neck.  

She picked Buffy up again, and walked over to the bed, she pulled 
down the thick soft comforter and deposited Buffy on the mattress 
pulling the comforter back up over her.  She gently brushed the hair 
off of Buffy's face, leaned down and tenderly kissed her on the  
forehead.  Silently she thanked the 'Fates' for giving them this 
respite from Glory's hell. 

She went and let the water out of the tub and dried herself off. She 
threw a few more logs on the fire, then crawled into the bed beside 
her mate who was already sound asleep again.  The last thing Faith 
felt before she fell into a deep sleep herself, was Buffy reaching 
for her and pulling her close.
 
Buffy mumbled restlessly in her sleep.  She pulled Faith closer to 
her, needing to feel her comfort, her warmth. 

Faith pulled the comforter higher up over them, still sleeping 
herself.  She felt Buffy's agitation and ran soothing circles over 
her back. Even in her own dream state she knew that it was important 
that Buffy not wake up.  In her sleep Faith followed where Buffy led.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow drifted, following the connection she shared with Buffy.  She 
felt her spirit lift, leave her body, she was calling out for Buffy 
softly without words.  Seeking the Slayer's help in finding her. She 
began to move with purpose, faster, and felt as her spirit began to 
take almost a solid-like state. It was the same, but not the same, as 
when she entered Buffy mind.  But the connection seemed to be more.  
Where they both here?

She blinked once or twice in confusion, then everything came into 
focus.  Her eyes grew wide with horror when she saw she was standing 
in a room that Vamp-Willow would have fallen in love with. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel moved quickly down the hallway towards the bedroom, his demon 
urging him to move faster.  He too felt it, felt that time was 
growing short.  Angel hesitated a second before he opened the door.  
He stepped over the threshold, and was almost overwhelmed by the 
presences of both of them and their combined scent that clung to the 
room.  His mind screaming in anguish over the loss of them, who he 
realized now were his *Anmchara*, the Celtic name for soul-friend. 
His *Anmchara* the combination of close friends, spiritual centers, 
and mentors; they transcended sex or sexuality, and even death.  It 
was built on deep friendship, trust and affection. He was theirs and 
they were his.

He moved swiftly across the room and pulled the backpack out from 
under the bed.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She heard someone calling her.  Calling her in the same way that up 
until now only her mate had been able to.  She responded to the call, 
helping the other to find her way.  Buffy drifted closer. As she did, 
she felt the fear coming back. She knew where she was heading.  She 
didn't want to go and she whimpered in fear in her sleep.  The call 
to go grew louder, more urgent, she needed to do this.  She ignored 
her fear and drifted further, feeling her spirit begin to take almost 
solid form.

She opened her eyes and found herself in a room she had become all to 
familiar with over the last few months.  She shrunk back in fear, she 
didn't want to be here.  God she didn't want to be here!

She felt the comforting arms of her mate slide around her from 
behind. Her mate pulled her to her gently, and leaned down and 
whispered in her ear, "It's okay B... we're not really here..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow spun around, and nothing could have prepared her for the 
horror of the sight of the Chosen Two. Oh Goddess NO! "Buffy? Faith?"

"Willow?"

"What... oh my god.... what... where..."  She couldn't even form a coherent 
thought, let alone a sentence. 

"Good to see you too Red."  Both Slayer's chuckled at Willow's 'I-so-
can't-believe-you-made-a-joke' look.

"Oh goddess who did this to you. Where are we? How the fuck did we, 
you get here? How... how......?"

Buffy crinkled her brow thinking, things were a little fuzzy, she 
looked up at Faith who returned her puzzled look.  They both knew 
that none of them could stay here that long like this. *She* would 
know. *She* would feel it.

"Um..." Buffy stopped afraid to even say her name.  Her instinct 
telling her if she said, even thought *her* name, it would be like 
invoking her. A shudder went through her and she felt it go through 
Faith.  Then the words seemed to form on their own in both the 
Slayer's minds. 

"The *Key* knows..." 

"The *Soul* hold's the key..."

"And the *Two* will open and hold the door..."

"The *Fallen* knows the way..." The Slayers finished together.

"What?" A riddle? They had to be kidding.  Didn't they?  But they 
looked just as confused as she felt.

"Time  to go... Can't stay here... Not safe Wills... Not safe for any of 
us..."  They felt the pull to leave and began to drift back towards the 
warmth of the temporary safe-haven of the 'Fates' domain.

Willow felt the pull to leave herself.  She waited, watched them as 
they began to fade.  She saw their aura's, their souls that 
surrounded their bruised, beaten, battered bodies. 

And she knew...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel pulled the book out of the bag.  It was the book they had used 
when they went in search of Cordy in Plyea.  The one with all the 
spells to open the portals to other dimensions. What good was this? 
What was this supposed to tell them? He flipped through the pages 
scanning them faster than any human could; hoping something would 
jump out at him.  He found nothing, he growled in anger under his 
breath.  Frustrated he threw the backpack from him as he started to 
make his way towards the door.

The contents of the bag flew from it, something caught him out of the 
corner of his eye. He turned and watched as the lifting gloves 
tumbled through the air in slow motion.  Flipping over and over as 
they fell towards the floor.  That was it! That was what had been 
bothering him!  

And he knew...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy and Faith both sat up at the same time wide awake.

"Did we? Did it... Were we?" They said over each other in a rush to ask 
the other. They locked eyes with each other, and smiles grew on both 
their faces...

"They know..." They said together as they rose from the bed and walked 
towards the door.

"It time that we find..." Buffy began as she opened the door.

"...out what we need to know..." Faith finished as they left the bedroom.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel hit the bottom step and ran into the living room just as Willow 
rose and stepped out of the protective circle.

"They're not dead!" Both shouted at the same time.

The L.A. crew and the rest of the Scooby gang, including Spike, who 
was now a member, looked back and forth between Willow and Angel.  
Their faces a mixture of hope, sorrow, joy, and want.

"See I told you."

"So you did..." James smiled at Gary, his arm going around Dawn who had 
begun to cry quietly. 

"Willow? Angel?" Dawn whispered softly from the open doors.
 
Everyone whipped around towards the open doors. "Who the hell are 
you?" Angel snarled.

"Hey easy there!  Don't go all 'game-boy' face on us... you either." 
Gary said and looked pointedly at first Angel, then Spike. "We're 
here to help..." 

"That's right... We're all here to help the Chosen Two." 

Everyone whipped around towards the kitchen, where the new voice had 
come from.

The 'Prince of Darkness' smiled at them from his perch on the 
counter. "I think it's time to bring the Slayers home."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...I watched with glee while your kings and queens fought for ten 
decades for the Gods *they* made / I shouted out "Who killed the 
Kennedy's?" when after all it was *you* and me / Pleased to meet you 
hope you guess my name / But what's puzzling you is the nature of my 
game... The Rolling Stones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel hit the bottom step and ran into the living room just as Willow 
rose and stepped out of the protective circle.

"They're not dead!" Both shouted at the same time.

The L.A. crew and the rest of the Scooby gang, including Spike, who 
was now a member, looked back and forth between Willow and Angel.  
Their faces a mixture of hope, sorrow, joy, and want.

"See I told you."

"So you did..." James smiled at Gary, his arm going around Dawn who had 
begun to cry quietly. 

"Willow? Angel?" Dawn whispered softly from the open doors.
 
Everyone whipped around towards the open doors. "Who the hell are 
you?" Angel snarled.

"Hey easy there!  Don't go all 'game-boy' face on us... you either." 
Gary said and looked pointedly at first Angel, then Spike. "We're 
here to help..." 

"That's right... We're all here to help the Chosen Two." 

Everyone whipped around towards the kitchen, where the new voice had 
come from.

The 'Prince of Darkness' smiled at them from his perch on the 
counter. "I think it's time to bring the Slayers home."

***End Lead-in***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They walked out of the bedroom and right into what could only have 
been classified as a chef's ultimate fantasy.  The kitchen was huge, 
with side-by-side double door chrome ovens. In the wall next to the 
ovens, was a traditional brick pizza oven. There was a twelve-burner 
black stove to the left, and to the left of it was a glass rotisserie 
oven.  The refrigerator was the size of a walk in closet, with a 
floor freezer to the side of it.  There were too many cabinets to 
count.

Along the wall adjacent to the ovens was a double stainless steel 
sink, sunk into a long marble counter top, where a fresh pot of 
coffee was brewing.  Two very large black mugs were set out next to 
the coffee pot, with cream, sugar, and spoons by them. Copper pots 
and pans, and cooking utensils of all sizes and shapes hung from 
hooks on the ceiling over the center-aisle butcher block counter that 
was the size of a twin bed. The center-aisle counter was lined with 
hot buffet trays, wafting from them were the most enticing smells 
either Slayer had ever had the pleasure of tickling their noses. 

Faith's stomach growled so loud and long that she actually blushed. 
She laughed when Buffy's answered hers just as loudly, if not louder. 
They smiled at each other, getting lost in the other's eyes.  Wanting 
to pretend for just a while longer, pretend they didn't see the 
hollowness, gauntness of the other's face.  Or the bruises that 
looked even darker on top of the pale skin that lay underneath.  The 
matching gashes under the others bottom lip.  Pretend not to notice 
the aches and pains that were once again humming through both of 
their bodies. Pretend not to notice the haunted look that both now 
had lurking in their eyes and the scars that they both had seared 
upon their souls.

Buffy lightly ran her hand down the side of Faith's face. She smiled 
softly when Faith instinctively leaned into her touch.  She grabbed 
Faith by the hand, giving her an impish smile and practically dragged 
her over to the hot trays on the counter.  She handed her two plates 
to hold while she took off the tops on the trays. 

"I can't believe how good this smells... so good... yum..." Buffy was 
purring under her breath as she babbled.  "I'm so hungry I could eat 
a horse... never smelled anything so good in my life ever... nope... 
not ever...except for you that is... hmmmm.... what to choose... what 
to choose... why choose.... take it all... yup...  that's it..." 

Buffy was almost a blur as she went down the line taking something 
from each tray not caring what it was, piling it on both plates. Her 
mouth was watering, and she thought she might have drooled on herself 
at one point. Buffy scrunched her face up a little as she stared at 
the plates trying to figure out how to fit more food on the already 
overfilled plates, "...well there is always seconds...." 

Buffy took one of the plates from Faith, who had been so busy 
watching Buffy babbling cutely that she didn't notice how much food 
she had piled on the plates.

"B, this is too much.  If we eat all this we're gonna get sick."

"Faith you don't know that..."

"Yeah, B I do... There is more food on the plates right now then 
we've had to eat all together in a really long time. Our stomachs 
can't handle this much food all at once. If we try and eat this much 
we will get sick..."

"How can you poss..." 

Memories of Faith from the first time that she had been in Sunnydale 
came back to Buffy. How then and even now Faith wolfed her food down 
as if it were the only food she had in days or would have for days. 
She remember how when Faith ate she protected her food as if she were 
afraid it would disappear, or get taken from her. Buffy didn't think 
she could recall once where there was ever any food left on Faith's 
plate or anyone else's for that matter when she was around. How her 
stomach had constantly growled back then and Faith would dismiss it 
as a 'Slayer Thing'.  Though Buffy knew better, she was a Slayer too, 
and her stomach never growled twenty-four-seven, then again hers had 
always been full.  She had just ignored it, just like she had ignored 
a lot of other things about Faith that she didn't, couldn't, or 
wouldn't deal with. 

"Faith... the first time when you were in..."

Faith knew exactly what Buffy's was going to ask her, and she didn't 
want Buffy going there. She knew Buffy well enough now that she would 
somehow manage to blame herself for it. She didn't want anything 
marring their respite from the hell Glory had thrust them in, 
especially not another thing from her past. She wanted to forgot for 
a little while that the reality that had been her life for nine years 
had reared its ugly head again. 

"B, what's past is past... 'K? Please... Can we just sit down and 
eat..." 

She moved close to Buffy, and gently brushed the hair out of her eyes,
tucking it behind her ear. Faith leaned in and kissed her lightly, 
tenderly on the cheek, then just rested her face against Buffy's, 
pulling Buffy loosely to her.  They stayed that way for long minutes, 
the food momentarily forgotten, the need to feel the other next to 
them more important to both. 

Reluctantly they moved apart and went over to the long wooden table, 
and sat down side by side on the bench.  Neither even considered 
sitting on opposites sides of the table, even in this safe-haven they 
needed the reassurance, the feel, the warmth of the other next to 
them.
 
They ate a little in silence, each bite was like a little bit of 
heaven. 

"Faith...  Are we really here? Or is this like what we do when we 
share our 'echoes'?" Buffy asked with a mouth full of food, manners 
totally left by the wayside.

"Actually..."

Like a streak of lightning both Slayers were on their feet the second 
they heard the voice behind them. They spun around knocking the bench 
over, crouching into fighting stances, their hearts in their throats, 
fear pounding through their veins. Neither one registering that it 
was Atropos standing in front of them. Just that one second there was 
no one behind them and the next there was.

Atropos carefully took a step backwards from the two snarling Slayers 
in front of her.  There was a feral light mixed with the fear in 
their eyes.  How stupid could she be to just pop up behind them like 
that?  She kept her hands at her side waiting for them to realize 
that they were safe here with her for now.

Faith was trembling slightly. What if she was wrong? What if this was 
just another elaborate game of Glory's and Johnny's? What if it wasn't
really Atropos standing in front of her but Glory wearing a different 
mask?  She felt the icy fingers of fear as they slid up her spine, 
digging in deep, roughly caressing each vertebrae making her want to 
arch her back to push them away. A chill crawled over her skin leaving
little streaks of invisible cold-fire in it's wake.  She heard Buffy 
as if she were far away hissing beside her.  

Chocolate brown eyes locked with the crystal clear light jade green 
eyes in front of her, searching for an answer, terrified of what she 
would find there. What she saw in them surprised her.  There was 
sorrow, remorse, comfort, respect, admiration and even love for them 
in those jade green eyes.  She felt the fear begin to recede, she 
knew the vileness, the evil that was Glory intimately. Had felt it 
worming it's way under her skin, looking to devour her soul. Faith 
knew without a shred of doubt that the thing that was Glory couldn't 
fake or look at her with or without a mask, with eye's that held any 
of those emotions.  

Faith gently touched Buffy's arm when she realized she was still 
hissing low at Atropos. "B... Buffy it's okay..." Slowly she felt the 
tension, the fear drain out of Buffy, the arm beneath her hand relax. 

"Did I ever tell you that I hate when you do that too..." There was a 
slight tremor in Faith's voice, betraying how shaken she had been by 
Atropos' sudden appearance. 

Both Slayers were breathing a little heavy, their hearts racing. The 
taste of fear was bitter, and far too familiar in the back of their 
throats. Their little pretend world had been shattered the second 
that Atropos had spoken.  Faith couldn't help but wonder if either one
of them would ever feel one hundred percent safe again. Feeling safe 
had been a new experience for her, up until Angel had taken her from 
the courthouse she couldn't ever remember a time when she had felt 
safe, and she mourned it's loss. 

"As a matter of fact I believe that you have... Please sit back down 
and eat and I will try to answer your 'Chosen's' question."

"Watch out B, here's where she goes all cryptic lady on you. She's 
like a walking, talking prophecy. Gives you the clues but doesn't 
tell you what to do or what the hell they mean.  Isn't that right 
*Elder*."  The touch of affection in Faith's voice soften the sarcasm 
of her words.
 
The ancient woman arched her sculptured, thin black eyebrow at the 
raven-haired slayer's sarcasm and her nickname for her.  

"Well, *Child* this time I actually can answer the question, without 
any subterfuge." 

Buffy looked at Faith and mouthed 'child' at her, a little smirk 
around her mouth. 

"I believe Elizabeth..." Atropos paused and watched the interplay 
between them as Faith smirked at Buffy and mouthed 'Elizabeth' at 
her.  

She was a little amazed, actually awed by them.  Amazed that they 
could find anything to smile about, let alone tease each other after 
all they had been through at Glory's and that lowlife, (whose name 
Atropos refused to even think, let alone say), hands. They awed her, 
the bond they shared, their devotion, loyalty, and love for one 
another, stronger now, intact. Their smiles humbled her in the face 
of the fact that they knew that being here was temporary and that 
eventually they would have to go back to that living hell.

"I believe you wanted to know if you are actually here or not.  Well, 
the answer to that is rather complicated. It is neither yes or no..."

"See I told ya B... So much for not dodging the question..." Faith 
snorted through a mouthful of food.

"I am not dodging. It is just that I'm not sure if I even know how to 
explain it..." Atropos paused, waiting to see if the dark Slayer was 
going to interrupt her again. 

Faith wisely decided to hold her tongue this time when she heard the 
sincerity in the ancient woman's voice.

"It simply is that you are co-existing in two places at once. 
Physically here and *there* at the same time, but yet not."

"If we are really here THEN WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU SEND US HOME?" The 
volume of Faith's voice rose with every angry word.  There was a 
pleading quality mixed in with the anger that she hated hearing in 
herself.  

She wanted to beat something, wanted to hurt something, wanted to 
just rip something apart with her bare hands. She just wanted them 
both to go home.  Wanted them away from this nightmare. That was all 
she wanted, was that to much to ask? Hadn't nine years of *him* been 
long enough?  Hadn't those nine years she had lived through been more 
then enough to count for both of them? Didn't it count for something, 
at the very least enough for Buffy to be able to go home? Hadn't she 
paid long enough?

Without even knowing she had voiced all her thoughts in an almost 
silent whisper at the plate she was staring at with far-away eyes. 
The metal fork she had in her hand snapped in half.

Nine years... Nine years... She hadn't known.  She had gotten almost 
all of it in the images from the echoes.  The length of time though 
that she hadn't known. Buffy's mind reeled from the horror of it. How 
the hell had Faith survived him, how could anyone have survived all 
that? Gently she pulled Faith into her arms, who buried her head in 
the crook of Buffy's neck. She wanted to say something, anything, 
wishing with all that she was that she could just make it go away.
"I'm so sorry... Even one second was too long..."

Atropos watched them, sooner or later they would need to talk about 
this.  Faith would need to do it in order to finally be truly free 
from her past, and from what had happened now.  She would need to 
finally put a voice to all that pain, guilt and hurt that she had 
carried around for most of her life.  Buffy would need to be part of 
it, giving a voice to her own pain, guilt and hurt or they wouldn't 
survive together once they did escape that place. 

Now though was not the time.  For now they needed to concentrate on 
being strong and focused. Faith already knew that, it was why she had 
pushed, was pushing down, locking up everything this was doing to her 
on the inside.  Buffy, whether she realized it or not, was doing the 
same thing.  They both felt safe here so the walls were beginning to 
crumble a little, and Atropos knew that in order for them to survive 
going back there, she couldn't let that happen.

Faith lifted her head from her temporary safe haven.  Had she said 
all of that out loud? Before she had a chance to ask, Atropos began 
to speak again.

"If I sent you home you would only die.  Your bodies are in a sense 
existing in two places, dimensions right now.  Neither of them are 
truly complete.  For the most part your conscious and unconscious 
minds are here, a part of you though still exists *there*. 
Unfortunately this is almost impossible to explain.  Think of it in 
terms of a snake shedding it's skin.  What is over *there* is just a 
thin outer layer, a shell of you each.  While here are the inner 
layers, all of them except that encasing.  You can not survive 
without the outer shell, just like it can not survive without the 
inner part of you. Nor can you survive here for long without it." 
Atropos paused and took a deep breath before she continued.

"If I could I would bring your outer shell here but I don't have that 
kind of power. Glory's dimension is not a part of ours. The scope of 
what I can do doesn't reach into her dimension. And yes, before you 
ask the way that you are here is different from the others times, 
Faith.  This time you did not come in your dream or spirit state as 
it were.  This time when you came here you were awake, and your need 
to be physically away from there caused you to manifest physically, 
bringing your 'soul' with you.  Buffy did the same thing by 
instinctively using and following the bond that you two share as soul-
mates. Please you must believe me if I could send you both home I 
would. There is nothing I wouldn't do to make that happen.  Had we 
been able to see this in the 'Tapestry' I would have prevented it, 
that *BITCH*... had no right to do what she did and she damn well 
knew it! I'd rip her throat out myself if I could get my hands on 
her."

Atropos could tell by the look of surprise, and the flair of anger in 
both Slayers eyes that she had moved them back into a place of 
strength, their focus once again on getting out of the nightmare that 
Glory had dragged them into. It was a second or two before Atropos 
realized that they were growling low in approval of her outburst.

"Did you send him to us?"

"Why don't we finish this conversation in my favorite room..." Atropos
told them ignoring Faith's question for now.  

Faith didn't miss the impish glint in the jade green eyes of Atropos 
at their nod of agreement. 

"Just as a warning Faith. I'm about to do something you hate, but 
truth be told I've gotten lazy in my old age and just hate to 
walk..." With that Atropos waved her hand and within the span of a 
blink of an eye they were all in the room that held the needlepoint 
tapestries on the wall.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were sitting comfortably on the dusky rose colored couch across 
from Atropos, who sat in an antique rocking chair already working on 
a needlepoint.

"So did you send Satan to us or was he just playing a game?"

"I did not send him, he went there of his own accord. Just like you 
Faith we cannot make the choices for the 'Life Threads', whether 
mortal or immortal, god or not,  whatever choices they make are their 
own."

"How the hell did he know about us being there and you didn't?  Why 
is he involved in this?" 

"He didn't know, the 'Tapestry' showed him. As for why he is involved 
in this I think it would be best if he told you that."

Faith was getting frustrated fast they were once again back to answers
that weren't really answers at all.  She tried to get this straight 
in her own mind. The 'Fates' couldn't see this as a possibility in 
the 'Tapestry' because Glory had done this outside of the 'Fates' 
realm of power or domain.  She knew she was missing a piece of the 
puzzle here and that piece had to do with Luc. But if Luc hadn't 
known what happened and the 'Tapestry' had shown him what had 
happened to them... Then that meant that somehow or another the 'Fates
had gotten him involved afterwards. But why? That was really the 
question and Faith knew that the ancient woman wouldn't tell her, she 
had made that clear already. There was another question though that 
Faith hoped Atropos would give her the answer to.

"Was Lucifer really there to help us?  Can we trust him?"

"I cannot tell you that either Child.  The decision whether or not to 
trust *Luc* or whether *Luc* was there to help is entirely up to you 
two."

This time Faith groaned aloud in frustration. It was all going round 
and round in her head, she had to figure this out, she knew Atropos 
was trying to tell her something but what? Faith stared down the 
ancient woman until Atropos broke her gaze.  She watched as the jade 
green eyes looked over her head and a sad smile graced the face of 
the ancient woman.  Faith twisted around on the couch and looked up 
at the needlepoint tapestry that was making Atropos smile so sadly.

{Hello! Good going Faith! Little bit more and the ancient woman would 
have had to hit you over the head with the damn needlepoint!}

As she stared at the needlepoint tapestry she heard *Luc's* voice 
again in her head, 'Luc to my friends, but you can call me Lucifer....
ah... But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game....'. It was 
the same tapestry from her 'meditation dream'.  The one of Luc and 
the beautiful woman with the jade green eyes. He hadn't been playing 
a game, he had let Faith see his true face from the beginning, he 
hadn't tried to hide it because he already knew that she had seen it 
before.  Seen it when she had visited the same jade green-eyed woman 
who sat in front of her in the rocking chair wearing a mask of her 
own.  Who he also knew would call him Luc, just like all of his 
friends did. 

Buffy looked back and forth between them confused. She became even 
more confused when Faith asked Atropos her next question.

"How long were the two of you lovers? Oh and *Elder* you can drop the 
mask." Though as Faith was saying this she already saw the mask start 
to shimmer and fade.

Buffy looked at Faith then turned to look at Atropos just as her mask 
finished shimmering and fell. Now Buffy was totally confused. "What 
the... Could someone please tell me what's going on? And what the hell 
is a 'Life Thread'."

"*Child* did you neglect to tell your 'Chosen' about your visits 
here?"

Faith gave Atropos a lopsided grin at her calling her child, because 
the Atropos sitting in front of her now didn't look a day over twenty-
five. Faith couldn't help but think that the true form of Atropos was 
both beautiful, sensual and innocent all at once. Luc must have been 
pretty stupid to have lost her, and Faith hoped that she was never 
that stupid when it came to Buffy. 

A weird chill ran it's way up the Dark Slayer's spine and suddenly 
she had this overwhelming fear that she would be that stupid. That 
her inability or lack of skill in trying to express what it was that 
she felt or needed would cause her to lose Buffy and what they had.  
She was terrified that if, when, they did get back home that she 
would fall back to being the same old Faith that she was before.  
Terrified that she wouldn't be able to knock back down the walls she 
had re-erected in order for them to survive this nightmare they had 
been thrust into. 

"It won't happen." Buffy said softly for Faith's slayer hearing only.

It was Faith's turn to look at Buffy in confusion.  She had been so 
deep in her own thoughts that she had momentarily forgotten about the 
echoes they shared. 

"What won't happen?" Faith asked her just as softly.

"You being that stupid, or going back to the way you were before."

"But..."

"No buts... I won't let it happen..." Buffy smiled softly at Faith,
"Face it baby you're stuck with me forever and then some whether you 
like it or not." 

Faith smiled weakly back at Buffy and couldn't help but to lean into 
her hand when Buffy gently touched her cheek. 

"Don't ever forget that.  Whatever happens we'll get through it 
together. I love you Faith. It's unconditional and it's forever."
 
Buffy leaned into Faith and rested their foreheads together, "Okay..." 

"'K..."

They settled back down into the couch together, Faith snuggling into 
Buffy, laying her head down onto Buffy's shoulder. 

"Good. Now you want to tell me about your visits here?  'Cause you 
kinda fell asleep on me last night... Oh and baby..." Buffy glanced 
over at Atropos who had remained silent throughout their intimate 
exchange.She didn't doubt for a second that the ancient, and Buffy 
knew she was ancient despite her appearance now, had heard what they 
said.  She looked down at the top of Faith's head.

"Yeah B..." Faith looked up at Buffy from her perch on Buffy's 
shoulder.

"You won't be coming back here anytime soon without me..." Buffy let 
her gaze fall on the beautiful 'Fate' sitting across from her an 
impish grin playing around her mouth.

"Ahhh B..." Faith whined playing along with her.  Secretly thrilled 
though at the little bit of possessiveness, that had slipped into 
Buffy's tone.

"Don't B me... Now come on and tell me what happened when you were 
here before..."

Faith resettled herself back comfortably into Buffy, laying her head 
once again on Buffy's shoulder and began her tale. "Well the first 
time was when..."

Atropos was in awe of them once again, amazed how they seemed to be 
able to tease each other.  To be able to find happiness within the 
moment, to push aside all the bad and focus just solely on each 
other, without forgetting that the time would come that they would 
have to deal with all that had happened to them.  This ability she 
knew was what would get them through the aftermath that was sure to 
come when they did escape Glory's hell, and escape they would, 
Atropos had not a doubt.  It sadden her a little though, that they 
both had to learn how to grab onto the moments when they could, the 
hard way.  Faith when she was a child, and Buffy after she had been
'Chosen'.  

She relaxed back into the rocking chair, working on her needlepoint 
and listened to Faith tell her tale.  Faith, whether she knew it or 
not, was actually a very good storyteller.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...So that's all of it.  Though I didn't remember any of it until I 
was up on the platform that night. Letting... letting you go was the 
hardest thing I ever had to do. I felt like I was being torn in half. 
It took every ounce of will-power I had not to stop you. I wanted to 
say fuck the world, everyone it in could die for all I cared as long 
as you and Dawn were safe...But I couldn't because..."

"Because what Faith?"

"Because you taught me better than that B. Not only you but all of 
you, Angel, Cordy, Gunn, Wes, the Scoobs, Dawn, and even Spike. It 
would have been like spitting in all of your faces.  So I clung to 
the hope, the fact that nothing could separate us, that when my time 
came that I would be with you again. A year ago I wouldn't have 
cared.  But you taught me how to care, how to love and so I honored 
your wishes.  A piece of me died though with every step you took 
towards the portal and I know that I would have only kept myself 
alive long enough for Dawn to grow up and keep my promise to you.  
Because truth be told B... I don't want to live in a world without 
you in it." 

Faith ran a shaking hand through her hair and rushed out the 
rest, "Now I remember Atropos telling me that it was up to me whether 
I would remember them after that night.  I was so pissed at what 
happened, at the fucked-up choices they gave me, that I made myself 
forget them. At least now we know what the hell Luc was trying to do 
or say with that dumb ass 'tapestries' of pain speech he gave us." 
Faith paused again, she toyed with the leg of Buffy's sweat pants, 
she asked her in an almost whisper, "B... did I do the right thing... 
do you..."

"Yes Faith you did... As hard as it was you did... and it was unfair 
of me to ask you to do it. And I would have felt the same way as you. 
But you did the right thing letting me go and as weird as this might 
sound or be I'm proud of you for it."

"Really?" Faith looked at Buffy with that wide-eyed amazed look, that 
always made Buffy's breath catch at how innocent she could look at 
times.

"Really." Buffy leaned in and kissed the tip of Faith's nose, who 
immediately crinkled it and turned beet red. "But what I want to 
know..." Buffy's gaze turned to Atropos, "Why didn't you just bring 
Faith here like you had in the past?"

"My ability to bring Faith here whilst she slept doesn't extend into 
Glory's domain or I would have. All I can do now is send you back 
when the time comes."

"Then you did sen..."

"As luck would have it Luc just happened to pay Glory a visit." 
Atropos said cutting off Buffy. "For some odd reason his appearance 
seemed to have caused Faith to remember us, and being here."

"Yeah, lucky." Buffy let it slide knowing better than to push for an 
answer that wasn't forthcoming. "So when do I get to see this
'Tapestry of Life' and can I see my own 'Life Thread'?"

"Yes you can see your own 'Life Thread'.  We can go now if you like."

"Now would be good."

"Very well then. And Faith..."

"Let me guess you're gonna do something I hate again aren't you?"

Atropos just laughed lightly and waved her hand.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were soaking in the tub once again, basking in the magical water 
that seemed to take away all of the physical pain in their bodies.

Both Slayers had spent hours standing in front of the 'Tapestry of 
Life' as it had shown Buffy all that it had shown Faith on her last 
visit here to the 'Fates' domain.  She had learned like Faith that 
each Slayer retained the mystical energy that made them what they 
were even after death.  That in fact each Slayer was born with the 
energy already part of them.  She wonder, like Faith had, if there 
was a way to activate the power in the next Slayer before the current 
Slayer died. It was strange to think that the 'slayer energy' was not 
actually passed on but duplicated and given to the next.  

While she had been looking at not only her own 'Life Thread' but 
Faith's and the other Slayers; that ancient, remembered thing from 
deep inside that seemed to run through her blood had quickened.  She 
had brushed it off at the time thinking it was answering something 
from its mate that lived inside of Faith.  Now though as she lay 
cuddled into Faith, who was gently stroking her hair, she wasn't so 
sure.  She felt like she was missing something, whatever it was kept 
tickling at the edges of her mind and the more she tried to bring it 
to the forefront the more it eluded her.  With a tired sigh she 
decided to let it go for the night and snuggled deeper into Faith's 
warm embrace.

Faith was almost completely relaxed, letting herself luxuriate in her 
mate's warmth which surrounded and covered her like a soft woolen 
blanket. Although she couldn't completely let herself go, the 
security of this temporary safe-haven for Faith had been effectively 
destroyed that morning. Their reaction to Atropos sudden appearance 
in the kitchen a harsh reminder that eventually they would have to go 
back *there*. 

She knew that no matter how long they stayed here that she would not 
be able to completely give in to the pretend world again. Would not 
be able to completely let her guard down. Part of her would keep 
waiting to hear the sound of the other shoe to drop, back in the 
personal 'Slayer Hell' Glory had created just for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Who the bloody hell are you?"

Luc smiled and jumped down off the counter, "I'm sorry, I forgotten 
that we all hadn't met yet.  It just seems like I know you all so 
well... Please allow me to..." He stopped when he heard Xander groan.
Shit he almost did it again didn't he? "My name is Luc, but you..."

"He's the 'Devil'."  Xander blurted out unable to contain himself. 

Wesley turned and looked at Xander, "He's a devil you say, you mean 
like a demon?"

"No lik - e - e - e in T - H - E  *Devil*... *Satan*... *Lucifer*... 
*The Prince of Darkness*... that devil..."

"Very funny. Almost had me there, you bloody glorified brick-layer."

"Oh Xander's not lying Spike." Anya told them smugly. "I've known Luc 
for over a thousand years.  We were friends when I was a Vengeance 
demon."

A decided chill mixed with a little bit of fear settled over the 
room, when they realized that neither Xander nor Anya were lying. 
Xander watched as Wesley pulled a cross out of one pocket and a 
bottle, of what he assumed was holy water out of the other.  He 
couldn't help but grin.

"Not gonna work Wesley, he's not a vamp." Wesley just shot Xander 
a 'what-do-you-know-I-was-a-watcher' look.  Xander smirked at him, 
for once he had the upper hand. "Okay don't believe me..." Surprising 
himself he quirked and eyebrow at Luc and they shared a silent 
agreement of understanding. 

{Whoa! Big on the weird meter there! The Devil! Me and the Devil 
sharing a secret decoder ring moment.}
 
Wesley held out the cross in front of him and moved forward, he 
thumbed off the top of the bottle. Xander, Willow, Tara, Anya and 
even Luc watched him with amusement.  Angel and Spike moved to the 
side standing slightly in front of Wesley flanking him.  Dawn 
burrowed further into James, while Gary watched, a little amused 
himself. Gunn moved to stand protectively in front of Cordelia and 
Fred, who kept peeking out over the top of his shoulder.
 
"Get thee gone oh... um...Prince of Darkness.  Go back to the bowels 
of hell that you ah... hail from."  He thrust the cross towards Luc, 
and sprayed him with the holy water. The Scoobs hid their smiles 
behind their hands, when Luc slowly dissolved into smoke. Wesley 
turned around and gave Xander a self-satisfied smirk. "You were 
saying Xander...?"

"He was saying..." This time it was Wesley who practically jumped out 
of his skin when he heard Luc speaking from behind him.  He spun 
around and came face to face with the Devil himself, who was smiling 
at him with his own self-satisfied look. "...that crosses don't work 
and now you know that holy water doesn't either.  Though you might 
have harmed Angel and Spike if your aim was a little off."  

Luc spun around when he heard the snarls coming from both Angel and 
Spike. He held his hand out halting them before they could attack,
"Please gentlemen, as Gary so succinctly said, don't go all 'game 
boy' face on us. It's true I am whom Xander said. Lucifer, The Prince 
of Darkness, though I prefer Luc, it is what my friends call me.  
Whether you choose to believe it or not I am your friend and I AM 
here to help the Slayers. Let me further state that the rumors of my 
evilness have been greatly exaggerated."

"It's true! It's all gossip, rumors, and out and out lies!" Anya gave 
them her smug, 'matter-of-fact-I-know-this-cause-I was-a-Vengeance-
Demon,' look this time.

"I suppose telling us that the Luc in your story was really Lucifer 
was what? Not an option, Willow?" Cordelia sneered in her best Queen 
C voice, now that she had finally come out of hiding from behind Gunn.

Angel had been puzzled the second that Luc had literally went up in 
smoke, something was tickling him around the edges of his brain.  
Then, when Luc had reappeared behind Wesley, he knew what it was that 
was bothering him.  He stood quietly, and opened all his senses to 
the room, then he knew for sure.

"I ah... didn't think it was important...?" Before Willow could 
finish, Angel cut her off.

"You were in the hotel yesterday weren't you?" Angel half asked, half 
told Luc, "Right before Cordy had her vision.  I sensed you." Angel 
took a threatening step towards Luc, completely forgetting that 
yesterday his senses had told him that the presence's he had detected 
was benevolent, not threatening. "What kind of game are you playing 
with us?"

"I am not playing any game, giving Cordelia the vision was the only 
way for me to get you all here without directly interfering. If I 
came to you yesterday and said; Hi, my name is Lucifer or better yet 
Satan, I need to talk to you; would you have listened to me. No you 
would have put on your 'game boy' face and attacked. Wouldn't you, 
Soul-boy?" Luc snarled right back at Angel.

Angel's eyes started to glow yellow, he took another step towards 
Luc.  He never got the chance to attack, someone else beat him to it.

"WHERE ARE THEY!" Dawn screamed already running at him. 

Luc turned around in time to catch the little hellcat coming at him, 
with claws bared.  He held her easily as she pummeled his chest. 

"WHERE'S BUFFY AND FAITH? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM? WHERE DID YOU 
TAKE THEM?"

No one in the room moved.  They stared unblinking, frozen to the 
spot, fear written clearly across all of their faces, including  
Willow and Xander who were unsure now if Luc truly was on their side. 
All except Anya, who had no fear at all that Luc would hurt Dawn, and 
Tara. Tara had a look of concentration on her face as she stared at 
the Prince of Darkness, who was holding Dawn quite easily and quite 
gently.

"I haven't done anything with them little one." Luc told her 
gently, "I didn't take them anywhere. I want to help them just as 
much as you do."

"LIAR! I know you have them!"

Tara surprised everyone as she started to walk towards them.

"Tara, don't..."

Tara ignored Willow and walked up close to them both and tenderly 
placed her hand on Dawn's shoulder. 

"Dawnie, sweetie calm down... Please... He is..." 

Luc put Dawn back on her feet, and Tara quickly grabbed her to keep 
her from going after him again.  

"Easy Dawnie, he's here to help." Dawn stopped struggling against 
Tara, she stared defiantly at Luc, not really giving a shit, if he 
was Satan or not. {Faith, I'm channeling Faith...} The tears started to 
fall unbidden from her eyes.

He locked his eyes with Dawn, his face, solemn, serious.  Only Tara 
caught the deep down sorrow, and remorse that flitted across his face 
briefly before he asked Dawn softly, "What makes you think I have 
them little one?" He couldn't help but think that she reminded him of 
both Slayers, as she stared so defiantly at him.  Not backing down, 
unafraid of him, the supposed greatest evil that had ever lived.

Dawn angrily wiped at the tears that were leaking from her eyes.
"You... you called him Soul-boy... Only Faith called him that... How 
would you know that if you didn't have them?" Her voice went from 
defiantly angry to almost pleading.  At least if he had them, they 
had a chance of getting them back.  She would do anything to get her 
sister, no, sisters back.

He sighed. Again Tara saw the sorrow, and remorse flash across his 
face.  They all waited for him to answer, he wished he could just tell
them where the Slayers were, but he fucking couldn't.  The damn 
fucking rules again. He had no idea what would happen if he broke 
them, not a one.  Besides he knew they had all the right hints, he 
made sure of that.  Willow had all the clues, he had given them to 
the Slayers to give to her.  It was his words that they had heard in 
their heads, had spoken to Willow.  Now all the people in front of 
him had to do was figure it all out then the rules didn't apply and 
he could lead the way.

"I know that Faith calls him that.  Just like I know that Tara and 
Willow call each other their 'Always', and Xander calls Angel, Dead-
boy and Spike calls him 'Peaches' or 'Poof'. I also know that Faith 
calls you 'Gamin' and I would tell you what Anya and  Xander call 
each other, but I think that you are too young to hear that just 
yet." He paused and ran his hand through his hair, he was making a 
mess of this. 

"I can tell you that you remind me of not only your sister but Faith 
as well, and that they would be proud of you right now.  But that 
doesn't mean that I have them. I wish I did, because I would gladly 
give them back to you. I would have given them back the very second 
that they showed up knocking on my door.  Because neither one of them 
belongs where I dwell. I don't have them little one. I wish with 
everything that I am that I did."

Dawn didn't know why but she believed him. Actually everyone in the 
room, living and undead, believed him.  Maybe it was the sorrow and 
remorse they all heard in his voice, and saw now in his face.  Or 
maybe it was in the slumped shoulders, or his hand that seemed to be 
nervously picking at the leg of his pants. They all knew he was 
called the 'Great Pretender', but none of them thought that he was 
pretending now. Maybe it was the fact that they needed someone other 
then themselves to believe as well.  Or maybe they just wanted him to 
confirm what they all hoped, all wanted to believe, that Buffy and 
Faith were alive.

"WHO THE BLOODY HELL HAS THEM THEN?"

"He can't tell you that.  He is bound." Everyone looked at Anya.
"There are rules that the 'Incarnates' must follow. He can't break 
them. The last time someone broke the rules..." She trailed off when 
Xander nudged her gently. Okay so she could tell that story another 
time. "He can hint, push in a direction.  But he can't tell outright. 
It sort of like figuring out a..."

"RIDDLE!"  Willow looked at them all a little sheepishly after her 
outburst. "Sorry... when I ah saw them..."

"You saw them, saw them... but that means..."

"That they really are alive, I know that now, though I didn't at first
 Tara..." Willow waved off the twenty million questions everyone 
started to ask her. "...it wasn't until I saw their 'aura's' that I 
knew they were still alive.  Angel..." Willow waited until he focused 
on her,  "Why did you come downstairs convinced they are alive?
 
Angel waved the lifting gloves that he had forgotten he was holding 
at them. They all looked at him a little confused. 

"The scars... there weren't any scars on her hands... Nor did Buffy 
have the scar on her mouth.  They may have looked like them, but it's 
not our Faith and Buffy buried in those graves."

They all looked at him. He was right. In their grief not one of them 
had noticed it. It was the thing that had been bothering them all, 
their subconscious minds had known all along. They all just stared at 
each other in silence, any lingering doubt they may have had that the 
Slayers weren't alive was eradicated. 

"Maybe you want to tell us what they said now Willow..."

"Um... sure... when I saw them I asked them who had bea..." She paused
 she didn't want Dawn to know how badly battered Buffy and Faith had 
been. "um... brought... took... taken them... to where they were... 
They didn't answer me instead they told me a riddle... The *Key* 
knows... The *Soul* hold's the key... And the *Two* will open and 
hold the door... The *Fallen* knows the way..."

"The 'Key' that would be you Dawn." 

Dawn shot Anya a confused look, how could she know anything? "But I 
don't know anything..."

"Tell us what happened up there that night Dawnie..." Tara softly 
encouraged her.

She had been on the scaffolding, on the tower that night, she had 
seen the portal but that was it.  She didn't see anything when... 
Dawn took a few deep breath and felt the tears welling up in her eyes 
again it was still to hard to think about that night.  To hard to 
think about how her sister had sacrificed herself for her. She felt 
Tara tighten her arms around her, and she leaned gratefully back into 
Tara's comforting embrace. 

She closed her eyes, and even though it hurt her deep inside she 
pictured that night in her mind.  "The... portal started opening... 
the white energy it was almost hypnotizing... familiar somehow, like 
it was calling me... Faith came up behind us... Then, for like a 
second, Buffy got this far off look in her eyes... then she pulled me 
close and told me that she was going to... told me what she wanted me 
to tell you all..." Dawn paused hearing her sisters words to her once 
again.  She remembered the look, the love in Buffy's eyes for her. 
The love that seemed to radiate from Buffy for Faith as she silently 
said goodbye to her.  Remembered as her sister turned and ran down 
the platform, which had seemed endless, as Buffy dove off the end, 
falling into the white light.  

Dawn took a shuddering breath and continued, "...Faith was crying... 
she went after Buffy... I wanted to reach out to her but I couldn't. 
It was like I was frozen in place.. I couldn't believe any of this 
was happening... It wasn't supposed to be Buffy who died; it was 
supposed to be me... Then Faith was past me, she stumbled, then she 
stopped... she moved closer to the edge and hesitated... then she... 
then she..." Dawn saw Faith again in her mind, how she had staggered 
past her crying, stumbling, stopping, staggering two more steps, 
hesitating then... How the air suddenly grew chilled, the sound of a 
madwoman's giggle drifted through the air... how... How it looked 
like Faith hadn't... 

"NONONONO!  SHE'S DEAD!" Dawn started crying harder, her chest 
heaving, her tears choking her. "Faith... Faith didn't... she... she 
was pushed... I didn't know... I thought I imagined it... I didn't 
know... I felt her, heard that laugh... that crazy laugh... Glory's 
got them... Glory's got them..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were all sprawled out around the living room.  It had taken a 
little while to get Dawn to calm down. They were all a little dazed, 
not one of them had even thought that Glory could possibly still be 
alive. Willow barely managed to keep herself calm, after seeing the 
Slayers today and adding the knowledge of how much Glory hated Buffy.
She was afraid to even think about what Glory had, was doing to them, 
if she did she would lose it.  She needed, they needed to stay 
focused on getting them home. 
 
"Okay so Glory is alive..." Willow looked at Luc for confirmation, 
who just shrugged his shoulders. Considering that he prodded or hinted
to push them in the right direction, she was going to take his silence
as confirmation. "Okay then the next part of the riddle was 'The 
*Soul* hold's the key'... Which I am going to assume is you Angel and 
maybe that book that Cordy saw in her vision." 

Willow sneaked another look at Luc who was now swinging his feet, 
twiddling his thumbs, and looking aimlessly up at the ceiling.

Angel retrieved the book from the floor by the stairs where he had 
dropped it earlier and it had lay forgotten 'til now. He placed it on 
the low table for all to see.

Fred practically flew out of her chair. "Oh... that's... that's 
Shrsqwrn... it's because of that... oh... Sorry..." Fred flopped back 
down into the chair.

"What dimension is Glory or rather Glorificus from."

They all looked at each other, then turned and looked at Luc. Luc 
looked back at them. Fuck! He knew he had forgotten something!

"Perhaps we should call Giles. He might know."

"Um..." Fred tried to get their attention but they ignored her.

"Or I can see what I can find out about the Knights on the internet, 
maybe there is a clue there."

"Excus..." Fred tried again.

"The brick-layer and I can go down to Doc's place and see if we can 
find anything there."

"She's... um..." Fred tried a little louder this time.

"I can go with Dawnie down to the shop and we can see if anything is 
in that book that Spike and Xander brought back with the ritual in 
it."

They all got up from their seats with purpose.

"Um..." Fred began hesitantly again, when she saw that no one was 
paying attention to her again she decided to try another tactic. 
"STOP!" She squirmed a little when everyone paused and turned to look 
at her. "Um... Glory she's from Shedu... but..."

"Angel see if there is an incantation in there to open a portal."

"Excuse me but if we open a portal, don't we have a little end of the 
world as we know it problem."

"Not necessarily.  Since Glory was exiled she simply couldn't go back 
to her own dimension via a normal portal, like when we traveled to 
Pylea to retrieve Cordelia.  She needed to perform the ritual using 
the 'Key', or rather Dawn's blood to open a portal with the mystical 
energy so that she could be restored to her former self, separate 
from Ben. If she went the *normal* way, she would have still been 
stuck in Ben's body."

"Are you sure Wesley? Cause you don't sound too sure to me."

"Yes, well, as sure as I can be."

"Damn! There isn't any Shedu in this book! Now what?"

"Um... You can't get there from here. It's not that simple. Her 
dimension isn't part of our inter-dimensions, you need to find a 
middle dimension to get there from here. Sort of like a crossroads, 
or no, better yet, a bridge. Yes a bridge is better. A dimensional 
bridge, a virtual bridge... Its kind of like dimensional quantum 
physics almost in a way... or maybe..."

Wesley cut Fred off, she was definitely going to give Willow a run 
for her money on who could babble the most. "Fred... Do you know a 
middle dimension?"

"Yes."

"Okay what is the name of this middle dimension and is it in the 
book?"

"Kama.  Page 463. But the book only tells you about Kama, not how to 
open the two portals. You need a spell for that because they need to 
be opened together and that isn't in the book."

"Concomitant Gate." Both James and Gary said at the same time.
 
"Well I guess Tara and I aren't the third part of the riddle, 'And 
the *Two* will open and hold the door'.  Let me guess you guys are 
witches..."

"Aren't guy witches, Warlocks Will?"

"Only if they are evil Xander."

"And we're not evil, a little wicked maybe, light in the loafers, but 
not evil."  Gary smiled at them, not able to help himself he winked 
at Xander...

"And how come we're just finding out now that you two are witches?"

"Long story, one I'm sure James would love to tell you but for now 
lets concentrate on getting back the Energizer Bunnies." 

"Don't ask about the name... taking a leap of faith here that 'The 
*Fallen* knows the way' is you Luc." James said after punching Gary 
in the arm for using the nickname they used for the Slayers in 
private after hearing more than just their conversation one morning. 

Luc jumped off the counter, which had over the last two days become 
his favorite spot here and in L.A.  "That it would be! Now that the 
cat is out of the bag so to speak... The fucking rules don't apply... 
The Slayer's are alive, and Glory does have them.  The bodies that 
fell from the portal were clones in a way, which is why there were no 
scars. Glory did the same thing that the monks did by using a drop of 
their blood, which wouldn't carry the genetic trace for the scars 
unless they were born with them. I know where Glory is keeping them 
and I managed to buy them a little time.  However, there is another 
player involved. Someone from Faith's childhood." Luc paused not sure 
if he should go on with Dawn in the room he looked to Willow for an 
answer. 

Dawn didn't miss the interaction between Willow and Luc, she knew he 
was looking to Willow to decide whether she could stay and hear what 
he had to say. Now more the ever she believed this was her fault. She
should have said something sooner, she had heard what Gregor had said 
about the nature of the beast... She couldn't even think about what 
Glory was doing to them. She knew that it was bad, she had heard 
Willow's hesitation, knew that she had almost said beaten.

"I'm not leaving! They are my family, my sisters. I'm not leaving! I 
won't be able to help them when they come back if I don't know what 
happened to them.  I am not a child, Buffy was my age when she was
'Chosen'.  I want... I need to help. I know it's bad, I heard what 
Gregor said about Glory. Please I..."

Luc caught a slight nod from Willow out of the corner of his eye.  He 
would tone down what he said, and fill them in with what they needed 
to know when Dawn was asleep later that night. "Okay little one, you 
can stay... The first thing you all need to know is that while only a 
few months have passed here, almost seven months have passed for the 
Slayers..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Morning sleepy head..."

"Morning to you too..." Buffy burrowed deeper into Faith's side, not 
wanting to get up yet. She had a gnawing feeling in the pit of her 
stomach, and she felt an answering response coming from Faith.

They had been here for ten days, today was the start of their 
eleventh. In Glory's domain it was the beginning of the sixth day, 
while for the Scoobs, and the L.A. crew the sun had just gone down on 
the second day after Luc's arrival at the Mansion. The 'Fates' domain 
was once again out-of-sync with the rest of the dimensions, it was a 
necessity in order to maintain the 'Tapestry of Life'. 

The Chosen Two had fallen into a daily routine within the 'Fates' 
domain.  After the first morning all three 'Fates' joined them every 
day for breakfast.  They had found out that Clotho's was a master of 
hand-to-hand combat, as well as a medieval weapons expert. So after 
breakfast everyday they trained with her, and she suitably impressed 
both Slayers, they had learned quite a lot from her in only nine 
days.  

Lachesis, it turned out, was a master of Tai-Chi and Yoga. They spent 
their afternoons with her and had learned new Tai-Chi exercises that 
even Angel didn't know. She taught them about pressure points, how to 
regulate their heart rate, breathing, the flow of their blood through 
their veins. Then she taught them about the seven basic chakra's and 
what each one did. They learned how to unblock and balance their 
chakra's; to let the vibrations of the light which made up their 
centers flow freely. In turn Lachesis, taught them how to share the 
energy or use it themselves with not only Yoga meditations, but their 
Slayer Healing to help heal their bodies even faster.
 
They spent their evenings with Atropos in her favorite room, who 
despite her young appearance still treated them much like a 
grandmother would her grandchildren.  She began teaching them 
different meditations that would strengthen the 'bond', or the
'echoes' they shared. The bond expanded under her tutelage, it became 
second nature to them. They learned to communicate effortlessly with 
each other through emotions, without words.  They were not telepathic 
in the sense that they could speak to each other in their minds, 
rather it was with images in a place between their conscious and 
subconscious minds. 

They were learning how to fine tune and control their connection,
'echo's'. How to expand them, narrow them down to a single thought, 
emotion, even close all except that one small thread that would for 
eternity connect them.  That thread Atropos told them would always 
remain open, not even death could close it, it was the thread that 
linked them outside of being Slayers it was the thread that anchored 
their souls together, it was the thread that made them soul-mates. 
They hadn't however started to explore the new 'echo' of the ghost-
like-physical-touch they felt upon their own skin when the other was 
touched.

Between the three 'Fates' both Buffy and Faith began to learn how to 
use all of their Slayer senses, from sight, to smell, to touch, to 
sound, to even taste.  They were learning how to fine-tune all of 
their senses to their advantage. To begin to tap into the source of 
what made them Slayer's, something they had barely touched upon 
before. Both Slayers had to wonder if the council didn't teach them 
this because they didn't want a Slayer to actually realize their full 
potential.  

The 'Fates' were teaching them how to substitute one sense for the 
other if one became disabled.  On the second day of training Clotho's 
began to teach them how to fight without their sight.  They spent 
most of the afternoon blindfolded and on their butts, but in the last 
hour of training it became a rare sight to see either Slayer on the 
ground. Faith became quite proficient at fighting 'blind' quickly, 
earning herself a new nickname from Buffy from some damn television 
show that she used to watch on 'Nick-At-Night. She started to call 
Faith, 'Grasshopper' after the character Kane from the original Kung 
Fu series with David Carradine.

As the days passed and they trained together using their newly 
acquired skills, they began to move in perfect synchronicity, like 
true mirror images of the other.  Graceful, almost as if they were 
performing a choreographed dance.  Yet they still remained 
independent, still able to improvise, surprise the other.  They were 
able to communicate, warn the other of an impending attack or danger. 
They became each other's proverbial eyes-in-the-back-of-the-head.  

They balanced each other in a way that the 'Fates' had not seen in 
eons and they all thought that the sight of the 'Chosen Two' moving 
together or simply just being together was one of the most beautiful 
sights they ever had the honor to see.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Good morning Grasshopper and Buffy." All three 'Fates' said together.

"B, you are so going to regret that name, and so are you three." 
Faith snarled but there was no real threat behind either the snarl or 
the words.

"Well Grasshopper it is only fair that you have a nickname too, 
especially since you gave all of us at least one if not two. Let's 
see Elizabeth, or Buffy here is B. I'm 'Elder' or 'Pos', Lachesis is 
either 'Lach' or 'Ma' and Clotho is either 'Clo' or 'Kiddo'..."

"Yeah but those are wicked-cool nicknames, not like mine..." Faith 
grumbled some more before she sat down with a huff and a pout on her 
bottom lip.

"Don't pout baby... I hate it when you pout." Buffy leaned in close 
to Faith, and purred in her ear, "You know I have other nicknames for 
you, but I don't think you want me to share those..." Buffy planted a 
soft kiss on the sensitive spot behind Faith's ear before she moved 
away and attacked her breakfast.

For a little while after Buffy's lips touched the sensitive flesh by 
her ear, Faith forgot all about what had happened to her, to them, 
over the last seven months.  She felt a blush creep up her neck, and 
the light laugher from the 'Fate's' whom she was sure heard what 
Buffy said, just made it grow brighter.

"No fair B... Did I ever tell you, you don't play fair..." Then she 
attacked her own breakfast, reveling in that warm fuzzy feeling that 
Buffy had always been able to give her.

They all talked while Faith wolfed down her food and was lost in her 
own little world. Then that gnawing feeling in her stomach grew, 
reminding her what had happened, what still wasn't over.  The blush 
faded from her cheeks and neck, the warm fuzzy feeling grew ice-cold. 
Vaguely she heard the little pearl-of-wisdom that Atropos decided to 
drop on them that morning.

"Food is a lot like the source of your power. That which sustains 
you, like the source of your strength, your power, what makes you 
each uniquely you, can also be your poison, or your greatest 
weakness, and that which destroys you..."

Faith continued to stare at her plate when she was finished, forgoing 
her usual seconds.  She closed them, the sound of their voices off 
and instead concentrated on the link to the part of herself that was 
still aware *there*. Then the tingling of her Slayer senses was 
rushing at her and if she didn't know better she would have sworn 
that she heard the distinct sound of the other shoe dropping.  Every 
hair on her body stood on end, seeming to crackle with electricity. 
She bolted upright, her back, spine rigid, every muscle in her body 
tightened painfully.

"Faith baby...?" Buffy tried to keep the tremor out of her voice but 
she knew and if she didn't she would have known the second she saw 
the haunted eyes that Faith turned to her.

"B... I'm sorry..." Unbeknownst to Buffy, Faith had spent hours every 
night in the 'Fates' library researching. Trying to find something, 
anything to merge their segregated bodies into whole ones here in 
the 'Fates' domain. Atropos had joined her after the first night 
thinking perhaps that she might have forgotten something over the 
years that might help them. 

Then Faith had begun to look for anything that could even just get 
Buffy away. She didn't care the cost, even if was her own soul, she 
would pay any price to get Buffy free from Glory and Johnny. Any 
price at all to keep Buffy from ever having to go back *there*. 
Neither Faith nor Atropos found anything that could release the 
Slayers from the other dimension. They kept on researching anyway 
just in case. Biding their time, waiting for the sixth or seventh 
day, when hopefully with the help of the 'Chosen Two's' family of 
friends, they would escape that place.
 
Buffy grabbed Faith's hand, squeezing it gently. "No sorrys... We'll 
get out of this together..."

"Now Atropos..." Faith choked on the words as they came out. 

With a nod of her head, the Slayer's were returned to Glory's hell 
and the 'Fates' were once again in the 'Tapestry of Life' room.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Atropos..." Lachesis pleaded with her sister as she sat at the loom.

"You have to tell them... Tell Luc... That skanky-bad-haired excuse 
for a 'god' and that vermin weren't supposed to be back for two more 
days..." Clotho's joined her voice to her sister's, sounding a lot 
like the Dark Slayer.

"Please Atropos you can't leave them there..." Lachesis looked into 
her sister's sad eyes. She knew Atropos didn't want to leave them 
there, but those goddamn rules.  Always the rules! "Atropos do you 
really want to have to cut one or both of their 'Life Threads' in two 
days time? This whole thing should have never happened to begin with. 
Let alone the cutting of their 'Life Threads' not now, not this soon, 
not this way... Atropos please..." Lachesis voice was soft, barely a 
whisper.

Atropos spent less then two seconds looking at her sisters' crying, 
pleading eyes. They, like her, admired, respected and loved the 
Slayers, the Slayer's had become a part of their family. She knew 
Lachesis wasn't lying, knew that there was a real possibility that 
she might have to cut one or both of their 'Life Threads'.  Already 
the scene in Glory's dimension was starting to play out and with 
almost one-hundred percent certainty one or both of the Slayers would 
not survive to see the sunrise on the eighth day within Glory's 
domain, if she didn't do something. This time it all came down to 
her, only she could stop the cutting of a 'Life Thread' so the choice 
to break the rules was hers alone.

"Fuck it! That skanky-bad-haired-bitch started this!" 

With a fury in her jade green eyes that neither of her sisters had 
seen in a very long time, and that the 'Chosen Two', especially Faith 
would have been proud of, Atropos waved her hand and was gone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"LUC!" This time it was Lucifer, the 'Prince of Darkness', who almost 
jumped out of his skin when suddenly someone was behind him.

He whirled around, blinking, not believing his eyes.  He heard Spike 
growling and purring in what he knew was the equivalent of a vampire 
courting call, and whirled back around on Spike, "Don't even think 
about it!" He turned around once again, he guided her into the 
kitchen so they could speak in private. "What are y..."

"I had to send them back. One or both of them will not live to see 
the sunrise on the eighth day in that bitch's domain. You have to go 
to Shedu now!"

"What? But it's only the sixth day there! Son of a bitch! It's going 
to take us almost a full day to get there... If only I could fade 
them there, but I can't. It doesn't work. I can only move, fade 
myself to the middle and then to Shedu, even that takes time. We 
don't have everything we need... fuck we're not ready yet... What the 
hell am I going to do?  I can't leave Buffy and Faith there alone... 
I have to go help them... distract Glory, something... But I can't 
leave here, they won't be able to get there... what the h..."

"Luc..." She lightly placed her hand on his arm to stop his rambling.
"Tell me what it is that you still need.  Then you can tell me how to 
get to Shedu and where the Slayers are being held.  I will lead these
'Warriors of Light' there. This way you can go and help the Chosen 
Two immediately... " 

"Atropos... You... why are you doing this? The rules..."

"Sometimes you have to break the rules Luc... They are family now... 
this was never meant to be... should never have happened.  Neither 
one of them deserves this... I should have done something the very 
first second we discovered this within the 'Tapestry' I will regret 
that I did not for the whole of my life..."

He gave her a lopsided grin that was brilliant, "I knew there was a 
reason why I'm still in love with you after all these eons..." Luc's 
eyes grew wide when he realized what just came out of his mouth. 
Atropos stared at him, disbelief and hope mingled in her jade green 
eyes.  Eyes that he used to lose himself in for hours, once upon a 
time. 

"Luc?" She questioned him softly...

He lifted his hand and gently stroked her hair and whispered to her,
"I never stopped, not once, not for a single second..."

The smile she gave him left him blind for a fraction of a second, his 
heart skipped a beat when she told him softly, "Neither did I... 
but..."

"Now is not the time..." He finished with a happy sigh none-the-less.
"But after this, we will talk and then after the talk..."

She slapped his arm as he dragged her out into the living room.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their outer layer and their inner layers rejoined the same second 
Johnny came busting through the front door.

"Daddy's home, girls! Did ya miss me?" 

They were off the couch, and on opposite sides of the room from each 
other so fast that all he saw was a blur of motion.  He could hear 
the low rumbling growls coming from the both of them.  He looked at 
Buffy first who was crouched low, ready to spring, a feral light in 
her eyes making them more gold than hazel.  He turned his attention 
to Faith next, whose stance was relaxed, almost casual; the same 
feral light in her eyes. The flecks of emerald green glowed brightly 
within her dark chocolate eyes, making her look even more like the 
predatory panther that Buffy often likened her to.

He snarled and gave them a tightlipped thin rabid smile of his own.  
They took in his appearance, there didn't seem to be a mark on him, 
and something was different about him.  Both of the Chosen One's 
opened their Slayer senses to him like the 'Fates' had taught them. 
In the same instant they knew what was different about him, he was 
now only a quarter human, the rest was pure hell demon.  For just a 
second terror flickered through both of their eyes but they pushed it 
down, focusing instead on remaining strong. 

He didn't miss the fear in their eyes, and he smiled broadly at them 
showing them what the additional change had brought him. He now had 
very long sharp sets of upper and lower fangs, they sparkled like 
they were coated with some shiny substance.  He saw their bodies 
tense minutely. He couldn't wait until they saw his hands, which he 
had kept behind his back since he had entered the room. Not to 
mention the other little powers that came along with his almost full 
demon state.  He ran his tongue over the top set of fangs, loving the 
way they felt. 

"Like 'em....?" Neither Slayer answered him, but then again he hadn't 
expected they would. He turned his attention to Faith once again 
locking his eyes with hers, "I can't want to use them on you, baby 
girl... Can't wait to taste you... I bet you'll taste good..."

They moved forward as one, slowly stalking him. Then they were a blur 
coming towards him as they tapped in further than they ever had 
before into the source of what made them Slayers. 

There wasn't anyway that he could take out both of them at once 
coming at him from either side like they were.  Then again he didn't 
need to.  Faith reached him first, her longer legs giving her the 
advantage, Buffy was only a step behind her. Faith lashed out with 
her left leg in a knee-strike, and Buffy barely managed to whirl out 
of the way a second before Faith would have hit her, because Johnny 
was no longer there.

"Looking for me my little 'Pets'?" He waited to continue until they 
turned around to face him. "Oh did I neglect to tell you I can do 
that blinking from one place to another like Glory now?  So sorry."

They had not even taken a half a step towards him when he hit them 
both with darts from the Tranquilizer Guns he pulled out from behind 
his back. He shot Faith a second time, just to be on the safe side.

The drug worked its way quickly through their blood streams, they 
staggered another step or two.  Both swaying drunkenly, fighting with 
everything they were worth against the effects of the drug on them.  
First Faith, then Buffy's legs gave out, they both fell to their 
knees with a bone jarring impact.  Their world becoming blurry, their 
limbs heavy, so very heavy, yet they felt like they were floating at 
the same time. They watched him approach them with glazed eyes in 
slow motion leaving a rainbow-like trail behind him.

He kicked out and caught Buffy in the shoulder knocking her down to 
the floor on her back.  He giggled like an insane three-year-old as 
she struggled to get back up.

He turned towards Faith and lashed out with his foot, five times as 
hard, catching her in the stomach. Smiling as she slid a foot 
backwards doubled over in pain. 

He saw the little tremors, the slight convulsion starting to move 
through Buffy as she fought against the drug.  He knew this was one 
severely painful drug.  Causing hallucinations, disorientation, 
confusion, extreme muscle cramping, heart palpitations and 
convulsions; eventually rendering them unconscious, but it was a pain
filled trip getting there.

He walked behind Faith and pulled her up by her hair.  He grabbed her 
around the waist and pulled her tightly to him, letting the razor-
like nails of his fingers slice thinly, delicately across her 
stomach. He released her hair, and cupped her under her chin pulling 
her head back harshly onto his shoulder, exposing the long column of 
her neck. He stood towering over Buffy, holding a struggling Faith 
against him like she was no more than a two-week-old hissing kitten. 
He had that same self-satisfied triumphant smug look on his face that 
Buffy had longed, needed to claw off, that first day here. That need 
returned to her with a vengeance. 

"Slayer-Runt, did Faithy ever tell you about the summer we spent up 
here after her junkie-whore of a mother died of an overdose?"

With each word a memory struggled to find it's way out of the deep 
dark place it still lay lurking within Faith. A memory that she had 
buried so deep that it had not even come close to surfacing that 
first night of their captivity here with the rest of her childhood 
memories.

"No... Well, it was the summer she turned sweet sixteen... So..." He 
paused and licked the side of Faith's neck, smiling at the taste of 
the fear in her sweat. 

Buffy watched him from under heavy eyes, concentrating on clearing 
her system of the drug.  Using the breathing and meditative methods 
the 'Fates' had taught them.  She was slowly succeeding, but it 
wasn't fast enough.  She could feel the sheer panic rising up in 
Faith. Could feel bewilderment overtaking Faith as she slipped out of 
the here and now, sliding back into her past. 

"Yummy... As I was saying... I decided to give her a special present.
I decided to teach her something. I've heard she actually put it to 
use once.  Do you want to know what it was, Runt?"

The memory slammed into Faith, overtaking her.  Creating more terror, 
fear than she had ever felt in her whole life.  It forced her back in 
time, the drug confusing her as she was once again caught up in the 
nightmare of that summer.  She was sixteen again, Buffy, vampires, 
demons, Slayers didn't exist, and never had. The only thing real to 
her was the tortured-filled weeks of the summer she turned sixteen 
and the real-life monster that was holding her now, cruelly and had 
been hurting her for years. 

"That summer I taught my baby girl all about the five basic torture 
groups. I'm thinkin' though that it's time I taught them to her 
again... "

Faith started to struggle against him harder, small whimpers of fear 
coming from her. "Please don't.... please..." 

"If I remember correctly we started with blunt or was it sharp 
Faithy?  Guess now I can do both!" He licked his lips lavishly and 
threw a malicious look at Buffy, smiling widely. Venom dripped from 
his fangs as he lowered his head towards Faith's neck. He bit her 
ferociously in the junction where her neck met her shoulder.

The scream came out from some tortured place inside of her soul, as 
he ripped through her skin and muscle.  She felt the venom hissing, 
slithering under her skin, spreading like wild fire through her.  
Scorching her, boiling her blood.  The blood that dripped down from 
where his fangs punctured her felt, oddly enough, cold on her skin as 
it trailed its way down her back, her chest, over her breast.

With Faith's scream a layer of what separated Buffy from that ancient 
remembered thing that ran through her blood was ripped away. She 
reached further into herself, into what made her a Slayer and 
shrugged off enough of the drug's effects to regain her feet.

He pulled his fangs out of Faith in surprise, disbelief running riot 
over his angelic features as the Slayer-Runt stood before him.  He 
shoved Faith from him. Before he had a chance to blink himself away, 
Buffy caught him brutally in the chest with a jumping front-kick. He 
went flying backwards, landing hard on his ass.

Faith staggered away from him, falling down on her knees again, her 
body pitching forward.  She began to half drag, half pull herself 
away. Lost in a drug and fear-induced haze, her only thought to 
escape.

Buffy rushed forward, lashing out with her foot again, hitting him 
with inhuman force between the legs. His breath caught and he started 
to choke. It felt like his balls were lodged in the back of his 
throat.  She hit him with rapid-fire right and left crosses, whipping 
his head back and forth with her punches. The feral light in her eyes 
making them turn gold, as she growled, hissed, with pleasure seeing 
him bleed.

Johnny's head began to spin, he put his hand out behind him to stop 
from falling onto his back.  He felt one of the tranquilizer guns 
with his fingertips, he slid back from her and grabbed the gun.  He 
swung it towards her too fast for her to get out of the way and fired 
two shots directly into her stomach.

She kept on punching and kicking him, trying to fight off the 
staggering effects of the drug. She had to protect her mate! Had to 
protect Faith! Had to get them out of here!  Had to stop this! Had to 
hurt him like he had hurt them!  Had to... had to... had...

He stood when she could barely lift her arms anymore.  He shoved 
Buffy violently backwards. She stumbled; her legs too heavy and 
cramping on her.  She was seeing trails as if she were on a bad acid 
trip.  Her legs gave out and she fell to the floor face first, her 
arms barely breaking her fall.  She tried to rise, but couldn't,
"Fa... I'm sor..." Then the drug overwhelmed her and forced her into 
the coldness of the darkness' embrace.

Faith heard him coming up behind her, she rolled herself into a 
protective ball.  Her body began to convulse violently from the drug.
Her temperature rising dangerously from the venom, heating her blood.
Pleading hoarsely under her breath until the darkness claimed 
her, 'pleasesomeonehelpmeplease.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That son-of-a bitch... I'm gonna..." Lachesis snarled under her 
breath, she continued to mumble to herself as her sister rushed over 
to her.
 
"What? WHAT?"

Lachesis just pointed down at the 'Tapestry of Life'.

Clotho looked at the 'Life Threads' of the Chosen Two, her cerulean 
eyes glinted dangerously. "He is so gonna bleed... Rip... I'll..." 

A disembodied voice floated to the two sisters. "You might want to 
make a brief trip to the 'Radiance' room, I believe there is a spell 
there called the 'Amalgamate'..." 

"Chronos?"

"Yes..." came the voice to them again. 

"What..."

"Time is of the essence here..." Chronos's chuckled at his own joke 
lightly, "...Oh and while you're in the 'Radiance' room, I believe 
the spell requires a few things for it to work...'Harvester', 'Valor',
'Fortitude', 'Emancipator', 'Amnesty', 'Witness', 'Quintessence' and
'Foreshadow'... And No... I will not tell you why, you will know 
why... And in the words of your sister of the heart, the Dark Slayer;
'It's time for you to motorvate.'  And Clo..."

"Yes, Chronos..." 

"I'd wish you all luck, but you won't need it now... Remember to wait 
for the sign..."

"Thank you, Chronos..."

"Your welcome Clo..." This time the disembodied voice spoke to an 
empty room, the sisters were already gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luc and Atropos finished going over the new plan with the Scoobs and 
the L.A. crew.  Atropos opened her mouth to call for her sisters when 
they appeared in front of the fireplace before she got the chance. 
Clotho pulled a large bag off her shoulder and dropped it to the 
floor, it fell open, it's contents spilling out.
 
"What is this?" Atropos asked as she saw what the bag contained.

"Chronos..."

"You mean Chronos... like Father Time that Chronos..." Clotho nodded 
yes at the redheaded witch. "Well then can't he turn back time... 
stop this... make it not happen at all... if we knew ahead of time 
then we could stop it... kill Ben... Glory... something..."

"It doesn't work that way, little tree..." Everyone in the room 
jumped except for the 'Incarnates' when the deep voice of Chronos 
floated to them on the air. "I don't have the power to change what 
happens, I can only set the clock back... besides I already know I 
didn't do that so it is not an option..."

"But..."

"No buts... Time is of the essence... You have what you need... 
Remember to wait for the sign..."

"Clo and Lach explain to them what's going on. What all this is, I 
need a few minutes alone with Luc.  When I get back you can fill me 
in."

Atropos walked Luc outside to the walled in garden.  They stood 
staring at each other awkwardly for a few minutes.

"So... I should get going... You have everything you need. Be 
careful... we don't have the same power there that we have here. 
Glory can't kill us, well I don't think she can, but she can hurt us 
badly.  She can kill them though and I... Just be careful all of 
you..."

"You too Luc..."

He turned to leave and then spun back around pulling her into his 
arms. "I..." he paused, not sure if he should say what was in his 
heart, what he had been hiding for so long. He took a deep breath and 
exhaled slowly letting it all go. "I know we need to talk about this. 
I know this is not the time or the place.  But I never stop loving 
you, not for a second.  So... Atropos, Aspect of the 'Fates', I give 
to you the thread which binds me to you as my eternal soul-mate. I 
give it to you freely, as I should have a long time ago with no 
expectation of having you bind yourself to me.  I have been and will 
forever more be yours alone." He kissed her softly on the cheek and 
let her go.

"Luc I..."

"No." He began anticipating what she was going to say. "This is not a 
spur of the moment thing for me. I've wanted to do this for what 
seems like forever. We can talk about it when we all get back safe 
and sound.  You do not have to accept my pledge or bind yourself to 
me, this is not something I am doing lightly or because of what may 
or may not happen. I am just doing what I should have done the first 
time, should have done a long time ago..."

He turned and started walking away from her, fading slowly.

"And so should have I... Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, I accept your 
pledge, and I give to you the thread which binds me to you as my 
eternal soul-mate. I give it to you freely, as I too should have a 
long time ago..."

He turned, "Atropos, Aspect of the 'Fates', I accept your pledge in 
return, binding us together now for all eternity."

He flashed her a lopsided grin, his eyes a brilliant sapphire blue 
and filled with love.

Then Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness was gone. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He faded into the dungeon that he had spent three days watching Glory 
torture Johnny in. Neither were there, he was just about to fade out 
and try the Log Cabin when he felt the air shift behind him. He 
started turning getting that same gnawing feeling in his stomach the 
Slayers' had earlier that morning.

"Lucifer..." The thing that was Glory hissed at him.  Before he had a 
chance to react her hand swiped out at him.  The razor sharp nails 
slicing a path through his skin and muscle from his shoulder down to 
his hip.  "So glad you could join us pretty boy..." 

Someone or something smashed him in the back of the head, he swayed 
drunkenly on his feet.  He tried to block the next swipe of her hand 
across his torso but he was too slow.  She sliced through his abdomen 
and he watched incredulously as his blood seeped out from the four 
long gashes. Another blow to the back of his head sent him pitching 
forward slowly, as if in a dream, his saw two hands reach out in 
front of him not even realizing they were his own.

{FUCK! I'm sorry...} was his last thought before his head cracked 
sickly against the cold black cement floor.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excruciating pain greeted her as she woke with a fire-filled gasp. 
Dully she felt a needle being withdrawn from a vein in her arm.  She 
felt both cold and hot at the same time as the venom from Johnny's 
fangs burned a path through her veins. Her body was shivering 
uncontrollably from both the drugs and the fever running through her. 
She was semi-delirious, hallucinating and knew it, she was caught 
somehow in both the summer she was sixteen and the here and now.  Her 
arms were being slowly drawn up over her head and she became 
conscious of the cuffs around her wrists. She couldn't stifle the 
moan of pain as she was raised up higher until she was hanging by her 
bound wrists a half a foot off the floor.

She forced her eyes open as far as they would go, they were swollen, 
and she knew the mother-fucker had beaten her viciously while she was 
helpless and unconscious.  She felt something sticky, wet on her 
back. Blood. Hers, she could smell it. She could feel the wide welts 
from his favorite belt and it dawned on her that he must have used 
the buckle end this time.

She stared at the black cement floor knowing they weren't in the play 
room this time. She heard him move from behind her and she rolled her 
head up and back, the movement making her head spin, her stomach 
churn. Her head was so heavy, it was almost impossible to keep it 
raised, she let it rest against her arm. She followed him with her 
eyes as he moved across the room, the world blurry around the edges. 
He entered a cage that was similar, only larger, then the one in the 
Play room and that was when she saw them.

Luc was chained spread-eagle to the bars of the back of the cage.  
His head hanging down and she could see blood dripping from the back 
of his scalp over the side of his face to the floor.  His shirt hung 
in tatters on him and there were multiple gashes on his arms, chest 
and stomach. No one needed to tell her who had given them to him, she 
had born many similar ones herself. His chest rose and fell evenly 
and she gave a sigh of relief that he was still alive. 

Her eyes slid over to her mate who was also obscenely bound spread 
eagle to the bars of the back of the cage. Unlike Luc though, both 
she and her mate did not have any clothes to hide them from Johnny's 
leering eyes. Buffy's head was dropped down to her chest, her blonde 
hair covering her face and Faith couldn't tell if she was awake or 
not. Her body was once again covered in purple and black bruises.  
There were wide stripes across her chest, arms, stomach and legs and 
she knew Johnny had beaten Buffy with his favorite belt too. Every 
part of Faith cried out in pain and anguish for her soul-mate. 

Silently she cursed herself for ever becoming a part of Buffy's 
life.  Had she just stayed away none of this would have ever happened.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Johnny stepped out of the cage, closing and locking the door after he 
had given the 'wake' up shots to both Luc and Buffy.  He could feel 
Faith's eyes following him the whole time he was in there, and now as 
he moved over to the stainless steel table against the wall. 

"Oh goody everyone's awake... I was getting so bored... Felt like you 
all were going to sleep forever... Though I did manage to amuse 
myself a little..." He grabbed a pack of cigarettes off the table and 
took one out, then started moving back across the room towards Faith.
 
"Faith..." Buffy's eyes grew wide with horror when she saw her mate.  

Faith was covered in blood, angry welts across every part of her body 
that Buffy could see.  Not one inch of her skin wasn't covered in 
inky-black bruises. Her eyes were practically swollen shut. There 
were shallow and deep cuts across her skin, from the buckle on the 
belt and from Johnny's razor-like nails.  Sweat was pouring off her, 
and Buffy could feel in an 'echo' the fever that was raging through 
Faith.  The skin surrounding where Johnny had bitten her was raised, 
swollen, and leaking a sickly looking ochre-colored pus. Blood was 
already trailing out from under the cuffs that were holding her 
suspended by the wrists. "Oh god... Faith... I'm sorry... I couldn't 
st..."

"B... no...t" Her tongue felt thick and swollen in her mouth.  The 
words heavy, hard to form, "...yo...ur... f...ault..."

"That's right 'B' not your fault it's all my 'baby girls' fault... 
Ain't that right Faithy?"

Faith felt her stomach clench and churn even more as his foul breath 
waft across her face. 

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!"

Johnny moved in close to Faith. He put his arm around her waist, 
pulling her more intimately into him.  His other hand holding the 
cigarette came up. Razor-like nails traced affectionately over the 
burn mark high up on the inside of her underarm.  A burn he had given 
her as one of her sixteenth birthday presents.

"You will die for this.  If it's the last thing I do you will suffer 
and die for this." It was not a threat that Luc gave but a promise.

Johnny sneered at him. "You don't scare me Luccccc.  You lost any 
power you had over me the minute you gave me to Glory! In fact none 
of you look like a threat to me at all right now.  So shut the fuck 
up or I'll gag you."

Buffy snapped her head towards Luc, before she could say anything Luc 
cut her off.

He whispered to her, for her slayer hearing only, his voice full of 
remorse, sorrow, regret. "Not now! We have to work together to get 
out of this. You can beat me up later..." 

"Count on it..." Buffy snarled at him.  

They both struggled futilely against their bindings, straining with 
their effort.  Luc tried to fade out of his chains and found that he 
couldn't.  Fuck! Glory must have had one of her Clerics cast a spell 
preventing him from using any of his mystical powers. Johnny laughed 
at them, he rested his head against Faith's raised arm and shoulder, 
his eyes level with hers.

"So, I believe I was about to re-introduce you to the five basic 
torture groups before your slut of a lover over there so rudely 
interrupted us with her pitiful attempt at an attack. I gave you all 
a little something to make sure that none of you, especially you
'baby girl' didn't poop out on me. Otherwise, this is going to be 
over way to fast. We wouldn't want that now would we?" He used almost 
the exact words from her past. Words she had said to Wesley when she 
was torturing him, teaching him the same lesson. 

Faith felt sick to her stomach, sick that she had been emulating this 
man who was now next to her. She knew before he even continued that 
he would use the rest of them, to hurt her, to haunt her, to remind 
her of what she had been. 

"Now we've only done one of the five basic torture groups. We've had 
Blunt, but that still leaves Sharp, Cold, Hot and Loud. Have a 
preference?"

Faith was once again thrust back into the past, remembering now that 
the words she had said to Wesley were the same words that Johnny had 
said to her the summer she had turned sixteen.  She felt even sicker, 
her stomach churning, cramping.

While he waited for her to answer him, he casually lit the 
cigarette.  

"No...? No preference... Then how about I pick for you...? Let's 
see... Sharp...?" He flicked his razor-like nail carelessly across 
her skin, making her bleed. "No... No... I think... Hmmm... Hot! Hot 
that's it.  Hot is what I want..." He pressed the glowing tip of the 
cigarette into the burn mark he had only seconds ago been tracing 
affectionately.
 
Buffy and Luc both started struggling harder against their chains.  
Screaming at him in vain, damming him, cursing him.  

Faith choked back the grunt of pain, tears leaked out of the corner 
of her eyes.  She didn't remember the cigarette being this hot 
before, it felt like a torch against her skin.  The smell of her own 
burning flesh assailed her nostrils, repulsing her, nauseating her.  
The bile came up fast from her stomach, hot, thick, burning, she 
rolled her head forward towards him and vomited into his face.  

He was so stunned, that she managed to empty the entire contents of 
her stomach on him before he jerked back from her. He roared out his 
anger, his fist came up and he smashed her across the face.  "You 
fucking cheap little whore... You'll regret this..."

She laughed in his face, then spit the rest of the vomit and blood 
that clung to the inside of her mouth in his face. "Thou-ght pigs 
liked this shit..." She laughed at him again, as he moved away from 
her stripping out of his soiled clothes and grabbing up a wide 
leather and chain belt.

She wrapped her hands around the chains that bound her wrists and 
waited for him to get close enough to her.  She dug down deep into 
the well of the source of what made her a Slayer and drew strength 
from there. When he was near enough she pulled herself up and lashed 
out at him with both her feet catching him by surprise. The first 
kick hit him where she knew would do the most damage, right between 
the legs.  He fell to his knees gasping in pain and for the second 
time that day he felt like his balls were lodged in the back of his 
throat. 

The second kick caught him on the cheek and she growled loudly in 
satisfaction when she heard the bone break.  She caught him on his 
temple on the other side before he could fall over.  Again she lashed 
out hitting with the ball of her foot under his chin, the equivalent 
of a foot-undercut. The force of the kick jerked him slightly up off 
his knees and sent him tumbling backwards.

He sat up dizzily wiping the blood from his face, smiling like the 
madman he was. He was pissed, beyond pissed, but he oh-so loved it 
when she fought back.  It made it all the more fun when he finally 
broke her, and break her, he would.  He had not one single doubt 
about it, not even for a second.  He snapped the belt out at her, 
wrapping the strap tightly around her calf, and he yanked down hard 
trying to break her hold on the chains.  

Faith let her pull him down and towards him. She used the momentum of 
the swing and her body weight to pull him towards her.  She hit him 
in the face with the bottom of her foot, breaking his nose and 
knocking his front teeth loose again.  She brought the leg up that 
still had the belt wrapped around her calf and wrapped the belt 
around his neck twice.  He was gasping for air and he reached up 
trying to cut through the belt with his razor-like nails.  She kicked 
with her free leg at his hands, keeping them away from the belt.  

She started lifting him up, the belt growing tighter around his neck 
and her leg.  Her arms were trembling with her effort and she didn't 
know how long she could keep this up.  She could feel that the cuts 
on her back reopen, the blood dripping and pooling on the floor below 
her feet.

He felt his eyes bulging and wished he could truly blink himself 
away. They thought he blinked from one place to another like Glory, 
but in reality he just moved so fast they couldn't see him. Not even 
with their Slayer sight. He was fighting for every breath, and his 
head was growing lighter.  He couldn't believe that she was able to 
keep knocking his hands away. How the hell had she gotten so fast, so 
strong, over the last six days? How the hell was she even moving with 
all those drugs in her system, not to mention the venom?  

He looked up and saw how her arms were trembling fiercely from 
holding up her own weight and his.  He knew she couldn't last much 
longer, but then again neither could he. An idea came to him.  He 
changed tactics, he feigned going for the belt then at the last 
second he grabbed her ankle with both hands as she lashed out at 
him.  

He sunk his nails deep into her flesh and pulled down, using both his 
weight and every ounce of strength that he possessed.  He was 
rewarded with a scream as his nails almost sliced the tendons in the 
back of her ankle completely in half. He let go with one hand and 
sliced through the belt.  Then he 'blinked' himself across the room.

"Oh I am so gonna make you bleed..." He took one of his favorite 
thick leather belts, the one with small pointy spikes on it, off the 
wall. He turned around and started walking back towards Faith.

Buffy started struggling ferociously against her restraints and felt 
the flesh ripping around her wrists.  She didn't care if it took 
tearing off her own skin to get out of them, she would do it, 
whatever it cost she was going to get out of them, she had to!  She 
used her own blood to coat her wrists and started to slowly twist 
them within the cuff, slicing off skin, determined to get free and 
help Faith. Luc saw what Buffy was doing, within a second blood was 
dripping down from his wrists too.

He made sure he stayed out of reach of her legs and made his way 
behind her.  Johnny snapped the belt out to the side once, just 
because he liked the noise it made and because he loved the shudder 
of fear it caused to ripple through Faith's body.  He leaned in close 
to her ear, and threw her own words back in her face again. 

"Before we get started, I just want you to know, if you're a screamer 
*F*, feel free..." He stepped back and raised his arm...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The portal opened up right outside of the front door to the log 
cabin.  They stepped through it one by one. 

Angel and Spike looked at each other, they could smell the Slayer's 
blood.  It was so thick it made even the demon in them sick, roar 
with rage.  Something happened to Angel in that second, a sort of 
merging of the soul with the demon.  They were united in their pursuit
to bring the Chosen Two home. United in their goal to decimate, 
destroy, maim those who had hurt them.

Lachesis turned to Spike, she held out her hand to him, something was 
clasped within it.  Spike presented his own hand, palm up, to her and 
she dropped her gift into it.  He stared down at what lay in his open 
hand with utter disbelief.  He dragged his eyes away from his open 
palm and looked into her light coffee-brown eyes in confusion. 

"The choices you make are yours alone... We can not make them for 
you... Only you can and they must be freely made... And now you are 
truly free to make your choices..."

Spike nodded his head at her. He moved up to stand with Angel by the 
door. He turned his hand over and let the gift that the 'Fates' had 
given him drop to the ground.  He took another step forward 
impatiently, crushing the chip the 'Fates' had removed from his head 
under his boot.  

As far as he was concerned his choice was the same with or without 
the bloody chip.  The Slayers, all of them here, including Lucifer, 
those waiting back at the Mansion, even the bloody watcher who was on 
his way from England were his family. And family did not hurt 
family.  At least not their family. And no one, NO ONE ever hurt his 
family!

"Well... Open the bloody fucking door Peaches we have some Slayers to 
bring home don't we now..."

"Ready?" 

"Ready." They all answered Angel together.  There was a quiet steel 
determination in all of their voices.

Angel swung the door open and they rushed into what should have been 
the main room of the cabin. Instead what they rushed into was a large 
open cavern that left them completely exposed, and in the middle of 
an ambush.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With every brutal strike of the belt on Faith, every hoarse tortured 
scream; every 'echoed' ghost-like touch on her own skin, another 
layer that separated Buffy from that ancient, familiar, remember 
thing, that ran through her blood was annihilated. Until finally in 
blinding blaze of white-hot-fury it was free and Buffy finally 
recognized it for what it was. 

*It* was primal, feral, rabid, without a conscious. *It* did not know 
the difference between right and wrong. *It* was a predator, and it 
knew, could smell, evil. *It's* only mission was to destroy evil at 
all cost, including anything that got in the way of *It* killing that 
prey. *It* was the undiluted essence, source of the mystical energy 
of what made Buffy and Faith the Chosen One's. 

*It* was her and she was *It*. 

*It* was fully free for the first time in decades. *It* was what had 
enabled the first Slayer to recognized Buffy as a sister-in-arms. 

For decades, *It* had owned the 'Slayer'. Fueling *It's* rage and 
anger, obliterating all other emotions, by keeping the 'Chosen One' 
isolated and alone. *Its* only goal to maim and eradicate evil in all 
forms. Even to the extent had *It* been given free rein *It* would 
have killed Faith when she had been lost and trying to find her way. 
It mattered not to *It* whether the evil was total or only a small 
black spot on the soul. Evil was evil to *It* no matter how big, no 
matter how small.

*It* was the reason the council never taught the Slayers how to tap 
into the true source of their powers, because once unleashed, *It* 
was uncontrollable. 

Then again there had never been a Slayer before quite like Buffy.  Or 
Faith, for that matter.

She had a family, friends, and the love of her soul-mate.  Had built 
a life, loved a souled-vampire, was soul-mate's with another Slayer.  
She had survived longer than any other Slayer before her, had died 
and returned, had beaten all the odds and prophesies, because she was 
neither isolated nor alone. When the source of her power came roaring 
to full life within her, Buffy recognized, accepted, wrapped, and 
made *It* a part of who she was, of her, immersing and entwining it 
forever within the lightness of her soul.  

And in making *It* a part of herself, she controlled *It*. 

*It* did not control her. 

Buffy had immediately understood what the council never did. To 
unleash the full potential of the Slayer's source of power within, 
and keep the Slayer herself from becoming just a mindless killer in 
her pursuit of evil, the Slayer needed to be more then just 
a 'Slayer'.
 
Buffy felt the heady rush of power, strength run through every cell 
in her body as *It* flowed through, merging with her.  All of the 
powers of the Slayer within her increased by a hundred-fold. She 
pulled at the magical chains that bound her to the bars of the cage 
in Glory's favorite dungeon, and felt them start to give a little.  
It would take to long to break them this way, and time she knew was 
running out, for her, for Luc, but most of all for Faith. She needed 
just a little more strength, just a little more, that was all.  

She remembered what she had seen in the 'Tapestry of Life', remembered
how each Slayer was connected to the other by the ancient source of 
their power.  How it was retained by each Slayer even after death, 
how this ancient mystical energy recognized itself in others, how a 
thin thread of it connected one Slayer to the next. It was this thin 
ancient common thread that had allowed the Enjoining spell to work, 
allowed the First Slayer to add her strength to Buffy's in order to 
defeat Adam. With the awakening and release of the ancient thing 
within her Buffy realized that she didn't need the Enjoining spell to 
reach out to her sister Slayers. She was connected to them in a way 
similar to her connection to Faith. 

For a brief second she closed her eyes and visualized the thread that 
linked them together. Using the language of the ancient power that 
was now a part of her, she sent a silent plea to her sister Slayers 
to lend their strength to her. 

There was a loud roaring in her ears, then a rush as she felt the 
strength of all of her sisters before her flood her with their power.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words like violence break the silence / Come crashing in / Into my 
little world / Painful to me / Pierce right through me / Can't you 
understand / Oh my little girl...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tell 'daddy' you love him Faithy and he'll stop the pain..."

"P - I - T - Y... Y - O - U...... NOLOVENOLOVE..."

He roared with rage and moved to stand in front of her.  He started 
raining blows down wildly, demanding again like a spoiled, whiney 
child, "Tell me you love me you fucking little whore... Tell me now!"

"nodon'tdeservecan'thaveratherdie..." Her words slurred together as 
she tried to speak through the ravages of pain and the venom's fever 
surging through her body.

"FINE!" The blows started coming faster, harder... 

Faith's head lolled backwards, the blows sending her reeling into a 
stupor. The drugs he had given her keeping her conscious, unable to 
escape as the pain rained down on her.

She broke out of her chains with a quiet snap of her legs first, then 
her wrists.  She moved a blur now to Luc and snapped his just as 
quietly. Buffy placed her index finger over her lips indicating for 
him to be quiet.  He saw that her eyes were gold, the eyes of a 
panther, they glowed with a feral light, primal, but intelligent, 
none-the-less.  He knew she had merged with her mystical power and 
for the first time ever the 'Chosen One' had control of the power, 
not the other way around. Then she was in front of the cage door and 
Luc never saw her move.  With a push the door opened soundlessly. 

She motioned to Johnny then to herself. Johnny was hers and Luc had 
every confidence that she would take him down.  Every confidence that 
she would make him suffer first as well.  She motioned to the lever 
that was keeping Faith suspended by her wrists off the floor and then 
to him, with a wave cautioning him to wait 'til she had Johnny away 
from Faith.  

She moved up silently behind her prey, her mouth drawn back in a 
silent snarl. 

He was oblivious to the fact that the 'Slayer' and the 'Devil' were 
free.  He brought his hand up high, and started swinging down aiming 
for Faith's breasts this time. He almost lost his grip on the belt 
when it stopped dead. He looked up confused at the ceiling thinking 
it had caught on something, then he heard the low rabid growling 
behind him.  The sound made every hair on his body stand on end, then 
the belt was ripped out of his hand.

He was pulled violently back away from Faith and then the Slayer-Runt 
was standing in front of him.  He looked into her gold eyes as she 
stood tapping the belt lightly against her naked thigh. If he didn't 
know better he would think the bruises on her had faded from black to 
indigo-blue.  That wasn't possible, he knew how long they took to 
heal.

"My turn to play now! Your turn to bleed!"

For the first time Johnny truly feared for his demon-life at the low, 
hissing, snarling promise Buffy had just made to him.
 
"To Me!" he shouted and then blinked, only to find her waiting for 
him.

Luc had moved rapidly across the room towards the lever. He was 
halfway across the room when the doors to the dungeon crashed opened 
with so much force that when they hit the walls they bounced back and 
closed again. A gang of demons came rushing in heading straight for 
Buffy. They surrounded her and she was completely out numbered and 
Luc didn't think even with her new found power she could take them 
all on.  He didn't know what to do. If Luc released Faith, he would 
have to get to her quickly, he knew she was in no condition to stand 
or protect herself. But if he did that there was a good chance that 
they, Buffy, would end up under the torturous, depraved thumb of 
Johnny again or even dead.  He kept moving toward the lever, still 
undecided.
 
The sound of the crashing doors jerked Faith out of her stupor. She 
forced her head to raise, everything looked a little fuzzy, and 
seemed to be moving in slow motion.  She saw the demons surround 
Buffy and knew she was in trouble.  She looked towards the cage and 
saw that Luc wasn't there. She saw him moving towards the lever to 
release her.  "NO!" He had to help Buffy, she would be no help to 
them released, in fact, she knew she would only be a hindrance. She 
didn't care about herself, all she cared about was Buffy and Buffy 
getting out of this, getting home. She didn't care if the cost was 
her own life, all that mattered to her was Buffy.
 
"Lu... he - hel -pB, helpBuffy!"

Luc did not ignore the Dark Slayer's hoarse plea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were bloody, wounded, hurt, tired, but all still alive.  How 
they had managed to defeat the army of demons that attacked them not 
one of them knew.  Defeat them all though they did.

"The Slayers and Luc aren't here." 

"An' hon we know that."

"Well I was..."

Atropos stood in the center of the cavern, closed her eyes and put up 
her hand for silence.  Using the same methods she had taught the 
Chosen Two, to expand and learn how to use their bonds and one she 
had yet to teach them, she concentrated and found her center.  She 
focused on the single thread inside of her that shined brighter then 
all the others.  The thread that connected her to her soul-mate.  She 
opened herself to it and silently without words implored Luc to lead 
her to him.

"Follow me... I know where they are... Glory obviously knows we are 
here, be ready for anything... Keep your eyes open for the sign..." 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was down to three demons and Johnny against Buffy and Luc.  Buffy 
turned her attention away from the demons and to Johnny.  Luc forced 
the demons back and away from both Buffy and Faith. 

Buffy backed up from Johnny moving in front of but slightly to the 
side of Faith protectively.

"B..."

Buffy wasn't sure if she actually heard Faith at first, her voice was 
so low.  She felt the waves of pain her mate was feeling in the
'echoes' they shared. It fueled her hate, her fury, even higher for 
the disgusting thing that stood in front of her glaring right back.

Softly on a shallow, pained breath her name came to her again. "B..."

"Faith..." She answered just as softly, with love so profound in the 
way that she said Faith's name, that it made even Luc catch his 
breath. 

"Fa...vor..."

"Anything baby..."

The words drifted softly to Buffy with each of Faith's shallow pained 
breaths. "Kick...... his...... ass...... for...... you...... 
and...... me......"

"With pleasure..." Buffy purred to her, and looked up into Faith's 
eyes, which were almost completely black from the pain. She gave 
Faith one of her own lopsided grins, then with the ease and the sleek 
grace of a true panther Buffy moved forward. 

She still stayed protectively in front Faith after she moved, anyone 
or anything would have to go through her to get to her mate.  She 
felt the power of their sister Slayers running through her, and the 
ancient thing that was part of her growling low. It quickened when it 
heard and answering call from its mate inside of Faith.

She beckoned for Johnny to come and get her. 

He heard the low resonant sound of her growls over the sounds of 
fighting in the room and it sent a chill down his spine. It didn't 
matter though, he knew they, she couldn't beat him.  Glory had seen 
to that. He stepped towards her with confidence, he liked it when the 
girls fought back, it made it more fun for him anyway.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They fought their way through the winding corridors. It seemed as if 
Glory had an endless supply of demons at her command.  It didn't stop 
them and they were all determined before this day was through that 
they would be bringing the Slayers home with them.  Determined, too, 
that Glory and that lowlife whose name all of them refused to speak 
would be pushing up the proverbial daisies by days end too.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He never saw the belt or her hand move. He just felt the after-streak 
of fire as it struck him, tearing into his skin leaving a trail of 
blood from his left hip down across to his right thigh. He was struck 
again with the belt as it lashed upwards between his legs which 
collapsed out from under him instantly. It left a trail of bloody 
fire from the bottom of his ass, over his balls, his manhood, to the 
bottom of his stomach.  Never in his life, not even when Glory had 
tortured him for four days had he felt such excruciating pain.  He 
was afraid to look down, sure that the blonde-haired Slayer had 
ripped off the head of his manhood.

"That's for the first time you touched her when she was only seven-
years-old you fucking pathetic scumbag piece of shit. The next one is 
for......"

He never saw her or the belt move, not once, as she rained blow after 
blow down on him. Not once as she shredded his flesh, muscle, flaying 
him down to the bone, causing him exquisite pain. Leaving him 
bleeding and begging for mercy, as she rattled off his crimes against 
Faith to him.  

He was curled up into a ball on the ground when the blows finally 
stopped. Insane rage and fear ran through him. This wasn't supposed 
to happen! THIS COULDN'T BE HAPPENING, NOT TO HIM!!!!!

Buffy reached down and pulled him up to by his hair as he rose, a 
quivering, helpless, shredded, bloody mess. She smiled then spit in 
his face, and smiled again at his look of total disbelief.  She let 
go of his hair and slid her hand down from his head, over his face, 
neck, to his chest, down his stomach, to his groin leaving bloody 
trails with her nails. She paused for a second, gave him a malicious 
smile, then grabbed him between his legs, lifting him up off the 
floor and started to squeeze. "This is so you never do it to anyone 
else again." 

She growled with pleasure hearing his pleas for mercy. She began to 
growl louder as she felt the blood dripping out from between her 
fingers, and she squeezed harder. Buffy gave to him the same mercy he 
had given to Faith.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They made their way through the final tunnel and paused in front of 
the steel double doors.

"They're in here.  Be ready for anything."

"Oh shit..." 

Angel caught Cordelia as she pitched forward while a  vision assailed 
her. It lasted less than a minute.

Cordelia straightened up, ignoring the hammering pain in her head.  
She swiped at the tears that had leaked out of the corner of her eyes.
She got her breathing under control, and forced down the bile that 
had risen to the back of her throat at what she saw in the vision. 
Everyone looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to answer their 
unspoken question.

"No...  this wasn't the sign... but I know what the sign is... If we 
don't defeat Glory none of us will get out of here alive... No matter 
what... no matter what we see... we have to wait... Here's what..." 

Unknowingly she was crying as she told them what they needed to know.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike and Angel threw open the doors.  They entered, their steps 
faltering, their minds not wanting to comprehend what they were 
seeing.  They all heard Cordelia's words again and they moved quickly 
into position.

It all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye and eon at the same 
time. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luc had just finished killing the last demon when they burst into the 
room. He was covered in his own blood, demon blood, as well as 
Johnny's, whose blood was all over everything and everyone in the 
room.  To Luc, it felt like he had been pelted by pebbles as Johnny's 
blood splatter around the room off of the belt when Buffy had been 
flaying him alive.

Atropos waved him over to her and her sisters, away from the others.
 
They created a protective circle around the Chosen Two and Johnny. 
They stood unmoving, almost unbelieving looking at Buffy. She was 
still holding up the piece of raw, bleeding, flayed meat that once 
was Johnny, and squeezing the life right out of him. She was covered 
head to toe in blood, her blond hair streaked crimson. 

They watched in a daze as the blood streamed out from her squeezing 
hand, over her forearm, to drip off her elbow, joining the large pool 
at her naked feet.  The belt hung limply in her other hand and it was 
stained crimson with both Johnny's and Faith's blood. They saw her 
eyes, which were focused solely on her prey, glowing gold, feral.  
She was growling low in her throat with savage satisfaction at the 
pain she was causing the man within her grasp. Both Angel and Spike's 
demon's started growling low along with her.

Faith saw the others make a circle around the three of them. The 
fever was raging through her, she was delirious, not sure if they 
were really there.  Why were they just standing there doing nothing?  
She tried to form words to ask them, when suddenly Glory manifested 
herself out of thin air between Buffy and herself. 

This time Faith saw the true face of the Demon-Goddess. She was an 
inky-gray-blue-black, smoke-like translucent mass, of filth and 
pestilence. Her eyes burning black coals of lust and evil. Her face 
hideous, deformed, twisted. It bore the mark of plague and disease.  
She smiled at Faith showing jagged sharp teeth then turned around.  

Faith watched as Glory raised up her clawed-hand, her razor-like 
nails glinting dangerously, aiming for Buffy's exposed back.  The 
others stood and watched, not making a move to help Buffy. Faith 
didn't know if she was hallucinating this or not.  

Was she hallucinating this because of the fever or maybe, just maybe 
she was the only one who was seeing Glory because of the fever, she 
didn't want to wait and find out.  

She did the only thing she could think of...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again she wrapped her hands around the chains that bound her 
wrists keeping her suspended by her arms off the floor.  Using what 
was left of her strength she lifted herself up as high as she could. 
She lashed out with both of her feet, biting again through the gash 
under her bottom lip to stop from screaming out from the pain that 
streaked through her body with the move.  She caught Glory high on 
the shoulder spinning the Demon-Goddess around towards her and away 
from Buffy's exposed back.

The clawed-hand with the razor-like nails that had been moving 
forward to sink into Buffy's unprotected back, sunk instead into 
Faith, right above the jagged knife scar on her abdomen. Glory's 
other hand came up and sliced through the chains holding her 
suspended from the ceiling. The weight of her own body, now free of 
the restraints sank further onto Glory's talon-like hand. 

Two voices screamed loudly, echoing through the room.  

One voice screamed in delight and ecstasy. 

The other in agony and pain.

Time slowed to a crawl, almost a standstill, as Faith felt Glory's 
hand sink into her.  She stared into the black eyes of the purest 
evil she had ever seen. Into eyes that held nothing but evil, hate 
and pain.  Into eyes that were the ultimate abyss; were the 
unfathomable, bottomless pit of Glory's soul.  She felt the 
abomination that was Glory seep into her body from the fingers now 
embedded inside of her, as her own life force seeped out. 

She stared back at Glory's with all the hate, fury, rage, she had in 
her heart. Glory's fingers spun an intricate web of evil through every
cell of her body, looking to capture and devour her soul.  Her hands 
that had been clutching at Glory's arm fell uselessly to her side. Her
head grew heavy and fell down to her chest. Her eyes fell to where 
Glory's hand pierced her body. She watched as she started slipping 
into the darkness, her blood dripping, spilling, then splattering 
onto the cold hard floor. 

Buffy doubled over as she felt the 'echoed' ghost-like-touch of the 
fingers with the razor-like nails sink into her, at the same time 
that Glory's hand ripped into Faith. She threw Johnny across the room.
As she started to spin around she saw Luc drag Johnny up by his hair 
and rip his still beating heart right out of his chest. Time slowed 
for Buffy as she spun around. She was seemingly pushing against an 
invisible wall of solid nothingness. Faith's cry of agony ripped 
through her, in her, endlessly, as she felt like it was taking days 
to turn around. 

An anguished cry of "FAITH!" tore from her lips, ripping through the 
air, thundering, shredding the silence as she felt Faith begin to 
slip away into the darkness. It was a cry of heart-wrenching loss, of 
denial, of fear, that came from the depths of Buffy's soul.

Faith forced her eye's open, her head to raise at Buffy's cry. She 
saw Glory smiling at her as she tried to focus, tried to find Buffy 
with her eyes. Glory's smile was filled with lust, with hate, as she 
fed on her pain, her hate, and Faith saw herself reflected in that 
smile. She had lived almost the whole of her life trapped within in a 
gilded cage built out of pain and hate. And now she was going to die 
ensnared once again within its confines and Glory's spider-web of 
pain and hate that was entangling, blackening her soul. 

Faith moved her eyes away from the black eyes of hate and found the 
golden-hazel eyes of love.  She locked her eyes with Buffy's, and in 
a moment of clarity Faith realized she didn't want to die within that 
gilded cage of fury, of pain, of hate. It would be the final 
corruption of everything, all that she had fought so hard to become. 
It would be like throwing a 'Fuck you' in the face of all of them, 
the only true family she had ever known. A family who had given her 
peace, tranquility, a home, happiness and the most precious gift of 
all, love.  It would defile, sully all of what Buffy had given to 
her, had taught her about loving and being loved. 

To die with nothing but hate in her heart would desecrate, soil the 
love that she and Buffy had fought so hard to find with each other.
 
Faith let all the hate, the rage, the fury, and even the pain drain 
from her body.  She locked her eyes with her soul-mate's and let 
herself be filled with the eternal, unconditional love that they felt 
for each other. 

As Buffy moved towards Faith their eyes locked, it all came to her in 
an 'echo' a visual image so strong of the cage of pain and hate that 
Faith had lived in for so long. She felt as the essence that was her 
soul-mate slipping from her, and Buffy had her own moment of clarity. 
If Faith was going to die, and Buffy had no intention of letting that 
happen. But if it were to happen, Buffy didn't want Faith to die 
trapped forever within the cage whose bars were built out of 
suffering, pain, and hate. Not Faith's and not her own, so Buffy let 
her own hate and rage go. As she did, she felt the undying love of 
Faith blanket her and fill her, and she gave to Faith in return her 
own undying love. 

Like it always did for them, the rest of the world ceased to exist.  
Neither noticed that the room was eerily still, quiet, as the others 
watched them, frozen in place. Nor did they notice the inky gray-blue-
black translucent mass of the banshee-like creature that was the true 
face of Glory that was standing between them.  

There was no one, nothing else, but them, this moment, and what they 
felt for the other. It was pure, undiluted, and eternal. 

They reached towards each other...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They watched, as Faith seemed to kick out and strike the empty air.  

Watched as the chains that held her off the floor were severed by an 
invisible hand. 

Watched as her abdomen was sliced open, and blood began to seep out 
of the wound, falling to pool upon the ground. 

Watched as the air seemed to ripple from a scream of ecstasy from an 
unknown voice.

Watched as Faith screamed in torment and fell towards the floor, only 
to stop suddenly. As she was held up high and in agony by some unseen 
force. 

Watched as Faith struggled to open her eyes.  

Watched as Buffy flung Johnny from her, and spun around screaming out 
Faith's name in anguish.  

Watched as Faith eyes sought out and found Buffy's, as Buffy moved 
towards her.  

They watched and waited for the sign Cordelia had seen in her vision 
as the Chosen Two reached out towards each other.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Chosen Two reached right through Glory and their hands touched.  

The second their hands touched all the others in the room saw what up 
until now only the witches and the 'Incarnates' had seen.  At the 
Chosen Two's touch, their aura's, souls, essences, grew brighter, 
expanding out from them.  They were entwined, separate, but one. They 
surrounded and bathed in each others souls, a beautiful woven
'Tapestry' of their eternal love for each other.

What none of them saw was the translucent mass that was Glory. As she 
expanded, weaving a spider-web of pain into the souls of the Chosen 
Two the second they had touched hands within the mass of her smoke-
like body.  As pieces of Glory floated and started to run over them, 
boring into them, looking to corrupt both their souls. As Glory 
tightened the web around them, feeding on them, their pain and agony, 
freezing them both and herself in place.

The touching hands of the Chosen Two was the sign that Cordelia had 
told them to wait for and the second they touched the 'Wiccan's' 
began the spell the 'Fates' had given to them...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"As we bind ourselves to each other so too shall you be bound." 
Willow and Tara wrapped the long, wide, pure white, thick silk thread 
known as 'Quintessence' around their wrists and joined hands. 

The others in the circle each drew out from the scabbards on their 
backs the gleaming silver swords with the obsidian inlaid hilts each 
carried. They each pierced the pad of the index finger of their left 
hand with the tip of their swords until a single drop of blood 
glistened there.
 
"Foolish children you can't hurt me!" Glory's sickly, sweet, 
irritating voice came to them on the air, followed by a triumphant 
laugh. 

Willow and Tara ignored her, and continued with the spell, grasping 
each other's hands tighter.
 
"Let the one with the *sight* be the first to strike and show the 
others the way..." Cordelia stepped forward and thrust 'Foreshadow' 
into the space between the Slayer's where their hands were joined, 
exactly where and how her vision had shown her.  

Her sword thinly sliced along the clasped hands of the Chosen Two. 
They started to bleed, and a single drop of each of the Slayer's 
blood combined with the single drop of Cordelia's on the tip of the 
sword.  Six more drops of the combined blood of the Slayers fell 
within the confines of Glory's body. 

Cordelia remained holding the sword steady within the depths of 
Glory's body.
 
"Let the *observer* give testimony and strike true for having the 
vision to see the light within the dark..." Wesley stepped forward 
and stood to the right of Cordelia.  He thrust 'Witness' into the 
drop of blood of the Chosen Two that shined brighter than the others, 
mixing his with theirs. He too stayed in place.

"Let the *heart* strike now with the power of a pure soul..." Xander 
moved next to Wesley and slid 'Fortitude' into the drop of blood that 
shined brightly for him, mixing his blood too with theirs. He held 
his place as well.

"Let the one with the *courage* be the next to strike with 
strength..." Gunn moved next to Xander with the flick of a practiced 
wrist, 'Valor' slid into Glory mixing his blood with the shining drop 
of blood of the Chosen Two that was for him.

"Let the one who found *mercy* be the one to break the spiders-
web..." Anya moved next to Gunn and thrust 'Amnesty' into the 
withering mass of Glory and the drop of blood that shined for her. 

With the mixing of Anya's single drop of blood with the Chosen Two's 
combined blood, they all could now see the semi-translucent shape 
that was the true face of Glory. They saw how she was encompassing, 
burrowing, encasing the Chosen Two. They saw where her claw-like hand 
with the razor-sharp nails where sunk deeply into Faith. 

They watched as Glory began to collapse into herself, releasing her 
black web of hate that was surrounding the Chosen Two.  She screamed 
out in rage and agony as she fell to the floor for the first time 
ever feeling all the pain that she had inflicted upon others. 

They all knelt down keeping their swords embedded in the Demon-
Goddess.  

Buffy jumped over Glory the second she fell as both she and Faith 
were released from the web of hate that had kept them frozen in place.
She caught Faith as she started falling to the floor. She sunk down 
to the floor cradling Faith gently to her chest.  She began rocking, 
her tears falling softly onto Faith's face. 

Willow and Tara never hesitated, knowing that if they did the spell 
would be broken.
 
"Let the *redeemer* shake free this evil black soul..." Angel moved 
next to Anya and knelt.  He raised his sword 'Emancipator' high over 
his head and brought it down with all of his vampire strength into 
the drop of blood that beckoned to him, mixing his vampire blood with 
theirs. It sliced through Glory, who let out a scream that made all 
of their ears ring.

"Let the one who was a *reaper* take a life for the last time..." 
Spike knelt next Angel, he too raised his sword 'Harvester' high up 
over his head.  Using his vampire strength he brought the sword 
swiftly down into the Demon-Goddess's chest where his drop of blood 
mixed with the combined blood of the Chosen Two's that called out 
loudly to him. 

"As we are bound to each other by love, so shall this evil be bound 
by its hate. Take it now... And send it into oblivion forever bound, 
never to return, caged within it's own gilded cage of pain and 
hate..."

They all stood letting go of each of their silver swords.  The silken 
thread "Quintessence' unwove itself from the Wiccan's hands. One end 
of it pierced the index finger of the left hand of Willow, staining 
itself with a single drop of her blood, the other end did the same to 
Tara. It then floated magically over to the swords and entwined 
itself around all the swords, drawing up from the tip of the swords 
the drops of blood each had mixed and pierced with their own. 
Absorbing it within its silken threads, bonding one sword to the 
other with the blood of the Chosen Two and theirs in the same order 
of the spell. 

The swords began to glow brightly, shimmering, flowing, and then to 
change.  They became millions of tiny unbreakable silver threads that 
weaved their way through Glory, binding her, from both the inside and 
out.  Becoming enmeshed forever with her soul, bringing with them all 
the pain, suffering and anguish she had inflicted on others. 

For all eternity they trapped her within a gilded cage of her own 
making.  They glowed ever brighter and with a final explosion of 
white, silver and red light they took her into the eternal darkness 
of the abyss. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one moved for a second or two after Glory disappeared. Angel was 
the first to break his paralysis, he moved quickly over to Buffy's 
side, kneeling beside her and Faith.  He reached out towards them 
speaking softly, "Buffy..."

His wrist was captured by her hand so fast that even with his vampire 
sight he never saw her move.  She whipped her head towards him her 
eyes were solid gold, she snarled, hissed at him in warning.  Then 
let go of his wrist and shoved him back away from them in one 
seamless invisible move.

She gathered Faith closer to her and began rocking again.  Faith lay 
completely lifeless in her arms.  Her head hanging off of the arm 
Buffy had behind her neck.  Her eyes closed, her breathing labored, 
slow. The blood still seeping out of the wound from where Glory had 
sliced into her. Buffy could feel the life slipping out of Faith with 
every second and she felt helpless to stop it. She tried to reach out 
to her through their connection, she could feel her, but got no 
answering response from her unconscious mate. 

She felt weariness come over her as the strength that her sister 
Slayers' had lent to her left her body. She lifted her eyes and saw 
all the concerned faces surrounding her.  She saw the 'Fates' and Luc 
move over towards them. Atropos squatted down in front of them and 
Buffy raised up tearstained eyes to the ancient woman. "Help her..."

"I wish I could but I don't have that kind of power... You do 
though... remember what we taught you... and show her the way, help 
her to embrace what you embraced today... it will be enough to get 
her home... but she needs to be awake..."

Buffy gathered Faith up closer to her with a gentleness, and 
tenderness that brought tears to the eyes of all who were there. She 
leaned down close to her soul-mate as her hand soothingly caressed 
Faith's face.  She reached out to Faith using both the connection 
they shared and her voice as she whispered softly into Faith's ear.

"Faith... Faith you need to wake up baby..."  Buffy stopped she was 
choking on her own tears. 

"Faith I know you can hear me, I know you can feel me... You have to 
wake up baby so I can help you..."  She paused again she could feel 
an almost answering coming from Faith through their echoes and at the 
same time she could feel her slipping further away. 

"Please Faith, please don't leave me... Please I need you... You can't
die... I love you please baby wake up... Please open your eyes... 
pleaseohgodFaithplease..."

Faith could hear Buffy calling out to her in the darkness.  She 
struggled trying to find her way back, but she was so tired, it felt 
like she had been tired forever. She just wanted to sleep, just wanted
to escape. There was pain, intense pain waiting for her in the light 
she knew that, but there was also Buffy. Her eyes fluttered open 
once, and she mumbled out painfully, "TiredB..." Then she started 
sinking back down into the darkness.

"Faith please I know you tired please you have to open your eyes... 
Please Faith for me, open your eyes..."

She struggled back up out of the gloom but it was harder this time.
"Hurtshur..."

"I know it hurts but you have to open your eyes..."

Faith's eyes fluttered open again then closed. "B..."

"Faith! Open your eyes... You can't die on me I won't let you! Do you 
hear me... OPEN YOUR EYES DAMNIT... OPEN THEM...!!! I SWEAR TO GOD IF 
YOU DIE I'LL KICK THE SHIT OUT YOU! NOW OPEN YOUR EYES FAITH!" 

Buffy was frantic now, she felt Faith's life force still seeping out 
of her, her will to live leaving. Buffy was desperate, angry, 
panicked, babbling, yelling in a hoarse whisper. Faith couldn't die, 
she wasn't going to let her damn it! 

"YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO DIE! I SWEAR I'LL TELL EVERYBODY YOUR NEW 
NICKNAME... I'LL HAVE IT PUT ON YOUR GRAVE STONE... I SWEAR I WILL 
NOW OPEN YOUR DAMN EYES FAITH NOW!" 

"YOU PROMISED ME FAITH! YOU PROMISED! Idon'twanttolivewithoutyouplease
baby...PleaseFaithpleasedon'tleavemeIneedloveyouI'lltellthemIswearifyo
uleavemeI'lltellthemyournicknameopenyoureyesbabyplease... baby please 
Faith please open your eyes..." Buffy was pleading hoarsely, begging, 
tears falling down onto Faith's face like a waterfall. Her chest was 
heaving, her heart breaking, it felt like someone was ripping her 
soul right out from her. 

She started to struggle fiercely against the darkness that was trying 
to claim her. She grasped onto that thin thread that connected them 
to each other for eternity and with all the love she felt for Buffy 
she pulled herself up, following towards the broken pleading sound of 
her soul-mate's voice.  The pain she felt when she reached the light 
almost sent her reeling back into the darkness, but she forced it 
down with the strength of will that had enabled her to survive for 
years.  Her eyes fluttered open once, twice, then with an 
excruciating gasp of air, her eyes sprang open.

"U......... don't......... play......... fair......... B............"

"Faith... oh..." Buffy started to sob almost uncontrollably...

"Elizabeth..." Atropos whispered to her softly, "cry later..." The 
words were harsh but Atropos knew Buffy didn't have the time for or 
the luxury of tears right now.

Buffy got herself back under control, she locked her eyes with 
Faith's and she almost started sobbing again when she saw the depth 
of the pain and the love in them.  "Faith you need to stay awake 
baby... You need to listen to me... do as I ask... listen to, see and 
feel what we share in our 'echoes'." 

She placed her hand over the wound that Glory had given Faith and 
then began to guide her toward embracing the ancient source of the 
mystical power that made them Slayers. She felt the ancient source 
inside of Faith answering to her in a language that was as old as 
time, and she responded to it in kind.  She used every method the
'Fates' had taught her about sharing energy and helping each other to 
heal quicker.  She let the source of her ancient power flow into 
Faith once Faith had merged with her own, adding her strength to 
Faith's like their sister Slayers had added to hers before. She had 
no idea how long they stayed connected that way. Connected they 
stayed until Buffy felt the bleeding under her hand stop, and Faith 
released Buffy's mystical energy back to her.

They were both beyond exhaustion and in tremendous pain.  Buffy 
looked into Faith's heavy lidded pain filled eyes and smiled.  She 
knew Faith wasn't going to die. Knew it would be long time before 
either of them were out of pain an healed completely.  She had to 
smile anyway because she knew with absolute certainty that Faith was 
not going to die!

"Sleep baby... everything's alright... we're going home... I love you 
Faith... sleep baby..."

Faith felt the eternal love that Buffy felt surround and embrace her, 
she tried to tell Buffy she loved her too, but she couldn't form the 
words.  For them though words weren't necessary, she let her own 
eternal love for Buffy flow back to her through their connection in 
return. 

Faith drifted off to sleep safe in the arms that for her would always 
be home, as Buffy's tears of relief and joy rained softy down upon 
her face and their love blanketed her in warmth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...All I ever wanted / All I ever needed / Is here in my arms / Words 
are very unnecessary - Depeche Mode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to find me a car / With only one headlight / A straight six Ford / On 
a good luck night / I want to roll down the windows / And teach you to fly / 
I want to give you a thrill / The kind you can't buy / I want to lose all 
your demons and go / I want to tear off your chains 'cause I know / All the 
way to heaven is heaven / Caught between the spirit and the dust / All the 
way to heaven is heaven / Deep inside of us / I want to find me a bar / With 
a blue light on Dollar shot specials / A bartender named Dawn / Painting the 
town / Selling the farm / You can pierce your nose / And I'll tattoo my 
arm...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had taken them less than two hours to get back to their own realm. With 
Glory exiled for eternity into the black hole of the abyss and Johnny dead, 
the threat of discovery became a non-issue. The 'Incarnates' used their 
status as 'Immortals' to influence the 'deities' of the middle 
inter-dimension to transport them as swiftly as possible to the portal that 
led back to their own dimension. Buffy held Faith, who fluctuated between 
consciousness and unconsciousness, for the whole two hours. 

She stepped through the portal, into the walled in garden of the Mansion, 
still cradling Faith in her arms. She blinked rapidly, still not able to 
accept that this was all real. They both looked like two lost, little girls 
in the oversized shirts they were wearing, courtesy of Angel and Spike. She 
stood hesitantly only one step outside of the portal a little confused, 
unsure of what to do, where to go, her only concern now was Faith whose fever 
was beginning to rage out of control again. 

Faith had begun hoarsely mumbling incoherently, in fear again, like she had 
been on and off for the last two hours. She ducked her head down close to 
Faith, her blonde, bloodstained hair covering her face and creating a 
protective curtain around Faith. She began murmuring softly to Faith trying 
to soothe her and never saw as Dawn came flying out of the house. 

Buffy snapped her head up, she began growling, hissing low at the silhouette 
coming towards them in the darkness. Her eyes more gold than hazel, ready to 
attack even though she still had Faith in her arms. Not less then a second 
later Faith started growling low into Buffy's chest from where her head was 
buried.  She could feel the rage, the fear running through her mate. She 
jerked her head up from Buffy's chest, her eyes snapped open, glazed from the 
fever and almost completely black from the pain. The emerald green flecks 
within them glowing eerily. She started struggling like a weak kitten, to get 
loose. The need to protect Buffy paramount in her mind, helping to block the 
pain ricocheting throughout her body. They were both purely primal, feral, 
every vestige of human behavior completely eradicated, not a hint of the old 
Buffy and Faith could be found in either of them.

Dawn stopped dead in her tracks, pinned to the spot by the unnatural light in 
both Slayers eyes, like a deer caught in oncoming headlights. Their mouths 
were pulled back in savage snarls, their lips tightly drawn, showing their 
teeth as they growled at her like wild, rabid animals. There wasn't any 
recognition at all of who she was in either of their eyes and Dawn barely 
recognized them as well. They were both still covered in blood, Dawn prayed 
fervently that it was someone else's and not theirs, even though her mind 
already knew that it wasn't.  Buffy's hair was matted and clumped with blood, 
and every part of her body that Dawn could see was covered in bruises and 
welts. Her face hollow, her skin almost translucent under the bruising, and 
in her wild, haunted eyes there was a hint of deep down to the bone fear.

Her eyes moved to Faith and Dawn started to tremble, when she saw that Buffy 
looked healthy compared to Faith. Every part of Faith that wasn't covered by 
the large shirt had bruises, welts, open cuts, claw-marks, and gashes. There 
was a funny yellow color mixed in with the blood on the shirt over her 
shoulder.  That side of her neck was swollen and it was an angry, dark 
reddish-black color, the swelling extending down into her shoulder and 
collarbone. One ankle was wrapped in a piece of someone's ripped shirt and 
hung at an odd angle. 

Dawn started to sob uncontrollably, she raised her eyes back up to her 
sister, 
"B-B-B-Buffy?"

At Dawn's sobs and the sound of her brokenly saying her name, the rage, the 
fury, and the fear started to drain out of Buffy. The reality that they were 
really home, that the nightmare existence they had been living in was finally 
over, crashed into Buffy. Up until this moment she had not really believed 
it. She started trembling, on the verge of collapsing, her own tears joining 
that of her sisters. "Dawn..."

Faith started thrashing wildly, her body trembling uncontrollably in fear as 
Buffy held her easily within her arms. The gash on her abdomen from Glory 
opened again and started to bleed. 

Buffy felt something wet, sticky and warm seep through the shirt she had on, 
she looked down and saw that Faith had started bleeding again and fear for 
her mate shot right through the roof.

Her growling grew louder, fiercer, she had felt Buffy's fear rise up fast and 
strong through their connection. Not realizing in her delirium that the fear 
was for her, not fear of someone or something. She was frantic now to get 
loose and protect her mate; not remembering that Glory was gone for good and 
Johnny was dead, that they were safe.  For her the nightmare wasn't over yet, 
she just thought it was new game the Demon-Goddess was playing with them. 
With a burst of strength that took Buffy by surprise Faith broke free of her 
arms, toppling Buffy over in the process.  She managed to take one step 
towards Dawn before her legs collapsed right out from under her.

Dawn had been moving hesitantly towards them again, and it was she, not Buffy 
who managed to get under Faith, catching her a second before she landed face 
first on the hard tiles of the patio. Faith twisted within Dawn's arms, 
lashing out. She clawed at Dawn's face, luckily for Dawn, there was no real 
power behind Faith's clawing hand. Even so, she still left four light scratch 
marks down the side of Dawn's face with her jagged nails. 

The guilt overwhelmed Dawn at the feel of Faith's weak, frail, thin body 
twisting within her arms. The feel of Faith's blood as it dampened and soaked 
through Dawn's own shirt. She started sobbing even harder, this was all her 
fault. "Faith... I'm sorry... so sorry... Faith..."

The sound of Dawn calling her name, apologizing, her tears falling on her 
face, and the love mixed with the sorrow in her eyes and voice, finally cut 
through the thick wall of the fever that was clouding Faith's mind. She 
raised up a badly shaking hand gently touching the side of Dawn's face to 
make sure she was real and hoarsely whispered,  "Gamin?" She smiled softly at 
Dawn, then Buffy was lifting her back up into her strong arms. 

"B, are we..." Faith stopped afraid almost to say the word, afraid if she 
thought, said it, that she would hear Glory's hysterical laughter, and 
sardonic tone answering her.

"Yes baby, we're home... we're really home..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith had passed out again by the time Buffy had gotten her upstairs into 
their bedroom. She was dangerously close to collapsing from exhaustion 
herself, but she needed to get them both cleaned up. The sweat was pouring 
off of Faith, and her skin felt even hotter to Buffy's touch. 

She gently put Faith down on the bed and sat down next to her.  She 
unbuttoned the shirt over Faith's abdomen and slipped her hand inside and 
gently rested it upon the claw-wound from Glory. She leaned down close to 
Faith and whispered in her ear, "Faith baby I need you to wake up..."

"B..." 

Only because of her Slayer hearing did Buffy hear her name, it was said so 
softly.  She closed her eyes and spoke to her mate softly with words and 
through their connection.  Helping and lending her energy to Faith to stop 
the bleeding of the reopened claw-wound. They stayed like that for long 
minutes, until the bleeding stopped once again. "Go back to sleep baby 
everything is going to be alright..."

Faith drifted back off to sleep almost instantly.

"Buffy..." Buffy shifted around on the bed to face her sister, who had been 
standing quietly in the doorway. "Gary's back. He said to let him know when 
you're ready for him to take a look at Faith and you." 

Buffy just nodded mutely at her. Dawn watched her sister as she removed her 
hand from under Faith's shirt, it was covered in blood; watched as her sister 
absentmindedly wiped the blood off on her own shirt like it was an everyday 
occurrence.  Somehow Dawn had the feeling that it had been an everyday 
occurrence for both the Slayers over the last seven months. Her sister looked 
ready to collapse, and was trembling slightly, her eyes slightly glazed. The 
guilt grabbed Dawn by the throat fiercely and she felt like she was choking 
on it.  This was all her fault, it should have been her, this should have 
never happened to either of them.

Buffy watched as the emotions played across her sisters face. Softly she told 
her, "Dawnie this is not your fault, it's not anybody's fault. If anyone is 
to blame its Glory and that lowlife piece of shit..." Buffy trailed off, the 
less her sister knew about what had happened to them the better.  She could 
see Dawn didn't believe her. "Dawn listen to me, this is not your fault and 
right now I need you to believe me. I'm gonna need you to be strong, I'm, 
we're going to need your help the next few days. Okay?" Buffy waited for her 
sister to answer her, instead Dawn just nodded yes.  "Good. Would you keep an 
eye on Faith while I get everything set up in the bathroom, and rinse off 
real fast. I'm gonna need to get her cleaned up a little before Gary can take 
a look at her injuries. Can you do that for me?"  Buffy leaned down and 
tenderly kissed Faith on the forehead, then she rose from the bed.

"Sure." Dawn sat on the bed next to Faith, she gently took her hand into 
hers. She waited for Buffy to go into the bathroom, then she leaned down 
close to Faith and whispered softly to her, "I'm so sorry Faith..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She hissed in pain when the water hit her bruised skin. Her tears mixed with 
the soap, blood and water as it washed down the drain.  It wasn't for herself 
that she cried but for Faith, who even now was still suffering, who suffering 
went deeper, so much deeper, that just the beatings that both their bodies 
together had taken. She rinsed off quickly. She could take a long hot shower 
later after she took care of Faith, this was good enough for now.

She pulled on the dark amber silk robe, she lightly ran her hand down the 
matching black one that was Faith's still hanging on the wall. If felt like 
decades ago that she had bought the robes for them, it was that same night 
that they had truly made love for the first time.  The memory was bittersweet 
as it came back to her, and Buffy briefly lay her head against the cold tile 
wall. 

She put the bath pillows on the bottom of the tub, not wanting Faith to feel 
anymore pain by having to rest on the hard surface on the tub. She pulled out 
a blanket and the shower hose that attached to the tap from the bathroom 
closet.  She folded the blanket up to use as an additional, makeshift pillow 
and firmly lodged it in a corner of the tub's edge.  She attached the hose, 
turned the water on and adjusted the temperature to lukewarm. She got up from 
her kneeling position ignoring both her own pain, fatigue and left the 
bathroom.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Atropos and Lachesis had joined Dawn in the bedroom.  Atropos was standing by 
the head of the bed, Lachesis by the foot. Buffy nodded her head in greeting 
to them, not really liking their close proximity to her mate. 

Dawn's eyes filled with tears again as she looked at her sister, who actually 
looked  worse now that the blood was no longer hiding how badly battered 
Buffy truly was. She couldn't even wrap her mind around how bad Faith must 
truly be and she was terrified of what she would see once the blood was 
washed from her. 

What she wanted more than anything was to hug, to hold, her sister, to make 
sure that she really was home, was alive. She was afraid though she might 
hurt her.  That thought alone, that she, a fifteen-year-old normal kid, with 
no special powers could hurt her sister a 'Chosen One', with just a simple 
hug, made the tears spill from her eyes. She dropped her eyes from her sister 
unable to look at her as the guilt rained down and pounded through her. 

Buffy watched her sister, every emotion, every thought had written itself 
across her face. "Dawn..." She softly called to her, and when Dawn finally 
looked back up, Buffy opened her arms up wide to her.

Dawn was practically a blur as she ran to her sister, who wrapped her up 
tightly in her arms.  Dawn held her just as tightly, her body shaking as they 
cried on each other's shoulders. "I missed you both so much."

"I, we both missed you too, brat. And I could stay holding you all night, 
but... I need... I need to take care of Faith right now." Buffy reluctantly 
released her sister, their reunion would have to wait a little longer. "Why 
don't you go see about some food for us, everyone, and see if there is some 
soup or broth maybe for Faith." 

"Okay... I'll come back up after I find out about the food..." Dawn turned to 
go, she stopped and turned back around. "I... I, you know I love you, right 
Buffy."

"I love you too Dawnie... Now go... I'll call you if I need help. I'll see 
you downstairs in a little while... Tell Gary I'll call down when I'm, we're 
ready..." She knew Dawn wanted to come back and help, but she wanted to 
shield her sister as much as possible from all of this and she knew Faith 
would want that too.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Atropos had been quietly observing the blonde-haired Slayer, she didn't miss 
the slight trembling of her body from exhaustion.  Nor did she miss the 
grimace of pain that flashed across Buffy's face while she was hugging her 
sister.  From what Atropos had observed Buffy looked like she was on the 
verge of physically collapsing. She was amazed that Buffy was awake, let 
alone still standing, and once again she was awed by the love the Chosen Two 
shared.  It was the love that Buffy had for Faith that was keeping her alert, 
still functioning, still moving, still standing at this point and nothing 
else.

As Buffy bent down to pick Faith up, Atropos stopped her with a gentle hand 
upon her arm.  She instantly regretted it the second she touched her and 
heard the hiss of pain that escaped Buffy before she could stop it.  She 
quickly snatched her hand away. 

"Let me carry her in the bathroom for you." 

Buffy turned her eyes to Atropos, there was a glint of feral protectiveness 
and fear in them. She hadn't let anyone near or even allowed anyone to touch 
Faith since they had defeated Glory. Dawn had been the first and only person 
to get within a foot of the Dark Slayer. She trusted no one to be as gentle 
with Faith as herself, not the Scoobs, not the L.A. Crew, not Spike, or Luc, 
not even the 'Fates'. Her gaze immediately moved to Faith who had started to 
move restlessly on the bed, growling softly. Obviously she was sensing 
Buffy's emotions.  She sat down on the bed next to Faith, her gaze softening. 
Soothingly she began to stroke her hair. "Sssh, it's okay, baby, it's 
okay..."

She picked up Faith gently, cradling her in her arms like an infant.  Faith 
immediately calmed at Buffy's touch. She rose up onto shaky legs, her whole 
body straining with the effort.  Johnny had beaten her almost as badly as 
Faith after they had passed out from the drugs.  Her body had taken a further 
beating as it was pushed past it's limit when the energy of her sister 
Slayers had given their strength to her to defeat Johnny and Glory. Even 
though they had spent ten days in the 'Fates' domain their outer as well as 
inner layers had not really healed, their metabolism and Slayer healing had 
been severely compromised from the abuse over the last seven months. The act 
of helping Faith to heal enough to get home, and just now when she had lent 
her own energy to her mate, had exhausted her.  The simple fact that they 
were really truly home had let free all the pain, exhaustion that she had 
been forcing down for all those month's. She was determined however that she 
would not give in to it until she had taken care of Faith.  She steeled 
herself and began walking towards the bathroom.

She had only made it a few steps before her legs started to give out on her.  
She never fell to the ground though, the Fates were by her side in an 
instant. Lachesis caught her from behind by the waist, keeping her from 
falling. 

Atropos gently took Faith from her arms, Buffy immediately began snarling at 
her.

"Elizabeth, please let me, us, help you. You know none of us would harm 
either of you. I promise to be gentle. Please let us help you both."

Buffy studied the Incarnate for a few seconds then nodded her head yes.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She made them leave after Atropos had put Faith in the tub.  They tried to 
argue with her but she was firm, she wanted to give Faith as much privacy as 
possible, it was bad enough that the only doctor they cold trust to look at 
Faith was a man. She stripped Faith of the grossly stained shirt with 
unsteady hands. The tears running non-stop down her face, she made sure the 
water pressure was low before she started to wash the blood and pus away.

Faith began to whimper and moan low in pain as the water cascade over her. 
Buffy, without realizing it, was whimpering with her.  She tried sending 
comforting, soothing thoughts to her mate but they weren't penetrating the 
fever-induced delirium of Faith's mind. 

"I love her..." Faith told Buffy out of nowhere in a hoarse but clear voice. 

Her voice was misleading, she may have sounded lucid, but Buffy saw Faith was 
staring straight through her. Her eyes shiny, glassy from the fever, and the 
sweat was still pouring from her body as it tried to rid itself of the 
infection from the venom. 

"Who?"

"Promise you won't tell?"

"I promise." 

"B. She hates me," Faith watched for a few seconds as Buffy began to wash the 
 blood from her, then told her in a calm voice. "It won't come off." 

"What won't come off baby?"

"The blood. Won't ever. Always there. Always. Forever." Faith lifted up her 
hands to show Buffy. "Won't go away. I try, I try, I try! Not ever! Not ever! 
Always there! Alwaysalways..." Faith's voice started to rise in volume, 
taking on an increasingly hysterical edge.

Before Buffy could stop her, Faith ripped a gash in the back of her own hand 
with her nails. "Make it go away! Can't get it off! Off... off..."

She grabbed both of Faith's hands into hers, Faith began thrashing against 
her restraining hands.  She was reliving in her delirium the two weeks she 
had spent in solitary, ripping and shredding her hands in an effort to remove 
the invisible blood from them. 

Even as weak as she was, Buffy was having a hard time keeping Faith from 
hurting herself, her own body too weak as well.  

"It's okay Faith... Faith, look at me... It's okay..." Faith wasn't hearing 
her though and Buffy knew that she couldn't do this alone, she needed help. 

"Atropos..." she called out frantically.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was still crying after they finished cleaning Faith up.  They had found 
five more bites from Johnny they hadn't seen before, all swollen and 
infected.  He had marked her again in the same spot where he had marked her 
when she was a child, high up on the inside of her right thigh. It was with 
horror that both Atropos and Buffy saw that not a single piece of skin on 
Faith hadn't been bruised or cut by Johnny. God only knew what else he had 
done to Faith that last day while they were all passed out. Buffy couldn't 
contain her rage, she wanted to hurt him, wanted to chain him up in the 
basement of the Mansion and torture him for years and she was pissed that Luc 
had killed him. The rage hummed through her like a live thing, calling out to 
her and she had the urge to go out and hurt something, anything.

Faith forced her eyes open, she felt the rage running through Buffy, she 
reached out for her hand with her own trembling one. "B... what..."

"Faith..." Buffy forced herself to calm down, she smiled tenderly at Faith. 
Her eyes were still glazed from the fever but for now she seemed to be 
coherent. "Faith... it's okay... how are you feeling..."

Faith didn't answer her, she knew she had been swimming in and out of 
consciousness, that she had been delirious most of the time she was awake. 
She could still feel the venom running under her skin, in her veins, and she 
had never been in this much pain ever in her whole life. It was secondary to 
her, she could feel, as well as see how tired, how much pain Buffy was in and 
all she wanted to do was take away that pain. 

She weakly tugged on Buffy's hand pulling her towards her, "Just want to hold 
youЙ"

"Faith... I... don't want to hurt you..." 

"Holding you could never hurt me..."

Buffy slid down on the bed next to Faith. They faced each other, both on 
their sides. She rested her head on Faith's arm, her hair spilling out softly 
over it. Faith inched slowly closer, snuggling up into Buffy, she gazed into 
the hazel depth of her mate's eyes. "Thank you..." She said softly.

"You don't have..." Buffy was cut off by the gentle touch of Faith's fingers 
on her lips.

"Thank you..." Faith said again softly.

"I love you Faith..." Buffy softly responded. 

"I love you too, B..." They fell into each other's eyes until they both 
drifted off to sleep.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soft shaking woke Buffy from her much needed slumber. Her eyes were 
almost to heavy to open. The side of her face that was laying against Faith's 
arm was drenched with Faith's sweat.  It felt almost scorched from the heat 
that was coming off of Faith's body, and Buffy knew that Faith was once again 
burning up with the fever. She sat up abruptly, the sheets everything were 
soaked with Faith's sweat. Her whole body was shivering, her teeth 
clattering. Her eyes fell upon the clock, they had only been asleep for five 
minutes and it terrified her that Faith's fever had spiked so dramatically in 
such a short time. 'Where the fuck was...' her thought was cut off by a soft 
knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Gary opened the door and stopped just inside of the threshold almost dropping 
his medical bag.  Atropos had tried to warn him, but nothing in his life or 
in his medical career had prepared him for the sight of the two of them.  
Like Dawn, he clearly saw how badly battered they were now that the blood was 
gone. He matched the rage Buffy had been feeling earlier with his own for the 
scum that had done this to them.

"Gary!" There was desperation in Buffy's voice, her eyes frantic, all too 
aware of the fact that Faith's fever was too high. 

He rushed over to the side of the bed, placing his bag on the floor. He began 
taking Faith's vital signs, all the while seething inside wishing he had been 
there to help punish the mother-fuckers who had done this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They had been home now for five days. The Scoobs, Giles, James, Gary, the LA 
crew, as well as Luc, and the Fates, had all but moved into the Mansion with 
them. Each day had felt like a year in of itself for all of them.  

Gary had stitched up the worse of Faith's injuries. He even persuaded James 
to get an IV drip from somewhere so he could regulate and get the antibiotics 
directly into her system. They weren't really helping though, the venom was 
unknown to them. Even the healing spells all four Witches had performed 
together had minimal effect. He had lanced and drained the bites repeatedly 
over the last five days, but they quickly filled up again. They all knew the 
only reason that Faith was still alive was because of the energy that Buffy 
shared with her and that she was Slayer. A normal person could not have 
survived the constantly spiking fever and the convulsions that the venom 
heaped upon her already battered body. 

Buffy very rarely left Faith's side. Only occasionally when they forced her, 
she would venture out of the bedroom, having to remind her to eat and drink. 
But they couldn't get her to leave Faith's side for more then a few minutes 
at a time. Her body was healing slowly, she gave most of her energy to Faith. 
She slept sporadically, and the circles under her eyes were almost as dark as 
the bruises she had when they first came home. She barely spoke to any of 
them, choosing instead to spend most of her time talking to Faith. Whispering 
quietly, soothingly to her mate, hoping to stave off the nightmare delusions 
of the past that the fever brought about.

Willow, Tara, Giles, Wesley, and James had been spending all of their free 
time analyzing the blood and pus samples that Gary had given them. If they 
could figure out what type of demon or even the type of poison it was that 
was infecting Faith, they had a shot at creating an antibody or a healing 
spell that could fight it. They weren't having much luck though. They had 
relatively little information on Glory's realm, even though they were given 
full access to the library at the Fates' domain. They had no idea what Glory 
had turned Johnny into, there was even the possibility that his type of demon 
had never existed before. If they had a sample of Johnny blood they could 
possibly make a vaccine or an antidote.

In fact, that was where Luc and Clotho were now.  They had left two days ago 
when they realized that they needed more information or Johnny's blood in 
order to help Faith.  They had returned to Shedu to see if, in fact, they 
could find Johnny in the domain that was the 'hell' for Shedu. Or at least a 
healer, if there were such a thing in Shedu who could help them. They were 
hoping that the demons or demon who was ruling Shedu now would help them out 
of gratitude for ridding them once and for all of the vileness that was 
Glory.

After five days Faith was getting progressively worse, the fever, infection 
from the bites preventing her other injuries from healing completely, if at 
all.  The venom-induced fever was ravaging her body and her mind.  She 
alternated between consciousness and unconsciousness, spending most of her 
waking moments delirious. The fever seemed to bring to the forefront all of 
her bad memories. It was almost as if Johnny was reaching out from the grave 
to still rain terror down on Faith.

Faith had apologized, begged for forgiveness from each one of them once again 
as they took turns helping Buffy. 

They all relived the night she had staked Allan Finch by accident through her 
eyes. They now knew that her indifference was just an act, a way of 
protecting herself. Afraid to reach out because of her past, hoping that 
someone would see through the facade. Angel was the only one back then who 
had struck a chord within her; the only one she had felt would understand. It 
was Wesley though who got slammed with new guilt over his actions then. He 
found out in her delirious ramblings that she had decided to go to Angel to 
ask for his help when he had shown up with his Black Ops team to take her 
back to England. Things could have been so different for her, for all of them 
if he hadn't been such an arrogant pompous ass back then.

Wesley's presence had brought about one of the worst memories for her. They 
all relived with her the summer that Johnny had taught her the five basic 
torture groups. They all knew that they would never forget the sound of her 
tortured screams and pleas for the rest of their lives as she relived the 
experience. Then as she cried to Wesley, berating herself, telling him over 
and over again how sorry she was for what she had done to him. Her internal 
montage of self-loathing and disgust over what she had done to, him, to all 
of them. 

They all felt a little sick to their stomachs when they found out she had 
done this to Wesley with one goal in mind. She knew Angel would show up 
sooner or later, she never had any intention of killing Wesley. If fact, she 
never had any intention of it going as far as it did. What she had hoped was 
that when Angel showed up, that what she had done to Wesley would have pushed 
him far enough over the edge to kill her. She begged Wesley to forgive her 
and then started to beg Angel to kill her, repeating almost verbatim what she 
had said to him in the alley that night. Nothing any of them did could get 
her to calm down. Even Buffy had been unable to calm her down, and Gary had 
been afraid to give her anymore medication. He had already given her enough 
to knock out someone three times her size.

Xander brought about the second of the worst memories for her. When Xander 
had seen the finger marks on Faith's neck, his stomach had twisted up in 
knots.  They were so dark, it almost look like they had been tattooed on her. 
 He felt sick when he realized that the night she had choked him Faith had 
been unconsciously doing to him what had been done to her by her step-father 
over and over again. He watched as she fought repeatedly against an invisible 
hand against her throat in the fever-induced hallucination. Then she had 
started apologizing, begging for his forgiveness, crying.  She had taken her 
rage, anger, out on him, because she had thought Xander was like Johnny. 
Pretending to care just so he could hurt her. And Xander had cried with her, 
not caring who saw or heard him.

They all heard as she pleaded and begged with the now dead Johnny not to hurt 
Buffy anymore. Listened as she offered herself on a silver platter to him in 
an effort to get him to stop hurting her soul-mate. They listened to the 
internal mantra she had used to keep what her greatest fear truly was from 
not only Glory and Johnny but Buffy as well. She had let them believe it was 
how Johnny had, was sexual abusing her and the knowledge that eventually 
Glory would abuse her that way as well, when the truth really was that they 
would hurt, abuse Buffy that way. And she was determined at all cost, even at 
the expense of her own life, or by enticing both Johnny and Glory to abuse 
her even more, that Buffy would never know that particular torture, abuse.

Faith wasn't the only one that relived the months that Glory and Johnny held 
them captive in their own personal 'Slayer Hell'.  Buffy had vivid 
nightmares, screaming out in her sleep, thrashing. Fighting against the 
ghosts that lived there, not just for herself but for Faith as well. Somehow 
and none of them could figure out how, Faith would fight her way out of the 
delirium, out of the fever to help Buffy. She would take Buffy into her arms, 
ignoring the pain that was now almost a permanent part of her, she would 
calm, soothe, comfort Buffy, and make the demons that haunted her sleep 
disappear.  Whoever was in the room at the time watching over them would be 
treated to Faith's hoarse voice as she whispered to Buffy again about all the 
plans they had made. Listen, as Faith would take Buffy once more to the place 
they had created for each other in their minds through the connection they 
shared. Once she knew that Buffy was safe again, Faith would slip back into 
the fevered world she had been living in for the last five days.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were all sitting around the living room, surrounded by piles of books 
that the Fates had 'faded' to the Mansion.  Everyone was now researching, 
looking for anything that could help Faith combat the poison in her system 
that was slowly killing her. 

They heard a glass shatter on the floor a millisecond before Buffy came 
tearing out of the kitchen heading for the bedroom that Faith was in on the 
first floor of the Mansion. Dawn jumped up from the couch her hands over her 
ears as she ran for the garden.  She knew what was coming, they all did, if 
Buffy didn't get to Faith on time.  She couldn't bear to hear Faith crying 
out in such total torment and anguish, none of them could. Buffy didn't make 
it in time.

"NO! PLEASE! I'LL BE GOOD! PLEASE MOMMY PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO! HE HURTS ME! 
PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME! PLEASE!" 

Willow and Tara quickly followed Dawn out to the garden. Atropos disappeared 
in front of their eyes, they heard one last anguished cry of 'PLEASE MOMMY!' 
and then it was deathly quiet. Gary snatched up his medical bag and went 
running for the bedroom.

Spike got up from his chair and started pacing, he lit a cigarette even 
though he already had one burning in the ashtray. Angel, Wesley, Gunn and 
Fred were trying to comfort Cordy who had started crying again. They all knew 
she had seen more in her vision then what she had told them. James got up, 
mumbling something about making tea, Lachesis right on his heels.

Anya was soothingly stroking Xander's back. He had his head buried in his 
hands and he was muttering rhetorically to himself, "What the fuck? Why did 
this happen? What the fuck happened to them. What the fuck did they do to 
them?" He didn't expect that anyone would answer him, didn't expect that 
anyone but Anya had heard him.  He knew damn well what had happened to them, 
he wished to god that he didn't, but he did. He was just crying out against 
the gods against what he now knew, he really didn't expect anyone to hear 
him, he hadn't counted on vampric hearing.

"What happened to them? What the bloody hell do you think happened to them?  
What the bloody fucking hell do you think she did to them you stupid wanker?  
What do you think she threw them in that nice little cage and visited them 
like you'd visit an animal in a zoo? Left them alone until she felt like 
visiting them again, maybe ignoring the sign that said please don't feed the 
animals and fed them anyway! They were kidnapped, taken to a Hell dimension 
by a deranged, lunatic HellGod, who hated Buffy with a passion! Who lived off 
of the pain and fear she created in others. She touched them and knew what 
their greatest fears were and turned them into reality. She fucking recreated 
for Faith a reality she had already lived through once! She found that 
scumbag piece of shit and brought him along for the ride as well. She 
tortured them, beat them and let that scumbag do the same. Let that piece of 
shit force Faith again like he did when she was just a wee one. She made them 
beg her, him, not to hurt the other and hurt them instead. What she did makes 
even my demon sick. Then Glory bathed in, dance with joy in their pain and 
anguish. They made the Marquis deSade look like Jesus Christ. Look at them 
and tell me what the bloody fucking hell do you think she, they did to them?" 
Spike stood in front of Xander, his fists tightly balled by his side, his 
eyes glowing yellow. He waited for Xander to answer him.  

Xander didn't answer Spike right away instead he stood up and shoved Spike 
away from him. "I don't need you to tell me what happened to them. I was 
there too, I saw where they were, I saw what they did to Faith and Buffy. I 
have ears I can hear their nightmares as well as you, every day, every night. 
I wasn't asking you to tell me, and I sure as hell don't have to explain 
myself to you.  And the last thing I need is a lecture or to be berated by a 
neutered vampire pretending to care about the Slayers.  We all know if it 
wasn't for the chip in your head that you would have been right there with 
Glory and that lowlife helping them to torture Faith and Buffy. Right there 
forcing yourself on Faith just like him. Only, I'm sure as hell you would've 
forced yourself on Buffy too! So cut the fucking act, Spike, because nobody 
here believes it!"

For just a fraction of a second Xander could have sworn that he saw a hurt 
look flicker in Spike's eyes. For a second Xander felt guilty, just like he 
would have had he accused Willow or Tara, any of the Scoobs, or the LA crew, 
even Angel of pretending to care. Hey this was Spike, and the only reason 
that Spike was helping them was because of that damn chip.  Xander knew, they 
all knew or thought they did, the second that chip was gone Spike would go 
right back to his old ways. 

In the blink of an eye Xander found himself being spun around, Spike's arm 
pulling him tightly back to his chest.  His head being snapped backwards 'til 
it was against Spike's shoulder, exposing his neck.  Spike leered down at him 
in full scale game-face. 

"Very funny Spike! You don't scare me." Xander voice trembled just a little 
belaying his words. "Too bad you're as harmless as a de-clawed kitten with 
that chip in your head.  So let me go before I have to hurt you." Xander 
wasn't too happy that no one had leapt to his defense, but then again why 
should they, it wasn't like Spike could actually hurt him. Then again most of 
them thought he had gone a little too far in what he had said.

"Just for the record, little boy, I've done a lot of bad in my hundred or so 
years, but I've NEVER, not once, ever raped a woman, ever. And certainly 
never a child, the thought alone makes me and my demon sick. And as for me 
not hurting you, you're right, you bloody little wanker.  Because of the chip 
in my head I can't bite you unless I want to feel searing pain.  It's a good 
thing I have the chip 'cause it means I can't do this either unless of course 
I want to cause myself some mind numbing pain." Spike snarled, but there was 
an underlying hurt, sorrow in his tone, then he smiled at Xander, flashing 
his fangs.

The next thing Xander knew he was airborne.  He flew across the room and it 
was lucky for him that Spike had aimed for the couch.  Xander didn't know 
that as he hit the back of the couch hard, tipping it over. He bounced onto 
the floor with a loud grunt of pain. There was a part of him though that knew 
he deserved Spike's anger. He should have never said what he did, Spike had 
helped them and appeared to be just as angry, just as upset over what had 
happened to both Buffy and Faith as the rest of them.  The chip kept Spike 
from hurting them, but it couldn't make him help them, nor could it make him 
care. 

Even so, when he sat up and shook his head clear, he looked at Spike with a 
smile of anticipation on his face and waited for the chip to zap him, they 
all did. And they waited, and waited.

"Hey... you... it... didn't..."

"That's right, I did and it didn't. Well lookie here, no pain, guess the 
chip's not working. Ooops! That's right it's not working cause it's no longer 
in me head. Which means, I can just go right back to being the Big Bad and 
you all can try and stake me and I can try and kill you all.  'Cause I 
certainly wouldn't still be here helping the Slayers or you all if I didn't 
have the chip. Now would I? Why it's a bloody miracle that you are all still 
alive considering the chip has been gone for over five days now! Because I 
positively couldn't control my demon without the chip now could I?" Though 
his words were angry, sarcastic, and snarled out they were laced with sadness 
and hurt.

"Five days... but that means that you... when we went to rescue them... you 
were 
de-chiped..." Xander felt a little bit of guilt worm it's way through his 
brain. At first they all had just assumed that Spike hung around helping 
because he professed he loved Buffy and did it in an effort to win over her 
affections. And, at first, that probably had been the only reason he did stay 
around. Now that Xander thought about it not once had Spike ever done 
anything to try and drive a wedge between Buffy and Faith. In fact he had 
stopped even giving Buffy goo-goo-eyes a while ago.  He had stayed after they 
all thought the Slayers were dead, had helped still with the slaying and 
protecting Dawn even though Buffy was no longer here. He hadn't known about 
their plan to try and bring the Slayers back so the only reason he had to 
stay was because he truly did care, demon or not.  Soul or not, chip or not.

"Spike I..."  Xander's voice was contrite.

"Oh sod off, I don't need this shit..." Spike started towards the patio doors 
in a huff. He was hurt that they thought he would harm any one of them after 
all this time, though he would never tell them that.  If he was honest with 
himself he really couldn't blame them for not trusting him without the chip, 
he didn't know if he could trust himself. So why should they?

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Wesley stood blocking Spike's path, a 
cross held out in front of him in one hand, a stake in the other. "I can't 
take the chance that you won't decide to go back to your old ways again 
without the chip."

"Wesley..." Angel stood and slowly made his way over to stand by Spike's 
side.

"It's alright, Peaches." He smiled at the pissy look Angel gave him at the 
nickname. "English here is right. Who knows? Without the chip, I might just 
go back to my old ways.  Go ahead English stake me. I'd rather die, well die 
again, than risk harming any of you even if you all are bloody annoying 
gits." Not one person in that room doubted Spike sincerity. And, at that 
point, all of them, even Xander, realized that Spike, whether he was a 
vampire or not, was part of their little family. The question now was: Were 
they willing to take the risk and trust him?

The youngest among them decided to make the decision for them. Before anyone 
could stop her, Dawn streaked across the room and wrapped herself around 
Spike.

"No way you're staking Spike! You have to go through me to do it!" She glared 
at Wesley, then glared at all of them. "How can you even think about staking 
him? He saved all of your lives more then once since Buffy and Faith were 
gone. He didn't have to do that.  The chip didn't make him do that. He could 
have done nothing and you all would have died.  He didn't even have to stay 
here after Glory but he did. He made a promise to Buffy to protect me and he 
did. He went with all of you to bring Buffy and Faith home after he didn't 
have the chip. He didn't have to do that. He's been alone with Faith over the 
last five days and he could have killed her. She wouldn't have been able to 
stop him, not the way she is right now. But he didn't. He's been controlling 
his demon all this time. He could have killed any of us over the last five 
days. And he didn't! He might not have a soul like Angel, but just because 
Angel has a soul doesn't mean that he can't kill if he wanted to.  There are 
plenty of people every day that kill that have souls. But you wouldn't kill 
them, so why are you willing to kill Spike?"

Angel couldn't help but think to himself, 'Out of the mouth of babes 
sometimes comes the most wisdom.'

Spike gently detangled Dawn from him.  He smiled softly at her, he always 
liked the little one.

"I agree with my sister and I think Faith would agree with Dawn too if she 
could." Everyone spun around towards the hallway that led to the bedroom. 
None of them had seen Buffy quietly leaning up against the wall, she had been 
there since the beginning of Spike and Xander's argument.  She moved so fast 
she was a blur, by the time they finished blinking she was standing with 
Angel, Spike and Dawn. "I won't let you stake him either. If for nothing else 
both Faith and I owe him for saving our lives.  Without him, we, you, 
couldn't have beaten Glory and we might all be dead. He was willing to risk 
his own life, rather un-life, to save ours even though he didn't have to. He 
did what all of us have always done for the others, risk our lives for not 
just for the rest of the world, but for each other. Because that's what 
family does for family, at least our family does."

"Thank you..." Spike looked at Buffy briefly before he found the ceiling 
quite interesting for a second or two. "Damn dust..." He swiped at his eyes. 
"Thank you too 'Lil Bit'... But...  you all may be willing to take the risk 
but I'm not.  Having a soul like Angel does makes a difference, it gives him 
a conscious something which I don't have..."

"Actually..." Lachesis moved further into the room having come out of the 
kitchen earlier when she had heard Xander and Spike's raised voices.  She had 
been waiting for the right time to interject.  After their return from Shedu 
and much discussion, the Fates as well as Luc had pretty much decided to 
throw away the rule book when it came to the Slayers and their odd, but 
loving family. A family of which it seemed that not only Gary and James, but 
the Fates and Lucifer were now a part of, as well as them being a part of 
theirs. 

"That's not quite true William. When we removed the chip from your head and I 
gave it to you right before we went into the cabin in Shedu you had two 
choices at that time.  You could have left, and come back here, no one would 
have been able to stop you at that point. You could have killed those left 
behind here and by leaving Shedu you would have effectively killed all of us 
and the Slayers, as you so often had threatened to do once you managed to rid 
yourself of the chip.  Your other choice was to stay and help, risking your 
own life or rather un-life because this was your family now as well." 

"We all know what your choice was obviously, what I, or we the 'Fates', never 
got the opportunity to tell you was that once you made that choice your soul 
was restored to you. It was a gift from the 'Creator' for your part in 
helping the Slayers, and all of these good people.  They knew it was 
something that you desired. So you see William you do have a soul, and a 
conscious. What you never realized, however, was that by taming your demon, 
even if you did have a chip, helped your demon develop a conscious as well. 
Even chipped you still could have caused mayhem. That was the reason for the 
choice you made, for you, not just the man, but the demon as well considers 
all these good people family." 

A shit-eating grin spread over Spike's face, the corners of his mouth 
practically touched his ears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well I guess that means we can stop looking for the orb honey."

"What?" Xander was confused, though secretly he was glad they didn't have to 
stake Spike.  He had grown fond of the vampire over the last year or so, 
though he would never tell anyone that.  In reality they all had, Dawn 
especially.

"After the final battle with Glory, Spike had asked Tara and I if we would 
restore his soul for him. He wanted to make sure that if his chip ever failed 
that he wouldn't return to his old ways. We've been looking for an Orb of 
Thesula ever since."

"Wow! You mean you were going to give up ever having an 'Orgas...'" The rest 
of what Anya was about to say was cut off by Xander's hand over her mouth.  
She bit his hand. "What?"

"Dawn..." Xander hissed in a whisper out of the corner of his mouth.

"I'm not a kid you know." When everyone just looked at her with the 
'yeah-right' look, she stamped her foot. "Well I'm not. I know Angel can't 
have sex." She had to smirk at them when they all looked at her in surprise. 
"Well I know he can't otherwise he becomes Angelus. I remember that you 
know."

Spike's smile had slowly started to fade on him, he had completely forgotten 
about the happiness clause! Angel couldn't help but to chuckle at the look of 
pure horror that came over Spike's face. "Well at least now I won't be the 
only one taking cold showers all the time." And if they didn't all know it 
wasn't supposed to be possible they would have all sworn that Angel blushed.

"Well actually," Lachesis started and they all turned to stare at her again, 
she was blushing a little. "...Cold showers won't be necessary. Your soul is 
anchored William, it is permanent.  It too was part of the gift." 

"I'm happy for you Will." Angel told Spike sincerely, though none of them 
missed the wistful look on his face. Nor did they miss the look that conveyed 
to them that Angel still didn't feel like he even had earned this much for 
all the good he had done.

"That particular gift was granted to you as well, Liam."

Angel was stunned, he quickly closed his gaping mouth. "What?" he sputtered.

"Your soul is now also anchored, also permanent. You can never lose it again 
that way, neither of you can. But just like a man with a soul can become evil 
or choose to be an agent for the dark side, so can both of you. When William 
made the free conscious choice or rather his demon did to fight on the side 
of good the day we went to Shedu, when his soul was restored it and the demon 
became one.  The same thing happened to you that day did it not Angel? You 
and your demon were united in the quest to free the Slayers. In that moment 
your soul and your demon merged.  And though you both are still vampires you 
became like any other being with a soul, with both a light and a dark side. 
It is entirely up to you now, you have the freedom to decide which side you 
choose to fight on. You can not lose your souls, the difference now though is 
that if you choose to fight on the dark side, you will reap all the 
consequences that comes with having a soul."

"My soul is permanent." He whispered it to himself as if it would make it 
more real for him. 

"I'm happy for you Angel." He looked up at Buffy when she spoke, and his eyes 
were caught and held by hers. No one missed the look that passed between 
them, not even Faith who with the help of Luc and Gary was standing in the 
hallway where Buffy had been not to long ago. No, not one of them missed the 
look, but they all misunderstood it including Faith.

She redirected her thoughts away from where they had drifted, when she saw 
the smile, the look, her mate and Angel had shared when he was told his soul 
was anchored. 

Softly, she croaked, rasped out, in a voice that was low even for her, "I'm 
happy for you too Soul-boy."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Again they saw nothing but a blur, and by the time they had all turned around 
Buffy was standing next to Faith in the hallway.  Before Faith knew what was 
happening herself she was lifted into Buffy's arms. 

"Baby, you shouldn't be out of bed..." 

"I was starting to get bed sores. Bed sores hurt, B." Then Faith gave Buffy 
one of those cocky lopsided grins she loved so much.

Buffy gave her one right back, her heart skipping a little beat. It was then 
that she realized that while Faith's eyes were still glazed with the fever, 
they were clear.  Her skin, which over the last few days had been almost to 
hot to touch, was still warm but not boiling anymore. How come she hadn't 
felt it? Over the past week, she had known without even being in the room if 
there was the slightest change in Faith condition. Hell, she would wake up 
from sleeping a second before Faith would get thrown into one of her 
fever-induced hallucinations. How could she have possibly missed this?

"You're better or getting better, aren't you?  They found something to combat 
the venom didn't they?" At Faith's silent nod of yes, Buffy's legs almost 
gave way as sheer joy and relief washed over her.  She rained happy kisses 
all over Faith's face, her smile serious competition for the one Spike had on 
his face when he found out he had been granted a soul. Her kisses slowly 
tapered off when she realized that somehow or another they had kept this from 
her and she wanted to know why.

She looked first at Faith, whom she knew was pretty much catching everything 
she was thinking in one of their 'echoes'.  Faith kind of looked away, and 
Buffy was sure that if Faith's lips weren't so dry and chapped from the fever 
she would be whistling tunelessly while staring into space.  Then she looked 
at Gary who eyes were darting everywhere in an effort to avoid her own. Luc 
was finding his shoes very interesting, Clotho and Atropos took one look at 
Buffy and started to fade.  All five looked guilty as sin.  

"Oh no you don't." Buffy yelled down the hall at the two sisters. "Somebody 
start talking and tell me what happened and why I didn't know. Why no one 
came and got me."

By this point everyone, the Scoobs, the LA crew, and Giles were all  in the 
hallway with them.  It was a little crowded to say the least.  They were all 
grinning like village idiots, shocked, relieved and surprised when they 
realized, like Buffy, that Faith was better or rather that she was on the 
road to recovery.  They all started asking fifty million questions at once.

"Um... maybe we can go sit down?" Faith gave Buffy another of her cocky 
lopsided grins, only this time it didn't work.

Buffy carried Faith into the living room and plopped down on the couch with 
her. Faith tried to squirm off Buffy's lap but she wouldn't let her.  She 
suddenly felt awkward, shy around them, she remembered in a vague way all 
that had happened over the last five days and she was embarrassed. 

Angel threw a blanket over the both of them, he cocked his head at Buffy 
silently asking for permission to join them on the couch.  While they might 
have been helping her with Faith over the last week she still went a little 
feral on them if any of them, especially the men got too close to Faith. And, 
Faith did likewise when anyone got to close to Buffy, even when she was 
delirious she would get protective of her mate. A part of her always aware of 
who Buffy was regardless of how deeply entrenched she might have been in the 
hallucinations of the past.

Buffy looked from Gary, to Atropos, to Clotho, to Luc and finally at Faith, 
"Somebody want to tell me what happened? 'Cause not more then fifteen minutes 
ago you were burning up with a fever and delirious and now even I can tell 
that your fever is breaking.  And you two," she nodded her head towards Luc 
and Clotho. "...weren't even here."

"We ah... they ah blocked you... I asked them to... Can I get a glass of 
water?" 

Buffy arched an eyebrow at Faith, her expression puzzled. She noticed that 
Faith's voice was a lot more hoarse then fifteen minutes ago, it looked like 
the gash under her bottom lip had been bitten clean through again. She nodded 
for Faith to continue.  Before she did, Spike handed her a glass of water. 
Faith smiled gratefully at him.

