Complement

XII – Awesome

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The ride home from L.A. on Sunday was actually fun. Well after Dawn and Faith had finished arguing over who was going to ride shotgun. Faith only pouted for about a half an hour after losing the fight. She just couldn't say no to that damn kid. Buffy had a good laugh at the look on Faith's face when Tara innocently asked her if she wanted to sit in the middle between her and Willow. Faith practically stuttering out, 'No, no way, not...' before she realized Tara was teasing her.

Buffy had spent the first half hour of the drive, sneaking glances at the Dark Slayer in the rear view mirror. Thinking how much she would love to catch that pouting lowered lip between her teeth. How much she would love to slowly kiss away that pout until that delectable mouth moaned into hers. Her palms actually started sweating and Buffy could feel herself getting wet. She wiped her sweaty palms against her jeans and looked into the rear view mirror to see Faith staring back at her with a smile on her face. Faith quirked an eyebrow at Buffy, and a very low tsk, tsk came from the back seat.

Buffy silently berated herself, Christ, her sister was in the car! Vowing to herself that if not tonight than first thing tomorrow morning she and Faith would be having a talk about them, about what they were going to do. Their being just friends was not an option as far as Buffy was concerned. Well, that was an assumption but she was pretty damn sure that it wasn't an option for Faith either. Though Buffy figured she just might have to remind the Dark Slayer of that. Faith still had that I'm-not-good-enough-for-you thing going on.

Buffy was afraid that Faith might want to go back to just being fuck-buddies. That would be safe for the Dark Slayer, she knew that, it was all Faith had ever known. You didn't have to be good enough or deserve someone to be that.

But Buffy wanted it all; the lust, the passion, the romance. Candle-lit dinners, holding hands, making love, the comfort of arms around her at night, the comfortable silences. Oh, the list just went on and on... And further she wanted to give all that to Faith, who she was sure, had never had any of it. Ever.
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Buffy felt it the second Faith got tense. They had just passed the Welcome to Sunnydale sign. She caught her eyes in the rear view mirror, and whispered under her breath knowing that Faith would be able to hear her.

"It's okay. Everything will be okay, I promise." In the mirror she saw Faith give her a weak smile, then turn and give Tara a smile too. Glancing quickly over the back seat Buffy saw that Tara who must have sensed the tension in Faith had reached over and was holding her hand.

Buffy dropped off the two witches first, thanking them again for coming with her on the road trip, helping with Dawn, helping her period.

Buffy headed towards the mansion to drop Faith off, mentally grumbling to herself that she womuchmuch rather bring Faith home with her.

"Thanks for the ride B. See you tomorrow kiddo." Faith tousled Dawn's hair. She stiffened when what Buffy's said to her registered as she was climbing out of the car.

"Faith. Breakfast at my house at eight, then over to the Magic Shop."

"Whatever B, you're the boss." Faith had to keep herself from hissing out the words. She moved quickly away from the car.

'Stupid shit, shoulda known better. Fuck me. Ten minutes back in SunnyD' and General B is back.'

'Shit! Stupid, how stupid am I? Shit!' Buffy thought as she jumped out of the car to chase after Faith.

"Faith! Wait!"

Faith stopped in her tracks, her whole body as tight as an over wound bowstring that would snap from the lightest touch. She did not turn around as Buffy ran up to her.

'Christ, need to be more careful what.. how I say stuff. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.'

"Faith. Christ I'm so stupid. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. Stupid here. I talk without thinking. No thinking going on in here. I didn't mean it as a command. I meant to ask. Stupid. Sorry. I just want. Would like to have breakfast with you is all. Would you I... You don't. I mean..." Buffy paused, she was babbling, even she didn't understand what she was saying.

"What I am trying to say is would you like to have breakfast with Dawn and me tomorrow morning? Then if you want we can go to the Magic Shop. Do Tai-Chi, which I really like doing with you. It's has been the best part of my day over the last few weeks. Okay well not the best, best. There were other things that were higher, but definitely in the top five. Top five most assuredly..."

