Begin at the Beginning

Disclaimer: See Part 1
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Faith woke to the late morning light, stretching her well rested body and let out a quiet yawn. It had been a long time since she hadn't had to sleep with one eye open. Her stepfather wasn't the most trustworthy of people.

Moaning in delight she turned her head and found herself caught in the ever watchful hazel eyes of the girl that had taken her in. She jumped in surprise before forcing herself to calm down.

"You scared the shit outta me" Faith gasped sitting up, hand clutching her heart.

"I try" Buffy said dryly rolling over and closing her eyes.

"Smart ass" Faith muttered standing and stretching again.

"If you plan on getting up right now, bother me and die" the slayer muttered pulling the sheet over her head.

"Well can I atleast shower?" Faith frowned.

"Yeah but do it quietly" came the grumpy voice from under the sheet.

"Guess that means no singing" Faith muttered to herself.

"If you value your life" Buffy yelled.

"Ok ok. Silent shower" Faith rolled her eyes as she entered the bathroom.

The bathroom was slightly less gross than the rest of the place, well atleast there wasn't any mold. There was a clean towel and even some generic shampoo. Only one clean towel. She smirked to herself as she ran and tested the water.

It quickly ran hot and she adjusted the flow to a comfortable level, before stripping out of her clothes.

Her first few moments under the spray were something close to heaven for her, after 3 months of living with her slob father. The man never bathed, drank himself to sleep, and pissed where ever he pleased. She was glad to be out, and not have to worry about a perverted audience while she bathed.

She cracked open the new box of soap and started to scrub herself down, thinking about where she'd go from there. She knew Buffy wouldn't let her stay forever. No one would just take in a teenaged girl with no question. There had to be a catch. She'd just wait until it presented itself, and then skip town or something.

Though most of the things she could picture Buffy demanding, didn't seem so bad. She lathered her hair as she remembered the feel of the girl above her the night before. The way their skin brushed together, how quickly she'd responded to the extra heat, her nipples hardening, her breath short.

The darkening of those fathomless hazel eyes. She stopped herself. "Fathomless?" she whispered "God Faith, you're starting to sound like some love sick kid. The last thing this chick needs is you crushing on her" ducking under the spray, she rinsed her dark hair clean.

Running firm fingers down her form she helped the water strip away the last of the suds. When she reached the trim thatch between her legs she became aware of the moisture that had nothing to do with her bathing. 'Might as well take care of this now' she thought.

Bracing her back against the cool shower wall she slid knowing fingers between wet lips. Worrying her clit, gently thrusting two fingers inside. 'Don't wanna come to quick. I hate when it's soft'. She felt herself cresting, and slowed her thrust to a halt. She waiting long moments for her body to calm itself, ashamed that she'd come so close so quick, with just a memory of a girl she hadn't even had.

'Must be getting soft. Mmm I wonder if she likes it soft'. Faith slid her fingers in as deep as they'd go, as she manipulated her clit. Instead of thrust she started a deep waving massage. 'Her hair would probably feel like feathers against my skin, and she'd taste spicy, and a little sweet. She'd grunt when I'd lick her, maybe pull my hair when it's good. Then she pictured Buffy coming, and did so herself.

"Fuck" she whispered as she felt her legs give a little. She did a controlled slide to a seated position, knee's beneath her chin. "Mmm. Not too bad" she smirked and layed her head back against the wall.

Shortly after the water turned cold and she exited the shower.

She didn't notice the faint red glow left behind where her body had touched the wall.
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Buffy found she couldn't get back to a deep sleep after the girl left the bed.

She found herself following the sound of her movements behind the closed door of the bathroom, then later her muttered words about being a lovesick kid. She grinned at that. Might be fun to use later, she mused no longer in a crappy mood.

At first when she'd heard the tiny helpless moan she'd thought Faith was in trouble. Then her keen hearing picked up on the shortened, broken breaths, and she'd surmised that the girl was doing as she'd done the night before. Releasing a little tension.

When she heard her name, broken off with a pant, she smiled harder. Then the scent hit her. The heated water carrying it strongly, bringing it out more in the heavy air.

She smelled sweet, but not cloyingly so. For a moment Buffy allowed herself to imagine what she'd taste like. But only for a moment.

Then came the deep sigh and whispered 'Fuck'.

She loosened her body and feigned sleep when Faith exited the bathroom minutes later.

She wondered how long it would take before she realized she didn't have anything to change into.

Faith kept her back to the bed as she patted herself dry. She pulled the towel up to squeeze excess water from her hair, exposing her backside and lower back.

A low whistle from the bed startled her. She spun quickly to find the blonde, head propped on her elbow, watching her with a dark gaze.

"Nice ass" Buffy commented before rolling over, turning her back on the blushing teen.

"Thanks" Faith paused uncertainly "Hey, uh, can I borrow.." she looked away feeling stupid though she knew Buffy wasn't looking at her.