"Thanks, Spike or should I call you Soul-boy junior now? Or maybe a fruit 
since Angel is Peaches. Maybe you could be Kiwi or Plum.  'Cause now you're a 
'Poof' just like Soul-boy!" She took a sip of water and it was the most 
wonderful thing in the world to her at the moment. She couldn't even describe 
how good the cold water felt sliding down her parched throat. She chugged the 
whole thing, Spike just took the glass back and went to refill it. She waited 
for him to return before she continued. 

"Anyway Clo and Scamp over there showed up in the room about two seconds 
after you came out here, B, to see what X-Man and Junior," she paused and 
looked at Spike who just stuck his tongue out at her like a two-year-old. He 
was pleased though, it showed in his eyes, he knew that Faith had finally 
accepted him, nicknames were her way of showing affection. Didn't mean he had 
to like the nickname though. "...were fightin about.  They got an antidote 
for the venom from some Shaman. They thought I was sleeping when they were 
talking to G about it. I wasn't.  The Shaman didn't know if the antidote 
would work on me or not, plus he told them it would be wicked painful.  Said 
it would take about an hour or two to work.  So I blocked you from knowing 
and asked them if we could do it back at the Fate's place, since time moves 
faster there."

"Why block me? Why didn't you want me to know? What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing, B... I just didn't want you to get your hopes up is all."

Buffy didn't miss the look the five of them exchanged. They were keeping 
something from her and that fact alone was scaring her. "Faith?"

Faith stared at Buffy and knew she was afraid, she knew she needed to tell 
her it all. But she knew Buffy was going to be pissed that they kept her out 
of the loop, she hadn't wanted Buffy to make the decision especially if it 
hadn't worked out the way it did.  Didn't want to lay that responsibility on 
her shoulders. Or that guilt.

"Well, seems there wasn't an antidote, and they had a hard time finding him 
in the hell he got sent to.  Someone helped them find him and then made the 
antidote."

"Someone?"

"Yeah B, it was Ben. He, Glory made him immortal in exchange for him not 
fighting her on sacrificing Dawn so she could go home.  Seems he's the 'Big 
Man' there now.  Anyway, he was the only one that could help them. And, since 
he once was human and a doctor, well, he made the antidote.  Said it was to 
make up for what he done and for not helping us when we were there. Anyways 
seems the venom would have slowly killed me, should have killed me by now but 
being a Slayer and what you did sharing your energy is what kept me alive 
this long.  Thing is with the antidote well there was aЙ was aЙ fifty - 
fifty chance it could either cure me or kill me, it depended on how much the 
venom had infected my body. I made them block you and take me to the Fates' 
place. I didn't want you to make the decision. I knew I had to try the 
antidote. There wasn't any choice, not at this point, and time was running 
out. I was going to either die slowly or die from the antidote. AndЙ and well 
I knew you would see it that way and wellЙ if it didn't work I didn't want 
you thinking it was your fault 'cause you decided we should try the 
antidote."

Faith dropped all her blocks and Buffy got the whole thing from her in an 
'echo'.  She also knew now why Faith's voice was so hoarse, she had screamed 
for almost an hour straight in pain as the antidote raced through her veins. 
The venom's poison running through her veins boiling her blood, seeping into 
her cells, muscle and flesh had felt like a pleasant but rough massage 
compared to what the antidote had felt like. Faith had felt like someone had 
dropped her in a vat of acid after they gave her the antidote. As it went on 
a search and destroy mission, eradicating the poison from her blood, her 
cells, her muscles, flesh, fuck even her hair had hurt.

Buffy was in shock she couldn't believe that Faith had kept this from her. 
Couldn't believe that she would make such a life altering decision without 
her, not after all they had been through together. Make a decision that 
could, would effect both of them. Would have kept her from saying goodbye. 
How could she have done that? She could have died! Even as she was thinking 
it Buffy knew she would have done the same thing.

"Faith... I wouldn't have..."

"Don't... Don't B, don't even try and tell me that... We both know that if 
the antidote killed me you would have blamed yourself. It wouldn't have 
mattered if we made the decision together or even if I made it alone, if you 
were there, you would have found a way to blame yourself if it didn't work. I 
couldn't let that happen, B... I couldn't do that to you... I wouldn't let 
you do that, it wouldn't have been fair to you... Not after all you've done 
for me, after all that we went through together. I love you to much B... 
Buffy, to ever put you in that position, to ever do that to you." Faith 
looked at Buffy with eyes that pleaded for her understanding.

Buffy smiled softly at Faith and gently stroked the side of her face. All she 
cared about right now was that Faith was going to get better, that she wasn't 
going to die. The constant state of terror that Buffy had been living in over 
the last five days slipped from her and all she could feel was joy and relief 
again, and for the first time since they had been back Buffy truly believed 
that everything would be all right.

The Chosen Two looked around at all the smiling faces of their family. They 
had forgotten about them during their conversation.  The relief, love, and 
happiness was plain to see on all of their faces. Faith was a little 
overwhelmed by it, by them, by the fact that they too still loved her after 
all that happened. After what had happened to Buffy because of her.  She 
pushed the guilt aside that she was feeling for now and instead luxuriated in 
the warmth of her family with her soul-mate. As they all sat around smiling 
like lunatics at each other, happy not for just the Chosen Two but for Spike 
and Angel as well.  

For the first time in over seven months both of the Slayers had boundless 
hope in their hearts. They finally let themselves feel the bone-deep 
exhaustion they had been keeping at bay. As they listened to the happy 
chatter of their family both Slayers felt their eyes growing heavy.  Idly 
they thought to themselves they should get up and go into the bedroom to 
sleep. In a second they both thought. In a second. They started to drift off 
to sleep, feeling completely safe for the first time since Glory had taken 
them, safe, and surrounded in the comfort, the love of their family.

"Child, it appears that you and your Chosen could use a little nap." Atropos 
chuckled, they all did, at the sleepy nods both Slayers gave her.

"Hmmm... stay here... safe here..." Faith mumbled burrowing her head further 
into Buffy's neck.

"Like it here..." Buffy mumbled in agreement with her mate, and pulled Faith 
tighter to her.

Angel got up from the couch, he gently drew Buffy's legs up onto it, helping 
her lay down, not once letting Faith go.  The Chosen Two curled into each 
other, their breathing in sync and Angel couldn't help but think how 
beautiful a sight they were together.  He tucked the blanket around them and 
smiled when he realized that this was the first time, since they had brought 
them home, that neither of them had snarled at him for being so close them.

They all decided to make an impromptu slumber party out of it. They all 
understood the Slayers wanted, needed to be surrounded by their family, which 
had grown considerably over the last few months to include the Fates, 
Lucifer, Gary and James. Blankets and pillows were strewn around the living 
room floor. Someone lit a fire, then humans, vampires, witches, and 
incarnates alike lay down to sleep.

For the first time in a very long time they all slept peacefully, deeply and 
soundly through the night. The only sounds to be heard that night were the 
occasional snore, and a mumbled, "Rollover!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...I want to lose all your demons and go / I want to tear off your chains 
'cause I know / All the way to heaven is heaven / Caught between the spirit 
and the dust / All the way to heaven is heaven / Deep inside of us / I want 
to find me a carnival / Outside of town / A tilt-a-whirl set up / With a 
merry go round / Cotton candy fingers / And a snow cone mouth / I want to 
roll you in sawdust / Till they run us both out / All the way to heaven / All 
the way - Melissa Etheridge

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All your hidden faces / Your seven veils unfold / Give me forbidden places / 
All your tales untold / Heaven and hope eternal / Over your heart of gold / 
Sun and sunset / Burning in the flame you hold... 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stood naked in front of the full-length mirror staring at her reflection. 
The bruises were all gone, even where Glory's clawed-hand had pierced her was 
now just a faint scar, that she hoped would eventually fade away into 
nothingness.  If only her memories, the feelings she had buried so deeply 
within herself from what had happened there could fade away into nothingness 
too. She knew that it wouldn't be that easy, knew from her past experience 
that they just didn't go away.  That sooner or later they would find their 
way to the surface, they might come out in a different way. She might not 
even know what they were from, but they would find a way out.  Just like they 
had before, like when she had strangled Xander, and tortured Wesley. She had 
no idea why at the time she had done those things but she knew now. 

Her eyes traveled up to her shoulder where the fang marks from Johnny were 
just beginning to fade, like the others. All except for the two where he had 
re-marked her over the first scars that he had ever given her. She put her 
right foot on the low footstool by the base of the mirror.  She move her leg 
to the side and out, grabbing the back of her thigh from the inside and 
pulling the muscle and flesh outwards into the light. They were still there, 
two sets of fang marks, two sets of human teeth marks. They glared at her, 
white, stark, angry against her own pale skin. Even the first two sets that 
were now almost thirteen years old seemed to look like they were new instead 
of faded, almost invisible like they were before Glory had taken them to 
Shedu. He had marked her like a vampire or a wolf marked their mate and Faith 
hated it with every part of her being. She had to fight the urge to carve 
them out of her flesh.

She dropped her hand from her thigh and placed her foot back down on the 
floor.  She felt the fleeting ghost of his touch, his hands upon her, his 
weight pressing down on her, his mouth on her skin, his voice whispering in 
her ear. Her skin crawled and she felt the goose-bumps rise across all of her 
flesh.  She stared at her own eyes in the mirror and saw that haunted look in 
them again that had greeted her every morning for almost the whole of her 
life. A look that told anyone who saw it that there were scars that lived far 
beneath the surface of her skin, scars that were etched into her soul. A look 
that now, like then, she had learned to hide. 

As she looked at herself in the mirror she felt her stomach start to churn, 
she had to fight not to get sick. How could Buffy ever want her again, how 
could Buffy still love her, after all that had happened?  All that Buffy had 
seen done to her, all that she had done to stop Johnny and Glory, to keep 
their attention on her and away from Buffy. She looked at herself with the 
eyes of the sixteen year old she had once been and saw again what she saw 
then, nothing but a cheap disgusting white-trash whore. 

She was dirty, she felt dirty inside, and no matter how many showers she took 
she could never wash away the dirt. For a little while before Glory she 
thought she had finally washed it away, but now it was back and she feared 
she would never get rid of it again.  She was afraid she would go back to 
being how she was before, the ultimate 'Get Some, Get Gone' girl. Isn't that 
what she was? Just a little whore only interested in momentary pleasure, 
getting off and throwing them out, a thrill a minute, the more the merrier. 
Isn't that what she had been taught, and then taught again? The only thing 
she had ever been good at, the only thing she ever had to offer? Isn't that 
they had all thought? Isn't that what she had let them all believe? Let 
herself believe.  Wasn't that what she always thought she deserved? Romance, 
gentle caresses, whispered words, arms holding you close through the night 
and love they were for other people, not for her, not for 'daddy's baby girl'
. Isn't that exactly who Buffy had gotten to see when they were being held in 
Glory's domain? Isn't that exactly who she saw staring back at her in the 
mirror now?

She felt the coldness growing inside her every day now. They had all thought 
the first time she was in Sunnydale that she was nothing more then a 
sex-crazed slut. They never knew that it wasn't the sex that she wanted, it 
had never been that. It had been about being in control of the one thing that 
she never had any control over. If she was in control then they couldn't 
force her, couldn't hurt her. She threw them out because she was afraid to 
sleep with them there. Afraid to wake up and find that a sweaty body was 
holding her down, forcing her again. Afraid to have someone there when she 
woke up screaming most nights from her nightmares. The times had been far and 
few between that she had ever found any pleasure in the sex itself and those 
few times it had been because she had pleasured herself when she was with 
them. She knew though it went deeper then that, she had lost her ability to 
trust anyone, to let herself go. She hadn't lied when she told Buffy that she 
was the first person she had ever completely given up her control with. It 
had been a freeing experience because with Buffy she had finally found what 
it was that she had been truly searching for in all of those meaningless 
encounters. When she was in Buffy's arms she felt clean, felt loved, felt 
whole, felt safe, there was warmth, comfort, passion, tenderness, love and so 
much more in Buffy's strong arms. 

Now, even though they had not made love in the six weeks since they had been 
back, it was different. When Buffy touched her, even with no sexual intention 
she was afraid.  Afraid Buffy would want more, afraid she wouldn't be able to 
let her touch her. Afraid because the few times they had kissed with a little 
more passion, the few times Buffy's touch had been just a bit more then 
'friendly'; it wasn't Buffy lips she felt, or Buffy's touch she felt, it was h
is and only his. And then she felt dirty inside again. Internally she would 
shrink away, her skin wanting to crawl, and then she felt even dirtier 
because she wanted Buffy's cleansing touch. She wanted Buffy to erase the 
memory, ghostly feel of his touch, lips, breath upon her skin, with her 
loving touch.  She wanted to be with Buffy, wanted so badly what they had 
before. And didn't that make her 'daddy's good little whore' for wanting 
that?  But she was afraid, afraid to try, afraid not to try, just afraid that 
it wouldn't work, that she would always feel his hands instead of Buffy's.  
Afraid to tell her. How could she tell her? Tell her that her skin crawled 
and her mind screamed out in fear, her body grew cold at the thought of ever 
being intimate with anyone again, even Buffy. Even that wasn't totally true, 
because there had been times that she wanted to be intimate with Buffy over 
the last few weeks and she was just afraid. Afraid that she would freeze up 
or that if she didn't then the next time she might, might always feel this 
way. She was at a loss, she was lost, her world was in a tailspin and she 
didn't know how to pull out of it. How do you tell your lover something like 
that, any of it, all of it?

A choked sob escaped her, and she bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop 
another from joining it. She was terrified of losing Buffy.  She knew Buffy 
loved her, there was nothing in this world that could ever make her doubt 
that. But would love be enough? What if she never could get past this? What 
if she could never make love with her again? What if even though Buffy was in 
love with her, Buffy loved... was in love with Angel more? Faith shook her 
head, 'Where the fuck did that come from?', she thought to herself. She knew 
though, it had been banging around in the back of her mind since that day she 
had seen the look Buffy and Angel had exchanged when he found out his soul 
was permanent. She couldn't do this right now, couldn't wonder if Buffy was 
still in love with Angel too.  She didn't want to wonder if Buffy would turn 
to Angel if she couldn't get past her own fears, but she did anyway.

She forced her eyes away from the mirror, not once did it ever occur to her 
that Buffy understood what was going on in her head. Not once, because 
illogically she was still blaming herself for it all, just like she had 
before. Somehow she thought she had brought this all on herself, a part of 
her again believing in some perverse way that she had deserved all that had 
happened to her. A punishment for all the bad she had done throughout her 
life. The guilt though was for what happened to Buffy because of her. Glory 
had dragged her into the portal and back into the nightmare existences of her 
youth and she had dragged Buffy right along with her. She had been unable to 
protect Buffy from either of them, their tortures, their beatings, from Buffy 
seeing who she truly was. And the guilt of that was overwhelming her, 
drowning her. She owned that guilt, the feeling that somehow this was all her 
fault, owned it all over again just like she had when she was a child.

Another fucking choked sob forced it's way out of her.  She had to stop this, 
this was supposed to be a happy day. Luc and Atropos were having their formal 
'Joining' it was why she was standing here in the bedroom that she and Buffy 
had shared for ten days during their respite from 'Slayer Hell'.  She looked 
at herself in the mirror one last time before she started to move towards the 
tub. Her body was almost completely healed, but her soul was falling apart, 
she was falling apart. Over the course of the last six weeks as she had 
physically begun to heal all the emotions she had forced down in order 
survive their ordeal at both Glory's and Johnny's hands; all the emotions she 
had forced down from what had happened before at Johnny's hand, her Mother's, 
and all the men they had forced on her, started fighting their way back into 
the light. 

All of them, all at once and they were too much to handle. As she sunk down 
gratefully into the warm magical water, she once again began re-erecting that 
steel wall in her mind piece by piece, it wasn't so easy anymore though.  She 
wasn't that Faith, she lived through what suppressing, hiding behind that 
wall did.  She didn't want to go back there ever again. She didn't want to be 
that person again. She didn't want to live this way, she wanted to let it all 
out, needed to let it all out, but she was afraid, this was hard, she didn't 
know how to do this, how to reach out, where to even begin. 

She dunked her head under the water staying there until she started seeing 
whites spots behind her closed eyelids. She came up for air a second before 
she would have passed out.  She felt brittle, ancient, fragile, vulnerable, 
tired deep down in her soul, and she knew that with the slightest touch, a 
flick of a finger, she would shatter into a million tiny little pieces.  What 
she didn't know was if she could ever put those pieces back together. What 
she had forgotten were the things she had learned from Angel, from Buffy, 
from all of them; that there was no shame in asking for help, and that she 
was no longer alone. She might shatter into a million pieces but she had more 
then enough pairs of hands that would lovingly help her pick them all up and 
put them back together.

She closed her eyes and let the silent tears seep out from beneath them, she 
was exhausted mentally.  She let the warmth of the water soothe her, she 
quietly called out for Buffy through their connection not even realizing she 
was doing it as she drifted off to sleep. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was sitting on the bed with her sister in the room that the Fates' had 
given to Dawn. They had been talking for the last two hours, and Buffy was 
finally confident that she had convinced her sister that none of what had 
happened to her and Faith at the hands of the Demon-Goddess and the lowlife 
was her fault. Now if she could just convince Faith of the same thing and 
herself as well, maybe they could start rebuilding their lives. Start moving 
past all of it.  She had no illusions, she knew it would be hard, but they 
just couldn't ignore it, it wouldn't just go away. 

Without knowing it she had the same problem as Faith, she didn't know how to 
begin, where to start or even what to say. Her own guilt was eating away at 
her, she knew it was illogical, knew it for all the same reasons she had used 
to convince her sister to let hers go.  

The guilt was there anyway, like acid, burning in her stomach, shaking her 
down to her soul. She had been unable to stop any of it, she was a fucking 
'Chosen One' for Christ's sake, she should have been able to protect Faith, 
and she hadn't.  Couldn't stop what had happened, couldn't stop that monster 
from forcing himself on her soul-mate again. Couldn't stop a repeat of the 
nightmare Faith had lived in for nine years. Couldn't stop anything. She was 
helpless to stop any of it while she had been forced to watch it all. Watch 
or Johnny would have made good on his promise to make it a hundred times 
worse for Faith. Buffy hated herself for not being able to do anything to 
stop it with a passion she never knew existed.

She was terrified of losing Faith. Afraid that a part of Faith hated her, 
blamed her, even though she knew Faith blamed herself, for everything that 
had happened to her, them at Shedu. It had been her decision to be up on the 
tower that night, her decision to jump into the portal instead of sacrificing 
her sister.  Her decision and because of that Faith was up there with her. 

It was her fear of being helpless, unable to protect the innocent as was her 
destiny, her fear of failing Faith again, that Glory had tapped into, making 
Glory and Johnny go after Faith with a vengeance.

Why hadn't she figured out their game? Why? Faith had, and Faith had forced 
down what her real fear was and had offered herself to them on a silver 
platter to protect her, Buffy, from Johnny's sexual abuse. It was killing her 
inside to know that Faith had done this to protect her, had sacrificed 
herself, had goaded, had enticed both Johnny and Glory to come after her, all 
in order to protect her, while she had done nothing. How could Faith not 
start to hate her, she hated herself more every day. More than anything in 
the world Buffy wanted to fall down on her knees and beg Faith for her 
forgiveness. She was afraid though, afraid of rejection, afraid of 
forgiveness, afraid of everything and nothing, afraid of, she didn't even 
know what anymore.

In an abstract way she knew everything that was going on with Faith when it 
came to Johnny and his abuse. She had felt it all in the echoes they shared, 
and had shared his touch upon Faith in those new ghost-like echoed touches 
upon her own skin. She knew it wasn't the same, wasn't even close to what it 
had felt like to Faith, but like Faith she couldn't erase the memory of him 
from her skin either. And she wanted to cry every time she thought about her 
mate protecting her with her own body from ever knowing what it really felt 
like. 

She knew though they couldn't keep living like this, she knew what Faith was 
going through. Faith thought she was blocking her from what was going on and 
she was, but not all of it. Some of it she got in vague images from their 
connection but most of the time it came in the form of an echo of the 
nightmares Faith was having before she woke up. They needed to talk. They 
were closer than ever. But they were also farther apart than when they were 
working on opposite sides in the fight against evil.

She had been hoping that Faith would talk to her, but she hadn't yet.  They 
both had been trying so hard to pretend that things were normal, and both 
were beginning to crack under the pressure. Faith though had given absolutely 
no indication that she wanted to talk or that she would even try to talk 
about what happened any time soon. She didn't want to push Faith, but she was 
afraid the longer they waited to get it all out in the open the harder it 
would become to get any of it out at all. The harder it would be to re-build 
their life together and Buffy wanted that more then anything she had ever 
wanted before, ever. She had seen, lived through in a small way what had 
happened, what it had done to Faith when she suppressed all that had happened 
to her at Johnny and her Mother's hands and there was no fucking way she 
would let that happen to Faith again.

She missed the Faith she had fallen in love with. Missed her smiles, her 
laughter, her little tirades, her touches, her kisses, the closeness they had 
shared. Missed just the warmth and the comfort of her, she just plain ole' 
missed Faith. Despite the guilt she felt, Buffy wanted it all back, she 
didn't care about the sex, that could wait, the touches, the kisses she 
missed were the 'just because', the 'I'm-happy-to-see-you', kisses and 
touches. The ones that say 'I-love-you-no-matter-what', 
'I'll-love-you-when-we're-old-and-gray', the touches and kisses that made you 
know deep down in your soul that this person would love you forever, no 
matter what. Love you when you were happy, sad, tired, old, just love you 
because you were you, and just because. She wanted all that back, she wanted 
it all for both of them, wanted it with every fiber of her being.

As she sat on her sister's bed her determination returned. She didn't care 
what it took, they would get it all back. It didn't matter how long it took 
or how hard it might be she wanted it for them both. And nothing would stop 
her from getting that all back for them, not fear, not guilt, including and 
most of all certainly not themselves. She wasn't going to let Johnny and 
Glory have the final victory over them. She and Faith belonged together, she 
loved Faith unconditionally, eternally, and she knew Faith loved her in the 
same way.   

Buffy made a promise to herself in that second, tomorrow they would talk. If 
it wasn't for Luc and Atropos 'Joining' ceremony they would be having that 
talk today.  She had no illusions that it would be hard, she hadn't a clue 
where to start, how to begin, it didn't matter, they would muddle their way 
through it together, but they would get past it together and be stronger for 
it in the end. She wanted it all for them both and nothing was going to stand 
in her way.

She got up from the bed and kissed her sister on the forehead, as she made 
her way towards the door she heard Faith calling to her in an 'echo'. Then 
she was bombarded with almost everything Faith had seen and felt while 
standing in front of the mirror. Her heart broke with the pain her mate was 
in and Buffy's determination grew a hundred-fold, together they would get rid 
of that pain. Together they would find their way back into the light. They 
were the Chosen Two, they were the Chosen of each other and together they 
could do, be anything they wanted, nothing and no one could stop them, not 
even themselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Buffy quietly entered their bedroom and gently closed the door. She moved 
over to the tub and sat down on the wide ledge, her eyes devouring her 
sleeping mate. Tenderly she moved a few stray locks of hair off her love's 
face, her hand gliding down to lightly trace the tear tracks. She felt a few 
tears of her own escaping. Her heart broke a little for the tears, for the 
anguish, for the fear that lived inside of her soul-mate. Buffy knew as she 
gazed at her mate, that 'til the day she dies and beyond she will never 
understand how anyone could hurt the beautiful, loving, gentle woman that is 
'her Faith'.

She continued to gently stroke her lover's face, her fingers delicately 
tracing over it's contours.  Remembering, memorizing again, the finely arched 
brow, the slightly slanted, chocolate eyes, the fine line of the bridge of 
her nose, the full pouty lips, high, narrow cheekbones. She continued tracing 
along the silky planes of Faith's face, lost in thought. Lost in the memories 
of that beautiful face laughing, smiling, the cocky lopsided grin, eyes that 
bespoke of so much love that just a look from Faith sent her heart pounding, 
caused her breath to catch. 

Faith slowly opened her eyes, basking in the warmth of Buffy's fingers softly 
stroking her face. She caught and held Buffy's eyes with her own smoky, 
sleepy, need-filled, loving eyes. She smiled gently at Buffy, and lifted her 
hand out of the water, holding it out to Buffy in a silent plea to join her.

Buffy's heart started pounding so hard it threatened to beat its way out of 
her chest. She held her breath as she stripped herself of her clothes with 
inhuman speed. This was the first time since Faith had started getting better 
that they would share a bath. Faith had avoided them at all cost, making up 
excuses and showering when she knew Buffy wasn't around. Buffy knew Faith had 
steered clear of them bathing together for a few reasons, chief among them 
was that they had spent almost all of their Johnny and Glory free time in the 
bath. Spinning tales for each other, seeking comfort. Bathing together was a 
glaring reminder of their time spent there. But Buffy had missed bathing with 
Faith, lounging wrapped in the warmth of the water and her mate's arms. 
Whispering, giggling or just luxuriating in comfortable silence, it had been 
something they had enjoyed even before their 'visit' to Shedu. She knew this 
was Faith's first baby step in giving back her trust.

Faith watched Buffy with an arched eyebrow and goofy grin on her face as she 
took her clothes off with a speed that would put 'The Flash' to shame. For 
just a brief second she got worried and her brow furrowed, did Buffy think 
this was an invitation for more then a bath? A little fear streaked through 
her at the thought. She pushed it aside quickly, she had nothing to fear from 
Buffy. 

She missed taking baths with Buffy, she just missed Buffy. They seemed to 
have lost the easy way they were with each other, the closeness they had even 
when they were in Glory and Johnny's 'tender' care. On the surface it 
appeared as if nothing had changed, but their bantering had a falseness that 
was never there before, not even when they were enemies, they were forcing 
what had once been so easy, so natural, for them. The guilt they were both 
feeling was weighing them down, and just like Faith thought Buffy didn't know 
what she was feeling, Buffy thought Faith didn't know what she was feeling, 
both Slayers were wrong. Faith had realized as she felt Buffy tenderly 
stroking her face that she missed the intimacy that they shared and since she 
was at a loss as to how to start re-building their lives together she figured 
this was a good a place as any to start. 

Buffy climbed into the tub with Faith. She returned her goofy grin and lifted 
her own eyebrow at Faith's look of surprise when she sat down in the middle 
of the tub instead of curling up into her like they always did when they 
bathed together. Buffy had felt Faith's flash of fear, her concern that she 
was inviting her for more than just a bath. She didn't want to crowd her, she 
wanted any type of intimacy, to be at a pace that Faith was comfortable with.

The surprised look was replaced by a look of confusion and disappointment. 
Her bottom lip was jutted out in a pout, her brows were furrowed, and Buffy 
thought Faith looked absolutely adorable.  She playfully splashed her and 
Faith splashed her back. So Buffy splashed Faith back again and it quickly 
turned into an out and out Slayer water fight. They were rolling with 
laughter and had silly grins on their faces by the time they stopped, there 
was more water on the floor, ceiling and walls then there was in the tub. 
Buffy flipped the water back on so the tub would refill.

"You're gonna clean this up since you started it, aren't you B?" Faith gave 
Buffy her best puppy dogs eyes and Buffy couldn't resist, she splashed her 
one last time.

"That's it!" Before Buffy knew what was happening Faith had scooted down the 
tub, picked Buffy up, firmly sitting her on her lap, captured both of Buffy's 
wrists with one of her hands, and started tickling her.

Buffy was squirming on Faith's lap trying to get away from her fingers that 
were finding every single one of her ticklish spots. She was giggling and 
Faith was giggling right along with her. They were smiling like idiots and 
Buffy was drinking in Faith's smile, the twinkle in her eyes, the sound of 
her laughter. She would let her tickle her forever if it meant that she never 
had to see tears, or sorrow ever again cross that beautiful face.

"Stop..." Buffy gasped. "Yo... hey... no..." Buffy giggled a little more, 
trying to break free, but not trying her hardest. "C..an..'t br..eat..he..."

"Not gonna work..." Faith just started tickling Buffy harder, smiling down at 
her, loving the sparkle in Buffy's eyes and the sound of her giggles. "I'll 
stop when you say Uncle!"

"Ne..ver..." Buffy struggled a little harder, still not giving it her all 
yet. She was laughing so hard her sides hurt. "Ok...ay... Ok...ay..." she 
waited for Faith to slow her tickling, Faith fell for this trick every time. 
Buffy took a few deep breaths, she squirmed a little in Faith's grasp. 
"Baby..." She smiled at her, "...thismeanswar!"

In a move that would have made the WWF proud, Buffy broke her wrists free and 
pulled what could only be called the equivalent of a bathtub take down. She 
started tickling Faith without mercy. Faith started tickling Buffy back 
trying to buck her off, or roll her over at the same time.  Buffy fought 
adamantly to remain on top, a second or two after the Slayer tickle match 
started she felt a little tiny echo of fear come from Faith when she held 
down one of her hands and Faith couldn't get it loose. Not wanting to ruin 
the mood, the easiness between them, Buffy slightly loosened her grip on 
Faith's hand and let her break free.  The little bit of fear was still coming 
to her, so the next time Faith tried to roll Buffy over so she could get on 
top, Buffy struggled but let Faith win in the end.  

The tickle match began again in earnest. At some point Faith got frustrated 
at not being able to get a good tickle 'grip' on the slippery blonde-haired 
Slayer under her. She captured one of Buffy's arms and sat up pulling Buffy 
with her. She pulled Buffy's arm up and over her shoulder and Buffy along 
with it. She rose up to her knee's and carefully stood up. Buffy had enough 
presence of mind not to struggle, not wanting Faith to slip as she stepped 
out of the tub onto the wet floor. She waited until Faith was on the carpet 
to start struggling to get free, which only earned her a few pokes in her 
side.  She was giggling, gasping for air as Faith unceremoniously tossed her 
onto the bed and pounced on top of her again.  The tickle fight started once 
again, both Slayers vying for the title of 'Tickle Champion'. Neither wanting 
to stop; it felt so good to be laughing together, to be silly, to forget for 
a little while all the deep-hidden feelings both had dwelled so long on 
earlier this morning.

They tickled each other until both their sides where aching, both were 
panting for air, and their throats hurt from laughing so much. Faith had 
managed to capture both of Buffy's hands again one on each side, they had 
reached a Mexican standoff.

"Truce?" Faith giggled down at Buffy once she managed to catch her breath.

"Truce." Buffy gave Faith another silly grin. 

Faith peered around her arms to make sure Buffy's fingers weren't crossed. 
The last time they had a tickle match that had ended up in a standoff, Buffy 
had agreed to a truce but had crossed her fingers.  The second Faith had let 
her go she tickled her without any mercy for the next ten minutes straight.  
She never made that mistake again, she made sure before she released a 
certain blonde-haired Slayer that her fingers were in fact not crossed, she 
even took a quick peek down to make sure her toes weren't either.

Satisfied that Buffy wasn't going to cheat again, Faith let her wrists go. 
She didn't move off Buffy, instead she stayed with her palms planted on 
either side of Buffy, the lower half of her body laying lightly against 
Buffy's. Buffy moved her hands and rested them gently against Faith's 
forearms, as they got lost in each other's eyes.

She watched as Faith's eyes searched hers, she didn't know what she was 
looking for and Buffy hid nothing from Faith's gaze. Not her love, not her 
fear, not her needs, not her guilt and she saw all the same emotions 
reflected in Faith's eyes. A little of the wall that both Slayers had built 
up around themselves, to bury the emotions of what had happened to them in 
Shedu, crumbled.

Buffy reached up and tucked a few stray locks of Faith's hair behind her ear, 
she smiled softly when she felt Faith lean into her touch. She resisted the 
urge to pull Faith down onto her, she wanted desperately to just hold her 
close. To feel the warmth of her, to just feel her. Instead she just let her 
hand move to rest lightly on Faith's shoulder unmoving, and left her other 
just lightly touching Faith's forearm. 

She stared down into Buffy's eyes, searching, and what she saw there 
surprised her a little. There was so much love, even more than before they 
had been abducted. There was understanding, compassion, need for her, want, 
desire and more.  There was also fear and guilt. The fear though in some way 
blew her away, it just never occurred to her that Buffy was just as afraid of 
losing her as she was of losing Buffy. Seeing the guilt in Buffy's eyes hurt 
her more then anything else, how could she blame herself? None of it had been 
her fault, it all had been completely out of her control. It was like trying 
to blame yourself for a tidal wave and as she had the thought she decided to 
just say it. 

"B... None of it was your fault..." Buffy shook her head in denial of Faith's 
words, and Faith just shook hers right back. "Blaming yourself for what 
happened is like trying to blame yourself for not being able to stop a tidal 
wave."

Buffy gave Faith an incredulous look, "A tidal wave?" She couldn't keep the 
amusement out of her voice and for just a second the mood lightened between 
them again. Faith gave her a silly, shy grin, and blushed.

"Okay well, my anelogy..."

"Analogy..." Buffy corrected her gently. Normally Faith would take affront at 
someone correcting her, but there was absolutely nothing condescending about 
Buffy's tone or demeanor.

"Yeah, maybe my analogy isn't the best but it's true. You did everything you 
could do to stop what was happening. B, I know you would have given up your 
life to protect me..."

"You would have too Faith, and you gave up so much more." Faith opened her 
mouth to speak, but stopped when Buffy rushed out, "No! Please let me say 
this. I need to say this." She waited until Faith nodded her head before 
continuing. "You protected me more times than I could ever count. You used 
your own body, you served yourself up to both of them. You... you... let them 
think it was him you feared and him touching you, her touching you... You 
made them believe that to protect me... What did I do? I took a few hits... 
got a few bruises... You fucking sacrificed yourself for me and it's killing 
me inside to know that I was helpless, forced to watch it all and couldn't 
stop any of it, couldn't even come close to protecting you like you protected 
me. I'm ashamed and I hate myself for not being able to protect you." Though 
she tried to hold them back the tears came anyway. Fuck! She was supposed to 
be helping Faith not become a sobbing mess herself. 

Buffy words made Faith angry, not angry at Buffy but at herself. Angry that 
Buffy was feeling this way about herself because of what was her fault, her 
guilt, not Buffy's. She sat up abruptly and scooted away from Buffy on the 
bed, she had an overwhelming urge to hurt herself, she hadn't felt like that 
in a very long time.

"Its not your fault." She snarled as she got up off the bed. "Its not your 
fault, its not Dawn's fault. Its mine, all mine! You should have never been 
there in the first place. You should have never had to protect anyone. You 
should have never been beaten by that scumbag piece of shit or that 
skanky-bitch. None of this would have happened if I wasn't there. If I had 
just stayed away from you! Don't you get it, its me, you want to blame 
someone blame me. My fault you know what it feels like to be whipped. My 
fault you know what its like to get beaten everyday, to live in pain, to feel 
afraid. My fault you had to see all that. My fault you wake up screaming at 
night. My fault that mother-fucker drowned you everyday. I might as well have 
given you all those bruises myself. Its my fault! Its always been my fault. 
She told me I just never believed her, didn't want to believe her. You know 
what? She was right. I'm no good, I hurt everyone I've ever loved. I hurt 
everything I ever touch, everything just turns to shit. This should have been 
my punishment, not yours, for all the wrong I've done for as long as I can 
remember.  Mine, not yours, I just managed to drag you down with me into the 
shit. Just managed to hurt you all over again." Faith paced away from the bed 
back over towards the tub. 

Buffy watched her, she opened her mouth to protest and thought better of it.  
Faith needed to get all of this out, if she tried to stop her from venting 
she might never get rid of the guilt. And it just wasn't from what happened 
in Shedu, she was venting all of it, including the guilt she had carried with 
her since she was a child. She slid down until she was sitting on the edge of 
the bed and waited for Faith to turn back towards her.

Faith leaned her forehead against the cold marble, she angrily swiped at the 
tears on her face. "I couldn't protect her and I couldn't protect you. What 
good am I? How can you love me? She couldn't, how can you? I'm nothing but 
trash. No good, worthless. Don't you get it, you would be better off without 
me." Buffy had to strain to hear her, Faith's voice was so low and she was 
choking on her own tears. She pushed herself away from the wall and turned to 
face Buffy. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... god I'm so sorry... I promised I would 
never let anything hurt you and I did... I'm sorry..." She whirled away from 
Buffy and started throwing punches at the marble wall. 

Buffy was off the bed and pulling Faith into her arms in less then a second 
flat. She pulled her away from the wall so she couldn't hurt herself anymore. 
Faith struggled in her arms needing to get loose, needing to inflict the pain 
on herself, needing to hurt herself for all the pain that she thought she had 
caused others.  She was whispering hoarsely over and over to Buffy how sorry 
she was.  Buffy just hung onto her tight not letting her go, her heart going 
out to not just 'her Faith' but to the child and even the dark side of Faith 
who was struggling and crying in her arms. Then the fight, the anger, just 
went out of her, Faith's knees buckled and Buffy just held on tightly to her 
and let them both sink down to the floor.  She pulled Faith into her lap, 
rocking her like an infant, stoking her hair as Faith sobbed into her neck 
and clung to her like a drowning woman.

"I'm sorry too Faith... I'm sorry that they did this to you. Sorry that you 
grew up believing that you should have been protecting your Mother when she 
should have been protecting you. Sorry that there was no one there to help 
you, protect you from those two monsters. It's not your fault. None of it! 
Not then and especially not now! You can't blame yourself for what they did. 
They were supposed to take care of you, protect you, not the other way 
around." Buffy leaned back a little, she gently cupped Faith's chin and 
lifted her head up.  She captured Faith's eyes with her own and held them. 

"Faith. None of this is your fault. You did nothing wrong. They did, your 
Mother, Johnny and Glory. Not you, never you. I don't believe any of it is 
your fault and nothing you or anyone else could ever say would ever get me to 
believe that. I'm just sorry I couldn't protect you better, couldn't stop 
what was happening. But it time I think that we both stop blaming ourselves 
for what neither one of us is at fault for. It's like you said, it's like 
trying to blame ourselves for not being able to stop a tidal wave." 

"But..."

"No! There is no but here, Faith... You can't have your cake and eat it too. 
You can't tell me that I couldn't have stopped any of this and then expect to 
tell me you could have. This is not your fault, its not Dawns and its not 
mine. It is theirs, all theirs. So lets give credit where credit is due. 
Please Faith... Please believe me... None of this was your fault, not now and 
not before... Please..."

Faith stared into Buffy's eyes and she believed her. Believed that Buffy no 
longer thought it was her own fault, and believed that not for one second 
that it was ever Faith's fault. Not what happened with Glory and Johnny, nor 
what happened to her when she was a child. She let go of the guilt that had 
been a part of her since she was six-years old and felt like a ten-ton weight 
had been lifted from her shoulders. She knew she hadn't gotten rid of all her 
ghosts, knew there was still a ways to go before she, they truly put it 
behind them, but it was a start.

"Thank you..." She whispered softly and then rested her forehead against 
Buffy's.

Buffy gave a sigh of relief when she saw that Faith believed her and it felt 
like a ten-ton weight had been lifted from her own shoulders as she too let 
go of the guilt. "Your welcome and thank-you..." 

Faith smiled at Buffy and Buffy smiled back. Buffy lifted her forehead from 
Faith's and gave Faith her 'and-another-thing' look.  Faith just quirked an 
eyebrow at her, because she knew that look, it was the one Buffy always gave 
her right before she was going to tell her something that was for her own 
good. 

"And Faith..."

"Yeah B..."

"Let me tell you one or two other things. Things, I'm not sorry for. I'm not 
sorry you came back into my life. I'm not sorry that I love you. And I don't 
give a flying fuck what you think but I would not be better off without you 
in my life!"  

"Really?" Faith asked half serious, half joking.

"Yes really." Then Buffy's face got all serious along with her tone. "My life 
would be empty without you. I don't want a life ever without you in it. 
Remember that. No matter what happens, no matter how many fights we may have, 
I want you in my life. You are my heart and my soul. You are my... soul-mate. 
Nothing will ever change that, not now, not ever." She flashed Faith an 
impish grin. "You got that?" Her grin grew a little wider and her eyes took 
on a decidedly playful look, "Like I told you before you're stuck with me 
whether you like it or not for life and even after."

"Oh great!"

"Hey, nobody said you had to like it." Buffy poked Faith lightly on the arm, 
pouting at her, but her eyes were dancing with mischief.

"Oh don't worry B. I don't like it." Buffy's bottom lip jutted out even 
further, and for a second all Faith could think about was capturing it with 
her teeth. Instead she leaned in close to Buffy and whispered in her ear. "I 
don't like it B... I love it and I wouldn't have it any other way, not for 
anything in the world." Then she flipped Buffy on her back and started 
tickling her again.

"No... fa..ir..." Buffy started giggling, wondering how the hell she ended up 
at a disadvantage and started poking Faith in the side. "I...ts... a... 
go...od... I... lov...e ... u... so... gon... pay..."

"I love you too..." Faith stopped talking to smile brilliantly down at Buffy, 
but it didn't stop her from continuing to tickle Buffy ruthlessly. For some 
reason right at this moment, with her nose red from crying, her eyes wide 
open with laughter and her hair flying around her head Buffy reminded Faith 
of the cutest thing she had ever seen on the silver screen. Gizmo from the 
movie 'Gremlins'. She remembered how badly she had wanted one, and now she 
had her own real life one. "...Gizmo..."

"W...ha..t?" Buffy started tickling Faith right back, hell she wasn't going 
to just take this laying down.

"Gr...grr..." Faith was giggling to hard to get it out, 
"Gr...gre...m...li..ns..."

"O..h... so... gon...na... pay... now!" The tickle match was back on in 
earnest...

If it wasn't for the knock on the door ten minutes later the Chosen Two might 
have tickled each other into unconsciousness. Faith yelled something at the 
door between fits of giggles that sounded more like 'Come in!', instead of 
'Hold on!'. Both Slayers screamed in unison 'NO!' as the door started to 
open. They were too late, as both Wicca's walked in to find two very naked, 
squirming, hysterically laughing Slayers on the floor by the bed, where they 
had ended up in their fight to be the 'Tickle Champion'. Both Willow and Tara 
turned the same shade red as Will's hair; their eyes wide with horror and 
embarrassment and their mouths hanging open. They practically knocked each 
other over in their rush to get back out the door. One or both of them 
mumbled something about they would be in their room and Faith could come to 
their room to get what they were dropping off.

Both Slayers just started laughing even harder and Faith just gave up the 
fight, collapsed on top of Buffy exhausted and still laughing. When they 
finished laughing and caught their breath, Faith lifted her upper body off of 
Buffy, supporting herself on her elbows. Once again their eyes locked, and 
Buffy reached up and tucked a few stray strands of Faith's hair behind her 
ear, smiling as Faith once again leaned into her touch. She placed her hand 
on Faith's shoulder, and the other on Faith's upper arm. Without even knowing 
it both Slayers were purring softly, enjoying the feel of their mate's warmth 
against their skin.

"D"j€ vu..." 

Faith's voice was that low husky, timber that always made Buffy shudder and 
this time was no different. She smiled trustingly up at her mate, giving 
Faith utter and complete control over her, something she knew Faith needed to 
have right now. It mattered not to her what happened next, whether Faith got 
up or just held her in her arms. This was the second baby step Faith had 
taken in giving back her trust and initiating any intimacy between them 
beyond a quick hug or kiss on the cheek over the last few weeks. And Buffy 
knew they still had a lot to talk about, still needed to get it all out, but 
she wasn't about to break this moment or do anything to frighten Faith off. 
So she pushed down her own instinct to just pull Faith to her and waited for 
Faith, trusting in her.

Faith stared down into Buffy's hazel eyes, belatedly she realized they were 
both purring and it stirred up a multitude of feelings inside of her. She 
didn't miss the shudder that went through Buffy at the sound of her voice and 
it just made her purr a little stronger. The smile Buffy gave her told her so 
much, Buffy had just handed over her control and had put herself trustingly 
into Faith's hands. That smile freed something inside of Faith, she couldn't 
pinpoint what it was, but it lifted the little bit of fear that had been 
coiling up in her stomach from being so intimately pressed up against Buffy. 
Right now more then anything else in the world Faith wanted to kiss Buffy and 
instead of dwelling on it, instead of letting her fear grab hold of her, she 
just let herself go with it. 

She kept their eyes locked as she slowly lowered her head towards Buffy. She 
saw Buffy catch her breath as she waited for her kiss. Buffy made no move to 
meet her halfway, and her hands still lay unmoving against her shoulder and 
arm. Faith felt nervous as if this were the first time she was ever going to 
kiss anyone and in some ways it was for her. There was absolutely nothing 
that this woman below her didn't know about her, not her hopes, not her 
fears, not her past. So in a way it was, this would be her first kiss without 
any pretense, any shields, it was just her, who she truly was, all the good 
and all the bad.

She kissed Buffy almost tentatively at first. Her mouth just a mere whisper 
against Buffy's. 

It wasn't a passionate kiss, it wasn't hard, forceful or controlling, it 
wasn't hot or open, it was not a kiss for dominance. 

It was a kiss of incredible softness, tenderness, devotion. It was a kiss of 
re-affirmation, of re-discovery. It was a delicate touch of mouths, a murmur 
of shared breath, an exquisite promise of love. It was a kiss between souls. 

It was a kiss unlike any other the Slayers had ever had, ever shared and it 
left them both trembling with joy, with hope, with too many separate emotions 
for them to ever hope to put into words when it was over. 

It left them both crying softly, not in sorrow and not in pain, but in 
ecstasy of a completely different kind. 

Faith lowered herself down onto Buffy, rolling them both to their sides. They 
clung to each other, as they whispered how they missed the other, whispered 
of their commitment and love. They lay on the floor basking in the comfort, 
the love, the warmth of each other, and for the first time since they had 
returned to their own realm, both Slayers felt like they were truly home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They spent the late morning and early afternoon cuddling on the bed, 
sometimes whispering softly to each other. But mostly they lay in comfortable 
silence, enjoying the re-found intimacy between them that they had seemingly 
lost over the last six weeks. They had been so busy trying to protect each 
other emotionally from the aftermath of their abduction that they had started 
losing what they had found together. 

Both Slayers' thoughts had been a rambling mass of disjointed images as they 
lay together. From the first time they had met each other in the back alley 
of the Bronze. To the sound of the other's laughter, to Buffy thinking about 
that little grunting sound Faith made when she staked a vamp. To Faith 
thinking about how it felt to run her hands through Buffy's silky-smooth 
golden hair. To their first kiss, first touch, the first time they had made 
love. To them both listening contently to the resonating sound of the other 
purring deep in their chest as they lay curled up into each other. To how 
marvelous it felt to have their legs entwined. To the little streaks of 
pleasure caused when one or the other softly ran a caressing foot over the 
other's calf. To the gently stroking thumb on a temple, a neck, a collarbone, 
just how wonderful, right it felt to be together, quiet, peaceful and warm.

Neither wanted to move when it came time to get ready for the 'Joining' 
ceremony, they hadn't lay like this together since the night of the slumber 
party.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was practically squirming in the chair, trying her best to keep still 
and her mind firmly away from how exotic, how sensual it felt to have Buffy 
putting her make-up on for her. It wasn't the make-up itself. It was just 
her, just Buffy. It was the light touch of Buffy's hand, along her check, her 
chin, as Buffy moved her face gently to see better. The softness of Buffy's 
other hand as the side of it brushed along her forehead and temple as she 
applied the eye-shadow. Buffy's breath, sweet and gentle caressing her face. 
The silk of the sleeve of Buffy's robe as it skimmed feather-like across her 
skin. The way that Buffy smelled, which was just uniquely her as it wrapped 
itself around Faith like a summer breeze. It was the touch of Buffy's 
fingertip as she slid it around the outside of Faith's mouth holding her hand 
steady as she applied the lip-liner. Then that same fingertip as it ran over 
her mouth applying the clear gloss over her lips, that sent her heart to 
pounding, her mind to spiral out of control, and cause her breath to come in 
short, shallow pants.

If Buffy noticed she didn't say anything, though her voice was sultry when 
she told Faith, 'All done'. Faith would have laughed had she known that Buffy 
was reciting the alphabet in her head, followed by the 'Multiplication 
Tables' to keep her own thoughts from straying in the same direction as 
Faith's. It didn't work too well though when she started equating a letter 
with a body part or what she wanted to do with, to Faith. Nor when she 
switched to the 'Multiplication Tables' and started thinking about how many 
times she wanted to do something particular to a specific body part of 
Faith's, from the ABC's earlier. She still wasn't sure how she even managed 
to put on Faith's eye-shadow because her eyes had never left that pouty mouth 
below her that was just calling out to her to capture and kiss it with her 
own. 

She wasn't going to betray the trust that Faith was giving her, as she sat 
with her head tilted back, eyes closed, by slamming her mouth down and 
devouring that delectable mouth like she wanted, ached to. Before they had 
been taken by Glory she wouldn't have hesitated, she knew she had to wait for 
Faith to move them back into that part of their relationship. Even more so 
now after sharing Faith's 'echo' this morning. She could wait, she would wait 
forever if that was what it took. For now the intimacy they had shared just 
lazing around today was enough, and Buffy knew deep down in her soul, her 
heart, that if it never went beyond that ever again for the rest of their 
life together that it would still be enough. 

Faith was out of the chair before Buffy even finished telling her she was 
done. She needed to move away a little, needed to calm her racing pulse, her 
breathing. God! She felt like she was in heat all of a sudden.  They had 
spent the last few hours cuddling naked together and she hadn't felt like 
this, okay, well, maybe a little, but not even close to this. 

{Christ! Get a grip girl. Bad Faith! Get a grip! Get a grip, get a grip, get 
a grip. Faith, girl, get a grip!}

Neither Slayers was listening to the almost 'silent echo' of each other's 
desire, that was humming low through them on a subconscious level. The primal 
Slayer that was a part of them was basking in it, rolling itself in it. Had 
been all day, ever since the water fight in the tub, to It that had been 
foreplay. It recognized It's mate in the other Slayer and It wanted It's 
mate.

Faith got dressed so fast that she made Buffy's head spin. "You have to tell 
me your secret, Faith." Buffy groaned internally at the sound of her own 
voice which had come out low, deep, throaty and right on the edge of being an 
out an out growl.

{Yup! Subtle is your middle name Summers. Just call me Buffy Subtle Summers 
from now on!}

"Huh?"

"The one, how you, who never wears them, can put on a pair of stocking and 
not run or rip them to shreds." Buffy looked dismally at the four pairs of 
stockings she already had managed to ruin. Slayer strength and stockings for 
her, at least, just didn't work.

Faith looked at the shredded stockings on the floor by Buffy's cute little 
bare feet, she had to suppress her smile of amusement. Well at least now she 
knew the reason for the gazillion pairs of stockings Buffy had packed. She 
walked over and grabbed another pair of stockings out of the overnight bag, 
opened the package and pulled them out. She caught and held Buffy's eyes, her 
own dancing with amusement and devilment. She started gathering up a leg of 
the stockings between her fingers, making a show of sliding her fingers 
slowly along the length of them, almost as if she were caressing them with 
her fingertips. She let her smile of amusement show as she saw Buffy's eyes 
lower to watch what she was doing. She waited until Buffy looked at her again 
and then gave her a wicked smile, her voice was deep and raspy when she 
finally spoke.

"Oh that secret... Well, you see, you have to think of the stockings as 
someone's skin." She paused for a second in her gathering and ran her thumbs 
in little circles over the satiny texture of the stockings. "A lovers, silky 
and smooth... Imagine that you are sliding your fingertips up you lover's 
leg, gently, softly, delicately as you gather the stocking into the palms of 
your hands." She watched Buffy's eyes lower again and the shudder her voice 
elicited, as her fingers imitated on the leg of the stockings her words. 
"Then... as you slip your foot into the stocking and start to pull it up your 
leg..." She began to slid the stocking leg up one of her arms as if it were 
her leg, her other hand mimicking her words again. "...Imagine that it's your 
lover's hot skin, sliding whispery soft, slowly against your own, as your 
fingertips follow along its path, stroking, smoothing, trailing lightly, 
softly after it..." 

Buffy closed her eyes for a second and shuddered again, Faith voice eliciting 
the same response it always did, "Oh... ah... I... ah... can... I can do 
that..." Her mind's eye took off on it's own fantasy flight, as she 
visualized doing just that to Faith, and Faith doing that to her, remembering 
the feel of those fingers, those lips, Faith's body sliding along her own.

{Bad Buffy! Bad! Bad! Bad Buffy! Oh wanna be bad Buffy!}

"...I know you can, B... I remember..." Faith growled low capturing Buffy's 
eyes with her own. She had no idea where all that came from, hell she had 
never thought of stockings that way! She felt a shudder of her own travel 
down her spine from the look Buffy was giving her. Buffy's eyes grew darker 
as they held her gaze, the gold flecks shining brightly within them and Faith 
just went with the moment, not questioning, just feeling.

The heat their gaze created between them was almost tangible. She moved 
towards Buffy, as the stockings fell forgotten from her hand. Buffy just sat 
on the bed watching and waiting for her, once again relinquishing all control 
to her, trusting in her, willing to go wherever she led them. With each step 
towards Buffy and the bed she started to feel it, slowly creeping its way out 
of her subconscious and then it was there. The cold memory of his touch 
crawled eerily over her skin, her steps faltered and she felt fear coil deep 
in the pit of her stomach. Something unclean stirred under her skin and she 
felt dirty again. She stopped moving and held her breath, her whole body 
rigid, tense and she had to fight down the urge to shower away the dirt she 
felt seeping through her muscles, her skin. The sound of her Mother's voice 
screaming at her from the past bouncing around the edges of her brain, 
reminding her she was nothing but a 'Cheap white-trash whore'.

She felt paralyzed, as she fought to force away the feeling of his remembered 
touch, force away the voice in her head. And then she was being enveloped in 
warm arms. Warm, strong arms, that were holding her securely, a voice 
whispering soothing, loving nonsense in her ear, helping force away the voice 
reverberating through her head. She wrapped her arms around Buffy tightly, 
clinging to her and felt as Buffy's embrace forced away the cold touch of his 
hands with the loving, cleansing touch of her own warm hands and arms. 

Then she was pulling away from Buffy, she felt dirty, embarrassed and ashamed 
because of what Johnny and all the others had done to her, and because of how 
much, how desperately she wanted to make love with Buffy not just two seconds 
ago, and even now still. 

How the hell could she be feeling both at the same time?

But Buffy wasn't going to let her just pull away, she placed her hand 
lightly, softly on Faith's arm, careful not to grab her, or try and force 
Faith not to move away. She had felt everything that Faith had felt in one of 
their 'echoes', knew it the second things had changed. She hadn't been really 
sure what to do for her mate so she had just followed her instincts and 
prayed silently to the 'Goddesses' that they were right. For a brief moment 
she had felt as Faith's demons left her and then she started to pull away, as 
other demons started pressing down on her. She almost sighed in relief when 
almost instantly Faith stopped pulling away, leaning unconsciously into her 
touch.

"Faith..." Buffy waited for Faith to look up at her, finally she did. It 
killed her to see all those emotions running riot in Faith's eyes. She 
understood in a basic way why Faith was feeling them, but knew she could 
never truly know, she had never experienced what Faith had. But she'd be 
damned if she'd let Faith continue to feel this way, and Buffy didn't want 
Faith to think for one second that she thought she should. 

"You have nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed by, you did nothing wrong. You 
are none of those things that she said you were and none of the things he 
said. You never were, you never will be. And you have nothing to feel dirty, 
embarrassed, or ashamed of, not any of it and certainly not how you feel, not 
with me you don't. I know this isn't the right time or place to talk about 
this. I know you're struggling to find the right words, how to say what it is 
you need to say. What it is that you need from me. I don't want you to be 
afraid to tell me anything, even if it's that you need to talk to someone 
else about this and not me. You don't have to say the right words just let 
them out when you're ready, let them come out anyway they want to. I'll be 
right here listening to you, I'm not going anywhere. You, we, can get through 
this together. Whatever it takes, whatever you need I'm right here for you. 
All you have to do is tell me. I'm not going to love you any less, if 
anything I love you even more. Nothing you can say, feel or do is going to 
ever change that and certainly not what someone else did to you."

Faith searched Buffy's eyes and what she found once again was unconditional 
love, compassion and understanding. It was that same look in Buffy's eyes 
that had made her determined not to let Johnny destroy her that first night 
in Shedu, and she sure as fucking hell wasn't going to let him destroy her or 
what she had with Buffy from the grave.

"I don't want to talk to anyone else, B. I want... I need to talk to you, 
about all of it and not just what happened when Glory had us. Is that... 
is..."

"You can tell me anything, Faith. Anything at all..."

"You think we could go somewhere tomorrow? Maybe to the cottage by the lake 
the Fates said we could use if we wanted. I don't want to wait. I'm afraid to 
wait... I'm not ready to talk, don't know if I ever will be really. I'm just 
afraid that if I don't start that I'll just slip back into how I was before. 
It's too easy and I already feel myself doing it. Feel myself pulling away 
from you and I know you've felt it too."

"Whatever you want, we can go wherever you want for as long as you need. 
Don't worry about anything I'll take care of it all. Okay?" Faith nodded and 
stepped back into Buffy's waiting arms. "We'll get through this together." 

Faith squeezed Buffy to her tightly once more and then released her. "You 
better finish getting ready or we're going to be late. Thinkin' pissing off 
one of the 'Fates' and 'The Devil' on their wedding day is not a really good 
idea, B." 

Faith sat on the bed and watched Buffy finish getting ready, she managed to 
rip two more pairs of stockings before she finally got the third pair on 
without incident. This time Buffy had ripped the stockings on purpose, making 
a show of it, one pair she practically sliced into ribbons with her nails. 
Which they both had a good laugh at, and even though Buffy thought Faith 
didn't know, she did and she loved her even more for it. They left their room 
together hand in hand, Faith mumbling under her breath something about 
'getting Buffy steel tights' and 'having thought she had taught Buffy better 
then that', while Buffy mumbled back something about 'being out of practice' 
and 'being jealous of a pair of stockings'. Both Slayers voices were light, 
teasing, as they squeezed each other's hand and made their way to the hanging 
garden out in the back of the Fates' home.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To say the 'Joining' ceremony was beautiful was an understatement. Luc and 
Atropos exchanged the same vows they had exchanged in the garden of Mansion. 
They stood under the trellis with the hanging ivy and honeysuckle,  
surrounded by orchids, roses of every variety, lillies and other exotic 
flowers that those from the domain known as 'Earth' had never seen before. 
The smell of lilacs and jasmine, mixed with the musky scent of roses. Both 
Slayers silently decided that if, no when, they married each other that here 
was where they would want the ceremony to take place. 

The ceremony was officially presided over by oddly enough a beautiful earthy 
woman named Lily. Who in the lore of the gods and Incarnates was known by the 
names 'The Green Mother' and 'Mother Nature'. Her hair was the color of burnt 
chestnuts, she had a wide generous mouth and laugh lines on her face. Her 
eyes were round and dark, dark, umber and fringed by obscenely long, thick, 
pitch-black eyelashes.  Her nose was long and thin and on any other person 
would have probably given the face a pinched almost mean look. She had a 
matching set of dimples on either cheek. Her skin was the color of the earth 
a vibrant russet-brown. There was an aura of natural, earthy, sensuality 
about her. She was petite with a lithe body, maybe an inch shorter then Buffy 
and didn't look a day over nineteen.

If Lily exuded down to earth sensuality then the woman sitting across the 
aisle from Faith, Buffy, Willow and Tara, exuded pure, raw, burning, 
sensuality. The only one among them that could have given her a run for her 
money was Faith and even Faith thought it would be a short run. The woman who 
the four found out later was Lilith, bespoke of dark, smoldering passions. 
Her hair was thick, midnight black and hung down to almost her waist, in 
waves. Her skin tone was olive, and looked satiny, silky, and creamy all at 
once. Her black thin, winged eyebrows sat over piercing slanted violet eyes, 
and her eyelashes put Lily's to shame. Her cheekbones were high, narrow and 
had a decidedly chiseled look about them. She had a full mouth, the bottom 
lip jutted out slightly, tempting both men and women alike to catch it 
between their teeth and suckle upon it. She was tall, at least 
five-feet-eleven, soft, curvy but not overly so, her legs long, her waist 
small, her breasts high, proud. 

She was the exact opposite of her lover Clotho, who was as light as Lilith 
was dark.  With pure white hair, fine and long, which she always wore 
braided. Thin white eyebrows over her piercing cerulean eyes, a thin fine 
sculpted nose. Her mouth while not as generous as her lovers, was ruby red 
adding color to her otherwise pale complexion. She stood only five-seven and 
where her lover was soft and sensual, Clotho was lean, ripped, and taunt. 
Clotho and Lilith were in essence the 'Chosen Two' of the 'Immortals', 
because unlike Clotho, Lilith was not an Incarnate, but she was like Clotho 
an immortal. 

After the ceremony Clotho joined the Slayers and the Wiccas. She brought both 
Lilith and a man with her, who could only be described as an undiluted 
version of an ancient Spartan. He was a pure warrior through and through, 
just looking at him you could see he was definitely in touch with the primal 
predator that lived within. 

"Willow, Tara, Faith, Buffy, this is Lilith, my Chosen and Mars the Incarnate 
of War." Clotho smiled at their surprised expressions and both she and Buffy 
watched as one raven-haired beauty, checked out the other raven-haired 
beauty. 

Luc and Atropos came over and joined them, smiling at the surprised looks on 
their guest's faces. They exchanged looks; their guests were in for a few 
more surprises, all good needless to say, before the day was over.

"Wow... Oh wow... this is like... Lilith I know that from somewhere, why do I 
know that? Wow... this is like those Piers Anthony books about the Incarnates 
that I read. You all are almost exactly like his 'Incarnates'. In fact there 
was even a Lilith in the books... Unbelievable! Tara, are you sure we aren't 
dreaming?  Wouldn't Piers Anthony be surprised if he knew..." Willow trailed 
off when she noticed that Luc suddenly found his perfectly manicured nails 
extremely interesting and Mars was busy watching one of his shiny boots 
polish itself against the back of the calf of his other leg.

"Honey..." Tara said looking at Luc, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "I think 
there might be a reason for the similarities to the real Incarnates to the 
Incarnates in Piers Anthony's series. Isn't that right Luc, Mars?"

"Well... um..." Luc paused and looked at his smiling wife. Wife! Damn that 
sounded good! "It was all Mars's fault."

"Was not..."

"Was too..."

"Was not... You're the one that wanted to go out in their realm that night, 
not me."

"Yes, but if I recall, Mars, it was your idea to start drinking shots of 
tequila, not mine! And certainly not for, four damn days straight. Nor was it 
my idea to start telling the young man next to us tales of your glorious 
battles!"

"Well how the hell was I supposed to know he was going to be a famous author 
some day?"

"Well it wouldn't have been so bad if you didn't start telling tales about 
the rest of us as well..."

"Yeah and you made it worse when you started telling..."

Mars and Luc kept telling their tale in their own bantering way of meeting a 
young man, whom both had found amusing while they were out on a four day 
drinking binge. The young man had amused both Incarnates so much that they 
had dragged him along with them on their bender. They all listened amused to 
the tale, all except Faith and Lilith who were sizing each other up.

'Damn she's hot! Sexy, sultry, steaming! Shit!' Both Faith and Lilith thought 
to themselves as they checked out the other. 

Neither the Slayer nor the Immortal would have been surprised that their 
thoughts were almost exactly the same. Both saw a sexy woman standing in 
front of them that was so in love with their mate, that Venus the Goddess of 
Love could be standing in front of them and both would have thought she 
couldn't hold a candle to their respective mate. Lilith and Faith were a lot 
alike, both in their temperament and the wild streak that had gotten them in 
so much trouble, the good kind of trouble, not the bad kind. Each had a 
slightly wicked sense of humor. Both exuded a raw, primal sensuality. Both 
women's 'Bad Girl', 'Sex-bomb' image hid a gentle heart, a  fierce loyalty to 
those they loved, and once they had found their mates, a monogamous nature. 
When they mated, they mated for life. Though neither would ever admit any of 
it publicly. And both still had a hard time believing that their blond 
counterparts had picked them for their mates. They saw in each other a 
kindred spirit and someone they could call friend. They felt instantly 
comfortable around each other, a new experience for both of them. They each 
were already plotting what kind of new experience, trouble they could drag 
their respective mate's into. 

{I'm gonna have some wicked fun hangin' out with her! Bet she knows where to 
get the best leather from too!  Thinking we're a lot alike and both of us are 
whipped by the blond goddesses standing next to us!}

Buffy watched as Lilith and Faith exchanged knowing smiles. She felt a flash 
of jealousy shoot through her and she had only caught the first part of 
Faith's thoughts in an echo because as the 'Green-Eyed-Monster' reared it's 
ugly head in her brain it had started tap dancing in it.

Faith heard the low hiss a second before she got an elbow in the side, then 
Buffy pulled her slightly away from the crowd that had gathered to listen to 
the rest of Mars and Luc's tale. "What was that for?"

"Echoes Faith, remember... I saw what you were thinking about her..." Buffy 
mumbled low for Faith's slayer hearing only.

"What B... she is hot..." Faith felt rather than saw the insecurity and 
jealousy rush through Buffy, and immediately regretted her words which had 
come out totally wrong and harsh. She had a feeling Buffy hadn't got all of 
it in the echo, otherwise she would have known that there was nothing to feel 
insecure or jealous about. She took Buffy's hand into hers, "B..." She waited 
for Buffy to look up and when she didn't Faith gently took a hold of her chin 
and turned her face up and towards her. "B... Buffy she doesn't even come 
close to you... couldn't even on her best day. You are the most beautiful 
woman I've ever seen, known, know. I love you and I'm still gonna think you 
are the most beautiful woman in the world when you're old and gray and all 
your teeth have fallen out.  You know why?" Buffy just shook her head 'no', 
her eyes large, trying to see the truth in Faith's. 

"It's like this really smart woman told me once." Faith closed her eyes for 
just one second and thought back to the night that Buffy had made, or rather 
bought them dinner at the Mansion. The same night that she and Buffy had 
truly made love for the first time and from memory she repeated back to Buffy 
the words Buffy had spoken to her that night. "You are beautiful.  I don't 
just mean on the outside.  You are beautiful where it truly counts.  Here..." 
Faith placed her hand over Buffy's heart.  "Don't let anyone, not yourself, 
not me, ever tell you any differently." Then she added her own words, "The 
beauty that is you shines so bright from inside of you.  There is nowhere 
else I ever want to be but with you in that light. I love you B and no matter 
what happens I will always love you. I will love you for all eternity..." 
With that said Faith turned beat red, the blush crept up her neck and over 
her face. As ridiculous as it was after all they had been through together, 
all the things they still had to work through, Faith suddenly felt extremely 
shy.

Buffy wondered if anyone had noticed that she had melted into a puddle on the 
ground. For once it was Buffy who said to Faith, "You don't play fair, you 
know that Faith." Faith just gave her that lopsided grin she loved so much 
and it took every ounce of Buffy's willpower not to pull a Cave-Buffy and 
throw Faith over her shoulder and take her somewhere and make love with her 
until they both passed out.  The primal part of her was jumping up in down in 
ecstasy just at the thought alone.

"What can I say B... You taught me well."

"And I so will never have gray hair or lose my teeth Faith." She peeked up at 
Faith through her lashes, "But it's good to know you'll love me anyway, 
because I love you too." This time it was Buffy who blushed. 

Faith took Buffy's hand and led her back to the group, she squeezed Buffy's 
hand and jerked her head in the direction of Lilith and Clotho. Seems she 
wasn't the only one who got misread. "Blondes..." Faith mumbled, chuckling 
under her breath and thinking, 'Oh we are so whipped. Yup whipped here and 
damn proud of it too!'

"Hey... Slayer hearing here."

"I didn't mean you B... cause you know you're not rea..."

"Faith!"

{Smart much Faith!? Dig that there hole just a little deeper why don't you? 
Insert foot in mouth here with a big old arrow pointing right at my big old 
mouth}

So Faith did the only thing she could think of to bail herself out, she 
kissed Buffy. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lilith grab Clotho and 
kiss her.

{Wicked fun we are all going to have hanging out together...oh yeah, this is 
good... B....B...B,B,B...} 

That was the last coherent thought Faith had for the next few minutes, in 
fact pretty much all four of them ceased to think at all for the next few 
minutes especially since feeling was oh so much better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the afternoon and early evening was wonderful. All of the 'Earth' 
domain contingency spent most of the day wondering if they were dreaming, or 
on some type of fantasy trip as they met one mythical being after another. 
Why they were so amazed, considering there were two Slayers, a mystical Key, 
four Wicca's, and two Vampires with souls amongst their numbers had even them 
shaking their heads in wonder. 

During the ceremony it hadn't escaped either Faith or Buffy's notice that 
Dawn had spent most of her time, sneaking glances at the sandy-haired young 
man sitting next to Lachesis. Nor did it escape either Slayers notice that he 
too was sneaking glances at Dawn.  Much to Dawn's delight and the Slayers 
terror at the thought that Dawn had discovered boys, the young man made his 
way over to Dawn, and whisked her away before either of the Slayers could 
stop them.

When they couldn't find them, Faith had cornered Lachesis and demanded to 
know who the boy was and where the hell he had taken her sister! Lachesis had 
merely told her not to worry that Dawn was quite safe with Crow and they were 
'hanging out' with the other young people. It wasn't until after Luc and Mars 
or 'Candy-man', which Faith had nicknamed the Incarnate of War after the 
candybar Mars Bar and actually had the balls to call him to his face, 
finished telling their tale, that Dawn and Crow had reappeared.  She dragged 
the young man over to meet her sisters and the Wicca's.

"Crow, this is Willow and her girlfriend Tara, and Buffy, my sister and her 
soul-mate Faith, my sister if not by blood then by the heart. Everyone this 
is Crow.  Though I believe that Willow and Tara sort of met you before."

All four young women gave the boy the once over. He appeared to be between 
sixteen and seventeen. He had shoulder length sandy-brown hair. His face was 
strong and masculine, his eyes the lightest hazel-green any of them had ever 
seen, they seemed to dance with life and laughter. He was tall, at least six 
feet, and had the lean, toned body of youth. All of them got the impression 
that he was someone who liked to laugh and for some odd reason while he might 
have a wild streak, which they could all see in his eyes, they also got the 
impression he was someone who was loyal and responsible.

"Pleased to meet you all." His voice was low, deep and seemed to rumble out 
of his chest. He also sounded much older then he looked.

"What!" Both Slayers yelled at Willow and Tara, when they saw the impish 
glint in both Crow and Dawn's eyes and the two Wicca's mouths drop open. 
"What!" They yelled again.

"Oh... Did I forget to tell you that Crow is a nickname... His real name 
is..."

"Oh my goddess! You're 'Father Time'!!! No way... so no way... you're all 
youngie and a kid... and young..."

"I am afraid it is true, little tree..." To which Crow, Dawn and Tara all 
giggled at while Willow kept on sputtering, and the Slayers kept on yelling 
'What the hell is going on!'.

"He's Chronos. Like in 'Father Time'!" Willow squeaked at the Slayers, "He's 
an Incarnate like the others. Hey you're supposed to be old! Real old, white 
hair, long beard kinda old!"

"How old are you?" Both Slayers asked together, more like snarled together. 
Buffy thinking to herself she sure as hell didn't want her sister dating 
someone centuries old; completely letting herself forget that her first love 
when she was seventeen was over two-hundred-years old and a souled vampire to 
boot.

"I'll be seventeen in three months." He smiled at them showing strong, white 
teeth.

"Is that seventeen in mortal years or in Incarnate years." Buffy was still 
snarling, she couldn't help it. And damn if she just didn't get a flash echo 
of Faith thinking how cute she looked when she snarled. She filed that 
information away for another time.

"It is seventeen in your mortal earth years.  I grew up with a Mother, a 
Father, a brother and a sister on Earth. Up until three months ago Earth 
time, my Father was 'Father Time'. He retired and I, so to speak, took over 
the family business, just as mine an... a... my oldest son will some day."

Tara looked speculatively at Crow. He had almost said something else, then 
she remembered what he had said to Willow the day they had left to go rescue 
the Slayers: 

**'It doesn't work that way, little tree...I don't have the power to change 
what happens, I can only set the clock back... besides I already know I 
didn't do that so it is not an option...'**

He had known ahead of time something he had done, or rather had not done in 
the future. Tara looked between Dawn and Crow, she had a sneaky suspicion of 
exactly what he almost said. She looked at the two snarling Slayers, saw the 
concern on their faces, and smiled; they were acting like any other parent 
would with their teenaged daughter who had just discovered boys. She decided 
to keep her suspicions to herself, because despite what Crow knew or didn't 
know Tara knew that the future was not written in stone, the Fates had proven 
that. 

She turned her attention away from her internal musing and listened instead 
with amusement as the Chosen Two played twenty-questions with Crow. He caught 
her eyes with his and gave her a slight nod in silent thanks. He continued to 
answer all of their questions, including Willow's, whose questions started 
leading in the direction of parallel time-lines and realities. Tara wanted to 
ask him about the spell as well, because both Willow and she had discussed 
afterwards how the spell had seemed to be tailor-made for them. But she 
didn't want to bring up that or Glory in front of either the Slayers or Dawn. 


Crow was polite, very patience, funny, cute, and showed a keen intelligence 
as he answered their questions. Tara's generous heart warmed to him almost 
immediately. She sighed in relief with both he and Dawn when Mars, Lilith and 
Clotho came and almost physically dragged away not just the Slayers, but 
Willow and herself.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were leaning up against the bar laughing hysterically at another of Mars 
outrageous battle tales. Luc and Atropos had stolen away to an unknown 
destination to start their honeymoon. After all the other 'Joining' guests 
had left, Mars had faded them all to his home. No one was surprised to see 
that he had a room that for all intent and purposes was a bar in his house. 

It was just the 'Earth' contingency, Mars, Lilith, Clotho, Lily, Lachesis, a
nd Crow left. Dawn and Crow were off in Mars's arcade room, playing games, he 
had pinball machines, a mechanical bronco, a freestanding basketball machine, 
a pool table, and a Playstation hooked up to the biggest wide screen TV Faith 
had ever seen and every single game ever made for it.  She couldn't wait to 
play a game on that screen. Angel had disappeared a while ago to who knows 
where.  Buffy and Cordy had gone off to find a bathroom and Faith hadn't seen 
either of them in a while. Everyone else was standing around the bar.

"Canby-mlan hats about as trufe as my laying, um... slay...in in the newd..." 
Faith shook her head, a little harder than she wanted, her hair whipped 
around and almost took out one of Mars's eyes. Maybe she shouldn't have had 
that last shot of tequila or the one before that or the one before that or... 
But she liked Jose', she just hoped he liked her in the morning. "Juner u see 
Bleeee any plates?"

Spike looked at Faith, he closed one eye and squinted at her with the other. 
"Hats fetter. Only... floor of u now." Spike liked it here, more than he 
would ever admit. He and Angel could walk in the sun without spontaneously 
combusting. They had no need for blood and they could eat and drink without 
getting sick from the food. He felt warm inside and out for the first time 
since he had been turned, he had forgotten how wonderful it felt. None of 
them knew, well maybe the Slayers did, how much bloody alcohol it took for 
him to get this drunk. Here, however, it obviously didn't take quite as much, 
he wished someone would have told him that. Ah who cared, cause he bloody 
well liked it here anyway and he had taken quite a fancy to Lachesis too, and 
that was definitely the best bonus. He rather thought she took quite a fancy 
to him as well. He hoped, though he would never tell anyone, that he got 
invited back again.

"Ober tear...Fl... Bluffy is ober tear..." Lilith pointed at the other end of 
the room. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to bring everything back into 
focus, or at least get it to stop spinning. 

She knew better or she should have then to let Mars talk them into doing 
shots, and especially of Jose Cuervo Especial. She couldn't get out of bed 
for two days after the last time. Not that she had really minded, Clotho had 
taken very good care of her those two days. She smiled, a 
cat-that-ate-the-canary smile. Where was her mate anyway? She looked blearily 
around for her lover, who tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around and 
almost fell, she had forgotten Clotho had come over a few minutes ago and was 
standing on the other side of her. "Tear u r... lub u..." She wrapped her 
arms around her mate's neck and planted a wet sloppy kiss on her mouth.

Clotho chuckled at her very drunk mate after she finished bathing her face. 
"Mars..." She growled, "I am so gonna whip your butt!" 

Clotho really couldn't complain too much, she had done a few shots herself. 
The only difference between her and her mate was she had stopped doing them 
when she started feeling drunk. Mars knew exactly how to push Lilith's 
buttons to get her to keep on doing the shots, and apparently by the looks of 
the others, vampire, Slayer, Incarnates and humans alike he knew how to push 
theirs as well. She had a feeling that, after all that had happened in the 
last few months to all of her new family members, a night of drunken revelry 
was in order.

"Whaaaa?" Mars gave her his innocent look and shrugged his shoulders. "Hits 
hot liek I florced dem..."

Clotho got distracted as Lilith's hand slid down her back and grabbed her 
ass. She reached behind her to grab her mate's wandering hand and left her 
front exposed. Lilith grabbed her breast quickly, belying how drunk she was, 
then again Lilith could be on the verge of passing out or comatose and her 
hands, mouth... Clotho pushed her thoughts away from there and concentrated 
on capturing her mate's hands. The two Immortals started playing what Clotho 
affectionately called, 'Lilith's Drunken Hand Chase'. The game was simple 
Lilith would keep grabbing, touching, teasing body parts of Clotho that 
should not be receiving attention in public until Clotho could capture both 
of Lilith's hands. Sometimes, more often then not, Clotho just gave up and 
hauled her lover over her shoulder and pulled a Cave-Clotho on Lilith.

Faith started giggling as she watched them. "Wears Bleee? I wanha plaaay 
foo!" She started giggling harder at the two Immortals, then her giggles 
turned into hiccups, which only made her giggle harder.  Mars started 
laughing with the Dark Slayer. "I canned st....hop... hickclubbin..." 

Buffy was going to kill her, she couldn't believe how drunk she was, at least 
she wasn't the only one. Mars, Lilith, Spike, Gunn, Lily, Giles, Wesley, 
Fred, Xander, Anya and even Lachesis were shit-faced too. One more shot and 
Willow, Tara, Gary and James would be right there on the shit-faced boat with 
them. Faith hadn't thought the Watcher and the ex-Watcher had it in them, but 
they had proved her wrong. They were the only ones that so far were even 
close to keeping up with Mars, whom it seemed had a cement stomach. Belatedly 
Faith thought maybe she should have learned something from the four-day 
drinking binge story of Mars and Luc's.

"Hear... twill ghet rib of te hiphops..." Mars handed Faith a glass, had she 
been less drunk she would have thought twice about drinking it, especially 
since he had a sly smile on his face. 

She peered into the glass, it looked safe, it wasn't amber so it couldn't be 
Jose'. Faith chugged it down and started choking. Mars almost knocked her 
over as he pounded on her back. Fuck! Tequila! Clear Tequila! FUCK! She was 
going to kill Mars, as soon as she figured out which one of the ten of him 
was the real him. "I'm gon kilt u Pandy-mlan..."

"Me?" This time he tried out his innocent look on Faith, he chuckled when he 
saw it wasn't working. Ah hell, only one thing left to do. "Knot me Wesleeve 
n Biles... dem..."

Faith leaned around Mars trying to see Wesley and Giles, it was a good thing 
that she was holding onto the bar or she would have tipped over. Wesley just 
gave her a drunken proud smile. Giles took off his glasses and pretended he 
couldn't see her, which was the truth, with or without the glasses right now. 


"Gonno kilt u Engleash n Gee-mlan..." She tried to snarl threateningly at 
them but it just came out as a drunken slur. "...and choo two Clandy-mlan. N 
Blee's gonno kilt me... " 

She looked around for Buffy again, she was taking an awful long time going to 
the bathroom. Faith wondered if she was alright, Buffy had indulged in a few 
shots with them, but not nearly as many as the rest of them. Buffy was still 
a little leery about drinking after the whole Bad-Beer episode. Leery or not 
Faith knew Buffy had a good little buzz going on too. She finally spotted 
Buffy on the other side of the room talking to Angel, she smiled happily, she 
was glad they were friends. She wouldn't have gotten as far as she had if it 
wasn't for Angel believing in her when she hadn't believed in herself. She 
knew deep down if it wasn't for Angel she would more than likely be dead by 
now. It would have made things hard on her if she had lost him because of 
being with Buffy. Faith honestly didn't know if she would have been able to 
deal with the guilt if he had still been in love with Buffy.

Faith leaned against the bar and watched them, her eyes shining with love for 
them both.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watched them with a smile as they laughed together. 

Watched as Buffy playfully pushed Angel away from her. 

Watched as her smile started turning into a frown. 

Watched as a low hissing growl started in her chest and her happy thoughts of 
a few minutes ago started to get dark. 

Watched as the growl started rumbling louder in her chest as Buffy reached 
for Angel again. 

Watched as Buffy's hand ran up the length of Angel's arm. 

Watched as the growl escaped from her almost silently. 

Watched as Buffy reached up and cupped Angel's face between her own two small 
hands. 

Watched as Angel gently tilted Buffy's face up towards him. 

Watched and saw the tears streaking down Buffy's face.

Watched as Angel pulled her mate to him in a hug.

Watched as her mate clung to Angel.

Watched them as the images from the 'echo' she was getting from Buffy played 
in her head the whole time she had been watching them.

Watched them as her Mother's voice started to scream in her head telling her 
once again, 'Who would want you, you're nothing but a fucking little whore'.

Watched them as the part of her that knew with absolute certainty that Buffy 
was her soul-mate and that she was Buffy's, yelled over and over, 'MINE, 
MINE, MINE', clearly, loudly in her head, trying to drown out all the other 
voices, obliterate the images from the echo.

Watched as she stood frozen in place. 

Watched as she felt herself become stone cold sober. 

Watched as she felt herself become just plain old cold all over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you kidding me? You're over two-hundred-years old. Angel you can do 
this!"

"I can't, Buffy, I don't know how."

"Oh come on your acting like a teenage boy whose never done it before." She 
playfully pushed him, her hand resting briefly against his chest, smiling at 
him. She pulled her hand back and felt something strange, her brows furrowed 
as she concentrated, her smile faded into a frown. Warm, he felt warm. No! 
That wasn't possible! There was something picking at the edges of her brain, 
trying to worm it's way out. She remembered this feeling.

Angel watched her, his own smile faded being replaced by a look of concern. 
She raised her hand and ran it up his arm.

Warm! Warm! The memory was coming to her, it was blurry, she didn't want to 
see it! She didn't want to know! She cupped his face between her hands, it 
was warm! She dropped her eyes from his as they filled up with tears, she 
felt his warm hand tilt her head back up towards him.

She looked at him wide-eyed, the tears streaming down her face, as he gently 
pulled her to him. She clung to him as the memories came back with a vicious 
clarity, ripping through her at the speed of light. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

//
She had been sitting on the park bench in the late afternoon, the sun 
wouldn't be going down for another few hours. Her mind going round and round 
in circles, why did they keep torturing each other like this? They could 
never be together again. So why? She heard a noise and looked up and saw him 
standing in the shade of the trees. She watched as he started to move towards 
her.

Watched as Angel stepped out of the shade and into the bright afternoon sun.

Watched him move towards her until he sweep her up, his lips closing over 
hers as they kissed like there was no tomorrow.
**********
"Right, you spoke to the Oracles and they said you were cured for good. But 
how do we know for sure they speak for the powers? They could be pranksters."

"Or there could be another loophole."

"Exactly.  And then the two of us would be in even deeper and it's 'grr' all 
over again." 

"It would be smart to wait a while.  See if this mortal thing takes." 

"Exactly.  And even if it does, it's still complicated."

"You're still the Slayer.  And I'm not sure what I am now.  I don't know what 
my purpose is.  I can't just wedge myself into your life back in Sunnydale.  
It wouldn't be good for either of us.  Not to mention the fact that you just 
started college.  And what about slaying.  I mean, if you had me to worry 
about, you might not be as focused." 

"Are you going to pull out a pie chart on me now?  Because I get it, it's not 
necessary." 

"I'm not saying I don't want you.  You know how much...  I'm just saying it's 
worth the wait to be sure this is right.  I need to be sure you won't get 
hurt again." 

"You know it's a good thing I didn't fantasize about you turning human only 
about 10 zillion times, because today would have been a real let down.  -  So 
how does the mature plan go?  You call me?  I call you?  What?" 

"We stay in touch - just not..." 

"Literally. - Funny." She stated, then got up and walked right past him. 
"Okay, I'd better..." 

He watched her retreating back,  "Right.  Remove the temptation." 

She spun around to face him,  "So, we'll - talk soon."

She put her hand down on the counter and touched his by accident. Touched his 
warm hand! He looks down at his hand touching hers, as she looked down at her 
hand touching his. He couldn't do it, he couldn't be good, mature, 
responsible, even if he was over two-hundred-years old. He loved her, he 
wanted her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, slamming his mouth 
down on hers with brutal force. 

They stumbled back against the refrigerator, she jumped up wrapping her legs 
tightly around his waist. She wanted him, needed him, loved him with a 
passion that she hadn't known existed. He stumbled over to the kitchen table 
whipping everything off it with a sweep of his arm, while she rained kisses 
all over his face. He lay her gently down on the table, following her down.
**********
He hit the ground hard, he groaned in pain, there were salt crystals all over 
the room. He scrambled away from the Mohra demon. It was taking all he had to 
remain alive, he had forgotten he was no longer a vampire, forgotten what it 
was like to be human, how easily humans could break. He climbed up on the lid 
of the salt silo, the demon jumped on him they both crashed through it.

The demon stood towering over him, holding him down, the Mohra demon's foot 
on his throat. The demon raised his sword over his head, ready to plunge it 
into him. 

"Yours is a sacred death ushering in the beginning of a sacred time. The End 
of Days has begun and cannot be stopped. For any one of us who falls, ten 
shall rise..."

She jumped down on top of the demon cutting off his words, knocking it off of 
her lover. She grabbed the sword from the demon, "You hurt my boyfriend."

"A great darkness is coming." The Mohra told her.

"You got that right." She told the demon before they began to fight. She 
knocked the demon into the wall then taunted him, "Come on, this is the great 
warrior of darkness?" 

They started to fight again, the demon threw her into a wall and then picked 
her up by the throat. "Together you were powerful." The demon told them, 
"Alone, you are dead.  What do you think of the great warrior now?" 

He looked at the demon who was holding his love, his Slayer by the throat, he 
picked up a handful of salt from the ground. "Little bland." He threw the 
salt at the demon, hitting him in the eye. "Needs salt." 

She started to fight the demon again, her lover, too hurt to help her now 
that he was just human. 

"The light of a thousand eyes..  The jewel in its forehead!  You have to 
smash the jewel." He yelled to her. 

She picked up the other the weapon the Mohra demon had and slammed him 
solidly in the jewel that was in the center of the Mohra's forehead. The 
jewel broke and in a flash of bright light the demon was gone. She rushed 
over to her lover, pulling him to her. She cradled Angel's head in her lap.

"Buffy, are you all..." 

"Shh, you're all right.  That's all that matters.  Shh, you're all right." 
She leaned down and kissed the top of Angel's head. Her love, her life, her 
soul-mate. "And it's over.  And we're together."
**********
"I went to see the Oracles.  I asked them to turn me back." 

"What?  -  Why?" 

"Because more then ever I know how much I love you." 

She backed away from him in horror when she realized what he was telling her. 
"No.  No, you didn't." 

Angel followed after her, "And if I stayed mortal one of us would wind up 
dead, maybe both of us.  You heard what Mohra said." 

"Mohra is dead.  We killed him."

"He said others would come." 

"They always come.  And they always will.  But that's my problem now, not 
yours, remember?" 

"No, I won't just stand by and let you fight, maybe die, alone." 

"Then we fight together." 

"You saw what happened last night.  If anything I'm a liability to you.  You 
take chances to protect me, and that's not just bad for you, it's bad for the 
people we were meant to help." 

"So what?  You just took a whole 24 hours to weigh the ups and downs of being 
a regular Joe and decided it was more fun being a superhero?" 

"You know that's not it.  How can we be together if the cost is your life, or 
the lives of others?" He looked down into her eyes, then took her into his 
arms, holding her close, holding her tightly. "I know.  I couldn't tell you.  
I wasn't sure - if I could do it if I woke up with you one more morning." 

She was trying so hard to hold back the tear, trying to understand. "I 
understand.  -  So, what happens now?'" 

"The Oracles are giving us back the day, turning back time, so I can kill 
Mohra before his blood makes me mortal."

"When?"

"Another minute." 

She started crying, this wasn't right. It wasn't right! They were meant to be 
together. She knew it! "A minute?  No.  No, it's not enough time!" 

"We don't have a choice.  It's done." 

"How am I supposed to go on with my life knowing what we had?  What we could 
have had?" 

"You won't.  No one will know but me." 

"Everything we did." 

"It never happened." 

She shook her head in denial at him, "It did.  It did.  I know it did!" She 
put her hand over his heart. "I felt your heart beat." 

"Buffy.."  He leaned down and kissed her softly, gently, pouring all his love 
for her into the tender kiss.

She looked at the clock the minute was almost over, "No!  Oh God.  It's not 
enough time." She watched him as the tears fell from his eyes.

"Shh, please.  Please."

They clung tightly, desperately to each other, basking in the warmth, hearing 
each other's hearts pounding furiously as they cried.  

"Please, please." He whispered hoarsely.

"No.  I'll never forget.  I'll never forget.  I'll never forget.  I'll never 
forget." She insisted, she told him, told herself.
//

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But she did forget... She looked up at Angel and knew that it was only her 
that had forgotten. The Powers, the Oracles had only taken the memory away 
from her, not him. 'How could he?', her mind screamed at her. Her heart was 
breaking, she dropped her eyes from him again, she couldn't look at him. Her 
heart broke a little more, she didn't want to break his heart any more then 
it already was, but... 

She felt his hand on her chin raising her face once more up to his.

"Angel, I... I..."

"I know Buffy... I knew even before you did..."

She searched his eyes, trying to find the truth, trying to see the truth in 
them. And she saw it there.

"We have to talk about this..."

"We will Buffy, but now is not the time..."

"I..." Then she was hit with an echo from Faith that was so pained filled 
that it made her knees buckle. She would have fallen to the ground if Angel 
hadn't caught her. She looked at him again and he gave her a tender, gentle, 
understanding smile. 

The kind of smile that made her remember why she had fallen in love with him 
in the first place. 

The kind of smile that made her remember why she loved him still.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was shattering into a million tiny pieces in the same way as the bar 
crumbled to pieces beneath her grasping hand. She had seen it all and knew it 
wasn't a fantasy, knew it was a memory. How could he have done that? How? God 
how could she fight him for Buffy now? Knowing what he had done for Buffy and 
humanity, knowing what he had given up, knowing what they could have had? 
Knowing that they, Angel and Buffy could have that now, now that his soul was 
permanent. Fight him after all he had done for her. She stood frozen, staring 
sightlessly across the room. 

She felt the cold creeping through all of her, through her blood, her skin, 
through every cell, she was dying inside. Dying because she knew she couldn't 
stand in their way. She would leave, they belonged together, she wouldn't get 
in their way. It was the right thing to do, the only thing she could do, they 
had given her so much. 

Both of them had given her so much, they had showed her all that life had to 
offer, all that was there just for the asking.

She had made her decision, but still she remained frozen, her own voice in 
her head still screaming, 'Mine'. 

She felt cold, so cold, she had never felt this cold. 

Then a warm body was pressing up against her. Warm hands were sliding up her 
arms, one gently grasping her hand pulling it away from the bar. Then the 
warm hands were sliding up around and behind her neck, pulling her head down. 


She stared down into golden-hazel eyes and then a warm mouth was pressing up 
against hers, whispering one word over and over to her against her lips, 
'Yours'.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clotho was still trying to capture her lover's deliciously wandering hands, 
she was just about to the point where she was ready to throw Lilith over her 
shoulder and fade them home. Right into the bedroom to be exact. She glanced 
up and saw Faith out of the corner of her eye. The look on Faith's face sent 
a shudder through her. She tried to move away from Lilith and over to Faith, 
Lilith captured her and planted a very wet kiss on her neck.

"Lilith!"

Lilith jerked her head back from her mate's neck, something in Clotho's tone 
instantly sobered her up. She looked at her lover and then followed her gaze 
to Faith. Lilith knew that look on Faith's face intimately, had seen it 
reflected back at her in the mirror a long time ago, when she had thought she 
lost Clotho. 

Clotho knew that look as well, she had seen it on Lilith's face all those 
many years ago when Lilith thought she had lost her. What the hell had 
happened? Before either of the immortals could make a move towards Faith, 
Buffy was there, pressing herself against Faith. Pulling Faith's hand away 
from the shattered piece of the bar she was gripping tightly. Wrapping her 
arms around Faith's neck, pulling her head, her mouth down to her own.

One word came to Lilith and Clotho over and over again softly, 'Yours'. 
Without saying a word, Clotho waved her hand and faded the Slayers to the 
cottage by the lake.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neither noticed that they were no longer at Mars' home. All Buffy noticed was 
how cold Faith's skin felt under her hands, how Faith was trembling against 
her, the soft growling rumbling out of Faith's chest, the taste of both hers 
and Faith's tears upon her still whispering lips. What she noticed most of 
all though was that Faith had made no move to embrace her back and from the 
moment she had touched Faith, Faith had totally closed down the connection 
between them. The only thing Buffy felt coming from Faith was empty coldness, 
as if Faith had retreated so far away that there was nothing left.

She felt Faith's cold hands sliding up the length of her arms and her heart 
leapt and a whimper of joy escaped in the gaps between her repeated word. It 
quickly turned to an anguished sob that she tried to stifle as she felt those 
same cold hands grasp hers, pulling them away and off of an equally cold 
neck, as Faith stepped back and out of her reach.

"No. Not yours. Not mine. His." There was no hate, no anguish, nothing but a 
finality in Faith's tone. Faith wondered as she said the words if this... 
this coldness, emptiness was how it felt when you were dead. How it felt when 
you were dead inside. 

"You're wrong. I am yours and you are mine. I am not his and I don't think I 
ever was. And I don't want to be his. I am right where I want to be, right 
where I will always want to be, where I belong. With you."

"It's okay. You don't have to pretend. I felt everything you felt, I felt it 
when you remembered why you fell in love with Angel, why you were still in 
love with him." 

"You're right. About all of it except the last part. After I remembered it 
all, I felt my heartbreak for what he had done for me, for what he had given 
up. And then I felt even worse, felt my heartbreak for him even more 
because... because even knowing what he did... knowing that his soul is 
permanent now... That it wasn't him I wanted. And when he smiled at me, I 
knew that I didn't have to say anything. Knew that he already knew and that 
he was okay with it. And yes I was reminded of why I fell in love with him 
and why I still loved him.  Why I love him still Faith, not why I was still 
IN love with him. Just love him as a friend. The only person I am in love 
with is you. Not him. You, just you!" 

"Maybe. But if he had stayed human we wouldn't be here right now. You two 
would be together like you should be."

"No, Faith, I don't think so. I don't think we would have still been together 
right now. I don't believe that Angel and I were meant to be together. I 
think that you and I would still be here, still be together. I think if I 
wasn't so scared, so in denial of what it was I was feeling for you all those 
years ago that you and I would be celebrating our third anniversary right 
now. You and I are where we're supposed to be, how we're supposed to be. And 
even more importantly where I want to be. With you, only you."

"It's not that I don't believe you Buffy. But you said it yourself, you are 
the 'Queen of Denial'. I think that is exactly what you are in right now 
Buffy, denial. So I'm going to do the right thing. I am taking the choice 
away from you. I owe you and Angel that much. I owe you both so much more 
than even that. I owe it to both of you to walk away. Let you both have the 
chance that you've been denied twice now.  You know I'm right Buffy. It's the 
right thing. You and Angel belong together. Don't blow it, take the chance, 
you'll see I'm right Buffy. You know deep down in your heart, in your soul, 
I'm right about this Buffy."

With every 'Buffy' that Faith uttered, she felt like a stake was being driven 
into her heart. She knew that she was Faith's 'B', not 'Buffy'.  And Faith, 
using her full name, struck terror in her, deep down to her soul. Buffy 
couldn't believe what she was hearing, couldn't believe that Faith was saying 
this. Saying it with absolutely no emotion, her voice hollow as if it were 
some recording that was unable to capture the nuances of tones and feelings. 

She looked into Faith's eyes which were almost pitch-black they were so dark 
and she saw nothing there. No life, no love, no nothing. They weren't even 
lifeless, lifeless at least would have been an indication that there was 
something, some kind of feeling, they were just bottomless and empty. Faith 
had retreated so deep and so far away that Buffy was terrified that she 
wouldn't be able to reach her. This wasn't the Faith she knew, wasn't the 
Faith she had ever known.  The Faith she knew was passionate, alive, vibrant, 
no matter what emotional state she was in, the woman standing in front of her 
speaking with dead, unemotional, almost robotic calmness wasn't any Faith she 
had ever known.

Faith moved stiffly towards her bag on the floor of wherever the hell they 
were. She had no idea how they got here, she didn't care, nothing mattered to 
her. She was just cold, empty, and nothing seemed real anymore to her. All of 
it, all she was feeling, all of her was securely locked away behind the steel 
wall in her mind. It was all too much, all the feelings, all that she, they 
had gone through in the last seven months, and what was happening now. So she 
had retreated, further than ever before to that safe, numb place in her mind. 
No one could touch her there, it was cold there, so cold, but she had been 
cold before, in time she knew she would get use to it again.  This was the 
right thing to do, she owed it to them. She owed it to Buffy and Angel to do 
this for them. Once again, like she had done for most of her life, the Dark 
Slayer, left herself, her own needs, her own feelings out of the equation.

"This is not your choice to make Faith." Buffy's voice was hard but loving. 
She waited for Faith to turn around and face her but she didn't. "Did you 
hear me Faith? This is not your choice. Have you heard anything at all that I 
said to you? Anything?"

"I heard you Buffy. I heard and understood everything you said."

"Then, I don't understand. What is it? Don't you believe me. Don't you 
believe I love you? That I'm in love with you. I don't understand. Faith, I 
don't understand..."

Faith kept her back to Buffy, she wanted to turn around, Buffy sounded so 
small, so sad, so hurt, so scared.  She couldn't though, her body refused to 
listen to her heart. She was doing the right thing. She had to be strong. "I 
believe that is what you believe Buffy. I believe you are doing this because 
you don't want to hurt me. Because of what happened with Glory and J-Jon... 
with him. So I am making the choice to walk away, because I know you won't." 
Faith continued to walk towards what she could see was the bathroom.

"What are you doing? Where are you going? You can't just walk away from this, 
we're not done talking about this Faith!" Buffy was panicking. She didn't' 
understand what was happening. Mentally she was banging up against the blocks 
that Faith had put up, trying to force her to open the connection between 
them.

"I'm cold. I'm going to change. And we are done talking." She stopped at the 
door to the bathroom, she took a deep breath, but she didn't turn around. 
"It's over Buffy. We are over."

Buffy flew across the room, her arms going around Faith from behind. She 
pulled Faith's stiff, cold body back against her. Her tears streaming down 
her face, dripping from her chin onto Faith's bare shoulder.

Faith felt each an every single teardrop fall onto her shoulder. They burned 
her, scorched her to her soul. Still though they could not dispel the 
emptiness, the coldness inside of her. 

"Its...its...not... Its..." She stopped, pulling in a ragged breath, she was 
choking on her tears. Unable to get her voice above a hoarse whisper. "Its 
not over! Do you hear me Faith! It's not! I won't let it be over! This isn't 
your choice. I am in love with you. You are in love with me. It is not over! 
There is no way I will believe this is over. It will never be over between us 
Faith, ever. Open yourself up, let yourself look inside of me and you'll know 
that I am not lying, not in denial. For the first time in my life I know 
exactly what I want. Who I want. I have no doubts, no second thoughts, no 
regrets. I am exactly where I want to be with exactly who I want to be with. 
Open yourself back up to me baby please, open yourself up and see there is no 
one else I want to be with." 

She was doing the right thing, she was, she knew she was. But why was she so 
cold, so empty then? "I can't Buffy. I can't open myself back up to you 
because I didn't shut myself off from you. Our connection broke right after 
you remembered and you touched me. So you see I am right. It is Angel you 
belong with not me." She pulled out of Buffy's embrace and stepped into the 
bathroom. She turned around and faced Buffy, steeling herself against Buffy's 
crying eyes, steeling herself against her mate's pain. "It's over between us 
Buffy. It's over." 

She turned around, softly closed and the locked the door to the bathroom and 
on her soul. She moved away from the door hoping that the distance would 
block out the sound of Buffy's almost silent sobs. She changed into black 
jeans and a t-shirt quickly. It exhausted her, she felt lost and so very 
alone, so very cold. The broken connection was what had finally convinced her 
that what she was doing was right.  She turned back around, bracing herself 
to leave the bathroom, to leave Buffy forever, she took half a step towards 
the door which seemed miles away and...

She crumbled to the floor, drawing her knees up tightly to her chest and 
started to rock in pain and denial. 'B, YOUR MINE, I'M YOURS', her voice in 
her head kept screaming, throwing itself up against the steel barrier she had 
erected trying to break free,  trying to be heard, trying to open the 
connection between itself and it's mate. The tears ran down her face and felt 
like hail as they splashed down onto her bare arms. 

Cold. 

It was so cold here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Ever and always / Give me ever and always / Body and soul / Yesterday / 
Today / Tomorrow / Body and soul / Give me ever the years you wept inside 
when cold / All the sins and secrets never cried / All the dreams you kept 
and the tears you sold / Give me / Give me ever and always / Ever and always 
/ Body and soul - Sisters of Mercy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forget about the fight to wear the crown of scars / Cause you've already won 
/ Forget the pain and leave tears behind you / Bury underneath your feet the 
remains / Of what's been left behind / Cause you have got a long, a long way 
to run / But now you dance the rest of the way / And you don't look back / 
Can you hear the angel singing / As you rise / Now you fly away / And you 
don't look down / And you laugh till you can't laugh any longer / As you 
watch your chains fall to the ground / Will you fall against the wall that 
you have built with your own hands / When you trip upon the thorns that you 
have tied your legs together with / When you walk upon thin ice that you know 
you should not be walking / Why do you wonder why that you fell through...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy stayed motionless her arms still out in front of her like Faith was 
still within them as she listened to the sound of the door close and lock. 
What happened? How did this happen? HOW THE FUCK DID THIS HAPPEN? She had the 
irrational thought to find Angel and just stake his undead ass for doing this 
to them, as if this were all his fault. She knew it wasn't his fault, it 
wasn't anyone's fault. 

She didn't understand any of it and she wanted to know where the hell her 
Faith was because the woman who had walked through that door wasn't her 
Faith. Wasn't the Faith she knew now, wasn't any Faith she had ever known.  
The Faith she knew was passionate, alive, vibrant, whether she was happy, 
sad, angry, psychotic or sane. Her Faith now and even three years ago would 
have gone into some sort of tirade, whether it had been mumbling under her 
breath, throwing her hands up in the air and pacing or even throwing punches 
taking her anger out on something or someone.  She might have even run away 
scared, afraid to fight for what she wanted, but any of 'her Faith's' would 
not have stood in front of her speaking with dead calmness like the stranger 
that had gone into the bathroom. 

That woman wasn't even the young girl she met three years ago who had hid her 
pain behind a wall of indifference. The young girl who had flirted 
outrageously with her, who had made her laugh and cry. Who had admonished her 
to 'find the fun'.  Wasn't the young confused, lonely, scared girl who had 
sided with the Mayor, wasn't the young girl, she had stabbed or had switched 
their bodies. Wasn't the young girl with a death-wish who had tried to get 
Angel to kill her. At least that young girl had been alive, had some fire in 
her eyes, in her soul. 

The woman in the bathroom wasn't the woman who had come back to Sunnydale 
even knowing she might get her ass beaten or even killed. Who was looking to 
make up for the past, to find redemption. Wasn't the woman who had set, who 
still set, Buffy's own senses on fire. Wasn't the woman who had stayed even 
though Buffy had treated her like shit for months, had treated her like the 
whore Johnny and her Mother had brainwashed and abused her into believing she 
was. Wasn't the woman who had sacrificed her own wants, desires and was 
willing to let Buffy hate her, even kill her, in order to force Buffy back on 
the path to healing, to opening herself back up to the world, so Buffy didn't 
go down the same road she had gone down. At least that woman had done it with 
a passionate voice, tears in her eyes, with some life to her. 

And that woman in the bathroom certainly wasn't the woman Buffy had fallen in 
love with. Wasn't the woman who she knew had an innocence she hid under the 
'Bad Girl' exterior. Wasn't the woman who could be both shy and brazen at the 
same time. Wasn't the woman who was willing to sacrifice her own soul for 
anyone of their large extended family. Wasn't the same woman who made her 
laugh, made her cry, smile, feel things she had never thought possible. 
Wasn't the same woman who made her heart flutter and her breath catch with 
just a look. Wasn't the same woman who had handed herself over to the 
cruelties of both Johnny and Glory in order to protect her. Wasn't the woman 
whose sheer strength of will had let her survive not only her childhood, but 
their trip to Glory's 'Slayer Hell'. Strength of will and determination that 
let them both survive the trip to hell. 

And she sure as shit wasn't the woman Buffy had spent the morning having a 
water fight, then a tickle fight with. Not the woman she had spent hours 
cuddling with today, whispering, sharing, getting to know again, starting to 
heal with, heal from their seven month ordeal in hell.  Wasn't the woman that 
Buffy knew didn't know the meaning of never or couldn't, would never just 
throw up a white flag and just surrender without some kind of fight. Wasn't 
the woman who had made such a beautiful declaration of love to Buffy at the 
'Joining' reception. Wasn't the woman that Buffy was learning could bring out 
the absolute best in her there was. And she sure as fuck wasn't the woman who 
had kissed Buffy this morning with her own soul as Buffy had kissed her back 
with her own soul as well.

The woman Buffy knew had retreated further then she ever had before, past the 
wall of indifference into a sort of nothingness. On some level Buffy 
understood it, after all that had happened to Faith, happened to them, all 
the fears that she was struggling with. All the fears and emotions Faith had 
felt when she stood staring at herself in the mirror that morning. Then all 
the emotions Faith had gotten from her when she had remembered the day Angel 
had become human. She knew that Faith had just assumed that they still held 
true now, then Faith had misinterpreted what Buffy had felt after she 
remembered. It had just escalated all the other fears, it had overloaded her, 
it had been the final straw that had sent her spiraling down that long tunnel 
into the nothingness, much like Buffy had when Glory had taken Dawn. And 
somehow down in that black hole Faith had lost touch with the bond they 
shared as more than Slayers, the bond they shared as eternal soul-mates.

Without even realizing she had done it, Buffy had changed into jeans and a 
t-shirt while all the thoughts had thundered through her head. She caught 
sight of herself in the wall mirror, her mascara was streaked down her face, 
the tears were still falling and she let them. Her eyes were almost glowing, 
the gold flecks in them flashing at her with determination. It was as if they 
knew a secret that had yet to surface in her own consciousness. She looked 
back at the door as if she could see through it to her mate on the other 
side. 

She moved to stand right in front of the bathroom door, she closed her eyes 
and tried to see her mate with more than just her eyes. She saw the light, 
the thread that still shone there, luminous and beautiful just like her mate. 
 It still connected them, the thread that Atropos had told them could never 
be severed. The one that bound them throughout eternity and it called to her 
and she followed. She saw the woman wearing Faith's face sitting on the floor 
crying and rocking. Then she followed the thread further and forced her way 
through and felt her mate slamming against something, trying to break free, 
screaming the same thing over and over...

And even if Buffy hadn't found the thread, even if she hadn't followed it 
into Faith's mind, into her heart, into her soul, she knew. Knew for the 
first time in her life, exactly what she wanted, who she wanted, where she 
wanted to be and who she always wanted to be there with her forever and she 
knew with every part of who, what she was that Faith wanted to be right there 
with her, right there beside her. 

And it was why Buffy didn't believe for a minute a goddamn word Faith had 
just said to her.

She reached out and placed her hand lightly on the door...

"Faith, I am yours and you are mine..." she whispered and knew Faith, 'her 
Faith', heard her with more than just her ears.

And then she broke down the mother-fucking door.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith didn't move as Buffy crashed through the door, it was like she was 
encased in ice. She saw an array of emotions all blazing out of Buffy's 
flashing golden eyes. Pain, sorrow, regret, hurt, anguish, fear, loss and 
once again the strongest of them all, fierce, unconditional, eternal, love. 
They burned their way to her, into her, scorching her, blazing a path 
straight down into her soul, melting the ice on their way to free her from 
her self-imposed prison.

Then as if she were on autopilot she felt her mouth begin to move, the words 
coming from only the gods knew where, they weren't her words, weren't the 
words she wanted to say. "Buffy what the fuck do you think you're doing? Get 
the fuck out of here Buffy! IT IS OVER BUFFY! DO YOU HEAR ME? DO YOU BUFFY?"

Buffy just stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at her with the 
same 'and-another-thing' look she had given her this morning.  The look that 
told Faith, Buffy was going to tell her something that was for her own good. 
At any other time she would have been looking back at Buffy incredulously 
considering what was happening right now, instead she stared back at Buffy 
with an emptiness, that she saw Buffy physically flinch back from. The voice 
in her head started screaming louder, throwing itself more forcefully against 
the steel barrier keeping it confined and separated from it's hurting mate.

"Oh I heard you Faith. I heard you loud and clear. It's not me who isn't 
listening, it's you. I broke down one door to get to you and now it's time to 
break down the wall, so that you can hear, feel the same thing, I hear, 
feel." 

Faith never saw Buffy move, one second she was standing in front of her and 
the next she was being held in those strong arms, wrapped in Buffy's warm, 
comforting, but steely embrace. She really didn't have the energy to try and 
escape, she was exhausted, and still so very cold, she made a feeble attempt 
anyway. Hoarsely she whispered, "Buffy wh..."

"Be quiet and just listen, just feel. And Faith... stop fucking calling me 
Buffy!" Buffy tightened her arms around Faith and leaned her forehead against 
Faith's, following after her when Faith tried to lean back away from her. She 
locked her eyes with Faith's own, compelling Faith against her will not to 
break the stare, Buffy's eyes started to glow almost gold.

With ease, with surety and confidence born out of the knowledge that it was 
meant to be there, that it was right to be there and that it had always been 
there, she found the thread within her that bound, connected them and 
followed it to her mate. She felt Faith shivering in her arms and her skin 
still felt so cold, she tightened her embrace even more. She felt Faith jump 
slightly when she slipped into her mind, slipped into the place between their 
conscious and subconscious minds, where they had spent almost seven months 
together sharing their dreams, building a place where they had both felt 
safe. It was there she found her mate, separated from her and trapped by the 
steel barrier that had gone up to protect her when the world came crashing 
down upon her today.

They stood staring at each other in the dreamscape. It was nothing like the 
place they had built for themselves in Glory's hell. This place was stark, 
dim, barren, devoid of sound, of warmth, dead. It was cold and sterile and it 
frightened Buffy down to the depths of her soul that her mate, her Faith, was 
trapped within the confines of this place. It frightened her but it did not 
stop her from letting everything she was, all that she felt, from completely 
opening her mind, her soul; she hid absolutely nothing. No, it did not stop 
her from letting it all flow from her to Faith. 

She could not break the steel barrier, could not banish the shadows or the 
fears that dwelled within this place.  The only one who could do that was 
Faith. She held her hand out to Faith in silent supplication, letting her 
know she was not alone, letting her know that she would wait, wait forever, 
would stay here with her if she chose not to leave, letting her know that it 
didn't matter where they were as long as they were together.

Both Slayers let out an anguished, relief-filled sob when the Faith in the 
dreamscape reached right through the steel barrier with a hand trembling with 
fear, and a soul full of love and clutched onto the hand being held out to 
her and let her mate lead her out of the cold, barren, pain-filled landscape 
of her self-imposed exile.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She pulled the shivering Dark Slayer closer to her, her hands rubbing Faith's 
arms, back, trying to get some warmth back into her. Christ, Faith's lips 
were even blue from the coldness of that barren place she had exiled herself 
into. Buffy had a moment of panic when Faith seemed to be pulling away from 
her and then she felt her mate's arms surround her, holding her so tightly, 
she thought her ribs were going to break.

"Oh god I'm sorry," her voice was hoarse and shaky. "Oh god I'm so sorry. I 
don't know..." She moved herself a little out of Buffy's embrace so she could 
see her. She looked into Buffy's hazel eyes and was stunned once again and 
she had a feeling that she would always be stunned by the love that blazed in 
them for her. She lifted a trembling hand and gently caught some of the still 
falling tears from her mate's eyes. She started shivering almost violently, 
she felt Buffy pull her more tightly to her and she buried her head into the 
crook of Buffy's neck. Then the tears started again, great wracking sobs and 
she couldn't get them to stop. Words slipped out from between the sobs only 
this time they were her words. They were disjointed and jumbled but they were 
hers.

"I don't know. It, the world... everything... it all came crashing down on 
me. It was too much. It was already too much. When I... when I saw what 
happened... felt how you felt. I thought. I got scared. I felt like I had 
lost you. After everything, it was too much. I couldn't feel you inside 
anymore. Couldn't feel the, feel our bond and I... I wouldn't have survived 
Glory and him without you. Wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for you. And I 
don't know if I can get past it now without you. When I, when I thought I 
lost you... I shut down, I hid... I'm such a coward. I went back in my head 
to that place I lived in when I was kid. It's so cold there, so lonely and I 
couldn't get back out. I tried, but I couldn't get back out. All that stuff, 
all I said I didn't mean it, I don't want it to be over.  I don't want to 
lose you, not even to Angel." She was clutching at Buffy's shirt, her whole 
body trembling. "I'm not going to lose you am I? Please... please don't leave 
me..." 

Buffy felt Faith's hot tears cascading down her neck, her collarbone, soaking 
her shirt. She just held her more tightly to her, her own body shaking. 
Afraid to let her go, afraid if she did Faith might slip back into that safe 
place again and this time Buffy might not be able to get her to come back out 
again. More than ever Buffy knew they had to talk about all of it, Glory, 
Johnny, Faith's childhood and now that lost time from her own past with 
Angel. Right now though she needed to reassure her mate, get her warm, and 
get her to sleep. She could feel the exhaustion coming off of Faith, felt it 
in her own bones deep down. They were both exhausted physically and 
emotionally, today had been one long bumpy ride.

"No baby you're not going to lose me." She picked Faith up and carried her 
out to the bedroom. "I love you, I'm not going anywhere. I promise." She put 
Faith down on the bed, she knelt down in front of her and captured her eyes 
and her hands with her own. "I'm in love with you. I don't want to be with 
anyone else. And I'm going to keep on telling you that until you finally 
believe it. I don't care about what happened, what might have happened, what 
could have happened. You and I are forever Faith, and that's just the way I 
want it to be." 

Buffy spoke with more than just her words, she spoke to Faith through their 
bond too, pouring all the feelings behind what she was saying into Faith, and 
for the first time since this all began Faith started to feel warm again.

"I think I'm starting to truly believe that. Starting to finally trust in 
you, in me, in us. I... I love you too."

Buffy smiled tenderly at Faith and rose from the floor, she gave her a quick 
hug. "I'm gonna see if there is anything warm for you to sleep in. You're 
still shivering." 

She made a quick search of the drawers in the dresser and found a matching 
pair of flannel pajamas. She couldn't help the smirk that formed on her face, 
because she knew there was no way in hell that Faith would put the pajamas 
on. Damn Fates' had a warped sense of humor they surely did. "Found 
something." 

She walked back over to the bed and handed a pair of pajamas to Faith and 
started to strip out of her own clothes. She risked peeking at Faith from 
under her lashes when she noticed that Faith had made no move to put on the 
pajamas. Faith was sitting on the bed staring at the pajamas with a look of 
horror on her face. She just couldn't resist.

"What's the matter baby?"

"They're... they're... they're Barney pajamas... No way am I putting these 
on. I'd rather sleep in my clothes." Faith threw the offending pajamas from 
her like they were a Slime Demon. 

Buffy couldn't help but laugh when Faith actually wiped her hand on her jeans 
as if it had gotten dirty by touching the pajamas.

"And you aren't sleeping in this bed with them on either!"

"Really?"

"Really. That purple thing gives me the creeps and if you are going to sleep 
in this bed with me you ain't wearing those, B... an..." Faith trailed off 
when Buffy gave her a smile that was so brilliant that she felt blinded by 
it. "What? What's that smile for?"

"You said my name!"

"Huh? I always say your name." Faith looked at Buffy in confusion.

"B! You said B, not Buffy, but B!" She saw the confusion still on Faith's 
face, she probably hadn't even realized she had been calling her Buffy and 
not B. "Before... when... when you were telling me it was over... You kept 
calling me Buffy and..." The tears Buffy had been holding back started to 
fall, "...and every time you said Buffy instead of B it was like someone was 
driving a knife through my heart."

This time it was Faith who was holding Buffy within her warm, strong embrace. 
She ran a soothing hand over Buffy's hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was 
doing it. I'm sorry B."

She picked Buffy up and carried her back over to the bed and softly lay her 
down. She crawled up onto the bed next to her and pulled her back into her 
arms. She felt Buffy shiver in her arms, "We should get under the covers and 
where the hell are we anyway." She thought to herself that she should be 
scared. She had no idea where they were or how they had gotten here, but for 
some odd reason she wasn't.

The sound of a piece of paper fluttering came to them, Faith turned her head 
towards the sound and saw a ordinary piece of white notebook paper on the 
nightstand on Buffy's side of the bed. She half crawled on top of Buffy and 
reached for the paper. Faith picked it up and read it aloud to Buffy. "B and 
Grasshopper, you looked like you could use some privacy so I faded you to the 
cottage by the lake. Lilith and I will stop by in the morning and show you 
around. Everything has been arranged and your belongings are there. Sleep 
well my sisters, Clotho and Lilith."

Buffy laughed a little at Faith's growling of her nickname. Faith gave her a 
quizzical look and Buffy smiled up at her, she wrapped her arms around Faith 
and unconsciously started rubbing her thumbs in small circles on her back. 
"You look so cute when you growl." For a brief second her eyes flashed gold, 
and the emerald green flecks in Faith's eyes flashed back at her. Buffy's 
smile grew a little larger when she felt and heard the half growling purr 
rumbling in Faith's chest, her own rumbling purr answered her mate.

Faith smiled down softly at the sound of Buffy purring underneath her. Her 
smile faded as she wondered if she were pushing things, acting like nothing 
out of the ordinary had happened in the past few hours. She sat up abruptly, 
and didn't miss the fear that flickered across Buffy's face at her actions. 
She sat back on calves and ran a shaky hand through her hair. "B... are we... 
are we alright? I mean are..."

Buffy sat up immediately and scooted down next to Faith, she took her hands 
into her own. "Yes, Faith, we are alright. I know everything isn't perfect. 
There is a lot we have to work out, a lot we need to talk about. But we'll do 
it together, we'll get through it together. I want you, me and you to feel 
comfortable with each other again, like we were earlier today. No matter what 
happened or happens I don't ever want either of us to feel like we can't hold 
or be near each other." She smiled a little, "Knowing us if it's not what 
either of us wants we'll let the other know." She reached up, and what seemed 
to be becoming a habit of late she tucked a few stray locks of Faith's 
tresses behind her ear. "I can feel how exhausted you are and I know I'm 
tired. I think though now the best thing for us would be to sleep. Unless you 
want to talk now, cause if you do we can. Whatever you want baby."

"I want to talk but I'm tired and I can feel how tired you are." A 
shit-eating grin that went from ear to ear spread across her face when she 
realized how good it was to feel Buffy through their bond again. 

"What?"

"I can't even tell you how wonderful it feels to feel you again here." She 
put her hand over her heart and couldn't stop the smile from growing even 
larger, then fade as she got serious. "I felt like the best part of me was 
missing when I couldn't feel you anymore, I felt so empty, like a piece of me 
was missing. I never want to feel like that again ever B."

Buffy didn't say anything, instead she leaned forward and kissed Faith so 
softly, so lovingly that both Slayers didn't breathe for a good minute after 
it was over. Faith was staring at her with that wide-eyed amazed look she got 
sometimes and Buffy had a feeling she was staring back at her with the same 
look. She shivered both from the look and the chill in the air. "Damn it's 
cold in here. I wonder if the Fates ever heard of heat?"

"I'll make a fire..."

Buffy shivered again only this time it was from the low husky timber of 
Faith's voice. God, she loved the sound of her voice when it like that. "You 
want me to see if there is something else for you to sleep in?" Buffy asked 
Faith, her voice just as low and husky, as she reached for the ugly Barney 
pajamas for herself.

"B..." Faith began hesitantly as she peaked at Buffy through the curtain of 
her hair, she tossed a log into the fireplace. "B... do you... um, you think 
we, well that maybe." 

Buffy smiled encouragingly at her, waiting for Faith to sort out what she 
wanted to say. She already knew, had gotten an image in her mind from an 
echo. But she waited giving Faith the chance to ask for what she wanted. 

"I well, I, the only thing I want to sleep in or next to is just you and ah 
nothing else. Just you B..."  She was flustered, why the fuck was this so 
hard and now she felt stupid on top of everything else. "Ah fuck that didn't 
come out right." She dropped her eyes to the floor and concentrated on 
starting the fire.

No sooner had she gotten the fire started then a very naked golden-haired 
Slayer was lifting her up. She was deposited on the bed, and gently pulled up 
into a sitting position. Buffy leaned down and lightly kissed her on the 
mouth, then she reached down and grabbed the bottom of Faith's shirt. 

"B... what ah..." She couldn't stop the tremor of fear in her voice or her 
whole body from stiffening. She wasn't, that wasn't what she had meant, and 
she felt the cold ghost of his touch starting to crawl over her skin.

Buffy's hands stilled the second she felt it, she pulled Faith into her arms. 
Softly stroked her hair. "I'm sorry Faith... Oh god I didn't... I mean... I 
wasn't going to... I know you're not ready for that... I was just so happy... 
 cause I like sleeping like that too and we always did whether we were gonna 
or not and we haven't in, and I miss it, miss your warmth. Shit, I'm not 
making any sense am I... I'm sorry... I..."

Faith relaxed in Buffy's embrace, she felt the truth of Buffy's words flow 
over her, the 'echo' of what Buffy had felt when she had asked her if they 
could sleep without any pajamas. The fear had snuck up on her and it was the 
only thing she had felt, it had drowned out everything else. 

"B, it's okay... It kinda just sneaked up on me. I know you would never... I 
just... You don't have to apologize. Today's been just one big emotional 
roller-coaster ride for us both. It's okay really... And I still want to 
sleep that way, cause I... I miss sleeping like that too." Faith pulled back 
and gave Buffy a lopsided grin to let her know that she meant what she said. 

Buffy smiled back, she jumped up on the bed and got under the covers, 
thinking that maybe it would be best if Faith undressed herself. Faith 
stripped herself of her clothes in record time, she crawled under the covers 
and without the slightest hesitation curled right up and into Buffy. 

She tucked her head under Buffy's chin, her breath caressing the skin across 
Buffy's chest, She draped one arm over Buffy's stomach, her thumb lightly 
tracing circles. The whole length of her body pressed into Buffy's side 
intimately, one leg thrown over both of Buffy's. She started purring 
contently as she felt Buffy's arm come around her shoulders, her hand gently 
stroking her hair. Buffy's other hand began tracing patterns along the length 
of her arm, her cheek resting on the top of her head, and Faith could hear 
the answering purr coming from deep inside of her mate.

The word slipped from her without conscious thought, "Mine." 

Buffy lifted her hand from Faith's arm, and gently tipped her face up towards 
her. She gazed down at her for a second, her eyes once again glowed gold, 
"Yours." She dipped her head down at the emerald glow that flashed back at 
her, and once again, softly and lovingly kissed her mate. "Mine," she growled 
low when their lips parted.

"Yours," Faith growled low back. She rested her head once again down under 
Buffy's chin and heard the purring in Buffy's chest get a little louder, and 
she answered in kind.

They let the sound of each other's loving, comforting purring lull them to 
sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was in the place between wakefulness and sleep listening to the sound of 
soft purring and the steady and even heartbeat beneath her ear, which let her 
know her mate was still deeply asleep. She let the scent that was uniquely 
her mate's wrap itself around her senses, as she stayed steadfast in this 
in-between place. Her hand slid gently, lightly of it's own volition over a 
hard, flat stomach, up to the underside of one softly rounded breast, 
caressing her way over the slope of it, to stop and lightly tease a nipple 
which woke to greet her fingertips and the palm of her hand. She smiled 
sleepily when she heard the heartbeat and the breathing of her mate quicken. 
Her hand continued it's meandering to trace along her mate's collarbone, 
along the length of her neck, fingertips remembering, tingling with the joy 
of touching familiar, silky smooth skin. She paused for a second or two, to 
rub the satiny strands of golden hair between her fingers before moving to 
trace along her mate's jawbone, her fingertips sweeping up to touch high 
cheekbones, then finally down to soft lips. She let her fingertips outline 
them, and smiled again sleepily when they parted at her touch.

Without conscious thought and still in that in-between place, she slid up and 
over her mate, hovering over her, looking at the beautiful, peaceful face 
below her with eyes heavy with sleep. She slowly lowered her head and 
replaced her fingertips with her mouth. She kissed the corners of her mate's 
mouth with light kisses, then completely covered her mate's mouth with her 
own. She kissed her delicately, with reverence, and love. Her mouth gently 
caressing her mate's as she silently asked for her to join her in this 
in-between place.

She smiled against her mate's mouth, when she felt hands come up and around 
her. She increased the pressure of her kiss slightly as she felt her mate's 
hands sliding, moving lightly on her back, smoothing, making delightful 
patterns with her fingertips. She let her tongue sneak out to taste, and 
re-learn the texture of her mate's lips. Thinking to herself once again as 
she had the very first time they had shared a morning kiss, that her mate 
tasted sweeter then even the sweetest wine.

She felt her mate's hands run up her back to come to tangle in her hair, the 
fingers tenderly massaging her scalp. She deepened her kiss, her tongue 
seeking entrance to the velvety softness of her mate's mouth. She felt her 
mate yield to her request, drawing her in, her mate's tongue sliding, dancing 
with her own. A thrill rippled under her skin, through her when her mate 
moaned her name into the kiss. 

She felt her mate completely surrender herself to her kiss and to her, giving 
to her total control, and unwavering trust, letting her lead them to wherever 
she wanted them to go. She felt herself succumb to the seductive lure of her 
mate, it freed her, and awed her the trust that her mate placed in her after 
all they had been through in the past eight months and just yesterday. 

She deepened their kiss even further, moaning her mate's name back. Her thumb 
stroking along her mate's pulse point and that was when she felt the shadow 
of the same touch upon her own pulse point. It was erotic and strange all at 
once this new 'echo' they now shared through their bond. Then the dawning 
realization came to her that if she could feel the ghost-touches on her own 
skin as she touched her mate then so could her mate feel the same 
ghost-touches upon her own skin when she was touched. 

She pulled back from the kiss and started to teasingly run her tongue along 
her mate's soft delectable lips as she tried to remember when these new ghost 
or shadow-like echoes had started. It was with horror she realized that she 
had already known the answer. She had shoved it down with the rest of the 
feelings, the memories from that place, from the hell they had endured for 
seven long months. She had tried to fool herself into believing that it had 
only started when they had spent the ten day respite at the Fates domain, had 
needed to pretend in order to keep on surviving. Which meant she hadn't been 
able to completely protect her mate from knowing his touch, because she knew 
that there had been times when she had been unable to keep the block up 
cutting off her mate from feeling what she had been feeling. Her mate had 
felt the shadow-like cold touch of him on her skin, much in the same way that 
she now felt his touch. 

Without being told, Faith knew that Buffy was being haunted by his touch now 
as well. In her own mind there was little difference between feeling it 
second hand and feeling it first hand, because Buffy had also been forced to 
watch it all too. Faith realized that at some point she had stopped kissing 
Buffy; that she had lifted up slightly and was resting on her elbows, while 
Buffy was lightly massaging her tense shoulders. She slowly opened her eyes 
and saw Buffy staring up at her with concern, love, want, desire, and need.

"You felt it when it was happening didn't you. Felt his touch too, didn't 
you?" Her voice trembled with suppressed emotions.

"Yes. But you blocked it most of the time. And even when you couldn't block 
it anymore, you dulled it somehow. It felt like there were twenty layers 
between the echo and me. I know you dulled it because now, when someone 
touches you, it's clearer less muffled."

"I'm sorry. I guess I didn't protect you as well as I thought I did..." Faith 
felt the guilt pressing down on her once again, making it hard to breath.

"Don't! Don't ever say that again. You did everything possible, including 
sacrificing yourself. So I never want to hear you say that again. Faith, 
yesterday we promised each other to stop blaming ourselves for what happened 
there. None of it was your fault including this."

"I never wanted you to know what that was like. No one should ever know what 
it's like."

"I don't, not really. I can never know, feeling this second hand, it's not 
the same thing as it really happening to you. It's not like what he did to 
you. I will never know what that is like and that's because of you. 
Because... because you stopped that from happening. I don't know how to say 
this without it sounding weird or selfish or fucked up somehow, but I am 
grateful to you for doing that and I can never hope to ever repay you for 
what you did for me ever. And that just sounded so fucked up..." 

"No it didn't. There wasn't anyway I would let that happen to you. I already 
survived him, there was nothing that he..." Faith eyes started to glow a 
feral emerald green, and anyone else probably would have ran from her in 
fright, but Buffy wasn't afraid at all. She imagined that her own eyes were 
glowing an answering feral gold. "There was just no way B! No way I was ever 
going to let you know what it feels like, what it does... what it..." She 
felt it start to crawl under her skin again, that feeling that herald the 
ghost of his touch.  She couldn't talk about this right now, she felt like 
she was starting to overload again.

"No I don't know, but you can talk to me. Tell me. When you're ready."

"I will... I just can't right now. It's just too much. Can we... can we just 
forget about it for today. Can we just have... I don't know... just not talk 
about it today. Can we do that B?"

"Whatever you want... I am all yours... your wish is my command, whatever you 
want..."

There was soft knock on the front door, and neither Slayer moved, they 
continued to stare into each other's eyes. Faith slowly lowered her head 
again and she kissed Buffy's forehead. She lifted herself up again and stared 
into Buffy's eyes, her own once again a deep, dark, chocolate brown.  She 
started to rise and stopped when Buffy lightly touched her arm, there was 
hesitation in Buffy's eyes when she looked at her.

"Faith, would you... would you just hold me for a second or two before we get 
up?"

"I'd hold you forever if that's what you wanted." Faith told her and then 
swept Buffy back into her arms. They lay holding each other until the soft 
knocking turned to insistent pounding and they heard Lilith say maybe they 
should break down the door. 

"NO!" Both Slayers yelled out together and then started laughing, the last 
thing they both wanted was to get caught au natural a second day in a row.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They quickly put on the jeans and t-shirts that were tossed about the room 
from last night. Faith half ran to the door in her bare feet yelling, 
"Alright, already," when the knocking started again. "Jeez, already. Give a 
girl a chance to get dressed; you two are worst then mother hens..." She said 
as she swung the door open, then gave them a sheepish grin when she saw the 
concern on both immortals' faces. "Come in..."

She stood back from the door to let them in. She took a good look around the 
cottage. It was one big room, made of wood and stone, almost like a warehouse 
loft. There were large exposed support beams in the ceiling and two round, 
telephone pole-like columns that went from the floor to the ceiling on 
opposite sides of the room. The floor was hardwood with at least five 
scattered oriental rugs. The large four poster brass bed was off to the right 
on the other side of the room. There was a fireplace in the wall by the bed, 
made out of stone and the size of a small closet. Another stone fireplace was 
on the opposite side of the room a little bit larger with a deep, dark, thick 
blue rug in front of it. An extra long, extra wide chaise lounge, it was 
bigger than the one at the Mansion and could easily hold two people 
comfortably. A double black leather recliner sat opposite of the chaise 
lounge and Faith made a mental note to herself to find out about getting one 
of those for the Mansion. There was stereo cabinet with a state of the art CD 
player, tuner, and surround sound. A good hundred of so CD's were in the 
little wooden slots that were built right into the cabinet. 

On the other side of the room was a floor-to-ceiling, in-the-wall bookcase 
that took up the entire wall. Books, hardcover, paperbacks, oversized were 
stuffed into every single available space, it would take a few lifetimes to 
read all the books there were. There were even a few piles on books on the 
floor. Two high back leather chairs faced the bookshelves and each chair had 
it's own reading floor lamp and a small mahogany side table.  A wide, low 
mahogany coffee table was in front of but between the two leather chairs. Not 
a TV or Playstation was in sight. The room was done in shades of dark blues, 
and with the exception of the kick ass stereo was very rustic. There was 
swinging door over by the chaise lounge which Faith could only assume led off 
to the kitchen, and then there was the bathroom door or what was left of it. 
The bathroom door was hanging haphazardly off it's hinges and was splintered 
from the force of a certain golden-eyed Slayer slamming into it. 

{Maybe they won't notice. Right Faith good one!}

Faith closed the front door and made her way back over to stand by Buffy, she 
reached her hand out and took Buffy's into hers. After yesterday, she needed 
the reassurance of Buffy's touch, she felt Buffy squeeze her hand silently 
letting her know that she understood and felt the same way. The four of them 
stood in awkward silence staring at each other.

Lilith broke the silence because just like her kindred sister Faith, patience 
was not one of her many virtues. "I don't know about the three of you but I 
could use some coffee." She started making her way towards the door that 
Faith had been correct in assuming was to the kitchen.  Right before she 
pushed the door open she asked the Slayers over her shoulder, "What the hell 
happened to the bathroom door?" 

Tact wasn't one of her many virtues either. Then again she and Clotho had 
talked in length about Buffy and Faith this morning. Lilith and Clotho had 
been through something very similar many years ago and they had decided that 
maybe a little push would help to open the channels of communication between 
the Slayers. The fact they had been standing there holding hands was a good 
sign, but the broken bathroom door also showed that something major had 
happened here last night. Over the last six weeks Clotho had told Lilith that 
they seemed to be alternating between an almost friend-type relationship to 
an almost completely strangers-type relationship. All three Fates, as well as 
Luc were worried and had collectively decided that Clotho would lend a 
helping hand if it was needed.  Lilith was recruited to help as well, as if 
she could ever say no to her mate.  She was still a little amazed that the 
Fates, Luc and now Mars, Lily and Chronos, had put aside all of the rules for 
the Slayers and their extended family of friends.

"Um... the door was like that when we got here?" Buffy shot Faith a look she 
couldn't believe Faith had actually said that as they trailed into the 
kitchen after the immortals.

"Really." Lilith shot back as she put on a pot of coffee. The sarcasm was so 
thick in her tone that a chainsaw wouldn't have been able to slice it.

"No... I was being an ass last night and... I'll pay for the door to get 
fixed."

"No I'll pay for it, I'm the one who broke it not you..."

"Yeah but if I..." Faith stopped and turned towards Buffy she took both of 
her hands into hers, she lowered her voice a little below a whisper. Clotho 
and Lilith busied themselves getting food out of the refrigerator trying to 
give them as much privacy as possible. "You shouldn't have had to break down 
the door. After all this time I should have believed and trusted in what you 
said, in you, in me, and what we have together. But I won't ever doubt or 
disbelieve you or in us ever again, not after last night. No one has ever 
done what you've done for me. No one B. No one has ever come after me and 
you've done it more then once. You came for me in LA..." 

"You wouldn't have been in LA in the first place if it hadn't been for me 
Faith. If I hadn't been such an asshole."

"Yeah you were an ass..." She stopped and smiled taking the sting out her 
words. "In the long run it doesn't matter, because you came after me. You 
didn't have to, you knew I would come back because I was in love with you. 
But you came after me anyway. Then you forgave me for everything that 
happened in the past. You gave me a second chance, a real second chance. You 
told me you wanted me in your life, as more than a friend. You didn't push f
or anything I wasn't ready for because you knew you had hurt me. And you knew 
you could of and knew I wouldn't have said no to you. But you didn't. You 
just let me know you would be there for me when I was ready. You waited for 
me and  no one has ever given me a choice when it came to that." She stopped 
for a second trying to gather her thoughts, not sure if she was making sense. 


"... And then you waited again, waited to tell me you loved me, because you 
knew I was scared to tell you, scared of love. Knew that for me love had 
always been something ugly and hurtful. And again you didn't push me to tell 
you anything, you just let me know when I was ready you would be there to 
listen. When we were there, when they had us you did everything in your power 
to protect me. No one's ever protected me, no one's ever even tried. You 
didn't turn away in disgust, you didn't judge me, you were my strength and to 
my amazement you loved me even more, even after you knew everything, even 
after everything you saw..." She stopped again and gently stroked the side of 
Buffy's face. 

"...And then last night after everything I said, after I told you it was 
over, tried to push you away. You didn't leave, you refused to give up, you 
still fought for me. You refused to let me go, you refused to let me run 
away, to turn my back on you, on me, on us. You never lost faith in us." She 
paused and smiled, and saw Buffy's answering smile on her playing off her own 
name. "You came after me, you didn't let me go. Nobody B, not one person has 
ever fought for me. Including myself. You've been right there for me catching 
me when I fall, helping me to learn how to stand on my own two feet. You 
taught me what love is, given me the first place I could ever call home, 
given me the first real family I've ever had. You've given your love to me 
unconditionally, without reservation and it's the most beautiful thing anyone 
has ever done for me. I promise you right here, right now that I will never 
doubt your love for me, or what we have together ever again."  It was a 
promise that for the rest of her life Faith never once broke.

"I will always come after you Faith, always fight for you, for us, for what 
we have together. I would have torn the house down, piece by piece with my 
bare hands to get to you if that was what it would have taken to get you 
back. With you, by your side, is where I want to be. I believe in you, in us 
and I trust you not with just with my heart, my soul, but with my life, with 
my sister's life, with everything, everyone I hold dear."

Faith leaned down and kissed Buffy softly, trying to express in that kiss all 
that she had just said, all that she felt for the golden-haired Slayer. Buffy 
thought she was going to start crying; the kiss was so tender, so loving, so 
soft, and so the gentle, the innocent side of Faith that she rarely let 
anyone see, but who Buffy was getting to know more each day. Faith pulled 
Buffy into her tightly and was just about to kiss her again with a little 
more passion when a discreet clearing of a throat reminded her, they weren't 
alone. They turned to face the immortals.

"Eggs okay and ba... you're blushing! I don't believe you're blushing! Clotho 
hurry get a camera! Nobody will ever believe that Faith blushes... Hurry..."

"Why was it that nobody friggin bothered to tell me that trying to find 
redemption included blushing..." Faith griped under her breath and turned 
even redder.

Buffy leaned in close to Faith and whispered in her ear, "I like it when you 
blush, you look all cute and hot at the same time... Takes all my will power 
not to just drag you off somewhere and ea..." Now Buffy blushed and she 
couldn't believe that almost came out of her mouth. She wasn't sure how Faith 
would react, she waited in agony to see if the fear would find a home in her 
mate again. Instead she heard the soft half growl, half purr rumbling low in 
Faith's chest.

"I should blush more often then," Faith whispered back low and husky.

"Oh now the other one is blushing. They're so cute aren't they?" Lilith poked 
Clotho in the side, "Come on aren't they cute. Like a couple of frisky 
cubs..." Both Slayers growled at Lilith.

"Keep it up, Lil, and I'll tell them what makes you blush..." Clotho 
threatened only her tone was so silky and sultry it left no doubt in either 
Slayers' minds what might make Lilith blush. Then all three started laughing 
when Lilith actually started blushing. "Works every time," Clotho laughed 
then gave her blushing mate a soft kiss on the mouth.

Lilith turned her head away from her lover her nose in the air, and was 
rewarded by Clotho grabbing her up and kissing her so hard, so hot, so 
passionately that the even the Slayers started to sweat.

"B, I'm thinkin' those two might need a cold shower."

"Huh... What about the power?" Buffy was alternating between watching Lilith 
and Clotho kissing and Faith's mouth and hadn't heard a word that she said. 
She couldn't help thinking they look so good, so hot kissing, Clotho's all 
light, innocent, pressing against, into Lilith who was all dark and fiery. 
She wondered if she and Faith looked like that when they kissed, because it 
sure felt like they should. Then she drifted off thinking about the way Faith 
had been kissing her this morning when they were both half asleep, she felt a 
familiar tingle of desire course through her.

"B?" Faith watched Buffy drag her eyes away from the immortals and even 
without their 'echoes' she would have been able to read what she was 
thinking. 

It took Buffy another second or two to drag her eyes up to Faith's own. 
Buffy's eyes were flashing gold at her, only they weren't feral, more like 
primal in their desire-filled look. She wondered if hers were flashing 
emerald, it seemed their merging with the mystical energy that made them 
Slayers had done more then just increase their 'Slaying Powers'. She felt the 
half growl, half purring starting in her chest, and gave Buffy a wicked smile 
when she heard an answering one from her. She realized that Buffy had 
probably never seen two women kissing quite like that before. She remembered 
the first time she had seen two women kissing passionately for the first 
time, she had thought it was the hottest thing she ever had seen in her life, 
she imagined Buffy was thinking the same thing. It certainly helped that both 
immortals were very hot in their own way. The immortals reminded Faith of her 
and Buffy, light and dark. 

"They look pretty hot don't they B?" Buffy just nodded to her and Faith 
watched as Buffy's eyes lowered again to her mouth. 

Buffy's tongue peeked out and wet her upper lip, then she captured her bottom 
lip between her teeth. She looked up at Faith again, their eyes locked and 
the heat in the kitchen went up a few more degrees. More than anything she 
wanted to kiss Faith but she made no move towards her, she relinquished 
control once again over to Faith.

She felt Buffy's desire come to her in an 'echo' she heard an answering 
response in herself. For a second or two it felt good then she started to get 
scared. What if she freaked out like she did this morning? No if she kept on 
thinking like this she would. And she did want to kiss Buffy, with more then 
just a soft tender kiss, she remembered how good, wonderful it had felt 
kissing her this morning when she was still in that in-between place, before 
her memories came back to haunt her. 

It suddenly dawned on her that while she had been staring into Buffy's eyes 
this whole time, that even though Buffy wanted to kiss her, she had made no 
move to do so. Like she had yesterday and this morning Buffy had given 
control over to her, trusting her to lead them where she willed. Buffy would 
not force her to do anything she wasn't comfortable with, or ready for and 
she already knew that Buffy would stop the second she asked her to. Somehow 
having total control over this gave Faith the comfort zone she needed and 
freed her from all the thoughts playing havoc in her head, all but one. She 
wanted to kiss Buffy as much as Buffy wanted to kiss her. 

She stepped in close to Buffy and put her hands on her waist, then slowly 
started to back her out of the kitchen, preferring privacy. The minute they 
cleared the door, she turned Buffy and kept walking her backwards until she 
was flush up against the wall. She planted a hand on either side of Buffy's 
head, she slowly started to lower just her upper body down towards Buffy, 
like she was doing a push up. She watched with heavy-lidded eyes as Buffy's 
eyes fluttered close, Buffy's soft sigh of her name the second before her 
mouth covered Buffy's sent desire whipping through her.

Faith's mouth came down so softly on hers, it was as if they were kissing for 
the first time and Buffy had to restrain herself from wrapping her arms 
around Faith and pulling her tightly to her. She left her hands at her sides 
and concentrated on the soft lips pressing down on hers, the only part of 
their bodies that was touching. She felt as Faith started to almost naturally 
deepen the kiss, then pull back to run teasingly light kisses over her lips. 
Until finally her mouth captured Buffy's bottom lip, which she held captive 
with her teeth for just a second, before pulling it in and suckling, nibbling 
on it, Buffy's felt her knees go weak. 

Her knees grew weaker still when she felt those soft lips trail over her 
jawbone.  She leaned her head back against the wall, her breathing shallow 
from just these slow sensual kisses Faith was bestowing on her. Faith could 
make a living out of doing this she thought, and then quickly tossed that 
thought right out the window, she didn't want Faith kissing anybody else but 
her. EVER! Then she lost her train of thought as Faith slid her mouth over 
her neck and every part of her woke up at the lips that felt like a hot 
summer breeze trailing along her sensitive neck.

"God you smell so good. You taste even better..." She captured Buffy's 
earlobe with her teeth and traced it's edge with her tongue. "I've missed 
kissing you, being near you, touching you, missed just you..."

"I've misse..." Buffy never got to finish as Faith captured her mouth once 
again and gave her a kiss that, had she been a vampire, would've turned her 
to ash. 

Her hands curled into balls at her side as Faith teased her lips with her 
tongue and Buffy couldn't stifle her moan as Faith's tongue began a slow 
erotic dance with her own. She just melted into Faith as she let her dominate 
this lavish ballet of the most sensuous kiss Buffy ever had in her life. And 
if were possible Buffy would have sworn that her mouth was climaxing. She 
felt the kiss with every single cell in her body, her blood was surely 
boiling and she didn't think her heart was capable of beating any faster. 

Faith was in heaven. This felt so good, she had forgotten how incredible, how 
beyond incredible it felt, how special it felt, how special it made her feel, 
to kiss Buffy. Every part of her was alive with joy, alive with want, with 
need, with love. She felt Buffy's desire for her coursing through her, 
Buffy's love blanketing and holding her in its embrace. Buffy's mouth on her 
own was slowing erasing the memory of his. She stepped in closer to Buffy 
until the whole length of her was lightly leaning into, on the whole length 
of Buffy. She ran her hands down over Buffy's neck her fingertips once again 
tingling with joy at the feel of the silky smooth skin beneath them. She 
continued down over Buffy's collarbone, shoulders, down her arms, until she 
clasped each one of Buffy's hands in each of her own. Then Faith just let 
herself go and got lost in Buffy, lost in their kiss, moaning Buffy's name. 

She was in fear that her knees would buckle when Buffy's tongue came out to 
play with her own. When they parted for just the briefest of seconds to 
breathe and Buffy once again moaned her name in that low throaty way that 
sent ripples of desire running riot over all of her, her legs began to shake. 
She could feel Buffy trembling against her and realized that she was 
trembling too. They continued to kiss, both lost in the feel of the other 
against them and what they made each other feel, until finally after the 
fifth time what Clotho was yelling from the kitchen sunk in.

"I don't think I can walk..." It came out more like a caress then a simple 
fact and the look that Faith gave her almost made her knees buckle. The kiss 
that Faith swooped down and gave her, did make her knees buckle. She reached 
up and grabbed a hold of Faith's shoulders before she melted into a puddle on 
the floor. She looked up at Faith after she had finished ravishing her mouth 
and this time Buffy swore her mouth had multiple orgasms. "Now I know I can't 
walk."

The smile Faith gave her was radiant and Buffy gave her one that was just as 
bright in return. Then Faith swept Buffy up into her arms and planted tiny 
little happy kisses all over her face as she carried Buffy into the kitchen 
on her own none to steady legs. 

The four of them took one look at each other's kiss swollen lips and burst 
out laughing before they sat down to Lilith's surprisingly kick ass 
breakfast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They all watched Faith with amazement as she ate more food then the three of 
them combined. It amused Clotho and Buffy to no end that the two 'Bad Girls' 
drank their sugar and cream with a little coffee. Both blondes received 
threatening growls from their raven-haired counterparts. Their response was 
to laugh harder. When Faith had finished eating every single last crumb on 
the table she turned and gave Buffy a wide grin, and Buffy couldn't help but 
give her one back and think that Faith looked absolutely fucking adorable. 
There was a little dollop of jelly in the corner of her mouth, without 
thinking twice Buffy leaned forward and gently kissed Faith her tongue 
sneaking out to lick off the jelly. 

"You missed a spot," she whispered before she leaned back in her chair.

Much to Lilith's delight Faith blushed again, "Oh my god she's blushing 
again!"

Faith just shot Lilith a look but didn't say anything.  She started piling up 
the dishes on the table Buffy started helping her. "We'll clean up since you 
two cooked." Buffy said to the room in general.

"Oh don't worry about it, I'll take care of it."

"No you cooked Lilith we'll take care of it."

"Nah..." Lilith waved her hand and the dishes, pots and pans, were cleaned, 
dried and put away in the blink of an eye. She shrugged her shoulders, "Gave 
up doing the whole mundane housewife thing when I left Adam in the Garden."

{Adam? Garden? Why is that familiar? Like Professor Walsh's Adam? First man. 
Garden! No, no way that would...}

"Not Adam, Adam... Like Adam and Eve. That Adam? The Garden of Eden, that 
Garden?" Buffy sputtered then her mouth dropped open when Lilith and Clotho 
both nodded yes. "But there wasn't any Lilith in the Garden of Eden." Buffy 
protested.

Faith started laughing, "I knew you were older then me but I didn't figure 
you were old enough to be my Great Grandmother times a zillion, 'Grandma'. 
Yup, Gran it is from now on. So 'Grannnn' what's it feel like to be made from 
someone's rib?"

"Considering that men wrote the story of the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve 
do you find it surprising that I'm not in it?  After all, I did leave his 
sorry ass." She waved her hand at the Slayers to stave off their questions. 
"To make a long story short. First off I was not created from Adam's rib, 
that was Eve. I was created from the same things he was, and I was there 
first, not Eve. Only mister I-am-the-King-of-the-Garden, tried to do a 'Me 
Tarzan you Jane' deal and I wasn't going for it. As far as I was concerned we 
were equals, but Mr. Anti-feminist didn't see it that way. He thought just 
because the 'Creator', created him first that he got to be my master. So I 
left him. Didn't really like men that way too much even way back then. I am 
part of the Hebrew Myths, which is probably why Willow recognized my name. I 
am also referred to in the Bible in Isaiah 34:14.  I've been accused of being 
a succubus. I've also been accused of killing infants..." Her voice changed 
to one of repulsion at just the thought alone. "Supposedly I kill the 
children that don't have a certain amulet over their cribs.  That rumor in 
particular I find repulsive and it pisses me right the fuck off because I 
would never, ever hurt a child. It is also told that I bore a hundred 
children a day by the Red Sea, does this body look like it bore a hundred 
children. What the simple truth is, Adam and I were in the Garden together, 
the 'Creator' intended for us to be mates, it didn't work out and I left. 
Considering that women were men's property back then, it's not so surprising 
that I was removed from the story and portrayed in, shall we say, an 
unflattering light. And that was a very long time ago, and since I left the 
Garden before Adam and Eve's fall from grace I retained my immortality." 

Clotho and Lilith couldn't help but to laugh at the two open-mouthed gaping 
Slayers. "Okay, kiddies, time to get showered we've got a long day ahead of 
us! So move it. I'm sure Gran," Clotho received a light punch on the arm from 
Lilith for her use of Faith's new nickname for her mate. "As I was saying, 
I'm sure we can find something to occupy ourselves with while you two get 
ready. Jeans, tee-shirts, boots and a light sweater or jacket will do. And 
the bathroom door is fixed by the way." 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lilith waited until the Slayers had left the kitchen before she spoke. "So 
what do you think, you think everything is okay? Well as okay as it could be 
considering all they've been through?" She and Clotho had been up almost the 
whole night worrying about the Slayers after Clotho had faded them here last 
night. Neither one of them had missed that Faith had not responded to Buffy 
at all before Clotho had sent them here. Clotho had been surprised at how 
quickly Lilith had taken to both Slayers, but not nearly as surprised as 
Lilith herself. For the most part Lilith was, while sociable and knew 
probably more 'beings' then Clotho, she had few that she called friend and 
even fewer still that she called family. Already Clotho could tell Lilith 
considered not only the Slayers family but the rest of the Slayers family of 
friends, her family as well. 

"I think they are getting better. I was worried at first when I saw the 
shattered door, but they seem closer than they've been in weeks. I think 
whatever happened yesterday between them forced them to stop trying to hide 
what they were feeling from each other, from blocking their bond. We both 
know what trying to keep the bond blocked all the time does. Sometimes it's 
hard to remember that they are so young they've both been through so much. 
And I can't even begin to comprehend what Faith must be going through, but I 
think with Buffy's help they will get through it together. They had a solid, 
strong relationship before all of this and their commitment to each other 
just grew stronger when they were being held. I think they need to just be 
kids or just twenty-year-olds for a little while, instead of Slayers who are 
twenty-year-olds. So, as Faith would say, we are going to help them find the 
fun again. They remind me of us, I think we are all a lot alike and I really 
enjoy their company."

"Find the fun eh, as if we ever lost it. And I think you're right they're a 
lot like us, which means they are both stubborn, hardheaded, hot tempered, 
passionate, gentle, loving, and mated for eternity. I also think that Faith 
is more like me, while Buffy is more like you and this definitely should be 
fun. Finally have someone who will understand my humor..."

"I don't think even Faith will be able to understand your warped humor..."

"Care to wager on that. Either case it's strange because you know I don't 
take to people or immortals, demons, well you know what I mean. I don't take 
to anyone quickly or easily but those two it's like I've always known them 
and it's not just them but all of them.  Sort of freaked me a little at 
first, not to mention that you, or rather the 'Fates' broke their absolute 
golden rule of not interfering. Hell not just you three but Lucifer, Crow and 
now it looks like Lily and Mars have jumped on the bandwagon too, which means 
the rest of the 'Incarnates' will soon follow. It just feels right somehow, 
which in of itself should scare the living shit out of me..."

"Yes it does feel right doesn't it... They are so cute together, actually a 
beautiful sight and I haven't seen a bond as strong as theirs in eons. It 
funny being around them makes me feel twenty all over again."

"So I noticed..." Clotho just arched an eyebrow at Lilith's cryptic comment. 
"The kiss you gave me this morning." Lilith told her, her eyes grew darker 
just thinking about it.

"What? We agreed that we would act normally around them. That it would be 
good for Faith, for both of them too see, to remember what it is like to be 
affectionate with their mate..." 

Lilith couldn't help but laugh at the innocent look Clotho tried to give her. 
"Clo... while that kiss was most definitely affectionate, it was a far cry 
from a just-because-I-love-you affectionate kiss."

Clotho got up from her chair and walked over to lean against the counter. "I 
don't know what you mean." 

Lilith stood up and slowly walked closer to her lover, whom she knew was 
definitely playing with her now. "You know exactly what I mean. That kiss was 
more of a, and pardon me for being crude, it was a I-want-to-fu...mmm...." 

She never got to finish because Clotho reached out and pulled her to her by 
the waistband of her leather pants. Clotho leaned up and into Lilith and gave 
her another 'affectionate' kiss that sent Lilith's senses reeling. She pulled 
back gasping for air after a minute or two, then gasped again as she felt 
Clotho hand slip into the front of her leather pants which all the buttons 
had been miraculously undone without her knowing.

"You wouldn't dare..." She mumbled into Clotho's neck, and a second later she 
found out that her mate would, and did dare. 

"You were saying..." Clotho's husked to Lilith, not giving her a chance to 
answer as her mouth captured both her mate's mouth and her moan.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They grabbed clean clothes from the drawers, because their bags had 
apparently been magically unpacked. Much like they assumed how the bathroom 
door had been fixed, with a simple wave of the hand of Clotho or Lilith. An 
awkward silence had settled around them out of nowhere. They both headed for 
the bathroom at the same time, they stopped and faced each other in front of 
the door. 

While Faith felt like she would be comfortable taking a bath with Buffy or 
even now sleeping with nothing on, she wasn't comfortable, in fact she was 
terrified at the thought of taking a shower with Buffy. She could not recall 
a time that they had showered together that they hadn't ended up making love 
in the shower or dragging the other out into the bedroom. In essence they had 
not once ever been able to shower together without ravishing each other. 

She knew that Buffy wouldn't try anything unless she initiated it but just 
the thought alone of showering together was causing the knots to start 
coiling in her stomach. It confused the hell out of her especially after the 
kisses they had shared first thing this morning, and then the ones that had 
left her shaking while Lilith had made breakfast. She wasn't sure how to tell 
Buffy and she didn't want to hurt her feelings by making her think she didn't 
trust her or making her feel rejected. Things had been going so good, she 
felt good, she desperately wanted it to stay that way and she was just afraid 
that showering together would change that and more than anything she just 
wanted to take a break from the roller-coaster of suppressed emotions today.

Buffy watched Faith as everything she was thinking played across her face. 
She got it all in an echo as well, because Faith had completely dropped all 
of her blocks, all of her shields. It was like both their feet were glued to 
the floor and Buffy decided to take the lead this time, to follow her 
instincts and hope they were right. "Faith, its okay. I understand... We 
don't have to shower together."

"B, its not that I don't trust you... its just, for some reason this is...I 
don't know how to explain it. It felt so good to kiss you before, and I just 
want to keep that feeling for now.  For some reason showering together its 
just making my stomach knot up. I just, I don't want you to think its you. Am 
I making any sense?" As she was saying it she felt to her surprise the knots 
in her stomach start to loosen some, as if expressing her fear was taking 
away it's power, his power over her. They weren't completely gone, even 
though she wasn't ready for them to shower together, the idea didn't terrify 
her anymore either.

"Yes you're making sense and I do understand. You don't have to be afraid to 
tell me anything at all, even if you think it might hurt my feelings. I know 
you love me. When it comes to this part of our relationship I am going to 
follow your lead. I trust you completely. Just tell me what you need, what 
you want and I will do everything in my power to give it to you. And when you 
are ready to talk, I'll be right here waiting for you, ready to listen."

Faith moved closer to Buffy and pulled her into her arms, holding her tight 
and smiled when she felt Buffy return her embrace. "I know you will B... and 
I am so glad I have you to help me through this, cause I don't think I could 
make it alone this time." 

They just held each other quietly for a time, then they both started giggling 
when they heard a gasp, followed by a low moan come from the kitchen.

"They so wouldn't be doing what it sounds like they're doing in our kitchen. 
Would they?" Buffy whispered between giggles to Faith. 

Faith never got a chance to answer, Lilith unknowingly answered Buffy, when 
she moaned Clotho's name, followed by a 'Yes there!'. Buffy collapsed into 
Faith muffling her giggles in her shirt, mumbling, "Oh my god! I don't 
believe them! Do you believe this..."

Faith couldn't answer her right away she was too busy stifling her own 
giggles in the crook of Buffy's neck. "No. But since I think they're a lot 
like us I'm not surprised. One of us better get in the shower."

"You go first. I hope there are some headphones for that stereo, or maybe I 
can put my fingers in my ears." 

"Or maybe you could come in and talk to me while I'm showering. Keep me 
company." Faith got a huge 'echo' of joy from Buffy at her request. She 
didn't wait for Buffy to answer her instead she said, "I'll take that as a 
yes."

They practically ran over each other in their haste to get into the bathroom, 
they almost broke the bathroom door slamming it closed when they heard 
another, even louder moan from the kitchen. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neither Slayer had noticed last night that the bathroom was actually two 
rooms. The first room only had a double sink marble top with a mirror the 
length of the counter. The main part of the bathroom was off through a 
doorway on the right. Both Slayers stopped in awe their mouths hanging open 
when they got a good look at the room. The sun streaming in through the 
skylight that was almost the size of the entire ceiling, brightly lit the 
bathroom. There was a Jacuzzi tub exactly like the one in their bedroom at 
the Fates' home, only this one was the size of a small swimming pool. There 
was a glass shower stall that could have easily fit five grown men 
comfortably and it had two massage showerhead jets on each of it's four 
sides. There was another door off to the side and Buffy peeked her head in 
and saw that there was a toilet and a sink, affording the user a little more 
privacy. The whole room, the floor, the walls, was done in black and white 
marble, and was gorgeous.

There was a shelf lined with all different types of bath oils, soaps, 
shampoos, lotions, just about anything and everything either Slayer could 
dream up. Big fluffy, soft looking towels and wash cloths were on the shelf 
next to the other bathroom toiletries. 

With delight both Slayers saw that their amber and black silk robes from home 
were hanging side by side on a hook on the wall. 

"I can't wait to take a bath in that tub. A bath at night. When the moon is 
out, the stars shining, and all those bath oils. Not an alone bath, you know. 
Not a by-myself bath, but a bath with you, Faith."  Buffy groaned in her 
head, babble mode had kicked in and she was extremely nervous, she could 
never remember ever being this nervous.

"Me either B." Faith walked over and looked at the shelf with all the 
bathroom toiletries, she was never going to be able to pick one. Buffy walked 
up behind her and reached over her shoulder and grabbed a bar of lavender 
musk soap and handed it to her.

"I like the way this smells on you..." She grabbed shampoo and lotion and 
handed those to Faith as well.

"Okay... I'm ah, gonna jump in the shower now." Faith suddenly felt awkward 
and shy, wondering if this was such a good idea after all.

Buffy made a big show of inspecting everything on the shelf, trying to give 
Faith a little space. She fiddled with the bottles, acutely aware of Faith 
getting undressed behind her. She waited until Faith was in the shower for a 
minute or two before she turned around. She stood frozen as she watched 
Faith, whose head was tipped back, eyes closed, her hands in her hair pushing 
it back off her face, as the water ran down in rivulets over her body. Buffy 
slowly moved forward on shaky legs, she slid down to the floor by the shower 
and rested her back against the wall. She tried to calm her breathing, which 
was shallow as she just stared at the unconscious beauty that was Faith.

Faith had felt Buffy eyes on her and at first she had felt uncomfortable 
feeling the lust coming from Buffy, until she realized through her own fear 
that it was wrapped up in so many other emotions, the strongest of them once 
again, love. When she opened her eyes she saw how Buffy quickly averted her 
own and then Buffy started a babble that would put Willow's best babble to 
shame. 

Buffy looked away quickly when Faith moved out of the direct spray of the 
jets and opened her eyes. "You think we can get one of those showers at the 
Mansion or even the tub? Cause then..." 

Buffy was babbling about everything and anything, her eyes looking everywhere 
but at her, and Faith thought she was absolutely adorable. She was sitting on 
the floor, fiddling with the hem of her shirt and every once in a while Faith 
would catch Buffy sneaking a peak at her. Buffy was so cute, so endearing 
right then, trying so hard to put her at ease, make her feel comfortable that 
Faith could only think of one thing to do.

She opened the shower door and leaned her head out, "B." Buffy just kept on 
babbling, Faith wasn't sure if she actually heard her, she tried again. "B!" 
She waited again and finally Buffy stopped babbling and looked at her. "B, I 
can't hear you too well..."

"Oh... I'll, ah... I could speak louder then..."

"I could hear you a lot better if you got in here with me B."

"Really?"

"Really, B."

"Are you sure Faith?"

"Yes." And Buffy gave her another one of those smiles that blinded Faith for 
a minute it was so beautiful. Then Faith started laughing when Buffy took her 
clothes off at the speed of light, and was in the shower with her so fast 
that had she blinked Faith would have never seen her move. "Eager much B?" 

Buffy blushed, her eyes peeked up at Faith through her lashes shyly, "Always 
where you're concerned Faith." 

Then Faith gave Buffy one of those smiles that blinded Buffy for a minute it 
was so beautiful.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith couldn't help it, she teased the shit out of the immortals for the 
entire day as they showed them around.  Neither Clotho nor Lilith really 
minded they were just happy to see the two Slayers smiling, laughing and 
acting like twenty-year-olds should act. 

The immortals found themselves acting like kids too, especially Clotho. Which 
Lilith didn't mind at all, especially after this morning in the kitchen. 

They took them out to the lake first which was a short distance from the 
cottage. They explained to them how the lake and cottages, which each of the 
Incarnates had around the fifteen-mile lake were surround by a magical 
protection and privacy spell. There were boundaries set up for the land and 
the lake that belonged to each of the cottages which ensured privacy, no one 
could cross the boundaries without permission first. Nor could anyone see 
into the area surrounding the cottage and lake the spell surrounded. There 
was approximately two feet of in-between space between each cottage's 
boundary. The spell that surrounded the cottage and the lake for where the 
Slayers were staying had been set up to allow Lilith and Clotho to enter this 
one time without permission. After today anyone wishing to gain entrance had 
to basically ring the magical bell and get permission from one of the Slayers 
to step onto the property or use the part of the lake that belonged to the 
Slayers cottage.

"So if you want you could run around naked anywhere on the property, in fact, 
do whatever you want and no one would be able to stumble upon you or see 
you." Lilith told them slyly, planting the seeds of all the possibilities in 
both Slayers minds.

"And you will never see a sunset or sunrise in any realm anywhere that can 
compete with the one here. The lake itself glows with all the colors, and I 
am not even going to try and describe it. Describing it would just fail 
miserably." Clotho remembered seeing in the Tapestry of Life how the Slayers 
used to rise every morning to watch the sunrise together and what it meant to 
both Slayers. She had no idea whether or not they had watched the sunrise 
together since their return from Glory's hell. Once the Fates had decided to 
include, and throw out the rule book where it concerned the Slayers and their 
extended family, they had stopped watching their lives vicariously within the 
Tapestry. Like the other 'Life Threads' that belong to the rest of the 
Incarnates and the others the Fates considered family the Fates turned blind 
eyes to the weaving of the threads on a personal level, affording all their 
family members privacy. The Tapestry would alert them if need be to any 
impending mortal danger or if a prophesy was involved with any of their 
family members. Clotho explained this to the Slayers as they walked the short 
distance to their next destination, the stables.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one was surprised to see Faith walk directly over to the pure black 
stallion at the far end of the stable. The stallion, Obsidian and Faith 
stared at each other, both recognizing the wild nature and proud spirit of 
the other. No one ever had been able to tame or ride the stallion, including 
Lilith, Mars and Lily, who had a way with all things belonging within her 
sphere of power as The Green Mother. 

Obsidian moved forward in his stall at a speed that only an immortal or a 
Slayer could see. He had been known to knock people on their asses or bite 
those who had gotten within his reach more than once. The warning both 
immortals started to shout at Faith died in their throats, they watched with 
amazement as Obsidian nudged then nuzzled his nose in Faith's shoulder trying 
to get her attention. The light peel of laughter from Faith delighted them 
all. 

Faith nuzzled the black stallion back, loving the silken texture of his mane, 
she could feel the mischievous spirit of the stallion. "We're a lot alike 
aren't we? I'm a 'Bad Girl' and you're a 'Bad Boy'. You want to meet my 
mate?" Faith whispered to the stallion, who neighed in response. "B, come on 
over here and meet..."

"Obsidian."  Clotho supplied for her.

