As Buffy was taking a shower, Faith brought Rose into the Kitchen.
"Did you tell her?" Willow asked, taking Rose from Faith.
Faith was busy making coffee. "Not yet, but I will."
"You should. Like now. They're gonna be here tonight, and well, it shouldn't really be like a surprise party. I guess. I don't know, should those types of things be surprises? You know they did that intervention with Bailey."
Faith and Kennedy were now just staring at Willow.
"You know on Party of Five, and it was a surprise. Of course, it didn't turn out well, so maybe we shouldn't do that..." Willow trailed off, thinking.
"Okay, Red, no more coffee for you." Faith said. "I'll go tell her."
Buffy was getting dressed. 'I can't believe I curled into Faith like that, in the middle of the night. When is the last time I've actually slept in the bed with someone anyway, where sleeping was the primary goal?' She wondered to herself.
Faith knocked on the door. "Hey B, can I talk to you?"
"What about?"
"Well first of all, sorry about falling asleep in here. I didn't mean to. I'm worn out." Buffy nodded. "Second, GilesandDawnarecoming." She rushed out.
"What??" Buffy asked. "Did you say Giles is coming, and bringing Dawn?" Faith nodded. "That's what I thought you said. When?"
"This afternoon."
"Thanks for warning me, Faith. I would've hated having been prepared." Buffy said. "Don't give the flight risk a reason to run away. It'd be easier just to spring it on her." She finished in a mocking tone.
"That isn't why we didn't tell you. Hell, we just found out. It's not a personal attack, B. But you're attitude changes so quickly...we just thought it was for the best. " Faith finished.
"I'm glad you people have so much interest in what is for 'my best'." Buffy said. "What would I do without my own personal set of guardian angel friends?"
"You'd probably be dead." Faith deadpanned back.
"I'm just wondering, Faith." Buffy said, letting her anger get to her.
"What's that?" Faith countered.
"How does it feel to swoop in here and save the day. I mean they couldn't fix it, could they? So they call you, as a last resort mind you, to come in and 'help me.' I mean, that must be pretty good for the ego, right? Helping Buffy. The one person who never needed help. The one person you've always had a thing for, and now she needs you. How does that feel? Do you feel vindicated? Do you feel superior now that I've fucked up? Do you have anymore little pearls of wisdom to throw my way?"
Faith stood for a minute staring at Buffy, slowly counting to ten before speaking.
"I have a couple of things I want to throw your way B, but it ain't pearls. As for how it feels, well, it feels pretty shitty. I'm not taking a victory lap by being here. I didn't win anything. In fact, I feel like I lost it all. I especially don't feel like fixing anyone's problems. And I didn't feel superior. Not until right now."
Buffy looked up.
"You judge me by how I felt about you, fine. You think I'm here so I'll look good? I don't give a fuck what anybody thinks about me, and that includes Willow and Kennedy in there. I just wanted to help you because you needed it. And you know you needed it. So in this situation right now, I am superior to you. You accuse me of having ulterior motives and I know I don't have any."
"I don't even understand that." Buffy said.
"I don't expect you to, B." Faith said. "Look, Giles and Dawn are coming. Deal with that. I am going to be here. Deal with that. And you can be in bitch mode or mother mode, and I couldn't care the fuck less. It's not gonna make any of this easier. So deal with that. Now, I'm going to go swimming. I'll see you after while."
"Still not afraid I'll leave?" Buffy said.
"If you want to leave, you know where the door is." Faith said, walking out.
Faith put on her bathing suit and grabbed a towel. Kennedy and Willow had taken Rose to the store and Buffy still had not come out of her room.
Faith was struck by how much she really didn't care. It was fine by her, if she stayed in there all day.
She thought back to what Buffy had said. Did she feel vindicated? She couldn't answer that. If she was honest with herself, she would have to say, yes. If only because she wasn't the screw-up this time. But Buffy is? And that's not what I wanted either.
'Still,' She thought. 'I could've slapped her back there. How does she manage to drive me from wanting to stay in bed with her all day, to wanting to put her face through Willow's wall? I never really knew how right I was about thin lines.'
The rest of the day was tense for the four. Buffy and Faith avoided each other. Buffy and Faith avoided Willow and Kennedy, as well. Buffy came in when the girls got back from the store, and she and Rose played for a while with Mr. Gordo at the kitchen table.
Rose soon wanted to find Faith, so Buffy took her outside and waited on Faith to get out of the pool. Faith came and got Rose, and the two still managed not to speak.
'It's for the best.' Faith told herself. 'save it for tonight.'
Buffy was arguing with herself as well.
'I'll just leave. As soon as it gets too tough I'll leave. But that's what they expect? So, fuck them. I'm gonna sit this out. Let them all gang up on me. All be in on it together. I'm not budging, and I'm not talking either. Nope not talking. They can talk all they want. But I'm not volunteering shit. I'll only answer their questions.' She'd then change her mind. 'No, I've got to calm down. They are trying to help me. I can't go into this being defensive. I have to listen to them. I hurt them.'
She laid down on her bed. She could hear Rose and Faith in the pool splashing. "I can do this." She said out loud, before laying down.
Faith brought Rose inside.
"We should give her a bath." Kennedy said. "Mrs. Chambers is coming to get her."
"Who's Mrs. Chambers?" Faith asked.
"She's the neighbor." Faith looked suspicious. "No, don't, we trust her. She has been a huge help and she's agreed to watch Rose tonight."
"As long as you trust her." Faith said.
An hour later, Rose was gone and Faith, Kennedy and Willow were sitting in the living room.
"Buffy hasn't left her room all day." Willow said.
"I know." Faith said. "I lost my temper with her. I shouldn't have, but...she just knows what buttons to push, I guess."
"Well, they should be here in a minute. Should we get her? What are we going to say? I'm starting to think we should have thought this out a little more than we did. I just don't want to be counterproductive. Maybe this was a bad idea." Willow said.
"Why's that?"
"I just, I don't know what to tell you, Faith. Honestly I want to help Buffy, you know that. There's too much between us for me not to want to help her. But..." Willow trailed off.
"Rose." Kennedy finished for her.
"Yeah, Rose. It's just...we've basically been her only real stability for a year. And Buffy comes back and is all reformed, and that's it. Mommy's better, so see ya? I'm not sure I can do that. I don't know if I can ever trust her. What's worse, I don't want to. I can't imagine what's going to happen because of this. I never thought she would come back here and actually want Rose. In all honesty, I thought she would come back, pull the same stunts as before, and that would be the end of it." Willow said looking away from Faith.
"Is that why you called me? You didn't think I could really help, did you? I'd drag her back, she'd laugh in our faces and take off again. Or did you think I'd join her, give her a running buddy, seeing as her scene was so my scene? Is that it?" Faith asked, angrily.
"No, no of course not. I knew you would never do that. I don't...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm being selfish, I know that. It was stupid of me."
"No, Red I'm glad you did say something. Makes me feel better, really. I guess everyone does have ulterior motives. No wonder B doesn't trust us." Faith said, and then turned toward the door which had just rang. "It's too late now. They're here."
"Faith, wait." Kennedy said, as Faith was walking out of the room.
"No, Ken, answer the door." Faith turned around.
"I'm going to talk to Buffy."
Part 19
Buffy was still lying on her bed. There was no need to take a nap, she couldn't stop thinking about what was about to happen. She had resigned herself to a course of action while lying there. She had a plan and she knew what she was going to say.
