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 21

It was a moonless night, the small dots of bright white stars did their best to fight off the all consuming darkness, but were having little to no effect. Even in the deepest gloom, two figures could be made out in the back yard of the third house. The one, distinctively shorter than the other, shifted a heavy looking bag on her shoulder and glanced up at her companion. The other hunched forward a little, as if in some amount of pain. The denim and coat she wore had a hood that was brought forward over her head.

"We're doing the right thing." The smaller girl's British tones shook a little as she whispered the short sentence and clearly identified her as Bethany, but she received neither confirmation, nor disagreement from the taller figure to her right. "It's late." Beth raised her arm a little, pulling back the sleeve of her long tapestry coat and glancing at her watch. It's luminous hands revealed the time to be ten after midnight. "Maybe we should just go." She dropped her arm and re-adjusted the bag.

Then there came a subtle rustle in the bushes directly in front of them and Bethany tensed visibly, the person behind her did likewise.

"It's them isn't it?" Beth whispered but before her companion could answer, two figures leapt out at them. Arcing high in the air they landed on the grass in front of them and gave an angry hiss. The high bumps on their foreheads easily definable even in the near blackness.

"They're not fucking Bringers." With and angry snarl the denim hood was thrown back to reveal Piper, who from beneath the coat pulled the staff, which she twirled, instantly flicking it out to its full war size. "SPIKE!" she yelled as she moved herself in front of Bethany to protect her as the Uber vamps approached.

The peroxide vampire ran in from where he had been hiding at the side of the house taking a running jump at the Uber approaching from the right. Piper turned then and focused on the one to the left pushing it back with the end of her staff with a short hard jab to its abdomen.

Spike snarled as he was tossed backward by the Uber that seemed focused on heading for Bethany and ripping her apart. The young Brit was backing up her legs barely managing the stumbled motion, before the bag slipped off her shoulder sending her sprawling to the ground completely at the mercy of the Hellmouth beast.

"BETH!!" From the house came Zoë's panic filled scream, seconds before the back door was flung open and Buffy raced out, armed with a large heavy axe to defend the fallen young woman.

"Get to the house!" Buffy called as she swung the axe in a stomach level arc, knocking the Uber back a little. "Go Bethany!" She hissed when the smaller woman didn't instantly move.

Scrambling to her hands and knees Bethany made a hurried crawl towards the back door, hardly noticing the cuts and scrapes that the harsh concrete of the porch ravaged on her knees and palms.

Piper took a quick glance over her shoulder as Buffy joined the outdoor battle, though her attention was soon drawn back to her prey as it slashed out at her with long sharp talons. Using her staff to pole-vault-flip backwards she evaded the swing and then knocked the Uber back again with a series of twirls and stabs of her weapon. Changing her grip slightly on the staff, made the long weapon make a subtle 'clicking' sound and she watched as the ends both tapered slightly to form stakes.

"Oh yeah." She grinned beating back the Uber again tripping it, before twirling the staff and driving it down hard on the chest of it. To her surprise the wood passed through the tremendous body armor of the vampire into its vulnerable heart. With a demonic screech the Uber writhed for a moment before dusting away to nothing.

"Heads up baby." Piper spun on her heel, clicked the staff back into its shorter form and tossed it at Buffy.

The blonde Slayer caught it one handed, dropping the axe the same instant. The Uber facing her growled and hissed as she spun it and then gripped it tight, just releasing the axe heads. With a single bold swung she decapitated it and sent it's ash into oblivion.

"Way to go baby!" Piper grinned but was surprised when Buffy didn't even turn to her. Instead the Slayer tossed her the staff and stalked into the house.

"You to had a bit of a thing?" Spike asked as he stepped forward dusting off his dark jeans.

"News to me if we have." Piper frowned and took a step towards the house, but then stopped. "Come on we have the perimeter and bushes to flush out, just in case this wasn't just the set up we thought it was." She moved out, stepping carefully over the perimeter wires and with a shrug Spike followed.

"What the Hell is going on Giles?" Buffy slammed the dining room door hard making the watcher look up form his book.

"Buffy… I take it the attack was as we thought, a chance to eliminate Zoë and Bethany." The Watcher frowned.

"Yeah, but with Ubers Giles!" Buffy snarled. "Now when the one attacked Willow, like everyone else I was all well you know the First kept one aside for that purpose. Then when that one tried to take out Piper I thought wait a minute, two just in reserve, that's a bit far fetched. And now two more?" She shook her head. "These aren't reserve troops Giles, these are new Ubers." She leaned forward on the table. "Now just how in the Hell are there new Ubers?" She demanded.

"Buffy please!" Giles frowned slightly. "It is quite feasible that the First kept these Ubers from when the seal was opened."

"And did what with them Giles? Disguised them as table lamps? Fed them cheeseburgers?" Buffy face went flush with anger. "They nearly killed Bethany out there, way to go for ensuring the safety of a girl who's just given us more trust than we damn well deserve right now."

"Summoning." Sandra's voice came from behind the Slayer as she slipped into the room.

"Summoning?" Buffy turned to her still frowning.

"The First could be summoning Ubers directly from the Hellmouth." She replied crossing around to Giles, though constantly looking at Buffy.

"Sandra I really don't think…" Giles began to object.

"Rupert please." Sandra cut him off. "I know what you're going to say, it would take immense power and energy focus to perform such a summoning, but we are talking about The First here, we are talking ultimate power."

"But even so." Giles argued. "It wouldn't be able to summon, more than one in every ten hours or so, not even it has the strength to do more than that."

"One every ten hours?" Buffy jumped on the statistic.

"That's just an estimate Buffy, a generous one at that." Giles defended.

"So what, we say two a day, Giles do you realizing how long it's had to summon two Ubers a day?" Buffy felt her blood turning cold. "It's going to wipe us out." She whispered, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Buffy this is purely hearsay," Giles tried to interrupt Buffy's downward spiral.

"Giles even if it's only managing one a day, it's had more than three weeks." Buffy stopped and stared at him. "Faith, Piper and I can't take on God knows how many Bringers, eighteen or more Ubers and the First." She set out point blank. "No wonder its just been sitting back and letting us do our thing. Fuck!" She cursed angrily, the word out of character for her and shocking Giles as he stared at her. "Sandra, I want you to get everyone out of her, Anya, Xander, Dawn, Bethany, anyone non essential. Get them the Hell away from here, and do it now." She turned and looked at the female Watcher. "The SIT's too, any of them who want to go, take them too." She added, her eyes flashing as her mind tried to grasp hold of a train of thought.

"Buffy no, the First would kill them before they reached the town boundary." Giles shook his head. "And we need them here, I doubt Bethany would leave Zoë, I know Xander and Dawn won't leave you." He tried to bring clarity.

"They're going to die here Giles." Buffy turned to him and snarled.

"If the First wins here they're going to die where ever they are." Sandra put in, her voice eerily calm.

"I need to get out of here, I need to think." Buffy shook her head unable to meet either Watcher's eyes. She turned and marched out of the house leaving the door wide open in her wake.

Zoë moved the antiseptic wipe from one scrape to the next, her face a firm frown. Her beloved's role in the attack had only really been a matter of seconds, but the amount of damage just retreating had done to Beth made her sick to her stomach.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked quietly. "You scared the hell out of me out there."

"Well I guess we're even then, as you scared the hell out of me this morning." Beth scowled back trying not to wince in pain as the wipe was moved to the last cut.

"Touché darling." Zoë leaned up and gave her a light kiss. "All done. Just need to be careful for a day or too they might be sore." She hovered close to her. "Do you need anything else?"

"A brandy?" Beth actually smiled.

"Mmmm let me get you one." She moved over to the liquor cabinet in the living room across from the couch. "Generous or gigantic?" She teased.

"Just the bottle." Beth laughed back.

"Funny." She poured out a generous snifter. "You were very brave, baby." She moved back holding it out for her.

"No, I was scared out of my mind. Piper was brave." Bethany clarified taking the glass with a shaking hand.

"You were still brave. The way you distracted it by falling down." Zoë grinned at her reaching up to steady her hand. "You see now how serious this is don't you?" She questioned in a whisper as she sat down beside her.

"I never doubted it was serious, I just might have doubted we were on the right side." Beth explained honestly.

"But now?" Zoë checked.

"The First, whatever it is, sent those, those creatures, to kill us. There was no attack planned on the house and even if I hadn't have decided to turn sides on it, it would have killed whoever was out there." Bethany summed up what she knew. "I still don't understand any of this, but I owe my life to Buffy and Piper and that… vampire?" She even said the word with a raised eyebrow.

"Spike, you don't owe him anything. He's just trying to survive, nothing more trust me, if he had his way he'd eat all of us." Zoë shook her head. "So you know why I have to do this now right?"

"I know you feel you have to help yes, but Zee..." Beth put down her glass, the alcohol inside untouched. "You know what the spell does don't you." She checked her voice low.

"What it can do." Zoë corrected. "I'm not going to let that happen. I didn't come here to die, that's not my purpose."

"You didn't design the spell for you though." Beth pointed out.

"I know, but now I can tweak it for me. There is no way I'm letting some ghost and her ugly band of Ubers kill me when I have you back in my life baby." Zoë reached up to cup her cheek. "Hanlon spite won't allow it darling."

"Yeah it might be the First evil but it hasn't counted on Hanlon spite now has it." She laughed. "It's doomed."

"No way, what evil thing could know about the Hanlon spite and still even remotely think it's going to win?" Zoë winked at her.

"How's your 'branch' scratch?" Beth raised her eyebrow.

"Probably needs cleaning, did you want to take a look at it?" She offered softly.

"Wow, we get to examine each other's war wounds." The young English woman shook her head. "Romance never dies."

"Well you know after that we could..." Zoë licked her lips.

"We could..." Beth asked as she unbuttoned her lover's shirt to look at the wound.

"Mmmm you know." Zoë leaned her arms back so that Beth could get to the bandages.

"I'm not sure I do." Bethany teased as she eased the bandages back a little. "Explain."

"Now you're just winding me up." Zoë smirked trying not to grimace. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. How do they look?" She tacked on.

"Sore." Beth assessed honestly. "And I might know what you are talking about, but I'm not sure why I should given in easily. So come on tell me."

"Have they stopped bleeding finally?" Zoë smiled at her before she slid her hands up her lover's thighs. "Could involve you and me, lots of nice kisses, caressing and long hours of making love?"

"No, they haven't." Beth leaned over and unpacked some new dressing, taping it lightly in place. "So it looks like you're out of luck cowboy."

"Come on, a little dribble bleeding shouldn't stop true love." Zoë moved closer to her trying to kiss her.

"Mmmm maybe it's not the bleeding but the thoughtless blundering into a spell without thinking of the consequences that means your out of luck missy." Beth pulled back just out of reach.

"Says the girl who just faced off with two Ubers." Zoë raised an eyebrow.

"Did you miss the hours of planning with two of the three supposed saviors of the human race?" Bethany pointed out the subtle difference.

"Okay so again my spite got me in trouble. I was pissed off that Giles said my spell was junk. I knew it wasn't, apparently he didn't have the right makeup." Zoë gave a crocked smile.

"Mmmm is that a direct apology I'm hearing?" Bethany teased.

"Indirect yes." Zoë laughed. "Come on, I didn't mean it you know that."

"Just like you didn't mean to directly volunteer for possibly the most dangerous ever delivery job in the history of the world?" Beth moved a little closer. "I mean forgive me, but couldn't FedEx have handled it?"

"FedEx had a no Hellmouth delivery policy." Zoë smiled sweetly at her. "And hey I'd never been to California."

"You're not winning points." Beth warned.

"I'd do it again, means I have you back in my life." She reached down taking the English woman's hand and slowly kissing the back of it.

"Okay that got you half a point." Beth couldn't help but smile.

"How many do I need to get?" Zoë kissed up her wrist.

"Three." Beth assessed.

"Mmmm I love you." Zoë tried to get another half point as she kissed the inside of her wrist.

"Oooo up to a whole point." Beth settled lightly down onto Zoë's lap.

"Mmmm I'm sorry about the spell, I didn't really mean to do it without talking to you but I got caught up in it." Zoë leaned forward kissing her throat.

"Mmmm lost a point for mentioning the spell." Beth pulled her body back a little.

"Hey I should get two points for apologizing." Zoë pouted.

"Mmmm you could be going into minus figures if you dare suggest I'm not assessing the points correctly." Bethany warned.

"Yes Miss." Zoë smiled. "You look beautiful you know, all pink cheeks and that growl in your voice." She leaned closer again caressing the smaller girl's thigh.

"You like me with the petrified look?" Beth arched an eyebrow.

"No right now, beautiful." Zoë reached up caressing slowly around her chin.

"Mmmm one point." Beth wiggled a little loving the attention.

"I love you, with all my heart I hope you know that." Zoë whispered.

"I do, as I love you, you don't get points for stating the obvious." She beamed.

"I want to go upstairs and make love to you." Zoë leaned in to kiss her throat.

"Mmmmmm." Beth felt herself melt a little. "You never play fair do you."

"Never." Zoë licked up slowly to her ear.

"I used to think that sex in times of peril think was just a movie ploy." Beth pointed out.

"We're not in peril, we're going to beat this." Zoë assured her softly. "Which is why I want to make love to you and underline that we are alive and going to stay that way."

"Okay, you've won." Beth laughed softly, knowing she was beaten.

Buffy looked across the front expanse of the house from her position on the porch. She could still feel the anger and uncertainty boiling under her skin.

'Ubers.' The thought kept rolling over and over in her mind. She gripped her hand onto the wood of the banister. 'How stupid have I been this whole time? Thinking that this little stronghold has actually been anything more than a step right into the First's plan? Sitting here on my ass, giving it time to conjure Ubers, day after day so that it now had an army of them.'

"You had enough time or should I go back in?" From behind her Piper's soft voice inquired.

"I don't know if I will ever have enough time." Buffy drove her hand down splitting the wood. "It's been playing us Piper."

"I talked to Sandra." Piper stepped out and put her hands lightly over Buffy's. "Let go." She whispered softly, kissing the Slayer's neck.

"Go?" Buffy turned, her attention split a bit after the kiss.

"Of all that guilt." Piper pulled her hands softly and turned her around to face her. "This is not your fault." She looked into hazel eyes.

"I should have... it's obvious what it's been doing." Buffy shook her head lightly.

"No, it's not." Piper shook her head. "It sounds it now we know, but it didn't before, else we would have thought of it." She pointed out.

"I should have thought of it." Buffy disagreed again.

"Why, because if out thinking the First evil is a slayer thing, then I sure as hell am going to be a disappointment to the next generation." Piper shook her head.

"We almost fed it Beth tonight, on what a hunch?" Buffy cursed her own idea.

"A hunch that paid off, it won Beth over and helped us work out that it thought it had a surprise waiting for us but that we were a step ahead of it. Nothing bad came out of tonight Buffy, nothing." She stressed moving her hand up her lover's arm.

"How are we going to face an army of Ubers and still defeat it?" Buffy looked at her feeling completely overwhelmed and irrational.

"Like we face everything, together." Piper replied, moving her hand up to cup the blonde's cheek. "This isn't just you verses the world baby."

"We have to beat it, we have to beat it now." Buffy hissed.

"We're going to." Piper nodded frowning slightly.

"I'm sick of waiting, I'm sick of letting it attack us." Buffy looked out into the dark night. "I want to make it feel pain."

"Buffy, we're going to win, but we need to move when we have the best chance." Piper frowned harder at the tone of the Slayer's words.

"I just wish there were vamps left so I could kill about ten dozen of them." Her voice was icy.

"Take me on." Piper broke away from her and took on a ready stance.

"What?" Buffy looked at her incredulously. "I'm not fighting you Piper."

"Come on," Piper beckoned her. "You're angry, scared and pissed off, and you need to strike out, I can take you."

"Piper, I'm not fighting you." She shook her head harder.

"Then kiss me instead." Piper gave her a winning smile.

"Did you hit your head?" Buffy stepped closer checking her.

"Oh Buffy." Piper shook her head and pulled the blonde close, pressing her lips, directly and purposefully to Buffy's as she held her tightly to her body.

Buffy was caught completely off guard but on automatic her body melted a little into the taller woman's. Piper used her lips and tongue softly to ease Buffy's mouth open as she took the kiss deep and pressed her hands under Buffy's top and onto the blonde's back.

Buffy's mind wanted to protest but her adrenaline filled body was more interested in arching against the touch and opening her lips to let her lover's tongue inside.

After letting her tongue slowly and thoroughly explored Buffy's mouth, and her hands covered every inch of the Slayer's long back, Piper pulled back from the kiss.

"Let's, for tonight, think about making love, not war." She whispered.

"Mmmm we should go downstairs to bed." Buffy conceded.

"We should." Piper nodded and simply took Buffy's hand. "When I say I love you Buffy, I mean it, and I mean that I'm not going to let this fight be about you against the world."

"I know... I'm just not used to having someone... anyone like you." The blonde blinked at her.

"That's because there is only one me, just like there is only one you." Piper followed the contour of Buffy's jaw with her other hand.

"I feel cold." She admitted closing her eyes a little.

"Come here." In an unusual move Piper turned a little and lifted Buffy into her arms so that the Slayer's body sat cradled against her own. "Rest and let me keep you warm baby." She began to carefully carry her inside

Faith sat crossed legged on the bed feeling particularly stupid dressed in just her boxers and strap top with Dawn's bear feet slippers on her hands.

"Do I really have to keep these on?" She grumbled.

"You said dare." Dawn giggled. "I still have these on." She flicked at the boxer shorts she had on over her jeans.

"Yeah but I'm the Slayer, what if a crisis happened?" Faith pointed out.

"Okay, okay, you can take them off." Dawn relented. "But you owe me a truth then."

"Go on then." Relieved Faith pulled off the slippers and tossed them aside, she was happy to stay in the more relaxed outfit.

"Mmmm let me see." Dawn moved over and sat down beside her. "What is your favorite part of the body?"

"Legs." Faith said without thinking.

"Truth or dare." Dawn leaned looking at her.

"Truth." She said propping up her head with a pillow.

"What did you think when you kissed me?" The brunette's voice was soft.

"Like I said, you tasted great, soft lips." Faith was honest.

"But did you feel anything?" Dawn held dark eyes and unconsciously licked her lips.

"Of course I felt something D, I was kissing a beautiful woman." Faith pointed out.

"Just generic feelings?" Dawn's question came quickly.

"No specific feelings." Faith shifted a little uncomfortably.

"Oh... your turn." Dawn leaned over on her back misunderstanding the cadence of the other woman's answer.

"What did you feel when I kissed you?" Faith asked not even bothering to ask truth or dare.

"I..." Dawn took a deep breath feeling her body go flush as she thought of the small but amazing memory. She glanced at Faith thinking of her recent answer. "Now I know what all the fuss is about."

"You have kissed before right?" Faith checked.

"Oh yeah, a few times." Dawn nodded. "Even a girl... once... well sorta." She offered not wanting Faith to think she was a geek.

"A girl, do tell." Faith smiled relaxing again.

"Jessica Duke, we were playing spin the bottle and it fell on us. She's one of those really cool girls, so when the boys started teasing that we wouldn't go in the closet together and Jessie said screw that and she dragged me in with her." Dawn shrugged. "She just kissed me to make the guys think she was even hotter. Though she did say I was sexy, though that might have been to tease them."

"Well good for you." Faith clapped her slowly. "I guess I had my turn, over to you."

"I dare you to kiss me again." Dawn breathed out not thinking about asking truth or dare either.

"I think I'd rather dare you to kiss me." Faith replied without missing a beat.

"But it's not your turn." Dawn shook her head holding dark eyes.

"But I don't play by the rules." Faith didn't break eye contact.

Dawn licked her lips again, slowly moving across the bed, looking down at Faith's lips and then back up to her eyes several times. Finally she leaned in closer and closing her eyes pressed her lips to Faith. Faith pushed up a little and put her arm around the slight young woman's back pulling her close. Dawn moaned as she felt her body pulled closer, feeling the Slayer's skin press into her.

For long seconds of time Faith completely forgot where she was and just who she was kissing as she let their lips part and her hot tongue trace over Dawn's lips. Anxiously Dawn's mouth opened as she pushed closer, breathing out through her nose wanting the offer to be fulfilled.

It was as the dark haired Slayer pressed her tongue through into the younger woman's mouth, picking up on the trace of milk and cookies from earlier that she remembered in a flash just what she was doing. Making the break appear like a moment taken for air, she pulled free of the kiss.

"Why did you stop?" The brunette questioned her breathing heavy.

"Need to breathe D, might be a slayer, but you know still need oxygen." Faith tried to be casual.

"Whose turn is it?" Dawn tried to be casual as well.

"Yours, I snuck in a turn." Faith pointed out.

"I want to kiss you again." Dawn leaned closer to her moving in to kiss her without permission.

"Dawn..." Faith had to pull back as she felt her inner temperature press higher and desire flood her brain.

"Where are you going?' Dawn stopped as she watched her scrambling away.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Faith stood up by the bed suddenly very aware she was wearing very little.

"We were just kissing." Dawn didn't agree.

"But we shouldn't even be kissing." Faith tried to focus. "Dawn, we're not... you and I aren't…" She looked at the other woman and had to look away not able to ignore the soft trace outline of the other woman's nipples under her lilac top.

"Aren't what? Okay just say it, you don't find me attractive. Fine, I can take it." Dawn sighed and sat up. "Look I'm just going to go to bed then."

"Of course I find you fucking attractive." Faith scowled and moved over grasping hold of the brunette's upper right arm. She stared into dark eyes hearing her own breathing and heartbeat pumping in her ears.

"Faith... Faith." Dawn called to her again. "Faith, that's too tight." She reached up pressing her fingers over the dark Slayer's.

"Shit." Faith grimaced and more or less threw Dawn back as she released her. "Get out." She looked away moving over to brace her hand on the dresser.

"What?" Dawn questioned looking at her.

"I said get out. Go up stairs, sleep your happy safe little dreams and leave me alone." Faith kept turned away her hands balling into tight fists.

"FINE!" Dawn barked at her awkwardly moving to take off the shorts she still had on. "Be a... be a bitch." She threw them at Faith stalking to the stairs. "I didn't feel anything specific either, it was all generic." She growled trying to keep the hot feeling out of her eyes.

"Dawn! D!" Faith turned hearing the pain in Dawn's voice.

"Don't okay, don't give me some stupid line about how it was nice or one day I'll make someone happy okay, just shove it." Dawn looked at her with her eyes flaring between anger and tears.

"I'm telling you to go before I do something you don't want to do." Faith tried to explain.

"Really, because..." Dawn stepped back down a bit. "Because what I really didn't want was to be sent upstairs to bed."

"Dawn, you know me, you know me of old and I may have changed, but some things about me are just me." Faith shook her head. "I told you to leave because… because I wanted more than just kissing."

"More?" The word made the brunette falter a bit. "Why can't we just kiss? Why is it all or nothing?" She questioned in a small voice.

"It's not." Faith shook her head. "I don't want it to be." She adapted her sentence slightly.

"But, you said you wanted more, like there was only kissing or..." Dawn swallowed. "Sex."

"No, that's not what I meant." Faith shook her head. "I meant I wanted more. I wanted to hold you, sleep beside you maybe, I wanted it to be more than kisses yeah." She tried to explain something she wasn't even sure she could, after all none of this was normal for her.

"That's what I want." Dawn looked at the bed. "To find out what it's like to be held when I sleep, to feel what it's like to kiss you 'till I can't stay awake."

"Lay down." Faith nodded to the bed. Dawn moved slowly over and did what she asked. Pulling open the top drawer Faith pulled out a pair of long cotton pants and pulled them on over her shorts. Crossing to the bed she lay down next to Dawn and stretched her arm out along the top of the pillows. "Come here." She motioned with her head. Dawn scooted over resting her head on Faith's arm. "The twins are comfier." She smiled seeing the careful way Dawn had lowered her head.

Dawn grinned as she moved over resting her head on her closest breast and closed her eyes. This felt so completely different than any other time she'd cuddled up with anyone. She could hear Faith's heart beating a little faster than it should and she felt her own body shiver.

"Comfy?" Faith asked her voice unusually soft.

"Very, though you're distracting." Dawn admitted her voice a whisper as she moved her hand up over Faith's stomach.

"I am? I thought I was being super good." Faith chuckled.

"You are." Dawn nodded slightly. "Just it's amazing being this close to you."

"Slayer BO huh." Faith laughed more.

"No, you're soft." She settled her hand, palm down, on Faith's side.

"Do I look hard and bony normally?" Faith asked dropping her arm down to cup around Dawn's shoulder.

"I meant..." Dawn thought about it. "Tender." She turned her head up to look into dark eyes.

"I thought you wanted to go to sleep." Faith looked down trying not to focus on the very odd word being used to describe her and how for the first time it was probably a truthful appraisal of how she was managing to act.

"Okay." She turned her head back settling her cheek against the comfy flesh. "Night Faith." She whispered closing her eyes.

"Good night D, Sleep well." Faith pressed her lips into soft brown hair.

"Thank you all for coming." Tara looked around at the small group she had looking at her from around the dining room table. Giles and Sandra were seated at the far end of the table, as always impeccably dressed and alert looking.

Zoë and Beth were next, Tara couldn't help but smile at the English girl's presence, it made her heart glad for the Canadian and gave Beth a few more plus points of admiration. Not everyone would respond to the mass of apparent insanity she'd walked into like Beth had, that had to give the girl something in the way of respect.

Opposite them were Buffy and Owl, the blonde almost had to look twice at them to comprehend that they were actually sat on the same chair. Buffy was curled up almost child-like on Piper's lap. The newest Slayer had her hand protectively over Buffy's legs and around her back to keep her in place.

Then there was Faith, usual position feet up on the French polished table, and cigarette in her hand. Opposite to her was Kennedy at Tara's request. The SIT looked almost uncomfortable, as if worried about why her presence had been requested.

Then sat beside the blonde witch, as always, was Willow, her bright green eyes watching Tara, her face secure with both respect and support. Again Tara had to smile, how she loved Willow, she wasn't sure anyone would ever comprehend just how much the redhead completed her.

"I've been working." Tara began.

"And when she says working she means it, I didn't get any cuddles..." Willow began to object.

"Willow, sweetie, they don't need to know that." Tara arched an eyebrow and smiled softly at her lover. "I've worked out why Mr. Giles couldn't do the spell."

"The reason being?" Zoë asked the all-important question first.

"Purity." Tara replied with a slightly lop-sided frown. "It's an element of the spell lost a long and I mean long time ago in early translations of the text. The spell requires a purity of essence." She saw them all looking at her a bit lost. "To explain, in order to create a form, a shell, that is then used to carry something else, it has to be created empty else the essence would be changed. It's like, if you want a glass of water, you can't have an inch of milk already in the bottom of it." She looked around to check if people were following, they seemed to be so she continued.

"I only looked into it because of Candice, I couldn't understand why she would choose to do this, and then I realized because of what I have found out, I don't think she chose so much as was chosen. She had the purity of spirit and power to create an empty shell to recreate me, if she had already tapped into her power the result wouldn't have been a realistic me, it would have been, for want of a better word, tainted." She took a breath. "Now, I don't know, because you know me, I've never been one for the questions, but I'm guessing Mr. Giles." She glanced at the Watcher. "It's fair to say you've 'tapped' into your magical power source." She worded careful trying to avoid offence.

"Well yes, that would be more than fair to say." The Watcher nodded reaching up to straighten his tie.

"It also means that Willow and I would never have been able to perform the spell either, the spell chose Zoë because it knew that she could provide the untapped, pure power it needed to succeed." Tara turned to look at the Canadian with a soft smile.

"But I've done some spells." Zoë protested softly. "I mean I've used magic." She shook her head not quite being able to accept that she 'was the one' to do this.

"Yes." Tara nodded still smiling. "But floating a fork isn't tapping into your magical power source Zoë, that's well, a parlor trick."

"So you mean Maple Leaf has got a whole shit load of power just waiting for this spell?" Faith put forward enthusiastically.

"Basically." Tara turned to her. "Yes."

"Did you figure out anything else? Anyway perhaps we can help her train for the final phase of the spell?" Giles looked at the blonde witch.

"Not yet." Tara shook her head. "But I'm working on it and I have come up with something else, not connected to Zoë's part in all of this." She added quietly.

Everyone looked at her waiting for the additional information, except for the Canadian who was looking down thinking about what she had been told. Guessing that she had stumbled into the spell had been a lot more comforting then believing she was somehow a central figure in all of this.

"I think, that is I believe I've found away to imbue weapons." Tara took a small breath, knowing that not even Willow knew she had been looking at this. But she'd not been able to, having briefly over heard Buffy and Owl out on the porch the night before as she closed the bedroom window.

"Imbue weapons how?" Buffy sat up a bit in Owl's lap.

"To help against Ubers." Tara looked at her. "I think, no I know I've found away to imbue wood with the strength of titanium." She said calmly. "Ubers can be staked, through the heart, it's just that their hide is very tough, a little a reinforced flack jacket so wood breaks. But Titanium is stronger, and if pushed with enough force would go through it."

"So that the SIT's can do some damage?" Kennedy sat up taller in her chair.

"Exactly." Tara nodded. "I... I brought a stake that I imbued just before the meeting." She put it on the table and pushed it towards the SIT. "I can only imbue wood with the strength of titanium. I can't do it to other metals, because basically what this does is add an element of one to the element of another, it wouldn't work with two metallic elements." She explained looking at Kennedy to pick up the stake. "If I'm right, then Kennedy should be able to put that stake." She glanced around, her eyes falling on a wall mounted metal shield. "Though that shield."

Kennedy licked her tongue out over her lower lip picking it up. She could feel everyone's eyes on her back as she moved over towards the shield and taking a slight breath reached back before she lunged forward. It took a little strain but the wooden stake struck into the thick metal with a solid creak and lodged into the wall beyond.

"Wicked cool." The SIT turned and grinned.

"There are draw backs." Tara chewed her lip a little.

"What draw backs?" Buffy asked not wanting to get too excited.

"Well firstly, it's not permanent." Tara explained. "The longest I've managed to sustain it is an hour." She replied. "And secondly, we can only do a limited number, maybe twenty, but no more."

"I'm still seeing big possibilities here." Faith looked at the other Slayers.

"We can use anything we can get." Buffy nodded.

"I'm sorry it's not a wonder solution." Tara apologized momentarily.

"It's great Tara." Buffy looked at her and smiled softly. "I think it's time we start mapping out an attack plan. How and where we want to do all of this." She pushed up to stand moving over to retrieve the map of Sunnydale they had.

"We still need to tell them about the other complication." Willow looked at Giles, her eyes flicking over to Zoë.

"Other complication?" Buffy frowned as she felt the wind taken from her sails.

"Well... It's..." Giles floundered momentarily as he looked at Zoë.

"Whatever injury you inflict on the First before you kill it, will hurt Zoë too." Willow whispered the horrible fact. "So, we have to plan to kill it in one blow." She tried to be positive but then felt even the weight of that push down on her further.

"What?" It was Tara's voice that broke the silence, cool blue eyes staring at her lover. "Y-Y-You never told me that." She stuttered frowning.

"I didn't now, not until after she'd done it." Willow bit her lip and looked away.

"Did you know?" Tara turned and stared this time at Zoë.

"It was a condition of the spell." Zoë stood up under the accusing stare. "I made sure that he knew about it, all of the conditions. It doesn't matter, the Slayers will do their job and I'll do mine. I just... I just have to pull out before they land the blow that's all. I mean Hell how hard is that going to be?" Her voice was tight. "I'm the big ball of untapped purity right? No biggie."

"All last night, when I was working, I can't believe you didn't tell me." Tara turned back to Willow, her blue eyes angry. "Trust Willow, what happened to that? Do you remember the big need to talk to each other about things chat?" Her voice grew harder. "I'll be in my room." She pushed up and stalked from the room.

"I thought you..." Willow tried to object but the blonde was already gone. "I thought she already knew." She looked around at everyone ashamed.

"Stay here. I'll go talk to her." Zoë put up her hand stilling everyone before they could break into chaos. "Start the planning. Get everything ready." She leaned down kissing Beth on the cheek. "I'll be back in a minute baby." She assured her and then moved up the stairs. She didn't even bother knocking as she pushed into Tara and Willow's room. "Okay you're not mad at Willow, you're mad at me so don't take this out on her." Zoë warned the other witch.

"No, I'm disappointed with both of you, and I'm mad at me." Tara contradicted from her place on the bed, surrounded already by open magic books.

"She thought you'd read the spell, you had it in your hands a half dozen times." Zoë pointed out. "And come on Tara, it doesn't matter. This is the way the spell is. The First and me, I give it a body and I take its shit. How else could we manage this?"

"You should have told me, I shouldn't have had to read it." Tara bit back. "I would have worked on it more, before you threw yourself into the lions den. I could have done the spell." She shook her head. "It calls for a purity of essence, not untapped power." She seethed. "I just didn't want Willow or Mr. Giles to feel guilty for choices they may have made in the past." She frowned hard. "It should have been me."

"Tara, you're blinding yourself here." Zoë shook her head back. "It is a purity issue, magic and physical. You've killed things, demons and vampires. I've never killed anything bigger than a fish while fishing I might add."

"We don't know that for sure." Tara shook her head. "Anyway talk about it is pointless now, you've cast the initial spell, what's done is done." Her voice was unusually sharp for the docile witch.

"Do you think I can do this?" The Canadian asked her point blank her voice hard and demanding.

"Now you ask for my input?" Tara snapped back.

"No, I'm not actually. I'm asking because I can tell by the look on your face that you don't think I can. You think I'm going to get myself killed and worse I'm going to get everyone else killed." Zoë growled back at her. "No, even worse than that, you think this was some cowboy bravery thing I had going when I asked M to let me bring the book. Well then fuck you Tara Maclay, because I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to have to meld with the greatest world evil and keep it physical enough for your crazy slayers to kill me or it or both of us. I stepped into that spell pissed off because Giles was telling me I screwed it up. Yes, story of my life, I leapt then I thought wow that was stupid. But maybe the damn universe knows a hell of a lot more than the rest of us do, remember how you used to tell me that? How you used to tell me that one day I'd know exactly what everyone else thought they saw in me, find the power they thought was hiding in here with the pride and the stupidity? Or was that just a way of appeasing the stupid witch who had no right studying beside you?"

Tara pushed up from her place on the bed and slapped Zoë hard across the face, the noise echoing through the room.

"Don't you ever, ever tell me what I am thinking again Zoë Hanlon!" She snarled as soon as the noise faded. "Of course I think you can do it, no, I know you can do it, I just thought…" She paused her voice softening a little. "I hoped the bond we shared between us meant that you could talk to me about things. Things like this." She glanced back at the pile of books behind her. "Now if all you have come to do is swear at me and shout then please…" She glanced up at the door. "Leave, because you've done that now." Her voice barely a sad whisper by this time as she turned to go back to the bed.

"You hit me?" Zoë's voice was almost childlike in its disbelief and she put her own hand up near the burning mark that was appearing on her cheek.

"I hurt my hand." Tara admitted turning around again, tears filling her blue eyes.

"I have a hard head." Zoë frowned tilting her head, as she pulled her hand down not bothering to touch her cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you directly about it. I didn't really think of it as being real you know and with Mr. Giles doing the spell I didn't think it would be a worry. He's got practice and power. I never expected it to work for me Tara."

"You silly thing." Tara stepped closer and closed her arms around Zoë holding her close. "I always told you, you were the one to watch." She shook her head as she hooked her chin over Zoë's shoulder.

