The Rogue Slayer

Faith looks up at the clock on the wall before glancing back down at the book she’s reading. “Ain’t much more information in here than what we’ve been told.” Faith bitches quietly before snapping the book closed, standing up to replace it on the book shelf before going to the small stereo system, turning it on and plugging her MP3 player in it, putting some hard pounding rock through the small speakers.



Deciding to find hiding spots for some of her weapons, she tucks away knives and stakes in various areas of the apartment before finishing putting away the rest of Tara’s clothes. Sighing quietly after finishing that, Faith walks back into the kitchen, deciding to throw the frozen lasagna in the oven, noticing that it’s going to take over two hours for the thing to cook, and hopefully Tara will be home soon.



Bouncing on her feet, Faith walks back into the bedroom, her eyes drawn inexorably towards the sketch pads. “You’ve been fuckin’ teasing me all day, you asses.” Faith growls, but doesn’t go closer to the items in question. Snarling, Faith turns around on her heel and walks back out to the living room, grabbing another of the books plopping down on the couch as she flips it open.



“Let’s see…” Faith starts reading, sighing quietly. “Yeah, yeah. We know that her blood is bad for demons, tell me something I don’t already know.” Faith’s eyes continue to skim the book. “This must be the book that has the information from the real elf dude.” Faith murmurs as she notices the comments about the bond and link. “’The elf can give his/her mate the same powers and abilities they have.’, Huh.” Faith tilts her head at the comment. “What the fuck does that mean? Is that where she’s talking about the link where she’s part of me and can use her powers through me?” Faith questions the empty apartment as she continues reading.



Running her hand through her hair, Faith re-reads the section for the fifth time, trying to make sense of what it says. “’The sharing of life force between the elf and the chosen one will be unbreakable and undeniable. Even death will not be able to tear it apart.’” Faith slams the book shut, snarling angrily. “What the fuck does that mean? Is that the fuckin’ link/bond thingy that the other books talk about, or is it somethin’ else? And chosen one, they surely the hell ain‘t talkin‘ specifically about slayers.” Faith tosses the book on the coffee table, tilting her head back against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. When she hears the key in the door, she frowns and looks at the clock. “Damn.”



“Hi, sweetie.” Tara smiles at her lover as she turns and locks the door behind her, frowning as she notices the tenseness and irritation coming from Faith. “What’s wrong, sweetie?“ Tara questions dropping her book bag by the door and walking towards the slayer.



“I can’t make heads or tales out of this shit.” Faith finally growls, her eyes turning to the book.



Tara follows Faith’s gaze, realizing what has her lover irritated, she sits down beside Faith and strokes her fingers gently down her neck. “I thought we were going to read them this weekend.”



“Well…” Faith winces as she turns her gaze on Tara. “They were buggin’ me sitting there.”



“So you had to start reading them, right?” Tara smiles in understanding.



“They don’t give us much more information than what we already know. Just little fuckin’ tidbits that drive me crazy.” Faith admits, sighing.



Tara glances at the clock, seeing it’s a little before 3:00. “What do I smell?” Tara questions softly.



“Lasagna I threw in the oven. I figured we could have lasagna, garlic bread and salad for dinner tonight, if that’s okay.” Faith slowly starts to relax as she looks into Tara’s blue eyes.



“How much longer before it’s ready?” Tara questions, smiling as she notices Faith relaxing.



“About an hour and-a-half.” Faith admits. “I didn’t want dinner to be too early. Plus it’ll probably need longer to cook than what it says. Then time to cool down afterwards.” Faith chuckles quietly.



“I’m going to get something to drink, do you want anything, sweetie?” Tara questions as she stands heading towards the kitchen.



“A water would be great.” Faith leans forward, grabbing the book, studying the cover for a few minutes.



“Leave it out, I want to go ahead and read it.” Tara calls to Faith as she watches her start to stand.



“You sure?” Faith questions as she sits back down on the couch.