'I have to be prepared for this.' She thought.
As she was leaving the room, Faith walked into her.
"Oh, sorry, B." She said, Buffy nodded. "Look, maybe this wasn't a good idea. I think, I...the others..." Faith couldn't decide what to say to Buffy.
"I know, I heard you guys." Buffy said.
"What? How much?"
"Enough. I already knew that, Faith." Buffy said. "I understand it as well. You've been around Rose for a few days and you love her, right?"
It was Faith's turn to nod.
"Right. Now imagine it's been a year. I'm a threat to that, Faith. I see that. I'm not sure how to feel about that, but I understand it."
"Still, we didn't think this through. Not completely. There is likely to be a lot of hostility in that room. I don't want you to run away."
"They don't either, Faith. It may seem like they do, but they don't." Buffy sighed walking past her. "Come on."
Buffy walked into the living room, to find Giles and Dawn sitting with the two girls. Faith was behind her.
"Hello, Buffy." Giles said first. "It's truly good to see you."
Buffy ran to him and hugged him, he flinched before responding.
"I'm sorry, Buffy." He said, when he saw her hurt expression. "I wasn't expecting that."
"It's okay." She said, backing away.
"Hi, Dawnie." She said, glancing at her sister.
"You look different than I expected Buffy." Dawn said sitting down.
"Hello, Faith. It's good to see you as well." Giles said, sitting down. "How are you?"
"Fishing for five by five, G-man?" She asked. He smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'm five by five."
"I've been talking to the girls and I don't know if this is such a good idea, Buffy. I admit that we were all hasty in deciding this. I suppose I just wanted to see you." Giles said looking back at Buffy.
"It's okay, Giles." Buffy said. "I want to."
"No, Buffy, I agree," Faith said. "with Giles. I think we should rethink this. We aren't here to attack you, and I'm afraid that's what will happen." She finished, looking at the others.
Buffy held up her hands. "I'm cool with that. Well, not attacking, I mean not physical attacking. I don't think that would be fun. Not that I expect this to be fun." She sighed.
"Ok, look, everybody sit down."
Willow spoke. "We are all sitting down." She said, looking around.
"Umm, okay. Well, then I want to talk."
Faith started to speak.
"No, let me finish. I've been in my room for a few hours now, and this is all I've been thinking about. So, I want to talk. That's what you wanted, right?" Buffy asked.
They nodded.
"Good. So this is what I was thinking. I wanna talk, tell you guys some things. I'm working on very little nerve here, so I know I have no right to ask this, but I want to know if you would just listen. Until I get through. Is that okay?" Faith and Giles nodded.
"Wills?" Willow looked at Kennedy and they both nodded as well. Buffy looked at Dawn.
"I guess." Dawn spoke.
"Before I begin, though," Buffy said, looking around. "where's Xander?"
"He's not coming." Willow said.
"Oh. He knows about it?" Buffy asked. Willow again nodded. "Well...okay. I respect that. I completely understand it as well."
Buffy sat down, opposite the rest of the group in a chair she pulled across the room.
"First of all, I want to say I'm sorry."
Everyone looked down.
"I know you don't want to hear it. And I can recall telling one certain someone that I would beat them to death if they uttered those words to me." She looked at Faith.
"But I am. I know that it doesn't fix anything. It probably doesn't even matter to you. But I need to say it. You need to know it. I'm not gonna sit here and give you guys a long drawn out excuse of why I did the things that I did. I don't have one. I wasn't intentionally trying to hurt you. To be completely honest, I wasn't thinking about you at all. None of you." She took a breath and paused.
"What I was doing was escaping. I thought I could handle it and when I knew I couldn't, I didn't care. It escalated and I was spiraling. I wish that I could say it was different. That I did care what I was doing, but I didn't."
At this point everyone was staring at her, still not speaking.
Willow wasn't looking at her, but the rest of them watched her as she got up and crisscrossed the room.
She began again.
"I wasn't trying to escape any of you. If that is what you thought. I know I ran away several times. I know I sent some of you away." She said, looking at Dawn.
"But I wasn't escaping you. I wanted to not come back, but I couldn't. Why did you think that I kept returning? No matter how many people I met, and how connected they became to my life, they never could replace one moment with any of you. So I would come back. But I didn't know what I wanted. I felt smothered. I made myself feel that way here, around you guys, you didn't do it to me. But it was there just the same, and so I left. The last time I stayed away so long because I was embarrassed. There were so many times that I wanted to come back, to call you, to do something to fix what I was doing. But I had a child, one I didn't even care about, and I knew what you would think. And when I did come back, it wasn't because I got over that embarrassment, that feeling of failure, it was because I needed you to fix my mess. The thought of doing it on my own, terrified me. Rose terrified me. And I knew you," She said looking at Willow. "I knew you would do what was right. Because I couldn't."
Willow started to speak, noticing that Buffy's last few statement were coming out choked.
"Please let me finish, Wills." She said, trying to gain her composure. "I have to. I want to address everyone separately. To show you that I've thought about all of you and what I did wrong. Please let me do that."
"Okay." Willow said.
Faith was getting antsy watching Buffy pace. She wanted to tell her that it was enough for now. She didn't want to see anymore, but it wasn't about her, so she continued to stay silent. She was barely moving, terrified of what Buffy was going to say, especially to her.
"Giles," Buffy said. "I guess I'll start with you. We've grown apart, huh?" She asked him. He smiled sadly. "It's not your fault. I know that now. I held you on a pedestal. I expected you to know what was right, and then I sent you packing back to England when I started to feel suffocated. I know you knew what I was doing," He nodded again. "but it didn't stop me. Maybe the reason I sent the two of you there," She said glancing at Dawn. "is because I knew you could stop me. I thought I could manipulate Willow and Xander, that they would understand, but I knew you wouldn't. Again, I'm sorry."
Giles started to speak.
"No please, please let me finish with everyone. Then I promise if it takes all night, I will listen to each of you and answer anything you have to say. But if I stop. I'm afraid to stop. Don't make me." She pleaded.
"Go ahead." He said.
Buffy moved back to her seat and looked at Dawn.
"I'm not sure what to say to you. I know I can't fix it. I was responsible for you and I let you down. Not just with this, but time and time again. I got rid of you, because I was scared of you. I'm sorry. I do love you, I've never stopped loving you. I wish, I hope that you know that. What I did to you with Jack. It's the first thing in a long line of mistakes I wish I could undo. I hurt you for no other reason than for the hell of it. I didn't respect you enough to even care. I don't deserve anything from you," She was now completely crying. "but I am sorry. I am so sorry that I would do whatever you asked me to do to fix it. Anything."
Dawn had not tried to speak like Giles. She made no move to say anything when she realized Buffy was through, so Buffy moved on.
Part 20
"Kennedy, I guess you're next. I had the hardest time deciding what I wanted to say to you. I know that we didn't know each other for very long before all of this started and that our relationship was strained at best. That all being said, I respected, do respect you. If for nothing more than loving Willow, for helping her when she needed you. I guess I was jealous. I never expected you to do what you did." Buffy was wringing her hands trying to look Kennedy in the face. "Take care of Rose. I know you didn't want to clean my messes, and you had no reason to, but you did. I'm not stupid, I know that you love Rose, and that you love Willow, and it wasn't for me that you did it. But you still did. You're a better person than I ever gave you credit for. I wish I could have known you before, that you could have seen the other me. But I never let you. Yet you still chose to do this, you continue to help me. And I just wanted to thank you. For that. For all of it." Buffy finished.
