CHAPTER 34
Jennifer’s block made the pain nothing more than a heavy pressure on the back of her mind. At the sound of Dawn’s name, though, the pressure surged. The barrier wavered, and Faith grimaced at the returning ache deep inside. “Dawn.” Her eyes zeroed in on the younger girl – and her heart stopped. “D!”
Racing across the clearing, Faith slid to her knees next to Dawn’s prone figure. Kennedy backed away before running for the house. “Come on, D. It’s gonna be OK,” Faith rashly promised, pulling Dawn into her arms. The pain flooded through her. Ignoring the waves of agony, Faith rocked the girl in her arms.
Barely aware of anything outside the fire racing along her veins, Faith dimly felt twin pressures on her shoulders. “Hang on, Faith. Let me help.”
“Red?” The single word had Faith gritting her teeth against new pain. Cold sweat slicked her skin.
“Don’t forget me, Faith. We come as a pair now.” Another pair of hands gripped Faith’s where they cradled Dawn as Buffy crouched in front of them. “Will’s going to help, make sure you and Dawn are back to normal.”
Buffy nodded tersely, her own eyes drifting up to a spot over Faith’s head. “You heard her, Will.”
Time lost meaning. Faith lived and breathed pure pain. Trembling, tears flowing in a steady stream down her face, she braced as best she could and waited. Dawn remained still in her arms, not moving. “Please, Dawn. Let Red help you.” She managed to move one hand from its spot on Dawn’s arm, gently stroking her pale face.
The burning in her mind continued to build until Faith was sure her head was going to blow off or she passed out. Body vibrating with fine tremors, she started to lower Dawn to the ground before she inadvertently hurt her.
“Faith?” Faith twitched at the soft, confused voice. Dawn’s blue eyes blinked slowly.
The tears fell faster. Faith tried to answer, but her voice wouldn’t work. She closed her eyes, drooping forward. The hands on her shoulders tightened; the ones in front holding her up.
A gentle breeze blew through her mind. Spreading out, the
wind extinguished the fire scorching her nerve endings. When the breeze died
out, a layer of ice coated her mind. Faith felt the pain lingering behind those
frigid walls. Like Jennifer’s previous try,
Those bright blue eyes seemed to wrap around her. “You OK, D?” She couldn’t hold back the question.
“I think so,” Dawn whispered back. Her lips trembled suddenly, and Faith struggled not to bend down, place her own lips there to keep them still. “I’m so sorry, Faith.”
“Oh, baby, it’s not your fault.” Closing her eyes, Faith
cursed her mouth. Damn it. She wasn’t supposed to be comforting Dawn. She
should be tossing her on the ground and running for the gates. Buffy and
Fingers drifted over her lips and then her eyelids. “Look at me, Faith.”
Faith stubbornly shook her head.
Dawn shifted in her lap, and the fingers were replaced with
soft lips. Faith jerked back, bumping into
With Herculean effort, Faith tore her mouth from Dawn’s. Panting and panicking, she stood; although, she very carefully set Dawn on the grass, not dumping her roughly. “No, D. We can’t do this.” She felt a warning tingle in her mind.
***
Buffy watched Faith and Dawn, sensing a fight on the way.
From the strain on both of their faces,
She could feel the muscles under her hand trembling. “Let me go, B. I’m no threat. Not to you or Dawn.” Faith’s voice was husky and wavered toward the end.
“I never said you were, Faith,” Buffy answered softly. Not wanting to push Faith further, she took a step backward, hand slipping from Faith’s arm. “We all need to talk. Get this straightened out before we go inside.”
Faith flinched, arms wrapping around herself. Buffy thought fleetingly that Faith looked like a puppy expecting to be kicked. She was curled in on herself, accepting of the blow, but protecting vital organs.
The pose woke something primal in Buffy. Her Slayer raised her head, a sleepy growl sounding in her mind. “I said, we need to talk.” Buffy’s voice was deeper, rougher this time. The pleading edge disappeared. This time, the phrase was filled with pure command.
Responding to the tone, Faith nodded immediately. Her posture, however, remained almost submissive. She stood, body partially turned away, head down. “Sure, B. Whatever you want. Talking’s better than stabbing, you know?” The husky voice thinned with strain, squeaking into the upper register on every other word.
