Ginger Snap

And here we are again. What say another chapter after this one, sometime today? I think it's a good idea. Let's go with it.

Chapter Four

*

Buffy and Faith headed for the cafeteria at lunchtime, leaving Giles to continue his research.

"So we're really getting into the telling-people phase of this..." Faith waved a hand, gesturing at the two of them.

"Relationship," Buffy said. "I guess we are. Is that okay?"

Faith glanced at her. "I never thought it would really..." She shrugged. "I mean, that we'd get all corny like that. But, I dunno, I kinda like it."

"Good." Buffy smiled, ducking her head to hide her blush. "So does that mean we can look for that janitor's closet that Xander just happened to mention the location of to me when I first moved here?"

"Oh, man, he didn't!" Faith laughed, then eyed Buffy with a sexy grin. "You wanna sneak in first or should I?" She leaned closer, pinning Buffy against a locker with her gaze. "You got me all kinds of worked up last night. Wanna know what I did when I got to mine...?"

Buffy swallowed, feeling her breathing coming faster. "Yeah," she breathed.

Faith moved so that her body brushed against Buffy's. Buffy felt her nipples harden immediately, pressed against Faith's breasts. Faith dipped her head to whisper in Buffy's ear. Buffy closed her eyes, feeling arousal shudder through her body at the sound of Faith's voice. "I'd rather show you...but I can't, because your fucking principal is walking straight towards us."

Buffy bit back a moan. Faith was right. Snyder was striding down the hall, snapping at students as he passed. Faith stepped away from Buffy and studied a poster on the wall, as if she was desperately interested in joining the knitting club. Snyder glared at Buffy, probably upset that he didn't have a reason to yell at her, other than the fact that she looked red-faced and guilty.

"Oh, God, that is so not fair," she said, her voice shaky. "Come on, before the little troll comes back this way." She took Faith's hand and led her to the cafeteria. There was no way she was going to risk getting caught on school grounds with Faith. She was still on probation, after all, and she had a feeling her mom wouldn't stick up for her this time. "Let's go meet the guys."

Faith sighed. "If that's what you really want..." she said, teasing.

"It's not," Buffy said, her voice almost a growl. "But I am not ravishing you while I'm still thinking about Snyder. That is wrong on so many levels. Each level ickier than the last."

Faith laughed and allowed herself to be led. They entered the cafeteria and headed over to the table where Willow, Oz, and Xander were sitting with Amy.

"Hi, Buffy. Hi, Faith," Willow said as they approached. "Amy, this is Faith...she's another Slayer, it's this whole mystical loophole thing. Faith, Amy. She's a witch. Her mom stole her body for a while, but now she's okay."

Faith and Amy exchanged nods. It was the Hellmouth. Willow's introduction seemed perfectormaormal to both of them.

"And a hearty hello to my two favouritest Slayers," Xander said. He stood up and pushed his chair towards Buffy. He grabbed one from a neighbouring table for Faith, but he couldn't find one for himself.

"Don't worry about me, Xan," Faith said, sitting in the chair he'd offered Buffy. "You go ahead."

"Buffy, you don't have to stand," Xander said, shooting Faith an annoyed look for taking the seat he'd meant for Buffy.

"Nope, she sure doesn't." Faith raised an eyebrow at Buffy, leering.

Buffy rolled her eyes at Faith's obvious dare. She was the one who thought it was a good idea to tell people they were together. She might have preferred doing it somewhere other than the cafeteria in front of the whole school, but it wasn't like her social life was much of a secret to Sunnydale High--not now that Cordelia was their enemy again. Besides, she was pretty sure that Faith just wanted to keep...distractier, er, since they kept on being interrupted. Buffy's pulse was still racing from their encounter in the hallway. She waved Xander's second chair offering away and sat on Faith's lap.

"Um...okay...interesting seating choice," Xander said, eying them sidelong.

"Wipe away the drool, Zeppo," Faith said, mock-seriously. "It was a chair emergency."

Xander nodded wisely, still staring. "I've heard of those. Very dangerous. Steps must be taken. Laps...filled."

"Ok Buf Buffy said, holding up a hand to stop Xander before he could start babbling in earnest. "Guys, I...that is, we have some news."

Willow shifted in her seat and shared a look with Oz. "It's we news? News from we? As in, there is a we, and you are in the we, and Faith is we too?"

"Hey, I am not wee. I'm taller than she is." Faith rested one hand on Buffy's knee, massaging it, then started shifting it up her thigh. Buffy thought about slapping it away, then changed her mind and wished she was wearing a skirt instead of pants, and nothing else.