Buffy got up and went to sit beside Willow, she took Willow's hand. "Guess I'm next, huh?" Willow asked softly.
"I will never have enough time to say all the things that I want to say to you. I think we are at a point now that it won't matter. You were my best friend. I love you and Xander like I could no one else. I never gave you any credit, either of you. Not when you deserved it. I deserted you, left you with my child, and you picked up my pieces and assembled them. I kept the two of you in the dark. I let you play roles in the shadows, I took all the glory, and I was selfish. I used you, continuously, and you never even seemed bothered by it. I lied to you, I was awful to you, and still you let me into your house, and you give me a chance." Buffy was looking Willow in the eye. "I know how you feel about Rose." Willow looked to Faith, surprised. "No, she didn't tell me, I overheard it. I already knew it. You should know that I would never deprive Rose of you, of any of you. She's lucky to have you."
Buffy took a deep breath and continued.
"But I am her mother. I have no right to ask you for another chance, Willow, I know that. But I need it, and she needs it. You have to see that. Please. If you think, if you truly think, that Rose doesn't need me, that she would be better without me, than I will leave. I promise, I will give up everything and I will leave here and you will never see me again. If that is what you think is best, that is what I'll do. I just hope that it isn't."
She got up from her place beside Willow.
Faith, on the other side of the room, was near panic.
'Don't let her do this, please.' She was thinking. 'I can't.'
Buffy noticed her nervousness.
"Faith, please," She said. "look at me."
"No, Buffy, don't. You haven't hurt me. Not like you have hurt them. You don't owe me an explanation of your actions. I understand them. Don't apologize to me." Faith was barely whispering by the time she finished.
Buffy knelt in front of her.
"I'm not going to apologize, Faith. But please let me talk. I have so much to say to you. And they need to hear it, too. For six years I have searched for you."
Faith looked surprised. "Not literally, I knew Willow could reach you. I didn't want to do that. That was too much facing for me. But all the others, they were you. Even the perfume you wore, anything about you that I could find in someone, I jumped on them. I even made it up. Their voice, their eat-shit attitude, their carefreeness, it didn't matter, as long as I could see you in something, someone, I could survive. When you walked into that bar that night, my heart was beating so fast I was certain you could hear it across the room. I, what I did that night, I wanted you," The others looked around uncomfortably. "but I wanted to run you away more. I had to, otherwise I knew you would have me here and I would finally have to deal. I was afraid of that. Seeing you with Rose, I couldn't decide whether I was jealous or happy. You loved my daughter after one day. I mean, you came here and you are actually together. You are the calm one. You are the sane one. You are the wise one. And I am the fuck-up I always made you think you are."
Buffy had her hands on Faith's knees.
Faith, for her part, finally allowed herself to cry, albeit silently while Buffy continued.
"It's why I'm glad you left the note. It's why I'm glad you got off that bus and went to Boston. If you hadn't... If I had dragged you here with me, I'm afraid of what I would have made you do. Don't get me wrong, I know you're strong, Faith. I know that now more than ever, and even then I knew you were going to be okay. But I also know that it would have been so much easier to pull you down than for you to pull me up. That's the way it is with anything. And as many lives as I've ruined, I'm glad I wasn't given the chance to ruin yours." Buffy was now barely whispering, and tears were sliding down her cheeks.
Faith was looking at her hands, softly sobbing, afraid of what she would say next.
"I don't deserve you, Faith. I'm not even sure that you see me that way anymore. You shouldn't. You've seen what I am, and what I can become. I don't want to destroy you and I'm afraid I will. I wish that I could go with you, just forget all of this, but I can't. I can't be with you. If I had dealt with those feelings long before that bus ride, like I should have, I could have avoided all of this. We could have been happy. But I fucked it all up. I need to pay penance, and part of that punishment is not having you. I can't think of anything more precious that I could give up. What's more, you don't deserve to be hurt, you really don't. I want you to be with someone who is your equal, because I am so clearly not."
Faith was crying hard, shoulders shaking, she got up and left the room. Kennedy moved to follow her.
"Let her go, Kennedy," Giles spoke, breaking the silence, "if she had had something to say she would still be in here. As for the rest of us. I think we should all take a break. That was incredibly brave of you, Buffy, but you must understand that we cannot answer you at this point. It would be better for everyone in here, if we just relaxed for a few moments."
Buffy was still staring at the door that Faith had exited through, Willow came up behind her.
"Buffy, it's okay to cry." Hugging her from behind. Buffy turned in her arms and broke down miserably.
"I just want to do what's right, Will, I really do. You have to believe me."
"I do, Buffy. I'm not sure what else to say right now and I don't think have to deal with it all at once." She hugged Buffy tighter, laying the girl's head on her shoulder.
Dawn came from behind Buffy and put her hand on her back.
"I never stopped loving you, either." She said sadly before leaving the room.
Willow looked over Buffy's head at Kennedy, who was standing there awkwardly staring at the two.
"Why don't you show Giles and Dawn where to sleep and then go get Rose?" She asked her, obviously just giving the uncomfortable girl something to do.
She walked Buffy back to the couch and let her cry on her lap, wondering how things had changed so dramatically with only a few words. She rubbed Buffy's head softly as she sobbed.
'I guess this girl has a hold on all of us.' She thought.
Part 21
Faith fell on her bed trying to control her crying.
'Stop it. Stop it.' She told herself in her head.
She laid in the bed silently willing everyone to go to sleep. After she had stopped crying and figured she was unable to sleep, she crept out into the hall noticing all the lights were off.
'Good.' She thought, taking a deep breath, she went back into her room and began to pack.
Buffy was sitting on her bed listening to Faith in the next room.
She knew she should go in there, stop her from packing, she knew that was what she was doing. She had spent more than a few minutes crying on Willow's lap, until Kennedy had come back into the room.
"Giles and Dawn are going to bed. I gave him the pullout, I didn't think about not having enough room, that's never happened before." She smiled slightly at the two weary girls. "Dawn's in our bed, I figured I could sleep with Rose." Willow nodded to her. "Faith, umm she hasn't come out of her room, so I guess we should just leave her alone?"
"Yeah, good idea." Willow looked down at Buffy's head, still lying in her lap, "I think I'll sleep with Buffy tonight, if that's okay?" Buffy nodded in her lap. "Just like old times huh?"
"Yes, thank you, Willow, I realize we're not through." Buffy said sitting up.
Willow looked at Kennedy who left the room.
"What you did, Buffy, it was incredibly brave. It came from the Buffy I know, not the one you had become, and everything I wanted to say, all of it, it was meant for that Buffy, not you. I don't know what to say now. I think sleep will help us."
"I do love Faith." Buffy said, after Willow rose from the couch. "I do." She whispered again softly.
"If I didn't learn anything else tonight, Buffy, I learned that."
Willow had gone to get ready for bed and Buffy was still sitting in the same place listening for Faith when she returned.
"She's leaving." Buffy said, getting up when Willow came in the room.
"I heard her. She did stop crying. But I think you're right. You need to decide what you want to do about that. I hate that it has to be right now, but I think it does. Faith is about to pull her famous escape routine and you have a chance to stop it."
"Do I want to?" Buffy asked.
Willow raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"
"Of course, but you see my point don't you, Will?"