The Slayer woke further. Peering through an orange haze, Buffy saw not only Faith’s budding link to Dawn, but the delicate outline of the Slayer bond. Trying to push the Slayer back into her corner and chilled by the memory of their fight to the near-death, Buffy snapped, “Do you see a knife, Faith?”
Power uncoiled through her; the Slayer demanded control. Buffy refused. The last time the Slayer had been in control, Kennedy had nearly become a grease spot on the gravel in front of the house. The internal rumbling turned impatient. Violence wasn’t on the menu, it assured her. The Slayer merely wanted to help Dawn and Faith come to terms with their bond. Letting go, Buffy mentally stepped back.
Faith must have felt the change. Her head came up for an instant, an answering flare of orange overlaying her brown eyes. “B?” The Slayer smiled at the deep note in her Second’s voice.
“It is time to stop running,” the Slayer stated firmly. She stalked toward Faith, gesturing to her Mate and her Sibling. “You are needed here.” Crossing her arms, the Slayer waited for the Young One’s agreement.
“No.” The unexpected refusal was swift. Faith’s Slayer stood tall and confident, glaring defiance.
The Slayer sprang across the space, hand gripping the Other’s shirt at the throat. Growling softly, she challenged Faith’s Slayer. Finely honed senses noted that her Mate and her Sibling hovered nearby, their thoughts reaching out, trying to stop the inevitable.
Buffy, too, reached out, screaming silently, No violence. You told me there would be no fighting.
Ignoring all of the distractions, the Slayer glared at the Young One in her grasp. “You will stay. You are needed, and your Mate is here.” The Slayer was prepared to force the issue, no matter the promise made to her host, if the Young One refused.
The choice of words panicked Faith’s Slayer. Twisting and snarling, she fought to get free. Her struggles barely registered with the Slayer. Angered and sickened at the fear in her Younger Sib, the Slayer’s hands tightened on Faith’s shirt, ripping it.
“Why do you fight? It is what you want, need. The path has been set.” The Slayer didn’t understand. Holding Faith’s Slayer in place, she stared into wild eyes.
“I am damaged. There will be another for-“ the low words cut off. The proud stance faltered.
Shaking her head, the Slayer disagreed. “It is past. My host has relented. You are part of her pack. Take your place here, as her Younger Sib.”
She waited impatiently for an answer. “I cannot.” The body in Buffy’s hands straightened again. “Dawn will find another. There are many on their way here. I can feel them through the Line.”
“No!” The Slayer growled the word, pitching the Young One across the clearing. “The bond is set. You must Mate.” She paused, eyes gleaming ferally. “Or you will die.”
A scream shattered the hostile atmosphere between the two Slayers. Dawn ran to Faith’s side. “Buffy! What are you doing?” Shock and anger showed in her blue eyes.
Her Sibling was too late. The Young One would bow to her fate; the Slayer was determined. Almost smiling, she paced toward the pair. “Buffy is gone,” she repeated. “Only the Slayer remains.” With surprising gentleness, the Slayer picked Dawn up and set her several feet to the side. “You must wait, my Sister. Your Mate must accept my decree; then you will be free to Join.”
Turning her back on Dawn, she continued until she stood over the Other. The prone posture was pleasing. Satisfaction leaked into her deep voice. “You have already shown your acceptance of my status. End this.”
***
Grappling with her own snarling Slayer, Faith tried to tell Buffy’s Slayer she was more than ready to do just that. She’s promised herself she would never fight the other girl again. Too much of their blood had already been shed.
She gained a small amount of control and started to speak. Too late. Orange eyes glowing, the Slayer lifted her off the ground. Faith closed her eyes. She was done fighting. Redemption was too hard; she’d let Buffy end it here.
A hoarse shout echoed. Faith felt weightless for several seconds before she slammed into the ground. Moaning and surprised Buffy hadn’t done anything worse, she opened her eyes. Fire surrounded Buffy, the flames waist high. The air popped and rippled from the intense heat.
Rage and fear flooded her mind, and her Slayer howled in
response. Fingers digging into the ground, Faith maintained an uncertain hold
on her Slayer. It lasted until
“Back off, Dawn. Let them handle
this,”
Dawn wasn’t listening. She turned on Buffy, the whites of her own eyes eclipsed with blue. “Stay away from Faith, Buffy. Don’t make hurt you.”