They all watched amused as Buffy hesitantly made her way over to the huge 
stallion, keeping a leery eye on the horse. The horse brayed  softly at Buffy 
when she moved to stand closely and a little behind Faith, unconsciously 
reaching out to grip Faith's hand within her own as she peeked at the 
stallion over Faith's shoulder.  Faith gently stroked the long snout of the 
horse, "You're going to be nice and let my mate pet you aren't you Sid?" 
Obsidian snorted and tossed his head at the raven-haired Slayer. Faith didn't 
know why but she was drawn to the spirited stallion, it felt like she knew 
him, just another odd thing to add to her list of odd things that had 
happened since she had become a Slayer. Faith gently brought Buffy's hand up 
to stroke Obsidian, her head close to both Buffy and the horse as she 
whispered softly to them both.

The immortals watched them with indulgent smiles on their faces. They were 
being given a rare glimpse into a side of Faith very few people were ever 
graced to see besides Buffy.  There was such an innate gentleness to the way 
Faith was speaking so softly to Buffy, and yes, even Obsidian, calming, 
gentling both the stallion and the golden-haired Slayer.  The way she was 
ensnaring them with her words and soft touches, which neither of the 
immortals had to be able to read minds to know, made both Buffy and the horse 
feel special, loved, cared for. 

A soft braying came from behind the immortals and they turned around to see 
Obsidian's mate, Sol, pushing against the bottom half of the stall trying to 
get free. Clotho waved her hand and the stall door opened and the large 
albino mare exited the stall and made her way towards the Slayers and her 
mate. She nuzzled her nose into Buffy's hair, and the immortals heard the 
sound of soft laughter as both Slayers laughed when Buffy almost jumped into 
Faith's arms at Sol's affectionate nuzzling. Sol, gently nudged Buffy aside 
so she could get to her mate. Obsidian tossed his head, his mane flying, 
preening for his mate.  They slid the sides of their faces together in 
greeting, nickering softly to each other. The immortals watched as the two 
horses and the two Slayers snuggled into each other. Buffy's hand reached out 
of it's own volition to gently stroke the pure white mare's long nose, 
feeling drawn to the mare in the same way Faith had been drawn to the 
stallion.

Lilith snuggled into her own mate, feeling a peacefulness and a sense of 
serenity surround all of them, animals included.  She hadn't felt this way in 
a long time, young, carefree and with a feeling in her heart that everything 
and anything was possible. She felt her mate tighten her arm around her waist 
and the same feeling came to her from Clotho through their bond.  They 
watched the Slayers and in particular Faith whom they could see was beginning 
to feel comfortable not only with Buffy but within her own skin once again. 
They could see no trace of the 'Bad Girl'.  She was nowhere in sight.  In her 
stead, was a big-hearted, gentle, loving woman.  And next to her stood her 
mate another, big-hearted, gentle, loving woman.  They were each others 
compliment, and Lilith finally got to see first hand why Clotho, why they all 
thought the two Slayers were a beautiful sight together.  And she couldn't 
help but to agree wholeheartedly. 

The spell was broken when Faith opened the stall at Obsidian's gentle nudge, 
she understood what he wanted, understood his need to be close to his mate. 
The white mare wasted no time in entering the stall with her mate, they 
leaned into each other, their heads resting lightly, gently against the 
others.

"They're beautiful aren't they B? Light and dark..."

"Yes... just like us, light and dark.  Beautiful just like you..." Faith felt 
herself start to blush from Buffy's words. 

"She's..."

"So do you two ride?" Clotho asked the Slayers quickly, cutting off Lilith 
before she could start teasing Faith about blushing again. They both shook 
their heads no. "Would you like to learn?" They both nodded their heads yes 
quickly, both of their eyes shining with excitement. "Okay! Then Lilith and I 
will start teaching you tomorrow. You'll find what you need at the cottage!  
Are you ready for our next stop?  I think Obsidian and Sol want to be alone!"

Faith and Buffy laughed when they saw that what Clotho said was true.  
Obsidian was getting frisky with his mate, who was playfully pushing him 
away, and both Slayers swore that Sol was peeking up at Obsidian with 
playful, flirtatious eyes.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their next stop was at a large looking barn-like structure that was out 
behind the cottage. Both Slayers started bouncing with glee like 
five-year-olds who had just been set loose in Disneyland. It was the biggest 
training room either had ever seen. There was an arsenal of weapons, from 
stakes to crossbows, all of which both Slayers were sure Clotho was extremely 
versed at using. The Incarnate told them, if they would like, during their 
stay, she as well as Lilith and Mars would resume their hand-to-hand and 
weapons training. Faith and Buffy both said yes so loudly that the immortals 
were sure that the humans back on Earth surely heard them.

There was also weight-lifting equipment, both machines and free weights.  
Both Slayers were again delighted. Buffy had started lifting weights with 
Faith over the last six weeks since their escape from Glory's domain. Right 
now both Slayers were a little obsessed with being in the best possible 
physical and combat shape. It was a natural reaction to what had happened to 
them and one that both immortals understood. 

They left the barn deciding that they would work out the details for the 
training over dinner, then they began a leisurely stroll around the fifteen 
mile lake. Clotho had permission from all the others around the lake to enter 
their domains without having to knock first. They ended the tour at Lilith 
and Clotho's cottage which as it turned out was right next door to the 
cottage the Slayers were staying in, just in time for dinner, they just had 
taken the longest way possible to get there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Immortals cottage was exactly the same as the Slayers in structure, the 
only difference was most of the furniture and that it was done in dark 
yellows, and browns. 

"Why don't you two make yourselves comfortable while Lilith and I prepare 
dinner. Would you like something to drink? We have some nice sun-tea."

Faith couldn't help herself, "Are you going to make dinner, like you cleaned 
up this morning?" She was rewarded by a poke in the side from Buffy.

Lilith who was too much like Faith for both their own good answered her. 
"It's a distinct possibility, maybe you should put some music on just in 
case." To which she was also rewarded with a poke to her side from her mate. 
The two raven-haired woman shared a smile.

"So then, did you want something to drink?" Clotho asked determined to get 
away from this particular conversation, still not believing what she had 
initiated, nay, done in the cottage this morning with the Slayers in the 
other room.  Just thinking about it was making her flushed with desire all 
over again.

"That would be nice." Buffy followed the immortals into the kitchen to get 
the drinks.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Buffy returned to the main room with the drinks Faith was sprawled out 
on the brown leather double recliner that was exactly like the one in their 
cottage. She was tapping her foot in time to the sultry blues that was coming 
out of the stereo a little louder then necessary.

"Just in case..." Faith told Buffy at her questioning look at the stereo.

Buffy handed Faith her glass of sun-tea, which Faith promptly put down on the 
table next to her, she took Buffy's glass of sun-tea from her and it joined 
the other on the table. She reached out quickly and pulled Buffy down onto 
the recliner next to her, with a backwards press of her shoulder, the 
recliner went all the way back. They were for all intent and purpose lying 
down, with just a slight incline of the raised back of the chair.  Faith 
leaned up supporting herself on one elbow and propped her head in her hand. 
She gazed at Buffy. Her hand glided over Buffy's collarbone to the other side 
and her thumb started to lightly stroke Buffy's pulse point. She felt once 
again as Buffy gave all control over to her. 

Buffy lay on her side, her head resting on her arm, her other arm resting 
against her side. She returned Faith's stare, she was listening to the 
internal bond they shared and what she felt sent her heart leaping with joy. 
All she felt coming from Faith was complete relaxation, love, a hint of 
desire and absolutely no fear. Faith's eyes were glowing a little green, they 
had an impish and slightly wicked glint to them. Then she felt the 
overwhelming need Faith had to kiss her in a extremely strong echo and she 
just held her breath waiting for the kiss.

Faith continued to gaze at Buffy, her hand trailing now over Buffy's neck and 
jaw line, feeling those odd shadow-like touches on her own skin. Deep in the 
recesses of her mind a need rose in her to eradicate the second-hand 
shadow-like touches Buffy had felt of Johnny's through her. The need was 
overwhelming Faith on a level that she wasn't even conscious of. A part of 
her maybe hoping if she could erase them from Buffy's skin then she would 
finally be able to begin to erase the ghost of his touches from hers too. The 
thoughts never rose up to the surface of her mind though, they were just an 
unconscious push, creating in her a need to kiss Buffy, to feel that soft 
mouth on her own. She hadn't felt this relaxed, this comfortable in such a 
long time and it just made her want to be even closer to Buffy.

Buffy's whole body tingled at the first touch of Faith's warm mouth on her 
own. Then Faith started kissing her so softly, so tenderly, but with so much 
passion in that soft kiss and tongue that came out to trace along her lips 
that Buffy was clutching desperately at her own jeans trying to keep her hand 
where it was. Her heart started beating franticly as Faith deepened the kiss, 
her tongue begging entrance which Buffy gladly gave her. Then Faith began 
that slow erotic dance with her own tongue that she had started this morning. 
And with just the deepening of her kiss Faith slowly eased Buffy onto her 
back. 

Faith was drowning in the velvety softness of Buffy's mouth. She moved 
herself partially on top of Buffy, her one hand still tracing along Buffy's 
neck, her jawbone, up to the side of her face. Her leg moved naturally to 
slip between Buffy's, the lower half of her body snug up against Buffy's hip. 
She continued to make slow passionate love to Buffy's mouth with her own, 
with only one thought in mind, to please Buffy.

Every part of her was feeling the kiss, once again Buffy found her hands had 
curled up into balls at her side. Tentatively she placed one hand on Faith's 
bicep, the need to touch Faith overwhelming her as Faith's kiss slowly drove 
her insane with desire. It was strange, exotic, sensual and a little 
frustrating giving up her control and being a follower rather than an active 
participant. It was a completely new experience for her, there was a part of 
her that needed this reassurance from Faith that she still wanted her. And, 
like Faith, the same thoughts were running around in the deep recesses of her 
mind: that Faith could eradicate the second-hand feel of Johnny upon her 
skin. She ran her hand up over Faith's shoulder when she felt only joy come 
from Faith at her touch, it found it's way into Faith's hair getting tangled 
there.

Buffy's whole body started quivering as Faith slid her mouth away from hers 
to trail her tongue and her lips down her neck, then back up to her ear. Her 
breath warm against her skin as her teeth nipped at Buffy's sensitive neck. 
Faith was snaring her in a web of desire that was more seductive than 
anything Buffy had ever felt before and it's flame was being fueled higher by 
the echo she was getting from Faith. She could feel Faith's own desire in the 
echo but it was secondary to her need to fuel Buffy's into a burning 
white-hot flame. Buffy couldn't stop the loud deep moan that came from her as 
Faith shifted to run her mouth along her throat and Faith's thigh pressed up 
into her. Her other hand came up to circle Faith's back, her fingers running 
random patterns over it.

Faith lifted her mouth from Buffy's throat at her loud moan. She felt Buffy's 
heat burning through her jeans into her thigh. She looked down at the beauty 
below her, Buffy's neck and face were flushed, her eyes when she slowly 
opened them were glazed over with passion and need. She knew Buffy wanted to 
pull her down into her, but despite what she wanted Buffy was still letting 
her lead them and for that Faith was grateful beyond words. She continued to 
gaze into Buffy's eyes, she wanted more, she needed more, but she knew she 
wasn't ready to either give or receive more.

"I... I want to B... But... but... I'm not ready." Faith started to tremble 
with fear as she spoke each word. She was  unable to stop it from holding her 
in it's firm grip. She gazed down at the face below her and it was no longer 
just Buffy's she was seeing. She waited for the anger, waited for the blows, 
waited to feel strong hands forcing her down onto her back, forcing her 
against her will.  It was a knee jerk reaction, it was irrational, she knew 
that, but it had been ingrained into her psyche for nine years and then again 
over the last seven months. It would have been how Johnny would have reacted 
to her words, not how Buffy would ever react and even though she knew that, 
she still couldn't stop the fear. 

Buffy hands stilled the second she felt the fear, heard it slipping into 
Faith's voice. She caught the images from Faith, and stamped down her own 
rage at that mother-fucking bastard before it even had a chance to rise up. 
She willed her desire, her arousal away, and just let her love out for Faith 
flow out. She moved her hands carefully and slowly to rest upon Faith's 
forearms lightly. She felt Faith flinch anyway. 

"Faith..." she whispered softly, watching Faith's eyes waiting for that 
slightly far-away look to leave her. "Its okay, Faith. Its just me...just me. 
We're not going to do anything you don't want to. I'm not mad Faith. I would 
never try to make you do anything you didn't want to do. I love you, Faith. I 
would never hurt you, ever."

Faith blinked rapidly, trying to focus her eyes again, she heard Buffy words 
and felt them inside of her at the same time. Her vision started to clear and 
when she gazed down at the face below her it was only Buffy she saw this 
time. The fear slowly started to recede, but she couldn't stop the trembling. 
She felt Buffy's hands motionless against her arms and remembered flinching 
from her gentle touch. Right now more than anything she wanted to feel those 
strong safe arms around her. Silently she asked if Buffy would hold her 
through their bond, afraid to trust her own voice.

Buffy's arms came up around her, a soft sigh came from Buffy as she lowered 
herself down to let Buffy hold her, her own arms came round to hold Buffy 
back. She drifted into that in-between place as Buffy softly whispered to 
her, her hands running soothingly over her back. Slowly, over time, her 
trembling stopped and she found her way back to the relaxed, comfortable 
place she had been in all day with her mate. Neither Slayers noticed that it 
had taken the immortals over two hours to make dinner when they finally 
called to them from the kitchen that dinner was ready.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They half carried, half leaned on each other as they made their way into the 
cottage. Faith was limping slightly her ankle hurting from where Johnny had 
nearly sliced completely through her tendons. Buffy was holding her left arm 
stiffly by her side, she thought it might be sprained. Faith had a few cuts 
on her face, and Buffy was going to have a nice shiner for a day or two. They 
stopped in the middle of the room when they caught their reflection in the 
mirror on the wall and they both burst out laughing.

"There we are in all our glory, the big bad Slayers!" Faith said pointing at 
them in the mirror.  "The Chosen Two who just got their asses kicked by two 
of Mars' dwarves. During training no less."

"Well it's all your fault they kicked our butts, calling them 'Munchkins' and 
then singing that dumb 'We represent the Lollipop Guild' or whatever the hell 
the words are from that damn song from the 'Wizard of Oz'..."

"How the hell was I supposed to know they would know that damn movie and be 
offended by it? Fuck, I always thought the 'Munchkins' were cute, B." Faith 
grumbled out then she batted her eyes at Buffy flirtatiously, "You still love 
me don't ya, Gizmo?"

Buffy just giggled at her, she looked silly blinking her eyes like that, 
especially with her mascara down around her cheeks. "I'll love you a lot more 
if you go run the bath and turn the shower on so we can rinse the dirt off 
first." Buffy threw Faith an air kiss, which Faith caught and ate.

"Okay, you going to get us something to drink? Maybe that sun-tea, Kiddo and 
Gran brought over the other day!" At Buffy's nod Faith turned around and 
limped towards the bathroom. "Oh and don't forget the book!" She yelled over 
her shoulder and walked into the bathroom mumbling under her breath something 
about getting some flying monkeys to take out the dwarves.

Buffy made her way to the kitchen slowly; every muscle ached, but it was a 
good ache. They had been training three hours a day for the past eight days 
with Mars, Lilith, Clotho and some of Mars' Men-At-Arms, which included the 
dwarves. They had learned so much over the last few days they still hadn't 
processed it all and Mars was an excellent teacher, not to mention funny as 
all hell. She got the two glasses of sun-tea and then grabbed the book, 'On a 
Pale Horse' off the table by the leather reading chairs. 

The third night they were here, much to both Slayers' delight, they had 
discovered the series by Piers Anthony about the Incarnates on one of the 
bookshelves. Every night since then Buffy had been reading it aloud to them 
both in the bath they started to take together again every night. They were 
only on the first book which was about the Incarnate of Death, Zane, whom 
they had not yet had the pleasure of meeting. They were going to meet him at 
a little gathering at Lily's in three days. Lilith and Clotho both assured 
the Slayers that Zane would not be attending the gathering in an official 
capacity. 

They both showered the dirt and sweat from themselves. Buffy couldn't help 
but stare like she always did seeing Faith without out any makeup on, she 
looked so unbelievably young and innocent. Faith sunk down into the tub 
first, groaning at the aches and stiffness in her muscles, she felt the 
massaging jets begin to work almost immediately. Buffy climbed in once Faith 
got comfortable. After a minute or two of grumbling and trying to find a way 
to snuggle into each other they finally settled down, Buffy, with her back 
resting against Faith's front, started to read.

Faith ran her fingers through Buffy's hair as she read to them, she relaxed 
into the water and the warmth of her mate surrounding her. After listening to 
Buffy read for ten minutes or so, Faith noticed how tense and stiff Buffy's 
shoulders looked.  She started to gently massage Buffy's neck and shoulders, 
her fingers working out the knots, she smiled softly at the slight tremors 
she felt running through Buffy. She kept up her massage until she felt all 
the tension drain out of Buffy.

She eased the pressure of her fingers on Buffy's skin and began a massage of 
a more sensual kind. She watched as the goose-bumps rose on Buffy's skin 
trailing after her fingers. She ran her fingertips down each side of Buffy's 
neck, letting them linger.  Her thumbs pressing in a little more making small 
circles, before moving on to run her fingertips along Buffy's collarbone, 
over her shoulders, down the upper part of Buffy's arms and then began to 
retrace their path. She fell into the sound of Buffy's voice while it grew 
throatier as her hands and fingers roamed as Buffy continued to read. 

It took all of Buffy's strength of will to continue reading as Faith's hands 
moved over her skin. Buffy had been living in a hazy state of desire, 
arousal, want, need, love for days now as Faith became more comfortable 
touching her and being touched. Faith had been seducing her with the gentle 
touches, with her laughter, soft tender kisses, passionate deep soul 
searching kisses, with just herself, for the last eight days and Buffy felt 
herself falling deeper in love with Faith every second she spent with her. 
Over the past week Faith had completely let her guard down, she had opened up 
to Buffy in a way that Buffy didn't think anyone ever in her life had, and in 
a way that she knew Faith never had to anyone ever, and Buffy did the same in 
return.

Six days ago they had spent one whole day out by the lake talking and Faith 
had told her all about her childhood. It came out disjointed, not in order, 
but it all came out. Her father leaving right before she had turned six. How 
her Mother had started to drink more everyday after he had left. The blame 
her Mother had placed on the frail six-year-old child's shoulders for her 
Father leaving. Faith didn't really remember him, she only had a few 
fragmented memories of him, his deep laugh, the way he smiled, his twinkling 
chocolate brown eyes that were just like her own. What she remembered the 
most, was feeling safe with him. She told Buffy how her Mother's words had 
hurt more than her blows and how she had grown up believing all the lies her 
Mother told her. How she had lived up to her Mother's expectations of her.

Then she told Buffy about when Johnny had first come into the picture eight 
months after her Father had left. How for that first year she had called him 
JJ because that was what he asked her to call him. He had protected her for 
the first year. From her Mother's vicious words and hands and Faith had felt 
safe again for a little while. And her love for the angelic looking man she 
called JJ knew no bounds that first year. Then both her Mother and Johnny had 
turned from alcohol to drugs and everything had changed. 

Johnny had continued to protect her sometimes from her Mother but he began to 
abuse her all on his own. At first he had only hit her and then gradually 
over time his abuse had started to include that of a sexual nature. She had 
tried to tell her Mother but her Mother had once again put the blame on her 
shoulders, telling her she must of deserved it for Johnny to treat her that 
way. Told her to just shut up and take it like a good little girl. By they 
time she was twelve both her Mother and Johnny had started trading her for 
the drugs their bodies were now addicted to. At some point Johnny had adopted 
her, so when her Mother had died from an overdose four months before Faith's 
sixteenth birthday, she had fallen under the sole care and guardianship of 
Johnny. 

The hardest thing for Faith to talk about was the horror of the summer she 
had spent locked in the cage at the cabin for three months while the cops 
were out looking for her because Johnny had told them she had run away. She 
had thought she was going to die there that summer and might have if Johnny 
hadn't gotten careless and passed out before locking her in the cage one 
night.

She had grown up alone, terrified, blaming herself for all that had happened 
to her and even to her Mother. She believed she was nothing but a whore and 
evil, and had only one thing to offer to anyone, sex. She trusted no one but 
herself and couldn't remember ever knowing what it was like to be loved or 
not have her love rejected. She had closed herself off to everyone and made 
herself suppress almost all that had been done to her over the years. She 
lashed out before anyone could lash out at her and she had started running 
from the time she was sixteen and hadn't stopped until that night in the 
alley with Angel.

Buffy had held Faith for long hours that day, crying with her, raging with 
her, letting her know she was none of those things. Had never been, never 
would be. Letting her know she was no longer alone, never would be again, 
letting her know how loved she was. Since that day Buffy had gotten to know 
who Faith really was, who she had always been beneath all the protective 
layers, the mask of indifference, the Bad Girl image and Buffy didn't think 
she could love Faith anymore than she already did but with each passing 
second she spent with her she did.

"Hey... where did you go?"

Buffy shook herself out of own thoughts, realizing she had stopped reading as 
she had thought back on that day by the lake. She turned so she was sitting 
sideways on Faith's lap, she wanted, needed to see her. She put the book down 
on the ledge of the tub and gently stroked the side of Faith's face, then 
just let her hand rest there. Loving the feel of Faith's warm skin beneath 
her hand the way Faith leaned unconsciously into her touch. Suddenly she 
feared that this was all a dream, that they were in that place they had 
created for each other, that they were still stuck in Glory's domain.

Faith's arms went around Buffy immediately pulling her tightly, closely to 
her the second she felt the fear. Buffy trembled in her arms and Faith could 
feel the fear overwhelming and taking control of her. "What's wrong? What's 
got you so scared B?"

"This is real. Right Faith? We're not dreaming this right? It's real.  
Please, tell me it's real!" Her voice was shaking, the tears started rolling 
down her face. 'Oh god please let it be real!', she thought to herself.

"Yes it's real. I'm real, you're real. We're not dreaming. I swear it's all 
real!" She knew where the fear was coming from now, she still had moments 
like this during her waking hours and in her nightmares. Buffy had been 
trying so hard to be strong for her that Buffy had been suppressing her own 
fears and it was partially Faith's own fault. There was still so much they 
had yet to talk about. So much they still needed to say and Buffy had been 
waiting for her to talk. Trying so hard not to push that she had been 
neglecting her own needs.

"B, look at me." She waited for Buffy to look at her, "It's real. We aren't 
there anymore. It was different when we were in that dream place we created 
for each other there. This is real. I swear to you. Feel me, feel my arms 
around you, feel my warmth."

Buffy ran her hands over Faith, feeling her heat, the creamy texture of her 
skin. Felt her chest rise up and down underneath her hand with each breath. 
Could feel the gentle caress of each exhale on her own face. The panic and 
fear started to subside and she felt herself begin to relax again, feeling a 
little ashamed of herself for reacting like this. 

"No, don't feel ashamed... You were hurt just as much as I was when we were 
there. This affected you as much as it did me. You need to talk about it as 
much as I do. I know you've been holding it all in because of me, because 
you've been trying to be strong for me.  You don't have to be strong all the 
time, I want to be here for you too. Whatever you need from me I am here 
ready to give it to you. Ready to listen, to help you in any way I can. I 
love you B, let me help you, let me be there for you too. Talk to me B, tell 
me what you're feeling."

Buffy lay her head down on Faith's shoulder, leaning into her strength and 
let it all out.  Her fear of Johnny, of Glory. The fear she had lived in each 
day there that they would never get back home. Her hatred of them both, what 
they had done to her, to Faith. The rage she felt, the almost overwhelming 
need sometimes to take it out on something, anything. The helplessness she 
felt at being unable to protect, prevent any of what had been done to either 
of them. The way it had felt like her heart, her soul had been ripped out 
each time she had to watch what Johnny had done to Faith. Her feelings of 
having failed Faith once again. 

The absolute terror she had felt when she thought Faith was going to die 
after they had finally gotten free of Glory and Johnny's abuse. How she could 
still remember living in pain every day for seven months. How it tore her up 
inside to feel what Johnny's abuse was doing to Faith. How she could still 
remember his touch upon her own skin from those shadow-like echoes from 
Faith. How she wanted, needed to erase those ghost touches of Johnny's that 
she knew Faith was still feeling. How she would never have survived there, 
survive even now without Faith. She spoke of her need for Faith, of her love.

Buffy continued to talk as Faith held onto her tightly, stroking her hair, 
her hands running soothingly over her hair, arms and back.  As Faith 
whispered to her soothing, comforting words, of her need for her too, of her 
love.  Buffy spoke until it all came out and she was exhausted. When she was 
done a sort of cleansing feeling came over both of them. 

Faith held Buffy until she fell asleep, then continued to hold her. She was 
beginning to feel whole again and she knew there were still things they 
needed to talk about. She was still finding it hard to find the words to tell 
Buffy about how Johnny's abuse made her feel inside. And the closer they had 
become, the more intimate sexually over the past week the more she needed to 
talk about it.

She carefully picked Buffy up trying not to wake her as she got out of the 
tub. She placed Buffy on the ledge like she did all those weeks ago, the 
first night they had spent at the Fates' home. She grabbed a towel and 
started to gently dry off the golden-haired Slayer who was leaning against 
her still sleeping. She wrapped Buffy in a dry towel and still sopping wet 
herself since she had been unable to figure out how to dry herself off 
without losing her hold on Buffy she carried her out to the bed.

She held her cradled in her arms like a newborn, and silently thanked 
whomever for the gift of the loving woman in her arms. She managed to pull 
the covers down without dropping Buffy.  She gently lay her down on the bed, 
pulling the covers back up over her. She used the towel she had wrapped Buffy 
in to dry herself off and lit a fire. She crawled into bed, smiling softly 
when her mate curled up into her purring. Before she drifted off to sleep, 
her mate woke briefly to tell her that she loved her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was training one-on-one with Mars, she was having a little trouble with 
the new moves he had taught both Slayers today. He had offered to help her 
after their regular training session was over if she wanted to stay. They 
were training at Mars' facility in the back of his cottage at the lake. His 
facility was at least five times the size as the barn at their cottage. She 
had been distracted all day, trying to find the words to talk to Buffy about 
Johnny. It had been in the back of her mind and it was only her strength of 
will that had keep the cold ghost-like touches of him at bay. Ever since that 
night in the tub when Buffy had finally talked to her about her own fear, her 
own feeling about the second hand touches, Faith had been finding it 
increasingly harder to keep everything buried. She was afraid again and he 
had been haunting all of her waking and sleeping hours since then. She needed 
to find the courage to talk about this, needed to get it all out. 

After assuring Buffy that she would be fine here with Mars, Buffy had left 
with Clotho and Lilith. She was going back to the cottage to shower and then 
Faith was going to meet her at the Immortals for dinner. They had been trying 
to teach Buffy how to cook, well Lilith had.  Clotho was just about useless 
in the kitchen. Faith was sorry she was going to miss the cooking lesson, 
Buffy always looked so cute when she was in the kitchen.  Her brows squished 
together, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she tried to concentrate 
and understand what Lilith was trying to teach her. So far, in the past week, 
everything Buffy had tried to cook, turned to ash.  Both Slayers had to 
wonder if the ash thing wasn't some kind of Vampire Slayer thing, hell, even 
the Immortals were wondering that.

"Oh, little Grasshopper, pay attention and stop thinking about Gizmo!" Mars 
yelled a second before he threw a punch at Faith's head.

Which she blocked with graceful ease and speed that matched and surprised 
Mars. They had become incredibly strong and fast since they had merged with 
the mystical energy that made them Slayers. Neither of them was used to it 
yet and it had made them clumsy in how they moved and reacted, often 
overshooting their targets and tripping over their own two feet. It was a lot 
like being a two-year-old who was just learning how to walk. They both were 
improving quickly with the help of Mars, Clotho and Lilith.  Faith kept 
referring to it as 'like learning to ride a bike it was something you never 
forget how to do'.

"Very good Grasshopper!"

"Fuck you Candy-Man!" Faith threw counter punches, followed by a leg sweep. 
Mars easily avoided both the punches and the leg sweep.

Mars and Faith began to trade blows and kicks.  Falling into an easy but fast 
paced rhythm, both were graceful in their own way, both in touch with the 
predator inside of them. In it's own way it looked like they were performing 
some kind of beautiful, sensual ballet, as they circled each other, trading 
blows, blocking, kicking and performing tumbles and jumps.

As they continued to train, Faith saw someone enter Mars' training room out 
of the corner of her eye. She moved to circle around Mars to see who had 
entered and not wanting to have her back to an unknown. Mars had pulled sneak 
attacks more then once on them. She couldn't really see who the person was, 
the sun was shining in to brightly around him and all she could see was a 
yellow glow around him and that he was big, at least six-feet. He moved a 
little more inside and Faith got her first glimpse of his shadowy figure and 
felt her blood start to turn cold.  She automatically blocked her and Buffy's 
connection. She continued to block Mars' blows and kicks on autopilot as she 
felt the familiar cold start to creep along her skin. 'Dead he's dead!' she 
kept repeating to herself. 

Her breathing became a little erratic and the fear started to flow through 
her, she could taste it strong, bitter, remembered in the back of her throat. 
The man stepped a little further into the room and out of the shadows just a 
bit and she saw the pitch-black hair first. Her stomach started churning. 
Then he smiled and she saw white teeth surrounded by a thin mouth and she 
felt the panic start to overtake her. 

Mars' flying roundhouse caught her at full strength, dead on right between 
her abdomen and chest, lifting her off her feet and sending her flying a good 
ten feet or more.  She hit the ground hard, her breath lodged in her chest, 
the fear in the back of her throat choking her. Pain radiated up from her 
stomach and chest.

"What the FUCK!" Mars snarled pissed, there was no way she should have missed 
blocking that kick. "Faith for Christ's sake I could have really hurt you. 
You fucking have to pay attention! Stop daydreaming about Buffy! FAITH!"  He 
yelled even louder, pissed at himself for not realizing her head wasn't in 
the game, and pissed at her for him almost seriously hurting her.

Faith wasn't hearing him, all she heard was anger, rage. Her eyes were glued 
to the man by the door as he stepped a little further out of the shadows and 
then the panic, fear grabbed her in a strangle hold. Piercing gray eyes 
glowed at her, the man with the face of an angel who had haunted her real 
life and her nightmares for years stepped out of the shadows looking like he 
did the year she had turned seven. 

The waking nightmare ensnared her completely within it's grasp and she no 
longer saw Mars, instead she saw one of Johnny's perverted friends and in the 
shadows the man who had been the star of all her nightmares for twenty-years.

She felt the cold ghost touches of him on her skin and knew if she didn't get 
out of here that she would be feeling them for real again.  She started 
scrambling backwards trying to get up, get away from him and, oh god, he had 
another friend with him in the shadows. Her back hit the wall of the training 
room her eyes were wild, she had to get away!

"Faith," Mars said softly as he cautiously approached the frightened Slayer. 
What the hell had happened? She was terrified. His Man-At-Arms, Lee, came and 
stood next to him. Mars cautioned him to stay where he was. He took a 
hesitant step forward and tried again, "Faith?"

Her eyes flickered madly back and forth between Johnny and his friend. She 
was trembling so hard she was afraid her legs would collapse out from under 
her. She felt dizzy and couldn't catch her breath. If she did what they 
wanted it wouldn't hurt so much and maybe, just maybe, Johnny wouldn't hurt 
her afterwards or hurt B. Where was B? What had they done to B? She had to f
ind B! Had to make sure she was safe! She opened the connection between her 
and Buffy just enough to reach out to her.  Relief rushed through her when 
she felt that Buffy was safe and then she locked down the connection again. 
She slid her back along the wall watching them watch her, her hand felt 
something. She glanced down, a Claymore! She grabbed up the sword and rushed 
the man closest to her, ready to kill him if necessary.

She was a blur as she came towards him and before Mars even had a chance to 
react, she swung and sliced through his abdomen from left to right, the sword 
sinking in at least a good inch. Her arm started to come back around to slice 
him again this time aiming for his throat, as he fell to his knees in pain 
and shock. She never finished her swing as Lee tackled her from the side.  

They went down in a tangle of arms and legs, the sword flying from her hand. 
She started flailing violently as she felt Johnny's weight come down on top 
of her.  She connected with one hard punch to his jaw and then both her hands 
were captured and held up over her head. Her skin started to crawl when she 
felt his warmth pressing down on her and his cold ghost-like touches running 
riot over her body. 

"Please don't... please Johnny... PLEASE!" She pleaded with him as she 
continued to struggle to get loose.

Mars felt like he had been struck in the head with a two-by-four when he 
finally realized what the hell was going on.  He painfully got back up to his 
feet. He had seen that look in too many women's eyes over the eons in the 
villages and the towns that had been invaded. And whoever this fucking 
scumbag Johnny was, he better hide because when Mars got his hands on him he 
was going to peel his skin from him inch by inch and that would just be to 
start. NO ONE EVER TOUCHED ONE OF HIS FAMILY EVER!

"Get off her Lee! NOW!" When Lee was too slow to act, he grabbed the back of 
Lee's shirt and hauled him off of Faith.

Faith got out from under Johnny before his friend had even finished pulling 
him off of her. She didn't know why he was helping her, she didn't care, she 
just had to escape. She took off running, hearing the friend calling to her  
to stop.  She couldn't she didn't know what game Johnny and his friend were 
playing but she knew whatever it was she was the one who would lose. She 
would be the one who got held down and hurt and she didn't want to play.

In the blink of an eye Mars went into full warrior mode. The pain was 
forgotten it wasn't even a dull ache and he took off running after Faith. He 
chased her across his property, through the surrounding woods out into the 
space that was between all the magical privacy spells for each cottage.  She 
was still a good ten feet in front of him, when she headed into the woods 
again and he kept chasing her until he ran full force right into the magical 
barrier that protected the cottage the Slayers were staying in.

"FAITH!" He yelled! Buffy!  He needed to find Buffy! "BUFFY!" He heard the 
answer and Mars faded himself to Clotho and Lilith's cottage.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What's up Mars, what did Fai..." Buffy trailed off as she turned around when 
she felt, heard Mars fade into the kitchen behind them. They had all been 
staring at another of her 'ash' cakes. He was covered in blood and she could 
see the gash that ran from side to side across his stomach. "What hap... Are 
you... WHERE'S FAITH?"

"Took off. She panicked, I don't know what happened. Who the fuck is Johnny?" 
Mars wasn't sure he had made sense.

"Johnny. Oh my God! Johnny was there! Johnny's dead he can't he..." Buffy 
felt her own panic overtake her. She reached out to Faith through their 
connection and all she felt was silence. Faith was blocking her!

"Mars where did Faith go? Is she hurt?" Clotho put a calming hand on Buffy's 
shoulder as did Lilith.

"Not hurt. She ran into the property for their cottage, I couldn't follow 
because of that fucking spell."

"How the hell... I'm... it's too big... I've got to find her now... She's 
blocking me... Clotho help me please." Buffy turned pleading eyes to the 
Incarnate.

"We can't use our magic like that. But you can find her using your bond."

"I just told you she was fucking blocking me." Buffy snarled at Clotho, then 
immediately felt bad. "I'm sor..."

"No don't apologize, I understand. You can find her using the part of your 
bond that neither of you can ever block. Atropos told you about that. First 
you need to calm down and listen to me." 

Buffy nodded her head, she closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds and 
found her center, calming her mind, knowing she would be unable to help Faith 
if she was in a panic. When she was calmed she looked to Clotho.

"First..." Clotho began to instruct her, teaching her the method that Atropos 
had used to find Luc in Glory's domain.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith ran blindly.  These woods weren't familiar and she could hear Johnny's 
friend hot on her heels, could practically feel his breath on the back of her 
neck.  Where was she?  She hadn't been at the cabin.  Was this a new game of 
Johnny's and Glory's, her Mother's? Or had it only just been Johnny's game 
all along, had any of it ever been real or had she always been a prisoner? 
Where was she?  Her feet seemed to know where they wanted to go. She kept 
running until she saw a cottage, she headed towards it maybe someone there 
could help her. She burst through the front door.

She skidded to a halt on the hardwood floor as the room came into focus and 
reality crashed into her, knocking her to her knees. 

{OH GOD! OHGOD! WHAT HAVE I DONE? OHGOD! MARS! OHGODOHGODOHGOD!}

It all slammed into her with tremendous force, all of it, all at once. All 
the suppressed emotions, all the things she thought she had been feeling and 
more, things she didn't even want to admit to herself.  Then she felt it 
start to crawl under her skin, felt the coldness cross her skin and then it 
was like he was really there surrounding her in his cold embrace.  

She had to shower! Had to get it off! Make it go away!  She frantically 
started tearing at her clothes, shredding, ripping her shirt, her bra in an 
effort to get out of them. She got up and pulled at her jeans, popping the 
buttons, ripping each leg down the seams.  She tore the laces right off her 
boots, the need to shower overwhelmed her.  She ran for the bathroom, she 
yanked open the shower door and turned all eight jets on full scalding hot. 
She climbed into the shower not even noticing the boiling water and grabbed 
the rough coral sponge from the soap dish, the soap and began to scrub 
herself without mercy.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy blinked once or twice bringing the main room of the cottage into focus. 
The second she had found Faith through their 'Soul Thread' which Clotho had 
told her it was called, Clotho faded her here.  Fear and panic collided with 
each other as she saw Faith's torn and shredded clothes on the floor.

"FAITH!............... FAITH!" The sound of the shower running finally came 
to her through the roaring panic in her ears. She ran into the bathroom and 
her heart broke at the sight that greeted her.

Faith was huddled in the middle of the shower on the floor. Her knees where 
drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them, her head resting 
on them as she rocked and cried. The hard pulse of the eight showerheads beat 
a cruel tempo down on her back, burning her with the scalding hot water. Her 
skin was bright red, blistered, she had cuts from the coral sponge from 
scrubbing herself with such punishing force over every part of her that Buffy 
could see. And she didn't want to think it but Buffy thought that Faith might 
have also tried to claw away her own skin.

Buffy practically tore the shower door off it's hinges to get to Faith. She s
tepped into the shower and didn't even notice the boiling hot water as it 
burned her. She squatted down to pick Faith up, but Faith pushed herself 
backwards and away from Buffy's reaching hands.

"Don't... don't touch me... I'm... I'm... not clean... I can't..." Faith 
couldn't finish what she wanted to say as the sobs wracked her body, she felt 
herself shattering, falling apart at the seams.

"Ssh baby... You're not dirty." Buffy reached out and quickly picked up 
Faith, wincing with her when Faith flinched as her shirt rubbed across 
Faith's blistered skin. 

Faith wrapped her arms around Buffy's neck and buried her head there as she 
continued to cry. She sat Faith down on the ledge of the tub.  She grabbed a 
towel and as gently as possibly began to dry her off.  She looked at the 
shelf with all the toiletries and gave a little sigh when she saw burn cream. 
 

"Faith... baby I'm going to put this on you... I... ah... it might hurt..."

"Its okay B... I'm okay now... You don't have to..." She tried to make her 
voice calm, but she wasn't calm, inside she was a mess and she didn't want to 
dump this all on Buffy. But she desperately needed to talk and Buffy was the 
only one she wanted to talk to. Deep down she was afraid, her old 
insecurities had her in their thrall.

"Yes, I do.  Even with your Slayer healing this will help more... That didn't 
make sense... And you're not okay... If you were you wouldn't be blocking me 
like you are." She started applying the cream as she talked.  "You told me 
the other night I didn't have to be strong all the time.  You don't have to 
be either. I want to be here for you too.  Let me help you Faith. You need to 
talk about this and now.  If you want to talk to someone else about it that's 
fine, but you need to get it out now. You were raped Faith, not once, not 
twice, but for nine years when you were a kid and then again for seven months 
when those fucking deranged lunatics held us. You need to talk about this." 
Buffy reached up and grabbed the black silk robe off the wall and helped 
Faith put it on. She picked her up once again. "And I know it's not going to 
be easy but I am not going to stand idly by anymore and watch you tear 
yourself up inside nor hurt yourself like you did tonight. Faith, please baby 
either talk to me or tell me who you want to talk to. Please."

She put Faith in the recliner and covered her with a blanket. She lit a fire, 
then changed quickly into dry sweatpants and a tee-shirt. She stood hovering 
by the recliner unsure what to do next.

Faith was in turmoil.  She wanted to talk, needed to.  She looked up into 
Buffy's concerned, caring loved-filled eyes and felt the dam inside of her 
break.  She held out her hand to Buffy, silently asking her to join her on 
the recliner.  Buffy climbed onto the recliner and covered them both with the 
blanket.  Faith curled up into and onto Buffy, tucking her head under Buffy's 
chin.  

She lay there for a few long minutes listening to the sound of Buffy's strong 
heartbeat under her ear.  Letting herself be surrounded and blanketed in 
Buffy's love for her.  She tried to make sense of her own jumbled thoughts 
and then gave up the fight. 

She started to whisper to Buffy about what Johnny, her Mother, and the others 
had done to her, how it, they made her feel. What it did inside to her soul, 
how it made her feel dirty. Made her want to claw away, scrub away the dirt 
from under her skin, until only the muscle and bone was left. Until every 
piece of her that they, that he had touched was sucked down the drain with 
the dirty bath water. It was the parts on the inside that he, that they 
corrupted with their, his touches that made her skin itch non-stop, that 
didn't wash away in the drain that kept her awake at night afraid to sleep 
because she knew she would just relive it all in her nightmares.  Things that 
couldn't be washed away with soup and water, things that scarred her soul, 
scars that she would carry with her forever.  The feelings which would have 
destroyed her completely over the last days, weeks, months, and especially 
when they were still being held captive there if it hadn't have been for 
Buffy.

If it hadn't been for Buffy who cried with her, bathed her when she was too 
weak to stand.  Who by the simple act of holding her in her arms, gently 
stroking her hair made her feel clean.  Whose strong arms and loving touch 
washed away, obliterated his touch for the time that she was in them. She 
told Buffy how she had been blocking her from knowing that the only time she 
ever felt clean now was when she was in her arms. Even that though wasn't 
enough because deep inside again she felt like she was the 
'dirty-disgusting-little-whore', that her mother and he had called her for 
years, and he had forced her to become again. 

She had done things over the time they had been there to stop him from 
hurting Buffy more when Buffy had been unconscious. She was afraid if she 
told her what she had done without being forced that Buffy would stop loving 
her.  She had been afraid to talk about it because she had convinced herself 
that now that there was no more threat of the pain of him hurting either of 
them, that Buffy would see those things she had done for what they were. 
Things that filled her once again with self-loathing, self-disgust, all 
consuming shame, and self-hate. Because she had done them of her own free 
will. 

She told Buffy how, even now, despite everything that had happened, she still 
wanted Buffy. Wanted to touch her, be with her, kiss her, make love with her. 
Wanted Buffy to touch her, make love with her and didn't that just make her a 
whore after all? But she was afraid because she could still feel him on her 
skin, feel his cold touch and there were times when it made her freeze up, 
frightened her.  She was afraid to have Buffy touch her, she didn't want 
Buffy to think she was rejecting her, when it was not her but him, them she 
was feeling.  How, sometimes, just the thought alone of anyone touching her 
made her skin crawl and stomach churn. Told Buffy of her overwhelming need to 
remove his second-hand touch from Buffy, how she felt if she could remove it 
from Buffy's skin that she might be able to begin to remove it from her own. 
She told Buffy of her unequivocal love for her, her need for her, her want, 
how she was her everything and then she fell silent, with a vengeance she 
squashed down the knee-jerk reaction of expecting to be rejected after all 
she said.

Buffy was silent for a second, her tears choking her. She was unsure what to 
say, what could she say, she wished and instead she too just let her guard 
down and just spoke from her heart.

"Faith..." Buffy gently tipped Faith's face up towards her so she could look 
at her. "I wish I had magical words that could take all this away from you. 
Wish I knew the right thing to say. I don't know if I could have survived 
what you did for all those years, and then again. You are the strongest 
person I've ever known. You have nothing to feel dirty about and I know that 
sounds lame and I know saying it isn't going to make it just magically go 
away. You did nothing wrong, you never did. You sacrificed yourself first for 
a Mother who didn't deserve it and then for me. And don't ever think for a 
second that you did any of it of your own free will, you were forced with 
either fists or threats. And you have nothing to feel ashamed of. I feel 
honored to know you, I admire your strength, you survived you beat them all. 
And I am awed that it's me that you love, want to be with. I love you more 
than I can ever tell or show you." Buffy paused for a second catching her 
breath. 

"Nothing you've done, nothing you could ever do or tell me will ever change 
that. And you have no reason to feel that way about yourself because you 
still want to make love. There is nothing wrong with feeling that way. I want 
to make love with you again when you are ready and I don't care how long it 
takes a day, a week, years it doesn't matter... And even if we never make 
love again I don't care, with you, by your side is where I want to spend my 
life.  The first time I woke you up by making love to you while you were 
asleep I got embarrassed. Do you remember?"

A slight smile found it's way out as Faith looked at Buffy, "Yeah B, I 
remember."

"You told me," and Buffy closed her eyes and let herself remember the words 
Faith had said to her. Then she did a pretty good imitation of Faith's husky 
voice. "This isn't about 'Getting some, and getting gone', or who gets off 
the most or first.  It's about us being together, about what we feel when we 
are together, how we make each other feel. Just a look from you is all I 
need, you make me feel things I never even dreamed were possible.  Even if we 
never made love again, just being able to hold you every night would be 
enough for me for the rest of my life. And Faith, just like you told me, and 
I believed you, I am telling you the same thing. Using your own words. Those 
same things hold true for me too. Just being with you, however you want us to 
be is all I'll ever need. I love you and that's not going to change."

"I love you Elizabeth Anne 'B' 'Gizmo' Summers."

"I love you Faith 'Grasshopper' Liam."

They curled into each other and lay listening to the other purring. All the 
ghosts weren't laid to rest that night but they were all out in the open and 
they knew that together they could defeat them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Now you fly away / And you don't look down / And you laugh till you can't 
laugh any longer / As you watch your chains fall to the ground / I know you 
laugh / And show tears / Smile down at your fears / From where you are / 
>From way up here / You know nothing's ever looked so good / Nothing ever 
looked so good / But now you dance the rest of the way / You don't look back 
/ Can you hear that angel singing / As you rise / Now you fly away / And you 
don't look down / And you laugh till you can't laugh any longer / As you 
watch your chains fall to the ground 
-- Lifehouse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybe it's intuition / But some things you just don't question / Like in your 
eyes I see my future in an instant / And there it goes / I think I've found 
my best friend / I know that it might sound more than a little crazy / But I 
believe / I knew I loved you before I met you / I think I dreamed you into 
life / I knew I loved you before I met you / I have been waiting all my life 
/ There's just no rhyme or reason / Only this sense of completion / And in 
your eyes I see the missing pieces I'm searching for / I think I've found my 
way home / I know that it might sound more than a little crazy / But I 
believe...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next week and a half were one big, long blur of lessons.  Horseback 
riding, training with Mars, after Faith profusely apologized to both Mars and 
his Man-At-Arms, Lee.  Lee, it turned out, was only around eighteen years of 
age.  And while he did have black hair and pale, blue eyes, did not look 
anything at all like Johnny in the cold light of day. 

They spent most evenings with Lilith and Clotho, watching Buffy turn 
everything into ash as she continued with fierce determination trying to 
learn how to cook.  Faith had a feeling she was going to be spending a lot of 
time sneaking out to get fast food because she just didn't have the heart to 
tell Buffy that she wasn't even a halfway decent cook at best. Instead Faith 
and the two poor Immortals sat at the table each night and ate with smiles on 
their faces whatever Buffy had burnt for them that night. Faith had the worst 
of it though, because of the amount of food she normally ate and because 
Buffy decided to start making breakfast too. Faith was eternally grateful 
that she had a stomach made out of cast iron.

They continued to take a bath together every night and Buffy would read to 
them resting against Faith. They became increasingly comfortable around each 
other. Neither afraid to share 'just-because' touches or kisses, though Buffy 
was still giving over all control to Faith when it came to the more 
passionate touches and kisses. Buffy was cautious in returning the kisses and 
touches. Afraid to give free rein to what she was feeling, she didn't want to 
inadvertently call up one of Faith's bad memories. She listened closely to 
the echoes she got from Faith when she joined Faith in deepening their kisses 
or her hands wander past the purely 'just because' type of touch. The second 
she felt any fear or Faith freezing up she would gently pull back and simply 
gather Faith into her arms and hold her until the fear passed, letting her 
know through their bond and by her actions that this was fine with her, this 
was enough for her.

Faith had been weaving a seductive web around Buffy that left her catching 
her breath in anticipation with just a look or a casual touch. For the first 
time in her life Faith gave into all the romantic little notions that she had 
heard and read about or seen others do. From picking daisies in the meadow by 
the cottage for Buffy, to candlelit dinners or snacks when it was just the 
two of them.  From picnics by the lake, to them riding bareback and double on 
Obsidian in the moonlight. To waking Buffy every morning with slow sensual 
kisses, drawing her into that in-between place with her, to just picking her 
up and swinging Buffy around and around until they both fell dizzy to the 
ground. 

Faith was romancing Buffy as if they were just starting out and she found 
herself falling deeper in love with Buffy every second they spent together. 
Delighted by Buffy's shy smiles, to her out and out jumping into her arms in 
joy and she found that Buffy was weaving her own seductive spell around her 
as well.

Once again the single red and white roses twined together by wire were left 
somewhere every day for Faith to find. She found little yellow sticky notes 
all over the place for her, including one inside her boot that simply had a B 
on it. To little beanie babies waiting on the bed for her, joining the black 
and white panthers that Buffy had asked Clotho to bring here for them.  They 
had a virtual zoo living with them on the bed. To the black riding boots and 
the kick-ass custom made black leather chaps Buffy had made for her. The way 
that Buffy always seemed to grab her hand when they were walking, to the 
casual touches and kisses that were purely just because. To the little secret 
smile that Buffy had and Faith knew that she would find something in a shoe, 
her coffee cup, one of her pockets during the course of the day. It could 
simply be a note that said 'I love you' to a silver bracelet. The massages 
with the warm oil and the way that Buffy seemed to always play with her hair 
when she was near.

They found themselves falling further under each other's spell every day. 
They were paying attention to each other's reactions in a way very few lovers 
ever did and they listened to the echoes in the bond they shared. And the 
intimacy they had discovered in that dream place they had created when they 
were held in hell grew ever deeper.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone had been there for Lily's little gathering the week before and it 
was great to see them all.  It had felt like forever since they had seen 
anyone, especially Dawn. Both Slayers were shocked to find out that eight 
days here in the Incarnates' domain only equaled a little less than one day 
back on Earth.  So while to them it had felt like they had been gone for so 
long, to the others it had only been a little over three days. Willow and 
Tara had let them know that all was under control in good old Sunnydale, Luc 
had sent two of his minions to pose as the Slayers and patrol.

After the party Angel had stopped Buffy and Faith asking if they could talk 
about what had happened. They all went back to the Slayers' cottage where 
Faith was ready to go for a stroll to give them privacy. She wasn't afraid; 
she had no doubt in her mind any longer that it was with her that Buffy 
wanted to be with. She just thought that it would be easier for them to talk 
about that day without her there. Both had asked her to stay at the same time 
as if they had practiced it. 

Angel, being who he was, cut right through the shit. Stating clearly and 
plainly that he was not in love with Buffy and he knew that Buffy was not in 
love with him. He even wondered if they were in love with each other two 
years ago when he had been human for that one day. Or if perhaps they had 
convinced themselves they were because of all that had happened before, 
because of being denied the chance to ever really try. He loved Buffy, she 
was his family just like Faith was. They were, Buffy and Faith, his Anmchara, 
his soul-friends. And Buffy cried not because she couldn't be with Angel, but 
because he had given up his chance at being human so that she could live, so 
that innocents would not die because of him. Faith found herself crying right 
along with Buffy, and she silently thanked the powers for bringing both of 
these beautiful people into her life and for letting her become a part of 
theirs.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She rolled onto her back and off of her mate. She stretched, arching her back 
up off the bed, her hands reaching for the headboard. Faith almost looked 
like a cat or rather a panther as her mate so often likened her to, arching, 
all graceful, sleek and sensual. The covers as usual where all tangled in a 
bunch down at the bottom of the bed. It was a good thing they had central 
heating at the Mansion, and that the cottage they were staying at within the 
Incarnates combined domains had fireplaces or they would be forced to sleep 
in pajamas. 

She rolled back on her side towards her mate and propped herself up on one 
elbow resting her head in her hand. She idly started to caress the smooth 
flat stomach below her, smiling at the little ripples that ran under her 
fingertips at her touch. God she felt good, so relaxed, so comfortable, so 
safe and realized with a start that her first thought this morning wasn't; 
Was today the day she was going to die? Realized that she hadn't had that 
thought for a good while since they had been here at the cottage. It was the 
first time since she had been Chosen that she could remember not having that 
thought. She wondered if Buffy was no longer thinking that first thing upon 
waking too.

She stared down at Buffy while she slept and couldn't help but think how 
peaceful, how beautiful and how young she looked while she slept. The funny 
thing was that they were young, but it was rare that they ever got to be 
young. Being Slayers added a responsibility to both their shoulders that 
added years to their mental age. They had been given a rare opportunity since 
being here, a temporary respite from carrying the weight of Slayerdom on 
their shoulders. And for the first time ever in her life Faith knew what it 
was like to be young, carefree and normal. Something she had never been, 
considering the way she had grown up. 

At least Buffy had somewhat of a normal childhood until she had been called. 
She had been a cheerleader, had friends, a Mom and a sister who loved her, 
things Faith had never had. Things that, at one time, Faith had resented 
Buffy for, but now she no longer did, was happy that Buffy got the chances 
she never had. She had this time now and the time before Glory had abducted 
them. She silently prayed daily that when they did return back to their own 
domain that they would be able to retain the young, carefree, normal life 
they had created with each other without shirking their responsibilities as 
Slayers.

She rose from the bed and padded into the bathroom, truly comfortable with 
her own self for the first time since before Glory had abducted them. She 
brushed her teeth, splashed cold water on her face and ran a comb quickly 
through her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and no longer saw the 
haunted eyes that had stared back at her for almost the whole of her life. It 
had been almost three weeks since her breakdown in the shower and while all 
the ghosts weren't gone, they, he, haunted her less frequently. She had Buffy 
to thank for that.  She knew almost at the same moment that Faith herself did 
the second they reared their ugly heads. Within seconds Buffy's strong, safe, 
warm arms would surround her, and Faith would lean on that strength. She 
would hear Buffy whispering or asking her quietly to talk to her, to tell her 
what was wrong, what had triggered the memory and much to her surprise Faith 
found that it had gotten easier and easier to talk about it with Buffy. 

The more she confronted and talked about the ghosts the less and less power 
they had over her. She knew that the ghost of him would always be with her, 
that his cold shadow-like touch would rear it's head from time to time for no 
other reason than maybe a certain smell, a sound, or simply a glimpse of 
something out of the corner of her eye triggered the memory of him. But every 
minute, every hour, every day that went by that she was free of his ghost, 
made her stronger, made her less terrified, made it easier to trust again. As 
she looked at her reflection in the mirror she knew that when it came to 
Buffy she trusted her completely and as for the rest of her extended family 
she knew that if push came to shove she trusted them as well.

She smiled as she thought of Buffy, a little wicked glint glittered in her 
eyes making the emerald flecks flash. She had noticed over the last few weeks 
that strong emotions in either of them cause their eyes to glow, change 
colors, hers emerald green, and Buffy's gold. It was going to be extremely 
hard for either of them to hide from the other, or anyone else, any type of 
emotional extreme even if they did block their bond.  She was done hiding 
anyway, she had nothing to hide anymore.  Buffy knew everything about her and 
for the first time in her life, Faith felt truly free. With a smile on her 
face she turned from the mirror and headed back to bed. 

It was time to wake her mate. Something she found she enjoyed doing very 
much! And Buffy didn't seem to mind either!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She crawled back into bed with Buffy, but instead of kissing her awake like 
she had been almost every morning, she started to trail her fingers along 
Buffy's tanned skin. The tips of her fingers barely grazing the flat surface 
of Buffy's newly acquired, six-pack for a stomach.  She watched as the 
goose-bumps rose on Buffy's skin everywhere she touched her. They had become 
increasingly more intimate with each other over the last few weeks. She loved 
touching, kissing Buffy and loved Buffy doing the same to her in return, the 
difference now though was Buffy was reining herself in. 

And while she wasn't ready for Buffy to slam her up against the wall and fuck 
her into oblivion, she also didn't want Buffy treating her like a delicate 
piece of china that would break at the slightest touch. Nor did she want 
Buffy to stamp down her own desire, and since their return from Glory's hell, 
Buffy hadn't initiated anything beyond the 'just because', touches and kisses 
and had only been touching her tentatively, hesitantly.  She was careful not 
to be to passionate, or even demanding and kept herself as still as possible. 
When she held Faith while they were being intimate, it was always loosely, 
careful to keep her control at all times and Faith knew Buffy was waiting for 
her.  Waiting for her to be ready to take that next step and Faith didn't 
know when she would be ready for Buffy to touch her that way and she didn't 
want Buffy to wait for her. Didn't want Buffy to be afraid to let herself go, 
afraid to ask for anything.  

For some reason Buffy had associated that first night they had dinner at the 
Immortals and her own loud moan of desire with Faith getting scared. Even 
though Faith had tried to explain to her it wasn't the moan that had trigger 
the fear, tried to explain that it was a knee-jerk reaction to her saying she 
couldn't.  A knee-jerk reaction to saying No. Buffy had said she believed 
her, but Faith knew from their echoes and the way Buffy had been acting that 
deep down she didn't.  

And Faith fervently missed the passionate, the wild side of Buffy.

She missed the woman who had tortured and teased her in the bath that night 
they had first made love. The woman who the next morning had screamed her 
name so loudly the neighbors had heard them. The woman who attacked her in 
the shower, had thrown her over her shoulder one afternoon and made love to 
her until she passed out. The woman who would kiss her until her knees grew 
weak and then left to go pick up Dawn at school. The woman who arched up into 
her when she was touching her, or clutched at her with desire, or dug her 
fingers into shoulders when she teased her. The woman who demanded and gave 
as good as she got. She missed the gentle side of Buffy, her sighs, her 
moans, her screams. And Faith knew that if Buffy didn't let go now of her 
fear of somehow scaring or hurting Faith that she never would. 

Over the last three weeks, Faith had tried repeatedly to convey this to Buffy 
and each time Buffy would tell her she understood, believed her, but her 
actions still didn't reflect her words. She never wanted Buffy to ever feel 
afraid to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her with as much or as little 
passion as she wanted to, anytime, anywhere. And right now Buffy was afraid 
to do that, afraid to let herself go and it was time for Faith to change 
that.

Faith had absolutely no fear of Buffy at all, she knew that Buffy would never 
force her, never hurt her. Knew that Buffy would stop the second she sensed 
any fear coming from her.  She had shown that over and over again in the last 
few weeks. What Buffy didn't realize and Faith had tried to explain to her, 
was that; with every kiss, every touch, every caress, every sigh that came 
from Buffy, it was helping Faith to remember how good, wonderful, beautiful 
it was to make love with someone you loved. That the act itself, whether slow 
and gentle or hard and furious, when done with love, was beautiful. 

While she had needed to be in control of initiating anything intimate between 
them in the beginning she didn't need that anymore. She wanted Buffy to be 
unafraid to grab and kiss her until her knees started trembling and her heart 
tried to pound it's way out of her chest. While Faith didn't know if she was 
ready for Buffy to make love to her, she knew she was more than ready to make 
love to Buffy. Would she prefer that they made love to each other, yes, but 
she needed, wanted to touch, be intimate with Buffy. 

Just like Buffy had wanted her Faith back, Faith wanted her B back. And with 
that goal in mind she had spent the last week and a half playing Buffy like a 
fine tuned instrument and it was time to make Buffy sing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She lay on her side, head propped in her hand, with her free hand she 
continued to trace the outline of Buffy's six-pack stomach.  Watching the 
little ripples of the muscles, she ran her eyes leisurely over Buffy's body. 
Starting with her cute little feet, up her well defined calves and thighs. 
Over the short curls that covered her sex, her narrow hips, over the six-pack 
again. To her small but just the right size for her hands, perky, firm 
breasts, the rosy nipples of which were still sleeping. To the slim column of 
her neck, to her full lips, the bottom one even pouty in her sleep. The 
straight line of her nose, that was flanked by high, narrow cheekbones, over 
her winged eyebrows, to finally her closed eyes. Eyes that Faith lost herself 
in more than once a day. Eyes she could lose herself in forever.

She trailed her hand down to one firm breast. Her fingertips skimming lightly 
over and around it, 'til they climbed up one gentle slope to barely brush, 
tease one nipple to wake. She leaned down and gently blew on Buffy's other 
nipple and couldn't help but smile as it too woke to greet her breath. She 
began to run her hand, fingers as lightly and softly as possible over all of 
her mate's body. Watching as her breath sped up a little, as her chest began 
to flush, the lips to part, as the tip of her tongue came out to wet them. 
She left no part of Buffy's body untouched while she slept, her fingers 
dipping down to feel once again familiar wet warmth. And Faith couldn't 
suppress her own moan as the feel of touching Buffy's heat traveled up from 
her fingers and through every part of her. It was almost belatedly that she 
realized that she could feel the shadow-like touches on her own skin as she 
touched Buffy.

She dipped her head down and whispered a kiss over Buffy's parted lips. She 
caught the bottom one between her own and delicately ran her tongue along 
it's length, then pulled back to give the top one the same delicate 
treatment. She slide her mouth away and traced Buffy's jaw line, then ran her 
mouth, her tongue down, then back up the side of her neck, stopping briefly 
to nip Buffy's pulse point. Her hand continued on it's own lazily path of 
random patterns all over Buffy's body. Out of the corner of her eye she saw 
as Buffy's legs parted slightly further as her fingertips brushed across the 
top of her curls. She moved a little so that she was flush up against Buffy's 
side, she slid one leg over the top of Buffy's and hooked it, pulling it back 
towards her, opening her mate to her more.

She let her hand travel downward again, to the inside of one thigh, making 
little circles, writing her name with her fingertips. She trailed her mouth 
back up to Buffy's, kissing her teasingly with both her mouth and tongue. Her 
hand traveled upwards to Buffy's heat, to run along slick folds, gathering up 
the essence that was her mate. Her fingers slid away to the inside of Buffy's 
other thigh, leaving a trail of wetness in their wake.  Her mouth left 
Buffy's lips, as she moved down raining soft kisses over her chin, to under 
it, down the whole of her throat, biting, nipping, flicking with her tongue. 
She continued down to Buffy's chest, leaving little love marks to show where 
she'd been. Up over the slope of her breast to take one, now wide awake 
nipple into the darkness of her mouth. She suckled gently, as her hand moved 
up of it's own will to her mate's heat again. 

She heard Buffy's breathing become more erratic as she pressed her hand flat 
up against her heat. She caught her nipple between her teeth and let her 
tongue play.  She felt Buffy's arousal through their bond, burning-hotly, 
even in her sleep, Faith had been keeping her there on the edge every day, 
all day long for almost the whole week. It was a little cruel she knew that, 
but, she wanted, needed her B, back.  Wanted, needed to know that she could 
still make Buffy feel this way. Wanted, needed Buffy to lose her control.  
She needed it like she needed to breath after all that had happened to them, 
between them in the last few months. She pressed her hand against Buffy with 
just slightly more pressure and felt Buffy buck. 

Then she heard the sweetest sound she had heard in a long time, as Buffy woke 
moaning her name.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She woke feeling like someone had exchanged her blood for molten lava. She 
breathed out the mantra that had been playing in her dream, 'Faith...' and 
then because she couldn't help herself she said it again. "Faith..."

Faith lifted her head reluctantly and smiled down at her, "Morning... 
Gizmo..."

Forcing her eyes open, Buffy just stared up at her, and the only coherent 
thought she was capable of was Faith's name. She wanted to pull Faith down to 
her, wanted to wrap her arms around her tightly. She just wanted! But she was 
afraid.  She didn't want to frighten Faith, didn't want to ruin this moment. 
Didn't want to ask Faith for something she wasn't ready for and innately she 
knew Faith wasn't ready to make love with her. What Buffy still wasn't 
getting was that Faith was more than ready to make love to her and see where 
it led. 

She forced her body to stay still, tried to force down her arousal, her all 
consuming desire and almost lost her control when she felt Faith press her 
hand more firmly against her.

"Cat got your tongue, B?"

Buffy just stared up at Faith mutely, afraid to move her mouth even, afraid 
any movement and she was going to lose it.  She knew it! She so wanted to 
lose it, but she couldn't.  She had to wait.  SHE HAD TO WAIT! She started 
saying the 'ABC's' in her mind then decided that wasn't a good idea as she 
started reciting the list she made at the Fates' the day of the Joining.

"Maybe I ought to help you get it back." At Buffy's quizzical look Faith 
explained further, "Your tongue from the cat that is..." She gave Buffy a 
wicked, down right fucking evil smile and Buffy knew she was in big trouble.

Faith's hand slid up and through Buffy's heat, her finger's pressing inward 
for a second, sliding over her clit, across her hip, down the side of her 
waist. She placed her hand, palm flat on the bed, she moved, nudging Buffy's 
legs further apart and lay right between them, holding herself up over Buffy, 
her heat resting lightly on Buffy's. 

Buffy just became one large quivering, need-filled mess.  She clutched 
desperately at the sheets, then Faith leaned down and kissed her until Buffy 
swore her hair was going to catch on fire.  She dug her fingers into the 
sheets so hard that her fingers ripped right through them.

Buffy started to recite the names of her relatives in her head.  She tried 
thinking about Giles in that way, anything, and everything to keep away the 
desire that was screaming through every cell. She had been on the edge for 
days now. And she had taken more cold showers than she had in the weeks after 
she had brought Faith back from LA. She wanted to feel the full weight of 
Faith upon her, instead Faith just deepened their kiss, distracting her from 
her internal mantra and she felt the sheet shred under her hands. 

She shifted her weight a little so she was supporting herself with one arm.  
Starting at Buffy's neck she trailed the tips of her fingers down, she moved 
inward a little and stopped to pay teasing attention to Buffy's nipple then 
moved on again.  She slid her hand along Buffy's side and her back. When she 
reached one firm buttock she started to gently massage and knead.

Faith lifted her head to look down into Buffy's half-lidded eyes. She smiled 
then ducked down again to trace patterns all over Buffy's throat, nipping 
with her teeth, soothing with her tongue the little tiny love bites. Her hand 
slid further down to massage and knead the back of Buffy's firm thigh.  She 
continued downward until she reached the back of Buffy's knee, she lifted and 
wrapped Buffy's leg around her hip.  Then she began a slow, light rotation of 
her heat against Buffy's. It was so light, so soft that Faith herself wasn't 
even sure they were actually touching at first. She pressed down a little 
more and was rewarded with a gasp from Buffy.

"Faith... uh... what are you doing?" Buffy's only answer was something 
unintelligible mumbled against her throat.

She knew at any second her fingertips were going to slice right through the 
mattress now that she shredded the sheet. She was chanting in her head for 
Faith to press down into her just a little harder, just a little harder. 
Instead she felt Faith switch her weight to her other arm and start the same 
tortuous path down the other side of her body until her left leg joined her 
right around Faith's narrow hips. She couldn't take it anymore, she had to 
touch Faith.

Faith felt Buffy's tentative, hesitant touch on her forearms. It was a start 
but not what she wanted. She could feel everything Buffy was feeling, knew 
that Buffy wanted to just tighten her legs around her and pull her down onto 
her, but she was holding back.  Faith had to give her a lot of credit, she 
had more control and will power than she originally thought.  

{Sorry B.... Time to bring out the big guns...}

Faith bent her knees a little and lifted her lower body from Buffy's. She 
grazed her tongue down over her chest, moving to capture one begging nipple 
within her mouth.  She let the tip of her tongue flick over just the tip of 
Buffy's nipple, while her hand came up to roll the other nipple between 
callous fingertips. She keep her touches light, teasing, almost non-existent 
and she couldn't help but smile as she heard Buffy start to pant.  She let 
her mind focus on all the things she wanted to do to Buffy, wanted Buffy to 
do to her, and she flooded Buffy with the images in an echo.

She switched breasts and let her hand roam of it's own free will. Down over a 
quivering stomach, up to Buffy's mouth, down over to one firm thigh. Slipping 
in-between them to skim over moist curls, flicking out once briefly over 
Buffy's swollen nub.  Letting them go wherever and do whatever they wanted; 
Faith let her fingertips continued on their torturous, light path as if they 
had a mind of their own.

Buffy was clutching her fingers in time with Faith's flicking tongue.  She 
tried not to grip Faith's forearms to hard, but she couldn't help herself.  
There were bursts of lightning running rampant over the whole of her body and 
she knew all it would take was for Faith to touch her with just a little more 
pressure and she would go flying head first over the cliff. She had to stop 
Faith before she lost her control and did something stupid and frightened 
her.  Then she got slammed with an echo of such sensual pleasure from Faith 
that she started to whimper and pant. 

"Faith... got to ahh..." She lost her train of thought as Faith's hand grazed 
her heat again. She pushed herself back into the mattress away from Faith's 
fingers, whimpering. She whimper once more as she felt Faith's fingers move 
away.

"Gotta what, B?"

Buffy shuddered as the vibrations of Faith's voice went right through her as 
she spoke around her nipple. "Got.. to stop..."

"Why?" Faith eased up even further, her touches, her mouth, her tongue, now 
barely grazing Buffy's body. She felt her own desire rising up to the surface 
as it mixed and merged with Buffy's in the echoes.

"Breakfast... have to..." She stopped and whimpered in frustration when 
Faith's touches became even lighter. "... make it... breakfast... hungry... 
food... good... make... food... god... feels good..." Her hands had somehow 
made their way up to Faith's hair, she wanted to pull her head down firmer 
into her breast, but she didn't.

"Have what I want for breakfast... want more of what I'm having..." She moved 
her hand down in-between them again, unable to help herself.  She wanted, 
needed to touch Buffy's heat. She slid just a finger along slick folds, 
teasing slightly at Buffy's entrance than ran it along the entire length of 
Buffy's sex. She caught the nipple in her mouth between her teeth and started 
flicking her tongue rapidly across and around it, still with as light a touch 
as possible, while her other hand continued to tease, torment and play along 
Buffy's hot, slick, heat.

"St... stop... Faith, please..." She was digging her fingers into Faith's 
shoulders. She dug them in even harder when she felt Faith shake her head no 
against her breast. "Faith... please... can't control... please... don't 
want... to hurt you... scare you... Please..." Buffy wasn't sure what she was 
begging for anymore, she just didn't want to scare her mate. She knew she was 
a second away from losing her control and just pulling Faith down to her 
forcefully.

Faith shifted again, she slid both her hands under Buffy's back and gripped 
her shoulders, supporting herself on her elbows. Her body hovering over 
Buffy's, less than an inch separating them from touching fully. Both Slayers 
could practically feel the fire running between them as if it were a real 
thing.  She looked down into Buffy's flashing gold eyes and didn't need 
anyone to tell her that her own eyes were flashing emerald. She leaned her 
head down, her mouth close to Buffy's ear, she had to restrain herself from 
flicking her tongue out to trace along it's shell.

"Not gonna break... not china... not scared... nothing you could do would 
scare me... Want to, need to touch you... Want to feel you pulling me to 
you... You're fingers digging into my back or shoulders, wherever they wanted 
to... Your body arching into me... Want to feel your need... Want to hear you 
moan... scream my name..."  She felt Buffy's arms come up to surround her. 
She whimpered a little at her touch.

She lifted her head up and gazed down into Buffy's eyes for a few seconds 
before she leaned down, her breath softly tickling Buffy's face. Her lips 
brushed lightly across Buffy's before she began to kiss Buffy with all of her 
pent up passion, pouring everything into that kiss. Her tongue begging 
entrance, moaning Buffy's name when she opened her mouth to her.  She 
teasingly ran her tongue along the velvet softness of Buffy's, enticing it 
back into her own mouth.  She kissed Buffy until she had to pull back for 
air.  

"I want you B... I want my B back... The one from before all this shit 
happened... I want you... Want you to touch me... Want you to kiss me... Want 
to feel your mouth on me... Want you to lose your control... Let it go... God 
B... Want it so bad... Want you so bad... Want to know you feel the same way 
as me..." She leaned her forehead against Buffy's and just stared into her 
eyes. "I love you B..."

She hadn't planned this, she didn't even think she was ready for this, she 
had started out this morning just wanting to please Buffy. Just wanting to 
get her B back.  Just wanting to make love to Buffy, not make love with 
Buffy, somewhere along the way she had forgotten that with Buffy there wasn't 
a difference between the two. As she had felt those shadow-like touches on 
her own body, as she had let her mind think of all that she wanted them to do 
together. As she had felt Buffy's own desire ricocheting through her in an 
echo, she found that she wanted Buffy just as much as Buffy wanted her. And 
in realizing that, she found that she needed to know that Buffy still saw her 
as she did before and not as some broken, frail version of herself. 

She continued to stare down into Buffy's eyes waiting for her answer, as she 
let all that she was feeling, all that she wanted flow out of her and into 
Buffy in an echo through their bond.

Buffy stared up into those flashing emerald eyes. Her whole body was on fire 
and it wasn't entirely from the touches and kisses, it was mostly from 
Faith's words. Words she had finally started to understand. Faith wanted 
things how they were before between them, wanted Buffy to see her as whole 
again, not as a delicate piece of china that would shatter at the slightest 
touch. Buffy didn't have any illusions that Faith's ghosts would rear their 
ugly heads from time to time no matter what happened right now, right here 
between them. 

But treating Faith like she was less than whole, less than an equal was only 
helping those ghosts to stay alive in both of their minds.  And in every 
other aspect of their relationship except this part, Buffy had treated her as 
she always had. Like a whole person and never once had Buffy ever held back 
what she was feeling, giving up her control to Faith in the bedroom didn't 
mean she had to treat Faith any differently there. It was time to trust 
herself, trust Faith, trust in them and what they had together to know if 
something was wrong, or needed to change or stop... 

'And right now,' Buffy thought to herself as she stared up into those loving 
eyes she needed to stop thinking so much and just feel.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She slid one hand up to tangle in Faith's hair, the other down to the middle 
of her back. She tightened her legs around her mate's hips and pulled her 
down fully, forcefully onto her. She arched her body up into Faith's and 
captured her mouth with her own. She ravished Faith's mouth, kissing her with 
all the suppressed passion, need, want that she had been trying to control, 
hold back.  Her tongue came out to chase after her mate's, entwining, 
seducing, sliding against and she moaned into Faith's mouth as Faith gave 
back as good as she got. 

The hand that was tangled in Faith's hair, pulled her head back, her mouth 
away from her own.  She attacked Faith's throat, nipping, biting, leaving her 
mark. Mumbling incoherently under her breath. The heels of her feet pushing 
down to bring Faith's heat harder, more firmer against her own.

Faith let out a relief and desire-filled moan when she felt Buffy pull her 
down to her. Her own senses totally on fire from what she was getting from 
Buffy, and her own need became urgent. She began a slow circular motion with 
her hips, sliding her heat against Buffy's. Joining their wetness.  Groaning 
deep in her throat, she had forgotten how incredible it felt to be with Buffy 
like this. How it was music to her ears to hear Buffy's sighs, her moans, 
feel her fingers digging into her back.  How nothing ever in this world, any 
world could match this, this burning deep in the pit of her stomach. Match 
the exquisiteness of being loved, touched, kissed, held by Buffy and doing 
the same in return to Buffy. Knowing that she could make Buffy feel this way, 
knowing that Buffy made her feel the same way.  

Buffy dragged her mouth away from Faith's neck, pulling her more tightly to 
her with her arms and legs. Loving the way Faith seemed to be touching all of 
her at once.  She looked up into those eyes filled with so much passion, but 
with even more love and Buffy drowned in them. 

"You... feel so good... warm... god... Faith.... baby..." She wasn't making 
sense, she didn't care.  She arched up further into Faith, pressing herself 
harder into Faith's heat, following the motion of Faith's hips as she 
increased the wetness, the heat between them.  Then she felt as Faith lifted 
herself slightly starting to slide down her body, to bring one hand down 
between them. "No... stay... want you... want you... to hold me... please 
baby... want... need... to... feel all of you... all of you around me... on 
me... want you... like this..."

Faith wrapped her arms back around Buffy pulling her tightly to her.  She 
shifted a little, bringing the weight of her body to bear down harder onto 
Buffy's heat.  She started to alternate between circling her hips, and 
thrusting down into Buffy. Sliding the whole of her body along Buffy's, 
almost disbelieving the tension she felt coiling so quickly in the pit of her 
stomach, or the wetness she felt between her own legs.  

She rested her forehead once again against Buffy's, looking deeply into her 
eyes as she moved upon her.  She felt Buffy's fingers digging into her back, 
then her nails raked down her back and Faith's whole body shuddered with 
intense desire. She could feel her own release hurtling at her fast and 
furiously and suddenly it scared her. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, 
fighting against the fear, letting herself forget about her own wants and 
focused on Buffy's instead.

Buffy felt it the second it started to happen.  Knew instantly what it was, 
knew a part of Faith was afraid to let go. Could feel her mate struggling 
against what she was feeling as she continued to move upon her.  She could 
feel Faith pushing her own desire down, her own release and focusing again 
solely on her.  Buffy didn't want that, she wanted Faith with her, wanted her 
whole, wanted her to remember, wanted her to know there was nothing wrong 
with this. That she, Faith was, that making-love, that whatever they did 
together, that they were beautiful together.

"Faith..." Buffy gasped, holding her own release back, but she didn't know if 
she could stop it, not this time. "You feel so good... you make me feel so 
much... god you...  so beautiful... no one... ever... made me... feel like 
this... this is so beautiful... you're so... beautiful... look at me... 
baby... want... you to... feel... the same... need you to..."  She brought 
one hand up to gently stroke Faith's cheek, then just rested it there. 
"Faith, please... baby... open... your... eyes..."

She didn't want to open her eyes, she was afraid, her body, her heart, her 
soul was at war with her fucking mind.  She was afraid to let go, afraid to 
give up her control, afraid to make herself vulnerable to anyone again. She 
began to slide, to circle her wetness, her heat, joining them, into Buffy's 
harder.  Needing to please her, needing to lose herself in Buffy, needing to 
forget her own fears, needing to give to Buffy what she thought she couldn't 
find for herself. Wanting so much to release that part of herself that she 
now realized she had locked up tightly, safely again. Wanting, needing to let 
it go like she had all those months ago the first time they had truly made 
love in front of the fireplace at the Mansion.

"Please Faith... I need... I need... you to look at me.... need... you... 
need... you to see... need you... to let go... safe with me... got you... 
always.... please... let go... you're eyes... need... to... see... you... 
I... Faith, I... love... you..." She had no idea if she was making sense 
anymore, it was almost impossible to kept a coherent thought in her head with 
Faith moving on her so urgently.  Buffy could feel the beginning of her 
climax rising up in her, her insides clenching, tensing and she stilled, 
holding her breath, trying desperately to force it back.

Faith slowly opened her eyes and stared down into the hazel-gold eyes of the 
woman who meant everything in the world to her.  And felt herself start to 
give up her firm control over herself, unable to deny Buffy anything. With a 
low moan, she let herself go completely.  She began rotating, circling her 
hips more forcefully into Buffy's as she felt Buffy teetering on the edge, 
holding back, waiting for her.

Like she had that night all those months ago, Buffy felt Faith release once 
again to her that part of herself that she kept hidden, protected all those 
years. The full breadth of all that Faith felt for her washed over her and 
she began to move with her once more, releasing back to Faith all that she 
felt for her in return.

Faith felt not only Buffy's arms come up to surround her neck, but felt 
herself being blanketed in the desire, the need, and the love, Buffy felt for 
her.  She shifted again slightly and pressed down, bringing her own swollen 
bundle of nerves to press down directly onto Buffy's.  Thrusting her hips, 
rolling them to bring pressure to where they both needed it so desperately.

"Can't... can't stop... Faith... baby... god... please... with me... 
please... Faith... Fai..." Her whole body stilled; then her climax was 
thundering through every part of her. All of her was ablaze, her skin, her 
bones, muscles, with the force of the fire rolling over her body.  

She arched up into Faith, her whole body except the back of her head came off 
the bed.  She held onto Faith tightly as her body was wracked with spasms.  
All of it was there, all the need, the want, the love. Every part of her felt 
like it was in flames, exploding with the rapture that was her mate and what, 
who they were together. She just kept chanting Faith's name over and over, 
and then she screamed out in wordless primal pleasure as she felt in an echo 
Faith start to join her in release.

Faith felt Buffy's climax run riot through every part of her in an echo and 
she bathed in it.  Then Buffy bucked, arched so hard up into her that had she 
not been holding onto her so tightly, Buffy would have thrown her not only 
off of her, but the bed as well.  And Faith felt her own body responding, 
seeking the same release as her mate, her hands slid down to Buffy's lower 
back bringing her more forcefully into her.  

Then Buffy's legs, her arms around her neck, tightened and her heat thrust up 
into Faith's own again hard, grinding into her.  Putting pressure exactly 
where Faith needed it to start flying over the edge.  Faith's whole body 
arched into Buffy, she lifted them both up and back, until she was sitting 
back on her own calves.  Her knees spread wide, Buffy somehow snug, pressed 
up tight between them.  Buffy's legs, her arms, her whole body wrapped 
tightly around, surrounding her.  Breasts against breasts, sweaty stomach 
against stomach, heat still managing to be pressed, rotating against heat, 
forehead against forehead as they continued to drown in each other's eyes.

The white-hot fire in her blood that was Buffy exploded within her, her head 
snapped back and with a loud, piercing savage cry of Buffy's name, Faith 
joined Buffy in release. 

Neither of the Chosen Two knew which were their own feelings, which were the 
other's.  The pleasure scorched a path through both of them, merging, 
entwining with the other's through their bond.  It didn't matter, it was 
glorious and it was beautiful and both Slayers held tightly onto the other, 
tears of joy streaming down their faces as they tumbled in the ecstasy that 
was each other, together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were walking through the woods that surrounded the Slayers' cottage, 
having gained permission to enter from Buffy and Faith the night before.  
They were holding hands like teenagers. Stopping occasionally to kiss, 
turning what should have been a five minute walk into a little over a half 
hour. At least now Clotho knew why Lilith wanted to leave so early. She had 
found herself pressed up against a tree more than once as Lilith's kisses, 
time after time turned her knees into mush.  

She wasn't one though who didn't give as good as she got, so the next time 
Lilith pulled a surprise kissing attack on her, Clotho turned the tables on 
her. She bent her knees and wrapped her arms around Lilith, each hand quickly 
finding a firm buttock and she lifted Lilith.   She turned quickly, took two 
steps and stopped when Lilith's back was firmly pressed up against the 
nearest oak tree. She growled low in her throat when she felt Lilith's legs 
circle her waist.

She lowered her head, her mouth brushed lightly, teasingly, across her 
mate's. Her tongue tracing delicately along Lilith's lips, pulling her head 
back when Lilith tried to deepen the kiss. She ran her mouth down over 
Lilith's jaw line, down to her neck, taking a step backwards, as she moved 
her hands around to capture each one of her mate's firm breasts. She smiled 
against Lilith's neck and, acting like she really was only twenty, Clotho 
proceeded to give her mate a hickey.  She knew Lilith was going to be a 
little pissed when she saw the mark, but then again her paybacks were always 
worth it.

"Someone's happy to see me..." She murmured, as she felt each nipple rise to 
attention, pressing against the palms of her hands through Lilith's shirt.

"Always..." Lilith purred and started to run her own hands over her mate's 
body. 

The fire, the passion, the quick and furious need that sprung up at a 
moment's notice, like when they were first together, had resurfaced. They had 
spent the last few weeks re-finding, renewing the romance, the passion, that 
had never truly died between them.  They had found that they had been acting 
more like young lovers themselves, the more time they spent with the Slayers. 
They had become caught up in the whirlwind romance, the love that the Slayers 
had been creating for and around each other and watching them had reminded 
the Immortals of all the wonders that being in love was and is. 

Lilith grabbed the front of Clotho's shirt and pulled her towards her and 
captured her mouth in a searing kiss.  She moaned low in her throat as she 
felt Clotho's hand slip under her shirt, the other unbuttoning it, freeing 
her to the cool morning air.  She moaned again when she felt that same hand 
travel up slowly to capture and tease her nipple between agile fingers. 
Clotho bent her head and took the other nipple into the warmth of her mouth, 
gently laving it, wrapping her tongue around it.  She trailed off down a 
gentle slope and stopped to nip, to suck and left her mate another little 
present to match the one on her neck.

Clotho felt her own desire rise up fiercely and she slowly started to sink 
them down to the ground, and prayed that the Slayers' didn't stumble upon 
them. She lay her mate carefully on the ground and then slid up onto her, one 
leg naturally sliding between both of Lilith's.  She pressed her thigh up 
into the heat between her mate's legs and pressed her own down on the leg 
that her mate had raised to greet her. Christ, they were like two randy 
teenagers, dry-humping in the forest no less, and both Immortals were loving 
every minute of it. They started a rhythm that, for them, truly was almost as 
old as time itself. Somewhere in the back of their minds they realized they 
were going to be late, but neither really cared.

Lilith dragged Clotho up to her again, pulling her head down to her own. Her 
mouth greeting Clotho's in a wet, demanding kiss, their tongues dueling 
wildly with each other. She began to rock, slid herself against her mate's 
thigh, not believing how close she was to coming.  Her hands clutching at 
Clotho's hips, moving her with her, bringing Clotho harder into her thigh and 
herself more forcefully into Clotho's. She felt through their bond that 
Clotho was just as close as she was, was just as unbelieving. They began to 
move against each other with more force, in perfect sync with each other.

Clotho's head dropped down to Lilith's shoulder when they broke their kiss. 
She was breathing heavy and she could feel the fire coiling deep within her, 
feel it start to spread out through every part of her body.

"Lil... Lil... Lil... can't believe this... so close... so good..." She 
lifted a little as she felt Lilith reach between them and pop the buttons on 
her pants. Lilith's hand slid inside, into her, her fingers unerringly 
finding exactly where and how to touch her. She raised herself up and started 
to ride her lover's hand, the tension boiling inside her, building. 

"Lil close... don't stop Lil!  Lil... Lil... LIL!" She stilled and then she 
felt the fire streak throughout all of her, leaving a trail of blazing heat 
over all of her skin.  Her hips continuing to grind, buck into her mate, 
shuddering as her orgasm overtook her. 

It took her a second or two after her climax had started to slow and ebb to 
realize that Lilith was still moving under her.   With a deftness and speed 
of only an Immortal she unbuttoned Lilith's pants, and slid her hand, her 
fingers into Lilith's liquid heat. She brought her thigh to behind her hand 
to bring more pressure into the thrust of her fingers into her mate. She 
lifted her head up to smile softly down at Lilith watching the pleasure cross 
her face. She brought her thumb up to circle her lover's swollen nub and 
smiled again at Lilith's gasped, 'Yes.'

"Lil... you feel so hot... so wet... so unbelievably good... Lil, come for me 
Lil..."

Her hips became frantic as Clotho stroked her, she felt the orgasm gathering, 
ready to unleash it force over her, her muscles tensed and then it washed 
over her with the force of a tidal wave. Then rose higher as Clotho pushed 
her further, she gasped out her mate's name as she rode out the waves. She 
pulled Clotho down to her trembling body. 

They lay holding each other for long minutes, then Lilith started laughing 
softly.

"I can't believe we just did that." She heard Clo's chuckle rumble through 
her chest from where her head lay.

"We need to do that more often... I can't believe how hard I..." The rest of 
what Clotho was going to say was cut off by a scream. 

They both immediately realized it was Buffy. Before they had a chance to even 
react they heard Faith's piercing scream of Buffy's name, a scream of what 
both Immortal's mistook for anguished pain. They both jumped to their feet, 
fear for both Slayers and what might be happening to them streaked through 
them.  They completely forgot about the protection spell that surrounded each 
cottage, thoughts of what had happened to the Slayers when Glory had abducted 
them flashed through their minds. Neither bothered to fix themselves or their 
clothes as they took off running. They were merely blurs as they ran the two 
hundred feet or so out of the forest and down the path to the Slayers 
cottage.  Lilith hit the door full force crashing through it.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It all seemed to happen at the exact same second, all in slow motion and one 
of those things that would never happen even if they had all planned it.

Lilith crashed through the front door of the Slayers' cottage and saw the 
last thing that she expected. "OH FUCK!" she hissed as she came to a skidding 
halt a foot inside the door. 

Clotho who was hot on Lilith's heels, saw her mate stop but was unable to 
herself. "OH SHIT!" Clotho yelled when she saw what had stopped Lilith. 

She slammed full force into Lilith's back, sending them both flying and 
falling into a tangled heap on the cottage floor.

Buffy lifted her head up from Faith's shoulder, the very second she heard 
something hit the door, her mouth dropped open as she saw Lilith crash 
through it. 

At the crash of the door Faith tried to turn around, release Buffy, push her 
behind her so she could protect her and stand all at once. 

Buffy never got a chance to release herself from around Faith, as Faith tried 
to do four things at once. Somehow her legs got tangled up in Faith's as she 
tried to release them from around her waist, while Faith was trying to stand. 
 

They started tipping over as their legs got tangled up and before either 
Slayer could stop it, they tumbled from the bed onto the floor. They lay 
sprawled on the floor on their stomachs, the beanie babies and the black and 
white panthers, under and around them.  They were facing the tangled 
Immortals who were also sprawled on the floor by the door.

Faith half on top of Buffy lifted her head,  glared and actually growled at 
Lilith and Clotho, and if she didn't know better she would have sworn that 
Buffy was stifling giggles underneath her. 

Clotho gave both Slayers a sheepish grin as she began untangling herself from 
Lilith. 

Faith sat up with her back to the Immortals and pulled the sheet and 
comforter from the bed to cover herself and Buffy. She wrapped Buffy in the 
comforter and herself in the sheet.  She pulled Buffy onto her lap and leaned 
back against the bed still glaring at the Immortals.  Buffy buried her head 
in the crock of her neck, her whole body was shaking against her and now she 
knew for sure that Buffy was stifling giggles.  It took all of her effort not 
to join her mate in a fit of giggles, because the whole thing was kind of 
funny.

Both Immortals finally managed to sit up.  "I'm... ah... we're... ah shit 
we're sorry... we heard a scream and well... " Clotho looked at  Lilith for 
some help and saw a smirk on Lilith's face that let her know in her gut that 
Lilith was going to say something that she was going to want to thrash her 
for later.  "Don't..." she warned Lilith. 

"What?" Lilith looked at Clotho with a deceivingly innocent smile. "We're 
sorry, we heard Buffy scream and then you scream Buffy's name, and, well, we 
thought wel... Obviously we thought you were being attacked. And I guess, 
well, we weren't really wrong... We just sort of misinterpreted the ah... 
type of attack."

Clotho gave a sigh of relief, when Lilith didn't say whatever it was that her 
mischievous mind had been thinking; she should have known better.

"Not a problem as long as you fix the door..." 

"We can do that, Faith... Clotho and I just need to go back to our place and 
get the toolkit.  We can't use magic to fix what we break.  Kind of helps 
with the damage control, so we Immortals aren't trashing things every time we 
get pissed off."  Lilith got up to her feet and helped Clotho who motioned at 
her.  "Oh and while we're gone you might want to have Buffy put some ointment 
on your back, those scratc..." She didn't get to finish what she wanted to 
say because Clotho had put a hand very firmly over her mouth.

"Ooops... Sorry, Faith..."  Buffy mumbled against Faith's neck.

"Yeah, I'll do that, and maybe you want to put some makeup on those hickey's 
on your neck and boob, Gran.  You both might want to button up your shirts 
and pants too.... And there seems to be a little twig forest growin' in your 
hair there, Gran..."

Both Immortals turned beet red when they realized that both their pants were 
undone, and half hanging off them, not to mention Lilith's shirt was still 
completely unbuttoned and it was only by sheer luck that both Slayers didn't 
get to see first hand Lilith's firm breasts.

"I guess we aren't the only ones that can blush. Aren't they so cute? 
Kinda... like frisky cubs, wouldn't you say so,  Faith?" Both Slayers started 
laughing, and the Immortals, after they got over being mortified and their 
clothes straightened out, joined in their laughter.

"We'll call you when we're ready for you to come fix the door. There's 
something I need to show Faith first." Buffy's hand had found it's way 
underneath the sheet covering Faith and was slowly making it's way up the 
inside of Faith's right thigh.

"Sure no problem..." Clotho waved a hand and her and Lilith faded from the 
Slayers' cottage.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They continued to laugh for a few minutes after the Immortals faded from the 
cottage. Buffy curled up into Faith, her hand just resting lightly on her 
thigh. She sat up facing Faith after a few more minutes, she lifted her hand 
from Faith's thigh and gently traced the dent in Faith's bottom lip. "Did I 
ever tell you how much I love this little dent?"  Faith just stared at Buffy 
wide-eyed, with a sort of innocence that always made Buffy's breath catch, 
this time was no different.  Buffy traced the outline of Faith's mouth with 
her fingertip, getting lost in her eyes. "I do you know..."

She captured Buffy's gently tracing finger between her lips, drawing it into 
the warm, moist cavity of her mouth.  Sucking gently on it, laving it with 
her tongue and watched as Buffy's eyes started to turn gold with her 
reawakened desire.  She felt something awaken deep in her and could hear not 
only the soft rumbling, growling purr coming from her own chest but her 
mate's as well.  She lifted her own hand and took hold of the one that was 
delicately tracing her mouth again.  She kissed each fingertip than raised 
her eyes back up to Buffy's golden ones. "Thank you..." she whispered so 
softly that only another Slayer or Immortal could have heard her.

"For what?"  Buffy asked her just as softly.

"For everything. For being there for me, for being patient.  For helping me 
to remember, for showing me again how beautiful making love with the person 
you love is. For making me feel clean, feel whole again. For just being you 
and for loving me."  Her voice was husky with raw emotion, there was so much 
more she wanted to say, but the words were eluding her.  Expressing herself 
still didn't come easy for her, she didn't have all the pretty words and most 
of the time what she wanted to say came out half-ass backwards.  She could 
only hope that Buffy understood what she was trying to say.

"You're welcome... Thank you for trusting me enough to let me be the one to 
show and experience all of it, before and now again with you.  And for 
sharing yourself with me, for showing me again too, how beautiful making love 
is. For being there for me, for all that you've done for me.  For helping me 
to feel whole again. But most of all for gifting me with your love." And like 
Faith there was so much more that she wanted to say, but she wasn't even sure 
if there were words to describe what it was that she felt for Faith.  What 
Faith had given to her in return for the simple act of loving her.

They leaned towards each other.  Their mouths barely grazing the other's.  
They shared a kiss of infinite, tenderness, commitment, and of love.  And 
while neither needed to say it to the other, they both knew it was a kiss 
between their souls.

They sat staring at each other after the kiss until a cool breeze blew across 
both of them.  They both turned their heads toward the front door which was 
hanging haphazardly off it's hinges, thanks to Lilith.

"Well at least their timing wasn't as bad as it could have been." Buffy said 
between giggles.

"Yeah it's a good thing I didn't make you sing sooner, B."

"Sing? What are you talking about?" Buffy was puzzled, then she watched 
amazed as Faith turned the brightest shade of red she had ever seen.

"Sing? I didn't mean to say that, I meant to say..." She paused, she couldn't 
think of a damn thing to say that didn't sound absolutely stupid in her own 
head. "Ummm... Nothin'... I was talking about nothin', B?..." She shrugged 
her shoulders and felt her face grow hotter as she blushed even harder.

Buffy stared at Faith and couldn't help but think that she looked so cute 
blushing.  Now she really wanted to know what Faith was talking about!  "No 
way you're getting off that easy F!.  Don't make me tickle you to get you to 
tell me..."

Faith stared back at Buffy in mock horror at the thought, then shook her head 
no.  Buffy stared back and gave Faith her best pout and puppy dog eyes, her 
finger idly tracing, writing on Faith's chest.  "Please, baby... Please 
Fai..."  she begged prettily.

Faith could feel herself beginning to crack, then she cracked completely when 
she realized that Buffy was writing over and over again on her chest; 'B 
loves F.'  

With a groan she told Buffy, "You don't play fair... You know that don't ya, 
B?" Then proceeded to turn even redder.  Just than Buffy's stomach growled 
loudly, and Faith gave her a lopsided grin. "How about I make you breakfast 
for a change?"

"'K, and you can tell me all about this singin' thingy while you're cooking." 
Buffy jumped up and practically skipped over to the dresser, Faith just 
watched her a silly grin on her own face.  

She caught the oversized t-shirt that Buffy threw at her, she tried to drop 
the sheet from her and only managed to get her arm tangled up in one of the 
holes Buffy had ripped in the sheet.  She got up to her feet, untangled the 
sheet from her, slipped on the shirt, then held the sheet up in front of her. 
 Her mouth dropped open when she saw the two large holes in the sheet.  She 
saw Buffy turn bright red when she turned around and saw her looking at her 
through one of the holes in the sheet.

"Nice job B... What'd the sheet ever do to you?" Faith couldn't help but to 
tease her.

A slow sensual smile came over Buffy's face in total contrast with her bright 
red cheeks and the oversized t-shirt that made her look more like she was 
fourteen rather than twenty.  Even so, Faith's eyes were glued to Buffy as 
she moved with a graceful, sensuous stride towards her. She stopped right in 
front of Faith and looked back at her through the hole in the sheet, which 
Faith realized she was still holding up.  She started to drop her arms then 
stopped, when Buffy leaned into her sliding her hands up her raised arms, 
then slowly back down raking her nails lightly on her arms through the sheet. 
 Faith didn't think she could have moved right then even if she wanted to, 
which she didn't.

"The sheet didn't do anything to me, it was all you." Buffy's groaned inside, 
that sounded stupid even to her, especially since her voice came out so low, 
husky and throaty when she said it.  

Stupid or not, she saw the shudder go through Faith, and watched as her eyes 
grew darker, and the emerald flecks started to glow.  She leaned further into 
Faith, stood up on her tiptoes and captured that full bottom lip that was 
calling to her with her own lips. She ran her tongue delicately down, over 
the dent that only a little while ago she had told Faith she loved so much.  
She nipped it a little before letting her tongue trace along the top lip, 
then enticed Faith to open her mouth for her.  She teasingly let her tongue 
play with her mate's, as she deepened their kiss.  She couldn't help smiling 
into the kiss as she heard Faith rip the sheet in half so she could get her 
arms around her.  The sheet fell forgotten around their feet as Faith hauled 
her into her tightly.  One kiss blended into another, then other, each one 
become increasingly hot, open, wet, demanding, deeper.

The Chosen Two's stomachs decided to growl and grumble loudly their protest 
at not being feed a few kisses later and they both dissolved into giggles the 
second time it happened again in sync.

"I think our stomachs are conspiring with each other against us." Buffy half 
kissed, half giggled against Faith's mouth.  Both the Slayers' stomachs 
grumbled together as if agreeing with Buffy's comment.

"They are like two little kids, gonna keep annoying us 'til they get their 
way." Faith growled out looking first at Buffy's stomach which growled back, 
then at her own which did the same.

"Well that settles it.  Get in the kitchen and cook me some breakfast, little 
woman!" Buffy tried out her best 'bossy' voice on Faith who just cocked an 
eyebrow at her. She swatted Faith on the butt playfully, "Now, woman!"

"You... you... little... woman... you swatted my butt..." Faith mumbled under 
her breath. 

Buffy took a few steps back from Faith and crossed her arms across her chest, 
an impish grin on her face. "That's right, my little woman!  I kinda like 
that, might introduce you that way.  Meet Faith...  My little woman, isn't 
she cute? Maybe get you one of those sexy little french maid outfits too... 
hmmmm... likin' that idea... Now are ya gonna get in the kitchen and make me 
my breakfast or what like a good little woman..."

She watch as a multitude of expressions crossed Faith's face, from laughter 
to disbelief.  Then she saw the evil glint in Faith's eyes and she giggled.

"Oh I'm gonna make ya breakfast alright, B..."  Faith purred a second before 
she pounced.

"OH SHIT!" Buffy squeaked before she took off running for the kitchen.

Faith caught her around the waist from behind before she made it through the 
door.  She spun around and fell on the chaise lounge, Buffy underneath her 
and started tickling her without mercy. "Little woman... nope not 
happening... Swatting my butt... French maid outfit like that idea... for you 
B..." She muttered while Buffy squirmed and shrieked with laughter underneath 
her.

Buffy squirmed under Faith on her stomach, trying to turn over and get away 
from her tickling fingers. She knew however there was no way that was going 
to happen with Faith laying fully on top of her.  Suddenly she became aware 
of the fact that not only had her t-shirt hiked itself up to somewhere around 
her breasts but so had Faith's.  She was acutely aware of Faith's silky skin 
sliding along her own, Faith's breasts pressing into her back burning holes 
where they touched her.  The soft tickle of the trimmed hair of Faith's sex 
brushing up against her buttocks, of Faith's legs that were straddling one of 
her own. Her shriek of laughter turned into a low moan when she felt Faith's 
knee press up intimately into her, her whole body jumped in reaction.

Then Faith's fingers, that were seconds ago poking and tickling her started 
to slide, tease and caress her.  One hand slid up caressing her rib cage, 
while the other moved out from under her and moved her hair away from and off 
her neck.   Her whole body shuddered as she felt Faith's mouth lightly 
grazing the back of her neck.  She was pushing herself up, back into Faith.  
She pushed further up into her as Faith's hand slid up further to run along 
the sensitive underside of her breasts.  Desire started careening through her 
madly, fiercely, hotly.

Faith leaned back onto her calves her hand impatiently pulling Buffy's 
t-shirt up higher.  Buffy start to turn over when Faith lifted her body from 
her.  

"No... stay don't move... stay like that..." She smiled when she heard Buffy 
moan as she settled back down onto her stomach.  

Faith bent down low over Buffy, started at the base of her neck and felt as 
Buffy arched her back like a cat in her tongue's wake as she blazed a trail 
down the whole length of Buffy's spine. She lifted a little and scooted 
forward, her knee, thigh pressing once more into Buffy's wet heat, a shudder 
ran through her when Buffy moaned her name. She lay down fully onto to Buffy, 
her mouth nipping lightly at the base of her neck and felt Buffy tremble 
beneath her.  

"Have I managed to arouse another hunger in you B?" She whispered low, husky 
into Buffy's ear.

"Yes... I, Faith... I need..." The rest of what Buffy was going to say was 
drowned out by possibly the loudest growling grumbles coming from both 
Slayers' stomachs that either had ever heard.

"Food..." Faith rasped and then couldn't help but giggle as both their 
stomachs grumbled their agreement to the suggestion.

"No... You... want you now..." Buffy moaned and her stomach growled a 
protest. Even she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her, she was really 
beginning to believe her stomach and Faith's were actually plotting together 
against them.

"How about..." Faith whispered, stopping for a brief second to slowly slide a 
little further up Buffy and captured her earlobe gently between her teeth. 

"Yes..." Buffy reached one hand behind her and pulled Faith's head closer to 
her.

"I feed your stomach... and..." Faith ran her tongue along the shell of 
Buffy's ear, then moved to nip and suckle lightly at the sensitive skin 
behind it.

"And..." Buffy asked as she trembled again and was thankful that her stomach 
was quiet.

"And... after I feed your, our stomachs, I take care of feeding your soul..." 
Faith sat back up onto to her calves and gently turned Buffy over.  This time 
it was Faith who started to tremble as Buffy ran her hand up from right above 
her sex to her collarbone, to behind her neck and pulled her back down.

"Yes..." Buffy whispered against Faith's mouth before claiming it for her 
own.

Faith wasn't sure if she could stand after Buffy finished devouring her 
mouth, she lay against Buffy for a few minutes her head buried in Buffy's 
neck.  Her breathing labored; her whole body trembling; smiling softly as she 
listened to the rapid pounding of Buffy's heart and ragged breathing.  She 
finally moved when both their stomachs grumbled a quiet protest.  She sat up 
pulling Buffy with her. 

"Friggin' Slayer metabolism... always gotta feed it..."

"It does have it's perks though..." Buffy purred leaving not a doubt in 
Faith's mind what she was talking about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy leaned against the counter and watched Faith as she puttered around the 
kitchen. Pulling out pots, pans, utensils and a cutting board.  Her mouth 
dropped opened a little in surprise as she watch Faith set up everything just 
so, as if she were arranging a display of precious sculptures or some such 
nonsense.  Her eyes were inevitability drawn over the sleek lines of Faith's 
body as she moved about the kitchen.  She liked the way the muscles moved in 
Faith's thighs and calves as she walked around the kitchen setting the table 
in nothing but the oversized, but short t-shirt. Her thoughts drifted to 
those well muscled, long legs wrapping around her, sliding along her own, how 
they felt under her hands, tasted beneath her mouth.  She saw a shudder 
ripple through Faith and heard a low moan come from her.

Faith's knees grew weak and she almost dropped the coffee cups she had in her 
hands as her mind was flooded with images from Buffy in an echo. "B... god 
you're killin' me..."

"What?" Buffy asked innocently, then let her mind drift a little more, and 
returned the favor of an echo full with sensual images like Faith had done to 
her this morning.  She liked this, in fact, she was overjoyed that Faith had 
made her realize they could use their bond like this. Another thought 
filtered through her mind. 

{Wonder if that will work too? Only one way to find out... Hang on Faith, I'm 
gonna try a new trick!}

She lifted her hand and ran it lightly over her own breast, circling the 
nipple, teasing herself, she lightly pinched her hard nipple between her 
fingers and a sultry laughed escaped her when she saw Faith's whole body 
jump.

Faith hastily put the coffee cups down on the table and then grabbed onto the 
edge of it as Buffy flooded her again with images and hot, lusty feelings.  
Her whole body jumped when she felt the shadow-like touch in an echo of Buffy 
touching herself on her own breast.  Then she started to quiver when she felt 
another shadow-touch of fingers on her nipple.  

"I've created a nympho'... all I wanted was for you to sing..." she growled 
below a whisper, then Buffy's low laugh sent another shudder of desire 
through her.

"Well, that answered that question.  Now about that singin' thingy..." Buffy 
purred to Faith.

{Great Faith! Good job! Make her forget about the singin' shit and then 
mumble it. Slayer hearing, ever hear of it? Didn't think so, duh!}

"Come on baby, you said you would tell me..."

"No I didn't Gizmo..." Faith turned around to face Buffy, hoping it was safe 
to let go of the table.  She saw a wicked gleam appear briefly in Buffy's 
eyes which were more gold than hazel right now.  She threw her blocks up a 
second before she got slammed with another echo.

"No fair, Fai... You're blocking me..." Buffy pouted.

"If I don't we'll never eat breakfast and I'll end up being a mindless puddle 
on the floor."

"Really?" Buffy asked her half seriously, half coyly.

"As if you didn't already know that, B..." 

Faith gave Buffy one of her lopsided grins, then moved so fast that all Buffy 
saw was a blur.  She pulled Buffy to her roughly, lifting her so she was 
sitting up on the counter.  She moaned a little when she felt Buffy wrap her 
legs around her waist and felt Buffy's hot, wet, heat press against her 
stomach.  She slammed her mouth down on Buffy's almost brutally, her tongue 
demanding entrance, taking possession of Buffy's mouth, in a kiss of total 
dominance and need.  When she felt her stomach getting ready to growl another 
protest at being neglected she pulled away abruptly ending the kiss.

"Food first, the rest later..." She barely managed to mumble out, "Now 
behave, B..." 

Buffy just nodded her head mutely, her mouth hanging open a little, her 
breathing shallow, she put her hands down behind her, to support herself.  

Faith had to tear her eyes away from the sight of Buffy sitting on the 
counter, leaning back slightly on her hands.  Her t-shirt hiked up around her 
hips, her leg splayed wide as if she were still standing between them.  Her 
curls glistening moistly, calling out to her to touch them.  She started 
mumbling, cursing Slayer metabolism and their stomachs which seemed to be 
conspiring against them as she made her way over to the refrigerator on shaky 
legs. She tore open the fridge door, still mumbling and grabbed what she 
needed.

Buffy watched Faith move away from her unbelievingly.  Her eyes lovingly and 
hungrily tracing the lean line of Faith's body as she moved around the 
kitchen.  Pulling, eggs, bacon, strawberries, milk and god only knew what 
else out of the fridge. She jumped down from the counter and sat on a chair 
at the table her eyes still hungrily watching Faith. She tried to calm down 
her body, which thirsted for Faith's touch still and she knew Faith's 
thirsted for hers as well, she could feel it through their bond. She watched 
as Faith began to prepare breakfast and realized that while Lilith had been 
giving her cooking lesson it looked like Faith was the one that had actually 
learned something.  She seemed to move and putter about with a confidence and 
surety that surprised Buffy.  It was in it's own way quite endearing and cute 
as hell.

"So... you were going to tell me about this singin' thing.  Weren't you 
baby?..." Was that her voice so low, sultry and throaty? She smiled when she 
heard more mumbling coming from Faith. "You need to speak up I can't hear 
you."

"Well... um... you see it kinda was a plan for..." Faith trailed off, how was 
she supposed to explain to her about her plan to tease the hell out of her 
until her control snapped.  "You know how I kept..."

Buffy fell into the sound of Faith's voice as she talked.  Loving the raspy, 
husky, deep timber of it, the little ripples that it caused under her skin, 
she was hearing what Faith was saying on some level it just wasn't actually 
sinking in yet.  She didn't realized that Faith had stopped talking until she 
heard her name called for the second time.

"What?"

"So are you ah... mad at me?" 

She focused on Faith's face and noticed she was blushing again and Buffy 
whose thoughts were still somewhere in the gutter, thought she looked both 
innocent and hot at the same time. All at once everything Faith had just told 
her sunk in.  Faith had been teasing the hell out of her, purposely getting 
her worked up for over a week and then backing off.  On one hand Buffy 
understood why, she had been hearing what Faith had been telling her over the 
last week or so, but she hadn't really been listening. She arched an eyebrow 
at Faith, "No... not mad at you baby..." She purred.

Faith took one look at the wicked gleam in Buffy's eyes and the purring of 
her voice and knew she was in deep shit.  Buffy might not be mad, but Faith 
knew a little payback would be coming her way in the near future.  Then 
again, that kind of payback she didn't really mind.  She turned her attention 
back to making breakfast, strawberry pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, 
sausage, bacon and toast.  She put four slices of bread into the toaster, the 
bacon and sausage into the toaster oven.  She cracked a dozen eggs into a 
bowl, added a little milk, and a pinch of parsley and then whipped the hell 
out of the eggs until they were more froth than eggs.  The whole time she was 
acutely aware of Buffy's eyes lazily running over her body.  

She moved the eggs off to the side for now and grabbed the box of pancake 
mix, she realized she didn't have a bowl to mix it in and without thinking 
stood up on her toes and reached up for a bowl on the second to top shelf of 
the cabinet in front of her.  She set about making the pancake mix, thinking 
how much she loved her Slayer strength and smiled with pleasure as she 
stirred the mix until there wasn't a single lump in it.  She was surprised to 
find that she actually liked this cooking thing, she turned on the flat 
skillet for the pancakes and the frying pan for the eggs so they would get 
hot.  Satisfied that the heat was the right temperature she turned her 
attention to slicing the strawberries, heard a soft growling purr come from 
Buffy and then heard the whoosh of air as Buffy moved.

She continued to devour Faith with her eyes as she set about making 
breakfast. Her thoughts once more drifting into the proverbial gutter, and a 
little bit of a payback plan began to form for Faith, for keeping her right 
there on the edge for over a week.  Faith said she wanted her B back, so 
Buffy was going to give her exactly what she wanted.  She licked her lips in 
anticipation at the thoughts that were roaming through her mind.  She decided 
she would wait until tomorrow to start.  For now she was fighting to keep her 
own arousal in check, as well as her thoughts and almost won the fight until 
Faith reached up for the bowl.  She saw the bottom of Faith's firm buttocks 
peek out from underneath the t-shirt and she lost all her self-restraint. She 
flew out of the chair and using all her Slayer speed was across the kitchen 
in a flash.  She pressed herself flat up against Faith's back, having to go 
up on her toes as she reached over Faith's shoulder for a strawberry. 

"Yum... these look good. Can I have one?" She let her mouth brush up against 
Faith's ear as she purred out her question, smiling as she felt Faith tremble 
a little against her.

"Su... sure B..."  Faith stuttered as the feel of Buffy against her back 
burned her.  She focused on cutting the strawberries and not one of her 
fingers off, as she felt Buffy briefly nip her earlobe before grabbing a 
strawberry off the cutting board. 

"Thanks." She grabbed the fattest, juiciest strawberry, took a bite, catching 
the juice as it slid over her lips and let out a little moan of pleasure.  
"Mmmmm this is good, want a bite?"

Faith stood stock still, memories washed over her of the morning they had 
spent in the garden at the Mansion feeding each other fresh fruit for 
breakfast.  She felt a chill go down her spine from Buffy's warm breath 
tickling her neck.  She just nodded her head not wanting to risk stuttering 
again.  

"Open..."

Faith opened her mouth for the strawberry, which Buffy fed to her, then 
started to trail sticky fingertips along her mouth.  Faith couldn't resist, 
she captured them with her mouth, and mumbled around them, "Sweet too..." 

She felt Buffy's free hand skimming up the back of her thigh.  To her 
buttocks, where Buffy paused briefly to massage, knead, then Buffy's hand 
traveled up over the lower half of her back, around to her front not stopping 
until she had one of Faith's breast in the palm of her hand.

"Beeeee......." Faith moaned, as the fever that was Buffy raged through her.  
Then Buffy's other hand swooped down to capture her other breast. 

It took all of her will power not to sink to the ground as Buffy massaged one 
breast almost roughly, while teasing the other with light touches.  Buffy 
started rubbing herself against her back like a cat and Faith's legs began to 
shake.  One of Buffy's hands traveled  down from her breast, drawing little 
patterns over her ribcage, circling her navel, and Faith held her breath in 
anticipation as her hand moved lower still.  She grabbed onto the counter for 
dear life when Buffy nipped the back of her neck and tweaked her clit at the 
same time, a guttural moan escaped her.  They both smelled the bacon and 
sausage start to burn at the same time.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck!!!!!" Faith snarled yanking the toaster oven door open.

Buffy moved from behind Faith to stand next to her, feeling a little guilty, 
considering all the effort Faith was putting into making them breakfast.

"I'm sorry... It looks salvageable. Why don't you let me take care of this 
and the toast and you make the pancakes and eggs.  I promise to be good."

"Don't apologize, B... I'm not mad, just wish I had thought to shut it off is 
all." She leaned down and gave Buffy a soft, tender kiss.  "Let's just get 
food out of the way... this way no more interruptions. 'K?"

"'K..."

They moved quickly, working together to finish making breakfast. And like 
everything else they did together from Slaying to making love, they did it 
with a natural harmony, gracefulness a sort of mirror image of each other.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was washing the pots and pans, feeling Buffy's eyes roaming over her.  
Her body thrilling to Buffy's gaze almost as if it were Buffy's hands, not 
her eyes, tracing hungrily over her skin.  She had almost forgotten how 
easily, how completely just the slightest touch from Buffy sent all her 
senses afire. She was trembling from the desire that was pounding through 
her, afraid to even look down, as she was absolutely certain there was a 
puddle on the floor by her feet.  She continued to wash the dishes almost 
trance like, while Buffy continued to eat her breakfast way too fucking slow!

She should have known better the second Buffy decided to sit right next to 
her and had pulled her chair closer.  She had almost choked on her mouthful 
of pancakes when she had felt Buffy's hand lightly slide up her thigh a 
minute or two after they first started eating.  And Buffy just kept on 
eating, sliding her hand lightly, gently, tenderly along her thigh the whole 
time they ate breakfast. She wasn't really sure what she had eaten, she could 
have eaten a whole stick of butter and wouldn't have noticed it, as Buffy's 
hand slid along her thigh almost absentmindedly. She had practically inhaled 
her breakfast, but Buffy was still eating so fucking slowly they would be a 
hundred years old before she finished.  When she had finished eating she had 
to get up and move, another minute of that delicate touch on her thigh and 
she would have gone completely insane, that was how she ended up washing the 
dishes.

Buffy watched Faith as she finished eating.  She was purposely taking her 
time, trying to sort through all the images she was getting from Faith 
through their bond.  There were things skirting around the edges that Buffy 
didn't think that Faith was even aware of.  She knew Faith wanted her B back 
but Buffy knew she still needed to tread carefully.  There was fear floating 
behind the desire that Faith was feeling, Buffy knew from their bond that 
Faith feared anyone being on top of her right now and Buffy wanted to avoid 
causing that fear to escalate or being associated with her.  There were other 
things too that she feared and even though Buffy knew on a conscious level 
that Faith had no fear of her, on a subconscious level Faith feared anyone 
doing any of those things to her, including Buffy.  Time was the healer now, 
and in time Buffy knew they would work through this together as Faith started 
to work through them on her own.  But she wanted to make sure that she didn't 
force them to the surface before Faith was ready to emotionally deal with 
them.  

After this morning Buffy knew she couldn't go back to acting hesitant to 
touch or be around Faith sexually.  Doing that would give Faith the wrong 
message, make her think that Buffy did see her as a broken, frail version of 
herself and that was the last thing Faith needed.  The problem was how to 
still tread carefully, but be herself at the same time.  She hadn't meant to 
get Faith so worked up while they had been eating breakfast, she had just 
wanted to touch her, so she had.  Now the problem was how to approach her, 
before she would have just finished eating and attacked Faith at the sink, 
but she was worried about what might happen if she did that.  She was brought 
out of her internal musing by Faith's voice.

"B.... please.... please.... finish eating.... " Faith was clutching the pot 
so hard in her hand she was afraid she was going to bend it.  With each 
passing second she became more anxious.  

Everything was spinning round and round in her head again, she was afraid of 
freezing up, afraid of making Buffy feel rejected and she didn't understand 
it, not after this morning.  Why was this happening again, why were all the 
fears resurfacing? How could they be? Especially since her desire to make 
love with Buffy was still there, still as strong, almost painful in how 
aroused she was.  She was so caught up in her head she had no idea that she 
had spoken aloud.

Buffy just decided to follow her instincts, hoping that they once again would 
guide her correctly.  She piled the rest of the dishes from the table and 
carried them over to the sink.  She stood next to Faith, leaning into her a 
little as she placed the dishes into the sink.

"You want help doing the dishes baby?" Buffy asked then leaned up and gently 
kissed the side of Faith's neck.

"Nope almost done... ah... why don't you go relax in the other room and I'll 
be there in a few minutes. 'K?"  Her voice trembled a little as the conflict 
raged on inside of her.  She needed a  few minutes alone to try and sort out 
what was going on in her head and she couldn't do that with Buffy in the same 
room.

Buffy smiled softly at Faith and gently rubbed the back of her neck. 
"Okay..." She started to turn away and then turned back, "Faith?" Buffy 
waited for Faith to turn her head back towards her, she couldn't help but to 
see the confusion in those deep dark, chocolate brown eyes. She leaned up and 
kissed her tenderly, but with passion and love.  She smiled softly at Faith 
again after their lips parted, she turned and walked to the swinging door, 
she turned around once again. "And Faith..."

"Yeah, B..."

"Still gonna get one of those little sexy French maid outfits for you, my 
little woman..." Buffy ducked, ran through the door and giggled when she 
heard the sponge that Faith had winged at her hit the door wetly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stayed motionless in front of the sink after she finished the dishes, 
trying to sort through the jumbled, conflicting thoughts running riot in her 
head.  She realized at some point that she was spending too much time 
thinking about all that could go wrong or might happen, instead of just 
enjoying the way she was feeling, enjoying the way that Buffy could make her 
feel.  She was focusing on the negatives instead of the positives and forcing 
the fears to the surface.  A part of her still believing that after all that 
had happened that somehow her feeling this way was wrong.  This morning had 
been different because she had been concentrating on Buffy and not on 
herself, and had let herself just feel.  She further realized that this would 
probably happen again, would probably happen for a long time to come, but 
that over time it would lessen as she began to believe within herself that 
she deserved all the good things, all the beautiful thing that life had to 
offer.  

She knew what she felt for Buffy was right, knew that wanting to make love 
with Buffy was natural, was a beautiful thing.  She had been reminded, shown 
that this morning and like she had all those months ago Faith made the 
decision not to let her fears, her insecurities, and certainly not what the 
two depraved people who had raised her to believe about herself, rule her 
life anymore.  She deserved this life, she had worked hard on slaying her 
demons, was still working on making amends, finding redemption, and she 
wasn't going to let them, any of them, and not herself destroy this second 
chance or take it away from her.  

It was time she started to learn how to love herself, it was time for her to 
start seeing and believing all the things that Buffy, Angel, Dawn, the 
Scoobs, the LA crew and now the Immortals saw in her and gave herself the 
chance to be happy.  And maybe in the long run being happy was the thing that 
scared her the most, it was something she was for the most part completely 
unfamiliar with, having only known it sporadically over her twenty years.  It 
was something she had never thought she ever deserved or could be and now 
after all this time it was something she found that she had started to 
believe again.  But no more, she owned her life, she had control, they 
didn't, her dark side didn't, the person she had always been deep down inside 
did and she had every intention of making not only her own dreams come true, 
but Buffy's as well

"Hey," she said as she walked out of the kitchen.  She was feeling a little 
bit awkward, a lot shy and nervous, not to mention still aroused.  All and 
all though she felt good, the fear was still there around the edges but she 
felt confident that she could handle it, and, if not, she had Buffy there to 
help her work through it.  

"Hey back." Buffy was sitting on the chaise lounge, she had been idly 
thumbing through the Piers Anthony book they were currently reading from the 
Incarnates series.  She searched Faith's face as she listened to what their 
bond was telling her, all of it came to her.  She smiled encouragingly at 
Faith and just opened her arms to her.

Faith flew across the room and curled up into Buffy's lap, her arms going 
around her at the same time she lay her head down on Buffy's shoulder.  

"How did you know?" Faith's voice was low just barely above a whisper.

"Know what?" Buffy started to gently, but firmly massage the back of Faith's 
neck trying to ease some of the tension she felt beneath her fingertips.

"Well, in the past few weeks every time I got scared or was struggling you 
were right there.  How did you know this time was different; that I wanted to 
try and work through it myself. You knew even before I did."

"I'm not really sure, it just felt different somehow.  It was kind of 
floating around the edges in the bond and I wasn't really sure if you were 
even aware of it yet.  And I guess I am just relying on my instincts in a way 
and I just felt like this was something you needed to figure out or deal with 
on your own.  Was I wrong?"

"No, B.  You weren't wrong and I did need to figure it out by myself."

"And did you? I mean did you figure it out? Do you want to talk about it?" 
Buffy leaned her cheek against the top of Faith's head after she finished 
speaking.

"Yeah I did and no I don't need to talk about it.  It was just kind of hard 
to figure it out while you were in the room, ya know? Then again you probably 
already know that. You..." Faith paused not sure how to explain herself or 
say what she wanted to say.  She gnawed on her bottom lip for a minute, "You 
know what I mean right..." 

The husky laugh Buffy gave her let Faith know that she knew exactly what she 
meant. "I have the same problem Fai.  I have a hard time thinking about 
anything other than you and how you make me feel when you are in the same 
room with me."

Faith started idly playing with the hem of her t-shirt, trying to relax into 
the warmth that was Buffy and the heat from the fire.  She was still nervous, 
which she knew was ridiculous, it wasn't like she was exactly a virgin, but 
she just couldn't shake it.  She felt Buffy gently lay her hand over her own.

"Thought maybe you might like to read to me for a change."  Buffy waved the 
book at Faith.

Faith sat up a little and away from Buffy turning slightly so she could see 
her face.  She knew Buffy had to feel how nervous she was through their bond. 
She searched her eyes and for a few brief seconds she wondered if Buffy was 
seeing her as a broken, frail version of herself.  At Buffy slow shake of her 
head no, Faith knew that wasn't the case.  She finally felt, amid all the 
jumbled thoughts within herself, Buffy's own nervousness.  And what she saw 
in Buffy's eyes, warmth, desire, passion, love and even the lust told her 
everything she needed to know.  Buffy was just giving them the opportunity to 
relax with each other again.  Her B was still there, Faith could see her in 
the impish, mischievous grin Buffy gave her when she realized that Faith had 
figured out everything on her own.  This time it was Faith who relinquished 
all control to Buffy, trusting her to lead them wherever she wanted to go.

She handed the book to Faith and smiled at her, there was a little bit of the 
devil in her eyes that had more gold than normal in them.  Faith smiled back 
at her, her own eyes a little more emerald than normal.

"You sure you want me to read B?" Faith asked her a little hesitantly, she 
still stumbled a little over some of the words when she read aloud.  Reading, 
other than comic books was not a way she had spent a lot of her free time.  
She had found however that it was something she really enjoyed.  It was doing 
it aloud though that she wasn't too enthusiastic about.

"Yeah I do... Can't help it just love the sound of your voice."

"Okay."

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable, lean up a little and I'll rub your 
back.  Get rid of some of that tension I can see you've got going on."

"Wonder where all that tension came from B?"

She leaned forward and kissed Buffy.  A kiss that was full of passion and 
love, that set everything Buffy had within her afire, and didn't exactly put 
out the fire that was running still through Faith's own veins.

"Smart ass... Now read!"  Buffy teased her.  

Faith just gave Buffy a lopsided grin, then moved to reposition herself.  She 
shifted until she was sitting in-between Buffy's leg.  She drew her own knees 
up to her chest and rested the book on them and started to read aloud.

Buffy reached behind her on the floor, she grabbed up the massage oil she had 
warming by the fire.  She pulled Faith's shirt out from under her and then 
liberally poured the oil into her own hands.  She slid her hands up from the 
base of Faith's spine to the base of her neck, smiling with each little sigh 
that escaped from Faith.  She fell into both rubbing the tension from Faith's 
back, neck, shoulders, arms and the sound of Faith's voice as it grew 
increasingly deeper, huskier, and raspier.

Faith found it harder and harder to keep on reading as Buffy's hands moved 
over her.  Massaging out all the tension, soothing away the nervousness, and 
setting every piece of skin she touched ablaze with desire.  She couldn't 
help the mumbled moan that escaped her, "B... feels so good..."

She felt Buffy's hands ease up on the pressure they were exerting.  Buffy 
began to move her hands lightly, slowly, smoothing the silky oil into her 
skin and Faith turned into jello.  She gave up the fight and stopped reading, 
tossing the book to the floor.  She lay her head down atop her knees, closed 
her eyes and just let herself drown in the feelings Buffy's tracing, teasing 
hands were creating in her.

"This would be easier if we took this off, Fai..." 

Buffy's throaty voice sent a chill down Faith's spine.  She simply raised her 
arms and let Buffy remove the t-shirt from her, then she lay her head back 
down on her knees and fell back into the red haze of desire Buffy was 
creating in her.  After a time, though Faith had no idea how long, she felt 
Buffy's gentle hands pulling her back to her.  Faith leaned back into Buffy 
and could do nothing but moan as she felt Buffy dribble warm oil over her 
chest.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her head was resting back on Buffy's shoulder, neck arched, she wasn't quite 
sure how she had ended up in this position, and she really didn't care.  At 
some point she had tried to convince Buffy to remove her t-shirt too only she 
couldn't quite put a complete sentence together. The only thing she cared 
about now was the soft caress of Buffy's breath against her neck.  She arched 
her neck even further as she felt Buffy's mouth, her tongue running along 
it's length.  Her eyes closed, she could have sooner stopped breathing before 
she could stop the little whimpers and moans that escaped from her.

There were little land mines going off all over her body, as she trembled 
from the desire hammering through her.  There was something a little decadent 
about her being a quivering, naked bundle of need, while Buffy still in her 
t-shirt continued to give her the most sensual massage Faith had ever had.  
She was chanting in her head a new mantra of , 'Please B, please B, please 
B...'

She had wanted her B back, and she was certainly getting her. Buffy's hands 
were roaming over her in random patterns, her touch light, gentle, caressing, 
teasing and everything Faith could want.  Only she wanted more of it.  She 
tried to turn in Buffy's embrace wanting to touch her in return, wanting her 
to remove that damn t-shirt that kept Buffy's warm skin from touching her 
own.  

Buffy was totally abandoning herself to what she was feeling, what she was 
feeling through the bond that Faith was feeling.  As she ran her hands, 
smoothing, rubbing, skimming, stroking the warm oil into Faith's skin.  As 
her fingertips, her hands, her senses, remembered, relished the silky, smooth 
texture of Faith. Her skin, her sighs, her breath, her smell, everything.  As 
she just remembered Faith.  She stilled Faith as she tried to turn around, 
her arms came around Faith's waist holding her to her, burying her nose in 
her hair, inhaling the scent that was just her.  That slightly, sweet, spicy, 
musky, scent that was simply just Faith.  

"B... I want to touch you too..." Faith managed to get out, it was getting 
harder to keep a coherent thought in her head as Buffy's hands started to 
move over her breasts again.

"I need... want to just touch you... It feels like forever since I've touched 
you and... and... it's all I want right now.  All I need. Just want to 
concentrate on what you're feeling... Want to feel inside me through our bond 
how you feel when I touch you..."
  
And Buffy realized that she needed this, needed to know that she too could 
make Faith feel this way.  Needed to erase, or start to erase the bad 
memories, needed to replace the hurtful touches with her own loving touch. 
Needed to know that Faith trusted her to keep her safe.

"Please Faith... Please just let me touch you for now..."

And somewhere in the back of her mind Faith knew this had to do with Buffy's 
need to start erasing his touch from her skin, the same way Faith had needed 
to start erasing it from Buffy's.  So she just gave in and let Buffy have her 
way and the smile Buffy gave her was blinding.  

Then Buffy rewove a web of such desire, such want, such blatant need, and 
love completely around her that Faith became lost again in a sea of 
sensations.  

Her whole body jumped, arched up into Buffy's hand as she rolled one of her 
nipples between her fingertips. She turned her head and looked up at Buffy, 
then Buffy's mouth was on hers, she tasted like strawberries and cream and 
Faith moaned Buffy's name into the kiss.  Her arms reached up and she wrapped 
them around Buffy's neck pulling Buffy to her to deepen the kiss. 

Faith was drowning in the kiss, her heart racing, every part of her awake and 
calling out for her mate.

Without stopping the kiss Buffy ran her own hands up from Faith's breasts, 
over the insides of her arms, scraping her nails lightly, knowing that she 
left a trail of goose-bumps behind them.  Then she reversed her direction and 
made her way back down the inside of Faith's arms.  She ran teasing patterns 
over her chest, stopping briefly to tease a nipple, down to her flat stomach, 
to run a single finger over the top of the Faith's trim curls.  Her other 
hand roaming where it pleased, lingering in places only to move on to another 
destination not wanting to leave a piece of Faith skin untouched, unloved. 

Buffy pulled back slightly from the kiss and started to tease Faith with 
light kisses, listening intently to the echoes she was getting from Faith 
through their bond.  

She started to slowly slide her hand into Faith's slick heat, and then 
something almost hidden flashed in the bond they shared. Something Buffy 
didn't even think Faith herself was aware of, at least not yet.  She stopped 
the downward trailing of her hand and began to move it back up it's previous 
path.  She trailed kisses down Faith's jaw line, purring from the caress of 
Faith's breath upon her face, the feel of her trembling with desire in her 
arms.  Then traced a path down the side of Faith's neck, nipping at the 
sensitive spot she remembered from what felt like an eternity ago.  She ran 
her mouth, her tongue along Faith's collarbone, as her hand slid once more up 
the inside of one of Faith's arms, not stopping until she clasped Faith's 
hand with her own.  

Buffy slowly brought both their joined hands down away from her neck, she 
rested them against Faith's stomach.  Her other hand continued on it's random 
path over Faith's body, as her mouth, her tongue, her teeth continued to nip, 
suck, taste Faith's neck and collarbone.  She repositioned their clasped 
hands so that hers was underneath Faiths, and entwined their fingers.  She 
smiled against Faith's neck when she heard the barely mumbled mantra of her 
name that Faith was saying.

Buffy glided their entwined hands down over Faith's six-pack stomach, 
stopping to twirl both their fingers into Faith's cute little belly button.  
Smiling again at the ripple of Faith's muscles under her fingers that had 
absolutely nothing to do with how ticklish she was.  She moved their hands 
down further stopping right above the curls that covered Faith's sex.  She 
felt Faith involuntarily raise her hips seeking out her touch.

"B... please..."  Faith turned her head and buried it into Buffy's neck.  

Her mouth, teeth, tongue, starting their own assault on Buffy's neck.  
Smiling when she felt Buffy tremble and squirm a little behind her.  Her hand 
that was still behind Buffy's neck, drifted upwards, tangling into Buffy's 
hair, her fingertips massaging and raking lightly over Buffy's scalp, 
eliciting a moan from Buffy.

Buffy moved their hands at a torturously slow pace down into Faith's wet, 
hot, core.  

Faith's hips bucked up to greet their fingers, her upper body pressing back 
into Buffy, she bit down hard on Buffy's neck as she moaned loudly into it.

Buffy let out her own moan at the feel of Faith beneath her fingers.  "Oh god 
Faith... it feels so good to touch you..."

She started to move their entwined hands lightly, gently over all of Faith's 
slick center, as Faith tried to press up harder into her hand and at the same 
time tried to force Buffy's hand harder into her.  Only Buffy was having none 
of it. She was determined to touch Faith as lightly, as delicately, as gently 
as possible.  

Faith was in a fog, she was dizzy, on fire, unable to keep still, she 
continued to suck and bite Buffy's neck, mumbling, groaning, whimpering 
against her flesh, as Buffy tortured her with their entwined hands.  She 
growled softly against Buffy's neck in need as she felt their hands slide 
down further over her.  She tried to grind herself into their hands only to 
feel Buffy's free hand slide down her body to her hip keeping her from rising 
up too high, or too hard.

Buffy slid their joined hands down further, letting their fingers press 
shallowly into Faith's entrance.  She didn't make any move to enter Faith, 
she had felt the fear flash to her through their bond.  Just like she was 
afraid of anyone being on top of her, Faith was terrified at the thought of 
anyone, including Buffy, entering her.  

The fear came at Faith out of nowhere, at war with her desire for Buffy to 
touch her. Her whole body stiffened, stilled, her breath caught in her chest 
painfully, while the desire for Buffy to still touch her hammered through 
her.  She fought against the fear and didn't even notice that Buffy's, that 
their entwined hands had stopped moving.  That at no point had Buffy tried to 
enter her, her own hand gripped Buffy's hard, ready to force Buffy's hand 
away from her if she had to.  Through the fear and desire she realized that 
Buffy had been whispering softly to her.  She tried to concentrate on what 
she was saying...

"Faith... baby... Fai... It's okay, I know you aren't ready for that... I'm 
not going to do anything Faith that you don't want me too... I promise... I 
would never do anything Faith, anything ever you didn't want me to.... I love 
you Faith..."  Buffy gave a sigh of relief as she felt Faith start to relax 
back against her again.  

Faith felt the fear receding in her and she began to relax again.  She 
realized that Buffy had let her move her hand away from her center, their 
joined hands were now clasped and laying lightly against her own stomach.  
Somehow or another Buffy had known even before she did that this might 
happen, had already known that Faith wasn't ready or was afraid to have 
anyone including Buffy enter her.  Had in fact not even tried, had stilled 
the motion of their joined hands immediately after just pressing shallowly 
against her, not even really inside her at all. It suddenly dawned on her why 
Buffy had reached up and entwined their hands, she had been giving Faith 
control of her actions.  Giving her the ability to stop Buffy at any given 
moment.  And with that realization the last bit of fear Faith was feeling 
evaporated.

Buffy gently ran her hand soothingly over Faith's hair, neck and shoulder.  
"You okay baby?"

"Yeah B... I am..." Faith lifted a little so she could turn and look at 
Buffy, she captured Buffy's eyes with her own and held them.  "You amaze 
me... you knew even before I did... Didn't you?"

"Yes..."

"How?"

"I felt it through our bond, felt it in you sort of hiding along the edges... 
I don't know really how... I just did.  You know I would never do anything 
that you didn't want me to, don't you Faith?"

"I know you wouldn't B.  And if I didn't know before I do now."  Faith leaned 
towards Buffy and captured her mouth softly with her own.

The kiss started out soft, tender, loving and gentle, and then it grew into 
something more.  The passion that had always been between them flared back up 
and the kiss grew wild, wet, hard, demanding, but still loving.  

Faith felt her desire rise up white-hot and fiercely again.  Actually, 
fiercer than before, because there was no doubt in Faith's mind on a 
conscious or sub-conscious level that Buffy would ever do anything she didn't 
want her to, and that Buffy seemed to be as in tune with what Faith was 
feeling as much as Faith was herself.  

They continued to kiss trying to devour each other with their mouths and 
tongues.  When they finally pulled apart both Slayers' breathing was ragged, 
harsh.  Faith's eyes were half-lidded with her desire and almost completely 
emerald and Buffy's eyes were a decidedly wicked looking gold.

"B... I... I want you... I still want to make love with you..." 

"That's good Fai..." Buffy gave Faith a slow sensual smile that sent Faith's 
pulse racing even harder.  Then she reached down and pulled her own t-shirt 
off, then circled her hands once again around Faith's waist. 

Faith gently grasped each of Buffy's hands that were resting against her 
stomach in each of her own.

"Cause I still want that too baby..." Buffy finished as she gently turned 
Faith until she was once again laying back against her. "I need to touch you 
like I need to breathe..."

Faith sunk back into Buffy, delighting in the feel of Buffy's hot skin 
against her back.  She pushed herself back into Buffy a little further and 
could feel the wet heat of Buffy against her buttocks and she let out a 
little moan.  She felt Buffy pull her even tighter and let out a little moan 
of her own.  Then Faith slowly started to move their joined hands up her own 
body, as she rested her head back against Buffy's shoulder, turning it so she 
could once more, nuzzle into Buffy's neck.  

Faith stopped moving their hands when they reached her breasts, then she 
untangled her hands from Buffy's, leaving Buffy's on her breasts.  With a 
slow, languid, graceful move, Faith raised her arms and reached up over her 
own head to behind Buffy's to wrap her hands behind Buffy's neck.  She gave 
up all control, putting herself into Buffy's safe hands, leaving herself open 
and vulnerable in a way she never had before with anyone, not even Buffy.  
There was absolute, complete trust in her action and in her mate.

Buffy was awed and humbled by the complete trust that Faith just put in her.  
She couldn't even think for a moment she was so astounded, she closed her 
eyes and concentrated solely on what she felt in their bond.  And for the 
first time she could remember in a very long time she felt absolutely no fear 
at all anywhere in what she felt coming from Faith through their bond.

"B?" Faith mumbled to her from Buffy's own neck.

"Do you know how good you feel to me right now..." Buffy smiled as she felt 
Faith sucking, nibbling, biting her neck again and took that as a yes.  
"...and I'm going to have a billion hickeys aren't I?"  She was pretty sure 
Faith mumbled a yes against her neck. "Hmmmm.... well then I guess I am just 
going to have to start all over again, wouldn't want you to feel neglected 
since you are giving me so many little presents..."

With that last statement Faith no longer had any doubt that her B was most 
definitely back.  "You wouldn't B..."

But Buffy would and did. And it felt like an eternity to Faith before Buffy 
had finally made her way once more down towards her center, where Faith now 
swore she would die if Buffy didn't touch her soon.  Buffy had reduced her 
once more into a quivering, moaning, whimpering, need-filled mess. 

Faith's whole body surged up at Buffy's light touch upon her heat.  The 
ripple of desire that touch caused was so intense it started at the bottom of 
her feet and thundered over her body and left Faith barely able to breathe.  
She felt Buffy's mouth hot against the side of her neck as Buffy's other hand 
ran over her, leaving small bonfires wherever she touched.  It felt like 
another eternity had passed as Buffy explored her core with the lightest, 
most delicate touch Faith had ever experienced.

Buffy was breathing heavy against Faith's neck as she felt everything Faith 
was feeling through their bond.  She could feel the shadow-like touches on 
her own skin in the same places that she was touching Faith.  And each time 
Faith raised and lowered her hips she pushed back and into Buffy's own 
overheated, tortured core and then she felt it start in Faith.

"B...???"

"It's okay baby... let go... let it go... I've got you... let go..."

And at the sound of Buffy's voice Faith let herself go.  Her body tried to 
arch and sit up at the same time as the tidal wave of her release crashed 
into her.  Starting from inside of her womb and expanding, exploding through 
every organ, every muscle, every bone, every cell in her entire body.  She 
saw a rainbow of colors behind her closed lids and felt like she was on a 
never-ending roller-coaster ride as she rode the surging crest of each wave.  
She screamed Buffy's name with each contraction ripping through her.

Buffy felt Faith's release echoing through her from their bond with almost 
the same intensity that Faith was feeling it.  She reveled in it, a part of 
her freed from her own fears that she could ever make Faith feel this way 
again, that Faith would ever trust her enough to relinquish her own tight 
control and just let herself go like she had been able to before.  Then she 
couldn't think anymore as she was overwhelmed with what Faith was feeling, 
her own senses drowning in what Faith was sharing with her through their 
bond.  She was hanging on the edge of release in exquisite torture and knew 
that if Faith so much as touched her she would go hurtling over the edge.

In the midst of the maelstrom of her release Faith felt Buffy right there 
with her, holding her safe.  Right there on the razor's edge of release just 
from touching her, just from feeling what she was feeling.  And she released 
her death grip around the back of Buffy's neck and somehow managed to get her 
hand in-between their bodies, while her own body continued to thrash.

"FAITH!"  Buffy screamed as just the single touch of Faith's fingers on her 
sent her spiraling into her own climax. She clung to Faith as the same tidal 
wave that hit Faith caught her in it's wake and dragged her down into the 
swirling storm.

Faith felt herself start to climax again as what Buffy was feeling washed 
over her through their bond.  Neither Slayer had any sense of time passing as 
they got caught up in the storm together, until finally they collapsed into, 
onto each other.  They held onto each other tightly as their bodies quieted, 
murmuring all the silly, sweet nonsense that lovers whisper until they both 
drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...I knew I loved you before I met you / I think I dreamed you into life / I 
knew I loved you before I met you / I have been waiting all my life / A 
thousand angels dance around you / I am complete now that I've found you / I 
knew I loved you before I met you / I think I dreamed you into life / I knew 
I loved you before I met you / I have been waiting all my life -- Savage 
Garden
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
She slowly clawed her way out of sleep.  She was sprawled out on top of
Buffy, who had her arms wrapped tightly around her, almost as if she
were afraid of losing her.  She raised her head up from Buffy's chest
and looked down at Buffy's peaceful face with sleepy eyes.  Once again
she was stunned by how beautiful, how young and innocent Buffy looked in
sleep.  
 
She smiled lavishly at the innocent part.  Buffy had more than proven
that she was far from innocent.  Then again Faith mused to herself,
there still was something, a part of Buffy that was uniquely na•ve and
innocent.  There was very little guile or deceptiveness in Buffy.
Despite or in spite of all the evil that both of them knew existed in
the world, both mundane and supernatural, Buffy still managed to look at
the world through the eyes of a child with wide-eyed wonder and
amazement.  Since being with Buffy, Faith found that she was learning
from Buffy how to see the world with the same wide-eyed wonder and
amazement.  She would have been surprised to know that Buffy thought
that it was Faith who had taught her how to see the world again this
way, not the other way around.
 
Faith gently tried to rise up and untangle herself from Buffy's arms.
Still half asleep, she didn't realize how close to the edge of the
chaise lounge they were and for the second time in twenty-four hours
both Slayers went tumbling to the floor.  Faith somehow managed to twist
them so that Buffy fell on top of her.  She landed on her back with an
undignified grunt, the bottle of massage oil exploding under her.
Thankfully, she managed to get Buffy's arms out from around her before
they landed on the floor.
 
Buffy jumped up into a fighting stance the second after they landed on
the floor. She had no clue what happened, her eyes were feral gold,
flickering around the room looking for their attacker.  Her hair was a
sunlit halo flying wildly around her head, she was snarling, baring her
teeth and she was purely primal.
 
Faith didn't think she had ever seen anything so wild, untamed, sensuous
as Buffy was right now, so primitive and savage in all her naked glory.
The ancient part of her, that was part of both of them now cried out
wildly from deep inside her for it's, for their, for her mate.
 
She heard a soft rumbling, growling purr calling to her from her mate
and from deep inside of herself, she heard an answer to that ancient
call.  She looked down to see Faith smiling wickedly at her, her eyes
almost solid emerald as they raked heatedly over her.  As quickly as she
had risen from the ground Buffy returned to it.  
 
She captured Faith's mouth in a carnal kiss, their tongues dueling for
dominance that both knew neither could win.  They sought to devour each
other in that kiss as they tumbled over each other rolling in the oil
across the floor, knocking over everything in their path.  Breaking
apart for only the briefest of seconds for air before they continued to
kiss furiously.  
 
Faith forced her leg between both of Buffy's, her thigh pressing
demandingly up against Buffy slick wet heat.  She felt Buffy's hands
grab her hips, forcing her down onto Buffy's own thigh hard, moving her
to the same rhythm as Buffy was moving upon Faith's thigh.  They were
both covered in the musky scented oil and each other's wetness.  Faith's
fingers were digging into Buffy's shoulders and she knew she would leave
marks, just like Buffy was going to leave marks upon her hips and
buttocks.  She looked down into Buffy's gold eyes, somehow knowing way
down deep inside of her that Buffy had let her, had stopped fighting and
had simply let her be on top.  Then any coherent thought fled and just
pure animalistic desire took its place, the same animalistic desire that
was coming to Faith in waves from Buffy through their bond.
 
They were out of control, more like the two predatory panthers that not
only they likened themselves to, but now others who saw them fight did
as well.  There was nothing gentle about their passion as they scratched
and clawed, bit and sucked upon each other's flesh. Despite the savagery
of their lovemaking, there was innate tenderness and love in the rough
caresses of their hands and mouths and an acute awareness of what the
other was feeling, sharing with each other through their bond.
 
"Don't... fucking stop... Faith..."  Buffy growled unsure where this was
coming from, but not caring as long as it wasn't scaring her mate.  She
dug the heels of her feet into the ground, pushing herself up harder,
grinding herself into Faith well-muscled thigh.
 
"Won't... can't... don't want to..."  Faith snarled back, almost a
little scared of how they were, but not enough to pull back from the
intensity of the purely primitive feelings running through her and
through Buffy.  
 
She felt Buffy's nails raking down her back and arched into the touch
loving it, growling low.  
 
"Oh fuck B... god... yes... B... B..."  Then her head dropped down to
Buffy's neck, her mouth latching onto it.  Biting, sucking, at Buffy's
pulse point.  
 
Her hand somehow managed to get between them to find Buffy's swollen nub
at the same time that Buffy found hers.  They were moving together, in
sync with each other, mirror images of light and dark, the same, but
separate.  
 
She began to mumble without any conscious thought, growling against
Buffy's skin, "Mine... mine... mine..."  
 
"Faith... Yours always... YOURS!!!! FAI!!!"
 
She felt Buffy's nails rake over her back again and she bit down hard,
not even realizing that she broke the skin, drew blood and marked Buffy
as hers. 
 
Buffy screamed in primal pleasure as she felt Faith bite down hard on
her pulse point.  Something inside of her was unleashed as she felt
Faith's teeth break her skin and her whole being was hurtled head long
into release with the same impact as slamming into a cement wall doing a
thousand miles an hour.  She rocked up into Faith hard almost knocking
her from her.  
 
Without thinking, her arms came around Faith's neck, pulling all of
Faith roughly down to her.  Buffy began the same mumbled growling chant
against Faith's neck, "Mine... mine... mine...." Her own mouth sought
out Faith's pulse point and she bit down hard, breaking the skin,
drawing blood, marking Faith as hers in return. 
 
"Yours... Fuck... YOURS B!!!!" Faith screamed even louder than Buffy as
she was dragged down and submerged in what Buffy was feeling. The same
thing unleashed inside of her as she felt Buffy mark her as hers.  Then
she too hit the same wall as Buffy as her climax slammed through her.
Her body shuddering, contracting, arching almost violently into Buffy as
Buffy arched with the same force into her.
 
Neither Slayer could do anything but cling onto the other as they fed
off, and fed each others ecstasy through their bond.  Their cells,
genes, chromosomes remembering, acknowledging where, and who they came
from, ancient, primal as man once had been.  The part of them that at
one time had been just the Slayer, now completely merged with them, and
now was them. The need to be what they were born to be, predators,
huntress', lovers, warriors, mates, primal, feral, soul-mates, gentle,
loving, caring all the things they were before and all the things they
were now.  They were one with their ancestry, one with each other, one
but two. 
 
They clung to each other lost in the firestorm together until it became
too much and they both passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
When Buffy woke, it was dark out.  Faith was still sprawled out on top
of her, her breathing even and steady in sleep.  She gently stroked
Faith's hair back from her forehead.
 
"Hey sleepy head..." It hurt a little to talk, her voice was scratchy,
hoarse, and Buffy felt herself blushing just thinking about why it was
that way.
 
"Umm... B?" Faith lifted herself from Buffy and groaned in protest she
almost felt like she had been beaten up.  Then she felt herself start to
turn scarlet as she realized why she was so sore. 
 
They both sat up facing each other, not quite able to look the other in
the eye.  Both had acquired a case of the 'shys.'  
 
Buffy looked down at her own body and saw the scratches, bruises, finger
marks, and then she sneaked a peek at Faith's body from under lowered
lashes and the curtain of her hair.  Faith was covered in them too,
along with hickey's and bite marks, which Buffy was sure she had as
well.  Then the fear slammed into her at the thought that she might have
hurt Faith.  She felt the panic and tears well up in her as she
illogically thought for a minute that the damage on her own body was
from Faith trying to get away from her.  Before she knew what happened
she was pulled onto Faith's lap, Faith's strong arms surrounding her,
holding her impossibly close.
 
"No... Giz.... you didn't hurt me... You could never hurt me..." Faith
whispered, lifting Buffy's head up so she could look into her eyes.  She
put everything into that gaze, into her words, into their bond.  "Even
in the middle of all of it. Whatever it was, you still had enough
control to let me be on top... Cause you know I'm afraid of anyone, even
you of being on top of me..."  Faith gave Buffy a sweet lopsided grin
and felt herself grow scarlet again.
 
"Really?"  Buffy's voice shook a little, her bottom lip trembled and
Faith couldn't resist her, she leaned in and kissed her.  Her kiss was
filled with tenderness, softness, and a world of love.
 
"Yes, really..."  She hugged Buffy to her tighter, both Slayers' let out
a little moan at the soreness the hug reminded them of and then they
both started giggling.
 
"That was... Whatever it was... was..."
 
"Intense..."
 
"Wow..."
 
"Hot..."
 
"Fierce..."
 
"And wicked evil B..."  Faith finished then they both started giggling
again.
 
"Wanna do it again F?"  Buffy growled out as she delicately ran her
nails down Faith's arm.  
 
She couldn't resist the lure of running her fingers over to one of
Faith's breasts after seeing Faith's nipples harden at the touch of her
finger's on her arm.  She stopped only briefly in her wandering then
slid her hand up to Faith's neck, brushing her hair back over her
shoulder, her eyes grew wide as she saw the teeth marks.  Her hand flew
away from Faith's neck to her own when she remembered she wasn't the
only one who had broken skin.
 
Faith snapped out of the haze of desire Buffy was weaving around her
when she saw Buffy's stunned expression.  Then she tasted it, the
slightly coppery taste of blood in her mouth and her own hand flew to
her neck.  Her eyes grew round and her mouth dropped open slightly.
 
"Oh shit..."  Buffy looked at Faith then gently moved her hand away to
see what she had done.  She saw her teeth marks on Faith's pulse point,
the skin bruised, broken.  Something ancient and extremely primal
growled, purred in satisfaction inside of her as she looked at her mark
on her mate's skin.
 
Faith gazed just as intensely at the mirror mark on Buffy's skin.  That
same ancient, primal part of her growling, purring in satisfaction,
possessiveness' at the sight of her mark upon her mate's skin.  The word
slipped out of its own volition in a low, husky growl.  "Mine..."  She
leaned forward and reverently, tenderly, kissed the mark, running her
tongue over it.
 
Buffy's shuddered with almost volatile desire at the feel of Faith's
mouth and tongue upon the mark Faith had given her.  Her response came
out harsh, low, throaty, "Yours..."  She pushed Faith back from her, her
own mouth seeking out her mark upon Faith.  And she too, kissed her mark
on Faith with stunned awe and possessiveness, the word slipping from her
without conscious thought, "Mine..."
 
"Yours..." Faith purred, as she pulled Buffy's face up to hers and they
kissed with raw desire and love as they claimed each other for always.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
At the insistent chiming of the absurd magical doorbell, Faith tore her
mouth away from Buffy's, lifting herself up to her hands and knees, and
hovered over Buffy.  They had been a tangled heap on the floor in front
of the fireplace on the other side of the room from where they had
started.  With a quick look around Faith realized the room looked like a
hurricane had blown through it.  She forgot why she had stopped kissing
Buffy as Buffy slid down under her and wrapped her mouth around one of
Faith's painfully stiff nipples. 
 
The doorbell chimed again and Faith remembered the reason. 
 
"WHAT?!!!?" she snarled out.  
 
Would they ever catch a break?  Someone always seemed to be interrupting
them.
 
"F... Faith?"  Came Dawn's hesitant voice from the magical two-way
intercom.
 
"Gamin?"  Faith asked then bit her lip to keep from moaning as Buffy's
hand decided to keep her other breast from feeling lonely.
 
"Did you guys forget that I was coming here tonight?"
 
"YES! YES!"  Faith couldn't stop the scream as Buffy's hand moved lower
and started circling her clit.  Her arms almost gave out.  She looked
down into Buffy's mischievous eyes.  She mouthed to her, 'B, stop,'
though she made no move to get away from Buffy's insistent hand.  
 
Buffy just gave Faith an impish grin and started to move her fingers
over Faith's center in all the ways that she knew would drive Faith
headlong to the edge.
 
"B... oh fuck... B stop... fuck..."  Faith whispered low not wanting
Dawn to hear her, as her body moved to the dictates of Buffy's hand.
 
"Don't wanna Fai... not gonna..."  Buffy increased the pressure of her
fingers against Faith's wet, hot core.  She was purring as she watched
Faith's face as she felt Faith's body moving to her rhythm. 
 
"OH HELLOOOOOO!!!!  You guys there or what?" 
 
Both Slayers could hear the irritation in Dawn's voice.  She couldn't
get past the magical protection barrier until one of them gave their
permission.
 
"Hang on a second Dawnie..."  Buffy voice was calm and did not betray
how far from calm both Slayers actually were. 
 
"B..."  Faith gasped, she tried again, "B... stop... stopohchrist...
stop... no... fuck... don't... yes... stop... pleasepleaseB..."
 
"Don't want to stop... what I want is to taste you Faith..."  Buffy
whispered to her and she heard Faith's breathing hitch up another notch
as she bucked into her hand hard at just the thought.  She heard the
little whimpering, panting moans start that told her Faith was right
there on the edge.  She moved her fingers to focus where she knew would
take Faith those last few steps.
 
"Come on you guys! Let me in... Can I come in now pleaaaaasssssssseeee?"
 
"Should I let her in Faith?" Buffy whispered as she gazed up at Faith,
her eyes wicked, as her hand, her fingers kept moving on, sliding over
Faith's overheated center. "You want me to stop Fai?......"
 
"NO! DON'T!"  Faith lowered her voice again, whimpering.
"Udon'tplayfairB... God!!!Don'tstopdon'tstop... Fuck... ohgodohgod..."
She pushed herself harder into Buffy's hand as she continued to hold her
eyes, the world for her narrowing down, Dawn no longer existed, it was
just her and Buffy, and where Buffy was taking her.  
 
"B... I'm... ahBI'mgonnaB..."  Her body stilled than bucked into Buffy's
hand hard, her head snapped back, her whimper turned into a full blown
scream. "B, I'mmmm... CUMMMMIINNNNN'!!!!" 
 
"About time you guys let me in!  Thought I was going to be out here
forever.  I can't wait to see you guys!"
 
"OH SHIT! NO! WAIT!!!!..."  Buffy yelled over Dawn, it wasn't Dawn who
answered her, but Faith.  Their side of the magical intercom had turned
off the second Dawn was given permission to enter into the area for the
Slayers' cottage and Buffy knew that Dawn hadn't heard her.
 
"BCAN'TWAIT!!!... AAHHHHFUCKBEEEE!!!!"  Faith was oblivious to what had
just happened.  Dawn was completely forgotten, as she started chanting
Buffy's name with each contraction of her body as her climax surged
through her veins like lava.  
 
She collapsed on top of Buffy unable to hold herself up as she was
dragged down into the riptide of her release.  Buffy crawled out from
under her and haul her up to her feet, her body still in the throes of
her climax.  Buffy started dragging her towards the bathroom.  Her legs
trembling so hard she wasn't sure if she could walk, she clung to Buffy
for dear life.  
 
Faith stumbled behind Buffy confused, disoriented, as her released
slowed and changed to just little aftershocks firing off in her body.
 
"What?  No cuddling..."  She mumbled to Buffy, who turned and kissed her
hard on the mouth quickly.
 
"Later, I swear later..."
 
Dawn walked into the cottage just in time to see the flash of naked
buttocks going into the bathroom, before the door slammed shut.  She
looked first at the front door hanging by only one hinge.  Then at the
mess around the room, the floor streaked with oil, the sheets and
comforter balled up and in a corner, on the floor.  One of the reading
lamps was knocked over and lay on its side and someone had shoved the
recliner up against the wall.  She may have only been a teenager, but
even she could put two and two together and get four.  Then it suddenly
dawned on her that Faith hadn't been telling her to, 'Come in...' 
 
Dawn felt herself turn beat red, but she still couldn't wait for them to
come out of the bathroom.  This week was going to be so much fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Faith leaned up against the counter after the door slammed shut.  She
was still a little confused; she looked at Buffy who was just smiling at
her with an amused look on her face.
 
"We almost scarred Dawn for life..."  And Buffy couldn't help but to
giggle at the befuddled look Faith gave her. 
 
"What are you talking about B?"  Faith asked her, it was sort of
floating around the edges of her mind what Buffy was talking about, but
it was refusing to surface.  She reached out a hand and started rubbing
the hair that rested against Buffy's breast between her fingers.
 
"Well, my little screamer.  You forgot the 'G' when you screamed so it
sounded like you screamed 'Come in' instead of 'Cumming' and the
protective barrier dropped to let Dawn in.  It's a good thing it takes a
few minutes to walk here from the portal entrance." 
 
"Not my fault B.  It was yours, I told ya to stop."  Faith pouted, her
own eyes taking on a decidedly impish glint.
 
"Really F?  Was that between the, 'YES B's' or the 'Fuck B, ohgodohgod'
or the 'Stop, don't stop B's' or the 'PleasepleaseB's'?"  Buffy teased
her back.
 
"What can I say B, you make me forget the rest of the world exists when
you touch me."  Faith grinned lopsidedly at Buffy but her eyes were
sincere and before she knew it, she found her arms suddenly filled with
a golden-haired Slayer, kissing her sloppily, happily all over her face.
 
"You know Faith for someone who claims not to know all the pretty words,
you always say the best, sweetest things.  You're just so damn cute, so
friggin adorable, so sweet and cuddly..."
 
"No way B... I am a Bad Ass Tuff Girl!  There ain't nothin' sweet about
me, I'm tuff and mean," Faith huffed and shook her head in denial.  "So
there..." and stuck her tongue out at Buffy to prove her point.
 
Buffy gently stroked the side of Faith's face, "Okay baby, you can be a
Bad Ass Tuff Girl if you want..."  She smiled at Faith, and mumbled
under her breath, "...in your dreams... and not with me you're not..."
 
Before Faith got a chance to answer Buffy, Dawn started pounding on the
bathroom door.
 
"Are you guys ever coming out or what?  I wanna go to Mars' early so I
can play Final Fantasy Ten, he got a copy before everyone else."
 
"No way Gamin I'm playing first..."
 
"Nah uh Faith I am!"  Dawn yelled through the door.
 
Faith snatched her robe off the hook on the door, put it on, grabbed
Buffy's, threw it at her, giving her a second to put it on before she
opened the door. 
 
"Are not!"  She yelled back at Dawn.
 
"Am too Grassssssshoppper!"
 
"Are not BRAT!"
 
"Are too!"
 
"Are not!"
 
"Oh my god I live with two-year-olds..."  Buffy mumbled, shaking her
head.
 
"I heard that!"  Both Dawn and Faith yelled at Buffy.
 
"I'm going to take a shower, while you two fight about some stupid
game..."  Buffy laughed at them turning around.
 
"Am too going first and thanks for finally letting me 'comme innn' by
the way, Faith."
 
Buffy almost tripped when she heard what Dawn said, she started to
giggle so hard she began choking.  Faith's mouth dropped open as she
stared at Dawn smirking at her.  She turned around and started pounding
Buffy on the back when she heard her choking.  Mumbling under her breath
something about, 'Summers' women not playing or fighting fair.'
 
"Enough! Enough... I'm fine, Faith..."  Buffy turned around and kissed
Faith quickly on the lips, "I'm getting in the shower now."
 
"Okay. I'm gonna get something to eat, I'm wicked hungry."
 
"Gee that's a big surprise," Dawn smirked out.
 
Faith turned beet red as she huffed off to the kitchen, the giggles of
both of the Summers' sisters following her. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
"What's she doing in there?  She's been in there like forever... We're
never gonna get there early enough to play the game."
 
Faith was saved having to answer Dawn by a knock on the broken front
door. 
 
"Commme innn!"  Dawn yelled and then threw another smirk Faith's way, it
grew bigger as she saw Faith blush. 
 
"Dawn..."  She hissed, before greeting the two Immortals, "Hey.... Nice
toolbox Gran!"  Faith had called the Immortals from the kitchen to come
and fix the door when she was making herself and Buffy a sandwich.
 
"So when did you and Buffy break the door?"  Dawn started giggling when
she saw all three adults blush, this was turning out to be way more fun
then she had hoped.
 
"We didn't, Gran and Kiddo did.  They ah, they... oh fuc... ah you two
explain.  I'm going to see what's taken B so long."  Faith grumbled and
stormed off to the bathroom, mumbling under her breath something about
not being warned that becoming redeemed made you stupid, and blush all
the friggin' time. 
 
"So... what happened?"  Dawn gave Clotho and Lilith her best innocent
look, though neither missed the smirk that was lurking around the
corners of her mouth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Faith stomped into the bathroom, still mumbling under her breath, she
couldn't believe Dawn heard her.  She was never going to be able to look
her in the face again and Dawn and Buffy were never going to let her
live it down.  
 
She stopped stomping and mumbling when she turned the corner and saw a
naked Buffy in the shower.  Head tipped back, eyes closed, hands running
the soft looking washcloth over her breasts, down to her abdomen.
Faith's whole body clenched with renewed desire and she could feel the
whispery soft, shadow-like, touch of the washcloth on her own skin.  She
took off her robe and let it drop carelessly to the floor as she
stealthily made her way over to join Buffy in the shower, mumbling under
her breath again.
 
Buffy was aware of Faith the second she entered the bathroom, she felt
her through their bond, she felt her through their connection as
Slayer's, she just felt her period.  Her own body was still throbbing
with unfulfilled desire, Dawn having interrupted them way too soon.  
 
They both had forgotten Dawn was coming today to spend a week with them.
This was going to be hell, especially after what just had happened.  If
she knew her little sister the way she thought she did, Dawn would make
it her mission not to give them more than a few minutes alone the whole
time she was here.
 
She heard Faith still mumbling as she slipped into the shower with her,
she leaned back into her as Faith's arms came around her from behind.
 
"What are you mumbling about baby?"
 
"Friggin Dawn, blushing, commme in, the Immortals fixing the door, maybe
get Red and Blondie to do a soundproof spell at the Mansion, us turning
into lust-puppies, friggin' little pink rabbit with sunglasses and a
drum..."
 
"Lust-puppies and a pink rabbit?  You got a fever Faith?"  Buffy said
giggling as she turned around and wrapped her arms around Faith.
 
"You know lust-puppies; we are lust-puppies, fucking, making love all
day long like we're in heat.  Like that damn bunny, that just keeps
goin' an goin'.  And the fever I have is you B cause all I can think
about is touching you, wanting you to touch me and now we've got a whole
friggin' houseful of people."  Faith pouted.
 
"You complaining about wanting to make love Faith?  And for the record I
don't fuck!  I, we, make love."  Buffy teased her, running a hand down
Faith's arm, then softly stroking her face.
 
"Hell no I ain't complaining!  And for the record B, we make love, but
we also fuck, though it's different 'cause it's not just fucking.  It's
fucking but making love at the same time.  And I know that doesn't
really make sense but it does sort of, doesn't it?"  She looked at Buffy
and then continued not waiting for her to answer her, "But I guess it
isn't just fucking 'cause it's done with love and I don't know whatever
it is, whatever we do together is beautiful, you are beautiful. So..."
Faith stopped her rambling, gave Buffy a cocky lopsided grin and then
kissed the living shit out of her.  
 
Buffy grabbed onto Faith's shoulders as her knees started to give out,
as her air, her strength, was kissed right out of her by Faith.  By the
time the kiss ended, she found herself firmly being held up against the
shower wall, and Faith was giving her a wicked, down right evil smile. 
 
"And B..."  Faith ran her hand up from Buffy's waist, her fingers
capturing and teasing one already hard nipple.  "If you don't want
Gamin, Kiddo and Gran pickin' on you all week too, I suggest you be
quiet..."  Faith started kissing Buffy again before she could answer
her.
 
Buffy could do nothing but bite her bottom lip and gasp as Faith's
mouth, tongue, hands seemed to be everywhere all at once.  She whimpered
low in her throat as Faith trailed her mouth down the column of her
neck, stopping to taste briefly again where her mark was, then trailed
down further to capture one of her nipples between her lips.  Her teeth
biting it gently, her tongue torturing it with hard then soft flicks and
for a second Buffy thought she was going to come just from Faith's mouth
on her breast.  Then Faith started to move lower, slowly trailing her
tongue down her stomach, sinking to her knees and Buffy stopped her,
pulling her back up.  
 
"No..."
 
"But, B..."
 
"I want you to... God, I want you to, but Faith there would be no way in
hell I could be quiet... At least this way I can bury my head in your
neck..."  Buffy leaned up into Faith and kissed her with everything she
was feeling, every nerve in her body was screaming for Faith to touch
her.  "I need you to touch me so bad right now Fai..."
 