"I see what you're thinking, yes. But I don't know if you should punish yourself. It may not be good to jump into anything with Faith, at least not right now, but I bet she knows that. But, by punishing yourself, you are also punishing her. My advice is to ask her. She deserves to be able to tell you how she feels. She's been you're only advocate, even when she didn't want to be."
Buffy sighed and crossed the room, sitting on the floor.
"Unfortunately, you don't have a lot of time to decide what to say. Cause I think she's about to bail."
"I know." They heard the door to Faith's room and Buffy began to look panicked.
"She'll check on Rose first." Willow said. "So you probably have a few minutes."
Faith walked into Rose's room to find Kennedy lying in bed with Rose.
"Hey." She said softly, turning towards the door as Faith entered.
"I didn't mean to wake you."
"Kinda waiting for you." She said looking at Faith and getting up. She put her hand on her shoulder. "I know we don't know each other that well. But I like you, and I care about you. I don't want to see you do something you'll regret."
"She doesn't want me here."
"She didn't say that. She's drained, and she may have been right about some things," Faith looked away from her. "but not all of it. She just doesn't want to hurt you. She's trying in her own way to protect you. I'm afraid if you leave, at least without telling her, you'll undo all the progress she's made tonight. Besides," Kennedy looked down and pointed at Rose. "you can't leave her without telling her. It would upset her. Where's Faithy? Where's Faithy? That's all we'd hear. You wouldn't want to do that to Rosie, would you?" She finished, smiling.
"Low blow, Ken." Faith smiled. "But you're right. I'll go talk to B."
She gave Rose a kiss on the cheek. "Such a low blow."
"I'm pretty good at that. Nighty-night Faith."
"Bite me, Ken." She said, shutting the door.
Buffy heard Rose's door shut and walked into the hall. Faith was standing there when she came out.
"Faith, listen, please don't leave, not like this. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm trying not to, I'm sorry for that. Just you can't go, not like this, please." Buffy was holding both of Faith's arms.
Faith, staring at the floor, finally spoke.
"I was coming to talk to you. I'm not going to leave. Not like that. I was just...I was hurt. I heard the rejection, and you know, I told you years ago, that rejection and I are not mates. I was going to run, but I can't leave, not like that."
"But you're going to leave?"
"I have to at some point, B. You made your decision and I wasn't even given a choice in the matter. You didn't even ask me what I wanted. You assumed you knew," She saw Buffy catch her breath. "and you did." She said leaning her back against the wall.
"You have always known. But I didn't expect anything from you, Buffy, I never have. I just wanted to help you. I wasn't here to get into your pants. If that is what you were thinking." Faith rose from the wall and walked past Buffy. She turned around.
"There's so much I need to tell you. I should have been more honest. But I can't right now, I just can't. We should just go to bed."
Buffy nodded slowly and went back to her room. Faith made her way to her room and shut the door, then opened it again, then shut it.
'Ok, I need a smoke.' She thought, and made her way to the back door. Willow was in the kitchen. "Whatcha doin?" Faith asked.
"I can't sleep. But I don't want to keep Buffy awake. I also don't won't to leave her alone. But I can't stay in there. It's...I don't know why. I really don't. She's already asleep, so I guess it doesn't matter. I'm so tired, but I can't sleep." Willow was close to tears.
"Look, we're all emotional here. And tired. And frankly, freaked. We can play musical bedrooms." Willow looked up at Faith. "Take my room, I'm not tired. Don't look at me like that. I'm not going to jump your bones, Red, Kennedy's a Slayer now, it'd be too fair a fight."
"Glad you want me, Faith, but we can't leave Buffy alone." Willow said.
"I know, I'm not sleepy. I'll sit with her."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, if you'll let me smoke in there?" Faith looked at her, smiling.
"Deal." Willow smiled back.
Faith walked into Buffy's room and sat across from the bed in the overstuffed armchair.
'You're cute asleep, Angel was right about that.' She thought, before lighting a cigarette. She pulled her knees under her chin.
'And just another freakin reason why I can't leave you.' She thought.
Part 22
Buffy awoke. Her head was hurting and she looked around for Willow.
'Where is she?' She thought. She squinted and looked at the clock. Four o'clock.
She started to cry.
Faith stirred in her sleep."B, are you okay?" Faith could hear her crying. "What's wrong?"
"Faith, where are you?"
"Right here. Right here." Faith crossed the room quickly. "What's up?" She patted Buffy's head.
"I just thought, no one was...I didn't think anyone was here." Buffy sniffed.
"Well, I'm here, go back to sleep, 'k?"
"Where are you going? Where's Will?" Buffy grabbed Faith's arm as she turned around.
"She's in my room."
"Why?"
"Cause I'm in here?"
"Again, why?"
"Cause Red's too hot, couldn't stay in the room with her and all." Faith smiled at Buffy. "I just wanted to stay in here with ya. Can't I do that?"
"Yes, I'm sorry, excuse the paranoia, it's not uncommon for me to wake up and the entire place be deserted."
"Willow and Kennedy run away in the middle of the night?"
"No, I mean, you know, wake up not knowing where you are, nobody there."
"Unfortunately, I do know, B. That's a shitty feeling. Scary, too." Faith sat on the bed.
She looked at Buffy's hand holding her arm. "It's why I'm in here and all." She said, before removing it.
"You don't have to sleep in the chair, I know you're tired. I won't jump you or anything."
"Hey, that's the same thing I told Red, she didn't believe me though. I guess once a slutty psychopath, always a slutty psychopath." Buffy would have reprimanded Faith had she not seen her smiling.
"I know B, I'm not a slutty psychopath anymore."
"Well, I was gonna say, yes I understand, but ok you're not a psychopath anymore." Buffy smirked.
"Slutty psychopath, B."
"Let's not get carried away, F...you should keep some interesting characteristics." Buffy laid back down and looked at Faith. "Besides, I find sluts endearing, course I'm fucked up, so... " She closed her eyes. "sleep here, Faith."
"I don't think so."
"Why?"
"Do we really want to have this conversation at..." She looked at the bedside clock. "four a.m.?"
"If we need to have it, then yes. Four a.m.'s cool with me."
"Look, Buffy," Faith said getting up and moving back to the chair. "I want to help you. From some deep masochistic side, I need to help you. But it doesn't mean I don't have feelings, I mean those feelings don't change. They're still there, the feelings." Faith sighed heavily. "When the fuck did I start channeling Willow? Ok, look, you know that I pretty much love you. Hell, there were times I think I worshipped you. I lived for you. In prison, you were the single fucking thing I thought about, well, besides sex, more than once a day. So you see the obsession?" She waited for a moment, but Buffy didn't speak.
"Anyway, I...you see? I can't. I can't be here with you and pretend like it's not there. I don't want to play the 'sexual innuendo Faith' anymore. I'm not baiting you, but then again I never was. It's becoming too much for me. It's too much now. It became that way when I had to will myself not to climb into bed with you, not to fuck you that night at the club. It's a constant fight with everything about me. My desire for you is fighting with my conscious, and after a while I'm afraid that the wrong one will win."
"Which one's the wrong one?" Buffy asked quietly.
"Does it matter? You made a decision. I understand waiting, B. I really do. It isn't good for you to jump into some sort of relationship, you need to focus on other things. I really understand that. But it doesn't make me feel any different. And you decide to that it can never work. What the fuck is that about? You want to change, yet you're still thinking about yourself."
"Thinking about myself? Faith I'm doing this for you. I don't want to hurt you. I don't deserve..."