“Why not? Maybe you can get my sketch pads and look at them, if you haven’t already.” Tara tries to keep the smile from her face at Faith’s combination of a guilty and happy look.



“Only looked at one drawin’ when I got them from under your bed yesterday. But I ain’t gonna lie, they’ve been drivin’ me nuts.” Faith admits as she stands running by Tara into the bedroom.



Tara laughs quietly as she brings their drinks back out to the living room, setting them down on the coffee table as she grabs the additional books from the book case, curling up in the corner of the couch with the books piled beside her.



Faith grins as she walks back into the living room, easing down on the opposite end of the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table as she flips open the first sketch pad.



Tara glances up from the book, smiling at Faith before looking back down, reading quietly.



“Damn, did you want me to turn the music down?” Faith questions, realizing she still had it playing pretty loud.



“It’s okay.” Tara smiles at Faith.



“Nah, its not. It’s loud.” Faith chuckles as she stands and walks over to the unit, turning the volume down so it’s just playing softly in the background. Stopping beside Tara, Faith leans down brushing her lips softly over the top of her head. “I’m gonna have to find something to do during the day when you’re working. Helping out Mrs. S doesn’t take up much of the week.”



“Maybe I could see if we need someone part-time at the vet’s office.” Tara offers softly, tilting her head to look up into brown eyes. “We can always use someone to help with the animals. Pay isn’t great but it’d give you something to do.”



“Hmmm. Might have to offer to pay them to let me be by you all day.” Faith grins at the blonde.



“Sap.” Tara grins back, her eyes twinkling as she watches Faith walk around to sit at the end of the couch starting to gently turn the pages of her sketch pad. Laughing quietly, Tara turns back to the book.



Faith slowly flips the first book, smiling at the different animals sketched on the pages. Some of the animals being held by, what she’s assuming, the people Tara works with. Glancing over at Tara, Faith hesitates to interrupt the witch as she seems to be engrossed in what she’s reading, so she turns her gaze back on the pad, finishing looking through the drawings before gently setting it down and picking up another one. Biting her lip as this is the one that showed the drawing of herself in it, Faith slowly works through the pad, which consists mostly of sketches of her.



Frowning as she sees the one where she’s hidden in half shadows upstairs at the Bronze, she realizes how much of a loner she must seem as she looks at that drawing. Slowly flipping through the book, she chuckles quietly at the caricature drawings Tara had done of the Scooby gang sitting around the table. Realizing she’d obviously done these drawings after she found out about demons, since she made Oz look more wolfy, Willow with a witches hat, Buffy with a steely gaze and a stake in her hand instead of a glass, Anya with little horns and a tail that curls around Xander. Xander grinning goofily with a big heart showing on his shirt and Riley dressed in overalls with a straw hat, but holding a rifle.



Flipping to the last sketch in this pad, is a drawing of herself, with an obviously sad look on her face. As she looks more closely at the drawing, she realizes it was where she’d just finished telling Tara about demons being real and she was getting ready to leave the woman’s dorm room. Slowly closing the pad, Faith sets it down with the other one, almost afraid to pick up the last one.



Tara glances up from reading as she looks over at Faith as she hesitates picking up the sketch pad. She silently watches the struggle on the woman’s face as she finally grasps it and slowly flips it open. Biting her lip, Tara watches Faith more intently as she looks at the pad, wondering how she’ll react to the drawings.



Faith stops at the first drawing of herself, obviously how she must have looked when she came to the witch’s door when Adam had tossed her around like she was yesterdays lunch. The obvious pain she was in, almost screaming from the page. Swallowing hard, Faith slowly flips to the next page. Showing herself asleep, or probably more accurately, passed out, with a sheet across her and a hand obviously stroking gently through her hair. Knowing the hand is Tara’s, Faith smiles at the drawing before turning the page, blushing lightly at the drawing of her in the shower, the obvious desire in her eyes as she’s leaning against the shower stall, her arms obviously reaching forward, knowing that this was when Tara was cleaning her gently. But the drawing is just above her breasts and up, not showing anything else.



