Guardians of the Veil by David Knapton

Dawn walked hand in hand with Kevin, she looked over her shoulder at her best friend walking with her own boyfriend Rob, "Now remember let me do all the talking," she smiled putting her hand on the shop door.

Dawn stuck her tongue out as she pushed the door open and led them inside. Tara and Willow were studying some books at the table; Anya was just handing a young woman her purchase, Giles and Buffy were not around, Dawn guessed that they were probably in the back training. She looked at her friends all three had nervous looks on their faces.

"And what exactly shouldn't they be worried about?" said Buffy, she was wiping her face in a towel as she walked in with Giles from the back.

All four jumped, as Dawn turned and smiled nervously at her sister, "Oh hi Buffy, you know Lisa and Kevin right and this is Rob."

"Yes Dawn, I've know Lisa, who has been your best friend since we came to Sunnydale, 5 years and Kevin has been to our house for dinner quiet a bit over the last couple of months. Hi Lisa, Kevin, nice to meet you Rob," she smiled at them before turning back to her sister, "So Dawn, what shouldn't they be worried about?"

"Well after the other week when Tara was captured by those things that worship Glory or did – anyway you all explained about demons and vamps to them, well we were talking about it with Rob..."

"Dawnie the three of you haven't been telling people have you?" asked Tara, a worried look on her face.

"Ok, but you must understand that it is very important that you keep quiet, you have no idea the problems it would cause," put in Willow, shivering as she though of the last time things came out and Buffy and her almost got burned alive.

"Yeah we know," Dawn smiled nervously, "But what we were thinking was that you could teach us to fight vampires."

"No Buts – I have enough children around here as it is..." He stopped as he realized what he had just said, "I mean young people."

"Ah...Oh...Huh...No of course not...Look it would be to dangerous, if they were hurt or even killed..." stuttered Giles trying to steer the conversation away from the revelation he had just let out.

"Giles wouldn't it be safer if we were with you rather than did it without you?" said Dawn in a quiet voice.

"Ok be here at 10 tomorrow morning and Buffy will teach you how to defend yourselves. If she thinks you're up to it you can come on patrol with us on three conditions, one you do as you're told, two you do not try going out alone and three you stay home when we tell you, you can't come," stated Willow.

"Yes I'm sure sweetie you heard what Dawn said about going anyway and you know how stubborn she can be," smiled Willow.

"She is your sister after all Buffy," smirked Tara, receiving a raised eyebrow in return.

"Now just a minute Willow, I will not have you inviting just anyone to join us. I'm Buffy's watcher, patrol isn't a school outing it is far too dangerous."

"Yes Giles and I'm one of Buffy's girlfriends who do you think she will listen too? We'll keep them safe or would you rather they go out on there own."

She walked over to him and patted him on the back, "Everything will be ok, you'll see."

Dawn smiled, "Great we'll go now, I'll see you at home later okay," she smiled at her sister, as she led the others out, they heard her talking as she closed the door, "I told you, we'll be the Scooby Gang TNG."

"The Next Generation," supplied Willow, she turned to Buffy, "Make sure you give them a hard time tomorrow."

"Of course, I was thinking of getting Spike to help, get him to frighten the crap out of them."

Willow looked at him, "Giles you don't think we are really going to allow them to patrol if we can help it..." They could see him start to blush, "You did! I'm really disappointed that you would think that, but anyway as I said you know how stubborn Dawn is so we think if we can discouraged them all the better."

"Yes...Well maybe! Anyway if they don't they will deserve to join us," smiled Willow.

"I think I'll go and do some paperwork in the office," Giles said as he left the public area shaking his head.

As Willow sat back down Buffy plumped down on Tara's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck planting a kiss on her lips, "So my witchies have you finished your homework cuz we could, oh I donno go home and do something more interesting."

Smirking Tara shook her head, "Buffy you're incorrigible, Willow I think we've created a monster."

"Yeah, but she's our monster," smiled Willow, "Yes we've finished for now, but we have dinner to make."

Buffy slowly licked her way down from Tara's breast towards her centre; she stopped at her naval blowing into it.

Willow leaned over grabbing Tara's nipple between her teeth grazing gently on it. Just as Buffy started to lick at Tara centre there was a gentle knock on the door. Having discussed it with Dawn they had agreed that if the door to their room was closed she would not enter without getting their permission first.

"Ah Buffy are you there only I think you should come down – There's someone here to see you," came Dawn's uneasy sounding voice from the other side.

All three looked at each other, "Ok Dawn, tell him I'll be there in a minute," said Buffy.