"Okay, okay..." Faith cut off Buffy's babble, she couldn't help the silly grin that grew on her face. Buffy looked all cute flustered. "You're starting to sound like Red, B. Bfastfast with you and the kid at eight would be great. And B... I like doing Tai-Chi with you too..."

"Good. That's good. Really, really, really, good." Now it was official she was a babbling idiot. Buffy returned Faith's silly grin. So now they both were standing there looking like two lunatics with silly grins on their faces.

"K. Gotta go don't want to leave Dawn alone too long, ya know. See you in the morning." Then Buffy surprised the Dark Slayer.

She pulled Faith into a tight hug, and planted a very soft, quick kiss on her mouth. Then she was off and running back to the car before Faith even had a chance to react.

Faith stood stock still for a few minutes after Buffy left. Her legs were just a little bit wobbly from that two-second hug and kiss, and she had a big shit-eating grin on her face.
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Faith arrived at the house early, she had been pacing impatiently back and forth in front of the house for five long minutes.

'Not too eager are we... Showing up this early... Maybe I should go for a walk...'

"Come on in. The neighbors are going to call the cops if you are out there pacing any longer."

"I was just... um..." Faith just let it go anything she said was going to sound lame anyway.

Faith followed Buffy into the kitchen. The table was already set, the eggs and bacon outthe the counter, ready to be cooked.

"Do you need help with anything?" Faith felt a little awkward, small talk was not her strong point.

She wasn't sure how to act, the meals she had shared with Buffy over the last few weeks, were more of a twisted version of 'Get Some, Get Gone' only with food. They very rarely had spoken to each other. Buffy waved at her to sit down, and a few seconds later placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. Faith took a grateful sip of the coffee, surprised that it was fixed just the way she liked it, then remembered her manners.

"Ah... Thanks B."

"Is it okay?"

"What?"

"The coffee."

"Yeah fine."

"Good." Buffy walked over to the doorway of the kitchen, and yelled for Dawn on the top of her lungs. "DAWN! GET MOVING!!!"

"And you were worried about the neighbors calling the cops on me? Ever hear of noise pollution B?"

Dawn came running into the kitchen before Buffy had a chance to answer.

"Morning!"

"Morning kiddo." Dawn walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Dawn."

"Buffy."

"Coffee?" Dawn just stared at her sister and took a sip, then smiled at her.

"You know Dawn, kingking coffee can stunt your growth."

Unable to help herself Faith let out a snort of laughter and spewed the coffee she was just about to swallow all over the kitchen table and Buffy.

Dawn started laughing, not really believing her sister had made a short joke and Faith had just covered Buffy in a mouthful of coffee.

"Swift Faith!" Dawn choked out between giggles.

'Shit! Oh Shit! B's gonna kill me.'

"Sorry." Faith mumbled into the table. Her body tensing as she waited for Buffy to deliver whatever cutting remark she could think of. Faith stared at the mess she had made on the table. Her neck and face flushed with embarrassment. She expected that Buffy would throw her out.

'Didn't take you too long to fuck up again, did it ass? Shoulda known better. Why would B want anything from someone who can't even drink a fucking cup of coffee?'

Buffy saw Faith tense up, lower her head and stare at the table. 'Patience,' she thought to herself. She couldn't expect that Faith would realize overnight that she would no longer attack her over mistakes, or for no reason at all. That Buffy was dead. If she had been treated these last few weeks the way she had treated Faith, she would have the same reaction. Consciously she made sure her voice was light when she spoke.

"Don't worry about it. Didn't like this shirt with these pants anyway. Truth be told don't like this shirt at all." Buffy smiled at the now open-mouthed, staring, raven-haired Slayer.

Carefully Faith returned Buffy's smile, wanting to pinch herself to make sure she truly was awake. So much had happened over the last two days her head was swimming from it all.