Tara whispers softly. “That look in your eyes is something I hope to always see there.”



Faith drags her eyes away from the drawing. “When did you do these?” Faith questions, her voice husky. “I mean, obviously you didn’t do them when it was happenin’.”



“No.” Tara sets down the book shifting her body to sit beside Faith. “I did them when I wasn’t studying, late at night when I couldn’t sleep.” Tara shrugs as she runs her finger over the features of the dark slayer on the pad. “Thoughts of you would haunt my dreams.” Tara finally admits quietly. “I had to draw them.”



“Why ain’t ya’ taking classes to become an artist?” Faith hesitantly questions looking back at the drawing. “I mean, I ain’t no art critic, but these are damn good!”



Tara chuckles quietly. “I just do it for my own pleasure, sweetie. Plus I only sketch, I’ve never been any good at painting or anything else like that.” Tara admits. “Do you know how hard it is to make a living as an artist? Almost impossible. I’ll keep to doing sketches, when I get my own clinic, I may decorate it with ones I’ve drawn of the different animals I’ve seen and helped.” Tara shrugs as she leans against the slayer. “Go ahead and finish looking through that one, sweetie.”



“Are there naughty ones?” Faith looks at Tara with a wicked grin on her face.



“Would I do something like that?” Tara questions, her eyes dancing with mischief.



“I don’t know. You’re kept them pretty clean so far. Though I know when this drawing was done, and what you were doing at the time.” Faith points to the sketch. “I know you didn’t mean to turn me on, but when you made eye contact with me as you slid the washcloth between my legs it gave me a major charge.”



“No, I didn’t mean to excite you.” Tara admits softly. “You were healing really well by that time, and I honestly couldn’t help but take in the sight. I allowed myself to enjoy touching you.”



“Good.” Faith grins. “I enjoyed you touching me. And still do, as a matter of fact.” Faith wiggles her eyebrows.



Tara chuckles and shifts her body, so she can prop her arm up on the back of the couch and stroke gently through Faith’s hair. Smiling she watches as Faith slowly flips the page, her attention back on the drawings.



Faith’s eyes bug out at the obvious look of rapture on her face in the drawing. “Anyone with half a brain will know what’s going on outside the view of this drawin’.” Faith points to the drawing.



“You think?” Tara laughs quietly.



“God, I don’t know if it could be more sexual if you did show me completely. This is pretty damn hot by itself.” Faith swallows at the drawing.



“I don’t know, you tell me.” Tara chuckles softly as she reaches down to flip the page to the next sheet, enjoying the sharp inhaled breath of the slayer.



“Fuck me!” Faith growls looking at the drawing of her spread out in all her glory with, what is obviously, Tara’s head buried between her thighs. Seeing the obviously hard nipples, her hands buried in Tara’s hair as her body arches off the bed. The obvious pleasure on her face as she climaxes.



“I think I sort of was at the time, sweetie.” Tara answers the non-question, laughing quietly.



Faith whimpers and slowly closes the art pad. “I think I need to not look any further at these drawings. Especially if they have more of that. That was fuckin’ hot. Can we frame some of these and hang them up around the apartment?”



Tara laughs and leans her head on Faith’s shoulder. “Whatever you want, sweetie.”



“You might regret that.” Faith shifts a little on the couch, so she’s reclining against the arm, pulling Tara so she’s lying partially on top of her, between her legs. Wrapping both arms around the witch, Faith eyes the closed pad. “Did it have more of the explicit drawings in that one?”



“A couple more.” Tara answers softly, gently rubbing her cheek against Faith’s chest.



“Did any of them show more of you?” Faith wonders out loud.



“No, pretty much the last one you looked at showed the most of me.” Tara runs her hand gently over Faith’s side. “Why?”



“Can you draw some with you in ‘em? I don’t want the apartment to be of just me.” Faith admits.



“Well, I don’t normally know how I look when I’m climaxing, but we can probably figure something out.” Tara places a gentle kiss on the breast she’s lying on.



