Part Thirteen: Memory lane I (of III)

Faith laughed at the display atop her motel-room bed, as she returned from its bathroom.

"How many's she had?" she asked, handing her friend another drink when she returned.

"I dunno. But I think she needs another," the woman replied her, turning to her victim. She lifted her friend's head from the pillow. "Jenna? Here," she called, placing the bottle to the drunken girl's lips.

Faith laughed as Jenna, shook her head and passed out from her intoxication. She looked to the woman holding the liquor.

"Ash you're evil," she stated. "You know that, right?"

Ashley laughed, looking to the door when it was knocked upon.

"You expecting someone?"

"No," Faith replied as she got up. She opened the door to see Buffy standing in the doorway, her appearance akin to one who had been crying for days.

"B?" she asked in disbelief. "What's up?"

"Can I come in?" the older slayer asked, in little more than a whisper.

"Sure."

Beholding the blonde at the door, Ashley stood up. She greeted the woman, who hardly responded and stood almost as if waiting.

"Er, Faith, I just remembered that I have stuff," Ashley excused. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Faith replied, gratefully as Ashley helped her drunken room-mate to her feet. "Jenna, we gotta go," she informed her friend, pulling the woman up.

Jenna groaned, carried to her feet by the brunette and almost dragged out of the motel-room.

Faith saw her guests to the motel room's exit, anxiously holding the door open for them.

"Is that her?" Ashley inquired, glancing at Buffy who sat down on Faith's bed.

Faith nodded.

"She's hot," the brunette observed. "Make a proper move this time 'cause I for one am sick of hearing about your crush on this girl."

The brunette slayer smiled. "Later Ash," she replied, closing the door on her grinning pal. She turned to Buffy; her heart skipping a beat when she saw the blonde slayer perched on her bed.

Buffy looked up. "I'm sorry for just coming around," she apologised.

"It's cool," the younger of them replied, trying to maintain her tough-girl composure. "What's up?"

"Faith it's Riley...." Buffy tried, finding that instead of explaining, she burst into tears. She attempted to control herself, wiping her eyes while clarifying, "He... er... he left."

Faith moved to sit beside her. "Oh man, I'm sorry," she consoled, holding the blonde.

Her head pressed against the brunette's chest, the slayer found herself confessing, "I don't know what to do. It hurts so much."

Faith stroked the other slayer's hair tenderly.

"It'll be ok," she assured her. "Man! He's a fuckin' jerk for doing this to you."

"It was my fault. I pushed him away," Buffy told her. "I always do that. Whenever anyone gets close, I push them away."

She paused, feeling Faith tense up. Buffy pulled back, looking the brunette in the eyes.

"Oh. Faith. I'm -"

"Nah, it's cool," the younger woman interrupted. "B, you don't have to walk on egg shells around me."

"No, I shouldn't have... I didn't think."

Faith stood up. "It's cool," she repeated. She paused, before moving on to say, "Look, what I told you?... I don't want it to affect the way things are between you and me."

Buffy kept silent for a while; Faith's confession a few days before having had plagued her mind since. Thinking on her fellow slayer's words, she found herself compelled to ask,

"Did you mean what you said?"

Turning to look at the older woman in the face, Faith resumed her position aside the older slayer.

"Every word." She stopped herself, almost deciding against revealing what she'd come to consider as vulnerability. Deciding to seize the moment, she admitted,

"I'm totally freakin' in love with you."

When met with neither objection, nor reply, the young brunette found herself staring silently into Buffy's hazel eyes. Going with what felt right, she leant towards the blonde and kissing her. When met with no resistance, she slipped her tongue into Buffy's mouth, caressing the older slayer's tongue with her own. Catching herself, the young brunette pulled back.

"Am I outta line?" she asked, suddenly fearful that she might have ruined the moment but feeling that she had to know.

No longer too concerned with questioning the situation, Buffy shook her head, prompting the brunette to resume kissing her.

Walking away from the movie theatre, Buffy took a deep breath.

"Nice movie choice, Faith," she told her girlfriend, a little uncomfortable with the memories of the film.

"How was I to know 'Erotic Raider'd be a porn flick?" Faith replied, in her defence.

"Er, how about the title?" Buffy asked a little sarcastically.

"Well if you knew, why d'you agree to see it?" Faith returned.

Buffy couldn't help but smile.

"Ok, you got me," she conceded.

Faith smiled, continuing to walk in the direction of the slayer's home.

"I gotta admit, though, it was hot. I was so horny, I thought I was gonna die in there."

"It was ok," the older slayer replied.

"Oh c'mon," Faith pressed on. "Didn't it make you a little horny?"

Buffy felt her smile grow wider. "A little," she replied, much to her girlfriend's satisfaction.

Smiling appreciatively, Faith told the blonde slayer, "That should keep me warm tonight." The two of them walked side-by-side in almost silence until the reached Rovello Drive.

Having stopped at Buffy's front porch, Faith searched for words.

"So that was it, our first proper date."

"It was nice," Buffy replied. "I liked it."

Faith nodded. "So," she said, at a loss for words. "I'll see ya." She leant in, tenderly kissing the blonde on the lips.

Once their lips had parted, Buffy took a deep breath.

