Complement

XVI – Eclipse

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Buffy gently untangled herself from Faith. Faith mumbled a little protest as Buffy rose from the bed and then turned over onto her stomach mumbling some more in her sleep. She dropped a light kiss on the raven-haired Slayer's forehead thinking how young she looked while she slept. She looked at the clock and saw that she had an hour and a half before the sunrise, plenty of time for a quick shower. She had a restless sleep last night, things had been a little too quiet in Sunnydale lately and it was making her nervous. Even Faith had been more restless in her sleep then usual last night. Buffy put on her silk robe after the shower; towel dried her hair, quickly ran a brush through it and left the bathroom.

When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Faith had rolled over onto her back, one arm over her eyes, her other arm flung out wide to the side, the sheets tangled around her feet. How the hell could she look so young, innocent, hot, and sexy all at the same time? The sight of Faith lying naked on the bed banished any thoughts Buffy had of going right downstairs. The desire rose up strong, hot and fast in Buffy, and a wicked smile started to play across her face as an idea of how to wake up the raven-haired beauty laying upon the bed formed in her mind.

Buffy moved over to the bed, she crawled up onto it next to Faith sitting back on her calves. One thing she knew from being a Slayer herself was, when they slept deeply it was the sleep of the, well of the dead. This would most definitely work to her advantage.

Starting with Faith's face Buffy began to run her hands over it contours, learning its shape, memorizing it with light touches of her fingertips. Running them along Faith's mouth, outlining her lips, which parted slightly at her touch. She leaned down and placed a feather light kiss on the sleeping Dark Slayer's mouth. Allowing her tongue to sneak out and trace tenderly along the parted lips. She let her fingers continue on their exploration down to Faith's neck keeping her touch light, delicate so as not to wake her.

Buffy ran the pads of her fingers down to Faith's pulse point, her lips whispering along the path of her fingers. She moved lower, using her hair to trail and brush over Faith's breasts, watching as her nipples harden from the wispy touches of her hair over them. Nimbly with a touch like air, she circled Faith's nipple with her fingers, and gather the other into her mouth. Using only the lightest of touches of her tongue, her lips upon it, Faith arched up into her mouth, her hand, a moan coming from her.

Buffy switched her mouth to Faith's other breast, blowing lightly on her nipple causing it to harden more, eliciting another moan from the sleeping raven-haired Slayer. Her other hand began to glide over Faith's body, barely touching her skin. She smiled as she saw Faith's legs part slightly as her hand drew closer to her center. Skimming her hand even lower down over Faith's thigh, she traced random little circles, her own fingertips tingling from these light touches. She watched fascinated as the Dark Slayer's chest started to flush, as she become aroused while she slept. As Faith moved a little restlessly in her sleep, her breathing becoming a little erratic, just as her own was.

She ran her hand up the inside of Faith's thigh and smiled again as Faith parted her legs even more. She brushed across the curls that hid Faith's sex, not actually touching her. Her other hand still teasing Faith's nipple, gliding over it with fingertips like feathers, tracing along her ribcage up over her collarbone and shoulders. Always gently, always lightly.

Delving in deeper into the now moist curls of Faith's center, to nimbly explore, and lightly touch her. Buffy's touch more akin to the caress of a warm breeze. Faith's breath started to become even more erratic, her hips rising up to meet Buffy's hand. Her own desire rose up ferociously, even quicker then the Dark Slayer's. Slowly so as not to wake her, she gently sought entrance into Faith's wet heat, starting a shallow unhurried rhythm, carefully deepening it with each thrust of her finger. Her thumb came up lightly to circle the Dark Slayer's clit. Even sleeping Faith's hips rose to match her rhythm and she risked adding another finger.

As Faith started to press up harder into her hand, Buffy slid her body up and over her. Straddling one of Faith's legs, she moaned as her own wetness came into contact with Faith's thigh. Running her lips over the Dark Slayer's neck, her tongue catching the sweat that had begun to glisten on Faith's skin, she increased the speed of her hand as she felt Faith begin to clutch at her fingers, increasing the pressure of her thumb against her clit. Faith surged up harder into her hand, raising her knees, slamming her thigh up hard into Buffy's own throbbing center.

"B!" Faith moaned, waking on a sea of pleasure.