"Dawn why don't you start breakfast while I go change." Buffy started to leave stopping in front of Faith she reached out and wiped away the little bit of coffee that had dribbled on F's 's chin with her thumb. Gently she closed Faith's mouth, winked at her and said;

"Wouldn't want you to catch any fly's there F."
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Faith was sitting on a tombstone, swinging her feet like a little kid, watching Buffy tangle with two vampires. She had moved to go help her when she finished dusting her three, but Buffy had waved her off.

The morning after they had gotten back to Sunnydale, Buffy had asked Faith if they could talk. Faith had tried to play dumb but Buffy didn't believe it for a second. Faith replayed the conversation in her mind.

"Faith, can we talk?"

"Sure B. What's up?"

"Us. I want to talk about us. It's the only thing we never got a chance to talk about."

"Us?" Faith said playing stupid. She didn't know if she was ready for this conversation. Her mind was still trying to make sense out of everything. She still felt a little awkward around Buffy. Didn't know how to act around her, which had been made painfully obvious this morning after the coffee thing. She was still reacting to Buffy as if she was General B. That wasn't good. She knew it was her own fear. Fear of actually getting what she wanted, and a little bit of the I'm-not-good-enough-for-her attitude.

Did she know what she wanted? Faith could say without a doubt that, yes, she did.

"Faith." Buffy moved close to the Dark Slayer, capturing her fidgeting hands with her own. "You know what I mean."

Faith jumped a little at the contact. It was strange to have Buffy touch her, unless it was while they were sparing or in a purely sexual way. Faith pulled her hands away and moved halfway across the room away from Buffy. It was too hard to think when Buffy was standing that close, when Buffy was touching her.

"I'm not sure how to say this." Faith looked at Buffy and saw as her face dropped. Buffy had an all too familiar look on her face, it was one Faith had worn many times, it was the face of someone expecting to be rejected.

'Think before you speak shit head!' Faith berated herself.

"That's okay." Buffy rushed out. "You don't have to say anything. I understand. I don't blame you. I guess I was wrong, I thought you felt the same way as me. I wouldn't want... I just hope..."

Faith rushed over closing the distance between them again.

"No. It's not that. I'm not good at this. Not good with words. I'm... so much has happened over the last few days. I'm just having a hard time making sense of all of it. You are the same as when I met you but different. You know? The same Buffy that I fel... um... It's just I need a little time. I don't want things to be... I'm still acting like you are General B. I still don't feel like I'm good enough for you. I don't even know how to be a friend let alone anything more to someone. I want us to be together, I want it to be right. I just feel like I need a little bit of time. Not a lot of time, just a few days to adjust to everything. I'm just use to people letting me down, and me letting them down and I'm afraid. It still hard for me to believe all of this, and B... I do want to believe it."

There was such longing in Faith's voice, that it broke Buffy's heart a little bit. Buffy felt something very close to hatred for whomever had done this to the Dark Slayer. Buffy knew some of it was her fault, but she also knew that these beliefs had been with Faith long before Buffy had ever met her.

"Is this making any sense B?"

Faith was making absolute sense to Buffy. Angel had told her not to push Faith to hard, to, in essence, let Faith call the shots, move the relationship between them along. Apparently Faith wasn't the only one who couldn't count patience as one of her virtues. Buffy knew if she told Faith she had to make a decision today that Faith would choose to be with her. General B would demand something like that, not Buffy. Buffy knew if she forced Faith to decide today that things would never be equal, would never be right between them. Buffy didn't want fear of losing her to be Faith's motivation to be with her. Buffy could wait as long as it took, eventually she knew within her heart of hearts that Faith would come to her. They were meant to be together, they were two halves of the same soul. Both whole in of themselves, but the circle was only complete when they were together. Buffy had no intention of going anywhere. Nor was she going to hide how she felt about Faith. She would show her without crossing whatever line Faith set.

