Love Through Touch

Disclaimer: See Part 1
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Anya and Hyatt faced each other saying nothing for several moments.

"So are you home for good?" Anya asked her face an expressionless mask.

"Yes. I won't be leaving again" Hyatt dropped her eyes to the floor.

Anya reached over and rubbed Hyatt's upper arms before embracing her "Good. Cause if you ruin my Thanksgiving dinner... I'll kill you" smiling happily the ex demon skipped from the room.

Buffy entered seconds later catching the amused look on Hyatt's face "What's up? You're smiling like an idiot"

"Anya just welcomed me back" linking her arm with Buffy she lay her head down on the blondes sher \er "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"I knew I missed you for some reason. It was of course eluding me til now" Buffy joked gladly accepting the playful punch Hyatt gifted her with.

"And here I thought it was because it's the end of the world" Hyatt rolled her eyes.

"As we know it" Buffy agreed wholeheartedly.

"That is such a drag" Hyatt shook her head in mock disappointment.
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"Tick tock tick tock" Drusilla droned on spinning in measured circles "the stars are singing of death. Oh now they're whispering" closing her eyes she savored the voices in her head, welcoming the knowledge they always brought.

"Even hero's fall"
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Jeanie watched Anya prepare food for Thursday. Her stomach turned each time the ex-demon stuck her hand inside the turkey and drew out more 'guts' to be disposed of.

"You know they sell those already cleaned so you don't have to go digging for 'gold' in their insides" Jeanie pointed out when Anya let out a disgusted huff before sticking her arm back into the large bird.

"Well I wanted to do this the old fashioned way" Anya rechecked the turkey finding that she'd gotten all the 'insides' out "But Xander wouldn't let me shoot one"

"I hear they're viscious" Jeanie hopped off her stool to peek inside the gutted bird "He was probably looking out for your safety. He loves you, you know that right?"

"Yep I do. Xander is my future. Kinda makes the past not so bad" Anya spoke without really thinking, unintentionally revealing her deep love for the goofy dark haired man.

"Yeah he is pretty awesome" Jean followed behind the ex-demon, holding things when handed to her or finding things Anya needed.

"How's the traditional dinner coming?" Willow fairly bounced into the kitchen as Anya put the turkey in the oven on a low heating setting.

"Just fine. The mini-Xander here is helping me lots" Anya ruffled Jean's already messy hair.

"Neat, so is there anything I can do to help?" Willow rubbed her hands together hoping they needed her to get down and dirty.

"No" Anya and Jean exchanged a look "I think we future Harris's have it down"

"Oh" Willow nodded at the comment more than anything "I'll go look up stuff for the coming doom then" Willow left the kitchen with a smile on her face, glad that they were finally bonding.

"Man she can really ruin a holiday mood" Anya said more to herself than anyone.

"I think she was joking" Jeanie rolled her eyes and grabbed a kitchen knife "Can I cut the veggies?"
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"The slayer's little family is whole again" Naida sighed settling herself more comfortably on Kalindi's throne as the Master Vampire entered the anti-chamber.

"Oh really? We'll have to find a way to break that up" stopping before her minion she wondered why the usually humble girl was so carelessly sprawled in her chair.

"Yes, and they're so cute together. All lovey and kissy" Naida gave the vampire a pouty look her eyes flashing in amusement "It turned my stomach"

"Did you tell them?" Kalindi said calmly considering counting down from 50 before forcefully removing the Seer from her chair.

"No. They didn't know I was there" Naida rose gracefully moving to her Mistress. Touching her fingers to Kalindi's she led the vampire to her throne and seated her before coming to rest herself on her lap "Can we kill her?"

"The slayer?" Kalindi laughed humorlessly "She's died twice I'm guessing this is one of those one's that doesn't know how to stay dead"

"No not the slayer" Naida gave Kalindia a sultry look "I meant her girlfriend"

"Fatima's 'special one', oh my that's a lovely idea" Kalindi lifted the Seer to her lips and kissed her neck delicately.

"I think it should be slow" Naida said around a deep sigh.

"Slow is so much fun" Kalindi agreed mouthing the girls neck.

"And painful" Naida clutched as Kalindi's shadow clothing, digging her fingers deeply into the coporeal shadows.

"Pain is so nice" the vampire agreed again kissing her neck "What idea's do you have for pain?"

Naida sat up abruptly "How much of the 'above' have you seen?" squirming until she had enough leverage the Seer straddled the vampire, caressing her face and hair.

"Nothing beyond these hills of death" the vampire frowned "Why?"

"Well we can't count on catching her in these 'hills'. We'd need a way to get to her and get away quickly" Naida explained adopting a thoughtful look.

"I take it horses are no longer the mode of transport?" Kalindi said, sarcasm threaded in her voice.