Faith struggled to open her eyes as she felt the heat coiling inside of her, and the slick feel of Buffy's own hot core, sliding against her thigh. Buffy looked into Faith's sleepy eyes and brought her mouth down in a hot open kiss, moaning into Faith's mouth as Faith brought one arm around her to pull her closer, rolling them to their sides. Faith's other hand slid down to Buffy's heat, her hand instantly soaked, sliding easily into Buffy's wetness, her palm pressing up into Buffy's swollen nub.

At Faith's touch upon her Buffy went wild. Bringing another finger into play, Buffy thrust harder, faster and deeper into Faith. Her thumb circling faster, pressing into the Dark Slayer harder, as Faith hips rocked back meeting her with equal force. Buffy's own desire rose up even faster, just a few touches from Faith and she was out of control.

Buffy's orgasm snuck up on her crashing into her with the same impact as a tractor-trailer, she wrenched her mouth away from Faith's, yelling out her name. She heard Faith laugh softly, then yell out her own name as Buffy tweaked her clit again, pumping into her with a force and speed that would have hurt a normal person. Causing Faith to thrust into Buffy more forcefully, back and forth it went, until neither had anything left and Buffy sank into Faith's warm embrace.

"Wow... I could wake up like that everyday for the rest of my life." Faith laughed softly, rolling them over so that she was on top, gazing down at Buffy.

"I could wake you up like that for the rest of your life. Seems I don't have much control where you're concerned."

Buffy blushed, she was a little embarrassed. So much for her plan of waking Faith, one touch from Faith and it was she who had lost all control.

"So I noticed," Faith chuckled. Seeing the embarrassed look on Buffy's face, Faith's gaze softened and a questioning look came to her eyes.

"What's wrong B?" She asked softly.

"Well... I wanted to you know... wake you up... God you were barely even awake and I lost my control... I don't know... I just..."

"B. What? You're embarrassed 'cause you..." Faith trailed off trying to figure out how to say it without sounding crude or making it seem less then what it was. "B, it's flattering that just touching me gets you that way. 'Cause touching you certainly makes me feel that way. This isn't about ing ing some, and getting gone, or who gets off the most or first. It's about us being together, about what we feel when we're together, how we make each other feel. Just a look from you is all I need; you make me feel things I never even dreamed were possible. Even if we never made love again, just being able to hold you every night would be enough for me for the rest of my life."

It was the closest Faith had ever come to telling Buffy she loved her, and in a way, she just did. She was afraid to say those words to Buffy, afraid because of all the times they had been thrown back in her face. Afraid even to hear them because of the times they had been said to her, and the meaning, the intent behind them was warped and ugly. Somehow, Faith knew that Buffy understood this. She didn't doubt that Buffy was in love with her, and Faith knew that Buffy knew she was in love with her as well. Maybe it was just the connection they shared as Slayers, and, or maybe the odd echoing of feelings they were sharing with each other. It didn't really matter where it was coming from, because Faith just knew.

Buffy cupped Faith's face in her hands and drew her down to her for a gentle kiss.

"How did you get to be so smart Faith?"

"I had a good teacher B." Faith leaned down and kissed Buffy tenderly.

"I'm thinking that I should show you nice and slow just how good a teacher you are..." Faith murmured low and husky.

"Mmmm. Sounds good to me..." Buffy laughed softly pulling Faith back down to her...
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Dawn got out of bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, not even wondering what she was even doing awake this early, the sun wasn't even up yet. She walked over to the window that overlooked the garden and opened the curtains. She looked down into the garden already knowing what, or rather, who she would see. Her sister and Faith were curled up in one of the lounge chairs. She could see that they were talking and giggling, and she smiled, glad for both of them. There was something so fitting about the two of them being together, even at fourteen she knew that. She could only hope that one day she would find someone who fit with her the same way that Buffy and Faith fit together.

Dawn knew that they watched the sunrise every morning. When she had asked them why, they had told her it was in a sense, a way of giving thanks that they got to see another day. That the dawning of the new day brought to them hope that today would be better then yesterday. Though they very rarely talked about it they all lived with the knowledge that any given night either Buffy, Faith, or both could die, it was the harsh reality of being a Slayer, and being the Slayer's sister, and now the other Slayer's sister-in-law. A reality that Dawn probably hated more than both the Slayers combined. Before her Mom had died, death had not been real to her in any sense of the word, but that had all changed. So like her sister and Faith she had recently started rising before the sunrise, and giving thanks to whomever was in charge for giving not only just her sister another day but Faith as well. Giving thanks for having two such caring people in her life, and thanks that they had managed to find each other, and for the love they had found together.