Buffy was cut off by Faith. "...me. I know, I know, you don't deserve me. You fucking said that. That's my point, who the fuck are you to decide what I need. I get no say in it? If you don't want me, if you don't...love me, than say that. Please. But don't play the whole Joan of Arc girl, cause you're not."
"I don't want you to go Faith, I really don't."
"If you can't change, Buffy, I don't think I can stay. I want to help you, I think I did.."
"You did."
"But now you don't need me. You've got Willow and the rest of them. I believe they are going to help you. And if not, well, I'll come back and kick ass. Let them give me a reason, but...you don't need me anymore."
"I do need you. But you're leaving, aren't you?"
"I don't see a way around it. I want to stay, but...I love myself, Buffy. That's really hard for me to say, but for a long time, I didn't love myself. I couldn't love you like I wanted to, because I didn't care about me. Maybe that's what you're going through. It doesn't matter, because, I do love myself now. And I can't put myself in this situation. Being near you every day, seeing you, and not...not having you. I'm afraid I couldn't control myself."
Faith finished and moved to the bed, Buffy was crying.
"And what, Faith," She suddenly snapped. "could you control yourself around others. When you get back? Are you gonna remain celibate forever?"
"I've never been celibate, B." She said. "Jeez, I'm not a saint."
"Oh."
"Look, it's not about that. You think I'm gonna go back to Boston and find someone else? Fall in love and forget all about you? Yeah right, fat fucking chance. I go six years without seeing you and...I had opportunities, but they were like...shit they couldn't compare. Why am I telling you this, when you already know that?"
"I'm sorry. If you have to go, than you should go."
"No, I won't if you can't deal without me here. I'm not going til I know it's okay."
"I don't want you to leave, if that's what you want to hear. I'm never going to say that. I want to be honest, and that isn't honest. I want you to stay. But I understand, I can't keep you here, not like that, it's unfair."
"It's not like I'll stay gone. I'll be back. I've decided at least once a month. And you can come visit, I want you to. I don't want to go without seeing you or Rose. I just think a little time apart, well, it couldn't hurt." Faith looked at her hands. "If I give you that, I mean the time, would you ever, could you change your mind, maybe?" She choked out.
Buffy lifted Faith's chin and looked into her eyes.
"I hope so, baby." She kissed her on the forehead. Faith collapsed, crying again, and Buffy stroked her hair, content on being the one who was consoling.
Part 23
Six months later.
Faith was busy wiping down the bar for the fifth time that night.
'Fucking morons,' She thought. 'can't keep from spilling a single beer, or hitting an ash tray, or just being nasty. What the hell am I doing here?'
She was sick of these idiots, sick of Boston. She missed B. It had been six months and she had seen her at least every three weeks. Buffy would come visit and bring Rose, or she would fly or drive to New Orleans. She talked to her on the phone, she went to the zoo, the aquarium, the park with the mothers and daughters.
She was accepting Buffy's progress. So why did it feel like every time she saw her a knife was once again sliding into her stomach?
'Cause she's fucking killing me,' She thought. 'and she doesn't even fucking know it.'
Faith had left New Orleans the day after Buffy's epiphany with the gang; red-eyed and crying. It took her three days to get back to Boston. She was unable to drive very far without stopping, too tired to do anything but lie down.
Boston sucked, but New Orleans had gotten better. At least for Buffy. It was slow going, Willow opened up to Buffy more everyday. Once Buffy proved to her that she was herself, there was nothing Willow could do but accept her back into her life.
Of course, she and Xander had argued.
"She's changed." Wllow told him.
"Somehow I find it hard to believe that after one night and day with Faith, the old Buffy emerged good as new and ready for wear." Xander returned.
"Well, she did. It wasn't Faith, Xander. I mean, Faith helped, but Buffy changed, on her own. She wanted to. She wants to be Rose's mother. She wants to do what's right."
"Oh, good. Well, she wants to be Rose's mother," Xander looked at Willow like she had lost her mind. "well I guess that everything is okey dokey now. I feel so much better. She and Faith can have fun and raise Rose. A little Slayer family. Let's just give the baby to the psychopaths."
"Oh, shut up, Xander. Faith isn't even fucking here. She went back to Boston yesterday."
Xander looked at Willow surprised. "Why?"
"Cause Buffy and she are, well, they are trying to give each other space. Buffy needs to focus on getting better. And Faith would be a distraction, to her focus, I mean. She's got to think about Rose. They both are. She comes first, and furthermore, do you think that Kennedy and I are idiots? Like we would just allow Buffy to take Rose and go? She's making progress, but she needs help." Willow placed her hand on Xander's shoulder.
"Lister, Xander, if you can't forgive her, that's fine. She doesn't even expect you to. But I do. Do it for me?" She looked up at Xander. "Or do it for Rose. Or do it for yourself. But just do it. Trust me, it's a different feeling, not being angry at her anymore. It feels normal again, for the first time in six years, it feels normal."
Xander looked down. "And what if she fucks up again?"
"What if she does? It's not like we haven't seen it. But I don't think she will. She's really changed, I can see the old Buffy in her. Trust me, Xander, I know you want to believe me."
"Your powers of persuasion still astound." He smiled, before looking down again. "Alright." He said, finally meeting Willow's eyes. "Take me to her."
And so Buffy apologized. She had rehearsed what she was going to say to him, just like the others. She told him she had used him. That she didn't respect him, and that she knew that all he had ever wanted to do was help her. He had listened and was nonreciprocal until she finished.
"Well, Buff," He said. "I believe you. I don't know why. But then again, I never could explain my pull to you. Sure I thought you were hot, I mean are hot, not that I want you. Though you're hot, I mean. Stupid Xander should shut up and let Smart Xander speak." Buffy smiled. "I just...it was more. You're my friend. I trust you, I don't know why, but I do. And I believe you. If you say you're gonna do what's right, I belive you."
"That's all I wanted. A chance. I know I don't deserve it, but..." Buffy smiled at him, "...you were always a sucker for the hot Slayer."
"Apparently, Buffy." He said, hugging her. "We're all suckers. But in a good way. But not in the good way. Cause that's different. Being a sucker in the good way. Though I can be...what the hell am I talking about?"
"I don't know, Xander, but I just realized how much I've missed you."
So the gang had stood behind Buffy. Giles and Dawn had stayed in New Orleans for a few days and things seemed to be progressing.
Faith was busy with her back to the bar when she heard her name.
"Hey, Faith." She looked up into the eyes of a green-eyed blond.
"Hey, Kara," She smiled. "what ya need?"
"You."
"Not on the menu, but I can get you a drink."
"Okay, give me a beer." Kara said, fishing a cigarette out of her mouth. She leaned over the bar and Faith pulled out the lighter, striking it and holding the flame to the girl. Kara moved Faith's hand out of the way and grabbed her arm, pulling her across the bar.
Before Faith had time to register the girl's advances, she felt her mouth on hers.
Time stopped only for a moment as she allowed herself the sensation of the girl to overwhelm her rational judgment. Fortunately, her rationality soon returned, and she pulled away. Faith looked at the girl and was about to make a comment, when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.
She turned, slowly, silently pleading to any fucking body that would listen, not to be what she thought it was.
"B." She said, rather loudly when she saw her. 'Calm down, dumbass.' She thought.
Buffy was standing at the other end of her bar, staring at the girl that had just kissed Faith.