"Not for the past century atleast. We bought you a car. But someone stole it" Naida\yes yes flared thinking of her personal slave Kalindi had given her. A very 'willing' female vampire, young compared to Kalindi, but loyal. She hadn't returned with her two lackey 'childe' or the car. Kalindi had beaten her for it.

"Car? Those loud smelly things?" Kalindi frowned "I do not believe I'd want one"

"We'll need one. If you want to nab the slayers little fuck muffin" Naida tensed her body, drawing the vampire's rapt attention to her "We can cauer per pain, run her under the wheels"

"Like the daughter of the Roman King?" Kalindi straightened coming out of her daze.

"Yes, only it'll will hurt more" Naida smiled evilly.

"My dear I do love the way you think" Kalindi whispered.
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Faith stumbled into the kitchen a goofy look on her face.

Anya looked up as she sent Jeanie off to wash up.

"Are you okay? Well you look okay, you just look like you've just had a mindblowing orgasm" Anya babbled to the silly faced slayer.

"I...uh...." Faith chuckled not really embarrassed "I would fit that description" winking at the ex-demon and swept her up and spun around a few times.

Anya squealed and held on, laughing when Faith stopped abruptly only to spin in the opposite direction.

"See sex is healthy. I read that in 'Women's' magazine" Anya supplied happily "Did she lick you?"

"Faith scrunched up her nose and winked at the blonde "I don't kiss and tell"

"Ugh. I'm trying to 'live la vida homo' vicariously through you. Now tell" Anya stomped her foot like a spoiled child.

"You are a piece of work" Faith smirked and spun to meet Jeanie "So Beans did you know that Anya dearest here thinks you make the sun shine?" she quickly spun the child and sent her reeling into Anya.

She saw them wrap around each other comfortably and made her hasty retreat.
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"I like this. What is it called again?" Kalindi caressed the dashboard of the vehicle Naida had dragged her into the young night to purchase.

"It's called a Jeep. It's fast and it'll make her bones crunch" Naida answered calmly turning the corner. Pulling to a 4-way stop, both happened to glance down at the car beside them.

"We should take her now" Kalindi began extending herself when she realized they were idling beside the slayers girlfriend.

"No!" Naida pulled off, several cars swerved to keep from colliding with her as she took several peoples right of way.

"Fool. I could have had her!" Kalindi prepared to punish Naida for her indicrection.

"No. We follow her home. Then we can plan" Naida said quickly well aware of what was coming.

"Plan?" Kalindi calmed her wrath momentarily.

"Yes, plan how to drive her into the night" Naida took a quickly glance at Kalindi as she took sevesideside streets until she once again spotted the car "If we drive her from her own home, she'll go to the slayer. Or the slayer will know she's coming, and when
she doesn't show up..."

"More pain" Kalindi sneered "If you weren't so vicious I'd have killed you by now"
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Kole looked over at her mother after the near accident at the 4-way stop "Is this why you hate driving at night?"

Mycah calmed herself after the car adjacent to her nearly collided with her "Yeah. It's also why you sit in the back seat" she glanced in the rearview mirror at her daughter, safely strapped in.

"Why couldn't we stay at Buffy's? I like it there" Kole begaloriloring her picture again. Carefully she filled in the stone walls with different colors, marring the perfection of her stroke, at times, with a black crayon.

Mycah smiled ruefully "Just going home onet tit time. After Thanksgiving we won't be going back to Papa and Tama"

"Ok" Kole said concentrating on her drawing. She switched from crayons to a pencil, carefully placing several likenesses around the swirling vortex of color she'd created.

"Whatcha drawing there sweetie?" Mycah turned onto their block, knowing she still had a few minutes left before facing what Hyatt liked to call 'the sham-fam'.

"A dream" the child calmly anunciated.

"A good dream?" Mycah turned her attention back to the road as she manipulated her small car into parking.

"I'm tired Mommy" Kole stretched and rubbed her eyes, the tiny desk she'd been bearing down on to draw turned over in the seat.
Mycah finished parking and helped the drooping child out of the car "Me too toots. And we're gonna have a good long sleep"

"With happy dreams" Kole finished.
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"To slay or not to slay" Buffy quipped as she variably danced around the attacking vamp "That is the question." She kicked another to the side, causing him to stumble into the one Faith was fighting. Their momentum pushed them both into her long stake dusting both.

Faith looked at her smirking.

Buffy shrugged and spun around staking the vamp coming up behind her. Turning back to Faith she smiled "Question answered"

"Sometimes B I wonder if you just wanna talk them to death" Faith started walking further into the cemetary, non-chalantly tossing her stake in the air.

"Unlike you who wants to beat the undead shit out of them until they make themselves go poof?" Buffy skipped up behind Faith and tweaked her jumpstarts.

The dark slayer spun quickly turning it into a short lived tickle fest as they were attacked again.

Hooking elbows they executed a graceful line kick to the attacking vamps on both sides. Fighting as an united front, pushing them
further from themselves before taking them on one-by-one.