Buffy's whole body rocked when Faith slid her hand between her legs.
She felt Faith move to straddle one of her thighs and Buffy pressed up
into her, incapable of anything more at the moment, as she was
overwhelmed with the sensations flooding her body.  
 
Faith slid her hand, her fingers into Buffy's heat.  Her whole being
thrilled with the feel of how hot, how swollen, how ready Buffy was.
She slid further, her fingers poised at Buffy's entrance, "B?"  She
questioned softly and waited for Buffy to raise her eyes up to her. 
 
"Yes..."  Then Buffy thought she would die from the sheer pleasure, the
tenderness, the gentleness, the love that was the touch, in the slow way
that Faith entered her.  
 
She was floating on a wave of incredible sensations as Faith slowly
moved within her, then she felt Faith's thumb circle up to brush against
her clit with the same tender, gentle touch of her fingers within her
and Buffy was lost.  Her head fell back against the shower wall and
Faith quickly took advantage of her exposed neck.  Raining hard and soft
kisses, along with the water that beat a steady tempo down on both of
them as she moved her own throbbing wet core on Buffy's thigh.
 
"B... touch me... Please..."
 
Buffy lowered her thigh and slid her hand down over Faith's breast,
stopping to tease a stiff nipple, lingering until she heard Faith's
barely whispered, 'Please.'  Her eyes were closed as her hand drew a
mental image of Faith in her mind.  Her hand slid down further over
Faith's fluttering stomach, unable like always to resist stopping to
swirl around and into Faith's belly button.  She continued her downward
trek at the subtle thrust of Faith's hips against her slowly moving
hand.  Her fingers traced momentarily at the thin line of Faith's wiry
hair that covered her sex, then finally slid lower into Faith's heat.  
 
"God... Faith... so wet... so warm..."
 
"Open your eyes... B... please open your eyes for me..."  Faith waited
for Buffy to open her eyes, she smiled softly at her.  "B... I..." Faith
was unable to finish her sentence as Buffy touched her just as softly,
as gently, as tenderly, with as much love as she was touching Buffy.
 
She stared up into her mate's eyes, seeing all Faith felt for her.
Remembering briefly a time when Faith hid all she was, all she felt
behind those amazing eyes.  Buffy found herself lost now in them, lost
in all she saw in them. 
 
"I love you Faith..."
 
Their hands, mouths and tongues started to move more urgently against,
upon each other.  They were lost in each other's eyes, the rest of the
world ceased to exist for them.  It consisted of just them, and who they
were, and who they were together, as they continued to take the other to
a place that they only had ever been able to get to with each other.
 
"So closesoclose... Faith... please..."
 
Then Faith took Buffy over the edge into sweet release, into the
tumultuous storm that was the two of them and Buffy took Faith right
along with her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Neither of them had thought to bring clothes into the bathroom, so they
were forced to go back out into the main room of the cottage in their
silk robes.  They noticed right off that someone had straightened up the
room and made up the bed for them.  They saw first the smirking face of
Lilith who just lifted an elegant eyebrow at them, then Clotho who
actually gave them a very Lilith/Faith-like knowing look, to Dawn who
just out and out smirked at them.
 
Faith pulled clothes out of the dresser and closet as fast as possible,
before someone, Dawn, said anything.
 
"Faith..."  Lilith started, and Faith felt the hair on the back of her
neck stand up just by her tone.  "It's too hot out for turtlenecks."
 
"She knows that, they just want to hide the fact that they had a hickey
contest today..."
 
"DAWN!"  Both Slayers' yelled at her.
 
"What? It looks like all four of you had a hickey contest today.  Who
won anyway?"
 
"DAWN!"  This time both the Slayers' and the Immortals' yelled at her.
 
"Well it does..."
 
The Slayers' stomped off to the bathroom to finish getting ready, both
now mumbling under their breath.  While the two Immortals couldn't help
but to laugh and think to themselves that the Slayers' were in for a
quite a ride when it came to raising Dawn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crow had beaten them to Mars' house and no amount of bribing, or
threats, by either the Key or the Slayer, could get him to give up the
controller to the PlayStation2.  An elderly man, with shocking white
hair, and an equally white goatee, of impressive height didn't ask, he
just shut the game off, before Crow even had a chance to save it and
took the game cartridge.  While Crow cried out in protest, the Key and
the Slayer laughed and told him it served him right.  

The distinguished looking gentleman, turned his piercing blue eyes on
Faith, he held out his hand to her in greeting.  "I'm Christopher,
everyone just calls me Chris, I am also Crow's father.  You must be
Faith one of the Chosen. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Ah yeah, you too?"  Faith shook his hand back.  

She still found it strange, awkward, when people, or an Immortal in this
case, were glad to meet her, she wasn't used to this type of reaction
from people.  She shifted from foot to foot a little uncomfortable under
his intense gaze and unconsciously called for Buffy.  She was saved from
having to try to make small talk when Mars' voice bellowed from the
other room that dinner was ready and for everyone to get their lazy
asses into the dinning room now!

Everyone was there, the Scoobs, including the newest members James and
Gary, the LA Crew, Luc, Atropos, Lachesis, who was escorted in by Spike
to everyone's amazement, Lily, Clotho and Lilith, as well as Crow's
mother, Charlotte. They sat down at the massive table that could have
easily sat fifty.  They ate until they were all ready to explode and
everyone except for Mars stayed away from the tequila this time.  Both
Slayers gave a small sigh of relief that Dawn had decided not to 'bust
their balls' so to speak, about what had happened earlier at the
cottage.  What they didn't realize, as they sat around the table
drinking coffee and having dessert, was they should have been looking in
another direction.

"So..."  Angel began and then to everyone's, well almost everyone's
utter amazement, he smiled.  "Why didn't one of the four of you invite
Spike and I to participate in your little contest?  'Cause I would have
to say without a doubt we would have won hands down."

Angel just smiled again at Lilith, Clotho, Faith and Buffy as they all
shot wooden daggers at him.  He even winked at them.

"What contest are you talking about Peaches?"  Spike asked him playing
along, then he too winked at them.

"Soul-boy... Junior..."  Faith threatened, Spike and Angel just gave her
their best innocent looks.

"Oh the one to see who can give the most or was it get the most..."

"WellMarsthanksforareallyniceeveningbutFaithandIhavetogonow.Itwasnicesee
ingeveryoneagain.Byenow.ComeonFaith."  Buffy rushed out in one long
exhale while grabbing Faith's hand and pulling her out of her chair.

"I don't know Angel, I think Luc and I could give you and Spike a run
for your money."  Atropos laughed then just reached out and pulled Faith
back down into her chair.  "Oh, and you two can't leave yet, there is
something that Chronos Senior needs to talk to you, well all of us about
first."

"Yes well, before we move onto that let me just say I doubt a one of you
could beat Charlotte and myself."

"Dad!  That's gross.  I don't want to hear about you and Mom doing that
stuff."

"Dawn you are so gonna pay for this you big mouth..."  Buffy snarled at
her out of the corner of her mouth.

"Me? Me?  I didn't do anything.  I didn't say a word.  You'd have to be
blind not to see the twenty billion hickeys all of you have."

Faith just dropped her head on the table and groaned, she felt the blush
starting from her feet and working its way up.  She felt Buffy running
her hand soothingly over her back; she wasn't used to this yet.  All
this teasing.  All these people being nice to her.  All these people
actually liking her.  She knew the old her would have just gotten angry
and told everyone to 'Fuck off.'  She hadn't a clue how to act now.

"It's okay, baby.  You can sit up."  Buffy gently pulled Faith back into
a sitting position, Faith opened her eyes and stared right into Cordy's
amused, evil looking ones.

{Oh Shit!  Queen C came out to play!  Go on just say whatever it is...
go on I'm waiting...}

"OH MY GOD!  I didn't know you could blush Faith!"

Faith just shot a look at Cordy, groaned and started to drop her head
back down on the table again, Buffy stopped her.  Faith turned and
looked at her, her eyes pleading with Buffy to make them stop.

"Are we all done yet?"  Buffy huffed at them.

"Yes, well, I believe Buffy the answer to that would be no.  But if I
were a betting man I would place my money on myself and my fellow
Englishman Wesley beating you all out in that department."  Giles told
her in his best proper English speaking voice.  

Buffy and Faith's mouths both dropped open; they had figured if anyone
would put a stop to this it would be Giles.  Wesley started to open his
mouth to say something when Buffy jumped up and started almost shouting.

"Okay fine!  Fine!  I have hickeys!  Faith has hickeys.  Clotho's has
hickeys.  Lilith has hickeys!  Ya happy now?!!?  Want to see all of them
'cause there are a few you can't see.  Well?  Anybody?"  Now that her
little temper tantrum was over Buffy felt like an idiot.  She felt the
blush rising up to her face, she slumped down into her chair and decided
to imitate her mate and dropped her head down onto the table.

"I think you guys broke her."  Faith leaned down close to Buffy and
whispered for her ears only, "Maybe I should take you home and fix ya
B." 

"Yes..." Buffy whispered back just as low.

"Hey Gran can I borrow your toolbox..."  Faith looked at Lilith and gave
her a wicked grin.   

Buffy's head popped up from the table, she looked at Faith
incredulously, "You're so bad Fai..."

Faith just gave Buffy one of her cocky lopsided grins, "Told ya so B."
Then both Slayer burst out laughing.  Soon, the whole table joined in.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, Chris, what was it that you need to tell us all?" Atropos inquired
a little while later.

"Under normal circumstances it would fall to Crow to tell you about
this, since he is the current Chronos.  However, given his age and the
fact that he is relatively new to the job...  And I must say, he has
made me proud of the way he has performed so far.  Anyway, it was
decided that I would tell you about this."  

Chris picked up an old brown, weather-beaten leather bag from the floor.
He opened it and pulled out a scroll that from the looks of it had been
around since the Dawn of Man.  And in this case, looks weren't
deceiving.  He saw the glint in both Giles and Wesley's eyes, and he
held up a hand to stave off their questions.

"Let me start by saying that I will tell you all I know."  He paused
when Faith snorted softly, amused by his statement, she knew better.  He
smiled, raised his eyebrow and continued with a chuckle, "Well... You
can ask questions but more than likely I will not be allowed to answer
most of them."  Chris paused and smiled at the collective groans from
all present.  Especially the louder ones from the Immortals who weren't
used to having the tables turned on them in such a manor.   "This scroll
has been around since man first came into existence and has been handed
down from the very first Chronos until it now is in the care of my son
Crow and I would imagine that it will be handed down to his son or
whomever takes Crow's place when his time to retire comes."  

"It was given to us because as Father Time we have the ability to see
not only into the past, but into possible futures and no I will not tell
you how far back or how far forward we can see.  We became the guardians
for this reason, so that we could look for the signs.  It is called the
Living Scroll, because it has the ability to write or as the case may be
re-write itself.  Though it does not erase what was already there.  It
works much like the Tapestry of Life, in the sense that anything is
possible.  We, or rather Chronos was made the guardian of the scroll
because as you will see we also play a part in the events that were
written, though up until when the event happened we did not know this.
We were, or rather Chronos was blind to his own part in the Living
Scroll.  With the scroll were nine other items, they were placed in the
keeping of the Fates though they never knew of it, and I doubt they knew
or rather remembered their existence until recently."  

"What I am going to read now, was what was written in the scroll when
the first Chronos received it and what was written over the years as it
was passed down to each new Chronos.  Until it was passed down to my son
by me, where on the second day as Chronos what he was to look for was
re-written or added to the scroll.  So let me read up 'til there."  He
paused and took a sip of water, then he opened the scroll and began to
read from it.

"In the beginning there is only the Primordial.  She who is one with her
power, neither of the Light or the Dark.  As man begins to build upon
the earth, the Primordial will become separate from the source of her
power, as time passes and she finds her humanity.  There will come a
time where the Huntress will no longer just blindly follow other's
Council.  She will be the first to find anchors in the world.  And she
will find love and see for the first time into the gray with a Child of
the Night.  She is of the Light and will rise above her own death.  And
from her death another will rise, though her time as a Huntress for the
Light will be brief like the dawning of a new day.  Where once there was
only one now there are two."  

"As the second of the Chosen falls another rises to take her place.  One
who is neither of the Light or the Dark.  A child who was raised by
those of the Dark, who strives to live in the Light.  And again where
once there was only one, there are now two.  And for a time the second
Chosen will have Light at the edges of her gray world.  Then she will
stumble and fall.  Pushing aside all the hands that try to break her
fall.  Pushing away the Light and submerging herself into the Darkness
of the night.  And the two that should have fought side by side will now
face each other in the fight.  One will rise; the other will fall, as
the Light sends the Dark into the dreamscape of an almost endless night.
Within the world of dreams, the first step from the Dark to the Light
will be made.  But all dreams must come to their end, and the sleeper
will wake, the dreams will fade, and she will rise to the same day.  The
darkness still remains."

"A parting gift from the only love of  a parent she has ever known,
causes an eclipse as Day becomes Night, Night becomes Day and Dark
becomes Light.  Now life is seen through shades of gray.  A glimpse of
the Dark, a glimpse of the Light.  A choice to be made.  A headlong
flight is stopped as the Dark takes a step into the Light.  An eclipse
in a holy place, changes Dark back to Light, Light back to Dark and
Night into Day.  The Dark will flee carrying a piece of the Light.  The
Light will stay now holding onto a piece of the Dark.  The first
connection now fully made."

"The Dark will seek her own eternal Darkness at the hands of the Child
of the Night.  The Child of the Night will lead her down a different
path.  A path of redemption, of amends, of discovery that lead towards
the Light.  The Light will seek out her revenge.  Taking her first step
on the path away from humanity and into the Dark.  Once again, the
Chosen begin to walk parallel but very different paths.  As the Dark
moves towards the Light and Light moves towards the Dark.  A second
connection is made as the Light joins with the source of her power, and
all those who have wielded that power."

"The paths of Dark and Light cross again, as the Dark of the Chosen
begins to walk the path to bring the Light out of the dark.  For a brief
moment, there is hope, as the Dark and the Light become one.  Until the
Light strikes within the heart of the Dark and the Dark flees after
making the ultimate sacrifice.  Another eclipse, as the Dark has gained
her humanity and the Light has all but lost hers.  Another choice to be
made.  And the Light will travel to the past to learn the true source of
her power and of her gift.  And to find her way once again to the path
of humanity and the Light.  While the Dark continues on the path towards
the Light and starts to learns of the choice that Fate will have her
make." 

"The path of the Chosen will entwine again.  The Light will reach out to
the Dark and the Dark will take another step into the Light as she
reaches out for the first time to take the proffered hand of the Light.
Where once there had once been only One and now is as it should be,
there are Two.  As the Dark and the Light, find  the path to each other.
The final and full connection is made as a Bond for eternity is forged
and the Two whilst still separate, individual , become One."

"Another choice is Fated to be made.  And each will hold the Key to the
Fate of man.  And the Light will make the ultimate sacrifice for love.
And the Dark will make her choice as she stands in the warmth of the
Light in the name of what is right and for love.  The Light of the
Chosen will pass on to the Eternal Day and the Dark of the Chosen will
stand alone in the place of the Light.  Her time alone will seem as
eons.  'Til the day that the Light is returned to land of Man."

Chris stopped reading from the scroll and took another sip of water.  He
looked around at all of those at the table until his gaze rested upon
Buffy and Faith.  They looked a little shell-shocked and he supposed
that he would too if someone had read to him his life.  He wet his lips
before her spoke to them.

"At first, when I received the scroll, you two had not even been born.
And, up until Buffy, no Slayer had ever cheated death.  And even when
Kendra came along I still wasn't certain that the scroll spoke of you
Buffy, but when Kendra died and Faith came along well I started to think
that it may be you two that the scroll spoke of.  I began to believe it
was you two the scroll spoke of, though, to be honest, for your sake
Faith I had hoped that it was not.  And for a brief moment it looked
like it wasn't, but I don't want to dig up old wounds that have long
been forgiven and healed.  Let me just say I wasn't one hundred percent
certain that it was you two until the day you were to face Glory in the
final battle and you two finally declared your love for each other.
That night the final bond between the two of you was forged and I with
my Immortal eyes could see the Soul Thread that connected you to each
other.  It was just the day before your declaration of love to each
other that I had passed on the duties of being Chronos to my son."  

"The last paragraph of the scroll I just read did not happen, at least
not in the way the scroll had originally written it.  There was a part
that had come immediately after it, I will read it to you later and it
is the whole or at least part of the reason I am now reading to you this
scroll.  Only you were supposed to die Buffy and Faith would have stayed
behind for all of the reasons that she has already told you.  It was the
reason the Fates had been bringing her to their domain, so that she
would have all the choices and their consequences in front of her that
night with Glory.  She was the only one that could have stopped you from
doing what you did.  In a sense, she held the same power as the Key or
rather Dawn did.  Had she prevented both of your deaths, the barriers
between the dimensions would have fallen and chaos, mayhem, evil would
have ruled throughout all of our domains, this one included. Three
months after your death Buffy, Willow, Tara, Anya and Xander would have
brought you back from the dead.  Or so that was what the scroll had
written and one of the possibilities that the Tapestry of Life showed."
He stopped and turned his gaze to Faith locking his blues eyes with her
confused dark chocolate ones.  

"This possibility was hidden from you Faith."  He smiled softly at her,
his eyes apologetic, then continued, "However as I said none of this
happened, and when you both died at the hands of Glory, my son and I
both thought that we had been wrong.  That was until two days later your
earth time, when the scroll began to write between what I read to you
just now, and the part that was already written that I have yet to read.
So now I will read that which the scroll wrote when you both were
thought killed by Glory's hand."
 
"As man can change his destiny so can those who should not be a part of
this world's destiny interfere in the destiny of man.  So has happened
to the destiny of the two Chosen and for them to be returned to the path
of their destinies others will have to take a stand.  As is now fated
the blind shall see, and Fate must show Evil all the paths it can take.
Evil must take the Beast by the hand.  The Chosen must see through the
mask of Evil and remember.  Evil must sow the seeds of doubt.  Those
that were blind must see.  The Key to unlock the secret is in the memory
of the night from the past.  Once this is done, Evil must decide whether
to drop his Mask.  Fate must look upon it all and decide to take a
stand.  And at that moment Time will lend a hand."

Chris stopped again and now he looked at Luc and the Fates.  

"It is here that you all played a role, had you all not decided to take
a hand in getting the Slayers back none of this would have happened.
Once you decided to break the rules and directly interfere, Atropos,
that was where we, or rather Crow, needed to give to you what you did
not know you had in order to defeat Glory.  This was why he spoke to
you, Clotho and Lachesis, and told you what to bring to the Mansion.
The very first Chronos placed what were very ordinary swords, a ribbon
and the spell scroll in the Radiance Room eons ago. And to answer your
question, Willow and Tara, as to why the Spell that was used seemed to
be tailor made for the nine of you, that is because it was.  The
parchment the scroll is written on is from a piece of this scroll, so
the spell wasn't written until that day.  And with the transformation of
the scroll, so too were the swords and the ribbon transformed to meet
the needs of the spell Amalgamate.  Which means to unite or join
together, which was needed in order for the spell to work.  Even so,
with all of the players in place there was more that was newly written
and out of our hands, or rather Crow's hands and I will read that now."

"A bond that was once broken must once more be made.  Free Will must be
restored.  Evil must be taken down by the Beast's hand.  The Light of
the Chosen must merge with her power and teach it the way of the Light.
The Dark of the Chosen must make the ultimate sacrifice.  The Fated will
lead the way.  The nine must wait for the sign.  The Chosen must release
the hate to bring about the Radiance of Light.  Then the Nine can send
the Beast to her now preordained Fate.  Then the Light of the Chosen can
help the Dark of the Chosen to heal and merge with her power."

"That is the end of the newly written part of the scroll, the next part
is what was originally there and here too we, or rather Chronos, Crow,
was to take a hand and lead you, Buffy and Faith, to the Incarnates,
because the time had come for them to once more get involved with the
Fate of Man." Chris took another sip of water then continued to read
from the Living Scroll. 

"And now Time will take the two Chosen by the hand and lead them to
where they can begin to understand the nature of their powers.  The
Lovers from the time of Eve, The Maiden and the Siren, and the man of
War will train the Chosen in the ways of combat, valor and strength.
The Fallen will teach them the many faces of evil and what lay within
the Gray.  The Crone and the Mother will show them the ways of
meditation, tranquility, inner strength, and of the true nature of the
bond they share.  The Earth will teach them how to heal.  And all within
this Realm will teach to them that which makes them unique.  For the
Chosen's power is of the same in the mortal realm as that of the
Immortal realm.  These teachings will be learned by all the Chosen's and
the Chosen's families as well.  As those within this realm and those
within the Chosen's realm all take up the mantle of Warriors for the
Light, as all will be need in the fight as The End of Days draws high."

Chris fell silent, careful to keep his eyes from moving further down the
scroll to the rest of what was written on the scroll.  Only those that
had worn the mantle of Chronos knew that the Living Scroll reached
farther into the future than any could imagine, but like all else within
the scope of all their different dimensions, not even the Living Scroll
was written in stone.  He heard the last few lines written upon the
Living Scroll within his mind anyway and he knew as he looked at his son
that he too was hearing them.

'Time will stay silent and remain the guardian for the Living scroll
until it breaks it's silence, as the Raven, Phoenix, Manticore and the
Griffin spread their wings and take flight, when the time comes for them
to wear the mantle with the Chosen and join in the fight as Warriors for
the Light as The End of Time draw neigh.'

"So what... basically what all that just said is that me and B are gonna
be trained by all of you.  As well as Soul-boy, Junior, X-man, Red,
Blondie and everyone else.  Cause like me and B are these kick-ass
Warriors for the Light and pretty much on the same level as you guys.
Only we can still die, can't we?  So when do we get to learn how to do
that fading thing?"  

"Yes Faith you pretty much summed it up, except you don't get to do the
fade thing."

Faith pouted for a second about not being able to fade, then shrugged
her shoulders. 

"It's cool anyway... So why didn't ya just say that instead of reading
that long ass old piece of paper, Snow?" Faith asked Chris, having
decided that his nickname would be Snow because of his pure white hair.
Faith smiled at everyone at the table, they were all looking at her a
little dumbfounded, tact definitely wasn't one of her many skills.

"Snow?"

"Don't worry about it mate, she gives everyone nicknames.  Hell the
little git calls me Junior and I'm old enough to be her
great-grandfather..." 

"She does, doesn't she?  That's my little woman for you..."

"B you so did not just call me that..."

"I sure did.  My little woman!  Isn't she cute..." 

They all started talking at once as the Slayers continued to squabble.
They all sat around the table chatting well into the night, until
finally someone noticed that both Crow and Dawn had fallen asleep in
their chairs.  Buffy and Faith half dragged, half-held Dawn between them
as they said their goodnight.  

When they got back to the cottage, they helped the more asleep, rather
than more awake Dawn into the nice little rollaway bed that was right
next to their bed that Lilith had laughingly provided them with.  

They crawled into bed grumbling about having to wear shorts and t-shirts
for the next seven days to sleep in rather then their usual birthday
suits.  They snuggled into each other, then both leaned towards each at
the same time and they kissed softly, tenderly goodnight.  They fell
asleep listening contently to each other's purring.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was in that in-between place that her mate had been taking her to
every morning for the last few weeks.  For once, she had woken first.
She carefully moved out from under her mate and rolled over onto her
side facing her.  She slid her hand under her mate's t-shirt, completely
forgetting why they were both wearing clothes as she decided to bring
her mate with her into this place, bring her to her.  

Her hand unconsciously started to trace over the almost invisible scars
that she knew where high up on her mate's shoulder.  Scars from her
childhood, scars that he had re-created for her, for them both.  Her
fingers ran gently, soothingly, tenderly and with all of her heart she
wished she could caress both them and the hurt that came with them away.
Her fingertips moved down of their own accord to the other scars that
were on Faith's lower back and buttocks, soothing them too.  Then
continued along over the rest of her silky smooth back to touch with
love all the other scars she knew were there, both visible and
invisible.  The one she wanted to remove with every fiber of her being
she could not reach while her mate lay upon her stomach, it was the one
that she herself had given Faith. The jagged knife scar that ran along
Faith's abdomen.

Her touch changed from that of soothing to sensual, running along her
mate's sides, to brush the outside of one breast.  She moved in closer
to Faith, snuggling into her intimately, careful not to lay on top of
her.  She nudged Faith's hair away from her neck with her nose, then
with just the whisper of her mouth placed feather light kisses along it.
She inhaled deeply the musky, sweet scent that was Faith.  It flowed
through her, in her, a part of her now, just as Faith was a part of her,
would always be a part of her.

She ran her tongue delicately along the shell of her mate's ear, then
teasingly bit the lobe.  She opened her sleep heavy eyes, and they were
drawn like a moth to a flame to her mark on Faith's pulse point.  Her
mouth was drawn there of its own volition and Buffy could not have
stopped it even if she had a mind to.  She kissed it softly, then
harder, sucking upon the flesh around it, ensuring that the mark would
not fade.  That same primal desire from yesterday rising up fiercely in
her.  She ran her tongue reverently over the teeth marks, then with the
daintiest of touches she bit down. 

It came to her through their bond, the white-hot fury of passion and
love her biting of the mark caused Faith even in her sleep.  She bit a
little harder wanting to feel that rush from Faith again.

"B..." Faith moaned waking to the intense feeling Buffy's mouth and
teeth wrought as they nipped and sucked upon the mark Buffy had given
her just yesterday. 

Her hips bucked involuntarily into the mattress, and suddenly she wanted
to know if her mouth, her teeth upon the mark she had given to Buffy
would cause the same reaction in Buffy.  She moved swiftly despite her
sleepy state.  Before Buffy knew what was happening Faith had turned and
latched her mouth possessively over the mark she had given her.  Buffy's
whole body arched into Faith's at the touch, she stifled her moan in
Faith's neck.  She arched into Faith again when Faith scraped her teeth
along the mark and this time Buffy couldn't stifle her moan of desire.

They were both reeling from the feelings they were getting from each
other through their bond.  The urgency was there to touch the other, to
express with hands, mouths, tongues, bodies that which words could never
express.  They had found their safe haven with each other again.  There
was still fear floating around in the edges of both of their minds, but
both had learned to listen to the other through their bond.  They had
developed absolute trust in each other not to go where the other was not
ready to go.  And the need to be together like this after so long had
taken a hold of both of them again just like it had yesterday.  The need
to erase all of his touches from each others skin, the painful memories,
the horrific sights, the agonizing screams, the anguished moans, and
replace them with their own loving touches, memories, sights and sounds
was all they knew right now.

They sat up together hands eagerly reaching out to pull the clothes from
the other's body.  Their only thought to feel the warmth of each other's
skin against their own, until Faith's eyes fell on the empty rollaway
bed next to theirs.

Buffy was oblivious, she started to tug at Faith's t-shirt, wanting her
with a passion that obliterated everything, and anything in its path.
"Baby... please help me... need to feel you... need to touch you..."
Her voice was a low pleading whisper.

"Dawn..."

"What?"  Buffy asked as she started to run her hands up under Faith's
t-shirt, until Faith grabbed them and held them still.

"B, Dawn's here 'member?"  Faith told her in a voice that was raspy,
husky with desire.

Buffy just groaned and dropped her head onto Faith's shoulder, and Faith
just pulled her closer and held on to her tightly.  Both Slayers tried
to calm their breathing and their bodies, a little bit amazed now that
they were awake that their desire, their passion could be so hot, so
fierce from only those few touches.

"Warning..."  Dawn yelled from the other side of the kitchen door.  "I
know you guys are awake, I can hear you.  So, whatever you are doing
stop, 'cause I'm commmminnn-gg in there."

Both Slayers groaned, then Buffy mumbled against Faith's shoulder,
"Welcome to hell week baby..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By dusk the third day of Dawn's stay with them, both Slayers began to
think that they really were caught up in some warped version of the
movie 'Hell Week.'  If they had to listen to Dawn bring up their hickeys
one more time they were going to throttle her.  Not to mention that Dawn
had gotten quite creative and inventive about using the words 'Come in,'
in just about every other sentence.

Faith had a pounding headache from the constant bickering of the two
Summers' sisters.  Dawn had been awful clingy with both of them since
she had gotten here despite all the constant taunting and bickering.
The reasons for the clinginess were floating around the edges of Faith's
mind.  The thoughts, though, couldn't fight their way out through the
sledgehammer that was beating a steady tempo on her brain. 

"B, I'm gonna go inside for a little while.  Do you mind?" Faith
worriedly nibbled her bottom lip; they had invited most of the Immortals
and Crow of course over for a BBQ.  And now all she wanted to do was go
lay down, she felt a little guilty.  But she hadn't been sleeping good
the last three nights and the headache had seemed to make its way into
her eyes now as well.  She had been trying to block Buffy from feeling
it and blocking her just seemed to be making the headache even worse.

Buffy and Dawn were trying to set up the volleyball net when Faith asked
her question after she finished bringing out the food from inside.
Buffy had been about to just say okay, when something about Faith's tone
made her stop what she was doing and turn around to look at Faith.  

"Stay here Dawn, I'll be right back." Buffy walked quickly over to
Faith.  "You okay Fai?"  Buffy's eyes quickly scanned Faith's face, she
could see the lines of pain etched on her face and her eyes were a
little bloodshot.

"Just a headache, bad one.  Think I just want to lay down for a little
bit, maybe take a nap.  I'm kinda tired."

Buffy reached up and gently stroked the side of Faith's face, "You
haven't been sleeping too good the last few nights."  She smiled a
little at Faith's surprised look, "Yes, I knew.  How did you think I
knew to cuddle you just at the right time?"  Buffy saw the 'I should
have know better,' look come over Faith's face.  "Go lay down for a
little while, Dawn and I can finish ourselves.  And stop blocking me,
it's probably only making the headache worse."

"Thanks, B."  Faith whispered and dropped her blocks; she turned to go
and stopped at Buffy's gentle touch on her arm.  Buffy leaned up into
her and kissed her so softly that had Faith's eyes not been open she
would have thought that she had just been kissed by a butterfly.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is Faith okay, Buffy?"  Dawn's voice trembled just the slightest bit.

"Yeah, she just has a headache.  She's going to take a nap.  She's been
getting them on and off since we got back from Glory's domain.  She gets
them when she doesn't sleep well or she's stressed.  Lily thinks they
will go away after more time has passed.  Sort of a side effect from
being there." 

She instantly regretted saying as much as she did when she saw the guilt
flash across her sister's face after she finished speaking.  She had
spoken without thinking, both she and Faith had gotten used to not
hiding the aftereffects of their stay in Glory's hell during their time
spent at the cottage.  Now she had not only alarmed her sister, but had
managed to bring the guilt back up to the surface.  As she looked at her
sister, she couldn't help but to wonder if Dawn had really ever rid
herself of the guilt in the first place.  Or if Dawn had lied to her the
day of the Joining ceremony.  She knew for herself that the guilt wasn't
so easy to let go of, it still reared its ugly head from time to time
and she knew that the same thing happened to Faith as well. 

Dawn felt like her sister had just punched her in the gut.  She felt the
familiar taste of guilt rise up in the back of her throat.  She had been
living with the guilt since the night on the tower.  She had lied to her
sister the day of the Joining, not wanting to add an additional burden
to her sister's and Faith's already overburdened shoulders.  It didn't
matter to her that the Living Scroll had predicted her sister's death,
Buffy had beaten prophesies before, she could have this time too.  No
matter how hard she tried, Dawn could not shake the guilt that all of
this was her fault.  Even now, that she could see that things were a
thousand times better between the Slayers'.  Even though they were
finally, after all the torturous weeks after they returned from Glory's
domain, moving once more back to the way they were, the guilt was still
there.  

More guilt had been added to her frail shoulders after they had
disappeared the night of the Joining.  They didn't know that she had
seen what had happened before Clotho had faded them away.  They didn't
know that she had overheard some of their conversations about what had
been done to the two of them when Glory had held them captive.  She knew
on some level that they were trying to shield her, trying to protect
her, but there was a part of her that believed that deep down the
Slayers', that all of them blamed her for what had happened.  Blamed her
because it should have been her that died that night.  She was, after
all, not really real.  It didn't really matter though because, if in
fact, they did blame her they could never hope to equal the amount of
blame that she placed upon herself.  

The guilt had been festering, eating her up alive inside.  There were
only two people she knew who could ever understand what she was feeling,
and they were the last two people she could ever talk to about it.  On
some level, she knew she should, but on a deeper level, she was
terrified that despite what the Chosen Two said, they really did believe
she was to blame.  Instead she just let the guilt slowly but surely eat
away second by second, hour by hour, day by day, all that she was.

There were moments when she briefly forgot about the guilt, like when
she had first arrived here.  Moments that she almost forgot about what
had happened to her sister and Faith.  Pretended that it was all just a
bad nightmare, that none of it had happened, and for the last few days
seeing Buffy and Faith together, playful, loving, laughing, giggling,
being how they were before, she had almost convinced herself that it
really all had been just a bad dream.  But what her sister had just told
her so casually had broken, shattered that illusion, and had slammed the
guilt right back into her with just as much, if not more force than when
they had first returned from Glory's hell.

"Dawn I..." Buffy was cut off by Mars as he joined them to help finish
putting up the volleyball net.

"For a Slayer you're awfully slow Giiiizmoooo..."  

Buffy shot Mars daggers with her eyes, she hated when he called her
that, she only liked it when Faith called her that, though she would
never tell Faith that.  The rest of the Immortals made their way over
and before long they had a heated, extremely competitive volleyball
match underway.

Dawn covertly watched her sister from the other side of the net, happy
to see her smiling and laughing.  She couldn't help but to notice over
the last few days how comfortable and relaxed both Faith and Buffy were
with the Immortals, especially Lilith and Clotho.  In a lot of ways
Lilith and Clotho were exactly like Faith and Buffy, right down to the
warped sense of humor that all four of them seemed to share.  She missed
having them around though, it wasn't that she didn't like Willow and
Tara, but what she really needed was the Slayers'.  She didn't say
anything to anyone about it, she knew that they needed this time to
heal.  

Needed to have the responsibilities of being Slayers at least for a
little while lifted from their shoulders so they could concentrate on
taking care of, helping each other to work through and get past what had
happened to them.  All on her own over the last few days she had come to
the same conclusion that Lilith and Clotho had, that Buffy and Faith
needed to be young, be carefree, just be themselves, be with just each
other, to help start the healing process.  And without anyone having to
tell her, she innately understood that the day she had arrived Buffy and
Faith had just really started to get past and to move on with their
lives, and truly start to heal together from what happened to them in
Glory's hell.  She wasn't sure how she knew, maybe it was the state of
the cottage or the silly grins they had been wearing, as well as every
other adult, she just knew.  Her being here certainly didn't help.  It
was just another thing she now felt guilty about, intruding on their
time here, because she knew that neither of them would ask her to leave.


She continued to covertly watch Buffy right through the five games, the
fifth being the tiebreaker between the teams.  Her heart leaping with
joy each time she saw her sister smile or heard her laugh.  For the
first time Dawn could ever remember Buffy was just Buffy, the Slayer
mantle had been lifted from her shoulders at least for a little while.
Dawn couldn't stop her own laughter and smile of joy when her sister
jumped up and down in glee when her team won, much to Mars' warrior
ego's shame.

They all walked back over to the picnic table, grabbing something cold
to drink from the coolers on the way.  They sat around chatting and
laughing at Mars who continued to grumble that Buffy's team had somehow
cheated.  Apparently, the Incarnate of War did not like to lose.
Someone suggested maybe they should start up the fire in the fire pit
and Mars volunteered, brushing off the offers of help.

"Maybe I should go wake Fa..." Buffy stopped mid-sentence, her head
cocked to one side as if she were listening to someone whispering in her
ear.  Her face fell; she jumped up from the picnic bench and took off
towards the cottage.  She was nothing more than a blur.

Dawn watched in horror as a look that was all too familiar washed over
her sister's face.  It was the same face that those who had been at the
Mansion when the Slayers' had first returned from Glory's Hell had
become well acquainted with.  Dawn felt her stomach clench as if an
invisible hand were squeezing it tightly. Then Buffy moved so quickly
that for half a second Dawn thought she had imagined it, then she was
off and running after her sister towards the cottage.  She almost
stumbled and fell when she heard the anguished scream of Faith's, a
sound Dawn had prayed she would never hear again. 

They were all blurs, it all happened within a second.  Mars took off
running after them, a sword suddenly appearing in his hand.  He ignored
those who were shouting at him to stop and was taken down by Luc from
out of nowhere.  Clotho had grabbed Lilith before she had a chance to
get up and go running after the golden-haired Slayer and her sister.
Crow found himself stopped by the ancient one, Atropos.  And Lachesis
was given the task of stopping the thunderous force of Lily, Mother
Nature.

"Let go of me you stupid ass... I have to help them... help Faith..."
Mars growled at Luc, trying to dislodge him as he heard Faith cry out
again.

"Calm down you old warhorse."  Luc told him, Mars just growled in
response and kept struggling to get loose.  "You can't help..."  Luc
grasped Mars' face and forced Mars to look at him, "Mars, listen to me.
She's having a nightmare about there.  If you go in there you will only
make things worse."  Luc got up off of Mars and they both cringed as
they heard another scream come from the cottage.  

He watched the helpless look cross Mars' face and knew exactly how he
felt.  He had, they all had, felt the same way for those first few weeks
after the Slayers returned.  It was a sound he had prayed to the Creator
that he would never have to ever hear come from either of the Slayers
ever again.  He ran his hand through his hair, his own guilt over the
part he had played in what happened to Faith and Buffy, eating away at
him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn stopped her headlong rush after her sister just inside of the
cottage doorway.  She stood with her arms wrapped tightly around
herself, silent tears falling freely down her face as she watched the
two women that meant more than anything and anyone else in her life
clinging to each other on the bed.  She listened as her sister tried to
calm down Faith, whispering to her softly, assuring her that they were
safe, home.  That nothing could hurt her, that Glory and Johnny were
dead.  She watched as Faith ran her hands over Buffy as if to reassure
herself that Buffy was real, as her tear-filled eyes looked up into
Buffy's equally tear-filled eyes, as she lay her head against Buffy's
chest listening to her steady, strong heartbeat.  And Dawn felt her
guilt rise up in her so fiercely that she couldn't breath, she was
drowning in it and it felt as if it were holding her head underwater and
at this moment in time, she had absolutely no desire to try and survive.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."  She whispered in a choked sob and then
turned and ran from the door, away from the others towards the stables.

Luc helped Mars back up to his feet.  He watched Dawn as she stood
huddled, holding herself against the doorframe of the cottage.  When she
turned to flee for an instant, he saw her face and in that instant came
understanding.  He had seen that look staring back at him from his own
reflection in the mirror every day since he had given Johnny to Glory.
They had all assumed that the Slayers had helped and convinced Dawn to
get over her misplaced guilt, they all had been wrong.  He saw Atropos
start to move to follow the youngest Summers' girl, he silently reached
out to his mate through their bond letting her know that he was going to
follow Dawn.  As he moved quietly and quickly to follow, he saw out of
the corner of his eye his mate stopping any of the others from following
as well.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stood quietly right inside of the door to the stable and watched
Dawn.  She was standing in front of Obsidian and Sol's stall.  Shortly
after the Slayers arrival here, they had convinced Lilith and Clotho to
make a double stall so that the stallion and his mate need not ever be
separated.  The stallion and the mare were softly nuzzling the young
girl as if they understood and felt her pain.  Somehow, Luc had not a
doubt that they did, there was a connection, a bond between the Slayers'
and the horses, just as there was a connection that ran deeper than
blood, which ran back through time itself between the Slayers and Dawn.
She shared with them a part of their Slayer mystical energy, just like
Buffy and now Faith because of their Soul-Thread, shared a part of the
mystical energy that made Dawn the key.  And Luc knew, though neither of
the Slayers knew it yet, that Sol was pregnant with her first foal and
according to Lily the colt was to belong to Dawn just like Dawn was to
belong to it.   The colt Sol was to give birth to had already revealed
its name to Lily, and his name was to be Tyro.  The name Tyro meant a
beginner or novice in learning something and it was as apt a name for
both the colt and the young woman who would help to raise and care for
him.
 
"Hey, Dawn..."  He called to her softly, not wanting to startle her or
the horses.

"Go away Lucifer..."  Dawn snarled, she didn't bother to turn she knew
it was him.  She was surprised that he didn't call her by his nickname
for her, she liked when he called her that.  If she wasn't so upset
right now she would have laughed at the absurdity of liking a nickname
given, of liking period, the man who was feared by even the most
fearless of men, the Prince of Darkness himself.

Luc ignored her and moved closer, Obsidian tossed his head and brayed a
warning at Luc.  The Devil and the black horse whose sire was Luc's
stead, stared at each other, then the young stallion nickered softly.
They had reached a silent understanding for Dawn's sake and Luc knew
that Lily had somehow had a hand in it.  He placed his hand lightly on
Dawn's shoulder; she reached up quicksilver and angrily pushed it off.

"Are you fucking deaf?  I told you to go away.  And don't touch me!"
She hissed, and couldn't help think, 'Whoa channel Faith much?'

"Deaf no, stubborn yes.  But then again that seems to be something our
little extended family all seem to be famous for.  And obviously
something you've learned from both Slayers."  He wanted to just drag her
into a hug but he decided against it, he felt both anger and guilt
coming off her in waves.

Dawn spun around facing him, she was angry and felt guilty about that
too.  Because it wasn't him she was angry at, it was them, her sister
and Faith.  And, after all they had been through because of her, how
could she possibly justify being angry at them?  But she was and it just
left her feeling confused, more angry and even more guilt ridden then
she already was.  She opened her mouth to say something, only nothing
would come out, instead the tears started falling again.  

Luc watched the conflicting emotions crossing her face.  His heart went
out to her; he knew this was something that he could not help her with
in any real way.  This was something she needed to resolve with both
Buffy and Faith, for now though he could just be here for her.  Get her
to calm down, because he doubted whether either Slayer would be in any
condition, after Faith's nightmare, to handle this tonight.
 
"It's okay Dawn.  I understand, it's hard, I know.  The guilt and the
anger, it's confusing.  And I know that I am a poor substitute for Buffy
and Faith, but at least for right now I will have to do.  I know you
won't believe me but none of this is your fault.  It is no one's fault
and being angry at them, believe it or not is a normal reaction."

He opened up his arms to her; Dawn didn't move she just stared at him.
She wanted to, needed to, but she couldn't, until he finally whispered,
"Come here Little One."

Dawn launched herself at him, his soft endearment for her breaking her
paralysis.  In all the time since Buffy and Faith had returned from
Glory's hell only they and he knew what she had felt.  And since the
Slayers had been staying here within the Incarnates' combined domains
only he had noticed that she was still feeling all these mixed emotions.
Willow, Tara all of them just assumed everything was all right.  They
didn't notice her fake smiles and laughter.  Didn't notice the sorrow
and loneliness that seemed to surround her.  Didn't notice that she
seemed to alternate between being happy and angry at the drop of a hat.

Luc just gathered her up tightly in his arms as she cried against his
shirt.  His own tears falling unnoticed by him with hers.  He soothingly
stroked her hair, cooing to her, and made a silent promise to himself
that he would see her through this, would see all of them, Buffy, Faith
and Dawn through this.  More than anything, he wanted these children of
his heart to move past this, to see all the things that made them and
the world such a beautiful place to live in.  He wanted all of their
todays and tomorrows to be filled with laughter and smiles.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was still holding Buffy, taking comfort in her arms, the nightmare
had faded and she was just basking in the warmth of her mate.  She
listened to the steady heartbeat, and the soothing purr coming from deep
inside of Buffy that had, still gave her such comfort and filled her
with warmth and love.

Buffy held onto Faith taking comfort in the feel of the Dark Slayer's
arms as well.  It had been two weeks since Faith had one of these types
of nightmares.  They both still had nightmares but the intensity of them
had lessened over time.  Though Faith more frequently than she did,
still had the kind of nightmare that left her completely disoriented,
awake and stuck within the nightmare realm of Glory's Hell.  Usually
Buffy woke her before they had gone this far, the bond between them was
so strong now and Buffy was so in tune with what Faith was feeling even
while they both slept that she would wake and then wake Faith almost the
second after the nightmare started.  

Buffy shifted slightly on the bed and winced, a soft 'Ow!' escaped
before she could stop it.

"B?"  Faith gently detangled herself from Buffy she twisted on the bed
so she was facing her.  She saw a little grimace of pain cross Buffy's
face.  When Buffy had first tried to wake her from the nightmare, she
hadn't known it was her and she had lashed out.  "B, are you hurt?  I
didn't hurt you did I?  I didn't... I..."  The thought that she might
have hurt Buffy twisted her stomach up in knots.

"No baby you didn't hurt me..."  Buffy smiled gently at Faith, and
softly stroked the side of her face.  "I ah... well... I kinda hurt my
shoulder when I... well, I ah..."  Buffy turned her head and jerked it
towards the front door.

"Oh shit Giz... You broke the front door..."  Faith and Buffy both
stared at the front door, which was once again hanging haphazardly by
one hinge.  Faith sucked her lower lip into her mouth to keep herself
from giggling, it was funny, but it wasn't funny at the same time.  A
quiet snort of laughter escaped her anyway.

"It isn't funny..."  Buffy looked at Faith and gave an internal jump for
joy seeing the laughter sparkling in her eyes once again.  A little
giggle escaped her as well.  

"Your right B it isn't..."  Faith put on her best serious face, only to
burst out laughing.  "I'm thinking maybe we should have all the doors
here and at the Mansion changed to the swingin' kind.  What ya think B?"

"Ha ha Faith..."  Buffy grabbed Faith by the hand and pulled her up off
the bed.  She wrapped her arms around Faith's neck, leaned up, and gave
her a light tender kiss.  "You ready to go back outside now?"  She asked
her softly.

Faith smiled widely at Buffy, leaned down, and gave her a hot, open, wet
kiss as an answer.  "I'd rather stay in here with you."  She leaned her
forehead up against Buffy's.  

"So would I but we do have company and considering how noisy you are, we
would windup having our guests knocking down the walls trying to save us
like Gran and Kiddo did the other day.  My little screamer you..."
Buffy smirked at Faith as she moved out of her embrace and started
towards the door.  Faith just watched her, liking how Buffy's ass looked
in her shorts. 

Before Buffy walked outside, she turned her head and looked over her
shoulder at Faith, her eyes mischievous, and asked her, "Commmminnnn....
Fai?"

"Oh you so didn't... You're gonna pay for that Giz..." 

"Gotta catch me first my Little Woman..."  Buffy called back and took
off running, Faith hot on her tail.  

Faith scooped Buffy up and kept right on running towards the picnic
table and the food.  Faith hopped over the bench and sat them both down,
keeping Buffy on her lap.  "Caught ya B..."

"You caught me a long time ago Fai..." 

"And you me B..."  Both Slayers groaned, this was too cheesy for even
them.

"We're getting way to mushy for even me Fai..."  Buffy laughed then
buried her head in Faith's neck giggling, Faith promptly joined in. 

"And me..."  Lilith smirked, then reached under the table, "Oh and
here's the toolbox, everything you need to fix the front door is in
there."  Lilith plopped down the large toolbox on the table.  

"But... how come you fixed..."  

"The bathroom door was a freebie, a one shot deal.  From now on, you
have to live by the same rules as us.  You break it, you fix it."
Clotho told them with the same smirk on her face that Lilith had.

"Oh that's so not fair... We don't get to fade, we can't wave our hands
and do magic... Elder...."  Faith whined.

"Oh don't Elder me child..."  Atropos watched with a chuckle as both
Slayers tried to give her their best puppy dog eyes.  She was almost
ready to give in when Mars started bellowing from the fire-pit asking
what everyone wanted to eat.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn woke an hour or so before sunrise.  Two full days had passed since
the night she had cried her eyes out against Luc's comforting chest
until there were no more tears.  They had rejoined the party after he
had faded them back to the cottage that belonged to himself and Atropos
so she could wash her face, fix her hair and compose herself.  It was
with relief that she saw Buffy and Faith laughing and acting like a
couple of teenagers when they rejoined the little BBQ.  Before Luc had
faded them back to the Slayers' cottage, he had elicited a promise from
her that she would talk to Buffy and Faith about what she was feeling
before she left and as of yesterday, she still had not said a word.  

It still amazed her a little that they could laugh, that the two of them
managed to find the humor in everything, she supposed it was one of the
things that had helped them to survive Glory's hell.  By rights, the two
of them should be jaded, bitter and cynical, but they weren't.  They
were loving, carefree and so full of laughter and life, they humbled her
a little.  She knew, she remembered for the longest time Faith had been
that way, but even back then there were times when Faith had been with
her that she saw glimpses of the Faith that had been holding her sister
on her lap the night of the BBQ.  It was that Faith, she knew, that her
Mother had seen too, and now finally Buffy and the rest of the world got
to see her as well.  For that, Dawn was eternally grateful.

She sat up on her rollaway bed and looked over at them on the bed.
Their backs were to her and they were spooning, Faith behind Buffy, an
arm thrown protectively around her.  Dawn had noticed over the last five
days that they always slept cuddled in one way or another with each
other.  The sheets were always a tangled mess around their feet, and
Dawn was pretty sure that they never slept in clothes and only were now
because she was here.  Usually they required little sleep, almost always
they were awake before her, but here they seemed to sleep longer and she
had to wonder if sleeping wasn't part of their healing process as well. 

She envied them she realized suddenly.  They had each other to turn to,
to wipe away their tears, soothe their fears, smile with, laugh with,
kiss, hold, love.  And she, who did she have?  No one, there wasn't
anyone for her, Buffy used to be there for her and Faith had been too
for a while, that was until they had found each other and then they both
had forgotten about her.  She had become secondary, neither of them,
certainly not her sister, was there for her anymore.  To hold her when
she was frightened, happy, sad, lonely, and she was angry at both of
them, but she realized mostly at Faith for taking her sister away from
her.  Some part of her knew this was irrational, that in her mind she
was blaming Faith for all the real things that were bothering her,
making her feel guilty, angry as a way to avoid them.  She got up from
the bed quietly and made her way to the kitchen; she looked back at them
so peaceful, so close and felt the guilt and the anger fight for
dominance within her. 

She put on a pot of coffee, and wondered if they would be getting up
soon.  In the five days that she had been here, they hadn't gotten up
once to watch the sunrise.  In fact, now that she thought about it,
Willow had told her the last time they had watched the sunrise was the
morning when they all, except her, had stood in front of the Magic Shop.
It was the sunrise of the day that brought to them the night that they
had tried to defeat Glory and rescue her.  The day that all of their
worlds came crashing down around their heads in a way that none of them
had seen coming.  She still rose every morning to watch the new day come
in but she hadn't heard any promises being brought forth since that
morning she had shared her first sunrise with Buffy and Faith and had
told them; 'I figured it was time I joined in the family tradition.'
She didn't expect that this morning would be any different.

Dawn made her way to the bathroom while the coffee was brewing.  She
threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater.  She went back into the kitchen,
performed a quiet search, and destroy mission for a hot thermos for the
coffee.  Usually she just sat up in the bed and watched the sunrise
through the window of the cottage but today she wanted to be outside by
the lake.  She also wanted to give the Slayers, despite all the
conflicting emotions running through her, some time alone.  She knew
they would wake shortly.  They might not rise from the bed to go watch
the sun's ascent into the morning sky, but they still woke up each
morning before the sun rose.  She had heard them whispering, softly
kissing, not realizing that she was already awake every morning since
she had gotten here.  She quickly scribbled a note telling them she
would be at the stables and would be back when it was time to leave for
Lilith and Clotho's.  The couple had invited the three of them over for
breakfast last night and had already granted them permission to enter
into their cottage's property.  With a whispered sigh, she left the note
on the nightstand by the bed, then Dawn let herself out of the cottage,
taking one last look at the slumbering Slayers.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She slowly woke, her body spooning her mate's.  One arm under her mate's
neck, the other wrapped possessively around her waist, hand up and under
the t-shirt, they were both forced to wear while Dawn was here, gently
cupping one firm breast.  Her face was buried between the pillow,
Buffy's neck, and her own arm.  She inhaled deeply the unique scent that
was just simply Buffy and it filled and surrounded her.  She lifted her
head from its burrowing place, and softly lay it partially on top of and
next to Buffy's.

She rubbed the palm of her hand lightly over Buffy's breast waking her
nipple, which began to poke insistently against her palm.  She placed
soft kisses on the back of Buffy's neck, sneaking her tongue out for a
quick taste.  She felt Buffy push back into her further and knew she was
awake.

"Morning..."  She whispered softly for Buffy's Slayer hearing only.
Right now, she was too comfortable to turn around to find out if Dawn
was still sleeping and if she was, she didn't want to wake her.  

She missed the little morning ritual they had fallen into since coming
here.  Missed waking and staying in that in-between place, slowly waking
Buffy and bringing her there with her.  She wanted more than anything to
make love with Buffy now that they had finally gotten passed the last
barrier.  She wasn't stupid, she knew that they would be haunted by the
memory of Glory's Hell and what happened to them there forever, but the
more they moved away from letting it control their actions, emotions,
who they were alone and together, the less power it had over them.  In a
way she was afraid that by them having to control their desire for one
another so soon after re-finding, re-affirming it with each other it
would just make the fear in her grow strong again, regain it's foothold
in her soul.

Buffy tipped her head back, leaning it onto Faith's shoulder.  She
softly hummed, murmured under her breath a husky morning back.  She
pushed further, deeper into Faith's warm body behind her, arching her
back to bring her breast more firmly into the warm hand that was cupping
it.  Faith's warm breath against her ear and neck like the caress of a
sensual rolling breeze.  She loved waking like this in the morning with
her.  Before the day, their life, anything, anyone, intruded.  It was
just them, warm, safe, loving, right, together, like it should be, how
Buffy always wanted it to be.  It was selfish she knew, but she didn't
care.  These few minutes in the morning before the world became real
were just hers and Faith's and she didn't want to share them with anyone
else.  She didn't think it was too much to ask, there was so much of
themselves, their time that they gave to the rest of the world everyday,
she thought they deserved, should be allowed to have these few precious
minutes each day.

Faith moved her hand down to Buffy's stomach and pulled her to her even
tighter.  Silently cursing the t-shirt and shorts that were keeping the
warmth of Buffy's skin from her own.  She ran her hand in light, little
circles over Buffy's stomach.  She smiled, and moaned softly when she
felt Buffy turn her head and start planting soft little kisses on the
inside of her arm that was under her head.  Her tongue coming out to
delicately trace and taste, sending desire whipping straight though
every part of Faith.

"Where's my sweet morning breath kiss?"  Faith gently nipped Buffy's
earlobe when she finished murmuring. 

The shudder that husky voice caused in her rippled down from her neck to
her toes.  She could listen to Faith talk in that low, raspy, husk
forever and it would always elicit the same response in her.  She turned
onto her stomach and nibbled her way up the arm that had served as her
pillow throughout the night.  Buffy buried her nose for a few precious
seconds into Faith's neck, inhaling deeply the scent that was just
Faith; in the same way, that Faith had only minutes before inhaled the
unique scent that was just her.

After what felt like an eternity, Faith finally felt those soft lips
pressing against hers.  The kiss was slow, airy, a mere mingling of
breath, mouths and souls.  It was these types of kisses, like the
just-because touches that made Faith feel cherished and loved.  They
asked for and demanded nothing more then just the touch, just the
knowing, that the feel of the other's warmth was more than enough.  They
spoke to her in volumes, they told her with absolute certainty the
depths of Buffy's love for her and solidified the knowledge that no
matter what, she and Buffy would be together, belonged together, were
truly soul-mates. 

When the kiss finally ended, Faith stayed with her eyes closed.  She
smiled softly when she felt Buffy's fingertips tracing the contours of
her face.  Her touch delicate, loving, sensuous, warm.  Slowly she
opened her eyes to find Buffy's own hazel-gold eyes staring into hers
and Faith thought she just might melt.

"Sweet enough?"  Buffy continued memorizing the planes of Faith's face
with her fingertips while she waited for her answer.

"Always.  You know..."  Faith trailed off, her eyes lowered slightly
suddenly shy.  A part of her laughing at how ridiculous it was that she
still, or ever even had these moments where she grew shy around Buffy.
Maybe it was because of the harsh life she had that made her feel stupid
or inept when it came to being soft or speaking what was in her heart.
Or perhaps it was the horrific way she had learned not to open herself
up to anyone, or allow herself to be vulnerable.  Whatever it was, it
made her hesitant and shy when it came to speaking what was in her heart
and mind.

She took a deep shaky breath, her voice came out low and ragged,
"...you're the only one who has ever kissed me like that.  The only one
I've ever made love with.  You make me feel special in a way that no one
ever has before.  You were one of my secret wishes I made in the morning
before the sun rose; a wish that I never, ever thought would come true."
She kept her head and her gaze lowered, afraid even now to look up into
Buffy's eyes.  Afraid she might see rejection or that Buffy would think
she was being stupid or silly.  She knew better, but she couldn't shake
the insecurities that had been a part of her, her whole life.  She knew
she wasn't good at this, she wasn't the flowery or pretty word type, she
was uneducated, harsh, crass, crude and expressing herself still didn't
come easily.

Buffy slid her hand down to under Faith's chin, and gently lifted her
head up; she waited patiently for Faith to raise her eyes up to hers
again.  When she finally did, Buffy could see the fear, the
vulnerability in those dark eyes and not for the first time she cursed
the two people that put that look in her eyes.  She wanted to erase that
look, those harsh lessons that caused those insecurities in Faith to
rise up still after all this time, all they had been through together,
all that she knew Faith knew.  That despite the fact that Buffy knew
Faith had not a doubt that Buffy loved her, was her eternal mate, that
what she felt for Faith was unconditional, non-judgmental, Faith still
expected to be hurt by her on purpose and maliciously.  

Buffy knew she couldn't promise to never hurt Faith's feelings, but she
could promise not to do it with clear intent or just because she knew
she could.  She had done that once that night long ago in the Magic Shop
and she would rather end her own life than ever do that again.  She knew
it would take time for Faith to move past this, and what happened in
Glory's hell had only served to reinforce all of what happened to Faith
when she was a child.  For now all Buffy could do was keep on chipping
away at the insecurities that had ruled Faith's whole life until one day
with a lot of love that wall of insecurities crumbled to nothing more
than dust.

"You, god Faith, you make me feel special too.  Special in so many ways,
I would need hundreds of lifetimes to tell you them all.  I'm glad, more
than glad that I could make one of your secret wishes come true, I can
only hope that I can make them all come true for you.  And there is
never, will never be anyone else I ever want to share these types or any
kiss with ever again.  And no one has ever made love to me the way you
do."  She slowly began to smile a soft sigh escaping her as she watched
the fear and the vulnerability fade from Faith's eyes. 

Buffy leaned in and gave Faith a hot, demanding, so not sweet, but an, I
want you now, morning kiss.  They leaned back from each other gasping.
Their world narrowed down to just the two of them, and the feel of the
hot caress of the other's breath upon their face.  Buffy's eyes turned
decidedly impish and more gold.

"Yup... for a beginner at making love, you're not half bad..."  She
leaned in and quickly nipped Faith's bottom lip when Faith arched an
eyebrow at her comment.  "Hmmmm... with a little practice who knows..."

Buffy found herself rolled onto her back before she had even finished
speaking, the impish glint now in Faith's eyes.  She watched as Faith
slowly lowered herself down onto her.  Faith's hands sliding underneath
her shoulder blades then up to behind her neck to finally bury
themselves in her hair.  A soft kissed was first placed on the tip of
her nose. Then Faith's mouth was hovering over one of her eyes and she
was forced to close them, and then a soft kiss was placed on each one of
them as well.  

She had to bite her bottom lip to remain quiet as she felt Faith's body
slide up hers to place another soft kiss upon her forehead.  She
continued to bite her lip as Faith slid the length of her body back
down, and then Faith's teeth were gently tugging her bottom lip loose.
Faith's warm tongue ran over the length of it soothing away the little
indentation from Buffy's own teeth.  She squirmed a little as she felt
whispered kisses being placed along her mouth and over her jaw, down to
her neck.  One of Faith's hands traveled back down drawing delicate
patterns over the back of her neck.  Right now, more than anything Buffy
wished they had been granted the power to fade themselves, because more
than anything she wanted with a passion to be somewhere alone with her
mate.  She shivered again as she felt Faith's warm lips and breath
caress up the side of her neck until her earlobe was gently nibbled.

"Practice sound good to me.  I'd practiced twenty-four hours a day if
you'd want me to B..."  Faith whispered low, with longing into Buffy's
ear.  She wanted in the worst way to make love with Buffy, it was
consuming her the desire was so strong.

"I'd let you practice twenty-four hours a day Fai..."  Buffy turned her
head towards Faith and kissed her tenderly, "But right now we have a
house guest.  Speaking of which... Dawn you awake?"  

Both Slayers' turned their heads towards the rollaway bed and were
surprised to find that Dawn wasn't in it.  Faith lifted her head a
little, sniffed the air, then smiled.

"Don't know why I didn't notice before, but I smell coffee.  Seems Gamin
woke before us again."  Faith sat up straddling Buffy's thighs and
pulled her up to her, catching her in a tight hug, she whispered in her
ear, "If I can't have you I guess I'll just have to settle for coffee.
A poor substitute at best, hell not even close..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was surprised that Dawn wasn't in the kitchen.  She made another
pot of coffee when she saw that the machine was off and the coffee in it
turned out to be cold.  Buffy was still in the bathroom.

The coffee finished brewing and neither Buffy nor Dawn had appeared yet.
She busied herself fixing a cup of coffee for herself and Buffy; she
idly glanced at the clock and saw that they needed to get ready soon.
They were expected at Clotho and Lilith's in a little under an hour for
breakfast.  Taking small baby steps so she wouldn't spill the coffee,
she carefully carried the two large mugs of coffee over to the table, a
waitress she would never be.  She sat down and waited for Buffy and
Dawn, she started a drum cadence with the two spoons on the tabletop,
impatient as ever and bored sitting there by herself.

"We need to get moving we have less than an hour 'til we need to be at
Gran's..."  She started as Buffy came through the swinging door, then
trailed off as she looked up and caught the wicked, down right evil look
that Buffy was giving her as she walked, no, stalked towards her from
the door.  "B?  Where ah... where's Dawn..."  Faith squirmed a little in
her chair she knew that look, knew what it meant.

"Looks like Dawn's went for a walk and won't be back until it's time to
go for breakfast... So... mrpf" 

Buffy never got to finish, the second she was within arms reach of
Faith, she was pulled forward, lifted, set down so she was straddling
Faith's legs and the rest of her sentence swallowed by Faith's mouth.

Any earlier thoughts Faith had about making slow, passionate love to
Buffy were totally annihilated when Buffy took control of their kiss and
completely devoured her mouth in a heated rush.  Faith slid down in the
chair while they kissed, drowning in the velvetiness of Buffy's tongue
caressing her own.  She felt Buffy's legs come up to surround her waist
and she broke away from the kiss gasping for air.  She rested her head
back against the top of the chair and was rewarded by Buffy latching
onto her arched neck.  Her hands found the bottom of Buffy's t-shirt and
she started to tug it up, she stopped when Buffy refused to stop
attacking her neck.  

"B... let me..."  Faith gave up trying to talk when she felt Buffy's
hands on her breasts.  She arched her back thrusting her breast into
those knowing hands.  Her breathing hitched up a notch, then went into
complete overdrive when Buffy bit down on her mark on her pulse point.
Her whole body bucked at the touch and a trail of fire blazed down her
body straight to the junction between her legs.  "OH CHRIST!!!"

Buffy sat back a little and brought her hand up and pushed Faith's
t-shirt to the side so she could look down at the mark she had given
Faith on her pulse point.  She ran her finger gently over it, tracing
the upper and lower teeth marks.  They should have been gone by now even
if she had broken the skin, and granted almost every day she had bitten
it again, but she had only broken the skin that once.  She looked
closely and realized that underneath the indentation from her most
recent bite, the original bite when she had broken the skin, five days
before, had scarred.  There was no way it should have scarred, not with
their Slayer healing.

Faith watched Buffy's face as she delicately traced along her mark on
her neck.  She had been wondering when Buffy would realize that they
weren't going away.  That the mark on her neck and on Buffy's own had
scarred.  Sometimes Buffy could be so oblivious.  She wondered if Buffy
had noticed that the mark Angel had given her had faded, that it was now
a very faint scar.  It was almost as if Angel's mark had faded when it
had acknowledged the presence of Buffy's true mate's mark, the one that
Faith had given her.  She further wondered if this happened because of
them merging with the source of what made them Slayers.  The part of
them that was primal, feral, needing to claim, to possess, to mark each
other as mates.  And somehow their bodies, their souls, the Slayer in
them accepted, knew that they were soul-mates and had instead of healing
the mark, turned it into a scar. 

She had been afraid to say anything to Buffy.  A part of her fearing
that Buffy would deny the meaning of the mark and she loathed the part
of herself that was still insecure, that knee jerk reaction of expecting
to be rejected or denied by Buffy.  She knew that it wouldn't happen.
She truly deep down in her soul knew that she and Buffy were forever,
that if what happened in Glory's Hell couldn't tear them apart, nothing
could.  But being there had just reinforced all of her old insecurities
and had brought to the forefront once again the need to run before she
could be hurt or rejected.  Just like she had the night of the Joining.
She fought it back almost every day and as she stared at Buffy's face,
something became clear to her.  It wasn't fear of rejection, or getting
hurt that was making her scared, not really, it was part of it sure, but
what truly scared her was that she needed Buffy, needed her as much, if
not more, then she needed the air to breathe.  

And in the space of those few minutes Faith learned another lesson about
life and love. Just like asking for help didn't make you weak or
shameful, wasn't something to be embarrassed about; there was no shame
or weakness in needing someone.  And deep down she knew that Buffy
needed her just as much as she needed Buffy.

"B?"  Faith questioned softly, she took a deep breath, trying to compose
her thoughts.  Trying to figure out how to ask, to say everything that
just went through her mind.  The thoughts scattered into the wind when
Buffy tore her gaze away from the mark and looked deeply into her eyes.
She saw wide-eyed wonder, vulnerability, need, love and so many other
things in Buffy's hazel-gold eyes it rendered her speechless.

Buffy stared into Faith's eyes and saw all the same things she was
feeling reflected back at her in Faith's eyes, including fear.  She
continued to delicately, reverently trace along her mate-mark on Faith's
pulse point.  She didn't need a mirror, didn't need to touch her own
neck to know that Faith's mate-mark on her own neck had scarred too.
The fear in Faith's eyes was telling her that she already realized this,
realized or at least partially realized the meaning behind the
mate-marks and was afraid of her reaction, afraid that she would reject
her or reject what the mark meant. 

Buffy had to wonder if she hadn't deep down wanted the mark she had
given Faith to scar, hadn't wanted it to erase, to take away the power
of the other marks on Faith's body that had been forced upon her with
hatred.  Hadn't wanted hers to represent the complete opposite of the
other marks, represent commitment, eternal love and the fact that the
mark didn't fade told her that Faith wanted the same thing, otherwise
the mark Buffy had given Faith would have healed, Faith's Slayer healing
would have seen to that.

"You know..."  She began hesitantly, still trailing her fingers over the
mark on Faith's neck.  A little afraid that maybe she was reading too
much into this.  She closed her eyes for a brief second and then opened
them to stare deeply into Faith's again and saw the same fear she was
feeling echoed there.  "It's not going to... the bite mark, my bite mark
it scarred. It..."

"I know B..."  Faith reached her hand up without breaking her gaze from
Buffy, her own fingertips unerringly finding her mark on Buffy's neck.
"Just like the one I gave you did..."

"Do you know what these, the marks, mine, yours are, mean?"  Buffy asked
Faith quietly, still staring intently into her eyes, as they both
continued delicately to trace the scarred marks they had given each
other. 

Faith didn't respond and as Buffy continued to hold her gaze she could
see and feel the fear lurking both in their bond and in Faith's eyes.
Faith watched as Buffy gave her a soft loving smile, and she couldn't
help but to return it.

"Vampires call it a scarring mark or a claiming mark.  It's a mate mark
Faith.  But you knew that already didn't you?"  Buffy watched as Faith
just nodded silently to her, then watched as Faith's eyes briefly
flickered to the other side of her neck to where the scar from Angel's
bite was.  She saw confusion in Faith's eyes and a lot of fear, but even
more love.  What surprised her most though was she saw and felt no doubt
coming from Faith about them and their love and was absolutely certain
of Buffy's love for her. 

She ran her hand up the side of Faith's neck, she softly stroked her
face and just let her hand lay gently against Faith's cheek.  She smiled
a little as Faith leaned into her touch and she felt the warmth of
Faith's love flow through her.  She brought her other hand up to her own
neck where Faith's fingers were still stroking along the mark on her
neck and entwined their fingers.

"You want to know about the mark from Angel don't you?"  Again, Faith
just nodded silently to her.  

Faith was holding her breath waiting for Buffy to answer her.  Was it
possible that Buffy was soul-mates with more than one person and that
she had just chosen her over Angel?  She didn't doubt for a minute what
Buffy felt for her, she had made a promise to Buffy that morning after
the Joining ceremony in the kitchen that she would never doubt the depth
and breathe of Buffy's love for her ever again.  And much to her own
surprise she found that she didn't even have a second, no not even a
millisecond of doubt.  This was right, what they were together, who they
were together, them being together this way, lovers, best friends,
mates, soul-mates, everything, all of it, was right.  And she knew it
with every cell, every part of her, her mind, her heart and her soul and
no one and nothing would ever be able to convince or tell her
differently ever.

"Angel's mark is and isn't the same thing.  Because for it to truly be a
claiming or mate mark both people have to claim each other.  And I never
claimed, or bit Angel hard enough to break his skin or leave my teeth
marks.  I never wanted to, I never thought about it.  Before you ask it
had nothing to do with his being a vampire either.  I wasn't afraid of
his blood, a bite like that and that amount of blood could not turn me.
We both know that... I don't know why it scarred, teenager romantic
notions but I know, without even having to look, that Angel's mark is
faint, almost faded away to nothing."  Buffy paused and took a deep
breath, she was rambling.  "And what happened with us, it happened, I...
it... I don't... it just felt right somehow... Like a part of me needed
to claim you as mine in a very primitive way."  Buffy hesitated and
started to blush.  "Almost like I needed the rest of the world to see it
and a part of me wanted it to replace, erase Joh... his marks or claim
on you with my own... I'm selfish I... I just... and, Faith, the marks
they wouldn't have scarred if we, if I didn't want it to.  If I didn't
believe with everything inside of me that you and I... that were
soul-mates." 

They just stared at each other, neither saying anything for long
seconds.  Buffy watched as the confusion and the fear faded from Faith's
eyes, until just the love for her blazed hotly in those
dark-chocolate-emerald eyes.  They burned a path right into her soul and
filled her with such intense love, warmth, that her breath caught in her
chest and heart started racing a thousand miles an hour.  Faith's eyes
claimed her in a way that no mark ever could and as she continued to
stare into Faith's eyes, she felt through their bond all the same things
being echoed back to her from Faith.

Faith struggled to find the words to express what she was feeling.  She
didn't think there were any, in any language that ever could.  Anything
she said would pale in comparison to what she was feeling, what she knew
Buffy was feeling through their bond.  

"It was right... felt right... I felt the same need to make that claim
on you.  I didn't mean to bite that hard but once I did and I realized I
broke your skin a part of me... A part of me reveled in it... thrilled
to it... outright purred in satisfaction and something was unleashed
inside of me when I felt you mark me in return.  Like everything I was,
all of me, the parts of me that were disjointed, the Slayer in me all
merged.  I feel you in a way now, feel connected to you in way that goes
deep down inside of me to my soul.  It's stronger, the bond we share...
I don't know how to explain it any better.  I don't think there are
words for it... I just know that nothing can ever separate us, could
ever change how I feel about you.  And every second I spend with you
what I feel for you just grows stronger, larger, more.  I love you B
it's as simple as that and I will beyond even death."

"You... God, you, you're so beautiful, you don't even know how
beautiful, how precious.  I would have to be stupid not to feel the same
way for you as you do for me."  Buffy paused, and felt like she was
seeing right into Faith's soul.  She smiled so softly, her eyes
reflecting her amazement, her awe of Faith and what they shared.
"...And, I'm not stupid.  I feel the same way, Faith, about you..."

They leaned in towards each other.  They shared but a whisper of a kiss.
It was, they both realized more intimate than any other touch they had
ever shared.  As they slowly explored each others' mouths with growing
passion, with love, as they shared each other's breath and fell into the
warm embrace of the other's arms and souls around them.  

And had anyone happened into the kitchen in those minutes while they
were kissing they would have seen the swirling white and blue mist of
the combined, but separate aura's of both Slayers as the very essences
of them, their souls danced in joy as it surrounded them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith watched Dawn through half-lidded eyes as they trained together.
Something was off; Dawn hadn't been acting like herself for the past few
days.  It had been nagging her before the BBQ, and she couldn't quite
put her finger on it then and for the last two days that nagging feeling
had just gotten worse.  Something was telling her she should know what
it was.  So why was it eluding her?

She was listening with half an ear to Mars as she and Dawn sparred.  She
could barely hear him since he was in a different room training Buffy
with Lilith and Clotho's help.   Mars was in rare form today dishing out
more than his usual barrage of insults to Buffy as she took on both
Lilith and Clotho at the same time.  Neither Slayer took his insults to
heart it was just his style, he was brisk, abrupt, rude, crude, funny as
hell and one hell of a warrior and teacher.  Actually all three of the
Immortals were excellent teachers; they were all versed in different
types of combat, from martial arts to weapon's masters.  Buffy and Faith
had learned more from them in the weeks they had been here then they had
learned from both of all their previous trainers, including Angel,
combined.  And, now it seemed according to the Living Scroll all them
were to be trained by them.

Even Dawn had learned, improved over the last five days under their
tutelage.  Right now, she and Dawn were fighting with Staffs.
Obviously, Dawn couldn't beat her, but after six days Faith noticed that
Dawn seemed to have a natural ability with the staff.  It was almost as
if the staff was just merely an extension of Dawn herself.  Faith was
more than convinced that in time Dawn would be able to beat both she and
Buffy when it came to staff fighting, Slayers or not.  She had told the
Immortals the same thing and much to her surprise they all agreed.

Today though, Dawn was distracted, indifferent, sluggish and Faith knew
from her own experience just how dangerous that was even if they were
just sparring.  They circled each other, and with a flick of the staff
and not using any of her Slayer strength, Faith managed easily to knock
Dawn's staff from her hands for the umpteenth time in the last hour.

"Dawn!  You need to pay attention, you're gonna get hurt or get someone
hurt.  That's the millionth time today I knocked the staff out of your
hands without even trying!  Christ!"  Faith snarled, her tone curt, she
was aggravated that she couldn't figure out what was going on with Dawn
and cranky on top of everything else.

"Well... you should know all about that Faith!"  Dawn snarled back at
the Dark Slayer.

"What's that supposed to mean?"  Faith could almost physically feel the
anger radiating at her from Dawn and she hadn't a clue where it was
coming from.

"Getting other people hurt 'cause you aren't paying attention or just
don't give a shit."  Dawn hissed, her eyes flashing red-hot anger.
Misplaced she knew, but the words were escaping her without her consent
and she knew she wasn't going to be able to stop them.

"What?"  Faith saw the storm brewing in Dawn's eyes and she shuddered
when she realized that it reminded her of the same type of storm that
was unleashed on her the day Hurricane Buffy made her presence known at
the Magic Shop.  

As she stared intensely at Dawn's eyes, she saw something else lurking
in the murky fury there.  Guilt, intense all-consuming guilt, and Faith
recognized it because she had seen that same anger and guilt in her own
eyes for years and then again when she and Buffy were held captive in
Glory's Hell and the weeks following their escape.  Now she understood
what it was that had been eluding her, she had been refusing to see that
haunted look she knew so intimately in Dawn's eyes.  And she felt her
own guilt, which she had thought she had gotten past, rise back up in
her; struggling to find it's foothold on her soul once again.  She
fought it down, sought to destroy it as she mentally tried to prepare
herself for the rage she knew Dawn would be directing her way.  But
nothing could have ever prepared her for what did come out of Dawn's
mouth with the same deadly aim that would have put Artemis the Greek
Goddess of the Hunt to shame.
 
"You... You're good at hurting other people.  Look what you did to
everyone when you first came to Sunnydale.  You couldn't even protect
your own watcher.  Then you came to us and tried to destroy everyone.
You tried to kill everyone, even my Mom who never did anything to you,
who tried to help you.  Then you killed someone 'cause you weren't
paying attention out on patrol.  So don't tell me about paying
attention.  How many people died 'cause you didn't want to do your job
and be a Slayer like Buffy.  Huh Faith?"  

A part of Dawn's mind was screaming in horror at the words that were
spilling from her mouth.  She was turning it all on Faith, laying it all
at her feet.  Yes, those things had happened.  No, they weren't right.
But, even as young as she was, she understood the how and the why's
behind what happened.  Yet still she couldn't stop her mouth from
running off.  She even knew that if Buffy or anyone else had dared to
say any of these things to Faith she would be the first to defend her,
the first to stand up for Faith, the first to try to protect her.  So
what was she doing?  Why couldn't she stop herself?

"I... I..."  Faith stuttered, but she couldn't get anything else out.
Her mind was reeling, she knew where this was coming from, understood
it.  She had lashed out many times in her life, she was well acquainted
with trying to redirect the blame, the guilt she had carried with her on
someone else.  She knew Dawn didn't believe or mean what she was saying.
Even so, she was still reeling from the stinging words, every one of
them true, and they hurt her beyond anything imaginable.  And because
they were all true there was nothing she could do but just listen to
them, there was no defense for them, nothing that would ever change the
truth in them or make them right.  She felt the tears gathering, she
fought them back, and she waited because she knew Dawn was far from
done.

"What?  Can't think of anything to say?  The truth hurts, doesn't it?
Then all of sudden you're not bad anymore, you're good and you come back
after getting redeemed."  Dawn sneered, wanting more than anything to
just cover her mouth with her own hands and stop the words, but they
just kept coming.  "And what happens?  You steal Buffy away and I get
left alone.  Mom's dead and Buffy's too busy with you to notice anything
else.  She forgot about everything, everyone, including Glory.  And when
Glory comes after us, where were you?  You weren't even there to help,
just like you weren't before with Adam and cause Buffy was so busy with
you none of us were ready for her when she did come.  You promised me,
us, that you would never let Glory hurt me, any of us.  Why weren't you
there Faith like you promised?"  

Dawn heard herself as if from far away, as if someone else possessed her
body, her mouth, and she was just an observer.  She watched, as the hurt
grew larger in Faith's eyes, as she tried to keep back the tears,
watched as one escaped anyway and trailed slowly down Faith's face.
Watched as the staff fell from Faith's lifeless fingers, hearing it hit
the floor dully.

"I'm... I'm sorry... I... Gamin..."  Faith whispered, she felt like Dawn
was ripping her heart out as she echoed, said aloud all the thoughts
that had spun around in her own head, all the months they had been held
by Glory, as they started to build a place inside of her once again.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!  You don't care, if you cared you would have never
let Buffy die!  You would have stopped Glory!  Where were you that
night?  Why did you leave me up on the tower?  Why?  Why didn't you help
Buffy beat Glory?  WHY DID YOU LET HER DIE?!!?  WHY?  WHY FAITH?  YOU
SAID YOU WOULD PROTECT HER!!!  YOU LIED!!!"  Dawn took a deep breath,
her throat a little sore from screaming.  Faith reached out a hand
towards her and she slapped it away, her anger rising up hotly once
again.

"Then you followed her and broke your promise again!  You promised her
that if anything happened to her you would take care of me!  YOU LIED
AGAIN!  YOU BOTH LIED AND I HATE YOU!  I HATE YOU!  DO YOU HEAR ME!  I
HATE YOU BOTH FOR LEAVING ME!  BUFFY WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE!  YOU
WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE!  I WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE!  ME!  NOT BUFFY!  NOT
YOU!  ME!  AND I HATE YOU BOTH!"

Faith reached out towards Dawn again, ignoring her own pain, hurt, and
Dawn's slapping hands.  She tried to pull her in a hug.  Dawn twisted
away from Faith, her arms and legs lashing out at Faith as she screamed
to her of her hate of both the Slayers.  Faith just let her arms fall
uselessly, helplessly to her sides allowing Dawn the freedom to release
all the fear, guilt and anger she had been holding inside the last few
months.  A part of herself believing again that she deserved this for
all she had done and for all she hadn't done as well.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was laughing at one of Mars' little insult tirades.  She was
laughing because he so reminded her of Faith when Faith went off on one
of her tirades.  He sputtered, paced, threw his hands around and
generally ranted before he calmed down and actually said what it was
that needed to be said.  He was damn cute when he did it because she
knew it came from a good place, because just like the other Incarnates
he loved her and Faith like they were his own family.  It just endeared
him more too both the Slayers' and they loved him in return because of
it.

She turned her attention back to Lilith and Clotho and mentally thanked
the Goddess' that they were on the same side.  She would never want to
actually meet these two in battle.  They were both quick as greased
lightning, focused and lethal.  She bent her knees and shot herself
upwards and into a back flip over the top of Clotho's head as they came
at her from either side, pulling what Mars' laughingly called her Xena
move.  A move Faith had actually taught her.  She landed easily,
gracefully behind Clotho; her feet had barely touched the ground before
she threw a snap-kick at Clotho's back sending her flying into Lilith.

Lilith and Clotho regained their feet quickly and both came at her at
once.  She waited until they were close enough then executed a spinning,
double roundhouse, hitting Lilith first then Clotho.  She side stepped
away from them and crouched back down into a fighting stance again
waiting for them.

Then everything warped into slow motion.  She felt the pain, the anguish
come to her through the bond, then she heard the screaming, the words at
first not making any sense.  She just knew Faith was hurting and that it
was Dawn who was hurting Faith.  She spun around and took off running
for the other room, not needing to share a bond with her sister to know
that her sister was hurting just as much as Faith.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"  Buffy screamed as she ran into the room.
She skidded to a halt right next to Faith and her sister, blinking her
eyes, not sure if she was actually seeing what she was seeing.  

Faith was standing unnaturally still, her head bowed, her bottom lip
caught between her teeth which were a hairsbreadth away from biting
through the scar she and Buffy both had from the their time spent in
Glory's Hell.  Her hands balled into tight, painful fists at her sides.
Blood pooling in her palms from her own nails digging into her flesh.  

She was waging a silent war within her mind.  The darkness that she
thought she had conquered within her rose with a fury from deep inside
of her.  She was afraid to move, afraid to speak, afraid that it would
win the war.  She understood what Dawn was going through, understood
where all this was coming from, but it didn't stop the hurt her words
were inflicting deep down in her soul.  Didn't stop the beast within her
wanting to rise back up and lash out in retaliation at another person
who claimed to love her once again hurting her.  And the darkness within
her wanted to unleash upon Dawn all the hurt, pain and anger that had
been unleashed upon her for most of her life.

It was taking all of her willpower to stay still, to not revert to the
person she was after that night she had accidentally killed Allan Finch.
She struggled to find her center, repeating in her head for the first
time in a very long time the mantra that Angel had taught her what felt
like years ago, 'I control me. The darkness, the rage, do NOT control
me!'  

Dawn was a whirlwind of flailing arms and legs as she kicked and
punched, screaming how she hated Faith over and over again, beating
Faith up with her words, fists and feet.

Buffy moved quickly, grabbed her sister from the side around the waist
and dragged her a few feet away from Faith.  Dawn started to struggle
against her, her arms and legs still lashing out.  Buffy let out a yelp
when Dawn elbowed her hard in the side.

"Dawn cut it out right now!"  Buffy hung onto her sister until her
struggling ceased.  

"Let me go."  Dawn hissed through clenched teeth, her rage still strong,
still hot and deep down she knew it was so wrong.  But it owned her
right now and she couldn't break from its grasp.  She looked at the Dark
Slayer who was still standing in front of her, with cold eyes.  She
needed a scapegoat for it all and Faith was it.  

Buffy finally let her sister go.  She took a long look at her little
sister and didn't recognize her.  Dawn's eyes were mere slits and filled
with so much anger that Buffy involuntarily took a step back away from
her.  Her mouth was pulled back in a snarl, her chest heaving from her
exertion and pure rage radiated from her in waves.  

Buffy turned and moved the few feet that separated her from Faith.  She
gently grasped one of Faith's forearms and got hit with an echo of such
intense conflicting emotions it actually made her knees weak.

"Faith?"  Buffy whispered softly.

Faith growled low, it rumbled out of her chest a mixture of both hurt
and warning, much like a cornered animal would.  She still didn't trust
herself not to move or speak and all she could hope was that Buffy would
understand.

"Faith, are you okay?"  Buffy asked helplessly, she started to reach out
again towards her but stopped.  Realization of what the actual conflict
going on inside of Faith was, finally coming together in her mind.  She
didn't know what to do and she felt her own anger rising quickly to the
surface.  She whirled around to face her sister.  

"What the hell happened here, Dawn?  What the hell did you say to
Faith?"

"Nothing that wasn't true.  Nothing she didn't deserve.  This!  All of
this!  It's all her fault!"  Dawn hissed at her sister, the rage still
refusing to release its grip on her.

"What the hell are you talking about, Dawn?"

"What am I talking about?  You dying!  What happened to you in Glory's
Hell.  You leaving me and then leaving again.  All of it, it's all her
fault.  None of this would have happened if she wasn't here, if she
hadn't come back.  You're too busy fucking her to noticed she hasn't
changed at all.  She's still the same psycho she was before.  What
happened to you is all her fault and I hate her.  I HATE HER AND I HATE
YOU!"

Buffy stood dumbfounded as the hateful, hurtful words rolled off her
sister's tongue.  She felt the rage boiling up in her, white-hot and she
wanted to hurt Dawn like Dawn was hurting Faith, hurting her.  The rage
was quickly gaining control over her and she knew if she didn't rein it
in she would hurt her sister.  She took a half step towards Dawn, her
hands balling into fists.

"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY, DAWN?!!?  YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!  HOW DARE
YOU?!!?"  She had moved forward as she screamed at Dawn until she was
standing toe to toe with Dawn and with her last word, she shoved Dawn
hard.
 
Faith had finally lifted her head as she watched the two sisters square
off against each other.  Then through her own turmoil, she felt the rage
rise up in Buffy.  She knew that rage, she had lived with it for a long
time and now Buffy knew it too.  She watched as Buffy shoved Dawn and
Dawn stumbled and fell to the ground, the sound of her body hitting the
mat loud and ugly in the now silent room.  Still she stood immobile
trying to control her own rage, her own darkness that threatened to make
things ten times worse than they already were.

Dawn looked up at her sister, not believing that she had actually pushed
her.  Her own rage still controlled her.  She sneered at Buffy and
ignored the small voice in her head that was yelling for her to stop.
Her own fear, guilt, and yes, even anger pushed her on.  

"I HATE YOU!  BUT I HATE HER EVEN MORE FOR WHAT SHE DID TO YOU, FOR
TAKING YOU AWAY FROM ME, FOR WHAT SHE LET THEM DO TO YOU!  FOR YOU
LEAVING ME AGAIN FOR HER, LEAVING ME FOR SOMEONE WHO IS NOTHING BUT A
CHEAP FUCKING WH...."  Dawn started to rise from the floor her words
trailing off as her sister stepped towards her and raised her fist.

Buffy took another half step towards her sister as she began to rise
from the floor screaming her hate at her, screaming her hate for her and
Faith.  She pulled her fist back intending to strike Dawn and stop the
spiteful words that were spewing from her mouth... 

Buffy's raised fist was what finally broke the spell that was holding
Faith captive, immobile and silent.  She couldn't let it happen,
couldn't let Buffy hurt her sister.  She knew Buffy wasn't seeing what
was going on, she was only hearing the words Dawn was saying, she wasn't
seeing the meaning or the hidden truth behind them.

Buffy wasn't seeing the frightened, lonely, guilt-ridden girl that Dawn
truly was.  Faith was, though.  She had been that young girl for most of
her life and she knew Dawn was looking for someone to hurt her as
punishment for what had happened to the Slayers during their trip to
hell.  Punishment for the guilt that she was unfairly placing upon her
own frail shoulders.  Guilt, that the Slayers had never truly helped her
get past.  

They all needed to heal from this and what had been done to them had
left them blind to how all of this effected Dawn and they had left her
alone with her own demons, to try and deal with something that even the
oldest amongst them had a hard time dealing with.  They had forgotten
about the one person in both their lives who meant just as much to them
as they meant to each other.  They had left her alone and scared and she
was lashing out in the only way she could to get their attention.
 
"BUFFY!  DON'T!"  She moved up quickly behind Buffy and watched as her
raised fist stopped its descent.  She gently put her hand on Buffy's arm
and slowly lowered it back down to her side.  "Don't do this," she
whispered hoarsely. 

"I don't care... She has no right Faith... No right to say those things.
You've never been anything but good to her.  Never did anything to her
but love her... It's not right..."  Buffy hissed between clenched teeth
her eyes never leaving her sister's.

"She's hurting, B." 

"Fuck you Faith!  I don't need your help."  Dawn snarled from the floor
still unable to let go of the rage.  She wanted someone to hurt her, she
deserved it, everything that had happened to them was her fault.  

Faith ignored Dawn as she felt Buffy tense up again, felt the rage grow
hot again through their bond.  She started to talk to Buffy as if it
were just the two of them.  

"What happened to us has hurt her too.  She blames herself and she wants
someone to hurt her to take away that guilt.  I know.  I was her, I know
how she feels...  She needs you, B... She thinks she's lost you.  She
thinks she's alone, has no one.  Don't let her push you away.  Don't let
her make the same mistakes I did.  Don't let her do this to herself or
to you.  You know what she is feeling; you went through the same thing
too.  You need to help her, like you helped me."  

Faith let go of Buffy's arm, she stepped back and looked down at Dawn.
Their eyes locked for the first time since this had started.  The war in
her head still raged, but she was winning, the pain Dawn's words had
caused still hurt, would for a long time and for the briefest second it
all showed in her eyes.

Dawn felt the rage drain quickly from her as she stared into Faith's
eyes.  Her own eyes grew round with horror at what she had done; she
felt her whole body flush with shame and guilt.  Then in the blink of an
eye the pain was gone from Faith's eyes and for the first time Dawn was
treated up close and personally to the steely gaze, countenance that
Faith had worn as a shield for most of her life and shown to others, but
never, not once, until now to her.  Great wracking sobs rose up in her
as she realized the damage she had just done. 

Buffy watched almost unemotionally as her sister started to cry.  She
could feel the hurt coming from both Faith and from her sister.  How had
all this happened?  How had things gone this far?  How did it all spin
so out of control again?  How could the damage that had been done today
ever be repaired?  She was torn between comforting her mate and her
sister and she didn't know what to do.  The decision was taken from her
hands.

"Go to her B, she needs you now more than she ever has."  Faith
whispered, urging Buffy with her words and through their bond.

Buffy sunk down to her knees in front of Dawn, who looked at her through
her tears eyes wide with horror, fear, shame, loneliness and guilt that
was endless.  Guilt that was just as deep and horrendous as the guilt
that both Slayers had felt over not being able to protect the other from
what had happened to them.  She pulled Dawn to her, holding her tightly,
cooing to her and whispering soothing words as Dawn cried out her
anguish.

Faith slowly walked backwards as she retreated from them towards the
Immortals who stood hovering by the door, silent, in shock and sorrow.
She couldn't help right now, despite her understanding of what Dawn was
going through, the need was still within her to lash out, and she knew
it wasn't her that could help or that Dawn needed right now.  This time
was for the sisters, this time was for Dawn and Buffy to start down
their own path towards healing.  Today was not the day to start the
healing between Dawn and herself or the three of them together.

"Fade them back to the cottage... please."  Faith whispered to all three
Immortals.  She waited until Dawn and Buffy were gone until she turned
around to face the Immortals.  "I need to spar..." she hissed knowing
she didn't need to offer an explanation to any of them.  "Who's
game?..." she asked them with a feral smile.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stood with her hands on her hips staring down at the three sprawled
Immortals on the floor in front of her.  Her whole body shone with a
fine coating of sweat, though she wasn't the least bit out of breath.  A
few drops of sweat made a slow trail down her neck to disappear into the
neckline of her sleeveless shirt.  Her hair was plastered to her head;
her eyes sparkled with amusement and suppressed anger and pain.  The
feral grin from earlier was still playing around her lips.  

"So who's ready for round five?"  Faith laughed at the stunned look on
their faces, they hadn't a chance against her right now and they all
knew it.  

That didn't stop Mars from rising up from the floor with as much dignity
his bloody, beaten body allowed him.  He returned her feral smile and
winced in pain when his split lip broke open again.  He knew she didn't
miss the wince when she quirked an eyebrow at him.  He chuckled in
amusement.

"A woman after my own heart... And a beautiful woman at that... You and
I... are you sure you're not interested?"  He teased Faith, wiggled his
eyebrows at her suggestively, then smiled again, hiding the pain, the
protectiveness he felt for her behind it. 

"I wouldn't let Gizmo hear you say that..."  Lilith chucked, "I imagine
she would rip you limb from limb!"

"Don't I know it... I would if I were her.  'Sides they are family and
that would be just... What is it that mortals say... ah yes... EWWW...."
Mars chuckled again and reached down to help both Clotho and Lilith up
to their feet.

"Are you all done joking now?"  Faith watched them, the rage was still
there and she needed to release it.  This time though she was going to
take it, own it and use it to her advantage. 

The three Immortals stood facing her; she crouched down into a fighting
stance.  She stretched out a hand towards them palm up and wiggled her
fingers at them, encouraging them to come and get her.  She let out a
low growl as they all came at her at once, then laughed as she flipped
over them and landed gracefully behind all three of them.

"Kickin' your asses is so much fun!"  Faith laughed, the feral grin once
more gracing her face, as the three startled Immortals turned around to
face her with growls of their own.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn clung tightly to Buffy, she sobbed from the depths of her soul as
it all crashed down around her ears.  The guilt, the anger and the shame
she felt at what she had done today made her stomach twist into knots,
and her soul screeched at her in horror.  She started to cry even harder
when she thought of the betrayed, pain-filled, hurt look in Faith's
eyes, then even harder when she realized that today she might have
destroyed the precious, special bond that she had always shared with
Faith. 

The memories the monks had given her of Faith were all good, fun, loving
ones.  None of her memories of Faith were of the bad, the wrong, the
evil she had done.  She had only learned of those things by
eavesdropping, and then from her Mom when she had questioned her about
them only a few months before she had died.  There had to be a reason
for that and though she wanted to deny it, she knew the Monks did it
because even they knew that Faith, no matter how over to the dark side
she may have gone, would never have hurt her.  She wondered if maybe the
Monks also had done it to give the Dark Slayer at least some good,
loving memories of her own as well.

She started to tremble when she realized that she had done to Faith what
almost every other person in Faith's life had done to her.  She had
taken out her rage, her anger, her hate, her guilt, her fears, her pain
with words and fists on Faith.  And Faith had let her and had taken all
of Dawn's sins upon her own world-weary, already overburdened shoulders.
Dawn could only wonder if this time Faith could carry the weight of them
and she didn't think Faith deserved this nor did she want Faith to.  As
the enormity of what she did finally crashed into her, she twisted out
of Buffy's arms and ran for the bathroom to get sick.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy watched as her sister raced for the bathroom.  Less then a second
later, she heard as Dawn got sick.  Buffy's own stomach was twisted into
knots and she felt the bile rise up in the back of her throat.  Her mind
was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.  She was ashamed of her own
part in all of this; she felt compassion for her sister who both she and
Faith had left alone to deal with all of this on her own.  On the other
hand, she wanted to beat the living shit out of Dawn for what she had
done to Faith, her mate, today.  But her rage, her overwhelming need to
physically hurt someone for all that had happened to both her and Faith
and was still happening, was directed at two, no three people, a half
demon-half human man, a deranged evil goddess and a sadistic
human-mother, who were forever out of her reach.  It was a rage, a fire,
that could never be put out or quenched and Buffy was at a loss as to
how to control it or rid herself of it.

How the hell had things gotten so fucked up again?  What happened?  How
had this happened?  How could she ever fix this?  As she waited for her
sister to come out of the bathroom she let her thoughts drift back to
the time between when they had returned from LA and Faith had left to go
find out what happened to the LA crew when they had seemingly vanished
off the face of the earth.  Her relationship with Faith had gradually
been growing stronger, they had been slowly healing and forgiving each
other for the multitude of sins they had both committed against each
other.  Not only she and Faith, but Dawn, Willow, Tara, Anya, Giles, and
even Xander and Spike had spent time together getting to know who the
real people were under the facades they all wore in life.  

She had spent more time with her sister during that period than she had
their whole lives and it was all due to Faith, who wanted to and had
encouraged her to include her younger sister in what they did.  They,
she and Faith, had become more than just Dawn's sisters, or substitute
parents, they had all become friends.  The three of them had become each
other's true family, and the rest of the Scooby Gang had been drawn
slowly but surely into that family circle.  They all had been happy
then, it was one of the few times in her life that Buffy could say she
had been truly deep down inside happy.  The world then had been filled
with such wonder, beauty, awe and joy.  She had learned to see it again
with the eyes of a child.  That gift  had been taught, given to her by
not only her young sister who had lost so much the past year, and
learned so much about the real evils in the world both mundane and
supernatural; but by the woman who owned her heart and soul as well,
Faith, for whom life had never given anything but pain, betrayal, and
hurt to.  Each of them had an innocence within them that even the evils
of the world had been unable to corrupt.

When they had escaped from the hell they had been held captive in for
seven months everything, including them, had changed.  She had been
determined to shield her young sister from all that had happened to both
she and Faith.  She didn't want Dawn to know the extent of what had been
truly done to her, but mostly what had happened to Faith.  She had known
that Dawn blamed herself for what had happened to them and she hadn't
wanted to add to that guilt.  It had been up to her when they returned
to look to Dawn's needs, both physical and emotional.  Faith certainly
hadn't been in any condition to do it, she had been barely surviving
herself.  She had been thinking to spare her sister the knowledge, the
pain that came along with knowing all that had happened, confident in
her ability to dissuade her sister of her guilt without telling the
total truth of it all, and she had failed miserably and once again Faith
had born the brunt, the hurt from her mistake.

As she sat and waited for Dawn to come out of the bathroom, Buffy
finally realized that all her actions, her silence had done was to
isolate her sister and add to her guilt.  Instead of growing stronger,
closer as a family during a time of crisis as she and Faith had during
their captivity, she had succeeded in just distancing not only herself,
but Faith as well, from Dawn.  Slowly over time it had torn them all
apart, until both she and Faith became nothing more than polite
strangers to Dawn.  And her young sister could only have assumed, as
Buffy now knew she had, that she and Faith both placed the blame for
what had happened to them on Dawn's young shoulders.  They, she had left
Dawn alone and frightened, left her to hear without explanation, Faith
and herself in those first few weeks crying out in anguish and terror as
the nightmares tore both of them apart as they slept.  She knew the
nightmare that Faith had the day of the BBQ was the catalyst that had
brought about what happened today.

She looked up as she heard her sister exit the bathroom.  She returned
the tentative, weak smile that Dawn gave her.  Dawn's face was blotched
from crying, eyes red-rimmed and full of regret, guilt and sorrow and
Buffy could see with her Slayer sight that Dawn was trying to control
the trembling of her limbs.  She got up from the bed and slowly
approached Dawn.  She made it halfway across the room before she just
opened her arms up to her younger sister, who in turn hurdled herself
into them with the impact of eighteen-wheeler.  A soft 'oof' forced its
way out of Buffy's mouth.

"I'm sorry... so sorry Buffy... for everything... I'm sorry."  Dawn
gasped out between the tears that started to fall again.

"I know you are Dawnie. I'm sorry too."  Buffy carefully extracted
herself from her sister; she held her gently by her arms and waited for
the tears to stop.  "We need to talk about this.  Are you ready to talk
about it?" 

Dawn looked into her sister's eyes expecting the worst, but all she saw
was sorrow, guilt, compassion and love.  She silently nodded yes to
Buffy.  They made their way together into the kitchen, Buffy motioned
for Dawn to sit down, she grabbed a can out of soda out of the fridge
for Dawn, and then set about making a pot of coffee.  Neither said a
word as they waited for the coffee to brew.  After what felt like an
eternity to both of them, Buffy finally sat down opposite Dawn, cupping
the steaming cup of coffee, she stared into it as if it held all the
answers she was seeking.  She finally raised her head and her eyes back
up to Dawn.

"I'm not really sure where to start or even how to start.  I know some
of this is my fault and I know this goes back even to before... to when
Mom died..."  Buffy hesitated not sure where or how to go from there.

"Do you hate me?"  Dawn could barely get the words out; they were just
slightly above a whisper.  The thought that her sister could hate her,
or that Faith hated her now, after what she had done, terrified her.
She would do anything to take back what she said. 

"No Dawn.  I could never hate you no matter what.  You're my sister.  I
love you.  Not just because you are my sister but because you are my
friend as well and I guess lately I haven't been doing too well in
either department at least not where you're concerned.  Do you hate me?
Do you hate Faith?"  She held her breath waiting for Dawn to answer her.
Just like Dawn, the thought that her sister hated her or even Faith for
that matter, terrified her.

"No!"  Dawn barely whispered out, then more forcefully she said it
again, "NO! I could never hate you, hate Faith, not after what you did,
what she did for me.  Never..."

"Then why?  Can you tell me what happened today?"

Dawn sat completely still trying to put some kind of order to her
thoughts, order to all that she was feeling and she wasn't sure if she
could, she opened and closed her mouth but nothing wanted to come out.

Buffy watched as Dawn struggled, she knew how she felt when nothing
seemed to make sense.  Not what you were feeling, not your actions, when
your mouth took on a life of its own and spouted out things your heart
and soul knew were wrong.  When the world seemed to be spinning around
you in fast forward and you were standing still.

"I know how you feel Dawnie.  Just start wherever you feel comfortable.
Okay?" 

"Okay."  Dawn smiled at her sister, feeling for the first time since
Buffy and Faith had gotten back from Glory's hell that her sister was
actually here.  At first, she was hesitant to tell her all that she had
felt, starting way back when their Mom had first gotten sick, then the
words just started pouring out of her and she couldn't have stopped them
even had she wanted to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Buffy didn't say anything for long minutes after Dawn finished.  She
wanted to kick the shit out of herself for being so blind to what her
sister had and still was feeling.  She shook her head slightly, beating
herself up over the past wasn't going to help anything, the goal was to
take steps to change what was happening now and to make sure that it
didn't happen again.  And the first step she needed to take was to be
honest with her sister.  To stop treating her like a two-year-old and
start treating her like the young adult, sister and friend that she
actually was.  She focused her eyes on Dawn again and gave her a small
smile.

"I didn't know Dawn.  I am ashamed to say that I didn't know that you
were feeling this way.  I was too caught up in what I was feeling to
notice what you were going through.  I wish I could change it, but I
know I can't.  I can only hope that you can forgive me.  This isn't all
your fault, and it isn't all mine.  We both made mistakes and I can only
hope that we will learn from it and not make the same mistakes again.  I
wasn't trying to push you away, not really.  I was trying to protect you
and if I am honest I was trying to protect myself as well..." 

Buffy stopped for a few seconds.  Dawn smiled at Buffy, nodded her head
encouraging Buffy to continue.  Buffy couldn't help but to wonder when
her sister had grown up.  She started to talk again, slowly at first and
just like Dawn, the words started to pour out and she couldn't have
stopped them even if she wanted to.  She started even further back than
Dawn did, trying as best as she could to explain, but not excuse what
she did.  Letting Dawn know that what she had done was out of love and
determination to make sure that Dawn had the growing up experiences that
she never could have after she had been called and became the Slayer.  

She wanted for Dawn that which she never had after she had been called,
and she didn't want the fact that she, that she and Faith were Slayers
to interfere with that.  She wanted her sister to have a normal life,
something until now Buffy had always thought she couldn't even come
close to for herself.  As she spoke, she weaved in not only her own
feelings but Faith's too.  She explained to her sister the bond they
shared, the ability they had to feel the other's thoughts and emotions.
So not only did she explain what she had wanted for Dawn, but what Faith
both felt for, and wanted for Dawn as well.

Two things became very clear to Dawn while Buffy talked.  Buffy had not
sacrificed herself out of some twisted sense of honor, or noble duty as
the Slayer.  She had sacrificed herself because it was inconceivable to
her to sacrifice her sister, for any reason, especially not when she
could do something about it.  Both she and Faith, all of them had done
everything possible to make sure that no one had to die that night on
the tower.  When push came to shove and there wasn't any choice, Buffy
did the only thing she could do, the only thing her heart would let her
do and Dawn knew that Faith would have made the very same sacrifice, she
gave her life for her sister's.  It was who Buffy was, who both she and
Faith were, they could no more change that then they could change their
fingerprints. 

The Monks may have created her.  She might not be really real, or born
in the sense that Buffy and everyone else in Dawn's life had been.
Except for that one time when Buffy had thought that someone or
something had cast a spell on their Mom to make her ill, not once, not
ever had Buffy ever thought of her as other than real, as other than her
sister and even more than a sister.  To Buffy, and Dawn knew in her
heart, this held true for Faith as well, Dawn had always been real,
always been her sister and this time when the tears fell, they were
tears of joy.  For the first time in her life, Dawn felt truly, wholly
real.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy finally stopped talking when she came to what happened to both she
and Faith after they went through the portal.  It wasn't that she didn't
want to tell Dawn about what happened.  Well, in part it was.  With all
she was, she wanted to protect her sister from ever having to know what
had happened to her and Faith in Glory's Hell.  Neither Slayer had ever
actually told anyone all or even a little of what had happened to them
there.  They had talked to each other about it, and while the others
could put some of it together on their own, they never had gone into any
detail beyond what was necessary when they did have to talk about it.

She wasn't sure if she was strong enough to tell this alone, without
Faith's support.  Nor did she feel comfortable with the idea of telling
what had happened to Faith there without Faith's consent.  She knew she
had to tell Dawn some of it.  She couldn't just brush it off, the
aftereffects, and what had happened to both she and Faith there had
affected Dawn as well.  She needed to talk to Faith first before she
went into this with Dawn and her instinct was telling her that this was
something she should do with Faith present.  She had to say something
though; she didn't want Dawn to think that she was holding back, or
distancing herself again.  But those weren't the only reasons, no matter
how hard she tried Buffy couldn't stop the words Dawn had yelled at her
this afternoon from running riot through her mind. 

"Dawn?  Are you okay?"  Buffy asked her, her voice full of concern.

"Yes and no.  Thank you for telling me all this.  This is the first time
in a really long time that I feel like you are really here.  You know
what I mean?"  Dawn spoke almost shyly, hesitantly.  

She had expected her sister to rail at her, rant, yell.  But Buffy had
done none of those things.  Instead, she had opened up to Dawn and told
her everything, treating her as an adult and had shared her own
insecurities and fears with her as well as Faith's.  For the first time
Dawn had a true appreciation of what it was like to be a Slayer, the
pressure, the guilt, the weight of the responsibilities that lay on both
her sister and Faith's shoulders.  Their Mom dying had added new
responsibilities, insecurities and pressures to Buffy's already
overburdened shoulders.  And Faith, when Buffy had finally come to her
senses and realized what it was that she felt for the Dark Slayer, had
done everything within her power to help Buffy shoulder that extra
weight.  

Dawn knew that Faith was the one responsible for bringing Buffy back
into the game so to speak, she was the one that had made Buffy realize
what she was doing by distancing herself from not only Dawn, but their
family of friends and the world in general.  Over the months, Faith had
become the glue that held the three of them together as a family.  Never
having a real one herself, Faith had in essence taught not only Buffy,
but Dawn as well, what a family should be, could be.  And, before that
night on the tower, they all had been making great strides towards
becoming just that.  

She took a deep breath when she saw Buffy was getting ready to start
talking again.  There was only one thing left to talk about now.
Glory's Hell and the aftereffects of what had happened there, the source
of almost all of Dawn's guilt, anger and fears.

"Dawn... I guess there is only one thing left to talk about now."  Buffy
paused and looked at her sister.  She could see the emotions flashing
across her face and knew Dawn understood what she meant.  She smiled
again at her in reassurance.  Not sure if the reassuring smile was more
for herself or more for Dawn, most likely it was for both of them.  She
was fighting against the need to shelter Dawn from this, but she knew
she couldn't any longer, but she had no real intention of telling her
anything until Faith was beside her and Dawn would just have to
understand that for now. 

"Dawn..." she began again, "I'm not going to tell you what happened to
Faith and I after we went through the portal.  At least not right now.
It's not a pretty story and there were things that happened there that
only happened to Faith and I...  Well, I think it should be her decision
to tell you about that if she wants.  And I would like her, no...
actually, I need her here with me when we start to talk about this.  I
think the three of us all need to be together at least at first."  

"...We, Faith and I are still learning to deal with all that happened.
Still healing from it and probably will be for a long time.  And until
today when Faith pointed it out to me, I don't think I realized that
this had affected you too, differently than us, but no less than us.
We, neither of us meant to push you aside, we only sought to shield you,
protect you from what happened.  Or, rather I did, because Faith, at
least up until a few weeks ago, here within this domain, wasn't capable
of talking about any of it.  Not even with me."  

"...I want, need you to understand, neither of us blame you in any way
for what happened to us there.  Remember that and believe it.  It took
both of us a while to stop blaming ourselves for what happened there,
and I'll be honest, every once in a while it sneaks back up on both of
us, the guilt that is, and I imagine that it will for a long time to
come.  But I know, and Faith knows that neither one of us is to blame
for what happened there, nor did either of us ever, not while we were
there and not now, ever, once blame you for what happened.  You need to
stop blaming yourself in order to start healing, in order for all of us
to heal from what happened.  If you want to blame someone than blame the
ones that were responsible for what happened there.  Blame Glory and
Johnny.  The blame falls totally and squarely on their depraved
shoulders and no one else's."  

Buffy paused for a second trying to compose herself.  All the emotions
those two names caused in her rose up inside of her threatening to
overwhelm her.  Two more profoundly, more powerfully than the others
battled with each other, absolute blinding white-hot rage and
mind-numbing fear.  They were holding her within their grasping hands,
then she felt an almost shadow-like touch of a hand running soothingly
down from the top of her head to run phantom-like down the side of her
face to rest gently on her cheek.  The ghost of a thumb brushing along
her cheekbone, comforting and calming her and she leaned into that
elusive imaginary touch; and knew that it was Faith projecting the
image, the emotions to her through their bond.  Knew that Faith had felt
what was happening solely through their Soul-Thread that bound them
together for all eternity. The connection that even death couldn't
sever.   

She silently thanked Faith and felt an answer that was just simply love
from her mate.  Then the ghost touch was gone and silence reined again,
as it had since she and Dawn had returned to cottage.  Faith had blocked
Buffy from her own internal turmoil over what had happened.  And Buffy
had respected that block and had not tried to force her way through it
or plead through their bond from her side for Faith to drop the blocks.
She knew Faith was doing it so that Buffy wouldn't be distracted from
working through this with Dawn and because both she and Faith were
trying to work through their own conflicting emotions over what had
happened today.

Once more feeling under control Buffy locked her gaze with her sister.
There was a few things she did want to say before the three of them sat
down together to talk and she knew that Faith would stop her from saying
them so she was going to say them now.

Dawn watched as Buffy's eyes grew hard and she felt a little bit of fear
creep through her.  She knew who she was looking at now, it wasn't her
sister, it wasn't the Slayer and it wasn't Buffy.  It was Faith's
soul-mate and she braced herself for whatever was to come, because she
knew she deserved it.

"Dawn..." Buffy kept her eye's locked with Dawn's, she wanted to make
sure she had Dawn's complete attention before she continued.  "I almost
seriously hurt you today.  I... Faith and I... both of us, we've
become...  While we were in that Hell, became almost feral about
protecting each other.  If it wasn't for Faith today I would have hurt
you physically, Dawn.  I wasn't seeing you, my sister that I love.  All
I was seeing was that Faith was being hurt, it didn't matter that it
wasn't physical hurt.  All I knew was that Faith was being hurt and that
you were the one hurting her.  And I wanted to make you hurt in return.
I'd like to think I could have stopped myself before that happened but
I'm not sure I could have and I know I would have never been able to
forgive or live with myself if I had hurt you today.  I know, had you
done something like this a few weeks ago, I probably would have ripped
you limb from limb and not even Faith could have stopped me.  I'm not
saying this to frighten you, I think I'm telling you more to frighten
myself."  Buffy paused to let what she was saying sink in.  After a
minute, Dawn nodded to her to continue, she knew Buffy wasn't finished.


"I know you didn't mean what you said today.  But what you said hurt
Faith, hurt her a lot.  Your words hurt me too and they reminded me of
my own failure.  My failure at being unable to protect Faith when we
were being held captive, they reminded me that no one has ever protected
her ever, not even when she was li..."  Buffy trailed off, it wasn't for
her to tell Dawn about that part of Faith's life, that was for Faith to
decide.  She continued in an even softer voice almost as if she were
talking to herself and not Dawn. 

"...I was unable to protect her at all when we were there, while she
practically...  No, not practically, she did.  She sacrificed herself to
protect me.  It's a debt I can never repay.  Ever.  Faith figured out
the second day that we were there what it was that Glory fed on, thrived
on.  She fed on our fears, she could read what your greatest fear was
just by touching you and then she made them a reality.  And Faith, she
knew that and after that first day Faith's greatest fear changed, and
her greatest fear became that Glory, that he would do to me what had
until our second day there been Faith's greatest fear for herself..."  

"...And somehow... I... I don't know how, she managed to keep that from
Glory.  And through sheer strength of will, managed to manipulate both
Glory and him to divert almost all of their attention onto her.  Dawn,
if it wasn't for Faith, what happened to me there would have been a
thousand times worse.  And I don't know if I could have survived it.  I
owe her my life Dawn.  I don't know what she is going to tell you and
what she isn't but don't push her.  No matter what she does or doesn't
tell you I want you to know this.  She did everything, in every sense of
the word, including literally within her power to protect me and beyond.
I would have given my life to protect her Dawnie and she would have
given hers for me as well.  Dying would have been easy compared to what
she did give in order to protect me.  We both have scars from this, the
type of scars that you can't see, the kind of scars that you carry with
you the rest of your life.  But the scars I carry aren't nearly as deep
as they would have been if it wasn't for Faith.  I... I..."

There was nothing left that she could say, some of this she had never
even said to Faith and the bitter taste of her failure to protect Faith
rose up strong in the back of her throat.  This was something she knew
would haunt her for the rest of her days.  Tears slipped unknowingly
from her eyes as she thought of the sacrifices that Faith had made for
her and she let herself cry for Faith and for herself.  Feeling with
each tear that fell the weight of this ghost that haunted her begin to
lighten its hold on her soul.  She felt Dawn's arms come around her,
holding her tightly and she sobbed into her younger sister's shirt, and
then she felt the touch of her soul-mate within her again.  

And she found that with the touch of the two people that meant the most
to her in the world, one whose arms were holding her now, and the other
who could touch her very soul through the thread that bound their souls,
Buffy felt the familiar, welcomed, warmth that was simply home. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had been sitting across from each other at the kitchen table for
about half an hour in comfortable silence when they heard the front door
open and softly close.  They both knew it was Faith, together they rose
from the table.  Buffy looked up at the clock over the sink and was
surprised to see that they had talked into the wee hours of the morning.
She looked back at Dawn and motioned for her to sit back down.

The sisters locked eyes; they both knew that this wasn't going to be
easy.  Dawn knew without being told how much she had hurt Faith, knew
that Faith was not only hurt, but angry as well.  Neither sister knew
how Faith was going to react when she came face to face with the
youngest of them again.  Dawn sat back down and nodded at Buffy even
though she wanted to just run out there and beg Faith to forgive her.
Buffy gave Dawn a small smile, rolled her shoulders then walked out of
the kitchen through the swinging door.

She walked up quietly to Faith who was standing by the dresser, peering
into the open drawer.  She circled her arms around Faith's waist from
behind and went up onto her tippy-toes to plant a light kiss on the side
of Faith's neck.

"Hey..."  She whispered softly into Faith's ear.  She felt Faith's hands
lay gently over the tops of her own.
 
"Hey..."  Faith's voice was low and scratchy from the suppressed hurt
she was holding in and all the battle yells she had shouted while she
was sparring with the Immortals.

"Are you okay, baby?"  Buffy moved to the side, her arms still around
Faith's waist so she could see her face.

"Yeah."  Faith answered Buffy without looking at her.  She kept on
rummaging around in the drawer.  She pulled out a couple of pairs of
sweats and a few t-shirts.

One word answers Buffy knew, wasn't good and by the look on Faith's face
she knew that she was far from okay.  She dropped her hands from around
Faith's waist and leaned against the dresser silently watching as Faith
pulled clothes from the drawers and piled them on top of it.

"Looking for something in particular?" 

Faith stopped scrounging through the drawers and turned to face Buffy.
Her face was impassive; her eyes were shuttered and showed nothing of
her inner turmoil.  She opened and closed her mouth a few times but
nothing came out, she shrugged her shoulders then looked back down into
the drawer.

"I ah... I'm gonna..."  She started mumbling into the drawer, then found
some inner strength and turned her face back up to Buffy's.  "I'm gonna
go stay with Mars."

"Why?"  Buffy asked quietly and calmly not betraying the fear and panic
that streaked through her at Faith's words.

"I think its best."  Faith's eyes dropped to the floor when she answered
Buffy.

"Why?"  Buffy asked quietly again, her heart was racing a million miles
an hour and she felt her skin turning cold and clammy.

"Because, I do."  Faith looked quickly at Buffy and then started pulling
clothes out of the drawers again.

"What the hell kind of answer is that, Faith?"  Buffy's voice rose a
little and anger, mixed with panic, seeped into her tone.  

Faith stilled her hands and looked at Buffy again and just shrugged her
shoulders, then dropped her head, eyes back to the floor again, which
only made Buffy's panic and fear escalate, she could feel tears
gathering in her eyes.  She felt like she was looking at a stranger
wearing her mate's face and that scared her even more.

"Faith... are you... Are you leaving me?"  Buffy choked out the words,
they were laced with fear, she was twisting her hands, her body
trembling at just the thought of Faith leaving her, of not being here
with her.  Here where she belonged, with her.

Faith's head shot up, she stared at Buffy wide-eyed, her mouth dropped
open in shock.  Where the hell did Buffy get that idea?  She grasped
both of Buffy's frantically twisting hands with hers, unconsciously
dropping the blocks she put up to stop her own turmoil over what had
happened today from seeping into Buffy through their bond.

"B... I woul..."  Faith never got to finish as Dawn came tearing out of
the kitchen.

Dawn had been unable to just sit at the kitchen table and wait.  She had
gotten up, walked over to the door, and slightly opened it so she could
hear what her sister and Faith were saying.  She knew she shouldn't be
eavesdropping on them but she did it anyway.  She was terrified that
Faith would tell Buffy that she hated her, not once though did she ever
think that Faith would leave Buffy because of today.  They couldn't
survive without each other, even she knew that.  When she heard Buffy
ask Faith if she was leaving her, she thought her heart was going to
explode in her chest.  She waited, holding her breath for Faith to
answer, when she didn't immediately say no, she burst through the door
in full blown panic mode.

"I'msorryI'msorrypleasedon'tleave!PleaseFaith!"

Neither Slayer had a chance to react as Dawn rushed through the door.
Tears were streaming down her face, her words frantic, begging and
slurred together.  She practically threw herself at them both, wrapping
her arms tightly around both of their waists.

"Please!Ididn'tmeananyofit!I'msorry!I'msorry!Pleasedon'tleaveFaith!!!"
Somehow, Dawn would never know how, she managed to compose herself.  She
released her sister, and Faith who was her sister too, if not by blood,
by reasons of the heart.  She calmed herself, and stepped back away from
them.  She looked up at Buffy first, then at Faith, she couldn't read
either of their expressions and neither of them made a move to say
anything to her.

"Please don't leave.  Buffy needs you, she couldn't handle it if you
left.  You're her whole world.  Please don't do this to her because of
me, because I'm... 'Cause I took everything out on you.  I know none of
it was your fault.  I didn't mean any of it.  I don't even understand
why I said those hurtful things.  It was like... like I couldn't stop
them, like it wasn't even me.  And I... I know that's no excuse and I
know you can't forgive me.  But don't leave Buffy because of what I did.
It would destroy her.  I'm sorry.  I really am, I would do anything to
take it all back.  Anything... I'll leave.  I'll go wherever you want me
to.  I'll do whatever you want...  I just hope someday that you won't...
won't h..a..te me..."  Dawn stumbled over the last few words and waited
for what seemed like eternity for one of them to say something,
anything, yell, scream.  Waited, even if it was only for Faith to tell
her she hated her.  Anything was better than the silence that was hollow
and empty, just like her life would be without Buffy and Faith in it.
They were her world, she just wished she had realized it sooner.

Buffy had untangled her hands from Faith's when Dawn let them go.  She
stepped back a little and listened as her sister rushed out her plea for
Faith not to leave.  Once Faith had dropped all her blocks Buffy had
known in an instant that Faith wasn't leaving her, leaving them, not for
good, she just needed a little time to distance herself and to calm the
war raging in her head.  She was leaving because she was afraid.  Afraid
that she wouldn't be able to control her dark side, which had regained a
foothold inside of her once again, thanks to their forced stay in Slayer
Hell.  So, Buffy made the conscious choice to step aside, this was
something that Faith needed to decide on her own.  

While Faith might not trust herself to control her dark side from
lashing out at Dawn, or anyone for that matter in blind rage, either
physically or verbally, possibly both, Buffy had absolute, well, faith,
that the Dark Slayer did indeed have total control of her dark side.
Buffy would bet her life on it.  She trusted Faith implicitly.  The
funny thing was, while she believed Faith could control the rage that
had created her dark side, Buffy was uncertain that she could contain
her own rage that had created a dark side within herself.  

It wasn't Faith that she didn't trust, it was herself.  Her first
reaction to what had happened today was just another indication that
what Buffy had suspected about herself since their return was true.  The
rage, the fury, even the fear and the pain from what had happened to not
just her, but Faith as well while they were held captive had given life
to her own dark side.  She had a very real understanding now of what had
driven Faith all those years.  And after feeling and seeing the images
that came from Faith of what her life had been like, she could
understand how Faith could have succumb to the Mayor and her dark side.
Buffy felt that same pull herself now, to just give in to her baser
urges and fuck the consequences and anyone who might get hurt in the
process.  The need to lash out and hurt someone, anyone, to release the
rage, to protect not just herself, but Faith as well, almost overwhelmed
her at times.  She suspected that Mars was aware of it, as well as
Faith, Lilith and Clotho, and that was why when the training got to a
certain intensity level, she and Faith did not train with the Immortals
together in the same room.  She knew she needed to learn how to control
it now before it controlled her, before she crossed that line.  And now
as this became clear to her, as she felt Faith struggling mentally, she
understood that they, Faith and the Immortals had been waiting for her
to take the first step and ask for their help in learning how to control
her dark sides rage.  With that knowledge, a certain calm came over her
and it only helped to reinforce her trust in Faith.
 
So, she watched her sister and her mate, understanding in seconds as her
own thoughts flashed through her mind, that this was a war that Faith
needed to win herself.  The decision to stay or go was one that Faith
needed to make on her own without any outside influence or coercion from
her, for better or worse.  She hoped, prayed, that Faith would make the
right decision, which was to stay.  She hoped that Faith would trust in
herself, because she was afraid that if Faith did walk away, even for
just a few days, she would never learn to trust in herself, in her
ability to control the dark side of her personality again.  And if that
happened, Buffy's instinct told her, the doubting of her own self and
her control of her dark side would stay with Faith for the rest of her
life.

Faith hadn't moved a millimeter since Dawn had crashed through the
kitchen door.  She was frozen like she was earlier today.  Afraid if she
moved she would lose control of her dark side.  It was why she wanted to
stay at Mars', not here at the cottage with Dawn.  If something like
this had happened before they had been held captive in hell, she
wouldn't have felt the need to get away.  Before Glory and Johnny she
had been confident that she controlled those dark impulses.  Now though,
there was all this new rage inside of her and she was terrified that she
couldn't control the impulse to lash out, either with her fists or
words.  What Dawn had said to her and to Buffy today had hurt her in a
way that she had thought, until now, only Buffy, of any of the people
she loved, had the power to hurt her.  On one level, she understood
where it had come from, understood why Dawn had done what she did, it
had been like looking at a reflection of herself.  She knew the creed
very well, hurt them, before they can hurt you.  But that little tiny
dark voice in her head whispered to her to fuck understanding why and
just hurt Dawn back like Dawn had hurt her.  And no matter how hard she
tried she couldn't get it to shut the hell up.

So, she didn't move, not when Dawn had wrapped her arms around both her
and Buffy.  Not when Dawn had released them and backed away.  Not when
Buffy had let go of her hands and moved away as well.  Not a muscle did
she move, her jaw was clenched tightly to keep any words from slipping
out unbidden from her mouth.  Her eyes locked with Dawn's as Dawn
pleaded with her not to leave.  She watched almost impassively as Dawn
backed away even further.  Watched as Dawn's whole body slumped in
defeat, saw the pain that was so clear in Dawn's eyes when neither she
or Buffy said anything as she walked towards the door.  

Dawn walked slowly towards the door, peeking back over her shoulder as
walked, to look at the Slayers.  She could barely lift her feet, she
forced herself not to collapse right there.  Talking to herself in her
mind, trying to convince herself that in a few days' things would calm
down and they could all work it out.  Things would be all right between
all of them.  She felt more alone right now then she did when she
thought that both Buffy and Faith were dead.  She finally reached the
door after a few eternities.  With her hand on the knob, she paused,
turned one last time, and locked her eyes with Faith's.

"I... I really am sorry Faith. I... I wish..." She couldn't finish, she
turned back towards the door, her head dropping down to her chest and
started to turn the knob.

The loneliness Faith saw in Dawn's eyes when she turned around at the
door, broke Faith's heart.  She knew that look, she had seen it staring
back at her from her own reflection in the mirror for nineteen years.
She had a moment of clarity then.  This would be the moment to lash out,
this was the moment that Dawn was the most vulnerable, this was the
moment that she could cause Dawn the most pain, this would be the moment
her dark side would strike to cause the most damage.  Yes, this would be
the moment to strike if her dark side was in control, but it wasn't.  It
was still there yes, would always be there, but it no longer owned her
and at no point today had it ever controlled her.  Her actions today had
been a knee jerk reaction; she had made an assumption about her own
self.  She had doubted herself, she had not trusted herself, and it
slowly dawned on her that Buffy, standing so quietly and not interfering
at all, trusted her completely.  She turned her head to look at Buffy
and saw the ghost of a smile on her face and knew she was right. 

She had been, was being tested today.  It would have, could be so easy
after all that had happened to both she and Buffy over the past few
months, to just give up, give in and let the darkness, her insecurities
and fears take control of her again.  If she let Dawn walk out the door
right now, she would fail that test, her silence spoke just as loudly as
any hurtful words ever could.  But she wasn't about to fail this test,
it was too important.  Dawn was too important, she was her family after
all.

"Dawn... wait."  Faith's voice trembled a little.  She was scared now
that she might have waited too long to do something. 

Dawn turned back around, her eyes firmly focused on the floor, she
pushed down the leap of joy at Faith's voice.  She didn't look up to see
which of the Slayers were approaching her as she heard the soft
footsteps coming towards her.  She saw a pair of black Docs and knew it
was Faith that was standing in front of her.  As she gazed at Faith's
Docs she realized they were the same pair that Faith had three years
ago.  She knew she was right, because of the puncture marks on the toe
of the left shoe; some idiot vampire had made them when he tried to bite
her foot.  A hysterical little giggle almost escaped Dawn at how inane
this train of thought was given the circumstances.

"You were wrong, you know," Faith told Dawn softly.  She waited for Dawn
to look up at her, when she didn't she gently placed her fingers under
Dawn's chin and raised her head.  

Dawn still kept her eyes lowered after Faith raised her head up.  She
was afraid to look into Faith's eyes, afraid of what she might see in
them.  Afraid that Faith hated her.

"Dawn, please look at me."  She waited patiently again for Dawn to raise
her eyes up to hers.  She saw surprise and a little bit of confusion in
them when she finally did.  Faith smiled softly.  "You were wrong about
me being Buffy's whole world Dawn..."

"No I'm not.  You are Faith.  You have to know by now just how much
Buffy loves you.  How could you not?  I know you aren't stupid.  You are
her whole world."  Dawn blurted out before she could stop herself,
cutting Faith off.  She couldn't believe after what happened today that
she had the audacity to actually argue with Faith.  She snapped her
mouth shut, pulling her lower lip in between her teeth and biting down
on it.  Her eyes grew wide when she saw the twinkle of amusement flash
in Faith's eyes at her actions. 

"No I'm not wrong and in a way you aren't either.  It's not just me who
is Buffy's whole world, Dawn.  You are too.  Just like you and Buffy are
my whole world.  You and Buffy, you're my family.  The only real family
I've ever had, I guess I forgot that.  I'm kinda new to all of this
family stuff.  Kinda new at talking about things and not running away
from them.  It's the only thing I knew how to do.  And I wasn't leaving
Buffy.  I was just gonna stay with Mars for a few days.  I was... I was
afraid if I stayed here right now, I might hurt you.  It's what I would
have done before.  If you had done what you did today the first time I
was in Sunnydale I would have hurt you an..."

Dawn felt her bottom lip slip out from between her teeth and she knew
that she was going to open her big mouth and argue with Faith again.
Only this time she knew what was going to come out of her mouth was
something Faith needed to hear and in her heart, she knew it was the
right thing to do, so she cut Faith off again.

"No you wouldn't have.  You can tell yourself all you want that you
would have hurt me but you wouldn't.  I know that.  You've never hurt
me, ever, not once and you could have plenty of times.  We both know
that.  How many times did I run into after you went to work for the
Mayor?  And even though in reality I really wasn't there then, how come
the memories the Monks gave me and you, gave everyone, didn't have you
hurting or coming after me to hurt Buffy?  Did you ever think about that
Faith?"  Dawn paused, she had rushed it all out in one long breath, she
was definitely spending too much time with Willow.  She took a huge
breath and opened her mouth again before Faith or Buffy could interrupt
her. 

"I could have come after you with a sword today and even if I had
managed to cut you, you still wouldn't have hurt me back.  I know that
and nothing you could ever say or believe about yourself - or do - will
ever make me believe that you could.  The Monks knew that and that's why
all of the memories I have of you are all good.  Even my Mom knew that,
it's why even after all you did and were in jail she kept in touch with
Kate.  Why she had Angel come get you in the courtroom that day.  She
saw who you really were and not who you tried to pretend to be, just
like I always saw who you were.  If anyone hurt anyone, it was me.  The
things I said today, there is no excuse for them.  I don't believe any
of them are true, none of them and I just hope that someday you can
forgive me.  You're my family too, you've... in my heart you've always
been my other big sister and I'm sorry and I know that's lame but I
don't know how else to tell you how ashamed I am of what I did today I
am... I..."  She took in huge gulps of air; her heart was hammering
against her chest.  She lowered her eyes and then raised them back up to
Faith.

"Faith do you?  Do... do you hate me?"  She held her breath as she
waited for Faith to answer her.

"I... I could never hate you... You're my little sister Dawn.  You
always have been.  I love you Gamin, you're my family."  Faith opened
her arms up wide in invitation to Dawn.

Dawn almost knocked them both over, she threw herself into Faith arms so
forcefully.  They both laughed a little at the sound that Faith made
upon impact and the little squeak that came out of her from Dawn hugging
her so tightly.  Faith managed to squeeze her own little squeak out of
Dawn as well from her tightly wrapped arms.

"I love you too Faith.  I really am sorry..."  The last word came out
with a hiccup as Dawn started to cry again.

"I love you too... I won't lie I am hurt by what you said.  Not to
mention a little pissed off."  Faith told Dawn gently.

"Me to..o... I me..an p..issed of..f at me t..oo."  Dawn whispered back
between hiccups.

"Me three..."  Buffy said as she walked up to them.

Dawn and Faith unwrapped an arm from around each other and pulled Buffy
into their hug.  

After a few minutes of their group hug, Buffy told them, "I love you
guys so much..." 

"I love you all so much too..."  Faith said next.

"I love you both even more..."  Dawn put in her two-cents-worth.

"Well I love you all twice as much as even more..."  Buffy said, then
they all groaned at how corny they were being. 

"This is so bad for my image..."  Faith giggled, ruining her image just
a little more.

"What image is that Faith?  The one you have when you're wearing your
feety pajamas with Snoopy on them?  Or the one where you cried all the
way through..."

"B!  You promised you'd never tell!"  Faith yelled, squeezing both
Summers' girls harder.

"Through what?  Cried through what Buffy?"  Dawn squirmed out of the
group hug; breathing had started to become an issue.

"I'mhungryanybodyelsehungryI'llcook!"

"You're always hungry Faith!  But you can cook and while you're cooking,
Buffy can tell me what it was that you cried all the way through."

"Ah fuck!"  Faith stamped her foot and headed towards the kitchen.  She
smiled when her family shouted out her name for cursing as they trailed
behind her.  She knew they all still needed to talk about what happened
together.  She knew from the bond she shared with Buffy that Buffy
hadn't told Dawn everything.  But it was late or rather very early in
the morning, she was hungry, they were hungry, they all needed a little
break, a few giggles, a few smiles and a lot of sleep.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy had cancelled all of their plans for the day.  She and Faith had
decided that they all should spend the day together concentrating on
themselves as a family and trying to work through what had happened the
day before.  Both Slayers were nervous about telling Dawn of their
experiences in Glory's Slayer Hell.  They had decided together that
Faith would be the one to tell Dawn about what happened, with Buffy only
interjecting if she felt the need.  They shared a silent understanding
that it was entirely up to Faith to decide how much or how little to
tell Dawn about what had happened to her at both Glory and Johnny's
hands.

They spent the morning hedging around the issue, neither Dawn nor Buffy
tried to push Faith into talking.  Faith had barely uttered a word to
either of them all morning.  This was a conversation she had hoped to
never have with anyone, let alone Dawn.  She had done what she needed to
survive, not just in Glory's Hell but her whole life and she was afraid
of what she would see in Dawn's eyes once she knew the whole of it.
Faith had no intention of telling her the gory details, but she had to
tell Dawn enough of it for her to understand, she was going to keep it
as PG as possible.  Even so, Dawn was far from stupid, she would be able
to read what was between the lines and Faith was afraid that once Dawn
did, she would lose her.

Finally, as it neared afternoon, Faith suggested that they have a picnic
down at the lake.  She wanted to do this outside, in the wide-open space
by the lake instead of in the cottage, which seemed to be growing
smaller as the day grew long.  She wanted to be in the fresh air, hear
the birds chirping, and feel the warmth of the sun upon her skin as she
told her dark tale.

After they finished their lunch, they all made themselves comfortable on
the large blanket Buffy had brought.  Faith sat with her back up against
a massive ancient oak tree, Buffy sat right next to her.  Dawn was
sprawled out on her side facing them.  Dawn watched as Faith leaned her
head back against the tree, she lifted a visibly shaking hand, ran it
through her hair, then lowered it and blindly reached out and found
Buffy's hand with her own.  

"When we first woke up there..."  Faith paused, not sure if this was
where she wanted to start.  She felt Buffy squeeze her hand
reassuringly.  She stared at Dawn for long seconds then slid her eyes
away.  "When we woke after falling through the portal we didn't know
that Glory had us.  Buffy didn't know who had us but I did.  The place
we were at was familiar to me, I had been there before.  I thought, when
I first realized where I was, that I was dead and in hell.  Thought that
I had somehow pulled Buffy into hell with me and not just because of
where we were but because of the things I had done.  I have no doubt, if
I had died that night after falling into the portal that hell is where I
would have ended up.  I knew he was dead and that if there were such a
thing as heaven and hell, that hell was where Johnny would be.  And when
he came through the front door of the cabin I knew we were in hell."
She paused again and took a few deep breaths.  

"This wasn't a new hell to me.  I had lived in this hell before with
him.  It was my personal hell, him, there, was, had been for a very long
time, my greatest fear.  When I was six my father left my mother..."
She saw the look of surprise on Buffy's face out of the corner of her
eye, but it didn't even come close to the surprise she felt within
herself at the words that had just came out of her mouth.  She hadn't,
until they came out any intention of telling Dawn about her childhood,
but something inside of her needed Dawn to know all of it.  She needed
to know if Dawn could still love her after she heard it all, heard all
her secrets.  She gathered her courage up around her like a coat and
unconsciously slid a little closer to Buffy, leaning a little on her
soul-mate's strength.

"My Mother, she started drinking a lot..."

Dawn kept her eyes glued on Faith as she talked.  Faith's eyes were
staring out sightlessly over the lake, her gaze internal, her voice
monotone.  It was almost as if she were talking about someone else, or
retelling a story that someone had told to her once; a horror story, the
kind that made you sleep with your lights on at night.  The kind of
story you wished the most creative of writers could never, even in their
wildest imaginings ever come up with, the kind of story you wished could
never, ever, be true.  Dawn couldn't keep the silent tears from falling
down her face, she cried for the Dark Slayer, somehow knowing that Faith
very rarely, if ever cried for herself. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...and that was why we came here.  We didn't mean to make you feel like
we deserted you.  I was having a hard time dealing with all of this.  I
had asked Buffy earlier in the day if we could come spend some time
here, we were going to tell you about it.  But then that happened
afterwards at Mars and well... I was too caught up in my own problems
and Buffy... well, I... If it wasn't for her, I would have never
survived there.  I would never have survived after we got back.  I'm
sorry for leaving you alone, making you feel that you had no one.  I
know how that feels.  I just... I..."  Faith trailed off, her voice was
raw, hoarse from talking for so long.  

She shivered a little as a gentle breeze dried the cold clammy sweat on
her body.  Her hand felt stiff, and she could only imagine how Buffy's
felt after being gripped so tightly within her own for so long.  She
tried to release Buffy's hand only Buffy wouldn't let her.  She kept her
eyes on the lake afraid to look at Dawn, afraid she might see pity,
disgust for her in Dawn's eyes.  Afraid she might see in Dawn's eyes all
those things she had felt about herself for so long.  Her heart tried to
tell her mind that she wouldn't, but it wasn't listening, too many years
of seeing those things in other's eyes had left permanent scars upon
her.

Dawn waited for Faith to look at her.  She knew Faith had told her a
very, very watered-down version of her life and what had happened to
both she and Buffy when they were held captive.  But despite her age,
she knew exactly what Faith hadn't told her, and realized that it was
probably ten times worse than what she even imagined.  Last night she
hadn't understood what Buffy had been talking about when she said that
Faith had sacrificed herself for her, how she had hidden her greatest
fear from Glory, but now she did; and Dawn couldn't even begin to
imagine what that had done to the Dark Slayer on the inside.  She had
asked no questions, had remained silent throughout, respecting what her
sister had asked of her the night before and giving that same respect to
Faith as well.  She didn't know what to say anyway.  What do you say to
someone that had been through the things Faith had? What do you say to
someone who had willingly endured all that Faith had to spare someone
else, and not just anyone but Buffy, her sister, the horrors she had
experienced.

She had loved Faith before, but, by the time Faith had finished, the
love she felt before paled compared to the love she had now for the Dark
Slayer.  The respect she had for the Dark Slayer for turning her life
around grew a million times more.  She was awed, humbled and honored to
have Faith in her life, as her sister.  More than once since her return
to Sunnydale Faith had set aside her own wants, needs, desires, for
others.  She had risked everything, including her life, her sanity, had
been willing to throw everything away that she worked so hard for to
make sure that not just Buffy, but Dawn, the Scoobs, all of them
survived Glory.  For that she would have Dawn's unconditional love and
support forever.

She watched as Faith licked her parched lips, she reached over and
grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler.  She stood up and slowly
inched her way over to Faith.  She knelt down in front of her and handed
her the water.

Faith saw Dawn approach her with the water out of the corner of her eye
but still she couldn't bring herself to look at her.  She held her hand
out for the bottle and mumbled a thank you, still refusing to turn her
eyes towards Dawn.  She chugged down the whole bottle without pause.
She dropped the bottle to the ground and closed her eyes.  She couldn't
deal, she couldn't bear the thought that Dawn would reject her, or feel
any of those things she had felt about herself for so long.  Dawn had
been the one good, one shiny bright light in her life for so long.  The
only good, real, true memories in the darkness she had lived in for so
long.  The memories she had of Dawn had sustained her, had made her see
what life could be like, had she done things differently, how her life
could be, if she turned it around.  And she had turned her life around,
had gotten more than she had ever dreamed was possible.  Had gotten all
those secret wishes, had gotten what she had never told anyone she
wanted, had gotten what she had only wished for late at night in her
secret heart of hearts and now she was afraid of losing one of the
people that had always been a part of those dreams.

It took her a second or two to realize she was being hugged.  Another
second to realize that it wasn't Buffy but Dawn who was hugging her and
another second to open her eyes, a little afraid that when she did she
would wake up and it would have only been a dream.  She returned the hug
fiercely, squeezing all the air and a very loud squeak out of Dawn.  She
heard a muffled, 'Thank you,' and, an 'I love you,' followed by a
squeaked out, 'Can't breath,' come from Dawn whose head was buried
against her shoulder.

She released Dawn, who sat back on her calves.  Faith finally found her
courage and looked into Dawn's eyes.  What she saw there shouldn't have
surprised her but it did anyway.  She saw the same things in Dawn's eyes
that she had seen in Buffy's all those months ago when Buffy had found
out all her secrets.  Compassion, sympathy, empathy, anger at the
perpetrators of the abuse, but not a hint of accusation, pity or disgust
was in Dawn's eyes.  And above all else, even stronger was unwavering,
unconditional love. 

"No.  Thank you, Gamin," Faith whispered to Dawn.

"You're welcome."  Dawn told her just as softly, then even softer, "I
really am sorry about yesterday.  I was wrong."

"I know you are, we know you are.  Been there, done that a few times
myself."  Faith let out a little self-depreciating chuckle.

"You still mad at me?"  Dawn asked her, but she already knew the answer.

"A little yeah..."

"You still mad too Buffy?"  Dawn asked, already knowing Buffy's answer
too.

"A little yeah..."

Then Dawn saw the evil twinkle show up in both Slayers' eyes and knew
she was in deep shit.  Not bad deep shit, but deep shit nonetheless.
Little did she realize how literal that thought would turn out to be.

"But you know..."  Buffy started.

"...you did say..."  Faith cut in.

"...that you would..."  Buffy continued.

"I hate when you guys do this..."  Dawn interjected.

"...would do anything to make up for this..."  Faith continued as if
Dawn hadn't spoken.

"...so you can start by..."  Buffy smiled at the image she got from
Faith through their bond at what Faith was going to tell Dawn to do.
Their bond certainly made things like this much easier.

"...cleaning the stalls in the stable..."  Faith finished with a smirk.

"No way!  I'm so not doin' that!"  Dawn crossed her arms and glared at
them.  She knew she would end up doing it, but she wasn't going to give
in that easily.

"And you might..."  Faith started this time.

"...want to change your clothes first..."  Buffy continued.

"...because it kinda is a dirty job..."  Faith finished and then
outright laughed at the look on Dawn's face.

"This is so not fair... Two against one... Not fair..."  Dawn grumbled
and groaned mumbling to herself as she stalked off towards the cottage.
She turned around and shouted at the laughing Slayers, "I LOVE YOU
GUYS!"

"WE LOVE YOU TOO DAWNIE!"  They shouted back together.

"We are so startin' to get way too corny, B..."

"I'd have to agree Sweetums, honeypie, darling, light o' my life, my
little love muffin!"

Faith looked at Buffy with wide-eyed horror as she started spouting out
her over-sweet endearments.  She put her fingers in her ears so she
didn't have to listen to anymore and Buffy grabbed the opportunity to
start tickling her.  Two seconds later, she found herself being tickled
without mercy by both Dawn and Buffy.

"U... Sum...m...mers'... do...n't... p...lay.... fai...r!"  She got out
between bouts of laughter, and started laughing harder when both Buffy
and Dawn just nodded their heads in agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She watched them as they walked down the path that led between all of
the cottages privacy-protection barriers towards the portal that would
take her back to Sunnydale, Obsidian trailing behind them.  They had
asked her to stay with them a while longer.  Since she had arrived here
on what was a late Friday afternoon earth time she could stay longer
than the week originally planned before she had to return on earth's
Sunday in time to get a good nights sleep for school the next day.  So
she had ended up staying an additional two weeks.  Dawn couldn't help
but think that they were probably the best two weeks of her life.  

The first few days after the day she had lost it on Faith while they
were training had been awkward, despite the laughter and the ease with
which she and Faith had fallen back into their relationship.  The
hurtful words Dawn had spoken still hung in the air between them, as
well as between her and Buffy.  She had apologized so many times that
both Slayers had asked her to stop and Dawn had finally realized that
after saying 'I'm sorry' over and over the two words started to lose
their meaning.  Instead, she decided to let her actions speak for her
and she had subtly begun a campaign of showing both Slayers how much
they meant to her.  She reminded them of the fun they had together,
thanked them for the things they had done for her.  She told them
stories, most of them were about the times she had spent with Faith the
first time the Dark Slayer had come to Sunnydale.  She told them all
about the things Joyce had said about the Dark Slayer.  She gave both
Slayers, but most importantly Faith, a glimpse through her eyes of
exactly how she saw Faith.  As the days passed they all grew closer
together as sisters, as friends, as a family and Dawn finally understood
exactly what the phrase, 'Home is where the heart is,' meant.

She saw a side to Buffy and Faith that she never thought she would ever
see over the last two weeks.  Sure, they had fun those weeks when Buffy
had gone after and brought Faith back from LA, but being here was
different.  In Sunnydale even when they were out having fun there was
always a part of the Slayers that was always on alert, they couldn't,
ever, not really, completely let themselves relax.  None of them could
really, they were all too aware of what hid in the darkness of the
night.  

It made her a little sad though to know that once the Slayers returned
to Sunnydale, the totally carefree young women she had come to know and
had spent the last three weeks with would be gone.  She grew to have a
true appreciation for who and what they were, for what they had tried
and were still trying to give, do for her.  They wanted for her all the
things, they wanted for themselves, but could not have, not completely;
they wanted to give her the gift of normal happy life.  A life that
didn't include demons, vampires, apocalypses and death on a daily basis.


It was funny too, considering she was a few years younger then them, to
realize just how young they both really were.  She guessed her
perception of them was skewed because they were Slayers.  The things
they had both seen, had both had to do, gave them an air, a sense of
maturity that exceeded their real age.  The responsibilities, the weight
they both carried upon their shoulders; they were never really given the
opportunity to be truly young, Faith even more so than Buffy.  Now not
only did they carry the burden of being Slayers, but they had been
thrust into the roles of provider and parent as well.

As much as they wanted her to have a normal happy life, she wanted even
more than they did for themselves, for them to have a happy long life
together.  So, she wished and prayed for the things she knew they didn't
allow themselves to wish and pray for.  She wanted them to have the
chance to be young, go to college, take vacations, have laughter be a
daily part of their lives.  She wanted them to have the chance to have
children if they wanted, to celebrate their twenty-fifth, fiftieth
anniversary together.  She had not a doubt that they would stay together
for the rest of their lives, the bond between them, the love, was
stronger than even the strongest metal known in any universe and it made
her dance with joy inside every time she saw them together.  She would
consider herself the luckiest girl in the world if she could find
someone who loved her half as much as Buffy and Faith loved each other. 

She made a silent vow to herself as they walked those last few feet to
the portal.  She would do nothing to add to their already overburden
shoulders; instead she would do everything within her power to help them
have the happy long life together they so richly deserved.  She would
cajole, plead, push and force them to take care of themselves, be
careful, live life, make time for themselves, everything and anything
she could do to help them have a full life outside of being Slayers.
She had every intention when she got back to Sunnydale of recruiting all
the rest of her extended family, witches, mortals, vampires, and
Immortals alike in helping her achieve this goal.  

As Dawn stood in front of the portal with her
sisters-friends-mentors-ala-parents, hugging them goodbye with tears in
her eyes, there was a dream that Dawn carried in her heart.  A dream
that Dawn was determined would some day come true.  

One day she wanted to walk into the courtyard of the mansion fifty,
sixty, many, many years from now, just as the sun was beginning to rise
and see two little old, gray-haired, retired Slayers, cuddled up on the
lounge chair, giggling and kissing as they waited for the sun to rise
and listened for the promises the new day brought forth.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They stood quietly and watched Dawn as she walked into the portal.  They
had only three more days here until they had to return to Sunnydale
themselves.  Atropos had told them, if they stayed any longer, it could
seriously change what was 'Fated' within the Tapestry of Life.  They
served a purpose within their own domain and not just as Slayers.  Dawn,
as well as their extended family were part of that purpose.  Their
destinies lay within their own domain and not here within the domain of
the Immortals.  They were assured however, that they would be able to
return here and that they would see all of the Immortals quite
frequently.  The Living Scroll had ensured that.  According to it, the
Immortals' destinies were entwined with those of the Slayers and the
others.  Regardless of what the Living Scroll had said or not said,
Atropos informed them the other day, in a voice that brooked no
argument, they were family and they were stuck with them whether they
liked it or not.

"I think I'm actually gonna miss her..."  Buffy sighed as she leaned
back against Faith and watched the portal as it started slowly to close.
She tipped her head back onto Faith's shoulder, turned it slightly and
peered up at Faith.

"I am too Giz..."  Faith tightened her arms around Buffy's waist; she
leaned her cheek next to Buffy's and smiled as she felt Buffy lay her
hands lightly on top of hers.

Buffy smiled as she heard the purring rumbling out of Faith's chest.
Her answering purr grew as she felt Faith's thumbs tenderly stroking her
stomach.  The tender stroking was sending little darts of pleasure
through her.  She let out a soft moan and her thoughts hazily drifted
away, her own hands started to caress the back of Faith's.  One of
Faith's hands slid down and under her midriff t-shirt to softly stroke
her bare skin which elicited another soft moan from her.  Her thoughts
took a decidedly wicked turn when it suddenly sunk in that she and Faith
were alone, no Dawn, no Immortals, for the first time in three weeks.
She twisted quickly around in Faith's arms and captured Faith's mouth
with her own in one fell swoop.

Faith felt her knees grow weak as Buffy kissed her like there was no
tomorrow.  She loved kissing Buffy.  She could kiss her forever.  She
loved Buffy's soft lips, the velvety texture of her tongue as it danced
with her own.  The way Buffy kissed her as if she could never get
enough, as if there were no one and nothing else in the world.  A kiss
from Buffy always made her feel that way, whether it was a soft peck on
the lips or an outright kiss of passion that made her toes curl.  They
put all the pent up need and passion from suppressing their desire to
make love with each other for the last three weeks into the kiss.  

Somehow, Buffy's hands ended up around Faith's neck.  She ran them up
into Faith's hair, she softly alternated between massaging and raking
her nails along Faith's scalp.  She moaned into the kiss when she felt
Faith's nipples harden and press insistently against her own breasts.  

Faith felt a trail of goose-bumps make their way down her spine at
Buffy's caressing hands, she squirmed a little as the crotch of her
pants seemed to become oppressively tight.  Her hands drifted down
Buffy's back to the tops of her buttocks and she pulled Buffy into her
hard.  She growled low in her throat when she felt Buffy press in to her
harder and start grinding her pelvis into hers.

They were both breathing hard when they ended the kiss, Buffy's eyes
gold, Faith's emerald.  Buffy's breathing went into hyper-drive as Faith
slid a leg in-between her own and pressed her thigh up into her.  The
whoosh of air as the portal closed completely brought back to them the
reality of where they were.  The last thing either wanted after waiting
three long weeks to be together was someone walking in on them again!

"Cottage... Now..."  Faith growled out, a wolfish smile appeared when
she saw the shudder of desire go through Buffy.  

She had plans for Buffy, especially since Buffy had spent the last three
weeks whispering to her at every opportunity exactly what she wanted
them to do once they were alone.  She let all those images Buffy had
conjured up in her mind over the last few weeks flow to Buffy through
their bond.  Her smile grew more wolfish as she watched Buffy's eyes
grow wide, then heavy with desire, and the little gasp Buffy gave as she
was hit with the feelings the images created made Faith laugh low and
throaty.  She picked Buffy up and hoisted her onto Obsidian's back then
climbed up behind her.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith scooted up as close as possible behind Buffy on Obsidian.  The
fact that they were riding bareback made it much easier, she wrapped her
arms around Buffy, her hands going up and under Buffy's shirt to lay
unmoving right under Buffy's breasts.  She felt Buffy's skin grow warmer
under her hands, using her chin, she moved Buffy's hair aside, then
rested it upon Buffy's shoulder.

Little tremors started running through Buffy from the warmth of Faith's
breath caressing her neck and the outright heat of Faith's hands on her
bare skin.  She pushed back into Faith a little more and shuddered as
she felt Faith's thumbs start to skim lazily along the underside of her
breasts.

"You feel so good..."  Faith started in a low, throaty voice, "Your skin
is so soft, so warm, so creamy... I can't wait until we get back to the
cottage so I can see, taste, what I'm feeling..."

Buffy let out a little frustrated moan at both Faith's words and her
thumbs that were still only just running a delicate line across the
underside of her breasts.

"It feels like forever since I've had the taste of you in my mouth,"
Faith continued her own voice growing huskier as her desire grew.
"Heard those little low throaty moans, sighs, growls you make when I
touch you.  When I run my fingers over your nipples or my tongue along
the side of your neck..."

"You're a big tease Fai... And I'm as quiet as a church mouse, I have no
idea what you are talking about..."  Buffy mumbled her senses on
overload from the images that continued to play havoc with her mind and
the sound of Faith's voice in her ear.  She could listen to that low,
husky rasp of Faith's for eternity and Buffy was quite sure that if
Faith tried she could make her come just by talking to her.

"Really?  Guess I'll just have to remind you..."  Faith chuckled low in
Buffy's ear, then caught her lobe between her teeth and sucked on it
gently before releasing it.  She started to place soft teasing kisses
along the side of Buffy's neck, her teeth nibbling, her tongue sneaking
out for quick tastes, she smiled when Buffy let out a soft moan.
"And... that would be... What?  A non-noise, Miss
Quiet-as-a-Church-Mouse..."  She whispered against Buffy's skin.

Buffy let her head fall back onto Faith's shoulder giving her further
access to her neck.  It felt like forever since Faith had touched her,
held her, kissed her, forever since she had touched, kissed and held
Faith in return.  She looked around quickly wondering how long it would
be before they got back to the cottage, she didn't think she could wait.
She saw that Obsidian had wandered into the woods that surrounded the
outskirts of the property that belonged to their cottage, then her eyes
slid closed as Faith's hands slid up to cover her breasts.  A ragged
moan came from deep within her and Buffy felt a pulse start to pound
inside of her.

Faith let out her own moan as her fingertips ran over Buffy's breasts.
She captured one begging nipple between her fingers, pinching it
lightly, then rolling it with her callused fingertips.  She felt Buffy's
desire surge through her from their bond and an answering wetness pooled
between her legs.  Right now, she wished she had worn anything but her
skintight black jeans.  The seam in the crotch was pushing hard, roughly
against her clit and the gentle motion of Obsidian as he slowly walked
through the forest wasn't helping her at all.  She began blazing a trail
of kisses, nipping, sucking, tracing with her tongue along every piece
of Buffy's bare skin her mouth could reach.  She growled a little when
she felt Buffy's hands grab hold of her thighs and start to run along
them. 

"Maybe..."  Buffy started then stopped as one of Faith's hands left her
breast and started a slow trek downward.

"Maybe what, B?"  Faith murmured around Buffy's neck.  Her fingertips
were tingling as she ran them down Buffy's bare skin to her hip.  She
slid Buffy a little bit forward away from her, then ran her fingertips
teasingly along the waistband of Buffy's sweatpants, dipping below them
to run one finger along the line of soft curls that hid Buffy's sex.
"You were saying..."

Buffy just whimpered, raising herself up a little, trying to bring that
teasing finger to where she wanted it.  She clutched at Faith's thighs,
her fingers digging in hard as Faith began to rub the palm of her hand
back and forth across her nipple.  She turned her head to run her tongue
along Faith's jaw line, and couldn't suppress her own smile when she
felt Faith jump just a little.

"I want..."  Buffy whispered against Faith's jaw, once again getting
distracted, this time by the feel of Faith's breasts, the hard nipples
pressing into her back as Faith bent them both forward so she could run
the hand that had been teasing Buffy's curls down along the length of
one thigh. 

Faith wasn't sure who she was torturing more, herself or Buffy.  She
rubbed herself like a cat up against Buffy's back, growling low with
need against the softness of Buffy's skin.  She ran her fingertips down
as far as she could along one of Buffy's thighs then backtracked up
along the inside of her firm thigh.  Stopping when she felt the wetness
that had dripped down, swirling her fingers in it, painting it along
Buffy's inner thigh.

"What was it you wanted B?  I know what I want..."  Faith ran her hand
further up the inside of Buffy's thigh, then slid into the wetness that
was waiting for her.  She ran her fingertips down into Buffy's center,
gathering up her mate's essence, her heart pounded furiously against her
chest.  Her breathing hitched and her own center throbbed in need.  

"W... what..."  Buffy barely could speak let alone hold onto a thought
with Faith's teasing fingers running along her heat.  She growled in
frustration as she felt those same teasing fingers move away and trail
for a second up along her stomach then lift away.

"I want to taste you and I can't wait 'til we get back to the cottage.
I want to taste you now..."  Faith brought her hand up to her mouth, she
ran her slick fingers along her bottom lip before slowly sliding them
into her mouth and gently sucking on them.  

Buffy's eyes grew wide as Faith brought her fingers to her mouth.  Her
tongue came out to trace along her own lips in longing, she twisted
around, praying that she didn't fall off Obsidian.  She arched herself
up and brought her mouth to Faith's, kissing Faith around her fingers.
She nipped at Faith's bottom lip, her tongue coming out to play, running
along that pouty bottom lip and tasting herself there.   

Faith moved her fingers away and brought her mouth down hard onto
Buffy's.  Her tongue demanded entrance, she dominated the kiss taking
what she wanted, drawing out a moaned response from Buffy.  She grabbed
Buffy behind the neck and pressed her head into her even tighter, not
sure how they hadn't fallen off the horse yet.  She felt like she was
going to come just from kissing Buffy, she started kissing her harder,
ravishing Buffy's mouth as she felt in an echo that Buffy was feeling
the same way.  Her hand upon Buffy's breast became relentless, rolling
the nipple, teasing it with light, then hard touches, then no touch.
She dragged her mouth away from Buffy's and moved Buffy until she was
leaning back against her again.  She looked quickly around and had no
idea where the hell they were, she didn't care at this point, she had to
touch that wet heat again.

Faith trailed her hand down the creamy expanse of Buffy's overheated
stomach.  She slipped it under the waistband of her sweats, and ran a
lone finger once again along the edge of the soft, moist curls, then to
the side delicately stroking the soft skin between Buffy's center and
her inner thigh.  She ran a path across Buffy's sex to the other side
and stroked the soft skin there just as delicately.  She then gently
cupped Buffy's mound, her hand just resting unmoving, as Buffy's pelvis
rolled up into her hand, following the motion of Obsidian as he carried
the two of them.  She started to explore finally, after a few seconds
the wet folds beneath her fingertips.

"God B... do you know what you do to me?"  Faith continued lightly
running her fingertips over the outside of Buffy's wet heat, her own
body reacting fiercely to Buffy's.  "So hot... so wet... so damn
beautiful..."

Buffy was incapable of speech.  She was ablaze, she tried to raise her
hips up harder into Faith's hands but found the task impossible while
riding bareback on Obsidian.  There was nothing to use as leverage.  She
was already perched precariously at the edge of release and Faith had
yet even to touch her really.  Her growl of frustration turned into one
of pure desire as Faith finally increased the pressure of her fingers
against her.  She hissed as those fingers still moved slowly upon her,
following the motion of the horse that was carrying them.

"Easy Giz... Not so fast..."  Faith whispered to her, knowing exactly
how frustrating, how torturous this felt to Buffy.  She let out a harsh
breath as she slipped her fingers into Buffy's molten heat and felt the
silky texture of Buffy surround her intimately.  She kicked her heels
against Obsidian's flanks and he changed from a slow walk to a trot.
She moved her fingers within Buffy using the natural rhythm of the horse
to guide her.

"F...fa...st... is good..."  Buffy gasped out, her hands once again
clutching at Faith's thighs, knowing she would leave marks this time.
She felt the tension coil deep within her and knew her climax was
approaching fast.

"Hold it off..."  Faith mumbled to Buffy as if she had read her mind.
She was feeling everything Buffy was feeling through their bond, her own
center pulsing in time with the heat-waves running through Buffy.  She
wanted to bring Buffy higher before she found her release.  

"Can't Fai..."  Buffy felt a mini-shockwave of release go through her
and she moaned low and loud.

"Please... for me... Wait..."  She lightened her touch upon Buffy
slowing down the motion of her hand.  Her thumb circling around Buffy's
swollen clit, barely skimming it, pulling back when she felt Buffy reach
the crest.  Her other hand went back to teasingly touching Buffy's
breasts, her stomach, any part of her skin she could reach.  Loving the
taste of Buffy's sweat and desire on her tongue, her mouth never strayed
far from Buffy's neck.  "Like silk, B.  You feel like silk..."

Faith closed her eyes and fell into what Buffy was feeling.  She kept up
her slow tortuous thrusting into Buffy, she felt a shadow-like stroke of
the same touch inside of her.  Weeks ago, when she had first
acknowledged this new sensation from their bond it hadn't been nearly as
intense.  Little by little both she and Buffy, with Lilly's help, had
learned how to control it, how to block it.  For some reason Faith, like
before, adapted and opened to this new connection faster than Buffy.
Right now Faith opened the connection up wide, wanting to experience
everything that Buffy was feeling with her.  She teased Buffy up to the
edge again and slowly backed her down again.

"Tease... missed you... missed..."  She couldn't finish.  She just let
herself sink back into Faith.  Sink into what she was feeling, what
Faith was making her feel.  She opened their connection letting all she
was feeling, the love, the passion, the lust flow between them.  She was
surprised, though she shouldn't have been that Faith was already right
there, already sunk deeply into the bond that was now such a part of
them.

Faith kicked her heels into Obsidian's sides again, urging him into a
full out gallop.  She slid further into Buffy, drowning in the intimacy
of Buffy pulsating around her fingers.  Her thumb drifted up to circle
and swirl around the heart of Buffy's desire as her fingers kept moving
inside of Buffy with the natural rolling motion of the fast galloping
horse.  Her heart slammed against her chest at the low, sensuous moan
that came from Buffy.  At the sound of Buffy calling her name again and
again, as Buffy made her, her whole world.  It still amazed her that she
could make Buffy feel this way, and though she never said it aloud, not
even to Buffy, every time she touched, kissed Buffy and every time Buffy
touched, kissed her it felt like the first time.  Every touch, every
kiss, was new, exciting, amazing and it humbled and awed her.

Buffy fell further into Faith, further into the sensations that seemed
to be all the stronger since she could not really move with Faith's warm
fingers within her.  Stronger because she could only lean back into her
mate and just allow herself to enjoy the sensations Faith was creating
within her.  Then the first wave of her release crashed over her in a
blinding, earth-shattering wave, and the only thing she knew was Faith
and that Faith was sharing this with her through their bond.

Faith moaned with Buffy as the first wave of her release crashed over
her, then moaned again as what Buffy was feeling washed over her in an
echo.  She pulled Buffy's trembling body tighter to her, and kicked
Obsidian into a faster gallop.  Her hands moving upon Buffy still, to
extend her pleasure, draw it out, higher, then the second wave of
Buffy's peak washed over her and Faith started to tremble with Buffy,
teetering on the edge of release with her.  When the third wave of
Buffy's climax washed over her in an echo, Faith yelped in surprise,
then yelped again when she started cumming with Buffy and cumming hard. 

Buffy's insides contracted again when Faith started to moan her name hot
and heavy into her ear.  Desire, heat, lust, rose up fiercely in her
again, as Faith's fingers started to move even faster within her,
Faith's thumb once again circling relentlessly upon her clit.  It was
too much and Buffy felt another climax claim her almost as strong as the
first one and this time she couldn't contain her yell of Faith's name,
as she was dragged down into the whirlpool of desire, lust, passion,
love and simply Faith.  They fed off each other's release, prolonging
it, their world once again narrowing down to just the two of them.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took them a minute or two to realize that Obsidian had stopped moving
and that they were at the field by the stable, where Sol was grazing
lazily behind the fence.  Buffy was slumped boneless in Faith's arms,
sated, but not sated at the same time.  Her body was sated, but her
heart wasn't, her need to touch, kiss Faith was pounding hot and heavy
through her veins.  As the haze started to clear from her intense
climaxes, she belatedly realized that Faith had climaxed too, without
even being touched.

"Wow... Did what I just think happen, happen..."  Buffy asked Faith, the
answer she received was an unintelligible mumble against her shoulder.
"Faith did you just..."

"Yeah..."  Faith said in a clearer mumble cutting off Buffy.  "That's
never happened to me before," she mumbled and with a little shock felt
herself blush.

Buffy's whole insides clenched at the thought that Faith had climaxed
from just touching her.  It blew her away, and it humbled her in a way
she had never been humbled before to know she had that effect on Faith.
She realized that their bond might have something to do with it, but
still, the bond had been a part of them for a while now, and this had
never happened to either of them before.  

Faith jumped down off Obsidian and her knees almost buckled out from
under her.  She was embarrassed and she knew that it was a ridiculous
reaction.  She looked up at Buffy and saw the evil twinkle in her eyes
and the cocky smile that was gracing her face.

"Little shaky there S.O.?"  Buffy wiggled her eyebrows at Faith, loving
the fact that she was blushing.  "Well, S.O.?"  Buffy asked her when
Faith just looked back at her mutely.

"So what?"

"Not so what.  S.Oooo.  It's my new nickname for you."  She smiled at
the quizzical look on Faith's face.  "Ya know, S.O."  Buffy said as if
saying it again would explain what she meant.  She opened her eyes wide
her grin growing larger.  Faith just shrugged her shoulders, even more
confused.  "Significant Other... S.O. but in your case, Sexy Other,
Sensuous Other, Sumptuous Other, Seductive Other all apply too."

