Trials and Restorations

~ Part 13~


Their lips breaking contact, Faith completed her unfinished sentence with, “Married.” She smirked as she added, “And that’s gotta be the world’s liveliest wake."

"What?"

"I said ‘pretty lively wake’, Buffy," the younger slayer repeated sitting back, putting her hands behind her head and casually resting on them. She snickered. “How can you possibly say that you’ve been dead without me? You went and got this new life, a new hubby, a new car. Hell, you’re a completely different person now."

"I had to be."

Shaking her head, the younger slayer disagreed. "No. You really didn't. You're confusing and you're cold and I'm not feeling you at all." Standing, Faith told her ex, "Call me crazy- and no pun intended here- but I like my girls straight and I can't take your head games. One minute I see you all over a guy and the minute he ditches you, you're all about the Gay Pride."
Noting a glimpse of surprise on the Buffy’s features, Faith realised, "Oh, you didn't know that I'd heard about you and lover-boy, did you? You're unbelievable." Holding out her hand, she offered it to older slayer. "Listen, if you wanna get outta here, then let's go, 'cause there is someone else I really need to be with."

Taking the offered hand, Buffy felt she could do nothing but get up and limp by her ex’s side.


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

Walking boldly into the dimly lit diner, Faith held a flower she’d plucked from the roadside on the way there.

“Yo!” She called, standing in front of the diner’s patrons and in front of one of their waitresses; she smiled as she got the attention she wanted. “How’s it going?” she asked.

“Good,” Delana replied loudly, intending to be heard over the café’s ruckus. She blushed as her tone seemed inappropriate when the premises quietened. Beaming in spite of her extreme blushing, she asked the brunette before her, “You?”

“I’m cool,” Faith returned. “I just wanted to come by and tell you- in front of all o’ these peeps here- that I’m sorry. I was a real jack-ass, babe and I needed you to know that.”

Nodding, Delana quickly made her way from behind the counter and stood face to face with the brunette. Taking the flower, she admired it. “It’s beautiful… In fact, they have flowers growing just like it on the side of the road about ten minutes behind the café.”

“I said I was sorry, not loaded,” Faith explained. “’Sides, there are no stores open now anyhow.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” the blonde replied with a giggle. Noticing the intrigued audience, Delana whispered, “Maybe we should talk out back.”

Agreeing, Faith followed the younger woman’s lead, winking to nearby patrons as the waitress’ back turned.

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

“Thanks for coming, Will.”

Entering the home of her closest friend from the darkness outside, Willow assured her, “Anytime.”

About to continue her declaration of gratitude, Buffy stopped as Kennedy entered after the redhead.
“Hello Buffy,” the ex-elite greeted.

“Kennedy.”

“We were out when you called,” Willow felt she had to explain, as she stepped past the slayer.

Smiling, Buffy made no reply as on a crutch, she ushered Kennedy to tag along.

“How’s the old ankle?” Willow asked as she took a seat.

”Better,” Buffy replied also seating herself.

Following Buffy into the kitchen, Kennedy sat beside her girlfriend and watched the slayer prepare a meal she had claimed was for her daughter.

“Joyce isn’t back yet and it all seemed a little quiet,” Buffy explained.

“Where is she?” Willow enquired.

”She insisted on staying with Tyler Thompson. With everything that’s been going on, I didn’t have the heart to say no.”

Nodding quietly, the redhead glanced around and caught the eye of her girlfriend. The two of them busy looking at each other, they missed the quickly wiped tear that slipped down the slayer’s face.

Tearing her eyes from Kennedy with a grin plastered on her face, the Wicca asked her friend, “Does she get back tomorrow?” in a bid to make idle chit-chat.

“I hope so,” Buffy offered in reply. Blindsiding the redhead, she asked her, “Will what’s wrong with me?”

Her eyes widening in response to being caught off-guard by the question, Willow stuttered, “Wh- Nothing Buffy.” She looked to Kennedy for assistance. Finding none in the brunette’s equally shocked demeanour, she wondered, “Er… Where did that come from?”

“Faith-”

“Said that there was something wrong with you?” Kennedy interjected.

“No,” the slayer answered. She continued, “Faith and I had a fight… Except it wasn’t a fight… She…”

When Buffy ceased talking, the couple glanced at each other again. Turning to her high-school friend, Willow told her, “We’re going to need a little elaboration here, Buff.”