"Faith... do you wanna come inside," she asked, pausing to add. "It's just that Dawn's not home and mom's not in...."

"Sure," the brunette quietly replied, putting Buffy at ease. Entering the house after the older slayer, she looked around the Summers' property, brought back to reality when Buffy asked,

"Are you hungry?"

"Nah, I'm good," Faith replied her, removing her jacket and hanging it on the banister.

"Me too." Buffy paused. Looking slightly nervous, she added, "I guess we'd better go upstairs."

Understanding, Faith felt herself almost succumb to her own nerves. All too aware that this was to be Buffy's first time with a woman and her third time with anyone, she felt the pressure mount as she climbed the stairs.

Upstairs, the brunette followed Buffy into her room, anxious as the older woman closed the door behind them. Tense, she felt herself relax as Buffy stood in front of her and peered up into her eyes. Allowing herself to do what naturally came to her, the brunette raised her hand to her girlfriend's cheek and running her thumb across it, she leant in and kissed her. Although at a slower pace than Faith would have normally opted for, her kiss was still a passionate one, her body temperature seemingly soaring.

Running her hand down Buffy's body, she felt the slayer take hold of her hand and guide it to the waist-band of her trousers. Accompanying her right hand with her left, Faith undid the older woman's trousers and broke their lip-lock to allow her time to remove the clothing.

Quickly shrugging out of her trousers and tugging her t-shirt over her head, Buffy could no longer wait to feel her girlfriend inside her again. She took hold of the brunette's shirt, drawing her closer and into a kiss. In her bra and panties and feeling over-dressed, Buffy reached behind herself in attempt to release her bra.

Understanding, Faith reached behind the blonde body and relieved her of her bra in a swift motion. She captured the slayer's lips once more and worked on ridding herself of her own clothing.

Removing her belt, the young woman was taken aback when Buffy suddenly broke the kiss. Rendering herself completely naked, the blonde slayer walked towards her bed, entering beneath the covers. She looked across at Faith and felt herself almost panting.

Undressing, the brunette slayer joined Buffy in bed. Kissing the blonde's mouth, chin and neck, she worked her way down the blonde's body. Working her right hand down the slayer's lean physique, she stopped her finger, allowing it linger just below the slayer's waist.

Aroused, Buffy pleaded with the younger slayer to provide her release as she felt herself getting wetter by the second.

Ignorant to her pleas, Faith kissed the older woman's breasts, determined to draw out their first session together.

"Faith, please," Buffy tried again, desperate to release the pent-up frustration the entire evening had caused.

The brunette carefully allowed her finger to travel further south. Finding the slayer's pussy to be already slick with arousal, she slipped a finger inside, moaning to find the channel tight around her finger.

Buffy rose to allow the finger better access, forcing Faith to lean on her free arm.

The brunette leant forward and captured Buffy's lips with her mouth while adding another finger into the already constricted space. She watched the blonde wince.

"You ok?" she asked, her voice coming out slightly raspy.

Buffy nodded, beads of perspiration emerging.

The brunette slayer resumed kissing her lover, steadying herself on the hand that she had placed on the bed. Penetrating the older woman at a steady pace, she fingered Buffy and felt as the slayer came, her arousal coating her fingers. Allowing her lover to continue to ride her fingers until she could do so no more, the brunette found herself satisfied at the sight of her lover spent beneath her. Faith kissed the blonde's lips a final time and moved to lay next to her. Cuddling her, she held Buffy tightly and looked up to the ceiling, silently thanking the heavens.

Buffy moaned as she and her fellow slayer enjoyed a lip-lock at her watcher's home.

"Alright, alright enough of that," Giles interrupted upon entering and witnessing the slayers' inappropriate behaviour.

Buffy broke the kiss, the both of them turning to face her watcher as Faith wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Who was on the phone?" the blonde asked.

Busying himself with the tidying up of his lounge and other various tasks, the watcher informed,

"That was the representative from the council. She's here and has requested to see you both separately."

"Why?" Faith asked, her gaze still focussed on the blonde atop her.

"Just to assess you," Giles replied, stopping to remove his glasses. "See how well you're doing." After cleaning them, he replaced his glasses, adding, "Faith, she asked for you to go and meet her outside."

Rolling her eyes, the brunette removed her arms from around her lover's waist.

"No," Buffy mock-protested, pouting. "I don't want you to go."

Faith smiled, kissing her girlfriend. "I'll be there about a second, babe. You wont even know I'm gone."

"Yes I will," Buffy argued. "You have to hurry, ok?"

"Yeah," Faith replied, kissing her again before leaving the watcher's home. Walking out onto the road, the slayer scanned the area. Locating a dormant car, she walked towards it.

"Faith?" the woman behind the wheel asked, as the brunette approached.

"Yeah."

"Hop in."

Admiring the vehicle, the young brunette entered the car.

"Hello Faith, I'm Faye Harris from the watcher's council," the driver introduced, starting the car.

"Hey, where we going?" Faith asked, looking around.

The council representative smiled. "I just thought we could go and do this at a cafe. I'm rather hungry."

"Oh. Cool," Faith replied, already taking a liking to the woman. She sat back in the passenger seat.

"Seat belt," Faye reminded.