"Apparently someone needs to keep me on a leash cause I'm a danger to myself." Zoë reached to hug her back.

"Given the chance I'm sure Beth would love to." Tara pulled back slightly to look at Zoë. "And I didn't mean anything kinky by that." She blushed lightly. "I'm sorry I hit you." She raised her hand and laid it flat over Zoë's cheek, looking into the taller woman's eyes.

"It's okay I probably needed it." Zoë shook her head a little. "And come on you love the kink secretly." She tried to get a smile from the blonde and was rewarded by the tiniest one.

"I'm going to stop it killing you, you know that don't you?" Tara vowed softly. "I'll work until I find something, anything."

"Maybe waiting was just my greatly timed way to have you focus on the weapons and the mimic spell before you gave me all of your attention?" Zoë winked at her and the blonde chuckled sadly.

"What does Bethany think?" Tara pulled fully away not sure her closeness was appreciated.

"She was pissed." Zoë laughed basically shadowed with her as they went over to the bed and sat down. "I'm scared Tara." She admitted softly. "The power in that spell was amazing, it was like I was flying, like I could see every molecule in the room."

"That's probably because you could, every magical element anyway." Tara clarified. "You can do this Zoë of that I have no doubt." She underlined again. "The big problem is going to be living with the size of your ego when you pull it off." She smiled more.

"I'm not going to die Tara." The Canadian shook her head. "I said this to Beth and I meant it, I haven't come all this way through everything in my life to let some skanky ghost kill me. Whatever the Slayers need to throw at it, I can survive it. I just know I can. There was actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Go on then." Tara smiled. "Before I dive into research, or fall asleep."

"Well I've been trying to downplay it but." She reached up pulling down the V-neck of her T-shirt a bit. "These haven't stopped dribbling. They aren't deep, I mean they wouldn't even hold a stitch but they won't stop bleeding."

"Take it off." Tara smiled at Zoë's sudden found shyness. Zoë smiled and pulled the shirt off in a quick motion.

"It doesn't really hurt or anything, more like a nasty paper cut." She admitted.

Tara leaned in and drew her finger close to the edge of one of the cuts, noting that the skin wasn't even red or inflamed.

"They're magical." Tara pulled back and crossed to her bedside cabinet.

"Magical? Does this mean that I'm already connected to it?" Zoë questioned looking down at them with a scowl. "Hey that means you just slapped the First, you go butch Tara." She teased grinning making Tara chuckle again.

"You're not connected to it Zoë, you're connected to the power that will create the vessel, there is a big difference. That's why this spell is as dangerous as it is. Both you and the First will be drawn into the vessel, you as the creator and the First as the harnessed essence. It's the vessel that will receive the damage, which is why you will, see?" She checked.

"Seeing." Zoë nodded. "So what I have to do is pull out of the vessel a fraction before the vessel is destroyed so that it's just the First that goes down with it."

"Exactly." Tara nodded. "I can help these though." She added crossing back over carrying a small jar of salve. "Get Beth to rub that on them every morning and night. It will stop the oozing, but you will have to wash it off before bed before Beth replaces it for the night." She explained. "What it does is stem the leak of magical energy." Tara began unscrewing the top but stopped. "I suppose Beth should do this bit." She held it out.

"Tara, don't be silly. Put it on." Zoë just sat there. "You already got me half naked."

Tara opened the jar and very gently applied the soft gel like ointment.

"She's beautiful." Tara said quietly as she worked.

"You think?" Zoë smiled.

"Yes, very…" Tara paused. "British." She chuckled. "In the Elizabeth Taylor way rather than the Mr. Giles way of being British."

"Willow's a sweetheart, but you know that already." The Canadian smiled at her. "You told her about the kiss didn't you?" She confirmed her suspicion.

"Yes." Tara nodded easily. "Did you tell Beth?"

"Yeah." Zoë nodded back. "Do you need help looking for ways to keep me alive?" She questioned softly.

"Actually I'd be more grateful if you went back down stairs and got my fiancée." Tara stepped back.

"No problem." Zoë moved to carefully put her shirt back on. "So the goo twice a day, wash off before reapplying yeah?" She stood up tucking it back in.

"Yes." Tara nodded. "Zoë." She said as she went back to the bed. "Tell me honestly, did I do okay down there?"

"You mean with everyone, yeah you were great. Even yelling at Willow was expected." Zoë nodded. "I think it'll get everyone in war mood, which is exactly where we need to be."

"Words are relatively easy." Tara said and then laughed. "From the girl who stutters."

"You're a General in this Tara." Zoë bent down next to her. "You can stutter all you want but when it comes to positions and who does what you have to be firm, I don't care what the big butch Slayers say okay. If it feels wrong to you then you speak up. Everyone trusts your judgment so let them hear it."

"Well go on then, go take your goo and get my girlfriend." Tara shooed her out with a smile.

"Yes Sir." Zoë stood up and did her best salute.

Buffy looked over the makeshift map, as did everyone who was gathered around filling in the edges of the table.

"Okay so here is the Hellmouth and the high school." She pointed to the red teeth that were drawn inside the outline of a building on the map. "What we know is that we need vantage for Zoë to be close but not more vulnerable than she needs to be."

She moved out a Barbie that they had dubbed 'Zoë'. "I say here on the roof of the science building, meaning Faith and her crew can lead the First and the Ubers in through her to the football field and soccer field."

She let the dark Slayer move the GI Joe that was her and its small herd of green army figures that represented the titanium armed SIT's.

"Owl and her crew." She moved in another batch of blue colored army men from the houses and a Ninja Turtle figure that was to represent Piper's location. "Can use the houses as cover to come in from the side and do one of those scissors troop moves Xander was talking about to box in the Ubers. This should draw the First out."

She put in the transformer figure in the middle of it all. "Giles and Sandra with some of the other SIT's can run point for Zoë." She moved the salt and pepper and some army men around the Barbie doll. "When Faith and Owl's teams have blown down enough Ubers she can begin the spell." She pulled the two other Barbies up and put them near the open area at the back of the science center.

"From here I'll protect Tara and Willow while they mimic the staff. Then when I have three I'll bring them out for Owl and Faith." She moved her own representation, the Xena figure they'd found near the computer upstairs. "The three of us go directly for the First, this is when everyone else will be the most vulnerable." She moved them in around the transformer "We strike and Zoë pulls back from the spell."

"But what about the Hellmouth?" Kennedy pointed at the jaws that were under Zoë and at everyone's back.

"The Hellmouth is sealed, we can't expect anything to come directly from it. Not unless we fail." Buffy looked to the Watcher's for confirmation.

"Indication is that the Hellmouth is indeed sealed, we have no reason to believe it's not." Giles nodded.

"And where am I?" Spike looked at them all as he appeared in the doorway lighting a cigarette.

"You're here." Buffy moved a fork over put it at the bottom of the building. "You keep Bringers from getting to Zoë. If Zoë goes down this is all pointless."

"What about me?" Beth asked looking at the odd collection on the table.

"You're here with Dawn and anyone too injured to fight." Buffy pointed at Revello Street.

"I'm not staying here." Dawn's voice came from the doorway.

"I need you here helping take care of everyone." Buffy looked up at her sister.

"I'm not staying here." Dawn shook her head again. "I want to be on Faith's team."

"Dawn, you're not baiting Ubers." Faith shook her head looking across at the brunette.

"What?" Dawn stared at Faith. "But... what about..." She frowned her hands balling into tight fists.

"That means you are definitely not on the Uber baiting team." Faith held angry brown eyes not rising to the tantrum she seemed ready to have.

"Its not fair!" Dawn turned and ran from the room.

"Faith?" Buffy looked at the dark Slayer, her voice steely. She knew this must have something to do with the recent conversation she'd had with her sister.

"I'll go talk to her." Faith moved out following the brunette's path. "Dawn... Dawn!" She called trying to get her to stop when the reached the door of the other house.

"What?" Dawn stopped and turned angrily.

"What did you want me to say? Yes, Dawn I want you out baiting Ubers in the most dangerous assignment there is short of Zoë's whole vessel thing." Faith barked back.

"I want to be near you." Dawn put her hand on her slender hips.

"And I want you somewhere safe." Faith leaned against the front column.

"Why?" Dawn asked blinking doe eyes at the dark Slayer.

"You know why." Faith stood up and paced a bit.

"No, I don't. Because I'm Buffy's kid sister and she'll beat your ass if you let me get hurt?" Dawn posed on reason.

"Because if I'm worried about what's happening with you I can't fight all out." Faith shook her head.

"I want to kiss you." Dawn moved closer.

"Why?" The dark Slayer bit back her initial reaction asking the question in an even voice.

"Do I have to have a reason?" Dawn asked blinking.

"A moment ago you were pissed at me now you want to make out?' Faith asked confused by the fluctuating emotions.

"Because you're kinda pouting. You have a sexy kind of pout." Dawn nodded.

"You're not going on my team Dawn." Faith shook her head not retreating from the brunette physically but making sure that Dawn understood the point was never negotiable.

"I know when not to argue." Dawn pointed out. "It's part of growing up."

"Good." Faith's eyes dragged up and down Dawn's body.

"Why did you leave this morning without waking me?" Dawn asked her voice going softer.

"You were asleep, you looked comfy." The Slayer explained with a shrug. "I had to train the SIT's."

"So it wasn't because you didn't want to see me?" Dawn checked.

"Dawn I wouldn't have stayed at all if that was the case." Faith shook her head.

"I slept like a log." Dawn moved a little closer still.

"Dawn..." Faith felt her body heating up at the closeness.

"What?" Dawn frowned instantly worried.

"You look hot." The Slayer smirked.

"So can I?" Dawn stopped only inches from the Slayer.

"Yeah but I have to get back to the meeting." Faith looked at the other woman's lips.

"It's only a kiss." The brunette reminded.

"Are you sure about that?" Faith leaned forward kissing her full on the lips.

Dawn literally dipped at the knees as she felt Faith's lips on her own. Faith couldn't believe those good the slight taste of lip-gloss was on Dawn's pink lips. Finding her strength again Dawn pushed back a little and looped her arms around Faith's neck, kissing her a little harder.

"Dawn, I told you I have to get back to the meeting." Faith indulged in the kisses for a few moments before she pulled her lips away.

"But..." Dawn let her arms slip.

"D, I have to." She underlined. "We have to get a plan."

"I didn't realize there was a meeting, why did no one tell me?" Dawn frowned softly.

"It's impromptu." Faith explained. "Tara had some ideas, then her and Zoë had a fight then we started planning."

"Tara had a fight?" Dawn frowned.

"You should have seen the hand mark Maple Leaf had." Faith laughed. "Tara tried to clean her clock."

"Tara hit her!" Dawn's eyes grew wider.

"I guess Blondie isn't the push over everyone thought she was." Faith shrugged. "Dawn, it's fine, they're cool now."

"This whole thing is making people crazy." Dawn sighed.

"I know, but we're going to make it better." Faith vowed. "And you're going to be safe."

"I'll wait in your room for you." Dawn smiled and tried to find a happier thought.

"I don't know how long the meeting will be Dawn. You could come help plan.' Faith motioned back to the house.

"I wasn't invited." Dawn reminded.

"I'm inviting you." Faith reached down taking her hand and pulling her towards the house.

"But Buffy..." Dawn frowned but flexed her hand around Faith's.

"As long as we're clear, you're not at the fight site, then I don't see a problem." Faith checked.

"Clear." Dawn squeezed.

Dawn came into the kitchen with some empty cups as everyone slowly dispersed from the big meeting. She moved slowly to put them in the dishwasher watching for a few moments as Tara puttered with the teapot as she steeped her herbal concoction.

"Hi." She offered softly smoothing down her skirt.

"Hi there Dawnie." Tara smiled brightly. "Is that a plea for coffee or hot chocolate?"

"Hot chocolate would be great, but I more... I wanted to see how you were." Dawn reached up rubbing down Tara's arm.

"Oh, you heard about this morning?" Tara turned to look at the tall young woman knowing immediately from the look on her face.

"Yes, Faith told me." Dawn nodded. "Is everything okay?"

"I... I didn't sleep at all last night, I think I'm tired and a little strung out." Tara put her hand over Dawn's and patted it lightly. "I'll be fine."

"You don't have to be." Dawn reminded her. "Tara, it's crazy around here. You deserve a chance to get a bit crazy more than anyone."

"Would you like to come and sit on the porch with me? I miss 'us' time." Tara offered.

"That would be nice." She nodded.

"Want cookies?" The blonde checked.

"Did Beth bake more?" Dawn perked up.

Tara nodded and pointed to the pantry as she made Dawn's drink. The brunette moved over and retrieved a small plate of them to take outside so that they could share. As the brunette wasn't sat there long as soon Tara opened the door and took the drinks out placing them next to the plate.

"Okay what's wrong sweetie?" Tara sat down.

"I'm just glad we have a chance to hang out together." Dawn took a part of a cookie evading the question.

"Dawnie, I may have been away for a while, but I know that look." Tara chided softly.

"What look?" She tried to cover up.

"The something is going on and I'm trying to deal, but I really need to talk about it…." Tara appraised giving her a long once over. "Look."

"Oh that one." Dawn laughed tightly. "Maybe but I wanted to talk about you and well Zoë. I mean you hit her." She grimaced a bit.

"I slapped her." Tara clarified not wanting anyone to think it had been a punch, not that a slap made it any better. "And I feel horrible about it."

"Are you and her okay? I mean you seemed to be really good friends." Dawn pulled her legs up to put her chin on her knees.

"Yes we're fine, I will be creating make up gifts for a while, but we're fine." Tara smiled rubbing Dawn's leg a little. "Really sweetie, it's fine."

"And you and Willow?' Dawn checked.

"Secret make-up smoochies upstairs when we should have been in the meeting. We're great." She smiled brightly.

"Good. You two need to be happy." Dawn vowed.

"So come on spill." Tara encouraged her knowing they were running out of small talk.

"Do you think of me as a woman or a girl?" Dawn asked pulling apart and slowly eating another cookie.

"A young woman." Tara replied immediately.

"See what does that mean?" Dawn scowled. "Does it mean I'm an adult or a kid?"

"It means you're a young adult." Tara defined.

"So old enough to fall in love?" Dawn kept up her quick questions.

"Of course." Tara nodded.

"Old enough to have needs?" She asked the question that had got such mixed reactions.

"Needs?" Tara asked softly for clarification.

"You know... needs..." Dawn felt herself go a bit pink. "Sexy needs."

"Oh those." Tara smiled at the brunette's phrase. "Yes Dawn, you're nearly eighteen, definitely old enough to have needs."

"See this is what I told Buffy and she acted like I wanted to go open my own brothel." Dawn frowned hard. "Which I don't." She confirmed unnecessarily.

"No, you just want a bit of personal one to one attention with somebody, am I right?" Tara leaned back and looked at Dawn, seeing the teenager in a new light. It was obvious that though Dawn still looked her fresh faced young self that the brunette was struggling with something every woman went through, a search for herself in the vastness of the world and at the same time a longing to connection with someone else to share the journey. She ran a short list through her mind and smiled, as the answer became apparent.

"Exactly." Dawn nodded and smiled. "What?" She looked at Tara's appraisal.

"Faith." Tara offered the name simply.

"How did you guess?" Dawn looked at her shocked.

"Because she's beautiful, available, strong, known, and exciting." Tara assessed. "And you've been spending a lot of time with her."

"I think I'm in love with her." The brunette looked at her blinking through long eyelashes.

"What makes you think that?" Tara asked softly.

"Because I want to be with her." Dawn assessed.

"When you say you want to be with her." Tara arched an eyebrow slightly. "You mean..." She looked at the young woman.

"Yes, I think I do. I love to kiss her." Dawn admitted softly. "I... I've had a crush on her for ages."

"Ages being?" Tara tried to get more information.

"Well I could say before, but those are just the memories the monks made up right?" Dawn frowned as her created past slapped her in the face again. "Definitely since she's been back for sure."

"And you've kissed?" Tara continued her research.

"Yes." She answered with a happy far off look. "I sorta did something stupid too but we got over that."

"Do I need to know the something stupid?" The blonde checked feeling a little worried.

"Mmmm I kinda threw myself at her, naked." She frowned and blushed embarrassed.

"Ah." Tara arched her eyebrow. "And she..."

"Turned me down." Dawn sighed.

"Oh Dawnie, hard as that might have been, she did the right thing." The blonde witch leaned over and pulled Dawn into a soft hug.

"But see that's why I love her, everyone would expect Faith to just say okay and sleep with me. She didn't Tara, she was so nice and caring and tender." Dawn hugged her back.

"And so why the need to talk to me?" Tara asked softly leaning back against the railing again.

"Okay, well see that's the problem. She's still on the not sleeping with me kick, well a nothing more than a quick kiss kick." She frowned again.

"Maybe she thinks that it's just a phase, you know, an 'I'm in peril, don't want to die chaste' thing." Tara offered a logical explanation.

"How do I convince her its not?" Dawn looked at her seriously.

"Time, consistency, patience." Tara listed. "And most importantly by talking to her, communication is a big one." She tried to be helpful.

"Tara, this is Faith. She doesn't talk." Dawn bit her lip. "Not about her feelings that's for sure."

"She may have changed." Tara pointed out.

"So I should try harder?" Dawn asked for guidance.

"It's not about trying harder Dawn." Tara shook her head. "It's about reading her moods, feeling how she's feeling, it's being able to know when to just kiss her and hold her, and not ask for information and when to just take everything slowly and at her say so." She explained. "Dawn, the fact that you like her, must scare Faith incredibly."

"Why would that scare her?" Dawn looked at her completely not understanding. "She's been with so many people Tara, I mean I haven't been with anyone."

"Dawn, you're not an anyone or a somebody to Faith, you're Dawn." Tara made an attempt at explaining. "She cares about you deeply."

"Do you really think she does?" She hung onto the small shred of hope.

"She turned you down didn't she?" Tara pointed out.

"Yes, but that means she doesn't want me." Dawn showed her the reality.

"No, it means she didn't want to take advantage of you, which means she cares about you." Tara offered the shred of insight.

"I never thought of that." Dawn smiled.

"That's because some how a beautiful, confident woman like yourself managed to get themselves an inferiority complex." Tara smiled too.

"You would have been proud of Buffy, she only threatened to kill her twice when I talked to her about this." Dawn leaned closer to the blonde.

"You told Buffy?" Tara couldn't hide the surprise.

"I didn't want to hide like a kid you know?" Dawn tried to explain her reason.

"You're not a kid Dawn." Tara leaned back and smiled brightly.

"I thought maybe with Buffy being with Owl now she might understand more." Dawn smiled at the comment.

"She might though…" Tara paused. "You're her baby sister, so Faith's not going to have an easy time of it."

"Do you like Owl?" Dawn changed the conversation slightly.

Tara took a soft breath and thought about her answer before speaking.

"I don't think I know her." She replied honestly.

"She seems nice." The brunette shrugged.

"Yes." Tara nodded softly.

"She seems to make Buffy happy." Dawn offered again.

"Yes, she does." Tara nodded again hating the fact her answers were so short. It was just in all this chaos there hadn't been a lot of time to get the tall confident slayer, who unlike most of the new residents didn't need her support or assistance.

"So is there anyway you would convince everyone to let me come and fight?" Dawn threw in the left-sided question.

"No." Tara chuckled softly and shook her head. "You're needed here."

"Tara there won't be anything going on here." Dawn argued.

"Yes, there will." Tara corrected her quickly.

"Like what? Baking cookies while Beth worries about Zoë?" Dawn questioned sarcastically.

"No, more like being a witch." Tara replied slowly looking across at her.

"A witch?" Dawn looked back at her.

"Yes." Tara nodded. "I may have a little job I need you to do for me. Well for us all."

"I'll do it." Dawn jumped on the offer immediately.

"Well that's nice to hear, but I need to work out more details before I tell you everything, okay?" The blonde explained.

"Okay." Dawn nodded enthusiastically.

"Good, so Faith." Tara returned the conversation. "How do things stand between you now?"

"Occasionally kissage, oh she let me sleep downstairs with her. I know now why Willow likes breasts, very nice pillows." She grinned almost maniacally.

"Oh Dawnie, I think my darling has affected your development." Tara laughed softly.

Willow carefully folded her skirt over the hanger before she put it in the closet. She'd been making slow progress on putting away her clothes as she watched Tara's intense concentration and worried.

"I know that all this planning is great but we still don't have a spell to actually create three staffs." She looked over to her lover.

"I know." Tara said quietly from her place on the bed.

"I feel like we've been through that book backwards and forwards." She moved back to the bed and sat down fingering the cover of the ancient tome.

"What book?" Tara asked not looking up from her notepad.

"The one your friend sent." Willow explained.

"Oh yes." Tara again didn't actually pay attention.

"Baby, I think we should get a few hours sleep." She reached out putting her hand on the notepad.

"Later." Tara nodded taking the opportunity to rub her forehead smudging a black line across it from the ink that had seeped from the pen in her hand onto her fingers.

"No Tara." Willow pulled the book that Tara was looking at away a bit. "You need rest." She frowned. "And a new pen."

"A new pen?" Tara blinked and looked up, her finger moving to rub her eye.

"You're getting ink all over yourself baby." Willow reached up to stop her. "See." She let the blonde see the ink over her skin. "Come on love, you need some rest." She tossed the pen in the garbage nearby and reached for a tissue from the side table.

"I think there's another pen in the drawer." Tara leaned over the bed.

"Tara." Willow stopped her. "Baby, listen to me. You're going to rest for a bit."

"When we have the answers and this is over then I can rest." Tara righted herself.

"No, you need to rest now. You didn't sleep almost at all last night and this is enough." Willow pulled the books away and put them on the floor. "Even if we find a spell baby you need to be rested."

"I know but we need to do this soon." Tara objected lightly. "Everyone is getting jumpy."

"We'll find something we always do." Willow assured her. "Now lay down." She pressed on her shoulders lightly to guide her.

"No Will, I have to do this." Tara tried to stop her.

"You need to rest." Willow restated her voice a bit firmer.

"I...." She stopped and blinked red-rimmed blue eyes at her lover.

"Need to rest." The redhead pulled the cover up over them and eased the blonde over to rest on her shoulder. "Just for a while love, then we'll go right back to reading."

"You're very..." Tara stopped. "Calm this evening." She noted as she gave in and nestled on Willow's shoulder.

"I was doing some meditation, trying to get my mind relaxed. It helped a lot." Willow rubbed Tara's back.

"That's good." Tara smiled. "Something you learned in England?"

"Yes, it helps me stay calm." Willow nodded softly.

"I'm so proud of you." Tara smiled more.

"And I'll be proud of you when you close your eyes and let yourself rest." Willow encouraged.

"Me sleeping makes you proud?" Tara arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, because I know how worried you are and how much you want to keep researching." Willow reached up rubbing her temple.

"I'm not worried." Tara denied. "But I do want to keep researching, I don't want to go into this thinking there was more I could have done."

"You're doing everything you can love but sleep is something you need to." Willow kissed her forehead.

"Do I look tired?" Tara asked her voice suddenly flooding with exhaustion.

"You look beautiful." She continued to rub her temple.

"Then I can carry on working." Tara attempted to pull up.

"Hello, resting now." Willow held her in place. "Don't make me get out my resolve face."

"Tell me a story." Tara relaxed her body and closed her eyes.

"There once was a beautiful princes named Tara..." Willow began softly.

Part 22

FAITH/DAWN PAIRING UPDATE: We warned of other pairings and if you have been reading the story then the progression in this part shouldn't come as a shock. Beware of developing adult sexual situations; if you don't want to read those parts please just skip them. Thanks!

Buffy rubbed at her eye and moved to the back door seeing the light on. She looked out to see that her lover was on her hands and knees in the grass.

"Piper, what are you doing?" She moved out onto the back porch.

"Hey baby." Piper jumped up and flicked off the torch, managing not to blind Buffy with it. "You were asleep." She frowned softly.

"I was but I woke up." Buffy padded out barefoot onto the grass. "What are you doing?"

"Er... checking the yards lying flat." Piper offered.

"Really?" Buffy knelt down.

"Hey-hey, what you doing? You'll get all cold, come on sleepy back to bed." Piper shook her head and reached out for Buffy's hand.

"I'm checking on you and I'm not going back to bed 'till you tell me what you're really doing." Buffy looked at her in the very dim light.

"I'm... checking..." Piper sighed. "I've lost my labrys."

"You lost your labrys?" The Slayer looked at her confused.

"The double axe head pendant I wear." Piper reached up to her empty neck.

"Oh your axe." Buffy looked around. "When did you lose it?"

"I... I don't know, I think when we were fooling around with the SITs earlier." Piper pushed up. "But come on, you said you wanted to know what I was doing, that's what I'm doing, so you can come inside and stop getting cold now."

"Oh course I'm not going back to bed. I'm going to help you find your necklace." Buffy shook her head starting to look around in the grass.

"Buffy, come on." Piper shook her head. "You're dog tired and you need to rest up."

"But you lost your axe. I know how pissed off I was when I lost my diamond earring fighting the master." Buffy ran her hands over the ground.

"It's just a piece of jewellery, I don't even think it cost her much..." Piper stopped.

"Piper, we'll find it." Buffy reached out calmly assuring her.

"What I mean is… it... it doesn't matter if we don't, it's a charm, that's all, its not mystical or magical it doesn't mean we're going to loose, it just means I've lost her... it." She babbled.

"Piper." Buffy moved over closer taking her lover's hands. "We're going to find it." She pulled one up and kissed it.

"What time is it?" Piper suddenly asked as she went back to looking, as she didn't seem to be able to put Buffy off.

"Eleven thirty." The Slayer went back to scourging the grass.

"Oh I, I just have to do something, I'll be right back." Piper smiled and moved to the door.

"I'll keep looking." Buffy smiled back at her.

Buffy kept looking a few moments before she stood up and decided to do this a bit more logically. She did a general sweep while looking down before she picked up the flashlight that Piper had left on the stairs. She stood in one place scouring it across the grass until a sparkle reflected back at her.

"There you are." She smiled at her own success as she moved over to the area near the flowers and picked up the chain and locket. "Have to get you fixed." She looked at the broken link." She clutched it in her hand and made her way back inside.

"Piper... guess what I..." She came in stopping when she heard raised voices and moving to the living room she found the source.

"How do I have any idea of what I intend to do when all this is over?" Piper's voice was short and angry.

Buffy hung in the doorway unnoticed listening to what was going on before she spoke.

"It's just a question Piper." Giles' voice came back at her.

"Owl, my name is Owl." Piper snapped at him.

"Owl." Giles tried again. "The bond you have formed with Buffy is admirable, but have you considered the practicality of having more than one slayer in the same place? There are more Hellmouths..."

"There's no guarantee we're all going to make it through this Mr. Giles." Piper seethed.

"This is the conversation we are not having." Buffy injected moving into the room. "Giles go to bed you look like Hell. Piper, you need to sleep too."

"Ah Buffy." Giles turned. "Maybe you can help here." He smiled his voice trailing off when he saw the look on her face. "I asked to see Owl actually. There were a few things we needed to talk about."

"Do these things have anything to do with what we are facing right now?" Buffy questioned him. "And not some stupid Watcher agenda for the future."

"They have somewhat do to with what we are facing." Giles replied.

"Go ahead then." She crossed her hands over her chest.

"I was enquiring at how ready Piper felt to face what we have to do." Giles stood up a little straighter.

"I've already said I'll do my best, what more can I say?" Piper frowned harder, her fists balled up tightly.

"That's all you need to say isn't it Giles?" Buffy scowled at the Watcher knowing he had no idea the pressure he was putting on the other Slayer.

"Yes... that is... Sandra and I were wondering, a little along the lines of what Kennedy suggested when we activated Owl." Giles glanced between the two of them.

"Her hair brain idea about activating more?" Buffy tried to think back.

"Not more, just perhaps one." He offered. "A sort of back up as it were."

"Hell why don't we just activate everyone!" Buffy looked at him incredulously.

"Buffy, you and Faith are seasoned slayers." Giles kept his tone calm. "All I am suggesting is a back up for Piper so that the pressure isn't unbearable for her."

"My name is Owl." Piper snarled.

"Okay so giving your idea a shred of thought." Buffy glared at him. "How less pressure is it when say hmmm someone like Bea is activated? You're betting it's Kennedy and we have no guarantee of that."

"Look why don't I make this easy?" Piper snarled and picked up a dagger that was in the collection of weapons on the table. "How dead is dead?" She said her voice almost completely even. She tossed it in the air and caught it by the hilt over and over.

"Piper put that down please." Buffy looked at her and then seeing her lover's expression she changed her tone making it softer. "Please put it down." She asked again.

"He doesn't think I can do it, none of them do." Piper threw the dagger so that it embedded itself into the tabletop.

"He doesn't think I can do it Piper, it's his job to make us all feel useless." She glanced at Giles.

"Buffy please, that's not what I was suggesting at all." Giles frowned. "You have proved your worth time after time."

"Where as I've what?" Piper stared at him. "Got my Watcher killed, didn't act quick enough to save Dawn and Faith getting a nasty scare?"

"You were the only reason Dawn and Faith are alive, that is proving yourself." Buffy objected.

"Oh come on Buffy we both know the only way I'm going to prove myself is if I manage to somehow pull of a glorious heroic death right?" She glared at the Watcher. "After all I don't quite fit in do I?"

"This isn't about fitting in and it's not about dying. There has been enough death already." Buffy objected at both of them. "This is about being forced into being something none of us really want to be. This is about saving people anyway you can and this is about sometimes failing." She frowned. "A lot of times failing."

"Whatever." Piper shook her head. "I'll leave you to work out the details of the replace Piper plan." She pushed towards the front door.

"Piper." Buffy moved after her.

"Leave her Buffy." Giles called as the front door slammed shut.

"Why? So she can go do something stupid now that you've made her feel useless and second rate?" Buffy glared at him.

"That wasn't my intention in the slightest Buffy, Sandra and I thought of it as a completely supportive plan." He explained their rationale.

"Giles how would you feel if I told you we were going to kill you so that another watcher would pop up, you know just in case we need another stuffy tweed guy around?" Buffy accused.

"Supported?" Giles offered stiffly.

"Funny, since Sandra's been around second guessing you, you've been more irritated than supported." The Slayer pointed out.

"Buffy please, this is hardly constructive." Giles frowned.

"We can't go around killing ourselves so that more of us are activated." Buffy shook her head. "There has to be some cosmic reason why there is only supposed to be one. Piper is now that one. Faith and I are extra's, now your job is to support her, not undermine her and tell her she's not good enough." She moved to the door. "Start doing your job." She pulled it open. "Faith and I don't need watching anymore."

"Hey there Buffy, was just about to come and find you." In the doorway stood Spike blocking her path.

"I don't have time right now." Buffy tried to push past him.

"You might want to make time, when I tell you that your little love bird's just taken off on that bike of hers." The vampire pointed out.

"What way did she go?" Buffy cursed looking down the dark streets.

"Towards the high school." Spike pointed down the road.

"Keep watch, I have to go get her." Buffy ran back in grabbing the staff before she headed out towards the jeep.

"Want me to drive?" Spike offered.

"Please Spike guard the house." Buffy looked at him.

"That was just an offer to help." Spike pointed out.

"I know it was and what I really need is you helping me by guarding the house. The attack last night didn't work, I'm sure it's going to try again but I have to go get Piper. So I'm counting on you." She looked at her seriously.

"I won't let you down." Spike nodded.

"Thank you." She moved towards the jeep jumping in and taking off rather erratically down the road.

"COME ON, COME ON YOU BASTARD!" Piper paced in a small circle around the dormant Hellmouth seal. "There's no barrier, no magic to keep you out, no back up to save me." She called out into the darkness. "Come and get yourself a taste of slayer blood."

"Feeling a tad suicidal?" Buffy appeared suddenly in the far corner of the room.

"No, perhaps I am just tired of waiting." Piper shook her head and looked over at the ghost. "You're not as beautiful as her, you can't even get that right."

"Ouch." The First put a hand up to her heart. "That hurt Piper, really that was coarse."

"Well you base your images, your copies on the past." Piper continued. "Which is why they are second rate?"

"Is this more your taste?" The First shifted into the dark Slayer's form. "I can't wait to get a 'Piper' to try on."

"Won't I be a bit of a come down from both of the last two on show?" Piper retorted.

"Oh no Piper!" The First shook her head. "You're very different from Buffy and Faith but you are by far just as equal. I'm so glad they activated you, it's going to make beating you all that much sweeter."

"You knew they were going to didn't you? Did you know I would be next, is that why you killed Shanti, even though we had sworn against the lives the Council had offered?" She tried to get answers, even knowing that the First would probably lie to her.

"Actually Piper, I killed Shanti because she was far too dangerous to me." The First leaned against the wall.

"There is no way of knowing she would have got involved. She didn't have to die."

Piper's voice stiffened.

"You all have to die." The First explained.

"Why?" Piper put the question simply.

"Why not?" The First shrugged.

"Oh come on you can do better than that, never answer a question with a question, didn't your Big Poppa Evil teach you anything." Owl baited.

"The slayers have gotten too powerful, this alliance you've found with your little witches, and with other fonts of power, it had to be stopped." It explained.

"But you know that no matter how hard we work, how powerful out witches get, there will always be evil in the world." Piper shook her head. "We'll never completely win, so what makes you think you will?"

"Because dear Piper, you're all just little girls." The First laughed.

"And you're what, a big splodgy mess of nothingness right now." Piper laughed back. "You're pathetic, the First evil, the ultimate bad guy, reduced to what spiteful smoke?" She snorted.

"I don't need form to kill you all." Faith's face grew darker as the First seethed.

"No, you need puppets." Piper scoffed. "Little toys that you control, like some big kid in its playroom."

"And you need your witches, bubble, bubble toil and trouble." It scoffed back. "If your line was so great you could kill me without the hocus pocus."

"You know I'd have more respect for you if you got your hands dirty once in a while, Hell I'd have more respect for you if you even had hands." Piper turned away and shook her head, her back to the entity. "You mock our power, when you, the ultimate eeeevil has to use blind dumb and butt ugly monkeys to hack your enemies for you. You couldn't even get good looking attractive guys could you? No, and you know why, because that would require imagination. That would require you looking out of your tiny little window and taking a look around you. Because if you did that, you'd understand that you, you're not evil, you're just a power point, you're just a pathetic battery for it. Things like Ubers, Bringers, they don't inspire fear, not true fear, life inspires that facing each and every day, when you don't think you can crawl up off your knees. That's fear, that takes effort, facing your minions, that's just tedious."

"You're going to die Piper, on your knees, blood streaming down in your eyes as you spit out teeth and dirt." The First looked at her, her voice deep and dark. "Whether you are afraid or not doesn't concern me, just that you will die."

"You know what bring it on." Piper's eyes narrowed as she turned back. "But don't bank on the me dying bit, because you are so not worth dying for."

"You have to wait." The First laughed at her lightly. "Say hi to Buffy." She waved and disappeared as the door swung open.

"Piper!" Buffy came in with the staff looking around.

"Buffy what... why are you here?" Piper's concentration fractured.

"Because you shouldn't be here." Buffy eased a bit when she saw nothing around.

"I just needed to face something." The other Slayer frowned. "You really shouldn't have followed." She added. "Something may have happened to you."

"I followed you because I was worried about you." Buffy looked at her. "And because you forgot this." She held up the necklace.

"My Labrys." Piper focused on it instantly as it swung lightly back and forth.

"I found it, I told you we would." Buffy gave her a soft smile. "Now can we go home, this place makes my good hair day go bad?"