"B." Faith tried again, but Buffy was still staring. Faith moved over to the other end of the bar, trying to get to Buffy. "Hey, B. Look at me." Faith said.
Buffy turned to Faith. "I was going to surprise you. Surprise, I guess." She said looking down at the bar.
"God, Buffy, it's not..." Faith looked at Buffy pleadingly, grabbing the girl's hands. Buffy pulled them away.
"....what I think it is." She answered cutting Faith off, and taking back her hands. "I understand, Faith really I do." Buffy said. Faith was trying to speak, but Buffy wouldn't let her. "I think it would be for the best if I leave. I'm sorry, I should have at least called."
"No, please don't leave. Let me explain." Faith was near hysterics, trying unsuccessfully to grab Buffy's hands. She heard the other bartender calling her name. "Shit." She said, looking over before looking back at Buffy. "B, please, let me..." Again she heard the bartender call her name.
"Hold the fuck on!" She said, screaming at him. "B. I..."
"It's okay, Faith, I need to go." Buffy said again, cutting Faith off. She was trying to choke down the knot forming quickly in her throat. "You need to see what he wants." She told Faith, who was totally ignoring her pissed off co-worker. "I'm just gonna..." Buffy felt the tears start sliding and turned, running away.
Faith put her hands on the counter and jumped over. She pushed several people out of the way trying vainly to get to Buffy, who was just as quickly trying to get away from her. "B, wait!" She yelled, as she ran outside, watching Buffy walk away. She sped her pace and caught Buffy by the arm, spinning her around.
"Buffy, goddammit, wait." Buffy turned around, she couldn't see Faith clearly.
"Oh, god, don't cry baby, I'm sorry, please, don't cry." Faith wrapped one arm around Buffy's waist and pulled her closer.
"I'm sorry, please, please, I'm sorry." She said, as she wiped softly at Buffy's cheek. "I wasn't...she just did that B, you know I would never, I ...shit...you're the only one. I'm waiting B, I told ya that. I'm waiting. I'm waiting. I'm waiting." She kept repeating softly, as Buffy laid her head on her chest. "I'm always waiting."
"No, you shouldn't wait. I'm an idiot. I think I can fly here and just decide that now it's time, now it's okay. And you'll accept that. I'm stupid. Like you are just here..." Buffy couldn't finish.
"It's time? Time for what?"
"Nothing."
Faith put her hands on her shoulders and pulled Buffy away from her, looking her in the eyes. "Time for what?"
"Nothing. I was wrong." Buffy said, shrugging Faith's hands off of her and turning.
"I don't fucking think so." Faith grabbed her again.
Buffy stayed where she was, Faith at her back. Faith moved in closer and put an arm on her hip. She leaned down and whispered in her ear
"Do you want me?"
Buffy internally moaned at the breath on her neck.
"I've always...Faith, Jesus." She stayed very still, feeling Faith's breath catch, still on her neck. "You know. I was just, I was ready, I guess."
Faith wrapped her other arm around Buffy, pulling her flush against her body. Back to chest, Buffy stared straight ahead and Faith kept her lips near her ear.
"Tell me B." She said, stilling breathing deeply. When Buffy didn't reply, she repeated herself.
"Tell me."
Buffy turned her head to the side, outwardly moaning when Faith snaked her tongue out as she moved.
"I want you."
"What?" Faith asked, licking her again, lower now, near her shoulder.
"I want you. I want you. Oh, god..." Buffy trailed off.
Faith was rotating her hips very slowly against Buffy's ass. She moved the small strap down Buffy's shoulders and licked again. Buffy moaned louder.
"I want you."
Faith roughly pulled Buffy's hips into hers and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's stomach.
"Come on." She said, slowly letting her go and grabbing her hand.
Part 24
'Ok, well, maybe I should have thought about this a little more.' Faith thought, as she watched Buffy sit down on her couch. 'She tells me she wants me and I give any freak with eyes a nice show of my tongue licking wet spots down her shoulder. Mmm, wet, licking.' She thought. 'Fucking-A, shut up!' She told herself, walking into the kitchen.
"You want anything?"
"No, thanks." Buffy barely answered, turning her hands over and over in her lap.
'What am I doing?' Was the single diatribe that was running through Buffy's mind as Faith busied herself in the kitchen. 'Is she avoiding me?' Her mind then switched to, as she listened to the various clanging coming from the brunette's kitchen.
"Where's Rosie?"
'Oh, that's smart.' Faith thought, as soon as she'd spoken. ' Ask her about the kid. She tells me she wants me and I ask about the kid.'
"She's in the car." Buffy looked up at Faith, whose mouth was hanging open. "Shut up. She's with Willow. Did you think I'd bring her, with what I was planning to do and all?"
Faith sat down on the sofa next to Buffy, their thighs barely touching, and leaned back against the couch.
"What exactly were you planning, B? I mean I get the surprise visit, but why?"
"We really have to go through this again?"
"What? I got you want me. Not many people can resist me when my tongue is in-charge." Faith watched Buffy's face as her mind played with the words. "I mean after that. What did you really want?"
"You know, Faith, it's been six months."
"Yeah, Buffy, I can count."
"And apparently continue to be a smartass, as well." Faith looked at her, but Buffy continued. "No, I like the smartass Faith. And I like the sweet Faith. I like all the Faiths. Except the one here in Boston."
"What's wrong with the one in Boston?"
"Well, basically, just that she's here in Boston. And I'm not."
Faith leaned up and whispered into Buffy's ear. "You're here now." She put her arm around Buffy's waist and pulled her into her lap.
"Tell me to stop." She whispered.
Buffy pressed her back into Faith and moved her legs to straddle the girl's thighs.
"No." She whimpered.
Faith ran her hands along Buffy's waist and over the front of her thighs, resting them lightly on the inside of each. Buffy turned her head to the side and found Faith's mouth.
The first touch of her lips and she moaned, while Faith gripped her thighs harder.
She wrapped one hand around Faith's head and rested the other one on top of Faith's hand. She pulled her to her mouth, tighter, and was rewarded with a groan of her own.
Faith quickly moved her hands back to Buffy's waist and stood her up; Buffy, a little stunned, turned to look at Faith who was trying to catch her breath.
"Not sofa, B. Bed." Buffy laughed lightly at Faith's abrupt command and started walking to the bedroom.
She got into the hall and turned to see Faith still sitting staring at her.
"Not, sofa, Faith. Bed." She said smiling at Faith.
Faith still didn't speak and Buffy's smile rapidly faded as she noticed the near voracious glare Faith was giving her. When Faith rose and started to follow, it was Buffy's turn to stay still, she couldn't move with Faith's eyes still on her.
Faith stood in front of her and wrapped her arms around her back, resting them possessively on Buffy's ass. She pushed her mouth onto the smaller girl's neck and began to back them into the bedroom. Buffy, for her part, had crept her hands into Faith's hair and was trying to basically hang on as Faith almost violently carried them both to the bed.
Faith had been, up until this point, working on a sort of automatic reflex. Unable to form more than a few thoughts, she was quickly giving into her body's commands. When Buffy's knees hit the bed, both girls tumbled onto it, Faith straddling Buffy's stomach.
Buffy reached up and pulled the other girl's shirt unceremoniously over her head. Faith felt her body contract at the clearly audible gasp from the other girl.
"I never wear a bra, B." She said, stretching her arms over head before bending down over the girl, their faces inches apart. "It always just seems to get in the way."