Faith strapped herself in, watching as the woman accelerated onto the main road. She looked around, letting time pass as they drove down the streets of Sunnydale. Eventually tired of the quiet, she spoke.

"So what's this whole thing about? You gonna talk to me and then B?"

The driver remained quiet.

With a silent 'okay then', Faith sat back and gazed out of the window. After some time had passed, she worriedly noticed that they had driven past a few cafes and headed past the main part of town and seemingly towards the harbour. Realising something was wrong, the slayer reached for the seatbelt release. Pressing it to no avail, the gravity of the situation dawned upon her. Preparing to snap it, she felt the car come to an abrupt halt and looked out of the window to find in surrounded by armed people pointing their guns at the passenger seat.

Standing in the hallway of her home, Buffy anxiously listened into the receiver of her phone.

"Miss Logan cancelled her ticket earlier. She didn't board the flight."

"Are you sure?" the slayer asked, confused.

"Yes. She cancelled her ticket over the phone a few days ago."

"Oh."

"I hope that helps," the airline operator replied.

"Yeah, thanks," Buffy told him.

"No problem madam, bye."

"Bye."

Buffy dropped the phone. She walked into her empty living room, carrying her bottle of wine. She looked over at the bouquet of flowers she had brought that was lying on the floor and a tear spilled down her cheek. Overwhelming melancholy, she made her way into the kitchen to find a bottle opener. Finding a glass and taking it back to the living room, she opened the wine bottle and poured herself some of the bottled alcoholic drink. Knocking back the wine, she poured herself another not noticing she had almost finished the bottle, until her solo drinking session was interrupted by the doorbell. The slayer got up and stumbled to the door, swinging it open.

"Riley! Come in!" she told him.

"Buffy?" He asked, detecting a heavy scent of alcohol on her breath. He looked past her onto the living room to see an empty bottle of wine on the floor. "What's happened? Why have you been drinking?"

"Faith. She-she didn't-" the slayer started, a little woozy and about to toppled over.

"Whoa!" Riley exclaimed, catching his ex before she was about to fall. "We've gotta get you to bed," he told her picking her up and carrying her upstairs. The marine carried the petite woman up to her room. Tucking her in, the blonde smiled at the sight of the apparently passed out slayer.

"Night, Buffy," he whispered, turning toward the door.

"Riley, wait," Buffy stopped him, opening her eyes and fighting against the drowsiness. "Stay. Please."

Riley returned to his ex-girlfriend's bedside, crouching beside her.

"I'll stay as long as you want me to," he assured her.

Suddenly feeling the need to proclaim her emotions, Buffy found her propriety dissolve under the influence of the alcohol in her system.

"I'm sorry about what happened at the club," she confessed. "I'm sorry everything's so messed up."

"It's ok," Riley told her, shushing the drunken blonde.

"It's not ok, Riley. Not at all. Because I still l-"

"Buffy you shouldn't say something you might regret," the Iowa native warned. "What about Faith?"

"I don't know. She's not here. She said she'd be here and she's not. She's probably found someone else. A normal girl...." She added, muttering. "Not me."

"Then she's crazy," Riley told her, in effort to comfort her and placing his hand on her cheek.

Feeling the warmth of his skin, Buffy closed her eyes, rubbing her face against the marine's palm. She subconsciously allowed a moan to escape.

"I miss this," she confessed. "How you used to always make everything ok just by touching me." Her eyes flickered open as she stared into Riley's sincere blue eyes.

Slightly taken aback, the marine was fully co-operative as the slayer leant forward and captured his lips with her own.

Part Thirteen: Memory Lane II (of III)

Having put aside past events and deciding to look to the future, Buffy found herself, trying to get hers and Faith's relationship back on track.

The two of them passionately kissing, the blonde slayer suddenly jerked her head away from the other slayer's.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

"Yeah, B," Faith replied. "But it's a road. Cars do that."

"Do you think they saw us?" the blonde slayer wondered, in reference to the car that had just driven past hers; which was parked on the road-side. She peered out of the window to see if there was sign of anyone else.

"Do you really care?" Faith asked, reaching behind her lover to rid her of her bra.

Feeling this, Buffy smiled, looking down. "About what?" she asked, laying down and capturing Faith's lips with her own.

Running her hand down Buffy's smooth back, Faith stopped to cup the slayer's firm ass cheeks, squeezing them and further spurning her lover's moans on.

"Where was I?" Buffy asked, reaching between their over-heated, aroused bodies, the slayer delved straight for Faith's pussy. "Oh yeah," she answered, immediately inserting two fingers.

Sitting back against the locked car door, Faith threw herself forward burying her face in Buffy's neck. She licked at it, as the blonde slayer massaged the inside of her cunt with her talented fingers. Feeling the blonde shift her attention to her clitoris, she knew it wouldn't be too long before she would climax.

Moaning Buffy's name and with a final thrust, Faith felt her orgasm flow through her and result in a slick clear coating on her lover's fingers. Feeling physically drained, she rest against the car door, wrapping her arms around Buffy when the slayer lay on top of her. Catching her breath, Faith smiled.

"That was wild," she stated, panting and giving Buffy a kiss as if to say thank you. "You come up with the craziest things."

"You inspire me," the blonde replied.