"I'm not sure I want to go back there if Giles is still around." Piper shook her head. "But you should go back, thank you for finding this." She stepped up and held her hand under the pendant.

"Piper, what are you trying to do by being here?" Buffy let her take it.

"I'm not sure." Piper was honest.

"I know what you're feeling." She tried to be honest. "And I wish I could say it's going to go away but it never does. Being what we are, it doesn't ever make you feel good enough."

"There's one thing I feel good enough at." Piper's voice dropped and softened.

"What?" Buffy questioned gently.

"Spotting beautiful women and telling them how amazing they are." Piper reached out and drew a fingertip over Buffy's collarbone that was just visible.

"Should I be jealous that you're out scouting for other beautiful women?" Buffy smiled under the attention.

"No, you see because when I find one, I kinda focus." Piper smirked. "And just pay attention to that one." She continued the light movement.

"You know if being smooth is going to help us win this, I almost pity the First since you're on our side." Buffy blushed lightly.

"Oh I pity it anyway." Piper pointed out. "Though I understand a little more now, the whole big evil thing."

"Do you?" Buffy questioned.

"Yeah I mean how pissed would I be if I got to see all this beauty and couldn't do this." Piper pulled Buffy close and kissed her deeply, releasing her the next second. "Whenever I wanted to. I mean, big angry ball of bad mood I'd be."

"I'd be really grumpy." Buffy smiled. "But I'm not sure making out on the Hellmouth is a good idea, can we go home say to bed?"

"Oh I don't know, a little positive action on the Hellmouth, who knows what effect it would have." Piper laughed looking down at the badly covered seal.

"You're naughty." Buffy smiled at her.

"You're sexy." Piper countered.

"We have to be quick." Buffy moved closer to her and kissed her again.

"If I was a boy, I'd say quick no problem baby, as I'm a girl, I can't promise anything under ten minutes." Owl pulled Buffy tight to her body.

The two Slayers began kissing and exploring one another as unseen by them both, the First materialized as Spike in the shadows of the basement, accompanied by two Ubers. The eager vampires were ready to pounce forward at the vulnerable pair, when the peroxide copy held up a hand then with a flick of its wrist the two beasts disappeared.

"Now this is something I want to watch alone." The First lit up an imaginary cigarette.

Dawn looked up from her magazine to where Faith was punching at the heavy bag she'd slung from the basement rafters. As always having the Slayer work out so close by made concentrating on anything else hard. The hard way that Faith was digging her hands into each of the punches made Dawn think back to her conversation with Tara.

"Faith..." She sat up and put the magazine aside. "Truth or dare." She tried to find some way to start this that wouldn't send Faith running.

"Truth." Faith gave a swing at the bag hardly breaking her attention.

"Why did you turn me down that first time when I asked?" Dawn asked the question softly.

"When you asked what?" Faith frowned slightly ducking the back swing.

"When I came down here..." Dawn pushed up and moved over to hold the bag steady. "And threw myself at you."

"Because it wouldn't have been right to say yes." Faith replied hitting the bag.

"Why wouldn't it have been?" Dawn asked softly.

"Because you were vulnerable and you weren't thinking right." Faith reached out and stopped the swing of the bag so it wouldn't hurt Dawn.

"Has that ever stopped you before?" Dawn held the bag tighter to stop it from going out of control again.

"No, but that's not the point." The dark Slayer began pulling tape off her hands.

"No, it is the point." Dawn stepped back watching her.

"What is D?" Faith asked as she threw the used wrappings towards the bin.

"You didn't want to use me." She nodded confirming it to herself almost.

"Of course I didn't you're important to me D, I didn't want to hurt you." Faith shrugged.

"I don't want to hurt you either." Dawn moved closer to her. "I'm sorry I did that too you." She whispered. "I didn't mean to push you."

"It's okay D." Faith shook her head. "I've done my fair share of 'stuff' to try and get the attention I wanted over the years." The dark haired Slayer smiled.

"What was the most outrageous thing you've ever done?" Dawn shadowed her.

"Haven't I had my truth question?" Faith stopped and turned looking at tall young woman.

"Okay your turn then." The brunette relented momentarily.

"Dawn, are you trying to win some freaky epic truth or dare competition or something?" She challenged.

"No, I just want to talk to you." The brunette admitted.

"Then say, Faith can I talk to you." She toweled off her arms.

"Faith, can I talk to you?" Dawn repeated softly.

"Yeah what's on your mind D?"

"You, me." Dawn admitted softly.

"Oh right. Do you want to sit?" Faith coughed.

"Sitting is great." Dawn nodded moving over to the bed and Faith followed. "I know this is hard for you." She started softly.

"You think?" Faith raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't it?" Dawn lost her confidence for a second.

"That depends on what you mean by 'it'." Faith tucked her hair behind her ear.

"It, thinking about being with me." Dawn watched her.

"Being with you, being with you isn't hard." Faith replied frowning softly as she shook her head.

"It's not hard to be with you either. Being with you is the easiest thing." Dawn nodded her immediate agreement.

"D, can I just check what you mean by being with me?" The dark Slayer questioned before things got too out of control.

"Spending time with you, touching you..." Dawn reached her hand out and rested in on Faith's leg. "Kissing you."

"Okay, so this is the it." Faith nodded. "You want this talk."

"Yeah this talk." Dawn reached up tucking her hair away as well. "I want you to know, that I still want you but I know I can't have everything in the first night."

"By everything you mean sex?" Faith asked arching an eyebrow.

"Not just sex." Dawn shook her head. "But part of it is sex."

"Okay D now listen and listen good cause I ain't never gonna say this again." Faith cleared her throat a little. Dawn blinked brown eyes at her waiting. "I already love you okay. But I ain't like your sister, I don't have all this there are thousands of different types of love shit. For me there is 'I love you family' kind of thing, and 'I love you and want you in my bed' kind of thing. Now I was happy with you in the family bracket, but you've liked jumped ship." She stopped herself as she realized she was making less and less sense. "What I'm saying is I don't know what else you mean by 'other' stuff?"

"You mean other than sex?" Dawn whispered.

"Yeah." Faith nodded. "Other than the hot and heavy."

"Like talking, eating dinner together, watching movies, training, me sleeping on the twins." She blushed lightly.

"You wanna do that shit with me?" Faith questioned.

"Yes." The brunette nodded.

"When we win I'll take you to the movies if you like." Faith offered.

"That would be nice." Dawn smiled at her reaching down to link her fingers into Faith's. The Slayer looked down at their hands for a long moment.

"Wait a minute." Faith asked looking up. "Answer me something." She kept brown eyes.

"Anything." Dawn waited for her to ask and Faith's face grew serious. The look made Dawn swallow hard.

"Wanna be my girlfriend?" She asked her face changing into a slow smirk.

"Yes." Dawn's face lit up.

"You're gonna have to stop flirting with Andrew you know that right?" Faith winked.

"Okay wait, are you always going to be that controlling?" Dawn laughed and jumped on her giggling as they fell back on the bed.

"No, I'll let out the leash on weekends." Faith caught her and held her close.

"I want to kiss you again." Dawn leaned closer to her.

"D, I think being my girlfriend means you don't have to ask." Faith laughed feeling a little caught up in the moment. She felt for the first time in years like she wasn't 'The Slayer' or 'Faith who went wrong', she was just Faith.

"I just get to kiss you whenever I want?" Dawn licked her lips.

"Well when I'm twirling a sword I wouldn't suggest it." Faith pointed out.

"No fair, you're so sexy when you do that." The brunette leaned in and kissed her finally.

Buffy pulled the jeep into the driveway and looked around. She carefully checked that all the windows and doors were intact and the lack of screeching alarms seemed to suggest that there hadn't been an attack in their absence.

"It's quiet." She glanced at Piper in the seat beside her.

"It's early." Piper pointed out.

"Very." Buffy glanced at the radio clock and turned off the jeep.

"You okay?" Piper checked.

"I'm thinking wow we're crazy for having very hot sex on the Hellmouth." The blonde Slayer laughed lightly and shook her head. "But for some reason I feel more like turning on the sprinkler and running through it."

"Its called living Baby." Piper winked. "Feels good eh? And come on you did the Hellmouth a favor, I mean since when has 'oh God oh God more' been screamed there in pleasure?"

"Stop it." Buffy blushed and whacked her lightly on the arm.

"Why, come on sexy girl, admit it. It felt good making love there, pushing aside the shit it represents?" Piper continued.

"Making love with you anywhere feels good." Buffy smiled and leaned across kissing her quickly.

"We could do it in the jeep, again." Piper winked catching hold of her arm.

"Again eh?" Buffy flipped over landing to straddle over her body.

"Well the time in the parking lot wasn't really a proper time." Piper grinned. "That was just kinda a finish off." She pressed her hands up Buffy's thighs.

"You were wrong earlier. You're already an amazing Slayer." Buffy reached up pressing her hands through Piper's hair.

"You mean lover." Piper corrected.

"That too." Buffy nodded. "But I mean Slayer." She rubbed her hands through again.

"Don't let me let you guys down." Piper requested softly.

"Baby, you're not going to let us down." Buffy held her so they were eye to eye.

"You are the reason we are going to beat this thing."

"So you gonna help me choose which Hellmouth I guard after its done?" Piper linked softly.

Buffy stopped pulling her hands back slowly. The words hit her firmly in the stomach and took the air out of her lungs.

"You're going to leave?" She pulled back further.

"Giles said that Faith and I would be more useful elsewhere." Piper frowned.

"Now I understand." Buffy pushed down on the door handle and moved outside.

"Understand what?" Piper looked slightly baffled and scrambled after her.

"We should go to bed, we have lots to do tomorrow." Buffy walked around and pulled the staff out of the other side of the jeep.

"But I thought we were..." Owl pointed to the jeep.

"I'm not sure if that's on Giles' schedule." Buffy slammed the door and moved towards the house.

"Woo wait a minute." Piper reached out and grabbed the staff effectively stopping Buffy. "He said you'd asked him to talk to me."

"I asked him to talk to you about how ever single slayer has doubts and a period of adjustment, not to have him tell you to pack up and go to a new Hellmouth the minute we win this." Buffy hung onto the staff.

"And how every Slayer needs to prove herself and how she can only do that while standing on her own?" Piper recounted the spiel.

"He dragged out that stupid speech?" Buffy let go and her emotion went even angrier. "Piper, I've heard that speech from the minute I met him. Does it look like I ever listened to it? Willow and Xander, do they look like part of the prophecy?"

"Wait up; do I look like I took to this speech well? Hello, sped off to Hellmouth to take it out with the First." Piper pointed out turning angry.

"No, but you're saying you want to go to your own Hellmouth." Buffy looked at her.

"No, I want to buy a fucking little house, a dog with big ears and spend most nights making love to you." Piper growled. "But I'm a fucking slayer now. And apparently what I want means shit."

"You want to stay with me?" Buffy's anger was sidetracked.

"This is news?" Piper frowned.

"You've never said that before." Buffy nodded feeling everything shift around her, as she went from feeling angry to confused.

"Well as it obviously fucks you up, forget I said it." Owl pushed the staff back into Buffy's hands and began walking up the street.

"Don't you dare!" Buffy moved around her quickly and pushed her to a stop. "Don't you dare say something like that and then walk away from me. Don't you dare make me feel things for you and then walk away like I mean nothing, like I'm going to feel nothing."

"Mean nothing?" Piper stopped. "I've just more or less said I want to buy a house and spend the rest of my life with you, and you think I think you're nothing?"

"I don't feel nothing, I feel..." Buffy started harshly but her words went softer.

"I feel afraid that it's not going to happen, that you're going to change your mind."

"When I came here Buffy, I was angry, alone and destroyed, I wasn't even a person let alone a slayer." Piper stood still and looked at Buffy. "The First had taken everything, my past, my future, everything I was and am. Or at least that's what I thought. Until I met you."

"I don't want you to go." Buffy managed to push out the words.

"Then why ask Giles to talk to me about leaving?" Piper had to ask.

"I never told Giles to talk to you about leaving." Buffy put her hands up. "I asked him to talk to you to make you feel better about adjusting to becoming the slayer. I never asked him to tell you to leave. Why would I do that? So I can have someone else I love leave me? Be left alone again?"

"Why are we having this conversation?" Piper asked in a small voice as she moved up to Buffy and reached to stroke down her cheek with the back of her hand.

"Because I just remembered when you feel alive you are vulnerable to that being taken away." Buffy lip quivered. "You said you were leaving."

"Hey we both might." Piper smiled softly tracing the quivering with her fingertip.

"Might what?" Buffy brow furrowed.

"Leave, its a big world out there, I might wanna see it with you." She tapped her nose lightly.

"I used to feel dead Piper, not just alone, but completely dead." Buffy stepped closer. "I don't want to feel that way again."

"Come here." Piper opened her arms. Buffy moved closer into the embrace holding the staff in one hand loosely. "God this is cheesy but I want to do it." Piper took a step back from the blonde Slayer and pulled off her biker jacket. Buffy watched her not quite understanding. Moving back she wrapped it around Buffy's shoulders and pressed her lips to the slightly smaller woman's forehead.

"It's yours." She whispered.

"This is your jacket Piper, I couldn't." Buffy looked up at her taller lover.

"It's so you don't forget." Piper shook her head and held it on the other Slayer's shoulders

"Forget?" Buffy reached up holding it from the inside.

"That I love you, and want to be with you." She underlined.

"I love you too." The blonde smiled at her softly. "You know I should have known you were going to be the next one called." She leaned up looping her arms around.

"Why's that?" Piper slipped her arms around Buffy's waist.

"Because you've got a slayer's flare temper and a slayer's stubbornness." Buffy laughed lightly.

"And I was hoping for a great looks and vibrant personality praise." Piper smirked.

"You have the ego too." Buffy kissed her lightly. "Come on, let's go up to bed. It's going to be daylight soon."

"And you need to sleep I remember." Owl pulled back and let her go.

"I didn't say anything about sleep, did I?" Buffy grabbed her hand, pulling Piper along.

"Well you know you are the oldest slayer." Piper teased as she hurried.

"Watch it, I can still kick your ass." Buffy laughed at her.

"Only because I let you." Piper winked hard.

"You so wish." Buffy scoffed.

"I'm so damn lucky to have you." Piper pushed forward faster and lifted Buffy off her feet into her arms hurrying into the house.

"Buffy, Buffy honey." A soft sweet voice called to the sleeping Slayer.

"Mmmmm sleepy." Buffy turned and groaned.

"I know honey, I just need to speak with you for a minute." The voice called again.

Buffy slowly blinked open hazel eyes and felt her vision adjust into focus.

"Mmmmm wh... whh... what?" She sat bolt up right when she looked directly at the slightly glowing image of her mother. "How... did the shield fail... God are Will and Tara ok?"

"I'm not the First honey." Joyce shook her head softly.

"But you're… you're dead." Just saying it made Buffy's heart ache.

"I am." The older woman frowned. "Buffy that wasn't your fault, there was nothing anyone could have done."

"But I could have been quicker, I could have..." Buffy felt her eyes fill just at the thought and the image that forced itself into her brain.

"It wouldn't have made a difference." Joyce shook her head again. "Buffy, listen to me that's not why I'm here. Remember I came to you before."

"Yes, I remember." She gave a small nod.

"You're ready now." Joyce admitted with a soft smile.

"I am?" Buffy couldn't believe the childlike tone of her voice.

"You have everyone you need with you." Her mother nodded.

"But that doesn't mean I'm ready." Buffy shook her head.

"It doesn't." Joyce agreed with her. "But look inside yourself Buffy, you know the reason to fight again. You know why you struggle."

"Piper?" Buffy whispered her lover's name.

"Part of the reason yes, she's part of your heart." Joyce didn't look away from her daughter. "But it's bigger than that Buffy, look harder."

"Me?" Buffy's voice was even smaller.

"You." Her mother smiled. "One of the very best reasons I know for keeping up this fight."

"I… I wish you were here." Buffy admitted blinking.

"I wish I was too Buffy, I didn't want to go." She frowned slightly. "I didn't want to leave my girls, ever."

"I'm sorry I messed up with Dawn, I'm trying better now Mommy." Buffy felt her lip tremble.

"You haven't messed up." Joyce assured her. "Oh Buffy, trust in yourself more. Please."

"I'm trying Mom." Buffy whispered.

"Remember Buffy I love you, always." Joyce reached up blowing her a kiss.

"I love you too Mom, I wish you could have met Piper." She added reaching out to 'catch' the kiss.

"Buffy?" Piper's sleepy voice questioned as she pushed up a bit.

"Sorry." Buffy apologized softly.

"Are you okay? You were talking in your sleep." Piper blinked at her reaching up to cup her cheek.

"I... I had a vision" Buffy wanted to be honest.

"A vision?" Piper tried not to make her question sound quite so crazy.

"A visitor." Buffy changed her statement.

"Did the shield fail?" Piper sat up more panicked reaching for the stake on the side table.

"It was Mom." Buffy shook her head.

"Your Mom?" Piper lay back down. "Does she come around a lot?"

"She appeared to me before, when all this craziness started." Buffy admitted.

Piper pulled the covers up around them, resting her hand on Buffy's hip.

"What did she say?" She questioned without any hesitation.

"This time or that time." Buffy smiled softly and put her hand over the other Slayer's.

"Both." Piper encouraged her.

"Before she said I wasn't ready." Buffy admitted softly. "But now, now she says I am."

"Did you ask what she meant?" Piper didn't want to sound thick by asking, but she wasn't quite getting the big picture.

"I... not exactly." Buffy frowned. "She said I had everyone around me I needed and that I had myself again."

"Well I'd call that a good omen, right?" Piper squeezed Buffy's hips.

"Yes." Buffy moved closer to her lover. "I miss her." She admitted closing her eyes.

"I bet, was she like totally cool?" Piper urged her to lie down

"Mmmmm she was." Buffy snuggled in.

"Tell me." Piper encouraged.

"She spent years cleaning blood out of my clothes and bought ever one of my lame excuses." Buffy chuckled lightly.

"So what would she say about me?" Piper stroked her fingers up and down over Buffy's naked shoulder.

"She said you were part of my heart." Buffy moved her head to look up at her lover.

"Oh can I take that as approval, I want to take it as approval." Piper smiled tenderly.

"I think it was." Buffy smiled back.

"Okay you, back to sleep." Piper encouraged.

"Mmmmm tired." Buffy put her head back down.

"I'm not surprised." Piper kissed her head.

"I swear you're ego is getting bigger." The blonde chuckled as she yawned.

"Hey I actually wasn't talking about the five times we've managed since getting in." She grinned broadly.

"You counted?" Buffy looked up again.

"Actually no." Piper laughed gently. "I lost the ability to count after the second."

"You're so cute." Buffy laughed and turned snuggling her backside into the other Slayer. "Now come on sleep, everyone's going to wake us up in about an hour."

"Okay, okay." Piper folded herself around the other woman and kissed the back of her head.

Faith groaned and rolled a little over onto her back, in a deep comfortable sleep, that found her warm, safe and not alone, a perfect place for her to be. At the same time Dawn rolled onto her side so her body was flush up against Faith's. Searching for the blanket her hand slid down the dark Slayer's body. Almost as if sensing the need of the younger woman in her sleep Faith used her foot to bring the blanket in reaching distance and pulled it over them

Dawn let out a slight content moan as she buried her face lower, pressing into the side of Faith's right breast as her hand lay across her hip forgetting about the blanket.

Faith groaned a little louder, her core temperature raising a notch as the other woman's nose pressed just under the side edge of her dark tank top so that Dawn's warm breath breathed out over Faith's soft skin. Dawn's breathing stayed constant as she flung her leg over Faith's, her hand sliding up onto the Slayer's bare stomach.

It was then as the fluttering across Faith's stomach moved lower and became a recognizable throb between her legs, which the Slayer began to climb towards consciousness. Her climb was probably made faster as Dawn's leg pressed up higher, the brunette's long body making it easy for her to curl up in such a way. Her hand pressed up as went to brush a hair off her face leaving her hand to cup around Faith's breast.

"Mmmmm yes baby." The Slayer moaned before reality slotted puzzle pieces into place and dark eyes blinked rapidly open as her breast was squeezed in response to the mumble. Freezing in her place, Faith brought her breathing under control and stared up at the ceiling. She hoped that at any moment the other woman would move her hand and leg away.

"Mmmmm Faith." Dawn's thick voice showed she was in a deep sleep but the content of her dream was becoming more obvious as she pressed her face in closer, her own hips rocking against Faith's leg.

"Oh fuck girl don't make this easy will you." Faith whispered to herself and looked to the heavens. Putting her hand over where Dawn's cupped her breast she tried to lift it from her shirt.

A groan of protest came as Dawn slid her hand away from Faith's, slipping lower so that her fingers caught under the elastic of Faith's boxers.

"Oh no you don't missy." Faith's hand darted after Dawn's, this time holding the younger woman's tighter and pulling it up she didn't really mind if she woke Dawn up. It was better than her having to try and explain later when Dawn woke up to find her hand down there.

Another groaned protest came as Dawn's hand was pulled away from the warm area, in response she pressed her knee up harder into her groin.

"D, D, Hun." Faith decided to give up and just go for the direct approach.

"Mmmmm what?" Dawn looked up blinking sleepy eyes.

"You err..." Faith pushed. "You looked uncomfy, and I didn't want you to wake up all achy."

"I was having a dream." She gave a lopsided smile.

"Were you?" Faith tried to sound casual. "A nice one?"

"Very nice." Dawn leaned up. "We were kissing." She snuggled her face into Faith's neck.

"Kissing is good." Faith moved her hand to thread through Dawn's hair a little trying to push aside the distracting throb in her body.

"And other things." Dawn ran her hand up rubbing it over Faith's stomach.

"Other nice things?" Faith cleared her throat still focusing. She could hear her inner voice begin a chant she'd heard once on a TV show about monks and meditation.

"Mmmmm yes, you were touching me." Dawn tilted her head kissing Faith's neck up closer to her ear.

"Touching is good too, I hope I was good at it in your dream." Faith swallowed and tipped her head back a little without thinking.

"Very good." Dawn slipped her body over a bit so she was straddling Faith's leg, her body still warm and aroused from the dream as she kissed up to Faith's earlobe.

"D..." Faith swallowed again as the overpowering warmth, smell and softness of the other woman made her body shiver.

"It was such a good dream." Dawn rolled her hips down pressing against Faith's leg harder.

"Dawn, Hun, listen to me." Faith moved both hands onto Dawn's thigh clearing her throat again as the throb turned into an almost unbearable ache.

"What?" Dawn looked at her trying to wake up fully to listen.

"It's really, really hard to not touch you, when you're doing that." Faith tried to word her predicament carefully, though the desperation was evident in her voice.

"Maybe I want you to touch me?" Dawn pressed her hips down, her lips opening a little as the pressure made her groan.

"Do you?" Faith forced herself to swallow her eyes unable to move from Dawn's lips.

"Well normally if I have a nice dream like that and wake up I…." Dawn whispered and blushed a little. "Touch myself.

"Knowing yourself is good D." Faith nodded with a smile trying to banish images of the young woman in her bed enjoying such moments.

"Do you want me to get off of you?" Dawn checked pressing down a bit harder.

"No, if I'm honest I want you to ride my thigh till you explode." Faith breathed out. "But you know, I'm trying to think couply here and not just with my…" She didn't finish.

"I think it's couply." Dawn smiled as she pushed down more.

"This isn't going too fast for you?" Faith checked running a little safety check through her head. They could stay clothed, well at least in what they already had on. There didn't have to be any direct stimulation, Dawn was close enough to not need that, she could tell that easily. 'Its innocent fabric fucking, almost everyone does that by the time they're seventeen.' She reminded herself.

"This is more me touching you, so it can't be too fast, as I'm the one doing the touching." The brunette groaned as she braced up her arms so she could angle down. "Don't you think?"

"Yeah." Faith reasoned nodded. "Here." She shifted them both higher up the bed "Put your hands on the wall." She guided. "It'll help."

"But..." Dawn whimpered as Faith braced her leg up more and she reached up her hands to the smooth wallpaper. "What about you?"

"This is good for me D, think where your knee is." She subtly pointed out as the mentioned body part bumped rhythmically against the throb between her legs.

"My knee? Oh my knee." Dawn grinned as she realized where her knee was.

"Mmmmm were you having a good dream too?" She rocked harder looking down at the dark Slayer.

"No, actually I was having a really nice reality." Faith smiled back.

Dawn leaned down and kissed her. Faith kissed her back trying to tone down the force and desire she wanted to put into the return. She wanted this to be about Dawn and not her overwhelming libido.

"You don't have to hold back." Dawn groaned as she reached down taking Faith's hand and putting it on her hip.

"Maybe I wanna hold back a bit, to make the night we... you know all the way, really special." Faith slid her other hand onto Dawn's other hip and helped the younger woman move. Internally she laughed at her chaste language.

"Are you sure?" Dawn whimpered as the feeling of Faith's hands on her skin.

"How do you feel?" Faith softly changed the subject and let her voice go deeper.

"Mmmmm God Faith." The brunette panted.

"That's it D, enough talking, just feel." Faith's voice urged her growing huskier as she pressed the young woman back and forth over her thigh, taking her just a little higher as she braced her leg at a slightly higher angle.

"Oh Faith." Dawn whimpered over and over as her hips began to move with less rhythm and finally she tipped her head back releasing a high pitched moan as her orgasm washed over her.

"There you go." Faith slipped one hand from off Dawn's hip up her spine to give her something strong to support the hard arch of her back as she rode out the climax.

"Oh God Faith." Dawn finally moved forward, her hand sliding off the wall as she collapsed on the Slayer's body as she gasped for air.

"That's it, easy, easy," Faith soothed using her strength and agility to move them both so that Dawn was on her back on the bed, propped up a little on the pillows. The dark Slayer was off to the side making sure the brunette had the freedom to move, as she needed. "Breathe." She moved her fingers to press back wet dark brown hair.

"Wow... its never felt..." She breathed out. "That good."

"Believe me D, you have just touched the tip of one hell of an mountain of pleasure." Faith winked.

"Are you okay? Do you… I mean you didn't." Dawn slowly moved lazily onto her side looking at the dark Slayer.

"Just focus on you for a bit there D." Faith smiled and put her hand on Dawn's thigh.

"Are you sure?" Dawn leaned back closing her eyes a little.

"Nothing should spoil how you feel right now or rush it or make it fuzzy, just wallow." Faith encouraged. "Here let me get you a clean pair of shorts that you can change into when you're ready." She leaned forward and pressed her lips onto Dawn's cheek.

"Mmmmm no, just stay." Dawn hugged her quickly.

"Or alternatively I could just stay." Faith couldn't help but smile at the strength Dawn put into the hug.

"Much better." Dawn snuggled closer.

"Feel okay?" Faith checked as she pressed her lips to Dawn's head.

"I feel amazing, all tingly." Dawn giggled.

"Damn no stars?" Faith smirked. "I was aiming for stars"

"Did I say I could actually see?" Dawn snuggled closer to her.

"Don't take this the wrong way D, but…" Faith paused. "You're cute."

"So are you." Dawn whispered.

"Go to sleep before I tickle you in punishment for damaging this Slayer's reputation." Faith chuckled.

"Mmmmm could be fun." Dawn opened her eyes.

"Sleep." Faith growled in a low voice but a grin was firmly plastered on her face and she closed her own eyes.

Faith knocked on the bedroom door, looking at the blonde witch who was surrounded by books and crumbled bits of paper.

"Hey, you busy?" She asked stupidly.

"You could say that." Tara looked up and tucked long hair behind her ear.

"Okay, I won't bug you then." Faith nodded and turned on her heel to leave.

"Faith no, it's fine, come in. Human companionship would be nice for a white, to clear my brain of ancient languages and spells." Tara beckoned her in.

"You're sure, I don't want to get in the way. I know how important all this spell shit is." Faith came in reluctantly sticking to the far areas of the room.

"They are important but so is every individual here and that includes you, friend." She added reaching forward to pat the bed. "Come sit down, what's wrong?"

"Dawn said she talked to you." Faith didn't sit but came closer to lean one knee on the bed.

"She did." Tara nodded and closed the book she was reading and cleared away her papers into a pile. "Is it your turn to spill the details?" She asked softly.

"Details? There aren't any details." Faith shook her head taking the comment the wrong way. "I haven't really touched her." She backed up.

"Faith, calm down." Tara frowned softly. "I didn't mean anything by that." She underlined. "I meant how are you, how do you feel about what Dawn spoke to me about?"

"Sorry, I keep waiting for someone to kick my ass." Faith sat down. "I mean I am so trying to behave here."

"I promise not to kick your ass." Tara smiled gently.

"What the Hell is she thinking?" The dark Slayer turned to her suddenly asking the almost harsh question. "I mean hello, worse choice on earth here."

"I don't think love is about best or worse choices Faith." Tara offered softly. "You are strong, beautiful, exciting and bold, it think that would make you an attractive option for just about anyone."

"She can't love me." Faith stood up shaking her head. "That is just insane, I mean she's got her whole fucking life ahead of her."

"So have you." Tara countered.

"Tara, you can't possibly be telling me that you're okay with her choice? Come on I want the truth." Faith stared at her.

"Faith…" Tara paused. "The person who will always judge you the hardest, is you, it's one thing prison will do for you, it will either make it so that you just don't give a damn, or it will make you think about what you did do. Now what you did, you did to and around the people that you cared the most about, so not only will you see what you actually did as a mark against you, you will perceive everything thing, everyway each action affected everyone of them as another black mark against yourself. But Faith…." Blue eyes looked up wanting to make very sure that Faith was more than listening to her.

"But?" Faith jumped almost immediately.

"Dawn hasn't fallen in love with a list of errors, nor a list of good things, she's fallen in love with you. Now I know she's young and I know that right now things might be crazy and judgments not what they should be, but what she's feeling right now, to her, feels real, and I cannot tell her that that's wrong or that she should choose someone else. She trusts you Faith, not completely, but she wants to. She wants to know you've changed into the person she always thought you were inside." The blonde witch continued. "What matters the most is that you are honest, not to me necessarily, but to yourself and to Dawn. If you're not in love with her, be honest about it, but if you are, be honest too." She said softly. "She might only be seventeen, but right now she knows what she wants, and she wants you. What's the worse that can happen? We beat the First, in a months or so she changes her mind about how she feels, but even then she's spent that time with you in a caring thoughtful relationship, I'm not seeing negatives here."

"No worse thing is in a few months she turns around and realizes that everything was crazy and she's lost her virginity to me and you can't get that back." Faith turned looking out the window. "I know she knows what she wants, Hell she's probably got more sense than I do and I do have feelings for her..." She swallowed. "Mostly I don't want to hurt her."

"Put yourself in her position Faith." Tara nodded understanding Faith's point. "When all this goes down, there's a chance that we won't win, a chance we won't survive. Now, would you rather lose your virginity to someone who you love deeply and care about and then die or die not having experience what it is to share that most precious thing with anyone, even though you felt like you wanted to?"

"She's not going to die in this, I don't care what else happens she's not dying." Faith shook her head missing somewhat the end point as the idea of the brunette being killed or even hurt made her so angry.

"That's something you can believe with your whole heart Faith, but it doesn't make it a reality." Tara said softly. "The fact that you don't want anything bad to happen to her says so much." The blonde stopped. "She tells me you've kissed."

"Yeah, we had some fun last night but I made sure it was all about her." Faith remembered the night before with a smile.

"You want to define fun for me?" Tara frowned softly.

"I had to wake her up cause she was having this hot dream and pawing me in her sleep. Well you know what it's like when you wake up all hot and bothered, I just let her have a thigh on loan to work it out and get back to sleep." Faith shrugged.

"So you made love." Tara reworded the answer.

Faith looked at Tara almost as shocked as Zoë had when the blonde witch had slapped her.

"Tara I told you I didn't touch her, all seals intact." Faith made a motion with her hands to ward off any attack the blonde was going to make at her.

"You don't have to touch someone to make love to them Faith." Tara shook her head. "You brought her to release, you wanted her to feel good and you wanted to be the cause. You made love." She underlined again.

Faith stood there obviously stunned as she went down the checklist that Tara had provided and found every one of them was true.

"But I didn't... I mean I wasn't thinking like that I was... Oh fuck me." She cursed putting her hand up to tuck her hair behind her ears.

"Faith, if taking Dawn's virginity is the thing scaring you here, then quite simply, don't." Tara put forward. "I just know you know a hundred ways of pleasuring someone that don't include penetration."

"Okay I have one question, how the Hell are you having this conversation so calmly?" Faith looked at her amazed. "I mean hello we're talking Dawn here, little Dawnie? The girl who still comes to you for hot chocolate and a head rub."

"Because." Tara paused. "Because I love her and I want for her what makes her happy, you make her happy, obviously." She smirked slightly but then looked at Faith with bright intense blue eyes. "And because I trust you, and if you purposely hurt her, you'll find out just what a powerful witch I am."

"That was a threat right?" Faith moved over and sat down again. "Now I feel better. More my territory." She smiled and gave a sigh of relief. "I don't want to hurt her. She's so mixed up, she feels stuck between being a kid who everyone looks down on and being an adult which I mean I wish I could tell her stay a kid it's easier. But she's not, she is so not." She shook her head.

"Faith, have you ever been in love?" Tara asked softly.

"No." The dark Slayer shook her head.

"Then why not let yourself fall?" Tara questioned smiling gently.

"Oh my, I swear when we beat the First the thing I'm going to enjoy most is hot water whenever I want it." Willow came in rubbing at her wet hair interrupting without realizing. "Oh Faith." She looked between the two of them.

"Faith was just asking how the search was going." Tara explained. "Come here let me do that." She held out her hand for the towel.

"Yeah just wanted to check in." Faith stood up as Willow came over relinquishing the towel as she moved onto the bed back on so Tara could help.

"You could tell Tara she needs a break, she's not listening to me." Willow teased her fiancée.

"Tara you need a break." Faith leaned in and took the book she had seen the blonde working on as she entered, before turning and hurrying out pulling the door closed behind her.

"What was that all about? She was acting funny." Willow leaned back a little against Tara.

"I think our proud Slayer is just a little bit wiggy like the rest of us." Tara replied with a soft smile.

"You didn't come in the shower with me, I thought you were going to join me." Willow looked up pouting.

"That was before we…" Tara blushed and looked down at the floor. "You know, on the rug..."

"Mmmmm but I still thought you were coming into the shower because I was going to wash your back." Willow smiled at the memory.

"But I thought you wanted to actually have a shower." Tara grinned as she emphasized the word 'actually'.

"Yes, but I wanted you too." Willow snuggled closer.

"I thought you were worried we were too tired." Tara encircled her lover with her arms.

"If you're not in the mood baby you can just say." Willow leaned her head resting on Tara's arm.

"I'm in the mood." Tara leaned down and kissed the soft skin on Willow's neck.

"Mmmmm no, no if you're not it's mmmmm fine." Willow tipped her head further her actions not matching her words.

"Willow, I want you." Tara dropped her voice and more or less growled low into Willow's ear.

"Do you?" The redhead's voice was a breathy whisper as she shifted her hips, the growl making a new flood of desire pool between her legs.

"I do." Tara leaned back and drew Willow down with her so that the redhead was laying on her back on the blonde's stomach.

"How?" Willow felt the strange position and the way she could hear and feel but not see her lover.

"I don't know." Tara replied pressing them lightly over onto their sides so that she was spooned against Willow. She ran her hand over Willow's flat stomach as she licked Willow's neck again.