"Yes. You made sense. I understand what you are saying. I want to do this right this time too. I want things to be equal between us. I don't want you to live in fear that I am going to leave every time you or I make a mistake, or when you disagree with me. Neither one of us is perfect. I don't want either one of us to have to worry about speaking our minds. And for the record you are more than good enough for me, I just wish you would believe it too. So the proverbial ball is in your court now. When you are ready to take this to the next level just let me know." Buffy gave Faith a wicked smile. "Or you could just show me."
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Now as she was sitting on the tombstone Faith felt like she was ready for them to try. She didn't want to pick up where they had left off. She wanted, if it was at all possible, to start that part of their relationship over. She wanted to do it right. She wanted it to be as if they had just met each other. While in theory she knew it wasn't really possible exactly, she wanted them to try the whole dating thing anyway. For once in her life Faith wanted to take things slow. She wasn't stupid she knew it would be hard, extremely hard to simply kiss Buffy goodnight at the door and go home alone to her own bed, but she wanted to at least give it a try...

Now all she had to do was figure out how one actually dated. Maybe she should talk to the witches, they should be able to help her. Faith had never dated, not once, not anyone. There had only been one other person in her life besides Buffy whom she had even slept with more than once. This time though she wanted it all, wanted it all for both of them. Over the last six days since their conversation, Buffy had given her little glimpses into what it would be like to be in a romantic relationship with her.

It was in the casual touches that Buffy gave her whenever she passed by Faith. Touches that were the just because touches lovers give each other. The gentle way Buffy encouraged Faith to speak her mind. How she asked for Faith's opinion. How she really listened to what Faith had to say. How she made up excuses for them to be together, that even Faith could see through. It was in the spontaneous hugs.e gee gentle teasing, the bantering they had re-established. It was in the fact that Buffy sensed Faith the second she came near and was waiting for her with a warm smile. It was in the happiness that lit Buffy's face when she first saw Faith in the morning. In was in the sadness of her voice when they said goodnight and parted at the end of the day.

How Buffy had opened back up the connection between them as Slayers, more fully than even before. It was more intense, more profound, even more apparent when they slayed together moving like mirror images of each other, in perfect harmony. How Buffy asked now, instead of told or demanded things from Faith. How she did not try to push Faith into anything more than what she was ready for, but still let her know that when Faith was ready she would be right there waiting. It was in those expressive eyes every time she looked at Faith. In the way that they seemed to touch Faith that was more intimate than any physical caress.

Faith was still afraid, she knew all about sex, and hate, but almost nothing about love and making love. Faith was starting to begin to realize her own self-worth and she was determined that she wasn't going to let fear rule her life anymore. Fear had ruled it for far to many years, and it was time to put a stop to it.

Now if Buffy would just dust those damn vampires so Faith could tell her, or maybe just show her a little.
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Somewhere in cyberspace the minutes turn to hours ~ The world is in my hands unfolding like a flower ~ A golden energy was rising out of my head ~ I shed my evil skin and found myself again ~ I was wrong I don't mind ~ The impossible seems possible this time ~ I'm an electric wire ~ If the sun can radiate than so can I...
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Buffy turned around smiling after she dusted the last of the two vampires she had been fighting.

"Finally B!" Faith let out an exaggerated sigh. "Thought we were going to be here all night. Can think of better things to do."

Faith sensed the vampire behind her at the same time she heard Buffy shout out a warning. She had let her guard down when her mind had wandered. She started turning on the tombstone towards the vampire, then she was flying through the air.

"FAITH!" Buffy started running towards her, and heard the sickening pop of something being dislocated and the crack of Faith's head against the tombstone the vampire had thrown her into.

'OHGODOHGODOHGODOHGODOHGODOHGODOHGODOHGOD'

Buffy reached Faith in time to stop her from sliding down sideways to the ground. Terror, dread, and rage mingled in Buffy when she saw the dark wetness that was spreading down the side of Faith's face, from where her head had hit.

