Shades of Gray

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Josh Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the author for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.
Distribution: The Rainbow Writer's Homepage: http://www.therainbowwriters.com/
Mystic Muse: http://mysticmuse.net
Spoilers: Season 7.
Feedback: All feedback is welcome.
Pairing: Willow/Tara    Buffy/Other    Faith/Dawn

Part 11

Buffy carefully adjusted the temperature of the tap before she flicked it up to the shower, the hard thumping of the water against the tub filling the room. She turned looking to see as Owl finished lighting the last of the half-burnt votive candles they'd found on the side.

"How's the water?" Owl asked smiling.

"Hot, I think I've discovered the best time to take a shower in this house." Buffy smiled back. "You ready?"

"I think so." She nodded licking her lips, loving the way Buffy looked in the candlelight.

Buffy continued smiling as she slipped the curtain back and moved in groaning when the hot water struck her body.

"Mmmmm now that's a noise I love." Owl walked a little closer.

"Mmmm it's so hot, I forgot what hot water was." Buffy turned letting the stream slide down over her tipping her head back to soak her hair.

"You know I could just stand here watching you and I'd be happy." Owl smirked.

"But you wouldn't be clean or enjoying the hot water." Buffy teased flicking out a few droplets.

"Maybe not, but I'd have my fourth orgasm in as many hours." Piper grinned.

"Five." Buffy stuck her head out smiling. "You lost count." She pointed out feeling very, very proud of herself, after all when before could she have ever boasted that feat?

"Hey I'm impressed you managed to keep a tally." Owl arched her eyebrow.

"I always keep track of things that are important to me." Buffy picked up the body wash and soaping it up in her hand began to wash herself slowly.

"Then you need to add the one I had this afternoon dreaming about you to the list." Owl winked.

"What happened in your dream?" Buffy asked feeling bold as she lathered down her arms.

"You and I, making out, hot loving." Owl listed.

"So why aren't you getting in here to wash my back?" Buffy questioned her with a smirk.

"Because right now I'm as wet as the shower is." Owl shifted in her place a little.

"Get in here Piper." Buffy turned rubbing suds down her stomach.

Chuckling softly Owl took long strides to the shower and got in moving her hand to rub over where the suds still lingered a little.

"I don't like it when you make me wait." Buffy pointed out stepping closer.

"Sorry." Owl smirked, reaching to draw Buffy closer.

"Don't, I know you do it on purpose." Buffy looked up smiling at her. "Letting me think, decide what I want before you press any choices on me. I know what you do Piper."

"I like you in control and comfortable." Owl admitted.

"And what else do you like?" Buffy took her soapy hands running them down Owl's shoulders.

"I like touching you, I like watching water stream over you hot body." Piper replied. "I like the taste of your skin, the smell of your heat."

"The way we move together?" Buffy questioned picking up the body wash and getting lots on her hands, making up stiff bubbles before she began washing Owl's breasts.

"Love that, whether it's slow and sensuous or harder and less rhythmical." Owl moaned gently as she spoke her body responding to Buffy's touch.

"And you liked being inside me with Myst?" Buffy whispered as she wiped around hard nipples.

"God I loved that." Owl admitted with a growl.

"Me too." Buffy admitted letting trails of bubbles slid down Owl's stomach, catching in short hairs before they slid down her legs.

"You did didn't you?" Owl checked her voice dipping lower.

"Yes." Buffy nodded. "I... before I met you I would have never believed that I could have enjoyed something like that."

"They always say you should learn something new everyday." Owl winked and widened her stance a little letting suds slip down her inner thigh.

"Have you learned anything?' Buffy questioned letting her fingers following the bubbles downwards.

"Yes." Owl nodded her breath catching slightly.

"What?" Buffy questioned her fingers working the soap into Owl's hips before dipping to cup between her legs making more bubbles with her fingers.

"Mmmm, mmm" Owl groaned in time to the rhythm with which she pushed her body forward into Buffy's hand. "That you're even more amazing than I thought you were."

"Well I know one thing you learned for sure." Buffy grinned as she dipped her middle finger up sliding against Owl's center.

"Ahhh what's that." Owl gasped out in a short pant.

"I'm not as straight as you thought I was." Buffy growled flicking up against it harder.

"Oh believe me, I never thought you were straight." Owl shook her head. "You're way too beautiful to be straight." She smirked, letting her breath out in short hot gasps as Buffy touched her.

"Oh you didn't." Buffy questioned sliding her finger around and around as she explored Owl's wet soapy body.

"Well I hoped you weren't." Owl admitted rolling her hips a little.

"So you made a point of gallivanting around in your boxers as much as possible in front of me?" Buffy reminded her pressing her finger up under the sensitive hood and then swirling in tight.

"I like my shorts." Owl's teeth caught hold of her lip as her clit stiffened and throbbed.

"Admit it, you like strutting around. You know how good your body is." Buffy wiped the bubbles down off one of her breasts lowering her lips to the water-stiffened nipple.

"Mmmm." Piper couldn't stop the grunt and moan that the movement caused inside her. "I… I like to keep in shape."

"Mmmm I can tell." Buffy swirled in the other direction matching it with her tongue.

"Then again you can talk." Owl tried to keep her concentration. "With all your strap tops and see through look at my gorgeous body tops."

"I do not flaunt." Buffy pulled her lips back. "Are you saying I flaunt?" She flicked her finger faster.

"No I'm saying you're gorgeous." Owl gave her a charming smile, her hips pushing forwards and back in time with Buffy's movements.

"Mmmmm thank you." Buffy stretched up and kissed her.

Owl kissed her strongly in return, sliding her hands onto the Slayer's slender hips and gliding them up and down the curves of her hips over and over.

"You're beautiful too." Buffy broke the kiss slipping her hand lower to press two fingers into Owl's dripping body. Owl groaned loudly and her hips flared forward as her hands tightened on Buffy's hips. Her tight body clinging instantly to Buffy's fingers. "I figure I should get you really in need of a shower." Buffy teased as she pumped her fingers in and out easily.

"By making me all hot and sweaty?" Owl shivered with pleasure.

"Yes." Buffy nodded slipping in a third finger boldly and moving her hand down to encourage Owl to brace her foot up on the tub side. In instant agreement Piper lifted her leg and put her wet foot up onto the tub edge. "Too much?" Buffy checked softly as she pressed her fingers in and up before she pulled back out completely only to press in again, the potential's wet and soapy pussy making the maneuver easier.

"No, its fine, its more than fine." Piper released one side of Buffy's hips to brace her arm against the wall.

"I have small hands." Buffy pointed out using the strength in her fingers to brace them outwards stretching muscles deep inside and using her middle finger to rub against the delicate but amazing spot she had first found.

"Ahhhhhhh oh God Buffy." Owl's hips thrust forward and danced as Buffy toyed inside her.

"Mmmm my spot." The Slayer smiled as she found it easily, pleased with her memory. She rubbed over it strongly feeling the press against her outer fingers.

"Mmmmm maybe we should forget the shower, go back to the room and you can wear Myst." Owl panted her eyes blinking closed, her breath coming out in fast pants as she felt her body tremble and clench.

"After the shower, you're not distracting me again." Buffy growled slipping her fingers together again to stroke in and out of her body fast as she dipped to suck hard on a taut nipple.

"OOooooohhh Goddddddddd." Owl tightened unbelievably hard inside gripping Buffy for all she was worth as she panted fast and hot.

Buffy kept up the fast pace, her tongue winding over and over as she curled her thumb up bumping it into the potential's center. Owl's fingers curled, as if literally trying to find a grip within the tiled walls, as she felt her body spark and tremor.

"Christ Buffy, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" She tipped her head back into the water flow as her orgasm pulsed out of her exploding body.

Buffy drew out the orgasm into a long flooding wave of pleasure, waiting until she felt Owl's legs starting to quiver and go weak before she slowed and pulled out.

"Now you need a shower." She grinned feeling very wicked.

"God you're good." Surprising herself Owl reached forward, albeit with trembling arms and lifted Buffy a little in the air and held her tight. The Slayer laughed as she hugged Owl back feeling her form rise off the tub floor. "You going to wash my back." She laughed as she carefully put Buffy down and stepped back into the full force of the yet

"Yes." Buffy smiled and picked up the body wash beginning to wash the potential's long back.

"We should shower at this time more often." Owl smirked letting the hot water soak over her happily.

"Book me in." Buffy used the face cloth to clean down her hips and down the back of her thighs.

"Mmmmm you don't have to book to be in me baby." Piper winked.

"Mmmmm do I actually have to move?" Tara turned over sleepily and ran her hand over Willow's bare stomach.

"I wish I could say no baby but by the sounds of it the house is all up which means First focus begins." Willow snuggled closer.

"Did you want breakfast in bed sweetie?" Tara kissed the top of red hair.

"Mmmmm I could, I mean I can start doing more research on the staff in bed right?" Willow pointed out.

"Easily." Tara nodded. "So could I." She agreed. "When I have breakfast."

"Is that a baby please get me breakfast?" Willow looked up smiling at her.

"No, no, I'm going to get my baby breakfast, what would she like?" This time Tara kissed her lips.

"Mmmmm bacon and eggs, need fuel after last night." Willow smiled wider. "Using up all that important energy."

"Sounds great." Tara eased towards the side of the bed. "Fruit juice or milk?"

"Mmm fruit juice." Willow licked her lips.

"If I'm not back in fifteen minutes its because I've had to cook for the small army in the house." Tara stood up and stretched out her slightly aching body but she reflected it was a good ache.

"I'll come looking for you." Willow smiled reaching down to picked up her laptop and turned it on.

Tara picked up her robe from the back of the door and slipped it on winking at her lover before slipping out into the hall. When Tara reached the downstairs it wasn't quite the chaos she'd expected. Most of the house had already eaten and were out in the backyard watching as Faith went through a hard workout with the new staff. She was definitely putting on a show as she jumped, struck, and flexed into a thousand different poses.

Tara stood in the kitchen for a long moment watching the dark haired slayer, she moved with a style and athleticism that was hard not to watch she was both strong and agile. A combination that made her as attractive as it did dangerous.

Nearby the group who watched Faith the tall form of the Canadian was sitting cross-legged. Obviously trying to meditate but getting nowhere as the dark slayer's movements distracted her focus as well.

Softly behind the blonde footsteps entered the kitchen. Tara turned around to see who it was.

"What am I missing?" Kennedy's voice mumbled the potential rubbed her hand to her temple, having not actually looked up yet.

"Good morning." Tara frowned seeing how under the weather the potential looked. "Faith is just getting a feel for the new staff." She pointed out. "Can I get you tea or something?"

"No." Kennedy mumbled again moving over to get some painkillers from the small pot next to the fruit bowl on the island. She cursed discovering it was empty.

"There's more in the second drawer." Tara advised her moving to get the things she needed for breakfast out of the fridge.

"I know." Kennedy snapped. "I have been here longer than you." She pulled the drawer open frowning as the contents clattered around in it.

Tara gave her a strained smile as she moved with the eggs and small remaining portions of bacons to the stove, taking a frying pan out of the dish rack.

"Do you have to cook?" The potential scowled as she grabbed a small bottle of water from the fridge and took some pills.

"Yes." Tara nodded. "Did you want anything?"

"Yes but you've made damn sure I'm never going to get it." Kennedy mumbled under her breath as she pushed to the back door.

"Kennedy, I didn't do anything. This is Willow's choice, if she had chosen you I would have backed away." Tara said in an even unthreatening voice as she put the bacon in the heating pan.

"Yeah well its easy to say that when you've just got out of bed with her and what, are cooking her an energy building breakfast?" Kennedy spat the words at the blonde.

"Yes, I guess it is." Tara nodded softly. "But you also don't know anything about me. If it was necessary I would do most anything to keep Willow happy." She looked at the potential. "Including seeing her with a snotty, self centered brat like you."

"I don't have to hear this from you." Kennedy growled.

"But yet I have to stand around while you make comments about me and put me down?" Tara questioned her tone back to normal. "Is that what you expect?"

"What you do is up to you." Kennedy shrugged. "But Willow might not like you mouthy."

"Don't worry Kennedy, I'll tell her we talked and tell her what I said to you but it might surprise you that I haven't been trying to at least be civil to you because she asked me. I was trying to be civil because I hoped I wouldn't have a reason to not be." Tara shrugged back.

"Do you ever get tired of being so fucking perfect?" Kennedy glared at her.

"Do you ever get tired of being so arrogant?" Tara accused back.

"I don't need this." Kennedy pulled open the back door stalked out into the yard and slammed it behind her

The blonde watched her leave with a sigh; she knew this territorial stand off was far from over but right now she just wanted to concentrate on making breakfast.

"Mmmm something smells great." Buffy's voice commented as the blonde Slayer came into the kitchen dressed in white linen blouse and pants.

"Morning." Tara turned trying to shift off the feeling Kennedy had left with her. "It's bacon, I was making Willow breakfast. Can I make you some?"

"Any bacon left?" Buffy asked pulling open the fridge taking from it the milk and the fruit juice.

"Enough for you and her, with eggs and hash browns." Tara nodded.

"How about for Piper too?" Buffy put the two containers down and took some glasses down from the top cupboard.

"Hmmm I could stretch everything out and make omelets." Tara offered trying to make due. "I think we'll need to go shopping again very soon."

"Sounds perfect, should I make coffee?" Buffy looked at the coffee maker.

"That would be nice." Tara smiled at her. "Did you get a good night's sleep?"

"I... I've found a good time to have a shower." Buffy blushed slightly.

"So it was you I heard at three this morning." Tara took out a bowl to start making the omelet. "I bet there was lots of hot water."

"There was, it was great." Buffy enthused as she went about making drinks. She looked out into the back, smiling more when she saw Faith had everyone entranced.

"How is Piper feeling?" Tara asked softly, hoping that Buffy would see both the obvious and hidden question.

"She's great... that is…" Buffy blushed again and looked at the witch. "You're spell was amazing, her hand is fine, and her ribs." She frowned briefly. "Something you learned in Italy?"

"Yes." Tara nodded. "It's really just a certain channeling, her body is doing the real work."

"Where's Will, I don't see her out there or is it her turn on the couch?" Buffy quizzed.

"She's still in bed, already hacking away though. She hopes to get information on the staff." Tara started beating the concoction she had mixed into the bowl.

"Ah..." Buffy smiled. "Are you going to be helping her hack as it were?"

"I'm going to feed her breakfast and then probably do some book research. You know how hopeless I am on that thing of hers, that didn't change in Italy." She laughed. "I might help Zoë with her meditation too, she tries so hard but she just can't focus enough." She glanced out to the Canadian in the yard. "I wish I knew why M wanted her here, it just makes no sense."

"She didn't choose the best non-distracting place in the house did she." Buffy noted. "You can ring her to ask I suppose, M I meant."

"The phones are out." Tara relayed softly. "Giles tried to call them last night, I think with everyone leaving the phone lines must have gone down."

"Ah." Buffy frowned. "Maybe Xander knows something about them, he's kinda handy?"

"I think this might be more of a high wire thing." Tara offered pouring the mixture into another hot pan. "I guess we'll just have to wait for the reason to come to us. Maybe we'll find something in the research."

"Here's hoping so." Buffy nodded. "Oh Tara." She added suddenly remembering something.

"Yes?" The blonde turned to the Slayer.

"I'm not pushing or anything, but Willow mentioned you were thinking of a portable protection shield, it's just I have twelve SIT's turning up in two days and at the moment I have no clue what to do with them." Buffy explained quickly.

"Oh right, the off site shield." Tara nodded. "Yes, I could work on that this morning. It shouldn't take more than a day to get ready. Then you could keep then anywhere that you want."

"Yeah I haven't thought about where to keep them yet." Buffy admitted.

"There's still our place in Anya's building." Tara pointed out. "Might not be big enough for twelve but some of them could stay there."

"Yeah, but it might cause problems with the neighbors there." Buffy frowned. "I don't want to upset people."

"Buffy, I think after what we saw in town yesterday the whole city is deserted. I haven't heard anyone or even seen a car." Tara flipped her omelet.

"God yes, Tara you're a genius." Buffy hurried over and hugged her.

"Sorry?" Tara hugged her back confused.

"The houses, next door, surely if we some how boost the battery, the shield you have around here can be extended right?" Buffy enthused.

"That would make it easier yes." The blonde nodded.

"So say if we used the house on either side, using this as the central spot." Buffy expanded her theory.

"We'd just need harnessing totems to expand the perimeter." The Wiccan thought adding to the theory. "And it would give everyone a better chance to have actual places to sleep."

"Exactly, I know the house that way has an extension, they have five bedroom. I think the one that way is three like here. Though they might have an extension over the garage." Buffy racked her brain making plans.

"I'll start on the totems right after breakfast." Tara smiled at the slayer's enthusiasm.

"You are a whiz Tara." Buffy hugged her again tightly.

"I think this is just about done, are you bringing it up to Piper?" Tara checked as she put the omelet on a plate with some bacon. "I hope you two don't mind sharing."

"No, we don't." Buffy smiled.

"Sharing what?" Owl's voice came from behind the pair.

"Breakfast." Buffy motioned to the plate. "Tara made us breakfast."

"Wow, cool." Piper dressed in a pair of tight shorts and a strap top, smiled and walked further into the room.

"And we had a great idea about using the house either side to house the new potentials that are coming in." Buffy stole some bacon. "She's going to make some portal totem's to widen the shield."

"Right after I make Willow breakfast." Tara laughed lightly as she started on another omelet.

"Even better, so does that mean less to a bedroom?" Owl asked trying to sound casual.

"It should." Buffy nodded. "And no one having to rough it in the basement."

"Can't be bad can it." Owl munched on some bacon. "Woo what's Faith playing with?" The movement caught the potential's eye.

"That's the new weapon, I didn't get a chance to tell you about it. We found a reference to it in the book that Zoë brought." Buffy took a mouthful of omelet.

"New weapon? God what else did I sleep through yesterday?" Owl rubbed her brow slightly.

"You were healing." Tara assured her. "And you better start eating or a Slayer tummy will have it all."

"Nah it's okay Buffy's hungry." Piper smiled at the blonde briefly. "You know that weapon sure looks familiar." She squinted a little at the window.

"It's great, it responds to your movements and needs and it only works for Faith or I." Buffy munched on as she talked. "It has spikes, and a shield, even axe blades."

"God really, wow I never thought it... nah it can't be." Owl shook her head picking up a glass of milk.

"Never thought?" Tara stopped and looked at the potential.

"What? Oh no nothing." She chugged the glass and put it in the sink.

"No never thought what?" Buffy encouraged Owl seeing the flash of surprise on her face.

"Its just something Shanti once told me about." Owl shook her head again.

"Please Piper, if there's something that might help." Buffy reached up putting her hand on the potential's arm. Owl turned slowly to look down at Buffy. "Please." She repeated offering her a mouthful of omelet.

Piper shook her head to the food putting her hand to her stomach slightly as if thinking about this made her feel slightly queasy.

"Sh- Shanti, once told me about this mystical weapon called the, Santermi... something, I can't quite remember." She shook her head.

"What does it do?" Buffy pushed her.

"I don't remember, God I never listened to her when I should have." Piper suddenly growled pulling away from the window.

"It's okay, that gives us something doesn't it Tara?" Buffy looked at the witch.

"Definitely, even a piece of a name means we can find something." Tara nodded.

"Yeah but not as much as if I'd actually listened." Owl shook her head. "I'm not hungry, I need to check the bike." She pushed out towards the front door.

Buffy stood there feeling deflated, her feet stuck in place. Tara slowly turned off the pan and finished serving up her and Willow's breakfast.

"Are you okay Buffy?" She asked softly reaching out and putting her hand on the Slayer's arm.

"Yeah." Buffy nodded tearing her stare away from the door. "I should go tell Giles about the clue."

"Okay." Tara frowned and pulled her hand back. "I think he's in the dining room."

"Thanks for the breakfast." Buffy picked up her plate moving through.

The blonde witch was about to say more when the distinct sound of a bike engine being started resounded from the front of the house and then with a squeal of tires the sound drifted off.

"Giles, we might have a lead." Buffy let her plate clatter as she put it down and she sat across from the Watcher. She waited for him to look up from the book he was buried in. "Owl remembered that Shanti said something about the weapon, its name Santamarsomething."

"Really?" Giles looked up. "I don't suppose she spelled that for us did she?" Giles asked in typical Watcher style.

"No she didn't remember the whole thing, but if Shanti could get info on it you can right?" Buffy pushed him devouring her breakfast.

"Well yes, in theory." Giles nodded closing the book and looking at her.

"Which should tell us what it does or where it's from right?" Buffy didn't look up from her breakfast.

"Well yes." Again he gave the non-committal answer. "But Buffy there is much you possibly don't know about Shanti or Owl for that matter."

"Like?" Buffy looked up at him trying not to snap the word.

"Unlike the majority of Watcher's Buffy Shanti was born and brought up for the first seventeen years of her life in India." He explained and Buffy ate her breakfast using it to keep from interrupting. "She was the youngest Watcher the Council has every called upon to train and work with a potential, she was just twenty two when she took Owl on."

"How old was Owl?" Buffy questioned instantly.

"Just fifteen." Giles looked down at his hands. "There were reasons Buffy."

"Yeah which you should be telling me." She added irritated.

"She was a strong, angry young woman, who needed tempering, one could say taming." Giles pointed out. "The Council felt that Shanti with her Indian teachings and techniques would be good for her."

"I'm waiting for the but." Buffy finished her omelet.

"The but is obvious and you know it Buffy." Giles replied simply.

"They got together, it can't be the first time a watcher and potential or slayer fell in love Giles." Buffy shrugged.

"The pair of them took their relationship too far, Buffy, and whereas no it is not the first time it has happened, it is a line a watcher cannot afford to cross." He scowled slightly. "And when I say it had happened before that is not accurate, never before have a female watcher and her potential engaged in such activities." He clarified.

"That you know of." Buffy huffed. "Not like the Council is really pro anything they consider out of the ordinary."

"The point of that is Buffy that the Council withdrew their advice and their support of the pair. " Giles continued. "Shanti took Owl back to India for a time, there is no knowing what teaching or mysticism she taught her there."

"There's an easy way to figure that out Giles, we ask her." Buffy pointed out and the Watcher pushed the book in front of him away. "And hello at this point isn't any training that Shanti given her going to help us? She's a good fighter."

"Forgive me for pointing this out, but wasn't that her who just left?" He pointed out.

"She wanted to check out her bike, after the accident." Buffy pushed up to stand. "Giles, the First killed Shanti. You know what it's like to loose someone you love."

"I wasn't judging her Buffy, merely pointing out the difficulty in asking her for details. And going back to you point, yes training is good Buffy, what I was referring to was that if this weapon is to be found in ancient mystical Indian texts then it is possible that we have no knowledge of it at all." Giles explained more fully.

"Seems to me that the Watcher's council has yet another flaw." Buffy accused. "They cut themselves off from the one woman who could have opened them up to a wealth of apparently unknowable knowledge."

"It is easy to stand in judgment now Buffy, I have never and will never defend the Council, but taking them apart now is not the issue." Giles pointed out.

"Why don't we just see what we can find out? For all we know info on this thing is as common as anything." Buffy picked up her plate.

"This thing that might be called sannusomething?" Giles raised an eyebrow

"Santima... something" Buffy told him again.

"What do you suggest I do Buffy, pick up an encyclopedia and look under S?" Giles frowned slightly.

"Hey knock knock B, sorry to interrupt if this was a big pow-wow or anything, but the girls are getting pretty antsy about seeing you wield this baby." Faith spoke from the doorway making Giles and the other Slayer look up.

"Sounds good. I need to work out." Buffy dropped the plate back down holding out her hand for the staff.

"Yeah and not liking to make a point or anything B, but Owl would benefit from seeing too, I mean I figure she's tired and all but you know, time training is ground take." Faith handed it over with a wink.

"She's gone for a ride." Buffy informed her knowing she couldn't hide the sadness in her voice.

"A ride?" Faith frowned. "B, the gas pipe on that bike's got a fracture, she shouldn't be riding it anywhere."

"The who what?" The blonde looked back at her.

"The gas pipe, feeds gas into the engine, you know that highly flammable crap that makes engines work." Faith explained again.

"I have to go find her." Buffy cursed and threw the staff back at Faith. "Giles where are your keys?"

"B!" Faith stared at the staff that was suddenly back in her hand.

"On the side but Buffy you can't drive..." He pushed up frowning as the front door swung open.

"I can't catch up with her on foot." She grabbed the keys.

"I can go." Faith hurried after her, still holding the staff.

"Fine drive." Buffy ran out towards the car.

"I mean without you B." Faith paced somewhat slower to the car. "The girls need one of us here, and I've done my bit with the twirl stick."

"Then go back in I'll find her." Buffy pulled the door open.

"B." Faith caught the door. "Now I get that this chick is hot okay, that she's distracting you, relaxing you, but there are five other girls back there that need you too, not to mention Dawn."

"Faith..." Buffy was about to snap at her but stopped herself. "Dawn is behind the shield, so are the others... I need Piper safe."

"What's going on here B?" Faith also softened her voice, looking carefully at the other Slayer.

"I... first I don't have to explain myself to you." Buffy looked at Faith feeling the usual animosity between them melt away with the unusually soft look. "Secondly I don't know... all I know is I can't handle her being hurt or worse."

"And you driving to rescue her is gonna get her safely back here? Faith smiled softly and pushed the staff forward. "I'll get her back B, I promise." She vowed.

"I'm trusting you." Buffy felt her hand grip around the staff.

"Well now there's a first." Faith jumped into he car and gunned the engine to life.

"Don't make me regret this Faith." Buffy hissed as she slammed the door closed. With a screech of rubber Faith pulled out of the drive, swung the car and streaked off down the road.

Faith geared the sports car into fifth as she hit the long highway road. The spot in the distance had to be Owl; it was the only explanation of why anything would be on the road. She only hoped that she could overtake her before something horrible happened. Another half mile she was able to pull up behind her and then as Owl slowed beside her.

"PULL OVER!" She screamed at the SIT.

It was obvious from just the position of Owl's hands on the handlebars, that the SIT was tempted to pull back on the throttle and press on harder. After what felt like a long time of looking at the dark haired slayer, Owl geared down and drew over to the sandy roadside. Faith stopped the car still in the road getting out.

"The gas pipe is cracked." She gave a distinct explanation for what she was doing.

"I didn't even notice my level was dropping." Owl pulled off her helmet and frowned as she stepped again from the bike a little.

"The exhaust is probably backing up too." Faith moved around. "I was going to go to the garage and try and loot some parts later for you."

"And then I took off like a bat out of hell." Owl shook her head running an arm around her suddenly aching side.

"I'm prone to it myself, no harm no foul. B was just in a psycho panic you were going to blow yourself up on her." Faith admitted why she'd been in such a hurry to find her.

"I..." Piper frowned slightly, "I wasn't trying to do anything… that is was…" She stopped. "You should have drained the gas tank." She admonished Faith with a side smile.

"Yeah all this shit is my fault, I'm sure if they dig far enough they'll find out I spawned the First or something." Faith laughed. "Why don't we find a trailer or something, haul this piece of shit back and get to work on fixing her?"

"She is not a piece of shit!" Owl scowled playfully. "Well okay right now she doesn't look so great, but she's a real piece of work." The potential relaxed visible for a moment before frowning again. "Could you go look for a trailer, I... I'm heading somewhere." She glanced up the long highway.

"Away from here eh?" Faith looked down the road.

"The motel on the southern approach road." Piper nodded.

"Why would you want to go to that rat motel?" Faith questioned reaching into her pocket for a pack of smokes.

"Some of my shit is there." Owl looked down.

"That's cool. We can go pick it up then hunt for a trailer. Shame to leave her out here in the middle of no where." Faith motioned to the car.

"You're not thinking of lighting up near my baby are you." Owl relaxed again and gave faith a mock scowl.

"Nah I'm waiting for you to get your ass in the car so we can get on the move and then I can light up." Faith moved around to the driver's side.

Shaking her head and smiling Owl crossed and slipped into the passenger seat.

Faith strapped down the last chain giving the small wheel of the trailer a kick. It hadn't taken them long to find one deserted in town on a broken down car. The hardest part had been getting it hooked up to Giles' rental car, but even that she had managed. A little bit of muscle later and they'd managed to get the bike up and secure on the back.

"So you got stuff you want at the hotel?" Faith questioned the potential.

"Not want exactly." For the first time she'd first been stopped Owl appeared edgy.

"Need?" Faith corrected moving into the back and pulling off two of the beers she'd 'liberated' from the closed seven eleven. She tossed one to Owl.

"More like hoping will be useful." Owl caught it and flipped it upright.

"Anything that gives the research crew a clue is super useful." Faith encouraged her to get in. The potential got in clipping up her seatbelt, Faith didn't bother as she put the car into gear and pulled out on the way to the motel.

"How's your ribs?" She asked sipping her beer as she drove.

"They've kinda taken a dip since leaving the house." Owl admitted the stiff feeling that encased her body

"The beer will help till we can get you back to magic Tara." Faith encouraged glancing at her.

"Its probably just physiological." Owl admitted taking a sip of her beer.

"Well being in Sunnydale with the First means lots of physiological pressure." The dark Slayer nodded. "You should come out and bang on a few Bringers if you're up for it, really works out the kinks."

"Yeah that sounds like fun." Piper agreed with a nod. "As does a night of loud music and copious alcohol." She laughed.

"Hey we could take over the Bronze, get the sound system going, and the kegs." Faith wiggled her eyebrows. "Make a real ladies night of it."

"I'm not sure that that'd be safe are you?" Owl hated to sound like a party pooper but she couldn't ignore the obvious facts.

"Okay, okay, how about we get some kegs and some speakers and have a party at the house?" Faith tried to compromise.

"Now you see that, that is my kind of idea." Owl grinned again.

"Hey we could bring in food too, maybe some chicken to BBQ up. Have a real feast." The dark Slayer got more excited.

"Live a little you mean, I like it." Piper nodded eagerly.