"I used to think I was the sex-God," Faith told her. "But I happily hand the title over to you."

Buffy smiled. "It's all that stamina I picked up as a cheer-leader."

"You were a cheerleader?!!" the brunette asked.

"Yeah at Emory."

"Did you have a short skirt, jump around and yell stuff?"

"That's generally what cheerleaders do."

"Oh shit," Faith exclaimed, regretful and adding, "I wish I could have seen you."

"I still have the outfit," Buffy told her. "If you like I could show you a private cheer."

"Hell yeah!" the brunette replied, enthused. "But maybe tomorrow, you've got me spent."

Buffy smiled against her girlfriend's chest.

"What about you?" she asked. "Any interesting high-school outfits?"

Faith thought on it.

"I have an old jock-strap somewhere," she replied, adding. "But it's not mine."

"That's a relief," Buffy replied. "So whose is it?"

"Some guy I did back in high school. My first actually."

"What was he like?"

"He was the drummer from this band. I saw them play and after the set, thought he was cute and pounced on him." She paused, laughing. "He had the smallest cock; almost put me off guys for life." Allowing her laughter to subside, she asked her lover,

"Was Angel your first?"

"Yeah," Buffy replied, remembering the moment she had decided to lose her virginity to the sexy vampire.

"Was he any good?"

"I can't remember," the slayer lied.

"Well it doesn't matter anyway. You're with the best now."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, her smile returning.

Stood on the slayer's front porch, Riley paced. He looked Buffy in the eyes as he asked the blonde a question that had been plaguing his mind for days.

"Who's the father?"

"It doesn't matter," Buffy replied him.

"The lady at the hospital... She said that you named me as the father. It's mine isn't it?"

"And if it is?" Buffy asked, rhetorically. Her tone dismissive, she continued, "Riley, I really don't need you in the equation right now. The situation is complicated as it is."

"Then clear it up. Buffy, you near enough told me you still love me, why won't you give us another go? We can be together and raise this child. Maybe even have more."

Buffy remained silent for a while, turning her back to him. "You left me," she reminded him. "I waited for you every night after you'd left.... And you didn't come back. Even when my mom died."

"I didn't know," the marine sincerely replied.

"It doesn't matter. I still wanted you to just come back and tell me that everything would be ok."

"But I'm back now and-"

"It's too late." She paused before abruptly turning to him. "I-I'm sorry that I didn't just sit at home and wait for you to decide that it was time to come back. I moved on, Riley. And Faith has been there for me..."

"So that's it? You're just going to give up on us?"

"You did," Buffy retained.

Inside her home, Riley stood in front of the speechless slayer presenting her with a large brown envelope.

"You have Faith?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," the marine confirmed, his face full of sincerity.

Buffy grit her teeth. "Why?"

The tall twenty-something year old handed her the envelope he was holding as if in answer.

The slayer studied it and about to ask the obvious question, Riley answered,

"Papers. Handing our child over to the military, where it will be raised by me and other agents into the armed forces."

Buffy looked at her ex in disbelief at his behaviour. "You expect me to sign these?"

"If you ever want to see Faith alive again, you will."

"What have you done to her?"

"Nothing yet, I thought I'd give you a chance." He brought out a pen, asking her, "So, what's more important to you: your child or Faith?"

Ignoring the question, the slayer attempted an appeal to the taller man's conscience, Buffy told him,

"What you're doing is wrong and you know it."

"Is it any worse than you wanting to deprive our child of its father?" Riley returned.

"But what you want to do is going to deprive it of its mother."

"No I'm not. I'm giving you the choice. You don't have to sign these papers."

"You wont get away with this," Buffy threatened, inarticulately adding, "It's not fair-"

"Life isn't fair, Buffy. If it were, I wouldn't have to be doing this. We would just be raising this baby together, instead of you being with that..." he stopped himself. Shaking his head he continued, "You could have had it all, Buffy. Now what do you have?"

Buffy signed the papers, replying,

"Faith."

Having spent the night in the delivery suite Sunnydale's general hospital, Faith looked down at the new-born in Buffy's arms. She glanced up at the clock.

"What's taking them so long?" she asked. "I wanna get home already."

"They're probably just dealing with the paperwork," Buffy assured her, continuing to tend to her baby. "I'm sure they'll be here soon."

Faith calmed and watched the tiny tot sleeping peacefully, its only movement the rising and falling of its chest. She glanced up as the door opened.

"Faith Logan?" she was asked.

The brunette looked from the woman entering the room to the man following behind her. She answered, "Yeah."

The woman held up a badge and faced her.

"Sunnydale police. We'd like to ask you a few questions."

"What's going on?" Buffy asked, glancing from the officers to her brunette lover.

The officer turned to the panicking new mother and answered,

"A Mr Riley Finn was found dead yesterday evening." She looked to Faith. "A witness placed you at the scene. We'd just like to ask you a few questions."

"Faith?" Buffy asked, looking at her girlfriend's seemingly unconcerned face.

"Don't look at me, babe. I dunno what's going on," Faith lied, standing up. "But I'm gonna find out." She followed the officers outside, stopping in the hallway "Do you guys mind if we do this here?"

"There's nothing to worry about Miss Logan. Just a few standard routine questions we'd like to go through at the station."