"Light gray bag near the door" a callused finger pointed a bit to her left.

"Yeah, thanks" Faith made her way there. Pulling through the mostly gray, black or fatigue green garments, she frowned more with each item she discarded.

"Beggars can't be choosey or something like that"

Faith looked up to find Buffy standing before her, in nothing but a worn black t-shirt that barely came to mid thigh, a faded 'Dickies' written across it.

"OK, then pick me something you don't mind me using" Faith rose to her full height, arms crossed under her breasts.

Buffy picked up two items, green cargo pants and a fitting black top "Do you want me to dress you too?"

Faith snatched the clothing from her "No thanks, I think I can manage" she spun on her heel and made her way back to the bathroom.

Buffy mimed the snippy remark behind her back, rolling her own eyes at the closed door.

"Wanted me to see it last night, hides it during the day" pulling out clothing for herself, she slid into an almost identical outfit.
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Giles looked up in surprise when someone actually 'entered' the library during the day. Someone who wasn't one of his whitehats.

"Ah Buffy hello" he marked his place in the demonology text and stood. "Are you ready for..."he paused mid sentence when he realized someone had entered behind Buffy "Can I help you?"

"I doubt it" Faith muttered rolling her eyes.

"Excuse me?" Giled whipped off his glasses and cleaned them "Then maybe you should return to your class?"

"She doesn't go to school here" Buffy tugged the girl along by her shirt "She's with me. So, let's get this meeting over with, we got stuff to do"

"What could possibly be more important than saving lives?" Giles snapped as he tugged the heavy wooden table from the middle of the lower room.

Buffy moved to help him. Tipping the table towards her, she hefted it up and walked it up against the wall.

"Holy shit. How'd you do that?" Faith's eyes were wide as she stared at the blonde in surprise "You moved that shit like it weighed nothing"

"And who is this girl exactly?" Giles questioned crossing his arms, looking very British.

"She's a friend okay? Let's just get down to business" Buffy rolled her eyes and acquired her fighting stance "Though why I have to do this I don't understand..."


Her rant was cut off when Giles made a quick chop at her "Too slow" she said with a raised brow seconds after she blocked the hit. With a quick twist of her arm she set him on his ass.

"Well I see Merrick trained you well" Giles said from his position, flat on his back.

"Didn't pull any punches" Buffy considered helping the man up, but decided not to "Faith have a seat, read a book, there's plenty of them"

The girl rolled her eyes and scanned the library with disinterest "Can't I just wander around the school?"

"What happens if someone see's you and asks what your doing in the hallway?" Buffy gave a girl a withering stare.

"You kick their ass?" Faith wiggled her brow.

"Uh no. Find something to do 'inside this room'. Okay?" Buffy lifted a brow of her own.

"Aye aye Captain B" Faith gave a jaunty salute and clicked her heels before heading in the stacks.

"Bit of a smart ass isn't she?" Giles said coming right up behind Buffy.

Startling her enough to knock him on his ass, again.

"Sorry reflex" Buffy grimaced and helped him up.
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Faith wandered aimlessly through the stacks, glancing over book titles, taking in little or nothing from each as she tried to amuse herself.

She'd always been easily bored growing up. Always quick to figure out how things worked her mind moved at an almost restless pace at times. And often got her into trouble.

Apparently there was such a thing as being 'too' intelligent. Not that she'd admit it.

Becoming bored with Science she switched stacks coming upon a section marked 'Mythology'. Figuring it was better than reading boring Biology shit, or the pointless 'teen' fiction, she grabbed the biggest, dustiess leather bound book.

Hefting it off the shelf, she settled in for a little reading.

"Vampyre" she embellished in a stage whisper.
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Buffy allowed the ever cautious Giles to put her through her paces, so that he could 'gauge her level of effectiveness' in several different conditions. Which, for some odd reason, included carrying sacks or various weights on her back while fending off his, better than average, attempts to knock her down.

"Well you are a very well trained slayer. Not that I expected less from a reputation such as yours" Giles gasped wiping the sweat from his face and brow "You have quick reflexes, your movements are strong and sure. Yet you lack such simple tactical thoughts it amazes me"

"Yeah well, come in fast, kill 'em all has worked for me so far" Buffy monotoned as she glanced around the library for Faith. It had been well over three hours ago when she'd told the girl to find something to do. Which apparently she had.

"Well it's not going to work in this instance. The gross number of vampires in his control nearly outnumber the people of this town. One girl, even with your gifts and strength, simply cannot take them all" Giles sat down heavily in the nearest chair, still trying to catch his breath.

"Yeah that's what you said yesterday" came the bored reply to which Giles simply sighed.