"The girls can only train so much and even the witches need a break." Faith finished her beer and threw it out the window. "I'm sure B would appreciate a little fun time too don't you think?"

"Yeah, it'll be great to see her relax, slip into something casual and party." Owl grinned wider still, looking out of the window taking a big swig of beer.

"We could swing by the mall, you could get her something new." Faith leaned one arm lazily over the steering wheel.

"You think the looters left anything decent?" Piper asked.

"Not much of the town is looted and I'm sure that Penny's and stuff will have security so we'll have to break in." Faith grinned. "Slayer strength comes in handy in just such an occasion."

"So we swing by my motel, pick up my shit, then hit town right?" Owl checked the plan.

"That's the plan." Faith nodded as she pulled into the hotel parking lot.

"Cool, hell looks like a world of trouble reached here too." Piper nodded out of the window to the starkly empty parking lot.

"I think everything in the Sunnydale city limits has been deserted." Faith admitted throwing it into park and getting out.

Owl pushed out to follow her footsteps confidant at first but slowing as they got closer.

"Do you want to get your shit? I'm going to check the front office for anything we can use cool?" Faith saw her hesitation and knew if it was her she wouldn't want to be crowded.

"Thanks." Owl smiled and walked towards the room she still had the key for taking a light breath she pushed on down the corridor with heavy footsteps stopping in front of the plain wood door.

Pulling out the slightly bent key card from her battered wallet she slid it over the door lock and pushed it open weakly and stepped into the room. The standard hotel bedroom was tidy and clean but the was a tatty denim jacket thrown over the chair taking another breath Piper walked in going straight to the wardrobe. Pulling it open, clearly deliberately not looking at anything but at wardrobe. Pulling out a large camouflaged backpack the potential hauled it over to the bed and dropped it heavily onto the mattress.

Undoing the black tie at the top Owl upturned it and literally emptied it onto the bed sending clothes everywhere. Rummaging through the essentials that covered the plan green mattress. Piper pulled free a medium sized rectangular box. Pushing back from the bed she carried it almost reverently towards the door, before stopping. She put it down on the TV unit and then walked back into the room going over to the chair. She picked up the denim jacket. It was obvious as soon as she did so, that the small article of clothing would never fit the tall potential.

Her first action was to bring the soft blue jacket to her nose and breathed in softly. Her fingers rubbing over the denim.

"We need you Sha." She whispered. "We really need you." She crossed back over to the TV unit and wrapped the box in the jacket before stepping out of the room and heading back to the main area.

"Hey lookie what I found." Faith tried to break the tension swinging the shotgun she'd found behind the front counter. "Might come in handy eh?"

"Pump action or double barreled?" Owl didn't really look.

"Pump, and a box of shells." Faith wiggled them.

"Good call." Owl nodded. "Shall we get out of here." She added eager to get far away.

"Yeah we got a party to get ready for." Faith grinned moving to the car.

"Yeah, I hope there was a decent electronics shop in town." Piper tried a large grin.

"There was, and when we get there whatever good they have left is gone." Faith put the shotgun in the back. "Did you get all that you needed?"

"I got all that might be useful yeah, thanks for being here, you know." Owl shifted slightly uncomfortably.

"No worries, we need to stick together." Faith nodded. "Are you sure you don't want any of the other stuff in there?" She glanced through the open door seeing the strewn clothes.

"No." Owl shook her head. "I don't plan on coming back here ever." She underlined.

"Then let's roll." Faith nodded that she understood and pulled open the door getting in.

Owl bounced down onto the seat after placing the jacket bundle down on the floor made sure it was safe before she tried to push it out of her mind.

"So you prefer liquor or beer?" Faith questioned pulling out of the parking lot back onto the road.

"Beer, don't you think, though does Buffy drink beer?" Owl queried.

"B? She doesn't drink." Faith filled in honestly. "Well maybe a wine spritzer at Christmas you know but other than that she's not one for intoxicants as far as I know."

"Then we should get wine." The potential nodded.

"We can get that at the store." Faith shrugged. "Anything else on the list?"

"Decent music system, food, music, ooh we could check if the electric store has those disco light things." Piper laughed.

"And strobes, I love dancing in strobes." Faith actually felt herself smile. "Fuck, I missed being at a good party. Jail sucks for that."

"Well we'll have to make tonight a good one." Piper flashed the dark haired Slayer a smile.

"Definitely, because who the fuck knows how long we got left right?" Faith screamed out the window enthusiastically.

"Anything else you'll need to make it a good night?" Owl asked of the Slayer.

"An eight ball of Mary Jane would do wonders, I'd love to see the underage crowd stoned." Faith laughed.

"Now I know Buffy would be pissed if you did that." Piper shook her head. "I think them drinking will be enough."

"Come on, tell me you've never had a drag?" Faith glanced at her.

"You know I can't do that." Owl smiled as she shook her head.

"What? You're just saying, hell you can tell B later it was just bragging if you want." Faith leaned over and slapped her leg.

"When I was fifteen I was well on the way to growing my own." Owl grinned.

"See I knew it." Faith grinned wider. "And come on who ever got hurt with a little bit of smoke right? We're not talking coke or big H."

"Cause you've never tried that have you?" Piper smirked.

"I didn't say that now did I?' Faith shrugged with a smirk back.

"But you're a good girl now right." Piper leaned over and stole the pack of cigarettes from Faith's jacket pocket

"I'd say I was a Girl Scout, but I got thrown out for eating a pack of brownies." Faith winked at her and held her hand out for one.

"A whole pack eh." Owl winked back and passed her one.

"Then a pack of boy scouts." She laughed as she took a drag.

"And which did you prefer." Owl chuckled reclining her seat a little.

"I'm greedy I like both." Faith gave her a feral grin.

"That explains a lot." Owl flicked the ash off her smoke into the road.

"Does it?" The dark Slayer glanced at her.

"Yeah." Owl nodded. "Like why I like you, and why Buffy finds it hard."

"You've lost me Birdy, try dumbing it down a bit for me." Faith encouraged her.

"Well you're confident, sexual, strong and assured, I like that, and Buffy, Buffy should be all those things but isn't." Owl explained nursing the cigarette.

"That's cause B is the 'good slayer'." Faith explained her view on things.

"Maybe." Piper nodded. "Or maybe its just cause she's never tried."

"No one's ever made Buffy feel like sex was there to be enjoyed, with Angel it was like this huge thing that went wrong and then with cardboard boy it was this expectation. Couple in college have to fuck like bunnies." Faith shrugged. "I don't think she ever let herself enjoy anything."

"Oh I don't know." Owl looked out to the side flicking her cigarette but out.

"Do your best not to hurt her okay, not that I'm expecting you would but you know... I did enough of that to her." Faith added her voice lower.

"Why did you do it?" The potential asked bluntly.

"Do what?" The dark Slayer questioned without looking over at her.

"Hurt her." Piper replied quickly.

"Because I could." Faith answered her voice even. "Because it made me feel something."

"Okay I get that." Piper nodded. "But why Buffy?"

"You got to understand something Birdy, when I was called it was like the first thing they told me. Hey guess what you're the slayer, the second thing was you're never going to be as good as B." Faith cracked her neck. "She was like this fucking messiah to them, and then there was me this second, this not as good they expected going to die any day throw away slayer."

"Wow the council fuck up again huh." Piper shook her head.

"I'm not a great fan, they've tried to kill me about a dozen times." Faith laughed flicking her smoke out the window.

"And then they abandoned you and fed you to the wolves, or was that just me?" Piper shook her head.

"Left me to rot in jail." Faith shook her head. "I heard what they did to you, that was shit." She appraised in her own way. "I guess no one can expect either of us to be choked up that they got nuked."

"I hope not." Owl admitted. "'Cause I certainly didn't shed a tear."

"Wish I could have seen, you know sit on a rooftop nearby with a drink and watch it go pop." Faith laughed.

"Yeah, and cheered or something, with a banner that said 'Screw you assholes'" Piper added with a snort.

"That would have been cool." Faith agreed.

"Oh, look I spy strobes." Piper pointed out of the side of the car.

"Full stop." Faith laughed and pulled the car to a shaky stop. "Let's go." She jumped out heading for the store.

Buffy paced in front of the window looking out the front porch. Her forehead was in a firm scowl and her lips were in a solid unmoving frown.

"Coffee?" Tara softly rested her hand on the middle of Buffy's back.

"What?" Buffy jumped visibly as she turned to look at the blonde. "No, I'm fine."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Tara apologized.

"No, I'm just..." Buffy looked back out the window. "I'm kicking myself for letting Faith go after her now."

"Maybe she had to get gas or to find a trailer to bring the bike back." Tara offered reasons.

"Or they've been killed by Ubers and I'm here doing nothing to help them." Buffy scowled more.

"They'll be back soon, Faith's a slayer Buffy, she can look after herself." Tara tried to help the situation.

"She didn't take the staff." Buffy shook her head. "And it's not Faith I'm worried about."

"Owl?" The blonde checked unnecessarily.

"She was upset that she couldn't remember the name, remember what Shanti had told her." Buffy nodded still staring out the front walk.

"If anything had happened Faith would have come back, asked for help." Tara reasoned.

"Did Willow have any luck? With the reference." Buffy turned looking at Tara.

"Nothing yet, I should have ask Owl for the spelling of what she could remember. Willow is doing a wider check on the history of staves." Tara explained. "But its a bit of a race against time, with the phone lines being down, its only a matter of time before the ISDN cable goes too."

"Don't." Buffy shook her head. "I mean ask her, I don't think she remembers anything or she would have told us."

"I won't." Tara shook her head softly. "Did you want to come and help with the research?" The witch offered. "It's a little before five, I thought I could start cooking about five thirty."

"How did the totem go?" Buffy asked thinking of the other serious thing on their plate.

"We can do it." Tara nodded with a smile.

"That's great." Buffy felt one weight come off her shoulders.

"I think between us, we can extend the shield to the surrounding two houses." Tara explained.

"Everyone will love you for that." The Slayer nodded.

"The round bellied statue will be fine for one harnessing focus, and I was thinking about the little stone pig in the yard for the second." Tara asked for the permission.

"That's fine." Buffy nodded.

"Why don't you take a couple of SITs next door and see what's there." Tara suggested softly. "Keep yourself busy."

Buffy nodded again stiffly and moved towards the basement to round up anyone who wanted to go with her.

"Hey what ya doing Tar?" Owl's head suddenly poked round the back door and looked at the blonde in the kitchen, she was grinning brightly.

"Owl." Tara looked up breathing a sigh of relief. "Are you okay? You've been gone for hours."

"Have we?" The potential looked at her watch. "Crap we have." She suddenly lost her smile. "Where's Buffy?"

"She's next door checking out the expansion house." Tara informed her gently. "Owl, she's been worried about you." She indicated in the same non-threatening tone.

"Worried about me?" This stopped the potential's retreat to hurry around there.

"Buffy worries, it's this thing she does." Tara nodded as she went back to put more cheese on her three oversized lasagnas.

"Oh right." Piper stopped completely. "You can stop doing that by the way, Faith and I bought stuff for the BBQ, oh and a BBQ come to think of it."

"Wow, you two were busy." Tara smiled at her. "I can put them in the freezer for another day."

"We bought a few things, we thought, you know with the weapon and the good news from you and Willow, that we could have a party." Piper explained but it was obvious that she was distracted.

"I think that's a great idea." Tara was forced to admit. "Everyone needs a little time to relax, especially now we can keep the First out of the house."

"We got a music system, strobes and rainbow lights." Owl continued her list. "Oh and drinks."

"You should go get Buffy, she can help you set stuff up." Tara encouraged her.

"She won't want to see me." Piper's head dropped. "I'll just go help Faith with the gas."

"What?" Tara was thrown by the admission.

"I let her down, worried her, I'm best to steer clear." Owl explained her reasoning.

"Hey you're back. I thought I saw Faith out front." Willow came in carrying an empty cup and gave Tara a kiss on the cheek.

"Yes, they brought the things for a disco and a BBQ." Tara smiled at her fiancée.

"Thank Goddess." Willow grinned. "Now that you're home Buffy will stop pacing a big bad groove in the carpet."

"Should I go find her?" Piper asked for direction quietly.

Both Willow and Tara nodded together.

"Okay." Piper took a breath and then pushed out of the house.

"Hey Owl, you're back." As the potential walked up to the door of the five-bedroom house next door it opened and Vi walked out.

"Hey, yeah, Buffy still inside?" She checked.

"She's upstairs clearing out some of the stuff to make room for the newbies." The SIT nodded. "Is dinner on yet I'm starved?"

"Getting there, how does BBQ and dancing in the yard sound?" Owl tried to smile.

"Fantastic, I would kill for BBQ." The girl's slightly southern accent gave her away as she rushed towards the other house.

Pausing Owl backtracked to the car for a moment, picked something up and then went back to the house. Slowly entering it and heading up stairs where the SIT had indicated Buffy was.

The blonde Slayer's nervous energy was obvious as she took armfuls of clothes out of the dressers and stuffed them into a closet trying to erase the leftover possessions of the former occupants.

Piper leaned softly on the doorpost watching for a moment.

"Buffy." She said quietly.

"Piper." The Slayer turned around sharply, though it wasn't anger as much as sheer relief and a measure of disbelief that she was imagining the voice.

"Let me help you with that, the ski jacket looks like its about to stage a revolt." She pointed at the over sized white puffer jacket.

"Why would anyone in Sunnydale need that?" Buffy commented stepping aside to let Owl deal with the unruly clothing.

"They like to go off on expensive holidays." Piper pushed and shoved it down. "Or they play dress up now and again."

"A holiday would be nice, I went skiing once when I was eleven. Dawn and I never got off the bunny hill." Buffy watched her close the closet door and went to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"I bet you just did it to stay with Dawn." Piper watched her move.

"That and I was afraid of the big hill." Buffy admitted putting her hands in her lap.

"I bet Dawn never knew that." Piper stayed at a distance.

"Dawn thinks it was because of the instructor." Buffy snorted.

"Cute was he?" Piper smiled slightly.

"Your usual blonde ski bunny." Buffy looked up at her. "Are you okay?"

"Kinda." Piper replied with a soft roll of her shoulders. "Are you?"

"Sorta." Buffy shrugged back shifting over.

"What's up?" Piper crossed and eased down on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know." The Slayer looked down at her hands.

"Can I help?" Piper gave a lopsided frown.

"Tell me why I can't be mad at you? I want to be mad at you for running out and leaving me to worry for hours and hours but all I feel is relief to see that you're safe." Buffy looked up into dark eyes.

"Because... because your heart is too big to be angry, when all you feel is relief." Piper replied softly.

"You didn't leave because you were mad at me did you?" Buffy asked her, feeling so weakened by the words.

"No, no Buffy no." Piper couldn't restrain her self from reaching out and cupping Buffy's cheek. "I left to... to try and make something better. Something that I messed up." She frowned at her own inadequacies.

"We can find the name Piper, you don't have to remember it. I don't remember most of the names or the prophecies." Buffy leaned a little into her hand.

Pulling her hand away Piper pushed up and went back to the door, picking up what she had taken from the car. She brought it over to Buffy and held out the jacket wrapped shoebox.

"What is this?" Buffy asked softly as she took it in her hands.

"It's..." Piper took a step back, frowning slightly. "It's all of Shanti's things, that I saved from the apartment." She turned away. "I think there's a book, a diary or something in there, it… it might help."

"Oh Piper." Buffy looked up and down between them.

"I can't look... that is you'd have to go through it and see." Piper took a step towards leaving the room. "It might at least have the name."

"Piper." Buffy put the package down softly and moved to follow her. "You did this for us?" She asked in a whisper seeing how painful it was for the potential.

"We-We bought barbeque, and music, kind of a party thing we thought." Piper didn't turn and continued to move away.

"Did you get pork chops?" Buffy tried to change the subject.

"And white wine." She stopped and turned with a nod.

"Sounds great." Buffy smiled at her softly.

"Oh God Buffy forgive me for this but..." Piper pushed forward suddenly and gathered the Slayer to her pressing her lips full onto Buffy's soft slightly open ones.

The Slayer whimpered as she was caught up and kissed, her eyes closed immediately as she looped her arms hard around Piper's body kissing her back almost desperately. Piper tightened her grip sliding one hand up to cup the back of Buffy's head, the other at her hip as she pressed their bodies together. Buffy pressed back, pushing up on her tiptoes to press even closer. Breaking the hot kiss by only moving her head back a little Piper blinked at the Slayer.

"I'm sorry Buffy, I didn't mean to make you worry." She punctuated her apology with quick kisses.

"I know... you had to... go out." Buffy kissed her back each time any thoughts of the hours of worry melting away.

"But I should have waited, should have talked." Piper kissed and continued to apologize making the kiss at the end of her sentence deep and hot as she slid both hands down over Buffy's ass.

"I'm not good at that either." Buffy groaned as she flexed against the potential's hands.

"Legs up Baby, around me." Owl encouraged squeezing her tighter. "I got you."

Buffy hopped up encircling her waist around Owl's body. Supporting her instantly Owl squeezed her hands into soft ass cheeks and walked slowly from the room they were in to the one next door, carrying Buffy over to the bed and then lowering her onto it, covering her neck, throat and lips with kisses.

Buffy groaned, tipping her head up so that Owl could reach more of her throat. Piper moaned softly and drew her tongue in a soft line round Buffy's neck breaking it with kisses over her jaw line back to her mouth. Buffy wound her hand down the Potential's back pulling at her shirt. Owl stopped for a moment and pulled back panting lightly.

"Are you sure?" She whispered tenderly.

"I want you." Buffy stated surely. She pulled it up over Owl's head giving her no choice but to pull it off.

Wiggling out of it the potential felt it fall to the floor before she pressed right back to Buffy.

"Oh God Buffy." Owl groaned pressing back to the Slayer's hot body, her lips hard over her lover's.

"Yes." Buffy pressed her hips back up, unsnapping the potential's bra and moving her hands around to massage roughly over full breasts.

"I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry." She kissed her over and over grinding her hips down pressing Buffy into the mattress.

"I know I know." Buffy pressed back with her feeling the almost desperate heat rising between them.

"You don't, you don't." Owl kissed and moved her body more desperately. "I let Sha down, and now you, I'm so sorry." She felt hot tears in her eyes as she continued to move against Buffy.

"No, Piper... honey." Buffy opened her eyes seeing the emotion on her lover's face she pulled her hand back up cupping Piper's cheeks. "You didn't, it was the First Piper not you that hurt her." She kissed her again and again her eyes open. "And I was worried you wouldn't come back, you did, you didn't let me down, you came back."

"I was never going to leave you." Owl shook her head hard tears toppled over her long eyelashes as she pressed her lips to Buffy's.

"I'm sorry I didn't have faith in you." Buffy whispered kissing her back caught between the pleasured ache that was building as they pressed into one another and the sting of tears that she felt in her own eyes.

"It's okay." Piper shook her head. "You will next time." The kiss this time was softer, less frantic but no less passionate.

"I was afraid." Buffy whispered meeting the kisses.

"What of?" Piper asked her voice hushed.

"You were going to die." Buffy's voice was almost silent.

"For you, maybe, instead of you, every time, without you beside me or near to me." Piper stopped and shook her head. "Never."

The blonde's lip shivered as she slowly brought her mouth forward, closing her eyes and spilling tears onto her cheeks as she tenderly pressed her lips to Piper's. The potential's eyes closed to as the sweet kiss lingered.

"I don't want to scare you Buffy, but I think I could fall in love with you." Piper whispered opening her eyes and catching a tear on her finger.

"Don't say it..." Buffy's voice was shaky as she pressed her cheek to Owl's. "Don't say it until you're sure."

"And if I'm sure?" Piper breathed.

Buffy moved her lips back the short distance and meshed their lips together again.

"Was that a still don't say it Owl?" Piper pulled back her voice in no way judging or angry.

"I don't think I can say it back..." Buffy breathe out of her nose looking away. "I just... I can't."

"Shush." Owl pressed her hand up into Buffy's hair. "It's ok." She lightly turned the Slayer's head back. "This might sound crazy Buffy, but I know love. I've felt it, recently, before it was taken form me and thought that hurt, it hurts so much it's hard to breath sometimes. At least it lets me know what love feels like, its still fresh for me, it's still easily open for me." She tried to explain how come it was that she was sure.

"I believe you." Buffy nodded softly.

"I know what love feels like for me." She clarified. "And I don't need you to say you love me, if it's not what you feel."

"Everyone I love goes away." Buffy shook her head again.

"My track record isn't so hot either." Owl replied. "I'm 1 for 1, you?" She tried to smile.

"Much worse than that." Buffy frowned but then saw the accepting almost strangely amused look and it made her somehow feel a lot less alone in the horrible situation.

"Are you trying to make me smile?" She reached up running her thumb over the potential's bottom lip.

"Is it working?" Piper smile extended the area the Slayer had to trace.

"Why is it every time I think that no one can understand how I feel you reach right through all of it and just know." Buffy gave her a soft smile.

"Luck?" Piper grinned.

"Charmer." Buffy leaned up kissing her again.

"Mmmmmm, do you want to finish this or go party?" Owl asked brushing her fingers over Buffy's side.

"I do want to see your party." Buffy pressed up to her. "Oh and see how good you are at cooking pork chops."

"Mmmm, so you want to go join the gang." Owl moved both hands to Buffy's hips and pulled her up slightly against her.

"Let them get set up." Buffy moved her hands back down to Owl's breasts. Dark eyes flared and then closed as Piper arched her back into Buffy's hands. The Slayer played her thumbs over stiffening nipples, flexing her hips up harder.

"Can we continue this naked." Piper asked hotly.

"Naked." Buffy nodded unlocking her legs.

Piper pulled back off the bed carefully and quickly stripped off the rest of her clothes. Buffy stayed where she was wiggling out of her skirt and boots, peeling off her bra and panties. Kneeling on the end of the bed Piper looked up at Buffy.

"You know I almost don't know if I prefer you in clothes, in bed naked, or in the shower." The potential smirked.

"You're gorgeous all ways." Buffy held her hand out urging her to come closer faster.

Piper reached her hand up and threaded their fingers together but drew up her body slower pausing to press her lips against neatly trimmed blonde hair.

Buffy's body pressed up into the kiss.

"Oh Buffy you smell divine." Owl breathed out softly over the Slayer's body.

"Mmmmmm do I?" Buffy questioned pressing up again.

"Mmmmmm yes." Piper underlined again. "Can I taste?" She whispered.

"Yes." Buffy groaned the soft request making her grow even wetter.

"Oh Buffy." Piper ran her hand up the full length of Buffy's leg easing it open as she lowered her head and drew her tongue the full length of Buffy's lips and clit.

The straight touch on her most inflamed flesh made Buffy groan loudly.

"Oh God Piper." Buffy lifted up more into the intimate kiss.

Piper let her tongue lap over and over soft hot lips then nudged lightly into Buffy's center flicking against the hardness there. Buffy felt the harder stroke and she opened her eyes to see what her lover was doing, as she did her body went rigid and she pulled back.

"Oh please don't stop on my account." The First clapped her hands soundlessly together.

"Buffy what?" Piper panicked instantly and then flipped around standing up.

"Get out." She growled at the apparition.

"What? No invitation to join in?" The First looked at both of them.

"Get out." Buffy pulled the blanket around her body.

"I'm not here to ruin your fun, I just came to tell you this little stay out spell you got your wicked witch to put up isn't going to work for long." The First informed her.

"Is this fun for you?" Owl put her hand on her hip staring at the form of her lover conjured by the First. "Is this what ultimate evil does for kicks? Gets off on watching people make love?"

"Actually I love watching the human form moving, responding, being aroused." The First licked its lips.

"Because you're nothing." Buffy spat at it.

"And you use her body because you know you could never be worthy of such a thing." Owl snarled. "Now get out, you can't hurt us, either of us, your words do nothing."

"I could take other forms Piper, don't taunt me." The First gave her a hard look.

"You think they would hurt me more?" Piper took a defensive stance.

"This rage against the dying of the light is getting so boring." The First sighed. "I'm going to kill you all, one by one, she'll watch you die Piper and not be able to do a thing to stop it. Then I'll kill the renegade and then her." The First smiled at them sickly. "So enjoy the flesh while you can." She disappeared.

"FUCKING BITCH!" Piper picked up her boot from the floor and hurled it with force at the empty doorway.

"It's not worth it Piper." Buffy stood up and moved over to her letting the blanket fall away as she hugged the potential. "It just wants to hurt us."

"I won't let it. Even if I die stopping it I won't let it." Owl snarled at the empty place where the First had been.

"We won't let it." Buffy reached up holding her cheek meeting fiery eyes with her own. "Together we can stop it."

"Together, yeah, all of us, as a unit we can stop it." Piper focused on controlling her angry ragged breath she blinked hotly for a moment.

"No, together we can stop this." Buffy stated again.

"Together?" Owl blinked again thankful to feel her pulse notch down.

"Together." Buffy said again moving to kiss her very lightly.

Piper took a few controlled breaths and felt the tremors in her body settle.

"Does this mean you'll dance with me at the party?" She asked looping her arms around Buffy very lightly.

"I think I can pencil you into my dance card." Buffy smiled at her. "Into all of my dance slots, well other than the cheesy traditional dance with my sister." She leaned to kiss her again.

Part 12

Tara busied around the long table that Faith and a couple of potentials had hauled out onto the decking near the back door. The blonde witch had rustled up salad and cheese squares, along with copious amounts of bread and buns to go with the barbeque. Not to mention the two large bowls of suspicious looking punch that Faith had concocted. One was a lurid shade of blue, the other dark green. Oh and the four kegs of beer that stood on the far end of it, nearest the new BBQ. Xander and Giles stood behind that, carefully watching the food on it sizzle and cook as they flipped it and kept it from burning. The whole yard was filled with the smell of beer and BBQ already and the party hadn't really begun.

Dawn and some of the potentials were blowing up balloons whereas Faith was fiddling with a large extension socket, plugging in and testing the two strobes that she had set up either side of the large sound system. The system itself she had put on the round plastic patio table right at the far end of the garden. She'd fixed one speaker up as far as its cord would allow in the bushes to the right along the back of the yard and the other she had trailed along the left hand fence, again as far as its cord would stretch. The two round rainbow disco light balls that Owl had chosen she placed on the floor directly in front of the system, and had wired them together so they only needed one socket to power them.

It was fair to say that the atmosphere was already high as people carried things to and from the house. Cushions wrapped in big bags to protect them from getting damp, patio chairs placed carefully here and there for those who wanted to enjoy the dancing but not be part of it just yet, it looked a little like a scene from a student all night kegger.

"I'm not sure if I should be scared or not." Buffy looked at Owl as they rounded the corner of the house. "It looks like a grade school party." She laughed lightly.

"You probably should." Owl glanced at her with a smile. "Oh Buffy wait." She stopped and turned back to the car.

"What's wrong?" Buffy turned following where her tall lover was moving as she scanned the lawn for anything out of the ordinary.

"Nothing..." Owl looked up from where she opened the car door. "I picked this out for you, you don't have to wear it or anything, I just… well you know." She crossed back over to Buffy and handed her the Penny's bag in her hand.

"You went shopping? I thought the mall was closed." Buffy eyes lit up when she saw the bag.

"It was, they…" Owl stopped. "They opened especially for me." She gave the Slayer a bright smile.

"What is it?" Buffy didn't open the bag as she moved forward closer to the potential.

"It's a dress." Owl watched Buffy's move smiling more gently. "For the party." She added the explanation.

"I should go get changed then." Buffy leaned up and kissed her. "I'll see you in the backyard." She headed towards the front door with the bag swinging.

Owl just smiled more and strode into the backyard.

"Hey Birdy!" Faith popped her head up. "So much for the helping me out here!"

Owl jogged quickly over and knelt on the floor help to sort wires and flexes.

"Music." A voice announced from above as a pile of CD's was rather unceremoniously dumped on the table with the sound system.

"Spike." Faith pushed up from the floor looking at the vampire that had made the delivery. "Come on vamp, lighten up, its party night, you must enjoy a good party." She picked up the top CD and looked at it.

"I can think of better things to do with my evening." He grumbled putting his hand into his pockets.

"Come on William, you're a good guy now, you have to get with the good guy thing." Faith nudged into his arm lightly. "Come on it'll be a blast."

"Don't push him Faith." Piper glanced over her shoulder at him. "If he wants to spend the night lurking in the cellar, who are we to stop him."

"Oh no." Spike shook his head. "I'm gonna enjoy the party." He turned and walked away.

"He's such a treat." Faith watched him stalk off and moved to settle the stereo in a better place. "Hopefully he'll just drink a keg on his own and pass out."

"Yeah and if we're really lucky he'll break the deck on his landing and stake himself." Owl made a final twist with the insulation tape in her hand and plugged the two rainbow balls in. They began a gentle spin flashing their spots of color around the yard.

"I know he and B had a thing Birdy but I don't think you got to do the jealous other thing, it's not flattering." Faith bent down plugging in the rest of the wires.

"I'm not jealous, I just hate him." Piper summed up pushing up from the ground.

"But come on he's got a good ass." Faith shrugged as she started to order some of the CD's.

"Don't ever let him touch you." Piper said looking seriously at Faith before moving off towards the food table.

Faith watched her retreat with a curious eye before she focused on the stereo again putting a selection of CD's in and getting ready to test it out.

Buffy tried to get the hasty oversized curls in her hair to frame her face properly as she came down the stairs turning the corner into the kitchen. She had to give Piper ultimate credit, the short flowing silk spring dress she had picked out fit her perfectly the scalloped edges at the bottom flowing around her mid calf. The dress itself was white with a light pattern of pink and red flowers, the whole look was very pseudo-Japanese and though she know that Owl hadn't paid for it the fact the price tag had said $459.98 made her feel spoiled.

"Well maybe this party is going to be worth attending after all." The low voice of Spike commented from the basement door. Buffy felt a shiver go up her spine when she heard the way that he hissed his words. She turned defiantly towards him. "Easy now, before you take that the wrong way, I just mean you look good." Spike offered the soft comment.

"Thank you." Buffy managed a smiled. "Owl bought it for me." She pointed out almost wanting to see what his reaction would be.