"Mmmmm you don't?" Willow gave a full body shiver in pleasure. It seemed that Tara already had some definite ideas of what she was going to do.

"Well this feels nice." Tara rocked her hips little into Willow's ass, and drew her kisses and licks back around to Willow's spine as she peeled the towel that the redhead had tucked around her body away.

"Very." Willow pressed her backside against the pressure, arching against the trace of her tongue.

"You taste of raspberries." The blonde whispered.

"The..." Willow groaned back. "Body wash."

"We need more of it." Tara nibbled across Willow's shoulder.

"We need lots more of it." She shivered and gave another moan.

"Goddess you are beautiful." Tara ran her hand down between their bodies cupping the soft round rises of Willow's ass. "Baby." She moved back up. "Lay on your tummy." She whispered huskily into her lover's ear. Willow gave a soft nod and then slid forward onto her stomach. "Perfect love." She moved to straddle across Willow's ass and smoothed her long hands up the redhead's spine.

"Mmmmm." Willow gave a soft moan as she pillowed her arms under her head.

"Feel nice?" Tara asked as she continued to caress.

"You know I love your massages." Willow nodded slightly.

"This isn't exactly a massage love." Tara admitted as she followed her hands with a soft trail of her tongue.

"Tarrraaa!" She groaned louder at this soft touch. Moving back so her own body was lower, Tara eased Willow's legs open ever so slightly and then pressed her hand between them. "Baby..." The redhead gasped at the unexpected touch.

Without hesitation, Tara curled her long fingers forward siding lightly through soft curls as pressed her flat palm to Willow's wetness. The response was another deep gasp as the redhead moved her legs open further.

Tara eased her palm in tighter to press the wet heated lips slightly open, and then keeping her arm in the unusual position she eased herself forward laying on top of her lover. With her arm down Willow's back and curving around her ass, her added weight pressed the redhead down harder on the bed.

"Mmmmm baby." The redhead groaned happily under the pressure.

Tara pressed her fingers rhythmically against the soft mound of Willow's pubic area while at the same time she pressed her hips against her lover's ass. Willow found herself pressing back against her lover's hand and body without evening thinking about it

"Mmmmm Willow, I love how you move." Tara kissed over Willow's shoulder.

"God baby you're driving me crazy." Willow groaned back trying to turn a bit to see the blonde but finding she couldn't.

"Good, how does it feel? I mean is it a good crazy." Tara checked softly.

"Amazing crazy." Willow nodded against the mattress.

"Anything my sexy redhead wants?" Tara kept her fingers flexing and her hips pressing knowing the indirect pressure and attention would be driving Willow more than crazy.

"Mmmmm." She whimpered in response. "I want you to do what you're doing, I love you all in charge." She made the soft admission.

"I'm not going to stop, not until I feel you flood over my palm." Tara stretched her body up and breathed the fact into Willow's ear.

"Uhhhhhh yessss." Willow pressed up more.

"Mmmmm, yes Willow." Tara rocked harder and rolled her palm in tighter still so that she could rub the flat base against swollen inner lips.

"Baby, I can't believe how you make me feel." Willow breathed out hotly as she felt her inner muscles contracting, seeking out something to capture anything but they found nothing.

"How do I make you feel?" Tara purred feeling her lover become more erratic in her movements and breathing.

"So wet baby, so turned on, I just want you to take me, anyway you want to."

Willow whimpered.

"Oh Willow." Tara groaned. "Do you have any idea how that turns me on?"

"No, how?" The redhead questioned, her hips pressing into the mattress harder.

"More than I could tell you." Tara admitted softly as she kissed and licked across Willow's upper back. "The words make my body ache, my temperature rise. My heart race."

"What do you want to do to me?" Willow whispered the question.

"I want to take you, I want to fill you and make you scream my name." Tara moved the position of her hand enough so that she could slip her thumb into her lover's body, finally giving eager muscles something to contract around.

"Ahhhmmmm yes baby." Willow nodded her agreement as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Are you sure, I mean I-I'm not normally this de-demanding." Tara heard her voice shake a little as she questioned for a moment just what she was doing.

"Please Tara, I love you." Willow groaned. "Demanding is good." She added pressing her hips down to work her body against Tara's hand more. "Demanding is great." She underlined rolling her hips.

Tara pressed her lips to Willow's cheek and moved her hand back, pulling her thumb away from the redhead's press. She curled her fingers back and then pressed two into her lover, the motion strong and direct. Willow gasped in at the added pleasure. She braced one hand against the headboard pressing down as her inner muscles were stretched.

"Sweet Willow." Tara moaned as she eased her fingers in higher, feeling the soft but tight walls stretching to accommodate her eagerly. Willow pulled one knee up a bit so she could leverage her body to press down against the pressure obviously wanting to draw her lover in further. "Are you sure?" Tara purred before pushing as the redhead's body suggested she should, angling her elbow down more to meet the thrust from Willow's hips as her fingers went upward.

Another series of whimpers and moans greeted her and urged Tara to pull her body down a bit more behind the redhead's, giving her an even better angle and the ability to control more how her lover moved.

"Pull your other leg up honey." Tara instructed knowing the prone way that Willow's right leg was under her wasn't helping the redhead find the pace her body needed. She lifted her own weight, allowing Willow to settle up on her knees though her legs were widely apart. "See that's so much better." She shifted her other hand around encircling the hacker's thin waist and slid her fingers down her lover's fluttering stomach. Most of Willow's body was still pressed into the mattress and pillows making it a tight maneuver as she eased up to cup her warm hand around Willow's small breast, capturing and rolling the hard nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

"Please Tara." Willow bit her lip as she felt a roll of anticipation go through her stomach, her hips keeping a fast pace as she rocked back onto Tara's hand. The new flare of pleasure that peaked out of her breast made her lash her hand up to grip onto the top of the headboard. She pulled herself up to a bent knelling position, using both hands to brace against the wooden top. She quickly discovered the change let her push back harder and she groaned loudly as her hips circled and rocked faster.

"Mmmm that's better." Tara growled feeling the new flood of arousal that rushed past her fingers as Willow repositioned. Letting her lover settle first, she then moved behind the redhead's smaller body to brace her hand and allow them to rock together in a complete motion.

"Better…is… lacking word." Willow whimpered as she felt the full length of her lover press in behind her. Though for a moment she wished Tara were naked as well, she soon realized there was something just so deeply erotic right now about the fact that her lover was clothed while she was rocking against her fully naked. Something that underlined to her body it was Tara making love to her, taking charge of the pleasure in an attempt to give Willow as much of it as she could.

"Willow brain is still working way to well." The blonde teased as she squeezed the nipple she was still teasing lightly and then moved her hand down. She didn't hesitate, she could feel how close her lover was to release and she knew that the build-up had been long enough and wonderful enough that she was going to get exactly what she had told Willow she wanted. "Have to fix that." She slid her fingers down easily able to curl up and flick directly over the redhead's center as her open hips allowed instant free access.

"Oh Taraaa." Willow's grip on the headboard dipped a bit as the strength left her arms, but the blonde's arm around her waist help keep her in place. "Baby… oh…" She gasped out a few disjointed words.

"Sounds fixed already." Tara dipped her head kissing the redhead's shoulder and neck as she flicked her fingers faster against the growing rock of Willow's hips. As the motion began to get more erratic, she pressed her fingers in onto the hard bundle of nerves letting Willow's own movements drive the stimulation.

"Ta-ra, oh Ta-ra." Willow knew she wasn't in control of what her body was doing right now as her back arched and her hips jerked and moved.

"Sexy, sexy Willow." Tara gave a throaty groan as she wiggled her fingers each time they reached the deepest point of Willow's thrust back.

"Baby, oh… baby I…" Willow knuckles went white around the headboard as her movements stopped being fluid, her muscles jumping and stuttering as she tried to keep up the motions there were giving her such pleasure.

"Remember I want you screaming." Tara licked over the redhead's shoulder as she began to move her fingers in a fast circle over Willow's center when her hips could no longer keep up the direct stimulation.

"I… can't…" For a second the redhead tried to object as a flash of other people milling around the house filled her brain but as Tara eased a third finger into her tight body she was pushed over the edge of even caring about that. She felt the delightful sparks of her orgasm flaring up her back down to fill her hips and her head. "TAAARRRRAAA!" She tipped her head back trying to find an outlet for the almost overpowering feeling as it swept through her body.

"Oh Willow I love you." The blonde leaned her cheek down on Willow's hot skin, closing her eyes as she bathed in the fulfillment that was pouring off her lover. She could feel the quivering of muscles, the flood around her hands, the twitching of overwhelmed nerves and above all hear as Willow gave in to be overtaken by it all. Seeing again how trusting her lover was, willing to give her control now in a way she doubted that Willow would think she was safe to do if she'd taken the time to think about it.

"Oh Goddess baby." Willow managed to whimper the words as the strength in her arms disappeared, her body slumping against Tara though her hips still tried to keep rocking. "I love you."

"I'm right here." Tara whispered assurances as she slowed down their bodies and tenderly eased her hands away, moving her arms up to circle Willow's waist. "Lay down with me now." She instructed knowing that the redhead was long past questions or requests. She eased Willow's spent body down onto her side on the mattress, having to even help unbend the redhead's legs and settle her into what would be a comfortable position. "Feel good?" She teased lightly as she curled her body in to spoon around her lover who was still shaking and panting.

"Lacking…" Willow managed enough energy to press back against Tara, cupping her arms around the ones that held her. "Word." She felt her body shudder again from a blissful aftershock and it made her groan.

"I should make up new words to describe how beautiful you are." Tara kissed her shoulder lightly enjoying each flare and shudder her lover was still experiencing.

For a moment her mind flashed to their coming fight with the First and for a fleeting moment she didn't just believe they could win, she knew they would, there was nothing on earth that she would let take this love from her again. Nothing.

Part 23

"Faith, go take a nap." Piper chuckled as she managed to smack the staff out of the other Slayer's hands for the third time. "Or go meditate or something because where ever your attention is, it ain't here and I'm not going be responsible for hurting you."

With a sigh the dark haired Slayer bent down, retrieving the staff and tossing it to Piper who caught it one handed and gave it a short spin.

"I'll take you later." Faith warned as she backed up and walked to the house she was in.

She stopped briefly in the kitchen trying to decide if she wanted anything, but she found even chocolate or a beer weren't appealing. With a sigh she moved to the door to the basement and pushed it open. A soft moaning was probably only audible to the Slayer because of her incredible hearing.

"Mmmmm Faith." A very soft whisper added a very recognizable purr.

For a moment Faith was unsure of what to do, but in the end curiosity got the better of the dark haired Slayer, after all the younger woman had been on her mind all day since her conversation with Tara. She eased down the stairs into the room.

Dawn probably wouldn't have heard her even if the Slayer hadn't have been using her stealth approach. She was laid back on the bed, her hair fanned out behind her. She had on a billowy top, the small buttons she'd undone so that her bra was visible. The button-fly on her jeans was undone and her right hand was firmly pressed down inside the material. She had her eyes closed and licked her partially open lips.

Faith came to rest against the wall on the far side of the room from the bed, swallowing forcefully unable to take her eyes off the vision before her.

Dawn was oblivious as she flexed her hips trying to get more comfortable. She'd spent the whole morning since Faith had gotten up and gone off to train feeling aroused and unsatisfied. She'd hoped they'd be able to repeat the late night activities, never had she felt such an explosive release. She tried not to think about the differences, knowing that would only make this all the harder. She needed something just to make going upstairs and facing research and seeing Faith training bearable.

"Mmmmm God please." She groaned feeling the center of pleasure inside her come unfocused a bit making release more elusive. "Please..." She groaned pulling her hand back and going to move her jeans down further. As she did she opened her eyes and yelped. "FAITH!" She sat up going bright red and feeling ultimately guilty.

"Shit, sorry." Faith automatically looked down and then turned her head away.

"No, oh God I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been doing that." Dawn turned on the bed trying to do up her shirt. "I'm so stupid, I'm sorry."

"D, hey Dawn, stop, it's okay." Faith looked up sensing the hurried movement, she took a few steps towards the bed.

"No, oh God I'm so stupid." Dawn shook her head, her eyes welling with tears as she tried to do up her jeans.

"Dawn, Dawn it's okay." Faith reached the bed and put her hand over where Dawn's was on her belt. "Really it's okay." She added trying to catch Dawn's eyes.

"How can it be? You just found me..." Dawn stopped not able to finish. "I'm so stupid." She blinked teary brown eyes.

"Okay look, I just came in to my room to find the most beautiful young woman, laid out on my bed, pleasuring herself using my name." Faith summed up what the other woman didn't seem able to. "Dawn there is nothing wrong with that, in fact, it was fucking sexy." She pointed out.

"It was?" The brunette questioned biting her lip.

"How could it not be? God Dawn." Faith shook her head. "You looked beautiful."

"I just... last night felt so good." She moved closer to the dark Slayer.

"It did." Faith agreed, in an unusual move she closed her arms around the younger woman and held her close. "It really did." She admitted again.

Dawn held her back hesitating for a moment before she slipped her own arms up hugging her tightly, she tucked her cheek against Faith's.

"You're hot." Faith breathed nuzzling back against Dawn's.

"I am." Dawn whispered out feeling all of the panic and shame melt away as she pressed closer to Faith's body. "I was sort of a little busy."

"I know, sorry about that I had no right..." Faith whispered. "To interrupt."

"You didn't, I was thinking about you." Dawn shook her head. "I was just embarrassed you caught me.'

"I came in to catch a couple of hours sleep." Faith explained.

"Oh, you're tired? Are you okay?" Dawn put her hand up to Faith's forehead. "Do you want me to make you some hot chocolate?"

"I'm not tired Dawn, I'm unfocused." Faith pointed out her eyes closing a little as Dawn's palm pressed on her brow.

"Unfocused, oh I can go." Dawn brought her hand down. "Is it my fault?"

"You want to go?" Faith's eyes opened as Dawn pulled back.

"No, not really." Dawn shook her head. "But if you need to focus."

"You could help me focus." Faith offered.

"Can I? I would like to do that." Dawn reached up again running her fingers along Faith's cheek.

"Do you know any meditations?" The dark Slayer swallowed.

"Meditations? Mmmmm no. Would a massage help?" Dawn offered.

"A kiss might." Faith breathed out.

Dawn took a breath of her own before she tried to ignore the faster beating of her heart. She leaned forward gliding her lips onto Faith's. One of Faith's hands slid down and squeezed Dawn's ass as the other slide up her back to hold her head, immediately taking the kiss deep.

Dawn whimpered loudly as her liquid body melted more with the hot kiss.

"Sorry, it's just I've wanted to do that since last night." Releasing the younger woman Faith drew her hands back to her own body and stepped back.

"Mmmmm me too." Dawn didn't let her retreat, following the step back so she could press to her again and kiss her.

"Mmmmm is right." Faith breathed in a convenient breathing pause.

"This could help us focus." Dawn looped her arms around Faith's shoulders.

"It could, how are you feeling?" Faith asked putting her hands on Dawn's hips.

"Hot." Dawn pushed her hips closer.

"That's a nice top you're wearing, I've never seen it before." Faith moaned lightly.

"I was going to wear it to the dance we were having at school." Dawn threaded her hands up into dark hair. "Well before they cancelled it and everything to do with school."

"You wanna dance baby?" Faith smirked and leaned over the bed to flick on the small stereo.

"That would be very cool." Dawn grinned from ear to ear.

"Well look, let me slip into something more dance sexy and you dim the lights." She grinned back.

Dawn tried to busy herself as Faith changed, first she dimmed the lights as requested and then she moved to put some CD's in the changers so that they could have their own selection instead of the radio.

Faith fastened her black belt and smoothed her hands down the front of her newest pair of black leathers, before turning around slowly. She pushed her hands into her pockets, the tight muscles in her arms shown to their best in the skin-tight armless tank top she wore.

"Hi." Dawn waved as she hit shuffle and the room filled with music.

"Hi, did you want drinks?" Faith asked looking Dawn up and down slowly.

"No, just to dance." Dawn started to walk closer.

"With me, or do I get to watch?" Faith smirked.

"With you." Dawn blushed thinking back to her position on the bed.

"Great." Faith smiled and reached out her hand, Dawn filled it with hers immediately. Faith drew the younger woman closer sliding her hands to Dawn's hips moving her in rhythm with music.

"Do you want to go to the dance with me if the school ever opens again?" Dawn smiled as they moved.

"You'd want to take me to a school dance?"

"Definitely." Dawn nodded. "Want to show off my girlfriend."

"Can I wear a suit?" Faith checked.

"Mmmmm tailored?" Dawn made a picture of Faith in a gorgeous dark suit in her head.

"Whatever you want." Faith smirked. "As long as it's a suit."

"Please." Dawn nodded softly.

"You're gonna have to get a new outfit." Faith pointed out.

"There was this dress at Penny's, it was black and silky. It was gorgeous." Dawn mused moving with Faith.

"I'm I gonna have to get a job to keep you?" Faith arched an eyebrow.

"Summers women are never cheap." Dawn grinned at her.

"Someone should have told me this." Faith tightened her grip to show she was joking.

"Opps too late." Dawn laughed and turned swaying against her.

"You really did look beautiful on my bed when I came in." Faith whispered into Dawn's ear as she moved her body against the other woman's.

"Mmmmm I was thinking about last night." Dawn pressed back against her feeling her body shiver.

"You were beautiful then too." Faith nodded.

"Is that why you're unfocused?" Dawn questioned reaching one hand back and hooked it in Faith's belt. "Because I fell asleep before you." She tried to say what she meant without saying it.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked softly her hands sliding down to cup her ass.

"Because you didn't... I didn't do anything for you..." Dawn tried to explain more distracted by Faith's hands.

"Yeah that had something to do with it." Faith admitted softly.

"I'm sorry, pretty selfish girlfriend." Dawn frowned a little.

"No, exhausted, spent sexy girlfriend." Faith corrected her quickly.

"Mmmmm who didn't do anything to make you exhausted." Dawn leaned back against her.

"Dawn, listen okay, sometimes satisfying the other person is enough." Faith said though a part of her could hardly believe she was saying anything close to this. Finding Dawn as she had though had underlined part of the reason she was unfocused. The night before she hadn't got her part of the bargain as she usually considered it. Faith had never had any issues with making sure her lover of the moment got off, but it was always with the stipulation that she get what was coming for her too. Last night it hadn't mattered, and when she'd seen Dawn stretched out it hadn't mattered then either. The first thought that had come to her was to go over and help the brunette find the release she obviously needed, Faith for the monumental time hadn't been thinking anything about herself.

"I want to make you exhausted." Dawn turned looking into dark eyes.

"It takes a lot to do that D." Faith smirked proudly.

"I want to try." Dawn reached down putting her hands in Faith's pockets.

"You don't have to do this D, not if you don't want to." Faith's voice dropped a little as a flare of desire swept through her.

"I want to do this." Dawn leaned in to kiss her. Faith leaned too and met the lips eagerly squeezing Dawn's ass tighter. "That's what I was thinking about doing." She admitted when their lips parted to breathe.

"Really?" Faith breathed in surprised.

"Mmmmm but I was having trouble because I couldn't imagine how good you would feel." Dawn pushed her trying to get Faith to back up towards the bed.

"You want to feel me?" Faith backed up slowly.

"I want to hear what you're like when you feel good, and to feel you." Dawn nodded her voice thick.

"God Dawn, who taught you to seduce?" Faith swallowed hard knowing just from the look in the brunette's eyes that she wanted this, and from the ache in her body Faith knew it was what she wanted too.

"Books." Dawn smiled proud that she was doing a good job.

"Damn good books." Faith smirked.

"Thank Willow and Tara." Dawn pressed her back so that the Slayer had to sit down and she could straddle over her. Faith settled Dawn on her lap looking into dark eyes. "Is this okay?" She checked softly stroking Faith's hair back off her shoulders.

"It's great." Faith nodded her voice low and husky filled with arousal.

Dawn cupped her girlfriend's head and kissed her deeply, boldly exploring Faith's mouth with her tongue. Faith groaned deeply and squeezed Dawn's body tight.

"Mmmmm I want to touch you." Dawn slid her hands down over the dark Slayer's shoulders moving lower.

"You are touching me." Faith purred.

"I meant..." Dawn moved her hands lower to the tops of Faith's breasts.

"You want to touch the twins?" Faith tried to clarify.

"I so want to touch the twins." Dawn giggled at the name.

"Here." Faith drew her hands off Dawn's body and pulled off her tight tank top, she was naked beneath it.

"Wow." Dawn looked down licking her lips as her vision traced over Faith's body.

"Feel free to touch D." Faith chuckled softly.

Dawn slowly dragged her fingers down, letting her fingertips slide down over the generous swells. Faith drew in a long breath and tipped her head back a little. The brunette became intent on exploring as her fingers drew around, swirling slowly to cup the underside of each breast before she drew the fingers of her right hand up, swirling carefully as she watched Faith's nipple harden and swell.

"Oh yeah D." Faith breathed harder.

"That feels good?" Dawn checked as she swirled her finger around the stiff flesh.

"Yes Dawn, more than good." She confirmed.

Dawn moved her other hand up, pressing her palm into Faith's other breast massaging it. Faith arched her back pressing her breasts into Dawn's hands, the soft inquisitive touch intensely pleasurable.

"Lay down." Dawn requested softly. Without really thinking Faith leaned back her back landing on the mattress. "Thank you." She used the new position to press both her palms to Faith's breasts before she leaned over kissing the dark Slayer.

"Mmmmm ooh yeah." Faith groaned into the kiss.

"Faith, have you seen Dawn." The bedroom door swung opened and Giles stepped down the stairs his nose in the book he was carrying.

"Oh my God." Dawn froze looking over her shoulder at the Watcher in shock.

"Good lord, I'm sorry Dawn, I thought this was Faith's room." Giles apologized unable to see Faith or for the moment figure out what Dawn was doing until he saw the second set of legs and his eyes flared wider.

"It um is her room." Dawn kept looking at him not wanting to move.

"G man you got shit timing." Faith pushed up, wrapping her arm around Dawn so that the other woman was covering her chest. Her chin rested over Dawn's shoulder so she could see the Watcher.

"Bloody hell." Giles hissed ripping his glasses off his face.

"We were... busy." Dawn gulped hearing his reaction.

"Faith, outside!" Giles ordered his voice low and authoritative.

"Giles, it's okay." Dawn tried to reach over and get Faith her shirt.

"Apparently no D, its not." Faith pushed up picked Dawn up and lightly placing her on her feet making sure she didn't bother to cover her bare breasts for a long moment before pulling on the top. "Come on then G-man lets take this outside." She walked up the stairs behind him and then pulled the door closed behind her.

"Get you bags and leave." Giles pointed to the front door, his voice steely.

"No." Faith shook her head.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be Faith." He growled.

"I'm not, you're making this harder than it needs to be." Faith growled back. "We weren't doing anything wrong."

"Well that's not what it looked like to me." The Watcher stated tightly. "It looked like you were taking advantage of a young impressionable child."

"If you had a good enough look Giles you'd have noticed I wasn't on top of Dawn she was on top of me, doing what she wanted to do. Doing only what she wanted." Faith locked her jaw. "And if you're even suggesting I'd take advantage of Dawn you're lucky I don't knock all your teeth out."

"Couldn't you pick someone else?" Giles hissed angry.

"I didn't pick Dawn, she picked me." Faith shook her head. "It doesn't matter what I say does it?"

"You can't expect me to believe Dawn, the young woman who watched you destroy her sister, chose to court you?" He shook his head back.

"Why? We believed you could be a good man after all you did with Ethan Ripper." Dawn pushed the door open and stared at him.

"That's different." Giles objected with a frown turning to look at the teenager.

"Is it?" Dawn stared at him.

"Dawn please, go inside, I was having this discussion with Faith." Giles smiled tightly at her.

"You were having this discussion with Faith about me, so why won't you have this discussion about me with me?" Dawn didn't budge. "You think she took advantage of me? Giles, she's been doing everything she can to not do anything to encourage me. I'm not a little girl anymore, I know what I'm doing."

"Whatever she told you Dawn, you don't have to protect her." Giles looked at Dawn assuming that would be the angle the teenager was being forced to play.

"Protect her?" Dawn looked at him. "I am not protecting her. I am trying to tell you that I'm in love with her."

For the first time in the conversation Giles truly didn't know what to say.

"I think that's your cue to apologize and leave." Faith pointed out.

"This is not finished." He looked at Faith his voice icy as he straightened his tie and tucked the book under his arm. Turning he head right for the door closing it almost too quietly behind him.

"Things are gonna get ugly now." Faith frowned hating the fact she had to say it.

"Come on." Dawn took the dark Slayer's hand and pulled her back towards their room.

"D, I don't know." Faith frowned more, hesitantly looking at their hands.

"Do you care what they think?" Dawn stopped looking at her sadly.

"I care what they think about you, yes." Faith admitted.

"They think I'm a little girl who doesn't know what she wants, but I do. I want to be with you." Dawn said firmly.

"I want to be with you too D." Faith admitted in a soft voice. "You're one Hell of a woman."

"I'm seventeen, I can be brash and bitchy as my sister was." She grinned at her own confidence.

"Actually I feel sure she was heading right off towards stuck up tight ass even then." Faith chuckled.

"Yeah, come on." Dawn urged her again.

Faith looked at Dawn for a long moment weighing her options. She did just want to go back downstairs and forget that Giles was now on a rampage, probably going right to snitch to Buffy. She wanted to just spend time with Dawn, time when she didn't have to feel worthless or unwanted.

"You told Giles you were in love with me" She challenged her voice a little curious.

"Yes." Dawn nodded smiling shyly.

"You didn't have to say that to him." She pointed out.

"I didn't say it just to convince him, I... I said it cause it was true." Dawn squeezed her hand.

"Are you going to be gentle with me?" Faith grinned broadly moving towards the door.

"Mmmmm if you ask really nice." Dawn teased as they moved.

Buffy went through the series again with all the SIT's following her. It was the most mindless activity she could probably think of but it was at least keeping everyone busy while they waited for the big fight.

"Piper could you take over here." Giles took long strides into the yard calling to the Slayer as he went. Piper who was still working on her staff moves looked up quizzically but followed regardless.

"Piper, thank you." Buffy stopped her move and walked over to Giles. "What's up?"

"Faith." Giles said quickly and bluntly he put his hand on her arm and drew Buffy towards the house.

"What about Faith?" Buffy reluctantly followed him.

"We need to move her, I was thinking in with Sandra and I, and the witches." He explained his reasoning.

"Why? That would leave her house uncovered." Buffy pulled to a stop. "Giles, what's wrong? You've got that look."

"Piper could cover." Giles pointed flat out.

"Okay, something's obviously got the Watcher in a snit. What did Faith do?" Buffy stared at him.

"She is attempting to, for want of a better phrase, to corrupt your sister." Giles growled.

"Corrupt my sister?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"I just walked in on them." He coughed and looked down.

"Doing what?" Buffy questioned feeling her shoulder's tensing.

"Well I didn't care to look to closely, but Dawn was sitting on Faith's knee and Faith was, well, partially naked." He coughed again blushing high in his cheeks.

"Needs." Buffy cursed as she remembered the conversation and pushed passed the Watcher into the house. "DAWN!" She yelled moving immediately to the dark Slayer's room. She stomped down the stairs in normal Slayer style not even thinking to have knocked or wait for Dawn to come to the door.

Dawn turned from her place back on Faith's knee, pulling her head back from what had obviously been a deep hard kiss.

"What?" She asked her tone short and slightly annoyed even though she recognized her sister's voice. Couldn't the world just leave them alone for a few minutes?

"What the hell is going on?" She pushed in looking at them.

"We're having private time." Dawn frowned.

"D, I don't think that line's gonna work on your big sis." Faith rubbed her hand on Dawn's leg. "Do you want me to talk to her?" The dark haired Slayer asked looking just at Dawn.

"Actually Faith at the moment this has nothing to do with you, I want to talk to Dawn." Buffy put her hands on her hips.

"I'll take a walk." Faith gently lifted Dawn up and rested her on her feet. Pushing her hands into her leather pant pockets she walked softly passed Buffy and up the stairs to go out of the room.

"What did you do that for?" Dawn hissed angrily putting her hands on her hips to mirror her sister.

"Because apparently your 'needs'..." She put her fingers up for mock quotations. "Have turned into full fledged naked groping."

"Giles." Dawn growled. "He had no right to run and snitch to you."

"Oh course he had every right to tell me, Dawn you're my sister." Buffy looked at her in disbelief. "What because this is Faith and not some teenage football player I'm supposed to condone what you're doing?"

"I haven't 'done' anything, people keep interrupting." Dawn's voice tightened and went a notch higher.

"Okay, when we had this 'I'm a grown up conversation' I did my best to be understanding. When you said you were in love with Faith, I also tried to be understanding but Dawn you are still my little sister and it is still my job to take care of you. No more sleeping in Faith's room, no more doing anything that needs interrupting." Buffy laid down the law. "You want to date fine, but I'm not letting you move in with her."

"What?" Dawn squeaked.

"You're not playing house with her." She motioned around. "You're staying at the house with me from now on."

"No way!" Dawn shook her head. "You can't do this to me."

"Yes actually I can, I'm your sister and legal guardian Dawn. What the Hell do you think Mom would think of you doing this?" Buffy frowned. "You're acting like some tart."

"Exactly what she thought of you doing it with Angel, though you actually slept with him, which Faith and I haven't done." Dawn's retort was caustic.

"Exactly." Buffy nodded. "Mom wouldn't have allowed this."

"That didn't stop you sleeping with Angel." Dawn bit back

"No Dawn it didn't." Buffy conceded. "But Mom didn't give me a room, a box of condoms and send me on my way either did she?"

"She didn't have to, you snuck out most nights out of your window, what did you think I wouldn't notice?" Dawn snapped. "You can't stop me being with Faith. I wouldn't let you before and after last night there is no way you can."

"Dawn, are you even listening to me?" Buffy waved in the air. "I'm not doing some big you can't see Faith thing, I'm telling you I'm not letting you shack up with her. And me sneaking out was a whole different thing, Mom didn't know I was the slayer."

"So I can be with Faith, just not sleep in her bed? How much sense does that make?" Dawn argued.

"It makes the whole you're seventeen and in high school sense." Buffy argued back.

"So we can have hot sex all afternoon as long as I tuck up next to you and Piper at night?" Dawn shook her head.

"Dawn where the hell has all of this come from? Two months ago you were playing with your Barbie's and watching Disney now you're talking about hot sex all afternoon?" Buffy scowled.

"Look around you Buffy. I'm not a little girl anymore and if you paid any attention to me you'd know I haven't liked Barbie's in years." Dawn rolled her eyes at the typically Buffy comment. "Willow has Tara, you have Piper, Zoë has Bethany, Xander has Anya, Giles had Sandra, it's a little hard to be not sexually aware at the moment."

"Giles has who?" Buffy flashed shocked eyes at her. "Fine, so everyone is doing it around you, that doesn't mean you go out and bang the first girl you can find. Look do you want me to ban you from seeing her at all?"

"You could try, but it wouldn't work, I'd just sneak out, I learned how to from an expert." Dawn retaliated.

"Dawn, do you have any concept of what we are trying to fight right now? This isn't about you and your love life, our focus is beating the First." Buffy growled. "And you're acting like a selfish little girl."

"I know what we're fighting and I know that we could all die, and I won't die a little girl! I won't I won't! Get out!" She whined at her sister getting too overwhelmed by Buffy's refusal to even listen to her.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "Not 'till you understand what is going to happen from now on and that doesn't include hot sex for you with anyone all of any afternoon."

"B, this isn't really your choice." Faith said from behind the Slayer. She had started to walk away, but had decided against it after all that's what the old Faith would have done. The first sign of trouble she would have run for the hills denying all knowledge of the trouble in her wake, but that's not who she was anymore.

"I am giving you the world biggest berth right now, don't make me regret that fact." Buffy held up her hand signally Faith to shut up.

"I know you are, but I can't do it B, I can't watch you take her down." Faith continued regardless.

"Does no one see how incredibly reasonable I'm being here?" Buffy looked between them.

"I see how caring you're being and how worried, Hell I'd be the same if D were my kid sis." Faith pointed out. "But B, telling what she can and can't do, isn't the way to face this."

"What I'm supposed to buy you two a plant as a housewarming gift?" Buffy snarled at her. "She's seventeen Faith and she as you pointed out she is my kid sister."

"She is, and I haven't put one finger in an inappropriate place." Faith moved back passed Buffy and moved to Dawn's side.

"Surprisingly enough Faith I'm not worried about you I'm worried about hormone needs girl here." Buffy pointed at her sister.

"Not everyone is like you B, you know not discovering their hormones till they are twenty-two and faced with a hot chick on a Harley. D deserves someone, and if she wants that someone to be me, then, hey…" Faith shrugged. "Well she could do worse."

"I love her Buffy." Dawn added the important evidence.

"Take shots at me Faith, that's really helping. I could ask point out that it seems sad that when you couldn't get one Summers sister you went for the other." She glared at the dark Slayer.

"Don't flatter yourself B." Faith laughed at the comment.

"Are you listening to me?" Dawn stamped her foot annoyed.

"You love her, you keep saying that and telling me how you're such an adult now then you stamp your feet like you're still five and I wouldn't share my cone when you dropped yours." Buffy looked back at her sister. "Mom would never have condoned this Dawn, I can't either."

"I hate you!" Dawn screeched and ran up the stairs and out of the house.

"Stay away from her." Buffy warned Faith. "She's not staying in here with you anymore."

"You keep this up B and she's gonna do something stupid." Faith warned.

"And what am I supposed to do Faith? Tell her that sleeping with you or anyone right now is a good idea?" Buffy questioned.

"Trust me with her." Faith countered.

"Faith, you're asking to let my sister basically move in with you." Buffy couldn't believe the other Slayer's audacity.

"Yes I am." Faith nodded. "I promise not to start anything."

"But you'll finish it." Buffy pointed out tightly.

"What am I supposed to say Buffy, you want me to promise not to take her cherry?" Faith asked bluntly.

"You didn't just say that." Buffy put her hand up to her forehead and did a slow circle. "You so better have not just said that."

"You prefer the proper term." Faith pointed out.

"I prefer you not talking about my sister in that way at all." Buffy snarled at her.

"Actually I'm kinda proud I gave your sister the first real orgasm of her life last night." Faith couldn't stop the words.

"You bitch!" Buffy was on her in a second, her hands around the other Slayer's throat as the inertia of her jump made them land back against the bed. Faith tried hard to push Buffy back and off her having been slightly surprised by the force of the assault. "If I didn't need you to kill the First I'd choke the life out of you." She growled pinning Faith down but not yet relaxing the grip she had. "Stay away from my sister!"

"Buffy, what on earth is going on here?" From the door way Tara's horrified voice called their attention as she came all the way down the stairs.

"Stay away from Dawn." Buffy spat the words at Faith before she pulled back, letting the dark Slayer get some air. "You don't want to know." She shook her head stepping back carefully in case Faith retaliated; she almost hoped she would now.

"She…" Faith coughed. "She already knows." She coughed twice more rubbing at her throat.

"Can't help bragging can you." Buffy snarled considering pulling back and punching her.

"Buffy!" Tara snapped again. "Don't make me calm you down." She warned in an uncharacteristically firm voice.

"Threats don't suit you." Buffy turned slowly looking at Tara with equal parts shock and contempt.

"And petty violence doesn't suit you Buffy." Tara's voice instantly softened.

"This is not petty this is my sister." She underlined.

"Yes your sister, who right now Willow has had to stop using a knife on herself." Tara pointed out sadly.