"Well the only reinforcements I myself can offer are three teenagers. Volunteers who know the truth of this town, but it is nowhere near the type of...of...fire power that we need to do this. The Master is planning something big. So big that this town will no longer be as it is. It will become a human farm for them. The citizens nothing more than cattle" Giles slammed his fist down on the table, causing even Buffy to jump. "I will 'not' allow that to happen"

"And it won't. Not if I have anything to do about it" Buffy lightened her voice. Allowing him to understand that she was taking this seriously. Not just as another town, and another kill. "But we won't accomplish it all in one day. So I'm gonna take the kid, get some food, meet you here at dusk, and we'll work something okay?"

Giles looked astonished. He hadn't expected dealing with Buffy to be this easy. All the word from the few Council members ,who deigned to answer his questions, was that Buffy was difficult and unbending, doing her own thing above all else. "That's wonderful. Thank you"

"Whatever" Buffy reverted back to her monotone. "Hey kid I'm leaving" she turned on her heel heading for the door.

"You know you shouldn't have her with you. It's dangerous enough as it is. If she distracts you..." Giles began to lecture only to stop when Buffy turned a cold grey green glare his way.

"She's fine. Does what she's told. Let me worry about her" Buffy continued to glare at him until Faith joined her at the door, an odd look on her face. "Say goodbye for now" Buffy instructed her.

"Later Cheebs" Faith smirked, having heard Buffy's last comment.

"I'll see you at dusk" Buffy left without a look back, knowing the dark haired girl was behind her. And that the watcher still had the stunned look on his face.
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"Okay so I was reading this book right?" Faith said non-chalantly skipping every few steps behind Buffy.

"Uh huh" the slayer said distractedly as she dodged between the students of Sunnydale High as they left campus for the day.

Faith bumped into a tall dark haired girl who gave her a dirty look "Sorry"

The girl rolled her eyes as she stalked away.

"Bitch!" Faith yelled after her, tossing her the bird for effect.

Buffy glanced back at the younger girl, brow raised at the unbridled response.

"Anyway" Faith started again once they'd cleared the campus grounds. "I get to this weird section of the library, and there's these books on Vampire's and Demons and shit right?"

Buffy slowed her walk and gave the girl an evil look.

"Sure I can wait 'til we get to the Motel" Faith pasted on a sweet but obviously fake smile and followed docilely behind the blonde.

The walk to the Motel was silent after that. Buffy scaring half the town out of her way with the dire look on her face, only made worse by the scar, and Faith following behind like a trained seal, smiling goffily as people crossed the street or took big steps back when the blonde came close.

She could tell Buffy was pissed. Each person they passed made her tense a bit more, Faith was sure her face was a stone mask by the time they reached the door.

As soon as her feet passed the threshold she spoke again.

"Well, Vampires and Demons right? So there's this thing called a-"

"Slayer. The one girl in all the world blah blah blah kill evil shit blah blah die young and unhappy. Yeah I know" Buffy threw herself down on the bed, hoping the girl would drop it.

"So I figure 'YOU' are this slayer chick. I mean you're strong as hell, you've been pissed off since I met you. And that Jeeves guy?"

"Giles" Buffy interrupted hiding her smile behind her hand.

"Whatever, he's all 'protect, and stake, and Master Vampire' so he's a Watcher right?" Faith bounced on the bed beside the blonde, hoping to annoy her into conversation.

"You got all this from a book?" Buffy uncovered one eye long enough to half glare at her.

"Well six books actually. I kinda skimmed more than read" Faith rolled her eyes when Buffy scoffed "So that's what you did last night? You went out and killed the boogeyman?"

"I haven't met him yet" the blonde said honestly sitting up "But this town is like a evil magnet. The bastards took over their nights a while ago. I'm supposed to kill some old ass vampire and scare them away now. But Jeeves"

"Giles" Faith interrupted.

"Whatever, he won't let me run in and kill it so I can move on" Buffy rolled her eyes "You hungry?"

"Yeah but don't change the subject. I say we go in-" Faith jumped when the blonde sat up abruptly.

"There's no 'we'. I'm the Slayer. I kill things, there is no we in this. You stay here where they can't eat you, and I go kill things. You got that?"

Faith stared straight at her, an angry heat in her eyes as she stared the blonde down "You're not the boss of me"

"I'm feeding you, housing you" she glared at their matching outfits wondering why she dressed them alike, oh yeah all her clothes looked alike "and clothing you, for now, so you do listen to me. I'm the boss, and I say that you stay your skinny little ass here. Or else"

"Or else what? You'll spank me" Faith put all the attitude she could muster into her retort.

Buffy advanced so fast she only had a chance to flinch.

Faith found herself crushed to the blonde, whose strong hands held her close and whose surprisingly soft lips were pressed to hers. She reacted, gripping the soft hair and deepening the kiss.

Buffy pulled them apart before she lost all control and tried to taste the girls mouth "You stay here. Got it?"

Faith panted and nodded "Got it"

"Good" and with that the blonde stormed from the Motel room.

Slamming the door behind her.
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