"Look, my girlfriend just had a baby," Faith appealed. "You guys think you can cut me some slack?"

The officer relented, much to the disapproval of her partner. She took out her notepad and pen.

"Where were you yesterday evening between the hours of eight and ten pm?"

"I was here watching my girlfriend have a baby," Faith replied.

"And before that?"

Pausing as if to recall, the brunette answered, "We were at home."

Noting the young woman's responses, the officer then asked her,

"What was your relationship with Mr. Finn?"

"He was a friend of mine and B's. We-"

"I'm sorry," the officer interrupted. "B?"

"Buffy," Faith clarified. "My girlfriend."

Making a note of this, the officer motioned for the brunette to continue.

Shaking her head, the slayer looked to the ground. "I can't believe he's dead," the brunette added, allowing her voice to trail off.

The officer looked to the seemingly distressed young woman. Adapting a more gentle tone, she asked,

"Is there anyone that can confirm your whereabouts yesterday?"

"Yeah, B and like the entire medical staff here," Faith answered as she turned to see Buffy come out, holding Joyce in her arms. She wrapped her arm around the blonde's waist in a protective manner, forcing the officer to feel she should conclude.

"So you're telling me you spent the entire evening with your girlfriend at your home until you came to the hospital."

"Yeah," Faith replied. In an effort to remain convincing, she added, "Who was this person that said they saw me?"

"I'm sorry but I can't say," the policewoman replied, concluding, "That'll be all for now Miss Logan. We'll be in touch." She looked to Buffy. "Congratulations on your baby, she's beautiful."

"Thank you," Buffy replied, watching as the officers left. She turned as Faith walked passed her and into the hospital room. She followed behind her.

"Why did you tell that officer that you were with me all evening?" the blonde slayer asked, her suspicion aroused.

"I didn't wanna have to be answering all these questions," Faith replied her.

Buffy paused. "Where were you yesterday?"

The brunette slayer's facial expression seemed mildly hostile. "Now I have to field off questions from you too?"

"No...it's just-" Buffy started, caught off-guard.

"If you gotta know," she interrupted. "I was out getting some stuff together for the baby." Forcing herself to calm, Faith moved towards her lover. "B, look at me," she told Buffy, holding her. "I swear to you; I had nothing to do with this."

Buffy smiled. "Ok." She walked over to the crib at her bedside. "I'm sorry. I just can't believe Riley's gone," she told Faith, putting Joyce down. "He never even got to see Joyce."

"Did you want him to?" Faith asked, embittered.

"Of course. She's his child too. And Joyce should have at least got to see her father. Now she'll never know him."

Looking at the sleeping baby, the brunette suddenly felt the guilt manifesting as a consequence of her actions.

"Yeah," she quietly realised.

Faith's eyes suddenly opened and she shivered. Her forehead clammy, she wiped at it moving to sit in an upright position.

Feeling the motion on the bed, Buffy woke. Her eyes adjusting to the moonlight coming from the open window, she turned to see Faith sat up with the same horrified expression on her face that she had had the night before.

"Did you have the nightmare again?" the slayer asked, moving to hold her lover.

Faith gulped. "Yeah," she quietly replied. "Sorry I woke you."

"It's ok," Buffy replied, stroking the younger woman's hair. "I'm just worried about you."

"I'll be ok," the brunette assured her.

Holding each other, their attentions were drawn by the cries broadcast on the bedside baby monitor.

"I just fed her," Buffy stated, surprised at her baby's unrest.

"I'll go," Faith told the young mother, leaving their bed. She walked to the next room and to the cot within it. The slayer lifted the crying child from its cot and into her arms.

"Hey kiddo," she shushed. "What's the racket about?" She paced the room, jiggling the baby in her arms with each step. At ease, the baby quietened down, silently gazing upwards at the tired slayer.
Faith placed Joyce down onto a nearby desk and removed her pyjama bottoms. Taking off the baby's diaper, she found it unsoiled. Nevertheless, replacing it with a new one, the brunette replaced Joyce's clothing and lifted the baby into her arms.

"Guess you can feel it, huh?" Faith asked Joyce whose eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. "What I did. It's eating me up, kiddo." She slowly began to pace silently recalling her actions. "I'm sorry I robbed you of your dad, kid. But I swear to you, I'm gonna be a better parent than that son of a bitch could ever be." She stopped in front of the child's bed, looking down at the baby who was now, blissfully asleep. "I promise," she whispered, putting her down into the cot.

Part 13: Memory lane III (of III)

"Dr Summers, could you have these reports on my desk by tonight," Buffy was told as she was handed a stack of files.

Taken aback by the workload, Buffy desperately tried to regain the attention of her superior.

"Doctor Kaye!" she called at the woman.

Doctor Kaye, turned to the younger psychiatrist. "Yes," she answered, the reply laden with contempt.

"I'm sorry, doctor, but my daughter is in a play today and I promised her I'd be there," Buffy explained. "Can I have these to you first thing tomorrow morning?"

"No," Doctor Kaye replied.

"I-I could ask Doctor Samuel to do them," the slayer tried.

"I gave Jason the day off," the superior of the two informed. "He looked like he could use one."

"But I just saw him and he was fine."