Buffy wrapped her robe around her naked body, "I'll go on down, come down when your ready," she said heading for the door.

Buffy walked with some trepidation into the living room; Riley rose as he saw her enter.

At that moment Dawn walked in carrying a tray of coffee, putting it down she turned to Buffy, "I think I'll go over to Lisa's for a while."

"She's gone to see Lisa. Coffee Riley," said Buffy sitting in the middle of the settee.

"Ah yeah – Thanks," answered Riley, he watched as Willow and Tara sat either side of Buffy each taking a mug that she pored for them.

"Great, I just got back from Central America. I have to decide if I want my commission back, they've given me a week to decide."

"As I said, I came to see if the rumor was true – So you two are staying here now?" said Riley looking at the three identical robes they were wearing.

"Two months three weeks and four days ago to be exact," put in Buffy smiling at them.

"It's a little complicated, it has to do with the way Willow, Tara and Kellem brought me back, it involved them being bound to me only it didn't work out exactly how they thought, because I ended up only being bound to Willow and Tara," Buffy explained.

"Bound. What do you mean?" he asked looking at just how closely the three were sat to each other.

"Riley there is no real easy way to say this so here goes – Our souls, our life force if you will is joined forever, we are lovers, soulmates..." Buffy tried to explain.

"Lovers. All three of you. Buffy do you know how weird that sounds! You're telling me you have become gay because of this bond and have two girlfriends."

"Yes – No – I'm not sure!" she frowned trying to figure it out herself, "I mean I think I always had a thing for Willow," she smiled at the redhead, turning back to Riley, "Anyway there is no going back now even if I wanted to, which I don't, not anymore."

"I had hoped we could try again, I guess that's out – Look I think I better go," he started to move towards the door.

Buffy got up moving towards him, "Riley please don't leave like this," she said tears standing in her eyes.

"I'm sorry but you have no idea what it feels like to know your ex-girlfriend is with another girl let alone two girls."

"Please Riley I miss you, can't you stay, be my friend," the tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Buffy it was bad enough when I thought you were going back to Angel, there is no way I could stay and see you with Willow and Tara." He opened the door and walked out before turning to look at her for what he was sure would be the last time, "Goodbye Buffy maybe I'll see you around sometime," he walked to his car, got in and drove down the street.

Buffy stayed on the porch until his car had disappeared into the distance; she turned and went back inside. Willow and Tara were still on the settee they could see the tears and feel the sadness coming from her; she sat back down and rested her head on Willow's shoulder as the redhead held her gently.

"We know you did sweetie, but I think you know he was right, it would have been the worse type of torture for him to stay here – Maybe one day," said Tara gently stroking Buffy's hair.

"No the moods gone sour, can we just stay here I just want you to hold me," she answered almost like a small child.

"Of course sweetie," Willow smiled a little sadly as Buffy turned around so she was facing Tara before easing herself onto Willow's lap and putting her legs onto Tara's.

That was how Dawn and Lisa found them when they walked in about an hour later; all three were asleep. Dawn motioned her friend to be quiet and to follow her up to her room.

Lisa plumped down on Dawn's bed looking around; "It still seems strange to think of this as your room and not your sister's."

"Yeah I know but after Buffy finally sorted out her feelings for Willow and Tara I couldn't stay in my old room, I could hear way too much."

"Doesn't it freak you out? I mean thinking of your sister with two other women."

"Yeah sometimes, but I know they love each other and I can get away with a lot more stuff now than I could when it was just Buffy and me living here."

Dawn jumped as she turned to see Willow stood there her arms crossed, "Oh hi Willow did you have a nice nap?"

"Fine," nodded Willow turning to go, but stopping and putting her head back around the door, "Oh and you can do the washing up for what is left of this week and all next week – After all Tara and I don't what you to think we'll let you get away with anything do we!"

"Well it could have been worse, she could have changed you into a frog for a week," laughed Lisa.

"Now that's one thing I know she wouldn't do cuz she has frog fear," smiled Dawn.

"I donno we could ask her, but I think we should wait until after they let us join the gang."

"Knowing Buffy and the others they probably plan to try and frighten you off tomorrow when you start training, I wouldn't put it past them to ask Spike to help them," Dawn half smiled, she knew how her sister's mind worked, that was how she could annoy her so easily when they were growing up.

"Yeah he's really cool, he use to be this really badass vamp when he came here, but this secret government agency did something to him so he can't hurt people. He still moans about it, but I think he's starting to realize that it's the only thing that stops Buffy from dusting him."