"What?" Buffy stalled looking at the blonde.

"I think you heard me Buffy." She looked back up the stairs.

"Is she okay?" Faith jumped up from off the bed. "Shit you complete ass." She growled at Buffy.

"Shut up." Buffy snapped back. "This is her idea of grown up?" She pushed past Tara moving up into the main portion of the house to try and find Dawn.

The back door banged as Buffy charged outside and then moved over, hopping the fence into her back yard and moved into her house. The Summers kitchen was filled with the soft sound of sobbing by the time Buffy got there. Willow was stood beside one of the breakfast stools her arm around Dawn's back rubbing softly over the light flowery blouse she still wore

"Dawn, Willow." Buffy pushed in. "What's going on?" She moved around to see Dawn from the front and check her.

"Um Buffy, I'm not sure here is a good place for you to be right now." Willow said somewhat hesitantly as Dawn buried herself into Willow's body.

"Dawn, what do you want to do? You're going to cut yourself like at the hospital, what until I tell you that you can sleep with Faith?" Buffy questioned.

"Buffy, really I don't think you should..." Willow objected again.

"Dawn!" Buffy pushed.

"What do you understand about me? Leave me alone." Dawn looked up, her eyes already red raw from crying.

"I'm your sister, I only want what's best for you." Buffy leaned her hands on the work surface.

"You don't care about me." Dawn shook her head.

"Oh course I do, I love you." Buffy shook her head back.

"You don't, you don't even look at me as an individual, as a person, I'm just the key, something made by the monks and forced on you." Dawn snapped feeling all the pain and rage boil up from inside her. "You don't love me. If you loved me you would at least try and understand." She thought of all the times that Buffy had let her down, all the times her sister had said it was going to be all right and then it hadn't been. She remembered the feeling every day and night she'd been alone wishing her sister and Mother were still alive and then all the days and nights when Buffy had been alive again but didn't have any interest in her.

"I died for you Dawn." Buffy looked into brown eyes. "Not for a key, not even for this useless world. I died for you." She held them a second longer before she pushed away and out the back door leaving it to slam back on its hinges.

"Why aren't I allowed to be happy?" Dawn pulled herself in a tight ball and rocked.

"Oh sweetie." Willow hugged her and rocked with her.

"D!" The front door swung open and Faith ran through.

"Faith." Willow was a bit surprised to see her.

"Red." Faith gave her a nod hurrying to kneel on the floor in front of Dawn. "D, come on Dawn, look at me."

"Everything is ruined." Dawn stayed curled up against Willow's body causing Faith to sigh and push up shaking her head.

"Look after her Red." She said turning to go back to the door, she quickly jumped back into the yard where the SITs were working out. "Birdy." She took long strides out into the yard.

"What's up?" Owl looked at Faith.

"Go find your girl." Faith took the staff off Piper and turned to the SITs the whole move a flawless transfer.

"Faith, what's going on?" Owl stepped back questioning.

"Just go find Buffy." Faith didn't even bother turning her attention from the SITs.

"Ok, going." Piper turned and ran towards the big house.

Piper just went straight to the first place she could think of to find the blonde, their place in the basement, a place she was hoping Buffy would see as being 'theirs' and thus safe.

Buffy didn't even hear the other Slayer enter as she railed off punch after punch into the metal and wood dummy at the side of the room. She hadn't bothered to tape up her hands, so her knuckles were already raw and bloody.

"Buffy, baby." Piper jogged hurriedly down the stairs.

"I try and I try." Buffy hit the wood making it splinter. It was probably only as Piper got closer that she would have been able to see that the blonde was crying.

"Buffy, hey what's going on?" Piper pulled Buffy's shoulders back, trying to turn Buffy to her.

"Dawn." Buffy let herself be turned though her hard stance didn't really change.

"Is she hurt?" Piper tried to understand.

"What am I supposed to do?" Buffy questioned shaking her head. "She's only seventeen."

"She's staying here baby, she's not going to get hurt." Piper rubbed the blonde's arm.

"No, she wants to sleep with Faith." Buffy blurted out.

"Sorry?" She blinked and coughed.

"She says she's in love with Faith, Giles found them making out and then Faith is shooting off her big mouth about how they were together last night." Buffy stepped away and turned kicking the dummy's head off.

"And you don't think she is in love with her?" Piper tried to work out.

"Piper it doesn't matter if she is, she's seventeen. I can't let her shack up with Faith just because the world might be ending." Buffy threw up her hands.

"You think this is about the end of the world, and not about love?" Piper tried to keep up.

"I think this is about my little sister and Faith having hot sex all day as she put it." Buffy turned to look at Piper. "Or as Faith put it taking her cherry." She growled.

"Baby I know Faith hasn't got the best mouth, but she wouldn't hurt Dawn would she?" Piper frowned gently.

"Wouldn't hurt her? Dawn wants to sleep with her, how is that not hurting her?" Buffy questioned.

"Do I hurt you when I sleep with you?" Piper frowned.

"I'm not a kid, I'm not a virgin Piper." Buffy pointed out.

"You were once." Piper countered.

"Yeah, and despite my mother doing everything she could I slept with a three hundred year old vampire who lost his soul, killed my Watcher's girlfriend and almost killed everyone else I love." The blonde sat down on the bed.

"Faith's not going to do that." Piper pointed out. "And I really don't think Dawn is."

"You think she's doing the right thing?" Buffy heard all of the questions and added them up.

"Buffy I don't know what she's feeling, or what Faith is feeling, but I do understand what it feels like to be seventeen and wanting someone, do you know how old I was when Shanti and I got together?" She questioned.

"No." Buffy shook her head.

"Sixteen." Piper said quietly.

"Piper, I've really worked hard to get over the whole she's only seventeen and says she has needs. But I can't condone her moving into Faith's room." Buffy shook her head.

"Then don't." Piper shook her head. "But realistically Buffy, what can you do to stop them?"

"She's just a kid." Buffy put her head in her hands.

"She's nearly a woman." Piper countered.

"She's not. She started stamping her feet and then went and tried to cut herself up." Buffy lay back on her side curling her arms around herself.

"And what did you do when your mom told you not to see Angel?" The tall Slayer

"I saw him anyway, and almost got everyone I loved killed." Buffy whispered.

"Baby, listen to me, I understand what you're saying, I do. But this isn't Angel, and this isn't you." Piper reached out and stroked her back.

"No, it's Dawnie." Buffy whispered.

"I know, but Dawn is a seventeen year old and she's faced more in her little life than most people do in a lifetime." Piper continued. "She's scared, and doesn't know what's going to happen tomorrow. She's surrounded by people who are trying their best to be okay but she's smart, she knows we're all stressed out about this. She wants something baby, something you as her sister, as family can't give her." Piper leaned close to her lover. "It's obvious Faith wouldn't be your choice for Dawn, but…" She took a breath.

"I just want to keep her safe, that's all I've ever wanted." Buffy looked at Piper.

"I know." Piper nodded. "And you want her not to make mistakes with her life and her body." Piper added to show she understood. "But baby, you can only do so much."

"I have to protect her." Buffy shook her head defiantly.

"What are you afraid Faith will do to her Buffy?" Piper asked.

"You don't know what Faith is capable of, she'll hurt her." Buffy tried to make her understand. "Or worse."

"I've heard you say that Buffy but what do you mean?" Piper tried to get her to be specific.

"She killed people Piper, real people, killed them for fun." Buffy answered the question head on. "She tried to help the mayor end the world, she tried to kill Willow, and me."

"And she went to prison, she paid for that crime and got help." Piper countered. "You really think she'd kill Dawn?"

"I don't know. I didn't think she'd betray me and she did." Buffy remembered. "She's done it again and again Piper, she stole my body once. Tried to make a run for South America, after she'd gone around ruining my life."

"Things were different then Buffy, come on, be honest, has she put a foot wrong since being back?" Piper made her think harder. "You said today she made a comment about Dawn's virginity, after having spent at least two nights with the 'old Faith', would she still be 'intact'?"

"No." Buffy tried to bar the idea of Dawn's virginity from her mind.

"Buffy I don't know what Faith put you through, and Hell I sure as damn aren't belittling it, but, if she's changed, really changed then perhaps she deserves a chance to prove it." Piper offered. "I'm not suggesting you go tell Dawn to sleep with Faith, I think you're right to disapprove and to underline that you think they should wait." She added. "I even think you're right to say that Dawn should sleep in Amanda's room." She took a breath. "But right now, things are too fucked up, to be coming down like a ten ton weight on her discipline wise."

"It doesn't matter what I do, she hates me." Buffy breathed out sadly.

"Yeah she will, but she will also love you forever and ever." Piper smiled equally sadly. "Just underline you love her and that you don't want her doing something she'll regret but stress that you'll love her no matter what she decides. Then trust her." She said very softly.

"She won't even talk to me." Buffy shook her head curling up into a tighter ball.

"Then give her time." Piper curled herself around Buffy's back resting her head beside the blonde's.

"We don't have time." Buffy whispered closing her eyes trying to block out the pain.

"Two hours is time Baby." Piper pointed out how a world like time was relative "Want me to try?"

"Do you think it would help?" Buffy questioned her voice childlike.

"How about I give it a go?" Piper offered.

"In a little while." Buffy pulled her lover's arm around her tighter.

"Hey do I look like I'm planning on going anywhere while my baby needs me?" Piper held her tighter; showing the blonde Slayer that she was her priority and that as long as Buffy needed her to, she would be there to hold her.

"Rupert you really had no right to interfere." Sandra frowned hard at the older Watcher from her place at the dining room table.

"With respect Sandra, you do not know Faith, nor Dawn for that matter." Giles refused to listen.

"With equal respect." Sandra retorted. "I didn't know you until I got here, but that doesn't seem to stop us sharing a bed does it." She countered.

For a moment Giles floundered a little.

"I do hope you are not suggesting I in any way used this situation to…" He began instantly defensive.

"Oh Rupert stop it, I am not saying you took advantage of a bad situation and lured me into your bed, but I am suggesting that had this not happened, then there is no way we would be together. I am also not suggesting what we share is world changing or forever Rupert I hope you know that." She added with a slight frown.

"Words like forever in a situation like this are not appropriate," The Watcher frowned. "But I sincerely hope you and I are far more than…" He stopped.

"Than convenient sex?" Sandra finished for him. "Of course we're more than that Rupert." She shook her head. "But did either of us really look for more that night when we first slept together?" She challenged and worried by the instantly offended look that crossed the other Watcher's brow Sandra continued. "Rupert please." Her tone dropped a little softer. "All I am saying is that, when facing something scary and uncertain, no one likes to feel alone." She said clearly. "You really had no right to go running to Buffy because you found her seventeen year old sister making out with another woman who is barely three years older than her. Three years Rupert, you're twelve years older than I am."

"That is not the point." Giles defended.

"I know, I know, and I understand what Dawn means to you, but remember in England she could be married with a child by now." Sandra put forward softly.

"I… I have work to do." The Watcher shook his head again and picked up a book moving through with it into the sitting room. Sandra looked up and watched him go, shaking her head sadly.

Dawn was sat on the floor in her room, her back wedged against the bed in the small space between it in and the dresser on the other side. The odd thing was that being back in her own room didn't make her feel safe and secure as it used to. In a weird way it wasn't her room anymore. It smelled like Tara and Willow now, that mixture of fruit and flowers that had always brought her such peace in the past but today brought her nothing but a feeling of alienation. Why should everyone else have a happy ending? Why shouldn't she be allowed to have something good in her life?

"I bring cookies." A soft voice from the door said as Piper knocked and opened it.

Dawn didn't answer at first but when it became obvious that the tall Slayer wasn't going to move she had too.

"I'm not hungry." Her tone was bland.

"Pity that 'cause I am." Piper came into the room and put the small plate she carried down on the bedside table.

"I'm not in the mood for company." She didn't even look at the other woman.

"Good job I came along then, after all I can hardly be called company, no matter how tall I am, there's still only one of me." Piper smiled as she sat on the bed. "Dawn I know what you're going through right now, and I just wanted to see you, to tell you that you're not alone." She offered.

"What do you know about any of this?" Dawn snarled pulling her long legs up to her body. "Go back to Buffy, after all she's allowed to have sex with anyone she wants."

"Okay for just a second, swallow all that bitterness and shit and listen." Piper looked at Dawn. "When I was fifteen I met someone, she was beautiful, strong, kind, all of those great things I was looking for in my life. I was a little kid, so everyone thought, so they told me. But then I turned sixteen, and I found out the real reason that this girl had suddenly showed up in my life. Her name was Shanti, and she was something they called a Watcher. She had come to train me, to teach me for what may lay ahead of me. And do you know something, it made no fricking difference, I still thought she was great, beautiful and all those other things. Giving her a title and a reason for being in my life meant absolutely nothing to me. I was sixteen, I had the world at my feet and I got to spend some time of every day with a woman I thought was God. We first kissed when I was sixteen years, seven months and five days old."

"How old was she?" Dawn actually looked at her and answered.

"Twenty three." Piper replied looking at the teenager.

"Did you kiss her or did she kiss you?" Dawn rested her chin on her knees.

"I kissed her, more or less cornered her in our training room." Piper smiled at the now seemingly distant memory.

"What did she do?" Dawn kept up the questioning.

"She told me I shouldn't have done it, and cancelled my training for a week." Piper picked up a cookie.

"Then what did you do?" Dawn knew she was being strung into talking but she couldn't help going along with it.

"Gave her a week, went along to the next session." Piper gave a small shrug. "And told her nothing had changed, that I still wanted to kiss her and that I thought she was beautiful." She smiled again.

"And she did what?" Dawn leaned a bit more towards the Slayer.

"She told me I was a kid, and that nothing could happen between us, that she had been sent by the Watcher's council to train me, and that's what she intended to do." Piper recounted almost word for word Shanti's speech. "She told me that if I had a hard time respecting her and working with her then she would return to the Council for them to replace her with another, more suitable candidate."

"But... I thought you and her were together..." Dawn turned leaning her legs down as she looked at Piper.

"Oh we did, she resisted for a whole month." Piper nodded. "Then I went around to see her, just a spur of the moment thing, and she was packing. I remember her crying and pushing things into this big black case." She let herself remember. "I asked her where she was going and she said back to India, to study more, and I was angry, and hurt I thought she hated me, but then she admitted, that it was because she loved me that she was going, because she wanted me like I wanted her."

"You must have been so excited, well that she loved you." Dawn qualified.

"Fuck yeah." Piper nodded. "I was all geared up for the romance of my dreams." The Slayer gave a distant smile.

"Did she leave?" The brunette knew there had to be more.

"Not at first no." Piper shook her head. "It was great, we'd train, make out, she'd take me shopping, we had a great time. People never really questioned anything, after all she was my trainer, spending time with her had to be good right?"

"Definitely." Dawn nodded.

"Right." Piper agreed with a slim smile. "Until someone saw us, making out in the park. Stupid maybe but hey, what did I care, I was young, I was in love, I wanted the world to know. But the world didn't want to know, the world wanted to judge. Shanti received her orders from the Council to leave within forty eight hours."

"What did she do?" Dawn reached without thinking taking a cookie.

"She had no choice, she was there under their orders, they paid her wages, kept her visas updated, and she couldn't stay." Piper took a breath. "She contacted them and asked to stay until my birthday it was only a matter of ten days away. They wouldn't let her." Piper's voice iced a little.

"The Council sucks." Dawn broke the cookie in half and ate it.

"Yeah." Piper agreed easily. "So she packed up and left, going to India, where she had studied, she loved it there. My replacement Watcher arrived on the next flight, Philip Hammond, forty two year old stuck up son of a bitch." She snorted. "I ran him ragged within weeks. He sent report after report on me back to England, about how unsuitable I was, how brash and unstable and not interested in my studies." Piper shook her head. "They sent a team out, to 'discuss' my future with me, and I promised to be a good little girl on one condition." She smiled broadly.

"If they let her come back?" Dawn questioned eating another bite of cookie.

"Yeah." Piper smiled. "And hey they agreed, I thought they had you know flipped and had some kind of brain seizure, but no, they contacted Shanti with a list as long as her arm of conditions for her return, not that I knew that. I just knew that my Shanti was coming back." Piper stopped getting a little more comfortable on the bed. "She'd been back two months we'd trained, always accompanied, and we'd studied, again always with a friend, but then she broke her contract. Want to know how?" She glanced at Dawn, seeing her nod she continued. "She agreed to meet me for a coffee. Yeah you heard right, she agreed, not that she met with me for a coffee, but that she agreed to. The Council had been monitoring her phone calls."

"They're crazy." Dawn shook her head sadly.

"Yeah, well there was a meeting and words like lesbian, and criminal charges got thrown around, and the ultimatum was given, stop loving me or the Council would fire her." Piper sighed.

"They've never been nice to Buffy either." Dawn sighed with her.

"Dawn…" Piper stopped. "You know how this story ends, and I'm not telling you it for sympathy or whatever, I'm telling you to try and explain to you that other people have been where you are now."

"I know they have." Dawn pulled her legs up again. "But they haven't had to deal with Buffy."

"Yeah, Buffy." Piper sighed lovingly. "You know what her problem is don't you?"

"She's overbearing, short-sighted and a stuck up tight ass." She used Faith's terminology almost sadly.

"No, she's scared." Piper shook her head.

"Piper, you might think you know my sister but if you think she gets scared your crazy. She never gets scared." Dawn shook her head back.

"Think about things for a minute Dawn," Piper encouraged. "You think that your sister is a stuck up boring bitch right?"

"Tight ass." Dawn corrected fiddling with her shoelace.

"Yeah okay, but just for a minute think about when your sister took risks, you know did things impulsively." She urged.

"Everyday." Dawn scoffed.

"I'm talking about big things Dawn, like, having sex with Angel?" Piper pointed out.

"She almost got us all killed." The teenager frowned.

"Yeah, exactly, her wanting something, her going after the thing that would make her happy, nearly cost her everything." Piper tried to point out and Dawn looked at Piper not getting it. "She's afraid for you Dawn, not of you or of Faith." She clarified. "She's worried about what will happen if it's not what you want, if it is and its not forever."

"How can anyone know if anything is forever? Willow and Tara thought they were forever and then Willow got addicted to magic and Tara had to leave." Dawn pointed out not buying the whole theory.

"Hey I'm not saying she's right." Piper shook her head. "I'm just trying to tell you her stand point. Buffy loves you more than anything else in this world. She wants you to be free of the pain that her life has been full of." The Slayer went on "She wants to be your buffer in the world."

"But how can I be alive if I don't do things that might bring me pain?" Dawn pushed up to stand.

"You can't." Piper admitted. "But you also can't expect Buffy to be okay about it."

"Why can't she just be happy that I'm happy?" Dawn bit back. "Why does she have to ruin everything she doesn't agree with?"

"She's not trying to ruin it, she's trying to keep you safe. When I was going through all the shit people forced on Shanti and I, I used to hate them, all of them. I still hate the Council, but it's the others I used to really detest." She felt the angry feeling building in her and she forced herself to stay focused. "They let me down, they let us down, friends, people around us. But then after Shanti was murdered I thought about what they were trying to do, they were trying to stop us to protect us."

"But if you had let them stop you then you wouldn't have gotten a chance to love her." Dawn argued. "I just want the chance to do something, to be with someone that I want to be with, to be with Faith."

"I know." Piper nodded. "And so does Buffy, she just wishes that you'd chosen someone else and waited until you were, what, forty or so."

"Practical, even though we all might be dead in a week." Dawn put her hands on her hips.

"We might." Piper nodded. "Look, how about we make a deal?" The Slayer offered. "I'll talk to Buffy, see if I can't get her to give you a little leeway, but you have to pull your side in line too."

"Pull my side in line?" Dawn looked at her perturbed.

"Yeah, no more stunts with knives." Piper put in the obvious condition.

"I wasn't going to do anything." Dawn defended.

"I'm not commenting on what you were or weren't going to do Dawn." Piper shook her head. "I'm suggesting what you do from now on."

"Stay away from Faith." Dawn pre-empted what she figured would be the ultimatum.

"Dawn please." Piper shook her head. "How about dating her, but not flaunting it?"

"I wasn't flaunting it, Giles had no right to barge in on us." Dawn barked moving over to the window.

"Perhaps I could suggest then that the door should have been locked." Piper suggested with a crooked smile.

"Look I'm sorry you lost your girlfriend and I'm sorry that you had to fight to even be with her, but that doesn't mean you know anything about me and my sister." Dawn spun around angry.

"Dawn listen to me, if you keep slapping down everyone who is trying to help you, you're going to end up very, very lonely." Piper held her stance staring back at the young woman.

"I already am lonely. Do you know what it's like living with Buffy when you're not sleeping with her? She ignores you, she only stops long enough to tell you that you're not good enough and then goes off again. Before that Tara left, my Mom died, Giles deserted us and then we thought Tara had been murdered and Willow tried to kill us all. I know lonely." She frowned, her face full of deep-seated sadness.

"Fine." Piper shook her head and moved back to the door. "You know I came here thinking you were a young woman who was being completely over protected by her insecure and scared sister, what I've discovered is a kid, whose no more ready for a relationship than I'm ready to be a ballet dancer."

"I'm not a kid." Dawn shook her head. "I just want to be with Faith."

"If you're not a kid then stop behaving like one!" Piper retaliated. "Start behaving responsibly."

"How do I do that when no one will let me do anything?" Dawn challenged.

"What do you want them to let you do?" Piper pointed out.

"Make my own choices, make my own mistakes." Dawn offered rather simply. "I know Buffy doesn't want me to go through what she went through with Angel, but I'm not her and Faith isn't Angel."

"So you expect her to agree to you, at seventeen, living with a twenty one year old?" Piper fleshed out what she had realized was Buffy's main problem.

"We're not living together. We're living in the middle of chaos." Dawn shook her head. "I don't like being alone a night, especially with all the attacks. Faith makes me feel safer."

"Have you told Buffy that?" Piper questioned pretty sure she knew the answer already.

"She didn't let me." Dawn shook her head. "She never lets me tell her anything." She turned to the window.

"So if I went and I got her now?" Piper offered.

"Do you think she'd listen?" Dawn put her hand up drawing on the glass.

"We could try couldn't we?" Piper shrugged. "She's worth trying for right?"

"I don't want to make her more upset, she has to fight the First." Dawn sighed.

"Dawn I don't think she can be more upset than she is at the moment, she thinks you hate her." The tall Slayer admitted the concrete fact.

"I don't hate her." Dawn whirled around. "I think she's unreasonable but I don't hate her."

"That alone has got to be worth telling her, right?" Piper tried again.

"Where is she?" Dawn nodded.

"Our room. You coming there or should I go and get her?" Piper motioned to the door.

"No, I'll come there." Dawn went over and brushed her hair.

"Shall I disappear?" Piper held it open for her.

"No, maybe you can keep her from going slayerish." Dawn rubbed her fingers under her eyes.

"I'll see what I can do." The tall Slayer let the brunette walk out first and then followed after her.

Buffy was sat on the bed absently trying to put enough polish on her relatively new black boots to cover up the large Bringer sized scrape down over the toe.

"Buffy?" Dawn said softly as she leaned against the stair rail.

Buffy looked up seeing her sister stood on the stairs. She put the polish down and then the boots trying to seem natural even when her hands felt icy cold.

"Dawn." She said feeling no emotion come out as she tried not to overreact or fall apart.

"I wanted to talk to you." Dawn frowned lightly when she heard the monotone response.

"Okay." She nodded.

"Piper's here." Dawn moved to the side and let the other Slayer slip into the room.

"Hi." Buffy glanced at her lover.

"Hi baby." Piper smiled softly as she sat down on the bed.

"Buffy I want to talk about Faith." Dawn stood awkwardly in front of them both.

"I'm listening." Buffy nodded a little and then stood up.

"I want to be with her, I want to curl up and sleep beside her at night, she makes me feel safe." Dawn said in one breath. "It's scary at night, with all the attacks and people dying."

Buffy put her hands behind her back grasping one hand over her other fist. She tried to actual listen to Dawn's words but the blood pumping around in her head made it hard to do that.

"I know it's scary right now Dawn but..." She began looking at her younger sister.

"Buffy please." Dawn interrupted her. "You're right it is scary, but that's not the only reason I want to be with Faith, and if it helps I can promise not to, well not to do anything I might regret."

"Dawnie, don't make promises you can't keep, ones you don't want to keep." Buffy shook her head. "I know how hard it makes it when you have to break them."

"But what if I want to make it for you?" Dawn pointed out. "To try and show you that I know what you're worried about."

"Because that promise shouldn't have anything to do with me Dawn." Buffy sat down again and sighed feeling more tired than she had in days. "It's between you and whoever you choose, which by the way I am still not excited about it being Faith." She looked up. "But..." She frowned. "It's your choice."

"You hate me don't you?" Dawn put her head down.

"Dawnie, of course I don't. You're my sister I love you." Buffy shook her head.

"So what? Disappointed, ashamed, come on, tell me." Dawn demanded.

"I'm not, I'm just surprised and well worried." Buffy glanced at Piper.

"About what?" Dawn asked trying to keep calm as she recognized Buffy was too.

"Because you've never talked about any of this, liking girls, liking Faith or wanting to have sex with anyone." Buffy spoke a bit more candidly.

"It's not about wanting sex." Dawn shook her head. "I like how Faith makes me feel."

"Are we talking in a hanging out sorta way or the whole..." She swallowed. "Sex way."

"Hanging out way." Dawn breathed out.

"So she's being nice to you?" Buffy let go of a sigh of relief.

"Really." Dawn nodded. "She wants us to go to the movies and she talks to me."

"Did you replace Faith the sex crazed slayer with a Faith clone?" Buffy managed a soft smile.

"She's different Buffy." Dawn took a little step forward.

"I still worry Dawn, I'm not ever going to stop worrying." Buffy put forward.

"I wouldn't want you to." Dawn admitted. "It's just, you know, I want to be with her, and not in an immediately sexy way. I want to sit on her knee, hold her hand, lean on her shoulder in meetings and have some private moments but not necessarily to do it all in the next second."

Buffy was forced to look at Piper. She tried to make herself understand what she was hearing and not just focus on 'Dawn wanted to sleep with Faith' the most important part was that Dawn didn't want it to be right now. Her sister seemed to want time to have a girlfriend.

"You promise not to let her convince you into anything you're not ready for and totally want to do?" She made the small concession. "Because if she does I'll kill her." She said flatly the threat obviously real

"I promise, if you like we'll..." Dawn tried to think of some concession to give as well. "We'll sleep in the living room downstairs, then we can't do anything." She offered rashly. "But then I get to be with her and feel safe when I sleep."

"I'd appreciate that." Buffy nodded.

"Fine, great." Dawn nodded feeling like she'd made some headway.

"And we'll do our best to respect your..." Buffy took a breath. "Privacy."

"Buffy." Dawn took a deep breath. "It's okay to be scared." She said with a slight smile.

"Scared?" Buffy's shoulders tensed.

"About everything." Dawn nodded. "Piper's with you, we're going to be okay."

"I had a dream with Mom in it the other night." Buffy said suddenly looking at her sister.

"You did?" Dawn's eyes went a little wider. "What did she say?"

"She said she loves you and she misses you." Buffy's voice was soft.

"I love her and miss her too." Dawn took a breath. "Oh Buffy I didn't mean to hurt you, I've not done this because you don't like her." She hurried forward and more or less threw herself on Buffy.

"I know." Buffy caught her and hugged her.

"Do you?" Dawn began crying. "I'm sorry if you thought I hated you."

"I'm sorry too Dawn." Buffy held her closer. "I wish you could have talked to me."

"I should have, I tried, I just didn't know what to say." Dawn nuzzled closer. "And you don't always know how to listen."

"We'll do better Dawn, we just have to try harder.' Buffy nodded.

"We will." Dawn agreed. "Don't be cross at Tara." She added pulling back slightly.

"Tara?" Buffy looked at her not understanding.

"She told me she had come in…" Dawn explained.

"Come in?" Buffy still didn't get what she was talking about.

"When you and Faith were talking." Dawn looked a little unsure for a moment.

"Oh yeah that. Don't worry." Buffy shook her head. "She was worried about you."

"Buffy." Dawn said moving to a more comfortable position. Buffy let her get settled waiting for her to continue. The teenager glanced at Piper and then at her sister. "I just wanted to say, I really like Owl." She gave a small smile.

"So do I Dawn." Buffy gave a short laugh and then looked at the tall Slayer who was beaming.

"Can I go find Faith?" Dawn asked softly. "Tell her the new agreement."

"Go on." Buffy nodded.

"Thank you, I'll have our things on the pull out by after supper." She promised as she moved to the door. "I love you."

"You too." The blonde Slayer smiled at her.

Dawn came around the side of the building slowly, she had checked everywhere else and short of having left the compound this was the only location she knew that Faith could be. She watched from her slightly guarded location for a moment as the dark Slayer paced back and forth, aggressively puffing on her cigarette.

"Faith." She announced herself coming out around the porch.

"Hey there." Faith stopped and turned glancing in the teenager's direction briefly before returning to her pacing.

"I... Um... I'm sorry about before." She motioned back over her shoulder for some reason as if the arguments of the last few hours were lurking there.

"Weren't exactly a surprise now were they." Faith shook her head. "Get back inside before you sister sees you and bursts something internal."

"I talked to her... Well talked with her again... And we didn't spend our times trying to out scream each other. She's not happy, well she's more than not happy but I told her we would sleep on the pull out in the living room." Dawn took a tentative step closer. "She's okay with that."

"On the what, where?" Faith stopped again and stared at her.

"She's not very cool with the whole having our own room thing, so I suggest that we take the pull out in the living room. That way everyone who is worried can constantly interrupt us." Dawn motioned to the house with a frown. "But at least then I don't have to go to a whole other house."

"D, do you really want all this hassle?" Faith flicked away her cigarette and stood on it.

"You don't?" Dawn's moment of relief and actual happiness was crushed instantly.

"Do I want B constantly watching where I put my hands, what I do, and what I say to you? Do I want to be made to feel like some kind of evil monster trying to force herself on a child?" Faith replied honestly. "Can't say it's up there in my top ten."

"Is that what you feel when you touch me?" Dawn felt her hands ball up at her sides.

"No." Faith admitted with a soft shake of her head. "But it's what they're thinking."

"Faith if I was twenty five and you were twenty eight do you think Buffy would think any different?" Dawn challenged.

"As we're talking about you, and about me, probably not, you're her kid sister, and I'm the anti-Christ." Faith sighed loudly.

"Look if you don't want me then just tell me now." Dawn shook her head moving towards the stairs. "Because I really don't have the confidence to fight for us if you're just going to shoot me down before we start."

"Dawn that's not what I'm saying." Faith shook her head and looked at the youngest Summers. "I want you okay, I really want you." She smiled softly. "I think you are possibly the most beautiful woman I've ever had the chance to have."

A slow slightly embarrassed but ultimately pleased smile spread across Dawn's face.

"Wouldn't you be more worried if Buffy wasn't acting upset?" She questioned carefully.

"Maybe, but I'd get over it." Faith shrugged.

"Faith, she's afraid. She's afraid I'm going to fall in love with you and you're going to hurt me." Dawn moved closer to her.

"I can't promise I'm not gonna do that." Faith pointed out not wanting to lie.

"I know, I can't promise I wouldn't do it to you either." Dawn countered. "But Buffy wants us to skip the middle bit so that I don't even have a chance to live, to experience love, to experience this and I don't want that."

"What do you want?" Faith asked the important question.

"I want to go to the movies, snuggle up at night and feel safe, kiss you, touch you. Have all the things that people who are dating get and maybe if I have to feel what it's like to have my heart broke but no matter what I want to live my life." Dawn spoke honestly.

"Come 'ere." Faith opened one arm. Dawn moved over and hugged her quickly. "So I'm sleeping on a pull out?" She pulled Dawn close shaking her head before resting it against Dawn's.

"Unless you'd rather not sleep beside me. I mean they can't watch us all the time right?" Dawn pulled back with a wicked smile.

"Curb that mind of yours D." Faith smiled at her and leaned in kissing the dark haired woman deeply. Dawn felt her knees go weak as she felt the Slayer's tongue press into her mouth, she'd wanted this all day and it made all the arguing and fighting worth it. Faith held her strongly as she thoroughly explored Dawn's mouth, slowly drawing her tongue back and pulling her lips away. "I'd better go grab my stuff." She smirked loving the glossy look a kiss like that put into the brunette's deep brown eyes.

"We could stay out here for a bit." Dawn slid her arms up around Faith's shoulders.

"We're not being chaperoned out here." Faith pointed out reluctantly.

"Yes, but we're not hiding away either." Dawn made the point back. "Faith I told Buffy I wouldn't 'shack up' with you, I also told her I wasn't going to stop wanting to kiss you or stop kissing you."

"But we could go over to my room and pack my things." Faith winked.

"Okay." The brunette grinned. "This time though I'm locking the door." She remembered Piper's comment and now realized what a good piece of advice it had been.

Part 24

By the window looking out into the darkening sky stood Willow, she felt heaviness in her shoulders and a futility in her work. She was trying to continue researching, searching for some spell that would give them what they needed but it just didn't seem to be there.

On top of that their self imposed incarceration within the shield was starting to take a very serious toll on everyone. Everyone was on emotional overload, and like today with Dawn though it was a big issue it had got so blown over into insanity she couldn't help feeling caught up and dragged along by it. Every little mishap was almost the end of the world, every high and every low so magnified.

There was no chance to just be, to exist anymore. Moments were either filled with extreme fear or the imposed illusion they were trying to create that everything was okay.

"Oh sorry, I was looking for Tara." A quiet voice from the doorway apologized breaking the redhead from her momentary depression.

"She's just having a shower." Willow pointed towards the door. "Is there something you need?"

"I just wanted to see if she wanted a walk, Zoë's itching to stretch her legs and I had this crazy idea that it might be nice to you know go as a small group." Beth explained the reason she had come over from the other house.

"She shouldn't be too long, I'm sure she'd love too." The redhead nodded.

"You were invited of course." Beth smiled.

"We could pretend like we can go further than the fence." Willow tried to be enthusiastic.

"Yes, and maybe sit on the grass, watch the stars." Beth added trying to the optimism.

"Tara and I love star watching." Willow gave a soft smile.

"Zoë and I do as well." Beth nodded.

"Too bad the movie theatre is closed we could go on a double date." She laughed lightly.

"That would be nice." Beth agreed. "Maybe afterwards."

"Definitely." Willow nodded feeling the pressure again of what they were facing.

"Maybe we should make it a couple walk." Beth offered. "You know invite all the couples." She laughed softly.

"Couples night." Willow laughed with her. "Though we can't have prejudice against the singles."

"When it's over then we can have a couples night to the movies with all the singles at home having single fun." She tried a compromise.

"Are you and Zoë going to stay in Sunnydale when this is over?" Willow asked without really thinking about the question.

"I doubt it." Beth shook her head. "We need to think about the future, and I can honestly say, I can't imagine one here."

"It's a bit crazy." Willow sat down on the bed.

"It's more that neither of us actually belong here." Bethany pointed out with a smile.

"You might not have been here before, but you're more than welcome. Beth anyone who can accept a Hellmouth and vampires and such, on top of witchcraft belongs here more than she knows." Willow smiled back. "Zoë's very lucky to have you."

"I have my bad side." Beth smiled softly, she leaned more on the door

"We all have our bad sides." Willow nodded knowingly.

"I'll go and tell Zoë that we're on for star watching." Beth pointed to the hall.