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

Sat in the dank back room of the café, Faith perched on a supply box, propped up against the room’s wall. With Delana stood in front of and talking at her, she found herself bored with the blonde’s chatter and wish to label their ‘relationship’. The slayer sighed. Abruptly standing and putting her finger to the waitress’ lips to shush her, Faith took hold of the blonde, kissing her urgently. With pent up desperation she admitted, "I don't know 'bout you, but I'm super horny."

Parting her lips to speak, Delana found this pretty much all the invitation Faith needed for the brunette to slip her tongue into her mouth.

Feeling the need to quite literally fuck and against a hard surface, Faith drove the two of them towards the nearest bare wall she within her gaze.
Reaching beneath the blonde’s skirt, she ceased kissing her only to whisper,
"To be honest, D, this whole time I've just been thinkin' 'bout your tight pussy and the ways I can get into it."

Rubbing the waitress, she momentarily stopped to wonder aloud,
"Wow. S'all that wetness for me?"

“You’re not the only one who’s been thinking about a good fuck,” Delana returned. She kissed the slayer before telling her, “I’ve *really* missed you.”

Grinning as she licked her lips, Faith slowly stroked along the smaller woman's slit over the fabric of her underwear. The brunette looked into her lover’s eyes, not entering her and instead just teasing with the tip of her finger.

Getting horny just watching the woman pant, Faith smirked and separated the New Yorker’s shirt down its middle, before proceeding to make quick work of undoing her fancy brassiere.

Taking hold of and pinning Delana's hands above her head, she dipped her own head below the blonde's neckline. Faith looked up; a sly grin plastered on her face as she slowly licked up the waitress' left breast. Placing the flat her tongue on the nipple, she merely salivated on it initially before taking it full in her mouth; suckling.

"Oh... God.. Faith," the waitress offered in commendation at how turned on she was in a matter of seconds. "You're... Wow..."

A job at hand the sultry brunette paid no heed to the comment as she hiked up her lover's skirt. Needing only one hand, she used her right to pull down the lady's panties.

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

"I think her exact words were, 'One minute you're with a guy and the minute he ditches you, you're all about the Gay Pride'," Buffy explained.

"Oh."

Shaking her head, the slayer voiced, "She really doesn't think much of me."

"No," the wicca interjected. "I don't think she meant it. She's probably super sorry," Willow offered.

"You think so?" Buffy asked.

She looked to Kennedy, who sat silently as if holding her opinion. Feeling the task of cheering Buffy up to her alone, Willow replied, "Definitely. I bet you right now she's sitting in her room… alone… and-and crying into... a big tub of Cookie Dough Fudge ice cream."

Perking a little, Buffy stood and walked over to her freezer. Taking out some ice cream and going to gather some spoons, she handed the tool to the wicca and her girlfriend, before peeling the top of the tub.

“Faith’s not the sit-around-alone type,” the blonde slayer recalled aloud, miserably taking a large scoop of the ice cream and gulping it.

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

Resting semi-horizontally against the dank wall of the Cafe's back room, Faith held the blonde in her arms, close to her chest.

The effect of her hormone overload wearing off quickly and leaving her empty, Delana quietly enquired, "Faith, what does this mean for us?"

"Huh?"

"Where are we going in our relationship? Do we even have a relationship to you?"

"'Course," Faith replied, as if the reply were standard. She continued, "D, I like you and I think there could be s'thing between us here." With a smirk she added, "Besides, this *really* strong physical attraction."

Picking the flower Faith had given her from beside them and holding it beside her, Delana cracked a smile. "No more crap?"

"Scout's honour."

"That's a start," the waitress agreed. "But I have conditions, Faith."

"Shoot."

"No more secrets. You tell me *everything*"

Nodding, the brunette listened.

"No more late night trips when we're in bed together."

Narrowing her eyes, but fighting the urge to argue, the brunette wondered aloud, "Anything else?"

"And no more other girls."

"Oooh, Deal breaker!" Faith exclaimed. "You sure?"

Her expression changing, the waitress gave a questioning look.

"I'm kidding," Faith replied. "No more other girls."

"We're going steady," Delana beamed, lying back down against the slayer.

"And apparently also in fifth grade?" When the Long Island hottie looked up sternly at her, Faith retracted the statement, “I’m kidding,” she offered.