Faith kicked a larger vampire, who tried to pin her to his bulky frame, in his head knocking out one of his fangs with her steel toe boot.

"Hey I didn't ask for a hug. What are you Barney?" she quipped uncharacteristically before spin kicking him in the head. Her momentum removed his head from his shoulders. She turned not even waiting for his to dust.

She ran to help Buffy who was fighting, a rather unfair, 3-on-1 with the remaining vamps "Hey baby I wanna party too" Faith grabbed the vamp nearest to her and slapped him "I thought you were my vamp. How dare you fuck with another slayer"

"The nearly mindless vamp was newly risen and weak. Faith placed her boot firmly in his chest with one kick, shattering his ribs and puncturing the unbeating heart with the brittle bone. She watched as the vampire slowly dusted, becoming the thin choking substance slowly, writhing in agony until his head joined the rest of his form. As the wind began to blow the dust away she noticed something had fallen to the ground. Picking it up she realized it was a ring. Nothing special, just a little silver band with a shining multi colored stone. Pocketing it she turned to find Buffy receiving the wrong end of and ass-kicking.

One of the vamps produced a switchblade. Faith watched in horror as it sliced through Buffy's shirt and into the skin of her belly.

The little slayer slipped to the ground as the pain temporarily blinded her.

Faith snapped, before she realized she'd reacted both vampires where dusted. She ran to Buffy's side, slipping to her knee's inches from her prone form.

"B, there's no way you can lose now. We're right on top of this thing" Faith begged as she pulled Buffy up and partially in her lap "I mean, you got that hottie at home waiting for you. You gotta get up" Faith pulled Buffy up with her as she struggled to her feet.

Buffy gasped at the enormous pain the movement caused her. She swayed on her feet for several moments, her hands pressed to her belly hoping to stem the flow of the life giving substance from her body.

"We gotta get you to the ER" Faith lifted the still unsteady slayer in her arms and made for the hospital.

"No" Buffy managed through clenched teeth "take me home"

"B you're bleeding to death. I don't think you need 'home' right now" Faith continued on her way to the hospital.

"No. Sss" Buffy hissed when Faith came to an abrupt stop "She can feel me. I need her with me" she turned painfilled eyes on her fellow slayer "I'll heal....better with her"

Faith looked down at Buffy "I'm going on my instincts with this B. But if you die on me. I'll kill you" with that she turned the opposite direction, and headed for Revello Drive.
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Tara met them at the door. Nearly screaming for Willow and Hyatt when she saw the state the older slayer was in.

"I tried to get to her. But he sliced her" Faith explained as she lay Buffy on the couch.

"The vamps that did this?" Tara said not stuttering.

"Dust" Faith assured her.

Willow and Hyatt rushed into the room from opposite directions "Buffy" they both breathed in fear when they saw what condition she was in.

"I told you she was hurt" Hyatt hissed when she and the witch reached Buffy's side at the same time.

"You were right I was wrong" Willow muttered quickly "Now help me find a healing spell"
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Faith stepped back to watch as the two went to work on Buffy. They argued and snarked at each other but managed to find the healing spell in minutes.

She watched Willow prepare Buffy's body for the spell, drawing lines in sacred salt and sand, casting in words as well as movements.

She was startled when Buffy's body began to glow.

"What's that?" she whispered frighted after the intial flare dimmed to a weak glow.

"The lights monitoring her life. If it goes out she dies"

Faith looked down to find Star standing solemnly by her side. Jeanie and Anya stood a few feet away looking drawn and frightened.

"It's still glowing" Faith said weakly hoping to raise their spirits.

"It's getting dimmer" Jeanie pointed out.

"It'll flare again before she dies. It signifies the spirit leaving the body" Star continued emotionless.

"That won't happen" Faith assured them all as they watched the light dim just a bit more "They won't let her go. Red's brought her back once"

"She's died twice already" Anya said sounding perky and sad at the same time "They say third times the charm"

Star shot the ex-demon a look that had her backing away "But hey it could mean she won't 'die' die this time. She looks like she's knocking on death's door. She might start ringing the bell and run away" she gave the child a wan smile.

"Sometimes Anya, you just make it that much worse" Star turned back to the scene of Willow and Hyatt working on the fallen slayer. She met Tara's frightened eyes.

"Faith take the girls out of here" the shy blonde commanded.

Faith spun to do so when Star and Jeanie both started fighting her and Anya off.

"No I dun' wanna leave" Star struggled and kicked when Faith tried to lift her "I wanna stay she might need me!" Faith finally got a good handle on the girl, and Anya finally convinced Jeanie to withdraw when the room lit up.

Something impacted Faith's legs, knocking both her and Star to the floor.

Anya flew back, though Jeanie remained in place, her young eyes wide and frightened.

The room dimmed back to it's normal light.
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"It's done" Tara whimpered.

Hyatt looked down at the peaceful slayer and their clasped hands. Sighing gently she too slid into the unforgiving dark.
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