Faith’s Slayer clawed her way into driver’s seat and surged to her feet. This fight was unnecessary. Her host was a coward. “Stop.” The single word halted the showdown. Placing herself between her Senior and her Mate, Faith’s Slayer bowed her head. “I will submit.”
A/N: I made a lot of changes to the canon primal Slayer aspect in order to make this scene (and later plot points) work. Thanks go out to Howard for planting the wolf pack idea many, many months ago.
CHAPTER 35
A/N: Special Note: For those who’ve skipped the disclaimer in Chapter 1– DAWN IS 18 IN THIS FIC. If the thought of her having sex offends you, please go read something else.
Faith’s Slayer dropped to one knee, head still bowed. She waited, the only sound in the clearing Dawn’s soft sobs and the sizzle from the remains of the fire ring.
“The Pack is complete.” A hand rested on lightly on the Younger Sib’s head. “Stand, Young One. The time of your Joining is at hand. Tomorrow, we will face our Enemy and our Descendents complete and whole.”
Almost purring in contentment, Faith’s Slayer rose. Her eyes swept the clearing, finding Dawn, taking in her beauty. Energy crackled around her body, the fine hairs on her forearms standing upright in response.
***
Now that the fighting and posturing was over, Buffy wasn’t about to let her Slayer officiate her own, private, shotgun wedding. Faith and Dawn deserved a chance to talk this over, to explore their relationship and the growing link. Grabbing the primal part of herself with mental hands, Buffy dragged the Slayer into the background, ignoring the howl of protest.
“Faith, you two need to be alone, spend time together. Unfortunately, we can’t let you and Dawn use the guest house. Not with the First in town. Can you put your Slayer away so we can find somewhere else?” Buffy waited tensely for Faith to return.
Heated orange eyes gazed back at her. They weren’t as aggressive as Buffy imagined they would be. As she watched, though, the color fled. In seconds, Faith’s normal brown eyes looked back at her. “Fuck, B, your Slayer tried to kill me.”
“And
Buffy snorted. “You were here, Dawn. Pull back on the protective girlfriend routine. In case you forgot, Faith’s a Slayer, too. That little toss? It probably didn’t even leave a bruise.”
“Speaking of protective girls, B,” Faith said with a grin, “yours was pretty impressive. What the hell was that thing, Red? Your pet tornado?”
Matching Faith’s smile,
“I’m ready.” Buffy leaned against
“Yeah, B?” Faith responded, no trace of an answering weariness in her tone.
“The Slayer was right.” The house was in sight, and Buffy slowed their progress, needing to finish. “The past is over. Maybe not forgotten,” she allowed regretfully. “Forgiven, though. Welcome home.”
Faith looked away, but not before Buffy saw the glint of tears on her eyes. “Thanks, B,” she mumbled, voice rough. “That means a lot.”
“I told you everyone would see you’d changed,” Dawn pointed
out triumphantly. She glared momentarily at Buffy. “Although
I’m still not happy with how you showed it.” A narrow finger pointed at
her sister. “
A little put out when the other two laughed as well, Buffy grumbled, “Fine. I’ll make sure you aren’t there when I toss your wife around the next time.” She froze, hand on the door to the main house. Studying Faith closely, Buffy watched for a reaction.
“Wife.” Faith’s mouth worked at the word, trying it out. “Can’t say I ever thought I’d say that.”
Pulling open the door and leading the way inside, Buffy agreed. “Yep. I freaked on Will the first time she used ‘married’ and ‘us’ in the same sentence.” The large kitchen was bustling. Buffy noted several new faces fixing sandwiches and pouring drinks. “Damn. Back to work, I guess.” The fatigue grew worse, and her shoulders drooped.
***
“Just for a little while, Buffy,”
Her efforts gained her a smile and a kiss through the link. “Got it, Will. Short term return to duty,” Buffy said.
Blushing bright red, Dawn hid her face in Faith’s neck.
Faith, of course, smirked. “As long as ‘first thing’ is lunchtime, B. I’m thinking breakfast might take us awhile.” She finished off the statement with a wink.