Almost not wanting to but unable to stop himself the vampire glanced over his shoulder looking at the potential, who had an arm draped over Tara's shoulder and was stealing a square of cheese off the plate she was putting down.

"She'll die, you know that, why do this to yourself?" Spike turned back looking at Buffy shaking his head.

"Because I'm not going to let that happen." Buffy met him squarely.

"You can't save everyone Buffy, when the final battle comes, its going to be everyone for themselves and you can't afford to be distracted." The blonde vampire shook his head slowly again.

"No what I can't afford to be is empty and cold inside." Buffy shook her head. "She makes me want to fight Spike, she makes me want to live. She makes me think that if I had to I could stand toe to toe with a hundred Firsts and fight, try, struggle to win."

"It's just sex Buffy, it's no different to what we had." Spike looked at her stepping forward slightly.

"It's not just sex, but I don't expect you to understand." She shook her head. "And I thought you said it was different Spike, different for you because you loved me?" She caught him on the slip.

"It was, Buffy it still is, I do love you." He reached out for her arm.

"Spike, you don't even see do you? It's not, it was just sex." Buffy stepped out of his reach. "That you're for some unknown reason obsessed with me isn't love Spike, that you let me use you over and over wasn't love Spike, that you tried to rape me wasn't love." She didn't feel any emotions in the words, not because she was empty but because they couldn't hurt her anymore.

"I didn't..." Spike frowned. "I just lost it that day, I wasn't going to hurt you." He tried to spell out calmly.

"You did hurt me Spike, you didn't have to bruise me or break me or hell throw me through a wall like you had before. That I tried to trust you, tried to think maybe you were telling the truth that you could love me, that I could be alive, that it was all just a front to have sex with me, that hurt the most." Buffy spelled out her reasons. "And if we were still together Spike and you lost it again, would you stop this time? Or would you go further to try and prove what a vampire in love can do."

"I'm here, fighting with you doesn't that at least tell you something?" Spike tried to make her understand.

"That tells me now that you have your soul back you regret what happened." Buffy nodded. "It doesn't mean you understand what you did was wrong, or even believe that it was your fault. That's not who you are Spike, soul or no soul."

"You don't love her Buffy." Spike shook his head. "You can't love, remember." The vampires anger level grew steadily.

"I can." Buffy stared at him seeing his temper flaring. "I do." She said softer hearing the familiar footsteps come in behind her through the open door and knowing without turning who would be there.

"You look beautiful." Owl slid an arm around Buffy and pressed her palm flat against the Slayer's flat stomach. "Sorry did I interrupt something?" She blinked up at Spike very briefly before pressing her lips to the side of Buffy's head.

"No Spike was just going out to get a drink." Buffy held the vampire's feral eyes. Almost on cue Faith finally got the sound system working and the evening was filled by loud-excited music. "I imagine Giles and Xander saved the blood for you too." She put her arm down around Owl's.

"You'll see, I'm right." Spike turned and jogged down to the basement.

"You okay?" Owl withdrew her hand slowly and turned Buffy to face her.

"Yes." Buffy smiled looking up at the potential. "So I look beautiful?" She smiled softer.

"You do, more than I could ever have imagined." Owl nodded softly, the heavy base of the music outside becoming slightly lost in the midst of happy banter from the SITs in the garden. "Are you sure you're okay?" She reached up and played with a curl.

"I am, he was just being his usual self." Buffy tipped her head. "He doesn't have any idea, he thinks he can still crawl inside my head... I thought so too, but know I know he can't anymore."

"I thought I should go get changed." Owl smiled and stepped back a little from the Slayer. "You should go out and enjoy the party."

"I hope you got yourself a new outfit too." Buffy reached out pulling at the edge of her T-shirt.

"Maybe." She smirked.

"Hurry up then, I want to know for sure." The Slayer moved to the back door and towards the food table.

"Hey B!" Faith gave a wide grin and jogged over. "What do you think?" She waved her arm over the yard, with its flashing lights, loud music, and five people already dancing on the grass.

"I think that it's amazing." Buffy couldn't help but smile. "I mean you've always wanted your own night club." She chuckled at the SITs already dancing.

"Well you know I always dreamed it'd have a bit more class, oh and a roof, but you know, I'll settle for this right now." Faith laughed. "Don't those two ever give it up?" The dark haired Slayer nodded over to where Tara and Willow were leaning against a tree their arms wrapped around each other sharing little kisses and whispers.

"No, I hope they never do." Buffy admitted softly looking down to where on the grass nearby she had laid bleeding to death that horrible day. "We have to beat it Faith. No rivalry anymore, no biting at each other, we just have to work together and beat it."

"Hey steady that's sounding kinda like a truce." Faith smirked.

"It is." Buffy turned to her offering her hand. "We can waste time and energy fighting each other Faith or we can fight the First."

"You got yourself a deal, but don't think I'm going to be sticking around to play best buddies when this is over." Faith shook Buffy's hand definitely. "Now grab yourself a beer."

"Don't think I would tell you to go away if you did." Buffy grinned as they slipped into a more comfortable confrontation. She moved over to where Xander was and helped herself to a drink.

"Everyone is so much happier." Willow smiled as she looked into blue eyes.

"Mmmm they are." Tara nodded as she blinked and breathed in contentedly. "Though don't even think of asking me." She glanced at the 'dance floor'. "I still dance like a… well like someone who can't dance." She laughed gently.

"Even if I ask Faith to play something just for us?" Willow pouted.

"Like what?" Tara kissed the pout briefly.

"Like something romantic and slow." Willow followed her lips back kissing her again.

"Mmmm I'm listening, convince me." The blonde leaned a little harder against the tree.

"Something more us." Willow pressed against her. "Maybe our song." She tilted her head to the side.

"Mmmm maybe." Tara swung them together gently.

"So." Anya suddenly approached the two of them and passed them both a plate. "Have you thought about what style your ceremony is going to be."

"We... I don't think..." Willow looked down at the burger. "Outside?" She looked at Tara.

"Definitely." Tara nodded.

"You should think about wearing green, it really suits you, well it really suited the shade of you." Anya smiled.

Willow was thrown off by Anya's blatant and obvious reference to the First's shade. She went pale as she thought about how she'd been flirting with that 'Tara' as they helped Anya get dressed and how she had saved her during the wedding brawl.

"Anya please." Tara scowled at the other woman. "Tonight's a time for relaxing and enjoying ourselves, can we not refer to the past." The blonde drew her lover closer.

"Enjoying ourselves? Before we're all slaughtered?" Kennedy barked out a laugh as she crossed to the food table from the chair she had been sitting on.

Willow listened to it all going on, parts of her mind in different directions. The horror at the memories that Anya had reminded her of, the anger she felt towards Kennedy and her hurtful attitude, the love she felt for Tara.

"We're not going to die." It was Dawn's voice that spoke over the conversation. "And Tara, our Tara, is right, tonight's about relaxing and celebrating friendship, family." The teenager crossed over and took Buffy's hand in hers. "Now anyone who cant handle that, or deal with it, well, the basement's pretty empty, go down and wallow there."

Some of the other SIT's clapped encouraging Dawn. After all they wanted to forget the harsh world outside for awhile.

Buffy squeezed Dawn's hand.

"Well we all heard the nibblet." Spike strode out from the house and walked to behind the sound system. "I'll play DJ for the evening, while you all get your groove on." Spike seemed to look over the selections, pulling out the current CD and exchanging it for something he knew everyone would recognize. "Now we rock." He turned it up to ten and Billy Idol started pumping through the back yard.

"Okay is undead DJ smart?" Faith questioned as she wolfed down a burger and stole another from the pile that Xander was stacking of ready ones.

"Well it's that or Giles." Xander glanced at the Watcher who was leaned back on a chair tapping his foot apparently appreciating the choice.

"Come on Zeppo, lets have a drinking contest." Faith moved over to him pouring out two beers.

"Hey, you'd better save some for me!" From the back door Owl called out. The tall SIT stepped out into the garden, dressed in a brand new pair of blue jeans, with a black belt threaded through their belt loops closed with a large sliver belt buckle, tucked into it she had a crisp white button through shirt, undone low down her breasts.

"Step it up hot birdy." Faith turned handing her a beer. "We're cocked locked and ready to party."

Buffy stuttered a bit where she was dancing with Dawn, her eyes lingering up the tall potential's body as she swallowed.

Owl took the drink and grinned, turning from the dark haired Slayer to look out to where Buffy was dancing.

"It looks great Faith." She flicked her eyes briefly at Faith.

"Yeah she does." Faith growled under her breath, she poked Owl in the side with her elbow. Owl dipped a little to the side, laughing with the dark haired Slayer.

"She is amazing." Piper dropped her voice whispering at Faith.

"She is, you better be ready to take care of her cause if you hurt her there are a whole line up of people ready to kick your ass." Faith took a long swig and put her arm around Owl's shoulder.

"She's has to want me to do that." Owl reasoned patting over Faith's hand. "And I don't think she does."

"Oh she does Birdy." Faith smiled looking sideways at the Potential. "Trust me, if there is one thing in this world I can read it's Buffy Anne Summers. The fact you got her to swing sides is indication enough you mean something big, basically the one point you have to remember about B is..." She turned to the other woman her voice lower. "She'll never ask, she's too gone on this hard core slayer doesn't need help thing. You have to push her and when you do if she does want you too she'll show you without saying it."

"Hey DJ!" Owl tipped her head up and called out to Spike. "All the things she said - the cream disc with the red writing, track 2. Coming to dance Faith."

"Definitely." Faith watched as Spike fumbled with the CD and then the hard beat and a girl's voice filled the back yard. She jogged down to the dance floor moving in with the other SITs as she started her patented sexy dancing.

"Some moves you got there Faith!" Owl called over to her as she too joined the group. She let her hands rise her hips moving freely.

"Should I be jealous?" Buffy teased dancing closer now that Dawn was doing her own thing.

"You don't seem the type." Owl smirked, turning to dance towards the Slayer.

"You're the one who told me I had tension with Faith." Buffy teased doing a twirl showing off she wasn't the only slayer who could dance.

"You don't have to be dancing to prove to me you have moves baby." Piper watched transfixed.

"Don't drink too much I want you conscious later." Buffy blew her a kiss before twirling again.

Owl took a quick swig of her beer and moved to dance closer to Faith again, slightly surprised when Anya joined them.

"Are slayers born with an extra ability and gift of rhythm?" The former demon asked of Faith.

"Mine's natural talent." Faith chugged her beer tossing the cup aside and showing off a bit for her.

"Xander doesn't have natural rhythm, ever." The blonde shook her head joining the dancing.

"Do you?" Faith watched her move circling around Anya. "You need to free it, let yourself enjoy."

"I used to dance." Anya danced a little more freely.

"I can tell." Faith swung behind her, putting her hands on Anya's hips. "You need to feel."

"I'm gonna cook some pork chops." Owl winked and slid away leaving Anya who was pressing back against the dark haired Slayer moving more and more to the song.

Buffy watched her move away, dancing and giggling with Dawn and trying to ignore that Faith was all over Anya.

"I've not seen that dress before." Dawn commented as she danced along happily.

"Do you like it?" Buffy questioned doing another twirl.

"It's really nice, so when did you get it?" The brunette questioned.

"Just today, Owl picked it for me when Faith and her went shopping for all this stuff." Buffy tried to downplay the how.

"Owl, as in that Owl." Dawn took a light step closer to her sister and looked at the potential that had relieved Giles of his apron and was behind the grill.

"Do we have another Owl?" Buffy questioned glancing at her as well.

"No but... why would she doe that, did you ask her to?" Dawn frowned.

"No, I think she was just trying to be nice." Buffy admitted continuing to dance.

"Nice? Why would she want to be nice, and why is she watching us?" Dawn whispered.

"What?" Buffy asked not able to hear her.

"Oh it doesn't matter I'll go ask her." Dawn shook her head and headed off the grass.

"Make sure you don't eat too many burgers." Buffy called laughing lightly, she knew how her sister got a stomach ache when she ate too much.

Dawn nodded and shimmed her way over to the BBQ.

"Hey there, Dawnmiester." Xander grinned. "Want a burger?"

"Yes please." Dawn smiled and picked up a plate. "Can I have cheese on it?"

"Of course you can pretty lady." Owl smiled and promptly made the teenager a burger with double cheese. "There you go."

"Thanks." Dawn worked on putting toppings on it. "Buffy told me you bought her that dress." She looked up at the potential.

"Well kinda." Owl nodded, fixing herself a burger at the same time, while keeping an eye on the pork chops.

"Why?" Dawn took a bite of her burger looking at her.

"Because I couldn't buy it cause there was no teller, so I liberated it." Owl explained leaving her burger to turn the chops.

"No, I know you stole it, why did you steal it for Buffy?" Dawn put more ketchup on her burger.

"Because I thought it would suit her, don't you think it does?" Piper looking at the Slayer.

"I guess." Dawn didn't look at her sister, she kept looking at Piper. "But why did you buy it?"

"You want me to pick you something out next time?" Owl asked at the same moment. Dawn shook her head as she took another bite.

"Are you gay?" She looked at Piper finally asking the blunt question.

Owl was glad that she wasn't eating her burger at that moment of time because if she had have been she would have spat it out across the BBQ.

"Yes, I am." She nodded slowly.

"Do you like Buffy?" Dawn continued to look at her.

"Yes, I like your sister a lot Dawn." Owl nodded slowly. "Is there a problem?"

"No, just you should know if you hurt her I don't care if you're a potential, I'll use a large cudgel and squish your head." Dawn gave her an innocent smile as she took another bite of her burger.

"Use a small one, it'll cause more pain before I loose consciousness and it'll be just as messy." Piper smiled at her.

Dawn looked at her for a moment, very surprised by the comment before she gave a more relaxed smile.

"Oh I will." She nodded.

"I don't want to hurt her Dawn, believe me." Owl glanced up looking straight at Spike. "She's been hurt enough."

"She told you?' Dawn glanced over at him.

"I can't tell you right now exactly why I've not staked him, other than its not what she wants." Piper nodded slowly still looking at the vampire.

"I told him the same thing, well no I told him he'd wake up on fire." Dawn appreciated her sentiment.

"I could hold him down whilst you practice the cudgel maneuver." Piper looked at the teenager with a broad smile.

"I think we need him to fight the First, he's good in stuff like that." Dawn shrugged. "Have you told Buffy you like her?"

"Yes." Piper nodded.

"What did she say?" Dawn questioned her voice low under the music.

"I think you should ask Buffy that Dawn." Piper smiled softly.

"By the way..." Dawn stole a donut and moved down the steps. "You haven't sucked up enough to me yet, I have high standards."

"Noted." She called after her laughing loudly at the confident ultimatum.

Instead of moving to where her sister was chatting with some of the SITs she moved over crawling up on the picnic table behind Tara to sit.

"Can I talk to you?" She questioned softly moving to play with the blonde's hair.

"Of course you can Dawnie." She turned smiling brightly at the teenager.

"Have you noticed anything odd with Buffy?" She ran her fingers through the soft strands.

"Odd?" Tara nibbled the end of the lettuce leaf she poked out of her salad.

"Odd, did you notice she has a new dress?" Dawn began making a braid.

"I didn't think I'd seen it, but then I thought maybe I had just you know, missed it." Tara looked out at the Slayer who was dancing again.

"Owl stole it for her." Dawn filled in.

"Oh." Tara's gaze changed to look at the potential. "That was nice of her."

"She likes her." The teenager pointed out.

"Does she?" Tara asked looking at Dawn.

"Yeah I mean... like her like her, like you like Willow." Dawn leaned closer.

"I don't like Willow so much as love her completely and utterly." Tara pointed out.

"Okay so maybe not that much, but I mean in a girl liking girl wanting to kiss her way. She said she was gay." Dawn explained glancing up to she Buffy had migrated up to the BBQ and was laughing with Xander.

"Well I knew she was gay, her watcher, who was also her lover, was killed by the First a few months before she came here." Tara replied softly.

"Ohhh." Dawn looked up and gulped. "I didn't know, I wouldn't have said what I did if I'd known."

"What did you say?" Tara frowned softly.

"That if she hurt Buffy I'd beat her to death with a cudgel." Dawn gave her a lopsided smile. "She took it well though, suggested I use a small one so she suffered more."

"I think she's a nice person Dawn." Tara smiled and turned to look at Dawn.

"I asked her what Buffy said and she said I should ask Buffy but you know how she is." Dawn frowned.

"She seems in a good mood." Tara nodded over to her sister. "You could try."

"You think?" Dawn looked up to where Buffy was.

"What's the worst she can say Dawn?" Tara challenged.

"I could ruin her night, put her in a bad mood." Dawn fretted.

"No, you couldn't." Tara shook her head. "Would you like me to ask?"

"Would you?" The teenager took the easy out immediately.

"I would, if you really want me to." Tara offered, not surprised that Dawn had jumped at her offer. "Of course I would."

"I'll wait here." Dawn smiled picking up her plate to finish her burger.

Tara pushed up slowly, wondering exactly why she was doing this but a glance at the teenager told her why bright eyes urged her own with trust and complete faith.

"Hi Tara, are you ready for a veggie burger?" Buffy questioned when the blonde approached.

"Mmmm would love one thank you." Tara nodded with a smile.

"Coming right up." Xander moved to put one on the grill.

"You look lovely." Tara said quietly.

"Thank you." Buffy smoothed down the skirt a little.

"I hear it was a present." Tara glanced at Piper without moving her head.

"Yes." Buffy looked up at Piper who was discussing grilling techniques with Xander.

"Dawn's asked me to come and ask you something." Tara urged Buffy to move to the long table to get something to go with their food.

"Why didn't she come ask me?" Buffy moved over glancing at her sister feeling a little strange when the teenager avoided her gaze.

"Because I'm not sure she really wants to know the answer." Tara replied honestly.

"Tara, what's wrong?" Buffy turned to her grabbing a carrot stick.

"Well, " Tara took a soft breath. "She found out that 'a' Owl is gay and 'b' she likes you."

"What?" Buffy locked her jaw.

"Calm down." Tara whispered seeing the instant tension. "What she wants to know is what you think to that fact."

"What... what the hell am I supposed to say to that?" Buffy sputtered.

"That's up to you isn't it?" Tara replied casually.

"Is it? If I say that I like her then Dawn is going to erupt. If I say that I don't then Piper is going to think I'm ashamed of her, which I'm not." Buffy pointed out.

"Why would Dawn erupt?" Tara frowned confused.

"Because no matter what I do she erupts." Buffy frowned.

"Does she?" Tara tipped her head a little.

"You think I should be honest with her don't you?" Buffy looked at the other blonde.

"That depends, I think first you need to be honest to yourself." Tara offered assured with her own advice.

"You know me I'm not very good at that." Buffy looked down at the grass that wound up around her boots.

"Do you like her?" Tara asked very bluntly for the witch.

"I..." Buffy looked up slowly. "Yes."

"Then there's your answer, it's not harder than that." Tara rewarded her with a smile.

"Isn't it?" The Slayer shook her head slightly.

"No, its not." Tara underlined softly.

"I know this is going to come out wrong however I say it but announcing I'm in love with Owl is bound to have backlash of some sort." Buffy pointed out in a hiss.

"In love with?" Tara looked up obviously shocked. "I thought we were talking about like."

"I... I meant... I meant the same thing." Buffy turned away picking up another carrot stick.

"No, no." Tara reached her hand out and took Buffy's softly, turning the Slayer around to look at her. "Are you in love with her?" She whispered.

"I don't know what love is Tara." Buffy shook her head. "There was Angel, then Riley, and then..." She shook her head not glancing at Spike. "I don't know about love, I'm the slayer."

"Just because you are the slayer doesn't mean you don't know what love is." Tara shook her head.

"I... I think I am." Buffy whispered breathing out almost as if the admission took a great amount of energy.

"If you are, I think possibly you do need to talk to Dawn." Tara encouraged softly.

"Tara, how can I be? I've only known her for what a week?" Buffy shook her head.

"I knew in ten minutes I loved Willow." Tara replied softly.

"Really loved her?" The Slayer questioned.

"Really loved her, so much so that I fought my own shyness to talk to her." Tara nodded.

"She said she thought she was falling for me." Buffy admitted. "She said she loved me."

"And how did that make you feel?" Tara asked back, her voice gentle.

"It made me cry, I was happy." The Slayer's voice was soft.

"What did she say to that?" Tara smiled at the soft image.

"She said I should take my time, that she wouldn't feel any less because I didn't feel the same." She thought back to their intimate conversation.

Tara took a quick glance at the potential, she was having what looked like a saber fight with Xander but with burnt sausages on the end of kebab sticks. Owl laughed loudly as her sausage flew off and landed on the windowsill. Xander too laughed and gallantly handed his over and speared another one for himself.

"No one's ever said that." Buffy looked up watching them. "Everyone always pushes me, wants me to choose."

"Would you prefer it if she pushed?" Tara asked non-judgmentally. She smiled as Willow went over to join the pair at the BBQ, laughing hard at something Xander said. As she bent over she held onto Piper's arm for support, the tall woman instantly supported her carefully.

"No, I don't want her to push." Buffy shook her head. "I just want her to be her."

"I think we're seeing her." Tara noted softly.

"I don't know how it happened." Buffy continued to watch.

"How what happened?" The blonde asked as Owl suddenly nipped from around the back of the BBQ and reappeared seconds later presenting both Willow and Xander with a drink. On her way back the potential asked Giles if he needed anything. Whatever the Watcher's response was, made the tall woman begin to walk towards the house.

"She just arrived and changed everything, how I feel, how I think... I never thought I would be with a woman Tara." Buffy whispered blushing lightly.

"Scary isn't it?" Tara smiled understandingly.

"Very." Buffy nodded.

"Does she know?" Tara asked as the SIT walked passed them into the kitchen.

"I think so." Buffy nodded. "I hope so." She paused. "I think I've only just started to realize myself."

"Hey there you two are." Willow was suddenly at Tara's side. "Xander said you went to get munchies and then disappeared." She leaned happily against her lover's shoulder

"We were scoring the munchies." Buffy wiggled her carrot.

"The munchies look safe." Willow laughed. "Let's dance." She said hoping that in more of a group situation Tara wouldn't be so reticent.

"Yeah get your girl out there." Buffy smiled at them. "I should go... talk to Dawn."

"But I can't dance..." Tara objected as she felt Willow's hand slip into hers. "Zoë save me." She glanced at the Canadian who was sat on a garden chair munching on some prawns.

"Well if you want to talk to Dawn." Buffy checked at the same time.

"I happen to know you can dance like the wind." Zoë put her plate down standing up and taking her other hand. "Come on Willow, tag team." She started to drag her towards the dance floor area.

"I said save me not sink me." Tara jokingly scowled objecting lightly for most of the way, by the time they got to the grass Tara was laughing and easily fitting in with the rhythm of the beat driven song.

Buffy watched them for a moment before picking up two glasses of wine and moving over to sit next to her sister.

"Hey." She handed Dawn a glass.

"Oh hey." Dawn sounded surprised to see her.

"How come you're not dancing?" Buffy questioned watching everyone nervously.

"Oh I was tired," Dawn looked down at the half-eaten burger on her plate. "And eating."

"I haven't had a chance to have one yet." Buffy admitted. "You okay?"

"There are pork chops." Dawn pointed out.

"I was just about to get some." Buffy looked over. "But Tara said you wanted to talk to me." She took a deep breath.

"She did?" Dawn looked wide-eyed at the dancing witch.

"She did." Buffy nodded glancing up at Tara.

"What about?" Dawn suddenly seemed nervous.

"I thought you could tell me." The Slayer sipped her wine tapping her foot on the bench.

"Did she tell you I talked to Owl?" Dawn looked down.

Just as she mentioned the potential's name, the tall young woman came out of the house carrying a cup of what the teenager presumed was tea, delivering it to the Watcher.

"She mentioned it yeah." Buffy nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I just asked her if she liked you, and I… I just wanted to know if you liked her too." Dawn blurted out.

"I do." Buffy answered softly.

"But Buffy..." Dawn looked at her sister blinking. "You do know she's gay don't you?"

"Is that a problem Dawn?" Buffy asked her seriously. "Her being gay? Someone being gay?" She tightened her grip on the glass.

"For me?" Dawn squeaked. "Hello, best friends are engaged gay witches." The teenager frowned. "I'm so not seeing I have gay issues glaring up over my head."

"Then why does it matter if Owl is gay?" Buffy questioned smiling at the squeak.

"Because of you." Dawn replied. "I mean Owl 'likes' likes you Buffy, and you liking her too is great and fine and everything, but she's coming at it from a gay 'like' and you're coming at it from, well, Buffy like." She tried to explain.

"Well what if Buffy like was gay like?" The Slayer's voice was tentative.

"Ha, ha very fun..." Dawn stopped as looked at Buffy. "Oh my God." She squeaked in a whisper. "Are you, is she, Buffy are you gay?" The teenager's eyes were wide.

"I don't know Dawn, I just know I like her." Buffy offered honestly.

"Have you kissed?" Dawn pushed for details.

"Yes." Buffy nodded.

"Oh my God." Dawn squeaked again. "Why didn't you tell me, what was it like?" The teenager waved her hand.

"I wasn't sure if you'd be happy." Buffy admitted not sure of the teenager's reaction.

"Buffy she's funny, smart, cute, has a great bike, oh, oh, and a pulse and a heart beat, that like puts her fifteen thousand miles above the last choice." Dawn explained. "So when did you kiss, and do you think you know maybe you'll..." Dawn winked.

"I'll?" Buffy smiled not sure she wanted to guess what Dawn was saying.

"Oh I am so not saying." Dawn blushed and shook her head giggling.

"Mmmm what if I said we had?" Buffy blushed lightly.

"Oh my God!" Dawn squeaked and hit Buffy lightly on the arm. "Wait a minute." Dawn stopped and frowned. "If you have, and 'have', then why aren't you well…" She paused again. "Like Will and Tara?" She motioned to where the two witches were dancing holding one another's hand.

"Because..." She looked up at the two witches. "Well..." She glanced over at Owl. "I hadn't told you." She admitted one reasons.

"But you have now." Dawn shot it down.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Buffy checked taking Dawn's hand.

"Well I'm going to have to think about it for a few days, you know get some good mileage out of you both." Dawn grinned.

"Dawn, please." Buffy laughed lightly. "I need to know you're okay with this, I've screwed up so much in the past. I want to do things right, as right as I can."

"Buffy look at her." Dawn nodded out to where Owl was now in the middle of a group of four SITs jumping up to catch a glow in the dark Frisbee that she had obviously brought out from the kitchen with Giles' tea.

"Yes. I know what she looks like Dawn." Buffy glanced up with a smile. "But I want to know what you think."

"No doofus." Dawn hit her leg. "I mean she seems really nice, how can I not be okay with really nice."

"Thank you." Buffy reached around and hugged her.

"Whatever makes you happy makes me happy." Dawn breathed hugging her tightly before she pulled slowly back. "Oh." She added suddenly looking at her sister "Would this be a good time to talk to you about how Andrew and I feel about each other?"

"WHAT?" Buffy's jaw feel open.

"Oh I so had you!" Dawn shrieked with laughter.

"You're evil!" Buffy shrieked back.

"It takes practice." The teenager beamed.

Buffy laughed with her for a moment and then heard a softer song playing.

"I think I have to go ask someone to dance." She smiled at her sister putting down her wine.

"Oh can I clap?" Dawn chuckled.

"No clapping." Buffy stood up. "I'm getting the impression you've been expecting this chat missy."

"Silent cheers?" Dawn did a little wave. "I've been waiting to see you happy Buffy." She added softly.

"She makes me happy." Buffy nodded with a soft smile. "How's my hair?' She fluffed at a curl.

"Curlsome." Dawn gave her two thumbs up.

Buffy gave her a smile back and moved across to where Owl was.

"Do you want to dance?" She asked when the potential had thrown the Frisbee away.

The question obviously came as a total surprise to the SIT who's head snapped instantly from watching the glowing disc fly, to looking at the Slayer.

"Are you asking me?" She forced her suddenly dry throat to swallow wiping her hands on her new jeans.

"I'm asking you." Buffy nodded holding her hands in front of her.

"I'd love to but…" Piper tuned in to the slow pace of the track playing, and a glance at the grass revealed Willow and Tara locked in a soft close dance. A group of SIT's moving off to dance together in a soft circle, with Dawn and Zoë moving to dance with them. She also noted with slight amusement, Faith trying to actually get away from Anya who wanted to dance the slower number with her.

"Piper, please, dance with me." Buffy held her hands out further.

"Buffy this is a slow touchy feel kind of dance." Piper continued. "Do you want to join the others?" She checked the Slayer's meaning, looking down at the out stretched hands.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "I want to dance with you." She glanced to where Tara and Willow were. "Just with you." She underlined.

A soft, charmed smile crossed the potential's lips as she reached down and took Buffy's hands.

"I'd love to." She whispered.

Buffy smiled back walking backwards till they were a few feet away from the witches. She brought Owl's hands to her waist and slid hers up to the potential's neck. Piper had to remind herself to breathe as she felt her hands placed on Buffy's slender hips, her fingers sliding over soft silk.

"You're beautiful." She whispered as they began a gentle sway.

"I told Dawn." Buffy whispered back tucking her head closer to the tall woman's body breathing in to smell the soft scent of her perfume.

"Told Dawn what?" Owl asked curiously her eyes dipping closed as she felt the gentle weight of Buffy's head on her chest.

"That we're dating." Buffy summed up feeling suddenly that the word was inadequate. "That we've made love." She felt her voice shake a bit.

"Oh so that's what caused the repetitious oh my Gods." Owl felt herself smirk, her hands sliding around Buffy's body to hold her to her more tightly, more securely.

"She's happy." Buffy nodded lightly closing her eyes as her cheek rested heavily against the cotton of Owl's shirt.

"And are you?" Owl whispered her voice thick and rich.

"I am." Buffy nodded shifting in closer.

"I'm ready to say it, whenever you're ready to hear it." Owl breathed out feeling her body tremble a little at Buffy's closeness.