“Sure we can. I can buy a camcorder and record everything, or we can have our whole bedroom mirrored that way you can see exactly what you look like from different angles.” Faith suggests, grinning as she feels fingers pinching her.



“Stop being rotten.” Tara laughs quietly at her lover’s comments.



“Actually, I was kind of serious about the camcorder portion, not the mirror portion though. I think that would be kinda tacky.” Faith admits as she strokes her hands up and down Tara’s back. “So, did you finish reading the information in the books?”



“Yes, I did. Like Mr. Giles said, it causes more questions than it answers.” Tara sighs at the thought of the books.



“That one section had me wonderin’.” Faith finally states after a few minutes of the two women just lying there quietly.



“Which section?” Tara questions shifting her body so she can look into Faith’s eyes.



“The part about the elf sharing their life force with the chosen one. I mean, I doubt that they meant chosen one as in slayer, but probably more as in your chosen mate.” Faith explains softly.



“It’s hard to say, sweetie. It confused things more than helped them, truth be told.” Tara sighs as she lies back down on Faith.



“I hate to tell ya’, but I probably should check the lasagna.” Faith looks up at the clock, smiling as Tara shifts slowly.



“You stay, I’ll go look.” Tara brushes her thumb gently over Faith’s chin before standing and walking towards the kitchen.



Faith’s eyes follow Tara as she walks in the kitchen.



“I’m going to pull off the foil and throw it back in the oven for another fifteen minutes.” Tara explains as she looks at the lasagna. Placing it back in the oven, she turns to the refrigerator, planning on preparing the salad, when she notices the big bowl sitting on the bottom shelf. Shaking her head at the realization she didn’t even notice it when she got the drinks out of the refrigerator earlier.



“What’cha doin’?” Faith questions watching Tara.



“Thought I would prepare the salad, but it looks like you’ve already done that.” Tara chuckles as she closes the door and walks back to the couch. Handing the sketch pad to Faith, Tara sits down beside her lover. “Go ahead and finish looking through them, sweetie.” Tara sighs quietly and tilts her head, resting it on the back of the couch.



“How did your test go, babe?” Faith questions as she flips open the pad looking at the remaining drawings. Surprised at the drawing of herself asleep, looking almost innocent.



“Good. Find out for sure next week.” Tara laughs quietly as she looks up at the ceiling.



“I don’t look like that.” Faith points to the drawing.



“Yes, you do. You don’t look like that awake, though.” Tara laughs as she flips the page showing Faith with a devilish look on her face and mischief filling her eyes. “That’s the look you usually have when you’re awake.”



“Yeah, yeah.” Faith chuckles as she dives in nipping at Tara’s neck. “Let me check the lasagna.” Tara’s tinkling laughter follows Faith into the kitchen, making her smile as she checks the lasagna. Pulling it out and setting it on the oven mitts, Faith grabs down the garlic bread out of the freezer opening it and sliding it onto the pan before adjusting the temperature of the oven and sliding it in.



Tara walks in and grabs down the plates and silverware, setting the table as Faith grabs out the salad.



“What dressing do you want, babe?” Faith questions as she pulls out Zesty Italian for herself, setting it on the table.



“Don’t tell me you bought most different flavors of dressing also?” Tara raises an eyebrow in question at her lover, laughing at the guilty look.



“Well, I ain’t gotten the chance to know what you like and don’t like. I remember ya‘ saying you like all different kinds.” Faith shrugs in admittance.



“I’m pretty easy, sweetie. Only a few things I don’t like.” Tara smiles at the slayer. “Just don’t do cooked cabbage or sauerkraut around me and we’ll be fine.”



“That’s that stinky shit, right?” Faith looks at Tara as she laughs.



“Yes, it’s stinky.” Tara shakes her head at Faith. “Goddess, you’re beautiful.” Tara whispers, wrapping her arms around Faith, kissing her softly.