"Beheyednd choo!" Was all Faith could manage to slur out to Buffy as she struggled to stay conscious.

Buffy turned towards the vampire, her mouth pulled back baring her teeth in a snarl like a rabid animal.

"You hurt her! You're dust, mother-fucker!" She hissed.

The vampire started backing away from the golden-haired Slayer who had a very unnatural light in her eyes. With a ferocious growl Buffy launched herself at him. She dropped kicked him to the ground, and came down on top of him. She began to beat the living shit out of him. Her anger in total control now.

Faith pulled herself up to her feet using the tombstone for leverage. She stood swaying on her feet, the cemetery was spinning and she was seeing two of everything. She took a few staggering steps towards Buffy. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another vampire coming out of the woods running towards Buffy.

"B! Anutter un!"

Buffy's rage reached out to Faith through their connection. Faith knew Buffy had lost her control, and slaying in rage got you hurt, made you make mistakes, Faith knew that from her own past experiences. She saw as the second vampire rapidly approached Buffy. Faith didn't know if Buffy had heard her or was even aware of him. Faith stumbled towards Buffy, keeping herself standing, conscious and moving by shear force of will. She would rather die herself than let anything happen to Buffy. She had failed Buffy too many times, she wasn't going too fail her now.

"Later asshole," Buffy said a second before she dusted the vampire having heard Faith's slurred warning. She turned and started rising to her feet. The second vampire caught her with a kick to the chest, knocking her to the ground on her back. He came down on top of her, forcing the breath from her and pinning her arms with his knees. He punched her with a right cross then a left cross, then another right. Buffy struggled under him, trying to free her arms. She had to get out of this or both she and Faith were dead. Echoing the Dark Slayers thoughts of only a moment before Buffy thought; she would rather die than let anything happen to Faith, she had failed Faith too many times she wasn't going too fail her now.

"You lose Slayer!" He smiled baring his fangs at her as he started to lower his mouth towards her neck. He ignored the other human who was staggering towards him from behind. That turned out to be the last mistake the vampire made in his undead life.

The vampire was staked in synchronicity, in the chest by the golden-haired Slayer who managed to get her arm free by shear determination, and in the back by the raven-haired Slayer who used the last bit of energy she had left.

As if they truly were one, the only thought the Slayers had as the vampire turned to dust was; 'She's safe.'

Buffy looked up to see Faith standing over her with a lopsided goofy grin. She was tilting to the side, swaying. Her eyes were unfocused and blood covered one side of her face, her left arm hung limply at her side. The stake she had used to dust the second vampire fell from her hand. She put her hand out in front of her as she started to pitch forward, the ground rising up quickly to meer. r.

Buffy got up just in time to catch Faith as she passed out.
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Faith came thrashing back into consciousness on a sea of pain. Her arms flailing at invisible vampires, a bolt of pain shooting through her from her dislocated left shoulder.

"BUFFY!" She yelled sitting up straight in the bed, her eyes wild, not really seeing where she was.

'BgottahelpBHelpBHelpB!'

Hearing Faith shout her name shocked Buffy out of her light doze. She immediately rushed over to the hospital bed.

'Thankyouthankyouthankyou!'

"Ssshh. It's okay. I'm right here baby. It's okay."

Faith calmed down immediately upon hearing Buffy's voice. She grimaced at the throbbing in her head as she turned towards the sound of Buffy's voice. She took in the wrinkled and dirty clothes, the red swollen eyes, and the already fading bruises on Buffy's face from where the vampire had punched her.

The memory of what had happened came back to her. She gingerly raised her right hand to her head, only to have it captured by Buffy's two shaky ones.

"How long?" Faith asked Buffy when it finally hit her that she was in the hospital.