"And if I say it first." Buffy questioned pulling back enough to look into dark eyes.

"I've told you Buffy, it's okay," Piper shifted one hand off Buffy's shoulder to tame back a wild curl off her face gazing into hazel eyes "You don't have to say anything you're not ready for."

"I think I'm falling in love with you." Buffy spoke honestly breathing out as a weight lifted off her. "I don't know how, I don't know how you've swooped into my life and made me feel so many things in a week but you have."

It was almost as if the world stopped and just Buffy and Piper were there dancing in the star light, lit by strobes and multicolored circles of light.

"Oh Buffy." Owl whispered leaning her head down close to Buffy's. "I think I'm falling in love with you too." She finished closing the gap between their lips.

Buffy didn't think about the very large audience as she pressed up, meeting the potential's lips, needing the contact to confirm her leap off love's very steep cliff.

"Holy crap." Xander breathed in, the patty slipping out of his burger roll to land back on the grill, as he stared at the grass. Blinking, he rubbed at his left eye and then looked at Giles,

"Did you.... did I... did they..." He squeaked.

"I don't want to know." Giles pushed up and moved abruptly into the house followed almost the next instant by Spike.

With rather great timing Faith lit the end of a long Firework and holding it above her head a large rocket fired off bursting off in the darkening sky. Abandoning his place at the grill Xander skipped round to behind the music system.

"Okay ladies." He said as the slow track died off. "The night is still young, food poisoning from the burgers won't kick in for another hour or so, I say let's party." Throwing on a fast beat dance track he notched up the volume.

Buffy flicked the stereo system off, looking out at the almost empty backyard.

Everyone had slowly filtered inside for bed as the night had gone on. But she had to admit that the whole party had been an odd success even though they were in an empty town waiting for the First evil to bring down an end to the world. She watched for a moment as Owl checked the BBQ was off and then moved to clean up the snack table.

"We can do that in the morning." She walked over to the potential. "Tara mentioned something about having breakfast out here if it's nice."

"Then it would be nice if it was clean for her wouldn't it?" Owl stopped stacking plates and looked at the Slayer.

"If you'd rather be cleaning up than making out on the porch." Buffy teased feeling the two glasses of wine she had bubbling in her head.

"Mmmm would that be making out with my incredibly beautiful girlfriend?" Owl straightened up and smiled broadly at her lover.

"Unless you have another girlfriend hidden out here." Buffy began stacking the rest of the plates. "And if so I could be very, very unhappy."

"No, no I haven't." Piper left her job and moved over to Buffy lowering the Slayer's plate filled hand. "Less tidying, more making out."

"I thought you wanted to clean." Buffy turned to her.

"Not when given such a beautiful alternative. Haven't I told you enough this evening how breathtaking you look in that dress." Owl smiled.

"No, I haven't heard anything about me in this dress at all." Buffy answered in mock seriousness. "I'm starting to think I look fat or something."

"Mmmm let me check that out." Owl moved up and slid her hands over Buffy's slender hips and then down stroking up and down smiling softly. "Nope no trace of fat."

"With all I ate tonight I wouldn't be surprised if there was tons of it." Buffy laughed lightly reaching her hands up to Owl's shoulders.

"Buffy you hardly eat enough to feed a mouse." Owl raised an eyebrow.

"I had two pork chops and salad." Buffy argued with her.

"What about chips? Or those cheeses on sticks? Or maybe a sausage roll?" Owl pushed for more.

"Is this part of the dating thing? You ride me about how much I'm eating?" Buffy laughed looking up at the potential.

"No, no, I'm just saying, you need to look after yourself." Piper shook her head.

"So do you." Buffy reached her hand down to Owl's side. "How are your ribs?"

"Better, they hurt when I was out earlier." Piper admitted. "But they're okay now. Buffy, I… I can't really believe tonight happened." She whispered.

"Neither can I." Buffy whispered back.

"Are you sorry?" Piper had to know.

"No, no of course not." Buffy shook her head instantly. "Are you?" She questioned back.

"No, God no." Piper squeezed her softly.

"Good." Buffy smiled slipping her arms around further. "It feels good... letting everyone know."

"Dawn seemed okay about things." Owl offered.

"She thinks you're cool." Buffy explained laughing. "Apparently you're nice."

"Am I?" Piper gave a crooked grin. "I thought I was hard work."

"Who said that?" Buffy questioned.

"The Council." Piper replied easily. "I read it on my official report"

"They let you see your official report?' Buffy smiled. "Wow I bet if they called you hard work, I must be marked the hardest work of all. Well no maybe Faith is, and I'm a close second."

"No they didn't let me, Shanti did." Piper admitted.

"Did it quantify how thoughtful you are, how logical and how you have incredible self control?" Buffy questioned reaching up to tuck the potential's hair behind her ear.

"Surprisingly enough no." Owl smiled, loving the simple touch as well as the gentle words. "But I bet they didn't mention how beautiful, quick and kind hearted you are."

"No chance." Buffy smiled. "I think mostly they class me as hard headed, irrationally emotional and unwilling to take mindless direction. The last time they came to 'evaluate me' I kicked their asses."

"That's my girl." Piper leaned forward and kissed her head.

"We'll have to start training the new recruits tomorrow." Buffy admitted softly. "You'll help right?"

"If you want me to of course I will, what did you think kinda split them into three teams? Maybe Kennedy and I can co-team leader." Piper offered.

"Kennedy hasn't exactly been co-operative." Buffy sighed softly. "She got pretty drunk again tonight."

"Yeah but maybe if we give her a little, she'll give us some back." The potential offered.

"If you want to try then I'm game." Buffy nodded. "Faith and I need to so some training with the staff too, get good with it."

"I think it might be good for her. When do we get the new lot?" Piper took Buffy's hand and led her over to the closest garden chair. She sat down on it and patted her knee.

"Giles is driving out to pick them up at eleven." Buffy looked at her for a minute and then feeling a bit silly she moved down and sat on Owl's lap. "I feel silly." She admitted laughing lighting as she swung her legs up getting comfortable.

"Silly why?" Owl frowned.

"I'm sitting on your lap." Buffy laughed lightly. "It's new."

"Well you could have sat the other way." Piper arched her eyebrow slightly. "That might not have felt so silly."

"You just love edging on the slayer libido don't you?" Buffy pressed up to stand and then slowly hitched her skirt up higher, kicking off her heels before she moved up straddling Owl's lap.

"Well I did dress up for you when all's said and done." Owl grinned and made sure the Slayer was comfy.

"Dressed up eh? I didn't notice anything special." Buffy faked innocence as she pressed closer.

"Oh well, maybe I should try," She paused. "Harder, next time." She winked.

"I think you tried hard enough." Buffy smiled back. "I think what you need to ask yourself is are you sure you're ready? You've only had a few hours of flaunting to get worked up." She pressed her hips down in a light circle.

Piper's chuckle turned into a groan as she pressed her hips up to meet the circular grind.

"You know your file should have said you were cheeky, wearing this all night."

Buffy teased circling her hips again.

"Cheeky? You think it's cheeky, damn. "She grinned. "I was hoping you'd at least lean towards sexy."

"Hummm lets see." Buffy reached her hand to the buttons on Owl's shirt playing with the first done up one. Piper smiled softly and let her breathing relax as she released her control. "You have been stalking around here all night, with your sexy shirt and your sexy pants and your... well... you know."

"Says the girl, floating around in soft silk." Piper contradicted.

"I'm not wearing Myst am I?" Buffy pointed out.

"I think she would have been hard to hide under this baby." This made Piper laugh as she played with the edge of Buffy's dress.

"I think Giles would have walked out twice." The Slayer noted laughing lightly. She finished fiddling and undid the top button.

"Did you manage to catch him to ask what was wrong?" Piper's mood dipped noticeably.

"Knowing Giles, his proper English sense of duty kicked in and our frivolous night of indulgence reminded him we could have been training, or researching or sitting around worrying." Buffy shrugged. "Don't worry about him, he always does this in a crisis." She leaned in kissing her.

"Mmmmmm worrying about it less and less by the second." Piper kissed her back lovingly.

"Good." Buffy pulled back almost aching as she dealt with the next button. Owl felt her breathing shift higher. "Now... we were talking about how cheeky you were."

"Me cheeky?" She said between breaths.

"You cheeky." Buffy pushed the next button open, spreading back the sides of her shirt. Owl felt her nipples stiffen instantly even though they were still encased in the uncharacteristic sheer silk underwire bra the potential wore. "So tell me what it's like to walk around in her all night." Buffy questioned softly as she traced her fingers over the hard wires.

"Well it started off comfy." Piper smiled.

"Yes." Buffy encouraged with another circle of her hips.

"But then I saw you..." She smiled more. "And after five hours of getting wetter and wetter watching you, dancing with you holding you." Her breath shifted again.

"Really?" Buffy swallowed shifting her hips up a bit.

"Really." Piper nodded. "Buffy what I feel for you isn't just about sex or desire, but God girl, you are hot."

"It's important." Buffy smiled moving her fingers over the silk cups of the potential's bra. "What made you want to put it on?" She questioned circling her hips again.

"I..." She stopped, "I was getting my jeans out of the bag and I looked out of the window, and just watched you dancing out there with your sister, laughing and joking, and I... I wanted a subtle way for you to know I was thinking you, wanting you."

"I know this sounds naive, but a week ago I never knew you could wear such a thing." The Slayer made the soft admission as her fingers swirled over hard buds. "Now I've spent the whole night thinking about that. It's been very distracting."

"Bad distracting?"

"Oh no." Buffy shook her head rolling her thumbs around Owl's nipples. "Makes me wish I'd worn underwear distracted."

"Please tell me you're joking about not wearing underwear." Piper sucked in a breath pushing her breasts into Buffy's hands.

"Would I joke about something like that?" Buffy leaned down kissing her throat.

"Oh God I hope not." Piper tipped her head back groaning.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice." Buffy growled in her ear licking her earlobe.

"Well I tried to dance with decorum, though damn now I'm wishing I'd just held your ass all night." Piper gave a hard shiver.

"Then you would have made Xander's head explode." Buffy laughed licking across her chin.

"I thought he really, really did well, considering." Owl tried to pay attention to the conversation.

"Considering you're bigger and harder than him?" Buffy teased licking over her bottom lip.

"And how would you know that Ms. Summers?" Owl moaned again.

"It's a guess. We could ask Faith to compare." Buffy grinned pulling back and reaching to cup her hands around Owl's breasts.

"Faith's done Xander!" Owl's eyes widened.

"Off topic but yes." Buffy nodded massaging with her hands.

"Wow, I would have thought you know, well tame." Piper laughed.

"Tame? Oh no, she used him and chucked him." Buffy tried to explain. "He's still sensitive about it."

"Oh, ouch." Piper winced. "Okay enough off topic."

"I know this will sound silly but I like talking." Buffy admitted softly as her hands kept massaging and teasing hard nipples. "You're expressive."

"Oh we can talk." Owl underlined. "Just not about Xander and Faith having sex."

"No, I like it when you talk about us." Buffy whispered pushing down the material that kept her from Owl's skin. "When you talk about how you feel."

"You do?" Piper smiled slightly.

"I do." Buffy nodded running her fingertips over soft skin. "I... I like to know what I do to you. God I sound lame don't I." She laughed and blushed. "Again with the I'm supposed to be the Slayer and here I am sounding like a kid."

"You don't sound lame, Buffy there is nothing lame or childish about liking to hear how you affect your lover, how your touch feels, how your body makes them feel." Owl shook her head softly. "What's lame is not having the guts to admit it."

"I admitted it." Buffy noted softly.

"I know, which just shows what I always thought. You're not lame." Owl slid her hands up the sides of Buffy's dress.

"Mmmmm I like not being lame." Buffy arched her back.

"So how did you feel when you felt her." Piper's eyes flicked down to her crotch.

"I felt... I wondered if you had put her on for me." Buffy looked down into lusty eyes. "I wondered how she made you feel, if she made you feel more... I don't know... stronger, more confident."

"Okay need to be honest." Piper breathed. "It made me feel... attached to you, I knew…" She corrected. "I thought, that I wouldn't be able to be with you tonight, other than to chat and if I was lucky be at the food table at the same moment as you, so I wanted to feel, well I wanted to be reminded of what we had."

"That's so..." Buffy paused leaning down closer. "Romantic." She smiled reaching up to rub Owl's cheek.

"You don't think it was stupid?" Piper looked worried.

"How could I think that you wanting to feel closer to me even if you couldn't actually be with me not be romantic?" Buffy looked at her.

"Refer back to you childish reference, you know like carrying around your girlfriend's sock or something." Piper grinned.

"Myst is a little more mature than a sock." Buffy ran her thumb over the potential's lip. "Piper, everyone I have ever been with has pushed and pushed and pushed. They've never given me room to breath, room to get excited about the maybe not pushing the now."

"I want you to have room." Piper whispered suddenly serious. "One thing Shanti gave me was freedom, to be myself, no matter how that might have grated against what even she wanted me to be. No matter what happens between you and I, I at least want to give you that gift too."

"Piper, if things get crazy. If I get crazy when all the First stuff happens I want you to know I'll come back." Buffy rubbed her cheek again.

"What?" Piper whispered her breath escaping in a soft breeze. Her tone the same as if someone had just offered her the moon.

"When all of this starts and we're all super focused and not just hiding in the house, I know how I am, I'm all about the fight, all about the slay." Buffy misunderstood her response. "I know what I'm like, I might... no you'll probably feel like I'm shutting off, closing down. It's how I get the job done, it's how I survive. But it's not because of you, I need you to understand that."

"Buffy stop." Piper placed a finger on her lips.

"Piper I need you to understand." Buffy shook her head. "Everyone's accused me of doing this, Angel, Riley left because of it and that was my mom not even Glory. I have this armor, it's just got worse since Willow brought me back, since Spike. But I don't want it to hurt you."

"No Buffy, I'm stopping you because I get it. I don't expect anything from you, I know how bad this might get, I saw what the First can do, the kind of beings it controls, you can't afford to be divided in your attention when you face that, when we all face that." Piper explained.

"You do?" Buffy's whole train of thought was derailed.

"I do." Piper nodded. "Buffy I know I'm not a slayer, I know I've not had to face the things you have, but... I watched the First behead my girlfriend and I had to pull myself back together get on my bike and leave everything of her behind, believe me I understand the need for focus and for retreating into yourself when the world outside is too crazy to be in."

"I'm going to rip its head off." Buffy vowed.

"We're going to, together." Piper reminded her of her words just a few short hours before.

"Together." Buffy leaned in and kissed her full on the mouth.

"Buffy really, I do get it, and yeah, you might back off from me, hell you might not want me anywhere near me, but maybe, just maybe, one night in the middle of the shit, you'll curl in bed beside me, and want to be held. I can put up with all the shit, all the pulling back and the self resilience, for that one moment." Piper kissed her back tenderly.

"Are you sure you're not like thirty five or something?" Buffy smiled at her kissing her again.

"Why do you ask that?" Piper gave her a curious look.

"Because you think, because you have a big heart, because you have a big ego but you carry it well. Not like Faith or I do." Buffy grinned and hugged her.

"I have a whole heap of faults." She pointed out grinning.

"So do I." Buffy laughed. "I'm sure my sister would point most of them out if you ask her."

"I'd rather find them out for myself, see if I really think they are faults." Piper said softly.

"Have you found any yet?" The Slayer checked.

"Yeah, just one." Piper nodded.

"What's that?" Buffy questioned instantly.

"You always underestimate your sexiness and your grace and your ability." Piper replied.

"Charmer." Buffy leaned in pressing her hands to Owl's breasts before she pressed their lips together.

Piper moaned softly and slipped her hand back onto Buffy's waist holding her close. The Slayer stopped using her mouth for talking and pressed her tongue over Owl's lips into her warm mouth. Piper's hands squeezed harder as she welcomed Buffy to her mouth, stroking the tip of her tongue over the tip of Buffy's. The blonde groaned as she opened her mouth more, drawing Owl back with her as she squeezed her fingers around the hard tips on her lover's breasts. Breaking the kiss the potential moaned strongly.

"God I love that." She admitted.

"Now I know why Willow is a breast girl." Buffy groaned back squeezing harder and rolling the flesh.

"Enough with the other people referencing Baby, tell me what you feel when you touch them." Piper urged.

"I like when you call me baby." Buffy whispered playing her fingers over the sensitive tips. "Makes me feel... girlie." She laughed lightly. "And this excites me." She squeezed more. "To touch you, to make you groan it's amazing."

"Well each time I groan it's only because you make a part of me feel amazing." Owl returned the soft information giving. "And for information sake too, you're the first person I've ever called baby."

"Which is amazing." Buffy breathed out her body arching. "It's amazing cause when I hear you moan I can guess why, I can guess exactly how its feeling because... well obviously we're both girls." She grinned. "And then I think about the why and it makes me even more excited."

"Good, it should." Piper encouraged her gently. "You should get excited know that just your touch, your voice, even your breath on my neck makes my heart leap a little, my stomach tense and my center ache."

"God you make me ache when you talk like that." Buffy groaned pressing her hips closer.

"I'm glad, mmm more than glad." Owl rolled her hips up pushing towards Buffy.

"Maybe we should go upstairs and really be glad." Buffy encouraged her softly.

"You don't feel like being glad out here?" Piper winked grinning widely.

"We have a dozen people milling around the house." Buffy blushed.

"Yes inside the house we do, but we're outside right now, and all the curtains are c… l… o… s… e… d." Piper spelled out unfastening the six small-pearlized buttons on the dress' neckline.

"We are... and..." Buffy looked back at the house. "They are." She arched as the dress was pushed back off her body to reveal her breasts.

Owl slowly stilled the hands that lowered her dress, and drew it up to cover all but the soft swells of her lover's breasts.

"We don't have to do anything out here, or in there for that matter." She underlined.

"Don't tease, I want you." Buffy moved her hands over Owl's and pressed them harder to her body.

"I know, but you choose where." Owl's breath hitched at the sudden pressure Buffy put onto her hands. "Choose quickly."

"Here." Buffy pushed forward kissing her.

"Good choice." Piper breathed into the kiss her hands pushing the material down again before closing over Buffy's shapely breasts. Her hands made the Slayer arch, her hips started a firm constant rhythm against Owl's body.

"God you move like an dancer." Piper growled. "Soft long lines, strong set rhythm."

"Mmmm you inspire me." Buffy ground against her harder.

"As you inspire me." Owl agreed easily her hand sliding over and round Buffy's breasts, the thumbs focusing across hard nipples.

"I don't mean to rush things but I need you." Buffy pressed more into her hands.

"What do you need Buffy, just name it." Piper vowed hotly.

"You inside me." Buffy groaned pressing down harder.

"Me or Myst." Piper asked her hands moving to push Buffy's dress even higher so that it in no way impeded her movements.

"You, her... both." The Slayer whispered feeling greedy.

"Okay baby, whatever you want." Piper purred slipping her hand carefully between Buffy's legs as she asked the question.

"What do you want?" Buffy questioned quickly.

"You." Piper replied running three fingers through wetness to rest over the Slayer's center.

Buffy's hips jumped up at the direct needed contact before she pushed back down, her breath going in high and fast before it came out deeper and slow.

"Mmmm God baby you're so wet." Owl moaned, running her fingers back and forth, flicking left and right over the Slayer's clit. "And hard, baby this can't have been comfortable." She purred.

"It... Mmmm... was for awhile.... Watching you... thinking about you..." Buffy's hips flared with each touch.

"But then?" Piper asked focusing on the sensitive nerves.

"Then I couldn't look at you or think about what it felt to touch you because I could feel how wet I was and I wanted you to be touching me." Buffy groaned her hips rocking faster.

"But I'm touching you now, so you can think about it, all there is to ruin are my jeans, and baby, they're ruined inside already." The potential assured her.

"Mmmm I'm not thinking." Buffy opened dark hazel eyes. "I'm feeling you." She whispered whimpering as she arched harder.

"Mmmm and you say I know just what to say," Piper slid her middle finger back and pressed into Buffy's body. Buffy's body went taut. Straightening up as she gasped as her tight insides were pressed open. "Mmmmm oh Baby." Piper felt her body release a small flood. The flood was matched by the waves of arousal that slid down Piper's hand. "Undo my jeans Buffy please." Piper heard her voice panting as she moved her finger around inside her lover's body.

"Mmmmm." The Slayer groaned trying to focus as she brought her hands down fumbling with Owl's belt and then manhandling her jeans open. She pressed her hand inside, surprised to not find cotton boxers but instead came directly in contact with hard silicone.

"Oh Christ yes." Owl's eyes squeezed closed.

Buffy agreed silently pushing her body up and down on the potential's hand. Drawing another finger back from Buffy's clit she pressed it in to join the first, she groaned as hot muscles stretched to take her.

"Pipppper." Buffy gasp again as she felt her insides opening more, flooding so that she could feel her own wetness slide down her thighs.

"Oh yes, I know Buffy, you feel so good." Owl panted. "Front jean pocket baby, chocolate, I remembered."

"You could have..." She lost her words as she moaned. "Picking another flavor."

She brought her hand up pulling out the foil package, ripping it open and sliding her hands down to roll it over the silicon shaft.

"Why would I, I love the smell of you on chocolate." Owl moaned more as Buffy's movements on Myst pressed the hilt of her against her aching body.

"Charm-er." Buffy groaned pressing down on the base knowing now how it would reverberate into the potential's body.

"Tease." Piper groaned back shifting her hips slightly, left to right, against the pressure.

"Only cause you love it." Buffy grinned pressing harder her breath coming faster. Her throbbing center jumped under Owl's fingers.

"Tell me when you want us." Owl requested biting her lip as the ache between her legs were the straps rested grew into a constant throb.

"This... first." Buffy continued pushing against her lover's hand, reaching one hand up to brace on Owl's shoulder as the other kept pressing and pulling against the leather. She tipped her head forward, panting as her hips started to move in a long slow motion. "Yessss." She moaned softly trying not to be loud because of the echo outside.

"Yessss." The potential echoed her hips and body grinding desperately against Buffy's actions, her fingers pressing into Buffy, stretching a little wider. "Oooooh F... Baby." Piper caught her lip again as she felt a pulse of hot fire between her legs.

"I know, so wonderful." Buffy leaned closer her hips shaking as she began to move faster again, low moans coming constantly. "Just... ohhhhh Piper." Something inside her changed from the deep ache to a flaring into hot flowing orgasm.

"Yessssss Buffy." Owl pressed her free hand up over Buffy's back holding her closer to her as she let her self embrace the build up inside her.

"Oh God, OH God." Buffy's body rocked almost perilously but was held from tumbling off the chair by Owl's hand.

"Yes Buffy yes, yes." Pipers breath got quicker and shorter her thighs and hips trembling before releasing. Breathing out at the same moment Piper's whole body shuddered.

Buffy rocked over and over, her motions slowly only when she finally felt her thighs burning though the wave of orgasms inside her continued on.

"God Piper." She moved her hand up into her lover's hair as she leaned down and kissed her quickly.

"God I will never get used to how fucking amazing you are when that happens." Piper blinked over and over to try and rid her eyes of stars.

"Mmmmm you should, you cause it." Buffy felt her hips continue to rock softly.

"But you let yourself feel it, experience it." Owl countered her body matching the soft rock.

"Mmmm how could I not." Buffy offered with a smile.

"Well you know I think you could resist my charms if you tried really hard." She moved her hand from bracing against Buffy's back to rub on her thigh.

"Impossible." Buffy shook her head. "Especially as now I want more of you."

"More?" Owl whispered checking.

"Unless you're tired?" Buffy checked softly.

"God no, and even if I was, hello tiredness train left about fifteen seconds ago." Piper underlined.

"Mmmmm then…" She pressed forward pulling her hand back.

"Then..." Piper smirked drawing her fingers out and back to focus on the Slayer's clit.

"Remember I'm greedy." Buffy whispered, her body instantly flared with the touch.

"How greedy?" The potential asked hotly.

"Very." She groaned loudly.

Moving the hand on Buffy's hip to her own crotch, lightly easing the harness and toy into a more comfortable and more accessible place.

"Are you ready?" Buffy questioned moving against each change.

"The question would be are you?" Piper replied softly. "It's a much different feeling sat up."

"I think I am." Buffy nodded shifting closer.

"I'll keep my hips still until you're comfortable with her." Owl promised gently.

Buffy breathed slowly as she settled down, but the controlled attempt soon faltered as she felt the warm silicon press into her already over aroused body.

"Oh my God Buffy." Owl groaned in pleasure as she felt Buffy shift slightly.

"Exactly." The blonde whimpered as she settled down as far as she could stay still for a moment as the full feeling inside her.

"Okay?" Owl asked her voice soft.

"Yesss." Buffy opened her eyes looking into her lover's. "It is different but nice."

"Good," Piper panted concentrating on giving Buffy a safe secure base to rest against, fighting the desire to push up. "You look beautiful." She added gazing into hazel eyes.

"Charmer." Buffy leaned down a little kissing her. When she did her hips lifted a little and she groaned hotly.

"Steady baby," Piper soothed. "She goes in deeper this angle." The potential lightly rested her hands on Buffy's hips.

"She does." Buffy breathed out as she pushed back down the short distance before pulling back up slowly, despite the soft warnings she just couldn't resist starting the slow rhythm.

"Ohhh yes baby." Piper groaned. "You beautiful, beautiful woman." She leaned up without thinking to place a kiss on Buffy's exposed throat, forgetting that the move automatically pressed her hands down on Buffy's hips, while at the same time pressing her body up.

Buffy's head titled back as she groaned loudly, her legs squeezing tighter against Owl's hips.

"Oh God baby I'm sorry." Owl frowned pulling her hips down again.

"No... God Piper." Buffy tipped back immediately pushing down as the potential did to stay close to her.

"Mmmmm baby." Feeling the move Piper pressed back up slightly.

"Move." Buffy encouraged her wanting to feel all that the new position could offer.

"Yes," Piper agreed willing beginning a gently upward thrust with her hips, her hands holding lightly onto the Slayer's hips. In time Buffy pushed back down, leaning both her hands on Owl's shoulders for leverage as she arched her back tipping her head back again. "There you go love." Piper purred sliding her hands up round Buffy's back.

Buffy moaned her agreement as she flexed her fingers into Owl's shoulders, digging her hips down against each thrust. Unable to resist Piper pulled Buffy closer as she leaned forward in the chair shifting Myst inside her lover.

"Oh Pipppper." Buffy gasped pushing down harder.

"Mmmm yes." Piper slid her hands higher up Buffy's back as she pressed them together more moaning low as their breasts brushed against one another.

"Can we do this all night?" Buffy questioned in a deep voice as she pushed faster, building up the explosive movement between them.

"Yes." Owl agreed nodding.

"Good." The Slayer slid her hands back further winding her fingers around the wood of the chair back as she pushed down harder. "Is this what you hoped for all night?' Buffy questioned her voice fluctuating as the pleasure inside her waved from high peaks to hard firm valleys.

"It's what I dreamed of, oh Buffy I never dared hope it might happen, not really."

She panted harder.

"Mmmm dreams are good." Buffy was panting hard now, her hips moving with less rhythm as her body began to flare towards another shattering climax.

Piper's body reacted to the subtle changes in Buffy's body and pressed herself closer to orgasm, though she wanted to sustain the Slayer's pleasure as long as she could quite aware that she didn't have the stamina her lover did even if she did have the enthusiasm.

As her orgasm broke Buffy didn't even think of noise this time, she tipped her head back screaming out loudly as she came, though it wasn't long as she tipped her face back kissing Owl.

The potential more than willing met the kiss with an eager open mouth panting hard as she felt her hips trembling and spasming slightly in her presses. Feeling the spasms Buffy pushed her body to push a few more times, her tongue carving inside Owl's mouth.

Pulling her head back Piper let out a ecstatic cry of release as her body jerked for a few frantic thrusts and then fell back heavily into the wood. Buffy leaned up, pulling the silicone out of her body so she wasn't tempted to push anymore before she leaned her body against Owl's.

"You're beautiful." She whispered. Owl panted hard, trying to gather enough breath to reply. "It's okay, catch your breath." Buffy smiled at her, her own breathing evening out much quicker. Owl relaxed a little and let her breathing slowly reset.

"Baby you are amazing." She rubbed Buffy's back.

"So are you." Buffy kissed her lightly.

Part 13

Part 14

Buffy pushed into the room feeling drained but knowing that she had something very important to face. She wasn't sure what to expect as she looked to the bed and Piper but she knew she couldn't run away from it.

"That was Giles." She summed up stupidly.

"I guessed, there aren't many middle aged Englishmen in the house." She paused looking up from where she was picking at one of the grazes on her hand. "Everything okay?"

"Yes." Buffy nodded. "You can't pick at it Piper." She moved over gathering up the potential's hand. "I know this is totally of the topic of you and what the First just did but I want you to know I told him... About Spike... About how I feel for you."

"He didn't know? A-About Spike that is." Owl blinked up at Buffy letting her hand rest in Buffy's limply.

"No." She shook her head. "Now you asked me a question." She tried to think back but the sharp interruption had made the words elusive.

"It doesn't matter." Piper shook her head, pulling her hand lightly out of Buffy's. "Well done for telling him, has he gone to stake him?" She asked, without a trace of humor.

"I..." Buffy looked up at the door. "I don't know." She blinked at the closed object lost for a moment. "And Piper it does matter." She took her hand again. "Please."

"No it doesn't, there's probably a better time to ask it." Piper brow wrinkled a little in soft confusion as she felt the warmth of Buffy's hand. "And maybe I shouldn't even be asking." She added in a whisper.

"Piper I just told my Watcher I'm in love with you." Buffy underlined rubbing her fingers over the back of the potential's hand.

"What?" Piper looked up her brow more furrowed, her dark eyes wide.

"I told him." Buffy felt herself frown as she saw the less than excited reaction. "You were asking me if I thought this was all too fast, if this was even what I wanted and yes it is or I wouldn't have told him that."