"Look, Buffy, if you want to be still working here tomorrow, you'll have those reports on my desk by tonight. I'm sure your lesbian partner can go to the play. "

"What's that supposed to mean?" the petite blonde asked, offended.

Dismissing the question, the older lady replied, "Just have the reports done," before leaving Buffy to stare after her.

Having heard the exchange, a fellow psychiatrist approached the slayer.

"Here, leave them with me," he told her, taking the reports from her. "I'll make sure she gets them."

"Thanks," Buffy replied.

"You've got guts standing up to her like that," he complimented. "And even bigger guts for telling her you're gay."

Buffy's expression changed. "You know?" she asked her colleague.

"Everybody knows," the taller psychiatrist told her. "She was talking about it today at lunch. For what it's worth, I don't think she has the right to broadcast your private life, whether she agrees with it or not."

"Me neither," Buffy agreed, her resolve apparent.

Looking for the ringing cell phone in her car, Faith came to a stop at a traffic light indicating she do so.

"Here," Buffy told her, locating the device and handing it to her.

"Thanks," Faith replied. She found out the caller's id from the phone's screen and answered the call, cradling the phone to allow freedom of her hands to drive.

"Ash. 'Sup?"

"I can't believe it. Faith is it actually you?"

"Yeah, sorry I haven't called; I've been real busy."

"I heard. A baby, huh?"

"Yeah," Faith replied.

"Pity I had to found out from everyone else, though. But I forgive you. You can make up for it by buying the rounds at the club Saturday, Miss big-shot manager."

"I can't," the slayer, replied her friend. "I'm taking J out this weekend."

"How 'bout Sunday?" Ashley tried.

"Can't," Faith repeated. "The whole weekend's our Q.T."

Frustrated, Ashley gave up. "You know what, Faith, call me when you're free," she told the older woman before abruptly cutting off the conversation. Unconcerned, Faith handed the phone to her partner, speeding up towards the clinic. Glancing over at her girlfriend, she noticed her unhappy expression.

"Babe, what's wrong?" she asked.

Having not even noticed that her unhappiness was obvious, Buffy sighed.

"I'm just thinking about the party tonight," she replied. "I don't even know why we're going when everyone there's still mad about what happened."

"With that doctor bitch?" Faith asked, looking to see Buffy respond with a nod. "Nah. I'm sure everyone's glad someone finally said something." She pulled over at the clinic's driveway, bringing her jeep to a halt. "C'mon, we're here now and I'm with you. If anyone starts up, we'll bust some heads."

Buffy smiled, following Faith's lead out of the car and into the clinic. The two of them made there way to the meeting hall where an annual function was in full swing.

"Whoa," Faith exclaimed as she and Buffy entered the room full of people to see most of them staring at the blonde slayer. "Ignore it," she advised, taking hold of her lover's hand and walking over to the seating area. Finding the party continue as normal, Buffy took a deep breath.

Having busied themselves for most of the evening eating, drinking or dancing, Buffy looked to Faith, wanting to leave. Finding her girlfriend pre-occupied, the blonde slayer followed the younger woman's gaze.

"What's that bitch's problem?" Faith asked staring at one of the patrons. "She's been staring at us the whole night.

Buffy looked over and recognised the woman as her colleague. She turned to her girlfriend.

"Faith would you grab me some punch, please?" she asked.

"Sure," Faith replied, leaving to get the beverage as Buffy made her way over to her gawking colleague. "Lissa if you have something to say, say it," she challenged.

"Ok, I will," the woman replied. "Way to go getting Doctor Kaye fired."

"I had to. She was prejudice."

"She was a damn good psychiatrist is what she was. Just because the two of you had your differences was no reason to go off and report her."

"Differences? You call the fact that she was a total homophobe, differences?"

Dismissing the slayer's argument, the woman merely retorted, "All I know is that people would rather have a good psychiatrist than a ga-" stopping and catching herself in time.

"Gay one," Buffy completed, shaking her head at the shock of her colleague's audacity. Giving the woman a moment to retract the statement or apologise, when the slayer found her take a defiant stance, she left for fear of attacking. Able to just hear Lissa whisper,

"See what I mean? She's just weird."

Buffy grit her teeth and continued walking, her anger diffusing when she reached Faith who was stood in line for the drinks.

"Where d'you go?" the brunette asked, upon Buffy's return.

The blonde sighed. "It doesn't matter," she replied, reaching the front of the line. She took two wineglasses from the drinks table and handed one to her fellow slayer. Imitating Faith who downed hers immediately, she was blind-sided by her lover's proclamation of love for the new song that was being broadcast, followed by the grabbing of her free arm and being dragged onto the dance floor.

Following Faith's lead, Buffy danced to the music, despite her thoughts being occupied by Lissa's words. A little disorientated, she found herself returned to reality by the shuffling about on the dance-floor around her. She looked around, seeing that those on the dance-floor had paired and hearing that the music had slowed. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable noticing all the heterosexual couples surrounding them, Buffy paled.

"Faith, do you mind if we go?" she asked.

"Sure, babe," Faith replied, concerned. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Buffy replied. "Let's just go."