She lowered her lips to the girl's and kissed before being dumped quite unexpectedly on her ass on the floor.
"I guess that would be useful in what scenario?" Buffy was panting, peering down at the girl.
Faith was staring up at Buffy, with a look lacking in remorse.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" She stood up, still shirtless and walked over to the girl. When Buffy didn't answer she continued to stare.
"My not wearing a bra?" Faith asked. Buffy nodded. "Oh, fucking-A, Buffy, you know what I meant."
Buffy stood up and walked over to Faith. "Do I?"
"Do you think I'm fucking everything that walks near, B? How many times do we have to keep doing this?" She ran her hands through her hair. "This is not what I want. I don't want it to be because you think someone else might beat you to the punch, or whatever, don't you get that?"
Buffy had stopped trying to focus on anything but the growing wetness between her legs at the sight of an exasperated Faith stretching.
"I'm sorry, I know. I just, I don't know how to do this."
"What?"
"Make love." Buffy said, laying back onto the bed. "But I'm willing to try."
"Me, too." Faith removed her pants still staring at Buffy, who moved to remove her own clothes.
"Let me." Faith said, crawling back onto the bed. She slowly divested her of her shirt, trailing wet kisses down her abdomen. Before going any further she looked up at Buffy, "I've been waiting since the day I met you to do this." She said, removing the rest of the girl's clothing.
Buffy was all ready with a witty comeback, but found herself silenced as Faith laid her naked flush against her. She could feel the heat growing between Faith's legs and her own wetness was getting the better of her.
Faith was busy raining kisses on Buffy's neck and face, becoming more and more turned on by the soft gasping sighs the girl beneath her was making. Buffy ran her hands down Faith's stomach, and before she had time to register the girl's journey, Buffy had slipped her fingers in between her folds.
"Jesus." Faith breathed into Buffy's mouth, as the girl continued to run her hand back and forth against her pussy.
Faith was slowly building up a rhythm of rocking against Buffy's hand, trying to get her to focus the friction on her clit.
"C'mon, B." Faith urged, rocking more forcefully now.
Buffy took her unoccupied hand and slid it down as well, gathering up Faith's juices before returning them to her own mouth. She did it so fast, Faith didn't realize what the girl was doing, still intent on getting off, that when she noticed Buffy sucking her fingers and registered it was her wetness she was sucking, she moaned again.
"Fuck, girl, you're killing me." She said, resting he forehead against the girl and grimacing.
She looked into Buffy's eyes, who had stilled her hand, staring back at Faith.
"Please." Faith said one last time.
Buffy was struck at the pure need she saw in those eyes and relented gladly. She took one hand and placed it on Faith's ass, positioning her over her right knee with the other. She began her rhythm again, slowly stroking the girl's cunt. Faith sat up slowly and gave Buffy the added advantage of raising as well, Faith now straddling her lap. She slipped two fingers inside the girl and felt her own pussy contract at the flood of wetness that hit her fingers. With her fingers, she pumped in and out of the girl slowly, mesmerized at Faith's face and small gasps. She kissed her mouth, Faith too turned on to return it with any real velocity, making it more sloppy and both girls wetter than before.
When Faith bit her lip, Buffy decided staring at the girl was just as pleasurable, and she ran her thumb over her clit and was again rewarded with a 'fuck' followed by a long moan. They kept up the pace before Faith begin to hump Buffy's leg, pushing the girl's fingers into her deeper. Buffy held her ass firmer, grinding the girl on her leg, when she felt the familiar contractions, she leaned back even further giving a strong thrust with her leg.
Faith's breathing became irregular and she literally shoved herself against the girl's thigh faster and faster until she felt the orgasm race through her at a rate she had never experienced. She slowed her loud panting down and fell backwards off of Buffy, her eyes closed, hands in her hair. She was shocked when she felt the girl push her face into Faith's pussy, lapping at the juices. She was even more shocked as she grabbed the back of Buffy's head and pushed her pussy into her face, amazed at the amount of wetness she was producing. Within seconds she felt the contractions again, not as strong, but so fast that she couldn't quite believe she was coming again until it rushed through her. She slowed her breathing, afraid she would faint, and pushed a still greedy Buffy away from her cunt.
"Fuck, you gotta stop, B." She said, trying to catch her breath, "I...don't think...I can't."
Buffy smiled up at her, her face slick with the girl's come. "Can't what?"
"Shut up." Faith said, still trying to catch her breath. Buffy scooted up beside the girl and placed Faith's head on her chest. "It's okay, sweetie, take your time."
Part 25
Faith listened to Buffy's breathing, her head rising and falling softly with each breath.
When it was apparent to her that she had fallen asleep, Faith slipped out of Buffy's arms and off the bed. She looked down at the girl.
Buffy's hair was slicked off her forehead and her hands were lying on her chest. Her legs were spread and one knee was bent into the other. Faith was amazed at how Buffy was even asleep, when she noticed the wetness between the smaller girl's thighs. Still standing by the bed, Faith walked out of the room and went to turn off the lights and lock the doors, something she had totally forgotten in her haste to get Buffy to the bedroom.
When she was busy with the kitchen light, an idea came to her and she quickly got what she needed and headed back to the bedroom.
When she returned she noticed that Buffy had turned slightly in her sleep and her legs were now straight. Both of the girl's hands were on either side of her. Faith retrieved a piece of ice from the cup she had brought with her and carefully got back into bed. She placed both her hands on either side of Buffy's shoulders and ice in her mouth, started to work down the girl's body, not touching her except with the ice.
"Shit." She heard Buffy whisper, as the ice made contact with her nipple. Buffy looked down and saw Faith's head hovering above her, her mouth wrapped around her nipple, her fingers playing with the other. She kept eye contact with her as she quickly made use of the melting ice. Faith dipped down between Buffy's breast and quickly made a trail down her stomach before pushing the smaller melted ice into the girl's belly button.
"Fuck, Faith." Buffy breathed, grabbing the girl's hair and pulling her up to her mouth.
"That's the idea." Faith replied into Buffy's mouth before attacking it.
She slid her tongue inside rubbing against the blond's. On top of it, around it. Buffy took the initiative and started sucking Faith's tongue deeper and harder into her mouth.
Faith stopped kissing and pulled her mouth away.
"No, my turn." She pouted. Buffy raised her head and pulled Faith's lower lip into her mouth, biting it gently.
"No one's stopping you." She smirked looking down. "Don't pout. It so doesn't work."
Faith rolled off of her completely and turned her head to Buffy. "Fine," She tried. "be that way."
Buffy rose swiftly, straddling Faith's waist, pushing her wet sex into the girl's stomach.
"Meanie."
Faith could feel Buffy's slickness grinding against her stomach. She grabbed the girl's ass and slid it around. Buffy moaned.
"Whatcha want, B?" Faith smiled when Buffy leaned down closer.
"You know what I want, F." Buffy whined.
"You have to tell me." Faith said, hands still on her ass.
"Fuck you, Faith." Buffy smirked, rising. "I'll show you."
With that she straddled Faith's right thigh and pushed herself flush against it. All the while her hands worked their way through her hair, down her own chest, and to her breasts, which she grabbed roughly.
"You wake a girl up..." She said leaning over Faith. When the younger girl went to lick Buffy's nipple, she rose again, a piece of ice in her hand. "...get her hot. And then you tease." She ran the ice over her own breasts. Keeping eye contact with Faith, she moved her hand lower. Faith watched enraptured as Buffy slid the ice down and around her breasts and abdomen. She moved it to her pussy, sliding it around, before bringing it back up and slipping it into her mouth. She laughed at Faith's groan, her hands still on Buffy's ass.