"Oh my God." Piper breathed as she moved the other hand to Buffy's cheek resting it on the slightly chilled skin. "You are, you are so amazing, so beautiful, and so brave." She pushed forward and pressed her lips against Buffy's briefly. "And I love you." She whispered, keeping her lips close to the Slayer's.

"You're not upset at me?" Buffy blinked at her having been surprised by the sudden kiss.

"Why would I be upset?" Piper pulled back confused and worried at the same time.

"When you said 'what' you looked ready to bolt out the window." Buffy pointed out softly.

"I did?" Owl shook her head. "Are you sure that wasn't my 'Buffy cant have just said that she's in love with me because how can she love someone like me, she's so, everything, and I'm well, not' look."

"I could be wrong, I mean I was thinking it was your bolt out the window look." Buffy shrugged and swallowed. "And for the record Buffy isn't so anything she's just Buffy, you're the amazing one."

"Okay ground rule needed, we're both amazing to each other." Piper outlined before taking a breath. "The First told me that anyone who ever gave a shit about me was dead." She looked up at Buffy. "I asked, what I asked before, because I wanted to not believe it."

"Piper it so lied." Buffy shook her head defiant to it. "And not just me, you showed me your family they all love you. Lots of people who care about you are alive. Especially me." She added softly.

Piper carefully eased Buffy into a close embrace, before leaning back.

"I guess I have work to do." She said softly, still holding lightly onto Buffy's lower arms looking into her hazel eyes.

"Giles said take your time, get settled after what happened and then translate." Buffy leaned closer to her. "I was so scared when I saw you lunge at it." She admitted moving to hug her again. "I thought I wasn't going to get there in time."

"It's stupid, I know they were only words, but damn it, they hurt." Piper admitted as she moved her arms back around Buffy's body.

"I know." Buffy held her tighter leaning to lay down on the bed. "Almost makes it better when it shows up as me."

"The only thing that is better about when it does that, is that all I have to do is reach out and touch you, hold you to know that the bastard thing can't touch me, can't actually touch any of us." Piper closed her eyes as the reclined together on the soft mattress. "But knowing that it can do that, because you've died before, that's not better." Soft eyes opened and looked at Buffy tenderly. "But knowing that we're going to stop it from being able to do that to you again, makes it good."

"Very circular thinking there Piper." Buffy actually smiled back. "I think Willow is rubbing off on you."

"Hey can I help it if you, you know, send my brain a little mushy." Piper laughed softly.

"You make my brain a little mushy too." Buffy rested her head on the potential's shoulder, being shorter made it a natural move.

Willow watched the way Giles almost stomped through the dining room and she glanced at Tara. Not that it was a full-fledged stomp but for Giles is was as close as she'd ever seen.

"Do you think everything is okay?" She leaned asking Tara in a hushed voice.

"In all the time I've known him I've never seen Mr. Giles do that." Tara admitted.

"Me either." Willow leaned closer. "Should we go check on Buffy? Should I go talk to him?" She added more sheepishly.

"He's going to the wrong house." Tara pointed out as she watched him walk passed the window heading to the five-bedroom house to the right.

"Maybe he's going to talk to Faith." The redhead questioned seeing the way he was still stomping.

"I thought Faith had been great recently." Tara frowned.

"So had I, training everyone, helping take care of things. Even getting the party." Willow frowned with her.

"Oh Goddess." Tara suddenly went a little pale and moved towards the door as her mind ran in fast forward.

"Tara?" Willow was left behind as the blonde moved but she was soon in pursuit. "Tara what's wrong?" She raced after her.

"Spike, I bet he's gone to see Spike." Tara turned to glance at her lover.

"Spike? Why would he be stomping over to Spike's?" Willow followed her along.

Stopping abruptly Tara turned and looked at Willow, she reached out and rested her hand on Willow arm.

"I... I don't know, just a hunch maybe." She frowned glancing as the door of the other house shut.

"Tara, what's wrong? Why would Giles be going to see Spike?" Willow moved closer reaching her hand up to her lover's arm.

"I could be wrong, please Willow let's just go see." Tara pushed on towards the other house, with her lover following closely beside her.

"You G-man!" Faith called as the front door closed and Giles strode in. "It's the bacon isn't it?" She laughed. "Well seeing its you, we can spare a sandwich."

"Is Spike in?" The Watcher didn't look up

"Yeah asleep in the basement." The dark haired Slayer nodded.

"Thank you." Giles moved straight to the converted basement. He closed the door and locked it behind him as he climbed nosily down the stairs.

"Aye, baby slayers off limits while I'm resting." Spike sat up in bed just a sheet around his waist.

"Shut up." Giles barked.

"Oh Rupert." Spike blinked at him. "There a problem?"

"No, I don't think there's going to be." The Watcher reached the bottom of the stairs and picked up a broadsword that Faith obviously kept there.

"She left a crossbow over on the dresser." Spike laid back down assuming he'd come to pick up the weapons.

"Thank you." Giles reached up and tossed the crossbow towards the stairs well out of the vampire's reach.

"That lady watcher is fine Rupert, you should try a little tweed charm on her. Might be the last bit you get before this goes bad." Spike got comfortable.

"Any others?"

"Other what?" Spike yawned.

"Weapons Spike." Giles replied walking closer still holding the sword.

"Don't know, Faith likes to keep stocked." Spike opened one eye. "We arming up for a fight?" He questioned the Watcher.

"No." Giles shook his head and then in an instant he flipped the sword and pressed the blade against the vampire's throat. "Now just stay very still and listen." His voice dropped at least an octave as he stared coldly into the vampire's eyes.

"Rupert." Spike felt the tip pierce his skin as he stretched his neck out trying to get away from it.

"Shut up." Giles growled and Spike swallowed slowly without saying anything else. "You are the lowest form of scum this world. You were scum when you were a blood sucking scheming fiend, and I didn't think that you could sink lower." He pressed the sword tip down so it touched the vampire's pale skin. "You touch her again William and I will destroy you."

"Touch..." He moved back a bit. "Who?"

"I said shut up." Giles pushed the sword still not puncturing the skin. "You know we need you, you know that despite what you did she would never stand by and watch you hurt, but when this is over, if you are still standing… you get on that bike and you drive out of here, and you never, ever come back." He relaxed the sword in his hand gently. "Do you understand." He asked for clarification.

"Maybe she doesn't want me to go." Spike answered defiantly.

"I don't think you are listening." Giles put the pressure straight back on the blade.

"You don't expect me to agree do you?" Spike swallowed.

"You have a choice Spike." Giles spelled out. "You leave or you die, your choice."

"We'll see how the odds play out then." The vampire smiled.

In an untelegraphed move the Watcher jumped onto the bed and changed the blade angle to run horizontally across the vampire's throat, pushing down hard enough to mark.

"I don't think you're listening." He hissed. "You leave or I kill you."

"Fine, fine Rupert." Spike hissed. "You get your way."

"Do you think I'm joking vampire." Giles' eyes hardened.

"No, I think you're about to cut my bloody head off." Spike growled.

"You've done a lot for us Spike, and that is the only reason I've not decapitated you already." Giles pulled back.

"I guess trying to tell you my side of the story would be pointless." Spike sat up rubbing at his throat.

"She let you use her, beat her, whilst using and beating you and then she changed her mind, but you still wanted her, so you tried to force her." The Watcher summed up sadly.

"I didn't do it mate." The vampire stood up pulling on his jeans.

"You're saying you didn't try to force her?" Giles' eyes narrowed.

"I'm saying as soon as she kicked me off I stopped." Spike explained. "As you said Rupert things were rough between us, she liked a little push and shove."

"I'm sorry." Giles wandered back towards the bed laughing softly. "Oh mate, how could I have got this wrong, I should have listened to you." When he reached the bed he pushed a hand down on the vampire's shoulder and pushed him down in a quick short movement. Taken by surprise the vampire fell back and Giles moved with him moving the sword this time between Spike's legs pulling the blade up till it rested on the crease of his jeans.

"So you like it rough do you Spike." He growled. "Like to feel the fear and the pleasure. Are you hard now Vampire?"

"Not for you, you bloody woofter." Spike growled back.

"But I want you Spike, I want it rough with you." Giles growled pressing the sword up harder.

"I told you you're not my type." Spike pushed back a bit trying to get away from the blade.

"So you want me to stop?" Giles asked drawing the sword back a little

"Damn right, I want you to stop pointing that damn blade at me wedding tackle." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well I don't want to stop." Giles pressed it right back tighter still and Spike looked at him for a moment.

"Oh right, yeah Rupert I'm rock hard for you." The vampire growled at him. "You want me that way don't you? This little Buffy ruse to get down here and let your true feelings out."

This time Giles did drew back and stepped down off the bed.

"You really are truly pathetic William." He threw the sword away across the basement floor.

"No, I just guessed your sport." Spike laughed. "This your chance to be the Watcher you never quite were Rupert? Be the man you always wanted to be, ride in and save the ladies."

"No, if I was the watcher I wanted to be, Buffy would never have sunk to such a low as to have sex with you." Giles walked away. "And as for revealing the inner me, I've had better men than you Spike."

"I've eaten better men than you." Spike spat back.

Willow sat on the couch in the large house, next to Tara feeling very uncomfortable. That Faith had already put down large sandwiches in front of them was a nice gesture, but they were turning her stomach, well them and the fact that Giles hadn't re-emerged from the basement.

"Why do you think he's down there?" She asked Tara again.

"Because I think maybe Buffy's spoken to him." Tara frowned softly.

"Spoke to him about what?" Willow glanced down the hall and then back at Tara.

"About Spike." Tara looked uncomfortably at the closed basement door.

"Tara, baby what about Spike?" Willow turned to her fully.

"About how he hurt her." Tara replied softly.

"Hurt her?" The redhead's face paled.

"You know they had a relationship." Tara backtracked lightly. "It wasn't like ours is."

"Yes, but she broke it off and Spike slept with Anya." Willow shivered. "Goddess I hope she was really drunk."

"She did break it off Willow, but Spike…" She took a breath. "Spike didn't exactly listen."

"What?" Willow's face went paler.

"I shouldn't have told you." Tara dropped her head.

"No, no baby you can tell me." Willow put her arm around the blonde.

"He... he tried to rape her." Tara whispered the horrible words.

"He what?" Willow's body went stiff.

"I'm sorry baby." Tara looked down.

"Tara, this isn't your fault." Willow assured her before she stood up. "I'm just going to stake him." She moved to pick up a sharp wooden stake on the side table.

"Willow no." Tara pushed up and held her lover's arm. "That's not what Buffy wants."

"He tried to rape her." She gripped the stake harder.

"Yes he did, but she doesn't want that." Tara underlined softly. "It was before he got his soul." She added the small fact not sure if it made any difference.

"I don't understand, why didn't she... when he..." Willow looked down at the door.

"Willow, sweetie, shush, come and sit down." Tara urged her lover.

"Maybe Giles is staking him." Willow resisted for a moment before she moved back.

"Mr. Giles wouldn't do that would he?" Tara went a little pale.

"Tara, he hurt Buffy." Willow underlined. "It's what he deserves."

"He was a different person then, I feel sure that he's sorry." Tara tried to appease the redhead's anger.

"Are you sure?" Willow heard muffled voices downstairs.

"He has a soul he must know what he's done." Tara frowned.

"He's a vampire, he's an evil killing vampire." Willow shook her head.

"Perhaps we should go..." Tara frowned hearing more noises from the basement.

"I want to know what Giles does." Willow held the blonde's hand.

"We could ask him later." The blonde offered.

"You want to go?" Willow looked at her seeing the uncomfortable expression on her face.

"We... it's just… Dawn, Anya Andrew, Buffy and Owl are on their own." Tara looked to the front door.

"Okay." Willow threaded their fingers together and stood up.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Tara apologized again.

"No, it's not your fault baby." Willow shook her head. "Buffy... she must have had a reason for not telling me."

"Perhaps you should talk to her." The blonde offered hoping that Buffy wouldn't be too upset that she'd told Willow.

"Let's go back and finish lunch." Willow leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

Buffy took the steps slowly, taking the opportunity to stretch out her aching back as she did. She crossed the sitting room glancing at Andrew who was asleep on the couch, then at Willow and Tara who were curled up together on the armchair feeding each other chips.

"Buffy." Willow looked up at her dropping her hand. "You're up, well you're up and out of your room. Do you need anything Buffy?"

"I'm just getting drinks for the workaholic." Buffy glanced to the stairs.

"Oh I can get you drinks." Willow kissed Tara quickly and pushed up. "You've been helping translate and working and holicing, which means we need to support you. And I'm a life long Scooby all about the support, and support means drinks and donuts but since the donut shop is closed I can only offer drinks. Best drinks in town, dedicated drinks." She scooted towards the kitchen. "Did you say you wanted coffee or something cold?"

"Hey I didn't plan on breaking up cuddle time." Buffy frowned slightly as she followed Willow to the kitchen.

"No, you didn't. Most important thing is supporting you." Willow shook her head as she turned and reached out rubbing Buffy's arm a little too long. "All about that support I am."

"Okay, what's going on Will." Buffy eyed her best friend.

"Going on? I'm getting you and Owl a drink." Willow moved to the fridge. "I'm sorry did you say you wanted ice tea? I could make some, freshly brewed and iced."

"Okay wait." Buffy moved round in front of the fridge. "Is that what this is about?"

"What-what is about?" Willow squeaked. "I'm getting you a drink, there is no about any what."

"Is this about Owl and I?" Buffy asked pointed not letting the redhead open the fridge door.

"Oh course, of course it's about you and Owl." Willow nodded enthusiastically. "It's about getting you both a drink and taking care of you, the bigger picture. Taking care of my best friend, doing everything I can do for her. Because I love her and want her to be happy."

"God Willow sorry." Buffy suddenly reached out and put her hand lightly on Willow's arm. "Are you freaked?"

"Freaked, Buffy no." Willow shook her head. "Never, there is nothing to be freaked about."

"I remember being a bit of a jerk about you and Tara, and you just told me, I didn't watch you dancing with her in the back garden first." Buffy reasoned.

"You weren't a jerk you were just..." Willow went to babble then stopped. "Wait, you mean freaked about you and Owl being Sapphic?" She checked realizing she'd been on a totally different stream.

"I think that's the prettiest way I've ever heard anyone say that." Buffy smiled.

"I have to give Tara credit." The redhead smiled back.

"Should have guessed, so are you?" Buffy asked a little nervous.

"Freaked about you and Owl?" Willow's shook her head grabbing her and hugging her. "Buffy, I just want you to be happy. She makes you happy right?" She checked with a whisper.

"Right." Buffy nodded.

"Though you do know you so owe me huge spillage right?" Willow pulled back teasing her. "I mean my best friend's getting gay love and I get no details."

"What do you mean?" Buffy feigned innocence.

"When did you know? When did you first kiss? Who kissed who? Are you coming to San Francisco to march in the pride parade with us? Who's the butchier of the two?" Willow began to barrage her with questions.

"Okay, okay reign it in there Will." Buffy laughed softly.

"See I knew I could overload you." She winked. "So come on did you want cold or hot drinks?" She pulled on the door of the fridge.

"Hot for Piper, cold for me." Buffy moved to the side.

"Is she having a hard time? I took a look and I couldn't make heads or tails out of it, I bet it's super hard." Willow moved to fill up the kettle.

"It's written in some kind of mixed dialect or something, I didn't exactly follow it." Buffy admitted. "She's working really hard." She frowned a little.

"She'll work it out Buffy, she seems really smart." Willow nodded.

"I just wish..." Buffy sighed. "I just wish she didn't have to."

"How is she?" The redhead asked softly. "With losing..." She didn't finish. "I can't imagine how good she's doing. She's really strong."

"She's not really, you know, talked about it." Buffy pulled open the cupboard, smiling when she saw it was pretty much stocked full. "Wow we got food." She broke off the track of thought.

"Faith and her crew did a shopping trip." Willow put her fingers up into quote marks. "She said in a week or so we're going to be down to canned food and frozen."

"No, we're not." Buffy shook her head pulling out a packet of crackers.

"We're going to be on vacation by then after you and her kill the First." Willow grinned.

"Exactly." Buffy grinned back. "See that's why you're my best friend Will." She went over and hugged her tightly.

"So where are we going? There's this great lesbian cruise line." She teased hugging her back.

"Next you'll be painting my stakes rainbow colors Will." Buffy chuckled.

"I was going to suggest that." Willow grinned more.

"So how are you and Tara doing, you look good." Buffy eased back.

"We're great." Willow's grin dimmed down to a content smile. "You don't have to worry about us Buffy, our focus is you."

"I'm good, just need to get us all through this." The Slayer's voice was firm.

"We're going to all of us." Willow vowed. "There's nothing we can't get through if we do it together Buffy."

"Willow are you sure you're alright?" Buffy looked her best friend carefully.

"I am, I just really want you to know that no matter what happens, anything at all, you can tell me, you can talk to me." Willow moved closer rubbing her arm again.

"Did Giles say something to you?" Buffy felt her stomach sink a little.

"No." She shook her head. "Tara." She admitted softly. "But it doesn't matter who said something Buffy, you're my best friend and it's all about you."

"You know about Spike." Buffy took a breath and walked away from the redhead.

"I know he hurt you." Willow whispered swallowing when she saw the Slayer back up.

"I hurt him too." Buffy shook her head and put both hands down on the work surface still turned away from the redhead.

"Buffy, I don't know what happened. I know a lot of it was my fault because of what I did, because of bringing you back." Willow moved a little closer. "But he should have never... ever... I just want to rip his head off."

Buffy took a slow breath and turned to look at Willow.

"Thank you." She whispered her hazel eyes filled with tears.

"I'll go rip it off now." Willow hugged her hard. "I'm sorry I didn't stop him, I'm sorry I didn't know. I'm sorry I was a stupid selfish addict."

"Shush, shush." Buffy held her back tightly. "We can all be sorry for so many things."

"Not as much as I am." Willow shook her head against Buffy's shoulder. "Goddess look at me, I'm trying to tell you how I'm here to help and support you and you're trying to make me feel better. I'm a selfish stupid girl."

"Willow stop it okay." Buffy pushed her back and looked at her. "You're not selfish and you're not stupid. You're our Willow and we need you."

"We need you too, I need you." Willow nodded.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just felt so stupid and we all had all these things going on." Buffy frowned shaking her head.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Willow hugged her again. "And you're not stupid either."

"Spikes still alive, well undead, everyone who knows about what he did... what happened, seems to think that's pretty stupid." Buffy admitted her voice tiny.

"We need him as a fighter." Willow gave in slightly.

"We do." Buffy nodded. "Where are Anya and Dawn?" She suddenly asked.

"Some of the girls are watching movies at Faith's house. They went to join them." She turned as the kettle clicked off and poured out Buffy's coffee.

"Because I remember canceling the rest of the day." Buffy laughed.

"Mmmm you know Faith, she's easily corrupted." Willow laughed with her spinning the spoon in the dark mixture.

"She's good for them isn't she?" Buffy reasoned.

"Well she has a lower mental age, so they relate to her." The redhead grinned. "Not to be mean."

"No, everyone is a brains like you Wills." Buffy grinned back.

"All of her brains are in her boobs." Willow commented without thinking and then went a very deep shade of red. "I mean... no brain, big... I'm going to shut up now."

"Please do, we're all aware that you're a breast girl." Buffy laughed. "Though Wills." She knocked Willow lightly on the shoulder Willow looked at her. "I so see why." She winked.

"So what's your favorite?" The redhead looked like she would explode with glee.

"Don't ask that kind of thing!" Buffy squeaked and then leaned in to her best friends ear. "Myst." She whispered pulling back and walking through to the sitting room to find that Andrew was still asleep and Tara was no longer there.

"What?" Willow watched her leave confused. "Buffy, you can't just say that and run away." She moved after her.

"It's the answer to your personal question." Buffy laughed softly. "But don't you dare ask me to expand on my answer, you're a lesbian work it out." She poked her tongue out a little.

"I need a better hint than mist." Willow pouted.

"Myst's her name." Buffy replied dropping onto the chair she glanced at Andrew checking he was very asleep.

"Buffy we don't know a girl called mist." Willow perched on the chair arm looking down at her.

"No." Buffy felt herself blush.

"So then who is..." Willow felt her jaw drop open. "Oh my, is Myst a what?" She fell down squishing in beside Buffy in the chair.

"Yes." Buffy blushed even more. "A very personal what." She blew up into her bangs.

"Cheeky girl." Willow smacked her lightly on the leg. "That's it now I am pissed, you're at like level five lesbianism in what a week? And you told me nothing of any of this."

"Well I am a fast learner." Buffy beamed.

"Yeah but where is my best friend fretting and hype and gossip." Willow reminded her. "Even you demanded I tell you stuff about Tara remember?"

"I don't know, it... there wasn't the time me to second guess or seek your advice, I just..." Buffy glanced at the stairs. "I think I fell in love."

"You do?" Willow's eyes went wide. "Like love-love, in love-love."

"I don't know." Buffy looked uncertain. "I mean what do I know bout love-love Will?"

"As much as anyone." Willow assured her. "And that you've said it, that means lots Buffy. I knew the first time I saw Tara I was in love with her, so one week is like slow." She smiled at her.

"It took you a lot longer than that to kiss her." Buffy pointed out.

"Yeah but I'm the shy geek." Willow reminded her. "You're the confident sexy slayer."

"She kissed me actually." Buffy laughed.

"And?" Willow pushed softly.

"And I kissed her back." Buffy replied simply.

"Mmmm best kisses." Willow leaned her head on the chair back.

"Looks like someone's remembering her and Tara's first smooches." Buffy grinned making the redhead laugh.

"So she kissed you and you were thinking oh my god girl kissage, ewww girl kissage?" The redhead questioned.

"Neither I think I was thinking, wow soft." Buffy laughed.

"Very soft, best kept secret about girl kissage." The redhead nodded.

"Not scratchy bits." Buffy laughed feeling a little like a teenager again.

"Not a single scratchy bit.' Willow giggled. "So have you and Owl... lots?" She asked without asking.

"Have Owl and I what Willow?" Buffy grinned.

"You know." Willow blushed. "Don't be mean."

"A few times." Buffy blushed too.

"You do know I'm going to have to give her the shovel speech now? I vague disclaimer is nobodies friend." Willow winked at the blonde.

"The what?" Buffy asked confused.

"Shovel speech, its not important details, just that you're my best friend and no one gets to hurt you." Willow rubbed her hand. "Which is why when this is over Spike's going to meet my shovel." She underlined honestly.

"He wouldn't try it again Willow." Buffy stuck up for him.

"I don't care." Willow shook her head wrapping her arm around Buffy's. "He tired to hurt you."

"We deal with what we have right now first." Buffy underlined softly. "Wait a minute, I'm noting the distinct lack of a blonde witch from this room." She suddenly realized that Tara wasn't there anymore.

"She must have gone upstairs to meditate." Willow looked up the stairs. "She's been trying to keep focused in case we have more night time trouble."

"This isn't her battle Will, it's neither of yours." Buffy shook her head a little saddened by the idea.

"It is." She nodded firmly. "We're all in this with you."

"Second line, you, Tara, Dawn, Xander, Anya, I'm still thinking about shipping you all out of here actually." Buffy explained.

"Don't even go there slayer." Willow looked at her sternly. "See my resolve face, you know what this means."

"Someone's being moving the icons on your desktop." Buffy laughed.

"Mmmm close in the not to do list, but top is you and the ship us off plan. We've never gone for it yet and we're not about to start." Willow reminded her. "We can beat this Buffy, I know we can."

"I hope so Willow." Buffy acknowledged. "I've just remembered what living feels like, I'm in no hurry to lose that now."

Tara sat at the end of the bed watching as Owl scratched on the notepad. The potential was so caught up in what she was doing she hadn't flinched when the blonde witch had hovered in the doorway or even noticed when she'd sat down.

"Wow using slayer speed just to fix me a coffee." Owl didn't look up.

"Actually Owl it's me sorry, I didn't want to disturb your train of thought." Tara admitted.

"Oh Tara, no, come in, I was planning a break anyway." Owl looked up with a smile.

"Do you need something to eat? I could make you something." Tara offered walking closer to the bed.

"Do we have any food?" Piper laughed.

"Tones, Faith went shopping.' The blonde smiled slightly. "Like you and her did the other day."

"So not so much shopping as liberating the shops stock." Owl laughed. "I… I'm sorry for letting off all the alarms earlier, I hope I didn't cause Willow a lot of work." She added with a soft frown.

"No, Willow is a whiz with those things." Tara assured her. "And it was necessary."

"Why my knuckles needed scraping?" Piper laughed bitterly this time.

"Are they okay?" Tara didn't really clarify that it had been necessary to confront the First.

"Yes, Buffy cleaned them." Owl smiled as she mentioned the Slayer's name. "So is this a social call or did you slip in to take a peek at my work?"

"Oh social." Tara looked down. "I know how hard it is to do things like complicated translations with everyone watching you. I just w-wanted to see if you were okay after what happened."

"Sorry." Piper frowned again and shook her head. "I didn't mean to be so blunt, or you know, aggressive. I don't mind if you come and look and I know you're here to see if I'm okay." The tall potential leaned back a little. "You remind me of Shanti for that, being all openly worried and caring with the hugely spiritual side of you that is just like impossible to ignore."

"I'm not that spiritual." Tara shook her head lightly. "I just like to be aware."

"Damn I was hoping you were super spiritual." Piper laughed.

"Why?" The blonde questioned. "Do you need to meditate? I know a few that could help."

"No more like I need to know if the phrase 'The Three are The One.' means anything to you on a spiritual level." Piper admitted glancing at her notebook. "Because right now I'm thinking I'm the worst translator in history."

"The three are the one?" Tara looked at her thinking.

"Yeah, the three are the one, the three are ones, ones are the three." Owl read different ways of translating the odd phrase. "Three and one are the same?"

"No, I'm sure it's right it could be anything. Triads are very common in mythology and religion. Everything from something as basic as the spiritual trio of God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus to the three sisters of the universe who make up everything." Tara tried to help her understand. "All would mean the same... three combine or work as one."

"But this is in direct relation to the staff, there is only one staff." Owl frowned harder.

"But it might not be a physical literal, it may be something else, well two other things in combination with the staff." Tara offered softly. "A combination of three things needed to make it most effective."

"Maybe." Owl admitted. "I don't know, every other reference to it underlines that it's unique, a one of a kind thing, creator unknown, it wasn't fashioned, it wasn't forged. It's never even been used."

"Maybe there are two more pieces to it, that we don't have." The witch brainstormed.

"But it looks just like it should from this little picture." Owl picked up Shanti's book and showed the blonde the tiny pencil sketch."

"Have you finished all of the translation?' Tara studied the tiny drawing.

"More or less, there are several cross reference points I've not followed through to translate yet." She admitted. "I… I just get distracted."

"Piper, take your time. This is something you need to work through, both the translation and what has happened." Tara assured her softly reaching to put her hand on the Potential's arm.

"What has happened?" Owl seemed confused for a moment as she looked at Tara's hand. "Oh… you mean Shanti." She forced the name out.

"Take your time." The blonde nodded.

"She'd want me to be doing this, focusing on what needs to be done." Piper looked down at the small book again.

"Do you need anything to help?" Tara squeezed her hand and pulled back.

"For it to make sense." Piper admitted.

"I haven't been a Scooby as long as the others Owl but I do know that something's the things that make the least sense turn out to make the most when you get one small piece." Tara smiled at her. "Willow and I can start researching the Three are one reference, we might find something to collate with."

"That would be great." Piper smiled. "At the same time." She looked up at the blonde. "Can you check Buffy's okay."

"She's talking with Willow, they were laughing and giggling so I think they are okay." Tara admitted.

"You guys, you're all so…" Owl stopped thinking for a moment. "Close." She assessed.

"The Hellmouth does that quickly." Tara nodded with a soft smile. "I know what it's like to feel like an outsider though, I still am most of the time."

"What?" Piper's eyes went wide. "Tara you're like the hub of this operation."

"I'm not." She laughed lightly. "I'm the shy quiet one, Willow's girlfriend."

"Who can kill Ubers and hello, heal me." Owl shook her head again.

"I try to do what I can to be useful." The witch downplayed it.

"Yeah right, while the rest of us try not to get our asses busted." Piper laughed softly.

"I've trained a lot recently, I was never this good." Tara looked away slightly. "But things made it necessary."

"Funny you seem like a natural witch." Piper replied. "God that sounded weird!"

"I know what you meant." She smiled. "All witches are natural but any of us have to train to get more focused and more capable."

"Well it doesn't take a genius to know that you and Will can kick my ass any time you like, so I'll just be being super nice to you forever." Owl grinned at her.

"I'm sure the only time you would have to worry about Willow is if you hurt Buffy or me, but we know you're not going to do that." Tara looked into the potential's green eyes, her voice was soft matching her blue eyes that exuded trust not accusation.

"Then I have no worries." Piper smiled and then yawned. "Sorry, it's not a reflection on the company."

"Why don't you rest for a bit? I'll make you and Buffy a snack." Tara stood up. "Her and willow usually can only giggle for so long."

"You know if you're this nice to all of us, you might have to rent those other two houses permanently." Owl pointed out.

"It would be nice if you stayed after all of this was over." Tara hung in the doorway.

"If I'm wanted I might just do that." Owl admitted.

"She doesn't open her heart to just anyone Piper." Tara whispered softly.

"I hope I turn out to be one of the lucky ones."

"I think you already are." Tara encouraged as she slipped out.

"So this links clearly to the alternative title we have for the stave." Sandra Webster glanced at the pages of translation that Willow had scanned and copied for everyone at the table.

"The Staff of Three." Giles echoed.

"But it doesn't actually tell us what the three is." Faith pointed out.

"I have a theory." Willow slowly put up her hand.

"That it's a demon?" Anya sung brightly, but then apologized quickly.

"No, more that it's a reference to the three disciplines of staves." The redhead gave her a sideways look.

"The who of what-what?" Buffy looked at her friend.