Faith gripped at her lover's long blonde hair as she rode her talented face. Sitting up with the woman's head between her legs, the brunette slayer braced herself as she came screaming the name of the only person on her mind. She lay back and looked up at the ceiling feeling much worse than she had done when she had first stumbled into the dingy motel room with a blonde stranger.

"How was it?" she heard, as the woman lay next to her and covered the both of them in the sheet that reeked of their sordid affair.

Faith remained silent as the blonde reached down beside the bed.

"Do you mind?" she asked, pulling out a packet of cigarettes.

"Nah," came the reply.

The woman lit a cigarette taking a drag. She turned to Faith.

"So," she started, exhaling smoke. "Who's Buffy?"

"No-one," Faith replied, bitterly.

"Huh," the woman commented. "Pretty special 'no-one' for you to be screaming their name while I was giving you some of my best work."

"Sorry."

"No, don't be. I get that a lot in my line of work."

Faith cringed.

"D'you want me to leave?" the blonde asked, taking another drag of her cigarette.

"Yeah," Faith replied, wishing to be left alone to reminisce.

Having tucked Joyce into bed after explaining to her why Faith was no longer living with them anymore, Buffy left her daughter's room. Closing the door, she walked over to her own bedroom. Alone in a room she'd once shared, the slayer put her hand to her face and fought back tears. Climbing into her bed, she looked to the phone at her bedside and picked it up. Deciding against making the call, she replaced the receiver. Covering herself the blonde lay back, prepared for another night of memories and tears.

Part Fourteen: Moving on

Looking at the assortment of products in his friend's bathroom, Xander tried to figure out which one was the toothpaste.

"Hey Buffy!" the construction worker called out into the hall. "What does this white tube thing do?"

When met with no reply, the brunette proceeded to read, 'use twice daily for whiter brighter teeth.' Shrugging, the man decided to apply the paste to his toothbrush and brushed his teeth. Humming along, Xander was oblivious to his hostess who was sat quietly in her room.

Putting the finishing touches on her outfit, Buffy looked at herself in the mirror. The pain lessening each day, she took a deep breath, deciding she would remain strong for her daughter if nothing else. She looked up as Xander came to her doorway, knocking on the open door.

"Hey. How're you holding up?" he asked, dressed in the tight grey t-shirt he had borrowed from the slayer the night before.

"I'm ok," Buffy replied, walking towards her friend. "Thanks for staying the night; it meant a lot to Joyce. She really needs to be with familiar faces right now."

"Hey, no problem," Xander replied. He pulled the slayer into a tight embrace, assuring her, "You're doing great."

Appreciating the brunette's support, Buffy remained in his arms temporarily, suddenly alerted by his scent. She looked up and into the face of the construction worker.

"Did you use my whitening kit?" she asked him.

"Why?" Xander asked her, flashing a cheesy, toothy grin. "Does it show?"

"We-I can smell it from here," Buffy replied, distancing herself from the brunette. "Xander that stuff is really strong. You don't wanna use too much and you've gotta wash it off straight away."

Releasing her, the brunette's face showed alarm.

"Now you tell me," he exclaimed, rushing towards the bathroom to rid his teeth of the substance.

Shaking her head, Buffy left her room and walked into her daughter's. The slayer entered, heading for the hairbrush on her daughter's bedside table.

"You ready?" she asked the youngster, picking up the tool and taking a seat on Joyce's bed. Patting the space next to her, she motioned for the child to sit beside her.

Joyce nodded, sitting down beside the slayer and allowing her to gently run the brush through her golden hair. The two of them sat in silence as Buffy straightened out the kinks in her daughter's hair. When finished, she stood up, located and handed Joyce her school bag. Leaving the room, bidding goodbye to Xander and gathering the rest of her things, Buffy allowed Joyce to lead her downstairs and into their car, following behind. Unlocking the blue convertible, she entered. Ensuring her daughter had strapped herself in with her seat belt and was secure; the blonde started her car and pulled out of the driveway. Minutes into the journey and breaking the silence, Joyce turned to her mother.

"Mommy is Faith coming to pick me up today?" she asked, remembering that the brunette slayer would always pick her up on a Tuesday.

"No sweetie, I will." The slayer paused, continuing when she decided that she would need to explain. "I know I usually have meetings, but you come first. I'll be picking you up everyday from now on."

Her gaze primarily fixed on the road ahead, she glanced at Joyce who just stared straight ahead. Feeling bad when she her daughter remained silent, Buffy searched for a way to lift her child's spirits.

"Hey, your birthday's this week and we still haven't organised your party."

Her features showing elation, Joyce whooped.

"I'm having a party?" she asked, excited.

"If you want to."

"Oh yay!"

"Do you know who you're going to invite?" Buffy asked, expanding on the subject topic change.

"Can I have anyone I want?" the blonde youngster asked.

"Anyone," Buffy repeated.

"Can Faith come?" the child returned.

Pausing briefly at the repeated mention of her former lover's name the blonde merely replied,

"I'll ask her."

"Cool," Joyce replied. "And Tyler can come and Sarah and Randy and Jesse and Jamie and Tyler... Did I already say Tyler?" she asked, stopping to remember.

"Yes," the slayer answered.

"Ok."

Taking a moment to interject, Buffy added, "I'll ask your aunt Dawn. She might be able to take some time off."