“Faith!” Dawn pulled away long enough to smack Faith in the stomach, earning a grunt and a pout.
Their new burst of laughter was interrupted when Jennifer approached. Wrapped in an apron and waving a ladle, she smiled. “Sorry, girls, the merriment needs to move out of my kitchen. The beacon spell is already working. Three new Potentials and their Watchers are here. We’re cooking for a huge crowd, and you,” the ladle pointed to each one of them in turn, “are taking up valuable space.”
The ladle dropped onto the nearby table and
Faith nodded dazedly.
“If you’re working on the bond, why are you still down here?” Jennifer teased, pushing Faith away. “I felt the Slayers doing their thing earlier. There are two rooms all ready upstairs. Pick the one you want. Once you close the door, the warding will set. Nothing in or out until you open the door again. Then all bets are off,” she warned.
Watching them go,
“Yeah, Wills. Scary, huh?” Buffy
leaned her head back, meeting
Dread twisted in
***
Dawn led them to a door at the far end of the second-floor hallway. “This one or the one across the hall?” she asked, still smiling from the earlier laughter.
“Uh…” Now that they were here, minutes from a big heart to heart, Faith hesitated. Doubts rushed back in. “Dawn,” she started, shaking hands unerringly finding her pockets, “we don’t have to do this. I mean,” Faith scrambled to explain, “you can go back downstairs, get friendly with the new girls.” She swallowed hard. “Find someone else.”
Blue eyes swimming in tears, Dawn shook her head and moved closer. She wrapped her arms around Faith, walking them backward until they rested against one of the doors. “I don’t want anyone else, Faith. Just you.” She smiled with trembling lips. “Think back, Faith. The day we met. Didn’t you feel it? I think – even then – I knew I was yours.”
Eyes wide, Faith tried to deny that. “D, come on. You were what? Twelve? Thirteen?” Shaking her head, Faith continued, “No way. I was some almost-friend of your sister. Maybe I was cooler, better dressed, sure. Nothing else. Fuck, even I wasn’t in to sex with little girls.”
“I’m not saying I wanted to throw you to the floor and rip your clothes off, Faith,” Dawn clarified, rolling her eyes. Dawn let one arm drop from around Faith. “It was…a tingle – here,” she brushed her fingers over Faith’s heart, “and here.” The fingers lightly touched Faith’s forehead.
Faith fought the answering memories. She’d been too busy trying to impress Buffy and Mrs. Summers back then to pay any notice to Buffy’s annoying little sister. Still, Dawn’s words and her touch pushed the memory forward. The ‘tingling’ had been there. It hadn’t been sexual. Faith would certainly have noticed that - and commented on it just to see Buffy’s reaction.
Dawn moved her hand away from Faith’s face, reaching back to twist the knob and open the door. Walking backward, she kept her eyes on Faith. “Come inside.” Faith didn’t move. “Please.”
The soft word coiled around Faith, pulling her into the room.
Reaching around Faith’s stiff form, Dawn closed the door.
“I’m curious,” Dawn said, dropping to sit on the bed. “Are you suddenly so brave because my sister and her Slayer aren’t here to beat you to death or do you really not want to do this?” Although Dawn looked calm, Faith heard the tightness of suppressed tears in Dawn’s voice.
All she had to do was say she didn’t want Dawn. Faith opened her mouth – and closed it.
Amazingly, despite the tension in the room, Dawn laughed. “It’s going to be really hard to do all that talking if your voice isn’t working.” Grinning at Faith, Dawn winked. “Of course, I thought ‘talking’ really meant ‘make love’.” Her blue eyes burned Faith’s skin wherever they touched.
“D-“ It was now or never. The stillness in the room, the privacy…Faith fought the desire flowing through her. Almost panting, she tried one last time to convince Dawn to leave. “I’m not-“ good enough, she meant to say.
Faith found it hard to finish the statement when Dawn’s lips covered hers.
Tentative hands brushed her sides, settling on her hips
while a questing tongue stroked Faith’s. Faith was on fire. Not even
“I’m sure.” Dawn smiled, lips swollen and red.
A/N: Faith’s approximation of Dawn’s age when they met does *not* refer to Dawn’s age in S5, but to the age Dawn would have been in the monk-planted memory of their meeting when Faith first came to Sunnydale.