Dawn headed downstairs to join her sister and Faith in the garden. She laughed a little when she saw the surprised look on their faces. Buffy beckoned her sister to join them on the lounge chair. She pulled Dawn down beside her; both Slayers looked curiously at Dawn. Dawn shrugged her shoulders.

"I figured it was time I joined in the family tradition." She said simply and was rewarded with a welcoming smile from her sister and Faith, as they waited for the sun to rise.
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They were up on the roof of the dorm, the same rooftop where Tara had taught her about the stars. Well, her version of what the stars were. Willow could remember that night clearly. The two of them sitting on the roof, Tara's head close to hers as Tara pointed and traced the outline of the stars telling Willow her names for them...

**
'See those stars over there? Cow With Three Udders. And that's Moose Getting a Sponge Bath, The Short Man Looking Uncomfortable. The Little Pile 0' Crackers... That one's a bit of a stretch..'
**

Sitting up on the roof that night with Tara, Willow had felt a closeness to her that she had never felt with anyone else. That was why Willow, after deciding to take a page from Faith's book, chose to have the sunrise picnic up here. When the witches had agreed to set up everything for Faith the morning she and Buffy returned to the apartment the Mayor had given Faith; Faith had explained to the two witches why that time of day was special to them. It was the time of the day, Faith had said, that brought hope to both her and Buffy. Both witches had come to the realization that they shared this feeling with the Chosen Two. How could anyone not, that lived on the Hellmouth?

Willow leaned back against the building and held out her arms to Tara. Tara moved quickly into Willow's embrace. They stayed holding each other in comfortable silence as they waited for the sun to rise.
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He leaned against the counter waiting for the kettle to whistle. He had given up on sleeping about fifteen minutes ago. He was too restless. For some reason he felt the need to watch the sunrise. It had been quite a long time since he had done that, but he remembered in his youth, watching the sun rise and set, had been one of his favorite pastimes. The kettle's whistle startled him out of his memories. He poured the hot water into the large mug, added a teaspoon of sugar and a drop of milk. He left the tea bag in the cup.

Picking up the mug, he made his way out of the kitchen and through the living room. He opened the double doors out to the garden. He walked over to the table and set his mug down.

With a sigh, Giles sat down taking a sip of his tea as he waited for the sun to rise.
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Spike ran as fast as he could back to his crypt. He didn't have a whole hell of a lot of time before he would be burning like a piece of bacon in a skillet. He had just left the Mansion where he had been spying on the Slayers. He had been surprised, to say the least, when he had seen Dawn join them in their morning vigil. He had been watching them the last few weeks, running for his crypt from either the Mansion or the Summers' house. It was his way of making sure that they were safe, that they had made it through the night and would be there the next day. There had been only one night that he had left early and that had been the morning he had dubbed Fun-with-Fruit. The demon in him had howled all the way home in protest, id wad wanted to stay and watch, hell it had wanted to join in the fun. The other side of him, which he was truly starting to believe was his awaking soul, admonished him to leave. The Slayers deserved their privacy, and that part of him was now the controlling part of Spike and after all these years, he rather liked it.

No one had to tell him what the morning ritual meant to the Chosen Two, because for him it meant the same things. He crashed through the door of the crypt quickly closing it. He saw the clock on the wall and laughed softly, he still had a half hour. He dragged his club chair over to the far corner and moved over to the window. He drew aside the black curtain letting in the pale pre-dawn light.

Spike walked back over to the chair and sat down gratefully, smiling as he waited for the sun to rise.
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Xander walked out of the bathroom, already dressed for work. He looked at Anya sleeping in the bed a smile lit up his face. Who would have thought that he would ever be in love with a twelve-hundred year old ex-vengeance demon? And love her he did, with a passion that sometimes scared him. What was even more amazing to him was that she loved him too.

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Anya lips and jumped a little in surprise when her arms came up to hold him.

"Morning," she whispered to him.

"Morning to you too. What are you doing up?"

"Not sure. Couldn't sleep."

Anya followed him into the kitchen. Xander poured them both a cup of coffee.

"Why don't we sit outside on the balcony and drink our coffee. I have a little bit of time before I have to leave for work, we could enjoy the sunrise together," Xander suggested and was rewarded with a bright smile from Anya.

Xander pulled their chairs close together. He held out his hand to Anya after they sat down, she placer har hand in his.