"When I was trying to find out about it I came across three types of staffs." She turned to Buffy. "The staff as it is now is the first type." She stood up and picked it up off the table. "Your standard fighting staff, useful for blocking and blows." She handed it to Buffy. "Twirl it." She encouraged and the Slayer did so making the blades swing out into a shield. "When weapons evolved what was the easiest thing to do, add something to your staff to make it a shield. To protect you from blows." She nodded to her to change it and Buffy shifted it into the two axe blades. "And with rudimentary blades, came the two basic types of weapons axes and..." On cue Buffy passed it to Faith, who held the grips tighter and the dagger ends came out. "Knives or spears. This staff is pure formation of all of them. The three are one, staff, bladed staffs and shield." Willow summed up taking it back from Faith.

"If no one minds my input." Dawn raised her hand slightly this time and everyone looked at the teenager. "It's just that while everyone's been busy you know doing their thing on history and everything, I found out something kinda interesting." She looked a little uncomfortable as everyone looked at her.

"What Dawn?" Buffy encouraged her.

"Well I did some research, nothing big or involved or anything, but it's interesting." Dawn kept Buffy as her focus as she pulled out some paper form a book beside her. "Basically I looked at the staff's name."

"Santerminadya." Tara offered both as a reminder and as encouragement for the teenager.

"Yes, well as a whole name I couldn't come up with anything, but then I broke it down and then it gets really interesting." Dawn seemed excited by the subtle support. "If you take the first three letters." Dawn held up a small piece of paper with the letter SAN on them. "Well in Chinese, San means three." She flicked it over to reveal the word three written on it. "And then if you take the last five letters." She picked up another piece of paper, this time with NADYA written on it. "And study somewhere else you find out that in Arabic, Nadya means 'the First'." She flicked over the paper and laid it on the table a little way form the first piece. "Okay which leaves termi." She held up her third piece of paper. "This was the tricky one because it doesn't mean anything really, that I could find, but then I remembered something." Dawn looked around. "The word Terminus, Termina in Latin means the end or finishing of, so I thought what if the creators of the name meant that, then I looked again at the name SANTERMINADYA, and there actually is the word TERMINA. So basically, the name means, The three finish the first." Dawn concluded with a flourish.

"It's all about the three." Faith nodded.

"Too bad we only got two slayer's then eh?" Kennedy interjected. "If we had three we'd be home and dry, kicking ass girl style."

"Like Charlie's angels." Anya nodded. "You would be Giles' angels."

"Three slayers would be great but there's still only one staff." Owl pointed out trying not to break the mood to drastically.

"Yes I don't think someone or something would create a weapon that had to be thrown from person to person to make it work." Xander pointed out the obvious flaw "Hey you Mr. big evil, just hold still while I throw this to my buddy over there."

"This three thing has to be the key though." Willow encouraged.

"We have more to go on." Giles looked up positively. "Perhaps looking more into the root sources of the words forming its name will reveal something more." He smiled at Dawn and her efforts.

"And reading and rereading this translation can only bring greater understanding." Sandra nodded at Owl.

"We could search for derivatives and recheck the book that Zoë brought." Willow added optimistically.

Faith watched the group as the anticipation and confidence level grew but all the while the dark Slayer had been quiet her eyes tracing over the words from the book that Owl had translated. Now she knew full well that she wasn't the brain of the outfit by any means but her eyes wouldn't be drawn away from the phrase…

'That which was, that which came and that which shall come will stand.'

As the general hubbub of the room got louder, with people engaging in excited discussion Faith's dark eyes focused harder on the words.

"Kennedy's right." She said suddenly her voice low her eyes flicking up to look at Buffy.

"What?" Buffy stopped listening to Giles' theory and looked at Faith.

"Kennedy's right. This thing." She looked at the copied paper on the table near her. "It's talking about slayers.

"I don't understand what you mean?" Buffy knew she wasn't talking the obvious bit that only a slayer could use the staff.

"'That which was', that's you B you are and always have been the slayer. 'That which came', well that's me, you know I came after all the dying and stuff and Kendra and 'That which shall come', that's the next slayer, which ever one of those lucky bastards gets to be the next one of us." Faith pointed it all out.

"We need three slayers to use it, but there's only one staff." Buffy looked down at the text instantly knowing that Faith's words made sense though she didn't want them too.

"You're skipping the important bit there B." Faith looked at her. "There are only two slayers, if we need a third, I'm gonna have to die."

"And come back." Buffy looked into her dark eyes.

"Hey piece of cake, after all you did it." Faith's confidence and strong words were belied by the worry in her eye.

"Giles." Buffy called sternly for everyone to settle down. "Faith figured something out." She pointed to the text. "This is three slayers." She said with a hiss.

"Well yes I suppose it could be." Giles paid her attention. "But it could mean three of many things."

"The one... me... the one that came... Faith… and the one that is to come... the next slayer, when Faith dies." Buffy pointed at each piece in turn. "The staff only responds to us Giles, and it responds to Faith and I differently."

"But we only have two slayers, we'll have to make do with what we have." Giles frowned at the blonde Slayer.

"You're missing the big picture here Giles, no one thought there could be two of us till I died right?" Buffy pressed him to think more and not judge. "If Faith was to die, just for a few seconds but come back another would be called."

"Well in theory yes." Giles frowned against this time at Faith.

"When we saw the Eye it said the First was here because Buffy died." Anya pointed out helpfully. "Well that she died and came back. Making the whole three slayer thing possible."

"Not wanting to sound like a party pooping eavesdropper." Xander leaned over "But what's to stop something big and bad popping up again if we kill faith and bring her back?"

"Xander how cool is a second?" Anya laughed at him. "Hi I'm the second greatest eternal evil." She mocked.

"I'm just saying." Xander defended.

"We're all forgetting that we are actually talking about ending Faith's life." Giles scowled. "In times like these we can hard sacrifice our slayers on a whim."

"Hey, hey we're not talking about sacrificing me, I didn't say anything about agreeing to die." Faith shook her head standing up. "I mean I did the whole coma thing and Maple Leaf might know some first aid but she can't do a ER on me." She paced away.

"There's another way." Tara's small voice whispered.

"Great, Tara has a way to make another slayer." Faith looked at her hopeful, after all, the blonde witch was the last person who would suggest she off herself on purpose.

"You could kill yourself." Tara looked up into dark eyes.

"Hello, has everyone been smoking crack while I was next door? As Giles said how is offing a slayer going to help us beat the first?" Faith looked around in disbelief.

"No it's not like that, that came out wrong." Tara shook her head apologetically. "There's a meditation." She went on. "Used long ago by ancient monks. They used it during times of duress, or torture." She continued looking at Faith.

"You want me to meditate to death?" The dark Slayer wondered why no one else was saying anything.

"I could bring you back." Tara replied with absolute clarity and certainty.

"Red would you reel your girlie in please." She coughed and looked at the second witch.

"She can bring you back Faith." Zoë gave her vote of confidence from the corner.

"If she says she can Faith then she can." Willow nodded reaching to hold Tara's hand.

"Faith I'm not stupid I know what we're facing here, and I can do this. I know that to have any hope at all of beating the First, you need to be alive. I can do this." Tara confirmed.

"Does everyone think this is a good idea?" Faith looked around at everyone.

"No, I'm sorry." Giles spoke up. "Though I do not doubt your ability nor your belief in this Tara, I cannot condone a course of action that may leave us with only one slayer." His voice wasn't angry or stern, just watchery.

"I disagree." It was Sandra that looked at him. "The First from the beginning has been targeting the potentials so there is no opportunity to continue the prophecy line. That does suggest it purposeful tactic of keeping both Buffy and Faith alive to die last is because it does not want the three slayers to be assembled. If that were not the case, tactically killing Buffy and Faith first and then weeding through the newly called slayers would be more effective. A newly called slayer is much more vulnerable than two career ones."

"Great one yes, one no." Faith looked at Buffy. "B?"

"Would it work if I died again?" Buffy looked at Giles and Sandra.

"You've died since then Buffy and no more slayers were called." Anya pointed out bluntly. "What it's true!" She responded to the glares.

"If I could do it I would." She looked at Faith. "But I can't blame you if you don't want to risk it."

"Oh fuck me." Faith paced a bit into the hallway. "Fine, don't let it be said I was a sissy." She paced back and thumped on her chest angrily. "Come on Tara, kill me."

"You'll be right back, and not have missed a thing." Tara promised.

"Fine, let's just get this over with." She paced a bit, obviously nervous.

"Not now." Tara shook her head. "You're too tired and too tense."

"What I have to wait to die?" Faith looked at her in disbelief.

"You have to learn the chant." Tara explained softly. "I have to teach you the technique. If you think you could take it all in, we can do it now."

"How about the morning? A Sunday's a good day to die right?" She joked morbidly.

"You're not dying." Buffy underlined. "We're just calling the next slayer."

"Which would suggest to me that all potentials should be in bed ASAP." Sandra closed the book in front of her.

"One of us is going to be a slayer tomorrow." Kennedy grinned.

"Yeah God help them." Buffy whispered as the crowd began filing out.

Willow moved around to where Tara was sat cross-legged on the floor and sat down in front of her. She studied the blonde as she meditated, not wanting to break her lover's concentration but she had a thousand questions spinning around in her mind. The fact that what they were planning on doing in the morning was unthinkable to her. How could they purposely make a third slayer?

At the same time Tara slowly opened one eye and looked at Willow.

"What's wrong sweetie." She asked softly.

"I didn't mean to disturb you." The redhead frowned.

"Joined at the soul sweetie, when you're not settled I'm not settled." Tara shook her head and eased out of her position.

"Oh. Then I'm sorry I really didn't mean to unsettle you." Willow bit her lip. "I just, wanted to know about this spell."

"It's not a spell." Tara shook her head.

"What is it?" Willow chewed on the flesh caught between her teeth.

"It's a meditation." Tara tipped her head a little.

"How does it work?" The redhead questioned instantly.

"It's just a meditation." Tara frowned slightly.

"But how do you meditate to death?" She chewed more on her lip.

"It's not quite like that, it's more about lowering your body's biorhythms." Tara shifted to lean against the wall.

"More like going into hypothermia? So you technically are dead but aren't?" Willow tried to put her normal science spin on things.

"That's more like it." Tara nodded.

"When did you learn about this?" she kept up her questions.

"It's something I learned in Italy." Tara replied.

"Will it hurt you?" Her voice was a whisper. Tara swallowed and slowly raised her blue eyes. "Tara, you're not doing it if it will hurt you." Willow squeaked.

"Willow this is about what we need to win this." Tara pushed up from her place on the floor crossing to the dresser.

"I'm not liking how this sounds." Willow pushed up and looked at her.

"Willow it'll be okay." Tara picked up a brush and began to brush out her long hair.

"What is it going to do to you?" Willow moved closer to her. "What could it do to you?"

"In theory?" Tara looked up into the mirror on the dresser watching Willow's movements.

"In anything." Willow pushed.

"In theory, you could loose us both." Tara put the hairbrush down.

"Then you're not doing it." Willow shook her head putting her hand over Tara's. "Neither of you are."

"That won't happen Willow." Tara shook her head back.

"So both of you die or it works?" Willow's voice squeaked slightly.

"Yes." Tara didn't try to deny it.

"There's no other injuries possible?" Willow squeezed her hand.

"Well I have a that tendency to bleed a little when I concentrate hard, but we both know how to handle nosebleeds." Tara squeezed it back.

"Can I do it with her?" Willow tried to find a solution.

"No Willow." Tara shook her head she pushed up from the chair and hugged her lover to her.

"I can't risk you baby." Willow shook her head hugging her.

"It's what we need to do." Tara pressed her lips to her lover's forehead.

"So let me do it." Willow didn't let her move away.

"No." Tara shook her head.

"Why not?" Willow questioned.

"Because... there's not the time to teach you the techniques." Tara replied simply.

"I don't like this." She shook her head. "Faith is volatile, it's too dangerous."

"That's why it has to be me." Tara replied softly.

"Why because Faith is volatile?" Willow paced the room a bit.

"Yes, she needs a balance." Tara nodded.

"Oh." Willow frowned the point that her magic was too unbalanced to be of any good made her slink away. "I understand." She moved over to the bed pulling her pajamas out from under her pillow.

"No baby, no you don't." Tara turned and crossed the room to her. "Oh Willow." She reached out and took the pajamas from her lover's hand. "This isn't about what you can't do." She shook her head. "It's not about me being a better witch, or you being a worse one."

"It is Tara, it's okay. It's the truth, I know it is." Willow shook her head back.

"It's not." Tara reached up stilling Willow's head.

"You're a good witch, you know how to balance yourself, you don't lose control... you're not an addict." Willow pulled her head away.

"Neither are you." Tara pressed her palm against Willow's cheek guiding her head back around.

"I am." Willow's blinked a few times. "You know I am."

"No, I know you are not." Tara shook her head.

"I am, I hurt you, I used magic on you." She felt her eyes stinging.

"Maybe, but that was in the past. You are Willow Rosenberg and you are a good and powerful witch, you are the woman I love, the only woman I will ever love, and who I will love for eternity." Tara breathed out the heartfelt words.

"I love you too but..." Willow tried to object again.

"Willow no." Tara cut her off. "There is no but Willow."

"I love you." Willow whispered again moving to hug her.

"I love you too my darling." Tara closed her eyes as she held her lover close.

"You better not let Faith kill you." Willow hugged her tighter trying to joke but the humor was lost.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous." Tara's voice dropped.

"You're a very powerful witch Tara, if anyone can do this you can." Willow assured her softly.

"This has far more to do with control, centering and having something to live for."

Tara replied honestly.

"Don't leave me again." Willow leaned in and kissed her almost desperately.

"I won't." Tara kissed her back with the same intensity.

"I want to make love to you." Willow whispered threading her hands into blonde hair.

"Please." Tara nodded softly. Willow pressed their lips back together, closing her eyes as she memorized the taste of her lover's mouth. "All night." Tara arched up a little pressing tightly against Willow's body.

"I thought you needed to be rested." Willow smirked leading her over to the bed.

"There are different definitions of rested." Tara smirked slightly.

"And what definition do you want to go for?" Willow leaned down pulling her down over her.

"I want to go for rested after long passionate love making with my one and only."

Tara braced herself over her lover's legs, straddled beside Willow's hips.

"Perfect." Willow wound her hands up pressing up under Tara's shirt on to her back.

"You silly man, it's not preposterous." Sandra looked across the short few feet in the kitchen and shook her head.

"I beg to differ Ms. Webster but it is." Giles replied curtly.

"You would be the type of man to argue that the sky is not blue but more of a indigo wouldn't you?" She rolled her eyes.

"That would completely depend on what the situation." Giles put down his cup and turned to the other watcher.

"I bet you still insist on reading the original tome and not any other version." She put her cup down.

"Something is always lost in the translation." Giles met the argument with soft confidence.

Sandra studied him for a minute before she reached up very gently pulling his glasses off and tossing them on the counter.

"I really didn't ask you if you wanted tea to debate semantics." She smiled at him.

"Really Ms Webster I…" Giles watched as the glasses skidded across the counter top.

"Sandra." She corrected him leaning up and pressing her lips to his. "We might be killing one of our slayer's tomorrow Mr. Giles. I think we could afford to act rashly for one night."

"It's... its Rupert." The watcher took a breath, wrapping his arm around the other watcher's waist drawing her close to kiss her again.

Buffy ran the brush through her hair roughly as she stared at Owl who was stretching near the end of the bed.

"I can't believe we're doing this." She admitted.

"Getting ready for bed in a quiet house?" Owl as she stopped mid stretch, examining the bruising on her side.

"Killing Faith, activating a new slayer." Buffy gave her a grunt of vague disapproval.

"You don't think it's the right thing to do, have three slayers around I mean." Owl straightened up slowly.

"I do, that's why I can't believe we're doing this." Buffy shook her head. "This might be a meditation and I trust Tara but Faith still has to die."

"You've done it." Owl leveled with her.

"Yes, three times. It's not fine Piper." Buffy tried to explain. "And none of those times did I do it expecting to come back."

"Which surely makes this better, you know like you said you trust Tara, I mean she doesn't seem the type to you know, risk shit." Owl reasoned.

"She's not, she wouldn't say she could do it if she didn't believe she would." Buffy agreed.

"Believe?" Owl frowned. "Shouldn't that word be know." She arched her eyebrow.

"For Tara it's believe. Knowing it can happen in magic Piper isn't possible." Buffy shook her head. "Magic is about believing you can more than it being a fact."

"So this is magic, like a spell? Not just some control technique thing." Owl clarified.

"She said an ancient meditation." Buffy shrugged. "Probably a bit of the mystical and some control technique."

"You're worried aren't you." Owl dropped her arms to her side.

"Aren't you?" Buffy blinked at her. "This time tomorrow you could be the new slayer." She whispered the true fact.

Owl looked at Buffy for a moment, and then tipped her head back laughing loudly.

"Oh Buffy." She laughed over and over. "Buffy, Buffy, Buffy." She shook her head. "That's so not going to happen baby." She walked over to the blonde.

"You don't' know that." Buffy shook her head back.

"Buffy, this time tomorrow all that will be different is that we'll be one step closer to kicking that bastard things ass." Owl reached her hands up and rubbed the Slayer's shoulders.

"But what if you're the slayer?" Buffy asked her again and Piper's hand stopped the tall potential took a breath.

"Then I'll apologize for laughing at you, let you set me some kind of make up task and train like hell to be just a shade as good as you." She let her hands move again over tense shoulders.

"Would you be upset it if was you or wasn't you?" Buffy relaxed into her hands closing her eyes.

"No, to both questions." Owl replied. "Buffy, I'm here to be in this fight, slayer or not." She said assuredly.

"I know but it changes everything." She whispered unsure.

"How?" Owl asked, her voice softer.

"If you're the slayer, you might want..." Buffy felt herself consumed by doubt for a minute. "You might want someone else." She whispered the fact that was scaring her.

"What?" Owl breathed out. "No." The tall woman shook her head. "Buffy, I am not with you because you're the Slayer and I'm a slayer wanna be. I don't share your bed because of some kind of hero worship or you know, you're what I aim to be." She shook her head more. "I'm with you because I love you, because you're a beautiful, sexy woman, and if, by some weird fluke tomorrow I'm a slayer too." She looked into Buffy's hazel eyes. "The only difference will be, I'll have the stamina to keep you screaming all night." She smirked.

"That would be nice, rather than you rolling over and falling asleep." Buffy teased smiling widely.

"Hey, cheeky." Owl laughed slipping her hands low and tickling Buffy's ribs.

"Hey, hey." Buffy giggled. "No showing off the Slayer's secret soft spot."

"Oh I will if I need to." Owl laughed lovingly.

"Are you tired?" Buffy ran her hands up Owl's arms under the short sleeves of her T-shirt.

"Was that you way of saying Piper can we make love?"

"More like just in case you do get activated tomorrow, can I wear you out one last time." Buffy gave her a wink.

"Ahhh so you've worked out that if I do, I'll be younger and stronger than you, and it's you'll who'll be rolling over snoring!" Owl winked back pulling Buffy close and kissing her.

"You wish newbie." Buffy pulled her closer and kissed her back hard.

Creeping silently through the dark house, with just the sound of sneakers sneaking lightly on polished wood floors, the figure hardly made a sound as it walked to the basement door. Turning the handle with just as little noise, they pushed the door open and inched their way down the twelve stairs into the converted basement.

"Whatcha doing Dawn?" Faith turned plucking one bud out of her ear and letting the slight hiss of loud music from the CD player fill up the background with noise.

"How... how did you know it was me?" The teenager walked to the bottom of the stairs and slowly over to the bottom of the bed, her hands holding closed the edges of her long dark raincoat.

"Only you and Willow wear the squeaky sneakers and I figure that Red is tucked up with her honey." Faith sat up.

"She is." Dawn shrugged a little and stopped at the foot of the bed.

"You all right?" She noticed the nervous way Dawn was looking around. "I know the other night was scary but we got it sorted."

"I'm okay." Dawn shrugged again. "I came to see you." Dark eyes flicked up and down over Faith's body.

"Cool." Faith turned off her CD player. "You wanna watch a movie, I so cannot even think about sleep but all the other baby slayers are tucked up like sugar plums."

"Well they all have that I might be a slayer tomorrow dream going on I bet." Dawn shrugged again her hands moving to play with the wide belt tied round the waist of the long coat.

"Come on didn't I kick your ass enough at Playstation already?" Faith teased pulling on the first leg of her jogging pants to cover up her boxer shorts.

"I didn't come to play Playstation." Dawn shook her head again and then shrugged the heavy coat off one of her shoulders revealing creamy bare flesh.

"Then what did you want too..." Faith looked up in time to see the coat sliding away and in shock she ungracefully tried to stand tangling her foot in the leg of her pants and pitched forwards landing with a thump on her side. "Dawn?" She instantly threw her arm out connecting with the canvass shoe and confirmed it wasn't the First. "Dawn?" Her eyes went wider.

Shrugging her other arm out of the coat the garment fell uselessly to the floor, leaving the teenager stood naked in front of the Slayer, all apart from her sneakers.

"Faith." She whispered back.

"Dawn where are your clothes?" Faith glanced at her and then looked away as she pushed up and pulled up her pants.

"Back at my house." Dawn said putting an arm around her waist, using her hand to cover between her legs, while trying to remain in a casual pose. "Why… why aren't you looking at me?" The teenager's voice wobbled slightly.

"Because... Because..." Faith's voice was shaky and uncertain as she moved to the dresser and quickly pulled out a large oversized button down. "Because Dawn... you're Dawn." She moved back over her eyes mostly closed but not looking anywhere but the teenager's face.

"Oh God, you hate me don't you." Dawn moved her other hand around her chest.

"Please..." She swung it around the younger girl's shoulders and began buttoning it up, fumbling with Dawn's hands to get them out of the way. "I don't Dawn. I really, really don't hate you." She shook her head trying to guide Dawn's arms through the sleeves. "Just, this is not what you want Dawnie." She shook her head her voice soft. She reached pack pulling another pair of joggers out and basically guided Dawn into them.

"You think I'm ugly and just a stupid little girl." Dawn let her herself be dressed and then instantly pulled away retreating to the stairwell her doe like eyes filling with tears.

"No, Dawn no." Faith shook her head following her. "I think you're a beautiful woman, hello I have never had anyone ever do that to me before. But you're Dawn." She tried to explain.

"I'm eighteen in two months, if any of us live two months." Dawn frowned.

"Yes, and Dawn you're going to live." Faith reached up and took her hand. "And you're going to totally knock the socks off some girl or boy who totally loves you and if I'm lucky I'll get to get all the details and gossip with you."

"But I love you." Dawn said bluntly.

"I love you too Dawn, but not in a hot sweaty cigarette after kinda way." Faith shook her head.

"Because I'm ugly." Dawn's head dropped as she backed up the bottom step.

"Please Dawn you are so not ugly, I don't fall out of bed for ugly women." Faith tipped her head slightly.

"Then why don't you want me?" Dawn frowned.

"Because... you're like my little Sister D." Faith tried to explain. "And I can't do this and risk hurting you. I can't." She backed away. "I've used a lot of people Dawn, a lot. I won't use you."

"But, I want you." Dawn stepped after her pressing herself tightly to Faith's body and holding her tight.

"Dawn... no." Faith griped her lightly and pushed her away.

"But..." Dawn wrapped her arms around the dark Slayer. "You might die."

"Dawn, no." Faith pushed her away and stepped back. "That doesn't matter, that doesn't matter at all, it sure as hell doesn't matter enough to hurt you."

"I hate you!" Dawn scrunched up her face and ran towards the stairs.

"Dawn, Dawn!" Faith screamed after her. "Dawn for fucksake I am doing my best here." She raced after her. "You don't want this." She grabbed Dawn and pressed her against the wall. "You think you do, you think this is all end of the world but it's not. I won't use you." She growled and then shoved back away.

"I just..." Dawn blinked tear filled eyes. "I didn't want you to be alone tonight." She took a breath. "I wanted to be with you. So you know you're not alone."

"Then Dawn watch a movie with me, play a video game, we can talk about cute girls or boys or the Smurfs or fuck anything but fucking." Faith sat down on the bed and lit a smoke her hands shaking. "Fucking's not all I am okay? That's not what makes me happy, shit even you think I'm a slut." She took a drag trying to calm the scary shake in her hands.

"No, no I don't." Dawn shook her head.

"Dawnie you thought the only way you could help me through this night was by having sex with me." Faith looked up at her. "You thought that was the only thing you could offer, oh fuck Dawn." She looked down seeing her hand shake more. "Don't you dare do that to you, ever, ever again. You are never just some fuck, some one night okay? You promise me that." She urged her voice hard.

"I promise." Dawn quickly agreed. "I'm sorry." She crossed back over and took Faith's shaking hand. "I promise." She said again.

"Never Dawn, okay? Do it because you love them or want them or can't live without them but do it 'cause you want to, not 'cause you think it's the only thing you have to give." Faith looked up into the teenager's dark eyes.

"I didn't..." Dawn frowned a little. "I didn't know what else to do." She admitted. "I wanted to hold you, be held by you, be with you."

"You're scared Dawn, hell so am I." Faith took a slow calming breath. "It's okay to be scared, but this…" She glanced between then. "You and I doing the nasty," She shook her head. "That's not okay." She underlined.

"I don't know what I want." Dawn felt her bottom lip tremble.

"Of course you don't Dawn. For fucksake you're seventeen and in the middle of shit you shouldn't even read about let alone live through." Faith outlined. "Now here's a deal, you keep your clothes on, I keep my clothes on, we stick a video in the VCR and curl up on the bed. Do we have a deal?" She looked at her managing to smile.

"Deal." Dawn said with a soft nod.

"Oh yes Willow, yessss." Tara arched high off the bed, her breast bouncing lightly from the pleasured motion of her climaxing body, panting hard as her orgasm rocked through her. With her hands stroking up and down her lover's thighs, Willow didn't release the pressure or the motion of her tongue and lips for a second, wanting Tara to feel every millimeter of the everlasting love and passion the two of them shared.

"Fuck me Buffy, God yes." Owl growled through gritted teeth as the two of them rocked the bed over and over into the wall. The blonde Slayer lay on top of the taller potential, Owl's long legs wrapped around her waist, her arms up around Buffy's back. One of the Slayer's hands was wrapped around a metal pole in the slatted headboard, the other between her and Piper's body. Both were completely naked and covered with a slick layer of glistening sweat as their motion continued and the tall potential's cries became little more than incoherent moans as she tumbled towards ecstasy.

"Sandra, really I never expected…I'm not sure I believe... that is… good heavens you are amazing." Giles kept his hand lightly on his lover's back as the other Watcher rolled carefully off him to lie close in beside him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"You talk to much Rupert." Sandra chuckled lightly, resting her hand on Giles' still irregularly rising and falling chest, she let her eyes drift close, and sleep claim her.

A screen of white snow flickered constantly but silently, providing the only light in the dim basement added a soft backdrop to the two fully clothed figures on the bed. Dawn's head resting on her own bent arm, tucked up close to Faith, who lay stretched out behind her, her arm reaching out behind the teenager's head, obviously having been running through the long brown hair that laid sprawled out over the pillows. Both looked peaceful, almost childlike in the softly stillness of the early morning.

Part 15

Buffy sat on her perch on the couch looking down to where Tara and Faith were lying on the floor of the living room. They'd had to rearrange the furniture in order to make enough room for them both. The two tall women were stretched out to their full height so that only the crowns of their heads were touching one another, Tara's feet pointing out towards the front door while Faith pointed towards the far corner of the room. Above them a glass hurricane lantern had been suspended from the ceiling, a bright flame from the candle inside echoing around in the glass.

She glanced across at the clock on the mantle noting that sometime in her recent watch they had slid by three hours since the two had begun the meditation.

The hours had been marked by slight changes but none of them seemed to indicate whether the meditation was going to work. At first Tara had been still while Faith had moved occasionally obviously getting uncomfortable in the prone position, but slowly as they crept towards the first hour mark even Faith had become a statue.

The minutes of the second hour slowly dimmed their breathing. The once visible rise and fall of their chests disappearing and even the slight skim of their eyes behind shut eyelids had stopped.

Now into hour three the pair had taken on a pallor color and the Slayer swore she could see a crack in Faith's lower lip where the soft skin had dried.

Buffy looked around at the chosen core members of the Scoobies that were present and of course Owl who was sitting next to her on the couch looking pensive.

"Well the instructions Tara left for us indicated that after three hours we should take Faith's pulse." From his place leaning on the wall near the stairs Giles glanced at Buffy.

"It's past three hours Giles." Willow chewed painfully on her lip, she sat in a place nearby Tara's leg but not touching the blonde.

"You should check if that's what she said." Buffy nodded.

"Well I suppose I should..." Giles moved a little reluctantly forward. "You could always..." He glanced at Buffy.

"Oh you're such a wimp." Buffy pushed up and moved over to Faith. As she rather slowly bent down she could feel all the eyes in the room on her. Trying to ignore them she lowered her hand down and pressed her fingers into Faith's throat. It took a couple of attempts before she felt the echo of a very soft heartbeat, she kept her fingers in place and waited counting off silently in her head to almost twenty before it sounded again.

"Her hearts beating really slow." She looked up at Giles as she moved her hand around hovering her palm over Faith's nose and mouth without touching it. "Still breathing." She held it there feeling a tiny exhale followed by another one after a long delay.

"Tara said she couldn't be exact as Faith's metabolism would be different, being a slayer." Giles said watching her every move.

The Watcher's words had barely dimmed from the air when Faith's arms went taunt at her sides as her body was stuck by a series of hard seizures that rocked every muscle in her body moving down from her throat and shoulders, through her torso and then into her legs and feet. For some reason despite the violent movements her facial expression didn't change and her head didn't break the physical connection she had with Tara, it was if the movement was routed there.

The change made Buffy jump back staring wildly at the contorting figure on the ground. She had to fight all her initial instinct to try and help.

"Did Tara mention this?" Buffy flashed her eyes to Giles then back to Faith as the Slayer's body arched up hard so that only her heels and shoulders were on the floor.

"Tara's bleeding." Willow squeaked suddenly pointing at the blonde's pale face where a line of red had trickled out of her nose, the lead of it rolling down her cheek into the collar of her shirt.