The next day Dawn and her friends entered the training room, the only one there was Buffy. Willow and Tara were in the shop helping Anya and Giles with the customers. Buffy had told them to dress in comfortable loose fitting clothes.

She started them off slow showing them how to block various attacks; Lisa seemed to pick it up quiet quickly so after about half an hour she paired them off Dawn with Lisa and Kevin with Rob.

"Now I want you to practice, one of you attack while the other defends then when I tell you, you change places, Dawn and Kevin you attack first, and Dawn just remember you've had more experience so be careful. Begin."

As she watched them she would occasionally give them instructions on what they were doing wrong, Kevin and Rob were quiet good, Rob was doing a good job of stopping Kevin's attacks but some did connect. Lisa was stopping every one of Dawn's attacks, after a few minutes Dawn realized that Lisa seemed to be a natural so she began to use all the training that Buffy had taught her over the last couple of months but still Lisa easily block them. When Buffy told them to change Dawn found herself on the mat in seconds.

"Stop," called Buffy, when they all turned to look at her she smiled, "I want to check on something, I want you all to line up side by side about three feet apart facing away from the door. I want you all to try and sense your surroundings, try and sense where I am in the room."

‘Please ask Willow and Tara to bring Giles in here he should see this, tell them to be quiet,’ Buffy asked the bond.

Buffy walked quietly over to the weapons rack and picked up a knife, she saw the others coming in; she put her finger to her lips as she saw Giles about to ask her something. She walked back to the middle of the room balancing the knife in her hand, "Keep trying to feel where I am – Lisa catch," she threw the knife at Lisa's back.

Lisa spun around and instinctively caught the knife by the handle; the look on her face told them that she was as surprised as everyone else with the exception of Buffy.

"Lisa don't worry about it, I'll explain it to you later. I'll see you all here at 6 tonight before we all go on patrol," smiled Buffy trying to give them something else to think about, "Dawn we'll see you at home about 4 so we can have something to eat okay – And guys remember keep your mouths shut – Oh and if your parents want to know where you're going you can tell them you're going to be at my house." They all trooped out of the training area heading for the exit.

"Let's go to the office we need to talk," Buffy said by way of answering, at their nods, Giles led the way.

They sat around just looking at each other before Tara broke the silence, "Is she a slayer?"

"Yes, she must have become active when I died, how come the council didn't find her?" said Buffy.

"I – Ah didn't get around to informing them you had died, at first there was all the arrangements to be made then when you came back there seemed no point," explained Giles.

Giles frowned, "Buffy, the council need to know, they will want to send a watcher," he explained.

"Yeah and ruin another girl's life. Giles she's the same age I was when I was called, it ruined my life – at least at first. I don't what the council to know, let her have a life. Between us we can train her, teach her everything she needs to know, after all it's not as if we're really in need of another slayer." Buffy pleaded with him.

"I wonder if this will happen every time you die!" mused Tara, they all looked at her, "Well Willow and I will always be able to bring you back, but still it's something we should think about. I mean unless we eventually tell the council about us they are going to get suspicious when all these other slayers start popping up."

"Well as much as it makes me happy to know you two can do that I think we have plenty of time to decide if we are going to tell the council, after all I don't plan on dying that often," Buffy grabbed hold of Tara's hand giving it a gentle squeeze as she smiled at her.

"All right I'll not contact the council. You do realize if they find out they'll probably fire me again," smirked Giles.

"Well we'll just have to keep it quiet. After patrol tonight we'll all have a talk with her, try and explain everything and leave it up to her, if she wants the council involved then we'll support her in whatever way we can," said Buffy.

Giles did not normally go on patrol these days, but felt under the circumstances he needed to be there to observe Lisa. As there were so many going, they split into two groups Giles, Lisa, Dawn and their boyfriends went with Buffy, while Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya went with Spike.

The two groups split the cemeteries between them while Buffy's group swept Weatherly Park and Spikes took the area around the Bronze. Between them, they dusted seven vamps and two demons, Dawn and Lisa made a surprisingly good team with a little help from Kevin and Rob they dusted two vampires.

Both Kevin and Rob lived near the park so they saw them home before going back to Buffy's house where Lisa was staying as her parents had a family crisis in LA and would not be back until the morning.

Willow and Tara were already home when they got there, Buffy turned to Dawn and Lisa, "Why don't you two go and wash up then come into the kitchen we need to talk to you."

After they sat Lisa down, they explained how she had been able to catch the knife earlier because she was a slayer and all that entailed. They then got down to talking about the council.