Faith flashed her own grin back up at Buffy, 'Significant Other', she
liked it.  "I think I like being your S.Oooo, Giz.  Does that mean
you're mine too?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way Faith..."  She smiled again when Faith
reached up to help her down from Obsidian.

Faith set Buffy down gently on her feet and it was a good thing she keep
her hands on Buffy's hips, because Buffy's legs gave right out from
under her.  "Guess I ain't the only one that's a little shaky there
Giz..."  Faith chuckled.

Buffy steadied her legs and stood up straight, she looked Faith in the
eyes before she spoke.  "True enough.  Still your legs are already
shaky.  You came and I haven't even touched you yet!"  Buffy couldn't
resist smiling at Faith, when Faith's face get a little redder, "Imagine
what's going to happen when I do touch you.  When I run my nails down
your back, along the insides of your arms.  When I nibble along your
neck and scrap my teeth along that little spot behind you ear, then
trail my tongue down to my mark on your pulse point, to bite and suck
upon it... Can you imagine Faith?"  Buffy asked her in a smooth, low
sultry voice.

They stared at each other and the fire that they had only just put out
flared into life again.  Higher, hot enough to start a forest fire, even
Obsidian backed away from them as the heat of their gaze blazed between
them.

Faith swallowed hard, her mouth, throat dry just at the thought.  She
reached out blindly to open the gate and let Obsidian join his mate in
the field.  He brayed loudly for his mate, taking off towards her at
breakneck speed as Faith pulled Buffy to her with the same speed.  She
brought her mouth down to Buffy's in an out and out delicate, carnal,
slow, sensuous kiss, that left them both breathless and with shaky legs
again.

They began kissing again, feverishly, carnality pouring off both of
them.  Now was not the time for slow, their need for each other was
still too strong, too hot.  There was so much time to make up for, not
just the last three weeks, but all the weeks before, the months before.
They kept kissing as they stumbled towards the cottage, which was a
little less than a hundred feet away. 

"Want you... need to touch you now..."  Buffy moaned into their kiss.
She reached down and pulled Faith's t-shirt out from her pants, her hand
up and under it, laying claim to one of Faith's firm breasts, before she
even finished speaking.  

Buffy's hand burned her breast and Faith pulled away from their kiss to
bury her head into Buffy's neck.  Her teeth capturing the sweet skin of
Buffy's neck and biting down delicately.  Her hands ran random patterns
over Buffy's back, her nails scraping along the skin.  She kept
stumbling backwards towards the cottage pulling Buffy along with her.

They were halfway there when Faith felt Buffy fumbling with the buttons
on her jeans.  Patient she wasn't and Faith groaned when Buffy gave up
and just ripped them open and pushed them down a little.  She groaned
again as Buffy slid her hand inside and tortured her like she had
tortured Buffy, by just cupping her aching center.  Since patience
wasn't a virtue that Faith possessed either, she wrapped her arms around
Buffy, grabbing a buttock in each hand and lifted her up.  She turned as
Buffy wrapped her legs around her waist and reclaimed her mouth as she
started running for the cottage, her pants starting to make their way
towards her ankles.

Faith almost fell once or twice as her pants got tangled around her
ankles, she let go of one sweet round buttock to open the door.  She
stumbled through the threshold, and Buffy reached over her shoulder to
slam it shut behind them.   

Buffy wiggled in Faith's arms, and dropped her legs from around her
waist.  She slid down the length of Faith's body as Faith let her go.
She spun Faith around and began pushing her towards the bed.

"B, let me get my boots and pants off..."  Faith rasped as she stumbled,
trying not to fall as Buffy propelled her towards the bed backwards.

"Can't wait that long to touch you..."  Buffy said as she pushed Faith
down on the bed.  "Want to taste you now... waited long enough..."

Faith fell backwards onto the bed her eyes opening wide in amazement at
both Buffy's words and Buffy ripping her g-string right off of her.  She
didn't even try and protest when Buffy reached up and just ripped her
t-shirt in half.

"Oh gods, Giz..."  She arched her back, thrusting her breasts up into
Buffy's warm, wet mouth, and hand that had latched themselves onto her
nipples.  Each pinch, each bite, each flick of Buffy's tongue, each
brush of a finger against her nipples sent a quicksilver pulse of raw
heat straight to her throbbing, overheated, center.

The rest of her body arched in the wake of Buffy's other hand which
roamed wherever it felt like.  She tried to open her legs wider so Buffy
could lay fully between them, but was unable because of her pants
tangled around her ankles.  She grunted as Buffy slid one firm thigh up
between hers, and she helplessly began to rub, grind against it wishing
that it was Buffy's warm skin and not her sweatpants she felt.

Buffy groaned around Faith's nipple when she felt Faith's desire for her
soak almost instantly through her sweatpants.  She lightly scraped her
nails up the inside of one of Faith's thighs then moaned at the wetness
she found on her way up.  She moaned loudly again when she felt Faith's
nails digging into her back, then rake along the length of it.  She rose
up from Faith, supporting herself on her elbows so she could look down
at her beautiful face.

Faith seized the opportunity when Buffy lifted from her, she quickly
brought her hands around and grabbed the neck of Buffy's shirt and
ripped it open.  Then she pulled Buffy back down to her by the ripped
halves of the shirt.  They both purred out their pleasure as their bare
skin, bare breasts made contact.   

Buffy wasn't satisfied with that for long, she wanted the taste of
Faith's skin in her mouth again.  She lifted herself back up again, then
dipped her head down and captured Faith's mouth.  This time it was she
who dominated the kiss, exploring those luscious lips, running her
tongue along the little dent on the bottom one.  

Faith threw herself into the kiss, totally forgetting that only three
weeks ago she feared having anyone, even Buffy pressing down on top of
her.  She tried to roll them over, but Buffy resisted her.  She tried to
pull Buffy back down onto her, but again Buffy resisted, so she just
gave up and let Buffy have her way, it wasn't like she really minded
after all.  She whimpered a little as Buffy moved her mouth away and
blazed a trail down her neck to the valley between her breast, to veer
off finally seeking and then recapturing a nipple.  She gripped the back
of Buffy's head and pulled it down harder into her breast.  

Buffy's hand was once again running teasingly along the inside of one of
her thighs and Faith arched up into the touch.  It annoyed her that she
was unable to raise her legs up and bend her knees because they were
trapped by her pants.  She started to pull her legs apart, her thighs
straining, her ankles yelling at her, she grunted with her effort and
then finally she heard them rip apart at the crotch.

Buffy started to giggle around her nipple and Faith couldn't help it,
she started to giggle herself.

"You didn't just do that, did you?"  Buffy lifted her head and looked
down at Faith's amused, desired filled face.

"It was annoying me B..."  Faith pouted, then started to giggle again.
Her giggle turned into a full-blown moan, when Buffy's hand was suddenly
sliding through her folds. "CHRIST B!"  

Not caring how ridiculous she might look with her boots still on and
half a ripped pant leg hanging around each ankle, she raised her knees
and arched her hips up into Buffy's hand.  She had more important things
on her mind then how she looked.  Like those delicately tracing fingers
that were exploring all of her wet center, and Buffy's breasts as they
slid down across her own, over her stomach.  To the nipple that
teasingly replaced Buffy's fingers in her wetness for a few seconds.  To
Buffy's hot mouth and tongue which left a wet warm trail down the length
of her body.

Buffy slid off the bed to kneel on the floor, her hands grasped Faith's
hips and sliding her to the edge of the bed.  She lifted first one leg
and placed it on her shoulder, then lifted the other and placed it too
on her other shoulder.

Faith lifted herself up, leaning back on her elbows and looked down the
length of her body to the smiling, mischievous face of her mate.

"Guess I should reward you for making this easier for me..."  Buffy
looked at Faith her eyes twinkling impishly.  "So should I reward you
Faith?"

Faith swallowed hard, her hips involuntarily bucked at just the thought.
She opened her mouth and said yes, only nothing came out.  Her mouth,
throat had become suddenly dry, she couldn't remember the last time she
had felt Buffy's mouth on her.  She swallowed hard again.

"Well?"  Buffy couldn't resisted teasing her again.  Her own desire rose
up fiercely in her, from both the look Faith was giving her and thought
that she had rendered Faith speechless.  She ran her fingertips, her
nails up the inside of both of Faith's thighs.  She lightly began to
tease along Faith's swollen nether lips, her eyes never leaving Faith's.

Faith growled, then moaned again as Buffy started to touch her again,
her breathing got faster, her eyelids grew heavy.

"Oh god... Yes..."  She tried to pull Buffy closer to where she wanted
her by pushing the heels of her booted feet against Buffy's back, but
again Buffy resisted her.  "Tease..."

"Yup... and I learned from the best."  Buffy turned her head and nipped
at the inside of Faith's thigh.  Then her tongue came out to greedily
lap at the wetness that was Faith's desire.   

She ran her tongue up the inside of Faith's thigh, then softly stroked
the sensitive skin where it met the wiry curls that covered Faith's sex.
The smell of Faith's arousal assaulted her senses, musky, heady and
uniquely Faith.  She flicked her tongue suddenly, quickly across Faith's
clit, and heard Faith yelp, then did it again just so she could hear
Faith yelp again.  And Faith didn't disappoint her.  She lifted her head
again to stare up at the Dark Slayer, a smile gracing her face.

That smile held a promise that made Faith tremble; she hadn't seen that
look in such a long time.  She held her breath in anticipation as Buffy
kept her eyes locked with hers as she slowly licked her lips and then
lowered her mouth towards her.  

"B... god... B..." quickly became her new mantra as Buffy lavishly
explored her with her tongue.  She fell back to the bed unable to hold
herself up anymore.

Buffy feasted.  She was greedy for more of the ambrosia that was simply
Faith.  She closed her eyes and relearned, remembered, rediscovered
Faith intimately.  She brought her hand up to rediscover with her the
joy, the pleasure that came with bringing, giving pleasure to the woman
that was her heart and soul.  The ecstasy that came with the knowledge
that Faith would allow her this after all she had been through.  She ran
her fingers, her tongue over Faith's entire center, not entering her,
Buffy's instinct, their bond still telling her that Faith wasn't ready
for that yet.  It didn't matter to Buffy, this was more than enough,
this trust Faith was giving her.  

She slid her free hand up Faith's side, she blindly reached for Faith's
hand which was clenching the sheet tightly. She gently opened Faith's
hand, interlacing their fingers, connecting them in yet another way as
she rested their interwoven hands on Faith's stomach.

Faith was lost the second Buffy's mouth was on her.  She was floating in
a haze of love and desire that only Buffy had ever been able to bring
her to.  The fire that had been flowing so hotly through her veins, just
kept getting hotter.  Buffy was touching her with such delicacy, such
tenderness, such gentleness and it created in her a flame of desire that
was higher than anything before it and the only thing she was capable of
saying was the soft whisper of Buffy's name over and over again.  The
steady flow of love that came to her from Buffy through their bond
brought her even higher.  Bringing her closer to the peak at the top of
the long climb and when she reached the zenith and fell over the sheer
edge, she felt Buffy there with her, holding her hand, keeping her safe,
then rising her up once more to the top and taking her over the edge
again and then yet again.

Buffy crawled back up on the bed and pulled Faith, still trembling with
her into the center of the bed.  She held Faith until the trembling
ceased and her body relaxed, she scooted down a little and gently pulled
off Faith's boots and torn jeans. She scooted back up and pulled Faith
back within the circle of her arms, they curled up into each other and
Faith placed tender, light kisses all over her face, murmuring
in-between them her love and Buffy returned Faith's kisses and the love
until they both drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Make it stop... please baby..." came Buffy's muffled plea from
somewhere under the blankets.

Faith who was still half-asleep despite the non-stop shrieking of the
alarm clock for the last ten minutes, reached her hand out from under
the blankets.  She blindly searched for something to throw at the clock,
finally she seized upon a pillow.  She started to fling the pillow out
to the side, then remembered at the last second that they were laying
the wrong way in the bed, their heads where their feet should be, their
feet where their heads should be.  She changed her angle and threw the
pillow in the general direction of the clock with every ounce of Slayer
strength she could muster after last night and a little over an hour's
sleep.  It was only because of blind luck that she managed to nail the
clock dead on.  She smiled widely and purred in satisfaction, as the
alarm blared one last time before the clock crashed to the floor.

"I slayed the evil clock-dragon for you princess..."  Faith boasted in a
soft voice. 

"My hero..."  Buffy mumbled, her breath softly caressing Faith's wiry
curls that at this moment were tickling her nose.  

She was laying on her stomach between Faith's legs, her head resting
right above Faith's sex.  One arm wrapped around Faith's thigh, the
other arm lay across Faith's torso, her hand gently cupping one of
Faith's breasts.  She idly, gently started stroking Faith's nipple as it
woke beneath her hand.   She blew warm air lightly over Faith's curls
again and then it was Buffy's turn to smile in satisfaction as Faith's
hips twitched a little from the caress of her breath and the sound of
Faith's soft purring changed to a tune of another kind.

"Hmmm...  Do I get a morning kiss for being your hero, Giz?"  Her eyes
still closed, parts of her body still half-asleep, other parts
wide-awake.  She stroked Buffy's hair with one hand and lay the other
over the top of the hand Buffy was lazily teasing her nipple with.

"Always..."  Buffy murmured back, she dipped her head down slowly and
placed a gentle kiss on Faith's sleeping nub and then started to crawl
up Faith's body.

She lifted herself up using her elbows, making a tent over them with the
blankets and looked into Faith's sleepy eyes with her own.  She leaned
down towards her, and whispered a Morning S.O., before she gave Faith
one of those light as air morning kisses that always devastated them
both.  

Neither could ever imagine not waking up and sharing one or a hundred of
these kisses with the other in the morning.  They were special to both
of the Slayers for all the same reasons.  Buffy had been the first and
only person to ever bestow a morning kiss on Faith and it wasn't until
later that Faith had told her that one of her secret wishes had always
been that she would share this type of kiss with Buffy.  It gave Buffy
that totally clich"d warm fuzzy feeling to know that she had given to
Faith a gift, made a wish come true, that all the money in the world
could never buy and though Faith would never admit it out loud to
anyone, she got that same warm fuzzy feeling herself.

Buffy let Faith pull her down to her after they finished kissing good
morning.  She rested her head on Faith's shoulder and buried her nose
into Faith's hair and neck, a spot that was one of her favorite places
to be.  She planted little just-because kisses all over the side of
Faith's neck.  Her left hand softly scratched along Faith's shoulder,
down her arm, loving the sound of Faith purring like a contented cat.
Buffy started purring contently herself as she felt Faith returning the
light scratching down the expanse of her back.

"I don't wanna get up..."  Buffy pouted out to Faith between kisses,
"Can't we pretend to be sick?"

"Okay with me Giz."  Faith wasn't about to argue with Buffy, she didn't
want to get up either.

"What should we tell them is wrong with us, Fai?  Gotta be something
good since Slayers' don't normally get sick." 

Faith didn't have to see Buffy's face to know that her brows were
furrowed and her bottom lip was jutting out as she contemplated what
story to make up to tell the Immortals.

"I can't think of anything that they'll believe," Buffy pouted as she
rolled back on top of Faith, supporting herself once again on her
elbows.  She stared down into Faith's amused eyes and gave Faith her
best puppy dog eyes.  "You think of something baby.
Pleeeeaaasssseeee..."

"Well... I suppose we could always tell them we're in Slayer Heat!"
Faith wiggled her eyebrows at Buffy, while leering at her through half
closed lids.

"You're so bad..." 

"That's not what you kept telling me all last night.  Let's see... oh
yeah... So good, so good, baby you're so good! Gods! Don't stop!... The
best..." 

"Really?  I don't remember me saying that.  I remember you saying that
to me though.  That is when you weren't just outright screaming,
praising my name in ecstasy like it was the only word you knew."  Buffy
couldn't help but to tease Faith back.

"I was just practicing my pronunciation of the letter B, B!"

"Liar..."

"Am not..."

"Are too!"  

"Not!"  Faith couldn't resist smirking up into Buffy's impish face.
 
Buffy sat up straddling Faith waist, the blankets falling off her, "Are
t... Holy shit!"  Her eyes opened wide when she got a good look at the
room.

"What?"  Faith sat up, the first thing she saw was the bent brass
headboard, and her mouth dropped open in amazement.

"What?"  Buffy asked when she saw the look on Faith's face.

"You.. you ah... You killed it.  You killed the headboard B!"  Amusement
was clearly evident in Faith's tone, and her eyes were sparkling
wickedly when she remember what they were doing when the headboard got
bent out of shape.

Buffy turned around, her face turning beat red when she saw the mangled
headboard.  She looked back at Faith, and turned even redder at the
sensual look Faith was giving her. 

"Well... ah... I couldn't help myself... It's all your fault Faith."
She fumbled out, "'Sides if I remember correctly..."  Buffy turned to
look across the room at the recliner by the fireplace. "I'm not the only
one who killed the furniture.  You not only ripped the arm of the
recliner off, but you managed to break the footrest too..." 

"If you hadn't teased me mercilessly for days I would have never...
um..."

"Never what Fai?"  Buffy asked her seductively, knowing exactly what had
happened.

"I would never have lost all my control when
youfinallyafteraneternityletmecome..."  Faith mumbled out below a
whisper in a heated rush, trailing off as she started blushing so hard
she thought her head was going to pop.  She looked up shyly at Buffy,
ridiculous as it was to be feeling shy and received a glowing beautiful
smile from her.  And she gave Buffy a beautiful, shy smile in return.

They both quickly scanned the room, which looked like it had been hit
with a series of natural disasters one right after the other, from a
tornado, to a hurricane, to a meteor crash.  There were books scattered
all over the floor, and if the bookshelves hadn't been part of the wall
they probably would have fallen over too.  Both reading chairs were
tipped over, the freestanding lamps were on their sides on the floor,
one of them was snapped in half.  All of the oriental throw rugs where
in completely different spots on the floor.  The curtains on one of the
windows hung haphazardly off their broken rod.  The recliner was
wrecked, the arm snapped off and on the floor, holes in the leather
where Faith's fingers ripped through it and the footrest was hanging
half drunkenly off the bottom of the chair by one bracket.  The chaise
lounge seemed to be in one piece even if it was in the middle of the
room upside down.

The looked back at each other, both blushing now and started giggling
like three-year-olds.  They were almost afraid to get up and go see what
they had done to the bathroom and the kitchen.

"We're gonna end up spending our last two days here fixin' everything."
Faith grumbled as they got up out of the bed.

"Who cares it was worth it... Way worth it..."  Buffy leaned in and gave
Faith what started out as a gentle tender kiss and ended up almost
making both of them crumble into ash.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days later, Buffy spent most of their last full day within the
Immortals domain watching Faith covertly.  Faith was up to something,
Buffy just knew it and she had pulled Lilith, Mars, Clotho and Buffy
suspected even Lily into her little conspiracy.  Had Buffy been another
kind of person she would have been sneaking around in the bond they
shared trying to find what it was that Faith was hiding from her.  But
she wasn't that kind of person, it would be an invasion of privacy or
rather a virtual rape of Faith's mind and there was no way in hell that
Buffy would ever do something like that to Faith.

It was kind of cute, even if it was frustrating.  Since they had gotten
up this morning Faith had stumbled, fumbled and stuttered over almost
every word she had spoken.  Buffy caught Faith sneaking peeks at her
constantly and she was being extremely shy.  Nor did Buffy miss that
each time Faith exchanged a secretive look with one of the Immortals
during the course of the day she blushed.  Buffy had butterflies in her
stomach all day just imagining what it was that Faith had planned for
them.  With each blush, each look, each flustered word, each whispered
conversation Faith had and each touch, each kiss Faith bestowed upon
her, Buffy fell just that little bit more in love with Faith.  And each
time she looked at Faith during the course of the day the only thing she
could think, to steal Faith's standard retort, 'Yeah B, fucking
adorable, that's me,' was that she couldn't agree more; Faith was
absolutely fucking adorable!

She sighed a little, pouted a little, but deep down inside she was just
plain ole' jumping up and down in anticipation.  Joy and a whole myriad
of other feelings streaking threw her and she almost felt like a
teenager who had fallen in love for the first time.  That was the thing
though, wasn't it?  She had done the whole falling in love, dating,
relationship thing before, but Faith never had.  So it was all new to
Faith, and because of their bond, but mostly because it was Faith, she
was experiencing it all as if it were truly the first time for her as
well.  She felt like a part of her innocence, her youth, had been given
back to her.  She relished the feelings, coveted them, and wrapped them
around her like a warm woolen coat.  For the most part in the last few
weeks they had both discovered together what it was to be young,
carefree, spontaneous, almost innocent and Buffy's only wish was that
they would not lose it all, more for Faith's sake then her own when they
returned to Sunnydale on the morrow.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was a nervous wreck; she wanted everything to be perfect.  She
mentally shook her head; she needed to get a grip, hell she needed to be
able to get a word out without stuttering!  The most complete sentence
she had managed to say since getting up this morning was; 'Good morning,
Giz.'  What was it about Buffy that made her feel so shy, so nervous, so
damn young, so out of control?  She wanted in the most desperate way for
their last night here to be special for Buffy.  Wanted Buffy to keep
this memory, their time here, despite all the anguish, the pain they had
dealt with here, close to her heart.  She was further determined that
they would lose nothing of what they had found here with each other when
they returned to Sunnydale and their lives as Slayers.

She had spent most of the last four hours during their training session
with the Immortals on her ass.  She was knocked down, disarmed and
thrown across the room more times today then she had the whole time they
had been here.  Mars' found it hilarious and spent the day mercilessly
teasing her every chance he got when Buffy was out of earshot and he was
taking every opportunity to knock her on her butt because of how
distracted she was.  You would think he would take it easy on her,
considering he was part of the conspiracy and knew what was going on!
She silently swore to herself as she picked herself off the floor once
again, that she was going to kick his ass from here to his namesake in
Earth's solar system as soon as she got her shit together again. 

She turned around to face him once she was standing.  He was giving her
one of his little smirks, his eyebrow raised and his eyes sparkling with
amusement.  She gave him her best glare in return and he outright
laughed at her, then the amusement faded from his eyes and they grew
serious.

"Come take a walk with me Slayer."  Mars' commanded, in full-scale
Incarnate of War mode.  

"Hey what's going on?"  Buffy yelled across the room as she saw Faith
and Mars' making their way out of the training center.

"Faith and I are going for a little walk to have a chat about her
performance today.  It is not for you to worry about, we'll be back
shortly."  Mars' tone left no room for argument and Buffy knew the
little walk he was taking Faith on had nothing to do whatsoever with
whatever it was Faith and the Immortals were planning.  

She felt a little sympathy for Faith, she knew how much Faith, how much
both of them looked up to the Incarnate of War.  They both had a little
bit of hero worship going on where he was concerned and though Faith had
never said anything, Buffy had the feeling that Faith looked to him as
more like the father she never had, and Buffy had a sneaky suspicion
that Mars' looked at Faith as the daughter, child he never had.  Buffy
waved goodbye to Faith, flashed an understanding smile, and got a small
smile in return.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They strolled down to the lake, Faith waited patiently for Mars' to
begin talking.  He stood with his back to her, staring out over the blue
landscape of the lake, his hands clasped behind his back, his stance
almost regal.  He radiated a dangerous air, a commanding presence and
Faith knew that right now the man standing in front of her wasn't her
friend, her family, her mentor, but the Incarnate of War.  This was a
man who was used to his orders, commands being followed without
question, a man of power, a man whose justice was swift, but fair.  Yet,
there was still an air of compassion about him, an air that spoke of
doing the right thing.  A man who valued life above all else and would
only take one as a last resort.  He had on what he laughing referred to
as his Command, his Incarnate of War mask.

If she was honest with herself, she felt a little intimidated by him
right now.  Unconsciously she mimicked his pose and unknowingly her face
was impassive, her eyes hard, but compassionate, like his and she
radiated the same air as he did.

"Did Buffy tell you that she and I spoke privately the day after the
Little One blew up?"  Mars' asked Faith, still with his back turned.

"Yes."  Faith told him, wondering what this had to do with her
performance or lack of it today.

"Did she tell you what we spoke of?"  Still he did not turn around.

"Yes.  But what does this hav..."  Faith trailed off when he raised his
hand for her to stop.  She noticed that his speech was very formal and
his tone even, unemotional, calm.

Buffy had come to him with her fears over her reaction to what had
happened that day with Dawn.  Her fear of the darkness inside of her,
the rage she now carried with her from what had happened to both she and
Faith and her inability to let it go, or control it.  She was afraid of
hurting someone, terrified because she knew that a few short weeks ago,
she would have struck out regardless of the consequences.  She had done
it once before, even before she carried this rage inside of her, when
the darkness, the power inside of her had allowed her to put a knife
into the woman who was her soul-mate.  

He had been waiting for Buffy to come to him, he knew this type of rage,
darkness, intimately himself.  What she didn't realize was that the dark
side of her personality had always been with her, envy, hate, jealousy
were all attributes of that darkness.  That every person whether mortal
or Immortal carried within both dark and light sides to their souls.
That their life experiences, the core of who they were was what tipped
the scales, gave life to one side or the other.  More so for her and
Faith then others because they were Slayers, the potential to just do
whatever they felt like was there always, the temptation to put
themselves above others, to think themselves better, superior and
arbitrarily ignore what was right and wrong.  The saying, absolute power
corrupts absolutely, was one of the truest ever spoken and the Slayers
had that power.

"Tell me, since you have your own experiences with the darkness, the
rage to draw upon, what happens when you fight in that kind of rage?"
Mars' asked her, forcing her to remember her own dark side, her own
rage.  He hated asking her but this was important to both the Slayers
and to him as well. 

"There is only the kill.  Only the need to inflict pain.  There is no
control, no reason.  It is powerful, addictive, and can be
all-consuming.  It can destroy you and those around you.  There is just
the haze and the only thing you know is what is in front of you."  Faith
paused, her thoughts jumbled and she searched for a way to express what
it was like in that dark-haze.  "There is no thought of consequences or
others.  It can get you killed; it makes you unaware of anything that is
going on around you once the darkness controls you."

"So tell me what would have happened if you and Buffy were out Slaying
today and you performed the way you did, got hurt and Buffy went into
the rage?"

She already knew the answer she had seen Buffy in that type of rage
before, the night she had gotten hurt in the cemetery.  Had she fallen
unconscious both she and Buffy would be dead, only her warning had let
Buffy know another vampire was sneaking up behind her.  The only thing
Buffy had seen, had known that night was the vampire she was pummeling,
beating viciously because he had hurt her, Faith.  Giles had known it
and Faith had known it for what it was.  She because she had let the
darkness, the rage control her for a good long while and Giles' from his
days as Ripper when the darkness, the rage had almost consumed him.

"Had we been Slaying there would have been a good chance that both of us
would have ended up dead."  Faith understood what he was getting at now.
Now more than ever she needed to focus, needed to be when she was
Slaying just the Slayer.  Distractions were not an option and in reality
when she, they were Slaying they never could be.  She had learned that
discipline from Angel and was being re-taught it again by the Immortals.
"I understand now."

"Do you?"  Mars asked finally turning around, he leveled his gaze at her
and waited for her answer.

"Yes.  Now more than ever I can't afford to be distracted.  Can't afford
to have Buffy give into the darkness.  Especially now when it has the
chance to own her, like it did me once.  Neither of us can afford to be
distracted by what is going on in our lives while we are Slaying.  And
not just now.  We can't afford it ever.  We are over protective of each
other and it more than anything can get us killed.  It doesnвt mean to
ignore the other, or be unaware of them.  It just means our best option
for surviving, staying alive, is if we do what we were born to do
without the outside interference of our daily lives.  We need to trust
each other to take care of ourselves when we are Slaying."

"And did you do that today?"  Mars asked her, quirking an eyebrow.

"No and had all of you not taken it easy on me today and had actually
hurt me, Buffy would have lost it on you.  That's why, you've been
training us separately when there is the possibility that one of us may
become injured during training.  Isn't it? "

"Faith..."  Mars' tone softened, as did the expression on his face.  "It
is not an easy task to put aside the feelings you have for those you are
fighting with and just be 'The Slayer'.  Not easy to put out of your
mind all the distractions, because they are not really distractions at
all, they are your life with your mate.  They are a part of you, of her.
And right now Buffy needs you to be at your best.  She has taken the
first step in gaining control of the rage, the darkness by coming to us
with this.  But that control only extends to her personal life and your
friends, family.  I doubt that she will be able to control it while you
two are slaying.  You can help her with this, just as Angel helped you,
in fact I am relying on you to be the one to guide her through this.
She will listen to you more than she will listen to anyone else.  I know
with absolute certainty that you will guide her safely through this."

Faith watched his face, she knew now that this talk was about more than
just her performance today.  He was worried about both of them, once
they left here, they would be risking their lives on a daily basis
again.  They all knew that the time was coming that led to the End of
Days and that things on the supernatural front would be getting
increasingly worse, instead of better.  

"I won't fail you or Buffy."  Faith solemnly promised him, then murmured
low, "Or myself."

"I know you won't Faith."  He moved closer to her, he grabbed both of
her hands and clasped them within his own.  

As she looked up at him, she saw once again the man who was her friend,
the man who she thought of as a father, looking back at her.

"You and Buffy, in my heart, are my family.  There is much about me you
do not know, but you and I are a lot alike.  How we think, react, love,
who we are on the inside.  I too struggled like you with the darkness
and like you won against it.  While both you and Buffy hold a place in
my heart, you, Faith are special to me.  In my heart you are the
daughter I never had and I couldn't be more proud of you if you were of
my own flesh and blood."  He stopped for the barest of seconds, he was
not a man of many words, nor one to allow this side of himself out
around people.  He was as he said much like Faith in this way.  They
both hid the sensitive, big-hearted, gentle, loyal, loving people they
were behind the gruff, sarcastic mask they presented to the rest of the
world.  He cleared his throat then continued, "It has been my privilege
and honor to be yours and Buffy's trainer and it will continue to be my
privilege and honor to continue your training when you leave here
tomorrow.  You have both made me extremely proud."

His Incarnate of War mask came back up and he turned to go back to the
training center.  He stopped at Faith's gentle touch upon his arm.  He
turned back to face her and try as he might he could not hide the love
he felt for this woman standing in front of him that he would forever
think of as his daughter.

"Thank you."  Faith told him softly.  

She didn't know how it had happened, but over the course of her time
here she had forged a bond with him.  Beginning when she realized how
protective he was of both she and Buffy.  It had solidified and grown
when she had seen the tears he had shed when Lilith and Clotho had told
him all that had happened to her and Buffy when they were held captive.
He did not know that she had seen him and she would never tell him that
she did.  The magnitude of the anger and grief he had displayed after
the two Immortals had told him the tale boggled her mind.  Since that
time, he had done everything in his power to draw them both out and her
especially.  In his own way helping her to deal with what had happened
not just in Slayer Hell but when she was a child as well.  She had found
in him what she had been looking for in the Mayor, she had found in him
the father she never had.

"The honor is mine.  You have done more for me and Buffy than I can ever
hope to thank you or show you my gratitude for.  I'm not good at this
stuff but... In my heart you are the Father I've never had.  It is my
privilege, my honor, that you think of me as your daughter.  And you are
the only man I've ever known who has deserved, who I would be proud to
call my Father."

They stared at each other, then Mars' pulled her into a tight hug which
Faith returned with everything she was.  He stroked her hair then placed
a gentle kiss upon her forehead.  They separated, and he once again had
his Incarnate of War face on, though his eyes sparkled with mischief and
love.  She put on her best Slayer face and stared back at him, a tiny
smirk playing around her mouth.

Mars' threw his arm around her shoulder, "What say you then Infant,
shall we rejoin the others?"

"Whatever you say old man!"

"Old man, I'll show you just how old I am when we get back.  Hell
Grasshopper, you haven't even begun to see what I can do..."  He laughed
a deep rumbling laugh that came from his belly.

"Whatever Candyman..."  And Faith laughed with him as they made their
way back to the others.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had been at their cottage for less than five minutes, Lilith and
Clotho having joined them, when Clotho made some lame excuse about
needing to go get some new thread for the Tapestry of Life and asked
Buffy to go with her to help pick out the colors.  That was when Buffy
knew with absolute certainty that something was up and that Faith had
definitely enlisted the Immortals help with whatever she had planned.
She had almost said no to Clotho and then she caught the panicked look
on Faith's face out of the corner of her eye and heard the soft moan of
defeat come from her.  Obviously, they needed her out of the way to
finish or accomplish whatever it was Faith had planned and Faith seemed
to think that Clotho had just blown it for her.  Buffy didn't have the
heart to even teasingly say no to Clotho.  This, whatever this was,
clearly meant a great deal to Faith and Buffy didn't want to ruin it for
her.

"Sure why not.  You don't mind if I go with Clotho, do you baby?"  Buffy
walked over to Faith and placed her hands lightly on her waist.

She watched as the relief and the joy washed over the Dark Slayer's
face.  It made her fall that much more in love with her.

"Nah B... Go ahead... I'll miss you though."  Faith almost sighed out
loud in relief when she actually managed to get the words out without
stuttering.  She almost had a heart attack when Clotho had uttered the
lamest excuse ever to have been said since man first spoke to get
someone out of the house!  Especially since, if Buffy had thought about
it, she would have remembered that Clotho actually spun the Threads of
Life from raw silk, so there wasn't a need to go get any!  Then again,
had Faith not been so nervous, she would have realized that Buffy was
playing along because she loved her and didn't want to ruin anything.

"I'll miss you too."  Buffy leaned into Faith and gave her a sweet,
tender kiss.  When she pulled back, she was stunned once again by that
wide-eyed awed look that Faith sometimes got.  And Buffy fell just a
little bit more in love with Faith again.

"Ready?"  Clotho asked Buffy, who just nodded and then with a wave of
her hand they faded from the cottage.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As everything started to come into to focus, though still flickering a
little, Buffy realized Clotho had faded her into the bathroom of the
cottage she shared with Faith.  After a second, she realized that the
flickering was from the numerous scented candles that were lit
throughout the bathroom, casting it in a low, shadowy sensuous light.
The tub was already full, the jets on and the smell of jasmine scented
the air as it rose with the steam from the hot water.  She smiled softly
and looked quickly around to see where Faith was hiding.

"Faith?"  She called out, "Faith!"  She called a little louder.  Still
no response, she turned around intending to go in search of Faith and
saw the note hanging on the door. 

'Giz,

I hope you like the first part of my plans for you, for us tonight.  So
take your time and just enjoy the bath.  Your clothes for tonight are on
the bed.  When you're ready just go outside, Sol will be waiting outside
for you, she knows where to go, I'll be there waiting for you.  

Love your,
S.O.
(Don't worry about the candles or anything else.  Gran and Kiddo got
them covered...)'

Another soft smile graced her face, she quickly stripped out of her
clothes and climbed into the bath.  The temperature of the water was
perfect, then she had no doubt that it would be, Faith would know
exactly how she liked the water in her bath.  It was one of the little
things that made Faith, Faith.  No one, not even Angel had paid
attention to the things that Buffy liked the way Faith did.  It was just
one of the things on the ever-growing list of things that made Buffy
love Faith even more.  She leaned her head back with a grateful sigh.
She lingered only a short while in the bath, it wasn't quite as much fun
taking one alone.  Besides, who did she think she was kidding, she
missed Faith and she was eager to see her.

She padded naked out into the main room over to the bed.  She looked
down at the new clothes Faith had gotten for her.  Everything, from the
satin g-string, matching bra, to the sleeveless, silk shirt with the
plunging neckline, to the soft leather pants were blood red. The
deepest, darkest blood red that Buffy had ever seen, the red was so dark
it bordered on black.  She moaned a little with pleasure as she slipped
on the satin g-string and bra, another moan escaped her as she pulled
the silk shirt over her head, loving the feel of it against her skin.
She picked up the leather pants and they felt like butter in her hands
they were so soft and they felt even softer against her skin, as she
slid them on another moan of pleasure escaped her.  She buttoned them up
quickly, liking how they rode low on her hips.  She pulled on the socks
Faith had laid out and put on the new pair of black platform boots that
were on the floor by the bed.  

Everything fit her perfectly, not surprised at all that Faith had been
able to pick out clothes that would hug and fit her in all the right
places and in all the right ways.  

She went back into the outer part of the bathroom to put on her makeup
and do her hair.  She took her time, applying colors that would bring
out the gold in her eyes.  She left her hair straight and long, and then
sprayed herself liberally with the Armani perfume that Faith loved on
her.

She took one last look at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but
think that the clothes Faith had picked out for her made her feel sexy
and beautiful all at once.  She walked out the front door and sure
enough, Sol was waiting patiently there for her.  

She climbed up onto the horse's back and leaned down over the mare's
neck and whispered into her ear, "Sol, take me to my heart..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy enjoyed the leisurely gait of the horse as Sol strolled lazily to
their destination.  Her thoughts drifted back to the last time she had
been on the back of a horse, Obsidian's to be exact.  And her whole body
flushed just thinking about what she and Faith had done on him.  She
swore that Obsidian had been smirking at her for the last two days.

"So, this must be the part that Lily played in Faith's plans."  Sol just
nickered at Buffy in confusion.  "This.  Telling you, making you
understand where to take me.  I wonder what part the rest of them
played.  Do you know Sol?" 

This time Sol just brayed at Buffy, tossed her head, and hoped that
Buffy understood that this was the mare's equivalent of a human
shrugging their shoulders.  

"You're not gonna tell me, are you?  You wouldn't tell me even if you
could.  Would you, Sol?"  Buffy paused in her babbling when Sol brayed,
and shook her head at her again.  "That's alright I really don't want to
know anyway.  I want to be surprised, ya know.  Faith's was so cute
today, all shy and blushing.  I love her a lot but you probably know
that.  She's... I don't even know how to describe what she is to me,
what she means to me.  I don't think there are any words that can.  Any
words that could come close.  All I know is that I could sooner stop
needing air before I stopped loving or needing her.... Ya know and...." 

Buffy stopped babbling when she saw that they were leaving the property
that surrounded her and Faith's cottage.  Sol walked for a while on the
path that ran between all the cottages in the direction that led to
Atropos and Luc's cottage.  Just when Buffy was beginning to think that
was their destination, the mare turned off onto a trail on the left.  A
trail that Buffy couldn't remember ever seeing in all their time here.
A trail, Buffy, in fact, knew wasn't there this morning, when she and
Faith walked over to have breakfast with Atropos and Luc.  

"Hey this trail wasn't here this morning.  Why wasn't it here this
morning?"  Buffy gently stroked Sol's long neck, not really expecting
the mare to answer her.

She wondered where Sol was taking her because it looked like the trail
ended only a few feet ahead of them at a very large, grand, old oak
tree.  All she could see was a solid wall of trees, so close that their
main trunks seemed to brush against each other.  Where seconds before
there had been no path between the trees now there was one.  Then they
were inside the thick forest.  The canopy of trees almost obliterated
the dark blue sky above.  The twin moons, one a soft cobalt blue, the
other a soft gold, cast filtered light down and created dark shadows on
the trunks of the trees and the lush thick green grass of the forest
floor.  Buffy looked up in awe as they moved deeper into the thicket of
the forest.  The trees seemed almost to touch the sky, as if the
branches were reaching up, so the leaves upon them could bathe in the
light of the twin moons.  They seemed to shimmer and glow, ranging in
the deepest, darkest greens, browns, oranges, and yellows Buffy had ever
seen.  

Thick woody vines grew along the canopy of the trees, some as thick as
her body.  Flowers grew on the vines, orchids, mosses, and another type
that Buffy didn't recognize.  The flowers were a brilliant, vibrant
rainbow of different colors and some of the most beautiful flowers Buffy
had ever seen.  They almost made her catch her breath.  

They suddenly emerged from the forest and Buffy's breath caught at the
beauty of the clearing in front of her.  It was a rather large clearing
and the grass here was even thicker, it looked like a sea of deep green
velvet.  She slid from Sol's back and she could feel the softness of the
grass even through her platform boots, she took a few steps forward and
it felt like she was walking on clouds.  

She heard a roaring in her ears and at first thought it was the pounding
of her heart, when she realized what it was she turned her head to the
right.  Her eyes saw the sheer rock face first, then moved to the
sparkling waterfall pouring over from its top.  It cascaded down the
rock face with fury, pounding into the clear blue lake, creating
white-capped waves in the crystalline water below.  She saw steam rising
from the sapphire water a little to the left and realized it was a
hot-spring.  Only instead of the sulfuric smell that hot-springs usually
gave off, this one smelled of the earth, musky, deep, erotic.  How the
earth smelled after it rained on a hot summer day.  It was exotic,
passionate, stimulating.  It was alive.  No one had to tell Buffy that
this place was enchanted.

She looked around quickly.  The clearing was completely enclosed on
three sides by a thick blanket of trees, the fourth side by the mountain
with the beautiful waterfall.  She didn't see Faith anywhere, but she
could feel her and knew she wasn't far.  She walked further into the
clearing towards the large blanket on the ground.  There was a picnic
basket that was the size of a rather large hope chest, on the blanket.
There was a low, wood table, and large soft looking pillows scattered
around the blanket.  A fire was off to one side in a natural earthen
hearth.  It cast flickering shadows across the light brown blanket.  And
Buffy was reminded of the night at the Mansion that she and Faith had
made love for the first time.

She took off her boots and socks wanting to feel the grass beneath her
bare feet.  She rubbed them on the lush grass, squished her toes into
the warmth of the ground and sighed with unadulterated pleasure.  As she
walked the few steps to the blanket in her bare feet she really began to
believe that she was walking on clouds.

She stepped onto the blanket and then stopped when she realized she
probably should have wiped off her feet first.  She stepped back off the
blanket, lifted up a foot and was surprised to see that her feet were
clean despite the fact that she had dug her toes into the warm moist
earth.  She laughed, she should have known better.  She walked across
the blanket and made herself comfortable against the large pillows.
They were as soft as they looked.  She noticed next to the picnic basket
two wine glasses and a bottle of Merlot.  Then her eyes grew wide when
she saw the black box, and envelope with a rather large 'B' written in
Faith's handwriting next to the wine bottle. 

She scrambled across the blanket and grabbed up the envelope and the
box.  She scooted back and made herself comfortable against the pillows
once again.   She opened the envelope and pulled out the card.  The
front of the card had a pastel drawing of the sun rising over a beach.
She opened the card and began to read.

************************************************************************
*****************

'B,

The first time I wrote this card was at the mansion.  You were sleeping
in the bed, you looked so innocent, so peaceful, so beautiful that I
forgot how to breathe.  I sat there for hours watching you sleep,
listening to your deep even breathing and tried to convince myself I
wasn't dreaming.  I can't even remember now how many times I had
whispered to you that I loved you that night, wanting more than anything
to say those three little words to you while you were awake.  I was
afraid though and you, god, you understood that and I will be forever
grateful that you waited for me to find the courage to tell you that I
love you.  I spent that night trying so hard to figure out how to even
put into words on the piece of paper I sat clutching in my sweating
hands what I could not say to you out loud.  How to tell you all the
things you were to me, all the things I was learning from you, with you.
All the things you had given to me.  All the things I longed to have
with you, give to you.  All my dreams, all my secrets.  How even then
you were making them come true, one by one.  How every day you made
another wish, another dream come true.  I can only hope that someday I
can do the same for you.  And now, I can't even begin to express what I
feel for you, what you've given me.  I'm not good with words, with
expressing myself, I never was.   All I can say is that I am eternally
grateful that you always hear what it is that I am trying to say and not
just the words.  The night I first wrote this I decided to use a poem I
had found while I was in prison.  The poem spoke to a part of me that I
had tried to keep hidden for as long as I could remember and more than
anything I wanted to share with someone all of the things that are in
the poem.  And day by day even only those few short weeks after we were
together you started giving them all to me, I only hope that I give them
all to you too. So I decided now, like then, to let the poem speak for
me.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you always trust your first initial feeling
Special knowledge holds truth bears believing
I turned around
And the water was closing all around
Like a glove
-- Stevie Nicks

Promises

i sit upon the moonlit shore, watching and listening to the earth as she
breathes
the gentle beating of her heartbeat lulls me
softly she calls to me whispered promises in the dark
her breath caressing and cradling me
and i lay back upon the beach giving myself over to her embrace
to sleep, to dream
and here now, in this place, she shares with me the secrets she keeps,
and reminds me of the knowledge i keep
and she reawakens in me the meaning of intimacy and of love

intimacy
is the wooing, the romance, the first baby steps towards giving someone
your trust...
it is the laughter, the fumbling, the knowing what to say, it is the
right music without any sound...
it is the whisper of touches, the warmth of another presence, the moment
affixed right where it should be...
it is the kiss that carries more than just passion....
it is soft and revealing....
it is rejoicing in the brushing of one's skin with just a glance, which
means more to you than anything else just then...
it is communicating without a word
it is comfortable silences, it is knowing each other's moods without
having to ask
it is the comfort of anotherвs arms
it is knowing intimacy doesnвt guarantee love, but rather carries with
it the promise of love...

love
is honest, nurturing, frightening, exhilarating, confusing, enlightening
but, most of all beautiful...
it is emerging from the darkness, knowing that you have shielded what
you have created for one another...
it is honor, it is passionate, in every sense...
it is natural...
it is the opening of heart, mind, body and soul to another...
it is total vulnerability...
it is fragile, innocent, it is the most precious gift we can give to
another...
it is independence...
it is forgiving...
it is perfect, even if those experiencing it are not...
it is both simple and complicated at once...
it is the absence of secrets...
it is the ability to see what lies beneath the surface of another and
resides within their soul...
it is the freedom to choose...
it is acceptance, it is supportive in one's own right...
it is ever changing, and knowing with that change comes growth...
it is autumn, it is vision and silent conversations...
it is making love with only a glance and not a touch...
it is those moments when your eyes meet and time seems to stand still,
and the rest of the world ceases to exist...
it is unconditional...
it is knowing love doesnвt guarantee intimacy, but rather carries with
it the promise of intimacy...
it is knowing that they are intertwined and independent...

it is this inner knowledge that i possess that she reminds me of 
and as i wake to the rising sun, there is a promise that she makes to
me...
if i will simply open myself to the world around me, and to my own inner
self...
it is all within my reach...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The promise B, that she made to me that if I opened myself to the world
and to myself, that it would all be within my reach came true.  That
promise was fulfilled by you.  You are all those things to me, I feel
all those things when I am with you.  Every one of them, every day.
Each day I fall further in love with you and I don't ever want to stop
falling.  I want to fall for eternity with you.  I am now, like I was
then amazed, awed, humbled and so honored that it is me that you choose
to be with, choose to love.  The gift is just a small expression of what
I feel for you, it is unique, special just like you. 

I love you B, I will past my last breath, past the end of time, and that
is my promise to you.  You are my heart and my soul.

Faith
************************************************************************
*****************

Buffy stared at the card in her trembling hands, her mind a whirlwind,
no one had ever said, wrote such beautiful words to her.  She didn't
even realize she was crying until she saw the teardrops splash silently
on the card.  Her whole being was humming with the love that she felt
for Faith and she could feel the love Faith felt for her flow through
their bond to her.  It flowed through every part of her, it was a part
of her, just like Faith was and she hoped that she never took for
granted the bond they shared that allowed her, allowed both of them to
actually, almost in a physical way, feel the emotions, the love of the
other.  

She looked up and then looked around again.  She knew that Faith was
somewhere out there watching her.  She understood Faith's nervousness,
the reasons why she had been acting so shy all day.  A part of her was
still a bit afraid of bearing her soul, of leaving herself so open and
vulnerable.  She felt traces of it still coming to her in an echo.  She
knew Faith probably wouldn't come out until after she had opened the box
with the gift.  She had to admit to herself that she was eager to see
what it was that Faith could have gotten for her all that time ago.

She whispered softly into the quiet of the night air, knowing that Faith
would hear her, "I love you Faith... Forever..."

She looked down and picked up the long black box, she ran her fingers
lightly over it, then lifted off the top.  

Her breath caught, her sight grew hazy and her mind spun as images
flashed through it...

...Sitting in class with Willow and Xander her senior year in high
school getting ready to take a chemistry test.  Taking to Willow and
Xander about what she and Faith had done the night before, remembering
Xander asking her; 'Hey. Whoa, can we resume Buffy's ode to Faith
later?'  Growing quiet as Will and Xander actually started to take the
test, she had been bored.  Then she heard it, the soft tapping on the
thick classroom window.  Looking up seeing Faith there, smiling that
lopsided cocky smile of hers, her nose pressed against the windowpane.
That smile had made her heart start racing a million miles a minute,
just like it did now.  Faith opening the window and asking her; 'Hey
girlfriend. Bad time?'.  Then Faith leaning over to the closed window,
blowing her hot breath on the pane, steaming it up.  She smiled again,
then drew a cute little crooked heart with a stake through it on the
fogged window pane.  Smiling at her once again with that cocky little
smile, arching an eyebrow and her own heart had tried to beat its way
out of her chest at the sight.  She had gotten up from her desk, moving
towards Faith and the window being pulled by an invisible thread to her,
ignoring Willow and Xander's protests.  Taking Faith's hand as she
helped her through the window, the little tingle she had felt as Faith's
warm hand held hers.  She remembered thinking that with her, with Faith,
was where she belonged...

...The memory the images from that day faded and others took their place
in her mind's eye... 

The fair, Faith's first ever.  Faith's mission that night, to win every
single stuffed animal for her after she had said how cute they all were.
How Faith had given all the stuffed animals away to little kids, when
Buffy had told her they couldn't all possibly fit in the car.  How
young, how innocent, carefree, Faith had seemed that day. It was her
first real glimpse into who Faith really was deep down inside, who Faith
had always been.  How she had refused to let Faith give away the black
and white stuffed panthers.  The tickle fight that had ensued between
her, Dawn and Faith when she refused to tell Faith why she wanted to
keep the black and white stuffed panthers.  Then the night at the
Mansion the first time they had made love in front of the fireplace.
Faith's glee, her excited voice when she figured out why she had wanted
to keep the panthers.  'They're us! Aren't they?  They remind you of us,
don't they B?  The light and dark slayers, the light and dark panthers!
I'm right aren't I?  Aren't I B?'  The goofy ass grin Faith had on her
face that night.  She could see them, the stuffed panthers, sitting on
the bed at the Mansion and now here with them at the cottage.  

Her vision cleared again as the images the memories faded and she was
staring at the gift that she now knew Faith had specially made for her.
She ran her fingers delicately over the pendent on a silver chain that
was nestled in the black silk that lined the box.   Only the pendant was
more like a miniature-framed etching.  The frame was an antique
hand-woven oval Celtic Knot.  What was in the frame of the pendant
though was what had made her breath catch.  It was a miniature, etched
on glass and then hand painted in exquisite detail.  The painted etching
was of two panthers cuddling, sleeping lovingly, trustingly against each
other.  One panther was golden-haired the other raven-haired and around
both their necks was a long black beaded necklace.  Hanging on each
black necklace was a heart with a stake through it.  

She ran her fingers delicately over the beautiful etching.  She gently
lifted the pendant out of the box.  She opened the clasp with shaky
fingers and brought it up to put around her neck.

"Here let me do that for you B..."  Faith knelt down behind Buffy and
captured her hands, tenderly taking the pendant from her.  "Lift your
hair for me.  Please."  She waited patiently for Buffy to lift her hair.
She placed a soft kiss against the back of Buffy's neck, then clasped
the pendant   around
Buffy's neck.

Faith wrapped her arms around Buffy from behind.  She rested her head on
Buffy's shoulder and her voice trembled a little, she asked her softly,
"Do you like it?"

Buffy gently loosened Faith's arms from around her so she could turn
around and face her.  She rose up to her knees, and clasped both of
Faith's warm, trembling hands within her own.

"It's... it's beautiful... Beautiful just like you... Beautiful in all
the right ways, inside.  And that letter, that poem, it was beautiful.
Your words... God Faith, no one has ever said such beautiful, powerful,
intense, passionate things to me.  And all of those things, every last
one of them you do for me.  I feel all of them for you, all of them.  I
fall more in love with you every day.  I don't ever want to stop falling
either.  And I want to fall for eternity with you too."

"Really?"  Faith asked her hesitantly, shyly and even now after all this
time, there were moments when she was afraid that she was going to wake
up and it all would have been just a dream.  A wonderful, exciting,
loving, all consuming dream and if it was a dream she never wanted to
wake up.

"Really Faith..."  Buffy looked at Faith, who had lowered her eyes
shyly.  She hadn't missed the hesitant way she had asked her the
question or the slight fear that crept into Faith's voice.  "Look at me
please."  She waited until Faith raised those soulful eyes up to her
own.  She smiled a soft, sweet, loving smile when Faith finally looked
at her.  "Really.  It's not a dream, it's real.  What we have is more
than I ever dreamed was possible.  What I feel for you, the words 'I
love you' don't even begin to encompass.  I want to spend every second I
have left in this life with you and I want to spend all of eternity
after that with you.  If this is a dream then I want never to wake from
it.  I want to stay forever in this dream with you."

When she finished, Faith gave her one of those blinding, brilliant,
radiant smiles.  It shone from inside of the Dark Slayer with the force
of the sun and it left Buffy breathless, stunned, and basking in its
warmth.  She returned Faith's smile with a brilliance that was all her
own. 

It was inevitable that they leaned in towards each other.  Their lips
whispering across the other's, their breath mingling, their hearts began
beating to the same cadence.  A small sound of recognition came from
them both, as they kissed the other's soul, and their arms surrounded
each other, where they found shelter, acceptance, love and a place that
for both of them would always be home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neither knew how long they stayed kneeling, kissing, on the blanket in
the clearing.  For them time had come to a stand still, as it had that
night so long ago in the back alley of the Magic Shop.  It was now, as
it had been then, almost as if the gods themselves had stopped the
passing of time and had given to them a moment that was purely for the
two souls that were Faith and Buffy.  It was a merging for them, unlike
what they normally felt through their bond, there was an intimacy in
their kiss that transcended the physical, transcended the echoes they
shared, it was as if they were truly kissing the other's soul, essence,
spirit, whatever word they chose to describe the very core of who they
were.

Every hidden shield, fear, desire, need, want, secret, both of the light
and the dark was revealed; as the walls, old and new, they had built to
protect themselves, to protect each other crumbled into dust and blew
away on the warm gentle breeze that caressed, surrounded and bathe them
in mother earth's own healing embrace as they kissed.

They were exposed, naked to each other, as the bond they shared expanded
fully.  It encompassed, surrounded, held, cradled and caressed them.
The line began to blur as the bond blended in naturally with their souls
and thus became them in a wholly new way.  As mother earth had, they
bathed each other with their essence through their bond as they searched
out all the hidden, deeply buried scars that each of them carried with
them.  They could not erase them, instead they soothed and embraced the
internal scars intimately, with the healing touch of each other.  They
vanquished the ghosts of the past, his ghost, Glory's ghost, Faith's
mother to the far recesses of each of their minds.  It was not done
consciously, it was a gesture born solely from the deep love they shared
with each other.  Not truly aware of what was happening or how
thoroughly they were immersed in each other while they kissed, they
none-the-less felt it to the very depths of their souls.

In those few eternity-like minutes while they kissed so delicately, so
reverently, they moved leaps and bounds down the path towards healing,
wholeness. Their feet so firmly planted upon the road, that the Creator
would not have been able to pull them from the path.  They grew stronger
within each other's embrace, sharing their own inner strengths and even
their greatest weakness' with each other.

When the kiss finally ended, they stared at each other with new eyes.
All the veils of illusion had been lifted from their eyes.  They saw
each other for who they had been, who they were, who they would be.
They knew the other intimately.  They had no misconceptions of who their
soul-mate was.  They loved each other for who they truly were and freely
accepted each other, all the good, all the bad and did not see the other
as some fairytale fantasy lover that lived in their head.  Then again
that was what truly made them unique since the day Buffy had gone to
L.A. to claim Faith as her own and Faith had claimed Buffy in return,
their eyes had been wide-open and from that point on they had begun to
see the other for who and what they truly were.

All of this knowledge that came to them while they kissed, became innate
to them, it was a part of them just like their bond, just like they were
a part of each other.  They weren't even truly aware of it, not in any
real sense.  They both knew something had changed, that their bond had
deepened, grown stronger, but they would have been hard pressed to put
into words what it was that had changed.  They were, when all was said
and done, still just Faith and Buffy, the Chosen Two, the Chosen of each
other.  With all the same idiosyncrasies, bad habits, warped sense of
humor, insecurities, cocky attitudes, loving natures, and while things
had changed on a very deep level, how they were with each other still
remained the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She could feel her mouth moving but nothing seemed to be coming out of
it.  Her mind was reeling, hell, her whole body was in a whirlwind from
their kiss.

Faith arched an eyebrow, a slow sensual smile started to grace her face,
as she watched Buffy pull off a good imitation of a mime.  She wasn't
about to let Buffy know that the kiss they had just shared had rendered
her speechless as well.  Buffy shook her head and tried to speak again.

"I... ah... Wow?" Buffy barely managed to stutter out.  Talking right
now, she decided, was definitely not an option.

Buffy watched as Faith just nodded her head in agreement.  Then she
started to get a sneaky suspicion that Faith was just as incapable of
speech at the moment as she was.  She smirked at Faith letting her know
with just a look that Faith wasn't fooling her one bit.  Faith's eyebrow
rose a little higher, her sensual smile turned into a face splitting
toothy grin, her eyes twinkled and she winked at Buffy.  Buffy's stomach
started doing somersaults and her heart did flip-flops at that innocent,
joyful grin that Faith was giving her.  She hoped that she never
stopped, no matter how many years they were together, ever having that
reaction to Faith.  Her own face split into a wide toothy grin.

As Faith watched all the emotions running across Buffy's face, in her
eyes, she couldn't help but wonder how the hell she had gotten so lucky.
And lucky was exactly how she felt despite everything that had happened
between them before, all that had happened to them since she had gotten
out of jail and even everything that had happened to them in Slayer
Hell.  She had no idea what, how she had come to deserve Buffy, all of
them in her life but she wasn't going to fight against it, wasn't going
to question it.  She just silently thanked whomever it was that had
given her this second... third... whatever chance it was, and swore on
her own life that nothing and no one could make her fuck it up this
time.  The world, life, love, it was all there for the asking, all there
for the taking and this time she wasn't running from it, this time she
was running towards it with arms wide open.

"Wow huh?"  Faith said softly when she actually felt able to speak.
"It's a good thing we we're kneeling B, cause I know my legs would have
given out."

"God you're beautiful..." Buffy uttered below a whisper.  She reached up
and gently stroked Faith's cheek and smiled as her hand was captured and
her palm kissed by Faith's soft lips.  Faith's gentle kiss sent her
heart fluttering, and turned her mind into mush once again.

"Nope B, not beautiful, not me." Faith shook her head in denial, feeling
the heat creep up her neck and face as she blushed from Buffy's words.

Once again Buffy watched the shyness come over Faith.  It amazed her in
some ways and thrilled her in others that it was only with her that
Faith let out this side of her personality, that Faith trusted her
enough to let her see this side at all.

"You are Faith..." Buffy insisted once again, she smiled a little at
Faith shaking her head in denial again.  "You are and you can't argue
with me 'cause we both know... I'm always right."  An impish smile
floated around her mouth as she teased Faith, hoping to bring her out of
her shyness.

Faith returned Buffy's impish grin with one of her own, her shyness
taking a back seat as her own teasing nature came back up to the
surface.

"Really B?  Always right.... hmmm I don't think so." Faith drawled, "I'm
not bea... I'm absolutely fucking adorable is what I am.  So ya see B,
this time you are wrong."  Faith leaned forward and gave Buffy a quick,
soft kiss on the mouth before she could say anything.  Then just as
quickly she kissed the tip of Buffy's nose, then laughed as Buffy
wrinkled up her face from the kiss.  "You look like a rabbit when you do
that B..."

"Oh great next you'll be calling me Thumper..." Buffy pouted, pretending
to be annoyed.

"Thumper... Has possibilities B.  Thanks!"  Faith leaned forward and
kissed Buffy again on the tip of her nose.

"Hey!  Cut it out you!"  She cried out pretending to be indignant as she
rubbed her nose.  "That tickles you know!"

"But you look so cute when you scrunch your face up like that B.  I just
can't help myself."  The big toothy grin once more graced Faith's face.

"Yeah... yeah... yeah...  Bet you say that to all the girls..."  Buffy
smiled back, "So you gonna feed me or what?"

"Oh I'm gonna feed you alright B..."  Faith purred with a smirked once
more back to her own cocky self.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm so full I think I'm going to pop..."  Buffy let out a long sigh,
she cuddled further into Faith's lap, and then flopped back against the
large soft pillows, pulling the arm Faith had wrapped around her with
her.

She smiled up leisurely at Faith, she licked her lips tasting the last
remnants of Faith's fingers and the sweet and sour sauce that had been
on the last piece of finger food that Faith had been feeding her by
hand.  There was something about the whole thing that reminded her of
the night at the Mansion when they had truly made love for the first
time.  The night that both of them had stopped fighting against the bond
they shared, the night that Faith had, for the first time in her life
let someone see what lay beyond the walls she had erected in herself.
The night that Faith had given Buffy her complete trust and let Buffy
see who she really was on the inside.  It was a night filled with
emotions, trust, love, a night that Buffy had been given a gift by Faith
that she would treasure for the rest of her life.

"That was wonderful baby.  All of this is wonderful, it kind of reminds
me of that night at the mansion when I cooked..." Buffy let out a little
laugh, "...or rather bought Japanese food... This place is, tonight, all
of it is beautiful, just like you.  Thank you."  She tugged on Faith's
free arm, pulling her down until she lay on her side facing her.  She
reached up and tucked a few stray pieces of Faith's hair behind her ear,
it was Buffy realized, a habit of hers now.  Her hand was unable to
resist lightly caressing the side of Faith's face.  She stared deeply
into chocolate-brown eyes, seeing all the little flecks of emerald in
them.  She loved to watch Faith's eyes as her passion grew and the
emerald flecks would expand until it seemed as if Faith's eyes were
almost glowing.

"Your welcome Giz... I ah... I wanted tonight to be..."  Faith trailed
off, she lowered her eyes, her shyness kicking in again with the same
force of a wrecking crane.

"To be what Fai?"  Buffy asked her, she grasped one of Faith's hands,
rubbing her thumb against the back of it encouragingly.

"I ah... wanted it to be special... I... well... I wanted to remind you
of that night..."  Faith peeked up at Buffy through her lowered lashes,
she was mentally kicking herself in the ass over this shyness crap.
This was one piece of her 'true' personality she could have, without
question, done without.

Buffy looked at Faith quizzically, her eyebrows scrunched together as
she concentrated on trying to solve this little puzzle.  There was
obviously more to tonight then one of Faith's 'just because' picnics,
dinners or midnight rides that she had set up over the time they had
spent here to surprise and romance Buffy.  Faith had been nervous,
almost painfully shy, stuttering, stumbling, fumbling over her words all
day and for the life of her Buffy couldn't figure out why.  It obviously
had something to do with the night at the Mansion, the night they had in
Buffy's mind, made their commitment to each other.  The night Buffy knew
they both realized that they were soul-mates.  What was it that she was
missing?  Something began to drift hazily around the edges of her mind,
an odd sort of understanding or rather a feeling came with the hazy
thoughts.

"Faith... do you want to tell me why?"  Buffy continued to stroke the
back of Faith's hand with her thumb, Faith's nervousness contagious.

"It's... well with all the going from dimension to dimension...  While
it's only been a few months on Earth in Earth's time."  She shook her
head a little, trying to force her babbling jumble thoughts into some
sort of coherency.  "I kept feeling like it had, was so much longer then
just a few months and then I started to realize why.  It's just since
that night at the Mansion, and then in hell, then here, with how time
passes differently in all those places, it's been a year since we've
been together if I figured it out correctly.  Not sure if today is
actually one year or more but I know it's close.  And... ah... well I
figure it's an anniversary.  I've never had one.  Never had anyone stick
around long enough for a week let alone a year.  I know that... Granted,
you were forced to be with me for more than half that year... But... And
despite that most of this weird, warped year has been anything but good,
mostly all bad.  Hell it's been down right fucking horrible in so many
ways, so much pain and hurt for most of it... but I... I just wanted..."
Faith trailed off, lowered her eyes and started to berate herself
silently or so she thought.

"Oh that was just fucking beautiful Faith!  You sure know how to woo
your fucking girl!  A regular old Romeo you are!  Stupid much?!!?  Good
way to tell someone how much you love them by telling them that almost
the whole last year you spent with them sucked.  Beyond sucked, gonna
get a lot of brownie points for that.  What was so hard about saying
that despite everything... That if God herself came to you and gave you
the choice of none of this happening, but it meant that you would lose
B, that you would pick going through it all again, a million times over,
a million times worse if it meant in the end that you were still with B?
Or that you would gladly give B up, go through it all, hell, your
childhood, over and over again if you were guaranteed that B would be
spared every second of pain or hurt you caused her or was caused because
you were a part of her life. Real fucking Shakespeare, you are.  Fucking
idiot... You're a fucking stupid, uneducated, mouth like a sewer,
low-life, white-trash, slut who doesn't deserve to be this fucking
lucky..."

Buffy's mouth dropped open, her eyes grew wide in amazement, her heart
stopped beating and her breath caught in her throat from Faith's words.
She had thought she knew the depths of Faith's love for her, but until
she heard the sincerity, the truth in the words that Faith was
unknowingly mumbling under her breath, she had never really understood
it.  She did now and it completely humbled and awed her.  She knew
without a doubt that if whoever was in charge offered one of those deals
to Faith, that Faith would take the one that ensured she ended up with
her, Buffy, or spared Buffy pain, no matter what the cost to herself.

"Stop it.  Stop doing this to yourself.  You're not any of those things
you are always accusing yourself of," Buffy whispered to Faith, as she
gently lifted her face up.  She waited patiently for Faith to look at
her.

Faith looked up at Buffy, "I said that all out loud didn't I..." Faith
mumbled out sheepishly.  Christ she really was an idiot!

"Yeah you did... And Faith, this whole night, everything; from the bath,
to this beautiful pendant you had made for me, to the dinner, it was...
It is all special.  And yeah, a lot of what happened to both of this
year was of the bad, and I was part of that bad.  I treated you like
shit when you first came back..."   Buffy delicately put her fingers
against Faith's mouth to stop her protest, she had been an asshole when
Faith first had come back, they both knew it and there was no point in
denying it.  "...I did.  We both know it... Yet you stayed and this
isn't coming out right either.  I love you Faith.  I know you love me, I
guess up until this moment I didn't truly know or understand how much,
but I do now.  And I wouldn't trade one second of this last year I spent
with you if it meant that I would lose you in the end.  And I sure as
hell wouldn't let you go through any of it again so that you could spare
me from any of it.  I want you in my life, I need you in my life and if
that means that if I too would have to go through it all again for that
to happen I would do it.  So stop doubting and putting yourself down.  I
wouldn't change anything about you, not one thing.  I love you for who
you are, all the good, all the bad.  Just speak from your heart and I
will always understand what it is that you're trying to say."

Buffy sat up and pulled a now opened-mouthed Dark Slayer up with her.
She twisted around a little until she was facing Faith fully.  She
clasped both of Faith's hands in-between her own.  She started to lean
towards Faith speaking softly, "And today the way you were, shy, cute,
loving, all your little quirks, and just now... All that you said just
now..."

She whispered the last part against the Dark Slayer's lips before she
captured them with her own, "...made me fall even more deeply in love
with you... all over again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They sat facing each other kissing softly, tenderly.  There was passion,
desire, want and need in their kisses.  But it was the slow building
type of passion and the tentative kisses that souls just getting to know
each other might share.  They slowly explored the taste, the texture of
each other as if for the first time.  Their hearts beating a frantic
cadence, their palms both unaccountably sweaty, and their kisses almost
hesitant and shy.

In some ways, it was like the first time for both of them.  They had
beaten so many odds this past year.  They had beaten their individual
pasts, their shared past, their shared illusions and saw beyond the
daily faЌade, or masks they had both presented to the world and each
other.  They had lived through a hell that would have shattered others
but only served to make them both stronger, individually and together.
They shared an intimacy that went deeper than most people could achieve
with their soul-mates in a lifetime, in many lifetimes together.

They were at a crossroad of sorts.  They had found in each other what
they both had been looking for most of their lives.  There was no
turning back for either of them now; they couldn't even if they wanted
to.  They each were a part of the other in ways that even they
themselves couldn't explain.  They had made a lifetime commitment to
each other during their time here, though neither had ever spoken the
words aloud to the other.

While they were kissing, it suddenly dawned on Buffy that she had never
been with someone for a whole year.  Not even Angel, not in a real way.
Their relationship, hers and Angel's, had been different on so many
levels that even though they may have technically been together more
than a year, how much of it had they truly been a couple?  So, for her
too this was all new, it was exhilarating, scary and Buffy knew she
wouldn't trade one second of it for anything in the world even if she
was as nervous as a virgin on her wedding night.

For Faith, now that she knew without a doubt that Buffy wasn't going
anywhere, would be by her side until the day she passed from this life
into the afterlife and hopefully would be with her there as well, the
knowledge, the knowing of this and even more terrified the living shit
out of her in a very real way.  It was all new, all raw, immeasurable in
the intensity of what they shared.  It was overwhelming her and making
her a nervous wreck, so she fell back on old habits.

The Dark Slayer leaned back from Buffy, breaking their kiss and jumped
up to her feet.  She held out her hand, which Buffy immediately grasped
with a perplexed look on her face.  Neither Slayer missed the fact that
both of their palms were cold, clammy, and sweaty.   Faith turned her
head and looked at the lake, she looked back at Buffy, raised an elegant
eyebrow, and gave Buffy one of her lopsided, cocky, impish smiles.

"Maybe we should go for a swim in the lake B..."  Faith smiled again,
her eyes twinkling with mischief, and Buffy knew she was up to
something.

Buffy just smiled back, nodded her head in agreement, feeling not only
her own nervousness but also Faith's as well, floating around in their
bond.  Then she just waited for Faith to make her move, silently
chuckling to herself, she loved this part of Faith, the young, carefree
spirit that had managed to survive despite all that had happened.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!!!!"  Faith yelled suddenly, a very
uncharacteristic taunt for her.  She tried to spin around, only to be
stopped by Buffy who hung on tightly to her hand.

"Faith tell me you so didn't just say that!"  Buffy giggled at the Dark
Slayer who just lifted an eyebrow at her again.  Buffy leaned up and
planted a quick kiss on the Dark Slayer's mouth, then, in a move that
surprised Faith, Buffy pushed her on her ass and took off for the lake.

"U don't play fair B!"  Faith yelled after her mate from the blanket.

Faith had her clothes off at the speed of light, a smile plastered on
her face.  She shook her head for the umpteenth time that day and took
off after Buffy who was now standing at the edge of the lake struggling
to get her shirt off.

Buffy turned her head after she managed to get her shirt off.  Her mouth
dropped open a little, as she saw Faith running full speed towards her,
gloriously naked as the day she was born.  When she finally managed to
drag her eyes back up to Faith's face, she saw an all too familiar look
on it.  Faith had let out in full force the wild child in her, which
only meant one thing.  Trouble!  She started to struggle with the
buttons on her pants, thinking that Faith was going to grab her up and
toss her in clothes or no clothes.  Instead, at the last second Faith
jumped up.  Buffy's mouth dropped open even further as she followed
Faith with her eyes as she flipped mid-air over her head and landed in
the middle of the lake with a huge splash that left Buffy soaking wet.
And not the good kind of soaking wet either!

She stood gaping open-mouthed at her mate who was swimming back towards
her underwater.  Water dripped down her forehead, off the ends of her
eyelashes, the tip of her nose, finally to drip from off her chin onto
the soft grass.  She started sputtering, mumbling incoherently at Faith
who even with her Slayer hearing couldn't hear her underwater.

Her eyes grew wide and, if it were possible, her jaw would have hit the
ground as Faith slowly rose out of the water in front of her.  Right
then, right this second, Buffy believed with all of her heart and soul
that water nymph's were not myths, 'cause Faith surely was one.  She
couldn't move, couldn't talk, hell she couldn't even think as Faith
moved gracefully, slowly, towards her.  She wanted with every ounce of
her being to lick off each and every single drop of water that was
sliding sensually down Faith's body.  Goddamn if she wasn't friggin'
jealous of all those little drops of water.

Her eyes devoured the vision in front of her and she decided Faith
wasn't a water nymph, no... she was a goddess.  Her goddess!  She
watched the play of muscles as Faith moved towards her with that slow,
almost predatory graceful walk of hers.  She could almost feel the play
of muscles under her hands, and mouth.  Each little cut in her triceps,
across her thighs, her shoulders.  Her six-pack stomach where the drops
of water pooled and created their own little river, they beckoned to
her, called her name, wanted her to come and play.  Buffy heard Faith's
siren call and every part of her, her soul most of all wanted to answer
that call.

She blinked the water out of her eyes and Faith was there, right in
front of her, brushing her hands, which were still holding onto the
buttons of her pants, out of the way.

"Huh?" Buffy murmured, wondering if she wasn't dreaming after all.

"I said... let me help you with those B..."

Every single hair on Buffy's body stood on end at Faith's low, raspy
voice, she just nodded her head dumbly.  The feel of Faith's fingertips
as they lightly brushed against her skin as she slid her pants down her
legs made Buffy's knees weak.  Then Faith was slowly gliding her silk
underwear down to join her pants on the ground.  Buffy grabbed almost
desperately onto Faith's shoulders afraid that her knees would truly
give out on her.

Faith smiled up softly at Buffy, all the teasing, nervousness in her
gone.  She felt a wholeness under Buffy's gaze that she just couldn't
explain and for her, at this moment, all the insecurities, the fears
were completely vanquished.  She trailed her hands up Buffy's legs as
she stood back up.  Her hands slid up to the valley between Buffy's
breasts, deftly she unhook the silk bra, then trailed her hands up to
Buffy's shoulders and slipped the bra straps from them.  She leaned in
towards Buffy and kissed her softly, then leaned back and smiled warmly,
sweetly at her still mute mate.  She grabbed up one of Buffy's hands and
pulled her towards the lake.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith lost herself in Buffy's eyes as she continued to lead her into the
lake.  Neither said a word to the other, at the moment, they seemed to
be unnecessary.  When the water was a little higher than her waist, she
leaned back half-floating, half-walking, pulling Buffy closer to her to
do the same.  She kept moving backwards until she could no longer feel
the sand of the lakebed beneath her feet.  She started to float on her
back with Buffy partially on top of her, resting lightly against her.
She wasn't quite sure how the hell this was working but she wasn't about
to stop to figure it out.  The water felt too good, so inviting, and
Buffy felt so warm, so soft against her skin and that was all that
mattered to her.

They floated together letting the lake pull them closer to the
waterfall.  The water of the lake cradling them in silken, sensual,
warmth, soothing away the earlier nervousness they both had felt.  They
felt at peace, tranquil, serene, as if the lake itself had the ability
to strip away all their fears, nightmares, and pain.  Maybe this place,
this time was part of the healing that the Living Scroll spoke of when
it said that Mother Nature would teach them how to heal.  Somehow
showing them the innate knowledge of the gift, they shared with each
other, showing them together they could, they were, healing each other.
That they were stronger for the fact that they had turned towards each
other in a time of crisis, that they had learned implicitly to trust the
other, despite their own insecurities, pain, and fears.  They were
strong alone, but they were unbeatable together, and the thread, the
Soul-Thread they shared ensured that neither Slayer, even after death
would ever be alone again.

They stopped floating and started to tread water when they came within a
foot or two of the waterfall.  They held hands as they watched the water
cascading down over the side of the cliff.  They swam into the
waterfall, and Buffy helped to pull Faith up onto the small ledge
directly under it.  They moved towards each other without a word.  They
stood facing each other, their hands clasped, entwined with the other's,
down by their sides.  They leaned towards each other and kissed with the
same pounding fury of the water falling on them.  They could feel its
power, its pure bright energy; its oneness with the lake, with nature,
as the crystalline water beat down on them.  They felt that same power,
energy, oneness within themselves and with each other.

It all rippled under their skin, in their hearts, in their souls, the
wholeness within themselves, the feeling of somehow being just simply
more with each other.  Complete, whole as individuals, but more
complete, more whole, if that were possible with each other.  They
kissed with a passion, with a love for each other that would have
stunned Aphrodite herself.  There was no urgency in their kiss; there
was just their deep-seeded need to share this most intimate of touches
with the other.

For the Chosen Two, kissing, sharing the other's breath, taste, in the
most simplest, most common of human touches was more intimate than
making love.  For them, when they kissed, it went beyond just mouths,
lips and tongues, beyond the physical, for them, when they kissed, they
touched, held, and caressed each other's souls.  It was a gift Buffy had
given to Faith with her first morning kiss and a gift that Faith had
given back to Buffy when she returned that very first morning kiss. It
was a gift that they had only ever given to each other, a gift that they
had never shared with another and never would.

They stood kissing under the waterfall until even they couldn't stand
against the hammering wrath of the water any longer.  They smiled at
each other and dove as one back into the sapphire lake, still without
any words.  They swam towards the other side, towards the hot spring,
this time it was Faith who lifted Buffy up onto the ledge.  She sat her
gently down on the natural seat within the hot spring.  She moved close,
and stood between Buffy's legs.  She wrapped her arms around Buffy's
waist and lay her head down, ear pressed over Buffy's heart and listened
to the steady, even rhythm of its beat.

Buffy leaned down a little and rested her cheek against the top of
Faith's head.  One hand pressed delicately tracing circles between
Faith's shoulder blades, her other hand on Faith's head.  She began to
stroke, run her fingers through Faith's hair, lovingly, soothingly,
luxuriating in the warmth of Faith's skin, her breath caressing her own
flesh.

They wallowed in, savored, the feel of the other, the texture of the
other's skin, the other's touch.  They reveled in the joy, the knowing,
the love they held for each other, they surrounded, drowned themselves
in it and in this moment.  This moment, that for both of them was all
they were to each other, all they felt for each other, it was heaven, it
was perfection, it was them and who they were to and with each other.
They didn't need words, they knew innately the other felt the same and
this too humbled and awed them.  The bond they shared was a gift, just
like the love they shared and it was in the truest sense, a gift that
they could only have with and give to each other.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well that's the last of it," Buffy picked up the suitcase and moved it
over to the door with the other four.  She turned around and saw Faith
just sitting on the chaise lounge staring absently at the door and the
suitcases.  "Okay Clotho, you can fade our new wardrobe back home
now..." she yelled out into the thin air knowing the Immortal would hear
her.  Sure enough a few seconds later the five huge suitcases faded
right in front of her eyes.

They had said their goodbyes to all the Immortals at breakfast that
morning at Mars'.  A few tears had escaped despite all their best
intentions.  It wasn't like they would never all see each other again.
Still it wouldn't be the same, both she and Faith had gotten used to
seeing them all almost everyday.  In fact, they had seen Lilith, Clotho
and Mars everyday and they had spent more time with those three then any
of the other Immortals combined.  It was going to be an adjustment for
both of them, especially for Faith, who over time had come to think of
Mars as the Father she never had.

"I'm still trying to figure out how the hell we managed to acquire so
much stuff since we've been here and there's not even a mall in sight."

Faith smiled wanly at Buffy's attempt at humor.  "We've been here four
months B.  I know it's only been two weeks on Earth.  But it's been four
months here.  Did you realize that?"

"I guess I didn't.  Wow... It'll be good to get home."

"Yeah... I guess..."  Faith trailed off, the tops of her Doc's suddenly
becoming very interesting.

Buffy moved closer to Faith, something was wrong.  She had attributed
Faith being quiet all morning while they had packed to just simple
fatigue.  They hadn't slept at all the night before at the clearing with
the waterfall.  She felt her cheeks grow a little hot just thinking
about it.  She pushed the beautiful memory of their night spent there to
the back of her mind for now.  She thought Faith would be happy about
going home, apparently, she was wrong.  She sat down next to Faith on
the chaise lounge and pulled Faith onto her lap, circling her arms
around her waist.  She couldn't help the little smile that escaped her
when Faith rested her head on her shoulder with a very heavy, dramatic
sigh.

"What's wrong baby?"  Faith whispered an answer against her neck that
was too low for Buffy to hear, even with her Slayer hearing.  She
couldn't read anything in their bond, and that worried her even more.
"Talk to me Faith.  Tell me what's wrong please..."

"I'm scared..." Faith whispered almost apologetically.  The fact was she
wasn't just scared, she was terrified and she hated the fact that she
was.  She felt almost like she was betraying Buffy by being afraid.

"Why are you scared?"  Buffy began to lightly stroke Faith's back.

Faith started to nervously play with, pluck at the leg of her pants.
She wasn't sure she could even explain what was scaring her.  She had
already almost convinced herself that whatever came out of her mouth
would be fucked up and completely wrong.  She had been fine with going
home right up until they started to pack.

"Just tell me what's in your heart Faith.  Nothing that comes from your
heart can ever be wrong.  Take your time, I'm not going anywhere.  'K?"
Buffy clasped Faith's nervously plucking hand with her own, she gently
stroked her thumb along its back.

"'K."  Faith sat up so she could face Buffy.  "I'm scared everything's
gonna change.  That when we go back all the bad will be there again.
Here I don't have a past.  I'm worried I'm gonna fuck everything up
again.  Worried about all the temptation.  I mean I know I've changed.
I know I've conquered that side of myself.  But still... it's so much
harder there.  I don't have a job... Not even a high school diploma and
we'll be slaying again.  It's everything and nothing at the same time."
She felt exposed somehow and needy, and she wasn't telling Buffy all
that she was afraid of losing once they went back.  She felt silly, but
not, at the same time.

Buffy could see the need and the vulnerability in Faith's eyes; she
imagined that the same things were showing in her own eyes too.  She
wasn't worried that Faith would slip over to the dark side again.  If
anything, she was more worried about herself and the almost
uncontrollable rage that was still inside of her.  She knew these were
real fears for Faith, but Faith wasn't alone anymore, she had her and
the rest of their extended family, including the Immortals to help her.
As Buffy continued to stare into Faith's eyes, she knew that this wasn't
all or even the heart of Faith's fears.

"You're not alone anymore Faith.  I'm not going anywhere.  I'll be right
there helping you and loving you.  Me, Dawn, the Scoobs, Angel and crew,
even the Immortals.  You have changed and I would bet my life that no
matter what temptation was put in front of you, nothing could get you to
cross that line again.  As for you not having a diploma, well Willow and
Tara were helping you to get your GED before the shit hit the fan and
I'm sure that once we get back they'll be more than happy to help you
again.  We both need to get jobs and if it means that we both have to
work at MickeyD's flippin' burgers for a while then we will.  At least
we'll both smell bad and get to eat for free."  The last bit managed to
get a small smile from the Dark Slayer, which Buffy eagerly returned.
"But that's not all that's got you worried or scared is it Fai?"

"I'm afraid everything is gonna change between us B.  When we get back,
you'll be home with Dawn and I'll be at the Mansion.  We haven't been
apart for almost a whole year and while I know that most of it was
forced... It's just these four months here everything was so perfect
almost, ya know.  We got to see what kind of life we could have if we
weren't who we are.  I didn't wake up every morning wondering if today
was the day I or you or we were gonna get killed by some vamp or demon.
I, we got to... we built a life together here.  I got to hold you in my
arms every night while we slept and got to wake up with you every
morning.  Something I never thought I could have, or deserved.  And...
and I'm not sure I know how to sleep anymore without you there and...
I'm just scared that when we go back it will all be different, gone...
I'm sorry... I know I'm being silly... stupid even... I know you love
me, know you aren't going anywhere... But this is all still so new to
me, it shouldn't be, I know, but it is... I know I shouldn't be scared
but I am... Our time here was special and I don't want to lose what we
found here together."

Buffy listened with her whole heart and soul to everything Faith was
telling her.  She understood her fear, because she too, for a little
while, had those same fears.  She knew how hard it was for Faith to tell
her all this, for Faith to need anybody, including her and Faith did
need her, just like she needed Faith.  The fact that Faith was turning
to her, told her how far they had come in their relationship and the
trust that Faith placed in her hands.  For the first time ever, Buffy
could see that, while Faith was afraid, none of that fear was because of
old insecurities or a knee jerk reaction that Buffy would take advantage
of, reject her, or break the trust that she had placed within Buffy's
hands.  For that, Buffy was grateful.  And it just solidified in Buffy's
heart the feeling that they would be able to keep and build upon what
they had already started to build together here within the Immortals
domain.

She idly tucked a few stray locks of hair behind Faith's ear, then
gently caressed the side of her face.  Smiling softly at both her new
habit and the way that Faith always leaned into her touch.  She had
never thought that such simple actions could thrill her whole being, or
make her insides dance with such joy, but they did.  She smiled softly
again at her soul-mate who was looking at her with such vulnerability
and trust and prayed silently that she was always worthy of such
unconditional trust.

"I'll tell you a secret Faith.  I was scared too when I first realized
that we would be going home soon.  Scared, until I realized that you
would be there with me.  That we would be going home together.  I think,
no I know, I was at a point in my life where I had resigned myself to
the fact that I could never have a future.  Never have the kind of
relationship that I always wanted with someone.  That for me, being a
Slayer meant that I couldn't have a future, I didn't let myself think
about the future beyond that minute, that day.  But then you came along,
came back into my life and I fell head over heels in love with you.  You
opened my eyes, made me see all the possibilities, showed me, helped me
to remember just how beautiful the world can truly be.  Now I want that
future and I want it with you.  You are my future.  We can work it all
out, the slaying, Dawn, jobs, you and me both going back to school.  We
aren't going to lose anything that we have here. We built...we have a
life together that I will fight tooth and nail to keep.  I have every
intention of teasing you fifty years from now about how gray your hair
is, and how slow you're getting in your old age.  And I have absolutely
no intention of sleeping or waking alone and I'm not giving you that
choice either.  Not the best way, I guess, to ask someone to live with
you... But I want us to live together, I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner,
I guess I thought you would just know that it was what I wanted for us
when we went home, what you wanted too."

"You want us to live together B?  What about Dawn?  Don't you think we
should ask her first? And what about the social worker and the school.
I mean I was in jail and that won't look so good."  Faith blurted out,
kicking herself a little, since it sounded almost argumentative.  She
was still a little stunned over what Buffy had said.  Stunned that Buffy
actually wanted to live with her, stunned even though she had thought,
had actually known that Buffy wanted to live her, had felt in their
bond, seen the images there, but she had been afraid despite that
knowledge to bring it up.  Her own insecurities, fear of rejection once
again raising it's ugly head and giving those fears a voice. Living with
Buffy and Dawn was something Faith wanted with all her whole heart and
soul.  Knowing something in your heart and actually hearing it made all
the difference, made it all the more real somehow.

"I'm not worried about all that Faith.  We'll work it out together.
Because together we can do anything, we're the Chosen One's, the Chosen
Two.  Remember?  And nothing can defeat us, not to mention all the
people we have that are willing to help us.  And we'll do it in the same
house, cause I donвt' want to wait until we figure it all out to live
together.  Because Faith, there is nowhere in any dimension, realm that
I could ever call home without you there... And that's because, just in
case you don't already know it... You are my home Faith."

Buffy's words held Faith spellbound.  She felt them wrap around her,
holding her close, filling up a place inside of her with warmth, with
love, that she hadn't realized, until this second, had been empty and
cold for the whole of her life.  Buffy's words made her feel cherished,
special, worthy and loved like never before.  This time it was Faith who
gave up a silent prayer that she was always worthy of the unconditional
love and trust that her soul-mate placed in her.

"You're my home too Buffy... You have been since the first time I held
you in my arms."

They just stared at each other with goofy-ass grins on their faces.
They felt silly, giddy and a little embarrassed all at once.  What they
had said to each other was corny, mushy, and the kind of shit that all
the gothic romance novels gushed, the same novels both Slayers had read
on the sly when they were younger.  They really didn't care though.
Because the thing about the outright
corny-trite-mushy-dreamy-romantic-dribble they had both just spouted to
each other, was that it made them both feel great!  No!  It made them
feel that downright, fucking wonderfully clich"d, warm fuzzy feeling
inside -- although they both would have cut out their own tongues before
ever admitting it.

They rose from the chaise lounge together.  Without thought, they
reached for each other's hands and took one last look around at the
cottage.  They had come so far here together, they had cried, screamed,
laughed and found their way back to each other within these four walls.

They made their way slowly over to the front door.
 
They had come to the cottage that first night broken, tormented, scared,
hurting, feeling alone and in pain.

They opened the door and stepped out into the bright morning sun, whole,
strong, loved, together, secure in each other, themselves and firmly on
the road towards healing.

They softly closed the door behind them; they headed down the path
towards the portal, stood in front of it and smiled at each other.

Without a backwards glance, they walked into the portal as one and
towards their future together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

find me here / speak to me / i want to feel you / i need to hear you /
you are the light / that is leading me / to the place/ where i find
peace again / you are the strength / that keeps me walking / you are the
hope / that keeps me trusting / you are the life / to my soul / you are
my purpose / you are everything / and how can I stand here with you and
not be moved by you / would you tell me how could it be any better than
this...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gary made his way carefully through the kitchen and out the sliding
glass doors that led to the enclosed garden of the house that he and
James shared next door to the Slayers.  His steps were slow, even and
cautious, he could have made the trip easier by taking a sip or two of
his martini before he began his journey to the back yard, but to his way
of thinking that would have been just way too easy.  He idly wondered
where James was, he hadn't mentioned having anything to do today when
Gary had run out early this morning on an emergency call.  He wasn't
worried though, it was, after all, almost Sunday afternoon cocktail hour
or rather 'Tea,' so he knew James would be along shortly.

He set down his martini on the glass side table and gave himself an
imaginary congratulatory pat on the back for not having spilled a single
solitary drop.  He made himself comfortable on one of the four plush
loungers and once again, carefully picked up his martini.  He brought it
slowly towards his mouth, licking his lips in anticipation of that first
taste.  God he loved lazy Sunday afternoons.

"GIZ!!!"

"FAI!!!"

"B!!!  B!!!!  OH B!!!!"

"FAITH!!!"

"HURRY!!!  PLEASE B... PLEASE!!!!"

Gary started choking on the one and only sip of his martini he was going
to get, because he was wearing the rest.  "Son of a bitch!" he snarled
wiping at the vodka all over his chest.

"THANK GOD B!!!!"

Gary slammed his glass down on the table and got up, so much for
relaxing outside this afternoon.  He really needed to talk to James and
the Wicca's about some kind of soundproofing spell, especially with the
Energizer Slayer-Bunnies as next-door neighbors.  He got up from the
lounger and started to make his way back over to the sliding doors, then
Buffy's voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"No way Faith.  There is no way that is going to fit."

"Yes it will trust me."

"It's too big! What were you thinking? It's huge! "

"No it's not.  It'll fit I know it will."

"No!"

"Come on you promised."

"I know I promised.  Why the hell did you get such a big one?"

"Cause I liked it.  It was the thickest, nicest one.  If you had come
with me then you could have helped me pick it out.  You knew I never had
one of these before, unlike you. I know it's a little bit big... but
just let me try, please B... Come on just open up just a little more and
let me in, at least let me try.  I'll be careful, I promise... If it
doesn't fit I'll take it back and get another smaller one, I swear!
Please Giz..."  Faith's voice trailed off and Gary didn't have to see
her face to know that she was pouting.

He shudder a little at the visuals he so did not want to be having that
were going through his head.  He silently cursed the wonderful acoustics
in his garden thanks to the walls that surrounded both his garden and
the Slayers.

"Faith... baby... you can't bring it back.  They don't do returns on
this kind of stuff.   And... and... it's just so... so huge baby. I know
it won't fit!"

"Just let me try B.  I'll be careful.  Please..."

Gary reached for the sliding door and then stopped dead in his tracks
for the second time.

"Come on Buffy let her try.  If it doesn't fit maybe I can or we can
make it fit, make it smaller.  Gary and I had the same problem once, I'm
sure we can fix it, make it fit."

"Oh... Don't pout, pouting is so not fair! I can't resist you when you
pout, you know that.  Damn it, alright you win, please be careful and
only if James stays and helps."

"Youвre the best Giz!  Now open up wide..."

Gary had spun and started running for the gate that led out of the
garden the second he had heard James' voice.  He could not believe the
thoughts that were going through his head; he ran out of the garden and
burst through the gate that led into the Slayers' garden.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ONNOOOHSHIT...."  He screamed skidding to a halt
and almost falling, totally unprepared for the sight in front of him.

Three pairs of eyes turned towards him, the conversation they all just
had flashing through their brains in a millisecond, and they burst out
laughing when all three of them realized exactly what Gary had thought
was happening.

"So..." James drawled, "You going to help us bring inside this
Rockefeller size Christmas Tree or are you going to stand there with
your mouth hanging open, drooling all afternoon?"  James couldn't help
but to start laughing again as Gary just stood there in his vodka soaked
t-shirt, mouth hanging open, eyes blinking rapidly.

"I ah... I... oh you would'nt believe what I was thinking. I don't want
to believe what I was thinking.  Bad, really bad visuals!" Then Gary's
own warped sense of humor kicked in and he started laughing at his own
stupidity.  He shrugged sheepishly, "What?  What was I supposed to think
when we live next-door to the Energizer Bunnies?"

They all started laughing again, "Come on G help us get this big bad boy
inside will ya...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy lay with her head in Faith's lap, purring as Faith idly played
with her hair.  They were both just relaxing staring at the Christmas
Tree, everyone else had long since gone up to bed.  The tree was
beautiful, huge, but beautiful.  They had spent the whole day, three
weeks ago decorating it with the gazillion trimmings, ornaments and
lights that Faith had bought the same day she had bought the tree.  It
was Faith's first Christmas Tree, and her first real Christmas.  Buffy
had spent that day watching Faith run around excited, with a goofy grin
permanently plastered on her face.  Watching Faith that day as the joy
just seemed to radiate off her had alleviated some of the sadness that
not only Buffy was feeling but Dawn was as well that their Mom would not
be there to share this Christmas with them.

Faith hadn't stopped at decorating just the tree though.  The whole
Mansion, inside and out was decorated with strings of pine, lights and
tinsel.  There were wreathes on all the doors, including the outside
gates, there were cheerful bells and goofy Santa Claus statues, all the
reindeers and a sled.  And of course Faith's favorite, mistletoe.  It
was hung over almost every square inch of the Mansion including their
bedroom.  As if, Faith needed an excuse to kiss her.  It was, if nothing
else, interesting because Faith made everyone kiss that passed under the
mistletoe, regardless of age or sex.  Buffy had dearly wished she had a
camera the day Xander had to kiss Gary.  Xander's face had been
priceless.  And the downright wicked, evil smile Anya had gotten when
she told Xander that the chaste kiss he had given Gary on the cheek just
wasn't going to cut it, made them all burst into laughter. Then they had
burst into laughter again as both Xander and Gary had backed away from
each other shaking their heads no so fast and furiously that everyone
was afraid they would give themselves whiplash!

They had set a spending limit on themselves, (which Buffy had no
intention of following), and on their extended family.  When asked what
she wanted for Christmas, Faith had surprised each and every one of them
with her answer.  She had asked them to spend, if not all, then at least
half of what they were going to spend on her on gifts for the kids down
at the Sunnydale Center for Underprivileged Children, the SCUC, instead
of on her.  And she wanted them all, Immortals and mortals alike, to
spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day together here at the Mansion.
That was all she wanted, because as far as she was concerned, she
already had everything she could ever need, she had them.  Then Faith
had turned the brightest shade of red Buffy had ever seen.

It was Spike who ended up surprising them the most though when he had
shown up tonight for Christmas Eve dinner with a wagon full of brightly
wrapped gifts for the kids at the Center.  Spike blew off their
surprised comments and thanks in his trademark off-handed way.  And if
vampires could blush he would have when Faith had rained kisses all over
his cheeks in thanks for his thoughtfulness.  But Spike wasn't the only
one who had brought a truckload of gifts for the Center kids, they all
had, even the Immortals.  By the time, everyone had shown up the pile
under the tree for the kids at the Center was twice as large if not more
then the rest of all the other gifts put together.

Faith in her own way had reminded them what Christmas was all about.  It
was about giving, not receiving, it was about family and spending time
with those you love.

Today, Christmas Eve, was only the second time since their return that
they had spent a whole day together. Buffy missed spending all of her
time with Faith like they had during their stay at the Immortals' domain
and she knew that Faith felt the same way.  She supposed that they, that
things, would settle down again sooner or later, it just seemed like
there were fifty million things they had to do since they had gotten
back.

First and foremost had been finding jobs, they both had far too many
bills that were overdue and had been waiting on their return.  Buffy had
gotten a job the second day of their return waiting tables at the local
diner thanks to her previous waitress experience in LA.  She had been
picking up as many shifts as possible.  Silently thanking whomever for
Slayer energy or she would have never been able to continue the hours
she had, was working.  But she knew no matter how much she worked she
wasn't going to be able to pay her bills and go back to school at the
same time, at least not this year.

One of the first things she had done was to sell her Mom's car, she
couldn't afford the payments and she really didn't need a car.  It had
helped but it still wasn't enough. Finally after long sleepless nights,
she had come to the conclusion that she needed to do something with the
house as well, especially since they had decided that the best place for
them to all live together and keep social services happy would be at the
Mansion.  She had sat down with Dawn and they had discussed all the
alternatives, one of which had been renting the house out.  But they had
both decided that considering the amount of work the house needed and
the type of people that had a tendency to migrate to SunnyD renting out
the house wasn't a good solution to the mortgage payment problem.  No to
mention, it would have still cost money to maintain the house even if
they did rent it out.  So, two weeks after her return home, Buffy and
with Dawn's consent had put their house, their Mom's house up for sale.

Faith on the other hand, hadn't had such an easy time finding a job as
Buffy had.  Even the local MickeyD's wouldn't hire her because of her
lack of a high school diploma, though privately Faith believed it had
more to do with her whole bad girl persona, then lack of a diploma.  She
had become increasingly frustrated as one after another place either
turned her down or outright refused even to talk to her.  Finally, two
long weeks after their return home, she had been walking dejectedly in
the warehouse district and had seen a help wanted sign at one of the
loading docks.  She had politely asked to speak with the manager who was
doing the hiring.  When he came out she had told him she wanted to apply
for the job loading and unloading the trucks.  She had also told him
outright that she didn't have a HS diploma, he had told her in return
that didn't matter to him, what mattered to him was what kind of worker
she was but... He had tried in an awkward way to tell her that she
wasn't quite what they were looking for physically, the work was
backbreaking and required a great deal of strength and stamina.  She had
quickly seen that he was sincere, so instead of arguing with him she
simply walked over to one of the trucks and started unloading it.
Lifting boxes and crates out of it that had required two large men to
unload.  After ten minutes of not even breaking into a sweat, the
manager, Ron, had hired her.

Like Buffy she took every available shift she could get her hands on,
and unbeknown to Buffy she had taken a second job at one of the sister
companies down at the docks doing the same thing seven days a week from
three in the morning til eight in the morning.  She had a goal and to
achieve that goal she needed to make as much money as possible in as
short a time as possible.  Buffy thought, because it was what Faith had
told her, that she was actually working two part time jobs, one in the
warehouse district, the other at the Pier and the rest of the time she
was absent from the Mansion she was taking a class down at the local
adult center to get her GED.  She was, in truth, studying for her GED,
but with Willow and Tara, whenever she had free time, but she had sworn
Willow and Tara to secrecy about the tutoring and the second job.  She
had taken the test for her GED three weeks ago and had hoped to have the
results back before Christmas, but it hadn't happened, she was
disappointed, she wanted to surprise Buffy, 'cause she knew she had
passed.  It was all right though, because what she had really wanted to
come in the mail had arrived just last week and that was what was really
important to her.

Between all the hours working, Slaying and taking care of the house and
Dawn.  Running around like chickens without heads to make sure the
Mansion looked nice and normal for when Social Services did one of their
surprise visits they had spent relatively little time with each other.
Most nights they Slayed in shifts with one of the Scoobs, but seldom did
they go out Slaying together.  So for the most part the only time they
spent together was the brief hour between Faith getting home from her
job and Buffy heading off for hers and the few hours after Slaying they
managed to sleep together.  Even their lovemaking had suffered; on a
good day, if they were lucky, it was a quickie in the morning or in the
shower between jobs and they both were feeling a little unsatisfied and
a little bit lonely.  But more than anything else they missed sleeping
in each other's arms and waking with the other.  They missed their
morning kisses and spending time in that in-between place in the
mornings when they were neither awake nor asleep and the rest of the
world ceased to exist.

It wasn't easy, but it was life and a real life. They were together and
closer in some ways then they had been before.  They were both working
towards making a better life, for not only each other, but Dawn as well.
They had each other, Dawn, the Scoobs, Angel and crew, the Immortals and
together they would all get through the hard times.  For once in their
lives, both Slayers saw the light at the end of the tunnel and they knew
sooner or later all of them would be standing in that light.

Faith smiled down softly at Buffy, it was all going to change after
tomorrow.  She had quit her second job, she didn't need it anymore.  She
pulled her thoughts away from that; she didn't want to spoil her
surprise for Buffy by letting anything seep into their bond.

Buffy smiled back up at Faith, she raised her hand and gently stroked
along the side of her neck.  Faith had made tonight, this Christmas
season, so special, so all new once again for Buffy.  She had been
dreading the coming holiday, since it would be the first without her
Mom, but somehow Faith had made her feel like her Mom was here with
them.  It had even been Buffy, who at Faith's gentle urging, that had
hung up her Mom's stocking after she had found it in the box with hers
and Dawn's.  And so Joyce's stocking hung on the mantle with all the
stockings that Buffy had made to surprise Faith for their entire
extended family.

As much as she loved spending this relaxing time alone on the couch with
Faith, Buffy had to get her upstairs and to sleep soon.  The others,
though they had gone to bed, were waiting for them to go up and Buffy's
signal.  They had all decided covertly to make this a very special first
Christmas for Faith indeed.  From Lilith making all of Faith's favorite
foods and sweets to Buffy finally breaking down and getting something
for Faith that she had mentioned she always wanted years ago, despite
the context Buffy had been told it in or any misgiving she might have
about this particular gift.

"I can't believe that you actually put out chocolate-chip cookies and
milk on the mantle."

"What ya think Santa doesn't get hungry delivering all those gifts?"
Faith asked Buffy and Buffy's breath caught at the child-like innocent
look that Faith was giving her.

"You don't really believe there's a Santa Claus do you Faith?"  Buffy
smiled again because she had a sneaky suspicion she knew what Faith's
answer was going to be.

"Why not B?  We spent the last four months in another dimension with
Immortals that were up until then only myths.  We're friends with the
Prince of Darkness.  Our family consists of two vampires with souls, an
ex-vengeance demon, a sister who was, is a mystical key, need I go on?
Not to mention, we're Slayers, we fight vampires and all sorts of demons
every night.  So why can't there be a Santa Claus too?  Why can't there
be some mythical being that's a good guy that's real too?  Would be nice
for a change that one of the good ones is real instead of just the evil
ones, don't ya think so B?"

"Yeah Fai, it would be nice..." Buffy spoke softly, almost wistfully,
remembering when she had believed in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the
Tooth Fairy.  When the world had been so much simpler before she knew
that, the boogieman that she had thought lived under her bed, was in
fact, really real.  Even though she wished things could be that simple
again, she wouldn't trade anything for that time again, if it meant that
Faith couldn't be with her.

Buffy sat up and climbed onto Faith's lap straddling her legs.  She
leaned in and gave her a soft, sweet kiss.  It was a simple, chaste
kiss, a kiss that spoke of long-ago, child-like innocence and simpler
times.  It spoke too, of youthfulness, naivet", and innocence that Faith
had helped her rediscover in the world.

"But you know baby..." Buffy started as she tucked a few strands of hair
behind Faith's ear, "...we need to go to bed, 'cause Santa won't come
until we're asleep.  It's an unwritten rule you know.  So let's go to
bed.  'K?"

Faith pouted, if given the choice she would just stay up all night.  She
was full of energy and excited about her first Christmas with her
family.  Her family, it sounded so good, she could say it over and over
again forever.  She had a family, she had a woman that loved her, and
that she loved in return with her whole being and she had a life.  A
real, bona fide, actual life!

"But it's still early and it's so cozy down here, with the lights and
the fire and everything... And being all alone with only you..."

Faith sounded like a five-year-old begging their Mom to stay up just
five more minutes and Buffy was unable to resist her, she was so damn
cute.  She leaned in once again and gave her one a light as air morning
kiss, not caring that it was eleven o'clock at night.  Who said they
could only share those kisses in the morning anyway?

"Mmmmm... That was nice.  More than nice.  I miss this B."

"I miss this too.  And I miss holding you in my arms every night and
waking with you in the morning.  Just miss you Fai..."

"Miss you too B..." Faith mumbled before capturing Buffy's lips with her
own for a kiss filled with love, longing and pent-up passion.  It was
slow and sensual, as their mouths and tongues performed an elegant
ballet of love and desire with each other.

Buffy leaned back, knowing that Faith would keep her from falling.  She
began to play with the hair that rested softly against Faith's chest.
"That was even nicer.  Down right delicious in fact.  Just like you.
You know Fai..."

"Yeah B."

"If we go upstairs to bed now... Well, there would be plenty of time
before we needed to go to sleep in time for Santa to come for me to show
you..."

"Show me what B?"  Her voice came out low, raspy and husky.  She smiled
languidly when she saw the goose-bumps appear on Buffy's skin just like
they always did when her voice was like this.  It made her do the happy
dance inside that her voice still had that kind of effect on Buffy.

She watched as Buffy's mouth turned up into a downright wicked, evil
smile and that was all the answer Faith needed.  She swooped down and
captured Buffy's mouth in a ravenous kiss as she stood up from the
couch.  Her whole body shuddered as she felt Buffy tighten her arms
around her neck and her legs around her waist.  She stumbled her way
over to the stairs, already sweating and trembling with anticipation and
felt Buffy trembling against her as well.  She took the stairs two at
time, never breaking their kiss, and ran down the hallway with Buffy
still wrapped tightly around her towards their bedroom.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"B... OhgodB... You feel so good... right ah... ohgod..." the low,
moaned-out words floated softly to them through their open bedroom
window on the evening breeze.  Without thinking, she waved her hand and
caste a soundproof spell around the Slayers' bedroom.  She smiled when
she heard Willow stifle a giggle into her pillow.

"Quick thinking sweetie!"  Willow mumbled against the pillow, then
giggled again.

"I guess you could say that's our signal that the coast is clear..."
Tara started giggling herself.

"Oh that was a signal okay, though I don't think it was meant for us..."
Willow started giggling even harder, she took one look at Tara and they
both fell into each other's arms in a fit of laughter.

They finally got over their laughing fit and got out of bed.  They
slipped on their shoes, having changed into sweats and t-shirts earlier
and had just been lounging around waiting for Buffy to come get them.
They quietly made their way through the Mansion gathering the rest of
the 'troops.'

They all spent the next four hours gathering all the hidden gifts,
redecorating, stuffing the stockings and enjoying each other's company.
Angel and Spike actually went up on the roof and set up a spell the
Wicca's had put together for them that would later that day make sled
trails and hoof marks. While Wesley, Gunn, Fred and Cordy finished
polishing the gift the LA crew and the Scoobs had gotten for Faith
together.  Lily finished the last of her chanting for one of her gifts
that would start the minute Faith began making her way down the stairs
in the morning.  Mars, Lilith, Zane and Clotho were down in the
basement, busy at work setting up their combined presents for both
Slayers.  While the rest of the Immortals, finished up with theirs.
They did this not just for Faith, but Buffy and Dawn too; they wanted
this Christmas to be special for all three of them.  Those three had a
long hard year and all of them wanted to make this a happy, joyful day
for the Slayers' and their sister.  And they were all glad, though not
surprised at the method that Buffy had chosen to ensure that Faith
wouldn't wander downstairs, because it ensured that Buffy wouldn't
either.  As for Dawn, they just neglected to wake her at all.

So, for four hours on Christmas Eve night, Immortals, mortals and
vampires alike ran around with large goofy grins on their faces.
Humming Christmas Carols under their breaths, happy that they were able
to each do their part and make this a special Christmas for all of them.

And of course Buffy did her part, instinctively knowing that the rest of
her family was busy downstairs, so she made sure to keep Faith busy and
occupied well into the night.  A part she didn't mind playing at all in
their little surprise which she thought was only for Faith.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bed was bouncing, and her shoulders were being shaken.  She burrowed
further under the covers and the pillow over her head.  But the bed was
still shaking and now there was an insistent finger poking her shoulder.
She pretended not to hear her mate telling her to, 'Rise and shine
sleepyhead.'  So what had happened to that lovely morning ritual of
slowly waking and bringing each other to that in-between place with soft
kisses and gentle touches?  She moaned, grumbled a loud protest into the
mattress.  Then started to giggle when she heard Faith ask her in an
almost child-like voice, 'Don't you want to see what Santa brought you
Giz?'

She squirmed around until she was on her back, Faith still sitting on
top of her straddling her waist.  She no sooner pulled the pillow off
her face and Faith was showering her with happy, wet, sloppy kisses all
over her face.  There was only one thing Buffy could do... Flip Faith
over onto her back and return all those beautiful, joyful kisses.

Her half-open sleepy eyes grew wide when she caught sight of the clock.
"Faith!  It's only six in the morning!  It's way too early to be up!"

"No it's not!  Come on Giz, it's Christmas!"  Faith pouted and gave
Buffy puppy dog eyes, but she couldn't hold the pout for too long, the
same goofy grin she had the day she brought home the tree broke across
her face.

She didn't wait for Buffy to answer her, she jumped off the bed and
reached down, picked Buffy up and tossed her over her shoulder.

"Hey!  Put me down!"  Buffy yelled and lightly smacked Faith on the ass.

She ignored Buffy, started towards the door and then thought better of
it for two reasons.  One, they were both naked and two, they both reeked
of sex.  She diverted to the bathroom, and set Buffy down next to the
tub.  She reached out and grabbed Buffy around the waist when she tried
to get past her.

"Can't we sleep another hour.  Please baby... You wore me out last night
I'm tired..." Buffy pouted and fluttered her eyelashes at Faith.

Faith just chuckled under her breath, thinking to herself, the presents
could wait another hour until after they showered.  "No... But I'll wash
your back if you wash mine..."

The husky tone of Faith's voice let Buffy know that getting her back
washed was the last thing on Faith's mind.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The shower, or rather the activities in the shower, had definitely woken
Buffy up.  They finished their shower and Faith once again became that
over eager five-year-old who wanted to see what Santa had left for them
all under the tree.  She dragged Buffy out of the bathroom and dug out
comfortable clothes for both of them, practically throwing Buffy's at
her.  She was dressed at the speed of light.  She rocked from foot to
foot impatiently as she waited for Buffy to finish getting dressed.  The
second Buffy was done she grabbed Buffy's by the hand, literally pulled
her out of their bedroom and started dragging her down the hall.

Faith's first stop was at Willow and Tara's temporary bedroom.  She
knocked twice loudly and shouted a warning before she opened the door.
She let go of Buffy's hand, sprinted across the room, and dove on top of
the witches, shouting at them it was time to get up.  The witches glared
at Buffy who just shrugged her shoulders at them, then they glared at
Faith who was still sitting on top of them.

"I'm Jewish, we don't celebrate Christmas remember..." Willow grumbled
out in feigned anger at Faith.

"Well today you do! And happy belated Hanukah Red!"  Faith said in a
voice that was way too chipper for seven in the morning even if it was
Christmas.  Then she just gave both Wicca's' her best silly-ass grin and
they couldn't help but to smile back.  Faith's enthusiasm was, if
nothing else, contagious.

"You guys have ten minutes to get ready while I wake up everyone else.
Meet me and B at the top of the stairs when you're ready."  Faith told
them as she climbed off them and the bed, made her way back over to
Buffy by the door, and grabbed her hand again.  "And don't make me come
back to get you..." Faith threatened with a very un-Dark-Slayer-like
giggle over her shoulder as she pulled Buffy out the door after her.

Tara and Willow jumped out of the bed quickly; they wanted to be ready
as fast as possible and waiting for the Slayers before they got back.
They called out softly to Clotho and Lilith knowing that they would hear
them and warned them that Faith was wide-awake and on her way.

Faith dragged Buffy from room to room, repeating the process of banging
on the door, shouting a warning, bursting through the door, then jumping
on the occupants of each room, giving them the exact same instructions
and threat, then was off again like a little kid on a sugar rush to the
next bedroom.  Including Gary and James who, at Faith's insistence, had
spent the night, even though they lived right next door.

"I swear I'm taking all sugar out of your diet Faith!"

"It's not the sugar B... I'm just happy is all..."  Faith turned around,
softly kissed Buffy, smiled and then started dragging her down the hall
again towards the stairs where she had told everyone to meet them.

Tara and Willow were already there waiting for them.  They all stood
around waiting for the rest of their extended family to join them.
Faith leaned against the wall, tapping her foot impatiently, the same
large goofy, silly-ass grin on her face.  Her eyes twinkled with delight
and joy, she was as excited as a kid let loose in a toy store and she
didn't give a shit who knew it or how much damage it did to her bad girl
rep.

Lilith and Clotho came rushing around the corner, and were greeted by a
huffed out, 'Took ya long enough...' from Faith.  They both just kissed
the Dark Slayer on the forehead and laughed.

"Faith baby would you go get me a sweater while we're waiting for
everyone I'm kinda chilly.  Please baby."

"Sure B."

Five pairs of eyes watched Faith walk down the hall, then into the
Slayers' bedroom.

"Now?"  The two Immortals and Wiccas' asked at the same time.

"Now!" Buffy told them with a nod and a shit-eating grin.

With a wave of her hand, Clotho faded everyone in the Mansion except for
Buffy and Faith downstairs to the living room.

"HEY!  Where is everyone?  Don't even tell me they went back to bed..."
Faith started rambling the second she came out of their bedroom and saw
only Buffy standing in the hallway.

"I told them to go downstairs rather than wait for us..."  Buffy told
her softly between clenched teeth so that she could keep biting the
inside of her cheek to stop the shit-eating grin from spreading back
across her face.

"Damn B.  I wanted all of us to go downstairs together.  Is everyone
down there?"

"Yep."

"Even Angel, 'cause he sure was cranky and he's a worse morning person
then even you."

"Look who's talking,
Miss-I-don't-wanna-get-up-B-please-just-five-more-minutes-B-I'll-do-anyt
hing-anything-you-want-I-swear!"

"So... just think about all those 'anything's' I did for you when you
let me have those extra five minutes..." Faith wiggled her eyebrows at
Buffy, leaned down, and gave her a hot, wet kiss just in case she missed
her meaning.

"You keep kissing me like that S.O. and we won't be going downstairs
until tomorrow or maybe not even until after New Years Eve..."

Faith leaned in close to Buffy; she gently nipped her earlobe and
whispered to her, "Mmmmm sounds good to me..." then nipped her earlobe
again and ran her tongue along it to soothe the bite.  She picked Buffy
up and whispered, "Tell me that again later and I'll take you up on that
offer..."

She started to head down the stairs quickly, the silly, goofy-ass grin
on her face again.  Buffy snuggled against Faith tightly, her arms
around her neck with the same silly, goofy-ass grin on her face too.
Faith rounded the corner and almost tripped on the last two stairs and
drop Buffy at the same time as the living room came into sight.

The twenty-five pairs of eyes that belonged to her family stared up at
her and Buffy and each pair of eyes had a matching silly, goofy,
shit-eating grin on their face.  It was a sight and a feeling that Faith
would remember 'til the day that she passed from this life into the
next.

"Merry Christmas baby," Buffy whispered to her softly, gently detangling
herself from Faith and standing next to her.  She reached out and
grabbed Faith's seeking hand with her own.  She squeezed it gently when
she felt Faith's hand tremble.

If Faith didn't know better as she took those last two steps and walked
into the living room to a chorus of Merry Christmas' she would have
sworn she was walking into Santa's Wonderland Village.  She was waiting
for a few of Mars' dwarf warriors to walk out of the kitchen dressed as
elves.  Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and
she spun to the side and stared open-mouthed out the wide double glass
doors that led to the garden.

"GIZ!!!  Gamin!!! LOOK!!!"

"What Faith..." Buffy laughed already knowing what Faith was seeing.

"It's friggin snowin'!  Hell it's a damn blizzard outside, well in our
garden anyways!"  Faith spun around and looked at Buffy and Dawn with
wide pleading eyes, "Can we go out an make snow angels?!!!!!? Please...
Pretty please with sugar on top!!!!" She grabbed one of Buffy's hands
and one of Dawn's, deciding not to wait for an answer, mumbling under
her breath how much she loved the snow as she dragged them towards the
garden doors. How the snow had always made everything look better,
newer, cleaner, special, how she missed it since she had come to the
West Coast.

"Faith stop..." Buffy tried to no avail, Faith just kept muttering under
her breath and dragging her and Dawn across the room.  "Faith!  STOP!"
She tried again and ran around in front of Faith, putting her hand on
her chest and actually physically stopping her with a little help from
Dawn.  "First we don't have on coats and second we have our family here,
who all got up nice and early 'cause of you.  So let open some presents
and have breakfast, trust me the snow isn't going to disappear.... Right
Lily?"

"Right Gizi...mbuuu-ffy!" Lily yelled back from across the room.

"Okay.  Sorry Giz..." Faith gave Buffy a sheepish look.  "I just got all
excited.  I love the snow.  Promise we can go outside later and play in
it.... Maybe have a snowball fight or something.  It's silly I know
but..."

Buffy watched over Faith's shoulder as Tara and Willow quietly started
to chant as they held hands.  She began to babble at Faith to cover up
the witches chanting, "It's not silly baby... It's actually cute,
yesiree-bob. Cute like really, really cute.  Then again, you're cute so
it's cute in a cutesy kind of cute way.  And we can have a snowball
fight or make snow men and women or an igloo 'cause that would be cute
too, ya know."

She saw the witches finish chanting at the same time Faith placed her
fingers gently against her mouth to stop her inane babble on the
attributes of cuteness.  She tried to keep her eyes from growing wide as
she saw all the gifts appear that Tara and Willow had placed
invisibility spells on just in case either Slayer or Dawn had ventured
downstairs during the night.  Dawn pulled her bottom lip into her mouth
to contain her gasp of surprise when everything magically appeared.

Faith smiled at Buffy and kissed the tip of her nose, thinking how cute
Buffy was when she babbled and scrunched her face up when she kissed her
nose.

"How about we discuss the cuteness of all of this later and open some
presents?"  Dawn asked both Slayers with a smirk.

"Alrighty!"  Faith smiled at both of the Summers' sisters.  She spun
around and once again reached out and grabbed a hand of each of the two
people that meant the most to her in the world.  The young woman who had
been the only light in her otherwise dark life for so long and the
other, who had, with the help of her younger sister and the rest of
their extended family, had taught her, helped her and now walked side by
side with her in the light.

Faith had managed to take only a half of step before she almost tripped
again when her mind actually registered what she was seeing.  "HOLY
SHIT!  FUCK ME NO WAY!!!"

"Faith!!!!" Both Buffy and Dawn yelled at her.

"WHAT?"

"CURSING!!!" They said together again.

In what seemed to be the theme for the day, Faith channeled Willow and
started babbling, "But do you see that?  That can't be for... No way...
That's gotta be for someone else and hey it wasn't there before, how did
it get there?  I must be seeing things... That can't be for..."

"I'm afraid so Faith.  It is for you.  Or rather it is yours."  Wesley
told her with a smile that lit up his whole face.  "It's from all of us
in LA, all the people here in Sunnydale and Giles of course.  You might
say it's from the Earth Collective!"

Faith looked at them one by one with a stunned expression on her face,
blinking back the tears that were threatening to spill.  She looked at
Buffy dazed and whispered to her in awe, "B, they got me a Harley.  That
is a Harley, isn't it B?"

"Yes baby it is... You like?"

"I... I..." Faith started and stopped as she turned back to all their
smiling faces.  "I don't know what to say... I love it... but it's too
expensive... I can't... expensive... I..."

"Actually it wasn't expensive Faith..." Gunn started his own smile
threatening to split his face in half.

Fred cut off Gunn, as she rushed out, "It was cheap, real cheap
actually, because Wesley he found this beaten, run-down, rusted bike,
with dents, no gas tank, flat tires and other broken bike things.  And
we all wanted to kill him at first but he assured us he could fix it up.
We didn't really believe him until he pointed out that he had fixed his
own bike up after you had totaled it, and, well, as you can see, he
wasn't lying.  We even have pictures to show you what it looked like
before. And a few of Gunn's friends helped us to get all the parts,
tires, and one of them even painted it for really cheap.  They said
something about parts 'fallin' off the back of a truck.'  They did the
same thing for... um... for um... nothing else, that's it, you know me I
just kind of keep talking until...."  Fred finished and everyone looked
at her with a little bit of awe, wondering how she had managed to get
that all out in one breath.  They also wondered if Willow had been
giving her babbling lessons.

"You did all that for me Wesley?"  Faith asked him, still wondering how
this man had ever been able to forgive her.  And thanking silently every
deity she could name that he had.  "Thank you..."

"You're very welcome Faith... After all, it's not like you live at the
hotel with us anymore and can just hop on mine.  And I couldn't have you
coming to LA on the bus just to borrow my bike to just turn around and
drive it all the way back here."  He smiled again and Faith swore she
saw an evil glint come into his eyes behind his wire-rimmed glasses.
"Especially not the way you drive."  He smirked at her.

"Hey I drive good!"  She told him huffily, "Wasn't my fault there was
oil on the road... I can't believe you guys got me a Harley.  A fucking
Harley..." She ended in an thunderstruck, hushed voice.

"FAITH!!!!"  Both Buffy and Dawn shouted at her again.

"WHAT?!!?"  She shouted back knowing damn well what.

"CURSING!"  They shouted right back.

"CHILDREN ENOUGH!"  Giles shouted over them and everyone started
laughing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They tossed the keys to Buffy with a chipper Merry Christmas and an
Early Happy Birthday from the Earth Collective!

"What are these for?"

"Go look out the window."

Buffy flew rather than walked over to the window, "HOLY SHIT!"  She had
barely finished cursing before Faith and Dawn were besides her peeking
out the window over her shoulder.  "Don't tell me you fixed this up too
Wesley."

"Let me guess... Gunn's friends found some more parts that 'fell off the
back of a truck' for this too, right?" Faith asked unable to keep the
sarcasm out of her voice.

"Yes well... Actually, I didn't do the fixing up this time.  It was Gunn
and Cordelia that did the fixin' up."  Wesley completely ignored Faith's
question, he would clear that misconception up later.  With the
exception of one or two parts for both of the Slayers' gifts, all of the
necessary parts were found in LA's numerous junk yards.

"No way.  Not Cordy!"  Buffy, Faith and Dawn all spun around in
disbelief and shouting at the same time.  "They're kidding right,
Cordy?"

Cordelia shrugged her shoulders.  "Who me???  Me, the fashion queen of
LA and Sunnydale, who knows all the latest do's and don't for clothes,
shoes, hair and nails.  Me, who has never committed a fashion faux pas'
in her entire life. Me, who never has a hair out of place and wouldn't
be caught dead in last months, let alone last years styles.  Me, who
would never think to get grease under my perfectly French manicured
nails.  What would I know about a Sixty-five, Black on Black, Mustang
convertible? With a two-seventy-one hp High Performance
two-hundred-eighty-nine CID V-8 special Shelby engine with a
three-hundred-six horsepower at six-thousand rpms, that can be converted
to be a street legal R-Model Shelby. A four on the floor Hurst, with a
heavy-duty suspension that has a twenty-two to one overall steering
ratio, Limited-Slip Differential, Power Brakes, Steering and Top?  Me,
nah I wouldn't know anything about stuff like that....... Now...would
I?"

"Wow Queen C... I'm impressed."  Faith told Cordelia, then mocked bowed
to her.

"What can I say Grasshopper.  I have many skills."  Cordy shot back
giving Faith one of her best Queen C smirks.

"I KNEW IT!  I so knew you were lying.  I knew you were watching Xena on
the sly!!!!!"  Faith shouted at her and Cordy just shrugged her
shoulders daintily, refusing to take the bait and tossed a second set of
keys at Dawn.

"And this Little Bit is for you from all our two crews, the Watcher and
the Slayers' who thought they were chipping in for something else of
course..." Spike spoke to Dawn as he wheeled a new Honda Elite SR
Scooter, black of course, out of the kitchen for her.

Both Slayers looked at the Scooter, threw murderous looks at everyone,
then looked at Dawn and the keys in her hand.  They lunged for the keys,
a look of terror on both their faces.  Dawn was quicker than both
Slayers, she had anticipated them going for the keys.  She was hiding
behind Angel, Mars, Zane, Luc and Atropos before either Slayer had even
come close to her.

"Guess all that training paid off, eh Little One?"  Luc chuckled.

Angel saw that both Slayers' were about to start arguing with them over
the Scooter and their little deception to get them to chip in, so he cut
them off.  "I have one more gift that is for the two of you.  Well,
actually for the three of you that is just from me."  He moved over next
to the Slayers', produced a large envelope seemingly from out of
nowhere, and handed it to them.

"You open it B."  Faith beckoned Dawn to join them; she gave her a soft
smile to let her know that they, she and Buffy would drop the subject of
the Scooter for the day.

Buffy eagerly tore open the envelope and then Dawn and the Slayers'
mouths dropped open.  Angel had given them the deed and title to the
Mansion. Dawn's third of the Mansion would be held in trust for her
until her twenty-first birthday; he had also paid the taxes on the
Mansion for this year and the next.

"Angel... I.." Buffy tried but she was in shock, her mind blank.

"Sou... Angel... Hell I don't know what to say either." Faith's was
drawing a blank as well.

"I'd settle for a thank you and hugs from the three of you."  Before he
knew it, the Slayers and the Key were hugging him faster than he could
blink.  "I never wanted to worry about any of you not having a home
again.  And as corny as it sounds I wanted to be the first to give you a
place you could call your own -- for you to call home, Faith."

"You already did that Soul-boy when you brought me to yours after I got
released from jail."  Faith whispered it so softly that only the four of
them heard what she said and this time she didn't try to stop her tears
from falling.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone remained quiet for a few minutes letting the Chosen Two, Dawn
and Angel compose themselves.

"Okay you three ready for the rest of your gifts from us mere
Immortals?"  Mars bellowed out.

Dawn, Buffy and Faith received their own riding saddles, riding boots,
chaps and cowboy hats, which all three of them knew they would never
wear.  They also received a years worth of riding lesson down at the
local stables where it seemed both Obsidian and his now very pregnant
mate, Sol were stabled for the time being.  They would return to the
Immortals domain when it was time for Sol to give birth or when the
Slayers visited.  Dawn was overjoyed when they told her that while there
was a mare at the stables for her to ride, the colt that Sol was going
to have would belong to her, just like she, would belong to him.

The Slayers' and Dawn also received gear for the Sportster and the
Scooter and gas cards from the Immortals.  Everything once again all
black.  Dawn also received some kick-ass leather pants and leather
jacket in black, which both Slayers knew Lilith had picked out and that
made Faith envious, along with a ton of other clothes.  Crow presented
Dawn with a sterling silver Egyptian Ankh on a delicate silver chain and
a card that she refused to let anyone read.

The Slayers were then led by hand downstairs to the basement, since Mars
insisted that they close their eyes. When they reached the bottom step,
they opened their eyes and once again, their mouths fell open.  The
basement was now a mini-version of the training room at Mars' facility.
There were weapons of every type, weight lifting equipment and an odd
sign, that looked more like it belonged over the doorway to a shop
rather then on the wall in their training room.  Both Slayers walked
over curious to see what it said, Buffy read it aloud.

"Tan T'iens Dojo & Gym, 8 Main Street, SunnyDale?"  She looked at Faith,
who gave her a puzzled look she never heard of it either.  "There's no
Dojo on Main Street.  Where did you get this sign?"

"Had it made..." Luc answered cryptically.

"Why????" Faith asked him.

"Cause everyplace needs a sign don't you think?"  Zane, the Incarnate of
Death answered.

"So... that's the name for here?  But the address is wrong..."  Buffy
was confused, and by the look on Faith's face she wasn't the only one.

"No and the address isn't wrong, it's right."  Lachesis told them with
an arched eyebrow.

"But... it's not..." Buffy insisted.

"It's a good thing you two are Slayers 'cause you guys are so dense
sometimes... I can't believe you two are going to raise me..." Dawn gave
a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes at the Slayers.

"Please Dawnie, enlighten us..." Buffy told her little sister
sarcastically and Faith arched an eyebrow and nodded in agreement with
Buffy.

"Thinkin that there's a place now with that name in downtown Sunnydale.
And maybe the Immortals had something to do with it and you guys are
gonna I don't work there or run it..."  Dawn told her sister and Faith
just as sarcastically.

Both Slayers just gave Dawn an evil glare.

"Actually Little One, you're almost right.  They're not just going to
work there or run it, well actually they are, but they're also going to
own it." Lilith told all of them in her own sarcastic husk, and then
chuckled as both Slayers' mouth dropped open once again.  She idly
wondered if she should ask them if they wanted bibs just incase they
actually started to drool.  She thought better of it, forced down her
wicked nature and continued. "More over the Dojo is actually owned by
Grasshopper, Gizmo and..."

"Hey that's the warehouse that my crew just started renovating!  Why
didn't you tell me it was for Buffy and Faith?" Xander asked excitedly
cutting off Lilith, when the address sunk in.

"As I was saying..." Lilith began again, ignoring Xander's question,
"The Dojo is actually owned by Grasshopper, Gizmo, X-Man, Red, hell by
all of you here in Sunnydale or the Scoobs as you prefer to be called.
And your share Little One will be held in trust until you're twenty-one.
We figured you all might as well make a living teaching others what you
do best.  Maybe help the people that live here on the Hellmouth to
survive, live longer, by teaching them how to defend themselves.  Who
better than two Slayers, four witches, a souled-vampire, an ex-demon, a
mystical Key and you of course Xander.  A mere mortal man who has on
more than one occasion proven that you don't have to be a Slayer, a
witch, a key or a vampire to survive against the evil that dwells here
in this town. And anyway we needed a bigger space in order to train you
all..."

"Now all the renovations are going to take another six months or so.
But we've paid the rent on the building, with the option to buy for the
first year. The equipment will have the same deal as the building once
the renovations are completed. You wouldn't believe how cheap the rent
is here in Sunnydale. Can't imagine why.  Anyway, besides that, it's up
to you all to make the business work and thrive.  There won't be any
outside influence or help from us, you will fail or succeed all on your
own."  Clotho finished for Lilith.

"I... shit, I don't know what to say other than thank you..."  Buffy
squeezed Faith's hand tightly.

"Wow... Oh wow... Wow..." Xander managed, while Anya was already forming
a marketing strategy and counting the dollars in her head.

Xander's sentiments were chorused by the rest of the Scoobs.

"Ditto what Xand, the Scoobs and B said..." Faith mumbled out.  She had
officially hit overload and knew she was going to make a fool out of
herself and start crying any second now.  She was saved by Mars' stomach
growling so loudly; it put both of the Slayers best stomach growls
together, to shame.

"Well I don't know about the rest of you but I'm hungry.  What say you
we eat first and save the rest of the gifts for later?  All in favor say
aye."

A very loud enthusiastic chorus of 'Aye's' agreed to Mars' suggestion.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What?..."  Faith asked through a mouthful of food when she felt almost
everyone at the table staring at her.

For the most part everyone had finished eating over fifteen minutes ago.
Faith was on her sixth helping and showed no signs of slowing down, she
had out eaten even Mars' who had an appetite like a bear.

"What?????" She asked again, when no one answered her.  "Do I have food
on my face or something?"  She turned towards Buffy who just shook her
head no.  She didn't have a clue why everyone was staring at Faith
either.

Faith looked around the table and saw the smirks that Dawn, Lilith,
Clotho, Gary, James, Spike, Willow and Tara were giving her.  But it was
the knowing look that Anya was giving her that gave away what everyone
was thinking.  She felt the blush start somewhere around her toes.

"Thank the goddess for soundproof spells."  Tara said quietly a wicked
glint in her eyes as she looked from one Slayer to the other.

Every pair of eyes turned to look at the blonde Wicca including Willow.
Faith's mouth dropped right open; Tara was the last person she would
have expected to make an off-color remark or tease them about something
like that.  Buffy gently closed Faith's mouth for her, then snapped her
own shut. This time it was Buffy who felt the blush start somewhere
around her toes.

"What?" Tara asked them innocently and shrugged her shoulders.

Anya who was not known for her tact and had an evil streak when it came
to teasing the Slayers, especially Faith, decided to play dumb and
answer Tara's question.  "You see Tara, the only time Faith eats this
much is after two things, a good night of Slaying and since we all know
that she didn't go out Slaying last night that must mean that she had a
good night of laaa....mhprf..."

Anya never got the chance to finish, Xander's hand over her mouth saw to
that.  He mumbled a silent prayer that his coffee had finally kicked in
and woke him up in enough time to realize exactly what Anya was up to.

"You know Tara you need to teach me that spell 'cause I gotta tell ya
living next door to the Energ..."  Gary started, sometimes he had even
less tact than Anya and he too, loved to tease the Slayers. Only instead
of getting his mouth covered, his mate just cut him off.

"Why Tan T'iens for the name of the Dojo?"  James' asked the Immortals
and smirked at Gary's moan of frustration.

"I know why!"  Faith had to stop herself from raising her hand and
waving it around wildly, as if she were in school and trying to get the
teacher to pick her to answer the question. She hastily swallowed her
last bite of kick-ass banana pancakes Lilith had made before she
continued.

"Since T'ien is plural it is referring to what is known as the Three
Treasures in Tai Chi.  The Chinese names for the Three Treasures are
Shen, Chi, and Ching. They're representative of one's true nature in
respect to different aspects of our multi-sided being. The Shen, is
located in the Upper Tan T'ien or head, and means 'spirit,' it
symbolizes the higher faculties of the mind, both intellectual and
intuitive. The Chi, or 'breath,' is located in the Middle Tan T'ien or
heart center, and stands for one's connection with worldly activities,
like communication and relationships. The Ching, or 'essence,' is
located in the Lower Tan T'ien or pelvic center, and represents one's
basic body center and energy foundation. It is usually with the Ching
that one starts to learn Tai Chi, and it usually takes years to master."
She paused for a second, in her enthusiasm she forgot about being shy or
putting on her bad girl mask and attitude.

It was a self-protection thing, the bad girl mask and attitude, she
knew.  It was nevertheless, something she had not been able to stop
doing, even around her family, but it had started to lose its firm grip
on her psyche the second she had walked into the living room this
morning.

"In Chinese culture the definition of the 'superior person' is a person
in which all Three Treasures, or Tan T'iens, are healthy, strong, and in
good relationship with each other. In a very real sense, it describes a
person who is strong and healthy in body, emotions, and mind, all of
which contribute to a strength of spirit.  One definition of a master in
Tai Chi is 'the person who thinks, feels, and does the same thing...'
Faith trailed off suddenly embarrassed for absolutely no reason.  She
saw Angel smiling at her with pride and felt the blush grow hot on her
cheeks.

"Very good Grasshopper.  I am duly impressed.  Seems as though the Fates
have aptly nicknamed you." Mars stood, and then bowed low to Faith, a
twinkle in his eyes, he was teasing her, but he was also truly proud of
and impressed with her.

It was official now; she was blushing so hard she was sure her hair was
going to catch on fire.

"I'm impressed too baby," Buffy murmured low under her breath for
Faith's Slayer hearing only, not wanting to embarrass her any further.
She lightly stroked Faith's thigh and gave her a soft smile.  And damn
if Faith didn't find a new sense of pride in herself and get that warm
fuzzy feeling from Buffy.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over the next few hours, everyone finished exchanging gifts with the
exception of the Slayers and Dawn.  Faith sat down on the couch and
pulled Dawn down next to her and then Buffy onto her lap a little
sideways.  She wrapped one of her arms around Buffy's waist and smiled
when she felt Buffy entwine their fingers; she reached over and held
Dawn's hand with her free hand, then looked over at Willow and Tara and
nodded.

"This gift is for you and Gamin, B, from me." Faith stated softly, but
loud enough for everyone to hear her.  "There is actually two, one for
each of you, they're identical."

When Faith finished speaking Tara turned on the TV and hit play on the
DVD player.  Soft music started playing in the background as a black and
white photo slowly appeared on the screen.  It was of a young woman
holding a newborn.  Faith gently squeezed Buffy's hand when she heard
the slight gasp that escaped her.

Buffy turned her head and looked at her sister, "Dawnie, that's Grandma
holding Mommy when she was just born."

Those were the last words spoken in the room by anyone for the next hour
and a half.  They watched as one photo faded into the next, sometimes
mixed in with 8mm film, then later with camcorder film, to digital
pictures and movies.  They watched as Joyce grew into a gawky, awkward
adolescent then into a beautiful young woman.  They went to her prom
with her, to her first sorority dance, and then watched as she and Hank
Summers walked down the aisle on their wedding day.

Then they watched with joy as Joyce was handed her eldest daughter,
Elizabeth Anne Summers and held her for the first time.  They watched
with Joyce as Buffy learned to crawled, to walked, then speak for the
first time.  Then they watched with a little bit of amazement and joy as
Joyce held her second newborn daughter, Dawn Summers for the first time.
And with Joyce they once again watched as her second daughter learned to
crawl, to walk, then to speak.  They watched as not only Buffy and Dawn
grew, but as Joyce grew as well, from a simple housewife into the
strong, caring, independent, loyal, protective, loving woman and Mother,
the Scoobs, with the exception of Gary and James, Giles and the LA crew
had all come to know and love. The DVD ended with a slowly fading
picture that had been taken a month before Joyce had passed away, of
Dawn, Buffy and Joyce laughing and hugging each other.

The others retired to the kitchen quietly at the end of the DVD to give
the three a chance to be alone.  Faith gently wiped away first the tears
that were silently falling down Dawn's face, then Buffy's quiet tears.
She received a fierce hug from Dawn and ended up with two crying
Summers' women in her lap.

"Thank you..." Dawn whispered so softly that if Buffy and Faith weren't
Slayers they would have never heard her.

She was overwhelmed by Faith's gift, it was, in her mind, a beautiful
tribute to all that her Mom was, and had been.  Dawn had never even seen
a quarter of the pictures before, hadn't even known they existed and
something inside of her had broken free when she saw all the pictures of
her with her Mom and Buffy.  It made all her memories of her life, not
just with her Mom and Buffy, but also with all of them somehow just more
real.  "Thank you Faith," she whispered again, feeling as if words were
simply inadequate and could never express what this gift meant to her
and made her feel.

"That was... it was just..." Buffy tried, but like her sister she knew
words couldn't ever hope to express how this gift made her feel.  While
they had watched the DVD, Buffy could almost sense her Mom in the room
with them.  Smiling, laughing and remembering along with her and Dawn,
with all of them.  She could almost catch the scent of the perfume her
Mom had always worn and feel her hand resting lightly on her shoulder,
brushing her hair back off her face.  Whispering how proud she was of
her daughters, how much she loved them both.

For Buffy, Faith had brought her Mom's spirit here to share this
Christmas with them.  The love that Buffy felt for her mate with the bad
girl look and attitude knew no bounds.  And because, like Dawn, words
seemed to escape her, were inadequate, Buffy just whispered softly,
"Thank you Faith."

And Faith whispered back just as softly, "You're welcome."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone came barreling out of the kitchen at Faith's first screeched
shout of 'STOP!'  They ran into the living room wondering what the hell
could have possible happened, only to stop short causing a twenty-four
person collision at the sight that greeted them.

Faith was flat on her back giggling hysterically as the Summers' sisters
sat on top of her tickling her without mercy.

"Take it back Fai..." Buffy yelled.

"Gonna pay... Have to pay..." Dawn chimed in.

"Stop... s..to...p... ple...a...se!" Faith managed between giggles.

"Then say it... Say I didn't look like a little red, wrinkled, old
dwarf..." Buffy threatened then went for Faith's most ticklish spot
right under her ribs.

"B..bb...bu..t... u... ddd..id..."

"Yeah and I didn't look like a little bald monkey either!!!" Dawn
shouted.

"O...k... o....KKAAAYYYY...." Faith gasped out.

Both Buffy and Dawn stopped tickling her, big grins on their faces, they
both looked at her and waited.

"Okay..." Faith took a few gasping breaths and thought evilly to herself
they should have known better.

"GIZyouDIDlooklikearedwrinkledolddwarfandGaminyouDIDlooklikealittlebaldm
onkeywhenyouwereborn!"  Faith smirked at them, proud of herself that she
had managed to get it all out and clearly to boot.  She saw the evil
glint in Buffy's eye and thought, 'OH SHIT!'

"That's it!!!! Dawn grab her feet!"

Both Summers' sisters moved quickly.  Dawn, grabbed Faith's feet and
Buffy was behind Faith's head, reaching under her to grab her by her
armpits before Faith even had a chance to try and scramble away from
them. Without a word, the sisters both stood up and headed towards the
doors that led out to the garden with the over two feet of snow.

"Xander door!" Buffy snapped, now she was the one with the big smirk
gracing her face.

"B you wouldn't..." Faith looked up at Buffy and knew she would.  She
couldn't fight to get loose without worrying about hurting Dawn, so for
all intent and purposes, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place,
and both Buffy and Dawn knew it.

"Gamin..." Faith implored, giving Dawn her best puppy dog eyes.  They
didn't work and Dawn just smiled back at her with the same evil twinkle
in her eyes as Buffy.

"Ready?" Buffy asked Dawn, who nodded, they started swinging the Dark
Slayer from side to side.

"Okay you've had your fun now put me down..." Faith tried again.

{I'm not gonna beg... I'm not gonna beg... I'm not!!!}

"On the count of three, Big sis?"

{Still not begging!!! No way, no how!!!!}

"On the count of three, Little sis!"

{Nope... no begging coming from these lips!!!}

"Okay this isn't funny..."

{Gonna bite my lip and take it like a warrior!!!! I AM SO NOT GONNA BEG.
I, FAITH, BAD ASS ME DOES NOT BEG!!!!}

"One..." Buffy started.

{SHIT! SHIT! ALRIGHT!!! I'm gonna beg. I'm so gonna beg! Shit!  Me an my
big mouth! Shit, shit, shit!}

"B... Buffy... honey... sweetheart???  Heart o' mine.  Light of my
life... Please put me down???"

"Two..." Dawn counted.

"D... little sister... Gamin please... Sister of my heart please," Faith
was most definitely begging now, she had voluntarily swallowed her pride
in one large gulp; she knew that snow was going to be cold.
"Anybody?????  Help me??? ..." she squeaked out, then wanted to kick
herself in the ass for making that sound.  She did not squeak, then
again she didn't beg either. Did she?

"What's the matter F?  You said you wanted to play in the snow..." Buffy
teased her, the smirk growing larger.

"Yeah but... I..."

"THREE!" Buffy shouted cutting Faith off.  They sent Faith flying high
through the air into the garden.

"SSSHHHIIITTTTTT!" Faith screeched like a girlie-girl as she flew
through the air.  She landed in the snow, sending a shower of it up into
the air around her.

She was up on her feet and running at Buffy before she even finished
falling.  She reached Buffy before she even had a chance to try to run
away.  She grabbed Buffy around the waist and behind the knees, then she
tossed Buffy through the air like a caber towards the snow.  She twirled
around, not worried about Buffy getting hurt, she knew the two feet plus
of snow would cushion Buffy's landing.  She caught Dawn around the waist
before she had a chance to scramble behind Crow for protection.  She ran
back to the garden and then jump into the snow with Dawn still in her
arms, twisting in mid-air so that she would take the brunt of the impact
upon landing.

Luc looked at Mars, who looked right back.  Atropos looked at both of
them, then around the room at the rest of them.

"Snowball fight?" Luc asked Mars politely.

"Yes that certainly seems to be in order," Mars answered Luc politely.

Within ten minutes, they had all piled outside into the snow.  The teams
broke up into the men against the women.  And before the men knew it,
the girls were kicking their asses, while yelling out their battle cry
of 'Girls Rule!'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They all made themselves comfortable in the living room again after they
changed into dry clothes.  Mars' pretended to be grumpy since his team
had been totally decimated and out classed in the snowball fight, by a
bunch of girls, no less!  All their male pride, egos were in the toilet!
As Faith watched Mars' huff and puff, she decided that they definitely
needed to find someone for him.  Not just for him, but for Zane, the
Incarnate of Death too.  She recognized the loneliness in Zane, she
herself, not to long ago, had been all too familiar with it.  She
imagined it was hard for him to find someone considering his job, she
guessed anyone would be a little put off to be dating the living
personification of Death.

Then there was Giles, and she hadn't a clue as to what kind of woman he
would like.  She knew he had, had a one time only thing with Joyce that
they both had tried to play off and blame on, the candy and the
Hellmouth.  But she couldn't help thinking that if things had been
different for them all, that Joyce and Giles would have eventually
gotten together again.  As for Wesley, Gunn, Lily and Fred she hadn't a
clue what was going on between the four of them, she didn't think they
did either.  There was something there though and she figured they would
figure it out on their own sooner or later.

"Before you three finish exchanging gifts, there is one last gift for
the two of you from just us Fates'." Atropos waved her hand and a very
large needlepoint tapestry was suddenly hanging over the mantle of the
fireplace. Everyone shot her a look, "What???  So, I'm lazy and anyway
that thing is heavy, so don't say a word. Any of you! Now where was I?
Ah yes, Clotho spun the threads 'specially for this, while Lachesis wove
in the background and I did the needlepoint for the finer details."

The tapestry was another of Atropos elaborate life-like creations.  It
depicted the lush greenery of the combined Immortals domains.  You could
almost smell the sweet fragrance of the honeysuckle, orchids, and the
roses in the tapestry.  Smell the musky scent of the earth and deep
green grass, see, feel each blade in the thick carpet that covered the
ground. Almost feel the breeze that was blowing through the mighty oaks
and smaller pines that dotted the forest on the edge of the tapestry,
almost hear the leaves rustling. The crystal-clear sapphire lake seemed
to be gently undulating, the light from the sun and the moons shimmering
across its length.  The sun was just beginning to blaze a path into the
morning sky over the lake, while the two moons were slowly sinking into
it.  It was breathtaking, though there seemed to be parts of it that
were blurred on the thick green grass around the edge of the lake.

"It's beautiful... Isn't it Faith?"  Buffy turned to look at her mate
and saw that Faith was staring hard at the tapestry, a puzzled look on
her face.  "What's wrong Faith?"

Something was tickling the edges of Faith's mind.  The tapestry looked
so familiar and not because it was the Immortals domain, it was as if
she had seen it before.

"It looks familiar..."  Faith mumbled under her breath.

"Well it is the lake within our domain Child."  Atropos teased her.

"I know that Elder...  I mean, meant, familiar like I've seen this
tapestry before but somewhere else."  Faith spoke more to herself than
to anyone else in the room.

"Really?" Atropos queried, a small smile playing around the corners of
her mouth.

"Yes really and... and I know I've seen it before and the only place
could have been at your house in the sitting room.  And there's stuff
missing from it.  I know it... I can almost see it in my head..."

"Indeed." Atropos smiled and placed her hands behind her back, standing
in military at-ease.
 
Atropos smiled a small secretive smile; Faith had seen the tapestry
before.  It was the night she had appeared on her own within the Fates'
domain and had surprised Atropos for the first time in eons.  Only
Atropos had cast a spell that night that had made Faith forget.  What
Atropos hadn't realized at the time, was that even she hadn't known what
the finished tapestry was to depict, she had thought she did, but in the
end she hadn't.  It wasn't until the night the Slayers' had spent at the
enchanted clearing that the vision of what might be, the possible future
for them all, had been revealed to her and that was what was hidden
within the tapestry from everyone's eyes but hers.

Faith tore her eyes away from the tapestry and looked at Atropos, who
just cocked an elegant eyebrow at her and tilted her head slightly to
the side.  Faith smiled back at her, raising her own eyebrow.

"You can't fool me.  I know I'm right and sooner or later I'll remember.
And further, you've been dimension hopping and sneaking here to watch
Voyager reruns again, haven't you Elder?  I know you have, 'cause you're
doin' your bad imitation of Seven of Nine right now!"

Atropos' eyebrow went up another notch; she tilted her head a little
further to the side and gave Faith a small smile. Then her smile grew a
little bit wicked and everyone knew that she was going to give Faith an
answer that really wasn't an answer at all.

"Indeed, Child.  It is as you say and yet all I can tell you is that all
will be revealed when the time is right."

All in the room gave a collective groan, their curiosity having been
piqued.  They all knew better however then to try to get a real answer
out of the Fate known as the Crone, knew that it would be a futile
endeavor indeed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
"These are for you two."  Dawn handed an identical box to both Buffy and
Faith almost shyly.  She tried to walk away.  Both Buffy and Faith
grabbed her and pulled her down onto the couch between them.

Faith once again had that big silly-ass grin on her face; it wasn't
because of the gifts though.  It was all of it, the warmth, the love
that was in the room.  It was because they were a family, because 'she'
had a family and to her that was the greatest gift anyone could have
ever given her.

It was, if nothing else, amusing to watch not just the Slayers, but the
vampires and Immortals open gifts.  With their strength and speed, it
was nothing more than a blur of shredded, flying colorful wrapping
paper.  Buffy got her box opened first, quickly followed by Faith.  They
each lifted identical gifts out of the boxes.  Dawn had given both
Slayers sterling silver Gothic Vampire Cross necklaces.  The crosses
were about four to five inches long by three to four inches wide and the
silver linked chain welded to it was very heavy and thick.

The design of the crosses was elaborate, intricate, with the etched
lines burned to black.  The top and the horizontal or arms of the
crosses flared out almost diamond like.  The bottom of the crosses came
down into a point and could be used if need be as daggers.  In fact, as
the Slayers looked closer at the crosses they could see that dark wood
had been inserted into the middle of the vertical line or body of the
crosses while the silver was still liquid, and just the sharp point of
wood showed through at the bottom.  So in fact, the crosses could be
used as impromptu stakes and daggers. What made the crosses, 'vampire
crosses' were the two fang-like points that dropped down, and curved in
off the edge of each side of the horizontal line, or arms of the cross.
The crosses the Slayers saw as they followed the intricate lines and
detail, weren't just jewelry, they really were designed to be weapons or
rather stakes.

"You guys like?"  Dawn asked not quite looking up at either Slayer.  "I
figured you know with what you guys do at night... um when you're
patrolling that is, they would... well you know..."

"It's beautiful, Gamin.  Thank you."  Faith caught Dawn up in a tight
hug, which she eagerly returned.

Dawn sent up a silent prayer again, that she had not destroyed her
relationship with Faith after all the horrible things she had said to
the Dark Slayer while they were in the Immortals' domain.  She felt
Buffy's arms come around and hold both her and Faith tightly as well.

"Dawnie it's beautiful and totally kick-ass. Thank you."  Buffy
whispered to her little sister.

"They have a snap chain too, so you can pull them from around you're
neck to use them as stakes without breaking the chain."  Dawn's muffled
voice came to them from between the Slayer sandwich she was in.  "Can't
breathe here..."

Once they let her loose, Dawn jumped over to the other side of her
sister so that the Slayers could sit next to each other when they
exchanged their gifts.  "Okay... your turn to exchange gifts now!"

Faith's palms started to sweat.  What if Buffy didn't like what she had
gotten, had done for her?  She decided to be brave and take the bull by
the horns, so to speak, and rose from the couch.  She picked up two
boxes, returned to the couch and with trembling hands, gave them to
Buffy.  Buffy reached out and pulled her nervous mate down next to her,
she leaned close and whispered for Faith's ears only, "Don't worry baby,
I'll love anything you give me.  Simply because it's from you.  You've
already given me the best gifts I've ever gotten.  You and your love..."

Buffy didn't give Faith a chance to reply as she tore open the first
gift with a vengeance.  She opened the box and moved the tissue paper
aside.   Inside of the box lay a fairly large, black wrought iron frame
with a picture of she, Dawn and Faith on one of the many picnics they
had while they were staying within the Immortals' domain.  In the
picture, Faith was leaning back against a large oak tree; Buffy was
sprawled out on her side, her head in Faith's lap.  Dawn was sprawled
out on the other side of Faith, facing them.  One of Faith's hands was
on Buffy's waist, the other was stroking Dawn's hair, all three were
smiling.

"Look Dawn..." Buffy handed the large framed picture to Dawn, "It's
beautiful Faith. I'm gonna put it right next to our bed, so I can see it
every day.  Thank you baby, but when, how, who..."

"Zane took it at the BBQ Mars' had the night before Gamin left.  It
seems the Incarnate of Death is a hell of a photographer."  Faith looked
at Buffy who was just staring at her with a sort of dazed look in her
eyes. Neither looked away or said anything for long minutes, the rest of
the crew thankfully remained quiet, then Faith finally broke the spell,
"You gonna open the other one B?"  She was back to being nervous again,
she began gnawing on her lower lip worriedly.

"Stop that S.O.," Buffy ran her finger along Faith's bottom lip gently
extracting it from between her teeth, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
"I wouldn't want you to damage that there lip, I've got plans for it and
you later." Buffy whispered low, throatily to Faith.

"Do you now?" Faith whispered back.

"You bet your sweet little ass I do!" Buffy answered low, her now
trademark wicked, downright fucking evil smile gracing her face.

"Enough already!  You two act like you're still dating instead of living
together!  Stop with the flirting, open the second gift!"  Queen C
commanded them.

Buffy tore open the second gift at the speed of light.  Snuggled inside
the box were two pieces of paper.  She quickly scanned the first one and
turned confused eyes up to Faith, "I don't understand.  I got a
rejection letter a few weeks ago."

"I know.  Willow hacked me an appointment with the Dean.  I told her
what happened this year, she didn't know all the circumstances and I
sort of convinced her to give you a chance.  She said you would need
time to adjust to taking care of Dawn and working and stuff so the best
she was willin' to do was give you part-time matree..."

"Matriculation." Willow interjected softly.

"That's right, part-time matriculation with academic probation.  The
Dean said once you complete two full part-time semesters she'll review
your status.  If you do well she said she'll return you to full time
status, matriculation.  However that works.  It was weird though, she
kept lookin' at me funny the whole time I was there.  I guess she
thought it was odd that I was there instead of you, I'm just glad I
brought Willow and Tara with me, otherwise I'm not sure if she would
have changed her mind. I'm just sorry I couldn't talk her into letting
you go back full-time, B."

"I can't believe you did this.  I thought I was going to have to wait
another year.  I'd better start saving my pennies though.  Hopefully
I'll have enough saved by summer for a few classes..."  Buffy rambled
out.

"Look at the second letter B," Faith told her softly.

Buffy quickly read the second letter, too stunned to say anything.
Faith started babbling again, anything to break the silence, "And... and
the Dean will even let you in the Winter Semester session if you want.
You can do late registration for classes, for ah... what's still
available. Only you have to do it within the next two weeks."

Buffy looked up at Faith with confused eyes, her thoughts still focused
on the second letter, "But... but... Faith how?"

Faith wasn't given the chance to answer, Willow answered for her.

"She's hasn't been working two-part time jobs Buffy.  Faith's been
working two full-time jobs and picking up every single extra shift that
she could get her hands on, she worked so much it was almost like she
had three jobs.  Not to mention that she was studying with Tara or me,
every free minute she had to prepare for her GED.  AND Slaying every
night too.  I don't know how she did it, she hardly ever got more than
two hours sleep a night.  She was either working or studying while you
were at work, not sleeping like she told you.  I know I couldn't have
done it.  But she did, happily, with a smile on her face and she managed
to save enough money to pay for a full years worth of classes and had
enough left over for your books and stuff too.  She was determined that
you would go back to school and nothing was going to stop her.  She knew
you couldn't afford it this year and she knew how much you really wanted
to go back despite what you said.  That and she knew that it was what
your Mom wanted for you as well. And she made us all swear not to tell
you about the second job and the extra, extra, extra shifts she was
working."  Willow finished her babble and then looked at Faith who was
glaring at her in a sort of embarrassed, angry way.

Tough shit, Willow thought to herself, she knew Faith would have played
the whole thing down and Willow was just as determined that Buffy knew
how hard Faith had worked to accomplish this for her.  Willow was just
glad that the tuition was reduced for Sunnydale residents or Faith might
have actually worked herself to death.

"Sorry Faith," Willow gave Faith an impish smile that let Faith know, in
no uncertain terms, that she wasn't sorry for telling Buffy at all.

"I can't believe you did this for me Faith.  I really wanted to go back
to school, I was disappointed when my request for re-admittance was
rejected."

"I know B," Faith mumbled, she was blushing from the tips of her toes to
the top of her head, and she was uncomfortable under the intense gaze of
her family.

"I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me Faith.  Thank
you so much."  Buffy captured Faith's mouth in a soft, sweet, but short
kiss.

"It wasn't... I was happy to do it for you B..." Faith mumbled again,
she had definitely trashed her bad girl rep today without a doubt.
There was no way that any of them would ever not see through it again.
Somehow though it didn't seem to matter to her much anymore, at least
not with Buffy and not with the people here in the room with them, who
were now and forever her family.

Buffy gave Faith another quick kiss, and whispered another thank-you
against Faith's mouth as she rose from the couch.  She retrieved the one
large gift that she had for Faith from underneath the tree.  Now it was
her turn to be nervous.  She handed the box to Faith with shaky hands
then sat down next to her again.

This time it was Faith who leaned close to Buffy and whispered for her
ears only, "I already have everything I could ever want B.  I have you,
Gamin and the rest of our family.  You loving me is the greatest gift
anyone has ever given me..." she paused for a second, and though Buffy
couldn't see her, she knew Faith eyes were sparkling impishly.  "But I
still can't wait to see what's in the box, B."

Faith tore open the wrapping paper.  It flew in every direction
possible, covering both her and Buffy in almost confetti size pieces of
festive colored paper.  She stuck the big silver bow on the top of
Buffy's head with a smirk and kissed her quickly on the cheek.  The top
of the box went sailing across the room; she delicately moved the tissue
paper to the side so she could see what lay inside the box.

There were five smaller wrapped gifts inside of the large box, "Does it
matter which I start with B?"

"Open them from left to right." Buffy's voice trembled a little with
nervousness, maybe these gifts hadn't been such a good idea after all.

Faith picked up the medium sized square flat gift first, she knew it was
a picture frame the second she touched it.  With care she unwrapped the
gift and much to her delight, it was her missing GED certificate in a
simple black frame and the letter congratulating her on passing her GED.

"You know you can go to jail for stealing and opening other peoples mail
B."  Faith smiled at Buffy and Buffy smiled with a secretive smile. She
knew Faith had only noticed that she had passed her GED and had missed
the second most important thing about the gift.  Soon enough, that would
be rectified.

The second gift in the box was a letter from Sunnydale U congratulating
Faith on her acceptance for the fall semester of Two-thousand-two as a
full-time matriculated student, majoring in Psychology, with a minor in
Child Development.

"Well now I know why the Dean was giving me a funny look.  Looks like I
wasn't the only one Willow hacked an appointment for.  Was I?"  Faith
managed to get out, her mind reeling over the fact that she was actually
going to go to college and with Buffy, Willow and Tara, no less.  She
had realized when she was studying for her GED just how much she
actually liked learning. She had always thought she was too stupid for
even kindergarten, let alone college.  Slowly but surely, over the time
that Willow and Tara had tutored her, both before their trip to hell and
then after, they had managed to convince and show Faith that she wasn't
stupid at all.  They had even started teasingly to call her 'The Sponge'
during their study sessions.  She could never thank either Wicca enough
for all they had done for, and still did for her; with their
encouragement, they had helped her to find a newfound confidence in
herself that she had never possessed before.

"Nope... The Dean must think we're both nuts.  First I had to convince
her to let 'you' put in your application for admittance after the
deadline, since you still had to take your GED. But it was Willow, Miss
Number-One-On-The-Dean's-List herself, who really got the Dean to say
yes.  She told the Dean that she was tutoring you and all about how
smart you are.  By the end of the conversation she had the Dean
convinced that you were a Mini-Me-Willow."

Buffy's last remark garnered a chuckle out of everyone in the room,
including Faith who was feeling a little overwhelmed.  Willow and Tara
exchanged a secretive glance.  They had made a solemn vow to each other
never to tell either Slayer that they had caste a little spell on the
Dean of the college to make her more amenable to talking with both of
them about the other and allowing Buffy to return to college and Faith
apply late.  Considering how much it meant to both Slayers to do this
for the other, there was no way the Wiccas could have left it up to
simple fate or chance.  So they had agreed between them to lend a
magical helping hand.

"There's a little more and, well, it will mean that you have to quit
your jobs.  I mean that is if you want to... I sort of...  Remember when
we went on our first date and you said you wanted to work with
underprivileged kids?  I sort of, well... not sort of... I did... I went
down to the center and talked to the lady, Sharon who runs the place and
I kinda told her all about you and how you are with kids and how you've
been with Dawn. She's been looking for someone to help her out down
there, especially with the teens.  Someone who can relate to them and
she wants to meet you, she said if you're half as good as I made you out
to be, the job is yours..." Buffy decided to stop rambling at her feet
and looked up at Faith.  She was greeted by the biggest smile she had
ever seen on the Dark Slayer's face.

"Thank you... you just made two more of my secret wishes come true B."
The words were spoken softly, but Buffy heard them loud and clear, they
made her heart leap with joy.

"Open the rest of your gifts S.O.,"  Buffy urged Faith, hoping she liked
the rest of them as much as the first two.

Faith opened the third gift, which held a yellow legal sized envelope.
Inside was a document from the state of California declaring that
Faith's last name had been legally changed to Liam. There was also a new
driver's license and social security card with her new last name inside
of the envelope.  Her eyes flew to the admittance letter from the
college and her GED certificate and she saw that both documents
reflected her new last name too.  She flashed back for a second to the
argument she had with the man at the testing center when he refused to
let her just use her first name only or Liam as her last.  She had been
pissed at the idea of her GED certificate showing the last name of the
scum who had adopted her, but her determination and desire to get her
GED overrode her anger, so she had relented and written down his last
name for the first time in over five years. Hell, she hadn't even used
his last name while she was in jail, she had used Smith, not even the
courts could find out her real identity and she had absolutely refused
to tell them.

Buffy took a deep breath and started another Willow-like babble.  "I
know how much you hated having his last name, Faith.  And I saw how
honored you were that Angel had given you his real first name for your
last name on your gravestone.  That made sense didn't it?  Which reminds
me that we really need to knock them down 'cause we're not dead!
Anyway, I went to Wesley, then Giles but neither of them knew your last
name... so then I asked Angel and he knew it.  He helped me to get a
lawyer and the lawyer got everything changed, and I mean everything.
>From your birth certificate to all your school records, even
kindergarten.  Which was why I took your GED out of the mail, I wanted
to make sure that it got changed too.  And before you ask, I still don't
know what your old last name was, Angel only told the lawyer, not me.
But... Idoknowyourmiddlenamenow NI..."

"Don't say it B!!!!" Faith's hand was over Buffy's mouth in a flash
stopping her from telling everyone her middle name. She ignored the
puppy dog eyes that Buffy was giving her and turned her head to glare at
Angel.  "You promised Soul-boy!"

"I didn't tell her I swear!" Angel shot back moving a little closer to
Cordelia as if she could protect him from the Dark Slayer.  Hell, he
knew better than to try to call Faith by her middle name.  Personally,
he thought it was a pretty name, so he was puzzled why Faith loathed it
so much, she had never told him and he had never pushed her to tell him.

Faith was just about to say she didn't believe him when she noticed that
Tara was suddenly finding the ceiling of living room very interesting.

"Blondie..." She snarled.

"What?" Tara asked, giving Faith her all-time best shy, innocent look.
It failed miserably.  This time it was Tara not Buffy who decided to
channel Willow, "It's on your SSN card and I was the one who got it in
the mail, I kinda opened the letter and accidentally saw it?  I told
Buffy that I thought that your name now was really cute now, has a nice
ring to it... You know, Faith Nic..."

"OKAY! OKAY! I get it!!!  You're forgiven... Okay!" Faith shouted,
cutting Tara off, she knew sooner or later someone would slip and
everyone would find out her middle name.  It was inevitable with her
family. "I'm gonna open the rest of my presents now... Okay?"

The fourth gift was a leather travel pouch, inside of which were two
passports, one for Buffy and one for her.  There were brochures for
Ibiza, Spain and a vacation club bankbook.  She didn't say anything she
just looked at Buffy in amazement and waited for her to start babbling
again.

"We don't have to go there, we can go wherever you want S.O.  We still
have a few months to decide.  I haven't finished with the club payments
yet, but I should be done by the end of the summer.  They say late May
or September is the best time to go there before it gets too crowded.
So either, before you, we, start school in the fall or next May we can
go or whenever you want.  And like I said we can go wherever you want if
you don't want to go there.  I just... with Willow's help I found out
that the author, who wrote that poem you gave me with my pendant, wrote
it when she was watching, what she said was the most beautiful sunset
she had ever seen."  Buffy paused and took in a big gulp of air before
she continued.

"She had been sitting on the beach in the Cala D'Hort part of Ibiza
watching the sun go down behind another smaller island that rose out of
the water only a few hundred feet from her.  The smaller island is
called Es Vedra and it's surrounded by mystery and legend and as far as
anyone knows the island supports no living thing, never has. Not animals
and not plants.  In the tenth century a Carmelite priest recorded
mystical revelations and meetings with unearthly beings that had been
surrounded by light.  To this day, fishermen refuse to fish there,
saying they see gigantic circles of light emerging from the water
surrounding the island.  I figured it would be cool to go and see it
'cause of us being Slayers and all.  But mostly I thought that you would
like to see where she wrote the poem.  See if we couldn't make all those
things in the poem come true for you..."  Buffy whispered the last part,
intending for only Faith to hear her. She was grateful too, that she had
remembered the name of the beach and the mysterious island of Es Vedra
and its history.

"You already have B... And I would love to go there with you and try to
make them come true for you." Faith dipped her head down and softly
kissed Buffy.

"You already have Faith..." Buffy voice held so much love for Faith in
it that it was almost a physical caress in of itself, "You have one more
gift S.O.," she whispered softly.

Faith unwrapped the last small thin box with shaking hands, she had
truly hit overload and was positive she was about to make a total ass
out of herself when she burst out crying any second now.  Her crying
binge was stopped dead in its tracks when she pulled out a wide,
studded, black leather collar.  She lifted her head up and turned
towards Buffy so fast that had anyone blinked they would have missed her
moving.  A wicked gleam was in her eyes, and a small almost sultry smile
played around her lips.