"A day. I was so worried... so scared... The doctors didn't know when you were going to wake up, if you were going to wake up. You scared the shit out of me. Don't ever do that again Faith! Promise me!" Though Buffy was sure she had cried them all out over the last twenty-four hours, the tears came anyway. Only this time they were tears of happiness.

Faith was stunned, amazed as she saw the tears fall from Buffy's eyes. Tears for her? The red, swollen eyes, were they from tears Buffy had shed for her while she lay unconscious? Finally as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to the Dark Slayer's thick skull, it began to sink in just how much Buffy cared for her. That while she might not believe in herself, Buffy believed in her, believed in them. That someone like Buffy could cry over her, awed and humbled the raven-haired Slayer.

There was finally for Faith light coming into the long dark tunnel that had been her life for so long. Like that little spark of hope that had started all those months ago when she had first thought it was possible to find redemption. Now there was a light calling out to her, dispelling the shadows, showing her, giving her the courage, to reach out to finally try to begin to believe in her own self-worth, and what she had to offer. To finally begin to hear what they all had been trying to tell her, what her heart, her soul had known all along that she could be.

Buffy would swear until the day she died that her heart had skipped a million beats at the beautiful smile that radiated from some bright place within the Dark Slayer, that she gave to Buffy at that moment. Faith would swear the same thing about the smile that Buffy gave to her in return.
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...This is a good day for a revolution of the mind ~ Voices ride the wind and take me to the light ~ I crawled over broken glass to find a place in the sun ~ It was with me all along the circle had begun was was wrong I don't mind ~ The impossible seems possible this time ~ I'm an electric wire ~ If the sun can radiate than so can I...
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Willow and Tara stopped dead in their tracks as they entered Faith's hospital room. For the first time Willow was catching a glimpse of what Tara had seen/sensed/felt that day the Chosen Two had done Tai-Chi together. It was different then what Willow had seen/sensed about just Faith. This knowing was about both Slayers, not as individuals, but as a knowing of what they were together. What both witches thought to themselves the Chosen Two probably didn't even know themselves yet.

Willow wondered to herself if that was what she would see/sense if she could see her and Tara from outside herself. As if she had heard the question, Tara whispered softly into Willow's ear, Yes.

Both Slayers turned towards the door, and shared with the witches the smiles they were giving to each other, causing both Willow and Tara to catch their breaths. Theas aas almost an ethereal becoming about them. Then the moment faded as such moments always seem to fade, to quickly become a distant almost surreal memory.

Faith pulled Buffy down on the bed to sit next to her. Taking comfort in Buffy's presence beside her.

"Hey." Faith greeted the witches.

"Hey yourself. You had us worried Faith!"

"How are you feeling?" Tara asked finishing for Willow.

"Five by Five. Well I will be as soon as B gets me out of here. Good thing I got a hard head."

"You sure you're ready to get out of here?" The concern showing on Buffy's face, and in the tone of her voice.

"Yeah B. I want to go home."

"'K. I'll see about getting you out of here." Buffy tried to get up, but Faith wasn't quite ready to let her hands go.

"You have to let go F, ot, otherwise I'll never be able to get you out of here. I'm sure you don't want me to yell for the doctor, not after that hit you took to the head. It's gonna cost me a bundle to replace that tombstone."

"Think maybe we could work out a trade or something B?" Reluctantly Faith let go of Buffy's hands.

"Oh I'm sure I can think of something." Buffy rushed out of the room. While Faith felt herself blush a little thinking about what something could be.

Faith got out of bed and stood for a minute, her legs a little shaky, and waited for the room to stop spinning. So shed, ed, it was only a small white lie, but she would rather be home and dizzy than in a hospital any day. She hated hospitals with a passion, she had spent far too much of her life in them. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone they gave her the willies.

"Thanks." Faith said gratefully when Willow dropped her clothes on the hospital bed.

"You need help getting dressed?"

"Nah. I think I can manage Red. Just close the curtain will ya."