Holding hands, they sat in silence as they waited for the sun to rise.
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Gunn was sitting on the hood of his tricked out truck. He had been up all night thinking. While he felt good about everything he had done helping out Cordy, Wesley, and Angel, he was still tormented with guilt about leaving his crew. He still felt responsible for them. He had led them, taken care of them, kept them safe for so long, how could he not? The weight of each one of his crew that had died since he left weighed heavy on his shoulders and in his heart. There was a part of him that felt if he had been there they might still be alive. He knew he was torturing himself, but he couldn't help it. There was an accusatory look in his former crews' eyes whenever he ran into them, and he had trouble returning their stares.

He knew he had a decision to make, and so he sat mulling over everything as he waited for the sun to rise.


Wesley Wyndam-Price fumbled for his glasses on his bedside table. Christ he groaned what the hell was he doing wide-awake at this hour? His sleep had been restless ever since he had been put in charge of Angel Investigations. He couldn't help but wonder if he was capable of leading their little group. He had been a Watcher for so long that his first thought was research not action, not just sometimes, but almost ninety-nine percent of the time. That he knew was not good, it got people killed. He rose from bed and put on a pot of coffee knowing that sleep would not come to him again this night.

He opened the blinds that covered the sliding glass door. Wesley curled himself up on the couch, sipping his black coffee as he waited for the sun to rise.
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This was so not good for her complexion. The visions were bad enough, but now this not being able to sleep; well, it certainly didn't help the dark circles under her eyes. Cordelia might have changed the way she saw the world, and how she treated the people in it, but she still had a little bit of her old vanity in her. She liked when she looked good and she absolutely hated it when she looked bad. Silently she mused to herself a few dark circles though were worth the price of helping to save the innocent.

She took the robe that Dennis floated over to her when he saw her shiver. She was lonely even if she did have Dennis; it had felt like forever since she had been involved with anyone. She longed for a time when there was someone in her life, someone to be there to hold her in the night, someone to curl up into in the morning, someone to come home to. She often wondered if she would ever find anyone again, it wasn't like she was just some ordinary girl anymore.

With a heavy sigh, she walked over to the window, and crawled up on the ledge leaning her head against the cold pane of the window as she waited for the sun to rise.
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He stood at the edge of the roof like he did every morning. He was restless, his thoughts echoing Buffy's, that it had been too quiet lately. He was so jaded and cynical that he couldn't just relax and enjoy the peacefulness of the last week or so. He didn't want to think it, but something was coming, he could almost smell it with his vampire senses. He tried to shake himself of these thoughts, but it was to no avail.

He thought about Faith instead, the last time he had spoken to her he could hear the happiness clearly in her voice. His heart was genuinely glad for Faith and for Buffy. They deserved whatever love and happiness they could find together and he did not begrudge either of them it. He knew Faith still had secrets that she kept, secrets that were buried deep inside of her, but he felt with Buffy's love and his help that someday Faith would finally be able to speak of them, finally be able to lay them to rest.

He missed having Faith here to share the sunrise with him, he just missed her in general. She was the only person he had felt comfortable with in a very long time. Maybe he would pay them a visit soon.

He let out a breath that he didn't have, clearing his mind and let himself find his center.

Angel felt the peace and tranquility surround him in the pale pre-dawn light as he waited for the sun to rise.
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In silence, two Slayers, nine ordinary, and not so ordinary people, a vampire who believed his soul was beginning to awaken, and a vampire with a soul, turned their faces up to the sky, and waited for the sunrise to bring them the promises of the new day, with hope in their hearts, both beating, and not-beating, that today would be a better day then yesterday.
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Not one of them heard the dawn as it whispered to them of the coming storm; after today it would be a long time before any of the promises brought by the new day were fulfilled or anyone from Sunnydale or L.A. had hope in their heartscentcenter>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All that you touch ~ All that you see ~ All that you taste ~ All that you feel ~ All that you love ~ All that you hate ~ All you distrust ~ All that you save ~ All that you give ~ All that you deal ~ All that you buy beg, borrow or steal ~ All you create ~ All you destroy l thl that you do ~ All that you say ~ All that you eat everyone you meet ~ All that you slight everyone you fight ~ All that is now ~ All that is gone ~ All that's to come and everything under the sun is in tune ~ but the sun is eclipsed by the moon. - Pink Floyd
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Continued in Chapter XVII – This Twilight Garden