"As soon as Tara is done we'll come join you." Willow agreed and watched as Beth smiled again and then slipped out. She sat on the bed a few moments longer before she heard the shower turn off. "Tara?" She opened the door to the bathroom slowly and poked her head around it.

"Hey sweetie." Tara smiled gently. "Come in."

"We have an invitation to go walking and star gazing with Zoë and Bethany." Willow pushed in closing the door behind her.

"That sounds nice." Tara tucked the pale blue towel in between her breasts.

"I thought so." Willow nodded though her eyes roamed downwards.

"What's wrong baby?" Tara stepped out of the bath pulling the shower door back fully.

"I'm just having a sad mood moment." Willow shrugged. "Feeling like we're not getting anywhere."

"Oh love." Tara reached out rubbing her lover's arm. "We are getting somewhere."

"I know, I know we are... I just... I wish we knew how to beat it." The redhead sighed.

"In essence we do." Tara pointed out. "We just have one missing link."

"I know, and I want that link." She looked into blue eyes.

"We'll get it." Tara vowed gently and moved to guide Willow into her arms.

"We have to." Willow nodded huddling against her lover, the physical contact soothing her worried soul.

"We will." Tara repeated as she rubbed the redhead's back.

"Willow." Tara hurried down the stairs, checking in the kitchen for her missing lover first. "Willow! Giles, Sandra, where's Willow?" She skidded to a halt in the dining room doorway looking at the two of them.

The two Watchers glanced at each other with gentle shrugs.

"I have to find her." Tara frowned. "That spell you found Mr. Giles." She looked at him. "I think it'll work." She blinked wide blue eyes at him. "Didn't she tell you where she was going?" She moved to the front door and pushed her feet into a pair of her lover's clogs that were by the door. She didn't even notice they were two sizes two small.

"I think she said something about dolphins, or... Tara you know how she babbles. Do you really think the spell will work?" Giles followed her.

"I need Willow." Tara pulled the door open and stepped out into the cool morning air.

Willow laughed almost feeling her sides split as she and Dawn did their dolphin speech impressions for Faith. The dark Slayer was giving them both what could only be described as the 'you're both insane' look.

"Willow?" The front door flew open and Tara sprinted in.

"Tara, what's wrong?" Willow sat up her mood sobering immediately.

"I think we have it." She pushed her hand into her jean pocket and pulled out a piece of folded notepaper.

"Have it?" Willow took the paper and began reading. "Oh my Goddess, where did you find this?" She stood up.

"I didn't." Tara shook her head. "Mr. Giles did, well he found the base spell, I just, mystified it as it were." She twiddled her fingers in the air. "Made it mystical friendly rather than just generic reproduction." She added smiling at Faith who was looking at her as if she had joined the insane crew.

"I think it will work." The redhead moved over and hugged her girlfriend.

"I thought we should try it." Tara nodded.

"Can we try it? Will that not use up the mystic?" Willow looked at her.

"No, no, at least I don't think so." Tara shook her head.

"What do you have?" Dawn questioned when they didn't readily give any identifying information.

"You see I think we can create a prototype." Tara pointed out a line in the spell to the other witch still oblivious to everyone else's questions. "See."

"Cool, we can make one for a short duration as a trial." Willow nodded.

"Will someone answer D already?" Faith encouraged them.

"We've found a way to replicate the staff." Willow announced joyfully.

"For real?" Faith pushed up her eyes bright.

"For real." Willow grinned at the dark Slayer.

"We're gonna kill the First." Dawn grinned clapping her hands together once.

"Wooo fucking hooo." Faith yelled grabbing Dawn and spinning her around. Dawn laughed as she was spun, hanging onto Faith without a care in the world.

"We have to attempt the prototype, to make sure we can." Tara smiled at the display between the two of them.

"What do you need?" Dawn leaned into Faith even after the dark Slayer had put her down.

"Nothing really, that is nothing that we don't have, right Will." Tara blinked at her lover.

"Right baby." Willow put her arm around Tara's waist. "You guys should get Buffy and Piper and we'll go get what we need."

"I think my Dizzy can do that." Faith tickled the younger woman's ribs.

"Faith." Dawn squealed and giggled causing Willow to look at Tara raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry." Faith winked. "Dawn's got that covered." She grinned brightly. "You go work your mojo, where do you want us?"

"Back yard?" Willow looked to her lover.

"In about ten." Tara nodded. "Oh and we need the staff." She grinned as they turned to leave.

"You called me Dizzy by accident." Dawn teased when they had left dabbing Faith's nose with her finger.

"Oops." Faith pulled Dawn to her and held her lightly. "Sorry hun." She winked.

"That's okay baby." Dawn teased back hugging her. "Anything is allowed when we've just found out we've found a way to win."

"So you ready for this nightmare to be over?" Faith asked loosening her grip lightly.

"Completely." The brunette nodded.

"You gonna get Buffy and Piper?" Faith quickly kissed the brunette on the cheek, then headed off towards where she knew the staff was.

"Yeah, you'll get the staff?' Dawn smiled under the soft affection.

"Yup." Faith nodded walking back towards the other house.

"See you in the backyard." Dawn moved towards the third house.

"Hey Babe." Faith called when Dawn had turned.

"Yeah?"

"You looked beautiful this morning." Faith winked and grinned

"Thank you." Dawn grinned immediately reaching up to flick her hair over her shoulder as she almost floated across the grass.

"Tomorrow." Buffy walked into the large house and looked around at everyone who was gathered there. The entire three households were all squished into the living room waiting impatiently for the reason they'd been all called. "We do this tomorrow." She glanced over her shoulder as Piper, carrying the staff moved in after her, with Faith and the Spellcasters behind her. Zoë felt Beth's hand hold hers a bit tighter as they moved in and sat down in an empty patch of carpet.

As soon as Buffy had seen and had it confirmed that Willow and Tara could make a prototype of the staff, she'd gone herself to all the houses to call everyone to the meeting. She hadn't even waited for them to finish cleaning up the spell.

"Tomorrow? Buffy I..." Giles sat up a little straighter. "We've just managed to create a prototype, we have to go over the spells, the positions…"

The blonde Slayer held up her hand and his words came to a premature halt.

"Tomorrow." She said again. "Anyone who doesn't think they're ready, or just doesn't want to join the fight, can stay here." She looked around at the gathering.

"We'll have the super stakes right?" Kennedy asked smacking her hands together to show she was ready.

"Yes." Tara nodded sliding her hand into Willow's. "We've extended the spell time to forty three minutes."

"Time to kick ass." Jo nodded Kennedy's sentiment.

"The short term key now is focus and rest and then preparation." Buffy rallied.

"We're going to use the Summers house as main base." Sandra joined in the organization patter. "Andrew, Xander, Anya, Beth and Dawn will be there." She glanced around at those she mentioned.

"Perfect, I want to be far away from the carnage." Anya nodded her approval.

"Anyone wanting to stay with them can do so." Faith stepped forward and looked around. "Don't see it as wimping out, I'm being dead serious here girls." She looked hard at them. "We're not playing at war games here." She swallowed. "This is it, the real thing."

"Anyone still hurt shouldn't go either." Dawn added softer.

"Meaning me eh?" Georgia smiled from her place.

"Exactly George, you're not going anywhere." Jo moved over and rubbed the injured girl's shoulder.

"I still get a super stake right?" She smiled hopefully.

"If we can make enough yeah, we want to have some protection here." Willow nodded.

"There will be protection here." Tara nodded glancing quickly at Dawn with a soft smile.

Faith caught the look, not knowing what it was about but almost sure she didn't like it.

"Right people, back to staking dummies." Piper clapped her hands together. "Lets get a central store of equipment sorted and for fun everyone can pick their fight outfits." She grinned.

"Remember this is not a fashion show, so practical shoes but we don't have to go ugly." Buffy smiled at them all.

"Move people." Faith clapped her hands repeatedly grinning as the SITs scrambled up and started milling around chattering.

"Buffy." Giles called for the blonde Slayer's attention. She moved back to the Watcher. "One small detail." He raised an eyebrow.

"What?' She questioned.

"The First." He replied. "Has anybody invited it to this little showdown?"

"I was working on that." Buffy nodded. "Faith has an idea."

"Really?" The Watcher arched his eyebrow.

"She thinks she has a way to get its attention." Buffy smiled. "Think Faith Giles, and think her having an idea. We might need to rebuild half the town but I think it will work."

"So we're really going to do this?" Giles took a breath.

"We have to, this is our shot." The Slayer nodded. "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready to be part of the support system to the bravest group of young women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing." Giles nodded smiling softly.

"I'm trusting you to keep Zoë alive for us to get this done, you might have the hardest job." She frowned thinking of the sacrifice the Canadian was making.

"She believes she can sever the link in time Buffy." Giles put forward the hope he was adhering to.

"Then we have to believe in her so she doesn't doubt herself." Buffy nodded firmly. "Tara said Faith and I have to do some prep with her and Willow, so we might be busy for a bit."

"I think Beth had a special meal planned for this evening." Giles nodded understanding.

"We'll be there, the potentials need a solid night without anyone going missing." Buffy agreed that she understood.

"Buffy." Giles took another breath. "You must know how proud I am of you."

"We don't have to have the end of the world speech Giles, this isn't it." Buffy smiled at him. "You be careful up there okay?"

"I've been a foolish old man at times during this Buffy and ... and I'm sorry." He looked down a little.

"I wasn't at my best all the time either." Buffy leaned forward and hugged him. "Be safe tomorrow."

"And you." He patted her back.

Sandra hung in the doorway of the study, listening for a moment to the soft jazz melody that accompany the plumes of thick pipe smoke that spilled up around the other Watcher's head as he seemed to leisurely read through the book he had in his lap.

"Just a normal evening in." She commented softly.

"Hardly, but there is only so many ways to face an apocalypse." Giles put down his pipe and book then smiled at the other Watcher.

"How many is this for you now?" Sandra came in leaning against the desk.

"I think I've given up counting." He sighed softly. "You'll get used to them."

"You do realize that when this is over, when the Slayers have won we will have much to talk about. The Council must be rebuilt." She tried to be positive as she reached up pulling off the smart blazer she wore and undid the top two buttons on her silk blouse.

"I certainly hope you're not looking at me for that role." Giles laughed softly. "There is much to be done here, a new slayer to train." He watched her with soft, yet interested eyes.

"There is, but Rupert for all that we know we are the only two left." Sandra reached down slipping off her flat shoes. "Which would mean it is our duty to rebuild it together, there is no reason we can't do that from here. London has too many memories."

"Here?" The older Watcher arched an eyebrow. "I suppose we could." He seemed to really contemplate it for a long moment.

"You're testing Owl must have convinced you of her intention to stay with Buffy."

Sandra walked over slowly.

"Yes, it has." Giles nodded. "And though it almost pains me to say, she may be exactly what Buffy needs." He watched her approach.

"I've read your notes, Owl is exactly what she needs. Someone to understand her, someone to challenge her, to need her and to be needed in return." Sandra nodded reaching up to undo another button. "Buffy cannot survive as the island she attempts to be, it was destroying her."

"So you came and interrupted my reading to discuss the future?" Giles swallowed feeling his temperature notch up a little as he shifted in his chair.

"We've been avoiding the discussion, I wanted the preliminaries out of the way."

She reached over to her hip undoing the button and then the zipper letting the skirt she was wearing drop away so she could step out of it.

"Well yes er..." Giles coughed as he watched the skirt fall.

"Should I leave you to read your book?" She questioned standing before him in only the matching white silk panties, bra and open silk shirt.

"No, no." Giles shook his head. "I suppose I could be the new head man." He loosened his tie. "Owl may be better learning skills off…" He was forced to clear his throat again. "Off Buffy, with you…" He made a vague gesture towards Sandra. "Handling the lore side of..." Giles didn't finish his sentence, instead he pushed up out of the chair pulling the other Watcher to him and kissing her deeply.

"So I lose you early in the morning eh? Did I hear right when Willow said she wanted to start the marking ceremony at six?" Owl pulled back the cotton bed sheet ready for Buffy who was just brushing her teeth in the bathroom.

It felt so odd, everything had been what had come to be 'normal' so far. They'd shared a shower done a quick joint meditation and then came to bed. There hadn't even been a mention of the possible 'end of the world' that lay less than a day away.

"Yes unfortunately, I don't know why but witchy stuff needs to be done early in the morning." Buffy came in brushing her teeth and smiling.

"So what's the tat you're getting?" Piper asked.

"An axe head." Buffy explained putting down the brush. "It's to bind Willow and I to our copy of the staff. You get the original." She pulled off her robe, pulling on a long T-shirt. "Faith has daggers or something."

"Wow I'm the lucky one." Owl grinned. "Not in the mood eh?" She nodded to the long T-shirt that Buffy was smoothing over her thighs pulling the sheet a bit further back to reveal her naked state.

"Oh." Buffy looked and then her mouth curled up into a wide smile. "No, I was thinking about the spell." She moved over to the bed and pulled the shirt off. "Like a T-shirt would stop you." She teased slipping in.

"It might." Owl flicked the sheet back over Buffy. "How you doing?" She asked softly, offering her chest as a pillow.

"Mmmm trying not to think about it, but finding it's all I am thinking about." Buffy moved over settling into the familiar position. "You?"

"I'm kinda, you know, peppy." She tried a word that she'd never used before.

"Pre- apocalyptic buzz." Buffy nodded softly.

"Oh is that what it is, something I'm gonna get used to huh?" Piper chuckled softly drawing her fingertips over Buffy's arm.

"I'd like to say this is the one and only apocalypse but in my experience no." Buffy closed her eyes.

"Hey apocalypses can be dealt with." Owl reasoned. "Together." She added with a soft smile.

"Tomorrow's going to be chaos." Buffy turned her head up sliding over so she was sitting across Owl's hips hovering above her.

"Yeah I kinda figured that." The newest Slayer nodded. "But hey, I'm reckoning the hardest parts going to be not being able to touch you 'till its all over." She pointed out.

"I don't like that either." Buffy shook her head. "But we have till the morning."

"Yeah but we need to have all the strength and energy we can get to face the promise of the new day." Owl pointed out.

"I know." Buffy leaned down a bit, resting her light frame over Piper's. "Though I want to spend the night touching you." Her voice was soft.

"So what do you thinks going to happen to the property market here in Sunnydale when all this is over?" Piper threw in the distinctly odd query as she ran her hands over Buffy's legs, just to see if she could sidetrack the other Slayer's thoughts.

"You'd be surprised how apparently smoothly everyone will move back in like nothing happened. I'm sure it will go down though." Buffy mused. "There's a lot to rebuild and fix."

"Wow, you really are the thinking slayer huh." She teased softly. "But hey, maybe that was my way of asking you to live with me after all this craziness is done." She added in a soft voice.

"Live with you?" Buffy's head came up with her voice a bit surprised but probably not for the reasons Owl thought. "You're not going to stay here?" She glanced at the bed.

"Well yeah sure, I mean if you like I just..." She stopped. "Sorry forget it, I wasn't thinking." She shook her head.

"No, you just what Owl?" Buffy urged her to finish.

"I was just thinking new starts." Piper explained. "You've buried people here baby, you've seen death and destruction in these four walls over and over." She explained more. "I was thinking something maybe smaller. Two bedrooms, one for you and me, the other for Dawn. Maybe a basement to work out in, a big garage for your jeep and my bike."

"You mean a place that was ours?" Buffy questioned softly.

"Yeah." Piper reflected that was what she was suggesting though the tone she used proved that it was only at that second that the Slayer had realized that that was exactly what she was proposing.

"Are you sure?" The blonde heard the slightly conflicted tone.

"I'm sure I want you to be happy, and I'm pretty positive you can't put this shit behind you here. So yeah, I'm sure." Piper reasoned.

"I'd have to talk to Dawn, this is her house too." Buffy admitted. "But yes." She nodded leaning in to kiss her.

Piper wound her arms around Buffy's back and held her close as their kisses lingered.

"I love you." Buffy whispered when the kiss broke for a moment.

"I love you too." Piper agreed. "So you going to snuggle in and sleep on top of me?" She asked gently.

"Am I too heavy?" She questioned.

"You never are." Piper shook her head.

"Mmmm then yes, I want to be close to you." She snuggled in closing her eyes.

"Sleep well." Piper pressed her lips to Buffy's head.

"Are you sure we have to sleep the whole night?" Buffy kissed the flesh near her lips with a grin.

Zoë knew was supposed to be trying to sleep, after all she was going to need all of her strength the next day.

'The next day.' She felt herself shiver at the idea. The next day wasn't a day at all, it was "The Day", the day that depended on her doing this spell and as time ticked down she was starting to doubt herself.

"You're supposed to be asleep." Beth's soft voice called gently.

"Whirling mind, I can't sleep." Zoë turned in to her lover opening her eyes. "And hey you're supposed to be asleep too."

"I know but then I thought, I'm wasting time sleeping when I could be looking at you, touching you." Beth admitted turning onto her side and playing with a strand of Zoë's hair.

"So why would I waste time thinking about tomorrow when I could be doing the same thing." She reached under the covers, putting her arm around Beth's body and slid herself closer.

"Don't doubt yourself." Bethany whispered as she drew up close to Zoë's body.

"But what if I fail?" Zoë admitted her voice scared.

"You won't." Beth shook her head placing her finger on her lover's cheek.

"I wish you could be there with me, but it's not safe enough." Zoë closed her eyes concentrating on the soft touch.

"I'll be right here, with homemade lemonade to come back to." Beth smiled continuing the motion.

"You spoil me." Zoë opened her eyes smiling.

"No, but I will." Beth smiled more.

"It's selfish but I'm so glad you're here with me." Zoë leaned and kissed her lightly.

"Me too." The English woman's voice was like honey.

"Since we can't sleep what did you want to do?" The Canadian smiled.

"We could..." Beth thought for a moment. "Take a bath?"

"Mmmm that would be nice." Zoë nodded with a brighter smile.

"A subtle way to get you naked." Beth admitted with a smirk.

"And wet." Zoë added wiggling her eyebrows.

"My thoughts exactly." Beth winked and began to get out of bed.

"Where shall we do it?" Tara drew the pestle around the clay mortar and turned to look at Willow who was laid on her stomach on the bed, tapping away on her laptop.

"Basement?" Willow didn't look up as she continued to type.

"So you want to marry me in the basement, not the most romantic of places." She chuckled softly.

"What?" Willow looked up blinking. "The spell in the basement. I thought you were asking about the spell."

"I guessed." Tara smiled now that she had her lover's attention.

"Where would you like to have it?" Willow smiled back.

"The basement is fine." Tara teased.

"No, of course not. I want it somewhere beautiful, outdoors, the beach?" She moved off the bed and sat down behind Tara.

"The beach would be nice, or maybe the woods." Tara nodded leaning her head back.

"Mmmm the woods would be lovely, up north in the spring." Willow leaned her arms around her lover.

"And what about honeymoon." Tara put down the pestle and mortar, she then put her hands over Willow's.

"We could have a cabin rented, just you and me and the wild." She kissed Tara's neck.

"Mmmm where?" Tara purred softly.

"I'm sure Zoë must know some nice places in Canada." Willow offered kissing her again.

"We could do some of the Rockies." Tara nodded smiling more under the kisses.

"Perfect." Willow hugged her close breathing in and enjoying the smell of her lover's hair.

"How are you feeling?" Tara asked softly.

"Mmmmmm nervous." Willow admitted. "How about you?'

"Return of the many flying bats in the tummy." Tara nodded in agreement.

"I can't believe this ends tomorrow." Willow reached one hand around to rub Tara's stomach.

"It needs to, too much has gone on, this needs to end." Tara said her voice solemn and serious.

"I still sometimes can't believe you're back." Willow admitted in a whisper.

"I had to go." Tara frowned softly.

"No, no, not that baby." Willow soothed her. "That you're alive, that I hadn't lost you, lost the chance to love you."

"I..." Tara stopped and turned. "We're both so different now." She curled her lover's hair behind her ear.

"One thing is the same, I love you." Willow smiled at her.

"Even that's different." Tara shook her head but she smiled too.

"What do you mean?" Willow questioned not understanding.

"It's stronger now, I'm stronger, so are you." Tara pointed out.

"And nothing is going to tear us apart again." Willow vowed.

"We can do this." Tara looked at the redhead not blinking.

"We can." The redhead nodded.

"We should sleep." Tara took a soft breath and leaned in to kiss her lover's forehead.

"We should, we need lots of strength for the spell." Willow breathed in feeling the warmth of the kiss.

"Can I book a long slow session of making love after this is all over?" Tara whispered.

"For a week, no interruptions." Willow made the agreement without hesitation.

"A week." Tara beamed.

"Okay two." Willow grinned and kissed her again as Tara laughed louder.

"Come on you, bed." She dabbed her nose.

"Yes my love." Willow smiled. "But you have to come too."

"I'm coming." Tara giggled as they raced to get under the covers.

Dawn sat on the porch watching as Faith went through the series of moves again. They'd been out here for a little while already, her attempting to skim through a book she had no interest in as the dark Slayer tried to work out the growing tension in her body as she got ready for the coming fight.

"Faith, it's getting late." She pointed out trying to be subtle.

"You're right, you should go in, can't have you catching a chill or anything." Faith stopped and looked up to the sky, before turning and looking at Dawn.

"But I want you to come with." Dawn stood up motioning to the house.

"I'm not sleepy Diz." Faith admitted swinging her arms back and forth as she walked over.

"I know, but you have to get some sleep, you need your strength." Dawn watched her. Faith took a deep breath and looked at the tall brunette.

"Okay." She sighed softly and reached out taking Dawn's hand. "Take me to bed." She laughed softly.

"Mmmm okay." Dawn grinned and led her into the quiet house.

When they reached the living room she moved Faith to stand near the bed and bent down to undo the Slayer's boots.

"Hey, hey you don't have to do that." Faith frowned softly.

"I know I don't have to, I want too." Dawn continued to work, taking them off and moving them over under the chair. She slowly slid up Faith's body her hands going to the heavy leather belt around the Slayer's waist, which she began to undo.

"Is this allowed?" Faith glanced over her shoulder at Andrew who was supposedly 'watching' over them on the couch. The geek was sound asleep.

"I'm just helping you get ready for bed." Dawn whispered unlooping the leather and then pulling the zipper down. "How could that not be allowed?" She began to guide the leather down Faith's hips.

"The fact that every time your fingers touch skin or your breath breezes over me, you start a fire inside." Faith breathed out.

"Me too." Dawn admitted her voice thick as she moved her hand back to her own pants and slipped them off.

Faith watched every move the young woman made, licking her lips as long shapely legs were slowly revealed.

"Let me find you some sleep shorts." She coughed trying to make her dry throat work.

"I don't want any." Dawn shook her head pulling off her T-shirt to reveal the small tank top she was wearing to match the small panties.

"T-shirt?" Faith cleared her throat again but her voice still cracked a little.

"No, it's sorta warm tonight." Dawn shook her head moving around the bed to slip in with onto the skimpy tank and underwear on.

Faith pulled off her own top rummaging in the pile next to the bed for a T-shirt to slip on after she'd removed the tight bra she'd been wearing all day.

"You don't have to wear one." Dawn patted the bed.

"I can't sleep in one of those." Faith slid beneath the covers looking at Dawn, she slowly unhooked the confining barrier and breathed a relieved sigh. She let it drop off the edge of the pull out leaving the sheet up to cover her.

"I know... I was hoping you wouldn't..." Dawn slid closer to her. "Wear anything."

"They miss you." Faith invited Dawn to her favorite resting place.

"I've missed them." Dawn knew that Faith expected her to just rest against them but instead she lowered her lips to the closest swell of flesh.

"Dawn." Faith breathed in and arched up.

"You need to relax before you can sleep, I know you." Dawn kissed lower, her lips touching lightly to the Slayer's nipple.

"But..." Faith stopped and had to moan in pleasure. "Oh God Dawn." The dark haired Slayer moved her hand over soft brown hair.

"You have to be quiet." Dawn urged her softly as she pressed her lips down again.

"Quiet." Faith nodded and bit her lip as the dark peak tightened.

"I want you to feel good." Dawn tentatively moved her tongue out against Faith's flesh.

"I never thought I'd say this, but just having you with me makes me feel good." Faith admitted writhing a little on the mattress.

"Mmmm I know." Dawn slid her legs together, she could hardly believe how touching Faith was making her so excited but she tried to keep herself focused, this wasn't supposed to be about her.

"Don't do anything you don't want to." Faith warned her softly her dark eyes flaring wide as a flare of desire flashed through her.

"I know and I'm not going to." Dawn assured her confidently. "All I want to do is make you feel good so you can sleep." She closed her lips and sucked lightly.

"I have to be out of here by six." Faith warned Dawn of the early start.

"Lots of time." Dawn smiled and moved her lips to suck even harder.

"Mmmmm." Faith groaned quietly. "D hun you're making me...." She didn't finish her hips moving side to side on the mattress.

Dawn was too busy being excited by the very fact that Faith's body was responding to her to really listen. She pressed her mouth in closer, sucking harder. The sway in Faith's hips turned into more of a roll. The dark Slayer moaned again and then eased her own hand down to cup over the dark strip of cotton between her legs knowing she had to do something about the ache. Dawn reached her hand over, rubbing up and down Faith's arm.

"See there are things we can do." She licked her tongue around the wet nipple in front of her. "No line crossing."

"Yes, yes there are." Faith agreed easily, this felt too good to deny as she let her fingers began rubbing the cotton, pressing it into her own wetness.

The brunette let her hand stray down further, rubbing over Faith's wrist and the back of her hand but she didn't press any lower. She concentrated instead on what her lips were doing as she tried to figure out every touch she could use that would bring Faith pleasure.

"Oh yes D." Faith's eyes closed as she felt herself getting wetter as her body heated up.

"Am I doing okay?" Dawn checked her voice thick and breathy as she pulled her lips back for a minute.

"Perfect Dawn." Faith nodded. "A little harder."

"I don't want to hurt you." Dawn explained her reasoning as she licking her tongue around Faith's nipple again before she closed her lips applying more pressure.

"Mmmm whatever you're doing feels good." Faith encouraged her. "When I said you weren't like anyone I've ever had before Dawn, I meant it. Just touch me how you want to, that's what I want." Dawn smiled at the assuring words, slowly she started to suck harder, feeling the flesh she teased straining under the pressure. "There you go..." Faith moved her fingers around the cotton barrier to touch herself, teasing her already hard clit.

Dawn nodded pressing her body closer as she felt Faith's hips moving.

"Oh Yessss." Faith breathed out, sliding her hand free she slipped it around Dawn's body, pressing wet fingers along the waistband of Dawn's tight shorts pulling her close.

Dawn pressed against her immediately, pushing her leg up against Faith's wet center. She pulled back her lips panting before she moved to suck on the Slayer's other nipple. Faith groaned again as she felt the tightness and direct pressure of Dawn's leg. She could hardly believe that doing this was driving her as wild as it was.

"I want to be with you, but I don't want to be with you because of some stupid First." Dawn pulled her lips back, breathing hard as she looked into dark eyes.

"After, after this is over." Using the hand stroking Dawn's hair to cup her chin Faith breathed heavy. "We'll date." She rocked and rolled her hips. "We'll see where we get." She groaned.

"I want to feel good tonight." Dawn pressed her knee higher, moving her hand to where her lips had been.

"Do you feel good right now?" Faith asked trying to keep a reign on her escalating build up.

"I feel like the other night, when I..." She blushed lightly.

"You climaxed." Faith whispered. "You don't have to blush, you were beautiful."

"Can you? With me doing this?" Dawn looked down watching her fingers as they massaged Faith's breast.

"Yes." Faith nodded. "You?" She had no concept why she was checking how the other person in bed with her was doing. Her past sexual partners had not been a consideration but with Dawn it mattered. It mattered more than she did and she pushed down the panic that caused inside her.

"Mmmmmm..." Dawn breathing was staggered. "I think so. You feel so good."

"Here." Faith gently decided to introduce an idea. "Split your legs." She slid her leg up the instant Dawn's parted hers a little, so that her leg rested where Dawn's did against her body.

"Ohhhh God Faith." Dawn's leg shot up closer as she rocked down against Faith's leg.

"Quietly baby." Faith urged trying hard not to gasp herself.

"How can I be quiet?" Dawn moaned as her fingers closed tighter around Faith's nipple.

"I don't know." Faith admitted as she gripped Dawn tighter to her focusing on their rocking and the pressure building up between them. Dawn buried her face into Faith's neck as she groaned her hips moving faster. Cupping the back of Dawn's head with her other hand Faith slowed them down a little, trying to keep the couch from squeaking under them. "Yes baby, yes, yes." She whispered as the constant pace made her arch.

"Faith, oh God please." Dawn reached down fumbling for Faith's hand and dragged it up to her breast.

"Okay baby." Faith hurried to hold Dawn's breast her thumb rubbing over the hard nipple through the cotton.

"What do you need?" Dawn looked up at her trying to get her volume issues under control as she arched into Faith's hands.

"Just you." Faith assured her, feeling her own climax just aching to be released.

"I'm here, I'm here Faith." Dawn panted arcing into her, not even thinking about her own motion drove her leg up against Faith's body.

"I know, ooh fuck D, I know." Faith's hips bucked up harder.

"You swore." Dawn groaned as she leaned up licking her tongue over Faith's lips. "God do it again."

"Fuck D, you are amazing." Faith just pumped her hips over and over against Dawn's leg as she let her orgasm envelope her. "Oh goood Goddd fuck me." She panted harder. Dawn felt her own orgasm beginning to ripple through her body and she pressed her mouth to Faith's neck trying to muffle the scream. "Let go D I want to feel you, hear you cum." Faith growled breathlessly as her body jerked and danced beneath the younger woman.

"But... noise." Dawn groaned against Faith's skin.

"Fuck it." Faith hissed. "We're saving the fucking world tomorrow."

"Faithhhh." Dawn's body went taut as she arched into the Slayer, her voice calling out.

"God yes!" Faith held her tightly, stabilizing her as she bucked in her tight arch.

Dawn's move was hard for a few more moments before she loosened collapsing against the Slayer.

"Wh-Wh-What's going on?" Andrew groggily pushed up from his place on the other couch.

"Nightmare." Faith panted rubbing Dawn's back as the younger woman lay on top of her panting and sweating. "Look she's still clothed." She pointed out.

"I was having a good dream, you interrupted." He turned over grumpily.

"You're amazing Dizzy." Faith continued to rub Dawn's back over and over, she leaned down and kissed her.

"I want to hear you too." The brunette pressed her knee up.

"Dawn." Faith growled in warning. "I don't do quiet well, and I came, believe me."

"I don't care about sound either." Dawn rocked her knee.

Faith growled again but this time in arousal, her orgasm having not fully broken had built up again instantly as she heard Dawn climax. Dawn dipped her mouth, sucking on Faith's neck hard knowing she would leave a mark. Faith growled a again a little louder, completely aroused by the brash confidence Dawn was displaying. The brunette couldn't believe how good this felt as she moved against Faith's body, desperately needing to hear her girlfriend crying out, something, anything that would confirm to her how earth shattering this was. Faith closed her eyes focusing, the build-up rapid and hard.

"Dawn, this isn't going to be quiet." She warned, her breath catching.

"I don't care." Dawn pleaded feeling her own body nearing release again.

"Kiss me." Faith growled. Dawn pulled her lips up meshing them over Faith's almost instantly. Faith forcefully thrust her tongue into Dawn's mouth consumed by desire for the other woman. Dawn started to suck on it immediately making Faith's body arch and forcing her to pull away.

"FUCK ME…." She managed the mumbled scream before she just cried out, her hand slammed out and smacked hard on the mattress as her body went taut.

"God Faith." Dawn watched her amazed. Faith let hard long ripples race through her body, as her muscles flexed and relaxed embracing the erotic feelings. "You're so sexy." Dawn snuggled close to her feeling the reverberations.

"And you are simply breathtaking." Faith panted for a few moments and then ran her hand over Dawn's slightly damp long hair.

"It's our last night on earth tell her to stop having nightmares." Andrew's sleepy voice protested as he pulled the covers up over his head.

"We should sleep." Faith encouraged.

"Mmmm okay." Dawn curled into Faith's body not wanting to go far.

"Sleep angel." Faith kissed her head softly.

"You too." Dawn breathed out exhausted.

"I will." Faith felt her body give a soft residual shudder.

"Hey, hey piggy eyes." Anya hissed into Xander's ear, leaning across the bed in the pitch-black bedroom.

"An... honey what are you going on about?" Xander blinked trying to adjust to the dark.

"You, I'm talking to you, seeing if you're awake." She replied leaning back.

"You pinched me of course I'm awake." Xander rubbed his arm.

"Well yes but sometimes that doesn't work, I've had to hit you with the alarm clock before now." Anya scolded.

"What's wrong An?' Xander assured her that he was awake.

"I think we should have sex." Anya pointed out turning on the bedside lamp

"Now?" Xander swallowed as his eyes adjusted to the dark.

"Yes." Anya pushed the satin strap off her shoulder.

"You're in the mood even though we're fighting the First tomorrow?' He watched her grinning as his body betrayed him.

"Yes." Anya nodded. "It worked last time." She pulled the satin free of her body.

"Oh you mean like superstition." Xander moved to pull off his pj pants.

"Well yes," Anya nodded. "That and I want you."

"I want you too." He moved over to her, leaning to kiss her.

"Well that's good, so we can then, yes?" Anya blinked up at him.

"Yes Anya." He kissed her quickly.

"I'm beginning to forgive you." She admitted as she broke the kiss encouraging him up over her.

"I love you." He whispered bracing up when he felt her legs circling around him.

"I love you too." Anya admitted. "But I'm only telling you that because you might die and no one else can hear."

"You're so cute." He smiled at her leaning to kiss her neck.

"I am not cute, I am attractive, sexy and surprisingly youthful." Anya tipped her head back and flattened her hips.

"Yes, all of those things." Xander assured her.

"But not enough to marry." Anya pointed out.

"I didn't not marry you because you aren't those thing Anya, I didn't marry you because you are too precious to hurt. I didn't want you to find yourself hating me in twenty years." Xander tried to explain.

"But you don't get to choose what I do." Anya pointed out. "We should have talked." She frowned but rubbed her fingers up and down Xander's spine.

"I know, it was stupid of me." Xander shivered and pressed closer to her.

"So you're sorry?" Anya checked her hands now stroking over Xander's ass.

"Oh God, yes Anya." Xander groaned.

"So maybe when Buffy saves the world again we can live together?" She pressed her hips up a little.

"I would like that." Xander pressed against her kissing more of her throat. "Do I need protection?" He asked huskily.

"Do we want little Anya's?" Anya replied.

"Do you?" Xander felt his arousal threatening to diminish.

"I'm still on the pill Xander." Anya scowled. "And there are some in the bedside table." She kissed him again.

"Mmm okay." Xander kissed her back remembering everything about her that he loved.

"Remember tomorrow, no being a hero, Buffy's leaving us here because it's dangerous we have to respect that." She stroked her hands over his back again.

"I don't want to think about tomorrow right now. I want to think about how beautiful you are." Xander kissed her again.

She knew where the wires were, but that didn't mean it was easy to clear them, especially in the darkness. She had been watching as the peroxide vampire had paced round the front of the houses and moved to the back, making her way clear. That's when she had slipped out, and as she eased over the last wire, she stepped out onto the main path. Glancing from left to right the slim figure began a soft jog down the sidewalk.

Spike's head poked around the side of the house, throwing down his cigarette as he watched her get to the end of the street.

"Out for a bit of nookie are we darling." He moved over and carefully dodging the trip wire began to follow her.