"Yay, Aunt Dawn!" Joyce approved. "Oh and can Uncle Parker come? He's really cool."

Pulling up outside her daughter's school, Buffy parked her car.

"We'll see," was the reply to her daughter's request. She released the seatbelt holding the child. "We'll talk more when you get back, ok?"

"Ok," Joyce agreed. She leant in to give her mother a kiss. "Bye mommy."

"See you later, sweetie," Buffy replied her, watching as her daughter left their car and closed the door. She made sure the child made her way safely into her school building before she started the engine and drove onto the main road, heading for her place of work.

"Lemme get those," Parker offered, bending to pick the papers that seemed to have just leapt from Buffy's grasp and into his pathway.

"Thanks," the blonde psychiatrist replied.

Gesturing as if to say 'no problem', Parker turned as if to be on his way, stopping when Buffy called,

"Parker, wait." She paused, attempting to look as sorry as she could. "About the other day," she told him. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Parker dismissed, clarifying, "I was just ticked off that you're with someone."

Looking into her colleague's sincere blue eyes, the slayer couldn't stop herself from asking,

"What if I wasn't?"

With an expression showing his lack of understanding, the brunette psychiatrist asked,

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not seeing anyone," Buffy told him, adding, "Anymore. We broke up."

"Why?" He asked, catching himself. "I'm sorry, that's none of my business." In an attempt to read his colleague's expression Parker asked, "Are you ok?"

"You know what?" Buffy asked rhetorically, answering, "Yeah."

"Well anyway, I'm sorry," the man replied. Thinking about it he decided, "Well actually, I'm not.'Cause I really like you and the thought of you with someone else was killing me."

Flattered, the slayer smiled encouraging the brunette to continue his advances.

"In light of recent events," he declared. "What do you say we start over?"

"I'd like that," Buffy admitted.

"Great," Parker replied, grinning. "What are you doing this weekend?"

"I was supposed to be going out with a friend of mine," the slayer remembered. Deciding, "You should come... You could get to know everybody."

"Sure," Parker agreed. "Sounds like a date."

Buffy smiled.

"Oh," she uttered, suddenly recalling an engagement. "Could you cover for me today? I've got to go and pick up Joyce from school later."

"Of course," the brunette replied, inquiring, "How is she?"

"She's ok. Much better now that she's having a party. To which, by the way, she wants you to attend."

"Me?" the brunette replied, taken aback.

"Yeah. She's crazy about you. It's uncle Parker this and Uncle Parker that."

Smiling the brunette admitted, "Well I'm crazy about her... and her mom."

"Stop, you'll make me blush," Buffy told her colleague enjoying the feeling of being wanted again. Succumbing to his charms the blonde slayer allowed herself to enjoy the attention dealt to her, fighting to ignore the guilt that for some reason still seemed to plague her conscience.

Pulling up outside Sunnydale Junior School for the second time that day, the slayer exited her vehicle. Walking across the road, she saw her daughter standing outside in conversation with Faith who was crouched down beside her. The slayer approached the two of them.

"I miss you too," she heard Faith tell the youngster. "But things aren't great between me and your mom right now." Feeling a shadow cast upon them the brunette looked up to see her ex-girlfriend approach. She stood to full height.

With an awkward silence upon them, "Hey," was all Faith could think to say.

"Hey," Buffy replied. She looked to her daughter acknowledging her with a smile and a, "Hi sweetie." Bending and holding out her arms for the child, she asked, "How was school?" holding her in a tight embrace.

"Fine," Joyce replied.

The blonde slayer gave her child a kiss before standing and looking again to Faith.

"I wasn't sure if I was supposed to pick her up," the brunette explained.

Buffy nodded appreciatively.

"How are you?" she asked, no other question coming to mind.

"Good," Faith returned. "You?"

"Yeah," the blonde slayer answered, with a nod.

"J tells me you're throwing her a party," the brunette stated.

"Yeah, this Saturday. It'd be great if you could come."

"Yeah," Faith replied, trying hard to remain casual. "I'll try and swing by."

"Okay. Well we'll hopefully see you then," Buffy told her, taking hold of her daughter's hand and motioning to leave.

"Bye Faith," Joyce told the brunette.

"Yeah, later kiddo," Faith replied, watching the blondes leave her hand in hand. Feeling her heart break for the second-time in a short period, she reached for her keys and headed for her car.

"General, congratulations on your promotion," Hammond was told by a junior upon his arrival at the base.

"Well I owe it all to you, Major," the older of the two men replied. "Your plan worked like a dream."

"Yeah I just heard," the Major replied his superior.

The General shook his head as if dazzled. "I'm amazed though, how did you know it would work?"

"It was obvious," the younger man answered. "Buffy seemed unsure of their relationship. She was constantly holding back; like she was scared," he analysed, continuing, "Whereas... the other one, was very insecure about their relationship. I'm thinking rough childhood issues. They genuinely care deeply for each other and that manifests itself in the kid, but then again neither of them seems to know it. Add an excuse for them to break up and bam! I knew the two of them would go their separate ways - they just needed the opportunity."

"Oh, obviously," General Hammond replied sarcastically. He laughed, dismissing, "Anyway, good work, Major."

"Thank you, sir," the young man replied, cocking his head in a semi-bow.

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