Focus. This was important.

"Faith and I are together." Buffy looked around at a circle of blank faces. Well, Oz's face was usually blank, but at least his blankness conveyed that he was happy for them. "In one of those--relationshippy type things," she clarified.

Oz nodded, his lips twitching briefly into a grin. Amy smiled at them. "Congratulations," she said.

Willow and Xander still looked blank.

Buffy shook her head in despair, wondering just how obvious she was going to have to get. "Faith is my girlfriend," she said slowly and distinctly. "Notice how I am sitting in her lap. And Faith, if you move your hand one inch higher we are going to be banned from all public spaces."

"And that stops me how?" Faith purred.

"No smoochies in a broom closet later," Buffy threatened.

Xander's mouth dropped open. Faith pouted, but stopped moving her hand.

Willow narrowed her eyes at Buffy. "So, when we were doing homework yesterday, and you said you had to go patrol, were you actually patrolling?"

"Yes," Buffy answered.

"No," Faith said at the same time.

Buffy met Faith's eyes for a moment. "Both," she said. "Except then Mom picked last night for a surprise bonding visit, and she found these two little kids instead. They were murdered."

"Oh, my God," Amy said.

Willow shook her head. "Your mom would actually take the time to do that with you? Does she know about--" Willow's voice dropped to a whisper. "--you and Faith?"

"Yeah." Buffy tensed on Faith's lap. She hadn't told Faith what her mom had said yet about Faith being just a 'distraction'. "More bad. She took it well at first, but last night, she started wigging."

"Who's wigging?"

Buffy snapped her head around. Her mom was standing right behind her. Oh, God. Not good. She jumped off Faith's legs and stood up.

"Um... everyone," she said, sending Faith an apologetic look. "You know, 'cause of what happened."

"Oh, it's so awful." Mom shook her head. "I had bad dreams about it all night."

Willow offered her a tentative, "Hi, Mrs. Summers." She met Buffy's eyes and indicated Faith with a nod of her head, worried questions in her eyes. Buffy shrugged at her. Her mom didn't even acknowledge that Faith was there.

Mom smiled around the table absently. "Oh, hi, everybody."

Xander and Amy added their hellos. Everyone fidgeted. Mom didn't notice.

"Buffy, have you talked to Mr. Giles yet about who could have done this?" she asked.

"He thinks it might be a cult," Faith said. "He's still looking. But me and B are gonna add to our patrols, and, y'know, keep an eye out. Don't worry, we're gonna find 'em."

"A cult," Mom said, still staring over Faith's head as if she wasn't there. "Like witches."

Willow coughed, choking on her milk. Amy frowned and stared at the tabletop.

Mom made a tsk-tsk sound. "Oh, I know you kids think that stuff's cool. Buffy told me you dabble."

"Right," Willow said, stumbling over her words. "Absolutely. That's me. I'm a dabbler."

Mom kept talking, not noticing what Willow was saying. "But anybody who could do this isn't cool. And anyone who lets it happen again is a monster."

"Hey!" Buffy glared at her mom. "You know what? We're not going to let it happen again. That's what we do, okay, Mom?"

"Buffy..." Faith started.

Mom seemed to notice Faith for the first time. A small frown creased her forehead. "It's nice that your friends are helping with the investigation. But with the vigil we've set up for tonight..."

"Vigil?" Faith repeated.

"We?" Buffy asked.

"I called everyone I know. Even the Mayor is going to be there. We are going to see some action!" Mom smiled. "It was nice seeing you all." She left them all staring at her as she left the cafeteria.

Buffy slid down onto Faith's lap again, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "She was fine about it when we were skiing. I don't know what's wrong."

Faith shrugged and looked away.

"Man, that's rough," Xander said. "She was just starting to chill out about your Slaying, and now this."

"Makes me glad my mom doesn't pay attention to my extra-curricular activities," Willow said. She stopped, then frowned. "Or my curricular activities..."

Amy nodded. "And at least she doesn't care so much that she tries to take over your life--literally."

"This is definitely against the rules," Buffy said, rubbing Faith's shoulders with one hand. "School is school, and home is home. She's mixing everything up."

"Yeah, and the secret identity rap is really gonna get tough to pull off if she's calling all her friends," Faith said. "I mean, who'd figure on people from Sunnydale actually noticing when something goes bump in the night?"

Buffy nodded. "I guess this means we're going to the vigil."


*


To be continued.