Giles looked down at the two small sheets of paper in his hand, looking over them almost desperately for any sign that this was normal and expected.

"What do we do? She said it would be like going to sleep this isn't sleep." Buffy felt the high tension in her voice punctuated as with a rattling breath Faith's body lowered back to the ground as a line of blood broke out of Tara's other nostril.

"What the fuck?" Owl's surprised voice barked out of her throat as she pushed up off the couch, her arms flashing out in front of her.

"What?" Buffy looked up at her lover. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Piper flexed the fingers of her right hand out hard, before clenching them into a tight fist. She repeated the procedure with her left hand as if it didn't belong to her.

"Giles?" Buffy looked at the Watcher. "Sandra?"

"I think we know who the next slayer is." Sandra looked over to Owl.

"What? Oh no now wait a minute." Piper backed up a little her legs making the couch push back towards the window.

"Piper?" Buffy looked at her in disbelief.

"I got a muscle cramp, I didn't just get activated." Owl looked back at her, shaking out her arms.

"Anya, check the other girls." Buffy looked back at the former demon that was in the archway to the kitchen, Anya nodded and slipped out.

"Right then Willow, over to you, bring them back." Giles nodded at the redhead seeming to silently agree with Sandra that the new Slayer had indeed been activated and the procedure could end.

"I'm glad this is over." Willow pushed up and leaned over them to pull the hood off the lamp. With a soft breath blew out the candle. "Faith." She bent down moving to fold the Slayer's arms into her body and pulling the nearby blanket over her. "Faith, wake up." She reached up rubbing her fingers in a circle over the base of her throat to stimulate the blood flow.

"Willow?" Buffy looked at her for updates as she paced one side of the room.

"Tara said it might take a moment, she's breathing better." Willow reached both hands up massaging at the base of her skull with the other. "Faith, come on... time to wake up." She encouraged her softly as she saw the Slayer's eyes start to skim behind her eyelids again.

"Wow now that was a wild trip." Faith's quiet voice breathed out.

"Glad to have you back." Willow smiled at her and then moved the dark Slayer sideways slightly to break the connection between them. She then crawled the short distance to her lover's side. "Tara, she's awake... come back now." She pulled a second blanket up over Tara pulling her arms in gently as well and reaching up she rubbed her thumb over Tara's lower lip.

"Willow?" Tara's voice was a broken whisper. She coughed a little as the blood from her nose slipped into her mouth.

"It's all fine, you did perfect." The redhead reached up wiping the blood away.

"Buffy..." Anya came back into the room. She waited until the Slayer caught her eye and then shook her head firmly before letting her gaze move over to Owl.

"Buffy we need to get Tara and Faith in to their beds." Giles folded up the notes in his hand. "Dawn the chicken soup can go on now." He added glancing at the teenager who nodded and slipped out to the kitchen.

"Piper, carry Tara up and I'll bring Faith over to her room." Buffy moved to the dark Slayer purposely being slow as she got her in a better carrying position.

"Ready?" With a brief nod Owl hurried to Tara's side.

"I have everything ready upstairs." Willow encouraged her as she tucked the blanket around Tara's body.

"Go on, I'm right behind you." Buffy nodded as she pushed towards the door. She didn't like the limp way Faith just laid there, letting herself be cradled and moved. Though it wasn't that she could blame the dark Slayer, after all she really had just died.

"Perfect, I got you Tara. Just hold on as tight as you can." Owl slipped one arm under Tara's body, the other supporting her head and back as she pushed up from the floor with almost no effort. The blonde flopped against her body heavily but was held in a safe cradle.

"We'll meet back here when they're settled." Buffy instructed everyone to stay as moved towards the door, knowing the dark Slayer was suffering when she didn't get any cheeky comments at all.

"Be careful with her." Dawn rushed down the hall to get the front door as her sister moved towards it. "Make sure you take her boots off."

"Hey, make sure Dawn brings my soup, don't just take me down to my basement and forget me." Faith joked lightly as the front door was opened but it wasn't until she was carried through that she was able to look over Buffy's shoulder and see that it was Dawn who had opened it.

"I won't forget your soup." Dawn assured her with a soft smile.

Buffy had settled Faith in for a long nap, and with Dawn and Zoë watching over her she had felt secure enough leaving the recently dead girl as she went back to the main house to find everyone but Willow and Tara in the living room.

"She's settled, how is Tara?" She questioned first seeing the silent way everyone waited for her to begin.

"Willow seems happy, the bleeding has stopped and she managed a spoonful or two of soup." Owl replied from her place perched on the arm of the couch. She looked obviously uneasy, one leg bounced on its toe creating a rhythmic tapping against the hardwood floor.

"Good then we can get down to business." Buffy walked over to the table and picked the staff up off the table. She held it for a moment before she stood squarely in front of her lover and threw it across to her. "Show me." She whispered.

Owl took a breath look between the staff in her hand and the Slayer who had thrown it to her. Up until now she had still been trying to deny what was going on and chalk up the sudden feeling in her arms and legs as a muscle cramp. But now that she had her fingers around the crafted weapon she couldn't deny what everyone already believed.

Taking a battle ready stance, Piper took an even spaced grip on the staff and gave it a short spin, before pushing it horizontally forward ready to block. As she did so, the ends of the staff extended doubling the staff's length to the point that an ornament on the mantle piece was knocked to the floor.

"That wasn't a cramp Piper." Buffy shook her head softly.

Turning the staff vertical Owl stood the staff next to her tapping the end lightly on the floor, only to have it snap back in its retracted state

"I'm a Slayer?" She whispered looking nowhere other than into Buffy's eyes.

"Concentrate Piper, you'll feel the difference, see it..." Buffy nodded slowly not breaking the look either. "Hear it, smell it."

The tall woman closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose, slowly on a silent count to five. Whatever she had been trying to deny before was overwhelmed as in a sudden rush she felt all of her senses attuning to so much at once that it was almost overwhelming.

"I think we need to talk to Owl." Giles broke the moment.

"What's there to say Giles?" Buffy looked at him not harshly but honestly. "She's the third slayer."

"There's things she needs to know." Sandra supported Giles. "Maybe you should take the potentials out and do some workouts."

"Piper?" Buffy didn't acknowledge their request until she got her lover's agreement.

"I think I want..." Owl took a breath her lip trembling a little before her control facade slammed into place. "If they need to talk to me, they need to talk to me."

Buffy stepped over to her reaching up and pressing her fingers to the new Slayer's temples. She held the pressure there for a second until she saw the hard mask slipping a little.

"You can do this." Buffy assured her in a soft whisper that she knew no one else could hear.

"Tell me nothings changed." Owl whispered before moving away, looking deep into hazel eyes.

"Only that you're not going to be worn out anymore." Buffy winked at her.

Smiling more, Owl tipped her head more up right almost proudly as the blonde's words solidified the strength inside her.

"Okay, let the pep talk begin." She walked over towards Giles and Sandra who moved with her into the dining room.

The eyes of all the remaining SIT's turned to Buffy waiting for their next instruction.

"Let's go do some crossbow work, I know I need to burn off some energy." She smiled at them all motioning to the back door.

Faith rolled her head to the other side of the pillow feeling most of the residual from the meditation had faded from her body while she had been asleep. She wasn't convinced instantly it was a good transition, as now she was left with the burning muscle cramps and the ache in her head and lungs. Tara had warned her though there would be physical backlash; after all they were fighting against the very make up of her survive at all costs Slayer body. When adding to that Faith's own raging spirit, that they had managed to get both of those factors to give into death for even a split second had been a steep accomplishment.

"Dawn?" She looked at the slim figure of the teenager in he chair nearby whose head was lulled to the side. It was obvious from her position that she'd been like it for a while; meaning Faith had been asleep for a long few hours.

"Faith." Dawn sat more upright blinking the tired feeling from her eyes.

"Hey D, you shouldn't sleep like that." Faith pushed up rubbing at her head. "So did it work?" She asked quietly as she glanced over to see Zoë was asleep on the couch across the room.

"Giles said you wouldn't be awake and alert yet, you shouldn't sit up." Dawn hurried over to the edge of the bed.

"I'm bad at taking orders." Faith gave her a lopsided grin. "So come on tell me, who was called?"

"You have to drink." Dawn picked up the sugared water Giles had prepared for the Slayer when she woke up.

"Dawn, who was called?" Faith looked at her seriously. "Please don't tell me it didn't work."

"It worked." Dawn eased down to knell on the floor still holding the glass out to her.

"So who?" Faith took the drink and sipped it. She had to admit that though it was sickly sweet, it was cold and it soothed her throat.

"Owl." Dawn looked up into dark eyes.

"Birdy?" Faith smiled. "Cool, Xander owes me twenty bucks."

"You made a bet?" Dawn squeaked surprised.

"Xander was shooting his mouth off about how it would be one of the really weedy girls but I knew it would be Owl." Faith nodded that she had indeed placed the wager. "So I bet him."

"What do you mean you knew?" Dawn questioned trying to understand how Faith could have been so sure.

"I don't know. Just... hey would your sister date a girl who wasn't something special?' Faith shrugged sipping more of the sweet mixture.

"I wish she wasn't." Dawn admitted as her shoulders sagged.

"Wish she wasn't what, dating a girl? I thought you were cool with that D." Faith frowned, she hadn't really expected Dawn to take that stance now.

"No I wish Owl wasn't a slayer." Dawn clarified sadly. "I don't mind that she's a girl at all."

"Dawn it's a good thing." Faith assured her. "I know what you're thinking another slayer means more danger but it also means someone who can take care of themselves and your sister."

"But Buffy needs someone normal." Dawn argued. "She doesn't need someone different, she doesn't need someone powerful that will make her make choices when the big bad comes to town leaving her alone. I bet this breaks them up."

"I don't know." Faith shrugged back. "This might make them happier."

"How could it possible do that?" Dawn shook her head not having any belief that it could. She had seen all of her sister's relationships fail because of duty and saving the world.

"Because being a slayer makes you different Dawn, it makes you separate from people. Having someone who really understands you, understands how you feel, I think that would be good for Buffy." Faith admitted the facts that she herself knew only too well.

"If she makes it through this." Dawn sighed sadly.

"How about I promise you to look after them both?" The dark Slayer reached out touching her arm.

"You need to look out for yourself." Dawn looked down at her arm, feeling the way weapon calloused fingertips pressed gently against her skin trying to offer comfort and security.

"I've done the dead thing now, it sucks." Faith smirked. "I'm not doing it again."

"Did it hurt?" Dawn asked her voice soft.

"You want the truth or the story I'm going to give everyone later when they ask?" The dark Slayer checked.

"The truth." Dawn underlined wanting more than anything to be here for Faith, support her as best as she could. Later on no one would push to understand how the meditation or dying had affected her but Dawn vowed she wouldn't be one of those oblivious people.

"It did, but it didn't. It was weird." Faith tried to explain but finding the words hard. "It was like having this ache that just wouldn't go away but then it drifted into the background and there was just panic, like you were falling off a cliff but you knew you weren't ever going to hit the bottom."

"How long did it take, I mean it took three hours our time, but was it that long for you?" Dawn asked more interested in keeping Faith talking then the actual details.

"It felt like it took days." Faith finished the drink and placed it on the side table. "Made all the time I spent in prison seem short."

"Do you want more?" Dawn looked at the glass.

"Is there more?" Faith questioned missing the cold feeling in her throat and mouth.

"I could make some, its just water with sugar." The teenager replied pushing up. "I could even make Kool-Aid so that it has some actual flavor." She smiled softly.

"Mmmmm go for it." She nodded. "Remember I love that nuclear green colored stuff."

"Faith..." Dawn picked up the glass and cradled it in both hands.

"Yeah?' She leaned back against the pillows.

"I... about last night." She frowned as she tried to find the right way to say what she wanted to say, find a way not to sound like a stupid little girl.

"That movie so sucked didn't it. Next time you don't get to pick." Faith winked at her trying to tell her it was okay.

"I'll get your drink." Dawn hurried to the stairs. "And I'll reheat your soup."

Buffy watched as the credits rolled across the screen in front of them, the block white letters on the black background continuing for a long few moments before it clicked off sending the room into a softer darkness. She hadn't really watched most of the bad comedy and she'd been glad when everyone else had made the move to bed and close their eyes on another crazy day.

"How are you?" She asked softly looking down at her lover who was stretched out on the floor, her back leaned against the couch.

"Still kinda getting to grips with it all." Owl admitted from her place on the floor.

"Did you want to train or practice? Get a feel for the new power." Buffy offered as she lay down and leaned over the edge to catch her eyes.

"Giles was going to talk to you about taking me on a solo patrol tomorrow." Owl blinked back at her. "What do you think?" She asked for her opinion on the idea.

"I think it's a good idea. You need to start figuring out and trusting what you can do, how you can react." Buffy was honest. "A few slays will help you relax."

"Relax when the world could end any day by killing a few vamps and demons?" Piper chuckled. "Now that sounds kinda like an oxymoron to me."

"Slayer downtime, like army intelligence." Buffy laughed lightly.

"Did you hear Kennedy's suggestion?" Owl stretched out her long legs and pushed up to sit on the couch with her lover.

"We are not continuing to kill slayers to make new ones." Buffy shook her head sitting up as well.

"Oh so you did hear it." The new Slayer laughed at the tone in Buffy's voice.

"I don't care how desperate she is to be activated. Faith only made it through because she's so unbelievably stubborn and because she had Tara helping her." The blonde Slayer shook her head. "Tara can't do that over and over."

"Willow wouldn't let her even if for some crazy reason she did agree." Owl reasoned honestly.

"I'm not letting you do it either." Buffy underlined the fact that was more important to her. "We've taken enough risks, and I think the staff prophecy must specify three for a reason. I'm guessing ten or eleven would throw off the whole thing."

"What happens now Buffy?" Owl looked at her lover asking the question that had been playing on her mind all night. "There's three slayers, but in reality we're no nearer to have a clue about what happens next."

"We keep researching this three is one thing." Buffy shrugged. "We keep fighting."

"There's more to the puzzle isn't there." Owl reached her arms up over her head and stretched. She couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility now that she should be having some great ideas that would blow open a path for them to take.

"I think so. There's something we're not getting, a piece to the puzzle. The staff, three Slayer's, how we use that to kill the First." Buffy watched her. "You don't move any different." She whispered with a soft smile. "Still sexy."

"Really?" Owl smiled too. "Funny 'cause I feel different." She stretched again with a little wiggle.

"How?" Buffy questioned curious. She'd been the slayer so long now she couldn't remember feeling anything else. She couldn't even remember what being normal felt like.

"I feel like I could run forever and then some, like I could face any demon in Hell and stand an even chance of kicking its ass." Piper summed up feeling the power coursing through her arms and legs.

"You can run forever and fight anything that you believe you can fight, not only fight but win." Buffy pushed up to stand. "You can break down walls, you can jump higher, move faster, react quicker than you ever imagined."

"And I can smell you." She winked at the blonde.

"As for the whole me thing is that new?" She smiled finally.

"From the kitchen when you're in the front room, oh yeah that's new." Piper laughed as she stood up.

"Are you hungry?" Buffy asked not even explaining away the double meaning.

"Starving." Piper nodded giving her a quick look up and down.

"Come on then, I'll make you something to eat." Buffy smiled and reached for her lover's hand pulling her toward the kitchen.

It is amazing how even in the midst of what could be called chaos, people manage to find the ability to rest, be that on their own, clutching a favourite stuffed toy or curled up with a loved one. However, sleep still manages to claim them, even if only a part of their consciousness is cloaked by sleeps light veil. It is also amazing how easily in many cases that veil is ripped away and for every Slayer, Watcher, Witch, Potential within the Summers' compound that veil was ripped away when the warning sirens began to blare and lights flashed in the only three houses in the whole of Sunnydale that were still occupied.

"Piper, grab a weapon check the girls, I'll head downstairs." Buffy threw back the light sheet covering her and her lover. She had her pants and a top pulled on in record time, pushing her bare feet into boots she picked up the staff and ran out of the bedroom without another word of instruction.

Slightly more disorientated than her lover, the new Slayer rummaged around a little finding a broadsword by the side of the bed to use as a weapon. She put it down again as she pulled on a pair of shorts and a strap top before she was fit to run barefoot towards Willow and Tara's bedroom.

The redheaded witch was up and ready near the door with a cross bow, where as the blonde was blinking blearily in the bed, looking rather worse for wear.

"Stay here, keep the door closed and look after Tara." Owl smiled as she gave the instruction.

"But…" Willow began to argue.

"No buts Willow, I'm a slayer too now remember. If they get past me to your door then you'll know its time to fight." Owl slipped out and closed the door, glancing down the short hall she grabbed a small decorative table and dragged it in front of the door creating one more obstacle the intruders would have to get past to reach the witches.

The sound of heavy fighting nearly distracted Piper enough to run down and join in but Buffy had been clear in her instructions. Instead she ran down and into Anya and Dawn's room to find Xander and Anya inside by the bed armed and trying to look ready to fight. Finding the two of them together came as a little surprise, but the newest slayer didn't let it bother her for a second.

"Stay here." Piper instructed smiling at their readiness. "Keep the door closed and wait till they reach you, which I'm hoping they don't do." She smiled bravely.

"I can help." Xander stepped forward.

"I know you can." Owl met his concerned look. "And you will if and when they get this far. I'll send Andrew up to you okay, let him in but that's all."

"Whatever you like, you are the slayer, well one of the three after all." Anya nodded from behind her axe.

"Thank you." Owl pulled the door closed again and ran for the stairs.

By the time Piper reached the ground floor Andrew was already nowhere in sight, one thing she was glad for was the nerd's unbelievable ability to avoid danger. There were three Bringer corpses on the hallway floor, more or less directly in front of the semi broken doorway and Buffy was busy cutting through another two as she swung the staff in a large arc but there still seemed to be sea of them ready to fill the dead places.

'No, there's not a sea of them just five more, five down five to go.' Gathering her distracted sense Owl focused. 'Buffy's halved the fighting force already.'

Letting out a loud attack call Piper jumped down behind two that were trying to box the blonde Slayer in. Spinning in surprise they were further dumbfounded when both landed on their backs stunned from her sweeping blow.

"I need to check next door." She panted at Owl, trusting that the upstairs was secure. "The SIT's with Giles and Sandra aren't as protected as we are." She made a run for the door.

"I got here, when it's safe I'll join you." Piper called as she beheaded her first Bringer, the almost soft way the blade cut through his body leaving her to compensate for the extreme power that she'd put into the swipe.

"No," Buffy paused. "When you have here secure go to Faith, she died yesterday remember."

"Right, I'll go to Faith." Piper agreed seeing the logic instantly, though her heart spoke out against leaving her lover alone.

"Take care." Buffy whispered as she ran out of the door.

"Dawn, please don't argue!" Faith rubbed at her aching temple as she ran up the short flight of stairs leading from the basement to the main floor. "Just lock the door after me and block it, nothing can get down here without breaking that down." She looked at the teenager. "Please Dawn." She glanced over to where Zoë was looking both ready to fight but also nervously pensive. "Buffy will kick my ass harder than those Bringers if I get you hurt." She smiled. "And you know how I worry about your sister."

"Okay." Dawn agreed despite herself.

"Thanks." Faith gave her a wide smile and pulled open the door to the blaring noise and lights. She carefully secured it behind her and was glad to hear either Dawn or Zoë moving something in behind it. For a second the house was relatively still and then the glass in the front window shattered and singled the start of the second wave.

"Come and get some." Faith twirled her sword and raced towards the noise.

"Buffy!" Spike ran head long towards the Slayer as she slipped from her house towards the Watcher's house next door. "I managed to take down a couple but there's so many of them." He panted running with her to the broken in door of the house.

"GILES! SANDRA!" Buffy gave Spike a nod that his efforts were appreciated as she ran in. Both Watchers were in the living room brandishing weapons, struggling against the mass of Bringers that swarmed into the house.

"Buffy, most of them headed upstairs." Giles called as he dug his axe into a Bringer's body. "Go help the girls."

"Spike, help them." She called back at him jumping up the stairs. She could hear screaming from above and it made her cut down a Bringer in her path as she anxiously moved towards her goal.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." A small mouse brown haired SIT backed up along the upper landing, her hands trembling as they gripped and re-gripped the overly large sword in her hand.

"ALICE!" Faith glanced up over her shoulder from the middle of her attack on three Bringers. "For fucksake Alice use it don't just hold it." She ducked as one of her attackers brought its large dagger around aiming at her shoulder.

From behind the Bringer advancing on the small SIT a bedroom door opened. Two dark haired SIT's rushed out and rugby tackled the Bringer slamming it down and purely by luck forced it to land on its own dagger. Jumping up the pair slapped palms and grinned. The victory smile vanished off one of their faces when a Bringer dagger slammed into the back of her calf.

"FLICK!" Beatrix screeched dropping down and cradling the fallen SIT. "You bastard!" She screamed scrambling back up to her feet and charging at the Bringer responsible, while Alice attempted to man handle the injured potential into her room.

On the ground floor Faith had hacked her way messily through three Bringers, but her body felt sluggish and slightly unresponsive. Both those facts were underlined to her when she was jumped from behind and sent sprawling to the ground, her sword spinning out of her hand across the floor.

With a patter of light footfalls the sword was picked up by an incredibly young looking SIT that Faith, as she glanced up, recognized as Georgia. Bravely she swung at the Bringer on top of Faith, catching it lightly on the shoulder and throwing it off balance just enough to distract it from Faith allowing the Slayer to flip up, spin and kick it fully away.

"Thanks George." Faith grinned and wiped her bleeding lip.

"My pleasure." Georgia smiled and handed over Faith's sword.

The Slayer hadn't hardly gripped the weapon when the young SIT's body was literally flicked up and thrown backwards by a backhand from a Bringer. The small girl slammed into the glass cabinet beside the main window, her broken form dropping hard onto the carpet below.

"You fucking son of a bitch." Faith screamed beheading it in one easy sweep.

The body of another Bringer was suddenly thrown through the front door to crash onto the bottom steps, followed moments later by Piper, who landed on its chest, stabbing it directly through the heart.

"I figured you might need a hand." She wiped her dirty sweaty forehead and threw a smile at Faith.

"Behind you Birdy." Faith called just as one of Owl's legs was pulled out from behind, smacking her jaw on a step. Without even flinching the newest Slayer kicked back with her other leg catching her attack in the shoulder and pushing him back, buying her the time to scramble up and leap down to attack again.

Bizarrely enough, in less than thirty minutes it was all over. There were at least thirty Bringers dead, being piled in a heap on the sidewalk outside the house by Spike and Owl, who were managing to do so without even looking at each other let alone communicating.

Everyone else had regrouped in the Summers house, for a census and a general check to see how everyone had faired. There were five main casualties.

The dagger that had laced into Felicity's calf had created a deep and painful wound, and Giles was busy stitching her up, making concerned noises about possible muscle and ligament damage. Beatrix, her partner in crime as it were, had received a nasty gash to her mid-rift while on her revenge rampage, but Sandra pronounced that a flesh wound that just needed stitching and bandaging.

The two Watchers and Kennedy had done a good job at keeping everyone relatively unharmed in the second house. Jo, one of the new SIT's had a gash in her upper arm, and Kennedy was bleeding from a cut in her eyebrow and was sporting what would be a nice black eye.

The worst to fair was Georgia, she definitely had a dislocated shoulder and a few broken ribs, not to mention various lacerations from the broken glass. Zoë and Tara had moved her up to the witches' room and had made her more comfortable, and were doing what they could to help her.

"Hey we didn't loose anyone." Xander said cheerily as she handed out glasses of juice. "Good guys thirty, bad guys nil." He looked around smiling.

"Yeah you're right." Faith dabbed at her annoyingly bleeding lip. "The security systems worked good and hey everyone did do great." She ran her hands through her messy hair.

"It's going to take me a while to get the security system back online, they broke most of the trip wires." Willow scowled at the read out her laptop gave her over the security grid. "But I most of the basic coverage restored now on the inside." She pressed a button and a soft green light flickered on and off under the main security panel.

"I doubt they'll attack again." Sandra shook her head as she gave Chia the once over. "Thirty is quite a heavy loss, I think we might just have given the First something to think about."

"Yeah maybe." Buffy didn't seem wholly convinced.

"Come on B, we did great." Faith glanced at the blonde Slayer and then at the roomful of potentials, knowing they needed something positive from everyone they looked up to.

"Yes, we did." She straightened her back. "And with the basic security grid back in place, we should try to rest more."

"Before a hearty victory breakfast BBQ." Faith grinned slapping her hands together.

"Okay then." Buffy kept up with the positive up-tempo feel. "We're going to need a bit of a shift around so that we can look after anyone with injuries." She glanced around. "Tara mentioned keeping the wounded with her and Willow. So I recommend that Willow and Tara, Giles and Sandra, if you guys don't mind sharing the house here." She glanced at the Watchers who for some reasons avoided looking at each other but agreed. "With Flick, Beatie and Georgia. I thought you and Sandra could have the basement Giles, more room to you know avoid each other."

"We're adults Buffy, I'm sure we can get along just fine." Giles replied with a nod.

"Andrew you stay here too with the totem." Buffy nodded at the young man who retook his place on the couch. "Then Owl and I will move next door, where you are now Faith."

The dark haired Slayer arched an eyebrow but listened without comment for now.

"It's the biggest house and therefore would be best to have two slayers and the majority of the potentials. That way if we have another breech we'll have the strongest fighting force to meet them head on." Buffy explained her choice. "Alice and Donna, you two stay together with us there, Emily and Carmeal you too. Jo, if you think you're strong enough, you and Stacey I thought can move over to our house. Chia and Zoë can stay put depending on if Tara needs Zoë's help here." She looked to see Tara shake her head. "Then Faith if you have Kennedy, Vi, and Amanda along with Anya, Xander, and Dawn." She outlined checking the details were acceptable and that she hadn't missed anyone. "We can move belongings and things in the morning."

"Sounds fine." Faith shrugged. She understood the point of the new arrangements well enough not to argue. "Lets move it out new gang." She smiled and limped slightly on her way to the door.

It took almost as long as the battle had to get everyone into their new places and Spike back on routine nighttime patrol as everyone attempted to settle back down.

Buffy rubbed the face cloth over the spots of blood on her arms as she descended the staircase into the basement. She could see Owl for some insane reason was doing push ups against the short piled carpet. She was glad to see that after a quick shower and change of clothes her lover was looking less the bloody warrior and more like herself.

"Not tired?" She checked as she moved over and sat on the low bed.

"Not particularly, but I can go do these in the kitchen if you are." Owl pushed up and flexed her arms backward.

"Do you want to get away from me?" Buffy asked not quite reading the other woman's tone right she was sure but she bit down the instant defensive desire to just turn and go to bed without a comment.

"No." Piper shook her head and crossed over to Buffy. "God no!" She added breathing in a little as she drew closer. "I just meant if you're tired and need to rest then I don't want to interrupt you. I'm kinda buzzed that's all."

"Are you?" Buffy felt her own skin tingle as the tall woman walked closer. She felt herself breathe in almost feeling how hot her body was now compared to the air. She stood up and walked across the room, draping the face cloth over the edge of the laundry basket.

"Yeah, like I drank way too much coke and am zipping around on a caffeine and sugar high." Owl followed and reached her hand up to draw it over Buffy's shoulder, feeling her stomach tighten as she did so as a bolt of desire flared through her.

"Not sugar, it's something else." Buffy felt her body shiver at the touch and she swallowed hard.

"Oh." Piper moved closer still and pressed her lips onto Buffy's bare upper arm. "Like what?"

"Like..." Buffy groaned where Piper touched her, the feeling that her stomach had sunk completely out of her body made her arch slightly. "You're a slayer now."

"You mean the fact that I'm a slayer is going to make me feel a little like I'm tripping all the time?" Owl chuckled as she wound an arm around Buffy's waist. "That's gonna take some getting used to." She kissed Buffy's arm again.

"No, just after you slay." Buffy pulled in another gasp of air, she didn't know what it was but the feeling of it was vaguely familiar. It reminded her of when she used to dance with Faith at the Bronze before everything had gone sour between them, the electricity that seemed to build in the air when they tried to burn off energy after patrol. But with Piper it was that electric feeling to the infinity power, it was like shards of lightening was gapping between them trying to pull them closer together. "Faith calls it the HH factor."

"The HH factor?" Piper moaned rather than spoke as she drew her kisses up towards Buffy's neck.

"You..." Buffy tipped her head back unable to resist as the new Slayer's lips left a fiery line on her skin. "Slay and then you get hungry and…" She groaned again as Piper reached her earlobe. "Horny." She breathed out hotly.

"Oh I see." Piper pulled her lips back a little. "And do you not agree with Faith on this?" She asked making a conscious effort not to touch the other woman erotically.

"Yes." Buffy reached up grabbing Piper by the collar and pulled her closer again. "But don't ever tell her that." She pressed her open mouth to the new Slayer's kissing her deeply.

"Mmmmm Baby." Owl rested both of her hands on Buffy's hips and hoisted her powerfully up off her feet, groaning when Buffy wrapped her legs around her body. Supporting her lover's body weight easily Owl made the short distance from where they stood to the nearest wall. Pressing Buffy's back against it Piper leaned her head in and began licking, nipping and sucking her neck.

"God you feel so good." Buffy pressed her shoulders against the wall pushing out with her hips against Owl. It felt so good to not have to try and control the strength of the squeeze she had around Owl's body. She pulled at her lover's shirt trying to get it up and off her body.

"You too." Owl struggled trying to help Buffy for a moment before with an annoyed growl she just pulled the shirt free of her body, tossing it behind her on the floor. Piper pushed back with her hips rolling them into Buffy's body. "And mmmmm whose been holding back on me? You've got a grip to die for." Shifting her hands Piper pushed hotly up and down Buffy's thighs, pushing her hands up under the material of the sleep shorts Buffy had changed into.

"I didn't want to hurt you before." Buffy used a moment of leverage to pull off her own shirt as her body ground down into Piper's waist and hands.