Moving down the empty streets was itself a little unnerving. With not even birds singing in the trees, or foxes and cats running across the streets, Sunnydale already felt dead. Deserted and lifeless, ready for the end.

But that's exactly what she was here to stop. This had all gone on too long, and it needed to be over, and she had the way. As her jog turning into a run, the black clothed figure paid little attention as she reaffirmed her focus. Her run was relatively short taking her to a tall warehouse close to the High School.

"Hello?" She called slipping in through a broken door.

"Hello." A soft kind voice called back, stepping out of the shadows to show a middle-aged woman with soft blonde hair and dark framed glasses. "Amanda, I wasn't expecting you tonight dear."

"I wasn't expecting to be here." The young SIT admitted. "But I have news." She looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh dear Amanda you look cold, boys bring her a blanket." The figure snapped her fingers soundlessly and a docile Bringer emerged out of the dark bringing her a warm flannel blanket. "Do tell me darling what news?" The woman walked closer.

"They say they've found a way, a way to end this." Amanda held on to the corners of the blankets drawing it around her.

"How darling, I need details." The woman motioned for her to sit down.

"Tomorrow, they're going to attack. They know you have Ubers." The SIT lowered herself down and shivered.

"But Amanda, even if they know that, how will they beat an army from God?" The woman appeared to sit down across form her.

"The witches." Amanda watched her.

"The witches plan to do what?" She urged.

"The blonde one, she's worked out a spell, we're getting super stakes." Amanda explained.

"Super stakes, interesting. Anything else?" The woman pressed softly.

"The witches, they're coming with the fighters." The SIT relayed.

"Anything else with that silly staff?' The woman looked at her, nodding her approval for the information.

"They've been practicing with it a lot. That's when Buffy announced the attack, after a practice session." Amanda offered a little more.

"Anything else my darling." The woman reached out coming just short of caressing her cheek. "God is so pleased with your loyalty."

"The non fighters and everyone else are staying behind, in the house, they're not coming into the fight." Amanda wracked her brain for more details. "The Watchers are coming along though."

"Who is staying behind?" She asked for specific details.

"Buffy's sister, Xander and Anya, the English girl." Amanda tried to recall specifics. "Georgia, and Andrew."

"That's good, they shouldn't be part of all of this." The woman shook her head. "I wish they would see reason, I wish they weren't blinded by lies. I wish they could embrace salvation." She looked remorseful.

"What are you going to do, you should withdraw." Amanda's eyes turned sadly to the woman. "People are going to get hurt."

"Is there anything else you can tell me Amanda, do they know what good the Canadian is yet?" She pushed not answering the desperate plea.

"She's doing something witchy, she's coming along." Amanda pointed out though the SITs had been kept up to date with the where's and when, the details of exactly how things were going to work had been pretty guarded.

"There is nothing else. No shred you can give me." The woman checked.

"There was some talk of vessels, maybe they have a magic gourd or something." Amanda shrugged. "Mr. Giles has a lot of them. I used to talk to Dawn about things." The SIT explained her reasons for being unsure.

"But now?" The woman nodded for her to continue leaning closer.

"She's started sleeping with Faith." She spoke the words in a shameful voice. "That and spending a lot of time with the blonde witch. It's not true is it that you created a copy of her to test Willow, is it?" She added onto the end of her sentence, frowning softly.

"That was another dark force Amanda, a dark force I was trying to stop." The woman frowned. "The slayer line is corrupted, we have to make it clean again, have to help Buffy and the others see the way to the light. See that good girls like you need to be the called as the Slayer again, not tainted ones as her and Faith are."

"They say Faith has changed but she can't have, not if she's sleeping with Dawn, can she?" Amanda hissed slightly.

"Seducing a minor doesn't scream that does it." The woman shook her head.

"And the way Buffy was with Spike and is now using Owl, that's wrong too, surely." Amanda frowned more. "And that all of them, the slayers and the witches, all being together, all girls, my Father always told me that was evil too."

"There is evil in the world that we don't even know to name Amanda." The woman nodded. "Why don't we find you somewhere safe and warm to sleep? You don't have to be around for this child." She motioned for a Bringer to come escort her.

"I can be the purity you need." Amanda got somewhat unsteadily to her feet nodding that she did indeed need to rest. "I want to be a good girl."

"You are already my sweet. Rest now, rest peacefully." She nodded and flicked her eyes to the Bringer. "Rest in peace." She didn't even flinch as the creature reached up to cradle Amanda and snapped her neck letting her limp body fall to the floor.

From his place by the door Spike flicked his cigarette to the floor and stamped it out.

"Bugger." He hissed silently turning and running back towards the house.

"Come on boys." The First's veneer changed again to Buffy. "Plans have changed."

Pushing up from the floor, Giles didn't bother looking for anything to cover his nakedness, though he did reach for the blanket that was draped over the back of one of the chairs. He picked it up and laid it gently over Sandra who was laying on the floor looking up at him, then he picked up his pants slipping them on.

"Just water?" He checked.

"Water would be lovely." Sandra nodded.

"Don't get too comfy and fall asleep on me." Giles winked.

"Oh I won't, you have promises to keep." She slid one naked leg out of the blanket.

"I'll be right back." Giles adjusted his pants slightly, wishing he'd not had to put them back on before slipping through towards the kitchen to get drinks.

It took the Watcher no more than two minutes to fulfill his task, hurrying back in carrying two glasses of water.

"Mmmm thank you." Sandra sat up a bit holding the blanket too her and taking a long drink. Giles squatted down watching her drink, while gulping down his entire glass. "So you were saying something about training." She teased him.

"I merely said that due to all my training with Buffy, I am not your average man." Giles pointed out putting his empty glass well away from them.

"I know you're a special man Rupert, to have fought this long." Sandra reached up massaging his shoulder.

"You're a special lady Sandra." Giles returned the compliment gently. "I was thinking perhaps you should stay here tomorrow." He broached softly.

"I can't you know that, we have to protect Zoë she is our only chance of winning this. Without her, we're doomed from the start." Sandra shook her head.  "I'm prepared for this Rupert, I'm prepared to live through this." She stated honestly.

"I'm not doubting that." Giles shook his head. "But when we win, as you said we will need to rebuild the Council, to do that we need at least one survivor. I think we will win, but having both of using the fight minimizes the chance of having a watcher alive after the victory" He explained.

"Then it's decided you should stay here." Sandra smirked at him. "You have a wealth more of experience and time on duty with a slayer than I do."

"Sandra." Giles shook his head. "My place is at Buffy's side."

"Then we're at a roadblock, because I have no intention of hiding here when I could be out there fighting for our lives."  She shook her head back.

"You're a good watcher." Giles laughed softly and ran his fingers along Sandra's collarbone.

"I hope I'm better at some things." She leaned back a bit letting the blanket slip off her upper body.

"Well yes." Giles eased himself over Sandra straddling her body. "But we weren't talking about those things." He pointed out.

"I doubt we'll be tired in the morning, not with the adrenaline of what is going on." Sandra reached up running her hands up his chest.

"Yes, adrenaline is an amazing thing." Giles agreed moaning just a little under his breath as he sat upright, letting her fingers play over his chest.

"Perhaps we should just not get any sleep." She pulled him back down and kissed him.

"Mmmmm Sandra." Giles kissed her deeply as he stroked over her shoulder and down her arm.

"Giles!" Spike burst through the door yelling for the Watcher. "Damn man, where are you? We've got a loose baby bird."

"Bloody Hell!" The gasp came from the sitting room accompanied by a dull thud and the shuffling of sheets.

"One moment Spike." Sandra tried to appease him as she used the pillow as a shield. Giles had managed to take all the bedclothes with him when he had pitched off the bed.

"Now this little scene is almost worth the world ending." Spike stood in the doorway and smiled.

"What the bloody hell do you want at this time of night?" Giles scowled and glanced at Sandra. "Oh Lord Sandra dear." He pulled off one of the blankets from around himself nearly losing both in the muddle.

"I'm fine Rupert, I'm quite sure that he's seen a naked woman before." Sandra sat up though she did pull the offered blanket around her slowly.

"See now there's a bird with class, she knows what she got to flaunt and she flaunts it well." He winked at her. "Anyway, we got trouble mate. One of your little girlies has been playing both sides and has told the First everything."

"Poppycock." Giles frowned. "They're all tucked up in their beds as should you be, well no, but you shouldn't be here."

"I'm telling you old man, I followed the tall lanky one... what's her name... Amanda, she rendezvoused with the First and told her everything about our little attack plan. Then they snapped her bloody neck." He scowled. "I think it had her believing it was the Lord Savior or something."

"Oh good Lord." The Watcher went pale.

"We need to move house." Spike pointed. "Because it's going to bring whatever it's got down on us fast."

"Yes. Have you told Buffy?" Giles questioned.

"I had hoped coming to tell you wouldn't mean I had to walk in on someone's night before we die activities." Spike admitted. "Apparently I was wrong." He winked at Sandra again.

"Right enough of that. Go trip one of the trip wires. It's the easiest and quickest way of getting everyone up." Giles moved to get his pants.

"It's showtime folks." Spike gave a feral grin walking back out into the night and within seconds the alarms started to ring.

"Apparently so." Giles sighed heavily.

"We should get everyone moving quickly. If the First brings its Ubers here our whole plan could end before it has began." Sandra got up pulling on her clothes quickly.

"Yes, of course." Giles agreed easily managing to get his shirt done up as the other members of the house came streaming down the stairs ready to fight.

"What the hell is going on?" Faith arrived in the open doorway with the staff having already discovered nothing wrong at her house and nothing outside to fight. "Anyone in here?"

"Apparently Amanda." Giles began but stopped. "Lets just say we have trouble."

"I'll get everyone gathered at the big house." Faith nodded and moved out.

Willow listened to everyone talking over one another and knew right away it was getting them no where.

"But we..." She tried to breech into the melee. "I know but..." She glanced at Tara.

Tara gave her a sympathetic glance and was about to say something when Faith jumped up onto the table and pitched one of the candlesticks on it through the window.

"Everyone shut the hell up." She demanded and the room went totally quiet. "Ok, now I know this isn't what we planned but I also know we can do this. We've got the people." She stated. "We've got the mojo and we sure as hell have got the balls."

Everyone stayed quiet but rallied a bit around her.

"We have things left we need to set up." Buffy stood next to her. "Which mean we're going to have to mobilize on the road. How long do you need for prep?" She looked at Willow and Tara.

"Most important thing we've got to do is the marking we have to do that here but it shouldn't take more than ten minutes." She stopped and glanced at Zoë, slipping her hand into Willow's.

"I need everyone in position before I can start." Zoë admitted. "It won't take more than a few moments once you've replicated the staff."

"How long for our super stakes?" Kennedy questioned.

"Giles this is the incantation for the stakes." Tara passed him a slip of paper and a small bag of herbs. "It needs to be done at the last moment."

"Are we splitting up? It sounds like we're splitting up." Georgia questioned from the couch.

"It would be a good idea to round up as many stakes as we have." Faith called from the table, she stopped and looked at Georgia. "We are." She nodded. "Right?" She checked with Buffy.

"Yes." She nodded and looked at Piper. "Faith has the bait, I have the witches, I need you to keep Zoë safe and get her to the Hellmouth on time." She gave a slight smirk at the bad phrasing.

"What about us? Spike said that the First was coming here." There was an obvious train of fear in Andrew's voice.

"It's fine, I have that covered but you all have to be out of the range." Dawn stood up. "You have to go soon." She looked at Tara. "To give me time."

"We need to do the marks. Faith, Buffy, coming to our room would be best." Tara urged her lover to move toward the stairs with her.

"Does that mean we're leaving now?" Zoë looked at Piper.

"No, we need to stick around to get the staff don't we?" Flick said looking at the newest Slayer.

"You can't replicate now until we're on site can you?" Buffy looked at the witches confirming.

"We could do it here." Willow admitted. "But then Tara and I have to make sure the arrows don't come to any harm for all the while we're traveling and possibly fighting Ubers."

"But we can do it, if we have to." Tara put in.

"You can't do it here." Faith shook her head. "It would have to be at the school or somewhere else safe. We have to move."

"Okay, Tara and Willow go take Faith and Buffy up to your room do the preparations you have." Sandra organized them. "Girls you know which groups you are in, so collect up your stakes and go out onto the lawn. Rupert you meet them there ready to imbue." She nodded to the Watcher. "Piper you get the staff and stick to Zoë like glue. Lets get this show on the road." She clapped her hands together.

Everyone started to move with a little more enthusiasm. As she stood in the living room Piper looked at the time, noting how 11:27p.m seemed like a good enough time to start the fight to save the world.

Willow helped Tara lay out everything. Faith was at the window checking through the blinds for any activity outside while Buffy was pacing nervously.

"I thought we'd have more time." Willow pointed out stupidly as she mixed herbs.

"I know sweetie, but it's okay." Tara added a little holy water to her paste.

"I love you." Willow mixed what she was making into Tara's concoction.

"I love you too." Tara confirmed her voice level and solid despite the tumbling in her stomach.

"I don't care what happens we're not splitting up." Willow whispered knowing that they couldn't with the spells but just wanting to reiterate the point.

"No." Tara confirmed reaching for the small paintbrushes she had ready.

"We're ready." Willow looked up at the Slayers.

"Great, what do we need to do?' Buffy questioned walking over.

"Just say your lines on the cards." Tara handed both Slayers' small index cards. "My line is in blue, because of my eyes, Willow's in green, and yours in red."

"We say it together?" Buffy questioned looking at the card.

"You and Faith yes." Tara nodded smiling softly.

"And the tats?" Faith looked at the goop in the bowl.

"Are painted while we recite the words." Tara explained.

"Okay, lets hit it." Faith nodded and then waited impatiently for the few seconds it took for Tara to start her portion of the spell.

Part 25

When the tattoo ceremony was over Buffy came downstairs to find an organized chaos. Giles was handing out the remainder of the imbued stakes, obviously having already armed Faith's small group.

"Are we ready?" She questioned when she saw Sandra testing the weight of a small axe near to Giles' shoulder.

"Yes, Tara's spell was very easy to follow." Giles nodded and tucked one of the stakes in his belt. "Were you successful?"

"Not bad for an amateur." Faith hopped down after the blonde and held up her forearm to show the large black crossed daggers that were glowing on her skin. She immediately moved over to her group, taking the heavy broadsword that Kennedy had picked away from her. She exchanged it with a crossbow and another smaller sword that she urged the SIT to strap to her side.

"Zoë and I are ready too." Piper moved out of the kitchen zipping up her leather jacket.

"You have everything you need?" Buffy turned to her having to quell her initial desire to reach up and touch a stray hair around Piper's ear.

"Yeah, I swung the bike around into the neighbors driveway behind us so that her and I can get a secret start. Just in case we get company by the time we're leaving." She motioned back. "Nice tattoo." She looked at the large double bladed axe that was glowing on Buffy's forearm.

"I don't think I want it permanent." Buffy smiled softly and shook her head.

"I think you're beautiful without it." The tall Slayer nodded. "So you need anything else?"

"Just for this to be over and for us to have won." Buffy admitted. "Piper I…" She hesitated glancing at the hustle and bustle around them.

"Don't worry, you can tell me after we kick this bastard's ass." Piper winked at her seeing that Giles and Sandra were ready. "My crew is ready to go, should we get a lead on everyone?"

"Faith are you ready?" Buffy looked over and got a thumb up from the dark Slayer. "I just need Willow and Tara." She glanced to the stairs.

Willow watched from her seat on the edge of the bed as Tara did up the buttons on the front of the three-quarter, red leather military jacket she was wearing. She pulled at the short but thick navy cotton jacket one she was wearing and took a deep breath.

"You should get shoes on honey." Tara looked at her lover's socked feet and smiled. "Let me get your cute boots." She moved over to the closet.

"My mind is a clutter." Willow looked down at her blue and red striped socks.

"It's going to be fine, we just need to focus." She moved back over with the small leather boots and bent down to slip them onto her lover's feet but then stopped. "I can't put them on, the spell." She frowned.

"I know, I can do them up." The redhead smiled at sentiment. "You can take them off later when we've won."

"Lots of celebrating." Tara found she was able to smile as well as she stood up again. "Can you go check everyone is ready, I just want to tie my hair up." She waited until the redhead had finished with her boots.

"I'd offer to braid it." Willow offered moving to the door. "I love you."

"I know, I love you too." Tara whispered watching until Willow was gone before she opened the drawer. She pulled out the small box from the back and opened it with a frown. The dark metallic binding bracelets looked completely harmless, the slim link of chain between them looking like even she could snap it off with brute force. She knew of course that they were far from fragile or weak, she knew that the bracelets could do something totally unthinkable but poised here on the brink of the biggest battle she had ever faced, she couldn't leave them behind.

She tried to appease the shame and betrayal inside her by reminding herself that she needed them just as much for her as she did for Willow. After all with all the new power she had sparked inside her there was a chance that she was going to be the one who crossed a threshold.

She had laid awake more than a few hours trying to consolidate within herself what she would do if the First made a direct attack on Willow again, tried to burrow in and corrupt her lover's magic. She knew that the rest of the Scoobies, in fact the very world needed her to stay strong and focused but she couldn't lie to herself. With Willow in danger she wasn't sure if she could keep her solid level headed magic self intact and not rely on reaction and panic.

Tara's thoughts were still very heavy and with her back to the door she didn't hear Buffy as she came around the bed.

"I don't think we have to worry too much about accessories." The Slayer tried to be humorous but only managed to make the blonde witch jump. "Sorry… I came to get you." She pointed to the door.

"I'm s-s-sorry." Tara heard her voice faltering and tried to calm herself. "I was just…" She looked down to the binders and then up at Buffy. "I need to give you these." She held them out to the Slayer and then placed them on the bed knowing they couldn't touch.

"Oh…" Buffy looked at them. "Great."

"No, you don't understand they're not jewelry, there in case." Tara wound her arms around herself and then purposely forced her body into a more assured and confident stance.

"In case of what? We make the First have form and it forgets to accessorize?" Buffy tried again, she didn't like the tone of Tara's voice at all and right now the last thing she needed was anyone who she considered to be stable to start wigging out on her.

"Buffy, they are magical binders." Tara tried to explain quickly. "In case… you know how much magic we're going to be using… if you think either Willow or…" She didn't get to finish.

"Willow won't go black eyed crazy again Tara, she only did that because she thought you were dead." Buffy stuck up for the redhead, though she wasn't sure if it was because she believed her words or because she couldn't face them not being true.

"It might not be Willow you need to use them on, it could be me." Tara conceded.

"So you're telling me that if you or Willow gets out of hand with the mojo then I have to wrestle you into these and then we can talk you back down." Buffy reached down and picked them up disdainfully.

"Basically yes." Tara nodded and turned away looking out the window.

"Great, though after this I have to question why Giles didn't come with a pair of these the last time?" Buffy thought back to the mayhem in the Magic Box with a frown.

"Probably because he hoped there was a way to save Willow." Tara turned back not able to have Buffy think badly for the Watcher's choice of tactics.

"What aren't you telling me?" The Slayer questioned bluntly looking at the object in her hand again.

"When they are put on a magic user the binders are activated and they burn into the caster's wrists, their magic is then bound for all eternity." Tara whispered the words holding Buffy's hazel eyes.

"For eternity, as in you mean even after death don't you?" Buffy felt a small shiver go up her arm.

"Their essence can never again possess or use magic." The blonde nodded sadly.

"We don't need them." Buffy shook her head and moved to put them down on the dresser. "Neither you or Willow are going to lose it out there, you're going to be fine."

"Buffy!" Tara felt her voice come out sharply. "Put them in your pocket." She didn't know why she dared but she made the order in the same tone. She was ready when angry hazel eyes turned to glare at her as the Slayer's small hand closed around the metal rings. "Put them in your pocket and pray you don't have to use them." Her words dropped to an icy tone.

"When this is over I'm destroying them." Buffy huffed as she stuffed them into her pocket and moved to the door. "We need to go, everyone is waiting on us."

Zoë breathed in deeply as she held on tight to her girlfriend for one last moment before pulling back. She picked up the shotgun from the table and slung it over her shoulder so that it was strapped to sit across her back.

"You promise to stay here." She reached up cupping her hand around Beth's cheek rubbing her thumb over the single stray tear that was slipping down the woman's pale skin.

"Only if you promise to come back." Beth warned her voice soft but strong.

"I promise." Zoë took her tear-dampened thumb and made a cross over her heart. She took a step backwards onto the porch out of the doorway and into the dreary light from the lanterns still strung on the house from their backyard party. "Let's go." She turned to Piper who was waiting with the staff.

The tall Slayer's farewell with Buffy had been much more muted. The fact they couldn't touch each other had made it a little easier, gave her just one more thing to fight for. Hell be damned she was going to kiss Buffy Summer's again.

"You got the safety on that thing right." Piper smirked as they walked down to the back tree line.

"Cocked, locked but safe." Zoë kept her stare forward not being able to bring herself to look back until the very last moment. She wasn't surprised that the back door was already closed and there was no sign of her girlfriend, Beth had never been good at partings.

"You sure you need that?" Owl held up the cut back section of the neighbor's fence to let the Canadian pass through first.

"Worse comes to worse, I'm going to give the bitch a body and then start popping holes in it. That's if you Slayers don't hold up your end of our bargain." She winked as they came into the streetlight on the other side.

"Don't worry, you give her a body and us Slayers will do our part." Owl grinned as she settled the staff into the makeshift holder she had made at the back of the bike and then slung her leg over.

"Guess you're not going to entertain letting me drive eh?" Zoë got on behind her tucking the shotgun into a good place before she wound her arms lightly around Owl's body. She gave a slight wave to Giles and Sandra who were waiting in the small Jeep for them at the end of the street with the lights off.

"Not a chance Maple Leaf." Owl kicked the bike to life and revving it a little took off down the street.

Dawn came out onto the front lawn watching as Buffy helped Tara load the box of spell ingredients into the back of the bus. As her sister's group was the largest they had opted to use the transportation Sandra had originally found to bring the last load of SIT's into town.

"Buffy…" She stepped forward a bit when she saw her sister motion for everyone to get inside quickly.

"Get inside Dawn, take everyone to the basement like we said and…" Buffy knew her voice didn't hold the hardness it should when giving the important instructions.

"Don't!" Dawn cut her off. "I know what I have to do, just don't you dare die on me again." She growled the words angry more at herself for how overwhelmed she was feeling when she had wanted to be in control and calm.

Buffy wanted to say so many thing but she could tell that the fragile veneer Dawn was keeping around herself was liable to crumble if she did.

"And let you pick through my clothing, I don't think so." Buffy teased holding her sister's eyes.

"I don't want your ugly clothes." Dawn felt her body relax a little. "Get on the bus, you're holding up everyone."

Buffy smiled and pushed up, holding onto the bar as Spike put the bus into gear, making it sway slightly before it started to lumber down the road. Dawn felt somewhat absurd waving, but the faces of Willow and Tara in the front windows made her feel compelled to.

"Don't worry D, she'll be a pain in your ass again in a few hours." Faith came out of the house sliding the long bow she carried over her shoulder.

"I expect both of you back in less than a few hours." Dawn held her arms around her body to make sure she didn't touch the dark Slayer. Tara had given her the soft warning just in case what she was going to do would somehow interfere with the bigger spell.

"Yeah, and whatever you and Blondie got cooked up." Faith moved close to her but didn't breech the gap between them, her voice slipping down to a whisper. "If I find out it hurts you then Red better get her shit kicking magic on 'cause I'm going to tear a chunk out of Tara's ass."

"It won't hurt me." Dawn shook her head. "It's just a barrier spell, to keep us safe." She looked back to the house. "I want to kiss you." She whispered biting her lip.

"Me too, but I got this thing to do baby." Faith pulled back as the other SIT's streamed by heading down the lawn looking like a small army. "As soon as I'm done though." She gave the brunette a stunning smile. "We've got a date." She twirled her sword.

"Don't get all bruised, I want to get photos from the booth at the mall." Dawn didn't know how on earth she could smile but the confidence that Faith oozed made it easy somehow.

"Get in the house then and do your thing Dizzy." Faith urged waiting until Dawn was safely inside before she took a breath and started to lead her group down the street.

Zoë frowned as Owl kicked open another door only to find a janitor's closet.

"You know in all our planning you think one of us would have wondered just how the hell are we getting on the roof?" She laughed tensely as they continued down the hall. "Beth always says it's the little things."

Before Owl could answer, Sandra's came running down from the other hall.

"I've found the service stairs to the roof, this way." She urged them shifting the axe she carried. "Rupert, come on." She barked at him when he moved too slowly to pick up the heavy bag they had left at the crossroads of the halls while they explored.

"I think the bus is here." Owl listened close and heard the distinct whine of the badly tuned diesel. "Let me come and lock the latch behind you."

"What if we can't find them?" Kennedy questioned checking the tension on her crossbow as the came to the end of one street and began to cross against the useless streetlights to enter onto the main road.

"I don't think we have to worry about that." Faith looked up to see a half dozen hunched figures prowling down the road and moved to fling the long bow from her shoulder to a ready position.

"Oh my God, there's so many of them!" Jo squeaked holding up her sword with suddenly sweaty hands.

"This is just round one, remember cut them down but when I give the word we lead them down the roads I showed you." Faith put one of the specialty arrows Giles had prepared out of the quiver on her side and up against the line.

"Unless we can kill them all, which is bound to get the First's attention." Kennedy leveled her crossbow also ready.

"We won't be able to kill them all, but take as many as you can." Faith turned hearing another growl as an Uber jumped down from the building at their left. She caught it with the arrow in mid air so that it's body turned to dust before it could land.

The school as everyone had expected was deserted, the gates to the back sports field only took one strike to the rusty lock and Buffy was able to swing them open. Spike geared down the bus as it moved slowly across the dirt and gravel, before pulling it to a stop in the middle of the baseball diamond.

"Time for school girls, let's not be late or the headmistress will be cross." He stood up looking back at all the scared faces in the small seats.

"You're not helping." Buffy growled at him and stared until he moved out of the way so that everyone could file out.

"We should get set up." Willow looked at Tara who nodded her agreement. Buffy moved to unload their box of supplies immediately.

"Go with the witches, I'll get the baby Slayers into position." Spike urged her as he began pointing out places for them to hide in the relatively open but shadowed area. "I'll move the bus over too to block the space in the buildings." He pointed out the large area to their back where it would be easy for anything to stroll up on them.

"Thank you." Buffy looked at him seeing how he was trying to be helpful.

"Yeah, we're all going to bloody die anyway." Spike grumbled and turned away throwing away his cigarette as he got back in and the bus pulled away. "Might as well make it a fight to remember."

Zoë crouched by the edge of the roof looking out into the darkness. She could see vague shadows scurrying from place to place and it gave her some comfort that everyone else had seemed to have arrived safely.

She squinted over in the direction of the open atrium in the science building and was even more comforted by the small pinpoints of candle light that flickered to life marking that Willow and Tara were setting up for their spell.

"You should get yourself ready, Rupert and I will keep watch." Sandra came up beside her and put a soft hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah." Zoë nodded and moved back to start unpacking her supplies.

She unrolled the square thick carpet over the hard tar gravel surface of the roof and sat down in the middle of it cross legged, fidgeting her position for a few moments. She reached underneath it at one point pulling out a stone and throwing it away as it had been poking her in the leg. Consciously she changed her breathing to an even in and out pace as she looked out into the dark sky. From her lower position she couldn't see any of the activity on the field and she hoped it would help her focus.

She pulled out two small metal incense burners, filling them with a small amount of power and then lighting them with the Zippo Flick had lent her. She placed them out in front of her, playing with there position and rotation before she finally just resolved herself that the wind up on the roof was too erratic to control the smoke trails. Finally she took the melded crystal from the original spell and placed it between the two small trails of smoke on a metal pedestal.

Trying to calm her nerves as she settled, she reaching into her pocket and popped the half piece of bubble gum she had left there into her mouth, chewing as she breathed in and out more slowly through her nose and tried to settle her body into a relaxed position.

Buffy pushed the heavy potted tree back out of the way, effectively giving the two witches an unimpeded view through the atrium walls into the darkness across the football and baseball field.

"Anything else?" She turned watching as Tara finished with the last candle and Willow finished making the two small makeshift altars with fabric, stones and bowls.

"Owl and Faith." Tara admitted smiling at the pretty way Willow had arranged everything. "And to be in eyeshot of the staff."

"Two of the three here." Owl came in through the back door and paused long enough to brace the doors closed with the fire extinguisher from nearby. "Zoë and the Watchers are tucked up on the roof."

"Did you have any trouble?" Buffy questioned immediately glancing over Owl to confirm that there was no sign of trouble on her lover before she looked back out in the dark.

"Didn't see anything out of the ordinary." Owl moved to the front. "Where do you need this?" She twirled the staff a little anxious.

"You can keep it to fight, just make sure you're where we can see you." Willow explained. "We don't physically need the staff, just the ideal essence of it which we can conjure from seeing it. Oh but remember you can't touch any of the three of them together or poof."

"Poof?" Buffy turned looking at her best friend.

"I think what Willow means is that if they touch they will merge making two become one, or three become one again." Tara tried to do a better job of explaining.

"We don't have time to have a quick staff fight off so no worries." Owl assured everyone. "Do you need me in here when you do the mojo?"

"No, we just need Faith and Buffy close enough to pick up their shades of it." Tara confirmed.

"Last minute addition to the plan, I'll see you out there." Owl looked at Buffy for a long moment and then pushed into the night, running with lightening speed across the field.

"Did Faith give you any idea how long it would take her? It would be nice if we can have things started, right baby?" Willow looked between her lover and the Slayer.

"We'll know when Faith is close." Buffy assured them looking back out the window. "Anyone in a fifty mile radius will know."

Kennedy shot off the last of the imbued crossbow bolts she was carrying, cursing when a Bringer was thrown into its path before it could cut into the Uber she was aiming at.

"We're not going to make it, they're surrounding us." She barked at Faith as she threw the crossbow at the still charging Uber and pulled out the imbued stake in her pocket gripping it tightly.

"Fall back to the red mark." Faith screamed at everyone swinging her sword to decapitate a Bringer.

Kennedy barely heard Faith's order as she found herself pinned against a car in the middle of the road as she tried to scramble away from the Uber long enough to get a shot with her stake.

"Kenny, get out of here and blow it." Faith charged over the trunk of the car, hitting the Uber in the head with a solid kick to spin it away.

Kennedy pushed up, scrambling to grab her fallen sword as she skirted headlong down to where the others were retreating as for the moment the Ubers concentrated on surrounding Faith.

"They're going to turn on us." Stacey flicked the box open that was stashed by the mailbox and pulled out the flare gun. "We have too…"

"We're not blowing Faith up, give her a few seconds." Kennedy pulled the plastic gun away loading in the flare as she watched Faith fighting. 'Come on, just put a little distance.'

Sensing the hesitation Faith back flipped over the car and began running, her legs pumping so hard she was sure that her boots were leaving marks in the pavement.

"Blow it!" She screamed seeing Kennedy level the flare gun.

Jerking her finger down on the trigger, the SIT sent the fiery projectile into the open door of a parked car near to the one blocking the road. As the sparks hit the gasoline drenched inside and it erupted with a loud booming explosion, the vehicle rearing up and tipping over into the one in front, the flames almost instantly causing the same thing to happen to the second.

Quickly she bent down loading another flare, which she aimed over Faith's head, it thumped off the side of the car before it rolled under it and another explosion erupted sending the nearby Ubers into flames.

"Holy shit it worked." Faith pushed up from where she had been thrown to the pavement and looked back at the chaos and rolls of thick black smoke, she put her hands up instinctually as another of the rigged cars exploded. "Jo, when you said you had an inner pyromaniac you weren't kidding." She slapped the SIT on the back, who was stood grinning at her handiwork. "Come on, that won't keep them busy for long." She urged everyone to start running towards the school.

Zoë was shocked out of her slightly relaxed meditation when the sky a few blocks down to the south of them erupted in fireballs and smoke.

"I'm going to assume that is Faith's surprise." Giles put up his binoculars finding that in the low levels of light they were almost useless.

"Means things are going to start very soon, prepare yourself." Sandra turned back to her. "You might want to get rid of the gum."

"Oh right." Zoë smiled and turning without thinking she just spit it out letting it land a few feet away on the gravel in a purple lump.

The Summers' house was as quiet from the outside as any other in Sunnydale, the lone figure standing on the front step one of the major difference between it and the others on the deserted street. Without the dozens of women training and fighting within the house it was almost picturesque, that would be if any artist could explain the large dome that had appeared around the property.

Anya walked up close to the shimmering gray slightly opaque barrier and smiled. She turned back almost giddily and walked confidently through the front door.

"Well we're fine, anyone want to play Scrabble?" She asked enthusiastically.

"I'm not sure this is a good time for Scrabble An." Xander gripped the sword he had looking out the dining room window. "We could still be attacked."

"Duh, big barrier spell." Anya shook her head. "Nothing could get through that, except maybe Willow on a magic high but if that happens we know we won't have to worry about the First anymore."

"Dawn, are you okay?" He looked back to where the brunette was sitting at the dining room table.

"Great, never better." She blinked a little glossy eyed as she reached up to snuff the candle now that the spell was finished. "Does anyone mind if I lie down?"

The question was barely out of her mouth before she started to tumble sideways. Bethany was close enough to catch her and with Xander's help managed to ease her over to the couch.

"Anya, tell me this is normal?" He questioned the ex-demon.

"Oh stop worrying, it's totally normal. She's put all her energy in to charge the shield, young energetic virgin like her means we should have a good four to six hours of charge. The world will either be saved or over by then." Anya carried a blanket over. "It's why we should play Scrabble, to fill in the time."

Buffy had easily heard the explosions and even felt the slight shake in the ground, though she doubted the others had sensed the motion.

"You should get started, she'll be here in about a minute and a half." She looked back at the witches.

"Right, are you ready?" Willow looked across at Tara taking a deep breath.

"I am." Tara nodded slightly she glanced at Buffy. "Are you ready Buffy?" She asked almost pointedly.

"Yes." Buffy looked back at her holding blue eyes in the dim light.

"We can do this." Tara smiled slightly and then looked at her lover.

"Oh course we can, piece of cake." Willow nodded and knelt down in front of her small altar moving to uncover her half of the arrow.

Tara did the same, her hand trembling slightly as she revealed the slender shaft.

"Since you're here already Buffy I can start and then Tara can join when Faith arrives." Willow explained softly putting her hands up in front of her. "Oh wait... where's Owl?" She looked out into the dark field.

The answer came just moments latter, when after a few flickers, bright floodlights illuminated the playing area. As the lights came on, Owl emerged from the gym building twirling the staff.

"Okay so now we're really ready." Willow stared at the staff and took a deep breath as she pushed up to stand. "Powers of creation, blessing onto me, to bring to creation that I wish to be." Slowly the half arrow in front of Willow began to rise up. "Creation is precious, my blessing unique, make strong now my weapons, my enemies weak."

Almost on cue to Buffy's prediction Faith came running onto the scene with the rest of her group, they were followed by what seemed like unless hordes of Ubers and Bringers.

"Get the party started!" Faith screamed as she turned throwing a dagger into a Bringer's chest as it swiped at a slower running SIT.

Tara glanced up grateful to both hear and see Faith running towards them. She focused first on the twirling staff in Owl's hands and then on the slim arrow shaft on the altar in front of her. Beginning the same chant that her lover had moments before, Tara's voice was soft and confident, her hands moving in gentle controlled movements extending out to her sides and then back to the center of her body.