“Hmmm.” Faith quickly deepens the kiss, rolling her tongue around Tara’s teasing her by flicking the tip against the roof of the witch’s mouth before retreating.



Tara growls into Faith’s mouth and captures Faith’s tongue, sucking it strongly as it tries to sneak back into her mouth.



Faith laughs quietly as they break apart. Pressing her lips firmly against Tara’s, Faith turns to grab the bread out of the oven before it burns. “Should I just put the whole containers on the table or fill the plates and we can come back for more?”



“Just set the containers on the table, love. You’ll eat the majority of it anyway.” Tara grabs a spatula out of the drawer, along with a butter knife and a sharp knife setting them on the table.



Tara turns in surprise as the phone rings. “Who has our number?” Tara turns questioning eyes on the slayer.



“Uh, just about everyone.” Faith admits, picking up the phone. “Yeah.”



“Hello, Faith. I wanted you and Tara to know that there was a couple more books available from our friends regarding what we discussed last night, that I’m having sent to me. I should have them by Tuesday.” Giles explains as he watches the couple as they look at the items.



“Thank you, G-man!” Faith grins. “Do you know what info they got?”



“Not off the top of my head, no. But Jeffries said they were a lot more detailed and gave a little bit more information. He’s also sending another book that he said is written in Elvish, however no one can translate it. I don’t know if Tara might be able to, or not.” Giles admits.



“Well, considering she didn’t even know she was elf, probably not.” Faith rolls her eyes at Tara, making the witch laugh. “Babe, did your mom teach you any weird languages?”



“I don’t know about weird, but there were some I needed to learn for the spells in her books.” Tara shrugs looking curiously at her lover.



“Any that you don’t know what they were called?” Faith raises an eyebrow in question.



“Yes, as a matter of fact.” Tara nods her head watching Faith.



“G-man, it may be a possibility. So, we‘ll keep our fingers crossed. Let me know when it comes in.” Faith states quickly placing the bread on the table as Tara cuts the lasagna.



“Of course, my dear. Have a wonderful night.” Giles chuckles as the click on the other end as Faith hangs up.



“Buffy and Willow have already packed most of their stuff.” Tara takes a bite of her lasagna, smiling as Faith works her way quickly through her first piece of lasagna before attacking her salad.



“What time does your test end tomorrow?” Faith questions, glancing up from her food.



“I should be finished by 1:00.” Tara nibbles on her salad quirking her lip as Faith slides another section of lasagna out of the pan before grabbing another piece of bread. “I figured I would just go to their dorm room after I finish.”



“Makes sense.” Faith agrees as she sprinkles more parmesan cheese on the lasagna. “Mrs. S said she’d order pizza tomorrow as a late lunch, if we wanted.”



“Is she going to be at the house?” Tara questions surprised.



“She’s plannin’ on leavin’ work early tomorrow.” Faith admits, looking up with her eyes twinkling. “She’s planning on driving us back here, so she can see the apartment. I figured I’d go to the store and look at frames for a few of those drawings and hang them tomorrow morning, see how long it takes for her to make a comment on ‘em.”



Tara raises an eyebrow at Faith in silent question, blushing lightly at the wicked grin crossing her lover’s face in response. “Can you try to keep to the somewhat less x-rated ones?”



“What’s the fun in that?” Faith smirks as she eats the rest of her dinner.



“I could just tear them up, you know.” Tara finishes her salad, leaning back in her seat as she watches Faith eat.



“Don’t you dare!” Faith looks up, shock in her eyes. “I won’t put the more explicit ones up, I promise.”



Tara chuckles quietly. “You can put them in our room, if you really want. The only thing is, people will still see them in there if you show them our room.”



“I don’t care if they see ‘em. That’s our private space, if they don’t like what I decorate it with, tough shit.” Faith looks at the little bit of lasagna left, frowning.



“Go ahead and finish it, sweetie.” Tara grins crookedly at her lover as she gathers the rest of the dirty dishes, placing them in the sink while running hot water to wash the dishes.