Faith managed to get her, socks, pants, and boots on but not her shirt, she didn't even bother to try to put on her bra. She hated them, only wearing them when she went slaying.

She could only get the shirt over her injured arm, figures she was wearing a button down, instead of a 'ginny tee' this time. Even with her Slayer healing her dislocated shoulder was still to painfully sore to allow her to raise her arm high enough to get the other half over her right shoulder.

"Um... I a... might need some help." Her face already turning red at the thought of either witch seeing her naked from the waist up. For some reason unknown to her, she had become suddenly shy.

"Did I hear someone say they needed help?" Buffy said as she stepped behind the curtain.
e the throaty tone of Buffy's voice sent a tingle through Faith's body right from her hair clear down to her toes. Her eyes locked with Buffy's as she came towards her, Faith blushed as she felt her nipples get hard just from that look.

Buffy stopped right in front of her and reached around behind Faith to catch her shirt and pull it up so she could put her right arm through it. As Faith moved her arm back and up to put through the armhole of the shirt her upper body lightrushrushed up against Buffy. Both Slayers gasped at the contact.

A soft sensuous smile played around Buffy's lips as she pulled the shirt up the Dark Slayer's arm. She delicately ran her fingers along Faith'slarblarbone, then down the base of her neck. Buffy began to button up Faith's shirt, skimming her fingers along the raven-haired Slayer's skin as she did up each button slowly. Faith's breathing became a little more erratic with each feather light touch of Buffy's fingers against her skin.

Buffy stepped back from Faith when she finished buttoning up her shirt. The tips of her fingers were vibrating from touching Faith's warm skin. Her bring ing just as erratic as Faith's. Faith took a half step towards her, and stopped at the soft cough that came from outside of the curtain, reminding both Slayers they were not alone.

"Ready?" The question implying so much more.

"Was ready yesterday B. Negot got a chance to tell ya." Faith opted to answer Buffy's silent question instead.

The smile Buffy gave Faith let her know she had made the right choice.

"Just..." Faith hesitated feeling a little shy.

"What baby?"

"Can we... If it's okay with you, try and take it a little slow? I mean I know we kinda, well not kinda we sorta already skipped right to the sex. No dating or anything. I'd like to try and start from the beginning. Ya know?"

'Oh Christ how stupid did that sound? Smooth Faith, what am I taking lessons from Pee-Wee Herman now?'

Buffy looked at the suddenly shy and awkward Dark Slayer and thought she looked absolutely fucking adorable. Buffy wanted to show Faith all about the romance, the wooing, the dating, the slow build up, the anticipation that came with waiting for the time to be right. Show her the difference between making love and fucking. Being in love and being in lust. Buffy wanted them to remember that as the start of what she hoped was their future together, not the two weeks that General B had treated Faith like her new toy.

"Slow is good. I was hoping you would say that. A new beginning is just what I would love for us both to have. Ready to go home now?"

The smile Faith gave Buffy was all the answer the golden-hair Slayer needed.

The Chosen Two emerged from behind the hospital curtain hand in hand. Faith forgetting about her lifting gloves, and the scars upon her hands. Buffy not mentioning them, the scars she had chosen to ignore before, and now wanted to know about, but knowing now was not the time to ask. There was nothing that shen'tn't want to know about the Dark Slayer and Buffy hoped that some day Faith would trust her enough to tell her about it all.
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As each of the Chosen Two drifted off to sleep that night, it was cradled within the arms of the other.

Both knowing that whether they were at Buffy's house, the Mansion or anywhere else, for the Chosen Two home would always be within the circle of each other's arms.
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...This is a good day for a revolution of the mind ~ Voices ride the wind and take me to the light ~ I crawled over broken glass to find a place in the sun ~ It was with me all along the circle had begun ~ I was wrong I don't mind ~ The impossible seems possible this time ~ I'm an electric wire ~ If the sun can radiate than so can I
- Darling Violetta
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Continued in Chapter XIII – Breathe