"I guess I'll just have to take care of it myself." She said, as she slipped her own hand back into her pussy, sliding it around the folds.
Faith followed her hand with her eyes, stunned.
Buffy brought her hand back up and leaned over Faith, inches from her face.
"And I taste so good, see?" She said, thrusting her fingers into Faith's gaping mouth.
That did it. Buffy was not only pleased but stunned as well when Faith slid down beneath her at an alarming rate. She looked between her legs. Her knees were now straddling Faith's head. Neither girl was really touching the other.
Faith made eye contact with Buffy, grabbing the hovering girl's hands and placing them in her black locks.
"Hang on."
Buffy moaned this time, and felt herself being lowered onto Faith's mouth. The first slip of Faith's tongue sent her spiraling and she slipped a hand out of her hair.
Faith stopped and mumbled into the girl's pussy.
"I said hang on." She removed one hand from Buffy's ass and maneuvered Buffy's hand back to her hair. Buffy groaned, but obliged, and Faith began an earnest attack of the girl's cunt. She licked from back to front and back down again, slowly, her tongue flat. She was amazed at Buffy's wetness and the slickness she could feel sliding down her chin. She sped up her pace, licking more vigorously, avoiding Buffy's clit. She stuck her tongue inside the girl's pussy, straight and hard, and Buffy breathed.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Became her diatribe, as Faith fucked her with her tongue.
When Faith felt the girl become wetter, her juices thicker, she raised Buffy off of her slightly and looked at her. "Do you wanna come?"
Buffy looked down at Faith, seeing her own wetness glistening on the girl's face.
"Please, baby." She pleaded.
Faith's eyes grew darker as she pulled the girl's clit to her mouth. Sucking softly, she ran her tongue around both sides before finally attacking it. Buffy abandoned all hope of control as she unceremoniously grinded herself against Faith's face. Her mind switched from 'Damn, she's good' to "Fuck, I'm coming." which she voiced aloud.
Her breathing sped up and with one last downward thrust she felt her body contract.
Holding her breath, she released it in short raspy pants, Faith still licking. She finally fell backwards, between Faith's open thighs, and Faith moved on top of her.
"You okay?"
Buffy breathed more slowly. "Umm, yeah." She answered looking at the girl. She pulled her closer, kissing her mouth softly, tasting herself, licking it off Faith's face.
"I love you, Faith." She said, nestling the girl between her legs, her head against Buffy's neck. "You know that, right?" She smiled slightly when she felt Faith kiss her neck and nod.
"Sleepy, B." Faith whispered."Me, too." She said, wrapping her arms tightly around the girl's back, happy to have her weight on her as they drifted off to sleep.
Part 26
Faith pulled into the driveway and looked at the sprawling house. She sat in the car for a few moments, trying to control her breathing. Everything she owned was packed in the back seat or in the trunk. The sudden thought of actually having to unpack those things made her tired. 'I should have sold everything.' She thought, before getting out of the car.
She walked to the front and opened the door. "Knock. Knock." She said, to an apparently empty house.
'Great.' She thought. 'They're not here. Not that they fucking knew I was coming. Where they hell are they?' She walked inside and shut the door. Peering from room to room, she looked finally in the kitchen and out the back window.
Buffy, Kennedy and Rose were in the pool. Willow was lying in a lawn chair with an obnoxiously big hat on her head, laughing at the girls, who were throwing Rose back and forth playfully around the pool.
Xander was watching as well. "I know you guys are Slayers, so don't feel the need to remind me when I say this, but don't drop her, okay?"
Kennedy splashed water on him. "Well, we are Slayers, moron. We're not going to drop her. Are we, Buff?"
Buffy smiled, pushing Rose back to Kennedy. "I guess not, but you take the fun out of everything, Xander."
Rose was clapping her hands. "Drop Rosie. Drop Rosie." She sang. She reached for Xander, who took her from Kennedy's arms. She patted him on the cheek. "They not drop me. They love me. You love me, too?" She asked him, putting her wet little arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek.
Xander squeezed her. "Oh, yeah. Everybody loves you, babe." He said, turning her around in his lap.
Rose looked up and through the window, pointing. "Faithy!"
Buffy smiled from the pool. "Yep. Faithy, too."
Rose barreled out of Xander's lap and starting running to the house. The others stood up quickly, trying to stop her from falling on the wet pavement.
Faith, who had been watching the proceedings from inside the house, saw Rosie coming and opened the door. She caught her just in time.
"Whoa, there, girlie. You happy to see me?" She asked, scooping her up and hugging her.
Rose was bouncing up and down in Faith's arms. "Mmm-hmm. I love Faithy." She said, kissing her on the face.
Faith swung her around in the air. "Good god, I missed you." She said, pulling her back into a hug.
Rosie squealed. "You always say that."
"It's always true. You're my number one, aren't ya?" She said, nuzzling the girl's wet neck.
Rose pulled away and looked at Faith. "I dive, wanna see?" She asked, scrambling out of Faith's arms and pulling her to the pool.
The others had been staring at the display silently. They were all a little surprised at Faith's unannounced arrival. All Buffy had said, when she came back from Boston, was that '"It went okay." But hell if they knew what that meant.
Buffy was watching as well. Equally surprised. Though she and Faith had had a real breakthrough in Boston, Faith had asked for some time.
"I just need to get a few things cleared away, sweetie." Faith had told Buffy, stroking her hair. "Just give me a few weeks."
It had not been what Buffy had wanted to hear, and she cried a little at the news. Faith assured her, time and time again, that is was not a rejection; but Buffy couldn't help the sinking feeling she'd get every time she thought about it. She had expected Faith to jump back on the plane with her. But she knew that Faith was being the rational one, and so she agreed, albeit a little sadly. It had not helped that she had not heard from the brunette since she got back, causing old feelings of insufficiency to resurface; but at least Buffy knew the reason now.
Cause here she was, two days later. Faith was here. Standing at the edge of the pool, ready to watch Rosie "dive."
"Hey." Faith said, her eyes on the blond, as she was drug to the pool.
Buffy smiled at her. Rose was busy still tugging on her arms. "Watch, Faithy." She said, getting in a little diving stance, knees bent, arms over head, she looked from Faith to Buffy. "Hurry up, mommy," She said, holding her pose. "catch me."
Buffy waded over to the side of the pool. "I'm hurrying." She said, still looking at Faith.
Rose peered over her shoulder. "Watch, Faithy." She said, and dove, or more like barreled, head first into the pool. She swam underwater for a few seconds, before coming up in Buffy's arms. When she rose, she brushed her hair out of eyes. "See me? See me?" She called, excitedly to Faith.
Faith looked a little stunned. "Wow, that was really good." She looked at Buffy who was busy getting out of the pool with the little girl. "I'm impressed."
Buffy smiled, grabbing a towel intent on drying Rose off. "I not through." She said, turning and jumping into the pool to Kennedy, who caught her effortlessly.
Buffy dried off and wrapped the towel around herself and walked towards the back door. Faith stood a moment until she turned around. "Faith?" She questioned.The others looked around, not too sure what was going on. Faith gave them a small smile and turned around to follow the girl.
TBC
Copyright © 2004,
All Rights Reserved. | Contact Owner Contact Webmaster