CHAPTER 36
Staring at Dawn, Faith realized she had no idea what to do. This wasn’t some quick fuck in an alley or some crappy motel room. Doubt twisted her stomach.
“Faith?” Dawn asked softly. “You still with me?”
Faith nodded, not sure her voice would work. The Slayer rumbled inside, impatient and amused. At least she wasn’t pressing for more. Faith wasn’t up to a fight – even an internal one.
“So…you’re here, but you’re mute?” Dawn was amused, too. Faith heard the tremble of suppressed laughter in her light voice. “Perfect. I guess you won’t argue when I do this.” Warm lips brushed Faith’s neck, just above the collar of her shirt.
Faith shuddered at the soft caress. “D,” she managed to squeak out.
“Yes, Faith?” The lips continued to tease and torment her neck.
“We…we have to talk.” Faith gasped, heat and cold running through her veins at the same time.
The lips paused for a second, then the word, “No,” vibrated against Faith’s skin.
Paralyzed by indecision, Faith heard her belt buckle clink open, the heavy leather hiss through the denim loops on her pants. Long, narrow fingers fumbled with the button on her jeans. Once, twice those fingers shoved at the metal circle until it slipped through the buttonhole.
Fine tremors teased Faith’s nerves – until Dawn’s hands caressed the skin between her pants and her tank top. The fingers were cold. “D?” Snapping out of her daze, Faith grabbed Dawn’s hands, eyes focusing on determined blue ones. “We don’t-“
“Yes, we do.” Dawn’s lips twitched into a brief smile, then stilled. “I just…” She ducked her head, a blush staining her face and neck. “I don’t know what to do.”
Faith’s eyes closed in a mixture of pain and tenderness at Dawn’s admission. “Of course you don’t, baby.” Lightly gripping Dawn’s chin, Faith raised it enough that she could peer intently into Dawn’s eyes. The normally clear blue had darkened, the irises merging with enlarged pupils. “One step at a time, D. You don’t like, we stop.”
Dawn nodded against Faith’s hand, her eyes never leaving Faith’s.
“OK.” Faith’s own introduction into the arts of love hadn’t included anything resembling gentleness or actual feelings. She prayed to a long forgotten God that she didn’t hurt or scare Dawn in the next few minutes. It wasn’t God who answered. The Slayer purred deep inside, and confidence replaced the hesitation.
Sighing in thanks, Faith let the ancient essence out to play.
***
They stood just outside the Research Room, and
The babble did its job. Buffy grinned and laughed. “If we
did that, your Mom would do more than just point a ladle at us.” She took a
deep breath, and
Braced for quiet intensity, hushed whispers, maybe even the
first stirrings of panic,
“Research parties are way different than I remember,” Buffy commented, hands on hips.
Nodding,
Drew’s head snapped around, a wide grin splitting her face.
“
***
“We thought about it,” Buffy said, enjoying the stunned look
on
Drew stepped back from
They’d all forgotten Anya.
“I wouldn’t count on that.” Anya snapped the book she held closed. “If we can’t find the right spell, the First will have a picnic using our gutted corpses as trenchers.”
Staring at Anya, Drew murmured, “I don’t know what the hell a trencher is, but I’m betting we wouldn’t be enjoying some fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”
Whatever reply Anya made, Buffy didn’t hear. Obviously, two days weren’t enough of a vacation. She felt the room tilt for an instant, and reached for the back of a nearby chair.
“Buffy!”
Her near nosedive caught Drew’s and Anya’s attention. Buffy’s skin burned under their focused gazes. “I’m fine, Will. Must have been a wrinkle in the rug or something.” She pushed away, ignoring the trembling in her legs and the tiny black dots flashing in front of her. “Come on, let’s sit down. I think we need to catch up on things.”
“Oh, it won’t take long,” Anya chirped. “Drew and I are trying to find a spell to stop the First from freeing a whole army of Super Vampires. Like I said, though, we aren’t having any luck.”
“Super Vamps?” For a second, Buffy imagined an army of red caped vampires flying across the Sunnydale skyline. Reeling from that mental picture, she dropped onto the floor in front of the love seat Anya and Drew had been using.