Sighing, Delana beckoned, "Just kiss me before I change my mind and dump you."

Obliging, Faith leaned down to do so.

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

"And that was it," Buffy completed. "No more Buffy and Faith."

Speechless, Willow gawked at her friend.

"What?" Buffy quietly uttered.

As if at breaking point, Kennedy pointed out, "Er, am I missing something? Buffy, there's been no 'Buffy and Faith' for a long time now. Even before she left you guys weren't together."

"But it really only just hit home today. I mean, I threw myself at-" she stopped herself turning away from her fiends.

"Oh," was all the wicca gave in return.

"Yeah," Buffy returned. "I feel so stupid."

Wishing to continue her rant, Kennedy wondered, "Because she rejected you? Or because of the way you treated her?" Looking and finding the look she expected from both the Slayer and her partner.

“Kennedy-” Willow began, wishing to berate the young brunette.

“I’m sorry, Will, but someone has to lay it down for her since she obviously can’t see it herself.” She turned to the slayer continuing, “Buffy, the way you treated Faith... I wouldn't treat *my* girlfriend like that and do you know why? Because I actually love her."

“Kennedy that’s enough,” Willow finally let out.

Standing Buffy asked the brunette, "Don't you think I know that? That I get it?" When met with silence from her peers, the slayer turned her back. "I have to talk to her," Buffy voiced, walking out into her hallway.

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

"Faith's phone," Delana answered, quieting the Nine-Inch Nails tune blaring from her lover’s cell.

"Uh... Is Faith there?"

"Yes," Delana answered cheerfully, locking eyes with the slayer. "But she's not taking any calls. Can I take a message?"

Buffy contemplated the question, deciding, "Uh... No."

"Alrighty," The waitress replied, to the dial tone.

"And that was?" Faith asked, having been denied her phone when she had wished to answer it.

"A woman," Delana replied, feigning a questioning look. "Is there something you'd like to say?"

Rubbing the blonde's arm, Faith reminded her girl,
"Baby, I've only been back off the market for about a half hour. You gotta give the ladies time to adjust."

Laughing, Delana answered, "But adjust they shall."

"’Course," Faith agreed, kissing her.

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

"She's not taking any calls," Buffy explained to the wicca, returning to the kitchen and seating herself.

As if coached, Kennedy turned to the slayer, “Buffy, I’m sorry,” she offered.

“It’s okay,” the slayer felt obliged to reply.

Melancholy they sat in silence. Their mood suddenly interrupted, only the witch perked as the phone rang. Looking to Buffy with raised eyebrows, all three of them were startled as the backdoor swung open and Joyce barged through.

"It's for me!" she called, as she bound into the hallway and grabbed the cordless. Racing upstairs, she locked herself in her room, before ending the incessant ringing.
"You're on the mic," Joyce answered, smiling and bouncing onto her bed in a horizontal fashion.

"Hello, this is Lorraine from Sunnydale High. May I speak to Joyce Summers?"

"Cut the bullshit, Brig," the eleven-year-old berated.

“Language!” she was scolded. Proceeding to laugh the caller asked, "How're you doing, darling?"

"I'm great. But how are you all? You don't write, you don't call..."

"We get by and I'm talking to you now.”

“I bet everything’s different now. Oh- tell me agent Benn didn’t grow his hair long.”

“Finn,” the general called the youth to order. She demanded information from the young girl, telling her, “I heard *you* almost didn't make it out - what happened?"

Joyce sighed. "Chasers were a little too convincing is all. We had to take a detour. We got there with only twenty minutes to spare. Good thing, the slayer's not the sharpest tool in the box; they told her check-in’d be twenty minutes and she bought it!"

Agreeing with the soldier’s observation, the Brigadier enquired, "So how long are you going to continue this charade?"

"As long as it takes, ma'am," Joyce answered, quickly adding. "If that's okay with you."

"We're fine with whatever decision you wish to take, Finn. But remember we have you on assignment next month."

"Yes, ma'am." Jovially, Joyce requested, "If this isn’t a social call, can I get permission to end the conversation."

"Granted," the woman returned, a little taken aback by the soldier’s newly acquired forwardness. "Take care of yourself, Finn. Next contact from us will be in exactly 96 hours."

"Affirmed." Cordially, Joyce gave a firm, "Ten four."

Giggling, the blonde dropped as her superior replied with a, "Ten four."


TBC…