"Gettin' kinky on me B????"  She had barely finished speaking, when she
heard a low growl coming from the other side of her.  Before she had a
chance to turn her head she was hit from the side by a fast-moving,
small, black, furball.  A long, cold, wet tongue began to bathe her face
sloppily.  Then her lap was full of a six-week old bundle of joy in the
form of a midnight-black, piercing blue-eyed, Siberian Husky furball
known as Dusk.

"YOU GOT ME A PUPPY!"  Faith shouted, bouncing up and down on the couch,
Dusk decided it was a game and started to play tug-of-war with her
shirt.  She lifted the squirming furball up, buried her face in his
thick fur, and was rewarded again by sloppy wet kisses.

Faith turned a brilliant smile Buffy's way and then, as if they had read
each other's minds, both Faith and Dusk decided to reward Buffy with
sloppy wet kisses too.  It was Buffy's turn to have a lap full of both
the Dark Slayer and the Dark Furball, as Dusk was to become known as.

"Enough! Enough you two..." Buffy giggled, "I guess this means you like
this present too S.O."

"I loved them all B!  But how did you know I alwa..." Faith trailed off
and for a timeless minute, she journeyed to the hers, Buffy's and
Angel's shared past and heard and saw their ghosts there.

Faith wasn't alone though, both Buffy and Angel took the trip with her.

***************
'Angel?'

'Morning, sleepyhead. You know what I just can't believe? All our time
together, and we never tried chains. But you can't dwell on the past.
Especially with the future we have ahead.'

'Bondage looks good on you, B. The outfit's all wrong, but hey.'

'Faith, you don't know what you're doing.'

'Really? Weird. 'Cause something about all this just feels so right.
Maybe it's one of those unhappy childhood things. See, when I was a kid,
I used to beg my mom for a dog. Didn't matter what kind, I just wanted,
you know, something to love. A dog's all I wanted. Well, that and toys.
But Mom was so busy, you know, enjoying the drinking and passing out
parts of life, that I never really got what I wanted. Until today.'
***************

"Faith baby?" Buffy question softly.

"It's okay B, it's all good.  Funny thing is, I wasn't lying, ya know. I
really did want a dog.  But I was wrong about one thing.  I didn't get
what I really wanted that day.  I didn't get that until the day you,
'til all of you let me back into your lives and showed me what it was to
love and be loved."  Faith's words touched Buffy like a loving caress.

The Chosen One's slowly leaned towards each other.  Their mouths met in
a delicate, loving embrace. The world for them narrowed down to just the
two of them while they kissed.  They forgot it was Christmas, forgot
about presents, forgot about their family who was watching them and
smiling indulgently.  They kissed until a discreet cough finally broke
into the private world they created for each other.  They broke apart
and saw that someone had poured champagne into the oddest assortment of
mismatched flute glass any of them had ever seen and had passed them out
to everyone.  Mars' handed a glass to Buffy first, then Faith.

"I'd like to make a toast..."  Mars' stopped, cleared his throat and
Faith couldn't help but notice the slight blush that was coloring his
cheeks.  She decided not to tease him, she knew he was searching to find
the words he wanted to say, it was something she often struggled with
herself.  It was funny how they were so much alike when it came to
dealing with others, speaking their minds, even showing emotions, it was
almost as if they truly were Father and Daughter. Mars' cleared his
throat again, then straightened his shoulders and began to speak.

"To all of my family, both old and new, I want to thank you for sharing
this day with me.  And thank you for helping me to open my eyes and see
what has always been right in front of me waiting patiently all these
years. For that, you all have my eternal gratitude; because of you, my
life has been enriched in so many ways.  I can never hope to thank you
enough for this.  Because of you all, I have been given a precious gift
I never thought I wanted, needed or would have, the love of a family and
the love of a young woman I am proud to call my daughter.  Thank all of
you.  May every holiday or special occasion... Nay... May every day for
all of us, be as full of warmth, laughter, joy and love as today has
been."

His toast was greeted with loud 'We love you too' from all, and no one
ever mentioned the few tears that escaped from all of their eyes that
every single one of them tried to hide. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This must be my lucky night!"

Faith turned around slowly to face the vampire who was stupid enough to
think that he had actually snuck up behind her.  She had known he was
there, following her through the cemetery, sneaking from tombstone to
tombstone since she had walked through the cemetery gates.  She also
knew that four of his cronies flanked her, two on each side.  She sensed
these things, after all she was a Slayer.

She let her 'Slaying bag' slide off her shoulder to the ground and then
folded her arms casually across her chest.  She ignored the tall
well-muscled, sandy-haired, boyishly handsome, though poorly dressed
vampire in front of her and looked at her Slaying partner with a cocky
grin.

"So..." she drawled out in a hush.  "What do you think, should I tell
him I already know what he's flapping his gums about and spoil his fun?
Or should I humor him and let him tell me what he's talkin' 'bout and
get his last jollies before I turn him into dust?  What'da ya think
Furball?"

Dusk looked up at 'his' Dark Slayer, he cocked his head to one side as
if he actually understood what she was saying and was considering how he
should answer her.  Like Faith, he too ignored the vampire and his
undead friends, and just like Faith, he had known the vampires were
tracking them.  The Slayers with the help of Lily had trained him well.
He may only be a puppy still, but he knew better than to make a move on
the evil creatures that roamed the night or attack them unless one of
the Slayers gave him a signal or they were attacked first.  He stared up
at his Dark Slayer for a few seconds longer then turned towards the
vampire.  He sprawled out on the ground, crossed his front paws and
waited, he knew his Dark Slayer would understand what his answer was.

Faith chuckled at Dusk's actions; it looked like he was in the mood to
play too.  She needed it, she had been feeling a little frustrated the
past two weeks.  She finally looked at the vampire, who was staring back
at her arrogantly, his stance also casual.  Then again, it was easy to
appear confident and cocky when you thought you had the upper hand.

"Wanna tell me what you're talkin' 'bout or are ya gonna try and stare
me and Furball here to death?"

{Come on, come on. Surprise me! Doubt it's gonna happen, but you never
know... Let's see, my guess is... it's his lucky night 'cause once
you've...}

"Rumor has it... once you've tasted a Slayer, you never wanna go back.
And tonight's my lucky night 'cause I'm gonna find out if the rumor is
true," the vampire boasted.

{I knew it!  Score one for me! Yay me! And another stupid one is gonna
bite the dust! Just once, it would be nice to hear an original line.
I'd pay big to hear one.  I would!  Friggin' idiot! I hate stupid
vampires, no challenge with the stupid ones!}

"There's just one problem with that.  My girlfriend, well... she's kinda
a little picky about other people or in your case
non-people-demony-vampire types tasting me.  She likes to be the only
one.  Ya know?  She's kinda possessive like that, if you know what I
mean.  If you want though I can call her on my cell and you could ask
her if the rumor is true."  Faith just stared at the vampire and waited
for him to make his move.

The vampire looked the Dark Slayer up and down.  She was hot, and she
was cocky, he liked that.  Maybe he wouldn't kill her so fast, maybe he
would play with her for a little while first.  It certainly would help
his rep to be able to brag that he not only drained the Slayer dry but
he had also fucked her as well.  The plans he had for the Slayer took a
completely new turn.  Besides he had heard rumors about the Slayer,
heard that at one time she had been Angelus' fuck-toy, that she wore his
mark, so fucking a vampire wouldn't be new to her.

He was too stupid to know that he had the wrong Slayer or for that
matter that there were two Slayers, not one, he thought it was just a
rumor put out by the Watchers Council to scare vampires.  It would of
course, definitely make his undead life easier if she went along with
his plans for her and maybe if she were any good, he would keep her
around for a while before draining her.  His facial features changed
slightly, his mouth curving up slightly, flirtatiously, it was a look
that when he was alive had gotten plenty of women into his bed.  Then
again when he was alive he hadn't really cared whether they wanted to
join him in bed or not and that was one thing about him that hadn't
changed.

"You know you're kind of cute for a Slayer."  His tone was flirtatious,
he smiled turning on what in his mind, was the charm. "This is going to
be more fun then I first thought."

"Funny, I was just thinkin' the same thing myself."  Faith flirted right
back and watched as the vampire smiled again at her.  The idiot vamp
actually thought he was charming her with his phony smile. She was only
playing along with him in order to buy herself some time.  Her senses
more focused on the vampires hiding, trying to get a fix on exactly
where they were so she would be ready for them when they came at her.
The vamp winked at her and she almost choked on the laughter that tried
to escape from his sad attempt at charming her.

{Yep, bona-fide idiot... Like I'd ever with someone wearing an 'I'm so
sexy' t-shirt... Eww! Idiot, idiot, idiot! What a pathetic loser!}

"Maybe your friends might want to come out and join the party too.  The
more the merrier I always say..."  Faith smirked as she saw a little bit
of the confidence drain out of the vampire.  "Why don't you ask them to
join us..."  After a second of the vamp staring at her stupidly, she
held up her hand to halt him from calling out to them.  "Wait! You know
what? Why don't ya let me call them?  Come out, come out, wherever you
are, it's time to play!"  She called out in a sing-song voice to the
vampires still in hiding.

The vampire, using his own convoluted logic, concluded that she couldn't
know about his 'drinking' buddies hiding behind the tombstones.  The way
he saw it, if she did know about them, why would she have let them
follow her and why would she be standing there so casually? It didn't
matter anyway, she may be the Slayer but she was just a little slip of a
girl and the five of them, he was confident, could take her down with
ease.  Hell, she was so tiny he had no doubt he could take her down
himself.  He totally ignored the puppy who was growling low at him, it
would be easy enough to do away with.

The vampire's arrogant smile turned into a leer as he ran his tongue
vulgarly over his fangs, cutting it on their sharp points.  A grimace of
pain crossed his face, and he snarled low when he saw the raven-haired
Slayer smirk at him and stifle a laugh.  If he didn't know better he
would have sworn that the black puppy with the glowing blue eyes was
laughing at him too.  The bitch wouldn't be laughing long, he thought,
so let her laugh now, soon he would be making her beg, of that he had
not a shred of doubt.

"When I'm finished with you, I'll be sure to give your girlfriend a call
to let her know just how good all of you taste..." He told her in a deep
voice, his leer growing a little larger.

"That won't be necessary," came a new voice from behind him.  "'Sides
your never going to find out what she tastes like.  She was right; I am
very possessive that way.  If you know what I mean..."

The vampire spun towards the voice behind him shouting at the same time
for his companions to come out of hiding.

"GIZ!"

"S.O.!!!"  Buffy yelled back as she ran towards the talkative vampire.
She jumped into the air, doing the Xena move Faith had taught her.  She
flipped over the top of the vampire, smacking him hard on the back of
the head as she passed over it.  She landed gracefully on her feet
behind the surprised vampire.  She sprinted quickly over to Faith and
stopped right in front of her.  "Hi baby..."  She leaned forward and
planted a quick kiss on Faith lips acting, for all the world, as if
there weren't five vampires charging towards them, two from each side
and one from behind her. She looked down at Dusk, "Hey Furball."

Dusk barked his greeting back at 'his' Light Slayer, wagging his tail.
He was overjoyed to see her and he knew his Dark Slayer was too.  As far
as he was concerned, all was right in his world now.

"What are you doing here B?"  Faith asked her as she flicked out her
right hand and threw a stake without even looking.  Both she and Buffy
smiled when they heard the familiar 'poof' as the vampire she had flung
the stake at turned to dust.

"Figured I'd keep you company. Esp..." This time it was Buffy who
flicked out her right hand, threw a stake without looking and dusted a
vamp, annoyed she didn't get to finish what she was saying.

Without a word, the Slayers turned around so they were back-to-back, and
Dusk rose up to his four paws.  Buffy faced off against the vampire who
had been behind her, Faith against the one to her left and Dusk against
the one to Faith's right.

Faith blocked the blow that was coming towards her head.  She brought
her knee up and caught the vampire in his midsection doubling him over.
With her hands clasped together into a fist, she brought them down
hitting the vampire with a blow to the back of the neck.  Absently she
wonder as he fell on his face if he was going to try and bite her Doc's
like that other idiot vamp had all those years ago.  The thought made
her laugh aloud.

"What's so funny Fai???"

"Tell you later B..." Faith caught the vampire under his chin with an
uppercut just as he had almost regained his footing.  It lifted him all
the way up and off his feet, she reached behind her and grabbed a stake
out of her waistband and dusted him while he was still in the air.
"Woo-fuckin-hoo!  Love that sound!"

She twirled around to see how Dusk was faring just in time to see a
vampire grab him around the neck.  She started laughing again when she
heard the vampire howl in pain, as his hand was pierced by the small
wooden spiked studs soaked in holy water that were on Dusk's collar.
She laughed again when she heard Dusk bark out his own laughter when the
vampire dropped him like a hot tamale.  She tossed the stake in her hand
high up into the air, caught it mid-flight on its way down and sent it
sailing at the vampire at the speed-of-light.

"Alright! Bulls-eye! That's Slayers' four, vamps zero!"

Dusk trotted back over to his Dark Slayer and they both turned around to
watch Buffy in action.

"What ya doin' B?"

The vampire realized belatedly that it wasn't a rumor, there really were
two Slayers.  He didn't give a shit though, the blonde was even smaller
than the other one.  He was dimwitted enough to believe, even after he
had watched them take out four of his buddies with little or no effort
that he could take them both down.

"Figured I'd get in a little sparring, S.O."  Buffy answered as she hit
the vamp with a right cross.  She easily blocked his counter punch, gut
punched him back and then hit him with a Knife-Edge-kick that sent him
flying a few feet. "Only he's not nearly as good as you baby, then again
no one is.  Hell, even Furball is better than him."

The vampire was seeing red as he picked himself up from the ground. He'd
show this little blonde-haired bitch just how good he was.  It was time
to stop fooling around and get down to some serious Slayer ass kicking.
He was going to take the little blonde-haired Slayer down and then he
was going to make her watch as he played with her dark-haired
girlfriend. He was going to make both of these bitches beg him to kill
them before he was through with them.

If the vampire had been smart, he would have turned tail and run for his
un-life all the way back to the East Coast where he had so recently come
from.  Since he wasn't, he growled, snarled, bared his teeth at Buffy
and then charged right at her.

{Oh yeah he's got the IQ of a clump of dirt this one! B's so gonna kick
his dumb ass!}

Buffy waited for the vampire to reach her.  She hit him with a series of
left and right crosses, most of which he barely managed to block.  She
was hitting him so hard and so fast, it was actually her punches after
the first ten or so that were still keeping him on his feet.  She hit
him with one last full-out right cross that spun him completely around.
Once he was facing her again, he dropped to his knees swaying, totally
out of it.  Buffy was pretty damn sure at this point he didn't even know
he was a vampire anymore.

Buffy moved in close to the stunned vampire.  She looked down at him
with a smug smile. She leaned down until she was at eye level with him,
she waited for him to focus on her, and whispered conspiratorially to
him, "By the way the rumor is..." Buffy trailed off, smiled again at the
vamp, then dusted him. "...true," she told the dust particles floating
around her.

"So the rumor is true eh, B?"  Faith asked as she walked up to Buffy and
faced her.

Dusk just sprawled out on the ground again and made himself comfortable.
It was playtime now, he knew, for his Dark and Light Slayers.  Though it
had been a while since they had played and he knew that it was making
his Dark Slayer very cranky and grumpy.  Even more so lately than usual,
especially since the Light Slayer hadn't been Slaying with them for a
long time.  She was cranky too, but it was a different kind of cranky
then how both his Slayers got when they didn't play after Slaying.
Humans were strange.  Even so, he really hoped they would play tonight;
he didn't like it when his Dark or Light Slayer were like this.

"Why don't you tell me if it's true F..." Buffy ran her fingers down
Faith's arm, purring at the feel of Faith's muscles twitching under
them.

Faith didn't answer Buffy, instead she pulled Buffy close to her, leaned
down and captured the drop of sweat that was slowly making its way down
Buffy's throat with her tongue.  She followed the column of Buffy's
throat up to under her chin, continuing until she reached her mouth.
She traced along Buffy's lips, placing soft little kisses and sneaking
tastes.  Teasing Buffy, teasing herself, she finally whispered against
Buffy's mouth, "You're right B, the rumor is true, but then I already
knew that."

"Good answer S.O.," Buffy whispered back against Faith's lips then
caught those same lips up in a ravenous kiss that left both Slayers'
knees weak.

Faith took a step back from Buffy after their kiss ended her whole body
trembling.

"You never told me what you were doing here B." Her voice, when she
finally managed to find it again after their kiss, was husky, low and
shaky.  It had been almost two weeks since Buffy had kissed her like
that and their kiss had put her on total overload and overdrive.  Her
pulse was racing and her heart was slamming up against her ribcage
trying to get out.  Every cell in her body was focused on the throbbing
ache between her legs that had been and still was a part of every second
of her life the last two weeks.  "I thought you'd be home studying for
finals."

Buffy, Tara and Willow had been virtual crazed lunatics the last two
weeks as they studied for their finals. Faith couldn't imagine, hell she
didn't want to imagine what it was going to be like next year when all
four of them were in school.  She felt sorry for Dawn already.  She,
Dawn and Dusk had pretty much spent the last two weeks hiding from the
blond-haired Slayer and the Wiccas'.  They had tiptoed around the house,
bowing, scraping and catering to every whim and still that hadn't been
enough.  None of them could seem to do anything right and Dusk had taken
to hiding under any piece of furniture he could fit beneath whenever
Buffy or the Wiccas' entered a room he was in.  By the middle of the
second week, Faith had considered moving her, Dawn and Dusk into the
garage, just to get away from the crazy people that they were suddenly
sharing the Mansion with.

Faith had been doing all the Slaying alone the last two weeks.  She was
one extremely frustrated Slayer, she had found out very early the week
before not to even hint at making love.  She had also learned to block
any lust-filled thoughts, hell, any kind of thoughts that had to do with
making love period, from reaching Buffy through their bond too. She was
lucky most days if Buffy even gave her a kiss in the morning, let alone
anything more.  She couldn't count the number of cold showers she had
taken, and she most definitely took a very long one after getting back
from Slaying each night.

While she might be a more controlled, precise, kick-ass wicked Slayer,
Buffy's total equal on that front now, one thing still hadn't changed
for her.  Faith still loved Slaying with every fiber of her being.  She
still thought that being called was one of the best things to have
happened to her in her fucked up past... and Slaying absolutely,
positively still made her enormously, incredibly, exceedingly, hungry
and horny.  And the kiss that Buffy had just given her certainly hadn't
done anything to help the two weeks of pent-up desire, passion and
outright lust she was feeling.

As crude as it sounded even in her own head, the only thing she could
think about right now was how much she just wanted Buffy to slam her up
against the nearest tree, crypt, tombstone, whatever and fuck her brains
out until she cried uncle or passed out.  Slow, passionate, gentle just
wasn't going to cut it right now, that would come later after the edge
had been taken off.  Hard and fast was what she needed after all the
Slaying she had been doing alone and most assuredly after sleeping in
the same bed with a naked Buffy and not making love once over those two
weeks.

And even hard and fast Faith knew was, for them, still making love,
because Buffy had been right.  They didn't fuck, they made love no
matter how fast or slow, because all of it was an expression of their
love for each other.  And that love was in every touch, whether gentle,
rough or hurried, every kiss, whether slow, sensual, hard, demanding or
forceful, it was in every sigh, in every word, in every breath.  It was
impossible for it not to be and Faith wouldn't have it any other way.

Faith didn't say anything though and she kept her thoughts, feelings out
of their bond. She was a little afraid of misjudging Buffy's mood,
especially after living with the crazy woman that had inhabited her
mate's body for the last two weeks.  As much as she wanted Buffy to
touch her, as much as she wanted to touch Buffy, she wasn't going to
risk making another move until after exams were over.  She would just
let Buffy lead them wherever this playful kissing and touching took
them, which if the last two weeks were any indication wouldn't be much
further.  She would just have to settle for an extra-extra-extra long,
ice-cold shower and then stuffing her face when she got home tonight.

Buffy looked at Faith with a sly grin on her face.  She didn't need
their bond to know what Faith was feeling.  It was coming off her in a
tidal-wave of heat and lust.  Buffy could feel it with everything she
was, it was making her sweat, her knees weak, and she was just about
melting into a puddle.  They had been together long enough for her to
know exactly what Slaying did to Faith and even had they only been
together for a day she would still know, because Slaying did the same
exact thing to her.  Faith, right now, was a volcano, ready to erupt at
the slightest touch and Buffy had every intention of stoking, soothing
and quenching that fire tonight.

She intended to repay Faith for how horrible she had been to her the
last two weeks.  Repay Faith for how considerate, thoughtful and
understanding she had been.  Faith had bent over backwards to help her
with everything and anything she could.  She had listened when Buffy
went on a rampage about how she couldn't do this, should just quit now
and spare herself and everyone else from her failure.  How she wasn't
any good at school, never was, never could be.  Faith had just quietly
encouraged her, pushed her to study, helped her to study; made sure she
had eaten and slept.  Not only had Faith taken care of her, but she had
seen to Willow and Tara's needs as well.

"I just needed a small break from all the studying." Buffy shrugged her
shoulders, she was being evil she knew.  She wanted to surprise Faith
and get a feel for when she was going to get home; she had plans for
'her' Dark Slayer tonight.  And if things went the way she wanted, those
plans would extend into all day tomorrow and hopefully into the day
after.  "And I, you know, kinda miss you a little..." She smiled
impishly at Faith.

"We, me and the Furball kinda miss you too."  Faith's response came out
slightly above a whisper.

Buffy didn't miss the longing in Faith's eyes, she felt it too.  Their
longing was about more then just not making love in the last two weeks.
They both missed spending time together talking, holding hands, holding
each other, cuddling on the sofa, being silly, goofy, taking those few
minutes in the morning to just be together before the rest of the world
intruded.  What they really both missed the most was the simple,
ordinary things that made up their daily life together.

Buffy smiled softly up at the Dark Slayer and clasped her hand with her
own, "Come on, walk me back to my car."

Faith just nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak; they began
walking in comfortable silence, pausing only long enough for Faith to
pick up her Slaying bag.  Both were quietly reflecting on the last few
months, how things had changed for them, how they had grown, how their
relationship had become stronger, how it had become just simply more.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy had decided, at Faith's gentle urging, though Dawn and the Wiccas'
had also added their two cents worth, to go back to school for the
winter semester, rather than wait for the summer.  Willow and Tara had
moved into the Mansion the first week of January after the Summers'
house had been sold. Their moving in had helped to alleviate some of the
financial burden on the two Slayers.  The rent had enabled Buffy to
change her work schedule to be just a little bit more than part-time and
allowed her to concentrate on getting back into the swing of being in
school.

Faith after three weeks of Buffy's subtle pushing, along with the added
pushes from the rest of the household had finally gone down to the
center to meet with Sharon about the job working with the troubled
teens. Faith and Sharon had clicked from the start and Sharon had
instantly seen beneath Faith's bad girl attitude.  Their initial meeting
had lasted over two hours and Faith had been as close to totally honest
with Sharon as she could be.  She had been surprised at how comfortable
she was with Sharon immediately and found that it was easy to talk to
her.  She had told Sharon about her abusive past, her short stint in
jail, had given her sketchy details about what had happened to she and
Buffy over the last few months, and then had told her what it was that
she wanted from her life.  She told Sharon about her desire to help
other young men and women not to make the same mistakes that she had.

By the end of the meeting, Sharon had offered to give Faith a chance on
a part-time trial basis for one month.  She wanted to make sure that
this was what Faith really wanted to do and to see how the kids took to
her.  On the Monday of the third week of January, Faith began to work
three days a week at the center.  She had kept her full-time job down at
the loading docks, changing her hours to accommodate her schedule at the
center.  By her second day at the center, Faith knew beyond a shadow of
a doubt that this was what she wanted to do with her life.  She had
taken to working with the kids like a fish to water.

She loved it, her own abusive and trouble past gave her an insight to
the teens as well as an insight into her own self.  It was extremely
hard work and quite frustrating at times trying to get through the all
too familiar walls that the more troubled of the kids had erected -- but
when she was able to, it made all the hard work and frustration much
more than worth the effort.  At the end of her trial month, Sharon had
offered her a full-time position as an assistant youth councilor and
Faith had taken the job without a second of hesitation.

>From the very first day she had started working at the center, Faith had
begun to find a new sense of self, her confidence, self-worth had been
growing ever since in leaps and bounds, and she, herself, as a person
continued to grown in leaps and bounds too. For the first time in her
life, Faith felt like if she suddenly stopped being a Slayer tomorrow,
she would still have something worthwhile to offer the world in general.
Faith had in a sense, with this job, working with the kids, found her
true calling.

Before either of them knew it Buffy's twenty-first birthday was upon
them. Faith, being the hidden romantic at heart that she was, decided to
take Buffy to the 'family' restaurant and club that they had gone to on
their first real date.  She had even gone so far as to wear the same
outfit she had worn that night.  They had a nice long romantic dinner
together.  Faith had arranged for them to sit at the same exact table
and have the same waiter as the first time.  Buffy had been surprised
even further when the familiar strands of the slow song they had first
danced to, began and the DJ dedicated the song; 'To B from F I love you.
Thank you for teaching me how to Breathe.'  This time it was Faith who
gently pulled Buffy out to the dance floor to slow dance.

After they had returned to their table when the music had gone from slow
and sensual to fast and hard, Faith handed Buffy a small wrapped box.
Inside the box was a wide pewter Celtic Placket Wrist Cuff.  The wrist
cuff was actually six hand-pierced and engraved panels welded together.
The original design of the bracelet dated back to the ninth or tenth
century AD.  The six engraved panels consisted of a Stag, a Thistle, the
Eternal Knot, a Griffin, an Oak Tree, a Plant Abstract, and the final
panel was an image that was simply there to balance the Plant Abstract
and to signify things of the heart.  Together the six panels represented
fertility, abundance, regeneration, courage, protection, strength,
spiritual growth, wisdom, watchfulness, fidelity and endurance. Buffy
had put the wrist cuff on immediately after reading the small card that
told of the history of the Celtic Placket, since that night she very
rarely, if ever, took it off.

By the end of February, they had settled down into almost a routine.  In
between working, school and Slaying they had somehow managed to find
ways to spend more time together.  Both making sure they took the time
out of their busy schedules to surprise each other, from Faith showing
up on the Sunnydale U. campus with a picnic lunch to Buffy serving burnt
breakfast to Faith in bed.  They made sure to do fun things together,
like going to the movies or dancing at the Bronze or doing all night
Scooby video and pizza parties.  And every Sunday, the only full day
both had off, they spent together, doing either something alone or with
Dawn and the rest of their family.

On the Slaying front, the Chosen Two had truly become a force to be
reckoned with. Their implicit trust in each other, the bond they shared
and all they had learned and continued to learn from the Immortals had
made them more responsible and conscientious.  Made them fiercer
warriors and Slayers.  But in a very real sense it wasn't what they had
learned on the Slaying front that made them better Slayers -- it was
because of the life they had started to build, create for and with each
other within the Immortals domain, and that they had continued to build
upon when they returned, that made them better Slayers.  Nor did they
continue to build this life together alone, they included Dawn in it and
the rest of their extended family.

They had made plans for their future together, they thought beyond just
today or tomorrow, they no longer woke up wondering if today was the day
either or both of them were going to die.  With a passion, they both
wanted that future that they had never thought they could have and they
wanted all their loved ones to have it as well.   It was that and their
steel determination and strength of will to ensure that they all
realized their dreams, that made them exceptional at what destiny or
fate had chosen as their roles to play in the war against evil.  In
spite of the fact they were Slayers and that no other Slayer had ever
done it, 'they would' have a life, 'they would' beat the odds, 'they
would' do more then just survive from day to day and 'they would' do it
together and with their very extended family.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They stopped at the curb in front of Buffy's car, both wondering how
they had gotten there so fast.  Buffy leaned up against the car and
pulled Faith to her.  She idly tucked a few stray locks of Faith's hair
behind her ear and then ran her hand down the side of Faith's face, both
enjoying the familiarity of Buffy's habit.

"Was this the last cemetery for the night?" Buffy asked Faith already
knowing that it wasn't.

"I have two more."  Faith rested her forehead up against Buffy's.
Wanting more then anything just to go home with her, even if it was only
to spend time with the crazed-lunatic-student that was currently
inhabiting Buffy's body.  But neither Faith nor Buffy would shirk their
duty as Slayers for their own personal needs.

"I'm glad I took a break to come see you."

"Me too B..."

Buffy leaned up and kissed Faith.  It was soft and sweet, but both
Slayers would have put it in the top ten list of kisses they had ever
shared.

Faith stood on the curb watching until Buffy drove out of sight.  She
turned and started heading towards her bike, letting out a long heavy
sigh, which Dusk echoed a second later.  

"You miss her too, eh Furball?"  Dusk just whined low in response to her
question.

She stopped in front of her bike and just stared vacantly at it for a
minute or two, then called over her shoulder, "You can come out now
Junior..."

Spike stepped out of the shadows; he had been following her since the
beginning of the night at Buffy's request.  Or so he told himself that.
Deep down he knew that he would have followed either of the Slayers if
they were patrolling alone and hadn't asked him to keep them company, it
didn't mean he would admit it to them or to himself out loud.  He may
have a soul now but he was still Spike, after all.  But, they were his
family now and, like them, he took care of his family.

"Um... well I was just...."

"Following me?"

"As if..."

"Right..."  Faith turned around to face Spike.

He looked tired, the last few months since he had gotten his soul back
had been hard on him.  When the Slayers had returned from the Immortals'
domain, Xander had told them that right after the joining ceremony they
had found him hiding, curled up into a fetal-ball in his crypt.  A
delayed reaction to all the guilt, sorrow, remorse, self-disgust and
self-loathing over what he had done over the long course of his
undead-life as a vampire ripping him apart.  He was better now thanks to
Angel and to her. They both had been helping Spike through it, she and
Angel both understood intimately exactly what it was doing to Spike
inside and how it made him feel.  She smiled at him.  They, she and
Spike, were a lot alike.  They covered up their internal pain with
sarcastic remarks, indifference, bored looks and fake smiles, but just
like her, he, neither of them, wanted to hide behind the masks they had
worn for so long anymore.  And they both knew that sometimes old habits
died hard, in both their cases it was their inability to totally let go
of the masks they had both worn for so long.

"So Junior... me and Furball have to finish patrolling.  You feel like
tagging along?"

"Well Infant..." Spike started, then smiled at the growl Faith gave him
at the nickname he had appropriated for his own use from Mars' for her.
"I think a little exercise would do me a right bit of good."

Only in Sunnydale would no one pay any attention to the odd sight of a
small raven-haired beauty driving an 'Eighty-Six Sportster, with a
bleached blonde sort of Billy Idol look alike on the back and a black
Siberian Husky puppy, with piercing blue eyes chasing after them.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy plopped down on the couch, she had run around the house like a
chicken without a head trying to get everything done, and then herself
showered before Faith got home from Slaying.  She had figured she had an
hour tops, maybe even less, since Spike would help Faith patrol the last
two cemeteries.  It seemed so quiet after all the upheaval the last two
weeks.  Willow and Tara had left a few hours ago for the women's retreat
they were spending the next five days at.  Crow had picked up Dawn right
after dinner, she was going to spend the weekend with his family at
their summer home in Laguna Beach.

Dawn and Crow had officially become a couple after Dawn had turned their
'Happy New Year's' kiss into a little bit more than just a chaste peck
on the lips.  The Slayers' who had been standing by the two teenagers
had started laughing out-loud at the surprised, comical look on Dawn's
face after the kiss.  She obviously hadn't planned on it.

Surprising not only themselves but Dawn as well, neither Slayer had a
problem with Dawn dating Crow.  Oddly enough, they both trusted him.
Neither of them would have ever thought that the words trust and
seventeen-year-old boy would be in the same sentence.  Not to mention in
the same sentence with Dawn.  The fact still remained that they did
trust him.  They trusted him not to push Dawn into anything she wasn't
ready for, nor did they worry about her safety when she was out with
him.  While they could both see the wild streak in him, they could also
see that he was responsible, gentle, sensitive and that he cared for
Dawn a great deal and that Dawn cared a great deal for him as well.

Both Slayers' had a sneaky suspicion that Dawn and Crow were in it for
the long haul.  They both thought that Dawn had found in Crow the person
who fit with her in the same way that they fit together.  There was
something about Dawn and Crow when they were together that was just
simply right.

She was pulled out of her internal musing at the sound of the back door
opening.  She heard Faith's soft footsteps and the click of Dusk's nails
on the marble floor.  Before she, Willow and Tara had become the
psycho-students-from-hell, Faith would have instinctively found her
wherever she was in the house to give her a kiss hello.  But Faith had
learned the hard way the second night they had started cramming for
exams not to even come close to any of them or the living room which had
been commandeered as study central when she came in unless one of them
called out to her.

For the last two weeks, Faith had just gone directly up the back steps
as quietly and quickly as possible, Dusk right on her heels. Nor would
Faith call out a greeting unless one of them called out to her first.
She would make her way to the master bedroom and a few seconds later the
sound of the shower would drift down the stairs to Buffy.  After what
Buffy knew was a very long cold shower, she would then hear Faith's
quiet footsteps going down the hall, then down the back stairs again,
and into the kitchen through the servant's door, to make herself
something to eat.  And tonight Buffy knew would be no different. Sure
enough Buffy heard Faith's almost silent footsteps climbing up the back
staircase.  She felt a twinge of guilt at letting Faith think she was
still studying and at letting her take another cold shower.  She soothed
her guilt a little with the knowledge that she planned on making it up
to Faith tonight and hopefully for the rest of the weekend too.

"Faith?  Is that you?" Buffy called out from the living room.  She heard
Faith's footsteps stop abruptly on the stairs.

"Yeah, B, it's me."  There were a few beats of silence then Faith called
out again, "Did you need me to do something for you B?"

"No... ah thanks... I was just checking."  Buffy could feel Faith's
presence surrounding her.

Buffy had pretty much closed down the bond between them over the last
two weeks.  She had found it extremely distracting while she was trying
to study, when all she really wanted to do was spend her free time with
Faith.  Faith, out of consideration for her, had not tried to force or
coax Buffy once into opening it up during that time.  Tonight though,
Buffy, not wanting to give away the surprise she had planned for Faith,
had only partially reopened up the bond between them the second she had
heard the motorcycle pull in the driveway.  Even only partially opened,
the feelings that had hit her had felt beyond anything she could
describe.

Over the last two weeks, she had still been able to feel Faith through
their Soul-Thread, which was part of their bond, but it hadn't been
quite the same as when their bond, connection was fully open.  She had
missed the echoes they shared, missed the feeling of Faith being a part
of her deep down inside her soul, she somehow felt not quite complete
without the familiar sensation of their shared bond and she had decided
at that moment that it was something she would never do again, for any
reason.

"Okay, well... I'm gonna take a shower... If you change your mind B,
just holler."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith made her way back downstairs into the kitchen.  Her twenty-minute
cold shower had done nothing but remind her even more why she was taking
an ice-cold shower in the first place.  Then again, Buffy's unexpected
appearance at the cemetery certainly hadn't helped either.  Right now,
she could feel Buffy's presence intensely; it seemed to be wrapped
tightly around her, almost as if Buffy were standing right next to her,
holding her.  The first ten minutes after she got home she kept looking
over her shoulder expecting to see Buffy, feeling Buffy's presence this
strongly only usually happened when they were in the same room and
always when they were touching.  She gave up looking over her shoulder
though, chalking it up to her imagination and wishful thinking.

She padded down the hallway and into the kitchen, her bare feet hardly
making a sound, Furball right behind her.  She first filled up Dusk's
water bowl, then threw him a new rawhide beef-strip which he caught
mid-air.  He planted himself on the floor and happily started to gnaw
away.  She smiled down at him, then headed over to the fridge. She
opened the door and saw to her delight her favorite food in the whole
wide-world sitting right there on the shelf, just waiting for her.
Pizza, with extra-extra-and-a-little-more-extra cheese! She grabbed a
slice, tossed it in the toaster oven, and set the timer.  She reached
back into the pizza box and grabbed another slice to munch on while she
was waiting for the first to heat up.

Buffy stood silently, leaning up against the doorframe to the kitchen
watching Faith.  She had gotten up from the couch when she heard Faith
coming back downstairs.  She had quietly made her way over to the other
entrance to the kitchen reaching it only a second or two after Faith had
entered the kitchen with Dusk. She had given Dusk the hand signal to
ignore her presence; it was one they had, until now, only used when they
were Slaying.  Then she just leaned against the doorframe to let her
eyes drink in the sight of her mate.

Faith was wearing a very short-cut-off 'wife beater,' that with every
movement the bottom of her breasts peeked out from under.  She also had
on her favorite pair of men's black silk boxers with Daffy Duck on them.
Faith actually had quite the collection of men's silk boxers, all with
some cartoon character or another on them.

Buffy's traced with her eyes the ripple of muscles in Faith's shoulders,
arms and legs as she puttered around the kitchen with her back to her.
Her eyes lingered on the little indent at the base of Faith's spine, the
same one that made Faith's body tremble with desire whenever Buffy
touched it.

A knowing smile graced Buffy's face as she watched Faith.  She knew
exactly what Faith would do once she saw the pizza in the refrigerator
that Buffy had picked up on her way home from the cemetery. First Faith
would put a slice in the toaster oven and then she would take another
slice from the box to munch on while she waited for the first to heat
up.  Sure enough, Faith didn't disappoint her.  And while Buffy watched
Faith do this, she couldn't help wonder how Faith could look so damn
adorable, cute, young, sexy, hot and breathtaking all at the same time.

"I don't know Furball, thinkin' even pizza ain't gonna help, don't think
twenty pies would help... hell all the food in the world wouldn't
help... I just might have to reacquaint myself with my hand again like
last week, although that didn't help too much either, was kinda empty,
more I don't know..." Faith grumbled under her breath, then blushed at
what she said, then berated herself for blushing.  After all, Furball
was just a dog and probably didn't understand what she said anyway.  Her
thoughts drifted back to Buffy as she brought the slice up towards her
mouth and she was almost overwhelmed by the desire, the lust, just the
thought of Buffy caused to wash over her with the force of a tidal wave.

Dusk might not have understood what the Dark Slayer was saying, but
Buffy did.  And Buffy, who had been just opening her mouth to let Faith
know she was there, found that nothing would come out.  In that split
second, a few things happened fast and furiously to Buffy.  Faith's
desires, passion washed over Buffy through their bond and sent her own
repressed desire and lust into hyper-drive.  Her breathing quickened and
the tone of her voice even though she had yet to speak, lowered.  And
her plans for them for the evening changed as her mind was filled with a
billion different images from Faith's words and her thoughts took a
decidedly, wicked detour. She decided that a spontaneous appetizer was
most definitely in order.  Beside as far as Buffy could remember the
kitchen was the only room in the Mansion that they hadn't...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Faith! What are you doing?"

Faith froze, every single muscle in her body locked at the sound of
Buffy's harsh, low voice.  At any other time, Faith would have thought
that the tone of Buffy's voice was from desire, but not during finals.
She stood there not moving, the slice of pizza hanging limply in her
hand, the part she had been about to bite resting in her mouth against
her teeth and tongue.  She was afraid actually to bite the pizza, just
in case it was the cramming-food of choice for the crazed-students from
hell tonight.

{Oh fuck! Oh fuck! What'd I do? Too loud? Not supposed to eat the pizza?
What???}

Buffy walked up slowly behind Faith, losing her silk robe along the way.
She saw Faith tense up even more the closer she got to her. After the
last two weeks, Buffy would have reacted the same way as Faith if their
roles had been reversed.  She knew Faith was probably wondering if the
psycho-student from hell was in the kitchen with her.  She motioned to
Dusk who had also froze at the sound of her voice, the rawhide hanging
out of his mouth.  He looked a lot like the Dark Slayer right now.  He
took off like a bat out of hell once her hand finished signaling him to
leave.  She almost laughed when she noticed that he hadn't left the
rawhide behind.

{Oh yeah Furball's definitely just like my Dark Slayer.}

"Well???" Buffy asked Faith again, and smiled as she saw the goose-bumps
rise on Faith's neck where her breath had caressed it.

"Um... eating pizza?" Faith mumbled out around the now officially soggy
pizza in her mouth, which she couldn't have removed even if she wanted
to.  Her motor skills had fled right out of the kitchen the second she
felt Buffy's breath on her skin.

"I see that.  I guess Slaying still makes you..." Buffy reached over
Faith's shoulder and plucked the slice of pizza out of her hand, she
tossed it onto the counter top. "...hungry," she finished as she let her
fingertips run down Faith's sleekly muscled arm.  She stepped in closer
to Faith and leaned the length of her body into Faith's back, both hands
gliding down until they rested lightly on Faith's hips.

Faith just nodded yes, because the part of her brain that enabled her to
speak had decided to go join her motor skills in another part of the
Mansion the instant she had felt Buffy's breasts brush up against her
back and shoulder as she reached over her.  She couldn't stop the
trembling of her limbs or the insistent pounding of her blood roaring
through her veins as Buffy's hands lightly caressed her hips and the
sides of her buttocks.

Buffy nibbled along the tight muscle of Faith's shoulder, stepping in
even closer, pressing herself firmly along the whole length of Faith's
back until not even a wisp of air could have come between them.  Her
mouth continued along it's journey, one hand coming up to impatiently
push Faith's hair away from her neck and out of the way.  She trailed
little love bites up the length of Faith's neck, tasting the slight
sheen of sweat that was laced with Faith's own unique flavor and desire.
She stopped at the Faith's ear and daintily traced its outer shell, then
just softly breathed into it.  She smiled when she felt Faith tremble
and then smiled again as Faith's hands reached back to clutch tightly
the outside of each of her thighs.  Her smile widen as she brushed her
lips against Faith's ear and felt another tremor flow through Faith.

A whimper followed by a ragged sob escaped from between Faith's tightly
clenched jaw when it seeped into her brain that Buffy's body pressed up
against her from behind was completely devoid of clothing.  The
sensations from the warmth of Buffy's skin, the soft kisses, nips on her
neck, the gentle caresses on her hips, ass and Buffy's hot breath in her
ear were all too much and not enough all at once for her.  Faith
trembled again as she felt Buffy press into her even tighter.  Trembled
harder still, as Buffy's breasts slid up against her back when the
golden-haired Slayer rose up to bring her mouth right next to her ear.

"...and from what you said to Furball I see that Slaying still makes
you..." Buffy slid one hand around to trace along the ripped-cuts in
Faith's six-pack stomach, "...horny too."  Buffy spread her hand out
flat against Faith's stomach.  Her other hand stroking and massaging
Faith's ass, liking the feel of the soft silk boxers, but not quite as
soft as Faith's skin. "...and you've only taken care of that little
problem once in the past two weeks... Mmmmm sorry I missed seeing that.
Tell m..."

The ding of the bell on the toaster oven cut off whatever Buffy was
about to say.  She pulled a little away from Faith and turned her head
to look at her, she saw Faith's eyes were closed, her mouth was slightly
open and her breathing was fast and shallow. Buffy doubted if Faith even
remembered the pizza was in the toaster oven.  She started a slow trek
up the expanse of Faith's stomach with just the pads of her fingers.
She rose up on her toes again so she could continue to whisper in
Faith's ear, pausing briefly first to suck on the lobe.

"Tell me Faith are you hungry for the pizza or..." The pads of her
fingers slid into the valley between Faith's breasts.  She heard Faith's
breath catch.  Then Faith leaned back fully and let her support her.
"...are you hungry for something else?"  She started to circle from the
base of Faith's left breast with the tips of her fingers, letting her
nails occasionally scrape along the sensitive skin, as she slowly
spiraled towards it peak.

Faith couldn't believe how hyper-sensitive her skin was.  Every little
touch of Buffy's fingers on her, every caress of her breath against her
skin sent a flood of hot desire careening throughout her body.  She was
almost afraid of what her body's reaction was going to be when Buffy
finally touched the nipple of the breast that she was slowly circling,
torturing with her fingers and nails.

"Well..." Buffy asked her, as her hand slipped under the waistband at
the back of Faith's silk boxers.  Her hand, her whole being in ecstasy
from the feel of Faith's satiny firmly muscled ass under her fingertips.
She stopped the movement of her fingers on Faith's breast, her fingers
less than a hairsbreadth away from Faith's straining nipple as she
waited for Faith to answer her.

{Well what??? What was the question??? What the frig was the goddamn
question???}

She tried to focus on something other than Buffy's hands upon her and
the feel of her skin against her own.  She opened her eyes, hoping that
would help her to remember what the question was.  Her eyes fell on the
toaster oven and suddenly she remembered.  "El...ah e...ls...e," she
managed to choke out, then her ability to speak fled right back out of
the kitchen again, as one by one, Buffy's fingers slowly brushed lightly
over just the tip of her oversensitive nipple.

Faith let her head fall back onto Buffy's shoulder exposing her neck.
Her breath caught as Buffy's knuckles backtracked and ran almost roughly
over her nipple then slid down the side of her breast.  They blazed a
trail of fire, desire in their wake as they skimmed over the side of her
left breast down to the underside of it.  She was pretty sure her heart
was going to rupture when she felt the pads of Buffy's fingers start the
same circling, occasional nail scraping, slow torturous spiraling
routine around her right breast, that her left had been treated to only
moments before.

"Liken' that choice S.O.  Liken' it a lot..." Buffy took advantage of
Faith's exposed neck, running her tongue along the length of it, then
back down.  Biting lightly at Faith's throbbing jugular, pausing to suck
and bite at her mate-mark, causing Faith to release an explosive
moaned-filled breath.  She made her way to Faith's jawbone and gripped
it between her lips, her teeth nibbling.

"Baby, look at me..." she whispered as she let go of Faith's sweet, warm
flesh.

Buffy captured Faith's mouth the second she turned her head.  She
flicked her tongue against Faith's oh-so soft lips, running the tip
eagerly, delicately along them, relishing their taste.  She felt Faith's
mouth open under hers, and the Chosen Two began a slow erotic dance with
their mouths and tongues.  A dance that had never failed to leave both
Slayers weak-kneed.

As Buffy's fingers reached the summit of Faith's breast, she whispered a
nail around her nipple and drank down the low moan from Faith at her
touch.  Then finally giving into her own need, Buffy took Faith's hard
nipple between her thumb and index fingers and rolled it delicately.

Faith tore her mouth away from Buffy's as a white-hot flash of electric
heat ran straight from her nipple down to her throbbing center.  Her
hips bucked uncontrollably into the empty air, then again as Buffy's
other hand ran like quicksilver up to her other breast.  She could never
remember ever being this aroused from so little touching, it didn't seem
to matter where Buffy touched her, every part of her body had become an
erogenous zone.  If she could have released her death grip on Buffy's
thighs, she would have dragged Buffy's hand down to the pulse that was
pounding in time with the rapid beat of her heart between her own
thighs.

She opened her mouth to tell Buffy what she wanted, instead what came
out was a guttural moan.  Then another as Buffy began to play with her
breasts with wanton abandon.  Rolling the nipples, pinching them,
tugging, anything and everything that Buffy's evil mind could come up
with and Faith was helpless under the onslaught of Buffy's hands.

Faith's skin was burning hot beneath Buffy's mouth and hands.  She was
just as caught up in the web of desire and lust as Faith was.  Her own
senses on fire from the feel of Faith against her own hot skin, mouth,
and hands, and from the sounds that Faith was making.  Every moan, sigh,
gasp, sob, causing an answering pulse deep inside of her.  She could
feel her own desire sliding slowly down the inside of her thighs.

The back of her hand danced its way down over Faith's ribcage to the
waistband of her boxers, which she pushed down a little.  Then she
reversed her movement climbing back up the expanse of Faith's stomach,
over her ribcage, then up and over the slope of her breast.  She
switched hands and repeated the same path down Faith's body.  She
continued switching hands, using them as if Faith's body were a canvas
and the back of her hands and the pads of her fingers were the fine
sable bristles of a painter's brush.  Each time she reached Faith's
boxers, she pushed them down a little further, until they finally
slipped off her hips and slid to the floor to pool around Faith's feet.

She nudged the back of Faith's knee, telling her without words to lift
her foot out of the boxers.  Then nudged Faith's other knee to repeat
the process, she kicked the boxers away. She slid one foot in-between
Faith's and gently urged her to widen her stance.  She whispered her
fingertips up Faith's back, grabbing hold of her shirt, lifting it over
the top of her head.  When Faith made no move to release her death grip
on Buffy's thighs, Buffy dusted her fingertips down both of Faith's
arms, and then clasped Faith's hands with her own, prying them loose
from their death grip.  She pulled Faith's arms in front of her, placing
her hands on top of the counter that was little more than a foot in
front of them, impatiently she pushed the cut-off shirt down her arms
where it hung imprisoned and imprisoning Faith's arms.

Buffy took a tiny step back from Faith and then just gave into her own
passion.  Her own need to touch Faith was strong, urgent and she
succumbed to it and gave her hands, mouth and tongue free rein.  She
explored all of Faith's back, even giving her a small hickey at the
hollow at the base of her spine.  She ran her hands over Faith's firm
buttocks, kneading, massaging, stroking.  She kissed, tasted the back of
Faith's knees, the inside of her thighs, her calves.  Then wrapped
herself around Faith and slid up her body to catch the beads of sweat
making a slow path down from the valley between Faith's breasts to the
soft wiry curls that covered her sex.

She paid homage to each breast, following the same slow path towards
their peaks that her fingers had not long before.  She relished the
salty tang of Faith's sweat, her desire, on her tongue and lips, her own
body shuddering in sympathy with each tremor that rippled through Faith.
She traversed every valley, hollow, curve and hill, kissing, licking,
nipping, tasting all of Faith's silky smooth flesh, with the exception
of the hidden treasure that called to her senses with the unique musky
scent that was just Faith.  Her own chorus of moans, joining with every
whimper and moan that came from Faith.

She wrapped herself back around behind Faith to run her tongue from the
little indent at the base of Faith's spine all the way up to the nape of
her neck.  She stepped back in close to Faith, who was trembling from
head to toe and pressed herself tightly against Faith's back.  Her own
stance wide, little moans escaping from her as unconsciously she rocked,
grinded her hips, her pelvis against Faith's firm backside.  She snaked
one arm around Faith's waist and reached up to tease her breasts again.
Her other arm curved around to the inside of Faith's thigh.  In almost
slow motion, she began to drag, scrape her fingers and nails up the
inside of Faith's quivering thigh.

Faith was clutching the counter white-knuckled with everything she was
worth, way beyond the point of caring whether or not she would break it.
She couldn't get enough air into her lungs and her legs had turned into
jello, she wasn't quite sure how much longer she could remain standing.
Although she was pretty sure that it wouldn't be long.  Her senses had
long since passed overload and what she had been feeling earlier after
Slaying compared to now was like the difference between an arrow and a
nuclear missile.  She couldn't stop her limbs from trembling or the
shudders that rippled through her with every touch, every kiss, every
flick of Buffy's tongue.  Her ability to speak and her motor skills had
not only left the kitchen but had fled to another state.

Mini-shockwaves started to rip through her body the very second Buffy
pressed tightly into her back again.  When Buffy started to tease her
breasts yet again, Faith felt all the blood in her body rush southward
to the junction between her legs.  Her legs started to give out as
Buffy's hand began to trail painfully slow, up the inside of her thigh.

She didn't care they were in the kitchen.  Didn't care that they lived
with three other people who could walk in at any moment.  The only thing
she cared about right now was Buffy.  The way Buffy's body was covering
her with warmth.  Buffy's breasts pressed against her back.  The feel of
Buffy's moist nether curls that were grinding, pressing rhythmically
into her backside.  Buffy's hand on her breasts, her other hand moving
slowly up the inside of her thigh.  Buffy's hot, wet mouth and tongue on
her neck.  The sound of Buffy's moans vibrating against her
hypersensitive flesh.  It was all she cared about right now.

She was vaguely aware of Buffy pulling her back against her, of her
hands letting go of the counter, her shirt falling to the floor, and her
hands clutching in a death grip the outside of Buffy's thighs again.
Her head fell back helplessly against Buffy's shoulder. Faith's whole
body convulsed, a ragged sob escaped her and everything she felt for
Buffy flowed out, flooded through their bond as she felt Buffy's mouth
come down on the mate-mark she had given her, claiming her for her own
once again.

Buffy reluctantly let go of the nipple she was teasing to grab Faith
tightly around the waist as her body convulsed when she bit down on her
mate-mark on Faith's pulse point.  She finally opened the bond between
them fully, dropping every single block she had put up in the last two
weeks as she sucked, bit and soothed her mate-mark on Faith's neck.

Buffy's whole body suddenly began to quiver as unbelievably a
not-so-small orgasm streaked through her as the depth of what Faith was
feeling echoed and pulsed within their bond and slammed full-force into
her.  She whimpered Faith's name out and heard an answering whimper of
her own name from Faith in return. When she managed to get herself
somewhat under control again she tenderly, lovingly ran her mouth up
Faith's neck to her ear.  She nibbled on the sensitive spot behind it,
her own body began shuddering again at the sound of the low whimpering
Faith was making deep in her throat that signaled she was on the razor's
edge of release.

She lifted her head a little, placing her mouth next to Faith's ear and
whispered to her low, throatily, "I'm so in love with you Faith...."
Her only response was a hoarse, deep moan that came from the depths of
Faith's soul, but it was more than answer enough for Buffy.

She let her fingers trailed up those last few inches on the inside of
Faith's thigh and slide into the wet heat of her mate.

Everything but Buffy disappeared as from deep inside of her womb Faith
felt a force, a heat as fierce as a star going nova explode at Buffy's
touch.  Her legs gave out finally, and she just let herself fall safely
into Buffy's one arm embrace as her body was wracked with spasms and
seized by the power of her release. A continuous low, hoarse keening
came from deep within her as Buffy continued to touch her and a second
climax eclipsed the first, then a third, it felt like a whole
constellation had exploded within her and scorched a path through every
cell in her body.  Until finally her world flashed brightly hot-white
one last time and she took a huge breath of air to stave off the
darkness that was right behind it.

She was dimly aware of Buffy lifting her up and cradling her in her arms
as she was carried from the kitchen.  Then Buffy was gently lowering
both of them down to the deep-plush rug in front of the fireplace in the
living room.  She curled up into Buffy, burying her face into Buffy's
silky hair and neck, her body still shuddering as aftershocks almost as
strong as her orgasms ran through her.  She fell into that in-between
place as Buffy ran soothing, gentle hands over her back, her arms and
stroked her hair while whispering tender, sweet words of nonsense and of
love.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith opened heavy eyes to pools of iridescent hazel-gold staring down
lovingly at her.

"Hey sleeping beauty..." Buffy said softly, a beautiful smile lighting
up her face.

"Hey... Guess I fell asleep..." At this moment, nothing existed for
Faith but the eyes of her mate.

"Yeah..." Buffy's smile grew just a little bit more beautiful, "You
okay?"

Faith literally felt the blush start at the bottom of her feet and blaze
a path up her body.  She wondered if her hair had turned red from the
force of it.  She nodded shyly at Buffy, a little bit of wonder in her
eyes.  From all the horror stories, she had heard through the years and
all the horrors, she had seen and lived through, she would have thought,
by now, that things would have cooled down or fallen apart between them.
Instead they just seemed to get more intense, more powerful, the
connection between them still growing stronger, deeper.  And it wasn't
just when they made love, it was all of it, everything, everyday and it
awed her.  She felt alive, was alive, in ways that she dreamed of and
had never even imagined were possible.

Buffy gazed down into Faith's dark-chocolate, emerald-flecked eyes with
equal intensity, her thoughts almost mirroring Faith's.  She had never
in her wildest dreams ever thought she could have all this, not even
with Angel and every day it just became a little bit better, a little
bit more.  Her feelings for Faith just continued to grow, to become
deeper.  They, she and Faith were a part of each other in ways that she
just hadn't thought possible.

They filled up all the empty places inside of each other and because of
the bond, and the Soul-Thread they shared she, they, could actually feel
each other's presence deep down in their souls.  It wasn't intrusive or
invasive, it was in a way almost like being surrounded in a warm blanket
that was made out of the physical manifestation of their love.  Even
over the last two weeks when she had closed down the bond they shared,
she could still feel Faith's presence inside of her, because neither of
them could ever shut down or block their Soul-Thread.  It was truly a
connection that could never be severed between them, not even if for
some reason, and Buffy couldn't think of one, they should ever decide to
part ways, and from what Atropos had told them it would survive even
death.

"I'm sorry about the last two weeks. I guess I, well me, Willow and
Tara, all went a little psycho."  Buffy propped her head up on her hand,
her eyes still locked with Faith's.  Her other hand idly tracing the
contours of Faith's face.

"It's okay Giz." Faith smiled up at Buffy.  "It's funny, you know, not
too long ago I would have thought you didn't love me or want me around
anymore the way you were acting.  But I never even thought that for a
second."  She leaned up and kissed Buffy softly, then smiled at her
again.  "Thought about moving me, Gamin and Furball to another state
though..." her smile changed into a smirk.

"If I had been you guys, I would have..." Buffy couldn't help but to
laugh at herself, "And tell me how scary was Tara? I think even
Vamp-Willow would have been afraid of her!"

"I know. I was waiting for her to pull out the whips and chains.  Who
knew that Tara could be so aggressive, or domineering?  Maybe she was a
dominatrix in another life..."

They both started laughing. Buffy gave an internal sigh of relief that
they had been able to fall back effortlessly into the easy, light,
loving way they had come to be with each other.

Tara really had terrorized everyone the most out of the three of them.
She was the one who had set up the studying schedules, had commandeered
the living room for cramming sessions.  Tara had gotten both Willow and
Buffy up in the wee hours of the morning to study before work or
classes.  Then kept them both up into the wee hours of the night to
study some more.

"Where is everyone?" Faith asked as their laughter faded and her
surroundings suddenly came into focus.

She had been so lost in Buffy's eyes it hadn't even registered that she
and Buffy were sprawled out naked on the rug in front of the fireplace
in the living room with just a light fleece blanket covering them both.
Nor had she noticed that the only light was from the fire and the many
candles that were spread out and lit around the large room.  The
flickering light of the fire and candles casting dancing shadows and
pictures around the room, making the large room seem homey, cozy and
warm, like the cottage at the lake had been.  Warming on the floor close
to the fire were a few different scented massage oils. She turned her
head towards the enticing smells coming from the other side of her and
saw the low Japanese table piled high with all kinds of mouth-watering
foods.  She looked back at Buffy with questioning eyes.

"I guess you forget I took my last exam today."

"Actually B, I don't think you ever told me when your last exam was.
And I sure as shit wasn't about to ask."  Faith gave Buffy a goofy
smile, "Did you do all this for me?"

For a second Buffy forgot to breathe as Faith gave her that wide-eyed
look of innocent wonder, "All for you, baby.  I... well, I wanted to do
something nice for you.  To make up for how I've been acting.  You
like?"

"I like..." Faith leaned up and placed a soft, sweet, reverent kiss on
Buffy's mouth.

"Hungry?"  At Faith's nod, Buffy grabbed a few of the large pillows from
beside her and piled them up next to Faith.  She scooted out from under
the blanket, crawled the few feet over to the table, grabbed it by its
edge, and started carefully to drag it towards them.

Faith sat up and made herself comfortable against the pillows, making
sure to leave enough room next to her for Buffy.  As the blanket slipped
down to her waist, she once again became acutely aware that not only she
was naked, but Buffy was naked as well.

Faith pulled the blanket up to her neck and held it there in an
uncharacteristic show of modesty.  She really didn't like the idea of
getting caught buck naked in the living room, although she certainly
didn't mind the view in front of her.

Faith let her eyes lazily travel over Buffy who was on her knees, bent
forward slightly from the waist, her breast swaying gently as she pulled
the table towards them. "So ah... where is everyone, B?"

"Tara and Willow went to some Wicca, women's retreat thingy for the next
five days and Dawn is spending the weekend with Crow and his family at
their beach house, she won't be back 'til Sunday night.  Looks like
you're stuck with just me and Furball for company for the next two
days."  Buffy answered over her shoulder. She could feel Faith's eyes
traveling over her, it was almost like a physical touch.

Dusk poked his head around the corner when he heard his nickname.  He
lifted his head and sniffed, smelling the spicy food on the table and
his mouth started to water.  He wondered if he could run in there, get
some food and get out before they could catch him. He crept a little
further into the room and then his sensitive nose picked up his Slayers'
scent and he recognized it.  It was playtime!  He could try to sneak
some food later, he knew better now than to interrupt or join in their
playtime. The last time he had tried to play with them when they were
playing like this he had almost been staked before his Light Slayer
realized it was him that had jumped on her naked back.  With one last
look of longing at the enticing food, he picked up his rawhide, happy
that they were playing again and made his way back upstairs to go play
with his light and dark panthers that slept with him and his Slayer's on
the bed.

When she was satisfied that the table was close enough for both of them
to reach, Buffy spun around on her knees to face Faith.  She had to
choke down her laughter at the sight of Faith sitting there with the
blanket clutched to her throat, acting much like a vestal virgin on her
wedding night.  She balled the corner of the blanket up in her hand and
started gently to pull on it as she crawled back towards Faith, her
trademark evil, wicked smile playing around her mouth.

"I don't bite you know..." Buffy purred to Faith, "Unless of course you
ask me nicely."

Faith watched Buffy crawl towards her mesmerized, not even aware that
the blanket was being pulled out of her grasp.  She felt her mate-mark
throb, then tingle at Buffy's words and the fire in her blood that was
only for her mate, a fire that Buffy had so recently put out, came
roaring back to life fiercely within her.  Only this fire was different,
this fire wouldn't be quenched until Faith heard Buffy calling out her
name when she took her over the threshold into sweet, delicious release.

Buffy didn't stop crawling until she was face to face with Faith.  Their
mouths only millimeters away from each other, the blanket now discarded
off to the side somewhere. The tickle of the other's warm breath on
their faces an erotic caress in and of itself.  The desire, the passion,
the lust, the love flowed between them by way of their bond, their eyes
and the heat coming off their bodies.

As they stared into each other's eyes, the playfulness of the moment
slipped away as the extent of what they felt for each other bubbled up
to the surface. They were locked in the moment, in the promise in the
other's eyes, a promise that encompassed more than just fleeting sexual
pleasure.  Their eyes conveyed without words the promise of a future
with each other, a silent vow of commitment.

They moved towards each other to seal that silent vow with a kiss. Their
mouths softly sliding against each other in a gentle, awe-filled,
humbling, soulful kiss that promised more than just tomorrow, it was a
soul-binding kiss that promised forever.

They looked at each other with wonderment when the kiss ended.  Both
still astonished that after all this time the simple act of kissing each
other could still feel so new, so special, so powerful, so right, turn
their minds to mush and their world upside down.  They both held the
fervent hope that it would always be this way between them.

Their desire for each other changed into a slow burning ember and both
wanted to hang onto what they were feeling for a while longer, wanted to
burn it into their memories to cherish.  Faith put her arms around
Buffy, pulling her down to her gently, smiling softly as she felt Buffy
snuggle into her, placing her head against her shoulder and putting her
arms around her in return.  Both were content to stay this way for a
time, warm, peaceful, happy, safe, strong, right and loved in each
other's arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soft purr had been rumbling out of her non-stop for almost an hour.
She now understood why panthers, why cats in general, purred.  Her belly
was full from all the spicy Thai food that she and Buffy had fed each
other.  Her body had not one ache, not one ounce of tension in it,
thanks to Buffy who had given her the best massage she had ever gotten
in her life.  Buffy had worked, kneaded, stroked, and soothed every
muscle in her body from the bottom of her feet to the tips of her
fingers.  She arched her back into the light scratching of Buffy's nails
down her spine, her purring deepening and gaining volume.

"I take it you like this tickling-scratching, whatever-ya-wanna-call-it
thingy too." Buffy chuckled and received a hummed-purred yes from Faith
who was getting into the whole acting like a feline to the max.

She continued to run her fingertips and nails across the expanse of
Faith's back, enjoying the sound of Faith purring from deep inside.  She
was more tickling, rather than scratching and it was something that
Buffy actually liked having done to her.  The touch wasn't meant to
arouse, it was more of a comforting, loving, soothing touch.  It was
what she knew Faith would have called one of those 'just because' type
of touches.  The kind of touch that Buffy knew meant more to Faith than
any sexual touch ever could.  These were the touches that made Faith
feel cherished, loved, special.  The kind of touches that Faith had seen
others share but had never experienced herself, until Buffy.  And Buffy
had made it her own secret mission to give them to Faith every chance
she could.

Over the last few months Buffy had watched Faith learn that 'just
because' touches, while different, weren't exclusive to just lovers.
They were the friendly arm around her shoulder from Willow, or the
spontaneous hugs from Tara.  The kisses on the cheek and hugs the
Immortals bestowed when they visited. It was Angel's hand upon her
shoulder or his arm around her waist, or even Spike's gentle touch upon
her arm.  It was in one of Anya's impulsive
squeeze-the-breath-right-out-of-you hugs.  To Dawn who loved to sit
behind Faith and braid her hair or jump on her lap to snuggle-hide when
they watched a scary movie, which both Slayers found hysterical given
where they lived.  To Cordelia who had discovered she was ticklish, or
Gunn's playful punch on the arm and Fred who would always hold Faith's
arm when they walked.  James and Gary's chic, though clich"d kiss on
either cheek greeting.  Xander's shy, though tight bear hugs. To Giles
and Wesley, much to Buffy's amusement and Faith's chagrin, who liked to
stroke Faith's hair or pat her head when they passed by her.

Buffy watched; watched as Faith's face lit up with joy and amazement
each time it happened.  Watched as she slowly relaxed and began to
return the gestures, little by little, over time with other's besides
her.  Buffy watched with a warmth that suffused her soul as Faith
learned what it meant to have a family and people who loved you, 'just
because.'  Buffy watched and she learned as well.

Her fingers hesitated as she brushed over the scars on Faith's shoulder.
Her eyes refocused on Faith's back and she watched as her hand which
seemed to have a mind of its own start to follow the lines of the scars.
Normally she avoided the numerous scars Faith had that weren't from
Slaying, but tonight she gave into an urge, a need she had, had
deep-down inside since the day she first realized how Faith had gotten
the scars.  Buffy wished with all that she was, she could just erase the
scars and the painful memories they carried, with the pads of her
fingers.  If she couldn't erase them, then she wanted to replace the
memories they elicited with a touch, a feeling, a memory of her own.
She felt Faith tense as her fingertips traversed them, then relax as if
she too wanted Buffy to replace their memory with something of her own,
of theirs together.

Her touch became calming, soothing, gentle and light, as if her love for
Faith flowed out through the tips of her fingers.  She traced each scar
with a reverence for the woman who had survived and the spirit that
lived within her.  She leaned down over Faith and placed delicate, kind,
loving small kisses along them.  Her touch and kisses speaking of
innocence, life, joy, love, all the good things in life, all the things
they shared together.  She searched out with her Slayer eyes each and
every scar and even those from the images that Faith had shared with her
through their bond.  Praying silently as she found them that somehow,
the internal scars that they had created would begin to heal as well.

Faith flinched, then tensed when she first felt Buffy stroking along the
scars on her shoulder.  Her immediate reaction was to pull away, cover
herself and hide in shame. Then it was almost as if she could actually
hear, not just feel Buffy through their bond and she understood what
Buffy wanted, wished she could do.  She relaxed under Buffy's
compassionate, caring touch and let herself finally, after all these
years, truly begin to heal.  She rolled over onto her back at Buffy's
tender urging and felt as Buffy began again to search out with her hands
and soft kisses all her scars, both external and internal and even the
bite marks on the inside of her thigh.  Every touch, every small kiss
brought a new sense of wholeness and well-being to her.  A sense of
being loved, cherished, adored, cared for, wanted, clean and whole, in a
way that transcended words and even the bond they shared.

It wasn't until Buffy began to touch, kiss the knife scar on her abdomen
that Faith felt the wash of tears on her skin.  She reached down her
hand and tried gently to pull Buffy up to her and away from the knife
scar. Buffy's trembling, whispered 'no' floated to her and she stopped
trying to move Buffy away, understanding Buffy's need to erase this scar
too.  The only scar on her body that was from Buffy's own hand.  Buffy
needed to do this, so she too could truly begin to heal and forgive
herself.  So, Faith moved her hand, resting it lightly, lovingly on
Buffy's back, letting her own tears flow with Buffy's and let her
replace the memory associated with this scar with another, one that was
of love instead of hate. 

When Buffy finally moved up and lay next to Faith, Faith gently rolled
her onto her stomach.  And then she too sought out and found all the
scars both external and internal that Buffy bore. Touching and placing
small kisses on Buffy, with the same intent, same emotions as Buffy had
on her.

It was, in a way, a cleansing for them both, a final letting go, a
replacing of the hate that had been between them, the guilt they both
had, from not only their shared past, but their time spent in Glory's
hell.  And they replaced that hate and guilt with the unconditional,
eternal love they now had for each other.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had fallen asleep curled up in each other's arms, drained by the
emotions their spontaneous ritual had stirred up within them.  Faith
woke up first and just lay watching Buffy as she slept.  All the worries
and cares gone from her face in sleep, making her look much younger then
her twenty-one years.  The lyrics from a song ran through her head as
she listened to her soul-mate's even steady breathing;

'I'm finding my way back to sanity again -- Though I don't really know
what i'm gonna do when i get there -- I take a breath and hold on tight
-- Spin around one more time -- And gracefully fall back to the arms of
grace -- Cause I am hanging on every word you're saying -- Even if you
don't wanna speak tonight -- That's alright, alright with me -- Cause I
want nothing more than to sit outside heaven's door -- And listen to you
breathing -- Its where i wanna be, yeah -- Where I wanna be'

Angel, Cordy, Wesley, Buffy, all of them had helped her to find her way
back to sanity.  Even Joyce, Buffy and Dawn's Mom had helped her to find
her way back.  If Joyce hadn't been in the courthouse that day to
convince the Judge to call Angel instead of institutionalizing her
because of her mental state, she would have ended up in some state-run
loony-bin.  A loony-bin where the Watcher's Council could have easily
gotten to her and eliminated her or alternatively where she would have
spent the rest of her life locked up and drugged out of her mind.

Like in the song, she had headed towards sanity blindly with no idea
what she was going to do when she got there.  It hadn't stopped her from
making the trip, she had dug her heels in and planted herself firmly on
the road towards her own redemption, her own forgiveness.  She had taken
a few falls, gotten a few scrapes and had a whole ocean full of doubt,
but she had held on tight.  Held on and headed towards that light at the
end of the dark tunnel that had been her life.

Along the way, she had found that when she fell or needed a helping
hand, that the arms of grace for her, had worn many different faces.
And she had lucked out in a way that she had only dreamed of, because
she didn't need to sit outside heaven's door, because the door had been
swung wide-open and she had been welcomed by many wide-open loving arms.
Here, with Buffy, here with all of them, was beyond doubt where she
wanted to be.  Where she intended always to be.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She watched Buffy sleep for a good half-hour before she decided to wake
her.  Wake her like she normally woke Buffy in the morning, with soft
kisses and slow touches, bringing Buffy to that in-between place, where
the world only consisted of the two of them.  To Faith it felt like
forever since either of them had woken the other that way, in reality,
it had only been two weeks.  She lowered her head, dusting whisper-light
kisses over all the contours of Buffy's sleeping, peaceful, beautiful
face.

Inevitably, she made her way to Buffy's mouth and just as inevitably,
she pulled Buffy's bottom lip between her own.  There was just something
about Buffy's pouty bottom lip that got to Faith every time.  Maybe it
was how cute Buffy looked when she pouted, or maybe it was just how
sweet it always tasted in her mouth.  Whatever it was, Faith had never
been able to resist it or Buffy when she pouted.  And Buffy knew it.
What Faith thought Buffy didn't know was that she knew Buffy had the
same little obsession with her bottom lip and pout as she did with
Buffy's.  She was wrong, Buffy knew that too.

She nibbled, sucked, and flicked feather-like touches with her tongue
along the line of Buffy's bottom lip.  Making her way eventually to
offer up the same sweet caresses to Buffy's upper lip too.  It was just
as inevitable too, that she would finally seek out and capture both
sweet lips with her own.  Her kiss just a whisper, her tongue delicate
as it traced along between the line that separated Buffy's lips coaxing
them to open for her.  A small moan escaped her when Buffy's lips parted
and allowed her access to the warm cavern of her mouth.  Another moan
escaped her when she felt Buffy's hands come up around her neck to
tangle themselves in her hair.

She moved herself over on top of Buffy, one of her legs slipping
in-between Buffy's.  She rubbed her body along the length of Buffy's,
the oil making her slide much more easier, much more sensually.  She
deepened their kiss, half moaning, half purring, as she continued to
slide, rub against her Light Slayer, acting once again like the cat she
was so often compared to.  She knew Buffy was awake, when Buffy's mouth
began to dance with hers in their own private erotic ballet.

The slow burning ember's of her desire began to flare brightly again.
Her desire was, always would be Buffy and could only be quenched with
Buffy.  Her mate sang through her veins in so many different ways that
Faith didn't think she would ever have enough time to count them all.
It was amazing, awe-inspiring and something she had until recently
thought only existed in the fairytale fantasy of the sugar-sweet gothic
romances she had read to escape from reality when she was younger.  She
finally understood that need, that feeling, that want, so often depicted
in novels, the need to be closer, to want to crawl underneath their
lover's flesh, to become a part of them.

Even though she had desired it, she had always thought that the need for
someone to love her, made you weak, and weak was something Faith had
never wanted to be.  The craving for another, the need to feel that
close to someone, the whispered words of nonsense and love; flowers,
romantic cards, candlelit dinners, holding hands, just because touches
and kisses, spontaneous hugs, all of it made you weak and vulnerable.
So, she had pushed people away, kept them at arms length and pretended
not to give a shit.  She had been wrong.  So wrong.  She knew that now.
Loving, being loved, and asking for help, needing someone, it didn't
make you weak, it made you strong.  Strong in ways she hadn't ever
thought of, had realized existed.  It was a strength that came from deep
inside and made her feel like everything and anything was possible.

She wanted all of that with Buffy and in a sudden moment of clarity, she
realized that she already did have all of it with Buffy.  Everyday they
gained, experienced and became more with and to each other.  She broke
their kiss and lifted her head up.  She stared down at Buffy, watching
as Buffy's tongue peeked out to taste and trace along her own lips, a
soft sigh of longing escaping at the same time. Faith watched her and
waited for Buffy to open her eyes, waited to see the window's to her
mate's soul.

"Like when you wake me this way Fai..." Buffy husked as she slowly
opened her eyes.

This time, it was Buffy, who opened heavy eyes to pools of iridescent
chocolate-emerald-flecked eyes staring down lovingly at her.

"'S good 'cause I like wakin' you this way B..." Faith husked back.

Buffy felt Faith's fingertips start to roam down over her side and
stomach.  For a second she had thought it was nothing more than a slight
breeze, Faith's touch was so light.  But, a breeze had never caused her
body to tingle, to heat up, to feel what Faith's touch always made her
feel.  She relished the weight of Faith's body resting so intimately
entwined on top of hers.  It was exquisite; it was a feeling that was
familiar and new at the same time, every time.  A feeling she had never
had with another lover, this fitting together like jigsaw puzzle pieces,
this rightness.

"And Fai... this is where you're supposed to be."  Buffy whispered low,
then a bewildered look crossed her face, she hadn't a clue why she had
said that, there had just been an almost overwhelming need to say it to
Faith.  She noticed a stunned look cross Faith's face, "I haven't a clue
why I just said that."

"I do." Faith smiled down at Buffy and sensed in an almost surreal way
that their bond had expanded or grown in some subtle way tonight.  "I
was watching you while you slept and listening to you breathe.  The
sound of your breathing was soothing somehow, and I started to think
about how I got here and in my head..."

"You started hearing a song..." Buffy finished for her, the image of
Faith watching her sleep and the song started to play in her own head as
it drifted to her through their bond.  Like Faith, she realized that in
some way their bond had changed, had become something more. "You know,
you're the one who brought me back to sanity.  You were, are, the arms
of grace that caught me, gave me shelter and so much more when I
stumbled and fell.  And you still are and always will be Faith."

Faith moved her arms up so that they were on either side of Buffy's
head. She leaned up on her elbows, her hands cupping each side of
Buffy's face, her gaze seeing past Buffy's dilated pupils to the heart,
the soul of the woman that was her soul-mate.  The woman, who was the
light to her dark, the dark to her light, her mentor, her pupil, her
lover, her best friend, her home and was once again awed, amazed to see
all those same emotions reflected back and felt for her in Buffy's eyes.

Just as it was only minutes before, it was inevitable that Faith leaned
down to capture Buffy's mouth for a soul-searing kiss.

Just like, it was inevitable that Buffy leaned up to capture Faith's
mouth for a soul-searing kiss at the same time.

Just like it was inevitable that their kiss changed from one of a simple
expression of love to a kiss of passion, of desire and of love.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith worshipped Buffy with her hands, her mouth.  She couldnвt seemed
to get enough of the silken, creamy texture of Buffy's skin, or the feel
of the muscles rippling at her touch.  Nor could she get enough of the
taste of Buffy in her mouth, on her lips, on her tongue.  The small
sighs, moans, whimpers Buffy made were music to her ears, food for her
soul.

She sat up straddling Buffy's thighs, trapping them in-between her own.
A slow, lazy sensual grin, that was innate to Faith herself, spread
across her face at Buffy's groan of protest.  A shudder screamed through
her as Buffy slid her hands along each of her thighs, then she watched
as the same slow, innate sensual grin spread across Buffy's face.

In an exaggerated, languid move, Faith bent from the waist, placed a
hand on either side of Buffy's chest and unhurriedly lowered herself
down towards Buffy. She stopped lowering herself when her nipples
brushed against Buffy's.  She fixed her eyes on Buffy's face, watching
her reaction as she lethargically began to tease herself and Buffy as
she circled Buffy's nipples with her own.  She slid her legs out
straight, then in a graceful move casually slipped both of hers between
Buffy's, not once taking her eyes off Buffy's face.  Her whole body now
brushing lightly in the same teasingly leisurely circles against the
whole of Buffy's.  A ragged moan escaped her as she felt Buffy's body
arch into her to join her in this slow, passionate dance.

Neither had any thought of shutting down the part of their bond that
allowed them to feel the ghost-like sensation of how the other was being
touched.  It was otherworldly in a way, but it also deepened the impact,
the feelings that echoed through their bond when they touched.

In the beginning for Buffy, after their return from hell, this
shadow-like touch had let her know that Faith did indeed welcome her
touch, had guided her on where and how to touch Faith.  For Faith, after
their return, it had given her the chance to remember without a real
touch how it felt to be touched or made love to in a certain way.  It
had helped both Slayers to acknowledge fears, limits, and to erase,
replace little by little his touch.  They had not conquered all of
Faith's fears, there were still moments, still nightmares, and still a
touch not welcomed.

As they moved against each other, drowning in the feel of the others
warm flesh pressed, sliding against the other, they realized that this
part of their bond too had changed tonight.  They could still feel the
ghost-like touches, but it was somehow more merged with the feelings the
touch carried rather than the ghost-touch itself.  Somehow too, they
knew, that the ghost-like, or shadow-like touch had only changed when
they were like this, together making love, or a simple just because
touch between them.  They would still know, still feel the shadow-touch
in a different way if another touched one of them.

Their bond was becoming, or truly was inherent, a part of themselves, in
no way invasive, or intrusive.  They still had the ability to surprise
the other, or keep a secret.  They didn't know how it worked, they
didn't care.  Nor were any of these thoughts in their conscious mind
right now, they just became a part of their knowledge of each other and
their bond, as if they were born knowing it already.  Simply put, it
just was.

"I love how you feel on me," Buffy ran her hands over the straining
muscles in Faith's biceps.  She kept her eyes locked with Faith's and
smiled.  They were both seducing the other right now, the lazy movement
of just sliding against the other's fevered flesh, stoking the slow
burning embers of their combined desire.  She wrapped one leg around
Faith's hip, she lifted her other leg to skim her foot along Faith's
leg.  "I love your weight on me.  Your sweat mixing with mine.  How warm
you feel.  The taste of your skin, just the taste of you on my tongue.
The way you arch when I scrape my nails down your back.  The feel of
your breasts against mine..."

Faith's mouth came down on Buffy's in a breath-stealing kiss.  Her
tongue sought, demanded entrance and received it with a moan of longing
from Buffy.  They kissed each other with a passion that left them
trembling and breathless with desire. Buffy's arms wrapped around
Faith's back and pulled her down to her with an almost bone jarring
impact.  Her hands moving restlessly, lasciviously over all of Faith's
flesh within her reach.  The pads of one hand's fingers and nails
tormenting the length of Faith's spine, back, neck and arms.  Her touch
both loving, gentle and needy at once. The other hand snuck around to
burrow its way between their bodies, finding unerringly Faith's
rock-hard nipple.  Her earlier carnality coming to the surface again as
she caressed Faith's breasts with wanton abandon. The slow burning ember
of their desire flared up hotly, becoming a bonfire.

Faith slid her mouth away from Buffy's and blazed a trail of hot kisses
down to her neck.  She nibbled on the sweet-tasting flesh she found
there, "You taste so sweet... Like..." She couldn't think of an analogy
so she just gave up and continued to taste the flesh beneath her mouth.

Faith made her way to her mate-mark and flicked her tongue against it.
Then flicked it again, when she felt Buffy arch up fiercely into her and
heard the deep moan that exploded from Buffy at the touch.  She daintily
bit down on it, then scraped her teeth against it, eliciting the same
reaction from Buffy again.  She needed to taste all of Buffy's heated
flesh and decided that Buffy needed her to taste it all too.  Faith
began such a slow, torturous exploration of Buffy's sleekly, seductive
body, that by the time she made it to the soft line of hair that hid
Buffy's sex, both of them were mindless, breathless, shaking and deeply
sunk into their bond and what the other was feeling.

She stared enraptured by the sight of Buffy, the sheen of moisture that
clung to her soft downy hair, the physical expression of Buffy's desire
for her. She could feel the heat coming from Buffy, almost like a caress
across her own flushed face.  She inhaled deeply the musky scent of
Buffy's arousal and her senses reeled, like they had the first time,
like they did every time, a teeny, tiny part of her still not believing
this wasn't just a dream.  She turned her head and softly kissed with
adoration the inside of one of Buffy's thighs, then with the same
adoration she kissed the other.

Her hands slid along Buffy's thighs of their own volition to Buffy's wet
heat and opened Buffy to her gaze.  The feel of Buffy beneath her hands
like the silken, soft petals of a dew-soaked flower.  Her touch was
dainty, delicate as she explored as if it were truly the first time that
Buffy had granted her the honor of touching her so intimately.  She
looked up to see Buffy staring down at her with love and the same look
of wonder that Faith was feeling inside.  As their eyes locked both
Slayers realized that for them, the fact that they lived so close to the
edge of death every day, made the times when they made love precious,
sacred, special, new, exciting in a wholly different way than it did for
others.  For them it was a celebration that they were alive, together, a
way of expressing all that they could never articulate, achieve with
just mere words.

Faith kept her now emerald eyes locked with Buffy's now golden-amber
eyes as with an exquisitely sensitive touch she slid her fingers into
the scorching heat of her mate.  A tremor ran through her at the warmth
of Buffy surrounding her so intimately, and an answering shudder came
from Buffy.  Like everything before, she started a torturously slow
exploration of her Light Slayer.  She watched as Buffy's eyes fluttered
closed, then she let her own close, letting herself feel with all her
other senses. 

She nestled down between Buffy's legs, making herself comfortable,
making herself at home, she planned on staying here for a good long
while.  She tortured herself along with Buffy by only allowing herself
to taste her golden-haired mate with brief, feather-like flicks of her
tongue each time Buffy's hips rose to greet the slow rhythm her fingers
had set.

At first Buffy had thought she was going to go insane from the
languorous way that Faith had, was touching and mercilessly teasing her.
Then she had allowed herself to relax into the almost dream-like state
that Faith was bringing her to.  Every part of her body felt alive.
Each touch, each kiss was felt with every cell in her body.  Her arousal
building ever so slowly, lazily, it was different in a wholly new way.
Her world encompassed by Faith's eyes watching her, the tenderness in
each touch, each kiss.  She was being swaddled like an infant by the
infinite love that was flowing to her through their bond, and in each of
Faith's touches and kisses.

She wasn't idle either.  Her own hands and mouth sought out Faith's warm
skin with equal tenderness and abandon.  She sought to bring Faith with
her into this dream-like world of scintillating sensations, exotic,
erotic warmth of what they both felt for each other, until Faith slipped
further down her body and out of her grasp.

She had no words, knew no words that could describe what she felt when
Faith touched her so intimately, nor were there any words to convey what
it felt like when Faith finally let her mouth and tongue join in the
erotic dance.  She felt a tightening in her womb, a sense of well-being,
anticipation and a shockwave of desire so deep and so fierce Buffy had
to remind herself to breathe.  The emotions, the sensations, the peak
that Faith was carefully, lovingly leading her to was more intense then
anything Buffy had ever felt before and she knew only one thing.  She
did not want to freefall over its edge alone, she wanted her heart, her
soul, her Dark Slayer there with her on the fall.

"Faith..." Buffy called out to her softly.

"B..." Faith murmured, hummed out around the swollen nub in her mouth as
her fingers found Buffy's sweet spot within her.

Buffy's whole body arched off the floor as Faith's voice vibrated
through the very core of her.  It was only her sheer will power and
determination that Faith experience this new journey with her that kept
Buffy from taking the fall alone.

"I need..." Buffy tried again, teetering on the edge of release.

Faith stilled and raised her head hearing the longing for something
other than release in Buffy's voice.  "Tell me, what you need, B?"

"I need you to come up here. I need you..." Buffy paused as Faith slid
up her body, letting the feel of Faith's body, her weight on her wash
over her again.

"What's wrong? I didn't..."

"No... never... You didn't do anything wrong." She smiled up into
Faith's concerned eyes and gently urged her onto her back.  "You did,
are doing everything right. Always right.  I need... Want to share this
with you... How you are making me feel... Want you to feel it too..."
She watched the relief cross over Faith's face and she leaned down and
gently kissed Faith's lips.

It was inevitable too; that this kiss transcended to become more than
just an innocent loving kiss to one of barely suppressed molten desire.
Buffy smiled softly once again after their kiss before she began to take
Faith on the same slow journey to the dream-like place that Faith had
built for her with her loving touch.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"B..." Faith rasped out when she remembered how to breathe, her voice
filled with the same longing, as Buffy's had been full of.

Buffy couldn't resist one last taste of the nectar that was her Dark
Slayer before she began to kiss her way back up Faith's body.  Faith sat
up to meet her halfway, her whole body suffused with a longing for
release that was so different from anything she had ever experienced
before, and she understood now what Buffy had wanted.  She pulled her
legs up under her and sat back on her calves, her knees spread wide.
She lifted Buffy so that she was straddling her thighs and sitting on
her own calves at the same time.

They pressed tightly into each other as they devoured each other in a
kiss.  They tasted each other's breath, the warmth of the other's mouth,
the velvetiness of the other's tongue.  They pulled apart, locking their
eyes as their hands discovered each other's body again.  There was
nothing hurried or rushed in their touches and kisses.  This was their
time; this was the world that they created with and for each other.  And
here, time held no meaning for them.  It was only them and the gentle,
but fiercely deep desire they had for the other.  They touched and
kissed for what was a small eternity and still not long enough at the
same time.

Faith took Buffy's hand, slid it down, and pressed it impassionedly into
her, not once breaking her gaze.  She felt herself blush ridiculously
enough, at her actions and prayed that her ability to express what she
wanted, needed, wouldn't desert her, or that the fear would blindside
her once again as it had all the other times since him.

Buffy brought her other hand up and tenderly, soothingly stroked Faith's
face.  She smiled as she always did when Faith leaned into her touch.
She waited for Faith, she knew what she wanted, but this was Faith's
dance to lead.  They had tried this dance before but each time Faith's
whole body had seized up in fear and remembered pain and so they had
stopped.  It was not a dance Buffy ever initiated and if Buffy never
knew again, what it felt like to be surrounded intimately by Faith that
was perfectly all right with her.  For her making love, and she knew
this was true for Faith as well, wasn't about what you wanted to do to
the other, but about sharing and doing what felt right, felt good, felt
more then good to each other.  

Making love wasn't about the destination, it was about the journey
itself and how you made each other feel on that journey and nothing
about making love should ever be forced or unwanted by the other.

"Baby..."

Faith heard more than just an endearment, there was no questioning in
that one word. Instead, there was a universe full of compassion,
understanding, acceptance of whatever choice she made and of the results
of that choice and always, there was always the unconditional love in
whatever words Buffy spoke to her.  She let go of Buffy's hand and at
the same time she let go of the pain and the last of the fear.

She looked at Buffy with absolute love and trust and gave over to her
the power to lead this dance with her softly spoken words, "I want... I
need you to...  I want... need to feel you..." She fumbled, the words
not wanting to pass over her lips in any coherent utterance.

"Are you sure Faith?" Buffy asked her just as softly. "'Cause we, I..."

Faith stopped Buffy by placing her fingertips across her mouth, her
thumb gently tracing along Buffy's jaw line.

"I want, need to feel you inside of me B..."

Buffy kissed those fingertips laying gently across her mouth, her heart
beating a mile a minute at the trust Faith was placing in her.  She
reverently traversed the center of Faith's desire, until she could feel
Faith's arousal become red-hot again in their bond.  She carefully, with
all the tenderness and love in her soul, slowly allowed her fingertips
to enter her beautiful raven-haired mate. She listened with all of her
being to what Faith was feeling within their bond, as their eyes
remained locked.  There was no fear, only desire, passion and love
there.  With a delicate, gentle touch she began to slowly erase the last
of his touch from Faith and let her own joy at the feel of being so
intimately embraced by and within Faith again shine through.

For just a millisecond Faith felt the fear clutch at her when Buffy's
fingers first entered her, then it was gone.  With Buffy's love cradling
her safely, Faith's mind, her heart, soared with unmitigated ecstasy as
she reclaimed the last piece of her soul that he had stolen from her.

As she felt Buffy's tender, loving touch within her with wonder and awe,
the last tattered pieces of herself, of her soul began to heal.  The
smile Faith bestowed on Buffy was one that Buffy would remember until
her dying day and the last tattered pieces of her own self and her own
soul began to heal with Faith's.

Faith's own hands searched out Buffy's body again, wanting, needing to
bring her soul-mate on this journey to the highest plateau with her,
like Buffy had wanted to bring her.

They mirrored each other's actions, each other's emotions.  They
surrounded and cocooned each other on both the physical and the
spiritual plane, through their eyes, their touch and their bond.  When
they reached the final plateau, they reached it together and held each
other with their eyes as they plummeted over it.

Freefalling, safe, right, together, different from ever before, sharing
their release which was gentle, powerful, intense, extreme,
all-consuming and so much more.  It started in their souls and spread
outward to envelope them and begin the final healing of them both.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ready, B?"

"I'm ready.  You ready Fai?"

"I was born ready, B!"

"Incorrigible!  You're incorrigible S.O.!"

"That's the pot callin' the kettle black."

"What was that Fai???"

"Nothing B... Just sayin' let's do this so we can get back..."

"Riiiight... So... on the count of three?"

"On the count of three..."

Silence hung in the air between them, they both turned to look at the
other.

"You want to st..." they both started together then laughed.

"Why don't you start..."

"No... no you start it... After all this is your first time."

"True enough. That's true enough B.  So are you ready?"

"Faaaaiiiith..."

"Okay... okay, just playin' a little with you B..." Faith chuckled, then
huskily mumbled under her breath, "Didn't mind when I was p-laying with
ya earlier..."

"I heard that... Slayer hearin' here remember???"  Buffy lifted an
eyebrow at Faith, who just winked back at her.

"Did you say Slayer hearing?  What's that?  Don't think I know what that
is B..." She smirked at Buffy, then whispered, "Does that mean you can
hear this?"  Buffy's eyebrow rose a little bit higher, then Faith
whispered even lower "Did I ever tell you how friggin' cute you look
when you do that?  In fact you look so cute, so sweet... you look good
enough to eat B..."

Faith husky voice was far below a whisper, but it still elicited the
same response from Buffy it always did.  She watched the shudder ripple
through Buffy's petite, luscious body, as her eyes lazily raked over
Buffy from head to toe.  When she made her way back up to Buffy's face,
she ensnared Buffy's eyes with her own; the tip of her tongue came out
provocatively to moisten her lips.

Faith left no doubt in Buffy's mind of the meaning of her words.  She
was mesmerized by Faith's pink tongue as it left a glistening wet sheen
on her appetizing lips.

"One track mind... You have a one track mind Fai..." Buffy was secretly
pleased, though her throaty voice gave her secret pleasure away.  She
absolutely loved this side of Faith; the wild, wicked, seductive,
mouth-watering nymph that was her mate.

"Me?" Faith questioned innocently, though she was looking at Buffy with
what Lilith and Clotho would have called 'Bedroom Eyes.'

"Yes you..." Buffy laughed, the laugh dying on her lips as she was
pulled in by Faith's half-lidded entrancing look of invitation.

"Sure B, 'cause..." Faith moved up close to Buffy, invading her personal
space, she along with Buffy dropped the sledgehammers they were holding
to the ground.  She leaned into Buffy dipping her head down.  She
continued to whisper tantalizingly and sarcastically between tiny love
bites along Buffy's neck. "...it was me who kept you in bed naked for
the last two days.  Me, who padlocked our bedroom door so you couldn't
get any clothes so you would stay that way.  Me, who paid Spike to
patrol last night so you had no excuse to get dressed and leave the
Mansion.  Me, who made you beg to get more than ten minutes of sleep...
Me, who made you cum so many times in the last two days that had you put
a notch in the headboard for each orgasm it would be nothing more than
sawdust right now..."  Faith stopped for a second in thought, "Okay well
that was you and me both... but, as I was saying it was Me, who..."

"Okay... okay!" Buffy was clutching at Faith's shoulders; her neck
arched giving Faith full access.  She felt Faith chuckle against her
skin and chuckled herself.  She smiled at her Dark Slayer when she
lifted her lips from her neck.  "I admit it, it was all me.  Me, who did
all those things! Me, me, me! What can I say?  I'm a lust-crazed-nympho,
but only when it comes to you baby and I just wanted to make sure we
took care of all that pent-up lust you had from Slaying alone the last
two weeks before I let you out of the house again.  You know, sort of
scratch your Slayer Itch..."

"How considerate of you Giz."

"Well you know me S.O., I'm a considerate--sensitive-touchy-feely kinda
girl.  So did I succeed?"

Instead of answering Buffy, Faith just leaned down and plundered Buffy's
mouth.  They battled with each other for dominance of the kiss.  Their
tongues performing an elaborated sword-fight as if they were dueling
rather then kissing. Neither backed down from the challenge, neither
relinquished control, neither gave any quarter, not even when both their
heads starting spinning from lack of air.  They broke the kiss with a
silent agreement through their bond, both thinking that passing out in
the cemetery after dark wasn't a good idea.

"I'm thinking there is just a little bit of that Slayer Itch that still
needs to be scratched, for both of us..." Faith wiggled her eyebrows at
Buffy and gave her an exaggerated leer.  Then softly said, "Truth be
known, I don't need to Slay or have a Slayer Itch to make me feel this
way, make me want to be with you.  All I need is to see you, to touch
you, hell who am I kidding all I need is to just think about you and I
want to make love with you, B." Then she blushed brightly, vibrantly
red.

Buffy brushed her thumb along Faith's neck and told her just as softly,
"Truth be known, I don't need any of that other stuff either.  All I
need is you, just the thought of you alone is more than enough for me.
More than enough for me to want to hold you, kiss you, touch you, make
love with you too, Fai."  Then Buffy too blushed brightly, vibrantly
red.

Their eyes stayed locked with each other's for long moments, then they
started to giggle.

"Corny..." Faith started only to be cutoff by Buffy.

"Very corny and bonus points for being sappy too..."  They started
giggling again; it wasn't that they didn't mean what they had said.
They did with all of their mushy, sappy, corny, romantic hearts.  It was
just that they both always felt so silly, so paper-cut-out clich"d any
time they did say these type of things to each other. They both knew
that the other felt silly and it was why they could laugh about it
together. And it was why, because they did say them anyway, despite how
silly it made them feel or look, that the words carried so much more
meaning, were deeper, more momentous and all the more heartfelt by them
both.

"So what do you say we take care of what we came here to do B?  Then we
can go home and I'll scratch your Slayer Itch if you'll scratch mine."

"Sounds like a really-really-delicious plan to me F.  And remind me,
will you, to put it in writing that Xander doesn't get to write the
epitaph on my headstone next time.  Will you please?"

They turned and looked at their headstones, Buffy picked up the two
sledgehammers from the ground and handed one to Faith.

Faith peeked at Buffy from under her lashes, "Why B, explain to me
what's wrong with, 'She saved the world aaaaaaa looottt?'"

"Yes, Beeeeee.... Do explain."

Both Slayers' spun around at the sound of the unfamiliar male voice.
They took in the man with a glance, or rather what they could see of him
since he was wearing a flowing full-length dark purple cloak, with a
hood that hid most of his face in shadows.  He looked like something out
of a medieval fantasy movie about Warlocks and Knights in Shining Armor.
He was tall, at least six feet, and from what they could tell well
muscled.  His hands which were clasped in front of him casually, were
strong looking, the fingers long, and strangely enough his nails were
manicured and shone with a coat of clear gloss in the light of the full
moon.  All they could see of his face was his mouth, which had full,
deep red lips, the lower one jutting out slightly in a pout. Before
either Slayer could say anything, the man spoke again.

"And I also have to agree that you two are rather sappy and corny." He
gave the Slayers' a rakish smile, flashing his teeth at them.

Both Faith and Buffy hissed under their breath when the man smiled at
them.  They blinked a few times thinking that the light of the moon had
played tricks on them, then he smiled widely at them again, his long
fangs sparkled bright white in the moonlight as if to mock them.

They exchanged quick glances with each other, confused.  How the hell
had he snuck up on them and why the fuck wasn't  their Slayer Radar
going off like crazy with a vampire standing right in front of them?
Without thought, they both extended their senses into the night and it
was with a sliver of fear they both realized that they couldn't sense
anything and that in and of itself was wrong.

A slow-moving eerie chill crept down both their spines, it seemed to
linger and cling to them unwilling to let go, dissipate.  They both
remembered what Dawn had said about the chill that had held her in its
grip the night on the tower, 'It had felt like someone had just walked
over my grave.'  Both Slayers' thought to themselves that it was a good
description of what they were feeling and had they not been standing on
their own graves, they would have found the situation funny given they
were in a cemetery. Neither felt like laughing though, because right now
it didn't feel funny at all, right now what it felt like was a
premonition, a foreshadowing, an omen of what was to come.

"I can see by your faces that you're confused.  You're wondering why it
is that you can't sense me.  Aren't you?" He spoke softly, and both
Slayers' detected a slight, subtle accent in his speech, though neither
could tell its origin.

"Don't matter, you're still gonna be dust." Faith snarled as she whipped
a stake at the vampire faster than anyone other than another Slayer or
an Immortal could have seen.  Both Slayers waited to hear the 'poof'
they both so loved when a vampire burst into to dust.  This poof was a
little different then either of them expected.

"Poof!" He whispered to them with a smirk, he wagged the stake Faith had
thrown at them in a sarcastic imitation of a 'no-no' gesture. "Has
anyone ever told you that you're rude Faith? You should really help her
with that, Elizabeth.  Or do you prefer Buffy?"  He waited for either
Slayer to answer him, but all he got was two low growls.

"It seems however, that my manners aren't much better. I know both of
your names but you don't know mine.  So if neither of you object I will
rectify that." He waited again and was answered by the Slayers growling
again, "No? No objections. Then ladies, please allow me to introduce
myself I am a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long
year stolen many man's soul and faith, well blood actually... in either
case... My name is Rais.  Gilles de Rais, former Advisor and General to
Joan of Ark, Marshall of France, Nobleman in the Court of King Charles
the VII of France." He mockingly bowed low to the Slayers then rose back
up to his full height, "And I can't tell you how pleased I am to finally
meet the Chosen Two.  Just one little favor if I may ask it of you both,
please don't tell the dear old Evil One, the Prince himself that I'm
stealing his lines..."  Rais stopped to chuckle at his joke, and then
laughed a little harder when he saw their eyes start to grow wide when
the words he had spoken began to sink in.

He brought his hands up to the hood of his cloak as he began to speak
again in the same low sarcastic tone as before.  "So will you do that
small favor for me and not tell Lucifer." He slowly began to slide the
hood back as he looked at Faith first, a malicious gleam in his eyes,
"Well, will you 'Baby Girl,'" then looked expectantly at Buffy,
"Runt'?'"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith felt the world drop out right from under her feet at his last
three words, then her legs decided to follow as he slid the hood back
off his head and she saw his face.

{NONONONONO! DEAD! HE'S DEAD!  NIGHTMARE!  HAS TO BE A NIGHTMARE. I WANT
TO WAKE UP NOW! LET ME WAKE UP NOWPLEASEPLEASE!}

Her head dropped down to her chest and she squeezed her eyes closed
tightly.  She was dreaming, having another of her nightmares about him,
she had to be!  He was dead, they knew that, Luc had killed him, ripped
his fucking corrupted, full of hate heart right out of his chest.  Ben
had told Clotho and Luc that he was suffering in the hell of Glory's
realm, when they went back and got the antidote.

So why then was he standing in front of her?

Why when her life was so good, was this happening again?

Would the never-ending vicious cycle of physical and mental abuse ever
stop for her?

Why did this keep happening to her, to Buffy?

This couldn't be real, could it?

Why then didn't this feel like a dream?

Why did it feel so real?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like Faith, Buffy felt the world drop out right from under her feet at
his last three words, then her legs too decided to follow as he slid the
hood back off his head and she saw his face.  Unlike Faith though, her
reaction was anything but fear, it was as far from fear as possible.

Buffy could feel herself becoming feral, primitive, could feel her dark
side thrashing wildly for control of her.  All the rage inside of her
that had been simmering, building up, eating away at her for Glory and
Johnny that had no outlet before had one now. It was all being directed
at the vampire standing in front of her who looked exactly like Johnny.

>From her knees, she stared at de Rais, her eyes turning dark amber,
instead of light amber gold.  Rais and her dark thoughts of inflicting
pain, torture on him were the only things that existed for her right
now. Her head was spinning out of control with thoughts of ripping him
limb from limb slowly.  With thoughts of flaying him alive, of taking a
knife and peeling his skin from his body.  Of dancing with abandon on
his blood soaked corpse.

The small part of her that was still her, could feel the bloodlust, it
was in a feeding frenzy thrumming through her veins, pounding loudly in
her ears and blocking out Faith from their bond.

It was winning and she knew that if it won, that both she and Faith
would lose.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHY, WHY, WHY?

It crashed around her head in her terror and there was nothing else.
The small part of her that was still her, could feel herself, all that
she was, slipping away in a sea of remembered pain and fear.  The
terror, the fear, blocking Buffy out of their bond.

It was winning and she knew that if it won, that both she and Buffy
would lose.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were alone, isolated as their own inner struggles all but severed
their bond with each other.  Each left with only their own internal
battle to wage.  To either win or lose.  Losing their inner battle, they
both knew on some deep level, would destroy them forever, they would be
lost either to death, or to themselves and each other.  Losing this
inner battle meant they would lose who and what they were both alone and
together.

It was a battle both Slayers needed to win on their own, alone, as
individuals.

It was a test of all they were, all they had learned, lived through,
both alone and together.

And so they waged their own war inside themselves, isolated from each
other.

Faith against her inner demons of fear, of terror, of pain, of abuse, of
hate, of self-hate and the darkness in her that it had given birth to.

Buffy against the darkness that had been given its first glimpse of life
when she had knifed Faith on the rooftop and then given full birth to in
Glory's hell.  Fought against the miles upon miles wide thick wall of
hate, of rage, of anger, of hunger to inflict pain not just for revenge,
or vengeance, but for the thrill of holding that power within her hands.

And neither Slayer wanted to lose the fight for their very souls.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rais watched them, a smile playing across his face.  A smile anyone
would have thought beautiful on such an angelic looking face, until they
saw his eyes.  They were dark, malevolent, malicious.  They spoke of
pain and of enjoyment in inflicting pain.  They spoke of dark deeds, of
a corruption of the soul that was as bottomless as a black hole.

"I can't tell you what it feels like to have the Chosen Two or should I
say the Chosen Pets kneeling in supplication at my feet.  The fear, the
rage, the darkness it is mine.  Like you two, you're mine now, I own
you." He hissed at them with glee and arrogance, and they both knew that
if they lost their internal war, what he said would come true.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{FUCK THIS! FUCK YOU! THE ONLY POWER IS MINE AND YOU CAN'T HAVE IT! I
WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU EVER! I WON'T GIVE THAT POWER TO ANYONE EVER AGAIN!
I OWN ME AND ONLY ME, NO ONE AND NOTHING ELSE! B AND I DON'T EVEN OWN
EACH OTHER, WE ARE PARTNERS, SOUL-MATES, CONNECTED, MORE TOGETHER, BUT I
BELONG TO NO ONE BUT ME!}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{I DON'T THINK SO! THE ONLY POWER IS MINE! THE DARKNESS DOESN'T OWN ME,
NOT THE RAGE, HATE OR ANGER! I OWN IT, IT DOES NOT OWN ME! I OWN ME AND
ONLY ME, NO ONE AND NOTHING ELSE! FAITH AND I DON'T EVEN OWN EACH OTHER,
WE ARE PARTNERS, SOUL-MATES, CONNECTED, MORE TOGETHER, BUT I BELONG TO
NO ONE BUT ME!}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As their thoughts unconsciously reflected the other's, the Chosen Two
both rose back up to their feet.  As they stood and faced the ancient
vampire together, their bond reasserted itself and they were once more
fully connected.  Each getting in an echo, the war that the other had
fought and won. They both knew now, no matter what the outcome tonight,
that neither of them could ever be defeated, not even if one should die
and not the other.  To let themselves be defeated would be spitting in
the face of all that they had fought so hard to become, all that they
were as people, Slayers, Soul-Mates, all that they were to each other,
all that they were to their family, and all that they were together.

"Really, don't remember signin' any ownership papers.  How about you B?"
Faith looked at Buffy her eyes flashing emerald, full on Slayer mode.

"Nope Fai... can't say I do either.  Remember signing papers for school,
but don't recall anything about ownership in there."  Buffy answered
her, her eyes now the light amber-gold they were when they made love or
she was in full on Slayer mode.

"'I'm guessing this decrepit old fuck hasn't been keeping up with
history and doesn't know that Slavery was made illegal a long time ago."

"He probably hasn't Faith.  Probably can't even read, after all he was
stupid enough to try and make us think he was the degenerate that we
both know is dead and rotting in hell in another realm."

Rais was stunned, he had thought for sure that he had broken them.  He
listened to them astonished as they bantered back in forth, ignoring,
dismissing him.  Didn't they realize who he was?  The arrogant nobleman
in him pushed his way to the forefront of his psyche.

"Do you realize who you are talking about in such a disrespectful
manner, you poor excuses for Slayers?  I am a nobleman and, as such, you
will address and speak to me with respect!" He roared at them, the
glamour he had caste on himself failing in his anger.

They watched as the spell faded and saw his true face, which was
decidedly unremarkable.  He had dirty brown hair, limp and thin.  A
droopy goatee.  He was thinned lipped, he nose long and narrow.  His
chin pointy from beneath his goatee.  He eyes were small, brown and
rat-like, neither Slayer would have looked at him twice despite his size
or his muscles.

"Hellooooo?  Welcome to the year two-thousand-and-two asshole.  We're a
little more enlightened now!  Being born a nobleman don't mean squat.
You only get respect now when you earn it.  All I see is a little whiny
boy with illusions of grandeur that needs to grow up!"  Faith quipped,
looking right at Rais, a smirk plastered on her face.  She couldn't
believe this vamp-wizard was actually demanding respect when he was here
to kill them.  This was one fucked up vamp-wizard, dude.

"Oh that was a good Fai... But you forgot pompous-ass, arrogant and
unremarkable looking!"  Buffy added, smirking at Rais too, her thoughts
running side-by-side with Faith's.

"And lest we forget ostentatious, pretentious, egotistical and from what
I am seeing there isn't any reason for it... Like Joan of Arc would ever
let you within a foot of her.  Please go peddle your shit somewhere
else." Faith snickered belligerently.

They weren't stupid, they knew they were baiting him.  But they wanted
him to lose control, it would give them an advantage.  He wasn't the
run-of-the-mill type of vampire they usually met up with.  He was a
sorcerer too, and if he was telling the truth, he was older than any
other vampire either had gone up against with maybe the exception of the
Master.  It was just the two of them out patrolling tonight, they had
left even Furball at home.  They had wanted to be alone when they
smashed their headstones to smithereens.  They were hoping against hope
that Spike had ignored them as usual and had been lurking somewhere
around.

"Everything I said is true, but you'll find that out soon enough! I am
something neither of you have ever seen before.  You can't begin to
comprehend what I am, all that I can do." He snarled at them.

Buffy heard rather than saw the stake heading towards Faith.  Instinct
telling her that it had been thrown with deadly force or with the intent
to maim.  She didn't even think twice, she dove at Faith, deciding to
use her own body as a shield, even if it meant her own death.

Faith had heard it too and reacted immediately.  Her instinct already
knowing what Buffy was going to do.  The Slayers' caught each other
mid-air, rolling off to the side.  The stake that Rais had thrown
catching Faith in her upper arm, rather than in the chest, her lung
where it had been aimed.  She felt a searing streak of pain on her arm
and then the warmth of her own blood spilling on her skin.  Both Slayers
heard the sound of the stake splinter into a million pieces as it hit
Faith's headstone.

They jumped up to their feet quickly, intending to run away, this was
not a fight they could win.  They both knew, something was telling them
this thing standing in front of them was neither vampire or warlock but
something new altogether.  They barely were standing when their Slayer
Radar went off with the same impact of an Air-Raid siren.

They were suddenly surrounded by vampires and both Slayers' felt that
eerie chill creep it's way down their spines, echoing ominously once
again, forcing them to remember they were standing on their own graves.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was just about to make the killing blow that would defeat his enemy
when he felt a foreboding chill run its icy fingers down his spine.  He
lost his momentum, his aim faltered and for the first time ever, one of
his dwarf warriors struck the killing blow against him.  He didn't even
feel it as the tip of the dwarf's broadsword pierced through his armor
and pricked his skin over his heart, drawing blood but going no further.
Nor did he hear the dwarf's shout of victory at finally, after all these
centuries, defeating the Incarnate of War while they sparred.

The shout died on the dwarf's lips as he took one look at his
Commander's face and knew that his win was hollow.  He recognized the
look on Mars' face; the dwarf had only seen it when something called
silently to Mars' concerning his job as the Incarnate of War.  Never
before though, had it distracted Mars to the extent that it had just
now.  That was when the dwarf noticed that there was something slightly
different about this look.  He saw pain, and to the dwarf's utter
amazement, fear as well.

Then the Incarnate of War was gone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had gone through the ten or so stakes in their Slaying bag in less
than five minutes, throwing them with deadly accuracy.  They had barely
made a dent in the endless horde of vampires coming out from the
surrounding forest a few hundred or so feet from them.  They ignored
Rais, who seemed content to stand off to the sidelines laughing at them.
They found it odd that he was letting his liege of minions fight this
battle for him, his arrogance indicating to them that he would jump into
the fray himself.  They didn't dwell on it, more concerned with trying
to punch a hole through the thick mass of vampires that was forming a
ring around them and slowly making their way closer.

They pulled out the bolts for the crossbows next, throwing them by hand,
not using the crossbow because it took too long to load and fire.  They
threw the wooden bolts with the same force and deadly accuracy as the
stakes and Buffy almost dusted Spike as he came plunging through the
line of slow moving vampires, dusting as many as he could as he ran
through their ranks.  Buffy would have dusted him too, if it hadn't been
for Faith's shouted warning, she quickly redirected the bolt sending it
flying with deadly intent at Rais, then turned her attention back to the
other vampires.  Neither Slayer noticed that Rais had snatched the bolt
out of the air.

"Thanks Infant." Spike winked at Faith as he took up a position next to
both Slayers.

"Welcome Junior and thank you for still being our ever faithful
stalker."  Faith didn't even glance at Spike, there was something not
right about the vampires that were surround them.  "Is it me or are
these vamps acting more like zombies than vamps?" She asked Spike and
Buffy.

"It's like they're under a spell or something, like this isn't their
idea.  They're not even trying to dodge what we are throwing at them."
Buffy puzzled out loud, as she reached into the bag, tossing Faith's
Labrys at her, then a broadsword to Spike and taking the other Labrys
for herself.  The Labrys were the Slayers new weapon of choice, ever
since Faith's confrontation with Glory's minions the night at the tower.
The history of the double-sided axe, and the fact that it just felt
right in both Slayers hands was what had made the choice easy.

"They're not acting like any self-respecting vampire I've ever met and
I've met a few in my long un-life.  The dumb gits just let me bulldoze
threw them, dusting as I went."

They moved into a wide loose circle of sorts, a few feet away from each
other.  The Slayers back to back and Spike's back to them protecting one
of their exposed sides as the circle around them grew tighter.

"So what's the plan?" Spike asked them, waited and got no answer.  "You
do have a plan right?"

"Um... that would be a big no.  No in the planning department." Buffy
answered him, her eyes searching for Rais now, noticing that he was
nowhere in sight and not liking it one bit.  She felt that eerie chill
go down her spine again only this time it wasn't for her, this time it
was for Faith.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy spun around, catching a glimpse of Rais out of the corner of her
eye, then another glimpse of something else moving fast.

Buffy saw Faith turn as if she were watching it in a dream, a dream she
wanted desperately to wake up from now.  She watched as the crossbow
bolt headed straight for Faith's heart, faster than the speed of light.

"FAITH!"  She screamed in seemingly slow motion, her heart screaming in
terror as she dove towards Faith with a sinking feeling choking her.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Something started to roll and coil in his stomach, some sort of menacing
forewarning, but it wasn't for him.  It was for Faith.  Spike spun
towards Faith, watching her turn and put herself in the direct path of
her own death.

"FAITH!"  He screamed at the same time as Buffy, diving towards her, the
same sinking feeling rising up to the back of his throat as Buffy,
choking him.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She felt his eyes on her, Rais, demon, vampire, sorcerer, whatever he
was.  She turned towards him, her eyes finding his unerringly.

Faith knew before she even saw the bolt coming too fast towards her to
stop it or get out of the way;

Knew before she heard Buffy and Spike scream out her name;

Knew as she had locked eyes with Gilles de Rais that she had turned
towards her own death.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neither Buffy nor Spike could actually say what happened next.

They heard three things at once;

A wordless bellow of frustrated rage and anger;

Another wordless bellow of anger and outrage;

And a bellowed, "WHAT TH...."

Then Spike, Buffy and Faith were piled in a tangled heap on the ground,
having collided in the air.  Faith and Buffy once again on their own
graves.

All three looked up to find Mars standing where Faith had been, the
crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, blood seeping out from where it
pierced his armor over his heart.

Rais glared daggers at the Incarnate of War, who ignored him and turned
his head to look at the three of them sprawled out on the ground.

"Leanaban... Today is not a good day to die." He gave Faith a cocky,
impish, half smile, then turned it on the other two.

Without missing a beat, from her position on the ground, Faith quipped
back, "I so knew it!  You've been sneaking here with Elder and watching
Voyager re-runs too!"

"Have not," Mars shot back at Faith, still grinning like an idiot and
silently thanking the Creator for the thread that linked him to the
daughter of his heart.

"So have too!" Faith lifted an eyebrow at Mars and gave up a silent
prayer of thanks to whoever was listening.  She knew if he had not shown
up when he did that she would be dead right now.

Mars and Faith burst out laughing, it was their release valve for what
had almost happened.

Buffy and Spike looked back and forth between Mars and Faith with
disbelief.  Buffy's terror of a second ago changing to relief, then
anger that they were joking when Faith had almost just died.

Buffy totally lost it in the few seconds that had passed during Mars and
Faith's asinine banter.  She jumped up to her feet completely and
utterly pissed off.  All at once understanding now why her Mom had
reacted with first tears, then relief, then anger, then back to tears
and relief when she had almost been hit by a car when she was
seven-years old.

"Oh that's right, laugh it up you two, cause this is really GODDAMN
FUNNY!!"  Buffy screamed, as she bent down grabbed Faith by the wrist
and hauled her up to her feet.

Spike jumped up to his feet and put a hand on Buffy's arm, "Now Buffy,
ah Slayer calm down..."

"I will NOT CALM DOWN!!! SHE ALMOST DIED! AND THAT BASTARD IS STILL
ALIVE AND STANDING OVER THERE LAUGHING AT US! NOT TO MENTION THE FUCKING
BILLION ZOMBIE VAMPIRES STILL COMING TOWARDS US!"  Buffy screamed on the
top of her lungs, waving her hands around like a lunatic. And just in
time for the rest of the Immortals to hear her as they faded into the
cemetery, with the LA crew and all the Scoobs in tow.

Faith pulled Buffy to her in a tight hug, whispering over and over to
her she was sorry, she loved her, having recognized the fear in Buffy's
voice, feeling it scorching to her through their bond.  Buffy clung to
Faith with almost desperation and hiccupped, choked out to her, "Don't
ever do that again!"

The Immortals, the LA crew and the Scoobs formed a protective circle
around the Slayers, even Dawn stood with them, Crow and his father
flanking either side of her.  Mars turned his attention back to Rais, as
did Luc who stood next to him.

"So we met again old friend." Rais said crossing his arms over his
chest, standing twenty feet from the two enraged Immortals.

"Friends we are not betrayer." Mars snarled, his anger once again in the
forefront.

"Leave boy. This is not your battle, you are forbidden to interfere
here.  None of you can." Rais arrogantly dismissed the Immortals.  His
knowledge of how things worked within the mortal realm giving him a
confidence that he had lacked the last time he had come face to face
with the Incarnate of War.  "Tell him Crone, and then let what should
have come to pass, pass."

Atropos looked at Rais, her lip curling up in distaste at the sight of
him.  He disgusted her, this defiler of children, murder and
practitioner of the Darkest of all Magiks.  "In a word.... NO!"  Atropos
bellowed every bit as loud as Mars could.

Dawn glanced around nervously; she started to point at the five vampires
that were getting just a little to close for her liking.  Especially
since no one seemed to be paying attention to them and she didn't have a
stake or a combat staff.  She jumped when Atropos yelled and then looked
at her hand in dumbstruck amazement as a white flash of light streaked
out from her fingertips.  "Wooo," was all she managed to get out as she
watched the five vamps burst into flames, then turn to dust.

"What the fu..." Buffy and Faith both started.

"Key power, way cool..." Lilith said, "We'll explain later."

Everyone but Mars and Luc turned their attention to the horde of
Zombie-vamps moving closer to them.  Willow and Tara clasped hands, as
did Gary and James and started to chant, twigs began to snap off trees
and fly towards the vamps.  Angel, Gunn, Wesley, and Spike jumped into
the fray, stakes in hand, while Fred and Cordelia took shots at the
vamps with crossbows.  Dawn started waving her hand around, trying to
get the white-lightning to fire from her fingertips again, until Lilith
told her to stop, especially since she didn't have control of it, and
Angel and Spike were in the midst of the Zombie-vamps.  The rest of the
Immortals re-closed their circle around the Slayers protectively, armed
with stakes and crossbows.

"Actually... this is my fight.  This is all of our fight.  Especially
since you came after two of our own, tried to kill family, my daughter,
it becomes my, our fight.  It is you who doesn't belong here, you who
was banished from the mortal realm.  You have no power here, other than
that which the Slayers had unknowingly given you and that, I can assure
you, will never happen again.  You're weak like you always were, even
your magic is weak, you are no threat.  An army of mindless laughable
zombie-vampires is all you can control.  And though you might not be
here in true flesh and blood, I can still cause you pain!"  Mars stared
down his old enemy and saw with glee Rais' confidence falter as he took
a step towards him.

"This isn't over, my day will come, it has been written.  I've seen the
Dead Scroll, have seen it write my part, my victory.  I will return in
the flesh, stronger, more powerful than even you.  Immortal like you and
you will die, along with your precious Slayers.  Look for me, my old
friend, I will be there waiting for you at the 'End of Time.'"  Rais
hissed, then shimmered out of sight.

Crow and his father exchanged glances at Rais' final words.

The horde of Zombie-vampires woke from their trance, remembering
everything that had just passed.  Remembering how many of them had been
reduced to only dust now, the smart ones took off running for their
undead lives like bats out of hell.  The ones who stayed soon joined
their comrades as mere dust particles that blew away on the next warm,
gentle spring breeze.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Gilles de Rais was born a nobleman in the early fourteenth century just
like he claimed.  He was raised unfortunately like most noblemen back
then to believe that he was above the law, above having to follow any
moral code of just even plain decency.  He took up a military career and
he did ride next to and with Joan of Arc.  It was when he was with her
that we met.  I was an advisor and mentor to him, seeing in him the
potential for good.  He had no idea even then who I was at first and I
had no idea that he had already begun to dabble in the black arts.  He
deserted and betrayed Joan when she needed him most and even so, her
eventual execution led to the end of his military career."  Mars rose
from the couch and started to pace trying to gather his thoughts; it was
a minute or two before he continued.

"After his military career ended, his life of debauchery and decadence
truly began.  At the same time, he had been disinherited, leaving him
one of many pauper noblemen in France.  It didn't matter though, he
still believed himself above other men and free from having to answer to
any laws, neither God's nor man's. He was discovered to be a monstrous
sexual predator, a pedophile, and a murdered of mostly children, though
he didn't limit himself just to them.  He began to get deeper into the
practice the dark arts and eventually became a sorcerer in his own
right.  It was years before he was finally called to justice, found
guilty than sentenced to be hanged by the neck 'til dead, after which
his body was to be burned upon a pyre with all the others who had met
their maker that day."  Mars' paused yet again to catch his breath,
revulsion for de Rais clearly written across his face.

"Only things didn't quite happen that way.  The night before he was to
be hung, Rais called upon me.  And I in my ultimate arrogance, and my
guilt over my failure with he and Joan of Arc, couldn't resist going to
him and dragging along Luc with me so I could throw in his face all that
he could have been.  I dragged Luc along so he could explain in graphic
detail to de Rais all that would happen to him in hell for the crimes he
had committed, especially those against the children.  He pleaded with
me to save him from his fate, vowing to change his ways.  I neither
believed him nor cared at that point and in either case, you well know
we cannot interfere in anyone's destiny.  He had made his choice and now
it was time for him to suffer the consequences.  He cursed me and vowed
vengeance.  I had, and Luc had made an enemy that night, though just how
powerful of one I had yet to know.  If I had known what he was going to
do, become, I would have killed him myself with my bare hands that night
in the cell."

"Using the blackest of dark magiks, the night before he was to hang he
opened a rift between this dimension and a hell dimension.  From this
hell dimension, he pulled into this world a demon of the highest,
blackest power.  Using some ancient spell he stripped the demon of it's
powers, it's essence and bound it with his own.  The next day he was
hung by the neck until dead, his body was thrown on the funeral pyre.
But a Bishop intervened and had his corpse removed before it burned.
Then, after giving de Rais' presumably dead body the Last Rites, his
corpse was buried.  Two days later de Rais clawed his way out of his
grave, very much alive, heart beating and breathing.  The binding of his
essence with the hell demon had transformed him into something this
world had never seen before and has yet to see again.  The hell demon he
had called forth had been a powerful sorcerer, practitioner of the black
arts within his own dimension, but he had physically also been the
equivalent of a vampire here, with some very major differences. de Rais
rose from his grave more powerful than any vampire and any sorcerer of
the black arts this world had ever seen.  He became what is known as a
Living Vampire, one who can't be harmed by crosses, holy water, stakes
or sunlight."

"For over one hundred years he reined terror upon this world, he was
feared by even Vlad himself.  Finally, a powerful Wicca of the White
Arts created a spell that banished him to another hell dimension.  Not
unlike what was done to Glory. It was over another hundred years before
he was heard from again.  He had figured out a way to manifest himself
here, though he wasn't quite fully here physically nor could he stay
within this dimension for extended periods of time.  As far as we know
there are only three magical feats he can perform here.  A glamour to
disguise his appearance.  A spell to control soulless vampires to do his
bidding, though they become like what you saw tonight, more Zombies than
vampires and a spell to mask his and the vampires presence from those
able to detect them.  He cannot physically manipulate or hold anything
within this dimension with one exception.  Anything or anyone that
attacks him or throws something directly at him, he can manhandle,
manipulate, use or kill.  It was why he was able to use both the stake
and the crossbow bolt.  He, himself cannot be killed in this form and
only an Immortal or a Slayer can actually cause him harm.  There is only
one way to destroy him and that is to unbind him from his stolen
immortality and powers.  But in order to do that his banishment must be
lifted and he needs to be returned to this dimension.  None of us
Immortals has the power to caste the spell that needs to be used, nor do
we even know if such a spell exists.  Only a Wicca of the White Arts can
caste it, and they have deemed it too risky to try, knowing from the
past what exactly would happen should they fail."  Mars stopped his
pacing and walked back over to the couch and sat next to Faith, he
looked at both Slayers.

"I know not why he came after you two, and he seemed to have knowledge
of what had happened to you within Glory's hell.  Whatever his
knowledge, by what he said he did not know that we would interfere.  So
it is doubtful that he knew of your connection with us.  This scroll
though, this prophesy he spoke of worries me, I've never in my long life
ever heard mention of it, somehow he seems to think it will allow him to
return here in the flesh and considering that he came after the two of
you he must think that you could somehow stop it.  Have you ever heard
of this?"

Mars directed his question at the Fates.  He looked at them one by one,
but they shook their heads in denial of any knowledge of Rais, the
scroll, or why he attacked the Slayers.  He started to turn his head to
look at the Slayers again, when he saw the look exchanged between Crow
and his father, Chris.

Mars rose to his feet and in a blur was across the room holding Crow in
one hand and Chris in the other, up in the air by their throats.  He
snarled at them, ignoring Luc who tried to pull him away.

"What is it that you know and WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU WARN US?"

He continued to ignore the protest of all the others as he held Crow and
the retired Father Time dangling off the floor.  The other Immortals
knew better than to try to pull him away, he could seriously injure any
or all of them.

"Mars let them go.  They would never let any harm come to any of us.
They are family." Faith told him softly, having flown across the room
when she realized he would hurt them if he had to.  She couldn't let
that happen, not for her, not for Buffy, but most of all not for Mars'
own sake. She placed her hand lightly on his arm and in the same soft
voice asked him, "Please for me, let them go."

Mars turned his head and looked at the Dark Slayer, he saw fear in her
eyes.  Not for Crow and his father but for him, he blinked once, twice,
then let them go, shocked at his own behavior.

"I'm... I'm sorry... I don't know... I just..." He whispered, as he
backed away from them, he looked down at his hands as if they belonged
to someone else.  He was ashamed of his actions, unable to meet the eyes
of anyone in the room with him.  His eyes stayed on the floor when he
felt a hand come down on his shoulder.

"It's alright Mars.  I would have reacted the same way had it been my
child." Chris told him gently, then smiled as Mars' surprised eyes rose
to met his.

"As would I..." Came Crow's strong, quiet, young voice. "We did not know
about Rais.  The Scroll he mentioned is the Dark Side's equivalent of
the Living Scroll that my Father read to you.  He made mention of
something in the Scroll that is not written in stone, may never come to
pass unless we force it to by the telling of it. If it does come to
pass, then all will be revealed.  Even we don't know the whole of it."

"Now that you know of Rais' power here within this realm he can not harm
you unless you give him the weapon to do it with.  We can work on
researching a spell to unbind him from the demon and to break his
control over the vampires should he come after the Slayers again."
Lachesis waited for nods of agreement from all gathered.

"And you Little One, will work with me to learn how to control your new
power so you don't poof the whole town.  I guess now we all and you know
what became of the mystical energy that you were created from." Lily
smiled at Dawn's eager expression and than laughed a little at the look
on the Slayers' faces. Lily wasn't the only one who started laughing at
the look on the Chosen One's faces they all did.

Neither Slayer knew what was worse, the thought of Dawn riding her
Scooter or wielding a power during her adolescence that could probably
level the whole town.  Spoiling the shit out of Dawn became a viable
option in both Slayers minds.  The Slayers decided they were just going
to ignore this whole Dawn thing for now.  They had set out to do
something tonight and they intended to finish it, especially after those
weird fucking premonition-like chills.  They looked at each other,
smiled, headed outside to the garden, they stopped, looked at each other
again then holding hands and talking quietly they started to make their
way back to the cemetery.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ready Fai?"

"I was born ready, B!"

"Incorrigible!  You're incorrigible S.O.!"

"That I am B!  And afterwards I'll take care of that Slayer Itch you
were, we were, talking about earlier, if you'll take care of mine..."

"One track mind, you have a one track mind, Fai..."

"That I do and you wouldn't have me any other way Giz..."

"You can bet your cute, little, firm, sweet, delicious, dimpled ass
you're right about that Fai..."

"And I'm the incorrigible one?  Pleaaaassseeee! But I wouldn't have you
any other way either Giz.... Now let's talk about my favorite cute
little ass, yours..."

The Chosen Two decided to ignore as well their whole family who had
covertly, but very ineptly, followed them in the shadows to their grave
site as they picked up the sledgehammers.  They knew their family had
done it out of love and neither Slayer had the heart to fight with them
about it.  Not to mention it gave both Faith and Buffy that damn
corny-mushy-sappy warm fuzzy feeling inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you / would you
tell me how could it be any better than this / you calm the storms / you
give me rest / you hold me in your hands / you won't let me fall / you
still my heart / and you take my breath away / would you take me in /
would you take me deeper  now / 'cause you're all i want / you are all i
need / you are everything / everything -- Lifehouse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Gilles de Rais was born a nobleman in the early fourteenth century just
like he claimed.  He was raised unfortunately like most noblemen back
then to believe that he was above the law, above having to follow any
moral code of just even plain decency.  He took up a military career and
he did ride next to and with Joan of Arc.  It was when he was with her
that we met.  I was an advisor and mentor to him, seeing in him the
potential for good.  He had no idea even then who I was at first and I
had no idea that he had already begun to dabble in the black arts.  He
deserted and betrayed Joan when she needed him most and even so, her
eventual execution led to the end of his military career."  Mars rose
from the couch and started to pace trying to gather his thoughts; it was
a minute or two before he continued.

"After his military career ended, his life of debauchery and decadence
truly began.  At the same time, he had been disinherited, leaving him
one of many pauper noblemen in France.  It didn't matter though, he
still believed himself above other men and free from having to answer to
any laws, neither God's nor man's. He was discovered to be a monstrous
sexual predator, a pedophile, and a murderer of mostly children, though
he didn't limit himself just to them.  He began to get deeper into the
practice of the dark arts and eventually became a sorcerer in his own
right.  It was years before he was finally called to justice, found
guilty then sentenced to be hanged by the neck 'til dead, after which
his body was to be burned upon a pyre with all the others who had met
their maker that day."  Mars' paused yet again to catch his breath,
revulsion for de Rais clearly written across his face.

"Only things didn't quite happen that way.  The night before he was to
be hanged Rais called upon me.  And I in my ultimate arrogance, and my
guilt over my failure with he and Joan of Arc, couldn't resist going to
him and dragging along Luc with me so I could throw in his face all that
he could have been.  I dragged Luc along so he could explain in graphic
detail to de Rais all that would happen to him in hell for the crimes he
had committed, especially those against the children.  He pleaded with
me to save him from his fate, vowing to change his ways.  I neither
believed him nor cared at that point and in either case, you well know
we cannot interfere in anyone's destiny.  He had made his choice and now
it was time for him to suffer the consequences.  He cursed me and vowed
vengeance.  I had and Luc had, made an enemy that night, though just how
powerful of one I had yet to know.  If I had known what he was going to
do, become, I would have killed him myself with my bare hands that night
in his cell."

"Using the blackest of dark magicks, the night after Luc and I left, he
opened a rift between this dimension and a hell dimension.  From this
hell dimension, he pulled into this world a demon of the highest,
blackest power.  Using some ancient spell he stripped the demon of its
powers, its essence and bound it with his own.  The next day he was hung
by the neck until dead, his body was thrown on the funeral pyre.  But a
Bishop intervened and had his corpse removed before it burned.  Then,
after giving de Rais' presumably dead body the Last Rites, his corpse
was buried.  Two days later de Rais clawed his way out of his grave,
very much alive, heart beating and breathing.  The binding of his
essence with the hell demon had transformed him into something this
world had never seen before and has yet to see again.  The hell demon he
had called forth had been a powerful sorcerer, practitioner of the black
arts within his own dimension, but he had physically also been the
equivalent of a vampire here, with some very major differences. de Rais
rose from his grave more powerful than any vampire and any sorcerer of
the black arts this world has now or ever seen.  He became what is known
as a Living Vampire, one who can't be harmed by crosses, holy water,
stakes or sunlight."

"For over one hundred years he reined terror upon this world, he was
feared by even Vlad himself.  Finally, a powerful Wicca of the White
Arts created a spell that banished him to another hell dimension.  Not
unlike what was done to Glory. It was over another hundred years before
he was heard from again.  He had figured out a way to manifest himself
here, though he wasn't quite fully here physically nor could he stay
within this dimension for extended periods of time.  As far as we know,
there are only three magical feats he can perform within this realm.  A
glamour to disguise his appearance.  A spell to control soulless
vampires to do his bidding, though they become like what you saw
tonight, more Zombies than vampires and a spell to mask his and the
vampires presence from those able to detect them.  He cannot physically
manipulate or hold anything within this dimension with one exception.
Anything or anyone that attacks him or throws something directly at him,
he can manhandle, manipulate, use or kill.  It was why he was able to
use both the stake and the crossbow bolt.  He, himself cannot be killed
in this form and only an Immortal or a Slayer can actually cause him
harm.  There is only one way to destroy him and that is to unbind him
from his stolen immortality and powers.  But in order to do that, his
banishment must be lifted and he needs to be returned to this dimension.
None of us Immortals has the power to caste the spell that needs to be
used, nor do we even know if such a spell exists.  Only a Wicca of the
White Arts can caste it and they have deemed it too risky to try,
knowing from the past what exactly would happen should they fail."  Mars
stopped his pacing and walked back over to the couch and sat next to
Faith, he looked at both Slayers.

"I know not why he came after you two, and he seemed to have knowledge
of what had happened to you within Glory's hell.  Whatever his
knowledge, by what he said he did not know that we would interfere.  So
it is doubtful that he knew of your connection with us.  This scroll
though, this prophesy he spoke of worries me, I've never in my long life
ever heard mention of it, somehow he seems to think it will allow him to
return here in the flesh and considering that he came after the two of
you he must think that you could somehow stop it.  Have you ever heard
of this?"

Mars directed his question at the Fates.  He looked at them one by one,
but they shook their heads in denial of any knowledge of Rais, the
scroll, or why he attacked the Slayers.  He started to turn his head to
look at the Slayers again, when he saw the look exchanged between Crow
and his father, Chris.

Mars rose to his feet and in a blur was across the room holding Crow in
one hand and Chris in the other, up in the air by their throats.  He
snarled at them, ignoring Luc who tried to pull him away.

"What is it that you know and WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU WARN US?"

He continued to ignore the protests of all the others as he held Crow
and the retired Father Time dangling off the floor.  The other Immortals
knew better than to try to pull him away, he could seriously injure any
or all of them.

"Mars let them go.  They would never let any harm come to any of us.
They are family." Faith told him softly, having flown across the room
when she realized he would hurt them if he had to.  She couldn't let
that happen, not for her, not for Buffy, but most of all not for Mars'
own sake. She placed her hand lightly on his arm and in the same soft
voice asked him, "Please for me, let them go."

Mars turned his head and looked at the Dark Slayer; he saw fear in her
eyes.  Not for Crow and his father but for him, he blinked once, twice,
then let them go, shocked at his own behavior.

"I'm... I'm sorry... I don't know... I just..." He whispered, as he
backed away from them, he looked down at his hands as if they belonged
to someone else.  He was ashamed of his actions, unable to meet the eyes
of anyone in the room with him.  His eyes stayed on the floor when he
felt a hand come down on his shoulder.

"It's alright Mars.  I would have reacted the same way had it been my
child." Chris told him gently, then smiled as Mars' surprised eyes rose
to meet his.

"As would I..." Came Crow's strong, quiet, young voice. "We did not know
about Rais.  The Scroll he mentioned is the Dark Side's equivalent of
the Living Scroll that my Father read to you.  He made mention of
something in the Scroll that is not written in stone, may never come to
pass unless we force it to by the telling of it. If it does come to
pass, then all will be revealed.  Even we don't know the whole of it."

"Now that you know of Rais' power here within this realm he can not harm
you unless you give him the weapon to do it with.  We can work on
researching a spell to unbind him from the demon and to break his
control over the vampires should he come after the Slayers again."
Lachesis waited for nods of agreement from all gathered.

"And you Little One, will work with me to learn how to control your new
power so you don't poof the whole town.  I guess now we all and you know
what became of the mystical energy that you were created from." Lily
smiled at Dawn's eager expression and then laughed a little at the look
on the Slayers' faces. Lily wasn't the only one who started laughing at
the look on the Chosen One's faces they all did.

Neither Slayer knew what was worse, the thought of Dawn riding her
Scooter or wielding a power during her adolescence that could probably
level the whole town.  Spoiling the shit out of Dawn became a viable
option in both Slayers minds.  The Slayers decided they were just going
to ignore this whole Dawn thing for now.  They had set out to do
something tonight and they intended to finish it, especially after those
weird fucking premonition-like chills.  They looked at each other,
smiled, headed outside to the garden, they stopped, looked at each other
again then holding hands and talking quietly they started to make their
way back to the cemetery.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ready Fai?"

"I was born ready, B!"

"Incorrigible!  You're incorrigible S.O.!"

"That I am B!  And afterwards I'll take care of that Slayer Itch you
were, we were, talking about earlier, if you'll take care of mine..."

"One track mind, you have a one track mind, Fai..."

"That I do and you wouldn't have me any other way Giz..."

"You can bet your cute, little, firm, sweet, delicious, dimpled ass
you're right about that Fai..."

"And I'm the incorrigible one?  Pleaaaassseeee! But I wouldn't have you
any other way either Giz.... Now let's talk about my favorite cute
little ass, yours..."

The Chosen Two decided to ignore as well as they picked up the
sledgehammers, their whole family who had covertly, but very ineptly,
followed them in the shadows to their grave site.  They knew their
family had done it out of love and neither Slayer had the heart to fight
with them about it.  Not to mention it gave both Faith and Buffy that
damn corny-mushy-sappy warm fuzzy feeling inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you ~ would you
tell me how could it be any better than this ~ you calm the storms ~ you
give me rest ~ you hold me in your hands ~ you won't let me fall ~ you
still my heart ~ and you take my breath away ~ would you take me in ~
would you take me deeper  now ~ 'cause you're all i want ~ you are all i
need ~ you are everything ~ everything -- Lifehouse
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Lead-In

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

XXIII -- Heal Me (PartA - Teaser)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was pacing back and forth across the length of the living room.
Willow, Xander, Anya, James and Furball following her, their heads
swinging from side to side as if they were watching a tennis match and
Buffy was the fast-moving, agitated little yellow ball.  She had been
pacing for the last fifteen minutes, waiting for Faith to get her cute
little butt downstairs.  She could feel the beads of sweat creeping
their way down the valley between her breasts as she paced, she couldn't
remember August ever being this hot.  But if she was honest with herself
she would have admitted that she was sweating not from the heat but from
nerves and anxiety.  There were only a few things that made Buffy sweat
and heat was rarely one of them.

"What is she doing up there? She's been up there for over an hour.  She
knows! I know she knows!" Buffy asked, stated, snarled at the room in
general, who should have known better after the last few weeks then even
to bother trying to get a word in edgewise or answer her.

"Buffy she doesn't kno..." Willow tried hopefully, only to be cut off.

"Oooookayyyyy if she doesnвt know you want to tell me why the HELL she's
dragging her feet? She knows I tell you! She does! I know it! You know
it!  She knows it!  The whole goddamn WORLD KNOWS IT!!!! This was a
stupid idea. I should have known better, nothing but bad memories for
her on her you-know-what!!!"

"Buf..."

"BUT NOOOOO!  Not me! I'm gonna change all that. Yep me.  Stupid... oh
God... I'm so stupid and you... YOU ALL!" Buffy raised her voice and
pointed at the four of them, even Dusk, who swiftly hid his head under
the couch. His Light Slayer hadn't been this bad even when she and his
Dark Slayer hadn't played in a while, he didn't like this at all. "YOU
ALL!"

"Buffy, lower your voice or she'll hear you," Willow hissed at her best
friend in a loud whisper.

"You guys, you're supposed to be my friends! HOW could YOU let me be so
stupid?  You're supposed to be stop me from doing stupid stuff.  It's
like in the job description, the handbook, something, isn't it???  I'm
canceling the whole damn thing.  I AM! I really am! It was a stupid idea
anyway. Why did I ever let Lily talk me into it?  Why can't I just ever
leave things alone? Why?  Tell me why?  It's canceled, I am canceling
the thingy for her 'you-know-what!' All of it, everything, canceled.
And... AND... 'IT' the 'Other' thingy, well forget that too! Not
happening! No way! No how!  IT IS NOT HAPPENING!!!!"  Buffy threw her
hands up in the air and huffed over to the fireplace.

"Xander, tell her she can't cancel it now." Anya turned and looked at
her fianc", who just gave her his
absolutely-no-chance-in-hell-am-I-opening-my-mouth look.  "Buffy you
can't cancel. I already spent money, a lot more money than I wanted,
thanks to Xander who said I had to spend more than ten dollars.  He said
it wasn't enough, which I can't understand. And I can't return any of it
for a refund, just store credit, like I'd ever shop in that store for
anything for me," Anya informed Buffy, as if the fact that she had spent
money and could not get it back resolved the issue.  As far as she was
concerned it did, and Buffy would just have to see that.  It was money,
her money, after all!

Buffy glared at Anya then stalked over to the bottom of the stairs,
"FAITH!!!! COME ON ALREADY!!!!"  She stood glaring daggers up the long
flight of stairs, hands on her hips, foot tapping impatiently.

Faith practically jumped out of her skin when she heard Buffy screaming
on the top of her lungs for her.  She tore out of the bedroom and
stopped just shy of slamming into the wall opposite the door. She ran
down the hall and skidded to halt at the top of the stairs, smirked at
Buffy then yelled right back at her, "I NEED A FEW MORE MINUTES THEN
I'LL BE DOWN AND WE CAN GO! JUST HOLD YOUR HORSES B!"

"THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID OVER AN HOUR AGO TOO!" Buffy yelled right back up
to Faith.

"I SWEAR I'LL BE DOWN IN A MINUTE!" Faith yelled just as loud right back
down at her, and even though she should have known better, she mumbled
in a normal voice, "Exaggerate much? An hour my ass, B!"

"I HEARD THAT F!!!!"  Buffy screamed again at the top of her lungs.

"Friggin Slayer hearing sucks!"

"Heard that too F!!!"

The golden-haired Slayer spun around with a loud, long, overly dramatic
sigh, which was echoed promptly by the raven-haired Slayer, as she too
spun around and stomped off down the hallway back to the master bedroom.

Buffy glared at the four people sitting on the couch, then tried to
glare at Dusk but couldn't because once the yelling started he had
crawled completely under the couch, despite the fact that he was too big
to actually fit under there anymore. So Buffy glared at his tail instead
which was the only part of his body still visible, then turned the glare
back on her friends.

"IT! OVER! CANCELED! NOT DOING IT!!! Nope. Everything. Not happening.
So with the not happening!" Buffy turned on her heels, and started
pacing back and forth across the room again, pausing to glare at them
every time she passed the couch, mumbling under her breath.

Every time Buffy paused to glare at them, Willow had to cover the small
smile on her face with her hand.  She knew all the yelling and pacing
had nothing to do with the, 'You-know-what-thingy,' and everything to do
with the 'Other-It-thingy.'  And she couldn't help it, she just thought
it was goddess-damn cute.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike, Tara, Gary and Dawn who were sitting on the bed, weren't faring
much better upstairs in the Slayers' bedroom with Faith.

"Ya think she could yell for me one more time? It's not like we're gonna
miss a plane or something!" Faith snarled as she continued to throw all
the clothes in the dresser drawer up in the air like a lunatic. Her
nervousness and anxiety running a very close second to Buffy's, but
there was also a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that Buffy
wasn't feeling.  She pushed it aside and concentrated instead on finding
what it was she was destroying the bedroom for in her haphazard, almost
frantic search.

The bedroom was in shambles, clothing everywhere, and Tara had to bite
the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing aloud at the Dark Slayer.
Her actions reminding her of the night she and Willow had tried to help
Faith get ready for her first real date with Buffy.  It was funny but
not at the same time.

"Stupid -- idiot - lost.  How?  Tell me how?" Faith ranted disjointedly
for the billionth time in the last fifteen minutes. "How am I -- friggin'
idiot I am - supposed to go there without it?  Ass -- that's it -- I'm an
ass!  Dog -- ate -- neck -- ring it!"  She stormed away from the dresser
over to the wardrobe and flung open the double doors almost ripping them
off their hinges.

"Try and remember where you put it last..." Dawn said trying to be
helpful and almost immediately regretted it when Faith spun around and
pinned her with a glare of death.

"Ifffffff I could remember where I put it, then I wouldn't be looking
for it now would I Dawnie???" Faith spun back around and began pulling
clothes out of the wardrobe.

"I suppose not..." Came Dawn's hesitant reply.

"I bet ya she has it... I know she does.  It was like she knew I was
hiding something for her.  First I put it in with the sweaters and all
of a sudden while it's three hundred and fifty degrees outside, your
sister is cold and needs a sweater!  Then I put it in with my makeup and
all of sudden she wants to wear that lipstick that she hates on me, let
alone her.  She's part goddamn bloodhound I tell you!  No matter where I
put it in this huge friggin' house she suddenly had a desire to go
there.  Bloodhound, she probably had Furball helping her."

Faith kept growling and mumbling under her breath as she moved from the
wardrobe over to the nightstand next to the bed and almost tripped over
the pair of discarded pants on the floor that got tangled up in her
feet.  Tara watched her, then finally lost it and started to giggle, not
only at Faith, but at the play by play she was getting from Willow over
Buffy's similar tirade downstairs.  She and Willow had discovered over
the course of the last few months they had a similar type of bond as the
Slayers.  The difference between their bond and the Slayers was that not
only could they feel each other's emotions and see the images, they
could also speak to each other telepathically.  Lilith and Clotho
thought the reason they had this added perk was because they were not
only soul-mates but totally kick-ass Wicca's as well.  Tara started
laughing even harder when Faith turned around and growled at her like a
rabid dog.

"It's not funny!!!!"  Faith snarled at Tara, who just laughed harder at
her and pointed up at the chandelier, which had a black satin bra and a
black sheer thong hanging from it.  As Faith looked up at the
chandelier, she had a flashback to the same night Tara was thinking
about.  She looked at the blonde-haired witch and saw the twinkle in her
eye.  Hard as she tried, she couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from
twitching up into a smile of amusement.  "Come on... You know it really
isn't funny!"  Despite herself, Faith began to laugh, while Dawn, Spike
and Gary shot bewildered looks between the Slayer and the Wicca.

Tara and Faith grinned at each other like village idiots for a second or
two after they managed to stop laughing.  Then Faith's face changed to a
look of sorrow, frustration and something else that Tara couldn't put
her finger on as Faith's eyes scanned the room and once again didn't
find what she was searching for.

"Faith why don't you grab your stuff put your shoes on and go with Buffy
before she gets anymore frazzled and starts yelling again.  We'll look
for you, I think there is a spell that Willow and I can do to help us
find it.  Once we do, we'll call Lilith or Clotho to come get it for
you.  Okay?"  Tara asked her gently.

"Fine..." Faith mumbled under her breath, she bent over and grabbed one
of her Doc Martins.  She was frustrated, pissed, and worried that they
wouldn't find her anniversary gift for Buffy.  She kept mumbling under
her breath, berating herself as she shoved her foot into her boot with
almost enough force to rip through the leather.  "Mother-fu...OW!
Shit... goddamn -- son-of-OWOWOW!...." she yelled out as her toes slammed
hard into whatever rock-hard object was in the front of her boot.

She tore her foot out of the boot, turned it upside down shaking it and
stared open-mouthed at what fell out.

"Looks like we won't have to do that spell after all." Tara snickered,
then gave Faith a goofy-ass smile.

"Let me guess you put it in your shoe so you wouldn't forget it..." Gary
added sarcastically.

"Good one Infant! Find the gift and break your toes.  Can't wait to see
you explain this one, luv."  Spike chuckled, then ducked as a sneaker
came flying at his head.

"Oh this is going to be too good!" Piped in Dawn, as all four of them
started to giggle -- even Spike - while Faith huffed, pulled on her
Doc's, threw the gift in her backpack and started limping towards the
door.

"Ha ha! Real friggin' funny.  Regular bunch of comedians you are. Much
easier being evil and orphaned. Get some, get gone - no friends -- no
family -- no gifts - no anniversaries - no teasing - no whining, oh god I
whine now -- no blushing -- no nothing -- no fear and no damn broken
toes..." Faith growled under her breath as she limped out of the
bedroom.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's about damn time.  At the rate you were getting down here..." Buffy
started as she heard Faith making her way down the stairs.  She turned
around and immediately noticed the pained expression on Faith's face and
that she was limping.  She had been so caught up in her own little panic
attack that she had completely missed everything that Faith was feeling
via their bond. She immediately rushed over to the stairs, getting there
just as Faith made it to the bottom step, followed by four suspiciously
smirking family members.

"Faith, what happened?  Are you all right baby? Why are you limping?"
Buffy looked passed Faith to the four behind her on the stairs, "Why is
she limping?  WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER? WELL?!!? IF YOU HURT HER
I'M GONNA..." the rest of what she was shouting got lost in the half
growl, half rabid snarling that started to mix in with her words.

Nine pairs of astonished eyes focused on Buffy, she could feel them
burning into her skin.  Buffy was in a fine rage -- reminiscent of her
Hurricane Buffy days - and taking out her anxiety and nervousness on
them.

"B..." Faith tried, then tried again when Buffy ignored her and
continued to growl at their family. "B!!! Enough already! They didn't do
anything!  I slammed my foot into the corner of the nightstand while I
was trying to get my favorite bra?"  Faith sighed inside at her pathetic
lie.  She glared at the gang over Buffy's shoulder when she saw them
smirking at her, she just wasn't good at lying, never really had been.
She sighed again when her little support group behind her on the stairs
scooted around her and joined the rest of the gang in the living room,
leaving her alone to deal with her overly protective and somewhat rabid
mate.

Buffy's face turned beet-red when she became conscious of the sounds
that were actually coming from her.  She heard Willow and Tara both
stifle a giggle from behind her and her face got hotter as she realized
what an ass she was making of herself.  She gave Faith a sheepish grin
as she stood in front of her fidgeting.

"Ooops?" Buffy whispered hopefully to Faith, who just lifted an eyebrow
at her. "Sorry? I'm being over protective again aren't I? I just well...
when I saw you limping, I lost it... went into rabid, mama-bear mode
again and well I just..."

Faith just watched Buffy as she went into full-scale babble mode, making
absolutely no sense whatsoever.  She had the distinct impression that
the over-protectiveness -- which gave her the warm fuzzies -- the yelling
and now the babbling ranting had absolutely nothing to do with her
limping.  Something was making Buffy a nervous wreck and Faith wanted to
know what it was.  Buffy had been acting this way for the past few weeks
and it had gotten increasingly worse the closer they got to leaving for
the Cottage at the Lake.  She had been stumbling over her words,
babbling incessantly - even in bed -- pacing, twitching and avoiding
having anything that even remotely resembled a coherent conversation
with Faith at all costs.

Not to mention Buffy had been doing her utmost best to avoid being alone
anywhere with her except in bed and it was making Faith nervous,
insecure and scared.  She felt the nagging knot in the pit of her
stomach make itself known again as it twisted tighter.  It wasn't that
she doubted that Buffy loved her, was in love with her, but Buffy's
behavior over the last few weeks made her wonder if Buffy hadn't grown
tired, was losing interest in her, was second guessing their being
together as lovers, instead of just friends.  She began to wonder if
Buffy wasn't just trying to find some way to let her down easy, let her
down without hurting her.  On one hand, Faith was eagerly looking
forward to spending time alone with Buffy at the Lake and on the other
hand, she was dreading it with a passion, thus her semi-reluctance about
going.  She was hoping that their time there could repair, fix, bring to
the surface whatever it was that was making Buffy act the way she had
been acting, but Faith was also terrified of what the problem actually
was.

Why was she having all these thoughts now?  Why after two years -- both
mortal and hell dimension time combined - was she being so insecure
about her relationship with Buffy? Everything was going their way, they
were happy, the Dojo was doing great, Faith was now a full time
councilor at the center and Buffy was working full time at the Dojo.
Classes were starting in another few weeks and Faith was still having a
hard time believing that she was actually going to college, it was
another of her dreams she had thought would never come true.  She had a
family who might not be blood, but who loved her, would do anything for
her, would lay down their lives if need be and who she loved and would
do no less for in return.  She had an amazing, caring, warm, fiercely
protective, beautiful (both inside and out), passionate, funny, sexy,
sensual, shy, gentle, lovable woman who loved her with everything that
she was and who Faith loved in the same way.

So what if Buffy was acting a little strange? It wasn't like Buffy had
never acted strange before, well, not quite this strange but...  Still
and all, after all the years of being alone, with no one to love, to
trust or love her in return, of feeling empty inside and lost in a sea
of hate, fear and abuse, was she now going to spend the rest of her life
waiting for the other shoe to drop and always looking over her shoulder?
Or was she going to finally, finally after all this time, let all the
pain and insecurities go and believe what she saw everyday with her
eyes, heard with her ears and felt with her heart and soul?  Was she
finally going to just simply live life, be happy and enjoy what was
right there in front of her for the asking, a family, love, a life, a
future, her soul-mate?

As Faith continued to watch and listen to her babbling mate she felt
echoing to her through their bond, still strong, still complete, the
underlying unconditional love Buffy felt for her amidst the confusion,
the nerves, the self-doubting - the fear? - and the anxiety.  Whatever
it was that was causing Buffy to act this way, they could work out
together.  Because now after all this time, after all they had been
through, she wasn't going to start doubting what they had built, what
they had together, how they felt about each other because she was
feeling a little insecure and needy and Buffy was acting a little bit
strange lately.  She had made a promise to Buffy a little over a year
ago in the kitchen of the cottage and she had every intention of keeping
it.

With the will made out of steel that had served Faith so well throughout
her life, she squashed underfoot the nagging doubts and insecurities
twisting the pit of her stomach into chokehold knots.  She crushed them
beneath her mental boot heel with a vengeance, far beneath the ground
and instead concentrated on the love, the happiness, the joy that being
with Buffy and her family made her feel.  She smiled softly as she
waited for Buffy to finish her babbling.

"...Okay well... we're gonna go now, we'll see you all in three days."
Buffy ended her babble, grabbed Faith's hand, and began pulling her
towards the garden doors.  They only made it a few steps when Buffy
realized that Faith was still limping a little.  "You really stubbed
your toes hard didn't you?"

"Yep... Thinkin' I might of jammed my big toe. No biggie, be fine in a
little bit.  Slayer healin and all."  She ignored the snickers from the
four people who knew how she actually jammed her toe.

"Ow..." Buffy gave Faith a sympathetic look, "Are you going to be able
to walk to the cottage?"

"Sure, if we go slow." Faith just shrugged, it wasn't that bad, just
hurt like a bitch was all.

Buffy squinted her eyes a little as she looked at Faith, she cocked her
head to the side then an idea came to her.  She gave Faith an impish
grin, "Want a piggyback ride?"

"A piggyback ride?" Faith asked as if she had never heard of it before
and Buffy had spoken to her in Japanese.

"Yeah, a piggyback ride." Buffy responded with a smirk.

Faith couldn't remember the last time she had a piggyback ride, in fact,
she couldn't remember if she ever had one at all.  The idea of Buffy
giving her a piggyback ride began to have a certain appeal as Faith
visualized it.  Her body, her breasts, pressed tightly to Buffy's back,
her legs wrapped around Buffy's waist, her arms around Buffy's
shoulders, Buffy's neck within kissing distance, and Buffy's breasts
within hands reach.  Oh yeah, a piggyback ride definitely had a certain
type of appeal for Faith and her overactive libido, though Buffy
certainly was no slouch in that department either.

"Well???" Buffy questioned with a sigh of impatience and nervousness
that had escaped her before she could stop it.

"Why not." Faith shrugged trying to appear casual as a trillion
different images filtered through her mind. The room suddenly became
insufferably hot and the crotch of her button-fly leather pants became
almost unbearably tight.  She could feel the sweat begin to slide down
her back and pool between her breasts and like Buffy, there were few
things that made Faith sweat and having these kinds of thoughts was
definitely one of them.

She slipped her arms into her backpack while Buffy turned around and
presented her back to her, squatting down a little.  Faith hopped right
up onto Buffy's back exactly the way she had pictured it, a slight gasp
escaping her as the seam of her leather pants pressed hard into her very
moist, warm center as it came into contact with Buffy's back. Her legs
instinctively tightened around Buffy's hips, as Buffy's hands came up to
grab the underside of her thighs supporting her, burning handprints
right through her leather with their heat. She knew right then that more
piggyback rides were going to be in her future.  A silent chuckle echoed
through her head at the thought and the fact that despite how much she
had changed, grown as a person, just like her love of Slaying hadn't
changed or the physical consequences of a good Slay, another thing about
her that hadn't changed was the fact that she truly did have a sinfully,
wickedly evil mind.  A mischievous light started to twinkle in her eyes
and being who she was, she couldn't have stopped the impish words from
falling from her mouth even if she had been gagged.

"Getty-up! YEE-HAA!  Ride'em cowboy!  HI-HO Silver, and away!!!" she
reached down with one hand and gave Buffy a firm smack on the ass and
dug her heels in as if she were really riding a horse.  When Buffy
didn't move right away Faith reached down again and gave her another
very loud smack on the ass.

"HEY!!! I'll give you getty-up all right!" Buffy screeched, "Just keep
it up oh Miss Smart-Ass and this here horsey is gonna buck you right off
her back!!!"

Faith leaned down and brought her mouth close to Buffy's ear and blew
softly on her neck, she purred out in a husky tone, "You can try Giz.
'Sides I like it when you buck underneath, into and on me. Like it when
you're writhing, squirming against me, like it too when you thrust into
me, on me, like too when I'm riding you, like it when you..." To
emphasis her words,  Faith thrust her pelvis against Buffy's back and
tightened her legs around her hips, squeezing Buffy, letting her feel
their strength, the movements though were so faint that only Buffy would
have noticed or been able to see them.

"Okay! Okay I get it, I get the picture!!!" Buffy hissed, oh boy did she
ever get those pictures!  Her whole body clenched with desire, zinged
with heat, lust from those pictures.  Her body shuddered when she felt
the tip of Faith's tongue sneak out and trace the shell of her ear.  She
started walking towards the garden doors on legs that grew steadily
shakier as Faith kept sneaking quick tastes of her neck with the tip of
her tongue.

The rush of arousal was almost instantaneous for both Slayers and
further compounded by the fact that they hadn't made love in almost
three full days, which to both of them felt like the equivalent of a
lifetime, rather than thirty-six hours.

"Dusk, come on.  Lets go!" Buffy choked out harshly, trying to stifle
the moan that tried to escape as she felt that same pink tongue that had
tasted her neck just seconds ago trace along the shell of her ear again.
She had never known her ear was such an erogenous zone, until Faith that
is, then again with Faith there wasn't a part of her body that didn't
become an erogenous zone, Faith made sure of that. She stopped halfway
to the doors when she realized that Dusk wasn't following.

"DUSK!!!" she yelled again.  Buffy really wanted, really needed to get
away from everyone as fast as possible, her mission in life at this
second was to taste the insistent pink tongue of her Dark Slayer's with
her own.

Buffy turned around back towards the living room, when she realized that
the soft whimpering sounds she was hearing weren't her own or Faith's,
but Dusk's.  It suddenly dawned on her the last time she had seen their
puppy he had wedged his whole body underneath the couch, and then she
remembered that it had been a month or two since Dusk had been small
enough to fit under there.

"Dusk?" Buffy called softly again.  Her eyes widened a little when she
saw the tip of his tail wagging from under the couch and the whimper
came once again from him.  She walked back over to the couch and started
to bend down then stopped when she realized her bending over would only
topple her and Faith right onto the ground.  She waved her hand
indicating to those on the couch to get up.

"How the hell did he get under there?" Faith asked from over Buffy's
shoulder, giving up for the moment the meal she was making out of
Buffy's sweet skin.

"He forced his way under there to get away from Buffy's yelling --
babbling -- yelling -- glaring -- babbling -- pacing - babbling..."

"Enough we get the point Anya!" Buffy near shouted at the blonde
ex-demon.  She grabbed the arm of the couch with both hands and lifted
it like it weighed nothing and she didn't have a one-hundred-twenty
pound well-muscled, hot, luscious raven-haired Slayer on her back.
"Come out of there you goofball," she chuckled at Dusk.

Dusk sprang up to his paws with a half sighed-woof.  He thought they had
forgotten about him.  He scrambled out from under the monster that had
been holding him captive -- the rose-colored couch that was now a demon
in his mind -- eternally grateful that his Light Slayer had Slayed the
demon-couch for him.  He barked up at his Slayers', wagging his tail
like an over-wound toy top, happy to see them and happy at the scent
they were giving off.  He gave them his goofy-puppy-dog smile, his
tongue hanging out of his mouth, barked at them one more time then tore
up the stairs.

"DUSK GET BACK HERE NOW!!!"  Buffy screamed after his fast retreating
furry back. "DUSK!!! GET DOWN HERE NOW! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE YOU
LITTLE FURBALL!!!"

"Sure, yelling at him is gonna' work like a charm B, considering that's
what made him squish himself under the couch in the first place.  Wonder
where he's gonna try to squi..." Faith trailed off as Dusk came
streaking back down the stairs, the black and white stuffed panthers
securely held by their ears in his mouth.  They were his friends, it
wouldn't be right to leave them at home -- now would it?

Dusk sat down in front of his Slayers.  His tail once more going a
mile-a-minute, he was ready to go now.  He couldn't wait to get to the
Immortals' domain.  Couldn't wait until he got to see his mate, Cinder,
a silver-gray, indigo-eyed female Husky who was two months younger then
him and belonged to Lily, the Green Mother.

"I guess he felt he might need some backup just in case you started
doing the whole babbling-yelling-babbling - did I say babbling? - thing
again Buffy." Willow snickered at Buffy who chose to pay no heed to both
Willow and the comment for the moment.

Buffy turned around, ignoring the eight people who were snickering at
her, headed back towards the garden doors, nose in the air arrogantly
with Dusk trotting next to her right foot like he had been taught and
Faith on her back getting a piggyback ride.  Their snickering quickly
turned to out and out belly laughs.  She tried too, without success, to
ignore Faith's renewed nibbling along her neck and the hot flush of
arousal that it caused.  She dramatically threw the doors open wide,
step outside and shouted over her shoulder, "FOR THE RECORD I DON'T
BABBLE!!! EVER!!!"

"Right... And Willow and Fred don't either... Buffy..." Came Tara's
smirked reply.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy gave a grateful sigh as she stepped out of the portal onto the
dirt path that neither Slayer had seen in almost a full year and then
she began again to do exactly what she had told the gang in Mansion she
didn't do.  Babble.  She went from babbling about missing the cottage,
to the kid with the broken glasses that had come into the dojo last
week, to the funny smell that she had noticed out by the garage the week
before, to...

And Buffy kept right on babbling about nonsense and every other stupid,
idiotic, dumb thing she could think of as long as it didn't relate to
them and their relationship.  Babbled like the village idiot, because
she was afraid if she didn't babble inanely about everything and nothing
at all, she would just give into her fears and nerves and blurt out her
plans for Faith, for herself and spoil it all.  Leave it to her to plan
not one, but two things that concerned not just Faith, but herself as
well, for their twenty day stay - though it was only two and a half days
Earth time - at the cottage by the lake.

{Leave it to me and my limited intelligence not to mention my poor
imagination to pick two things that would leave me not only nervous, but
fearful, anxious, full of self-doubt and totally insecure!!!  Score one
for me Elizabeth Anne 'B -- Giz --Buffy' Summers the mental giant of all
Slayers and so not the sharpest crayon in the box. Oh, for Christ's
sakes, now I'm friggin babbling in my head too. Got diarrhea of the
mouth. I wonder if they make a Pepto for this?}

All this went through her mind as she tried to ignore Faith's insistent
nibbling of her neck.  Harder still, she tried to ignore Faith's hand,
which had made its way under the neck of her shirt and was currently
torturing her nipple. Oh and lest she forget she tried to ignore without
success, Faith's hot core which was lightly grinding, pressing, circling
into her lower back and burning a hole right through her.  Buffy had to
admit though, that Faith was doing a good job of replacing her
nervousness, fear, anxiety, and self-doubting with emotions of a whole
'nother kind all together.  And they were quickly burning a path through
her mind, heart, body and soul with their intensity.

{I wonder if Faith would noticed if I started running towards the
cottage like Satan was nipping at my heels?  Oh shit! That doesn't work
anymore, Luc's one of the good guys.  OH GOD!!! She's gonna give me a
heart attack!  Don't care, it'd be worth it as long as she doesn't stop
what she's doing. NAKED!  Naked would be good now, bed too, forest
floor, up against a tree... Wanna be naked, naked with a naked luscious,
tasty Faith. Yum, yum!  Me, Faith, naked, hands, tongues, sweaty,
kissing, touching, cumming... OH cumming would be good too, lots of
that, yep and I so didn't just think that did I? Blushing now... Oh GOD
does she even realize what she's doing to me?  Gonna melt right here,
right now, into a big, babbling, begging, pleading, very wet, hot,
Slayer -- OH GOD - puddle of need!}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was enjoying her piggyback ride immensely!  She had tuned out
Buffy's inane babbling the second she had started again.  Instead, she
concentrated on listening to the echoes she was getting from Buffy via
their bond and on finding all of Buffy's sensitive spots. She was
humming lightly as she nipped, tasted, licked, and sucked her way over
all of Buffy's deliciously exposed -- not to mention tasty - neck and
shoulders.  She couldn't, even if she lived a million lifetimes, never,
ever, get enough of the taste of Buffy.  Buffy had her own unique
flavor, not quite sweet, but not quite spicy either.  It was both earthy
and tangy-sweet, like peaches, or berries that were almost, but not
wholly ripe yet and as far as Faith was concerned, it was a taste that
surely rivaled the nectar of the gods itself.  Then again, who was she
kidding, she would think the same thing if Buffy tasted like old shoe
leather and worn out car tires, simply because it was Buffy.