Drew handed Buffy a slim, leather-bound book and pointed to a particular passage. “The Turok Han.”
The words swam in front of her eyes, so Buffy shoved the
book at
Anya rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Because they aren’t the only problem, Buffy.”
“Ah.” Buffy rubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to get rid of the sudden goose bumps. “I should have known that.” Her head pounded, and she rolled her neck, trying to loosen her muscles.
The movement didn’t help.
“Law of the Hellmouth, sweetie. The more Scoobies on the job, the more Bad Guys in town.”
A throat cleared behind them. Buffy stiffened as Giles moved
into view. “I’m sure it won’t be much of a surprise that we believe the Seal is
in the basement of the old
***
Dawn shivered under her fingertips, and Faith smiled in triumph. Keeping her movements slow and gentle, Faith pulled Dawn’s T-shirt out of her pants and pushed it over her head. Dropping the shirt to the floor, she waited, checking on Dawn’s readiness.
Hard nipples pressed insistently against the thin fabric of Dawn’s bra.
Faith worked on Dawn’s pants next, letting them slither down the long legs to pool on the carpet. “Lose the shoes and step out, D; don’t want you to trip or nothing.”
That earned a giggle and a full smile. Toeing off her sneakers, Dawn kicked them and her discarded jeans away.
“Fuck, D,” Faith breathed, finally getting a good look at the younger girl. “You’re beautiful.” Hands unsteady, she reached out again, running a single finger over the lace edge of Dawn’s bra. “So beautiful.” Bending forward, she replaced her finger with her tongue, dragging it over the same area before laving Dawn’s nipples through the fabric.
Fingernails dug into her shoulders in response.
Feeling Dawn’s heart pounding under her lips, Faith smiled. “You like that?” she asked softly, not really looking for an answer. She concentrated on Dawn’s right nipple with her tongue while insistently circling the left with her fingers.
A slender leg wrapped around Faith’s waist, pulling their lower bodies tightly together.
Faith groaned at the wet heat rubbing against the bare flesh of her stomach. She wanted to go slow. She wanted to give Dawn a chance to explore.
“Faith?” Dawn’s voice drifted over her.
It took Herculean effort for Faith to lift her head. “I’m sorry.” She’d gone too fast. Pushed too far. Her muscles bunched as she tried to slide away.
Strong fingers gripped her arms and the leg around her waist tightened. “Will you stop that?” Dawn asked. “Faith, I’m fine.”
“Oh.” If Dawn wasn’t freaking… Faith shook her head. She couldn’t focus. Dawn’s body pressing against her, the smell of their joint arousal, and the Slayer’s persistent purring in her mind whirled together.
Gentle laughter sounded. “Looks like I’m going to have to show you, huh?” Dawn stepped away. Hands steadier this time, she slipped the zipper on Faith’s jeans down, pushing the heavy fabric over Faith’s hips. “I think someone warned me about the dangers of tripping.”
Faith glanced down at the jeans tangled around her boots. “Think we need to work on your technique, baby.” Her dimples appeared, and she placed her hands on Dawn’s shoulders before maneuvering to sit on the bed. Stretching her legs out, Faith lifted her feet off the floor. “Combat boots don’t slip off.”
“Damn.” Dawn glared at the offending footwear.
The look was so fierce (and so cute), Faith chuckled. “No worries, D. You were doing good. It’ll just take a second to untie them.”
Deep blues eyes met Faith’s, and she sucked in a deep breath at the need clearly visible there.
“Or we could improvise,” Faith continued faintly. Her body moved restlessly under Dawn’s look, her skin so sensitive the feel of the comforter had her close to moaning.
“What did you have in mind?” Dawn paced the two steps to the bed and climbed on, straddling Faith’s right thigh.
Faith wondered just who was leading the way now as Dawn “innocently” ground her knee into Faith’s clit. “What…what are you doing?”
“Your jeans are in the way, remember?” Dawn’s purr rumbled through Faith. Any lingering doubts about being here, being with Dawn faded when the body hovering over hers dipped and swayed, and Dawn’s cloth-covered breasts brushed her own. “Do you believe that I’m fine yet, Faith?”
Nodding jerkily, Faith panted, her nipples stiff and aching. “Yeah, D. That felt…I mean, you feel fine.”