“You don’t want no more?” Faith questions as she slowly reaches for the last piece.



“No, I’ve had enough. I might have a small bowl of ice cream later.” Tara smiles, gathering the trash and empty containers from the table, throwing them in the trash can.



“There’s nuts, caramel, chocolate and other toppings in the pantry.” Faith points towards the door unnecessarily.



Tara sighs, her lip curling up in disbelief at her lover. Turning to the sink, Tara makes short work of the dishes, smiling as Faith slides her dishes in the water while placing a kiss on her neck.



“I’ve been putting off sharpening a couple of my knives. Is it okay if I do it out here on the kitchen table?” Faith questions softly, sneaking her arms around Tara’s waist, hugging her gently.



“Of course it is, sweetie.” Tara washes the last couple items, rinsing them and placing them in the drainer before drying her hands, placing them on top of Faith’s arms. “Why would I have a problem with that?”



“I don’t know. Just thought I’d ask, I kinda don’t want to do something to piss you off.” Faith buries her face in Tara’s hair, inhaling deeply.



“Like I won’t get pissed off anyway?” Tara laughs quietly as Faith squeezes her. “And like I’m not going to piss you off?”



“I’m sure we will have our moments.” Faith admits, grinning. “But I don’t think we would have the passion between us that’s there if we don’t butt heads occasionally.”



“As long as we don’t go to bed angry with each other, I don’t have a problem with it.” Tara shifts around in Faith’s arms, hooking her arms over Faith’s shoulders. “Promise me that we won’t go to bed angry.”



“I promise, babe.” Faith readily agrees. “I was wonderin’ if you’d mind if I picked up one of them super duper track running things and set it up in the living room off to the side?”



“Hmmm. You might be able to talk me into it.” Tara wiggles her eyebrows, laughing as Faith starts nipping playfully at her neck. “That’s a good start.”



“Would I also be able to talk you into runnin’ with me occasionally?” Faith places a kiss on the witch’s pulse point, smiling as she hears Tara’s heartbeat pick up.



“I’m not much of one for running.” Tara admits, closing her eyes as Faith starts to suck gently on her neck.



“I’ve had those legs wrapped around me, babe. Those muscles come from somewhere.” Faith murmurs as she works her way up Tara’s neck, flicking her tongue gently on Tara’s earlobe.



Tara groans quietly as Faith presses her softly back into the counter, sliding a strong thigh between her legs, pulling her skirt taut. “Lots and lots of walking among other things.” Tara whimpers quietly as a strong tongue licks slowly up the outer shell of her ear, playfully flicking the tip, making her shiver with desire.



“What other things?” Faith questions as she captures the tip of Tara’s ear between her lips, sucking lightly, groaning as Tara jerks into her body at the caress. Running her hands down Tara’s thighs, Faith slowly starts to pull up the witch’s skirt.



“Goddess, Faith!” Tara cries out softly as she gently digs her fingers into Faith’s ass cheeks. “SHIT!” Tara growls the word angrily as the buzzer rings. “Do you think if we ignore them, they’ll go away?”



Faith chuckles, stopping her hands from finishing their past time. Taking a deep breath, Faith pulls slowly away from Tara. “Don’t know who it is, but I can try and get rid of ‘em.”



“Please do. We’ve only initiated the tub and the bed so far.” Tara grumbles watching as Faith laughs walking towards speaker. Looking down at her skirt, Tara grins before trying to smooth it back down from where Faith had managed to pull up to her mid thighs.



“Who is it?” Faith growls pressing the speaker button. Releasing it she turns her gaze back on Tara. “Better be fuckin’ important.”



Tara winks at Faith before turning around to rinse out the sink grabbing a towel to dry the dishes and put them away.



“Beware of Greek’s bearing gifts.” Joyce chuckles as she presses the button.



“Didn’t know you was Greek.” Faith presses the button back. “Give me a sec, and I’ll be down to help ya’.” Turning towards Tara, she laughs as Tara grins and waves her to go on.



***