As she let her mouth and tongue stroll over Buffy's neck and shoulders,
she let her left hand start its own meandering path down Buffy's throat.
Her fingertips gliding lightly, pausing briefly to dawdle in the hollow
of Buffy's throat, then move to whisper across her collarbone.  She
paused again briefly in the hollow, then followed to capture the beads
of sweat that blazed a trail downward between Buffy's breasts.

She smiled around the bit of flesh she was teasing with her teeth when
she felt Buffy's hands that were holding her thighs tighten and the
cadence of her babbling speed up, her voice getting slightly deeper,
throatier.  She idly played with the top edge of the spaghetti-strapped
lycra top Buffy had on, tracing along the neckline, letting a single
finger occasionally sneak under the material to graze the top of Buffy's
breasts.  Finally, she gave into her own need to touch, to elicit a
response from Buffy other than babbling, and to appease her own need for
reassurance that her earlier fears were not coming to fruition. She
slowly slid her hand beneath Buffy's shirt, her fingers tingling with
anticipation as she climbed up the slope of Buffy's breast.  She didn't
have to look to know that Buffy's nipple was already puckered, waiting,
begging for her touch and her own nipples grew hard in response.

Unconsciously she began to rotate herself against Buffy's lower back,
her legs tightening just a bit more as her fingertips lightly grazed the
uneven but still silky soft skin of Buffy's aureole.  She circled
Buffy's nipple like a vulture, then veered off and made her way downward
towards the underside of her breast, smiling again as she heard the
disappointed moan mix in amid Buffy's non-stop babbling, she felt it
too, echoing through their bond.  Instinctively, or innately Faith let
her love, her passion, her need, her devotion for Buffy flow back to
her.

So much had changed for her over the last two years, she couldn't
imagine now, ever going back to being the 'get some, get gone or
want-take-have' girl.  What once had made her feel unclean, degraded,
helpless, sullied, violated, now made her feel beautiful, respected,
clean, cherished, loved, no matter what the context or how she and Buffy
touched each other and it was Buffy who had done that for her,
unselfishly and with nothing but the purest intent.  And over the last
year Faith had finally started to truly see in the mirror the person
that everyone else saw.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ain't it crazy ~ For a moment there ~ This felt just like dying ~ But
now I see that something inside ~ Is coming alive ~ Ain't it crazy ~
~ No use running from a revolution ~ I just surrender to this
evolution...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was pacing back and forth across the length of the living room.
Willow, Xander, Anya, James and Furball followed her pacing, their heads
swinging from side to side as if they were watching a tennis match and
Buffy was the fast-moving, agitated little yellow ball.  She had been
pacing for the last fifteen minutes, waiting for Faith to get her cute
little butt downstairs.  She could feel the beads of sweat creeping
their way down the valley between her breasts as she paced, she couldn't
remember August ever being this hot.  But if she was honest with herself
she would have admitted that she was sweating not from the heat but from
nerves and anxiety.  There were only a few things that made Buffy sweat,
and heat was rarely one of them.

"What is she doing up there? She's been up there for over an hour.  She
knows! I know she knows!" Buffy asked, snarled at the room in general
and after the last few weeks everyone there should have known better
then to even try to get a word in edgewise or answer her.

"Buffy she doesn't kno..." Willow tried softly only to be cut off once
again.

"Oooookayyyyy if she doesnвt know you want to tell me why the HELL she's
dragging her feet? She knows I tell you! She does! I know it! You know
it!  She knows it!  The whole goddamn WORLD KNOWS IT!!!! This was a
stupid idea. I should have known better, nothing but bad memories for
her on her you-know-what!!!"

"Buf..."

"BUT NOOOOO!  Not me! I'm gonna change all that. Yep me.  Stupid... oh
God... I'm so stupid and you... YOU ALL!" Buffy raised her voice and
pointed at the four of them, even Dusk, who swiftly hid his head under
the couch. His Light Slayer hadn't been this bad even when she and his
Dark Slayer hadn't played in a while, he didn't like this at all. "YOU
ALL!"

"Buffy, lower your voice or she'll hear you," Willow hissed at her best
friend in a loud whisper.

"You guys, you're supposed to be my friends! HOW could YOU let me be so
stupid?  You're supposed to be stop me from doing stupid stuff.  It's
like in the job description, the handbook, something, isn't it???  I'm
canceling the whole damn thing.  I AM! I really am! It was a stupid idea
anyway. Why did I ever let Lily talk me into it?  Why can't I just ever
leave things alone? Why?  Tell me why?  It's canceled, I am canceling
the thingy for her 'you-know-what!' All of it, everything, canceled.
And... AND... 'IT' the 'Other' thingy, well forget that too! Not
happening! No way! No how!  IT IS NOT HAPPENING!!!!"  Buffy threw her
hands up in the air and huffed over to the fireplace.

"Xander, tell her she can't cancel it now." Anya turned and looked at
her fianc", who just gave her his
absolutely-no-chance-in-hell-am-I-opening-my-mouth look.  "Buffy you
can't cancel. I already spent money, a lot more money than I wanted,
thanks to Xander who said I had to spend more than ten dollars.  He said
it wasn't enough, which I can't understand. And I can't return any of it
for a refund, just store credit, like I'd ever shop in that store for
anything for me," Anya informed Buffy, as if the fact that she had spent
money and couldn't get it back resolved the issue.  As far as she was
concerned it did, and Buffy would just have to see that, it was money,
her money, after all.

Buffy glared at Anya then stalked over to the bottom of the stairs,
"FAITH!!!! COME ON ALREADY!!!!"  She stood glaring daggers up the long
flight of stairs, hands on her hips, foot tapping impatiently.

Faith practically jumped out of her skin when she heard Buffy screaming
on the top of her lungs for her.  She tore out of the bedroom and
stopped just shy of slamming into the wall opposite the door. She ran
down the hall and skidded to halt at the top of the stairs, smirked at
Buffy then yelled right back at her, "I NEED A FEW MORE MINUTES THEN
I'LL BE DOWN AND WE CAN GO! JUST HOLD YOUR HORSES B!"

"THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID OVER AN HOUR AGO TOO!" Buffy yelled right back up
to Faith.

"I SWEAR I'LL BE DOWN IN A MINUTE!" Faith yelled just as loud right back
down at her, and even though she should have known better, she mumbled
in a normal voice, "Exaggerate much? An hour my ass, B!"

"I HEARD THAT F!!!!"  Buffy screamed again at the top of her lungs.

"Friggin Slayer hearing sucks!"

"Heard that too F!!!"

The golden-haired Slayer spun around with a loud, long, overly dramatic
sigh, which was promptly echoed by the raven-haired Slayer as she too
spun around and stomped off down the hallway back to the master bedroom.

Buffy glared at the four people sitting on the couch, then tried to
glare at Dusk but couldn't because once the yelling started he had
crawled completely under the couch, despite the fact that he was too big
to actually fit under there anymore. So Buffy glared at his tail instead
which was the only part of his body still visible, then turned the glare
back on her friends.

"IT. OVER. CANCELED. Not doing it. Nope. Everything. Not happening.  So
with the not happening!" Buffy turned on her heels, and started pacing
back and forth across the room again, pausing to glare at them every
time she passed the couch, mumbling under her breath.

Every time Buffy paused to glare at them, Willow had to cover the small
smile on her face with her hand.  She knew all the yelling and pacing
had nothing to do with the, 'You-know-what-thingy,' and everything to do
with the 'Other-It-thingy.'  And she couldn't help it, she just thought
it was Goddess-damn cute.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike, Tara, Gary and Dawn who were sitting on the bed, weren't faring
much better upstairs in the Slayers' bedroom with Faith.

"Ya think she could yell for me one more time? It's not like we're gonna
miss a plane or something!" Faith snarled as she continued to throw all
the clothes in the dresser drawer up in the air like a lunatic. Her
nervousness and anxiety running a very close second to Buffy's, but
there was also a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that Buffy
wasn't feeling.  She pushed it aside and concentrated instead on finding
what it was she was destroying the bedroom for in her haphazard, frantic
search.

The bedroom was in shambles, clothing everywhere, and Tara had to bite
the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud at the Dark
Slayer.  Her actions reminding her of the night she and Willow had tried
to help Faith get ready for her first real date with Buffy.  It was
funny but not at the same time.

"Stupid -- idiot - lost.  How?  Tell me how?" Faith ranted disjointedly
for the billionth time in the last fifteen minutes. "How am I -- friggin'
idiot I am - supposed to go there without it?  Ass -- that's it -- I'm an
ass!  Dog -- ate -- neck -- ring it!"  She stormed away from the dresser
over to the wardrobe and flung open the double doors almost ripping them
off their hinges.

"Try and remember where you put it last..." Dawn said trying to be
helpful and almost immediately regretted it when Faith spun around and
pinned her with a glare of death.

"Ifffffff I could remember where I put it, then I wouldn't be looking
for it now would I Dawnie???" Faith spun back around and began pulling
clothes out of the wardrobe.

"I suppose not..." Came Dawn's hesitant reply.

"I bet ya she has it... I know she does.  It was like she knew I was
hiding something for her.  First I put it in with the sweaters and all
of a sudden while it's three hundred and fifty degrees outside, your
sister is cold and needs a sweater!  Then I put it in with my makeup and
all of sudden she wants to wear that lipstick that she hates on me, let
alone her.  She's part goddamn bloodhound I tell you!  No matter where I
put it in this huge friggin' house she suddenly had a desire to go
there.  Bloodhound, she probably had Furball helping her."

Faith kept growling and mumbling under her breath as she moved from the
wardrobe over to the nightstand next to the bed and almost tripped over
the pair of discarded pants on the floor that got tangled up in her
feet.  Tara watched her, then finally lost it and started to giggle, not
only at Faith, but at the play by play she was getting from Willow over
Buffy's similar tirade downstairs.  She and Willow had discovered over
the course of the last few months they had a similar type of bond as the
Slayers.  The difference between their bond and the Slayers, was that
not only could they feel each other's emotions and see the images, they
could also speak to each other telepathically.  Lilith and Clotho
thought the reason they had this added perk was because they were not
only soul-mates but totally kick-ass Wicca's as well.  Tara started
laughing even harder when Faith turned around and growled at her like a
rabid dog.

"It's not funny!!!!"  Faith snarled at Tara, who just laughed harder at
her and pointed up at the chandelier, which had a black satin bra and a
black sheer thong hanging from it.  As Faith looked up at the
chandelier, she had a flashback to the same night Tara was thinking
about.  She looked at the blonde-haired witch and saw the twinkle in her
eye.  Hard as she tried, she couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from
twitching up into a smile of amusement.  "Come on... You know it really
isn't funny!"  Despite herself, Faith began to laugh, while Dawn, Spike
and Gary shot bewildered looks between the Slayer and the Wicca.

Tara and Faith grinned at each other like village idiots for a second or
two after they managed to stop laughing.  Then Faith's face, turned into
a look of sorrow, frustration and something else that Tara couldn't put
her finger on as Faith's eyes scanned the room and once again didn't
find what she was searching for.

"Faith why don't you grab your stuff, put your shoes on and go with
Buffy before she gets anymore frazzled and starts yelling again.  We'll
look for you, I think there is a spell that Willow and I can do to help
us find it.  Once we do, we'll call Lilith or Clotho to come get it for
you.  Okay?"  Tara asked her gently.

"Fine..." Faith mumbled under her breath, she bent over, and grabbed one
of her Doc Martins.  She was frustrated, pissed, and worried that they
wouldn't find her anniversary gift for Buffy.  She kept mumbling under
her breath, berating herself as she shoved her foot into her boot with
almost enough force to rip through the leather.  "Mother-fu...OW!
Shit... goddamn -- son-of-OWOWOW!...." she yelled out as her toes slammed
hard into whatever rock-hard object was in the front of her boot.

She tore her foot out of the boot, turned it upside down shaking it and
stared open-mouthed at what fell out.

"Looks like we won't have to do that spell after all." Tara snickered,
then gave Faith a goofy-ass smile.

"Let me guess you put it in your shoe so you wouldn't forget it..." Gary
added sarcastically.

"Good one Infant! Find the gift and break your toes.  Can't wait to see
you explain this one, luv."  Spike chuckled, then ducked as a sneaker
came flying at his head.

"Oh this is going to be too good!" Piped in Dawn, as all four of them
started to giggle -- even Spike - while Faith huffed, pulled on her
Doc's, threw the gift in her backpack and started limping towards the
door.

"Ha ha! Real friggin' funny.  Regular bunch of comedians you are. Much
easier being evil and orphaned. Get some, get gone - no friends -- no
family -- no gifts - no anniversaries - no teasing - no whining, oh god I
whine now -- no blushing -- no nothing -- no fear and no damn broken
toes..." Faith growled under her breath as she made her way out of the
bedroom.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's about damn time.  At the rate you were getting down here..." Buffy
started as she heard Faith making her way down the stairs.  She turned
around and immediately noticed the pained expression on Faith's face and
that she was limping.  She had been so caught up in her own little panic
attack that she had completely missed everything that Faith was feeling
via their bond. She immediately rushed over to the stairs, getting there
just as Faith made it to the bottom step, followed by four suspiciously
smirking family members.

"Faith, what happened?  Are you all right baby? Why are you limping?"
Buffy looked passed Faith to the four behind her on the stairs, "Why is
she limping?  WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER? WELL?!!? IF YOU HURT HER
I'M GONNA..." the rest of what she was shouting got lost in the half
growl, half rabid snarling that started to mix in with her words.

Nine pairs of astonished eyes focused on Buffy, she could feel them
burning into her skin.  Buffy was in a fine rage -- reminiscent of her
Hurricane Buffy days - and taking out her anxiety and nervousness on
them.

"B..." Faith tried, then tried again when Buffy ignored her and
continued to growl at their family. "B!!! Enough already! They didn't do
anything!  I slammed my foot into the corner of the nightstand while I
was trying to get my favorite bra?"  Faith sighed inside at her pathetic
lie.  She glared at the gang over Buffy's shoulder when she saw them
smirking at her, she just wasn't good at lying, never really had been.
She sighed again when her little support group behind her on the stairs
scooted around her and joined the rest of the gang in the living room
leaving her alone to deal with her overly protective and somewhat rabid
mate.

Buffy's face turned beet-red when she became conscious of the sounds
that were actually coming from her.  She heard Willow and Tara both
stifle a giggle from behind her and her face got hotter as she realized
what an ass she was making of herself.  She gave Faith a sheepish grin
as she stood in front of her fidgeting.

"Ooops?" Buffy whispered hopefully to Faith, who just lifted an eyebrow
at her. "Sorry? I'm being over protective again aren't I? I just well...
when I saw you limping, I lost it... went into rabid, mama-bear mode
again and well I just..."

Faith just watched Buffy as she went into full-scale babble mode, making
absolutely no sense whatsoever.  She had the distinct impression that
the over-protectiveness -- which gave her the warm fuzzies -- the yelling
and now the babbling ranting had absolutely nothing to do with her
limping.  Something was making Buffy a nervous wreck and Faith wanted to
know what it was.  Buffy had been acting this way for the past few weeks
and it had gotten increasingly worse the closer they got to leaving for
the Cottage at the Lake.  She had been stumbling over her words,
babbling incessantly - even in bed -- pacing, twitching and avoiding
having anything that even remotely resembled a coherent conversation
with Faith at all costs.

Not to mention Buffy had been doing her utmost best to avoid being alone
anywhere with her except in bed and it was making Faith nervous,
insecure and scared.  She felt the nagging knot in the pit of her
stomach make itself known again as it twisted tighter.  It wasn't that
she doubted that Buffy loved her, was in love with her, but Buffy's
behavior over the last few weeks made her wonder if Buffy hadn't grown
tired, was losing interest in her, was second guessing their being
together as lovers, instead of just friends.  She began to wonder if
Buffy wasn't just trying to find some way to let her down easy, let her
down without hurting her.  On one hand, Faith was eagerly looking
forward to spending time alone with Buffy at the Lake and on the other
hand, she was dreading it with a passion, thus her semi-reluctance about
going.  She was hoping that their time there could repair, fix, bring to
the surface whatever it was that was making Buffy act the way she had
been acting, but Faith was also terrified of what the problem actually
was.

Why was she having all these thoughts now?  Why after two years -- both
mortal and hell dimension time combined - was she being so insecure
about her relationship with Buffy? Everything was going their way, they
were happy, the Dojo was doing great, Faith was now a full time
councilor at the center and Buffy was working full time at the Dojo.
Classes were starting in another few weeks and Faith was still having a
hard time believing that she was actually going to college, it was
another of her dreams she had thought would never come true.  She had a
family who might not be blood, but who loved her, would do anything for
her, would lay down their lives if need be and who she loved and would
do no less for in return.  She had an amazing, caring, warm, fiercely
protective, beautiful (both inside and out), passionate, funny, sexy,
sensual, shy, gentle, lovable woman who loved her with everything that
she was and who Faith loved in the same way.

So what if Buffy was acting a little strange? It wasn't like Buffy had
never acted strange before, well, not quite this strange but...  Still
and all, after all the years of being alone, with no one to love, to
trust or love her in return, of feeling empty inside and lost in a sea
of hate, fear and abuse, was she now going to spend the rest of her life
waiting for the other shoe to drop and always looking over her shoulder?
Or was she going to finally, finally after all this time, let all the
pain and insecurities go and believe what she saw everyday with her
eyes, heard with her ears and felt with her heart and soul?  Was she
finally going to just simply live life, be happy and enjoy what was
right there in front of her for the asking, a family, love, a life, a
future, her soul-mate?

As Faith continued to watch and listen to her babbling mate she felt
echoing to her through their bond, still strong, still complete, the
underlying unconditional love Buffy felt for her amidst the confusion,
the nerves, the self-doubting - the fear? - and the anxiety.  Whatever
it was that was causing Buffy to act this way, they could work out
together.  Because now after all this time, after all they had been
through, she wasn't going to start doubting what they had built, what
they had together, how they felt about each other because she was
feeling a little insecure and needy and Buffy was acting a little bit
strange lately.  She had made a promise to Buffy a little over a year
ago in the kitchen of the cottage and she had every intention of keeping
it.

With the will made out of steel that had served Faith so well throughout
her life, she squashed underfoot the nagging doubts and insecurities
twisting the pit of her stomach into chokehold knots.  She crushed them
beneath her mental boot heel with a vengeance, far beneath the ground
and instead concentrated on the love, the happiness, the joy that being
with Buffy and her family made her feel.  She smiled softly as she
waited for Buffy to finish her babbling.

"...Okay well... we're gonna go now, we'll see you all in three days."
Buffy ended her babble, grabbed Faith's hand, and began pulling her
towards the garden doors.  They only made it a few steps when Buffy
realized that Faith was still limping a little.  "You really stubbed
your toes hard didn't you?"

"Yep... Thinkin' I might of jammed my big toe. No biggie, be fine in a
little bit.  Slayer healin and all."  She ignored the snickers from the
four people who knew how she actually jammed her toes.

"Ow..." Buffy gave Faith a sympathetic look, "Are you going to be able
to walk to the cottage?"

"Sure if we go slow." Faith just shrugged, it wasn't that bad, just hurt
like a bitch was all.

Buffy squinted her eyes a little as she looked at Faith, she cocked her
head to the side then an idea came to her.  She gave Faith an impish
grin, "Want a piggyback ride?"

"A piggyback ride?" Faith asked as if she had never heard of it before
and Buffy had spoken to her in Japanese.

"Yeah, a piggyback ride." Buffy responded with a smirk.

Faith couldn't remember the last time she had a piggyback ride, in fact,
she couldn't remember if she ever had one at all.  The idea of Buffy
giving her a piggyback ride began to have a certain appeal as Faith
visualized it.  Her body, her breasts, pressed tightly to Buffy's back,
her legs wrapped around Buffy's waist, her arms around Buffy's
shoulders, Buffy's neck within kissing distance, and Buffy's breasts
within hands reach.  Oh yeah, a piggyback ride definitely had a certain
type of appeal for Faith and her ever overactive libido, though Buffy
certainly was no slouch in that department either.

"Well???" Buffy questioned with a sigh of impatience and nervousness
that had escaped her before she could stop it.

"Why not." Faith shrugged trying to appear casual as a trillion
different images filtered through her mind. The room suddenly became
insufferably hot and the crotch of her button-fly leather pants became
almost unbearably tight.  She could feel the sweat begin to slide down
her back and pool between her breasts and like Buffy, there were only a
few things that made Faith sweat and having these kinds of thoughts was
definitely one of them.

She slipped her arms into her backpack while Buffy turned around and
presented her back to her, squatting down a little.  Faith hopped right
up onto Buffy's back exactly the way she had pictured it, a slight gasp
escaping her as the seam of her leather pants pressed hard into her very
moist, warm center as it came into contact with Buffy's back. Her legs
instinctively tightened around Buffy's hips, as Buffy's hands came up to
grab the underside of her thighs supporting her, burning handprints
right through her leather with their heat. She knew right then that more
piggyback rides were going to be in her future.  A silent chuckle echoed
through her head at the thought and the fact that despite how much she
had changed, grown as a person, just like her love of Slaying hadn't
changed or the physical consequences of a good Slay, another thing about
her that hadn't changed was the fact that she truly did have a sinfully,
wickedly evil mind.  A mischievous light started to twinkle in her eyes
and being who she was, she couldn't have stopped the impish words from
falling from her mouth even if she had been gagged.

"Getty-up! YEE-HAA!  Ride'em cowboy!  HI-HO Silver, and away!!!" she
reached down with one hand and gave Buffy a firm smack on the ass and
dug her heels in as if she were really riding a horse.  When Buffy
didn't move right away Faith reached down again and gave her another
very loud smack on the ass.

"HEY!!! I'll give you getty-up all right!" Buffy screeched, "Just keep
it up oh Miss Smart-Ass and this here horsey is gonna buck you right off
her back!!!"

Faith leaned down and brought her mouth close to Buffy's ear and blew
softly on her neck, she purred out in a husky tone, "You can try Giz.
'Sides I like it when you buck underneath, into and on me. Like it when
you're writhing, squirming against me, like it too when you thrust into
me, on me, like too when I'm riding you, like it when you..." To
emphasis her words,  Faith thrust her pelvis against Buffy's back and
tightened her legs around her hips more, squeezing Buffy, letting her
feel their strength, the movements though were so faint that only Buffy
would have noticed or been able to see them.

"Okay! Okay I get it, I get the picture!!!" Buffy hissed, oh boy did she
ever get those pictures, her whole body clenched in desire, zinged with
heat, from those pictures.  Her body shuddered when she felt the tip of
Faith's tongue sneak out and trace the shell of her ear.  She started
walking towards the garden doors on legs that grew steadily shakier as
Faith kept sneaking quick tastes of her neck with the tip of her tongue.

The rush of arousal was almost instantaneous for both Slayers and
further compounded by the fact that they hadn't made love in almost
three full days, which to both of them felt like the equivalent of a
lifetime, rather than seventy-two hours.

"Dusk, come on.  Let's go!" Buffy choked out harshly, trying to stifle
the moan that tried to escape as she felt that same pink tongue that had
tasted her neck just seconds ago trace along the shell of her ear again.
She had never known her ear was such an erogenous zone for her, until
Faith that is, then again with Faith there wasn't a part of her body
that didn't become an erogenous zone, Faith made sure of that. She
stopped halfway to the doors when she realized that Dusk wasn't
following.  "DUSK!!!" she yelled again.  Buffy really wanted, really
needed to get away from everyone as fast as possible, her mission in
life at that second was to taste the insistent pink tongue of her Dark
Slayer's with her own.

Buffy turned around back towards the living room, when she realized that
the soft whimpering sounds she was hearing weren't her own or Faith's,
but Dusk's.  It suddenly dawned on her the last time she had seen their
puppy he had wedged his whole body underneath the couch, and then she
remembered that it had been a month or two since Dusk had been small
enough to fit under there.

"Dusk?" Buffy called softly again.  Her eyes widened a little when she
saw the tip of his tail wagging from under the couch and the whimper
came once again from him.  She walked back over to the couch and started
to bend down then stopped, when she realized her bending over would only
topple her and Faith right onto the ground.  She waved her hand
indicating to those on the couch to get up.

"How the hell did he get under there?" Faith asked from over Buffy's
shoulder, giving up for the moment the meal she was making out of
Buffy's sweet skin.

"He forced his way under there to get away from Buffy's yelling --
babbling -- yelling -- glaring -- babbling -- pacing - babbling..."

"Enough we get the point Anya!" Buffy shouted at the blonde ex-demon.
She grabbed the arm of the couch with both hands and lifted it like it
weighed nothing and she didn't have a one-hundred-twenty pound
well-muscled, hot, luscious raven-haired Slayer on her back.  "Come out
of there you goofball," she chuckled at Dusk.

Dusk sprang up to his paws with a half sighed-woof.  He thought they had
forgotten about him.  He scrambled out from under the monster that had
been holding him captive -- the rose-colored couch that was now a demon
in his mind -- eternally grateful that his Light Slayer had Slayed the
demon-couch for him.  He barked up at his Slayers', wagging his tail
like an over-wound toy top, happy to see them and happy at the scent
they were giving off.  He gave them his goofy-puppy-dog smile, his
tongue hanging out of his mouth, barked at them one more time then tore
up the stairs.

"DUSK GET BACK HERE NOW!!!"  Buffy screamed after his fast retreating
furry back. "DUSK!!! GET DOWN HERE NOW! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE YOU
LITTLE FURBALL!!!"

"Sure yelling at him is gonna' work like a charm B, considering that's
what made him squish himself under the couch in the first place.  Wonder
where he's gonna try to squi..." Faith trailed off as Dusk came
streaking back down the stairs, the black and white stuffed panthers
held securely by their ears in his mouth.  They were his friends, it
wouldn't be right to leave them at home -- now would it?

Dusk sat down in front of his Slayers.  His tail once more going a
mile-a-minute, he was ready to go now.  He couldn't wait to get to the
Immortals' domain.  Couldn't wait until he got to see his mate, Cinder,
a silver-gray, indigo-eyed female Husky who was two months younger then
him and belonged to Lily, the Green Mother.

"I guess he felt he might need some backup just in case you started
doing the whole babbling-yelling-babbling - did I say babbling? - thing
again Buffy." Willow snickered at Buffy who chose to pay no heed to both
Willow and the comment for the moment.

Buffy turned around, ignoring the eight people who were snickering at
her, headed back towards the garden doors, nose in the air arrogantly
with Dusk trotting next to the heel of her right foot like he had been
taught and Faith on her back getting a piggyback ride.  Their snickering
quickly turned to out and out belly laughs.  She tried too, without
success, to ignore Faith's renewed nibbling along her neck and the hot
flush of arousal that it caused.  She dramatically threw the doors open
wide, step outside and shouted over her shoulder, "FOR THE RECORD I
DON'T BABBLE!!! EVER!!!"

"Right... And Willow and Fred don't either... Buffy..." Came Tara's
smirked reply.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy gave a grateful sigh as she stepped out of the portal onto the
dirt path that neither Slayer had seen in almost a full year and then
she began again to do exactly what she had told the gang in Mansion she
didn't do.  Babble.  She went from babbling about missing the cottage,
to the kid with the broken glasses that had come into the dojo last
week, to the funny smell that she had noticed out by the garage the week
before, to...

And Buffy kept right on babbling about nonsense and every other stupid,
idiotic, dumb thing she could think of as long as it didn't relate to
them and their relationship.  Babbled like the village idiot, because
she was afraid if she didn't babble inanely about everything and nothing
at all, she would just give into her fears and nerves and blurt out her
plans for Faith, for herself and spoil it all.  Leave it to her to plan
not one, but two things that concerned not just Faith, but herself as
well, for their twenty day stay - though it was only two and a half days
Earth time - at the cottage by the lake.

{That' right leave it to me and my limited intelligence not to mention
my poor imagination to pick two things that would leave me not only
nervous, but fearful, anxious, full of self-doubt and totally
insecure!!!  Score one for me Elizabeth Anne 'B -- Giz --Buffy' Summers
the mental giant of all Slayers and so not the sharpest crayon in the
box. Oh, for Christ's sakes, now I'm friggin babbling in my head too.
Got diarrhea of the mouth. I wonder if they make a Pepto for this?}

All this went through her mind as she tried to ignore Faith's insistent
nibbling of her neck.  Harder still, she tried to ignore Faith's hand,
which had made its way under the neck of her shirt and was currently
torturing her nipple. Oh and lest she forget she tried to ignore without
success, Faith's hot core which was lightly grinding, pressing, circling
into her lower back and burning a hole right through her.  Buffy had to
admit though, that Faith was doing a good job of replacing her
nervousness, fear, anxiety, and self-doubting with emotions of a whole
'nother kind all together.  And they were quickly burning a path through
her mind, heart, body and soul with their intensity.

{I wonder if Faith would noticed if I started running towards the
cottage like Satan was nipping at my heels?  Oh shit! That doesn't work
anymore, Luc's one of the good guys.  OH GOD!!! She's gonna give me a
heart attack!  Don't care, it'd be worth it as long as she doesn't stop
what she's doing. NAKED!  Naked would be good now, bed too, forest
floor, up against a tree... Wanna be naked, naked with a naked luscious,
tasty Faith. Yum, yum!  Me, Faith, naked, hands, tongues, sweaty,
kissing, touching, cumming... OH cumming would be good too, lots of
that, yep and I so didn't just think that did I? Blushing now... Oh GOD
does she even realize what she's doing to me?  Gonna melt right here,
right now into a big, babbling, begging, pleading, very wet, hot, Slayer
-- OH GOD - puddle of need!}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith was enjoying her piggyback ride immensely!  She had tuned out
Buffy's inane babbling the second she had started again.  Instead, she
concentrated on listening to the echoes she was getting from Buffy via
their bond and on finding all of Buffy's sensitive spots. She was
humming lightly as she nipped, tasted, licked, and sucked her way over
all of Buffy's deliciously exposed -- not to mention tasty - neck and
shoulders.  She couldn't, even if she lived a million lifetimes, never,
ever, get enough of the taste of Buffy.  Buffy had her own unique
flavor, not quite sweet, but not quite spicy either.  It was both earthy
and tangy-sweet, like peaches, or berries that were almost, but not
wholly ripe yet and as far as Faith was concerned, it was a taste that
surely rivaled the nectar of the gods itself.  Then again, who was she
kidding, she would think the same thing if Buffy tasted like old shoe
leather and worn out car tires, simply because it was Buffy.

As she let her mouth and tongue stroll over Buffy's neck and shoulders,
she let her left hand start its own meandering path down Buffy's throat.
Her fingertips gliding lightly, pausing briefly to dawdle in the hollow
of Buffy's throat, then move to whisper across her collarbone.  She
paused again briefly in the hollow, then followed to capture the beads
of sweat that blazed a trail downward between Buffy's breasts.

She smiled around the bit of flesh she was teasing with her teeth when
she felt Buffy's hands that were holding her thighs tighten and the
cadence of her babbling speed up, her voice getting slightly deeper,
throatier.  She idly played with the top edge of the spaghetti-strapped
lycra top Buffy had on, tracing along the neckline, letting a single
finger occasionally sneak under the material to graze the top of Buffy's
breasts.  Finally, she gave into her own need to touch, to elicit a
response from Buffy other than babbling, and to appease her own need for
reassurance that her earlier fears were not coming to fruition. She
slowly slid her hand beneath Buffy's shirt, her fingers tingling with
anticipation as she climbed up the slope of Buffy's breast.  She didn't
have to look to know that Buffy's nipple was already puckered, waiting,
begging for her touch and her own nipples grew hard in response.

Unconsciously she began to rotate herself against Buffy's lower back,
her legs tightening just a bit more as her fingertips lightly grazed the
uneven but still silky soft skin of Buffy's aureole.  She circled
Buffy's nipple like a vulture, then veered off and made her way downward
towards the underside of her breast, smiling again as she heard the
disappointed moan mix in amid Buffy's nonstop babbling, she felt it too,
echoing to her through their bond.  Instinctively, or innately Faith let
her love, her passion, her need, her devotion for Buffy flow back to
her.

So much had changed for her over the last two years, she couldn't
imagine now ever going back to being the 'get some, get gone or
want-take-have' girl.  What once had made her feel unclean, degraded,
helpless, sullied, violated now made her feel beautiful, respected,
clean, cherished, loved, no matter what the context or how she and Buffy
touched each other and it was Buffy who had done that for her,
unselfishly and with nothing but the purest intent.  And over the last
year Faith had finally started to truly see in the mirror the person
that everyone else saw.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ain't it crazy ~ For a moment there ~ This felt just like dying ~ But
now I see that something inside ~ Is coming alive ~ Ain't it crazy ~
~ No use running from a revolution ~ I just surrender to this
evolution...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dusk was running around in circles in front of his playing Slayers,
trying to get their attention.  He really, really wanted to go see his
mate and he knew that if he didn't get one of them to let him go now, it
would be a really, really long time before they remembered about him.
He couldn't bark unless he put his panther-friends down which for some
reason he was reluctant to do, so instead he just kept running around in
circles in front of them, careful not to trip his Light Slayer who was
walking with her eyes closed.  He started to whine, his stomach doing
flip-flops, as he grew dizzy from spinning.

Oh good lord almighty her legs were going to give out!  She wasn't quite
sure how the hell she was still managing to walk down the path towards
the cottage, but somehow her feet and legs just kept on moving... just
like her mouth.  She couldn't seem to stop the babbling, it was just
gushing from her like water out of a goddamn broken fire hydrant.  She
hadn't a clue what she had said in the last five minutes, she was only
sure that it was nonsense.  Faith's delicate touch was driving her
literally insane and when those long fingers started to torture her
nipples; her knees buckled just a little bit.  She sounded like
Cave-Buffy, grunting out her words and accenting them with guttural
moans.  She smiled a little though, because she wasn't the only one that
was being tortured by this little game Faith was playing with her.
Faith was too.  Faith's grinding, lightly thrusting center against her
back was telling her so, as it burned a hole right through her and
caused an answering twitch in the crotch of her own overly tight shorts.

Buffy opened her eyes as the sound of Dusk's whining finally penetrated
the lust-induced fog in her head.  She blinked once or twice, at what
she was seeing.  He was spinning and hopping around in front of her like
his paws had suddenly caught on fire.  What the hell was he doing?  What
the hell did he want? It was hard to think about anything else besides
Faith, and Faith's body - so hot - pressed tightly against her back.
Faith's hands moving over her breasts, Faith's warm, wet mouth and
tongue bathing her neck and shoulders, the sound of Faith's harsh
breathing and husky moans.  Hard to think about anything other than the
fire that lived in her blood that was her mate, her Dark Slayer and
suddenly it dawned on her exactly what it was that Dusk wanted.

"Go..." Buffy moaned low as Faith captured a nipple between agile
fingers. "Go see Cinder, Furball..."  She watched as Dusk did one last
little hop-spin, gave a muffled bark around the stuffed panthers in his
mouth then took off like a bat out of hell.  She knew exactly how he
felt!

"Alone at last." Faith's mind was working overtime trying to figure out
how she could reach the warmth, the wetness she knew was waiting for her
inside of Buffy's pants.  She was disappointed to realize that even as
flexible as she was, there wasn't any way that she could reach Buffy's
heat while she was getting a piggyback ride and she wasn't quite ready
to give up getting her ride, she was having too much fun torturing and
teasing Buffy.  She moaned in frustration and looked up to notice that
they were still on the very public path that led between all the
cottages.  As she was looking around Buffy's babbling began to seep into
her lust-addled brain and Faith couldn't believe her ears. Buffy was
actually babbling about how she NEVER, EVER babbled!

Faith finally had enough of Buffy's never-ending babbling these last few
weeks.  Determined now to put a stop to it, even if it was only for a
short while.  She trailed one hand down the slope of Buffy's breast to
explore further the valley between.  She hiked herself up a little
higher on Buffy's back, until she was semi-leaning over Buffy's
shoulder, it would make it easier on both of them for what Faith had in
mind to stop Buffy's endless inane chatter.  Her hand continued its
journey over Buffy's chest, rising higher until she dipped her fingers
into the hollow at the base of Buffy's throat again.  She resumed her
journey after first thoroughly exploring the spot, twirling, brushing
her fingers lightly as she followed the hill of Buffy's throat, stopping
finally to cup Buffy's chin.  She turned Buffy's head towards her,
licked her own lips in anticipation then swooped down to capture
Buffy's.

She trapped Buffy's lower lip between her own and damn if Buffy didn't
try to keep right on talking!  Faith put an end to that quickly, she
fluttered her tongue over Buffy's lower lip with delicate, whispered
touches.  Growling low, she nibbled a little and traded Buffy's lower
lip for her upper, bathing it too with delicate touches and teeny-tiny
kisses.  Buffy's babbling turned into low moans and never one to be
idle; she turned the tables and caught Faith's succulent lower lip
between her own teeth.  Her tongue unerringly finding the small cleft,
she dipped into the little slit and ran the tip of her tongue along it.
Faith pulled back just a little and Buffy reluctantly let go of her
pouty bottom lip.  Their eyes locked for long moments, both craving
something more than just the light, teasing kisses they were sharing.
Buffy was completely oblivious to the somewhat, but not entirely awkward
way her head was twisted and the fact that she had drifted off the path
into the woods; for her the only thing that existed in the world right
now was Faith, just as the only thing that existed for Faith at this
moment was Buffy.

Both Slayers' eyes slid closed as Faith slowly - ever so slowly -
lowered her head towards Buffy.  Their mouths came together in a soft,
slow, sensual kiss.  Faith subtly took control of the kiss, her tongue
teased Buffy's lips until they parted for her.  She slipped inside, into
the warm, wet cavern of Buffy's mouth, tasting, exploring its silky
depth, and Faith found herself quickly drowning in the kiss, but she
wasn't drowning alone, Buffy was right there with her.  She poured all
her passion into the kiss, all her love and she felt it all come back to
her tenfold as Buffy returned her kiss.  They made love to each other
with that soft, lush kiss, their mouths speaking to each other for hours
without words.  Their bodies, their hearts, their souls had none of the
doubts, insecurities, fears and anxieties that had plagued both their
minds over the last few weeks, they hadn't for a very long time, and
never would again.

When they finally broke their kiss, Faith rested her forehead gently
against Buffy's.  Her eyes still closed, a soft smile playing around the
corners of her mouth, her body trembling and her breathing harsh,
ragged.  Their kiss had destroyed her and it still amazed, humbled and
awed her that kissing Buffy could do this to her.  And even after all
this time it came to her as a complete surprise when she felt in an echo
that their kiss had made Buffy feel absolutely the same exact way.

Faith let out a soft giggle when it seeped into her consciousness that
she truly was totally wrecked by the kiss they had just shared and that
Buffy wasn't in any better condition as she began to wander aimlessly
through the forest with her eyes closed.  She giggled again; they were
quite a pair the two of them.  The big bad Slayers. The Chosen Two.  The
Chosen to fight against all the supernatural evils of the world and
wouldn't all those evils just love to know that something as simple as a
kiss - though when it was between the two of them it was as far from
simple as humanly, or inhumanly possible - totally and utterly
annihilated, rendered them both useless.

"What's so funny?" Buffy forced her eyes open, she pulled back slightly
and tried to focus her eyes as she looked around the forest.  It was a
miracle she hadn't tripped over something and sent them both crashing to
the ground.

"Us... my piggyback ride... you walking with your eyes closed and that
wickedly-sinfully-beautiful kiss that we just shared and that it totally
wrecked both of us.  Good thing we're not in a cemetery at night or we'd
be in deep shit, B."

"Ain't that the truth..."

Faith couldn't help but to giggle again at the whole ridiculousness of
them and the fact that neither made a move to correct it, instead Buffy
kept right on walking and she was still getting a piggyback ride.  She
bit her bottom lip for a second to stop another giggle from escaping and
was succeeding until Buffy gave her a goofy smile and burst out into
giggles herself.

"And that was a wickedly-sinfully-beautiful kiss.  Want more - much more
- whole bunch more of those... Oh most definitely more of those Fai... I
don't think a billion would be enou..."

"Oh god!  You're babbling again!" If Faith didn't like her own hair so
much she would be pulling it out by the roots right now.

"I... D-O-N'-T... B-A-B-B-L-E... E-V-E-R!!!!"  Slowly through clenched
teeth and with utter conviction the words came out.

"You do so babble. You've been babbling incessantly for the last few
weeks.  Babble, babble and more babbling.  And earlier you were babbling
about how you don't babble!!!"

"I DO NOT BABBLE!"

"Christ B, you were even babbling instructions the other night when we
were making love and being the considerate lover that I am..." Faith
paused to smirk at Buffy, "I was following them to the letter and the
next thing I know I got a mouth full of fuzzy stuff 'cause I'm going
down on Mr. Gordo instead of you!"  Faith huffed out, an indignant look
on her face as she peered at Buffy from over her shoulder.

Without thinking, Buffy tried to turn around to answer Faith, which she
quickly realized was impossible since she was still giving Faith a
piggyback ride.  "Yeah well piggyback ride is over, now get down and...
and Mr. Gordo wanted me to tell you that he liked that thing you do with
your tongue."  Buffy looked up and gave Faith a 'so-there' look as she
mentally slapped herself in the head for the lamest comeback in the
history of the universe.

"Stayin' right here, I'm likin' this piggyback ride thing too much.
Easy access and all..." Faith let her hands start roaming again, pulling
Buffy's shirt up around her neck in the process.  A low purr came from
her as she heard the moan that Buffy tried to stifle at her touch.  She
decided she was hungry again and starting at the edge of Buffy's
shoulder nibbled and sucked her way across it, then up the side of
Buffy's neck until she caught her earlobe lightly with her teeth.  "So,
Mr. Gordo liked what I do with my tongue..." She mumbled huskily around
the flesh in her mouth.  "Tell me B... Was it this he liked?"

Faith circled Buffy's lobe with a touch that was whispery soft and the
only reason Buffy knew that Faith was actually touching her was by the
moist warm trail that her tongue left.  Her body responding as if Faith
was actually touching her elsewhere and the arousal that had somewhat
calmed down with their bantering returned with a vengeance that was
downright vicious.

"Or was it this..." Faith stroked Buffy's lobe and the shell of her ear
with long, firm, licks, alternating between the flat of her tongue and
just the tip.  Unconsciously she began to rotate herself against Buffy's
lower back again, wishing she had worn anything other than her
skin-tight leather pants.  And what the fuck, were they making the seams
in the crotch of the pants, thicker and bigger now?

"Fai..." moaned the needy blond-Slayer.  Her whole body was throbbing,
she needed more than just this teasing and she doubted she could wait
until they got to the cottage.

"Or maybe it was this...." She slid her lips and teeth down to the end
of Buffy's earlobe sucking gently then flicked it quickly with just the
tip of her tongue.  She nibbled her way back up and repeated the action
a few more times.  Damn it was getting hot and the little moans that
were coming from deep in the back of Buffy's throat were just making the
temperature rise more.  Faith's hands weren't idle either, they were
exploring, touching, teasing every part of Buffy's breasts she could
reach.  She slid her palms across each pebbled nipple and felt it on her
own breasts in an echoed phantom touch.

"I know... I bet it was this he really liked B..." She started flicking
ever so lightly the tip of her tongue on the edge of Buffy's lobe.  Her
flicks at first like the soft touch of slowly beating butterfly-wings.
She gradually increased the tempo of her strokes until her tongue was
flicking at Slayer speed, a new use both she and Buffy had found for
their Slayer speed.  Something she was positive the Watcher's Council
had never dreamed they would use one of their many Slayer's gifts for
and one she was sure would give quite a few of the stuffy -
condescending - pompous asses massive heart attacks or strokes, maybe
both.

Buffy felt each and every nibble, stroke, suck, and flick of Faith's
tongue on her lobe as if Faith was between her thighs and making a feast
out of her.  Right now, that was exactly what Buffy wanted.  What she
desperately needed!  The moan of disappointment when Faith stopped her
sensual torture of her lobe was loud and frantic.

"Well B, which one was it?" Faith inhaled deeply, she could smell
Buffy's arousal, hell, she could smell her own and it just sent all her
senses into hyper-drive.  She stilled her hands on Buffy's breasts, and
her smile was feral when a throaty growl came from Buffy.  It looked
like both of their primal sides wanted to come out to play today.

"Why don't you get down off my back and you can demonstrate those
choices again, only on a place of my choosing this time.... what do you
say Faith?  Well, baby?" The throatily purred words rumbled out of her
chest, and that ancient part of Buffy that knew Faith was her mate long
before she had realized it, wanted to play with its mate.  And Buffy
couldn't agree more.

"I don't know Giz.  I kinda like where I am.  Everything is... you
know... like I said before, right here within my reach." To prove her
point once again, Faith caught both of Buffy's nipples with her fingers,
pinched them lightly, whispered a nail around them and then just gave
her imagination free rein.  She molded herself tighter to Buffy, rubbing
her own painfully aching breasts against Buffy's back.  Her hips
thrusting her pulsing core more forcefully into Buffy, she wrapped her
legs fully around Buffy's hips and locked her ankles.

"Not everything S.O." Buffy growled in frustration.

Buffy briefly thought about trying to dislodge Faith from her back, but
she knew that unless Faith let her, there was no way she could do it
without one of them getting hurt and that was so not what she had in
mind.  Screw it, if Faith wanted to play, well than, Buffy would play.
She scanned the forest around her until she found what she was looking
for.  She moved swiftly towards the massive Oak Tree across the way and
to the left of her, then turned around and pressed Faith's back -
knapsack and all - into it, effectively trapping and keeping Faith
suspended off the ground between her and the tree.  She leaned all of
her body weight back into Faith, sliding slightly up and down, rubbing
her back against Faith's breasts and warm heat like a cat.  This time
the feral smile was hers as Faith moaned low.

"Since you want to stay where you are... I guess I'll just..."

Buffy's voice was like liquid heat as it rolled over Faith from the
bottom of her feet to the top of her head.  She was just about to ask
Buffy what she was doing when she saw where Buffy's hands had drifted.
Her mouth dropped open and she quickly unlocked her ankles so she could
see better as Buffy unbutton her own shorts, slid them down over her
hips and then slipped her hand inside.  Faith's whole body jerked,
shuddered, quivered and she whimpered, then whimpered again.

"Y..y...y... r... not?" Her brain fried at the sight just as if she had
stuck her finger in an electrical socket.  She was pretty damn sure she
was drooling, not believing what she was seeing.  'Cause this was one
wish, dream, fantasy - and she had imagined, wished, dreamt, and
fantasized about this at least a gazillion times - that she was
absolutely, positively, without a single doubt sure would NEVER, NEVER,
EVER come true.

"Oh yessss... I... am..."  Buffy hissed as she slid her fingers through
the river that was flowing between her legs, imagining they were Faith's
fingers that were touching her, exploring her slick folds.

This was something she had never done in front of anyone, not even
Faith, who had hinted a few times but had never asked outright.  Nor had
Faith ever done this in front of her, though Buffy, if she was honest
with herself, had fantasized about it, but as ridiculous as it was,
could never find the courage to ask Faith to do it.  And color her
surprised, she might be blushing from head to toe, but it felt fucking
good and it was turning her on even more knowing that Faith was watching
her.  And if Faith's heavy breathing and moans were any indication it
was having the same effect on her.  She couldn't help herself, she just
had to wreak havoc with her Dark Slayer's senses just a little bit more.

"Just so you don't feel too left out baby..."  Buffy dipped in a little
further, gathering her own wetness onto her fingertips; she flicked her
clit as she drew her hand out of her pants and moaned low as she leaned
her head back against Faith.

She turned her head to the side to look at Faith who had somehow managed
to crawl almost halfway over her shoulder; she looked so damn cute with
her open-mouthed look of shocked disbelief.  She brought her glistening
fingers up to Faith's open mouth and traced them over the fullness of
her lips leaving a shimmering sheen of her desire behind.  She trailed
her sticky fingers back down and slid them into her own wet heat once
again, moaning along with Faith as she touched herself. Her eyes closed
of their own will as she ran her fingers into the slickness of her own
core, every whimper that came from her mate making her even wetter.  She
started to rotate her hips in a small arc, as she delved inside to feel
her own heat surround her intimately.

Faith was unquestionably going to have a stroke, pass out, implode,
something, she knew it!  She couldn't stop the whimpers from escaping
her as she watched Buffy touch herself.  The taste of Buffy's essence on
her lips driving her insane, she wanted more, she wanted, needed it now
and she wanted it directly from the source!  She wasn't sure she could
have moved right now even if she had the choice though.  And god, the
sounds that Buffy was making, they were sending chills down her spine.
She watched in complete awe the beauty that was Buffy as her hand began
to move faster and she forgot how to breath as Buffy's other hand made
it's way down her stomach, sliding her shorts down to pool at her
ankles, then trail back up to join its mate.

"Fai..." Buffy whimpered.

"B..." Faith whimpered right back.

"Feels so good... baby... wish it were you... want it to be you touching
me..."

Faith began to place tiny kisses on Buffy's neck and jawbone. Her eyes
though were riveted on Buffy's hands while her fingers mimicked on
Buffy's nipples what Buffy was doing to her own swollen nub.  It wasn't
enough, as much as she wanted to see this, she wanted more to touch, to
taste.  She ripped the backpack off and let her legs drop down, she
whimpered a little when she realized that the weight of Buffy's body was
still keeping her trapped against the tree and her feet off the ground.
She started to squirm, wiggle and Buffy, who finally realized what she
was trying to do leaned forward a little so Faith could drop to the
ground.

In less than a blink of an eye, Faith scrambled out from behind Buffy,
stepped around to face her and pulled her into a heated embrace.  She
captured Buffy's mouth in a bruising, fiercely possessive kiss, moaning
into the kiss as she felt the back of Buffy's hand as it moved against
herself rub against her own swollen need.  She trailed kisses, bites,
down Buffy's throat, pausing briefly to nibble delicately on each of
Buffy's extended nipples, and then she just dropped to her knees.  Her
breath caught painfully in her chest when her eyes came level with
Buffy's exploring fingers and this time Faith knew she was drooling.

She gulped in a huge breath and the musky aroma of Buffy's arousal
assaulted her senses, making her dizzy.  She reached down, lifted one of
Buffy's legs out from her pooled shorts, and placed it on her shoulder.
Faith gently slid Buffy's fingers out, replacing them with her own and
slowly, reverently glided into the blistering, wet heat of her Light
Slayer, searching for and finding unerring that elusive, almost
mythical, sweet spot.  Unable to resist anymore, she leaned forward and
let her mouth and tongue join in the play.

Buffy was in heaven. No! This was better then heaven!  What she was
feeling through their bond from Faith was just sending her spiraling
higher.  Her legs were trembling so hard she knew that Faith's hand on
her buttock and her leg on Faith's shoulder was the only reason she was
still standing.  She felt the pleasure burning her, it started deep in
her stomach and moved like a tornado through her.  The tip of Faith's
tongue flicked relentlessly against her clit between her own circling
fingers.  She was so deep inside her, and Buffy wanted her deeper and
she wanted more. Her body shook with each thrust of Faith's long slender
fingers as they hit her sweet spot.

"More Faith..." A whispered plea, followed by a moaned sigh of pleasure
as Faith added another finger and Buffy felt her internal muscles clutch
at them and hold them still - using another of their Slayer gifts in a
completely unique way - as she luxuriated in the feel of Faith being
inside her. "Oh baby... you feel so good... feel so good inside me..."
Her body rippled as she felt Faith hum a reply against her clit, sending
vibrating shockwaves through her.  She started rocking with Faith as she
began to move within her again, trusting Faith to set the rhythm and
lead her in this dance of desire, passion, lust and love.  "Faith...
OhGodbaby... Likethat... Likethat... OhgodFaith..."

She reached down blindly with her free hand and clutched with a force
that would leave marks on Faith's shoulder, anchoring herself,
connecting with her mate even more.  Her other hand moved away, giving
up the fight to try and keep touching herself and tangled instead in
Faith's hair, pulling her closer, harder into her.

She lost any semblance of control, and she easily, without thought or
hesitation handed control over to her mate, her Dark Slayer. Her hips
rocked demandingly against Faith's mouth, fingers and tongue, following
the pace Faith set, arching her back needing to be even closer.  She
forced her eyes open, looked down and it was her undoing.  Her own eyes
locked with her mate's glowing emerald eyes that were staring back up at
her with intense love and it pushed her to the very edge.  Forcefully
her hips arched into her Dark Slayer, every muscle in her body locked as
she hung for long timeless seconds over the abyss, then she tumbled into
it, exploding, shattering into a million pieces of exquisite pleasure,
Faith's name torn out of her in a guttural scream.  She doubled over
from the force of it, and Faith kept on touching her, moving inside of
her until she fell again into a world that was filled with nothing but
an exquisite ecstasy that had never been this passionate, this extreme
with anyone but Faith.

Her leg fell off Faith's shoulder and she stood trembling, gasping,
small tremors still firing off inside of her.  She started to slide down
as her legs gave out, only to be caught by Faith's strong arms.  She
felt Faith sit back onto her own calves and pull her close onto her lap.
One arm warmly surrounded her, as Faith's other hand came up to tenderly
brush the damp hair off her face.  Soft, loving kisses dotted her
cheeks, lips, forehead, and she just basked in their warmth, basked in
this affectionate, tender side of Faith.  She leaned into her mate
letting her support her, wrapping her arms around her and rested her
head on Faith's chest over her heart, as Faith continued lavishing her
with those soft loving kisses and cooed nonsense to her.

She could hear Faith's heart beating rapidly under her ear.  As her own
body swiftly recovered, thanks to another of their marvelous Slayer
gifts, she let her hands start to roam over Faith's back.  She smiled
softly when she heard Faith's breathing speed up, her smile growing
bigger as she felt Faith squirm a little and heard a soft moan.

"Bet you're wishing your pants weren't so tight.  Aren't you baby?"
Buffy giggled softly, a hand traced around to find, through Faith's
shirt, a nipple as hard as steel.

Faith's whole body shook at Buffy's light touch.  She was so aroused
right now, that it was close to crossing the line between pleasure and
extreme pain.  She pushed her breast into Buffy's hand, a sob of want
tearing out of her when Buffy's mouth latched onto her mate-mark.  She
was a mess, if Buffy even glanced at her crotch she would probably come.
She rocked her pelvis up into Buffy, as Buffy continued to casually toy
with her nipple.  She couldn't take it, she needed Buffy to touch her
with a desperation that almost scared her.

"Don't tease... Can't take it..." Faith gasped, her voice laced with
overwhelming need.

Buffy stopped teasing instantly, hearing the desire, the need thick in
Faith's voice. She slid off Faith's lap, rose up to her knees and faced
her. Faith rose up to her own knees, her trembling hands fumbled
ineffectually with the buttons on her pants.  Buffy brushed her hands
away and quickly unbuttoned Faith's pants, started to tug them down only
to have her wrist grabbed by Faith and her hand shoved into the front of
Faith's pants.

"Ca..n't... w..ait..." 

There was something more akin to apprehensive desperation in Faith's
voice then just need, desire, lust or want. Buffy heard it, but it
didn't quite register and she let it slip away at Faith's gasped plea of
her name.  Buffy's eyes grew wide with amazement at the wetness she
found waiting for her. The strangled groan Faith let out when she
touched her shot right through the heart of her and Buffy could feel
herself getting wet all over again just from the sound.

"Inside me... need you... need to feel you in me..." Faith somehow
managed to string the words together.  Her arm went around Buffy's neck,
her hand grabbing onto the opposite shoulder for dear life. Her other
hand stayed wrapped tightly around Buffy's wrist in a death grip as if
she were afraid Buffy might take it away.

"Oh baby."  Buffy leaned forward and ravished Faith's mouth, her free
hand tugged Faith's pants down as far as she could.

She impatiently pushed up Faith's shirt, freeing her breasts to the warm
sunlight, the slight breeze and her touch.  She traversed the slopes of
each of Faith's breasts, with feather light touches, ignoring their
peeks for now, relishing every moan of Faith's into their kiss.  She
kissed, toyed, touched and plunged into Faith with the same frenzied
urgency the Dark Slayer was feeling.  Needing to know that she could
make Faith feel the same way Faith made her feel, some part of her,
because of the last few weeks filled with her own insecurities and
fears, making her afraid that she might not be able to.

Faith pulled away from the kiss, gasping for air and buried her head in
Buffy's neck and shoulder.  She was beyond on fire, she felt like she
was going to spontaneously combust any second and yet she was just
hanging there on the edge, seemingly forever, unable to fall over it.
She was grunting, whimpering, she could feel her release coiling
swiftly, ferociously somewhere deep inside of her and the force of it
terrified her.

"B???" She sobbed, needing something, but not knowing what it was.

Buffy rested her head against Faith's, her mouth close to her ear; her
arm circled the Dark Slayer and pulled her tighter to her.  She could
feel everything Faith was feeling and she was scared she might not be
able to give Faith whatever it was she needed to let go.

"Fai... Beautiful Fai... My Faith, let go baby... I've got you."  There
was a world of tenderness and love in her voice.  She felt Faith rock
into her hand harder, faster, and she moved with her.  It was her
instincts, her soul, her heart, that let her know what it was that Faith
needed from her. "I love you so much Faith, more than anything in this
world.  You're my heart, my soul..."  She smiled so softly, so sweetly
and placed tender kisses on the side of Faith's face when she heard
those small sounds that Faith made in the back of her throat right
before she came.  "Let go baby... Let go for me...  My Fai... Come for
me baby..."

Buffy's sultry voice wrapped around Faith like the sweetest, gentlest,
most loving embrace Faith had ever felt, it soothed, encouraged and
reassured her.  Buffy's love, passion, even her fears surrounded her,
holding her safely in their invisible arms.  Whatever had been holding
her back, keeping her from finding her release, from just letting
herself go faded away in the face of all that Buffy let flow to her
through their bond.  Then everything stilled, quieted, as she hung there
for one final endless second.  It was almost a surprise when she let go
with everything she was, as the crest of the wave swept her away.  Her
mouth opened in a silent scream as the knot of pleasure inside of her
uncoiled furiously, almost violently and the intensity of it ripped her
apart, physically and emotionally.  Her body jerked uncontrollably
against Buffy's as it convulsed with wave after wave of piercing
rapture.

All of it poured out of her into Buffy through their bond, the intensity
of her release, of her need, of her love.  And Buffy, to her own
surprise, felt herself captured by that uncoiling knot of physical and
emotion pleasure and joined Faith in release.

Faith collapsed into Buffy's waiting arms, her body still jerking with
aftershocks.  She felt boneless, like she was pure liquid, instead of
flesh and bone.  They clung to each other, both too stunned by the
fierce reaction they had brought out in each other.  Buffy still a
little astounded by her own body's surprising, emotional and physical
response to what she had felt flow to her from Faith.  This had happened
to Faith that first time on Obsidian but it had never happened to her,
until today.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"SHIT!!!" she spun around and slammed right into her mate knocking them
both over, but not before her mate got an eyeful of what she had just
seen.  "Didn't need to see that for Christ's sake!"

Buffy's eyes shot open at the sound of Clotho's voice and both she and
Faith froze.  They were still reeling, in a haze from their reaction to
each other, but more from the outpouring of emotions that they had
shared, neither realizing that the fears, insecurities they had both
been harboring for the last few weeks had manifested themselves in
another way.  Their bodies, their hearts, their souls trying to show
them what their minds refused to see.

The sounds of the Immortals trying to untangle themselves brought the
Slayers' out of their haze and reminded them where they were, who was
there and for the moment took from them the beginnings of understanding
what had just happened.  Both Slayers' were sure that they were going to
explode as they felt the heat of embarrassment run like wildfire through
them.  They watched still frozen in place as the two Immortals scrambled
to their feet, keeping their backs to them.

The Slayers' weren't the only ones that were shell-shocked, the
Immortals were too.  They didn't know what to do, run, stay, crawl into
a hole and die or laugh.  Faith broke the spell.

"NONONONO..." Faith ranted, "I don't fucking believe this!!!"

Lilith couldn't help it. She burst out laughing, Faith had reacted
exactly the way she would have had their positions been reversed.
Faith's reaction actually was quite tame compared to some of Lilith's on
a few of the numerous occasions she and Clotho had been caught in the
act.  "Well... ah... Sorry?" was the giggled reply from the lean,
ancient, Immortal.

"Shit..." Buffy whispered to Faith.  They both jumped up to their feet,
pulling their pants up, their shirts down, hoping against hope that the
Immortals' hadn't really seen or heard anything. "You can turn around if
you want now." Buffy choked out.

"What is it with you two always busting in on us?" Faith snarled at
them. "Is this a fucking conspiracy or something????"

"Us???" Lilith twirled around to face the Slayers', "In case you don't
know it you're on our property!  And it's not like this is the first
time it's happened either.  It's not like you two haven't caught us a
few times.  You can't really think we planned this!"  Lilith tried - she
really did - to keep the amusement out of her voice but she just
couldn't, especially not with Faith glaring daggers at her, looking for
all the world like she really believed they had planned on catching
them. She felt a bubble of laughter making its way up from her belly and
desperately tried to stop it.  She even went so far as to cover her
mouth with both hands, but the snort of laughter found its way out
anyway.  She laughed even harder when Clotho slapped her in the back of
the head, hissing at her to be quiet.

"Go away..." she growled it at them.  She wasn't a happy Dark Slayer
camper at the moment.  "You okay B?" she asked Buffy softly.

Buffy just buried her face into Faith's neck, she had never been so
embarrassed in her life and she wasn't a happy camper at the moment
either.  Sure, they'd been caught before, but never quite like this.
Kneeling in the middle of a grove of trees, shirts hiked up somewhere
around their necks, pants not even off just pooled around ankles or
stretched wide between spread thighs.  Caught like two animals in heat,
impatient, feral, primal, instead of two supposedly responsible young
women who should be able to control themselves.

What neither Slayer realized was that this was normal for most new
lovers.  This overwhelming lust, desire that blossomed out of nowhere
suddenly, fiercely, with no other thought then to be sated.  It had
caused many young lovers to end up making love in the backseat of the
car because the four-block drive home was just too far and too long of a
wait.  Or to pay a twenty dollar cover charge to get into a club, to
only leave five minutes later because you needed to be alone to touch,
to kiss, to caress, to taste each other, now, immediately even though
you had been doing exactly that only an hour and a half earlier.  Then
again, they wouldn't know that because, for both Slayers', their lives
for the most part had been and still were far from what was considered
normal.

In any case Faith and Buffy together as a couple - even if they hadn't
been Slayers - seldom did things the normal way.  Not from their first
kiss, the first time they made love, the first time they told each other
they were in love with the other, so in a sense for them this was very
normal, they just didn't realize it.  Nor did they realize since they
were Slayers and their body chemistry was different from others, for
them this passion, this heat, this need, would unlike, other
'normal-human lovers', for the most part, for the rest of their lives
together, stay at almost the same intense level it was at now.

They might not know it now, their own minds calling up hidden
insecurities and fears, but for the rest of their lives, they would fall
deeper in love each and every day and every time they kissed, touched,
made love, it would feel new, special, thrilling just like it did now.
They would never grow complacent in their love for one another, they
would continue down the path they created and it was this that would
keep their love for one another, new, exciting, passionate, fierce and
all the other wonderful things they were with, and to each other
throughout their years together.  The wish that Dawn had made almost a
year ago as she stepped through the portal to go back to Sunnydale would
come true and the sight of two gray-haired, retired, happy, smiling,
laughing, very much in love Slayers watching the sunrise, would become a
familiar sight to her in the later years to come.

"Faith, Buffy, we really are sorry."  Clotho told them sincerely and
Lilith nodded her head in agreement all traces of amusement gone. "If we
had known.  We... well... ah... we... ah, we really didn't see anything.
I swear there is something in the air here at the lake." Her last
comments garnered a small smile from both Slayers, "We're gonna go back
to our cottage now.  Come over for dinner tonight or just come over
whenever you want.  Okay?"

"Okay." Buffy whispered, pretty sure her skin was melting from the heat
of her blush.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lilith and Clotho remained silent as they walked through the woods back
to their cottage.  When they were sure they were well beyond Slayer
hearing range, they both burst out laughing.

"So what's the score now?" Lilith asked between bouts of giggles.

"Not sure. Let's see..."  Clotho turned to look at her mate, and then
dragged her down with her to sit on the ground.  Her sides were hurting
from laughing so much.  "There was the first time at the cottage, the
stables, the lake, Atropos and Luc's garden, Mars' training room, our
bathroom and what am I forgetting?"

"The midnight ride on Obsidian and behind Zane's house during one of his
barbeques. All of which they managed to do in the three days they had
left after Dawn went home."

Both Immortals burst into gales of laughter again, they laughed so hard
tears started to fall from their eyes.

"So we caught them eight times and they caught us..." Clotho managed
finally to get out between gasps for air, her sides still hurting from
laughing so hard.  She closed her eyes and mentally counted the times
the Slayers had caught them in a compromising position.  The Slayers
kitchen at the cottage, their own bathroom, the picnic table, the
stables, in the middle of the lake, Lily's backyard, the path, and in
the stables again.  "They caught us eight times too, so we're tied. And
that's only the times we've caught them and they've caught us here in
this realm."

"Nah uh... You forgot to count today so that makes it nine times.
They're just as bad as we are, hell I bet they're gonna be worse.  Do
you remember how many times we were caught the first hundred years or so
we were together?  I'll never forget the look on Zane's face when he
caught us not once, not twice, but three times in the same day."

The two Immortals shared another bout of laughter as they thought back
to when they had first gotten together.  They couldn't keep their hands
off each other and just like the Slayers the second they touched they
forgot where they were, who was around, that they could fade to
somewhere more private, the only thing that existed in the world for
them was each other.  They had found that being around the Slayers for
all these months had made them revert to being that way with each other
again.  And it wasn't just them either, they had caught Atropos and Luc
quite a few times, not to mention Lachesis and Spike.

They hadn't said a word to anyone about Lachesis and Spike for the time
being, it was a well-kept secret, and not because Lachesis didn't want
anyone to know, but because Spike didn't.  He thought that Lachesis was
lowering herself being with someone like him.  He was going through much
of what both Angel and Faith had when they had rediscovered their
conscience, or rather their souls.  He thought he didn't deserve the
Immortal and he was fighting her tooth and nail.  While Lilith and
Clotho couldn't think of anyone better to help Spike through this nor
match the Fate known as The Mother in just about every way.  Spike and
Lachesis were soul-mates, he just didn't know it yet.

"I kinda feel bad though, we really should have told them before they
came here again how the privacy spell around the cottages really works."
Clotho looked at Lilith and saw the arched eyebrow and smirk, "You're
right, but it probably wouldn't have made any difference, it seldom did
for us.  I doubt they were really paying attention when they wandered
off the path onto our property instead of their own. But we really do
need to tell them how it works now."

The privacy spell that kept others out from the property that surrounded
each cottage actually worked slightly different from what they had
initially told the Slayers.  They had altered how the spell worked for
the Slayers' stay here at the lake.  They had wanted to give the
Slayers' an added sense of security and the Fates, Lilith and Luc had
all agreed and decided for all the Immortals that making the Slayers
feel safe while they had been here was paramount and worth any
inconvenience it might cause them. In reality, the spell was quite
simple actually.  The only thing they had changed was to have the spell
be active all the time, instead of only being active when one of the
residents activated it with a simple command when they wanted privacy or
as Lilith said 'Doin' it time'.  Of course, as was proven today and too
many times throughout the eons, having a privacy spell still didn't stop
any of the Immortals and now the Slayers from getting caught, or heard
from time to time in compromising positions or acts.

"You ready to get going again Clo?"

Clotho just nodded her head and rose back up to her feet.  She reached
down a hand to Lilith and helped her up; they held hands as they walked
back to their cottage.  "So what spectacular dinner will you be
preparing tonight for the Slayers to make up for us catching them once
again?"

They shared another laugh as they planned the menu for that night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you okay B?" The concern shone in her eyes.

"Yeah..." Buffy gave Faith a small smile.  Oh she just couldn't wait to
be teased about today's little episode, just about as much as she
couldn't wait to get run over repeatedly by an eighteen-wheeler.  She
knew there wasn't the slightest chance that Lilith and Clotho would just
let this slide, especially since it was their first day back at the lake
in almost a year and they hadn't managed to even make it to their own
cottage, let alone their own property. She looked deeply into the
chocolate brown eyes of her mate and saw the love and concern there and
they just filled her up. "I love you Faith."  The smile Faith gave her
was blinding.

"I love you too, B."  She leaned down and gently kissed Buffy.  She
brushed her fingers down Buffy's arm and clasped their hands together.
She watched with wonder as Buffy gave her a radiant smile.

"But you know, don't you, that this is all your fault.  Don't you
Faith?"  Buffy poked her in the chest playfully.

"Me? I was happy getting my piggyback ride.  It was you who wandered
into the wrong woods.  I didn't do anything.  All I was doing was
playing a little and then you, you started... started to..." She used
her best innocent voice and look.  It didn't work. "Frig B, I've been
waiting like forever to see you do that... Forever..." her voice became
a husky whisper; her breath blew hotly across Buffy's face.  A wolfish
smile appeared as she watched the shiver ripple under Buffy's skin at
the sound of her voice.

The inferno that had been raging fiercely between them before, ignited
again.  Hotter, fiercer it raged, they forgot about being embarrassed,
forgot that they were still standing by the massive Oak Tree in the
Immortals part of the woods.  Forgot that anyone and anything else
existed in the universe but the two of them.

"Have you now Fai..." Buffy sultry question came as her eyes ran the
length of Faith's lean, luscious body devouring her with just a look.

"Yeah B..." Faith whispered her voiced laced with lust, love and a
little bit of shyness, which made itself known in a bright pink flush
across her cheeks.

Buffy looked up into Faith's shy, lust-filled sparkling eyes which were
steadily turning emerald with desire and she could almost feel her own
eyes begin to turn amber-gold with desire too.

"All you had to do was ask Fai..." she whispered low, her voice filled
with promise.

Buffy had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing when
Faith's eyebrows shot up almost into her hairline and her eyes grew so
wide that Buffy was afraid they were going to fall right out of her
head.

"ReaLLy???" Faith squeaked, her mouth, throat, suddenly as dry as the
Sahara Desert, her mind in denial that the squeak she had just heard had
come out of her own mouth.

"Yes, really S.O." Buffy smiled at Faith, leaned forward, then slowly
with just the tip of her tongue, wet Faith's dry lips for her.

"A... a..." Faith stuttered her mind having gone totally blank from
Buffy's blatantly seductive touch.  What was it that she wanted to say
again?  She struggled for a few seconds trying to remember, which only
served to flood her mind with images that made her mouth completely dry
again, her knees rubbery, her blood pound like thunder and send desire
scorching through every single cell in her body.  She took a deep breath
trying to compose herself before she spoke and failed miserably, "When
we... um... when we get back to... to the ah... the ah... the cottage...
You think... maybe B... that you would... maybe um... would ah do that
again..."

{Okay what the hell was that?  Pig-latin, Chinese, German?  Or maybe it
was, nope, not maybe, it was just plain old idiot
BrainTurnedToMushPatheticDarkSlayerSpeak!  Oh yeah, look out, World.
The totally world-wise seductively, sensual, sexy, can make you scream
her name in ecstasy, Dark Slayer is on the loose and no one stands a
chance against her charms!}

"Mmmmm...."  Buffy hummed making Faith wait for her answer, she had to
admit that the thought had crossed her mind a time or a trillion.  Only
it wasn't herself she imagined touching themselves, but Faith, and the
desire that had just seconds ago scorched through every cell in Faith's
body decided to split itself in half and blaze a scorching trail through
every cell in Buffy's body too.  As she looked up into Faith's hopeful
eyes, she just couldn't help it, she took a page from Faith's own
wicked, teasing nature and said, "I said you could ask baby... I didn't
say I'd do it."

"WHAT???" Faith screeched, hoping she had heard Buffy wrong.

"I said you could ask, I didn't say I'd do it."  Buffy responded then
leaned forward and once again traced delicately, teasingly the contours
of Faith's lips.

"You're kidding right B... please tell me you're kidding..."  Faith
pleaded, hoping that she wasn't imagining the teasing look in Buffy's
eyes.  She ground her teeth when instead of replying Buffy just lifted
one elegant eyebrow at her and smirked. "U... U... R just a big tease
you know that don't you?  And... and... you don't play fair, ya know
that too don't ya, B... Ya don't..."  She stamped her foot, huffed and
started to move away from Buffy, her own wickedly playful nature taking
control.  Buffy stopped her almost immediately with a gentle hand on her
arm.  Faith turned around, her lower lip jutting out like a petulant
three-year-old, her whole demeanor sulky.

"You're so cute when you pout baby..." Buffy laughed lightly, "You know
Fai, I'm sure if you use that sinfully creative mind of yours you could
think of something to entice me to change my mind... Just like I'm sure
I could come up with something to get you to return the favor for me..."

Every hair on Faith's body stood on end and crackled with electricity at
Buffy's throaty, hungry, whispered request, which held a promise of a
night filled with delicious, mind-blowing pleasure.  She was pretty sure
that any second smoke was going to start coming out of her ears as she
melted from the inside out.  "I aH... Ah... I thINK... No I cAn... yeAH
I cAN do tHAT... I CAn... I cAn... YeS, I cAN..." She was fucking
squeaking again! All she wanted to do at this point was slap herself
upside her head.

{What's with the friggin' SQUEAKING already???? I don't squeak! I don't!
Score another one for me, the
Big-Bad-Tuff-Sexy-Dorky-Dumbass-Mushbrained-Dark-Slayer, who turns into
a stuttering, squeaking, fumbling, bumbling, babbling like Red, village
idiot just by thinking about B touc... OHGODI'MGONNAHAVEASTROKE!
Please, please, please whoever is listening, I'll never curse again, I
fucking swear it, if you just let this happen... I fucking swear
pleeeaaaseeee.}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They leisurely made their way back to the cottage, giving themselves a
chance to calm down the desire that was still raging through them.  They
had no inclination to be caught again by anyone else.  They were sure
that Kiddo and Gran had spread the word that they were back, which more
than likely meant they would either meet up with some of the others on
their way or have visitors and or messages waiting for them at the
cottage when they got there.

Buffy had a soft smile on her face as she thought about how, after they
had only walked a few feet, Faith had reached out to hold her hand.
Faith had looked at her with such a cute, shy expression on her face as
she asked if it was all right for them to hold hands as they walked.
And Buffy's heart - she swore - had made those little pitter-patter
noises at Faith's shy request.  Her smile had been her answer and now
ten minutes later it was still gracing her face.

Furball and his mate, who Buffy had affectionately nicknamed Puff -
because she was just a big old Powder Puffball of fur - were laying on
the ground in front of the cottage door waiting for them.  Both Slayers
did a little double take, when they saw them.  Cinder had her head
nestled into the nape of Dusk's neck; he had his head draped across both
of her front paws, while the stuffed panthers were in a similar position
and resting up against Cinder's side.  Neither Slayer could figure out
how the hell the two puppies had managed that.  The second the puppies
saw them their tails started wagging a mile-a-minute and though neither
Slayer said anything, both of them thought they saw the stuffed
panthers' tails flick once in greeting too.

Sure enough, there was a pile of notes waiting for them on the bed when
they entered the cottage with the two puppies and the stuffed panthers
that each carried.  One note was bigger then the others.  It was from
Clotho and Lilith commanding them to get their cute little butts - and
no they hadn't seen them, at least not this time, Ha Ha - over to Lily's
cottage - NOW!!! - for the impromptu barbeque Lily had decided to have
to welcome them back to the lake.

"I guess we'll have to wait to make another secret wish of yours and one
of mine too, come true Faith.  'Cause we both know if we don't haul ass
over there they'll just come over here and keep on ringin' the damn
magical bell until we finally answer the door and let them in...  Sorry
baby, because I was most definitely looking forward to how you were
going to convince me and I had a few ideas of my own on how to convince
you..." Buffy purred the last part out seductively to Faith.

Faith's answer to Buffy was just a feral growl.  She stamped her foot
and grabbed the suitcases the Immortals had faded here for them and
carried them over to the dresser to unpack them.  She started mumbling
under her breath about how it just wasn't fair, and the Immortals
weren't playing fair and life wasn't fair and why did they have to go
until Buffy finally stopped her tirade with a kiss that made her boots
melt and turned her into a gushing hot spring of need.

"You don't play fair either B!"  She gasped out between labored breaths.

"So you keep telling me..." Buffy laughed, "But you love me anyway..."

"With all my heart, 'til the day I die and beyond..."

The simple sincerity of Faith's words made Buffy's heart melt, the
mushiness of them made her smirk though, "Is that all?  Not 'til The End
of Time, not 'til pigs fly, not 'til hell freezes over..."

"You makin' fun of me B?"  She jutted out her bottom lip in a pretend
pout, as Buffy's smile melted her heart.

"Now would I make fun of My Little Woman?"  Buffy winked at her and
smacked her on the butt.

"HEY!  You smacked my butt!!!"  She placed her hands on her hips and
stared at Buffy, jutting her bottom lip out even further in indignation.

"Of course I did, you're MY LITTLE WOMAN!"  Buffy said matter-of-factly,
"Even if you are a big old mushy-cornball..."

"Look who's talkin'."  Faith smiled at Buffy and effectively melted her
heart once again.

"Only with you and always for you.  You own me, heart, body, mind and
soul Faith."

"As you do me B..."

Whereas they normally would crack up at the mushy sentiments, this time
instead they leaned in towards each other for a sweet, gentle, soulful
kiss.  They stared at each other almost shyly after the kiss; they
silently unpacked the suitcases and put everything away.  They started
laughing when they turned to each other, cut-off jeans and t-shirts in
their hands.  They had unconsciously picked out comfortable clothes, not
for themselves, but for each other to change into for the barbeque.  As
they laughed together, staring into each other's eyes they silently
melted each other's hearts once again.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were greeted by tight hugs, kisses and Mars' version of a hello,
which was more of a battle cry then anything else.  They couldn't
understand why all the muss and fuss, the Immortals were acting like it
had been forever since they had been here at the lake or seen each
other. When in reality they had all seen the Slayers just last week, but
they always seemed to act this way.  In the last year, they had seen
each one of Immortals at least once a month, sometimes more. What they
had forgotten though, was that while it might be merely weeks between
the visits of the Immortals in Earth's realm, for the Immortals it had
been months within their realm.  So in this convoluted,
alternate-dimension, warped time zone between them, while it was just a
few days shy of full year in Earth's time since the Slayers had visited
the lake, for the Immortals it was almost eight years. Undoubtedly, the
Slayers' didn't realize it simply because the Immortals didn't looked
like they had aged a day since the first time they met them, let alone
eight years.

The inevitable argument over who was going to cook over the open
fire-pit sprang up an hour or so after they arrived.  It was comical to
watch the reenactment of the same argument that Faith and Buffy had seen
many times over the course of their first stay here.  Mars as usual had
commandeered the cooking pit, arguing with Lily.  'Who?' - he said, just
like he had every other time this happened - 'Would have more experience
cooking over an open fire than I? I am, after all, the Incarnate of War
and have spent many a century cooking in the camps.'  Eventually, just
as every other Immortal always did, Lily gave in.  Who could argue
against eons of experience?  'Sides when it came to BBQ'ing no one was
better than Mars', not even Lilith, who could put Wolfgang Puck to shame
in the kitchen.

It wasn't until they had sat down to eat that Faith got the opportunity
to spend more than five minutes with Buffy since they had arrived here.
It had seemed like every few minutes or so, one or another of the
Immortals would pull her away from Buffy.  It hadn't escaped Faith's
attention either, that Buffy had gone back into that weird full-scale
babble mode she had been in for the last few weeks, almost the second
they had stepped onto Lily's property.  Nor had it escaped her attention
that Buffy seemed to be spending a lot of time whispering with Lily too.
She was beginning to have thoughts that she really didn't want, and they
confused her because they were completely opposite of what she truly
believed. Those knots in her stomach were making themselves known again.
Right on the virtual tail of the knots were the insecurities, fears and
anxiety she thought she had buried quite some time ago and had squished
under her mental boot heel earlier today.

As Buffy sat down next to Faith, she gave many a silent thanks to the
'Creator' - as all the Immortals referred to the ultimate power in all
of the dimensions - for their family.  Neither Slayer had been able to
get more than scattered bits of information out of the Immortals when it
came to the mysterious 'Creator'.  Both Slayers had a sneaky suspicion
it was because the Immortals didn't know anything more then anyone else
did.  All they had managed to piece together was that the 'Creator' was,
as some of the myths told, everywhere, all seeing, and a part of
everyone, good, bad, demon, human, mortal and Immortal alike. Like
Atropos had explained to them, their destinies or fates were not set in
stone.  There was a loose plan, like an outline, but the choices were
their own and no one could force them, not even the 'Creator' down a
path they didn't want to go.  They had, and always would have, freewill.
That was the way it was and had always been.

She shook her head to clear them of such deep thoughts and leaned over,
giving Faith a quick kiss on the cheek.  She received a weak smile in
response.  She looked at her mate puzzled by the reaction, then got
sidetracked when Mars' plopped down a tray full of very enticing
smelling food.  She was starving!  Big surprise that was - not!  She
piled up a plate with food and handed it to Faith, assuming that Faith
would be starving too after their 'activities' in the woods earlier.
She nodded her head at the murmured thanks and then concentrated on
making a plate for herself.

At best, Faith picked at her food, she wasn't really hungry anymore.
She kept seeing out of the corner of her eye the secretive glances that
Buffy and Lily were exchanging far too frequently.  The knots in her
stomach were now a chokehold.  As hard as she tried to push them down,
the thoughts she didn't want to give a voice to, pushed back even
harder.  There was a buzzing in her head and she couldn't' seem to
concentrate on anything that was going on around her.

Her mind, eyes, hearing, all of her focus was only on Buffy and Lily.
The fucking thoughts she didn't want to have were making their way back
up to the surface, their voices growing in volume.  The voices sounded
almost child-like; as if they were insecurities and fears from when she
was a kid.  But she had banished all of them, hadn't she?  She and Buffy
together had dismantled them one by one, taking away their power over
her.  Hadn't they? Her mind was in complete conflict with what her
heart, her soul knew was true.  How was that possible?  She felt Buffy's
hand upon her thigh and the child-like voices of her thoughts scurried
back, quieting for now.

"You okay, baby?" Buffy nodded her head towards Faith's plate, which was
almost full still.  Everyone else, including her, had finished eating
ten minutes ago.  She gnawed a little on her lower lip, a worried look
crossing her face. Since they had sat down at the table, Faith had
barely said more then ten words.  Not eating and not talking or at the
very least making sarcastic comments, weren't at all like Faith.

"Huh?" Faith turned her attention to Buffy, catching just the nod at her
plate, not the question.  "Just not hungry 'Buffy'..." seeing her mate
gnawing at her lip with worry, Faith pushed her own worries aside.  She
planted one of those cocky-lopsided grins on her face that she knew
Buffy loved and leaned closer to her.  Consciously lowering her voice so
it would come out husky, "Maybe I'll have some dessert later, right now
I'm still full from what I had to eat earlier in the woods, B..."  She
leaned even closer and gave Buffy a soft, wet kiss on the side of her
neck so she wouldn't mistake her meaning, not that she really thought
she would.  It was an excuse to kiss her mate, she knew it and she knew
Buffy knew it too.

Her lopsided-cocky grin became genuine when she saw the flush creep up
Buffy's neck and pink tint Buffy's cheeks as she blushed.

"Yummmm, dessert sounds good right now," Buffy paused and then spoke in
the barest of whispers so the Immortals couldn't hear her, only Faith.
"Can I have you for dessert later, Fai? Maybe pretend that you're
ice-cream in a cone, so that I have to carefully, slowly lick you all
over to keep you from melting all over my hand.  Mmmmm, liken' the idea
of you melting all over - under and on my hands - in my mouth - on my
tongue..."  Buffy groaned inside, not the best analogy or description
but from the look on Faith's face it didn't seem to matter, she had
gotten her point across quite effectively.

All the blood in Faith's body rushed to her crotch. No, scratch that!
Every single drop of moisture in her body rushed right to her crotch!
She started verbally to reply and then quickly decided to nod instead.
She could feel the Brain-Turned-To-Mush-Dark-Slayer part of her just
waiting in the wings for her to open her mouth.

The moment was broken when Lily got up and started clearing the picnic
table of dirty dishes and platters.  Everyone stood up intending to
help, including Faith, and Lily shushed them all away with the exception
of Buffy.  Faith's eyes tracked her mate as she made her way into the
cottage with the Green Mother.  Those child-like voices of her fears and
insecurities started screaming in her head again.  She fought with them,
but was losing, she started repeating in her head that Buffy loved her,
was in love with HER and NO ONE else over and over again. Her internal
clock kept time, counting off the minutes as they went by as she waited
for Buffy to come back out of the cottage.

Why did it always seem that when her life was good, when she was making
her dreams, her wishes come true, something always happened to spoil the
moment, mar the memory?

Why?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lilith had been watching the Slayers covertly, but mostly Faith, since
they had arrived at Lily's.  She had been all too aware of how Buffy had
been acting over the last few weeks.  A Chicken-without-a-head didn't
even come close to describing it.  It was just now though, that she was
noticing the effect Buffy's bizarre behavior was having on Faith.  She
knew, just like they all knew, Immortals, vampires, witches, seer,
ex-demon, the Key, mortals, hell even the animals knew or so Lily said
they did, why Buffy was acting the way she was.  Lilith was surprised
that Faith hadn't found out too.  Then again, they were all a little
afraid of what the petite blond-haired Slayer might do to them if Faith
did find out, thus they all managed to keep the secrets from Faith.

She watched as Faith's eyes narrowed as she followed Buffy's movements.
She turned her head slightly to see what it was that was causing that
almost hurt look in the Dark Slayer's eyes and sudden understanding came
to her.  Oh shit!  This wasn't good at all!  She knew that look; she
knew it all too well.  She had seen that look on her own face quite a
few times a very long time ago and it caused many problems between her
and Clotho.  The very last time it had almost destroyed her relationship
with Clotho permanently.  Thanks to Mars' that hadn't happened.

Lilith could understand why Faith would be thinking what she was,
feeling what she was.  Because the last time she had worn that same
look, had those same thoughts, Clotho had been acting very much like
Buffy had, was still acting.  Coincidentally enough too, Clotho had
acted that way for one out of the two exact same reasons.  Like Faith,
Lilith had jumped to the same conclusions, had the same suspicions, even
though she knew or should have known better.  Only for her, it hadn't
been because of Lily, but a woman named Amarynthia, who was better known
as Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals,
fertility and protector of the Amazons.  In the end, she supposed
sometimes it didn't matter what you knew to be true, mortal or Immortal
alike, there were times you were just plain old human, with all the
baggage that came along with it.

Without a second thought, Lilith decided that she would be to Faith,
what Mars had been to her, when she had come terrifyingly close to
losing her soul-mate.  Only she wasn't going to wait for the shit to hit
the fan, she was going to act now.  The problem though, was how to do it
without Faith knowing she was doing it? She knew as well as she knew her
own name, that if Faith even thought that she had figured out what was
going on in her head, she would put up a wall of denial as thick as,
well, she didn't think there was anything as thick as the wall the Dark
Slayer would put up in any dimension.  Lilith had, when Mars had
approached her, and she and Faith were a lot alike.  They were so much
alike; it scared the living shit out of her sometimes.  Because like
her, she knew Faith would deny it.  Because to Faith - like it had been
to her - even having these thoughts felt in some way like they were
betraying their soul-mate, betraying all they shared together.

Unlike her though, she knew Faith's fears, insecurities, came from a
much deeper, much darker place than hers had.  While on the surface it
may appear, or even feel as if Faith had conquered all those fears that
had dominated her earlier life. Had conquered them with her own strong
will and with the help and tender loving care of her family and Buffy,
Lilith knew that in reality it wasn't quite that easy.

No, she could never, not truly, understand the depths of those fears,
insecurities, those horrible lessons Faith had been forced to learn
throughout her young life, and had been ingrained into her psyche
deeply, carelessly and painstakingly through the years.  But she did
know from her own struggles with the insecurities, fears and memories of
her own painful past that they took much more time, no matter how strong
willed or well loved you were to ever be completely conquered, banished
and unlearned.

Sadly, she also knew that some, while faded would remain with you
forever.  Just as sadly too, Lilith knew, they would make themselves
known from time to time.  Take hold of you and override what you knew in
your heart and soul.  Usually these weren't the big nasty nightmares or
the flashbacks that hit you squarely in the face. No they rarely were
those, these were the small fears, terrors, that slowly crept to the
surface in unexpected ways, they were the shadows that you saw out of
the corner of your eye, the passing thought, that slowly became a
niggling doubt, the knots in your stomach that day by day grew tighter
until they were a chokehold.  The key, Lilith knew, to sending them back
into exile was to recognize them for what they were: untruths.  And in
doing so, you once again took away their power over you.  Time may heal
all wounds, but some wounds will always leave scars.

Now, how did she get Faith to recognize the difference between what was
real and what was just a faded scar?

Lilith continued to stare at the Dark Slayer and she could almost see
the little Green-Eyed monster doing a tap dance across her shoulders, as
he cackled with glee.  It wasn't so unusual for people to experience
jealousy once or twice in their lives, Lilith knew, after all jealousy
had been around since before man had learned to walk upright. Yes, there
were times when it was irrational and out of control, but that kind of
jealousy always came from some other place, a very non-healthy type
place.

She could see the conflict that was going on in Faith, it had written
itself in big bold letters across her face, in her eyes and she knew
that Faith's mind was at war with her heart and soul.  This was one or
many of those old faded scars creeping their way out and into Faith's
consciousness.  Buffy's bizarre behavior as the weeks passed giving them
the tiny crack they needed to come out and create havoc.  This was
different from when Buffy had been the psycho-student from hell.  There
had been a reason for her acting that way and Faith was well aware of
that. This time however, there wasn't a reason, at least not one that
Faith knew, for Buffy's bizarre behavior and the only thing she was
seeing that came close to a reason was appearing in the beautiful,
delicate, tiny form of the Green Mother and Lilith was seriously
contemplating telling Faith what was really going on.  First though she
would try another way, try to draw Faith out, try to get her to talk and
put a voice to those fears and insecurities, thus taking away their
power over her.

Now if that were only as easily said as done, Lilith would be in great
shape.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She drummed her fingers against the wooden tabletop, her brow furrowed
in thought; she was drawing a complete blank on where or how to start.
She felt the warmth of her mate invade her as she gently caressed her
through their bond.  She blinked once or twice, a soft smile gracing her
face and everything came back into focus.  She noticed that they were
alone at the table and now would be the perfect time for her to say
something to the Dark Slayer.  She decided to just go with her gut,
appease her own curiosity at the same time and see where she could lead
the conversation without arousing Faith's suspicions.

"So, Faith did you..." She stopped when she realized Faith wasn't paying
one ounce of attention to her. "Faith... Yoo-hoo earth to Faith."  She
snapped her fingers and waved her hand in front of the Dark Slayer's
face.  She let out a whoosh of frustrated air, then snapped her fingers
and waved again, almost hitting Faith in the nose, 'cause she knew Faith
was blatantly ignoring her. "Oh Faaaaaiiiiiithhhhhh.
Heeeelllllooooooo!!!"

"WHAT?" Faith slapped Lilith's hand away from her face, snarling,
practically baring her teeth. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Hey! Easy there!  What the hell crawled up your ass and died?" Lilith
snapped her errant mouth closed, oh yeah, they were a lot alike, and
after seeing the look Faith was giving her right now, she decided to
change tactics. Faith looked like she was ready to rip her face off and
at the same time she looked confused, vulnerable, scared, sad and right
on the edge of losing it and exploding.  So Lilith with her eons worth
of wisdom decided to push her buttons.  Knowing again because of how
alike they were, that it was the best way to get Faith talking, maybe
not the safest certainly, but the best.  She knew she had a fifty-fifty
chance of either getting Faith pissed, in which case she would probably
get her ass handed to her on a silver Slayer platter or getting Faith to
laugh and thus lightening a little of the burden weighing the Dark
Slayer down. "What happened did something crawl up there and die when
you and Buffy were 'p ---laaayyyin' in the forest today?"

Faith's mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a fish gasping for air
because it had been yanked out of the water and thrown upon the shore.
She stared at the Immortal, wondering if Lilith had lost her fucking
mind.  She was ready to snap, ready to rip Lilith a new one, that was
when she noticed the twinkle in Lilith's eyes and the smirk she was
trying to keep from showing.  Lilith was jerking her chain.  "You're an
ass.  You do know that, don't you, Gran?"

"Yes Grasshopper, I do.  But you're such an easy mark!  I well... I just
can't control myself around you sometimes." Lilith waved herself with an
invisible fan as she batted her eyelashes coquettishly at Faith in
perfect compliment to the southern drawl she had affected.  She started
to smile when she saw Faith trying to fight both the grin growing on her
face and the laughter that was trying to sneak out. "Come on I know you
want to laugh.  So just do it already!" With her Immortal speed, she
reached out and pinched the Dark Slayer's cheek before she even had a
chance to think about trying to stop her.

"HEY!" Faith swatted playfully at Lilith's hand, "Don't EVER pinch my
cheek again, Grandma!"

"But - but - I just can't help myself.  You're just so darn cute..."
Before Faith could stop her, Lilith had pinched her cheek again.

"You really are an ass.  You do know that, don't you?" The laugh found
its way out in total conflict with the child-like voices causing havoc
in her head.  They weren't to happy about this turn of events.

"I think we already covered that, it 'tis one of my many charms, after
all.  A charm, in fact, that both you and I share.  Along with our
rapier wit, our sultry good looks and the fact that we're both
hopelessly head over heels in love with - lucky us - the two most
beautiful women to ever grace any dimension.  Even luckier for us, they
absolutely, positively feel the same way about us as we do them.  How
did we both get so lucky?"

"Yeah... how did we?" Faith's eyes flickered away from Lilith and back
to the front door of the cottage again.

She was unaware that her eyes had grown sad, confused again and that a
soft sigh of something almost akin to self-loathing had slipped from
her.  Unaware, because she had yet to realize how far that mask, that
shield of indifference, boredom she had worn for most of her life had
begun to slip, to slowly dissolve away over the last year.  Right now,
it was a blessing in disguise that she didn't realize it. She was
already feeling raw, exposed and vulnerable.  If she had known how easy
it was for Lilith to read her, it might have made all of her carefully
dismantled, smashed walls re-erect with a force that would have made the
earth itself tremble.  Her attention, her eyes went back to Lilith as
she felt Lilith put her hand gently on her arm.

"Look I know what yo..."

"Lilith..." Mars growled, clamping a strong hand down on her shoulder so
hard it jarred her teeth. "I need to talk to you for a second.  Excuse
us for a minute, Leanaban."

"Can't it wait Mars?" Lilith tried prying Mars' hand from her shoulder
to avail.

"No!"

"But..."

"No! I need to speak with you right now!"

"So talk already Mars!"

Faith watched them bicker back and forth with amusement forgetting for
the moment her own depressing, confusing thoughts.  They were acting
like two ten-year-olds, which was funny considering you could probably
add a few zeros to the ten and still not be close to their true age.
Well, at least she thought that anyway.

"Privately Lilith.  Faith, you don't mind if I steal Lilith for a few
minutes, do you?" Mars grounded out from between his teeth.  Christ,
Lilith could be so dense sometimes.

"Nah go on.  I'll be fine, thinkin' I'm old enough to sit here by
myself."  Faith waved them both away, her eyes involuntarily drifting
back to the cottage.

"I'll be right back Faith, don't go anywhere."

"Whatever Gran."

Keeping her anger in check for the moment or at least until she was out
of Faith's Slayer hearing, Lilith let Mars' drag her away from the
table.  Mars had just ruined everything, Faith had given her the perfect
opening with her lackluster response to the 'How did we both get so
lucky?' question.

"Didn't they teach manners in Warlord school?" Snarling, she planted her
hands on her hips and gave Mars the evil eye. "What the hell is so
important that you had to drag me away?  Well?  I'm waiting Mars."

"I asked him to Lil." Clotho whispered as she walked up behind Lilith
her footsteps just as quiet.  She moved until she was standing next to
Lilith.

"You?  But why?  What's going on Clo?"  Lilith was truly puzzled;
subterfuge was not Clotho's normal stock in trade.

"Well, I knew if I came over there to get you, you would just humor me,
yes'ing me to death 'til I left.  So I sent Mars, he's not so easy to
ignore."

"So what the hell is so damn important?" Now Lilith was not only puzzled
but also a little pissed. She felt her window of opportunity with Faith
slipping away.

"I needed to stop you before you did something stupid." Clotho arched an
eyebrow at Lilith and touched her arm gently to both offset her harsh
words and to stop Lilith from interrupting her. "I know you're just
trying to help, Lil.  But if you had just blurted out that you knew what
she was feeling, you would've just made her shut down and run." Clotho
smiled softly at Lilith when she adamantly shook her head no at her.

"You know I'm right Lil.  It's exactly what you would've done, in fact,
what you did do in the past when we all approached you.  You're right
about one thing, you two are a lot alike.  But she's not ready to hear
what you have to say.  She's not ready to talk about this and I know
that you want to save her some of the same pain that you went through.
But you can't, not right now."  Clotho didn't need to tell Lilith that
she knew all of this because of their bond. She knew exactly how her
mate felt. She too wanted to help the Slayers', but now was not the
time.

"But I only wanted to do what Mars did for me. He helped me to open my
eyes and see what was really going on with us, with me.  He helped me to
see what it was I was doing and where my unfounded suspicions were
really coming from.  I just want to do the same for Faith."

"Lilith it wasn't until the last time I approached you that you listened
to what I had to say.  So did I really open your eyes or did I just
confirm what you already knew inside and helped you work through it?"
Mars kept his voice just as quiet as Lilith and Clotho had.  None of
them wanted to be overheard, which given that both Immortals and
Slayers' alike had extraordinary hearing was a distinct possibility.

Luc and Atropos walked over to join the three Immortals and came in on
the middle of the conversation.  They had been watching them since Mars
had pulled Lilith away from Faith.  It had taken only a few minutes for
them to figure out what or rather whom they were discussing.  They stood
quietly, all of them seeing the pained expression on Lilith's face as
she thought back to that awful time in both hers and Clotho's life.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They weren't the only ones that were watching the three Immortals, Faith
was too.  She knew they were talking about her and Buffy.  They weren't
as subtle as they thought though, she kept catching the covert looks all
three were throwing her way, then towards the cottage and all it did was
start to confirm her worst fears.  Those child-like voices rose up
stronger in her mind and all she wanted to do was run.  Run as fast and
as far away as possible.

Now that she was really thinking about it, she realized that Buffy had
been spending a lot of time with Lily these last few weeks, it wasn't
just her imagination.  The convoluted logic that had dominated her for
most of her life added its voice to the child-like whispers in her head.
It twisted her thinking and once again placed the blame for what was
happening, including Buffy's bizarre behavior and the reasons for why
she was even having these suspicions on her own shoulders.

This was her fault! It had to be! She had to have done something to make
Buffy even think about doing this.  Somehow, she didn't know how, it
didn't really matter how, because somehow, someway she had fucked up
again.  She knew Buffy was in love her, even now she didn't doubt that.
So it had to be her that was doing something to cause this, something
that was pushing Buffy away, making Buffy doubt her, doubt her love for
her.  Maybe she wasn't giving Buffy something that she needed.  Because
otherwise there would be no reason - at least not one that she could see
- to cause Buffy to be acting this way.  Was there?

She pressed her balled up fists into her thighs as she fought down the
urge to run.  She had stopped running three years ago; she wasn't going
to start again now.  She watched as Luc and Atropos joined in the
conversation and distracted the other three.  She had to hear what they
were saying! She had to know if her fears were a reality.  She
consciously loosened up her rigid muscles and casually rose from the
table.  She wandered aimlessly away from them until she was out of their
sight and then circled back.  Slowly making her way along the edge of
the woods to move closer to them, keeping her footsteps light so they
wouldn't give her away.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lilith forced herself to think back to that time in her life.  Clotho
had tried to talk to her repeatedly, but Lilith refused to listen to
anything her mate had to say.  Convinced that whatever Clotho had to say
was a lie.  The voices of her past, the fears and insecurities making
her see things that weren't there and blinding her to what her own heart
and soul knew was the real truth.  All of the Immortals had tried
talking to her but she refused to listen to any of them either,
believing since she wasn't an Incarnate like them that they were lying
for Clotho, because she was one of them.  She had secluded herself away
from Clotho, from all of them, screaming at them through the door to
leave her alone. Mars of course, since he was the most bullheaded, had
known Lilith the longest and because he absolutely knew they belonged
together was the most persistent of them all.  She had spent endless
nights going over and over in her head what she had seen, what she had
heard and little by little she had begun to realize where these thoughts
were coming from, what they truly were.

"You're right Mars. I just wish that... Why does this have to be so
hard?  Why can't we save her from this pain?  Why the hell can't we just
tell her the truth?" She was frustrated; she looked at Clotho hoping her
mate would have the answers for her.  Hoping that she would hear
something other then what she knew one of them was going to say.

"Sometimes the best thing to do for someone is to step back.  Give them
the chance to figure out on their own what is happening." Atropos
stopped, it wasn't coming out the way she wanted.  She looked to Luc for
help; they too had gone through something similar.

"She is blaming herself for this.  This is coming from somewhere deep
inside of her; it is her old insecurities, her old fears unveiling
themselves again.  She needs to figure this out on her own, or she might
never believe in herself again.  She needs to recognize these fears,
insecurities for what they are, understand where they come from, so that
if she ever hears their voices again she will know them for what they
are.  Lies, untruths, false emotions, guilt, that had been told, force
upon, placed on her shoulders and beaten into her repeatedly, when she
was young.  And those same lies, untruths, guilt, false emotions were
reinforced, told and beaten into her once more in Glory's hell, making
her feel and believe them all again."  Luc ran his hand through his
hair, wondering himself if he had made any sense. He felt the guilt for
his own part in all of this rise up in the back of his throat like it
had been everyday since Atropos had summoned him to the Tapestry of Life
room all that time ago.

None of them had noticed that Buffy had walked up next to them, nor did
they know that she had heard the last part of what Luc had said.  Nor
did anyone notice Faith hiding behind the tree, though she had arrived
after Luc had finished speaking.

Buffy was pissed they were talking about Faith and about that hell they
had existed in.  She was fuming that Luc had the nerve to even speak
about that hell, let alone speak about Faith, speak about what had
happened, about what it had done to Faith.  After all, it was his fault
that Johnny had even been there in the first place.  If it hadn't been
for him, Glory would have never pulled Faith into the portal. In her
anger, Buffy completely forgot that Glory had pulled Faith into the
portal before she had Johnny.  She had never confronted Luc about his
part in all of it, there had been too many other things going on, nor
had she ever told Faith about the part he had played.  Once again, that
rage she had thought she had conquered for the two degenerates that held
them captive found life and it was directing itself right at Luc.

"And all the thanks goes to you for Faith having to experience again all
that shit, doesn't it Lucifer?" she snarled, her eyes glinting
dark-amber.  This Buffy was very quickly becoming the one that had been
chained up in the cage with him in Glory's hell.

No one noticed as all the other Immortals joined their small group.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Mars demanded of Buffy.

"Elizabeth, now is not the..."

Buffy rounded on Atropos, waving her hands wildly cutting her off, "Why
not Atropos, don't want anyone to know that if it wasn't because of
'dear old hubby' in the first place that Glory would never have had -
had - that piece of shit who had called himself Faith's Daddy?!!?"

Everyone froze as the implications of Buffy words whirled around in
their heads. Up until now Buffy, the Fates, Lilith and Luc, had been the
only ones who knew that Luc had given Johnny to Glory.  Only the Fates,
Lilith and Luc himself had known the reasons why he had done what he
did.

At the first mention of Glory, Faith dug her fingers into the tree she
was hiding behind to eavesdrop on their conversation.  She dug them in
harder, not noticing the blood dripping from them when in an echo the
anger, the rage Buffy was feeling rolled over her, then she dug her
finger's in harder still, at the mention of Johnny.  Her chest felt
tight, she was finding it hard to breath.  She was paralyzed by what
Buffy had just revealed and she didn't want to believe it.  Didn't want
to believe that someone whom she considered family could have done this
to her, to Buffy, to them.

Buffy turned back to Luc snarling under her breath, "If you had kept
that fucking scumbag in hell with you where he belonged in the first
place instead of giving him to that demented Demon-Goddess som..."

A bellow of pure rage drowned out the rest of what Buffy was saying and
before anyone could move Mars grabbed Luc by the throat and tossed him
clear across the backyard. He was across the yard and pummeling Luc
before anyone even had the chance to react or move.

Luc didn't even try to defend himself.  He had been waiting for this,
waiting for this finally to come out.  He had never approached either
Slayer, never had found the opportunity, the right time to apologize for
his part in what had happened to them.  He had not wanted to add this on
top of everything else they were going through just to assuage his own
guilty conscious. And if he was truly honest with himself, he was afraid
of losing them once it all came out in the open.  They were his family;
he felt like Atropos, they were like his grandchildren; loved,
cherished, precious, adored, admired and irreplaceable.  He didn't want
to risk losing them.

Atropos reached them first, panicking as she saw her mate wasn't even
defending himself. Mars couldn't kill Luc, but he could seriously hurt
him, only other Immortals had that ability.  The hurts, bruises, cuts,
broken bones they inflicted on each other couldn't be healed by magic,
they had to heal on their own.  It had always been that way, the
'Creator' wanted them to understand what it was like so they thought
twice before inflicting any type of physical harm on those that weren't
like them and on each other.

Atropos tried futilely to grab the Incarnate of War's flailing fists, as
she yelled at him to stop. "Mars please stop! He didn't know!  He didn't
know when he gave him to her!  He didn't know she had the Slayers!
Please, please, please stop Mars!"

Her words, her pleas, fell on deaf ears, Mars was beyond listening to
anyone.  If he couldn't take his rage out on the two people that were
responsible for the abuse that had been inflicted upon the Slayers, upon
the daughter of his heart, then he would inflict it upon the man who was
responsible for placing his daughter and her mate within that monster's
reach.  He flung Zane, Crow and Chris from him with one hand as they
tried to pull him off Luc, while he kept beating on him with the other.

"Oh god what have I done?" Buffy whispered to herself, the rage draining
completely out of her.  Her hands clenched and unclenched helplessly at
her side.  She had thought she had control of her rage, but the words
had fallen so easily from her lips and she had let the rage take her
over without the slightest hesitation, without the slightest fight.  She
knew in her heart that Luc would have never given Johnny to Glory had he
known.  It wasn't him, it wasn't the type of man he was, it wasn't the
role he played in their world, their dimension, even if he was Satan.
She ran over to them, she jumped into the fray helping the others to try
to pull the enraged Incarnate of War off the bleeding Incarnate of Evil.
Everyone, including her, had forgotten about Faith.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Overload!  There were so many confusing thoughts going through her head
she felt like she might have a meltdown.  She was frozen, still
clutching, digging her fingers into the tree, it was her only anchor
right now.  She watched the scene unfold in front of her and felt like
her world was falling apart.  Why was it that this shit always happened
when everything felt right, felt good?  Why did it always happen just
before she was ready to take that next step on the road to redemption,
forgiveness, to realizing her dreams?  Why did it always fall apart? Was
this always going to be her life?  But more importantly was she just
going to sit back and just let it happen, let her family rip each other
apart or was she going to do something about it?

She released her death grip on the tree, ignoring the blood, wiping it
off almost absentmindedly on her cutoffs.  She moved towards them using
her Slayer speed.  She stood beside them within seconds.

Softly she whispered, somehow knowing that they would hear her despite
the shouting, "Stop it!  Stop it all of you right now!  Mars, let Luc
go!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They all stilled at her softly spoken words, all but Mars who couldn't
see past his rage or hear anything beyond the pounding of the blood in
his ears.  Faith knelt down next to them, putting her hand on Mars'
shoulder.

Softly, soothingly she whispered, "Please, 'Athair mo cridhe,' please
stop.  Please, 'Athair' stop."

His fist halted mid-flight when the sound of her voice, so sad, so soft,
so full of forgiveness and compassion found its way past his rage.  His
heart hammered against his chest when the words she had spoken in Gaelic
to him seeped in.  She had called him, 'Athair' and 'Athair mo cridhe,'
Father and Father of my heart.

Ashamed of himself, he hastily lifted himself off Luc.  He looked first
at Faith, who just reached up and gently brushed the side of his face,
then down at the bloody mess he had made out of the man whom he thought
of as a brother.  He hesitantly reached down a hand, expecting it to be
rejected and no one was more surprised then him when Luc accepted his
offer of help.  He pulled the Devil himself up to his feet and was
surprised once again when Luc wrapped him in a bear hug.

"It's okay Mars; I would have done no less." Luc whispered for Mars'
ears only.

Luc untangled himself from Mars, gave him a small smile, wincing
slightly from the tear in his lip.  He turned to look at Faith and
silently watched as Buffy moved next to her.  Watched, as the Slayers
unconsciously reached for and clasped each other's hand.  "I'm sorr..."
He trailed off when Faith shook her head no at him.

"No Luc. There's no need for you to apologize. I know you would never
have done anything to hurt either of us.  Not before... and not now.
All the blame, the guilt belongs solely to those other two.  Not to you,
or me or Buffy, not to anyone in our family."

Faith smiled tenderly at him and he could see she not only meant but
also believed every word she had just spoken and he felt as if the
weight of the world had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders.  He
shifted from foot to foot, wincing in pain, amazed by the generosity of
the woman in front of him and awed by her capacity to love and forgive.
Still though, he felt guilty, then he saw a twinkle in her eyes and so
he waited for what was to come.

"Why don't the three of us take a walk to your cottage so you can clean
yourself up.  We can talk, since I know you're gonna feel guilty anyway
until you say whatever it is you need to say or tell us and we tell you
we forgive you a billion or so times."  She waited for his answer which
was given in a nod, "You know Scamp, next time 'm' Athair' decides to
kick the shit out of you, you might want to fight back or defend
yourself... at least a little bit."

Luc, Buffy and Faith walked away towards his cottage leaving a group of
stunned Immortals behind.  Though none more stunned then Mars, when
Faith once again called him, 'm' Athair,' my Father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luc faded them back to his and Atropos' cottage after they reached the
path that ran between all the cottages.  He excused himself to go take a
quick shower and change, leaving both Slayers alone for the moment in
the kitchen.  They turned to face each other.

Buffy gave Faith a sheepish grin, which swiftly turned to one of concern
when she realized that the wetness she felt holding Faith's hand wasn't
from her own sweaty palms.  Sweat dried, it didn't turn sticky. She
grasped Faith's other hand with hers and before she even raised them up
to eyelevel, she knew what she would see.

"Oh my god Faith, what happened to your hands?"  She dragged Faith over
to the sink, dropping one hand so she could turn the water on.

It was Faith's turn to give Buffy a sheepish look, "I guess I was
holding on to the tree I was standing by a little tighter then I
thought."

She really didn't remember doing it and she was ashamed to tell Buffy
that she had been hiding behind the tree so she could spy on the
Immortals and listen in on their conversation.  Ashamed of the thoughts
she had been having about Buffy and ashamed because she believed that
all of this was her fault.  She untangled her hands from Buffy's and
turned towards the sink, unable to look her in the eyes.  Those goddamn
child-like whispers returned.  They wanted her to confront Buffy, she
screamed so loud at them to shut the fuck up in her head, her body
actually jerked in reaction.  Now was not the time.  She needed time to
figure things out, time so she didn't go off halfcocked and make things
worse.  Besides, there was still Luc to worry about and helping him get
past the guilt she knew he was feeling.  Not to mention the guilt and
horror that she could feel Buffy was struggling with because of her
actions, her rage at what she had let slip and the aftermath it had
caused. So, she forced down her own fears, her own needs and put Luc and
Buffy's before her own, just like she always did.

She put her hands under the lukewarm water and sucked in a breath at the
stinging pain.  She really had done a number on her fingers.  She could
feel Buffy staring at her with concerned, worried eyes and was comforted
when she felt Buffy's hand tracing light circles on her lower back.  She
stared at her hands almost curiously, her fingertips, the pads of her
fingers and the skin down to the middle knuckles torn, almost shredded.
She felt a little out of it, distracted, almost numb, as if the overload
she had felt earlier had shut down all the synapses in her brain.  She
shook her head trying to force herself out of the murky, hazy place she
was in.

Buffy leaned her head against Faith's shoulder, slipping one hand under
her arm and the other around the outside.  She gently cupped both of
Faith's hands with her own.  Tenderly she helped Faith wash the blood
off and clean out the cuts on her fingers.

"Oh baby..." Buffy moaned softly in sympathy.

"It's okay B... they'll heal up in a day or two." She mumbled absently.
She hissed as Buffy started to clean out the cuts with soap, then was
grateful for the burning pain which threw everything back into sharp
focus.

Buffy turned off the water and grabbed the towel beside the sink.  She
carefully dried Faith's hands, then raised each one up to her mouth and
kissed the backs of them softly.  She let them go, knelt down to check
under the sink for a first aid kit and was relieved to see there was
one.  She found gauze and tape in the kit and led Faith over to the
table to sit.  She knelt down in front of her and with care wrapped each
of Faith's fingers after first applying antiseptic cream.

"That should help, along with our Slayer healing.  I'm not sure what
else to do, what else I can do?"  She gnawed her bottom lip worriedly;
innately knowing that somehow she was the catalyst that had caused this.
She stared up into the dark-chocolate eyes of her mate, seeing a hint of
sadness in them. Instinctively knowing, not the how or the why, but that
she was the cause of the sadness in Faith's eyes and that it went deeper
then what had just happened at Lily's cottage. "Baby, what else can I do
for you?"

"Just love me." Faith whispered ever so softly.

Upon hearing those almost silent words Buffy's eyes grew wide.  She rose
up to her feet and lifted Faith from the chair.  She sat down with Faith
in her lap pulling her into an impossibly tight one-arm embrace.  Her
other hand came up to rest on Faith's cheek and gently urged her to look
at her.  She let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief when she felt
Faith lean into her touch as she turned her head. "I do.  I will always
love you Faith."

She let herself fall into Buffy's embrace, let herself feel those words.
She rested her head on Buffy's shoulder, one arm going around to hold
Buffy, the other coming up to stroke the nape of her neck with the back
of her hand.

"I know.  I love you too, always will B."  There was something almost
wistful about her words as if she knew this was just the calm before the
storm and somehow knew too that it was an internal storm.  One that she
could not outrun, could not avoid.  A storm she would need to conquer on
her own, in essence, a storm that had been brewing for a very long time.
It was a battle she was determined to win.

A peaceful feeling washed over her and for now her fears and
insecurities faded away. A vague sense of understanding of this internal
storm began floating around the edges of her mind and when she heard the
almost howl of fear come from those child-like voices of her thoughts,
she knew she was on the right track.

They sat quietly holding each other while they waited for Luc and basked
in the warmth, in the comfort, in the love they found in each other's
arms.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So has Rais made any further appearances since the last time?" Lilith
leaned back against the wall of the training room making herself a
little more comfortable.  The five of them, Lilith, Clotho, Mars and the
Slayers' had just finished going through a new set of routines.

"Nope, haven't seen hide or hair of him since... When was that baby,
January?" Buffy looked at Faith who just nodded. "I think he got tired
of trading barbs with Faith.  Has anyone gotten any further in figuring
out how to get rid of him once and for all or finding out about this
Dead Scroll he likes to spout off about?"

"No, all we know is that the Dead Scroll is evil's equivalent of the
Living Scroll.  Though, Crow told us there is no mention in the Living
Scroll of Rais or anyone connected with him. We're still working on a
spell to bring him back into this dimension that will also separate him
from the demon he bound himself to all those centuries ago.  It would be
much easier if we could find the original spell that he used, 'cause we
really don't know exactly what he is bound to.  For once the Tapestry is
of no help." Clotho shrugged not sure what else to say.

Clotho had been watching the two Slayers closely since they had sat down
on the floor.  They were leaning against each other but somehow they
were miles apart.  The day after Lily's impromptu BBQ, Buffy had gone
back into her nervous, hyperactive babble mode again, which had been
getting increasingly worse as the days passed.   As for Faith, she still
smiled, joined in and though it wasn't blaringly apparent there was
something hollow, fake about it as if she were doing it by rote, doing
it because it was expected of her.  Clotho could see that as each day
passed little by little Faith was withdrawing from them.  She had
witnessed this up close and personal a long time ago when Lilith had
done it.  She had wanted to do something then, just like now and just
like then, she once again was at a loss as to what to do.  She felt
helpless and she hated feeling that way.  She turned to look at Lilith
when she felt her mate squeeze her hand reading her thoughts.

"So Faith, you still want to go riding with us?" Lilith asked.

"Yeah Gran, sounds good.  You coming with us 'Buffy'?" Faith asked
already knowing that Buffy would say no.

"No. I've got some other stuff, you know things, maybe a swim, or a
shower, just stuff I want to do baby.  You go ahead withou..."  Buffy
rambled, thinking to herself that she was such an idiot.

"Whatever, 'Buffy'." Faith mumbled out in an unemotional voice, a
resigned look crossing her face. None of them missed the flat, detached
words or the almost sad, rejected look on Faith's face, with the
exception of Buffy, who was too caught up in her own insecurities and
fears.

Faith's stomach twisted into tighter knots, they were suffocating her.
She swallowed down the lump in her throat as she tried to capture
Buffy's darting eyes with her own.  Buffy not making direct eye contact
with her lately seemed to be par for the course, just like her incessant
babbling. Just like Buffy sneaking away to spend quite a bit of time
alone with Lily. Just like Buffy avoiding being alone with her again at
all costs.

For the most part, Faith had been spending all her time and energy on
brooding and trying to keep the voices of her fears, insecurities and
the possessive anger that she was feeling, which was steadily growing
stronger, at bay.  She had spent the last three days trying to figure
out what it was that she was doing, had already done wrong.  How once
again she had managed to fuck things up.  Her head pounded almost
nonstop from the conflict raging inside of her - she didn't understand
how on one hand she knew with absolute certainty that Buffy was in love
with her and on the other hand had the suspicions she did about Buffy
and Lily with almost the same certainty.

It was becoming increasingly easier to fall back into her old habits of
not talking, not reaching out, isolating herself and placing the blame
on her own shoulders.  This alone terrified the shit out of her. She
didn't want to fall back into habits that had done nothing but make her
life even worse, even darker.  The way she had been, had made it that
much easier for her to walk down that dark path. But even knowing this,
she still felt herself becoming increasingly introverted and remote. It
was almost like she was watching all of it from outside of herself and
was helpless to stop or change any of it, just like when she was kid.
For the first time in a year, the weight on her shoulders felt far too
heavy to carry and the burden she carried wasn't one she thought she
could share with anyone, not even with Buffy.

She felt as if she had painted herself into a corner that she could
never get out of.  There was no way that she could ever leave Buffy, no
way she would let her go, no way in hell that she would ever share her
and she didn't know if she could ever forgive Buffy if she had, or did
cheat on her.  With a weary sigh, she jumped up to her feet and without
even so much as a goodbye she tore off after Lilith and Clotho, who had
already left. She completely missed Buffy's bewildered, hurt look at her
actions as she ran out of the training barn without a word, a touch or a
smile goodbye.

Mars didn't miss it though, and when Buffy turned to look at him it took
all of his willpower not to hit her upside her head and knock some sense
into her.  He stood up, intending to walk away without a word himself,
after only a few steps he stopped and turned around to look at her.

"Maybe if you stop acting like a goddamn babbling, brainless,
stereotypical, blonde twit, you might get a clue!" He growled then
stormed out of the training room leaving Buffy all alone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So are you two enjoying your stay here?" Clotho asked Faith quietly as
they rode along one of the many trails around the lake.

"Yeah." Faith grunted and then went right back to her internal battle.

"Faith?" Clotho waited for Faith to look at her before she continued,
"Can um... well can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, can't promise I'll answer it though." Faith shrugged her
shoulders but there was a little bit of her trademark lopsided-cocky
grin playing around the corners of her mouth.

"Fair enough.  Well, I mean it's pretty obvious that you have a thing
for giving people nicknames.  It's your way of showing affection or that
you like them.  I thought Spike was going to strut like a peacock when
you finally gave him a nickname that day when we got the antido... oh
shit..." Clotho trailed off and bit her lip.  The last thing she wanted
to do was bring up bad memories.  Her mouth had gotten ahead of her
brain; she could have slapped herself for her stupidity.

"It's okay Kiddo," Faith smirked both at Clotho's mortified look and the
memory of Spike's surprised, embarrassed, happy look that day she had
dubbed him Soul-boy Junior.  "Ask your question.  You've got me curious
now."

"Sorry I didn't mean to bring any..."

"It's okay really," Faith said again, waving away Clotho's apology.

"Ask already Clo!" Lilith interjected her own two-cents, her own
curiosity piqued.

"All right!  As I was saying, you've given everyone nicknames.  Some
people a few different ones.  But with everyone you mostly use them when
you're teasing them otherwise you use their names." Clotho was starting
to think that Buffy's non-stop babbling was contagious, so were Faith
and Lilith for that matter.  "Um everyone except Buffy that is.  You
almost always, exclusively call her 'B' and I've noticed that no one but
you calls her that too.  As a matter of fact I don't think I've ever
heard you call her Buffy, until today that is."

"Clo is there a question in there somewhere?" Lilith finally asked in
exasperation.

"I was starting to wonder that too, Gran." Faith chuckled and both
Immortals smiled at her.

"I guess my question is why do you call Buffy, 'B'?"  Clotho looked
expectantly at Faith.  Her motive for asking the question wasn't just
simple curiosity, but more of a way to get Faith to remember the 'Soul'
connection between Buffy and herself.  To remember why it was that she
had given Buffy a nickname barely seconds after they had met. Make her
realize, why it was, that everyone understood, respected that the
affectionate nickname she had for her soul-mate was exclusively for her
use only.  Hoping to get Faith to remember what she had always known and
to expose those voices from her past for what they were and send them
back to where they belonged.  Clotho already knew the answer to her
question.  She had seen it in the Tapestry of Life, long ago, when they
had first brought the Dark Slayer to them in her dreams.

Faith settled into the soothing rhythm of Obsidian's slow gait.  Her
eyes slid closed and without thought, she found the thread that
connected her to her mate.  It shone brighter then the others that
connected them.

It was beautiful, ethereal, luminous, special, just like her mate and...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stunned by Mars' parting shot at her, Buffy didn't move from her spot on
the floor for a few minutes after he left.  What the hell had she done?
Why the hell had he said that to her?  Why the hell had Faith left
without so much as a look?

She got up to her feet and chased after Mars, by the time she had made
it out of the training barn he was nowhere in sight.  She ran over to
his cottage and banged on the door but got no answer.  She knew she had
been babbling a lot lately thanks to her nerves, but was she really that
bad? If Mars had been irked enough by her recent behavior to say
something to her then she was sure the other Immortals had noticed her
behavior too.  And if the Immortals noticed and were irritated, god only
knew how Faith felt.

Over the last few days, she had noticed that Faith had been a little
remote.  In her own anxiety and fear, she hadn't pressed Faith about it,
or for that matter even asked her about it.  She had just let it slide.
This was supposed to be a special time for them, she had made plans and
all she was doing was fucking it up.  She really needed to talk to
someone about this, especially after what happened with both Mars and
Faith.

Her first thought was to run to Faith and talk with her but she was
reluctant to do that.  Afraid that she would finally succumb to the
pressure from her own insecurities, fears, from the last few weeks and
just blurt everything out.  And that was the last thing she wanted to
do.

She couldn't leave and go talk to Willow, since Faith would notice that
she was gone.  Nor could she talk to Clotho and Lilith since they were
with Faith.  The only other person she felt comfortable talking about
stuff like this was Lily. But she was hesitant to bother her, she had
been taking up a good amount of the Green Mother's time lately.  She
didn't want to impose anymore then she already had been.  That and there
was a part of her that knew this was a discussion she should be having
with Faith and not with someone else.  She slowly made her way over to
Lily's cottage, the past few weeks playing through her mind, her mental
kicks to her own ass hastening her steps.

She found Lily behind her cottage, tending to her garden.

"Hi," Buffy waved awkwardly.

"Hey Buffy.  What are you doing here?  Did we forget something?" Lily
asked standing up and wiping the dirt on her hands on her jeans.

"No.  No... Ah do you have a few minutes?"  Buffy hesitated to ask.

"Sure.  Come and sit down.  Would you like something cold to drink?"

"No... ah thanks."  Buffy sat down stiffly, gnawing at her bottom lip.
She started nervously picking at her jeans.

Lily sat down opposite Buffy; she had been expecting her.  She already
had a visit from Mars and she had been getting a virtual mental play by
play from Clotho on what was happening with Faith.  She decided to let
Buffy tell her what happened then she was going to lead Buffy back to
the same memory that Clotho was leading Faith to.

"So what's up?" Lily smiled at Buffy.

"We were training at Mars'..." Buffy began then told Lilith everything
that had happened.  When she finished her tale, she looked up at Lily,
who looked back at her with compassionate eyes.  "Have I really been
that bad lately?" she questioned softly.

"In a word," Lily started then paused, "Yes."

"I've made a mess of things haven't I?"  Buffy groaned she knew Lily was
right.

"Yes and no," Lily replied softly with a slight shrug.

"Don't you people ever give a straight answer?"  Buffy snarled, then
instantly regretted it and gave Lily an apologetic smile.

Lily laughed softly at the question; she couldn't even begin to tell
Buffy how many times she had asked one of the other Immortals the same
question herself.  No one seemed to realize that most of the rules the
Immortals had that applied to their dealings with the other dimensions
inhabitants, also applied to them dealing with each other.  "Yes and
no," Lily smirked then outright laughed at the surprised look on Buffy's
face.

"Figures," Buffy chuckled for a second before her face turned sad,
nervous and fearful again. "I don't... I just can't seem to stop myself
from acting this way. I'm nervous, what if... What if she..." Buffy
trailed off, afraid even to say aloud her biggest fear.

"You don't really believe that will happen, do you Buffy?" Lily asked,
already knowing what Buffy's fears and concerns were.  She had spent
quite a bit of time with the Light Slayer over the last few weeks.  She
knew all of Buffy's plans and she knew where the nerves, the fears and
insecurities were coming from.  They were normal for the most part, but
given the history between the two Slayers and their individual pasts,
she also understood how all of it had been blown out of proportion, to
quickly spin out of control for both of them.

"I guess a part of me does.  I don't know what to believe." Buffy
whispered a little ashamed of her own doubts, her own fears.

She dropped her head into her hands, covering her face, her shoulders
slumping.  She was making a mess out of things, she knew it but it was
almost as if she couldn't stop herself.  It was almost as if she were
testing Faith's love for her in a way, in a very odd, fucked-up way.  At
the same time, it was almost as if she doubted herself as well.  Some
part of her knew it was wrong, knew the truth, but after all that had
happened in both their lives she couldn't help but think that the other
shoe was going to drop.  It always seemed to when things were good, when
she was happy, when they were happy and in some subconscious way, it was
as if she was trying to make it happen, just so she, they, didn't have
to keep waiting for it.  So that they could get past it and breathe
again, at least for a little while, until the next shoe dropped. Because
as far as she could remember, since she had been called that was exactly
what had happened each time her life had taken a turn towards happiness,
towards the good.

"What does your 'Slayer Connection' tell you? What does your
'Soul-Thread' tell you?"  Lily waited patiently for Buffy to lift her
head and look at her.  She gave her a smile of encouragement when Buffy
finally did.

"That I'm being stupid.  That I should know better.  That it's me Faith
wants to be with, forever.  That she loves me."  She didn't break her
eye lock with Lily as she spoke and the love she felt for the Dark
Slayer was in every word she spoke, in the depths of her eyes, in the
soft smile that appeared when she said her very soul's name.

"And you know this because of your Slayer bond or your Soul bond?"

"What?  They're the same thing." Buffy gave Lily a puzzled look.

She knew she and Faith were connected, they always had been.  They could
sense each other from the get go. It had expanded since they became
lovers, in so many ways, that Buffy couldn't count or name them, but it
had always been there.  Some of the changes in their bond she was aware
of and some she wasn't, it was innate, natural now, but neither she or
Faith ever took it for granted.  They both immediately felt it when the
other consciously blocked it and when they sent emotions, images,
feelings to the other.

"Actually, they are now, but at first they weren't.  But you know that,
deep down inside you both know that." Lily told her quietly, perhaps
Atropos hadn't explained to either Slayer clearly enough that the
connection the Slayer's shared was in and of itself very unique. "You
can if you concentrate, if you follow your Soul-Thread see that they
weren't at first." Buffy's face grew even more puzzled and Lily decided
that now was the time to send her down the same memory lane as Faith.
"Buffy, when was the first time you felt the Soul-Thread Bond with
Faith?"

"Right after the first time we made love at the Mansion in front of the
fireplace." Buffy answered quickly, with certainty as she turned a
pretty shade of pink.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am!" Buffy snapped.  But was that true?  Was that really
the first time she felt that connection?  Something tickled the edges of
her consciousness as she thought about their Slayer connection and Soul
connection being separate.  Then she remembered their first night at the
cottage, how she had followed that single thread, the one that Atropos
had told them was different, was their Soul-Thread.  The connection
between them that could never be severed, not even in death.  Her eyes
grew wide in surprise, then slowly slid closed as she searched for and
found the thread that shone brighter then the others that connected
them.

It was beautiful, ethereal, luminous, special, just like her mate and...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith let their Soul-Thread carry her back to the past, she whispered,
"I felt her before I ever saw her, before..."

"... I even knew she was a she, I felt her..." Buffy whispered as she
let their Soul-Thread carry her back to the past.

In their mind's eye both Slayers saw and remembered the very first time
they had felt the connection, the recognition of one soul for its mate
that lived inside of another. Remembered the first time they had felt
the other who would come to be a part of themselves in ways neither
Slayer could ever have begun to imagine.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was in the Bronze dancing with a reject seventies Disco Dan vamp who
thought he was all that.  She was using her Bad Girl looks and charms
hoping to lure him outside where she could stake him.  They had just
begun dancing to their second song, when what she thought at the time
was her Slayer senses go off on high.  But it was different then the
tingly cramps she got when a vamp or some other big bad was around.
There was nothing threatening about it, in fact, it felt good, very
good, as if every part of her was being called by something and in a
weird, sort of unreal way it felt familiar.

She covertly glanced around the Bronze, moving to the music and turning
so she could look at everyone.  She didn't see anything out of the
ordinary and though she wasn't conscious of it, her eyes drifted back
time and again to one corner, to one person.  Her mind might not have
known what it was seeking but her soul did.  By the end of the third
song, she was beginning to think that maybe she had too much beer and
was imagining things.  She smiled and nodded yes to the Disco Vamp when
he suggested they go outside for some fresh air.

With a last look around and an unconscious look back at the table and
the blonde in the corner, she left the dance floor.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Something was different, she felt it the second she walked into the
Bronze.  The tingly cramps that told her a vamp or vamps were there
started instantly, but there was something else underneath them.
Something that felt incredibly good, felt right.  Something akin to a
siren's call, that beckoned, searched out and called to all of her,
something that was somehow, surprisingly familiar.  Her eyes searched
out the source of this feeling, unconsciously her soul unerringly found
their source, but all she found with her eyes were Willow and Oz making
out, and Xander and Cordy dancing.  Even so, she couldn't stop the
earsplitting grin from forming on her face as she made her way over to
the bar to get drinks.

She grabbed the drinks and pushed her way through the crowd over to
their regular table and couch, the large grin still gracing her face.
With the wonderful, exhilarating feeling still humming under her skin,
she chatted with Willow and Oz, until Scott showed up.  She fumbled
through a conversation with him, her thoughts still centered on where
these feelings were coming from, her eyes, her soul unconsciously
returning time and again to the raven-haired beauty on the dance floor.

Scott finally left after she politely declined to dance with him.  Then
Willow started asking the tough questions and she was saved by Cordy of
all people.  Her eyes once more sought out the raven-haired woman on the
dance floor thanks to Cordy's comments.  She watched the wild beauty and
the seventies reject and realized as they walked off the dance floor,
then outside that he was a vamp.

She followed them, the adrenaline, the rush, the power, the Slayer in
her coming to the surface and pushing out the other, newer feelings.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She felt the Slayer in her wakening, drowning out everything else.  She
loved Slaying with a passion, loved the rush of power through her veins,
felt joy in the freedom of knowing she was doing something right,
something good!  She saw the blonde from the bar approaching, stake in
hand and knew this was the Buffy her first watcher had told her so much
about.  She grabbed Disco Vamp by the neck, pushed him away, turned
slightly and elbow jabbed him in his ugly game face.  She twirled and
jumped up onto the crate next to her.  Disco Vamp struggled to regain
his balance and barely took a step towards her before she jumped into
the air.  Loving the tightening of her thigh muscles, the feel of
slicing through the air, the moment of no gravity.  She executed a
perfect spinning roundhouse, catching Disco Vamp in the face sending him
flying, a large cat-that-ate-the-canary smile sensually lighting up her
face.

"S'okay, I got it. You're, uh, Buffy, right?" She rasped out, taking in
Buffy with a flick of her eyes. She was grabbed by her shoulders by
Disco Vamp before Buffy had a chance to answer her.  She slammed her
head backwards, head butting him at the same time reaching up and
grabbing his arm. "I'm Faith," she smiled at Buffy then pulled Disco
Vamp by his arm, swinging him around and slamming him face first into
the chain-linked fence.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say we've got a new Slayer in
town."

Faith's smile turned into a cocky-lopsided grin at the punked-out dude's
comment.  Still smiling lopsidedly, she turned her attention back to
Disco Vamp.  She kneed him in the lower back, ducking as Disco Vamp spun
around and tried to backhand her.  She threw a hard punch to his gut,
then one up at his face.  She pulled out all the stops hoping to impress
the infamous Buffy.  She followed her punches up with a high sidekick to
the side of Disco Vamp's face, then picking him up off his feet by his
neck and tossed him down to the ground.

Buffy watched Faith a little bit awed by her.  Awed by how elegantly she
moved, the lean muscles that rippled, flexed as she kicked and punched
the vamp.  Admiring unconsciously the sensuous feline grace that seemed
to be a part of Faith, a little surprised too, by the joy she could see
in the raven-haired Slayer's face as she did what Faith would later tell
her they were built for.  While she stood there and watched Faith, she
felt a familiar lowdown tickle start.   And when she felt it, she pushed
the feeling, the thoughts away that it was Faith herself that was
causing the tickle and instead blamed it on the adrenaline rush that
always came when she thought about or actually was out Slaying.

"Can I borrow that?"  Faith asked, slightly flirtatiously pointing at
the stake.  She didn't wait for an answer from Buffy she just took the
stake.

In the blink of an eye, Faith turned, ducked the punch Disco Vamp threw
at her, grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him around and back into the
fence, raised the stake and slammed it into Disco Vamp with an almost
savage joy.  Then she casually turned back towards Buffy, took a few
steps and handed the stake back to a slightly open-mouthed Buffy.

"Thanks, B. Couldn't a done it without ya'," she husked, then gave Buffy
another cocky-lopsided grin and walked past her heading back towards the
entrance to the Bronze.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"First time I saw her outside I called her Buffy.  Somehow, that didn't
feel right, ya know?  After I staked the vamp, I called her B and that
felt right.  I knew her, but I didn't.  A part of me knew her, had
always known her.  And, well Buffy, she belonged to everyone else.  But,
somehow, I don't know how, I just knew that 'B', B belonged to me, just
me.  Not belonged, like I owned her, but that 'Buffy' was who the world
saw and interacted with and 'B,' she was someone, still with all the
Buffy parts, but someone different, sort of, but not... that she, that B
was more things to just me... a... a... side that only I would ever get
to know, to see.  That with me... that she was... that we were, are,
just simply more together. And..." Faith hesitated; gnawing her lip in
thought, there was something else there. "Did that make sense?"

"Yes, perfectly, but there's something else too, isn't there?" Lilith
asked softly.

"Yeah. Outside too, I felt her before I saw her, but it was all mixed up
with the Slayer feelings and later when we realized we could sense each
other we just thought it was a Slayer thing.  But it wasn't completely
that, was it?" She looked at the two Immortals who just nodded no at
her. "It was this Soul-Thread thing that Atropos told us about, wasn't
it?"  Faith paused then answered her own question, "That's what I felt
in the club before I even saw her, before..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...I even knew she was a Slayer.  Before I even knew there was a Slayer
connection, a connection I never felt with Kendra.  It was our
Soul-Thread that opened the door to the Slayer connection too, wasn't
it?  That's why I never sensed Kendra like that. Right?"  Buffy asked;
amazed by what she had just realized.  A little bit regretful that they
hadn't realized it sooner, realized it years ago so they might never
have gone down that first road.  In her heart of hearts though she knew,
it had been her that refused to see it, her that had been scared of what
it was that she refused to admit, what it was that her soul knew and
recognized in her Dark Slayer.

"Yes and no," Lily gave Buffy an impish grin.

"You've got to be kidding me with that answer," Buffy moaned, returning
Lily's grin.

"In time, you would have shared a Slayer connection with Kendra had she
not died.  Just like warriors of old anticipated and knew how those they
had fought with side-by-side for years would react, would fight.  Only
with you and Kendra, it would have been more of a... um... almost an ESP
type thing when you were Slaying.  The mystical energy that makes you
both Slayers is connected and eventually, would have been able to, in a
sense, almost talk to each other.  With Faith though, there was already
a connection between the two of you, between your souls, so it opened
the doorway for your connection as Slayers instantly."

"So why then, if we're soul-mates, if we..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...are connected that way, meant to be together; why did all that other
fucked-up shit happen between us?" Faith growled angrily, her face sad.

They had arrived back at the stables; the Immortals dismounted and let
their horses into the fenced-in pasture.  They waited for Faith to
dismount and do the same.  They walked over to the small picnic table
and beckoned Faith to join them.

"Well, are you going to answer me?" Snarling at the Immortals, she sat
down opposite them.

Clotho looked at Lilith, she wasn't sure if she could explain this
right.  Given that she was one of the Fates it fell to her to explain,
especially since there was the misconception that the 'Fates' controlled
the Life-Thread's destinies, their choices, which in fact, they didn't.

Lilith gave her mate a soft smile and gently clasped her hand with her
own, "Explain it to her how you explained it to me, when I asked you the
same question."

"Every Life-Thread within the Tapestry of Life has a soul-mate or
another Life-Thread that completes them if you will.  Though completes
isn't the right word, it implies that you are less then whole on your
own.  Which you aren't.  Rather you and your soul-mate are just simply
more together.  Do you understand?"

Faith smirked at Clotho, all her anger having left her.  Being angry
wouldn't help a damn thing and she realized belatedly that for some
reason knowing that from the first second she had been in Buffy's
presence they had recognized each other, squelched her anger.  They had
been connected, their souls had known each other, even if consciously
they hadn't and it sent those damn voices scurrying back to wherever
they had come from.  She felt relaxed, at peace, secure again in her
relationship with Buffy, in her place in Buffy's life and Buffy's in
hers. "Believe it or not I do.  And it's not something you can really
explain with words, it's just something you know, you feel."

"Right," Clotho smiled and squeezed Lilith's hand. "And you know that
despite the mythology that surrounds us, The Fates, the Tapestry, we
don't control your, well, fate, destinies, or your choices." Clotho
paused then continued after Faith nodded at her, "Just because each
Life-Thread, which, by the way, includes the Life-Threads that belong to
Immortals, mortals, demons, all Life-Threads that exist within the
Tapestry of Life...  What I'm trying to say is, just because each
Life-Thread has a soul-mate that doesn't mean that each soul-mate
will..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...find each other or even end up together.  The Fates can't force it
or make it happen.  Of course, one of the paths a Life-Thread can take
will lead them to their mate.  But each choice a Life-Thread makes
during the course of its road through the Tapestry can change that path.
What happened between you and Faith was of your own making, of your own
choices.  Maybe you both were too young, not ready, in the right place
at the wrong time.  I don't know. All I know is, that sometimes things
happen for a reason." Lily paused and stared intently at Buffy trying to
gauge if she understood what she was saying.

"Go on."  She understood what Lily was telling her and surprisingly
enough she felt relaxed for the first time in weeks.  Felt at peace,
secure in her relationship, secure in the plans that she had made for
them.  Secure in her place in Faith's life and Faith in hers.

"What I do know, as I am sure you know, is that your soul, as well as
Faith's, knew the instant you two were in the same room together that
you belonged to each other, belonged together.  It has been many eons
since I've seen a bond as strong, as sure as the one you share with
Faith.  It is amazing in and of itself that you two have managed to rise
above your pasts and find each other.  Amazing and inspiring the depth
of the love you share after all that has come to pass between you and
that has happen to you both, alone and together. And know this...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...I can still count after all these eons the number of soul-mate's who
after finding each other and the love they share who have ever walked
away from that love, walked away from their mate.  And I can count even
fewer, who have ever, after finding that love, strayed to another's
arms.  That's not to say that yours and Buffy's relationship is going to
be perfect.  Who would want perfection anyway, how boring would that be?
You two will fight, yell, scream and love with a passion that transcends
time, space and even your own deaths.  There might even be doubts,
misinterpreted actions, suspicions.  But I know this, I see it every
time I am in the room with the two of you, that no one exists in the
room for Buffy but you, just like no one exists in the room for you but
Buffy.  Even Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, couldn't tempt Buffy from
your side, not now, not even when you're old, tired and gray."  Clotho
leaned into her mate, hoping that Faith understood what she had said.
Her words had come from the heart, from her own personal experience with
what Faith and Buffy were going through.

"Listen to her Faith; understand and know what she is telling you.  She
speaks the truth, just like she spoke the truth to me many moons ago
when I doubted our bond.  Listen to your heart and soul, let it speak to
you, look within yourself and find that moment when you knew that Buffy
was your soul-mate, when you knew..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...Faith was in love with you.  Close your eyes and see it..." Lily
encouraged softly.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy closed her eyes and listened to her heart, to her soul, her head
falling gently down to her chest.

Faith closed her eyes and listened to her heart, to her soul, her head
falling gently down to her chest.

Both Slayers' heads snapped up at the same moment, their eyes growing
wide with surprise.

"The first time I looked into Faith's eyes, I knew..."

"...that we were meant to be together.  Knew that I was hopelessly
head-over-heels in love with B..."

"...I just couldn't deal with it.  Being in love with another woman,
feeling that attraction.  I thought Angel was my soul-mate.  And, well,
love at first sight, I just thought that it..."

"...was something that only happened in those gothic romance novels, not
in real life, especially not in my life.  But it was right there staring
me in the face.  Right there when I looked in B's eyes and I..."

"...knew it.  Deep down inside I always knew that it was with Faith I
was meant to be. It was why she had the ability to hurt me..."

"...as deeply as she could, even before we became lovers," they both
finished together.

Both Slayers gazes turned inward, they could feel each other, could
sense that they both had been led down the same path and right now all
either of them wanted was to be with the other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She made it back to the cottage in record time.  She had just pushed
open the front door when she felt her mate.  She turned around slowly
and unerringly her eyes immediately went to the spot in the grove of
trees from where less then a few seconds later her mate emerged.

Time stood still as they stared at each other from across the expanse of
the front yard.  If it were possible, the space between them would have
been filled with rainbow colored arcs of energy as what they felt for
each other flowed from one Slayer to the other.

A leisurely sensuous smile slowly spread across her mate's face.  Her
eyes traveled upward from that lush mouth and the enticing little cleft
in the pouty bottom lip to her mate's ultra expressive eyes.  They
glinted with an almost dangerous, feral light.  They were startling
emerald and glowed with an intensity that took her breath away.  They
raked possessively over her with a passion that made her shudder as if
it were an actual physical caress.

She knew that look, knew that light in her mate's eyes.  It was the
primal, untamed side that both of them had lurking just beneath the
surface.  It was the wild side of her mate; it was her, the pure essence
of her mate.  The side that loved her, with a vitality, strength,
profoundness that was all consuming and breathtaking in it's abandonment
of any and all boundaries.  Normally when this side of either of them
came to the surface it brought out the same side in the other, but this
time, for some reason, the primal side within herself, was content to
give up control to its mate.  As if it knew, her mate needed to reclaim
her, needed reaffirmation of all that was between them.  And a part of
her was thrilled by the power and even the possessiveness she felt
coming off her Dark Slayer in waves.

She pulled in a shaky breath, as her mate took long strides towards her.
Fluidly, gracefully those long, well-muscled legs carried her mate to
her.  Her hips swaying enticingly, her bearing erect, proud, noble, as
she moved ever closer.  Her own heart beat quicker in anticipation, in
awaking, in thrall of her mate and of who they were together.  She
realized in a way that she was being courted in a ritual, a dance that
was as old as time itself.  

She stood perfectly still, holding her breath as she waited for her mate
to claim her, again.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She felt her the second she stepped into the woods that surrounded the
cottage they shared.  Felt her as she moved quickly with feline grace
towards the object of her desire.  Towards the one person who made her
feel alive, loved, special, cherished, beautiful, in a way no one ever
had or ever could in her life.  She felt her mate stop as she moved
closer to the edge of the tree line towards the clearing into their
front yard.  Her eyes already fixed on the spot where she knew her mate
would be standing waiting for her.

She stepped out into the clearing and paused.  Her breath catching in
her chest as her eyes devoured her mate.  She could feel the energy in
the air flowing between them.  There was so much silently conveyed
between them as their eyes locked, searched and held the other's.  More
said between them in the silence then mere words could ever explain,
hope to describe, or even convey.  

She felt a fierce possessiveness come over her and her wild side, the
essences of all that she was rose up to the surface as she slowly let
her eyes roam over her mate.  A need thrummed under her skin to reclaim
the beauty that was her mate, it was almost overwhelming it was so
acute.  It compelled her to move forward towards the object of all her
hopes, dreams, desires, wants, needs and love.  To reestablish the bond
that was between them, to reclaim all that had and was there for the
asking, there for both of them.  To validate once again that all this
wasn't just a dream.  That this was her life, her dreams made a reality,
no matter what those child-like voices of her past had tried to tell
her.  For she had finally realized what, who those voices were and with
that knowledge, the child-like voices had lost, for now, their power
over her.

She wasn't stupid, she knew they would rear their grotesque heads time
and again throughout her life, but she was ready for them now.  The
scars from her past may stay with her forever but she would fight them
with everything she was and next time she would reach out her hand and
ask for help in defeating them yet again.  Because down to the very
heart of herself, she knew now without a shred of doubt, that her
destiny, her life, her heart and soul was forever connected with the
woman standing in front of her waiting.  Waiting for her, just her.
Without a reservation, she knew they were the Chosen Ones, not just to
fight against the supernatural evils of the world, but the Chosen of
each other and that was something that was meant to be and would be for
all time.

She moved forward with the true gracefulness, sensuousness of the black
panther she was so often compared to.  Moved towards her destiny,
knowing that she would never be alone again, never have to walk down the
path of life without her mate by her side.  Knowing that, even should
they be separated by death that the spirit of the other would always be
by their side, until the survivor joined them in the afterlife. 

She moved towards her future without a second of hesitation.  Her heart
filled with love and her soul reaching out with invisible arms for its
mate.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She pulled her Light Slayer tightly into her steely embrace, her arms
strong but gentle as they held her.  Her mouth came down almost brutally
in a possessive, demanding, forceful kiss.  She was staking her claim,
now and forever.  Giving to her mate all that she was, asking for and
receiving back in that unbelievably hot, wet kiss all that her mate was
in return.  

She lifted her mate without breaking the kiss, walked forward the few
steps, nudged the door open further with her foot, entered the cottage
then kicked the door closed behind her.  She stopped just inside the
entryway and inch by torturous inch, slid her mate down the length of
her body until her feet once more touched upon the ground.  She broke
the kiss long enough to mumble the words that would ensure their privacy
and keep any unwanted guests from showing up uninvited.  She wanted no
interruptions; no distractions, no animals, Furball and his mate were
already with Lilith and Clotho.  She wanted the world to consist of just
them for a time.  Wanted to take full advantage of the carefree,
evil-free, responsibility-free time that they were granted while within
this domain.

Her kisses became lighter and she nibbled on her mate's bottom lip,
flicking her tongue out occasionally to soothe the quick sharp bites.
She nibbled her way over to the corner of that soft mouth beneath hers,
then trailed light kisses across a high cheekbone, stopping on her way
to her destination to inhale deeply the clean, fresh smell of her Light
Slayer's hair.  She nuzzled for a few brief seconds then continued along
her meandering path, 'til she reached a delicate ear.  She lightly ran
her tongue along the shell, then rested her cheek against her
blonde-haired lover's.

"I want you," she rasped deeply with a slight tremor in her voice.  She
began to guide her mate backwards, hands on her hips steering her deeper
into the room.  "I want to taste every inch of you.  I want to hear you
moan my name.  I want to hear you let go as I give you what only I can
give to you."  She slipped her hands up and under the back of her mate's
shirt, sliding them upwards taking the shirt with her as she continued
to speak and moving them both deeper into the room. "I want to feel you
moving underneath me.  I want to bite that soft spot right above your
hip that makes you buck into me, into my mouth."  

She stopped at the edge of the bed, stepped back and lifted the shirt up
and over her Chosen's head, tossing it to the floor.  Her fingertips
lightly brushed down from shoulders to small pert breasts, sweeping
around hard nipples, down over a six-pack stomach to run from each hip
under the waistband of jeans, finally to meet at the buttons that held
them closed. "I want to feel you pulse around me when I'm deep inside of
you." 

She locked her eyes with amber-gold, passion-filled eyes.  "You're so
beautiful," she smiled at the shudder her husky voice elicited.  She
dropped down to her knees, her fingers opened the first button, then her
mouth worshiped the smooth skin exposed to her for long minutes.  One by
one, she opened the buttons, repeating her actions until a continuous
moaning floated to her from above and her shoulders were gripped in a
tight hold.

Reaching down she pulled off first one boot and sock, then the other.
She slid her hands up the outside of deceptively well-muscled hard
thighs.  Her fingertips trailed inward, then peeled back each side of
the jeans, her hands slid inside over a flat stomach, to slim hips. She
dragged her nails along the silkily smooth skin leaving five trails of
fire on each leg as she slid her mate's jeans and silk thong down.  She
gently lifted one foot out of the pool of clothes, then the other.  For
a brief minute, she rested her cheek up against her mate's inner thigh. 

"I want to take you to a place you've never been before..." she
whispered as she rubbed her cheek on the softest skin she had ever
known.  Her hands smoothed up the back of tensed thighs, over a firmly
rounded ass, to the base of her lover's spine.  She glided her hands up
further as she followed, rising from her knees, sliding tightly along
her Light Slayer's body.  Teasing her with sharp nips, light licks,
tender kisses on her way. "...and then take you there again and again."

She once again locked their eyes, the feral, primal, possessive light in
them even stronger then before.  She saw an answering light in her
mate's eyes and though there were no words spoken, she felt it as her
mate gave up all control to her again.  She leaned down, brushing her
lips across the lush, full ones beneath hers, a low growling-purr
rumbling in her chest.  She teased, with soft, then hard kisses,
whispering to her heart and soul in her husky voice between kisses.  "I
want to make you scream for release.  I want to make you moan, growl and
pant from my touch, from my kisses.  I want to feel you claw at my back
and thrash against me."  She broke their gaze and bit quickly,
reverently at her mark on her mate's pulse point.  Then she lifted her
head, once again capturing those amber-gold eyes with her own.

"I want to fuck you like there is no tomorrow.  Hard, fast, rough, with
my mouth, with my fingers, with everything I am." She growled out
huskily, fiercely. If her mate was surprised or put off by her crude
words, it didn't show, in fact, if anything they excited her by the low
growl she gave as an answer. "Then I want to make slow, tender, gentle
love with you. I want to hold you close, watch you as you come. You're
so damn beautiful when you come."

She gently ran her hand down the side of her Light Slayer's face.  A
soft, loving smile graced her beautiful face as she lost herself for
long seconds in her mate's eyes.  Everything she felt was in her touch,
showed on her face and glowed from her eyes with a light that came
directly from her soul.  "I want to kiss you until we can't breathe.  I
want to worship all of you.  I just want you... forever and ever... just
you, B, that's all I'll ever want..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She had started trembling from the second her Dark Slayer had pulled her
into her arms.  Her eyes slammed shut as that lush, soft mouth came down
on hers both hard and tenderly at the same time.  She melted into those
steely but gentle arms, her blood singing through her veins.  She felt
flushed, hot, weak, strong, loved and cherished all at once.  

The breath was kissed right out of her, she barely noticed as she was
lifted and carried inside.  But she more then noticed as she was slowly,
tauntingly slid down the length of that long, hard, softly curved,
sumptuous body.  Her hands tangled into thick, wavy raven hair, pulling
her lover's mouth into hers harder.  She opened her own mouth and drew
in that knowing velvet tongue.  She pulled it deeper into her, letting
her own tongue come out to play with her mates.  She chased it back to
its owner's mouth and her whole body jumped when she felt the light
sucking.

She moaned into the warm, wet cavern of her lover's mouth.  She gasped
for air desperately as her mate broke the kiss just long enough to
mumble out the privacy incantation.  Her trembling grew stronger; her
knees grew weak, as she was urged to move backwards by the slight
pressure of strong hands upon her hips.  

She was unable to draw an even breath by the time they reached the bed.
Unable to form a coherent thought, speak a word.  Her body shuddered,
arched into her lover's touch, aching for more.  Her Dark Slayer's words
rolling over her like liquid fire, making her catch her breath; forget
how to move, to speak.  Her body, mind, heart, the very essence of her,
her soul reacting to them in a way that was wholly unexpected, exciting
and new.  All of her was in thrall to this side of her Dark lover that
she had never before seen.

The raven-haired beauty was like a force of nature itself.  Her touch
electric, gentle, rough, commanding, loving, tender and it sent her into
a whirlwind of desire, of passion, of need and of simply want.  She
wanted to be taken by her Dark Slayer, wanted to be fucked, be made-love
to and with her soul-mate.  She wanted, needed this reaffirmation.
Wanted again, to claim and be claimed by this passionate beauty that
loved her and she loved with a strength, a devotion, a primal intensity
that 'The Creator' couldn't have stopped or destroyed. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mentally she shook herself out of her immobile, mute stupor as her Dark
lover stepped back from her.  Her body shuddered in the wake of those
once chocolate-eyes raking down the length of her body and growing a
deeper, darker emerald as her mate's carnal desire rose closer to the
surface.  She reached out a hand, her fingertips touching lightly under
her Dark Slayer's chin and lifting with the slightest pressure rose up
that beautiful face to hers once more.  The eyes that stared into her
touched her very soul in a way that no one before ever had and in a way
she knew that no one else ever would.  For once, she wished she had paid
attention in her English classes and remembered some of the pretty words
the poets had used to describe moments such as these. Instead, she just
spoke from her heart.

"The word love is inadequate to describe, express what it is that I feel
for you. I don't think there is a word that can, all I can hope is that
you can feel inside what it is that I feel for you.  That you can feel
how it expands, grows, and becomes more with every passing second. When
I was younger, I used to dream, wish that one day I would find my true
love, my soul-mate, the person with whom I would just be more. I had
gotten to a point in my life where I no longer believed that it would
happen, at least not for me.  But I was wrong and I can never tell you
how overjoyed I am that I was.  Because you Fai, you are that dream,
that wish come true. I love you Faith and I will throughout time."

This time it was she, who gathered her Slayer tightly into a tender but
steely embrace.  She leaned up, her mouth capturing her Dark Slayer's in
but a whisper of a kiss.  Everything she was, everything she felt was in
that whispered kiss, it was all the words and more that couldn't express
the depth of what lay within her soul for her raven-haired mate. When
their kiss ended, she watched in awe as that wide-eyed innocent look of
amazement crossed her Dark Slayer's face.  There was something that made
her feel so humble when she saw that look cross that beautiful face and
fill those dark-doe eyes.  It touched something deep inside of her in a
way that nothing ever had.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She melted, her insides quaking with the power of the words her Light
Slayer had spoken so softly to her.  They filled her, lifted her,
caressed her and held her with their warmth, their devotion, their
passion.  She was grateful for those warm strong arms that held her so
closely, so safely, because when that sweet, ripe mouth brushed so
delicately, so tenderly and much too briefly against her own, her knees
gave out.  That whisper of a kiss imparted more tenderness, more love,
simply just more everything to the Dark Slayer then any touch, any words
ever could have.  

It was for her a kiss that touched her very soul.  As she stared into
pools of amber-gold, she realized and saw the truth in her mate's eyes.
For her Light Slayer, it too was a kiss that touched her very soul.  The
deep purr rumbled out of her chest at the smile that lit up her mate's
eyes.  She felt hands roaming up her back then down to cup her ass and
the rumbling purr turned into a growl of desire.  The part of herself
that she had always kept in check, unless her Light Slayer had let it
out first, forced it's way back to the surface again.  This was the
first time she had ever taken the lead and brought this primal,
possessive side out on her own.  It also was the first time that either
of them had just given over complete control to the other without being
asked or fighting for dominance. When her mate had given over control to
her when they first returned from Glory's hell it was different, she
wasn't sure how, it just felt different now.  She stopped dwelling on it
and just let herself feel, just let herself totally go. 

Those strong hands kneading her ass made her desire, her needs, her
wants, fiercely make themselves known again.  They slid up from her ass,
tugging her shirt out from her pants then under to teasingly stroke her
lower back.  She arched into her golden Slayer, burying her head into
her lover's neck, catching the soft skin between her teeth and nipping
it.  She smiled around the sweet skin in her mouth when she felt short
fingernails dig into her back and the almost silent whimper that
accompanied them.  She ran her nails down the length of each muscled
arm, reaching around to her own back and grasping those smaller hands
firmly with her own.  She pulled them off and out from around her.  She
slid her hands back up over silky skin, then gently pushed when she
reached her lover's shoulders, smiling at the confused look her lover
gave her when she landed upon the bed.

"I want you..." she said again as she pulled her own shirt the rest of
the way out of her pants.

She skimmed her fingertips along the waistband of her leather pants,
deftly unbuttoning her top button.  Her right hand trailed up under her
shirt, along her flat stomach, over her ribcage, up the slope of her
right breast and slowly began to circle her erect nipple.  Her eyes
stayed locked on her mate perched on the edge of the bed open-mouthed.
Her left hand moved from her waistband and followed the same path that
her right had just taken.  She watched her Light Slayer's eyes flicking
back and forth between her circling fingers on each breast, then up to
capture the Dark Slayer's own eyes, then back again.  With one fluid
movement, she crossed her hands under her shirt lowering them, grabbed
the hem of her shirt, lifted and pulled it over her head.  She then
tossed it casually onto the pile of clothes already on the floor.  

She ran her fingers through her hair, a low growling-purr giving voice
to her pleasure.  She untangled one hand from her hair and followed the
slash of one high-cheekbone down to her mouth.  Keeping her eyes locked
on her wide-eyed lover, she traced her index figure over her own lush
mouth.  She stroked along the little cleft on her bottom lip that her
Light Slayer loved to trace with the tip of her tongue, a sultry smile
peaking out around the corners of her mouth.  The tip of her tongue came
out to entice her finger into her mouth. She slowly sucked her finger
into her mouth; leaving her mouth open just wide enough so her mate
could see what she was doing to her finger with her tongue.

With one last swirl of her tongue around her finger, she let it slip
from her mouth.  She began to talk again, her voice a low sultry purr,
"I love the warm wet heat of your tongue as you trace random patterns
over my skin." She blazed a wet trail over her bottom lip, her chin,
down the column of her throat, between the valley of her breasts, then
up and under, 'til she started to circle an tease her own nipple again.
Her other hand dusted down over her stomach to deftly unbutton the rest
of her buttons.  She toed off her boots, keeping her eyes locked on her
mate, reveling in her reaction. 

"Love it when you nibble and suck at the sensitive spot behind my ear.
Love that you're the only one who has ever found it.  The feel of your
nails as you delicately scrape them around my nipples." She mimicked her
words as she spoke.  "And god, the feel of your hands on my body, both
callused and soft, at the same time... touching me, loving me, driving
me insane with need, with want of you."
  
Her other hand kept itself busy learning the valleys, plains, hills of
her stomach, chest, hips and thighs.  Her head fell forward, her hair
creating a curtain around her face a low moan escaping her parted lips
as she dipped in to feel her own wetness briefly before shimmying her
leather pants down her legs.  She stepped out of the pool of her pants,
kicking them away from her. She took a step forward, moving closer to
her lover perched on the bed.  She pinched the nipple she had been
teasing with her fingers, rolling it, tugging it.  

"Oh Jesus, what you do to me!  Just the thought of you makes me wet,
makes me burn.  I swear you could make me cum with just a single look...
touch... kiss..."  She rolled her head forward and forced her eyes open.
She brought her other hand up to caress her neglected breast.  She
continued to knead, to tease, to tweak her own nipples.  But in her
mind's eye, it was her Light Slayer who was touching her in all the
right ways, all the right places.  She smiled and wantonly licked her
lips when she saw her golden-haired Slayer's nostrils flair.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her eyes were riveted on her Dark Slayer.  She was becoming quickly
overwhelmed by the lust, the desire, the need, the want.  Yet still she
sat motionless, not speaking, just staring.  Some hidden instinct
telling her it was the right thing to do.  Something letting her know
that this was what her lover, her mate needed from her right now.

She recognized this part of her lover inside of her own self.  This
dominant side that was a part of both of them.  How could it not be?
They were hunters, predators, warriors; it was part of what made them
Slayers.  The need to be the 'Alpha' in their relationship, not just
with each other, but sometimes in all their relationships.  She laughed
silently to herself at the thought.  As funny as the thought was though,
she knew it was true.  There was something that was primal, animalistic
that lived within them, was an innate part of them.  It was both
dominant and submissive.  Needing to claim, conquer and be claimed and
conquered as well.  They were both possessive, dominant, protective,
controlling, it was part of the role of being Slayers, a part of them.
But it was tiring always having to make the decisions, be in control day
after day, month after month, year after year.  Always having that
weight upon their shoulders.  There were times when they just yearned to
be possessed, submissive, protected, dominated.  Both were sides of
their inner selves on every level and they both wanted an equal.  Not
only in a Slaying partner but in a mate as well, they had found that
equal in each other and both knew they would never find it with anyone
else. They balanced each other in a way that no one else ever could,
ever had.

She knew without being told that the Dark Slayer had kept this
possessive, rough, dominant side to her personality hidden, in check.
That was, until she herself, coaxed this part of her Dark lover out,
when the need within herself to let this part loose became too much to
resist.  Only this time, there had been no coaxing.  As she watched her
beautiful, sensual, seductive mate, she understood that her Dark Slayer
had finally started to feel comfortable, at home, safe in her own skin.
Safe with her own needs, wants, desires, passions and the primal, feral
parts of what made her, her, and she would do everything within her
power to help her soul-mate continue to grow, to learn, to trust, to
keep that feeling of safety intact.

She was pulled out of her reverie as her lover's words, the sound of her
moans, the sight of her touching herself made the fire burning in her
blood turn into lava.  Her need to touch, to taste, to hold her Dark
Slayer became an instant obsession and she reached out with both
hands... 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No..." The Dark Slayer growled and captured the hands reaching for her.
Her smile almost a leer at the confused look she was given.  "Scoot up
the bed," her words, tone, a heated command and nowhere near a request.

Without a word or the slightest hesitation, she scooted up the bed,
leaned against the brass headboard pulling her knees up to her chest.
She wrapped her arms around her legs and looked questioningly at the
Dark Slayer, who just gave her a wolfish smile.  Her mouth began to
water as her raven-haired mate crawled up onto the bottom of the bed.
Rising up to her hands and knees the Dark Slayer moved towards her with
catlike grace as she glided up the length of the bed, as if she truly
were stalking prey.  All the muscles in the Dark Slayer's body
undulating under her skin, sleek, defined, sensual, fluid like rippling
water.  Her Dark lover reminding her of the panthers they had seen in
documentary about their mating rituals.  A searing flame of desire shot
through her making her actually tremble with its force.

She let out a deep, throaty moan as her ankles were grasped; her legs
pulled free of her arms and spread wide.  As the callus pads of fingers
trailed up the inside of her legs.  As that hard, yet soft body,
slithered up between her spread thighs, that generous mouth, nipping,
licking, sucking, along the way.  As thick, wavy hair tickled along her
thighs, stomach, breasts and a moan of pure need poured out thickly from
her before that full mouth captured her own again.  She started to wrap
her arms around that hot body lying on top of her only to have them
caught by the wrists, pulled up over her head and held imprisoned by one
strong hand.

Leaning up on one elbow, while languidly grinding her pelvic against her
mate, a feral smiled formed on the Dark Slayer's face at the look of
lust that was staring back at her.

"No touching.  If you do I'll stop," she paused to gaze into her mate's
passion-filled eyes to let her know she was serious. "Or just maybe if
you can't control yourself..." she purred seductively, then gave her
mate a decidedly wicked, down-right fucking evil half-grin, "I'll be
forced to restrain you to ensure that you keep your hands to
yourself..." 

The Dark Slayer blinked in surprise when a shiver of arousal shot
through her at her own words.  It had just never occurred to her that
this type of play would arouse her. Her mind spun with images and then
confusion set in when she realized that the images weren't just of her
mate being restrained and at her mercy but of herself being in the same
position. Could she after all that had happened ever put herself in the
position where she gave someone absolute control over her?

She had never asserted this side of her personality in the bedroom with
her soul-mate.  She had always asserted it with all the others that had
come before her, but it had never been because it aroused her, it had
always been to guarantee that she had the power, the control in the
bedroom and not the other way around.  This need to be in control, be
dominant, she knew the reasons why she had always been that way, only
this time it was different.  She wanted, needed to possess and be
possessed, to take and be taken, she wanted to know her mate trusted her
to that extreme and she needed to know that she trusted her mate to the
same extreme.  Needed to know implicitly that her soul-mate knew she
would always be safe with her, that never would she take advantage, hurt
her, no matter what, no matter the situation, ever.  And she knew that
someday her soul-mate would need, want the same thing from her.  