"Now Buffy asked me not to contact the council because she feels under the circumstances that the decision should be yours," explained Giles.

"Well for one thing they would assign you your own watcher; Buffy really forced them to reinstate me as her watcher. This watcher would be responsible for your training and telling you where you had to patrol. I don't wish to alarm you but if they decided you needed to be in another part of the country they have enough power to have your parents jobs moved to that area."

Giles turned a level gaze at her, "I cannot be certain all I was told was that the slayer was coming to Sunnydale and that they had secured me a job as the school librarian."

Buffy nodded, musing over everything that had happened between her setting the gym on fire and their arrival in Sunnydale. Several things suddenly slotted into place like her expulsion from Hemery even though there was no proof she had started the fire, an acquaintance of her mum's telling her that the gallery here was up for sale.

"Huh what – Oh sorry, just thinking about something. Well as anyone here will tell you, I don't like the council, I only tolerate them because they can help. But one thing me and Faith, the other slayer, learned the hard way is that they don't care about us, to them all we are is a weapon they can use against the dark, if we die so what another will be sent to replace us." Lisa could hear the contempt in what Buffy was saying.

"Lisa whatever you decide we will help you, your part of our little family now," smiled Willow the others nodded their agreement.

"Yeah Lis, you’re my best friend, beside we make a good team with my brains and your strength we can't lose," smirked Dawn trying to make her friend laugh.

"Well as long as it's not my brains and your strength." She laughed before turning a serious expression towards Giles, "Will you be my watcher Mr. Giles? If Buffy trusts you, I trust you."

Giles smiled as he got up, "Very well, we will start your training tomorrow, Buffy can you bring her to the magic shop about 9.30?"

Buffy stage whispered to Lisa, "See what you've done it took me years to get Giles to let me have Sundays off and now I have to start helping him train you."

"Very funny Buffy. Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning," with that he left for his own home.

To cover Lisa's training schedule Giles gave her a weekend job at the shop; she also started to hangout with Dawn more at the shop after school. Then luck was with them when Lisa's mum had to stay in LA during the week, when her company temporally transferred her to their offices there, Buffy agreed to let Lisa stay at her home until the school year ended.

After a week or so Lisa started patrolling each night with Buffy and one or two of the others, after a couple more weeks with some trepidation Buffy and Giles allowed her to go out on her own, but only when she took a pager and stuck to a set route.

By the end of the school year, Buffy and Giles regarded Lisa as a good slayer, only Willow and Tara knew how proud Buffy was of her pupil. Lisa's mum took her to LA to stay with her until she was transferred back at the end of August. Buffy contacted Angel and arranged for her to work in his office helping Cordelia and Fred. Her mother was very pleased to think that Lisa was getting some experience of the real world.

A couple of days after they said goodbye to Lisa, Hank and Jennifer came to pick up Dawn for the summer, his company had finally transferred him to San Diego, she promised to phone them regularly and that she would see them the week before school started.

After a quick patrol that night Buffy made it clear to what was left of the gang that she and her girlfriends, who had stayed at home to get dinner for the three of them, were under no circumstances, short of the end of the world, to be called or visited for the next twenty-four hours.

Buffy shut the front door behind her and turned the lock, she smiled; it had been almost four days since she had made lover to her girlfriends. The anticipation had been building all day, her dad and Jennifer had arrived that morning to pick up Dawn and stayed most of the day, which of course meant no kissing, no touching and defiantly no sex.

‘Thanks.’ Buffy thought back. It was still a little strange to know that the bond was always there in hers as well as Will and Tara's heads, but at least they could tell each other things without the risk of being overheard. However, they did find, much to Buffy's disappointment, that the bond would not give away any secrets or surprises the others knew.

She walked into the dining room, it was bathed in soft candlelight, stood side by side next to the table were two naked witches, what was it they called it, skyclad. Yeah that was it skyclad, Buffy's mind informed her as her lust filled eyes slowly took in the sight.

She could see the mischief in their eyes as Willow smiled at her before announcing, "Your dinners ready."

Buffy throw a quick glance at the empty table before returning to stare at her girlfriends, she slowly walked towards them, "Buffy very hungry," she said slipping into what they thought of as Cave Slayer speech, she grabbed hold of their hands and led them up to the bedroom.

As Buffy began to lead them to the bed they pulled her up short, she turned arching her eyebrow. They smiled at her; "You're way over dressed Buff," pointed out Willow as she started to unbutton her blouse. Tara wrapped her arms around Buffy from behind planting kisses on her neck as her hands slowly began to undo her leather pants.