"Now you won't." Piper licked across Buffy throat. "Now you can let me feel exactly who Buffy Summers is." She moaned as the idea excited her more.

"You want to feel that?" Buffy knew that she had intended to ask but it came out more of a husky challenge.

"I need to feel it." Piper growled back. "I need to feel you."

"I need to feel you too." Buffy growled back.

"Are you sure?" Owl continued to restrain herself somewhat.

"Piper everything you feel I feel." Buffy massaged her hands into her lover's strong shoulders. "Every touch is electric and I need more."

"Oh God what is it about when you say that, when you talk to me." Owl growled. "Your voice speaks right into me, deep inside."

"Exactly." Buffy encouraged her by arching her hips again. "We're the same now Piper, same feelings, same senses."

"Same strengths, same passion." Owl recaptured Buffy's lips. Buffy kissed her back, slipping her tongue into the other woman's warm mouth. "Oh God Buffy." Piper growled again, pushing her hands up inside Buffy's shorts to grip her ass tightly. She pulled her lover's hips forward so that Buffy's back had to brace harder against the wall.

"Bed." Buffy groaned her muscles flexing into Piper's hands.

"Yes." Piper pulled back off the wall carrying Buffy safely with her. She dropped lightly onto her knees as she laid Buffy down on her back.

"Clothes off." Buffy instructed quickly pushing at her own shorts. Owl backed completely off and stripped out of her hot sweaty gear. Standing naked at the side of the bed she was breathing harder as she watched Buffy finish peeling off her own clothes. "I want you." She growled leaning up to her, pulling her closer and kissing across Piper's stomach.

Piper arched her body, tipping her head back and ran her fingers through Buffy's hair as lips touched her hot skin. Buffy swirled her tongue around Piper's bellybutton, dipping it in slightly every so often.

"Oh yesss." Piper moaned in encouragement and pleasure.

Buffy snaked her hands around, cupping the backs of the tall woman's thighs, her fingers pressing in and she kissed over the arch of her hip.

"God Buffy." Owl let her hips flare forward, her thighs tensing.

Kissing down towards the apex of her lover's legs, Buffy urged her to step up and kneel on the bed as she began lowering to the mattress. Piper moved as the blonde urged her, dropping heavily onto her knees but keeping her back straight. Buffy kept moving down urging Piper to shuffle forward with her until she had her just where she wanted her. When in the right spot Buffy just had to lift the short distance off the mattress and press her tongue between her lover's hot wet lips. Owl shifted her hands up and pressed her palms against the wall to brace in place as she let the other Slayer's actions turn her on even more.

"That's it." Buffy felt the tall woman above her brace her weight and gripping her arms around Piper's thighs she pressed in deeper. From the bottom angle she had to search for a moment before the tip of her tongue slid over the new Slayer's rock hard clit.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Owl slapped her hand on the wall hard cracking the plaster a little. "Oh crap." She panted seeing the damage.

"It's okay, just be careful." Buffy smiled up at her before she pushed her mouth back into place swirling her tongue again inside.

"Noted." Piper leaned her forehead against the wall and let her breathing come in fast short gasps. Buffy closed her lips sucking harder on the flesh she teased. "I... I need to touch you baby." Piper's eyes briefly closed as she felt a flood wash through her.

"Then move." Buffy pulled her head back resting on the mattress as she panted. "And touch me."

"How about..." Owl carefully shifted so that her hips still straddled the other woman's head but her own head rested just over Buffy's stomach. She pressed down the short distance to brand the taunt muscles with a kiss. "This."

"Mmmmm." Buffy arched up into the kiss.

"Okay for you?" Owl checked kissing down over Buffy's taut abs with wet lips.

"Yes." Buffy groaned as she pulled Owl's hips down and licked up through her body again.

Piper continued to kiss downwards slowly changing her kissing to licking as she traced over trimmed blonde hairs. Buffy arched up more wanting Piper's mouth were hers was. She felt her lover getting wetter as her hips started to rock against the motion of her tongue.

Unable to resist the heavy musky scent rising from Buffy's arousal any longer Piper let her tongue glide down between hot wet lips. The touch made the blonde's lips lose their place for a moment as she let a loud moan shiver into Owl's body.

Piper moaned back in an instant reaction, letting her lips vibrate against Buffy's heat in return, her hips flaring down. Buffy groaned but this time but she used the flare of passion as she pressed her tongue into tight inner lips.

"Oh fuck." Piper breathed out, her hot breath spilling over Buffy's clit and wet opening, while her own tight inner muscles desperately tried to lock onto Buffy's tongue.

In a feedback loop, Buffy made almost the same noise as she pressed in and out.

Eager to taste more, Owl let her tongue take up the rhythm Buffy's had already set, the first press sending a bolt of desire flaring through her body to the point she had to fight not to climax instantly. Buffy had the same fight, as the sudden new sensation made her hips flare up to Piper's mouth. Instantly sucking harder Piper slid her hands down over Buffy's silky soft thighs.

"Oh God." Buffy moaned as her hips jumped, her thighs tensing and she sucked down on the hard nub of flesh in front of her again.

Unable to stop it this time Piper let the heavenly feeling of release flood over her, her hips bucking and bouncing down to Buffy's tongue. The feeling of Owl's body rolling and spasming was all that Buffy needed to be pushed over herself, her hips arching up as her body quivered and bucked with the overwhelming sensation.

Gasping to try and breathe while licking and sucking all Buffy had to offer, Owl was amazed when her own level of arousal didn't drop with her orgasm, but instead continued to throb and grow inside her.

"Flip around." Buffy urged her with a groan as she released the hard grip she ha on Piper's legs. The tall woman did exactly that at her lover's bidding, eager to experience more. "Mmmmm." Buffy leaned and kissed her desperate to taste the mingling in their mouths.

Piper slid her tongue everywhere she could in and around Buffy's mouth, almost intoxicated by the taste, smell and heat flaring between them. Buffy matched her intense exploration wanting to taste and devour just as much.

Unable to keep the exploring limited to her mouth and tongue, Owl slid her hands onto Buffy's gently curved hips, running hot fingers up and down smooth skin. A moan met her back as Buffy's hand came up pressing into her right breast and began kneading it.

"Tell me." Owl pulled her head back briefly. "Tell me we don't have to stop this until morning." She gripped Buffy's hip and sliding her hand down she guided one of the blonde Slayer's legs up to slide over her own.

"We don't have to stop." Buffy hooked her leg over Piper's butt.

"Oh thank God." Piper groaned pressing her body to Buffy's.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere." Buffy used the moment to push Owl back onto the mattress, her body coming instantly to straddle her lover before she leaned down pressing into another hot kiss.

Sandra knocked on the door of the big house, knowing it was somewhat silly but not able to shake her formal nature. After all they were all now family of sorts, pushed together by the horror of the situation they were currently in, the 'us against them' attitude making fast friends and allies. She was broke out of her thoughts when Jo pulled open the door, the SIT was obviously only half awake as she blinked at the Watcher.

"Good morning Jo." Sandra smiled at the young SIT. "I was wondering if perhaps Piper and Buffy were up."

"Well it is kinda early, I'm only up to get painkillers." She backed up a little and glanced at her watch to confirm it was indeed just shy of seven am. "But you can check."

"It's important that I speak with Piper." She nodded and moved inside. "How are you feeling? I can change the bandage if you like."

"It's pretty quiet, I think people are lying in with all the activity in the night." Jo reached up and put her hand over the gaze on her arm. "Naw, it's okay. I just wanted some Tylenol."

"I can imagine everyone is glad for a few quite moments, it was a difficult evening." She gave her an encouraging smile. "Do you want me to get you painkillers and something to drink?"

"No, it's fine I should get you something." Jo woke up a bit more and realized her mother would kill her for not being a better hostess.

"No Jo I'm fine take care of yourself, I'll check to see if Owl is up or leave her a note." Sandra assured her and moved to the basement door knocking on it.

"Buffy?" Piper opened one eye and looked up from her place on the floor, the sheet from the bed tangled around her legs and her blonde lover sprawled over her chest.

"Tired." Buffy grumbled not moving an inch.

"I think someone knocked on the door." Piper looked around a little more trying to work out where in the room she was exactly as the knock sounded again. "Definitely the door." She rubbed her eyes. "Who's there?" She called trying to free her legs and move Buffy.

"It's Sandra, Owl I need to speak with you. I'm sorry to wake you." The voice called down.

"Tell them to go away." Buffy rolled over.

"I'd better not. Don't you move a muscle, I'll bring you breakfast in bed as soon as I've dealt with the female Giles." Piper managed to excavate herself to stand up. "You rock my world Buffy." She said as she felt a warm ache spread through her as she straightened out her legs and back.

"Mmmmm rock... yeah the floor is hard." Buffy grumbled still asleep.

"Okay hint taken." Owl leaned down and picked up the sleeping Slayer, laying her lightly on the bed, trying her best to cover her with the tangled and slightly ripped sheet.

"Mmmmm." Buffy snuggled down immediately.

Piper placed a kiss on Buffy's cheek before moving gingerly to scramble into her discarded clothes and up the stairs to the main floor.

"Good Morning." Sandra stepped back when the door opened.

"Barely." Owl slipped out of the door and eased it closed behind her.

"Yes, sorry." Sandra apologized again. "It was just I was up early and I came across something I wanted to discuss with you rather urgently."

"Discuss away, sit-down." Owl led her through to the large kitchen and urged her to take a place at the brunch table in one corner.

"Well, I was doing some research last night and I found this." She sat down and slipped a torn shred of paper over the table to the new slayer.

"Found it where?" She picked it up but long before it reached her vision she knew the answer. She could smell the faint trace of familiar perfume on the pale yellow paper and recognized the trademark brown ink that Shanti always used.

"Shanti's journal." The Watcher confirmed. "It was tucked in the back where the cover sheet had lifted a little from the back cardboard." She explained. "The underlines seem to suggest it's important. I was wondering if it meant anything to you."

Piper looked down at the briefly written note. Indeed the small scrap of paper had only one word and a series of three small numbers on it, though they were underlined in five bold strokes.

"Father 114?" She read it softly to herself and found that it didn't spark any meaning inside her other than to remind her that she had lost the person responsible for writing it. "No clue, sorry." She frowned and pushed it away a little.

"Please at least think about it, maybe something will come to you." Sandra encouraged.

"Okay I will, but Shanti's father's dead." Piper shook her head. "Perhaps it's the number of his burial plot or something."

"Would she keep something like that tucked away?" Sandra asked honestly.

"I wouldn't have said so, no." Owl admitted easily.

"I was thinking perhaps it was another code." The Watcher urged. "That she would expect you to understand, to piece together. As you said her father is dead, but it could be something else to do with him, or yours or something else related to the number."

"I've never seen the number before, it's not something I know." Piper shook her head. "114, perhaps its a page number reference, was there more than 114 pages in the almanac?"

"No, the almanac only has 87." Sandra shook her head. "The number is probably a marker and the key has to be the word father."

"I'll think about it." Owl gave another shrug, to be honest she didn't want to think about this right now. She didn't want to think about how Shanti wasn't here, wasn't able to just explain herself what the reference was. All she wanted to do was make Buffy breakfast and crawl back downstairs to be with the blonde Slayer a few more hours before the world required so much from both of them.

"Thank you." Sandra nodded. "I'll leave you with that then. Giles and I were hoping to get all the healthy girls out for some practice before lunch. Perhaps you could let Buffy know."

"As its pre breakfast still I'm sure Buffy will be more than willing by lunch time." Piper pointed out again subtly that it was before seven.

"Piper, I understand that this might not be a conversation you are prepared to have which is why I wanted to have it with you personally without Mr. Giles." Sandra began somewhat ignoring the subtle hint. "But as the new Slayer, on top of the other things we've discussed already, there is a need to underline that if you need anything, any form of support, that you can come to either of us. I don't consider my role as a watcher to be a job or an occupation, it is my duty."

"Thank you Ms. Webster." Piper smiled tightly.

"I understand that you've had significant trouble in the past with the Council, I want to assure you that I never agreed with what was done." She pushed up nodding. "I'll leave you for breakfast."

"Ms. Webster." Owl watched her moving but didn't stand, even when the older woman stopped at the back door. "You and your Council left Shanti to die because of petty ignorance, I wasn't the slayer then, I couldn't stop you, but that's changed now. I won't let you hurt the people I love again." She looked at the Watcher with dark eyes.

"You are going to make a fine slayer Piper, of that I have no doubt." Sandra nodded that she understood.

"And I am sure you are a competent watcher Sandra." She returned the compliment with a nod of her own.

"I'll see you at the training." Sandra smiled and moved through the door outside.

Owl wasn't surprised to find that Buffy hadn't done anything accept sprawl out further over the bed while she had been upstairs. The sleepy Slayer didn't even seem to notice her footsteps as she descended the stairs, or here the rattle as the cutlery dance a little around the tray she carried bouncing off juice glasses and plates.

"Here you go baby." Piper carefully laid it on the side table hoping to rouse her lover.

"Huh?" Buffy opened one eye and took a deep breath. "Mmmmm smells good."

"You have, bacon, hash browns, eggs, toast, fruit juice and fresh coffee." Piper gave her a run down of the contents of the tray as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Mmmmm you're a God." Buffy pushed up yawning slightly.

"No I'm a slayer, but close." Piper grinned and leaned in to steal a kiss from the still half asleep blonde.

"How did I get up here?" Buffy questioned patting the mattress.

"I carried you." Piper replied smiling. "The floor was too hard for you."

"Thank you." Buffy blushed tucking the sheet around her as she reached for some juice. "I'm sorry I don't remember you doing that, I must have really been asleep."

"You were, we both were kind of, well exhausted." Piper smirked.

"We were." She nodded. "Are you hungry?" She picked up a hash brown and started munching, the idea that food was on its way instantly settled the hollow feeling in her stomach.

"I kinda munched when I was cooking." Piper admitted her own weakness. The smell as she'd started cooking had convinced her own empty stomach now rather than later was the time to eat. "But I like watching you." She sunk down onto the bed to rest on her back.

"I'm starved." Buffy picked up the fork and her plate starting to eat more voraciously now that she knew it was all for her.

"God you're even sexy when you eat." Piper licked her lips.

"You're biased." Buffy laughed and looked down at her lover.

"I'm not sure about biased, but I'm sure as hell still horny, I thought it was just a post slayage thing." Piper shifted a little in her place.

"Piper!" Buffy squeaked and blushed.

"Sorry." The taller woman pushed off the bed and was up standing halfway across the room in a matter of seconds.

"Where are you going?" Buffy questioned immediately.

"I thought I'd take a shower while you were munching and take the opportunity to cool off." She filled in her hasty plan.

"Why would you want to cool off?" The blonde Slayer frowned.

"So I don't make you squeak and blush again." Piper explained her reason.

"Piper, I was just... why are you always pulling back from me?" She was about to explain and then decided on the more serious question.

"What do you mean?" The taller woman asked frowning.

"I squeak, which I don't do by the way, because you say horny at eight o'clock in the morning out of the blue and you're off taking a cold shower. Last night you were going to go upstairs and do push-ups in the kitchen rather than doing what we did all night." Buffy explained her motivation for the question.

"Because I don't want to be demanding." Piper explained her reason easily. "I don't want you to feel that I'm someone, something that always wants something from you, because it's not like that." She shook her head. "I don't want you to think I'm using you."

"Maybe I don't think it's demanding, maybe I think it's you well... wanting me." Buffy put down her plate. "I mean I didn't squeak 'cause I wasn't thinking the same thing, I squeaked 'cause you know as Faith says I can be a tight ass stuck up."

"You're not, you're just more proper than her or I." Piper smiled softly and moved back to the bed.

"Nice way of putting it." Buffy smiled back. "Piper, if I don't want to do something I'll tell you okay? But don't assume I don't." She added softly.

"Sounds good to me." Piper reached out and took Buffy's hand.

"And I don't think you're using me." Buffy underlined squeezing her lover's hand.

"I'm not." Owl gave a firm headshake. "If you told me last night was the last time you wanted to touch me, then I'd accept it." She pointed out the truth. It would kill her of course to never be able to enjoy this intimacy with Buffy, to have this wonderful feeling with her but if it was what the blonde wanted she would never be able to refuse her.

"With protest?" Buffy looked at her.

"Well yes, I mean giving up making hot rampant love to the sexiest slayer in the world without a fight?" Piper shook her head.

"I was worried for a second." The blonde teased picking up her plate again.

"So should I get that shower, I could nip back to the main house, pick up some clothes." Piper offered.

"If you want to leave, I'll just have to lay here on my own." Buffy finished her juice laying back.

"I don't want to leave." Piper shook her head.

"Then don't." Buffy suggest gently. "You still hungry?" She held up a mouth full of bacon for her.

"Mmmmm no, no you eat." Piper relaxed onto the bed lying along side Buffy to watch her continue eating. "So come on." She got comfortable "I want details about you, you know morning after chat." She winked. "Now that I'm a Slayer too."

"What kinda details?" Buffy took a piece of toast.

"Anything you think I should know." The taller woman beamed.

"Apparently you make me comfortable so I don't wake up and do make me babble in my sleep." The blonde Slayer laughed at herself.

"You also drool and you have this habit of squeezing." Piper replied.

"Squeezing what?" Buffy looked at her worried. Piper glanced down at her chest with an arched eyebrow. "I told Willow we should start an "I'm a breast girl" club." Buffy blushed though she tried to act confident.

"Well with Tara it'd be a crime not to be a breast girl don't you think?" Piper chuckled.

"Oh checking out Tara's breasts are you?" Buffy looked at her in mock horror. "Trying to make me feel inadequate." She looked down at her significantly smaller breasts.

"No!" Piper shook her head.

"No I understand, you're going to suggest I get implants soon." Buffy put a hand up to her forehead making her lover laugh hard at the melodramatic pose.

"Baby." She shook her head. "I'm in the ass club." She winked.

"You want me to get butt implants?" Buffy pouted.

"No, these buns are great." Piper laughed again and playfully rolled Buffy over and slapped her bare ass cheek.

"Hey missy." Buffy laughed as the smack reverberated through the room. "You should move the tray honey." Her voice changed with the more serious comment.

"Oh yeah." Piper released the other woman and picked up the tray putting it down on the floor. Buffy stayed on her stomach and turned watching her. "All safe." Piper settled back on the bed.

"Now back to this thing about my butt.' Buffy smiled.

"U-huh." Piper reached out and traced around the exposed cheeks.

"So that's your generally favourite body part?" Buffy asked folding her arms under her head relaxing as warm fingers traced over her skin.

"Yes, that and legs." Piper let her fingers slid down over warm thighs.

"Mmmmm." Buffy's eyes dipped closed a bit. "You have nice legs."

"Nah, they're just long." Piper shook her head and slid her fingers back up and around Buffy's ass cheeks again.

"Mmmmm don't argue with me." Buffy warned playfully. "I've never done this." She added more seriously.

"Never done this?" Piper questioned.

"The morning after chat." Buffy opened her eyes.

"How does it feel?" Piper moved her hand up to stroke over her shoulder.

"I strangely find myself wanting to ask you cheeky questions." Buffy closed her eyes again.

"Go ahead." Piper encouraged her, definitely edged on by the anticipation of wondering what her lover would ask and the relaxation that had settled into Buffy's body.

"I don't ask cheeky questions, I'm the slayer Piper." Buffy screwed up her nose and shook her head lightly.

"Me to, so ask." She winked and the reality of the comment made Buffy laugh and smile. They were indeed both the Slayer now, so maybe she could risk opening up just a little.

"Mmmmm okay... is there anything that you want to try that you never have?" Buffy asked purposely closing her eyes again.

"Making love on the beach." Piper's answer was comfortable.

"We have beaches." Buffy smiled and opened her eyes.

"Excellent." Piper smiled broadly. "You?" She asked in return.

"I don't know, we've done so many things I'd never thought of that have been nice." The blonde admitted softly.

"Okay of them any you want to repeat, often." Piper asked with a wink.

"Outside after the party." Buffy bit her lip. "Oh and to try chocolate body paint." She laughed. "Willow got some from Anya the other year and I swear she was grinning for two weeks."

"After the party was amazing baby." Piper encouraged her choices. "And body paint sounds great. Other cheeky questions?"

"What fantasies do you have?' Buffy giggled lightly.

"Oh really cheeky questions, I like it." Piper grinned more.

"So answer." Buffy prompted.

"Well now I've met you, my whole fantasy thing is shifting a little." Piper admitted the simple truthful fact that she'd realized herself over the last little while.

"Shifting how?" Buffy questioned watching her.

"Well before my fantasies were all about being a stereotypical butch girl. You know, packing in public and making love to my girl in the car, in the mall..." The newest Slayer admitted. "Anywhere mainstream said I shouldn't."

"I can see you doing that." Buffy smiled as she thought about them being like that. "I can't say I get this whole butch and femme thing but I can see what you're saying. What do you think about now though?"

"Well now sometimes it's more thinking of you wearing her and…" Piper's face broke into a wide grin. "Taking me. The whole lines of butchdom have blurred."

"I wouldn't want to wear her in public, but I'd like to try." The blonde's voice was soft. "In private." She spelled out her condition.

"At the right time, when you're confident and in private for sure." Piper encouraged softly. "So how do you feel about my original fantasies?" She added looking at Buffy.

"They sound...." Buffy thought about them and smiled. "Nice."

"And your fantasies?" Piper's voice dropped lower.

"I bet they sound childish compared to yours." Buffy shook her head.

"Tell me them anyway, I have one about going to the fair and being bought a balloon and eating candyfloss. Winning a cute cuddly toy and sharing an ice cream together while the fireworks go off." The tall Slayer filled out the simple idea.

"And riding the Ferris wheel?" Buffy's smile brightened. "Getting stuck at the top and making out?"

"Exactly." Piper nodded.

"That sounds lovely." Buffy nodded.

"So come on, give me a 100% Buffy fantasy." Piper shuffled a bit closer to her.

"I don't know if I have one." Buffy shook her head.

"Well you're going to have to work on one then aren't you?" Piper leaned in and kissed her cheek. "So anything else you want to ask?"

"Is there anything unusual that you like?" She asked quietly.

"Well Myst isn't that common, I don't think." Piper shrugged.

"No, more... what's the word... they always use it on those late night sex shows." Buffy bit her lip trying to think and feeling a bit embarrassed as she'd just admitted she'd watched a show like that.

"Is this a fetish question?" Piper raised an eyebrow.

"Fetish, yes that's the world." Buffy was happy her lover understood. "God I'm sad, I sound like Anya." She grimaced and put her head in the pillow.

"No, you don't." Piper rubbed her arm. "You sound great." She underlined wanting her to feel more comfortable. "Now let me think about the fetish thing. I like leather, that could be classed as a fetish, but I don't think so as by leather I mean as a preference for my harnesses occasionally and I do own, used to own leather handcuffs."

"So you like handcuffs?" Buffy looked at her a bit warily.

"They can be fun." Piper nodded. "But only if you know both parties agree to it and enjoy."

"But how do you know if you like it?" The Slayer turned on her side facing the other woman. "I've been put in them a few times… I mean when chained up by someone evil to be killed or…" She stopped talking when Piper raised a finger up to her lips.

"When using them for fun." She stressed the scenario. "You play around with them a few times when you're making love, you know try them on, feel them, get to know what they are like, and then take it further if you both think the intro sessions worked well."

"There's very little you can tie a slayer into that she can't bust her way out of." Buffy admitted the realistic fact.

"True." Piper smiled. "So how about you? Like to dress up like a baby and roll around in mud twice a month with a Russian shot putter called Nikkita?"

"Pardon?" Buffy looked at her horrified.

"Just condensing a few fetishes I watched bad TV docudramas about." Piper laughed and leaned in to kiss her. "Don't worry, none are my thing."

"I think I like when you talk about things." Buffy admitted. "About what we're doing."

"That's no so much a fetish as a preference." Piper assessed.

"Oh." Buffy leaned closer. "I guess I'm boring."

"Oh I wouldn't say so, especially not if you decide that you like me to do it, in public places or when I meet your father or something." She chuckled. "Hello Mr. Summers, I just have to tell you I love the way your daughter feels, and God she tastes amazing. The way her hips jump and roll when you tongue her clit, I tell you Ken, Len, Harry, Larry, whatever your name is, the way your daughter screams and then whimpers when she's about to explode is breathtaking."

"Piper!" Buffy blushed and slapped her arm. "His name is Hank and you are so not telling him that ever. Not that we talk to him anyway but no." She tapped her lover's stomach. "Not having that conversation with my dad."

"Oh I don't know, I think that maybe Hank has a right to know he produced a yummy, sexy, oral loving daughter." Piper teased. "Now you see my dad John, if you went to tell him that..." Piper's voice suddenly stopped.

"He'd?" Buffy questioned when she stopped.

Not answering Piper pushed her hand into her pocket and pulled out the scrap of paper.

"Buffy, have you seen a bible anywhere?" She asked oddly.

"Over at my house we have one." Buffy raised an eyebrow as their conversation took a drastically sideways turn.

"Earlier Sandra came around, her and Giles had found this." She handed Buffy the slip of paper from her pocket. Buffy read it still not understanding exactly what had caused Piper to asked for a bible. "I didn't have a clue about it."

"So you think it's a bible reference?" Buffy tried to catch on.

"Until then, I couldn't understand why she had written father with a capital F, but now I think I do because she didn't so much mean father as she meant father's name. Now her father was called something I'm not even sure I can pronounce, but my father like I just said, his name is John. Also father with a capital F, God the Father has a capital F, so what if by writing Father like this, Shanti was trying to tell me John in the bible." Piper explained her reasoning.

"Okay so we need a bible." Buffy nodded and pushed up. "Do you want me to get it?" She moved to grab her shirt.

"There might be one here." Owl looked around.

"Let me look." Buffy looked around trying to find a place to start. Making a calculated guess she pulled the dresser drawers out checking there first.

"It could be John 1 verse 14, or John 11 verse 4." Piper pondered looking at the numbers. "I'm pretty damn sure there's not a John 114." She laughed to herself. "Not that I was ever that good at the whole bible studies thing."

"Don't look at me." Buffy pulled out a bottom drawer and moving some papers and pictures saw a leather bound book with 'Bible' embossed in silver letters onto the cover. Obviously it had been bought for whoever called the basement in the house home but looked like it had never been used. "Bingo." She held it up and moved over to the bed handing it to Piper.

"Which should we look at first?" She asked the blonde for her opinion.

"Try 114, then work back." Buffy shrugged. "I don't know the verses either."

"Okay." Piper nodded and flicked the bible open. "Pretty sure it's in the back half." She winked and speedily found the book of John. "Nope no 114!" She smiled and flipped back to chapter eleven. "When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

"Next." Buffy encouraged.

"Okay, one verse fourteen 'And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us'..." Piper read aloud. "Or I could be completely wrong." She looked a little deflated not gleaning anything from the words.

"And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Buffy stood up pacing as she repeated it. "Was made flesh... I can't believe we didn't think of it." She looked at Piper slapping her forehead.

"Think of what?" Piper blinked back.

"Why can't we beat the First?" Buffy questioned hoping she might see and confirm the validity of her very new theory.

"Because we can't..." Piper looked up. "And the word became flesh." She grinned brightly jumping up and hugging Buffy tightly. "We make it flesh and we can kick its ass!"

"We have to talk to Willow and Tara." Buffy hugged her back almost lifting off the ground into her tall lover's arms.

"And Giles and Sandra." Piper nodded sweeping Buffy off her feet into her arms and heading for the stairs.

"Piper, Piper." Buffy giggled as they hit the first one. "I'm sorta naked."

"Oh whoops." Piper laughed louder as she registered Buffy only had a shirt on.

"Let me get dressed then we can swoop over." Buffy kissed her.

"Damn this good news." Piper suddenly frowned as dropped Buffy lightly to her feet.

"Why?" Buffy frowned with her.

"It means you have to cover up all that yummy, delectable, God I want you skin." She grinned broadly.

"If we're quick, it's still early." Buffy reached up and put her hand over Piper's breast to squeeze lightly.

"You mean we can... you don't mind... I'm sure we can be quick, well, quicker than last night." Piper leaned in and seared the blonde's neck with hot kisses in between jagged sentences.

"I want you." Buffy groaned.

"Can I up that want to need?" Piper growled licking across her throat.

"Mmmmm yes." Buffy squeezed her fingers rolling them over a hardening nipple.

"You're sure the information can wait?" Piper checked, biting her lip as urges soared through her.

"The witches are probably not up yet." Buffy squeezed harder. "Just get us back to bed." She urged her lover.

"I'm beginning to think you like the being carried thing." Piper picked Buffy up gently.

"I like you being butchy." The blonde admitted in a whisper.

"Hey, no sexy talk, I can't be held responsible for my actions when taunted by sexy talk." She winked taking long confident strides back to the bed.

"I didn't say how I like the strong way your arms pick me up sweeping me away." Buffy teased her in a husky tone. "Or how I love that your hands always go to my behind, massaging and teasing."

"I'm warning you." Piper winked. "You're building up a butchy generator here, much more of that and I'm going to be making you beg for breathing time."

"You think you can make me beg tough girl?" Buffy challenged softly.

"Oh I'm pretty sure Myst and I can get you on your knees." Piper grinned mischievously.

"On my knees?" Buffy breathed in as the suggestion made her shiver.

"Begging." Piper clarified licking her lips.

"Begging you to what?" Buffy arched against her.

"Touch you." Piper leaned in and licked her throat. "Fill you." She licked again. "Make you scream." She felt her own insides tighten and throb at the thought.

"And… And you're not going to do that till I beg?" Buffy breathed out squeezing her hand over her lover's breast again.

"Not until you ask at any rate." Piper winked with a moan.

"Mmmmm sounds like a challenge." Buffy grinned up as she found herself lying in the middle of the bed.

"Oh believe me it's going to be such a hard challenge." Piper laughed. "And that's a promise."

"What are you waiting for?" Buffy teased.

"You to stop talking long enough to kiss." Piper teased back and instantly Buffy looked at her silently. "Just like that." Piper moaned softly and kissed her with passion, lust and promise.

Continued...