Love and trust were two different things she knew that now.  You could
love someone and still not trust them.  It was for her the hardest thing
to give and it was something she never thought anyone would give to her.
But these last few weeks had proven to her that she still didn't trust,
at least not fully, all that was between them.  That her past still had
some hold over her and probably always would.  It would be with her
forever and she would fight this war for the rest of her life, but she
knew if she could find that trust, the wars, the battles, would become
shorter, less fierce, less overwhelming each time they were fought. 

And here in the bedroom, where she had always been the most vulnerable
was the hardest place for her to not only give her trust, but to ask for
it.  It wasn't just about her giving up control, being at the mercy of
another - even to her Light Slayer - it was also about asking for the
same thing in return.  It was here that all her nightmares, anger, rage,
hate, dark side, had come to full life and were likely to come to life
again making her lose her control in the worst possible way.  It was
here too, that the voices of her past had the strongest hold over her.
And she knew as she stared right into the soul of her mate, that her
Light Slayer knew this too.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her body surprised her when it shuddered in excitement at the thought of
being restrained and at her Dark Slayer's mercy. It surprised her again
as she shivered in pleasure at the thought of doing the same to her
mate.  She couldn't help but wonder though, if after all her mate had
been through, if she could ever trust anyone enough to ever put herself
at the complete and total mercy of another, let herself be vulnerable to
that extent and still feel safe and loved, even with her.

For a brief second she saw that haunted look flash in her lover's eyes.
She knew what that look meant, even though no words were said. They
weren't necessary, everything her Dark Slayer was thinking, feeling was
filtering to her through their bond.  

She didn't even have to think about her answer to the silent questions
that were being asked of her by those clear, glowing emerald eyes.
There was no hesitation, there was just absolute trust.  Unequivocally,
beyond the shadow of any doubts, beyond question, absolute complete
trust, absolute faith, as ironic as it may be, in her mate, in what they
were together, who and what they meant to each other.  Whatever fears,
doubts, insecurities she had been wrestling with the last few weeks were
shredded, turned to dust and dispersed as if a strong gust of air had
come and carried them away on the wind.

For the longest time, the Dark Slayer, searched, sought answers in the
amber-gold eyes of her Light Slayer. And like her mate, she too, felt it
all through their bond, both the questions and the answers that she
sought.  She felt the trust flood into her softly, reverently through
their Soul-Thread.  The soft, loving smile gracing her lover's face gave
her the answers, the truth to not only the questions she was asking but
for those silently being asked of her.  

The Dark Slayer's eyes became the darkest, deepest emerald the first of
the Chosen had ever seen.  The feral, possessive look replaced by one of
deeply felt love and the smile that graced her mate's face was simply
beautiful.  She fell into those eyes feeling connected to her Dark
Slayer in every way and her heart beat triple time at the look, the
smile and the words she knew would fall from that beautiful mouth even
before they were spoken.  She knew her lover needed to speak them aloud
even though they both knew what the other was already feeling, thinking,
seeing.

"Yes, I could with you. Only with you...  I trust you without question,
without any hesitation, or reservations and I know absolutely, that with
you I'll always be safe and loved."  She let go of the wrists she held
captive, sat up and back onto her calves between her lover's supple
thighs.  Leisurely her eyes raked over every inch of the sensual, petite
body in front of her.  Slowly the look in her eyes changed back to the
feral, hungry look from before, but still filled with infinite
tenderness and love.  

She slowly lowered herself back down to her lover, gathering her into
her arms, rolling them to their sides.  Luxuriating like a contented cat
in the feel of her mate's arm as they gathered her just as closely, as
tightly.  Gently they pulled each other even closer into a healing
embrace.  They stayed that way quietly for a minute, an hour, a day,
just wallowing in the warmth, the comfort of their embrace.  Their own
fears, insecurities, doubts floated away for now, hopefully forever.
They fell into the currents of emotions each let flow, their bond
expanding to enclose them spiritually within its invisible embrace.
Their souls entwining to dance delicately with its mate, singing a song
of wonder, of joy, that would put a heavenly choir to shame.

It felt as if they hadn't touched each other in a small eternity.  They
didn't want to move and so they didn't.  Both of their thoughts
wandering back with amazement to what the Immortals had so skillfully
made them realize.  They were, (especially the Dark Slayer), awed by the
power of their connection, the far-reaching depths of the love they
shared.  They were both jaded, world-weary, tired in their own way.
Having in some ways in the dark recesses of their own hearts given up on
actually sharing this kind of love with anyone, even with each other.
And neither would ever be able to express with words how euphoric they
were that they both were wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She had no idea how long they stayed that way before the hands holding
her so tenderly and gently stroking her back had turned sensual.  Nor
did she know at what point she had been rolled once again onto her back
and told in no uncertain terms not to touch, to just relax and enjoy.
Her hands were lifted over her head yet again, encouraged to wrap around
the brass posts of the headboard as that hard, magnificent body began to
move over hers once more.  As a knowledgeable tongue, mouth, fingers,
teeth, tortured, teased, touched with a speed, an agility that only
another Slayer could possess. Her Dark Slayer seemed to be everywhere
and nowhere all at once.

She hung onto the headboard for dear life, white-knuckled as her body
twisted, arched, shook with a need so great she was sure she would die
from it.  Incoherent words, moans forced themselves out of her throat,
deep, husky.  She pushed herself harder into the fingers caressing
deeply inside her, wanting her Dark Slayer even deeper within her.  The
moans of her lover vibrating through her as she licked, circled, sucked,
even nipped around her swollen, wanting core.

Her whole body came up off the bed as that warm, wet mouth finally
latched onto her throbbing need.  Strangled sobs of pleasure that
sounded almost like anguished cries of pain, keened loudly out of her.
She tried to buck up for a second time, wanting more, only to find that
her hips were being held still by one firm arm across her stomach.  She
shouted her displeasure at being held down, but still maintained her
white-knuckle grip on the headboard.  There was no way in hell that she
would risk her raven-haired lover stopping now, not when she was so
close.  Then she felt that pouty mouth engulf her fully, a tongue
flicking rapidly across her overheated bundle of nerves and with a
gentle bite of blunt teeth, she lost it.

Even that supernaturally strong arm was unable to keep her from arching
up off the bed.  She was cumming so hard, so fiercely and seemingly
forever that she was sure that she would splinter into a million pieces
and they would be finding parts of her scattered throughout the
dimensions. Her body jerking erratically against that wondrous mouth and
fingers, that stayed with her as she thrashed on the bed, her insides
convulsing over and over again. Something that sounded like her mate's
name and the name of every deity she had ever known came out in a
garbled shout to the heavens.  Her shouts, growing louder as she felt
herself start to cum again even harder then the first time.  This time
too, seemingly for another eternity.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It felt like a full day had passed before the furious, explosive
seizures of her climax had slowed and ebbed into small earthquake-like
aftershocks.  Another day passed before her body relaxed, her muscles
loosening enough for her to fall back to the bed in a sweaty, sated,
face-splittingly-smiling, boneless Slayer heap.  When she eventually
managed to free her hands from their death grip on the brass headboard,
she grabbed the pillows next to her head.  She pulled them under her and
propped herself up so she could look down at her Dark Slayer who was now
resting her chin on her hands right above her pubic hair.  An arched
eyebrow and a smug, cocky-lopsided grin greeted her when she opened her
eyes.

"I see someone is rather pleased with themselves." She rasped out and if
she hadn't felt her mouth move she would have wondered who had just
spoken, her voice was so deep, husky.  

Her answer was a lazy smile and a pink tongue running over lips that
glistened with her own essence accompanied by a low growling purr.

"Fai, that was..."

"...just an appetizer, B."  Faith purred out, licked her lips again and
leered at Buffy.  She wasn't even close to being done with her yet!

"Appetizer?!!?" Buffy squeaked.  She had already cum harder and longer
then she ever had before in her entire life, she didn't think she was
capable of anything else right now, including moving or reciprocating.
"I don't think.. I... uh... ah..." Buffy tried, then gave up when Faith
started to place wet kisses along her stomach then bit her right above
her hip, which caused her - like it always did - to buck with pleasure.
Her eyes grew wide with surprise as a shudder of desire moved under her
skin straight down to her core at the sound of the low growling purring
that Faith started again.

"Mmmmm... you taste so good B," Faith mumbled against Buffy's skin.  She
pulled herself up the length of Buffy's body, her mouth crashing down
onto Buffy's.  She poured all her desire into the kiss.  It was wanton,
wet, hot, demanding and very, very persuasive.  She wrenched her mouth
away when she felt Buffy move to hold her.  "Uh-uh, B, 'member no
touching."

"But... but... but that's not fair," Buffy whined, she really wanted,
needed to touch Faith. "I wanna touch you Fai... need to..." Buffy
pouted and started to reach up to pull Faith down closer to her
regardless of what Faith said.

A wolfish smile sneaking across her face, she sat up quickly straddling
Buffy's waist, hovering over her on her knees. She wagged her finger at
Buffy, purring out playfully, "Bad B.  Either play by the rules or I
won't play anymore..."  Her gaze turned sultry and her purring voice
grew huskier, "And I really want to play with you some more.  So
behave!"

With an over-exaggerated pout, Buffy dramatically flung her arms out
wide in mock surrender, "'K!"  She said sulkily, her eyes became slits
and she looked at Faith slyly, her voice coming out in a throaty purr,
"Just remember S.O., paybacks are a bitch."

"I'm counting on it Giz!" Faith purred back, her hands dropped down to
her own thighs and began to skip random patterns over them.  "But right
now, the only bitch here, is me." She smirked, "Hmmmm, now what was it I
said I wanted to do again?"  She looked down thoughtfully at Buffy, her
one hand coming up to stroke her own throat with the backs of her
fingers and then brush up to trace her mouth, then back down again.  The
stroking, slow, teasing, languid.  She smirked again as she saw Buffy's
tongue come out to wet her dry lips.

She trailed her other hand down her thigh then up the inside of it, just
stopping shy of her own throbbing core.  She lowered herself slightly,
letting her moist curls brush teasingly against Buffy's stomach.  She
started to rock leisurely, letting her fingers trail those last few
inches into her own wetness, the backs of them grazing across Buffy's
stomach, letting her know exactly what she was doing.

Buffy's eyes flew down Faith's body when she felt the back of Faith's
fingers brush against her stomach.  Her mouth became as dry as the
Sahara Desert and a squeak escaped her at the sight that greeted her
wide, unblinking eyes.  After of few seconds of watching Faith touch
herself with wide-eyed wonder, she squinted thoughtfully. Her mouth
forming her own smirk when she realized that while Faith had told her
she couldn't touch, she hadn't said she couldn't move.  She arched her
lower back, lifting her hips and her stomach up, forcing Faith's fingers
to press harder into herself.  She trapped them there and circled her
hips, arching up forcefully into Faith with a triumph-growling laugh at
having found a way around the rules.  A growling moan was the answer to
her laugh.

Faith's head fell back, the low moan turning to a hissing-snarl of
hunger as her fingers slid through her own slick, hot folds.  She
couldn't help the smile from forming though at Buffy's ingenuity.  She
wasn't exactly breaking the rules, now was she?

She rolled her head forward, "B..." she growled, smiling again at the
shudder her voice always caused in Buffy.  She waited patiently, biting
her bottom lip to keep from moaning again, until Buffy looked up at her.
Her free hand cupped her own breast and she pinched her nipple hard,
this time she wasn't able to quite stifle her groan.  With a smirk, she
sat down none too lightly on Buffy's stomach, forcing her back into the
bed.  Quickly before Buffy could react, she slid her wetness over
Buffy's stomach, then over her breasts, snuggling her knees into Buffy's
armpits.  She circled her hips smearing her wetness over Buffy's chest,
loving the surprised, lust-filled look that came over Buffy's face, then
she once again rose up to her knees.  She hovered over Buffy's chest and
gave her a stern look, daring her to figure out a way to break the rules
again without technically really breaking them.

Buffy completely forgot about trying to get around the rules when she
felt Faith's scorching hot core leave a wet trail up her body.  Her
mouth dropped open when Faith rose to her knees above her and she just
gawked at the sexy, sensual, exotic goddess that she had the honor, the
pleasure of calling her mate.  Mine, mine, mine, all mine echoed with
delight through her head.  She saw the smirk on Faith's face and the
lust-addled part of her brain fueled by the many fantasies her
overactive libido had where Faith was concerned, in similar positions,
doing just what she was doing, decided to concede defeat gracefully and
just let this play out.  She quirked an eyebrow at her mate then tucked
her hands under her head conceding her surrender again, only this time
there wasn't anything remotely mocking about it.

Faith raised her own eyebrow questionably at Buffy's actions, a little
surprised she had given up so easily.  Where was the fun in that?  She
was kind of hoping that Buffy would get a little creative with her
breasts and nipples.  Then she remembered their conversation right after
their adventure in the woods the day they arrived and the answer to why
became obvious. Who was she to deny Buffy one of her fantasies?  As she
stared at her golden-haired lover her hand continued almost
absentmindedly exploring her wet, aching folds, while the other
continued to play with her erect nipples alternating between them.  She
smiled amused as she watched Buffy try to look everywhere at once.

"That day in the woods, when you were touching yourself, it turned me on
so much I thought I was going to implode." Her voice came out lower,
huskier then she had ever heard it before.  "It made me so wet I could
feel myself dripping down the insides of my thighs.  God I couldn't wait
to get my hands on you."  Part of her couldn't believe that she was
doing this.  For all of her sexual experience she had never - not even
once - ever done this in front of someone.  And the words that seemed to
be flowing out of her mouth so easily since they had entered the cottage
were surprising her as well.  But she loved the effect they seemed to be
having on her Light Slayer, so she just stopped trying to analyze
everything and just let herself go with it.  She felt a sense of safety,
confidence and freedom in a way she had never experienced before, not
even with Buffy.

"Then when I saw you slip your fingers inside of yourself, B... I was
sure I was having one of those dreams again." A moan interrupted her
words as her fingers brushed against her over sensitive clit.  "Was it
me you were pretending, wishing was touching you B and I ah... Chri..."
Her words dwindled off into a guttural moan as she delved lower and
slipped her own fingers into her aching core.  She started a slow
rhythm, knowing that she wouldn't last long.  She was already close to
cumming, had been from the moment she had touched Buffy. She had almost
plummeted over the edge with Buffy when she had felt Buffy cumming so
hard through their bond, on her tongue and her fingers not too long ago.
She indulged herself for long minutes, her thumb circling up to tease
her clit, then switching to the heel of her hand, then back to her
thumb.  The fingers of her other hand torturing her nipples with hard,
rough touches.

"I have to wonder..." She gasped, her hand moving faster, "If seeing me
touch myself, knowing that it's you I'm dreaming of, wishing was
touching me.  Knowing that it's you, the thought of you and you alone,
that makes me feel this way, makes me so fucking wet, so hot, so ready
to explode..." She let go of her breast and fell forward planting her
hand beside Buffy's head.  Her hair falling softy down around her face
and Buffy's creating a shield around them both.

Faith's fast and shallow breath hotly caressed Buffy's face as she fell
forward.  Her own breathing was harsh and labored.  She clenched her
thighs tightly together trying to relieve some of the aching, pounding
need in her own core.  Her eyes flickered back and forth between the
pleasure writing itself across Faith's face and Faith's hand moving,
touching, teasing herself.  A part of her paid avid attention to how
Faith was touching herself, learning even more about how the Dark Slayer
liked to be touched and filing it away for later.  She had fantasized
about this and the fantasy had excited her, but she had never thought
though, that actually seeing it would excite her this much.  She burned
with the need to touch Faith, anywhere, anyhow.  But she didn't move,
this was the Dark Slayer's erotic dance to lead and she would respect
that even if it killed her.

"Does it... does it make you feel the same way it made me feel B when I
watched you touching yourself?  Does it B?" She hadn't a clue how she
managed to get that out coherently.  She began moving her hand faster,
her fingers plunging in deeper, her internal muscles clutching at them.

"Is it me you think of when you touch yourself?" She bent down further,
her mouth crashing hungrily onto Buffy's, sucking Buffy's tongue into
her mouth, growling into the kiss, trying to devour her.  She pulled
away and reared back teetering on the edge of release, amazed by the
intense pleasure gathering in the pit of her stomach and branching out
everywhere.

"Tell me B, does it make you feel that way?  Am I the one you think of?"

Buffy stared in awe at the beautiful, exotic, sensual picture Faith
made.  Stunned by the power of the feelings that were stirred inside of
her by the need she heard in the Dark Slayer's voice for her to be the
one Buffy thought of.

"Oh god, watching you makes me feel the same way.  I want to touch you,
want you to touch me too, so badly it hurts.  I ache with it.  And it's
always you, only ever you Faith, that I think of, dream of.  There can
never be, never will be anyone but you, Faith."  Buffy was awed again,
when amidst all of it, that wide-eyed look of innocent amazement shone
in Faith's eyes at her words.

Her legs were trembling, she wasn't sure if they could support her any
longer.  She delved in deeply one last time, staying there, her thumb
rubbing her clit forcefully, rapidly.

"Gonna cum..." Faith rasped hoarsely, as she fell slightly backwards
down onto Buffy's stomach again, forcing her fingers in deeper.  "...for
you..."

Her free hand reached out behind her settling next to her calf, she
gripped the sheets desperately as she leaned her full weight back.
Praying her arm would support her as she rocked and ground down, into
her fingers deep inside of her own throbbing warmth.  Her hips started a
circling motion down onto Buffy's hard as a rock stomach, small whimpers
came from the back of her throat, that were echoed by the pants and
moans coming from her Light Slayer as she watched her.  Her back arched
tautly like an over-strung bow, raising her up off Buffy.

"B!GODB..." her hips started pumping wildly into her own hand, fingers
as she lost all control and shamelessly abandoned herself to pure lust.
Her head snapped back whipping her hair against her back and her body
tightened, held still for that timeless minute until she fell over the
edge into unadulterated ecstasy.

"OHGODI'MCUMMINGB!" With a guttural shout, her body convulsed, she
doubled over from the ferocity of it and fell forward into Buffy's
waiting arms. She shook helplessly against Buffy, her hips still
pounding into her hand, Buffy's stomach as she shattered into a million
pieces of pure pleasure, while being held safely within Buffy's loving
arms until the storm finally passed.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She curled up into Buffy, purring contently from the soothing hands
stroking along her back.  It wasn't long before she felt the heat of a
blush start at the very tips of her toes and run like wildfire up her
body to the very top of her head.  She hid her face in Buffy's neck,
sure that the ear resting against Buffy's shoulder was going to brand
her, it was so damn hot from blushing.  It was ridiculous to be blushing
now, but then again if she had been aware of anything else but her own
hands upon her body and Buffy watching her as she had 'performed' for
her, she would bet her last dollar that she had been blushing the whole
time then too.  She suddenly felt inordinately shy, embarrassed,
awkward, insecure and a teeny-tiny part of her mind was shouting at her
that after what she had just done in front of Buffy had proved once
again that she really was nothing but a,
'First-class-grade-A-white-trash-whore.'

Buffy held Faith tenderly, a million and one thoughts going through her
mind.  She was amazed, a little bit awed and stunned.  She smiled,
loving this side that Faith had finally shown her and her smile spread
from ear to ear because she knew that Faith was far from done.  Her mind
was in a tizzy just imagining what was to come next and from the thought
of someday turning the tables on the Dark Slayer and letting this side
of herself out to play. She almost chuckled when she felt the heat of
Faith's blush against her skin.  She too wondered if the ear pressing
into her would brand her, it was so hot.  She stifled the chuckle when
she felt the emotions that were spinning through Faith's mind flow to
her in an echo, especially the last one.  No way, there was no fucking
way that she was going to let the past come up and bite Faith on the ass
now.

"B, I ah... that... what just happened, that was..."

"...let me guess Fai, just another appetizer." Buffy said, thinking that
it might be better to ignore the emotions that were wreaking havoc with
the Dark Slayer's mind.  Acknowledging them might just give them more
power.  Might give them the doorway to come through full force and make
it seem like she actually gave them some sort of credence, some sort of
nod that she believed them too.  She wasn't sure if it was the right
thing to do or not, but her gut told her that if Faith didn't bring them
into the conversation she shouldn't either.  So she went with her
instincts, so far they hadn't steered her wrong.  "And Fai, that had to
be the hottest, most erotic, breathtakingly beautiful sights I've ever
seen.  Thank you."

"For what?" Faith lifted her head from its hiding place in Buffy neck,
finding the courage from somewhere inside to look into Buffy's eyes.

"For just being you.  For making one of my fantasies a reality."
Buffy's breath caught in her chest when Faith gave her that wide-eyed
almost disbelieving look of awe and innocence.

Faith stared into Buffy's eyes for the longest time, that little voice
in her head struggling to be heard, to be believed instead of the love
that blazed from Buffy's eyes.  This time though Faith wasn't listening
to it, this time she was listening to her heart, her soul and believing
the truth that she saw with her own eyes.  With a whimper of defeat the
voice retreated, returning to its dark home inside of Faith. Only this
time it found the scar on Faith's soul it had called home since its
birth had grown just a little bit smaller and a little bit brighter.

"Maybe someday you'll return the favor for me, B." She gave Buffy a
wolfish smile.

"Mmmm, I think that's a favor I'll be more then happy to return, S.O."
It came out a scratchy purr filled with promise.  Her soothing touch
upon Faith's back turned teasing, her nails raking lightly down its
length.  She smiled almost smugly as Faith's spine arched in the wake of
her nails.

"Not as happy as me," Faith told her impishly, then moaned as Buffy's
nails retraced their path up her spine.

"We'll see about that, Fai..." Buffy stretched her neck, leaned up and
nipped at Faith's mate-mark.  Her own gasp quickly followed Faith's as
she felt an echoed shadow-bite on her own mate-mark. "But not right now.
'Cause right now, if I remember correctly someone said something earlier
about wantin' to fu..."

The hungry, hot-blooded, growling-hiss that spilled out of Faith and cut
off the rest of what Buffy was saying surprised both Slayers.  Her eyes
turned an even deeper emerald; they narrowed to mere slits and glowed
with an animalist thirst.  Her voice rumbled out of her chest in a fiery
rolling purr as she told Buffy, "Did I say wanted?  My mistake, I should
have said, I'm gonna fuck you like there is no tomorrow.  And that B...
is a promise."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again without any idea of how it happened she found herself flat on
her back, gripping with every ounce of Slayer strength she possessed the
brass headboard white-knuckled.  Her bottom lip caught painfully between
her teeth as she tried not to break the three simple rules Faith had
given her and that she had agreed to follow. It was either follow them
or Faith would stop and that was the very last thing she wanted.  She
had been so smug, so down-right arrogant when she agreed to the rules
and that smugness, arrogance was coming back to bite her on the ass hard
and right now she would have kicked her own butt if that wouldn't have
broken one of the rules.

'Oh God! How the fuck could I have been so stupid? I fell right into her
trap and she knew I would!!!' she wondered and the smart-ass side of her
personality decided to remind her exactly how.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
"Okay B," Faith told her while raising her hands once more over her
head, "there are just three simple rules ya got to follow or I'll stop."
She paused for a few minutes to feast on Buffy's neck, as she helped her
to wrap her hands around the posts on the headboard. "And you have to
agree to all three or it's no deal.  'K?"

'How bad can they be?' Buffy thought to herself. "Okay Faith, let's hear
'em."

"One, no touching me... " Faith wiggled her eyebrows, "...or
yourself..." she paused to give Buffy a quick kiss, "...that is until I
say you can and only where and how I say you can..."

"No problem Faith, been there, done that already..." Buffy smirked, her
eyes devouring the Dark Slayer.  She found she was loving this dominant,
possessive, commanding side of Faith and lord, she couldn't wait for the
day she got to turn the tables on her Dark mate.

"So you have," Faith scooted down Buffy's body a little.  "Two, no
movin' at all..." She dipped her head down and caught one of Buffy's
nipples with her teeth, laving it delicately with her tongue.  There was
nothing wrong with giving Buffy a little incentive. She lifted her head
and gave Buffy a tiny smirk, "...that is until I say you can."

"I can do that Fai," She snicker then almost broke the rule immediately
when Faith lowered her head again and attacked one of her nipples like a
starving woman.

"Sure about that B?" Faith asked, then attacked the nipple she had
neglected while she waited for Buffy to answer her.  When she finally
got a moaned yes from Buffy, she lifted her head again.  This time the
smirk was much bigger that she gave Buffy, "Third, you can't cum..."
She trailed her hand down; dipping in lightly to the warm wetness she
knew was waiting for her between Buffy's legs.  Her fingers traced
teasingly almost imperceptibly through Buffy's slickness. "...until I
say you can."

Faith moved her hand away from Buffy's core; she placed her hands on
either side of Buffy's chest and lifted herself up. She stared down at
her very aroused mate, she wasn't playing fair, she knew that.  Buffy
had already been acutely aroused from before when Faith had pleasured
herself in front of her. Now she was going to do one of the two things
she knew Buffy couldn't resist to ensure Buffy would agree to the rules.
Buffy couldn't resist her, nor could she ever resist a challenge that
Faith threw out to her.

"Think you're up to the challenge, B?" She purred seductively,
enticingly and daringly. She had to stop herself from chuckling when she
saw the predictable glint of determination not to lose shine in Buffy's
eyes.

"You bet your sweet ass I am Fai... I can handle anything you can dream
up." Buffy purred back just as seductively, a smug smile gracing her
face. A wicked gleam in her eyes that let Faith know, that payback were
definitely going to be a bitch.  A bitch named, Elizabeth Anne 'B'
'Buffy' 'Gizmo' Summers.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So now, here she was having almost broken the first two rules within the
first five minutes.  She had no clue how much time had gone by when she
bent one of the brass posts in her hands.  Right now, all she knew was
she had spent the last five minutes painting mental images in her head
of Giles, Luc, Wesley, Gunn, the Master and anyone or anything else that
would be like an ice-cold shower to her over-stimulated, over-aroused,
screaming-in-need body! Those images were the last thing she wanted to
think about or see in her mind's eye. But if she even thought about
Faith, or Faith's hands, her lips, her tongue, her fingers, her teeth or
what she was doing with them, without a shred of doubt she was going to
break the last rule. Hell, who was she kidding?  She would end up
breaking all three of them!

Buffy let out a whimper of such misery when the Dark Slayer once again
only lightly, quickly flicked her tongue across her engorged nub, then
veered away to travel over her hipbone that Faith actually felt guilty
for a second and decided to take pity on her at least for a little
while.  She honestly didn't know how Buffy was managing to lay still,
she had been teasing, torturing the living shit out of her.  Her kisses,
her touches, even her bites a little rougher, harder, then normal, but
eliciting one of the most passionate responses she had ever gotten from
Buffy.  Faith felt it scorching its way to her through their bond so she
had no doubt about what her impassioned love play was doing to Buffy.

She had been avoiding for the most part the more 'known', the obvious,
hotspots on Buffy's body.  Instead, she had explored, seeking out the
lesser-known ones.  She had traversed almost every square inch of the
soft, yet hard body underneath her.  She was pretty sure Buffy was going
to go off on her when she saw how many 'love bites' she had left behind.
She hadn't been able to control herself though. The need to claim, to
mark Buffy as hers, was almost a living thing, breathing beneath her
skin.  She couldn't get enough of the whimpers, the sighs, the moans
Buffy was gifting her with. Nor could she get enough of the taste, the
feel of Buffy's skin beneath her hands, her mouth, upon her tongue and
on her body.

She slithered up Buffy's body, resting herself between her Light
Slayer's legs then shuddered along with her as she snuggled her hips
down.  She propped herself up on her elbows, looking down into eyes
filled with lust, love and determination.  She took possession of
Buffy's mouth in a kiss that was brutal, fierce, completely carnal, and
left them both dazed in its wake.  She pressed her hips down into
Buffy's, making them both whimper.

She nuzzled her mouth next to Buffy's ear, breathing softly into it,
"You want to move, don't you?"

"Yes," Buffy hissed from between clenched teeth.

She moved her mouth down to her mate-mark, sucking on it, tasting it
with her tongue.  "You want to touch me, don't you?"

"Yes," she hissed for a second time from between clenched teeth.

She nibbled her way up Buffy's neck, over her chin, stopping to murmur
against her mouth, "You want to cum too, don't you?"  Faith lifted her
head to stare down at Buffy a wicked gleam in her eyes. She waited for
Buffy to answer, but it seemed she was going to wait in vain. "Tell me,"
she demanded, one elegant eyebrow lifting royally, letting a little bit
more of this dominant side of herself out.

Her first reaction was to yell 'YES' so loud everyone within the
Immortals' domain would hear her.  Instead, she just glared up at Faith
defiantly, playing Faith's game and loving every last second of it.

She moved slightly, supporting her weight on one elbow and lifted
herself just enough to whisper a hand down over Buffy's chest, her
stomach.  She moved her hand a little lower playing idly with the soft,
short, curly hairs that covered Buffy's sex.  "I know you do.  I can
smell you."  She trailed a lone finger down and around the side of
Buffy's twitching clit. "I feel how wet, how hot, how ready you are."
That lone finger moved up and back to play with soft curls.  Faith eyes
narrowed as something that sounded a lot like, 'Bitch!' hissed out from
between Buffy's clenched teeth.

"So tell me B..." she purred, cajoled, with just a hint of a promise in
her tone, but underneath it was still a command, "...do you want to
cum?"

That lone finger slid down again, hovering right over her quivering nub
and Buffy felt like she was ready to jump right out of her skin.  Her
mind conjuring up all the wickedly evil, tortuously delightful things
she was going to do to her Dark Slayer when she got the chance to turn
the tables.  And turn the tables she would! She stared up into those
hungry, possessive eyes with a hunger all her own.  A hunger she knew
only her Dark Slayer could quench.

"Yes..." She let the word roll off her tongue seductively, enticingly
and a little bit demandingly.

She let her other fingers join the lone one that was hovering near
Buffy's nub.  She slid them down and cupped Buffy's sex, shuddering at
the heat, the wetness she found waiting for her.  She pressed gently
against the inflamed flesh and expected Buffy to jerk but she surprised
her yet again when the only thing that moved were Buffy's kiss-swollen
lips when they softly moaned her name.

"You're being so good... Tell me... which of the three do you want the
most, B?"

"I don't just want... I 'need' to touch you.  I always, will always,
'need' to touch you more then anything else, Faith." Buffy answered
softly, without even the slightest hesitation or needing a moment to
think about her answer. She always needed to touch her dark mate and she
would, for all time, need to touch her more then anything else.

To say the Dark Slayer was surprised by her mate's answer would have
been the understatement of the century.  There had been such longing
burning in Buffy's voice it shook the Dark Slayer down to her soul.
Though a part of her believed that Buffy needed her, loved her, wanted
her in the same passionate, all-consuming way that Faith needed her,
another part of her just refused to believe it was true.  With Buffy's
passionate declaration, another one of those hidden scars upon the Dark
Slayer's soul became just a tiny bit smaller and lighter.

"I 'need' you to touch me too, B." She wrapped her arms around Buffy,
pulling her with her as she sat up.

She twisted around with Buffy straddling her and propped herself up
against the headboard.  She raised her knees up and gently leaned Buffy
against them. She moved forward and gave Buffy a soft, gentle,
passionate kiss. "Touch me B..." she mumbled into the kiss. Buffy's arms
came around and hugged her so tightly they forced all the air right out
of her lungs.

She hugged Faith for long minutes, relishing the feel of her in her
arms.  Finally breaking the embrace her hands roamed over every inch of
Faith's silky-soft flesh she could reach.  Her fingertips burned from
the heat of Faith's skin, they tingled from it, sending flash-fires up
her arms, down her torso creating a bonfire within her.  Her whole body
quaked when Faith's hot mouth surround one of her throbbing nipples, her
hand reaching up to tease the other.  She began to rock herself against
Faith's hard stomach, whimpering low.  She tangled her hands into
Faith's hair dragging her mouth back up to hers.  This time it was she
who took the Dark Slayer's mouth captive in a purely carnal kiss.  Her
tongue forced its way in, conquering, tasting, exploring, teasing, the
warm cavern of Faith's mouth.

Faith pulled back from the kiss growling, lowering her legs until they
were only slightly bent.  She put her hands on Buffy's hips and slid her
away from her stomach.  She growled again when Buffy's hands latched
onto her breasts, her fingers pulling on her nipples, the nails scraping
none too lightly around them.  One hand slid from Buffy's hips, down to
the inside of her thigh, then up to touch the wetness that she had
created.  The other hand trailed up to return the same arousing torture
to Buffy's breasts that Buffy was treating hers to.

"B..." she husked, and then waited for Buffy to look at her.  When Buffy
finally raised her eyes, Faith slowly slid into her.  The sound that
Buffy made when she entered her almost made Faith lose control and
climax.  She glided her fingers into Buffy as slowly and as deeply as
she could. "I love the way you feel... so tight, so hot... I could stay
here forever."

"I could let you stay forever," Buffy chuckled wickedly, then shrieked
when, with a smirk on her face and a chuckle of her own, Faith flicked
her clit. "Not funny Fai..."

"Wasn't meant to be..." Faith purred, then let the hand on Buffy's
breast drift down to join the other.  She circled around Buffy's nub as
she started to leisurely glide in and out of her with her other hand.
"Was meant to make you hotter, wetter... Did it, B?"

All Buffy could manage was a grunt.  She planted her feet on the bed,
using Faith's inclined legs to support her as she lowered and raised
herself into, onto Faith's hands. She kept her eyes locked with her Dark
Slayer's as the knot of pleasure gathered forcefully deep inside of her.

"I love watching you... You're so beautiful when you're like this..."
She watched Buffy with something akin to awe, it humbled her and
astounded her still, that it was her that made 'her' Light Slayer feel
this way.  "So beautiful when you cum..."

That voice, that deep, raspy, husky voice thundered through Buffy's
veins like liquid fire.  It ignited the final fuse inside of her and a
moan tore out of her as those magnificent, knowing hands sped up the
tempo of the erotic dance her Dark Slayer was leading her on. She surged
up violently as the knot of pleasure unleashed itself within her with an
earth shattering force.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When she finally came back to reality, she found herself face down on
the bed, the Dark Slayer resting fully on top of her, nibbling on the
nape of her neck and still deeply inside of her.  Stunned she moaned low
when she realized that she was just as, if not more, aroused then she
was before she came.  She had to be dreaming, it just wasn't possible.
Or was it?

Vaguely she remembered Faith lowering her to the bed, turning her over.
Somehow, Faith had managed to remain deep within her, only gentling her
touch, changing the thrusting to a delicate caress.

"Welcome back, B..."

"Tha...." Buffy clutched at the bed sheets, ripping them before she
could stop herself.  She pushed back into Faith's hand when those
talented fingers found her g-spot.  Something she had always thought was
a crock of shit until Faith. "...OHChristFaith!"

"Like that B?" Faith asked then rubbed against Buffy's g-spot again just
to make sure she knew what she was asking.

"YES!" Buffy screeched then shredded the sheets a little more, still in
total denial that Faith had her feeling this way again.

"Want more?" Faith decided to make a meal out of the nape of Buffy's
neck while she waited for her to answer.  She got something that sounded
like a 'yes' when she plunged into Buffy a little quicker adding a twist
for the hell of it.  She chose to take the second sound that erupted
from Buffy as a 'yes' too. "Good, 'cause I would hate to break my
promise to you."

Buffy was almost afraid to ask.  "Promise?" She stumbled over the word a
little, then moaned as Faith rubbed herself against her back like a cat.

"Yeah, promise..."  Faith murmured, reluctantly removing her fingers
from their warm, wet home.  She slid her hands under Buffy, grasping
onto her shoulders from behind.  She pulled herself along Buffy's back,
purring like a crazed jungle cat the whole time.  She lowered her mouth
next to Buffy's ear, still purring, "You know... the promise I made
earlier that I was going to fuck you like there was no tomorrow.  Rough,
hard, fast... That I'm going to take you to a place that you've never
been before, then take you there again and again..."

"Oh god, you're trying to kill me..." Buffy uttered the words without
thought and without the slightest fear that Faith would take them the
wrong way.

Faith heard the words and not for a second, nay, a millisecond did she
misunderstand them. In fact both Slayers, never even gave a second
thought to them.  It was a silent testament to how hard they had worked,
struggled to put their hurtful past with each other behind them and an
affirmation that they truly had.

"Kill you... no..." Faith smiled wickedly, the possessive feral glint
flashing in her eyes. Her wild side coming back out to play, hearing an
answer from its mate in Buffy, who wanted to play too. "...gonna make
you cum hard and fast and long, over and over again..." she purred,
slowly, softly like she was tasting it. 

"And B..."

"Yeah..." 

"All the rules from before..."

"Yeah..."

"They apply..."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sheets were nothing more then tatters.  The headboard was bent out
of shape.  And the first of the Chosen One's was nothing but a mindless,
babbling, lava pool of lust, desire, passion and outright blatant need.
On her hands and knees, she watched dazed the sweat dripping off her
body onto what was left of the sheets.  The Dark Slayer had kissed,
sucked, bitten, chewed, licked, touched, scraped, even scratched a
little, every single piece of flesh on her body.  She had even crawled
under her at one point, chuckling evilly that she didn't want the front
of her mate's body to feel neglected.

If she had been capable of speaking in any language known to man, she
would have been begging by now.  Her dark mate hadn't let her move -
other then how she moved her - or touch her, once. In all of her life,
she had never felt the need to touch someone as much as she needed to
touch her Dark Slayer as she did right now.  She shuddered when she felt
her lover move to kneel behind her.  Her whole body trembled when she
felt her mate lean over her, her breasts burning holes into her back,
strong hands gripping her thighs moving her legs further apart.  A
ragged sob forced its way out of her when she felt the river of wetness
that was her Dark Slayer's desire for her coat her ass.

She swore she was having mini-orgasms when her mate's hands came around
her and cupped her breasts.  Her Dark Slayer's fingers relentlessly
teased, stroked, pulled, pinched, flicked her nipples into
heart-stopping, white-hot points of rapture.  A shiver ran its fingers
down her spine as her mate rocked into her, her teeth nipping her
earlobe, her breath, hot and heavy caressing her neck.  Her Dark Slayer
had led her to the edge time and again, giving her just a peek at what
lay on the other side before pulling her back each time swiftly, without
mercy, leaving her breathless and begging to be taken there again. And
the Light Slayer knew, even if she reached down to end this torture
herself that she couldn't, wouldn't be able to cum right now unless her
soul-mate told her too.  Her Dark Slayer had promised to take her to a
place she had never been before and undeniably this was a place, she had
never been before, ever.  A place, she already knew, she wanted to visit
again and a place she wanted to bring her Dark Slayer someday too.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She couldn't get enough of her, couldn't seem to stop herself from
needing to touch her, to taste her.  The overwhelming need to mark the
Light Slayer as hers was back and it would not be denied.  Nothing in
her life had ever prepared her for this possessiveness, this primal
desire to claim, to take, to protect, to conquer and be claimed, taken,
protected and conquered in return.  And she knew from their bond that
her Light Slayer felt the same way and it made her feel complete,
unbroken in a wholly incredibly new way.

She clutched the shaking body of her Light Slayer beneath her tighter.
All of this was so new it scared her a little, but not enough to stop
her.  She held on tightly letting her lover support her weight as she
shook helplessly with her own need.  Her hips rocked steadily into her
mate's ass, her wetness leaving slick trails, her clit twitching,
begging for a harder, firmer touch.  She finally managed to get herself
under control again, she eased up off her golden-haired lover slightly,
then smiled at the moan of disappointment that she let slip.  One hand
moved to grasp her Light Slayer's shoulder from underneath and behind.
The other hand dusted down over her side, then over her back to her ass.
She kneaded the tense muscles, traced feather-light patterns over its
firmness.

"Tell me what you want." She demanded hoarsely, her mouth brushing
against her Light Slayer's ear.

"Inside..." she mumbled, "Inside... want you inside me..." Long, gifted
fingers suddenly plunged into her forcefully then stilled. Her head
snapped back, her long damp hair whipping her Dark Slayer on the
shoulder and upper back. An actual howl ripped out of her throat as a
small quake sparked through her giving her a preview of what would
befall her when her Dark Slayer fulfilled her promise.

Her hips jerked uncontrollably into her Light Slayer when her hair
lashed her with its wet, silken caress.  "Tell me what you want," she
demanded again.  A moan was her answer, but this time it wasn't good
enough.  "Tell me..." Her command was rough, harsh in her desire.

Her befuddled mind tried to form the words.  She knew what she wanted;
she wanted her Dark Slayer to fulfill the rest of her promise.  She
wanted to be fucked like there was no tomorrow.  Hard, fast, rough, she
wanted to lose every last bit of control and she wanted her Dark Slayer
to lose her own as well.

"Want you to..." She stopped gasping as another slightly larger quake
ripped through her. She panted trying to gather her thoughts again, make
her tongue speak recognizable words. "...keep your promise.  Want...
you... to... fuck... me..." A small part of herself stood off
open-mouthed in disbelief.  She never in her life had ever said those
words to anyone.  That small part of herself got over its disbelief
quickly as her Dark Slayer's roar of triumph, lust and hunger fell upon
her like a physical caress.

The Dark Slayer started to fuck her, alternating between hard, fast,
rough and slowly and deeply, tearing away every last semblance of
control she had.  This wasn't the first time they had ever touched each
other like this, nor would it be the last.  But it was only a way they
could ever touch, be with each other, it would have been too hard, too
rough for anyone other then another Slayer.  And she loved that, loved
that it was something that only she could give to her Dark Slayer and
that her Dark Slayer could only give to her.  The snarl from her Dark
Slayer told her without words she felt the same way.

She moved her arm down to circle her Light Slayer's waist.  She moved
easily, intimately in the pulsating heat of her mate.  She leaned into
her further, licking her skin, taking small bites, loving the smell, the
taste of her desire and of her sweat.  "Move with me..."

She didn't need to be told twice, she pushed back so hard into her mate
she almost knocked them both over.  "More... fill me... oh god Fai...
need more..." she demanded as she met each thrust with equal force,
contracting her internal muscles to hold those long fingers inside of
her for just a second longer.

She just hissed, giving her Light Slayer what she asked for.  Her thumb
dipping occasionally into the hot wetness of her mate's desire, then
trailing up to venture where neither of them had ever ventured before.
"So wet for me, so hot for me, so tight..." She latched onto her mate's
shoulder blade, sucking with a vengeance then purring with satisfaction
when she saw the mark that would, despite their Slayer healing, remain
for a few days.  "Love being so deep inside of you... love how you
feel... you make me so hot, so wet, so goddamn crazy with need, crazy
for you...." She latched onto her mate's other shoulder blade, leaving
an identical mark.

Her head dropped down, her damp hair falling, shrouding her face.  Every
cell in her body screamed for release.  Everything she was, screamed
even louder for her mate.  "Faith..."

"Are you ready to cum for me?"  She leaned heavily onto her Light
Slayer. The arm around her mate's waist slid down, her fingers began to
torture, to tease, to taunt the overextended, engorged nub she found
there begging for her touch. Her other arm, her fingers plunging
tirelessly, deeply, unerringly hitting her Light Slayer's sweet spot
each time.  The sweat was rolling off her back, her own hips pumped in
time, rocking hard into each backward thrust of her Light Slayer.

"Yes... want... to... cum... for... you..." She panted out, lifting her
head and turning it as far as she could so she could see her Dark
Slayer's eyes. "...just... for... you... Faith..."

Time stopped for a moment for them as their eyes locked.  They might
have been acting, rutting like animals in heat, but underlying it all
was the deep-rooted respect, protectiveness and love they felt for each
other.  And this, despite what roles they might be playing at, was the
heart, the soul, of all they were together.

The Dark Slayer moved forward and kissed her Light Slayer with infinite
care, tenderness and love.  Sealing the promises, they had made to each
other almost a year ago at the waterfall.

Time started again as their kiss grew more passionate, more demanding,
more carnal and now it was time for the Dark Slayer to deliver on a
promise she had made a little bit after she had carried her Light Slayer
into the cottage.

"Cum for me, B..." she whispered against full, soft lips.

At those whispered words it gathered, building, making all her muscles
lock down, her breath stop, then explode from her when she felt those
fingers drive into her again and another drift up to enter her where no
one ever had before.  She slammed back into her Dark Slayer, rising up,
lifting both of them. A scream of unbridled ecstasy shaking the very
rafters as one after another shockwave tore through her, never-ending,
the next starting before the last had finished and still her Dark Slayer
moved deeply within her, taking her to that place over and over again.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She woke to dark-chocolate, loving eyes staring down at her.  She smiled
up adoringly at her mate.

"That was..."

"...don't even think about saying an appetizer, Faith!" She teased
gently, chuckling at the innocent look Faith tried to give her.

"No Giz that was the main course."  She planted a soft kiss on already
kiss-swollen lips.

"Ummmm hmmmm..." Buffy murmured, not quite believing her.

"I was more thinkin' it was time for dessert..." Faith gave her a little
leer and puppy-dog eyes.

"Faith I don't think I could... hell, I don't think I'll be able to for
another week at least..."

"Not even for me?" Faith purred seductively, then pulled one of Buffy's
own tricks on her and started writing 'F loves B' on her chest
repeatedly.

In total disbelief, she once again felt a shudder of desire ripple
through her.  "Ummm.... maybe... but only once... and only for you..."
She chuckled, not quite believing she actually agreed.

"Good, 'cause I still have one more promise to keep."

"What promise is that?"

"To make slow, tender, gentle love 'with' you, B."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She felt even the slightest movement of Buffy underneath her, heard each
hitch of her breath, catching even the smallest of nuances in her
expression.  Felt the heat of her skin whispering against her own, the
hot wash of Buffy's breath against her face and neck, heard the murmured
words of love, need, passion, watched as the pleasure transform her
face.  It was magnificent.  It was breathtaking and it awed and humbled
her.  The beauty that was Buffy captivated her; she caught her mouth in
a tender, breath-stealing kiss.  Both gentle and giving as she pulled
Buffy even closer to her and she rocked to her lover's need, giving her
everything she was.  It was in the intimacy of her worshipping touch, in
every kiss, in every brush of their skin.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The feel of Faith moving above her was exquisite, but it wasn't nearly
as exquisite as the love that stared back at her in those soft doe-eyes.
Nothing escaped her attention, not the softest of sighs, the slightest
jump of a muscle under her adoring hands, not the sweet, musky taste of
Faith's skin on her tongue and lips.  Nor the bliss writing itself
across Faith's face, it was glorious, it took her breath away and it
awed and humbled her. The beauty that was Faith enthralled her and every
part of her cried out, celebrated when Faith kissed her with such
tenderness, with so much love that it melted her soul.  Everything she
was, everything she felt was in each of her touches, each of her kisses,
in the very pores of her flesh that whispered so intimately against her
soul-mate, Faith.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mine..." she whispered in awe against her mate-mark.

"Yours..." was whispered back just as softly, with just as much awe.

She bit down daintily, reverently on her mark upon her mate.  The flesh
beneath her teeth yielded, opened, and welcomed her as if it had a mind
of its own.  A part of her realizing she hadn't bitten hard enough to
break the skin, yet still there was the taste of blood in her mouth, on
her lips, only it was sweet, instead of coppery and bitter, making her
own blood sing in return. She lifted her head, joining their mouths in a
gentle caress accepting the promise, the oath that her mate just made to
her.

"Mine..." was whispered in awe against her mate-mark to her after their
kiss ended.

"Yours..." she whispered back just as softly in awe.

She felt her mate's teeth on her mate-mark biting down just as softly,
just as reverently as she had. Then her own flesh yielded, opened,
welcomed, her mate in return, as if it too, had a mind of its own.  Her
mate lifted her head and she tasted her own blood, just as sweet as her
mate's, as her mate joined their mouths in another gentle caress and the
promise, the oath that she had made to her mate was accepted in return.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Dark Slayer whispered to her mate how beautiful she was, how much
she loved her, needed her in between kisses.  Her heart stopped beating
as Buffy's head arched back, her eyes opening and locking with her own,
sharing her pleasure, telling of her love.  Faith fell into those
expressive eyes. She heard Buffy gasp her name as a soul-searing climax
claimed her, and the beautiful sight her eyes beheld swept Faith away...

...And then Buffy felt her own heart stop as she brought 'her Faith' to
the same plateau carrying her away in the same soul-searing climax.  And
she too fell into the expressive eyes of her mate and was swept away by
the beautiful sight her eyes beheld.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She slowly eased her lover down from her devastating climax, pulling
Buffy tightly into her embrace.  Holding her trembling body securely
within her loving, strong arms as Buffy buried her face into her chest
and clung to her. Faith clung just as tightly to Buffy, burying her face
into Buffy's soft hair and neck.  Her heart was thundering, pounding
against her ribs and she waited for it to explode. From out of nowhere
the fears, the insecurities, the huge mistake she had almost made, the
relief, the love, everything, nothing, all of it, all at once crashed
down on her, taking her emotions on a rollercoaster ride at incredibly
impossible speeds, leaving her feeling exposed, vulnerable, raw.

All of it began to pour out of her against her will, the tears falling
softly from beneath her tightly closed lids. She didn't know what she
would do if she ever lost Buffy, she just knew she wouldn't survive.
And she clung to Buffy who was her touchstone, her soul, her lifeblood,
her air and her light in the darkness that she had lived in for most of
her life.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy hung onto Faith's trembling body tightly. She was reeling from all
that had transpired between them today.  Reeling from the knowledge that
she had almost pushed Faith away from her over the last few weeks, when
her only goal had been to bring them even closer together.  She felt
Faith's trembling cease then start again almost immediately and at
first, she thought she was laughing, that was until she felt the hot
wash of Faith's tears bathing her neck.

"Faith?  Baby... what's wrong?" Buffy ran her hands soothingly over
Faith's hair, her back, her shoulders.  "Faith, please baby, tell me
what's wrong." She pulled the Dark Slayer closer to her, holding her
tightly.  She felt acutely how exposed, vulnerable, raw her Dark Slayer
felt, as a whirlwind of other emotions, images, almost all the Dark
Slayer was feeling, had been feeling, thinking about over the last few
weeks sped to her in an echo and her arms tightened instinctively.
"It's okay baby... Everything is gonna be okay... Let it out, let it all
out..." she cooed lovingly.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She clung to Buffy like she was her lifeline and in some ways she was
right now.  She felt almost nauseous from the rollercoaster ride her
emotions were taking her on.  Everything, not just the last few weeks
was flashing through her mind.  From the very first time her mother had
hit her, to accidentally staking Allen Finch, to trying to claw the
blood off her hands, to finding love with Buffy, to being in Glory's
hell, to their night at the waterfall, to earlier today.  The voices in
her head were screaming, scratching, clawing, all trying to be heard.
>From her mother's to Johnny's, to the scared, abused, small child that
lived inside of her, to the voice that had always been 'her', to
Angel's, to Buffy's, everyone she had ever known, all of them, all at
once and she just wanted them all to SHUT THE FUCK UP!

And surprisingly enough they did and when they did, the rollercoaster
ride her emotions had been on came to a screeching stop.  She snuggled
in deeper to Buffy, loosening her death hold, her tears slowing and then
finally stopping.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to ruin everything." She mumbled jaggedly
into Buffy's neck.

"You didn't ruin anything baby... You couldn't..." Buffy softly told
her, "Are you ready to talk about it?"

Faith just shook her head no against Buffy's neck.  She needed a few
minutes to try to process all of it. Make some semblance out of it,
figure out what the hell just happened.

"Okay... that's okay... I'll be right here ready, you know when you're
ready. I'll be ready to listen, when you're ready... To talk and I'll...
Did umm... that make sense?"

Faith didn't have to look to know that Buffy's face had that cute
scrunched up look she got when she was confused.  "Yeah B, it did..."
she half chuckled and while she was still feeling vulnerable, exposed,
raw, being held by Buffy right now made her feel peaceful, sheltered and
protected too. She wanted to keep that feeling so she whispered softly,
"Just hold me for a while..."

"Always... always Fai..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She rested against Buffy trying to gather her thoughts together now that
the carnival ride in her head had stopped.  Talking about her feelings,
asking for help, expressing her fears still didn't come easily for her.
She wondered if it ever would.  She was tired of always being a
hairsbreadth away from losing everything she worked so hard to achieve,
of always being a fraction of an inch away from losing the life she had
struggled, suffered untold pain to build before she opened her mouth or
reached out.  She was tired of the part of herself that lived in fear
and let that fear control her. And she was tired of always fighting for
everyone else but herself, of always putting everyone else's needs,
wants, dreams, all of it, above her own.  There was nothing that said at
times she couldn't come first or at least what she wanted, needed for
herself couldn't be equal with those she loved.

All those years of feeling worthless, second best, no good, hating
herself and a host of other emotions that pushed, helped her to drag
herself down into the gutter and turn herself into exactly what she had
been told she was her whole life were over.  She had no intention of
living up or down as it were to 'their' expectations of her anymore, the
only person's expectations she was going to live up to from now on were
her own. She had been allowing herself to fall into old habits, had been
following that downward spiral again, listening to those subtle sly
voices from her past, instead of listening to the voice in her head that
was 'her' and listening to her heart and soul.  And that was going to
end right here, right now, she could still feel them, the voices of her
past in there waiting for their chance and she knew if she remained
silent they would get that chance.  She was still a little confused,
still worried, still felt raw, exposed and vulnerable, but she wasn't
going to let that stop her.

She sat up, gently detangling herself from Buffy.  She reached out and
pulled Buffy up until she sat facing her.  She almost started to cry
again, when Buffy reached out and softly, tenderly brushed the wet
tracks of her tears from her face.

"Over the last few weeks I've felt like I was losing you B.  At first, I
thought it was kinda cute, you babbling all the time and just thought
you were feeling stressed out.  Since you always babble when you're
stressed, like you did during finals. The first week or so it didn't
really bother me -- bother me -- in a bad way - that we weren't spending a
lot of time together, I just figured you were busy with the dojo and
other stuff.  I mean, I know we can't be together twenty-four hours a
day like we are here but... As the days went on, I realized that you
were avoiding me and not just being alone or in the same room with me,
but avoiding actually talking to me about anything.  I walked into a
room and you practically ran out of it.  If I asked you a question about
us or started to talk about things we've planned together, you either
found a reason to not talk then or started babbling about everything but
that and never answering me.  And you started looking at me in this sad,
worried sort of way.  And I couldn't quite figure out what it meant."
She stopped and gnawed on her bottom lip in frustration, none of this
was coming out right.

"I could feel all different types of things from you through our bond.
Fear, confusion, sadness and I didn't have a clue where it was coming
from.  I just knew that you were hiding something from me and that you
were afraid. I should have said something then but I didn't.  I started
to get scared, worried and I pulled away.  And... and it just kept
getting worse, my stomach was in constant knots and these thoughts I
didn't want to be having about us, about our relationship started to
creep in.  I was terrified of what you were going to tell me and ashamed
of what I was beginning to think.  By the time the day arrived for us to
leave to come here, I thought you were going to leave me, I thought that
even though you still loved me, what we had just wasn't enough or right
for you.  I could feel you pulling away from me and not just physically,
but inside too.  But I pushed it down that day, I tried to ignore it, I
tried not to let the fear own me.  I wanted to believe that you would
come to me, tell me what was going on, I wanted to trust what I knew in
my heart, soul about you, about us and not what my head was trying to
tell me."  She stopped again and ran a trembling hand through her hair
thinking how odd it was to be having this conversation right now.  Most
people would have had this conversation prior to spending the last few
hours fucking and making love, more passionately, more intensely then
they ever had before, not after.

Would they ever do things in any remotely normal way?

"I thought I had beaten them back too B.  I mean it seemed like it, it
seemed like things were a little more normal when we got back to the
cottage.  But then we went to the barbeque at Lily's and it was there
again.  The fear, the doubt, the insecurities and it got all confusing.
I started to blame myself; convince myself that it was me.  That somehow
I was pushing you away, doing something wrong, forcing you to not want
to be with me.  Thinking I wasn't good enough, wondering why you'd ever
want to be with someone like me.  It was confusing, I couldn't figure
out how it was I knew you loved me, were in love with me and at the same
time, I was having these thoughts, these feelings and I overloaded.  And
I put it all on my shoulders, it was all my fault, it was me that was
pushing you into doing something that I couldn't even bear to think
about.  I had fucked up again, I wasn't good enough, just like I always
had been and I felt like I was betraying you, betraying us and all we
are together."  She took a shaky breath, she wasn't done yet, she had
yet to admit to Buffy what she had thought was going on between her and
Lily.  She was ashamed of those thoughts and she dropped her eyes from
Buffy's.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy reached out and grasped both of Faith's hands with her own.  It
was amazing how they could share this deep bond, share their feelings,
see images of what the other was thinking and yet still be both so
insecure as to doubt what was there.  She had those same thoughts,
feeling, had been going through something very similar over the last few
weeks as Faith, though for different reasons.  She took her own shaky
breath realizing how very close they had come to pushing each other
away, but thanks to the Immortals, they hadn't.  She couldn't help
wonder how they had gotten to that point in the first place. She let go
of one of Faith's hands.  She reached up, tucked a stray piece of hair
behind Faith's ear, then gently cupped her face, her thumb brushing
softly against her cheekbone.  A small sigh of relief escaped her when
Faith leaned into her touch and slowly raised her eyes back up to her
own.

Their eyes locked, Faith's words echoed through both of their minds and
in that brief second they shared a sort of epiphany, it wasn't on any
real conscious level, it was just simply an innate knowing.  Not only
about themselves, but about each other.  Earlier today they both had an
inkling, a beginning, a start at understanding, about what had happened,
not only right now, but the last few weeks, over the last year and what
they had been deluding themselves into thinking.

And they drifted together into that space, into that place they shared
because of their bond.  Only this was the first time they had ever gone
there while completely awake and not while they were meditating, like
they had when Glory had them.  Here in this place between waking and
sleeping they could see, feel each other and hear without actual words
what the other was saying and thinking.  It was a concept that neither
could grasp in a tangible way, it just simply was.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had been na•ve to think that a year was enough time to heal all the
wounds they had both suffered, more so for Faith, than Buffy.  After all
that had happened to Faith in her short lifetime, they realized that a
very small part of Faith would always carry the fear of being rejected,
of not being good enough, worthy enough to be loved, of being abused,
and of being once more left broken and all alone.

And Buffy was old enough, despite her age and even wise enough to
realize now, that the lessons taught during childhood are the hardest
ones to overcome. Realized just now in this in-between place, how na•ve
that belief had been to think that one year filled with love, happiness
and so much more, could change, fade, eliminate all the years of abuse,
pain and mental torture that Faith had endured.

And Faith in her desperation, in her need to put the past behind her as
quickly as possible, as far as possible away from her and move on, had
convinced herself, made herself believe that they were dead, they were
gone, that they had become unlearned.  It wasn't until today and right
now in this in-between place, she realized just how na•ve that belief
had been.

Childhood lessons are the ones that shaped a person, who they became,
how they not only saw themselves but how others saw them. They are
lessons carried throughout a person's lifetime.  And Faith had been
taught the same lessons over and over again during her childhood and
then yet again in Glory's hell.  Taught, she was no good, was
disgusting, worthless, unlovable, trash, a whore, a plaything, taught
them cruelly, harshly, callously, sadistically with brutal words, blows
and in other ways that neither of them could bear to think about. But
the images, the lessons came to them anyway. She had been taught those
lessons... and taught them... and taught them... time after time, until
she believed them, until she became them, until they had become constant
whispers in her ears, in her head, and until they had become permanent
scars etched upon her soul.

Scars they both foolishly thought had faded away into nothing.  Scars,
they both now realized might fade, but might also never fade completely
away.  Not even with the most tender loving care, not even with years
filled with love and laughter. They were scars, memories, lessons etched
in the deepest, remotest part of Faith's soul and they might always own
a piece of her soul. They would rear their hideous heads from time to
time, perhaps in a nightmare or a chill down the spine or an ingrained
flinch from a known loving hand or an irrational reaction to a seemly
perfectly normal situation. And rear their heads they had, over the last
few weeks.

And they both knew they should have seen it, they should have felt it,
but they hadn't.  In their foolishness, in their need to heal, they had
thought they had laid the last of those fears to rest.

But they knew better now and the knowing could only make them stronger,
wiser.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And Buffy 'knew' it wasn't a burden, nor a chore this knowledge, it was
a blessing that only strengthened her love for Faith even more.  A
blessing that would open her eyes just that much wider, allow her to see
things that she had failed to notice before.  She would gladly spend
every day; every minute if need be, of her life reassuring, proving with
actions and words to her Dark Slayer, her soul-mate that she was none of
those thing.  Show her instead all the beautiful things she was and show
her that she was very loved and that Buffy loved her, unconditionally,
the good, the bad, all of her and would throughout eternity. That she
would do everything and anything within her power to help Faith keep the
scars and the fears that lived inside of her, might live there for the
rest of her life, at bay.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And Faith 'knew' that she had been afraid to admit that the scars, the
hurt, even the fear was there still, not always, but sometimes. Afraid
perhaps because she might be seen as weak, if she had a nightmare, or a
flashback -- daymare, or flinched in fear from a loving touch or that for
no reason at all she couldn't bear the thought of being touched by
anyone after all this time had past.  As if there were a timetable on
how long it took to heal from the things that had been inflicted, forced
upon her and she had long since passed the expiration date.

Faith 'knew' just how stupid that was.  Another 'knowing' came to her,
it was never others who saw her as weak, it was only herself who saw her
that way. In one of those rare moments of clarity she saw exactly how
strong inside she really was, finally getting a glimpse of the inner
strength that others saw and that had helped her survive all that had
happened to her. It empowered her and in doing so it took away a little
of the power her fears held. Admitting to it, to her fears, didn't make
her weak, it made her human.  As she drifted in this in-between place
she 'KNEW' that she wasn't alone, that she never would be and if she
needed to she could always turn to Buffy and Buffy would do everything
in her power to help her keep those fears at bay.  And that too, just
made her stronger and made her love Buffy even more.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were common scars that they both shared now too and not just the
ones they shared because of what had happened to them in Glory's hell.
It seemed for both of them happiness wasn't in the cards.  Seemed as if
when they found it, it was always taken away.  As if being Slayers meant
there could be no true, no real happiness or love, no real life.  The
Watchers Council had tried many times to make them see that, tried many
times to keep them isolated from the rest of the world.  There was
always something to disrupt the happiness, to pull it away, to change it
into something else.  So many secrets came with being a Slayer, secrets
that, it seemed, when revealed, made other's turn away.  And it had
happened to them, time and time again.

Yet, together they had found that happiness, that love, with the only
other person in the world who could understand them completely, another
Slayer.  And they clung to that with determination, with their sheer
inner strength of will and the love they had for each other.  Managing
in the face of what would have destroyed others, in the bowels of
Glory's hell to find an even greater respect, trust and love for each
other.  They had categorically beaten the odds hands down, they had
defied everything the Watchers Council had tried to teach, to tell them
and they both knew it was why they were still alive and did what no
Slayer before them had ever done. They had lived longer, had a family,
friends and had found love, happiness, joy and so much more.

But still and all, they both had come to accept there would always be a
teeny-tiny part of themselves that would be listening for the other shoe
to fall.

And while accepting that small facet of their lives as Slayers wasn't
the problem, they 'knew' that they were allowing that jaded view of life
to affect them as a couple.  Forcing in a way to make the other shoe
fall, creating problems where there was none, closing themselves off
from each other instead of reaching for the other and admitting to their
fears. Perhaps it was because of all that had happened to them, between
them, perhaps because for so long they never believed that they could
have all they had.  But the time for perhaps and the time for disbelief
had long since passed and belonged firmly in the past.

And yes, they both 'knew' they would still be listening for that other
shoe to fall, but from now on it would be 'the Slayers' listening, not
Faith and Buffy.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In those brief flashing seconds within the in-between place, they
absorbed, processed and felt what the other had thought and felt.  And
'knew' that just knowing all of it didn't solve the problems, didn't
make them suddenly disappear, didn't mean that from time to time they
both might slip back into old habits and it didn't mean that the healing
process had magically completed itself.  There wasn't any time limit on
healing and some scars they both now 'knew' might never heal completely.
But what this 'knowing' did do was make them aware.  They both 'knew'
now, that silence gave power to those hidden fears, scars and that
speaking aloud about all of them, bringing them out into the open, into
the light would take away a little more power from those hidden fears
and scars.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Since we've been here these feelings, thoughts grew, gained control and
I started... started..." Faith kept her eyes locked with Buffy's.
Something had passed between them in the seconds between her stopping
then starting to speak again.  There was a clarity in her mind about the
thoughts and feelings she had been having over the last few weeks and
more acutely since they had been here.  While she didn't want to tell
Buffy what she had been thinking happened or might happen, she 'knew'
she had to speak even those fears aloud.

"I started to feel, or rather, I felt unworthy of you, of my life, our
life together.  And, over the last few days here, those little voices
kept reminding me of how much time you were or had been spending with
Lily over the last few weeks.  I got jealous of how easy it was for you
to be with her and how you seemed to be avoiding me even more, pulling
away, turning to her instead of me.  And I... I thought you were trying
to spare my feelings, not hurt me and trying to find a way to tell me
you didn't want to be lovers anymore.  That it wasn't me you wanted
butLilyandIthoughtyouandshethatyouwereorhadalreadybeentogether." Faith
rushed out the last few words, took a quick deep breath and started
again. "I was angry, scared, jealous, and I shut down and pulled away.
I thought I had lost you, believed that I deserved it and it wasn't
until this afternoon that Lilith and Clotho made me realize how wrong I
was.  How I was letting my old insecurities, those fucking voices from
my past cloud what I knew was true."

"I'm sorry... I never meant to make you feel that way." Buffy whispered
softly.  She had royally fucked up and caused a lot of needless pain for
both of them.  "I was too caught up in my own insecurities, my own
fears.  I was acting like, as Mars told me so succinctly, 'a goddamn
babbling, brainless, stereotypical, blonde twit'."  She paused when
Faith gave her a little smile at Mars' description of her.  She gave a
small smile in return.

She felt responsible for all that had happened, for making Faith feel
once again all those things she had while she was growing up.  She had
been so caught up in her own little world full of ridiculously stupid
insecurities and fears she hadn't noticed what it was doing to Faith, to
them.  She should have known better, everyone but Faith had known what
she was planning and if she had been truly making a mistake or any of
her fears, insecurities had a just reason one of them would have told
her.  Instead, they had all encouraged her, tried to tell her that she
was being silly.  Not one of them would have stood idly by and let her
set herself up to be hurt or rejected. She had let her past
relationships, the fall out from them, dictate, impose themselves on her
relationship with Faith.

She brushed her thumb along Faith's cheek one last time and then got up
off the bed.  She started pacing back and forth, watching Faith out of
the corner of her eye as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"It's funny you know - not in a ha-ha funny way - how we both were
feeling the same thing only for different reasons.  Granted you would
have never even begun to feel that way if I hadn't been acting like such
an ass. I never meant any of this to happen, I let my own past make me
feel insecure, fearful, not that you didn't love me but that you would
reject me, leave me.  Like Angel, like Riley, like Giles, like my Mom. I
guess in a way we both, at least a little bit, are slaves to our pasts.
Conditioned by what has happened to us."  Her voice was soft, reflective
and she too realized that something had passed between them earlier.
There was a clarity in her own mind about her actions, reactions from
over the last few weeks.  But just like Faith, she knew she had to speak
them aloud, after what happened or almost happened, Faith deserved that,
they both deserved it.

"And you're right; I was avoiding you, hiding something from you.  But
not for the reasons you thought.  I should have come and talked to you,
told you what I was feeling, instead I let my own little voices control
my actions.  It hurts me that I made you feel that way about yourself
again; I never want you to feel that way ever again.  And what was
making me act so secretive, so nervous, so fearful was supposed to show
you just how much I do love you, believe in you, trust in you, in us and
instead it just did the opposite." She stopped pacing and moved to stand
in front of Faith.

"I would never, not ever -- Hell!!!  The thought never even crossed my
fucking mind! - Cheat on you!" Her voice rose in volume, slightly
indignant, slightly angry, but full of love.  She was angry with herself
and she was angry at Faith for even thinking she would cheat on her.
She had never cheated on anyone in her life and she could have if she
had wanted to, but she never had and never would.  But she understood
why or where Faith's thoughts had come from and so she let that anger
die a quick death.  Though she tried to stop it, she felt one of her
babbling episodes sneaking up from behind her.

"I love you, you are everything to me.  Why would I want anyone else? My
world begins and ends with you Faith. Why would I need anyone else, when
I have you? Why the fuck would I even think about cheating on you or
actually be cheating on you when all I've been trying to do is figure
out how the fuck to ask you to marry me?!!? And being terrified you
would laugh at me or say no or who the hell knows what...."  When her
brain finally caught up with her fast moving, babbling mouth she snapped
it shut so hard her jaw actually hurt.

Goddamn it!  She couldn't believe, especially after all that had
happened in the last few weeks, that she just blew it all to friggin'
hell!  Then she went off into one of Faith's own famous tirades.
Mumbling to herself, pacing and throwing her hands around like a
lunatic.

"Oh that was just beautiful Summers!  All that planning, all that
anguish, all those days of stomach cramps, babbling like an idiot,
acting like an dip-shit!  Making Faith feel like shit, hurting her and
for what?!!?  So that you could just babble your stupid head off and
fucking blow it!!!  Gonna get the fucking genius award, I am!  Real
romantic I am... Idiot, stupid ass I am, oh Christ. I just fucked
everything up!"  She stopped suddenly, twirled around and pointed her
finger at Faith.  "Just stay there, don't move, don't say a word I'll be
right back!" She turned around again and ran at full Slayer speed to the
front door, stopped abruptly and almost slammed into it, turned around
yet again and yelled, "AND FORGET EVERYTHING I JUST SAID!!!"  Then she
spun on her heels and ran right out the front door buck-naked.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith couldn't have moved or spoken if she tried.  She was in shock, in
a big way.  She was positive she had just imagined the whole day.  She
had to be dreaming.  She didn't even blink when Buffy ran out the front
door in all her glory.  She heard Buffy talking outside but none of it
registered, all she kept hearing were Buffy's words from seconds before.
She was still rooted to her spot on the bed, eyes wide, unblinking,
gape-mouthed like a fish out of water when Buffy came tearing back into
the cottage, Dusk and Cinder hot on her heels with the ever present
stuffed panthers hanging out of their mouths.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy skidded to a halt in front of Faith, dropped down to one knee and
flipped open the box in her right hand with her thumb.  She clasped
their left hands, gulped a few times to push down the boulder in the
middle of her throat, then tried to get her erratic breathing and her
thundering heart under control.  Wishing the whole time there was
something she could do about the zillion butterflies that had taken up
residence in her stomach too.

"I wish I had a pretty speech planned or a poem memorized but I don't.
I'm not much better at expressing what it is that I feel inside than you
are and so I'm going to take my own advice for once and just say what's
in my heart.  I've said it before.  I love you doesn't even come close,
is inadequate to express what it is that I feel for you. All I have to
give you is what I feel for you in my heart.  We balance each other...
we just fit together.  Like two jigsaw puzzles that are separate, whole
puzzles by themselves, but together are a bigger picture, are just
simply more whole when side-by-side, when connected together.  All I
know is that with you I am just simply more.  You've always told me I
was the light in the darkness that was your life and what I don't think
you know or realize is that you are that same light for me.  Without you
in my life, Faith, there would be no light, only darkness.  When I close
my eyes at night, it's always of you I dream, of us.  When I see myself
years from now, it is always with you by my side, as my equal, my lover,
my best friend, my wife, my partner, my spouse.  I want to spend the
rest of my life with you, by your side, as your equal, your lover, your
best friend, your wife, your partner, your spouse.  Will you marry me;
join with me, hand-fast, whatever you want to call it?  Will you do me
the honor of becoming my wife and allowing me to become yours, Faith?"

She kept her eyes locked with Faith's as she waited for her to answer.
As the seconds ticked by, she could feel each and every single drop of
sweat slowly, tortuously dripping down the nape of her neck.  The
butterflies in her stomach kept right on multiplying like sex-crazed
bunnies.  Her left hand grew cold and clammy and she felt herself
starting to panic when Faith still didn't answer her and just stared at
her not even blinking.  After what felt like a few eternities, she
caught a glimpse of movement out of the corners of her eyes.  She moved
her head just slightly so she could see what Faith was doing and she
broke out into an ear-splitting grin at what she saw.

"Faith... baby..." She said gently and waited for some sort of
recognition to reach Faith's eyes. "Baby you can stop pinching yourself,
you're awake, you're not dreaming."  After blinking a few times, Faith
gave Buffy a look of such soul-searing love that Buffy forgot her own
name.  "So will you Faith?"

'Yes...' Faith mouthed silently, still dazed, still pinching herself,
not yet quite convinced she wasn't dreaming, that was until Buffy
decided to pinch her once to prove she wasn't dreaming.  The pinch broke
her out of her act-like-a-silent-marble-statue mode and she launched
herself at Buffy, raining kisses all over Buffy's face between
ecstatically whispered yeses as they tumbled back onto the floor.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy rolled them over after returning Faith's kisses with just as much
enthusiasm for a few minutes.  She sat up pulling Faith with her; once
again, she knelt on one knee.  She knew it was corny, but she could of
have cared less.  Her brows furrowed when she realized she had lost the
ring-box during their kissing session.  She jumped when she felt a cold
wet nose poke her side.  She looked over and saw Dusk sitting next to
her holding the ring-box delicately between his teeth grinning at her.
She took the ring out of the box, whispered her thanks to him, and
turned back towards Faith.

She lifted up the madly grinning Faith's left hand with her right.  She
slipped the simple, but eloquent black Leacann Celtic knotwork ring onto
Faith's ring finger. The design of the ring while plain, was powerful in
its own way, it was simply two strands intricately woven together giving
the appearance of being only one unbroken strand, but in fact, was
actually two separate, but equal strands, like the Slayers' themselves,
one but two. The ring was also one of the traditional Celtic wedding
bands.  Only this particular ring and its mate, which Buffy didn't have,
were special.

"The two strands woven together symbolize eternal love and or faith."
Buffy smiled at the irony, a smile that Faith quickly returned. "Only
this ring and its mate are special.  When I told Lilith and Clotho that
I was going to ask you to join with me, they not only suggested a store
to go to, but also came with me to pick out a ring.  I picked out a
silver Leacann ring, something about the design called to me, but when I
told the little old woman that owned the shop I wanted it, she wouldn't
sell it to me.  Instead, she told me that she would specially make the
ring for me to give to you, herself.  She said our rings wouldn't be
made out of silver and then refused to tell me anything else, which I
didn't like and I um... kinda freaked on her a little.  Demanding that
she tell me what kind of game she was playing and stamping my foot like
a two-year-old insisting that the rings be made from silver like 'I'
wanted and not out of whatever it was that 'she' wanted. But the old
woman didn't say anything she just gave me this knowing smile as if she
had some kind of secret knowledge. Then she shooed the two Immortals -
who were finding the whole thing funny - and me out of the shop.  She
shouted after us to come back in a week to pick up the ring.  Had I not
been so nervous, pissed and stressed out, I probably would have figured
out right then that there was a reason that Lilith and Clotho took me to
that shop, but I didn't. It wasn't until after they dragged me outside
that they told me the old woman was a Wicca of the highest order, a sort
of seer, and that they had their rings made there too.  Then they told
me the symbolism of the rings and why they would be custom-made for us
and what it was that made them special. Do you like it? Do you like the
ring, Faith?"

Faith smiled up at Buffy, it fit perfectly, but then she knew that it
would.  So perfect in fact, it was almost as if the Wicca had made it
right on her finger. The second Buffy had slipped it on her, it had
felt, just simply put, right.  Had felt familiar, like it had always
been there, was meant to be there.  As if it was connected to her, but
not just to her, but to Buffy too.  "I like B. I like it a lot, more
then a lot." She gave Buffy a toothy grin; she jumped up from the floor
startling Buffy, mumbling under her breath, "Damn witches, they're too
sneaky for their own good."

"Faith?" Buffy looked at her confused, wondering what the comment meant
and where she was going.

"Stay right here. I'll be right back, I'm thirsty, I'll get you
something too, 'K. Why don't you get up off the floor and back on the
bed?" She smirked at Buffy, "Hmmm... maybe the chaise lounge would be
better, considering what someone did to the bed..."

"Smart ass!" Buffy yelled after Faith's sexy, retreating back.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tell me why the rings are special B."  Faith said, distracting Buffy
before she noticed she had only brought back one glass of sun-tea
instead of two.  She sat down next to Buffy on the chaise lounge and
snuggled up close.

"Well, they're modeled after the Leacann Celtic wedding band.  But
unlike the original the ring isn't made from silver, which is obvious,
as you can see, since your ring is black and mine is supposed to be
white. Sort of like the yin and yang.  Both rings were made from some
kind of precious metal that's magical and we are supposed to wear our
rings before we join. The reason you get the black ring and I get the
white are probably not for what you might think.  I know they weren't
for me. The black ring symbolizes inner strength, courage, empowerment
and pure love.  All the things you have, the things that enabled you to
survive all you did, the things that make you who you are.  The white
ring symbolizes serenity, nurturing, inner peace and pure love.  All
things they said I learned from my Mom, my family, my friends, things
that I now possess and make up who I am. They said what each of those
rings symbolize are things we've learned from each other and have given
to each other.  That each ring will absorb a part of our essence while
we wear it before we're joined.  The woven strands are a physical
symbol, representation of our soul-thread, of us.  The night before the
ceremony, we give the rings to Atropos for safekeeping. On the day we
join, the rings are placed in our left hands, then we clasp our hands
and they are bound together with the cord we make.  After the cord is
removed, when we open our joined hands instead of a black ring and a
white ring, each ring will have one black strand and one white strand
woven together, making them a physical, spiritual representation of us,
of our souls, which are woven together, separate, but one."

"So where is the white ring, your ring B?" Faith questioned a twinkle in
her eyes.

"Um... well, they said you have to get it for me."

"Hmmmm well, I think I can manage that." Faith rasped.  She leaned down,
capturing Buffy's mouth in a kiss that spoke of promises, trust and
never-ending love.  When their kissed ended, she whispered softly,
"Don't open your eyes.  Keep them closed for me B.  Please." She gently
picked up Buffy's left hand with her right.  "I love you B," she
whispered huskily, tenderly as she slipped the white Leacann Celtic
knotwork ring on Buffy's finger.

Buffy's eyes shot open and she looked down at her hand stunned.  Like
Faith, she had instantly felt like the ring belonged there, was meant to
be there, felt familiar and was somehow connected not just to her, but
to Faith as well. "How did you... how did you know?"

"I didn't.  I got this a few weeks ago, it's your anniversary present.
I asked Red and Blondie where I should go to find a ring and they told
me to ask Lilith and Clotho, so I did.  They took me to this obscure
little jewelry shop in a small town about two hours away from Sunnydale.
It was strange; I walked into the store and right over to the ring,
almost as if it were calling to me.  The black one was right next to the
white one in the display case.  Me being me, I liked the black one,
but... but it was the white one I wanted, that felt right to get for
you.  At least now, I know why those two were snickering like
three-year-olds.  Not to mention how the witches acted after I showed it
to them when I picked it up a week later.  I guess the old woman at the
shop either knew, 'cause she was a witch or the Immortals told her I was
coming, in either case I'm guessing she made the white ring when she
made my black one. And even more I'm gonna take a leap of 'faith' and
say the black one on my finger was the one in the case that day next to
the white one that's on your finger now." Faith paused, took a deep
breath, smiled softly, "The day I went there and picked out the ring...
I... I... I was getting it B, hoping I would find the courage to ask you
to marry me when I finally gave it to you."

"You would have found it too; I know you would have Faith.  Just like I
know I would have said yes. For me that would have been, is the only
answer."

They leaned towards each other at the same time their hearts filled with
something that went beyond just simply love.  Their mouths met softly,
with the utmost care, they kissed tenderly, sharing their breath,
sharing their souls and at peace within themselves and with each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Ain't it crazy ~ For a moment there I just gave up trying ~ But now I
see  ~ You can let the light in ~ You can begin again ~ Ain't it crazy ~
I lay me down in this sweet perfection ~ I am a witness to my
resurrection...
...Heal me lift me ~ Take me to the waterside ~ Drop me in let me swim ~
Let everyone know I'll be coming home again...
...Make no mistake ~ I'm wide-awake ~ Ain't it crazy...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They stayed cuddling on the chaise lounge relishing the giddy feeling
that was running under both their skins.  Faith resting on top of Buffy,
her face nestled in her neck, one of her favorite places, Buffy's arms
around her, stroking her back, tickling along her sides.  She had one
arm tucked underneath Buffy's shoulder, her fingertips traced their own
delicate pattern on the nape of Buffy's neck, stopping every once in a
while to rub silken strands of golden hair between her fingertips.  Her
other hand took its own lightly tickling route over the contours of her
Light Slayer's body.  The giddy feeling started to turn into an entirely
different type of feeling and she decided since she was already there
that she would taste the sweetness of Buffy's neck.

She got rudely distracted from her suckling when Buffy's chin clipped
her on the top of the head. Then was clipped again when Buffy turned her
head and then yet again. "B," she mumbled, "what are you doin'?"

"Lookin'"

"For what?" Faith asked then went back to her taste test of Buffy's
neck.

"The other shoe... It usually drops about right now..." Buffy chuckled,
then wondered if she had just jinxed them.  No, not possible, nothing
could ruin this for them, she wouldn't let it happened!

"D.n't .orr. I'. go.n. g.t an .n...ible .il..w." Faith mumbled
unintelligible refusing to give up the sweet flesh she was currently
suckling.

"Don't or I go and get Ann I be... what?"

"H.h?  Wha. .r. ..u .alk.ng .bou.?" Faith asked still refusing to give
up the sweet flesh she was adoring with her mouth.

"Me?" Buffy said and then started giggling when Faith once again mumbled
something that came out half-assed backwards. "What are you talking
about?"

Faith reluctantly lifted her head, smirking at the huge hickey she had
made with her suckling.  Buffy was going to kick her ass when she saw
the number of 'little gifts' she had left, especially when she realized
that even with their Slayer healing most of them weren't going to fade
away too fast.

"I said, don't worry I'm gonna get an invisible pillow." Faith told
Buffy matter-of-factly.

"I'll take - What the hell are you talking about? - for five-hundred
Alec..."  Buffy gave Faith her best humor-me look.

"Ha - ha, B.  You're real funny.  Well, you said you were waitin' for
the other shoe to fall, it seems like we are always waitin' on it.  You
know?"

"Aaaahhhh - haaaa." Buffy said slowly.

"See, the way I figure it is, if I have this invisible pillow, I can
carry it with me all the time and the next time that fuckin' other shoe
starts to fall, I can put the invisible pillow under it and this way
that damn shoe will never hit the ground. And if it never hits the
ground, well, then the shit can't hit the fan."  She gave Buffy a
sheepish-lopsided-half-cocky grin, "So what ya think, B?"

"I think you're beautiful, wonderful and I want one of those invisible
pillows too."  She leaned up and gave Faith a soft, tender kiss.  Her
hands gently cupped her face, her thumbs lightly brushing along the
faint tear tracks that still remained.  "And now that we don't have to
worry about that other shoe, I think we should celebrate being engaged."

"'K, sounds good to me.  So what do you want to do to celebrate, B?"

The wicked, downright evil grin that Buffy gave Faith left her without a
single, solitary doubt as to exactly how Buffy wanted them to celebrate
their engagement.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was sleeping like the dead when the scream sadistically ripped her
out of her much needed slumber.  She bolted upright, her stomach in the
back of her throat, her heart trying to hammer its way out of her chest
in fear.  She scrambled on her hands and knees across the bed.  Her body
already covered in cold sweat, every inch of her filled with dread.  A
second shriek filled the air just as she was pushing off from the bed
intending to vault over the edge.  She only succeeded in flying face
first into the hard, cold, wooden floor, thanks to her legs and feet
being impossibly tangled up and trapped in both the sheets and
comforter. With a savage growl, she stretched a hand out behind her
trying to reach the tangled mess around her legs. That was how Buffy
found her.

The second screech died on her lips as she felt a wave of terror wash
over her in an echo.  She turned and charged out of the bathroom,
thinking that Faith was having a nightmare.  She stopped dead in her
tracks at the sight of her mate hanging off the edge of the bed by her
feet.  Like a panther snared in a hunter's net, her Dark Slayer was
hissing fiercely, swatting at the sheets as if she had claws and could
shred them.

"You okay?" They both rushed out, realizing at the same time they had
misread each other.

"I'm okay, but you don't look so okay."

Faith looked up at Buffy sheepishly from her undignified position,
"Um... I'm okay, though I think I might have popped my boobs when I hit
the floor."

Buffy moved a step or two closer, the relief and the amusement she was
feeling making for a very odd mix. "Now that would be a cryin' shame.  I
would miss them dearly." Buffy leered, an impish grin playing around the
corners of her mouth.  She had some payback to dole out and she figured
now was as good a time as any to start.

Faith just snorted at Buffy's answer not seeing the evil twinkle in her
eyes. "Think maybe you could stop worrying 'bout my boobs long enough to
help me out B?"

She made herself a little more comfortable by propping her upper body up
on her forearms and resting her forehead against her hands.  She tried
to kick her feet and legs loose again, but they were hopelessly tangled
up and trapped.  She chuckled at herself, it was totally ridiculous that
she couldn't free herself, she had gotten out of a lot worse; tougher
things than mere cotton and feather down.

"How did you end up on the floor Faith?" Buffy squatted down next to
Faith's shoulder.  She began idly to trace her nails along one of
Faith's flexed biceps.

"Your shrieking woke me up and I um...
panickedandtriedtojumpoutofthebedtocomeandhelpyou." Faith mumbled out
quickly, embarrassed now. She risked a peek up at Buffy and at the same
time noticed all the 'little gifts' that still adorned her body and knew
three things. One, after three days Buffy had finally gotten a good look
at herself in the full-length mirror in the bathroom, thus the shrieks.
Two, it was payback time and three she was in deep shit.  "I um... I
didn't... er...I..." The soft touch of Buffy's index finger against her
mouth silenced her fumbling words.

"How romantic!  My own Knightress in Shiny - albeit slightly battered -
Armor.  At a moment's notice ready to leap to my defense, ready to
rescue me, keep me safe.  Something you've done time and time again.
And it makes me love you even more."  She gave Faith a silly, quirky
smile, her words she knew where corny, sappy, goofy, even slightly
mocking, but she meant them.  Faith had saved, defended, come to her
rescue and certainly had kept her safe on more than one occasion.

Faith stared up at Buffy, knowing despite how sentimental, silly,
sarcastic her words sounded, were, she meant them.  It made her
inordinately shy; she dropped her eyes, cursing silently at the blush
creeping up her neck and face.  "You think maybe you could untangle me
sometime today B?" She asked gruffly trying to cover up what she
feeling, but she knew Buffy wouldn't buy it for a minute, nor would it
get her out of payback time.

"All in due time my ever graceful warrior." Buffy smirked, letting her
fingers trace down the length of Faith's spine.  A chuckle escaped her
at how odd this was, though her evil mind was busy planning how she
could take advantage of Faith's awkward though somewhat erotic position.
"Seems as though I've been neglecting you over the last few days...  I
mean you've given me so many 'little presents,' while I, on the other
hand, have given you only a few."

"Yeah, well, you don't have to worry 'bout it B.  I mean it's oka..."

"Oh no, Faith!  I never want you to feel like I'm neglecting you."
Buffy insisted huskily, mischievously.  She leaned down and started to
nibble along Faith's shoulder, smiling as she felt the shudder ripple
under Faith's skin.

"Um... maybe you should help me out here first B?" Faith asked
hopefully, her body already responding to Buffy's touch, her voice, her
teeth. Hell... just Buffy herself!

"Nah, you're fine just where you are Faith."

"Ya sure?  'Cause you know B... you can't reach any of the good parts
with me this way." Faith smirked, thinking to herself that Buffy would
have to help her now.

"Really, is that a fact?"  Buffy let her lone index finger whisper down
Faith's spine and she kept going until it slid into her mate's wet pool
of desire.  Her mouth left a warm moist trail as it followed the path of
her finger, her teeth biting down lightly at the hollow at the base of
Faith's spine.  It was a spot on Faith's body that Buffy knew drove her
crazy with desire and got her instantly, intensely aroused.

Faith arched like a cat. She didn't know what it was about that small
spot on her lower back, but when it was touched it drove her insane with
need and made her fully, painfully aroused.  It was almost like a direct
link to her clit.  Whenever Buffy spent more then a few seconds
lavishing it with attention, it propelled her right to the edge of
release, hotly, heavily and quickly.  And that single finger teasing her
certainly wasn't doing anything to pull her back from it.

Faith lost it as Buffy alternated between sucking and biting at the
spot, while her lone finger relentlessly teased and tormented her
throbbing center. Within minutes she came, fast, fiercely and extremely
hard, the floor muffling her surprised yell.  Her body was still pulsing
with the orgasm when she felt, rather then saw, Buffy climb up onto the
bed behind her.  Before she even had a second to catch her breath, Buffy
had untangled the bedding from around her legs and was pulling her up
onto the bed.  Her insides trembled when Buffy slid up the length of her
back, finally coming to rest with her mouth pressed close to her ear.
Buffy's breasts burned into her back, making her writhe with pleasure.
The intimate pressure of Buffy's outer thighs against her inner thighs
slowly spread her legs wide.

"I want you..." Buffy growled throatily into Faith's ear, throwing
Faith's words from a few days ago back at her.  She let her tongue
tickle the shell of Faith's ear, then find that ultra sensitive spot
behind it, knowing that it too, had the same effect on Faith as the one
on her lower back.  "Oh, and before I forget, Faith..."

"Yeah..." Faith managed to get out, her whole being focused on Buffy's
hot body on her and the fact that she was completely, utterly, painfully
aroused again.

"Those rules from the other day, well..."

Faith groaned low and long, Buffy's words from a few days ago coming
back to haunt her. 'Just remember S.O., paybacks are a bitch.'

"...they apply to you now..." Buffy finished huskily.

...And Faith knew that her payback was going to be at the hands and in
the form of one petite, sexy, sensual 'bitch' named, B.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Not a single, solitary word?  A peep?  Anything?  A request for food,
water?"

"What about the word 'NO' don't you understand Mars?" Lilith answered
heatedly.

"Are you sure they're all right?" Mars persisted worriedly, but that
didn't stop him from secretly enjoying getting Lilith's goat.

"Considering that Atropos didn't have to cut either of their
Life-Threads... I'm gonna go with YES!!!"  The sarcasm dripped from
every one of Lilith's words.

"Well, why can't Clotho check the Tapestry? You know just to make sure
they're okay and see if they're still planning on coming tonight.  After
all, it's been three days since anyone has seen or heard from either of
them."  Mars demanded as he started pacing.

"I doubt after all that's happened, all the fallout from Buffy's plans
that she, that they wouldn't show tonight.  As for using the Tapestry to
'check' on them, has it not occurred to you how much of an invasion of
their privacy that would be, Mars?" Clotho said as she came through the
backdoor to Mars' house and hearing the tail end of his conversation
with Lilith. "...'sides we can't." Clotho mumbled as she walked further
into the room, allowing the rest of the Immortals to make their way in.

"Oh please... don't even try that, 'You can't interfere or break the
rules' bullshit. You've gone way past the point of that hypocrisy." Mars
huffed; he wasn't worried the Slayers were hurt or anything along those
lines.  He just wanted to make sure that 'they', them together, as a
couple were all right.  Especially after what had been happening between
them the past few weeks and the way they had left his training barn
three days ago.

"That 'Mother-Hen' look is really working for you, oh Fusspot Incarnate
of War..." Luc snickered as he walked in behind Clotho.  He managed to
avoid the playful punch Mars threw at him, but not the swat to the back
of his head his spouse gave him as she came into the house behind him.
"Owww!"

"Serves you right, oh Wimpy Incarnate of Evil..." Mars smirked, bowing
his head at Atropos who also had a smirk gracing her face.  "Now..." he
snarled, "...can one of you please go check the Tapestry?!!!?"

"No, we can't," began Atropos only to be cut off by Mars.

"WHY THE HELL NOT?!!?"

"If you would stop interrupting we could tell you!  So BE QUIET AND
LISTEN!!!"  Lachesis shouted back, then smiled at the surprised
expression on all the Immortals' faces.  She very rarely lost her temper
or raised her voice.  Most of them could still count on two hands the
times that she had over the eons.

She waited for everyone to settle down and find seats before she began.
"It seems that while we can still see the Slayers' Life Threads within
the Tapestry, we can no longer actually read them.  Nor can we actually
see outside influences or other Threads that touch upon them until after
the event has occurred. I still weave their threads but have no memory
of what it is that I have woven when the interaction is between just the
two of them, actually none of us can.  Their privacy is shrouded
completely.  We think this happened gradually over time and the last
clear memory I have of weaving their threads is the day before de Rais
attacked them. We all know of the bond that the Slayers share, their
Soul-Thread, Lilith and Clotho, Luc and Atropos, Willow and Tara, as
well as me andSpi..I oh yo..."

"You owe me five gold pieces." Mars held out his hand to Luc for
payment, cutting off Lachesis mid-sentence.

"Nope doesn't count, we didn't catch them and that was the deal." Luc
told him with a triumph smile.

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"TOO! TOO! TOO!"

"OWWW!!!!"  Both men yelled when Atropos swatted them both hard on the
back of the head.

"Actually, you each owe me five gold pieces. As I recall I bet you both
that 'Ma'," Zane smirked at his use of Faith's nickname for Lachesis,
"...would slip before either of you caught her and Spike together." He
finished with a smug look.

Mars and Luc looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, while
Lachesis sat fuming at all three of them.

"He's right Candy-man."

"Yes, I believe he is Scamp."

"I... I... I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MADE A BET ABOUT MY LOVE LIFE!!!!"
Lachesis screeched like a fishwife.

"Well, can you blame us?  We've been waiting years for you to actually
get one, 'MA'!" Luc told Lachesis calmly, which earned him another swat
on the back of the head from his wife.

"Hit him again, only this time harder!" Lachesis told her sister with
narrowed, fire-spitting eyes.

Atropos arched an eyebrow and did as her sister asked then swatted Mars
on principle alone. "Now be good both of you and let Lachesis finish.
And no one is getting any gold pieces either." She directed her last
remark at Zane.

"As I was saying, the Slayers share a Soul-Thread. Those of you that
have found your soul-mate's know what that means, even those of you that
haven't understand the basic principle of it.  But there are other types
of bonds, like the bond I share with my sisters.  It isn't to the extent
that soul-mates share, but I can sense them, their moods, when they are
in danger etc. It is a family bond, sort of like what mortal twins
describe they share.  Ask yourselves this, that night when de Rais
attacked the Slayers, how did we know to go help them? In fact, it was
you Mars, who faded there in time to save Faith's life.  How did you
know?"

"I felt it, felt a foreboding chill.  I just knew that Faith, that they
both were in trouble and I didn't question it." Mars answered softly.

"And Mars wasn't the only one, we all felt it, he just felt it sooner.
His connection was deeper at that point then any of ours, because in his
heart, in his soul, Faith is his daughter.  The Slayers and their family
have over time, become our family and in turn, have turned us, all the
Immortals into a true family.  Something if we're honest with ourselves,
we never truly were.  Not even my sisters and I. Now we're all connected
through this bond, a thread that links us to each other as family.  We
believe that bond was solidified became fully alive, if you will, the
night Rais attacked.  And since that night not only can we no longer see
the Life-Threads of the Slayers, or remember what has been added or
woven into their paths, we also can't see our own or any of the rest of
our rather large family's Life-Threads.  As far as we can tell it in no
way hinders any of us from performing our duties.  Our destinies, our
fates, if you will pardon the pun, are forever linked with that of our
family.  In our effort to offer support, to help the Slayers we have
become what the Creator has always wanted us to be, a true family. This
connection, this bond we have with our family members runs more deeply
than is technically 'normal' because each of us is aware of it and
empowered with supernatural gifts.  We believe, my sisters and I, by
what is written in the 'Living Scroll' that this was the Creator's
intent all along.  What is written, or will be written in the 'Living
Scroll' and 'Dead Scroll' that Rais spoke of, how they impacts all of us
is something, however, that we have no theories about."

Every eye in the room turned to look at Crow and his father after
Lachesis finished speaking.  They in turn looked at each other and Crow
inclined his head to his father, pleading with his eyes for him to
answer.

"I'll be damned if I know." Chris answered with a perplexed look on his
face, which changed to a slightly angry one when they all looked at him
in disbelief.  "HEY! They're my family too and I would tell you if I
knew."

They all just stared at each other for a few minutes.  Privately each of
them thought to themselves whatever the fall-out, whatever the
repercussions, or what might happen because of both scrolls, they
wouldn't give up any of it, if it meant going back to the way they were
before and losing their family.  Together, as a family they could deal
with whatever was thrown at them, both scrolls be damned!

"So Mars..." Lilith began with a small mocking jeer, "...after all that,
you are no closer to knowing if they're actually gonna come..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"B... I... I can't... Oh fuck..." Faith rambled in a strangled voice.
"I... B... I can't stop cu..." Her whole body arched off the bed yet
again, lifting not only herself but Buffy up as well.

She struggled to keep her eyes open, locked with Buffy's, sharing with
her everything she was feeling, baring her very soul.  For the first
time in her life she had truly given up every ounce of control, had
turned over all her power to another.  Not just to anyone, but to her
Light Slayer.  She had laid herself bare, vulnerable, at the mercy of
her soul-mate.  She had held nothing back, not her desires, her wants,
her needs.  For the first time in her life, she had given voice to a
part of herself that she had never let surface.  She had in essence
gifted the very soul of herself to Buffy.

Buffy had accepted that gift with humility, gracefulness and awe.  She
had carefully and slowly, taken Faith to a place she had never allowed
herself or allowed anyone else to take her to.  Buffy had made love not
to just her body but to her soul as well.  For the first time ever she
had placed, given her complete, total trust to someone else.  On a
conscious level she trusted not only Buffy, but her family as well and
while she wanted to believe that she trusted them completely, she knew
now, in truth, she didn't or rather hadn't.  There had always been a
part of herself that had stood off watching,  a silent sentinel that was
always completely aware of her surroundings, what was happening, alert,
waiting, no matter what the situation or circumstances and most
especially in the 'bedroom', a place, a time when she was her most
vulnerable.

Something though had changed for her over the last few days.  Maybe in
part it was due to the unknowing 'epiphany' she and Buffy had shared.
Whatever it was, she knew one thing now.  Today there had been no silent
sentinel watching and waiting for what it had thought was inevitable.
Today that silent sentinel had finally given up its lifetime vigil, and
both it and she had placed complete trust in Buffy and Buffy had not
broken or abused that trust once.

After a few centuries and too many climaxes tumbling over and on top of
each other to count, she sank back into the bed gratefully.  She clung
to Buffy tightly as her body trembled, quaked with aftershocks.  She was
both exhausted and filled with energy at the same time.  She experienced
again the feeling of being whole, complete, unbroken, only this time she
knew these feelings, this sense of finally being one with all the parts
of herself, both on a conscious and unconscious level would never go
away. And for the first time in her life she felt like she was in total,
absolute control of herself and her life.  She knew the scars, the fears
were still there, but she also knew, felt, that today, that in the past
three days, not only she, but Buffy as well, had truly set their feet
down on the long, hard, maybe even painful road towards total healing.

Damn, if it wasn't a completely euphoric feeling!

She lifted her head when she felt the smile forming on Buffy's face,
which rested against her stomach. She peered down the length of her body
at Buffy who was sprawled on top of her; the smile gracing her face was
beatific.  Apparently, she wasn't the only one who was feeling a little
euphoric. Whether Buffy had felt, understood, this new sense of self
that Faith was feeling she didn't know.  Faith, for the most part,
wasn't aware of it in the here and now.  This new sense of self,
wholeness had, like the 'epiphany' had, just become an innate part of
her.  She just knew that right now, right here, she felt better then she
had her whole life.

"What?" she asked, but inherently she already knew what was causing
Buffy's smile.

"I... I... I..." Buffy tried, at a loss for words, "I don't know, I just
feel happy, serene, whole."

"I know what ya mean, B." Faith smiled at Buffy, before letting her head
flop back down onto the pillow, what was left of it anyway.

Buffy squirmed up Faith's body and planted a soft kiss on her mouth.
She could feel the sense of peace that Faith was feeling; it was ringing
loud and clear in an echo.  It was something she had never felt from
Faith before or at least not this depth of peace and it was something
she herself had rarely ever felt.  She too though, was feeling that same
sense of peace, of oneness with all of the parts that made up who she
was.  She didn't question it, she just innately knew that for both of
them all the little fissures, the cracks, the splits of the different
parts of themselves they had tried to compartmentalize, keep separate
had finally become one.  All of her, all of Faith, for once and for
always were in harmony with each other.

A small snort of laughter snuck out of her when it seeped into her brain
that Faith's hair was littered with pillow feathers, in fact, there were
pillow feathers all over the bed.  Another snort of laughter escaped her
when Faith's eyebrow rose in question at her seemly out of nowhere
laughter.  She tried to stifle the belly laugh that was creeping its way
out of her but was unable to suppress it; she burst out laughing, small
tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"What?" Faith asked which only seemed to make Buffy laugh harder.
"What's so damn funny B?"

Instead of answering, Buffy propped herself up on Faith's chest and
deftly plucked a few feathers from Faith's hair.  She waved them in
front of Faith's face and started laughing harder as a look akin to
horror crossed Faith's face.  "You killed the pillow."  Buffy managed
between bouts of laughter.

"Not my fault, it's yours the pillow is dead." Faith told Buffy, trying
to keep her own amusement under wraps.

"Mine?"

"Yes B, yours and those stupid dumb-ass rules."

"Those stupid dumb-ass rules are yours Fai, or did you forget?" Buffy
reminded Faith and smirked at the stubborn look on her Dark mate's face.
"And you could have broken them anytime you wanted to anyway." Buffy's
smirk grew a little bigger at Faith's garbled reply.  "What was that
Fai? I couldn't quite understand you."

"I said... you didn't break 'em, so I couldn't either." Faith huffed,
then mumbled under her breath, "'Sides if I had broken them you would've
stopped and I 'sooooo' didn't want you to stop."

"Believe me; I didn't want to stop either." Buffy paused and ran the tip
of her tongue over her lips, "And I'm thinkin' the payoff for not
breaking them was pretty damn good, if I do say so myself."

"Ego much B? Gonna have to buy you all new, bigger hats to fit that ego
of yours in." Faith murmured, cursing silently when she felt the blush
crawling up her neck and face.  This blushing bullshit sucked.

"Well deserved if you ask me, considering that a certain Dark Slayer I
happen to know told me she couldn't stop coming, disproving the rumor
that multiple orgasms was just a myth." Buffy teased, loving the blush
that had written its way across Faith's face and neck.  It was so at
odds with the sensual, sultry woman that was her Dark Slayer and it was
just so goddamn endearing.

"Oh really B? If I remember correctly, it was that same certain Dark
Slayer who disproved or rather quite thoroughly showed," Faith wiggled
her eyebrows at Buffy a large shit-eating grin on her face. "... a
certain Light Slayer personally, quite thoroughly, more then once might
I add, that multiples weren't a myth and thus had already disproved that
rumor." Faith teased right back, her voice low and sultry. This time, it
was she who smirked at the blush that crept its way across her Light
Slayer's neck and face.

"True, true.  I must give credit where credit is due."  Buffy leaned
down and caught Faith's lower lip between her teeth and ran her tongue
along the sexy little cleft in it. "I just wanted to return the favor
Fai..." She whispered against Faith's mouth before capturing it in a
purely carnal kiss.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They both were boneless, but finally sated lumps on the bed.  Faith was
flat on her back, a shit-eating grin on her face.  She started to laugh
softly.

"What?" Buffy asked, too lazy and too comfortable to lift her head from
her pillow, which currently was Faith's right breast.

"I was just thinkin', that the Energizer Bunny ain't got nothin' on us
Giz."

"You're so bad..." Buffy said, poking Faith in the side, eliciting a
soft grunt from her, which sent her into her own fit of laughter.

"What?" Faith asked this time.

"That noise."

"What noise B?"

Buffy poked Faith in the side again, eliciting another soft grunt from
her. "That noise," then Buffy did a fair imitation of the grunting noise
Faith made, only hers was a little deeper and longer.  "You made that
same grunting noise each time you came. It reminded me of the first time
you were in Sunnydale and you used to make that grunting noise when we
were patrolling and you staked a vamp or talked about sex - which was
almost all the time, matter of fact, that's one thing about you that
hasn't changed.  And I remembered my comment to you one night, 'Again
with the grunting! I'm not comfortable with the grunting!' Thing is, I'm
way comfortable with it now, in fact, I think it's kinda sexy."

"Sexy eh?" Faith purred huskily and then burst out giggling; effectively
killing the whole sensual air she was going for.

Buffy lifted her head at the joyful sound of Faith's laughter.  Her
breath caught at the look of pure delight and innocence that just lit up
Faith's face. It should have been odd to see that look on Faith's face
considering they had spent the better part of the last three days making
love and 'fucking' like sex-crazed bunnies in heat on Viagra. But
somehow it wasn't.  Somehow it seemed right, was right.  And Buffy was
grateful that for Faith the act of making love and even when they
'fucked' made Faith feel this way, hell she was grateful that Faith
could feel this way at all after all that had happened to her.

"OH SHIT!" Buffy yelled after catching a glimpse at the clock and seeing
what time it was. She jumped off the bed, grabbed Faith's arm and all
but dragged her from the bed with her.  "Come on!  We're gonna be late,
real late."

"Late?  For what?" Faith asked following Buffy towards the bathroom on
very wobbly legs.

"Mars', we're supposed to be there in an hour!  Shit!"

"I don't wanna go.  Why can't we just stay here, B?" Faith whined.

"'Cause we promised, that's why."

"Right and I suppose it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that
Mars is doing an Angeline Jolie movie marathon for you tonight.  Now,
would it, B?"

"No it wouldn't.  What's it matter anyway what he's showing?  You
jealous Faith?"

"Jealous.  Hell no B!  Please!  She doesn't even come close to me on her
best day!" Faith spat out, feeling a little bit insecure, which she knew
was ridiculous as well as a little bit jealous of Buffy's fascination
with Jolie.

Buffy stopped dragging Faith towards the bathroom and turned around
feeling Faith's insecurity in an echo.  She reached up and gently
stroked the side of Faith's face, her thumb brushing along her
cheekbone.  Her heart fluttered when Faith leaned into her touch,
"You're right she doesn't.  You're the sexiest, hottest, luscious, most
mouthwatering woman I've ever known. No one could hold a candle to you
Faith, not her and not anyone, in any universe."  Buffy told her and she
meant every word as sappy as they were.

Faith gave Buffy a soft smile of appreciation, then her lips started to
twitch at the corners.  The twitching grew into a full-blown smile when
she heard a bubble of laughter sneak out of Buffy.  "Whoa, that rated a
plus ten on the corny, mushy scale B."

"Couldn't help myself Fai.  Sorry." Buffy laughed.

"Don't apologize," Faith said impishly, "Don't ya know B, that 'Love
means never having to say you're sorry'?"

"Oh my God, tell me I just didn't hear you say that!" Buffy sputtered,
not quite believing that Faith had just quoted from 'Love Story' the all
time sappiest, corniest movie in the history of the world!

"Why? What's wrong with what I said?" Faith asked feigning innocence,
batting her eyelashes rapidly like a butterfly on speed at Buffy.

"Please tell me you're kidding... and you know I think you just broke
the plus twenty on the corny, mushy scale Faith."  Buffy told her, then
swatted her on the butt. "Now get moving you big ol' mush ball of mine!"

Faith rubbed her stinging buttock, "Hey easy there with the merchandise.
Don't you think you've manhandled and abused my luscious, gorgeous, sexy
body enough over the last few days you lust-crazed hedonist?" Then Faith
took off running for the bathroom, Buffy hot on her heels.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith had bitched, moaned and complained all through their shower, then
while she braided her hair down her back, a la' Jolie in "Tomb Raider",
giving Buffy a wicked smirk at her surprised look.  Then continued right
on babbling her displeasure as she put on her make-up and got dressed,
Buffy should have been irritated but she wasn't.  How could she be, when
she thought it was absolutely adorable?

"You're just so damn cute." Buffy told her when they had almost reached
Lilith and Clotho's cottage.

"Am not!" Faith jutted out her bottom lip.

"Are too!"

"Am not B!" Faith's bottom lip jutted out even further, then she stuck
her tongue out at Buffy like a two-year-old.

"Are too, ya big baby you!" Buffy teased.

"God B, how many times do I have 'ta tell ya, 'I AM NOT CUTE!'"  Faith
pouted, stopped mid-stride, grabbed Buffy and turned her around to face
her. "I AM fucking A-DOR-A-BLE!!!!"

"Mmmm I'll say you're fucking adorable, so adorable in fact... I could
just eat you all up!"  Buffy purred, then bit her own bottom lip.

At that moment, Faith wanted nothing more then to catch that full bottom
lip with her own teeth.  God she was turning into a nymphomaniac!  "I'd
say you've been doing a pretty good job of that over the past few days
B." Faith said low and husky.

"Well, at least we know why we haven't seen or heard from them in the
last few days." Lilith said playfully, startling both Slayers.

Faith spun on her heels to face both Immortals who had managed to come
out of the front door of their cottage without either Slayer hearing or
seeing them.

"I'm guessing since we haven't 'heard' from them that they remembered to
invoke the privacy spell." Clotho grinned impishly at both of the
Chosen.

"Thank the Creator for small favors." Lilith laughed, loving the blushes
that had made guest-star appearances on both Slayers' faces.

"Looks like they were playing connect-the-hickey-dots again too!" Clotho
chimed in between gaffs of laughter.

"ENOUGH ALREADY!!!" Buffy yelled shocking everyone.  She took in a deep
breath, she needed this like she needed a hole in her head, she was
nervous enough as it was.  "Could we just go?"

"Sure Buffy..." Lilith said feeling a little bit guilty for starting the
teasing session.  With a wave of her hand, she faded all four of them to
Mars' mansion.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had barely faded into Mars' large backyard before a loud shout of
'SURPRISE!!!' assaulted their ears making all four jump about a half a
foot off the ground.

Faith's first reaction was to cower in terror, memories of other
birthdays flashing through her mind at the speed of light, then she
heard Buffy's worried, loving whispered, "Happy birthday, baby?"
Instead, it was the memories, not her, that cowered in terror then fled
all together.  She blinked rapidly trying to keep the tears from falling
from her eyes as she saw all the smiling, loving faces of her family
gathered around her all wishing her a Happy Birthday.  She smiled back
at them, a softness in her eyes that only Buffy ever had the privilege
of seeing before and each person there felt honored that Faith had
finally let her true self shine through.

The high-pitched squealing that erupted from Dawn, giving nearly
everyone heart attacks, interrupted the hugs and birthday wishes.  She
practically tackled the two Slayers as she threw herself at them,
babbling gibberish.  She squeezed them both so tight that a loud whoosh
of air forced its way out of them.  Willow and Tara looked at each other
then back at the Key and the Slayers.  Willow heard a whispered,
'Look!', in her mind from Tara and then the two witches quickly let out
loud squeals of their own and joined the hug fest, while everyone else
looked on both puzzled and amused by the whole thing.

The two Slayers shared a look and then in perfect sync, they dropped to
the ground and rolled out and away from the group hug fest.  They smiled
smugly at each other, they knew what had caused Dawn and the Wiccas'
squealing and hugging.  They just waited to see if everyone else would
catch on.  They both started laughing when they saw Anya punch Xander,
knowing that she had figured it out and they just waited for the scene
to play out, they didn't have to wait long.

"OW! What was that for?" Xander yelped rubbing his arm.

"Men! Now, I remember why I agreed to become a Vengeance Demon.  It's
been over a year Xander and still I'm waiting! How much longer do I have
to wait?  I bet you they won't make each other wait that long!" Anya
huffed, happy for the Slayers, but unhappy with her own situation.

"HUH?" Xander looked around bewildered hoping someone would help him out
and the only answer he received was another punch on his arm from Anya.
Faith took pity on him and wiggled her ring finger at him.  A very large
grin streaked across his face, then almost as quickly disappeared when
it finally dawned on him what Anya was saying.  He turned around and
looked at Anya, catching up both her hands with his.  He could care less
that everyone was standing around waiting with bated breath to hear what
he was going to say. All that mattered to him right now was Anya and
what she was feeling.  If he had learned nothing else over the last year
or so, he had learned that he loved her more then life itself and he
truly didn't give a shit if everyone knew that or if saying it aloud
made him look weak.

"An' I've been waiting for you to give me a date," he said sincerely. "I
mean... I didn't want to bring it up after what happe..." He trailed off
hoping that she would catch on to what it was he trying to say without
bringing up those painful months they all thought the Slayers were dead.

Anya nodded at him to go on letting him know silently that she
understood. Her immediate reaction to his first few words were to rail
at him, but something in the tone of his voice, his demeanor stopped
her. Xander looked down then looked back up at her, the love he felt for
her blazed in his eyes, but there was also a little bit of fear there
too, which puzzled her.

"And when you never said anything after things had settled back down.
I... I well... I was afraid to say anything.  Afraid to ask, afraid you
might tell me that you changed your mind.  And so I didn't say anything,
'cause I would rather have left things the way they were then chance
losing you.  I love you more then I can ever say and I meant, still mean
everything I said to you in the cellar that day.  None of that has
changed, if anything I love you even more. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for
my silence to hurt you, or make you think that I had changed my mind."

Anya just threw her arms around Xander in answer kissing him so fiercely
and hotly that even the oldest amongst them blushed, though no one
looked away.  They did, however, quickly turn away once the kiss ended
trying to pretend they hadn't been listening or watching the whole time.
They all failed miserably, but neither Xander nor Anya really cared.

"So when? When did you ask, 'cause I know it wasn't when you planned or
where 'cause that wasn't supposed to be until after today and I..."

"You're babbling honey." Tara said softly then smiled just as softly at
Willow to take the sting out of her words.

Gary started to laugh at how red both Slayers had turned.  At the same
time both he and Anya held out their hands, looked around at everyone
and said, "Pay up!"

"Pay up? Pay up for what? What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked
apprehensively not really wanting to know and certainly not liking the
smug looks on Gary and Anya's faces.

"I'm thinkin' they bet everyone that you would as..."

"...k her while the two of you were fu..urmph." Anya said cutting off
Faith until Xander's hand over her mouth cut her off.  But she had
managed to get enough out and both Slayers turned even redder.

"HA! The Energizer Slayer Bunnies strike or should I say hum..urmph..."
Gary laughed only to be cut off by his mate, James' hand over his mouth.

"Buffy!" Dawn yelled, choosing to ignore both Anya and Gary's comments.
"You asked Faith to marry you while you were in bed together?  HOW COULD
YOU DO THAT TO FAITH, AFTER EVERYTHING? NOT TO MENTION ALL THE BABBLING
AND RUDINESS WE HAD TO PUT UP WITH FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS!"

"Hey... I um... well, it..." Buffy sputtered, totally mortified and
wishing a hole would open up under her feet and swallow her.

"Gamin, it's okay. It was actually really sweet, cute and very romantic.
And what she said to me was just beautiful, the most beautiful thing
anyone ever has said to me. I wouldn't want her to change a thing."
Faith gushed and then turned even redder. The blush, she was sure now
covered every inch of her body.  Not only was she the reining Queen of
Blush-ville but she was starting to become the Queen of Corny and
Sappy-ville too.  She started wishing for that same hole to open up
under her feet and swallow her that Buffy was wishing for too.

"All right everyone, they can tell us about it later, after a few dozen
or so Jose' shooters." Mars' chuckled deciding to give the Slayers a
break.  Besides Faith, they both were his daughters and he really didn't
want to hear the details.  "Now lets get down to the business at hand
celebrating 'm' Inghean's', and for those of you not versed in Gaelic
that is... Let start celebrating 'my daughter' Faith's twenty-first
birthday.... Soooooo," he paused to wiggle his eyebrows at everyone,
"...lets PARTY!"

Mars smiled at Faith whose eyes had gone just a little bit wide and a
little bit glassy at his calling her his daughter.  He had told her
before that he thought of her as his own child, but he had never - not
really - publicly acknowledged it.  Then again, she hadn't seen the
ear-splitting toothy grin or had heard him mumble in awe that she had
called him 'My Father - m' Athair' to all the Immortals that day at
Lily's.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Faith..." Buffy called from the bathroom.  She was feeling shy and a
tad insecure and couldn't find the courage to actually face Faith to ask
her question.

"Yeah, B." Faith called back from the bed where currently she was
snuggled up with the Huskies, the stuffed panthers of course and two of
her other birthday presents. Only these two presents were more for both
Slayers rather than just her.

"Um... well... Um... Do you..."

"Spit it out B, I'm getting gray here!"

"Um... well... Do you know when you want to have our Joining Ceremony?"
Buffy held her breath while she waited for Faith to answer her.

Faith knew exactly what Buffy was feeling, she had wanted to ask Buffy
the same question all day.  Normally she would tease her, she loved
teasing 'shy' Buffy, but she didn't have the heart or the inclination
this time.  "Honestly... right this second wouldn't be soon enough for
me."

"REALLY???" Buffy squeaked then heaved in a desperately needed breath.
She turned and hurriedly made her way out of the bathroom.

"Really B." Faith felt a tidal wave of love wash over her from Buffy.

Buffy came out of the bathroom and stopped dead in her tracks at the
sight that greeted her.  Faith was leaning back against the now twisted
headboard, a few pillows propped up behind her.  The sheet was pooled
around her waist leaving her bare from her lower stomach up. The two
huskies were cuddled up into her left leg, the stuffed panthers cuddled
up to them.  Lying across her thighs on their backs were Vanilla and
Chocolate, the three-week-old black and white, real live, panthers that
the Immortals had given them.  Faith was lightly scratching their
tummies and Buffy could hear the soft contented purring coming from them
both, a sound that reminded her of Faith.  Next to her on the bed were
two empty baby milk bottles.  She wished she had come out of the
bathroom earlier; she would have loved to seen Faith feeding the two
baby panthers.  The thought, the image in her mind made her stomach
flutter and her heart race.  Why that was, she really wasn't sure but it
did.  She didn't get a chance to dwell on it for long, Faith's soft
'Come here, B.' interrupted her musing.

Buffy hurried over to the bed, she climbed up, careful not to disturb
the four sleeping animals, they were all so damn cute.  She snuggled
into Faith's right side, propping herself up on an elbow so she could
see her face while they talked.  She glanced once more at the four
sleeping animals as well as the stuffed ones and a small chuckle escaped
her.  At Faith's quizzical look she whispered, "I think we have a motif
going on, first the stuffed panthers, then the horses, then the dogs and
now these two babies."

"Nah... Ya think?" Faith asked quietly, a silly smile on her face.
"Whatever could make you think that B?  Just 'cause we have one light
and one dark of each... it doesn't mean anything. You're just being
silly."

"Yeah, you're right Fai, I'm being silly.  Just 'cause we're light and
dark and all our animals, both real and stuffed are, it must just be
coincidence.  And you know what else S.O.?"

"What Giz?"

"This conversation is silly too." They shared a look and both started to
laugh softly.  They enjoyed these silly times together.  It wasn't often
they had the luxury of being silly and carefree, so both had quietly
agreed to embrace their inner silliness wholeheartedly whenever they had
the opportunity.

"So um... I was thinking, with the way time works here and back home
that we could have our Joining Ceremony before we left here in um...
nine days and it will still be the weekend back home and we'll still
have time left here for a short honeymoon... Then maybe during spring
break we can use those tickets and the vacation club money you gave me
for Christmas to go on a real honeymoon. What do you think, B? I mean
you can say no, if it's too fast. You don't..."

"I think that's a wonderful idea, I think you're wonderful and if I
thought everyone wouldn't have heart failure I would say lets do it
tomorrow... Where did you want to have the Ceremony... 'Cause I...
well... I was thinking that the clearing with the waterfall would be a
beautiful place to have it."

"You just read my mind, B."  Faith leaned down and gently kissed Buffy.

"Okay then, that's settled, we can tell everyone tomorrow at breakfast
and maybe they can help us with the actual Ceremony part."

"Sounds like a plan."  Faith couldn't stop the huge smile from appearing
and it just made her heart beat triple time when Buffy returned it.

She carefully picked up the two sleeping baby panthers from her lap,
cradling them like infants in her arms.  She rose from the bed, acutely
aware of Buffy's watching her.  She rocked them gently, cooing to them
as they made little mewing noises in protest.  She squatted down next to
the large basket and placed them within it.  Softly she stroked them one
last time and whispered a good night.  It was with amusement she watched
the two huskies get up from the bed, taking their stuffed panthers with
them and proceeded to curl up protectively in front of the basket.

"I wish we didn't have to leave them here." Faith rasped softly.

"I know baby, I don't either.  But Lily is right, it will be better for
them here and she is letting us take Cinder back with us, which I know
isn't the same but it will certainly make Furball happy." Buffy
whispered back then both she and Faith laughed at Dusk's soft bark of
agreement.

"I know, but still B they're just so small, still babies. It would just
be nice to have them with us..." Faith said wistfully as she crawled up
onto the bed and curled up into Buffy under the covers.

"Do you ever think about..." Buffy trailed off, biting her lip,
wondering if she should even ask.

"Think about what, B?"

"Babies, kids.  Do you ever think about having kids?"  Her eyes searched
Faith's and much to her dismay she watched as the steel veil she hadn't
seen in a long time crashed down in Faith's eyes.

"No."  She shut almost completely down, instantly, without thought.
There wasn't any anger in her voice, her demeanor, she just seemed to be
hard, cold, and emotionless.

{FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! Good one Summers, stupid much? 'Cause I'm sure Faith
would want to have kids considering she had such a fucking wonderful
childhood.  Maybe one of these days you'll learn to think before you
speak. Dumb ass Summers!  Christ you just asked her to marry you and
already you're asking about kids and she still, we both are still
healing from everything that's happened to us.  STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!}

It wasn't that Faith had never thought about it.  She had.  She had
given up on the idea a long time ago though and most of the dreams she
had about being a mother had been killed the day she was called to be a
Slayer.  Whatever lingering dreams she had about having kids had been
entirely killed the day that Glory had taken them.

"Faith?"  Buffy queried softly.

She shuddered a little at the cold, almost dead look in her heart's eyes
and shuddered again at the thought that Faith had been able to re-erect
a wall so quickly. Had it only been earlier today that she had thought
all of Faith's walls had crumbled to dust for the last time, never to be
re-erected? She hadn't really meant anything by her question.  She was
just curious whether Faith ever thought about having kids she knew she
had.  It was quite easy, though, for her to imagine a little girl, a
baby that looked exactly like Faith. As she continued to gaze intently
into Faith's veiled eyes she saw something in them she had missed
before.... fear.  It suddenly became clear to Buffy why Faith was having
such a complete and total shut down to her innocent question.  She knew
that this had to do with Faith's past and not anything to do with them.

"Faith... Fai?"  Buffy tried softly again, trying to pull Faith out from
behind the steel wall she had erected.

Faith stared sightlessly into Buffy's hazel-gold eyes.  Her mind was
reeling with memories of her own childhood.  She blinked once, twice, as
the sound of Buffy's soft scared voice finally penetrated through the
barrage of memories assaulting her.  She realized suddenly that she had
built a new wall and was hiding behind it and it scared her a little,
that she had done it so easily, so unconsciously, another knee-jerk
reaction from her life before now.  She mentally kicked at the wall,
trampled it under her feet and obliterated it with a strength that
Hercules would have been proud of.

Fuck, if she was ever going to let her past scare her into retreating.
Not now!  Not again!  She recognized this for what it was.  It was the
same thing, the same voices that had tried so hard to control her over
the last few weeks and she wasn't about to give into them again.  She
was stronger now, stronger than ever in her life and even stronger with
Buffy beside her.  Buffy knew all there was to know about her, had seen
her at her worst, had seen things that no one should ever have seen and
she was still here with her, still loved her.  Wanted to Join with her,
spend the rest of her life with her and it seemed eternity as well.
There was nothing they couldn't work out together, there was nothing
that she could tell Buffy that would make her turn away from her.  She
could talk to Buffy about her own doubts and fears, there wasn't any
weakness or shame in that and it was about fucking time that she learned
that and remembered it.  Even so, she knew for her it was easier said
than done, the words she knew wouldn't come to her easily.  It was a
matter of pride to her that she had always kept her promises, both good
and bad, she had made a few to herself in the last few days all of which
she was determined to keep.

Buffy heaved an internal sigh of relief when she saw the veil over
Faith's eyes lift.  What she saw though, so much vulnerability,
insecurity, and a little bit of fear in Faith's eyes, made her heart cry
for her Dark mate.  She wished she could take the question back, she
obviously would have never asked it if she knew it would cause this kind
of reaction, pain in Faith.  Ignoring it though wasn't the answer and as
much as Buffy didn't want to spoil the end to their wonderful day, she
decided she was going to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, if
Faith didn't.

"You okay baby?"  She asked Faith quietly, her hand unconsciously
reaching up to caress gently the side of Faith's face.

Faith caught Buffy's caressing hand and brought it to her mouth.  She
gently planted a few soft kisses on the back of it then pulled it down
to hold it against her chest, her heart.

"Yeah B.  I when... when I was... it's... I didn't... oh fuck!"  She
huffed, blowing air forcefully out of her mouth, exasperated at her
inability to put the words together.

"It's okay Fai... Take your time, I'm not going anywhere.  Just let the
words come out any way they want."  Buffy leaned in towards Faith and
placed a soft, almost dainty kiss on her mouth.

The conversation had started innocently enough but somehow, somewhere in
the last few minutes it had become extremely important to her.  Why?
She didn't know why, but it was.  She didn't want.... or did she?  She
did and in a moment of clarity, Buffy suddenly understood why it was so
important.  She wanted to have a full life with Faith and she realized
when she closed her eyes and allowed herself to think of a future for
them, she had seen them in it with children.  Up until she had found her
home, her soul-mate in Faith she had pretty much given up on the idea of
ever having children, but that had all changed.  Maybe not right now,
this minute, this year, but definitely if it was what Faith wanted too,
in the future. Especially now that she thought about having a future,
now that she carried the hope in her heart that she, and Faith, would
live a long life together.  Now that she resisted the idea that her
destiny, that Faith's destiny was to live short lives because they were
Slayers.  Now after all these years of being a Slayer she had hope in
her heart that she would live to see gray hair on her head, liver spots
on her hands, and wrinkles on her face.  And as she gazed into Faith's
eyes she could see, could feel that same hope lived inside of Faith too.

"Okay B, I'll try.  When I... I was little I used to pretend what it
would be like when I was a Mom.  How I would treat my kids, how a Mom, a
Dad was supposed to treat their kids.  Ya know..."  Faith looked at
Buffy not really expecting an answer, "...and I used to promise myself
at night that when I was a Mom I would never, ever do to my kids what
my... what was done to me.  Then as I started to get older even though I
couldn't seem to stop myself, I could see how I treated other people,
could see how in some ways I was becoming like they were.  It was almost
a relief when I got called, 'cause I figured I would never have to worry
about having kid.  I didn't think I would live long enough to have them.
I'm sure you probably thought the same thing after you got called too.
Didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. I kind of figured I wouldn't live long enough to have
kids.  And, to be honest, there wasn't anyone I ever really wanted to
have them with.  But then you came along and you turned my world upside
down.  In the time we've been together I've started to... no, I
'believe' that we can have all those things.  God, just look what we've
done so far.  We live together, have a pretty normal life, outside of
the Slaying.  We own a business, I'm already in college and you'll be
starting back with me in a few weeks.  We're raising Dawn, we have a
really big, really nosy family, but they're all good, loving people.
I'm not ready to have a baby tomorrow, but I can't lie... if you want
to, if it's something you want too, I would love to have kids with you
Faith."  Buffy continued to stare into Faith's soft eyes, her heart, her
soul in her gaze.

"I'm afraid, B..." Faith whispered softly, shamefully.

"What are you afraid of Fai?" Buffy asked just as softly, she gave
Faith's hand, which was still holding hers tightly, a little squeeze.

"I'm afraid that I'll end up being just like her, like my Mom.  I mean I
still lose my temper, get mad, still feel like I want to lash out, hit.
I'm just afraid that I'll end up being like them, no matter how hard I
try not to be."  She dropped her eyes; afraid almost of what it was she
would see in Buffy's.  Silently she berated herself for being so
chicken-shit and just as silently she cursed herself for not believing
in herself.  In not believing, yet again, in Buffy, in Angel, in all of
them.  For doubting the fact that they believed in her wholeheartedly,
for doubting that she knew she was a different person.  She took a deep
breath and raised her eyes back up to Buffy's and what she saw in them
started to melt away all the doubts she had.

"You could never be like her, like either of them, Faith.  Never.  I
know that, we all know that.  You need to let yourself know that too.
And if you still have doubts all you have to do is look at Dawn.  You've
been raising her just as much as I have.  In fact if it wasn't for you,
I might have pushed her away, alienated her. If ever there were a time
you would have raised your hands to her it would have been that day in
the training room when she attacked you.  Hell you didn't even yell at
her.  I was the one who yelled, who pushed her and had you not stopped
me I would have hurt her.  And if you need more proof take a look around
at the faces of the all the kids you've helped over the last year at the
center.  You, Faith, would be a wonderful Mother.  You're loving,
caring, gentle, smart, funny and all I can say is that when I see you
with Dawn, see you with the kids from the center you remind me of my
Mom."  Buffy kept her eyes locked with Faith's as she spoke and she
consciously opened the bond between them, letting the feelings, the
emotions, the images flow from her to Faith along with her words.

Faith heard and felt it all.  And she believed. "Thank you... and I'm
not the only one that's gonna make a wonderful Mom, you are too B.
Someday B, someday I'd like to have a little girl or a little boy or
maybe even both with you."

"I'd like that too, Fai. I'd like that a lot." Buffy husked softly then
rested her head against Faith's chest, listening to her heartbeat.  She
began to purr deep inside when Faith's arms came round to hold her close
and she smiled softly when she heard Faith begin to purr in answer to
her wordless call.

They rested quietly against each other, secure and so damn proud of
themselves for talking it out, for not giving in or letting Faith's
demons from her past win.  Eventually, they drifted off to sleep, to
dream of a future filled with love, happiness, joy and the beautiful
children they someday hoped they would have together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Heal me lift me ~ Take me to the waterside ~ Drop me in let me swim ~
Let everyone know I'll be coming home again...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next week was hectic, leaving both Slayers tired but ecstatically
happy.  The days were filled with making plans for their Joining
Ceremony, trying to figure out what to wear, trying to find a ceremony
they both liked, and would speak to who they were.  Together they worked
on the braided cord that would be used to bind them during their Joining
Ceremony.  They had made it from three silk strands that Clotho had
lovingly woven for them.  Their early evenings were filled with taking
care of the two infant panthers, Vanilla and Chocolate and the two
puppies, as well as trying to write their vows, which in the end, they
decided to not only write but say together.  Faith, despite all her
protesting that she just wasn't good with words, was the more poetic of
the two of them when it came to actually writing down what it was she
felt.

Their nights after their 'brood' of black and white animals were settled
down were filled with the sounds of lovemaking, passion, lust, joy, love
and laughter.  They had mutually agreed to practice as much as possible
making babies, though Buffy laughing told Faith she was pretty damn sure
they didn't have the right equipment for it, but hell they would give it
the good-ol'-college try anyway.  Faith's answer was to leeringly tell
Buffy, that she could, if Buffy wanted, 'acquire' the right equipment
for them, which made Buffy turn the brightest shade of red Faith had
ever seen her turn to date.  It didn't stop Buffy though from saying,
'Really?' with just enough curiosity that Faith told her once they got
home if Buffy wanted they could go 'toy' shopping.  Which only made
Buffy blush harder, which made Faith start to blush, which in turn made
them both break out in fits of giggles.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They parted reluctantly after the long lingering kiss they had just
shared. Neither Slayer was happy that their family was forcing them to
follow tradition and spend the night before their Joining Ceremony
apart.  Buffy was going to be held hostage at the Fates' house, while
Faith was going to be held hostage at Mars. And being held hostage was
what both were convinced it was!

"This really sucks B."

Faith's bottom lip jutted out in a pout that was both adorable and hot
as sin at the same time and Buffy couldn't resist it.  She leaned
forward and caught Faith's lip between her teeth, her tongue exploring,
tracing along the cleft there that fascinated her to no end.  The sexy
little whimper Faith made in the back of her throat caused Buffy's
insides to tighten and she pushed Faith up against the wall, kissing her
with everything she had.  Hotly, wildly, with overwhelming need.

"I have to touch you now," she mumbled against Faith's soft, delicious
lips, eliciting another sexy whimper.  She slammed Faith into the wall
again then slammed herself into Faith.

Their hands were all over each other in a matter of seconds.  It was
desperate, furious, frantic, and caused them both to start laughing
hysterically at exactly how goddamn silly they were being.  But it
didn't in any way curb the fever in their blood to touch, to be with
each other.

Buffy literally wrenched her mouth away from Faith's.  She hastily
mumbled out the privacy spell for the fifth time that day.  They both
nearly jumped out of their skins when Atropos' voice boomed out from
nowhere, "OH THE HELL YOU TWO WILL AGAIN!"

They shared a sly grin and this time Faith said the privacy spell and
both almost had heart failure when Atropos voice boomed out at them
again, from thin air, "YOU'VE GOT FIVE SECONDS BEFORE WE FADE IN THERE
SO MAKE YOURSELVES DECENT!"

"This sucks big time!!!" Faith fumed, stamping her foot, "They broke the
damn privacy spell.  They don't play fair B!!!"

"You're right we don't," Atropos said appearing from out of thin air
behind them.  She started to laugh gaily when both Slayers jumped half a
foot in the air.

"That was fun can we do it again?" Dawn said then laughed right in the
Slayers' faces as they glared at her.

"Not going... wanna stay here with B!" Faith grumbled and gave a
pathetic version of 'Willow's Resolve face', which only prompted
everyone in the now crowded cottage to burst out laughing.

"Baby, I'm sorry," Buffy said when Faith shot her a look for laughing at
her, "...you just can't pull off the whole 'Resolve face'.  Stick to
what you do best the bad-girl thingy."

"Thanks a lot B..." Faith sulked, crossing her arms over her chest and
staring defiantly at everyone gathered in the room.  Let them just try
to take her if they dared!

"Okay enough of this already.  Whether you like it or not you two will
not be spending the night together."  Atropos stared pointedly at Faith.
"Now let me have your rings."  She held out her hand and smiled softly
as the Slayers grudgingly took them off and handed them to her.  "Now
say goodnight to each other and please keep it G-Rated there is a minor
present after all."

"You're a little late with that warning," Dawn giggled, "...someone
should have told them that a long time ago."

Once again, everyone in the room burst out laughing as both Slayers'
turned a nice vibrant shade of pink.  They decided to ignore everyone
and just focus on each other.  It was somewhat unsettling how nervous,
upset they were about spending the night apart.  Both were in complete
denial that their overwrought nerves and the unsettling feelings had
anything to do with their Joining tomorrow.

"I'm going to miss you tonight.  This will be the first night we haven't
spent together since... Well... since forever." Buffy whispered softly
and they both realized that it had been well over a year since they had
spent a night apart.

"Me too B." Faith rasped low.  She leaned forward and kissed Buffy
softly, delicately.  Their lips barely brushed but it was a kiss that
touched both their souls.

"Okay time to go," Atropos waved her hand and all present started to
fade to their destination for the night.

"This sucks," Faith grumbled for the third time that night, she smiled
when she heard Buffy's soft laughter as they faded-out.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith prowled the confines of her room like a caged wild animal.  She
stopped only occasionally to right the tiny baby black panther who kept
tripping over her own four paws as she too prowled with both the Dark
Slayer and Dusk who had the stuffed black panther hanging by it's ear in
his mouth.  It was becoming an all too familiar sight.  They had all
burst into laughter when Dusk had shown up scratching at the door, this
time though he it wasn't the stuffed panther being held gently in his
mouth, but Chocolate, who in turn had the stuffed black panther dangling
from her mouth by its ear.  Even Faith had laughed, then she went right
back to her prowling, the animals right behind her imitating her, right
down to the soft growls that rumbled out of her chest.

Tara, Lilith, Cordy, Fred, Lachesis and Atropos had given up trying to
get her either to sit down or to talk.  They had secretly conspired with
Willow, Clotho, Dawn, Anya, Lily and Charlotte, Crow's mother, who were
keeping Buffy company to cast a sleeping spell so that everyone, most
especially the Slayers would get some sleep.  They doubted that either
Slayer would voluntarily lie down to sleep the night before their
Joining.  The six in the room with Faith looked at each other wondering
if it was too early to cast the sleeping spell on the restless Dark
Slayer.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At exactly the same moment Dusk and Chocolate showed up at Faith's door,
Cinder and Vanilla showed up at Buffy's door, which had sent everyone
there into belly laughs. Currently the three animals, two living, one
stuffed were pacing behind Buffy, who like Faith, hadn't sat down once.
She was a nervous wreck, her stomach churning, spinning violently and
she was in full-scale nonsense babble mode.  With Cinder and Vanilla
contributing to the nonsense babbling noise with soft growls, barks,
hisses and mews of their own.

By ten that night, the twelve women who were on the
'Night-before-Joining-jitters' watch had decided they had enough.
Silently through their bond, Willow and Tara agreed to cast the sleeping
spell on the two agitated, panicky Slayers and their animals.

"Oh you guys don't fight fair," both Slayers said at the same time in
different rooms, in different homes as they felt the effects of the
sleeping spell hit them.  Lilith caught Faith, while Clotho caught Buffy
before either of them could hit the hardwood floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning of their Joining saw two harried, jumpy, panicked, clumsy,
profusely sweating, constantly in motion, babbling-like-village-idiot
Slayers.  Not to mention extremely pissed off at having been sucker
punched with the sleeping spell the night before.  After the first hour
everyone involved in helping the two Slayers get ready wanted to pull
their hair out of their heads and have the Wiccans' cast silence and
paralyzing spells so they could help the Slayers get ready in a timely
manner.

When the time came for them to make their way over to the clearing, Mars
and Angel, Giles and Xander, nervously waited impatiently outside of
Faith and Buffy's bedroom doors, respectively, for them to finally come
out.  While inside the bedroom, the two Slayers madly brushed their
teeth again having emptied their stomachs for the umpteenth time that
morning and hurriedly reapplied their lipstick.

All four men were rendered speechless when the door to their Slayer's
bedroom was opened.  They were both visions to behold.  Dressed in
almost identical outfits, Faith's outfit was a deep dark purple that
bordered on black, while Buffy's was a light silver-blue-gray.  They
each wore full length, collarless satin and silk coats that had a single
button holding them closed midway down their chests.  The sleeves of the
coats came down and flowed softly over each of their hands almost to the
point of completely covering them. The only difference in their coats
was the long slit up the back of Faith's. Underneath each wore silk
camisoles with only the slightest hint of lace. Faith had on low-slung
silk pants that had the slightest of flares at the bottom, covering her
new platform boots, while Buffy had on a low-slung full-length silk
skirt, which also covered her new platform boots.  Each Slayer wore
their hair down; it fell softly, thickly around their faces and
shoulders. Each had a single small braid no more then a half inch wide
on either side of their faces. Buffy's braids were interwoven with
silken threads in the same color as Faith's outfit, while Faith's were
interwoven with beads in the color of Buffy's outfit.  Both of their
outfits were a gift from their family who had decided to surprise them
with them the day of their Joining, after hearing that the Slayers were
just going to wear something from their closets at home.  And amidst all
the endless babbling of the Slayers that morning they had both thanked
them over and over again.

Each Slayer took an arm offered by both their escorts with trembling
hands and made their way out into the beautiful, bright clear day.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They approached the clearing from opposite sides to the sound of a
single bagpiper playing Amazing Grace.  Faith astride Obsidian and
flanked by the large black steeds that Angel and Mars rode as they were
escorted into the clearing by half of Mars' royal guard.  Buffy entered
the clearing riding Sol sidesaddle, flanked by the smaller white mares
that Xander and Giles rode and the other half of Mars' royal guard.

Their eyes locked as they saw each other from across the clearing.  They
were oblivious to Lily asking each person as they moved to join and form
the horseshoe shaped circle that would surround them during the
ceremony, 'How do you enter this circle?'  Nor did they hear each
answer, 'In perfect Love and Trust.'  A million and one images filtered
through their minds as their escorts helped them to the ground on wobbly
legs.  They made their way slowly towards each other and stopped when
they stood in front of Lily, The Green Mother, who was performing the
Joining Ceremony for them.  They turned around to face their escorts,
tears gathering in their eyes as at the same time Mars and Angel leaned
in to kiss opposite cheeks on Faith, while Xander and Giles did the same
to Buffy.  They turned around to face one another again, they smiled
softly at the other and all nervousness fled leaving in its place just
simple joy and love.  They clasped hands and turned together to face
Lily who gave them a gentle smile.

Lily bid those that were acting as the physical representation of the
four elements to enter within the circle to take their places, "Let the
four directions be honored that power and radiance might enter our
circle for the good of all beings."  She asked each group as they
entered, "How do you enter this circle?" to which each in turn answered,
"In perfect Love and Trust."

She then clasped the already-joined hands of the Slayers with one of her
own and turned them towards the East, dropping their hands after the
turn was complete.

"Spirits of the East, whose element is Air, give blessings to Faith and
Buffy who are about to be Joined." Lily spoke quietly to Luc, Atropos
and Wesley who were the representatives of Air.  She continued in the
same quiet voice and none there doubted that they stood in the presence
of The Green Mother. "Guardians of the Watchtower of the East, I invoke
thee of old and call upon thee to witness this rite. Stand guard upon
this quarter that no power of malign intent may pass. Hail, Element of
Air! Primordial spring of knowledge and inspiration. Cast your breath
across this circle and cleanse it. Be here now!"

"I am Air," Atropos, Luc and Wesley spoke in complete harmony then
continued, "...Within my domain you may find knowledge, enlightenment,
and inspiration. With the first, you may find the answers to the
questions of your hearts. With the second, you may drive the shadows
from your souls. With the third, you may create that which only two
souls enjoined can give life to. With the three combined - there is no
obstacle that you cannot surmount together. I gift you with these from
my Realm."

Once again, Lily grasped the joined Slayers' hands, this time she turned
them towards the South.  Again she spoke, this time to Clotho, Lilith
and Cordelia. "Spirits of the South, whose element is Fire, give
blessings to Faith and Buffy who are about to be Joined. Guardians of
the Watchtower of the South, I invoke thee of old, I call thee to
witness this rite and guard this circle. Hail Element of Fire! I invoke
thee and call to thee, Great One of the Day, Giver of Life, send forth
your beautiful fire and cleanse this circle. Be here now!"

As the three before them had, Clotho, Lilith and Cordelia spoke in
complete harmony, "Spirits of the South whose element is fire, Give your
blessings to Faith and Buffy who are about to be Joined. Passion should
warm your hearts, Light that shall guide you in the darkest of times,
Love that shall burn in your hearts till the end of time, and the
greatest of these is perfect Love and perfect Trust. Let these be burned
in your hearts forever."

The Slayers let Lily turn them towards the West and Anya, Lachesis and
Spike, who much to their eternal amusement was a nervous wreck.  The
each gave him an encouraging smile, which he gratefully acknowledged.

"Spirits of the West, whose element is Water, give blessings to Faith
and Buffy who are about to be Joined. Mighty art thou, Guardians of the
West. Paladins of the Gates of the Dreaming Islands, From Avalon,
Arthur's Heart's-Ease - From Tir Na Og, the Land of the Young, Princes
of the Summer Country, Masters of Healing I call to thee from the heart
of this circle...May thy Watchtowers ward us in our workings this day!"

As the others had, the representatives of the Water Element spoke in
harmony. "Queen of Life, thou who restore Waste Lands, Blessed Mistress
of the West, I call to Thee, entreat Thee to watch over this couple,
Mother and Cradle of Life, from which we came in ancient days, Mystery
of life-in-death We Remember Thee. Pure spirit, Wielder of the Force of
Ages, Thou Well of storms, Thou who looked ever upon the open face of
new stars before the earth was born from your cool waters of lake and
stream, I call to Thee, entreat Thee, Guide this pair from cathedrals of
coral and thrones of pearl to this circle we call Thee."

This time Lily turned the Slayers to the North and towards one of the
most important people in both their lives.  The smile that Dawn greeted
them with made their breath catch and their hearts thump wildly.  They
broke their locked eyes with their little sister to smile at Willow and
Tara who flanked her.

"Spirits of the North, whose element is Earth, give blessings to Faith
and Buffy who are about to be Joined. I call to the Guardians of the
Watchtower of the North. I call to you spirit of the Earth, make your
presence felt in this circle and witness this rite. May your eternal
strength guard this circle and your everlasting stability cleanse all
present."

Their voices almost musical, Willow, Tara and Dawn spoke in harmony, "I
call from the spirits of the North, the Element of Earth with this
blessing to Faith and Buffy on this day of your Joining. May you be
blessed with a love that stays strong as the day it was born. In your
eternal walk together, remember to look down to the Earth for the
stability that will go hand in hand with the strength of your bond for
each other. The strength of your bond to each other will provide the
stability to overcome all obstacles."

For the final time Lily clasped the Slayers joined hands and turned them
back towards the stone altar and the waterfall, which was its
magnificent backdrop.  "In case you were wondering since I am Mother
Nature, the Earth, you truly do have my blessing." She told them softly,
mischievously, with utter sincerity for their ears only as she turned
them.

"May the harmony of our circle be complete," Lily soft intoned, as her
gaze fell upon all those gathered then back to rest upon the Slayers.
"We stand upon this Holy Earth and in the Face of Heaven to witness the
Sacred Joining between Faith and Buffy. Just as we come together as
family and friends, so we ask for the Greater Powers to be present here
within our Circle. May this Sacred Union be filled with their Holy
Presence. By the honor bestowed on me by Faith and Buffy to perform this
wonderful event and by the power vested me by the Creator, I invoke
within this circle the power of Love to be present in this Sacred Place.
And in doing so is Love declared.  By the power vested in me, I invoke
the Bright Flame to be present in this Sacred Place. In doing so is
Peace declared. In the name of the Ancestors whose Traditions we honor,
in the name of those who gave us Life. May we all unite in Love."

Lily then bid the Slayers to turn and face each other.  She turned
around and picked up the two rings they had gifted each other with and
the cord they had loving braided together.  She could feel the love that
flowed from all three in her hands.  The braid had been created from one
red, one black and one white silk thread.  The three colors a
representation of the Fates, the Maiden, the Mother, the Crone and
jointly their meanings were, spiritual purity, truth, peace, serenity,
devotion, will, strength, courage, health, vigor, passion, empowerment,
wisdom, vision, success and pure love.

She turned around to face the Slayers again, they dropped their clasped
hands and each held out their left hand.  She placed Buffy's ring in
Faith's hand and Faith's in Buffy's.  Then she encouraged them to join
their left hands, she started to bind their hands together in a lovers
knot as she spoke, "I tie this Lovers Knot so that you walk your path as
one, in light, in love, in respect and in gentleness. Is this your
desire?"

"Yes." The Chosen Two answered together.

Lily slipped their hands from the knot.  Once their hands were free,
both Slayers allowed the rings to fall into her open palm.  She handed
Buffy back the knot while she spoke, "Within this sacred circle you have
now been joined in the physical and the spiritual...keep this knot
always as a visual symbol of your bond for each other."

She bowed her head holding both rings within her own clasped hands she
blessed them so quietly that even the Slayers could not hear what she
was saying.  When she was finished, she lifted her head and smiled at
them, she placed Buffy's ring in Faith's right hand and Faith's in
Buffy's right.  "All things in Nature are circular - night becomes day,
day becomes night and night becomes day again. The moon waxes and wanes
and waxes again. There is Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and then the
Spring returns. These things are part of the Great Mysteries. Faith and
Buffy, as you exchange your symbols of these Great Mysteries of Life,
please say the vows which you have written."

The Chosen Two continued to stare at each other for long seconds after
Lily finished speaking.  Together, they slid the rings made of two
strands, now each with one black and one white strand, but appearing as
if they were a single woven strand onto the other's ring finger.  Each
encircled the rings and the other's hand with their own. Buffy mouthed
to Faith, 'Ready?' and Faith silently mouthed back, 'I love you', to
which Buffy silently mouthed back, 'Love you too, S.O..'

As those gathered listened to the vows spoken by each until they spoke
the last few lines as one, they were amazed to realize how easily they
flowed, how it just sounded right that one Slayer spoke the beginning of
the shared sentiment and other Slayer finished it until they spoke the
final few lines together as one.

She stared deeply into the eyes of her heart, her soul, then began...

"I don't have all the pretty words..."

"I am not a poet..."

"I am just me..."

"And you are just you..."

"I only know what I feel..."

"What you make me feel..."

"I only know that the sound of..."

"Your voice fills me..."

"I only know that you are the spark..."

"The fire in my heart..."

"I only know you are the peace that soothes..."

"And comforts my tattered soul..."

"The touch of your hand both calms..."

"And excites me..."

"The love I see in your eyes claims..."

"And captures my soul..."

"With you I see the world through the eyes of a child..."

"Bright, shiny, innocent, full of laughter, joy, love and so
beautiful..."

"With you by my side and I by your side..."

"I've found my place in life..."

"And the miracle that is life..."

"And the miracle that is love..."

"With you I've found..."

"A place I can call home..."

They smiled softly at each other before they continued in harmony as
one,

"I am both your light and your dark...
Together we are balance...
We are separate, yet we are united,
We are two, individual, whole, yet we are one,
Together we are just simply more.
I am your and you are my...
Complement."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...Heal me lift me ~ Take me to the other side ~ Amazing grace ~ Has
touched my face ~ And the sweet sound doesn't lie...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stirred waking slowly, a gentle smile already gracing her face.
Something almost forgotten stirred inside of her, something she hadn't
felt in a long time.  She knew what it was, just like she knew without
opening her eyes the light coming in softly through the window would be
that dark-azure that herald the coming of a new day.  For the first time
since that morning outside of the Magic Box the day of their fateful
meeting with Glory, she had the urge to watch the sunrise and to listen
to its voice as it brought forth the new day.

She glanced down, her smile growing wider seeing their clasped hands and
the rings upon their fingers.  She had almost been afraid to go to sleep
last night after they had made-love far sweeter, passionately, tenderly
then they ever had before.  Afraid when she woke that it would all be a
dream, afraid like she had been that first time she had spent the night
with 'her' Light Slayer.  But the fear had receded quickly, for in her
heart, in her soul she finally believed that her life, this love they
shared wasn't a dream.  It was real and it always would be real, it
would last throughout both their lifetimes and even beyond.

Like she had that morning in the pre-dawn so long ago, she silently
thanked whomever it was that was in charge for giving her a lifetime
filled with waking to the beautiful woman in her arms.

The 'Get some, get gone' girl knew, without having to think about it,
she was exactly with who and where she was supposed to be.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The same stirring that woke her soul-mate woke her too.  She didn't need
to open her eyes to know that her soul-mate was already awake.  She
could feel her so clearly through their bond and she too thanked whoever
was in charge for giving her a second chance to make a life, to find
this love with 'her' Dark Slayer.  All her dreams, all her mate's
dreams, all the things they had dreamed of for themselves when they had
been held captive were all beginning to come true one by one.

She opened her eyes and smiled just as her mate had at their clasped
hands and the rings that were the physical and spiritual representation
of them.

The first of the Chosen Two knew, without having to think about it, she
was exactly with who and where she was supposed to be.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Without needing to speak, they both rose from the bed and donned the
silk robes that had been another part of their Joining gifts from their
family.  They quietly made their way through Mars' Mansion and let
themselves out into the pre-dawn.  They walked hand in hand down to lake
and sat down upon the thick, lush grass by the shoreline.  Faith leaned
back against one of the large oak trees, pulling Buffy back into her,
folding her into her embrace.  They remained silent, quiet, secure, at
peace, safe, loved, warm in each other's arms.

Eyes turned up towards the sky they waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neither were sure what woke them, something had and without knowing why
both Mars and Giles rose from their separate beds.  Neither was
surprised when they saw the other in the upstairs hallway, together they
made their way downstairs and outside.  They both stopped just a step
outside the door, quietly drinking in the sight of the two Slayers, whom
both men thought of as their daughters by the edge of the lake.  Just as
silently they began to turn to go back inside and allow them their
privacy when Faith's soft voice was carried to them on the morning
breeze, "Come 'Athair's' join us."

They made their way slowly over to them; they sat down on either side of
them. Both smiling lightly Buffy reached out and give each of their
hands a gentle squeeze.

Like the Slayers, they too turned their eyes up towards the sky and
waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the first time, since they had been spending their nights together
Cordelia woke before Angel.  She had a vision while she slept; only it
was more like a premonition.  She ran her hand down the side of 'her'
Vampire-with-a-soul's face and knew that even that light touch would
wake him.  He stared at her with half-opened eyes and without a word, he
rose from the bed bringing her up with him.

They moved quietly through the slumbering house and neither was
surprised when they saw the four figures sitting down by the lake.

They joined those already sitting upon the plush grass, making
themselves comfortable and they too turned their eyes up towards the sky
and waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He woke alone, yet he knew that in reality he was not alone.  His knew
that one day his time would come and he too would wake beside his
soul-mate.  He rose from the bed, brushing the hair from his face.  He
pulled on his black robe and opened the door to his room.  He padded
silently down the hallway, down the stairs and outside.  He hesitated
briefly once outside until the Slayers turned towards him and waved for
him to join them.

With a smile on his face, Zane walked towards them.

He sat down next to Mars, turned his eyes up towards the sky, and waited
for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lily whispered a hand softly down the chest of the man beside her,
waking him. He fumbled blindly for his glasses.  With a lilting laugh,
she handed them to him.  Wesley blinked owlishly at the woman smiling
above him, who with an impish grin planted a quick kiss upon his mouth
and got up off the bed.  He had no idea where she was leading him but he
would follow her anywhere.

Like those before them, they quietly made their way outside, while he
was surprised to see those gathered by the lake, she wasn't.

Silently they joined the group and with eyes turned up towards the sky,
they waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn woke to find herself half on top of Crow in Mars' game room where
they both had fallen asleep.  She felt a stirring and with a wide
ear-splitting grin, she knew what it was.  She gently brushed the
tangled mess of hair off Crow's forehead and felt another stirring
inside of her that she instinctively knew was the beginnings of love.

Crow blinked sleepily at the young girl hovering over him with the huge
smile.  His heart thumped hard in his chest and he felt lightheaded as
he looked into the eyes of the young woman who he hoped someday would do
him the honor of becoming his spouse.  He smiled back up at her and he
sat up bringing her with him, holding her close for a few minutes.  Hand
in hand they made their way towards the door, they both smiled when they
saw his parents, Christopher and Charlotte waiting for them.

The four of them made their way down to the lake.  Dawn leaning over to
kiss both Slayers on their cheeks before joining Crow and his family.

She snuggled into Crow's arms; they shared a brief loving smile with
each other and his parents, then all four turned their eyes up towards
the sky and waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Wicca's eyes opened at the same time.  Blue gazing into green, both
filled with a timeless love.  They shared a knowing smile, both feeling
the Slayers and the others already awake.  They rose together, pulling
on their big fluffy robes and arms wrapped around each other they made
their way outside to join the others.

Leaning into each other, they turned their eyes up towards the sky and
waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He struggled, yanked himself out of sleep.  He knew, just knew, the
others, the Slayers, were outside in the pre-dawn.  He sat up abruptly,
after a hundred or so years of running from the sunrise it wasn't quite
in his vampire nature to be suddenly running towards it.  He turned his
head to look into the twinkling eyes of his soul-mate, Lachesis, still a
little bit surprised after the last few months to see her there next to
him.

She grinned at Spike, 'her William', when she saw the surprise in his
eyes and the love he still tried to hide. Not yet to the point where he
had completely let all his walls drop in her presences.   He didn't need
to tell her where they were going and she gladly followed him out into
the pre-dawn.  They sat down comfortably side-by-side, leaning into each
other.

They turned their eyes up towards the sky and waited for the sun to
rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clotho woke Lilith with a kiss that made her toes curl.  She deftly
dodged the arms that came round to pull her down onto her mate.  She
laughed at the pout Lilith gave her and tossed her robe to her.
Quickly, silently they made their way outside.

Then they too sat upon the grass, turned their eyes up towards the sky
and waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the slight change in his breathing that woke Anya, she snuggled
for a second longer in Xander's arms which held her to him closely,
tightly, lovingly.  Finally, she lifted her head from his chest and
opened her eyes.  The love he felt for her just shone from him and it
made her heart ache with joy.

Together they got up and holding hands, they made their way outside to
the others.  Xander sat down and then Anya joined him, laying on her
back her head in his lap.

Together they turned their eyes up towards the sky and waited for the
sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

James' woke his mate with a poke to his side.  Gary's eyes shot open and
he was greeted by the impish smirk of his lover.  He was puzzled at
being woken until he realized what time it was and with a poke and an
impish grin of his own, he jumped from the bed.

They chased each other playfully down the stairs and out of the house.
They slowed down to a walk when they saw the others sitting peacefully
by the lake.

Sedately they joined them and then they too, turned their eyes up
towards the sky and waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fred and Gunn had woken when they heard the playful running of Gary and
James. They stayed resting against each other for a short time, then
without a word they rose from the bed.  Each silently giving thanks for
having found the other.  Holding hands, they ventured out to join the
others.

Smiling at all in turn and cuddling into each other upon the grass, they
turned their eyes up towards the sky and waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She felt his gaze upon her and she opened her eyes carefully.  In a way,
it still came as a surprise to see him there with her after all they had
been through over the eons.  He smiled that lopsided-grin at her and she
gave her own version of it in return. He rose from the bed and reached a
hand out to help her rise.  He helped her into her robe and cradling her
hand within his own he led her outside.

As they walked towards the others, Faith turned her head towards them.
Atropos nodded towards the Dark Slayer confirming the silent question
Faith was asking.  Faith gave her a smirk, then turned her eyes back up
towards the sky, knowing when they returned home to the Mansion that the
Tapestry the Fates had given them the past Christmas would have come to
life showing them all here, watching the sunrise on the day after their
Joining.

Luc sat down pulling Atropos into his lap and they turned their eyes up
towards the sky and waited for the sun to rise.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In silence, the ragtag family - both of blood and of the heart - of two
Slayers, a Seer, a Key, four Witches, a Watcher, two Vampires with
souls, three Humans, an Ex-Watcher, an Ex-Vengeance Demon, all the
Incarnates, one with an Immortal spouse from the time of the Garden of
Eden and another with a human spouse; all with eyes turned up towards
the sky, sat in the stillness of the pre-dawn, waiting for the sun to
rise and bring to them the promises of the new day, with hope in their
hearts that today would be better then yesterday...

...and all gathered heard for the first time the whispered pledge of the
new day to fulfill those hopes, those promises for untold tomorrows...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Heal me lift me ~ Take me to the other side ~ I'll take what I've
earned ~ These lessons I've learned ~ I'm ready for the ride ~ Heal me
lift me ~ Take me and my soul will fly ~ My battered heart will make a
new start
Let everyone know ~ I'll be coming home again ~ Heal me lift me ~ Take
me to the waterside ~ Drop me in ~ Come on and watch me swim ~ Let
everyone know ~ I'll be coming home again...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The four young children, three girls and one boy sat on the couch
staring up in fascination at the large Tapestry hanging over the
fireplace.  They knew it belonged to their, 'Grape Gwand's B and F', as
the youngest amongst them had liked to call their Great-Grandmothers, of
which there was now only one.  Though only two of the children, Rav and
Mani were related by blood to each other and the Chosen.  The two other
children, Nix and G were related by reasons of the heart, just as their
parents were and their parents before them had been.

They giggled like young children do, the sound filled with innocent joy.
Each of them in their own way was special, each inheriting abilities,
powers from their ancestors.  Though for now they were just ordinary
four and a half, five, six and seven-year olds.  Who scrapped their
knees, played with toys and begged every night to stay up just a little
bit later than what they were told.

They grew quiet as their hypersensitive hearing picked up the footfalls
of one of the adults.  They all slouched down in the couch hoping that
they wouldn't be noticed.  They should have known better, they weren't
the only ones to inherit special abilities from their ancestors.

"All right come out where I can see you.  You all know you're not
supposed to play in here."  The woman stood in the in the doorway
waiting for them.  She was waiting in vain; none of the four children
had any intention of moving from where they were.  Stubbornness was
another inherited trait all four possessed.

She moved swiftly over to the couch and had any eyes in the room
belonged to a 'normal' human she would have been merely a blur.  She
stood towering over the children, looking first at the youngest, her
daughter, then each of the others in turn.  "Now I know you all know
better then to ignore me.  Lets go, it's nearly time for dinner and you
all need to get cleaned up."  The children still didn't move. "Raven,
Phoenix, Manticore and Griffin, lets go! I'm not playing around now!..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After your laughter like thunder ~ After your skin like coffee and cream
~ After it takes our bodies into the night ~ After we've come to the
extreme...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...The old woman's eyes moved rapidly beneath her closed lids as she
dreamed, remembered her long life with her soul-mate.  Remembered,
relived everything from their very first meeting, to their first kiss,
the first time they made-love, their first fight, their millionth fight,
their Joining, the birth of their first child a beautiful baby girl,
with raven hair, golden-hazel eyes and a cleft in her bottom lip.  To
their fighting side by side with their family during the End of Days, to
the joy of seeing not only Angel, but Spike become fully human and being
grateful that Wesley had once again misread a prophesy. To learning how
to track down through the link they shared, had with all the Slayers,
even those in waiting, to finding the next Slayer in line and training
her, to teaching her in turn how to do the same thing. To building their
dream house together, to Dawn's face the day she had found them, two
sixty-five-year-old, gray-haired retired Slayers, flushed, sweaty and
buck-naked in the lounge chair at the Mansion in the enclosed garden
after making love waiting for the sun to rise.  To the last time they
had made-love, to their last kiss, to holding her heart, her soul in her
arms as her life force slipped from her body and her spirit journeyed to
the afterlife.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...I want to lay down on your shoulder ~ Just inside your arm ~ I want
to listen to your heart beat ~ And your breathing on and on ~ I want to
lay down on your shoulder ~ Surrender to your peace ~ And go to sleep...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her eyes finally stilled beneath her lids, the tears fell silently from
beneath them.  She missed her, missed hearing her voice, her laughter,
missed her cranky, happy, sad, mad, missed her touch, missed her kisses,
she just missed her.  She could still feel her within their bond, but it
wasn't the same, life, death, separated them now and more than anything
she wanted to be with her again.  She felt the slight tingle run down
her spine that herald the coming of one of the Immortals, a feeling they
had both become familiar with over the many years.  She knew who it was
before she opened her eyes.

"Hey..."

"Hey back..."

A soft smile spread across her face at his voice.  She felt him reach
out his hand to her and she reach up without opening her eyes.

Clasping her liver-spotted hand within his own, Zane, the Incarnate of
Death, whispered to the remaining of the Chosen Two, "It's time..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...And when we've gone a million miles ~ Made true our dreams with sweat
and bone ~ After we've built it up with our bare hands ~ Made strong a
place we can call home~ I want to lay down on your shoulder ~ Just
inside your arm ~ I want to listen to your heart beat ~ And your
breathing on and on ~ I want to lay down on your shoulder ~ Surrender to
your peace ~ And go to sleep...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The old woman opened her eyes at his whispered words and found she was
no longer in the cemetery; she was at the cottage by the lake, a place
she hadn't been since her soul-mate had passed into the afterlife.  She
looked around and realized suddenly that her vision was sharp and clear,
as it had been when she was a young woman.  She raised trembling hands
up and saw none of the familiar liver spots.  She glanced down at
herself and realized she was no longer old but young once again.  She
laughed almost hysterically thinking that she was once again dreaming in
the cemetery.  Then suddenly she felt her, 'her soul-mate', with a force
that almost brought her to her knees.  She spun around and her eyes
drank in the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.  Her heart, her
soul, her soul-mate, as beautiful, sensual, passionate as ever, standing
in front of her looking as she did on the day they had been Joined.

Just as suddenly, they were running towards each other.  A choked sob
came from her as those strong, loving, familiar arms came around her.
They clung to each other tightly, raining each other's faces with
kisses, she sob with joy as she heard her mate whisper in her ear,
"Welcome home."

They stood holding each other for long minutes, rejoicing in the feel of
the other's arms around them that for over seventy odd years and now for
eternity would always be home. Gently they kissed, with tenderness, with
love, a kiss of utter, total and complete intimacy.

As they kissed, the Chosen Two surrounded each other with their
unconditional eternal love, interweaving their souls again, wallowing
shamelessly in the warmth, bathing in the love of the other and feeling
once again a sense of complement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...And when the light in my eyes is fading ~ When running water becomes
too deep ~ Finally angels turn my fire to dust ~ And when my soul's no
longer mine to keep ~ I want to lay down on your shoulder ~ Just inside
your arm ~ I want to listen to your heartbeat ~ And your breathing on
and on ~ I want to lay down on your shoulder ~ Surrender to the peace ~
And just go to sleep ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The four children hadn't moved.  It was then that she noticed they
weren't even looking at her.  She followed their gazes to the Tapestry.
She watched, her heart breaking a little, but filled with love as the
scene on the Tapestry played out.  Reenacting, as first the Chosen Two
made their way to the edge of the lake and sat upon the grass in the
pre-dawn the day after their Joining, then as each of their family
members made their way to their side, sat and waited with eyes turned up
towards the sky for the sun to rise.  Reenacting that beautiful, still,
peaceful morning, like it had each time one of the mortals within its
borders had left this earth for the afterlife.  She knew, could now feel
within her that her Grandmother had joined her soul-mate in eternity and
for that her heart was filled with joy.

...And the promises made by the new day dawning within the Tapestry, to
all those rendered in it who had left this life for the afterlife, was
one that was filled with a scared vow of an eternity of tomorrows...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Time will stay silent and remain the guardian for the Living Scroll
until it breaks its silence, as the Raven, Phoenix, Manticore and
Griffin spread their wings and take flight, when the time comes for them
to wear the mantle with the Chosen and join in the fight as Warriors of
the Light as The End of Time draws neigh. - The Living Scroll
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End...