They worked in tandem to remove her clothes, as Willow was ready to remove her blouse; Tara had finished unfastening her pants, slowly pulling them down as she knelt behind her. Buffy lifted her legs automatically for Tara to remove them, as she slowly trailed her hands up towards Buffy's panties it caused a shiver to go through each of them as they opened themselves fully to the things that they were each feeling.

Willow reached around and unclipped Buffy's bra; as she leaned in and started sucking on her pulse point, Buffy let out a moan. She brought her hands up to lightly caress Willow's breasts before moving one of her hands to her head and pulling on her hair gently until Willow pulled back far enough for her to capture her lips in a bruising kiss forcing Willow's lips apart she pushed her tongue into her mouth.

Meanwhile Tara had removed Buffy's panties and was planting kisses up the back of her thighs finally reaching her butt cheeks, a mischievous grin appeared on her face, leaning in she lightly kissed the right cheek before she bite the same spot.

Buffy let out a yelp and jumped about a foot into the air, she looked crossly at Tara who wore an apologetic expression, "I'm sorry but I couldn't help myself your dimples looked so cute I wanted to eat them up," she smirked.

Buffy tried to look over her shoulder to see the damage, "Mmm you’re forgiven but I think you should kiss it better," she smirked.

"Of course I'll kiss your booboo better," she moved back in as Buffy turned around to give her access, she began placing kisses on the area then wrapping her arms around Buffy's hips she rested the side of her check on the spot, "Better."

"Better. Ah guys now that I'm wearing exactly the same amount of clothes as you two can I have my dinner now?" she grinned.

"Oh yeah, we want a special," smiled Willow, special was the word they used when they wanted her to use her mental training as she did the first night she made love to them.

As they moved towards their bed she smirked, "Ok but it's been a couple of weeks, I'm a bit out of practice it may take me several try's to get it right."

‘Well we are, we cut ourselves off from the bond to increase our sexual gratification and then moan about the headache we get in the morning.’

Buffy rolled over and grabbed the phone struggling to get it the right way up, "Whoever this is your dead," she growled down the phone.

"Ah – Is that you Buffy?" came Giles voice from the other end, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she looked over at the clock it said 8.30, "I only went to sleep about 3 hours ago."

"No Giles, the three of us were renewing the bond; you know that thing we have to do to stay alive, would you like the details? Cuz we haven't been able to do it for four days," Buffy continued to growl down the phone.

"Ah that's alright Buffy, do you mind if I come over? I need to discuss something with the three of you."

"Oh nothing much, I just wondered if you three would like to help some friends of mine out in England."

"Bye," said Buffy quietly almost to herself as she replaced the receiver. She turned to the lovers, still tangled up in the bedclothes, as well as each other, oblivious to the phone conversation. She shook them gently, "Guys that was Giles – He wants us to go to England."

Two sets of eyes sprang open as they tried to untangle themselves from the bedclothes and sit up, Buffy laughed then continued, "Giles is coming over he'll be here in an hour. While you two shower, I'll fix us breakfast then I'll take my shower," she said springing off their bed.

"Several powerful Witches near my former home have vanished over the last week, there have also been several deaths and for some unknown reason, according to a friend, the police have been told not to do anything other than go through the motions of finding who is responsible. Several covens fear this maybe the start of a new burning time, all be it covertly. They know I'm the Watcher of the Slayer so they asked Olivia to contact me."

Willow turned to Buffy, "If they’re right we must help them, I mean if it is a new burning time how long before it spreads to other countries including the US."

"That's alright Buffy I can pay for all of us to go and if it turns out to be something supernatural the council will reimburse yours and my fare," explained Giles.

"Ok great. Giles you go and order the tickets, Anya can run the shop, as its summer Hellmouth activity is minimal so with Kevin and Rob's help her and Xander should be able to hold down the fort. I'll phone Dawn let her know we'll be away for a while get her to tell dad you invited us to visit some friends of yours in England," Buffy got up to phone her sister.

"Right Tara we better go pack some clothes. Ah Giles what should we pack? Will we need warm clothing and our raincoats?"

"Willow its summer there as well. It may not be as hot or sunny as California but contrary to what you may have heard, it does not always rain in England – although it is the middle of the cricket season – Maybe you should pack your raincoats," then to himself, "I wonder if I'll be able to watch the Ashes."

Tara and Willow turned confused looks at each other, Willow shrugged, "Must be an English thing!" Tara nodded as they left to pack.

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Guardians of the Veil

by David Knapton

Copyright © 2005

belgin_tei@yahoo.co.uk