Willow's arms made the same movement as the air around the arrow started to swirl with a red mist, the form of the arrow soon hidden as the mist began to lengthen out.

"Between heaven and earth, this magic I do, so now let the staff once one become two." Willow finished her spell as her hands came together in front of her, she interlocked her fingers around the middle grip and the mist solidified showing the shade of the staff floating in her grasp.

"Pretty." Faith called. "Can Buffy grab it yet, because our girls are running out of sakes."

"Tara has to finish yours." Willow shook her head holding it aloft and her hands together.

The blonde witch was softly moving her hands along the blue mist rising around the floating arrow.

"Under Artemis eye, ever blessed be she, what was once one, then two, with my power become three." Closing long fingers around the now solidifying bluish copy of the staff, Tara blinked her eyes slowly.

"Take them." Willow instructed looking at the two Slayers.

"Thanks." Buffy snatched hers and took off across the field, she flicked the axe blades out and sliced through two Bringers and an Uber.

"Time to kick ass." Faith grinned and pulled hers lightly from Tara's grip, surprised at the soft tug that seemed to separate the witch and the very real staff, leaving a shimmering transparent image of it still in her hands, just like Willow had after Buffy had taken hers.

"You okay baby?" Willow turned to her lover trying not to show the strain on her face.

"Yes." Tara also tried bravely to mask the effort she felt. "It worked." She let a smile play on her lips. "We did it."

"We did." Willow smiled back. "Hopefully it's this easy for Zoë."

Zoë tried to focus even though she could hear everything happening below them. The sound of SIT's screaming, the hiss of Ubers and the clash of weapons didn't make her task at all easy. Even the agitated way that Giles and Sandra paced along the roof edge made her realize more and more that this was the moment.

"Is the First here yet?" She asked reaching out to cup her hands in the incense and bringing the smoke back lightly to cleanse her face as she closed her eyes.

"I don't thin..." Sandra shook her head but stopped as she turned to look back at Zoë and saw a silent apparition standing in front of the Canadian.

"I don't actually have to, you know, wait around to move like you." Appearing more or less directly in front of Zoë, The First held Holly's form and glanced down at the concoction of spell ingredients.

"Where once was the shadows, where once was the void..." The Canadian's eyes were wide as she appraised the figure so close to her, her voice tight and panicked.

"Oh decided you're a witch have you Zoë?" The First's voice was filled with mirth.

"Where once there was nothing, where once there was lack..." Zoë tried to focus on the words of the spell and not on the First in front of her. It couldn't hurt her until it had form, and she had to get it form.

"What do you hope to do little girl?" The First sneered. "Your friends are going to die, your girlfriend too." It pointed out. "I know you left her behind, unprotected."

"With the power inside me..." Zoë looked up at the First, her shaky words stalling. "This isn't fucking working!" She spat out glancing over to where Giles and Sandra were standing ready to attack.

It smiled more as the Canadian stalled and lost her thin grip on meditational calm.

"What you think locking her in a cellar with a teenager and some injured little girls would keep her safe?" It continued mercilessly.

"You want a fucking fight?" Zoë pushed up and manhandled off her coat, her breath coming hard and fast. "You want to take me on you son of a ten cent whore demon." She flung the jacket through the First's form watching it shimmer but settle back unharmed as it flew a few feet further and dropped to the tar roof. "Then bring it on." She snarled reaching down and picking up the melded crystal. "Where once was the shadows, where once was the void..." She stared into the apparition's face her voice shaking with rage. "Where once there was nothing, where once there was lack..."

"Didn't you learn anything at witchy school little girl, you can't cast when you're imbalanced." The First laughed at her. "You need control, calm." It raised its hands in a mock meditational pose. "You have neither."

Zoë reached up and for some reason clawed her blunt fingernails into the burning she felt in the scars at her collarbone, her hand came back coated in blood as the wounds were now open and free flowing.

"With the power inside me..." Zoë's chant took on an almost maniacal tone as she looked at the blood. "Born out of fire, the spite of my heritage hereby inspires, I need not the calmness, the ocean my guide, my blood it was born from the wind ravaged tides..." She stuck the crystal out impaling it through to the center of the First's ghostly form. In response the apparition's clarity began to shift and wave.

A quizzical frown creased the First's brow as it looked down at the crystal being stuck into its torso.

"Bow now to my wishes, bend now to my call, break down this illusion, my fist through your walls..." She pulled her hand back but the crystal remained suspended inside Holly's body.

"What are you doing child?" The First's voice deepened slightly as the pull of Zoë's hand made her form buckle and bend more around the misshapen crystal.

"My body your vessel, my blood now your own, I bring you to being, my mortality loan..." Zoë flicked her bloody hand at the First, sending droplets of the red liquid slowly floating through the air. "Come dance with us humans, come dare to survive, because I make you cursed vessel, so that the First now can die." The thick droplets finally reached where the First stood but instead of passing through they splattered onto solid peach skin as the crystal erupted with a glowing light to fill out and create a body in Holly's shape.

"What.... I...." The First looked down at the pale hand that it reached towards the Canadian as if suddenly seeing and feeling something for the first time. "What have you done?" It asked as the hand turned slowly before pulling back towards its torso to rub fingertips over the warm blood that has splattered onto its face.

"I gave you a body, you dumb bitch!" Zoë cursed at it.

"And I thought you were on their side." The First laughed openly and longer as she felt the feeling of the reverberation in her chest. "Oh Zoë, Zoë, Zoë, maybe I should have come to you a long time ago."

"I gave you a body so they..." Zoë pointed out to where the Slayers were down below. "Can kill you." She smiled at her creation.

"You foolish girl." She shook her head and laughed again as turned and looked down at the playing field now swarming with potentials, Bringers and the odd Uber that dared to come out of the shadows. "It will take more than children with sticks to kill me."

Zoë was going to say something when from behind her an Uber leapt up onto the building snarling before it started to charge at her.

"Desist." The First pushed its hand out towards the vampire that obediently skidded to a stop. The First, now contained in Holly's form turned and looked at Zoë. "I think that you might be the key to this." She ran a hand down the side of her body. "And I don't want to risk losing this just yet." Chanting under her breath the First blinked slowly and three others joined the Uber. "Guard her." She pointed at Zoë. "Kill them." It added motioning to Giles and Sandra. "I'm going to have some fun." With a graceful and elaborate back flip, the First jumped the large distance straight down to the sports field and sprinted away.

"Rupert." Sandra squeaked raising up her axe.

"Don't worry." Zoë reached down beside the carpet pulling up the shotgun, she pumped two rounds into one of the Ubers and then turned firing at the door to blow the lock off so that it swung open. "If she wants me protected they have to follow me." She looked at the three creatures. "Don't you uglies?" She started to move towards the door.

Snarling and hissing the super vampires followed the witch.

"We have to let the slayers know it has form." Sandra looked at Giles leaning back against the ledge for a moment of stability.

"Are you sure, I could possibly make this area safe, you could stay here, I could find Buffy and the others?" Giles offered instantly.

"No time." Sandra started running towards the door hoping they'd given Zoë enough time to lead her sitters away.

"Kennedy fall back, get the injured out of here." Faith cut through another two Bringers casting glances over her shoulder at the determined potential.

"I'm not falling back." Kennedy growled and swung clothlining another one. "Jo's hurt, she can still walk. Jo get everyone hurt back to the bus." She side kicked another one.

"They'll need someone skilled to watch over them." Faith growled kicking an Uber back into the shadows at the side of the field.

"I'm getting them on the bus and then I'm coming back.' Kennedy finally killed the Bringer she was fighting with. "Come on." She picked up Chia helping her move towards the bus at the back as Jo helped Stacey.

Faith gave her a nod of approval and then squeezed her staff, with a flourish she quartered the Uber that began lumbering after the injured SITs.

"B, we must have killed at least fifteen of those super vamps, surely it must be running out of the big troops." She called to Buffy sprinting across the field.

"What the hell is Zoë doing?" Buffy cut the blades through the Bringer she was fighting with quickly and looked up to the top of the school seeing no movement.

"No clue." Faith admitted taking a quick moment to wipe the sweat and blood off her hands.

"Who the hell is that?" Owl called for their attention as she pointed out across the field to the figure of a woman standing on the edge of the grass looking around almost a little amused.

Buffy looked up to where her lover directed seeing the tall, slim woman.

"Does anyone recognize her?" Buffy questioned snapping out the shield blades.

"Think its possible that the only person left in Sunnydale is a young woman wondering across the ball field?" Faith moved forward coming parallel to Buffy.

"What's your vote Piper?" Buffy looked as her lover came to parallel to her other shoulder.

"We need to think about this." Owl slowed down. "If the First is here and if Zoë has done the spell, that could be the First," The newest Slayer hissed. "And if it is, we need to keep an element of surprise."

"I'm voting we assume she's the First." Buffy swirled around cutting down a Bringer than charged from behind.

"I'm voting split up." Faith offered glancing towards the dark shadows that boxed the field where the spotlights couldn't reach.

"We have to keep her away from Willow and Tara." Buffy hissed under her breath and was glad to see Faith spread off in that vague direction. "Piper." She turned to the taller Slayer glancing around. "Something isn't right."

"What do you mean?" Owl frowned.

"The attacks, the way they are rounding us up." Buffy looked around in the shadows. "It knows what we're doing."

"It can't." Piper shook her head. "The SITs didn't know details." She pointed out "And the shield kept it out."

"But if Zoë has done the spell, then it knows." Buffy turned suddenly and stared at the other woman still on the edge of the grass fully expecting the stare she was getting back.

"But Zoë doesn't know that the spell has worked." Piper pointed up at the roof. "We've got no signal."

"Something gone wrong up there or Giles would have signaled us." Buffy looked at the roof again. "We can't assume she didn't finish the spell."

"Am I interrupting a chat?" The First asked as she walked towards the pair.

"We were just wondering if you're a screamer or a squealer." Buffy looked at the First.

"Well I'm wondering what you mean by that then." The First looked a little confused.

"When we kill you, are you going to scream or squeal?" Buffy spelled it out.

"I love your sense of humor Slayer." The First shook her head. "Though believe me I would love to try out your type of screaming." Her smile turned into a lecherous one as she flicked her eyes to Piper. "Or is that only a skill she possesses?"

"She thinks she's going to live long enough." Buffy glanced at Piper and smiled.

"Oh wait am I supposed to be scared?" The First put her hand to her chest. "Of you and your little disposable lover."

"If you really knew what it was like to be alive you would be." Buffy shifted the staff in her hands.

"Well forgive me, but having a body is kinda new." She ran her hand over her shoulders and then watched Buffy's grip change on the staff.

'Zoë did it!' was all that Buffy could think as the First made the admission.

"You might have a mystical staff little slayer and giving your girlfriend a bit of wood that looks like it is a clever idea." She looked again at Piper. "But you don't think that I'm going to let you so much as scratch my gorgeous body do you?"

"We don't plan on scratching it." Piper shook her head.

"You know I don't know what you were thinking when you decided to give me this gift, but I bet you didn't do all your sums." The First shook her head and pushed herself into a sprint. Before either Slayer could move the First had run around behind Piper and locked her arm securely around the newest Slayer's neck. "Should I try out that exquisite experience of taking a life?" She winked at Buffy, tightening her grip on Owl's windpipe.

Piper gasped for air as the quick movement caught her without a defensive response, as her head swam due to lack of oxygen she felt the staff falling out of her hand.

"You don't want her to be your first kill." Buffy tried to keep her words even. "I'm the one you've been baiting, I'm the true warrior."

"Giving me a body hasn't made me stupid Slayer." She pressed on Piper's neck again. "I can feel her blood pumping through her body faster, her heart working harder as I squeeze." The First's eyes gleamed. "Didn't know I brought all my powers with me into this mortal coil did you Slayer? I can feel the sweat seeping out of the pores on her neck, on her throat."

"There are a few things you don't know either." Buffy stayed still feeling the movement in the shadow behind the First.

"Oh do you mean her?" The First motioned with her free hand over her shoulder towards Faith in the darkness. "Oh know I know about her." She shook her head. "What I can't work out is why she's not just hitting me or kicking me." She admitted with a slightly confused frown. "I mean I am choking the life out of the true slayer." She pressed tighter still making Piper's eyes roll up a little towards the back of her head.

"Let her go." Zoë's voiced screamed angrily as she stepped out towards them from the building, the trio of Ubers still lumbering around her. "Let her go or I'll injure us." She pointed the shotgun at her thigh.

"Oh here she is, my creator, my most beloved." The First turned her eyes to Zoë. "Do you want her creator, I can take her life, a sacrifice for you?" She laughed again. "Isn't that what you humans do, perform sacrifices in honor?"

"Let her go." Zoë warned again.

"I'm disappointed creator. Think of her pretty little head on a nice block of wood on the wall." With her free hand she grabbed Owl by the hair and pulled her head up for Zoë to see.

"Let her go, or you'll be one leg less a woman." Zoë squeezed a little harder on the trigger.

"You're bluffing." The First shook her head "You wouldn't hurt yourself." She reasoned. "Humans wouldn't survive the shock."

"I won't survive and you'll return to a pitiful puff of cloud." Zoë cursed. "Insane and forever longing for only what I could give you."

"Oh don't flatter yourself little girl." The First scoffed. "If you can do it I can find someone else who will."

"I will flatter myself because you, in your infinite knowledge, didn't know I or anyone could do this." Zoë laughed back. "So how do you think you can find another just like that?"

"Well now let me think." The First eyes closed momentarily and then suddenly she dropped Piper, her eyes flicking up and around. "Oh now you didn't tell me we had more friends to tea creator." She tutted again and then set off at an impossible fast pace towards Willow and Tara's hiding place.

"Go, finish her." Zoë screamed at the Slayers.

"That's our key B." Faith pushed into a fast sprint after her.

"What?" Buffy moved over to help Piper up.

"Don't touch her." Faith reminded. "And come on, she's heading for the witches and if she gets to them." She didn't bother finishing her sentence as she started running.

Buffy was forced to still herself before she did just that without thinking.

"I'll get her up." Zoë moved over with her Ubers in tow. "GO!" She screamed at Buffy who finally broke into a run.

Willow took another breath feeling her arms shaking a little. They had been struggling now to keep the staff magic up for along time, and she knew that they couldn't even consider things to be finished as they could still see Ubers and Bringers.

"Tara, who is that?" She questioned looking out at the blur that streaked towards them.

"I..." Tara's blue eyes flicked trying to focus on the fast moving blur. "I don't know I can't really see, moving too fast." She admitted her breathing a little staggered, sweat trickled down over her nose and back into her hair. Her hands and arms though were rock solid in comparison.

"What do we do?" Willow felt her voice squeak a bit.

"There's not much we can do." Tara admitted feeling her heart beat a little faster. "We can't lose our focus or shift our position. You think it's the First don't you?"

"I know it is." Willow steadied herself.

"Faith's following, Buffy too." Tara filled in getting more scared.

"We have to do something to help them." Willow glanced around.

"Maybe we can." Tara frowned slightly as the young woman who still had a good lead on the Slayers became more than clearly visible. "Goddess, its Holly." She breathed out in a shocked whisper.

"Who?" Willow narrowed her eyes trying to focus.

"The actress, the one that Beth left Zoë for, at least that's what Zoë thought." Tara explained quickly.

"Didn't Zoë say she was dead?" Willow questioned feeling time slip by.

"She is, it's the First… the spell must have worked." Tara felt tension and fear creep into her spine. "Zoë did it."

"We have to stop her." Willow opened her eyes fully again solidifying the streams of her magic.

"We can't hurt her, not if the spell's worked, we'd be hurting Zoë," Tara reminded.

"We have to do something." Willow questioned. "I won't let it hurt you."

"The staff will hold its form for a while, if for some reason I stop casting, as long as the arrow isn't damaged." Tara pointed out.

"No, it has to be me. The First will get too busy trying to turn me." Willow turned to look at her lover. "Giving the Slayers time."

"Willow, listen to me." Tara shook her head. "The First knows you. It's felt your power, we can't let it touch you again." She pointed out clearly. "I'm not suggesting self sacrifice here." She shook her head. "I have another idea."

"I'll maintain both staffs, go do it." Willow let out a hard breathed.

"I love you Willow." Tara solidified her devotion as she uncurled her fingers from the translucent staff. That it stayed in place made her breathe a soft sigh of momentary relief.

"I love you too." Willow nodded splitting one hand off to point at the other staff essence.

"Ready to see me do something you'll not have seen before?" Tara tried a smile.

"Always, then I can brag about how sexy my girl is later." Willow tried to smile back.

"I'll be back." Tara gave a wink and stepped away from the altar. "I don't pull that off as well as the terminator."

"You're much cuter." Willow managed a light laugh.

With a soft shimmer the blonde witch seemed to flicker a little and then, though she was still stood in her place near Willow, a projection of her appeared out on the grass a few hundred feet away.

"Tara, get back inside!" Buffy screamed when she saw the witch appear.

"Ah Tara." The First stopped as quickly as she had started her run. "One of the little witches."

The blonde remained oddly silent, her hands moving in a soft serious of actions all of which the First watched with apparent interest.

"Fascinating, You know I really should have killed you as well as creating your replacement." Still silent Tara finished her moves and a faint blue line etched itself across the grass.

"I'm not incorporeal anymore witch." Boldly the First stepped forward but her progress was instantly stumbled as the grass shot up with electric flares that pierced into her making her arms harden with the shock.

"Oh." She stepped back blinking for a moment as the tendrils of pain subsided for a moment. "Interesting." She reached her hand forward again past the line shaking for a bit from the shock. "So this is..." She stepped back looking at Tara's projection. "Pain is it?"

"Yeah that's pain." Faith reached the First before Buffy just as Tara's form shimmered away. "Like it?" She twirled her staff letting the blades flick out. "You and it could become close friends if you do." She snarled.

"Very close friends." Buffy circled around to her other side.

"Wait...." The First looked between the Slayers. "The staff... but... how?"

For the first time it looked unsure.

"And that would be fear." Faith smirked as she took a slight step forward.

"You found a way." The First growled.

"And that burning in what is your stomach is called anxiousness." Buffy teased.

"Oh you think you win this round? You forget I had your little caster protected by three of my vampires, they can switch from protecting to killing her in a heartbeat." The First flicked its hand in the air. "I can find a replacement."

"Come on girl, you can do this." Zoë pulled open Piper's coat more. She tried to help ease her breathing seeing the bruising around the Slayer's throat. "You can..." She yelped as her body shivered with the electricity as it hit the First across the field. "Fuck me, what was that?" She looked up to see the First put it hands against the barrier again. She whimpered as her whole body went taut.

"Zoë?" Piper's eyes blinked open hearing the whimper she struggled to fit the sluggish feeling in her body and to sit up

"The bitch is electrocuting us." Zoë fell back panting.

"Fuck." Piper pushed up "Hell what did I miss?" She turned briefly looking up the field. Moving swiftly Piper knelt beside Zoë, only to be growled at by the three Ubers

"Just don't make a move at me, the First has ordered them to protect me." Zoë tried to explain as she managed to get her muscles to relax again.

"Can I kill them?" Piper asked her hand tightening around the staff.

"Sure, go for it." Zoë nodded.

Smiling she stepped forward, extending the war staff she smacked the Uber either side of the grass in the same stroke. The middle one growled and jumped at her. She let them both fall holding the Uber back off her with the staff when her back hit the floor.

Taking a second to breath she strengthened her arms and then pushed it back off her. With a wide arching swing Piper speared one of the three with the end of the war staff, its form seeming to hang onto existence for a moment before crumbling to dust.

The other two however were not that easy, having watched the graceful arcs and swings the Slayer had made with the staff they now approached from two completely opposite sides. Owl knew she had to chose one of them to focus on.

The one to her left made the choice for her charging in with its arms sweeping to try to knock the staff away.

"No way ugly, I keep this." Piper tightened her grip and then spinning it so that the opposite end came around and collided with the back of the Uber's head. Just as she was about to finish it the creature hissed and swung around, its attention firmly focused on Zoë.

"Oh shit." Zoë scrambled backwards seeing the feral look its eyes.

"Let me guess, the First's worked out the plan." Piper followed her prey.

"I'm guessing." Zoë managed to level up the shotgun and snapped off the three remaining shots into it. The Uber only seemed fazed but not particularly bothered.

"Tell me that wasn't you last shot." She requested as she literally jumped on the back of the other Uber.

"I need time to reload." Zoë scrambled to try and get the shells out of her pocket dropping a few as the Uber appraised her helpless state.

"We so don't have time!" Piper frowned and focused on the pair. "Okay Zoë, duck." She called shifted her grip on the staff. The Canadian had enough sense to do as she was told, pulling down close to the ground. She pulled it back aiming carefully despite the fact that she was being thrown around by the Uber she was riding.

Throwing it like a javelin the staff flew through the air striking home with great accuracy as the Uber exploding in a shower of dust. The end of it embedded just a few inches away from Zoë's head in the ground.

"Cutting it close missy." Zoë pushed up when the dust lowered.

"Just get the staff." Piper called as she was thrown off the vampire and collided with the grass.

Zoë gripped it in both hands and pressed up. She gripped it at her hip and charged using every ounce of her strength to imbed it in the creature. The blunt wood pressed into the thick hide but seemed to only infuriate the beast.

"That didn't work." Zoë was pushed away by the animal's thrashing.

Owl scrambled up and grabbed the end of the staff near Zoë. Squeezing it the staff doubled inside, pushing the vampire further away and then with a swift flick and twist of her wrist she pulled the now sharpened end out of the Uber and then back into it dusting it with a satisfying whoosh.

"You have to get to the others and finish this." Zoë instructed the Slayer as the dust settled.

"You'd better come along." Piper encouraged. "We obviously need to protect you."

"I'm so popular." Zoë picked up her shotgun and started to run across the grass reloading it as they moved.

"You might be feeling the urge to shit your pants sometime soon, but you know, too bad." Faith smirked more. "No bathroom breaks."

"I think you have both overestimated my new mortality." The First watched them circling her.

"Really?" Buffy arched her eyebrow.

"This waiting game, how long do you think you're little witches can maintain this mirage?" She looked over at the atrium.

"Oh you'd be surprised at how resilient they are." Faith pointed out confidently.

"And how powerful." Buffy put in.

"This is how it should be though." The First stopped and smiled. "The Slayers and me, the last fight, a true battle. This is how I dreamed it would be."

"You dreamed about losing, wow," Faith heard a bark of laughter escape from her lips.

"Quite the contrary." The first laughed back. "I'm going to watch you cry dark one." She glared at Faith.

"Hey did someone call for another slayer?" Piper was a little out of breath as she ran up and stopped nearby, her lungs still burning after the near death experience.

"I was waiting for you." The First winked at Piper.

"Oh I bet." Piper glanced to check the other two Slayers were okay.

"Are we ready for this girls?" Buffy questioned flipping her staff to bring out the axe heads.

"I think so." Piper breathed in.

"You bet." Faith gave her staff a spin.

Zoë stopped a short distance away out of breath and panting as she dropped to one knee.

"Kill it." She hissed at them with as much volume as she could find, her eyes locking with Holly's.

"Oh listen to the witch." The First snapped at her. "They kill me, they kill you little girl."

"You think you're strong enough to drag me down with you?" Zoë cursed at her. "Give me a try. I don't think you know anything about Hanlon spite."

"You know I think you are being unfair, fighting a girl on her own, three of you, just one of poor little me." The First moved a little sideways.

"You're more than capable I'm sure." Buffy moved to block its path keeping it back.

"You are all making this an interesting initial few minutes of life." The First walked a few feet from the barrier and did a slow turn appraising them all.

Buffy waited until the figure had turned to face her, she knew that the lightening quick demon wasn't going to be taken by surprise so she went for a head on attack. She flicked the staff to its standard position, swinging it around in an arc.

As she tried to anticipate, the First moved to dodge away from the swing and she lashed out clothlining the almost invisible streak. The First's new form buckled a little around her arm and staggered back.

"Now, now, we learn too." Buffy swung the staff into a braced ready position.

Snarling the First stepped forward and began to throw hard fast punches at the blonde, Buffy expertly used the staff to block the first few before she missed a sweeping right that made her head snap as the hardened small fist jolted her chin.

"I learn too, all these years watching you pathetic mortals." The First spat at her, coming again with faster punches and kicks.

Buffy soon found herself moving between blows as they battered into her body, and she felt her vision flood with stars from another punch to the head. Working on instinct she flicked the staff, brining up the shield blades and with a growl she pushed it into First's body throwing her away and down to the grass. She didn't focus on any of the growing pain her body as she leapt forward. She spun the staff to bring it to true form before she spiked it into the First's back pinning her to the dirty ground before she kicked into the middle of the demon's body making it buckle.

"Oh I've so looked forward to this." The First rolled along the ground towards Buffy unexpectedly tangling herself into Buffy's legs and dragging her down. "Beating the life out of you." She snarled as she pushed the staff down choking it across the blonde's chest.

Faith watched everything waiting for a moment to step in but with the necessity of keeping them and the staffs apart wasn't a good tag team situation.

"Buffy..." Piper tensed seeing how her lover was struggling and choking under the weight.

"She's fine, B can take her." Faith held up a hand to hold the younger Slayer back.

"You're..." Buffy braced a bit kicking up and catching the First in the back of the head with her boot. "Making me." She turned under the body on top of her as the pressure loosened, bringing her hands up to smack both fists into the First's throat. "Look bad." She growled knocking the hands that tried to keep her staff away so that she could knock the First off her completely.

She came up into a crouch and spun out the axe blades as the staff wound around her body going from one hand to the other before she moved it up in a high arc. She slammed the axe down, slicing through the First's back from her left shoulder down to the right thigh.

The demon pitched forward on her hands and knees, its mouth opening as it let out an ear splitting howl. The glass in the atrium a few hundred feet away shattered from the noise, spilling glass in at the two witches making their forms more obvious.

It wasn't that noise but the high pitched scream that was matched as Zoë fell down fully onto both knees that made Buffy spin the staff and pull back.

"My turn." Faith narrowed her eyes at the prone figure. She knew better than to underestimate any target and after seeing it fight B she had all the proof she needed that this thing had skill.

"Yes, the rogue." The First pushed up a little shakier to her feet and turned to Faith, blood bubbled up and streamed out of the corner of her mouth. "I've been looking forward to you too."

"I'm never one to disappoint." Faith dug the end of the pole into the ground and leapt at the figure, hitting it with a solid double-footed kick, as she made contact she leapt back away spinning the staff up. It was good that she did as the First had spun with the attack, coming at her furiously with sharp kicks and punches that backed Faith across the grass.

"Despite your attempts I won't break my killing order." The First growled as the staff came down into her shoulder and she hung onto it, using the back end to send Faith off balance and into the dirt. "My darlings are killing all of your little baby slayers, then I'll kill Pip, you rogue and then the crowning jewel." She kicked repeatedly into Faith's body.

"That the best you got?" Faith brace kicked up and flicked the staff up into her hand behind her back. "Maybe you didn't read the slayer cliff notes, I'm the crazy one who likes pain." True to her word, she ignored the pain lacing through her midsection as she charged again. She used the staff to block punches while she leapt and twisted to land a series of her own kicks to the First's legs seeing how its movements were getting slower and it wasn't doing its super speed runs on them anymore. Finally landing one to the weak inside spot of its leg, she watched the First go down and she bobbed back a bit grinning.

"God B, I think we've fought tougher vamps than this piece of shit." She reached up wiping the sweat off her brow.

Dark eyes shot up and despite Faith's belief the First moved like lightening, having wrapped her hand around a rock in the grass she swung it into the side of Faith's head making the dark Slayer drop.

"Faith." Piper lunged from the side, smacking her staff into the First's back so that it couldn't reach the momentarily fallen Slayer.

The demon staggered sideways coming face to face with Buffy again who was ready for it. The blonde Slayer used strike after strike with the staff to beat the First down to the ground.

"I told you." The First waited until Buffy snapped the axe blades out again before she caught the staff and using her superior strength swung it back catching the blade into Buffy's side. "I'm killing you last." It hissed.

Buffy's eyes went a bit wide as she staggered back pulling the blade out of her body.

"Bitch." Faith pulled the staff around the First's neck, dragging her back in a chokehold.

Throwing her down to the ground, Faith leap frogged over the demon, moving her grip to the middle of the staff and snapping out the knife blades at the end. She landed after twirling in mid air and drove the end down in a side motion, piecing the blade into the First's stomach.

The sharp end passed almost threw the demon's body into the grass making the First arch up against the blade and howling. Again it was matched by Zoë's agonizing yell as she clawed her hands at her stomach, flopping down into the grass on her side.

"Faith, she can't take much more." Buffy warned in a low voice looking up at her lover who was keeping guard as she pushed up to her feet again.

"Hear that time to die." Faith went to pull the blade out but to her surprise the First's mouth curled into a bloodier smile.

"Yes, maybe it is time you do." She reached holding the blade in place as she forced Faith away a bit and pressed up to stand even though the staff was still impaled in her. In full view of the Slayers the First pulled it out of her body with a sickly sucking noise. "But first a little of that pain you like."

Seeing Faith's shock the First stepped forward curling her fingers into Faith's jacket and using the leverage she pressed the dark Slayer back into Tara's electrified barrier. The night this time was pierced by Faith's scream as her body went into a hard seize from the electricity.

"I figured out you can't touch each other." The First laughed as the blue fire passed through her making her fingers lock harder against Faith's jacket holding them there as neither could move.

Buffy tried to take a step forward but the wound in her side made her falter and drop to one knee.

Piper felt everything slowing down. Time started to crawl as she watched the spell Tara had put up to protect them killing Faith slowly. She heard all of the witch's warnings in her head; they couldn't touch each other, couldn't touch the staffs together. But as she heard them all repeating, she heard one voice she hadn't heard in along time come to drown them out.

'Trust yourself Piper, when you are tested, when your time comes, you must trust yourself. There is not just right and wrong choices in the heat of the battle, there are shades of gray and you must pick which you will become.' Shanti's soft voice filtered through her ears and made Piper's choice clear. 'You must trust which will lead you to victory.'

"That's assuming I don't kill you with one blow." Piper swung the staff in a twirl in front of her before she lined up and with a hard growl pulled the weapon back parallel to the ground.

'For you Shanti.' She snapped the blow forward, using the total force of her body in perfect fluid motion.

The slightly upwards stroke sent the elongated staff up through the First's lower back coming up through her heart, the sheer strength she put into the move sent the tip of the staff into Faith's shoulder and into the spell which was broken when it touched the staff.

Pulling back the staff, she tore the First's away from Faith, the dark Slayer's unconscious body dropping in a heap. Piper kept her focus on the First as the demon turned around very slowly to face her, its hands going to the gaping wound in its chest.

"They gave you the real one, who knew." The First sputtered looking at Piper with an amused blink before staggered and fell sideways. Piper stood breathing heavy waiting for the demon to rise again, hardly able to believe it had fallen with just the one blow.

"Faith." Buffy managed to stagger across the grass to the dark Slayer, flipping her over off her stomach. She landed on her knees checking to see if Faith was even breathing.

"Buffy!" Willow came running across the grass with Tara close beside her.

"Help her with Faith." Tara pulled away from Willow moving in the other direction towards the Canadian's prone body in the grass.

"I don't know if it's dead." Piper stayed at the ready a few feet away from the First. Her body was taut and the staff was gripped tightly in her hands. "How do we know?" She saw the amount of blood bubbling out of the various wounds would be too much for a normal person to live through, but she also knew that any standard of normal couldn't be trusted.

Reaching Buffy and Faith, Willow immediately moved to pull the front open on Faith's coat to see the wound. She balled up the scarf she had been wearing trying to slow the bleeding as Buffy covered the dark Slayer's mouth breathing into her still body to start CPR.

Almost at the same time, Tara landed on the ground next to Zoë softly rolling her over with shaking hands afraid of the state she would find her friend in after the long battle.

"She's..." Zoë's eyes blinked in a long slow motion. "Not…" Her body was taunt with the pain, twitching and struggling against the pain.

"Zoë, break the connection." Tara pleaded moving her hands around the Canadian's face brushing back the bloody tears that were streaming down the woman's cheeks.

"A... few... more..." Zoë's body buckled with each gulped breath as she slowly blinked again looking through Tara into the dark place the First's death was trying to drag her down into. "Moments."

"Zoë, break it now!" Tara screamed at her moving her hand down to her friend's shoulders shaking her against the ground trying to break her concentration.

"Almost." Zoë whispered her breath rattling in her body as she brought her arms up to Tara clutching onto the blonde's shoulders.

"Please Zoë... please." Tara held onto Zoë's coat shaking and pleading with her.

"Almost... there." She gasped her hands going limp and beginning to slide away from Tara as her grip failed.

"Tara?" Piper screamed over at the witch not knowing what was going on.

"Finish it, I'm ready." Zoë breathed out, her body going completely limp and her chest stilling as her eyes stayed open and blank.

"KILL IT!" Tara screeched looking up with tears in her eyes.

Piper looked back down at the body in the grass. Moving her hands to the center grip, she squeezed her anger and pain into her hands and the front edge of the staff split open to reveal a long razor thin blade. With a quick precise spin, Piper moved fluidly stroking the sharp edge through the First's body severing its legs on the front swing before the back swing cut through its torso and then finally the finishing swing cut its head off.

As the last of the blade passed through the First, it melted away like mist burning as the sun started to rise around them. Piper came to a resting stop and eased her grip, letting the staff return to normal.

"We did it." She stated looking around and seeing no other threats. "Buffy." She knelt down by her lover helping her sit up a bit more steady. "Faith." She glanced over to where Willow was now trying to pack the wound.

"We have to get everyone out of her, she needs Giles." Buffy reached up and for the first time in hours was able to lean her body into Piper's. The simple touch confirming to some part of her mind they had won.

"I can carry her." Piper glanced back where Tara was hunched over. "I'll get her to the bus, Willow get Buffy there then we'll get Zoë."

"I'll take care of Zoë." Tara shook her head to the order. "That is I'll get her to the bus." She clarified her voice shaking a bit.

"Is she?" Willow squeaked the question as she helped pull Buffy up to stand while Owl picked up Faith's limp body.

"Let's just get out of here. " Tara whispered and added a soft chant under her breath. The Canadian's body rose up from the floor, supported by a cushion of air.

Buffy approached the bus tentatively, seeing the littering of Bringers bodies and dust made her realize that while they had been killing the First, the rest of the SIT's had been waging a war of their own. A lot of the bus windows were broken and the door was slightly lopsided in its frame.

"Hello?" She called out checking that under the bus there was nothing lurking.

"Buffy?" Giles' slightly beleaguered voice called back as his head came up in the front window before the door slowly was pulled back.

"We need to get them home." Buffy looked at him not wanting to ask who else had survived at this point. She felt too empty and was still bleeding a little too much to want to focus on emotion.

"Clearing a seat would be great." From behind her Owl called as she shifted Faith a little in her arms.

"Oh God what happened to Faith?" Kennedy's head poked up from the roof with her crossbow, looking very worse for wear. "I'm on it." She flipped around through one of the open window and moved to the back kicking open the large emergency door. "Send her in this way."

"Is everyone else accounted for?" Willow questioned the Watcher reaching up to pick some of the glass out of her hair as the sharp edge scratched into her scalp.

"The only one we can't find is Spike." Giles put forward but didn't clarify who was lost, who was injured and who was still okay.

"We need to get out of here." Buffy underlined again as first Faith and then Zoë was lifted into the back of the bus.

"I'll go back to the field, check undead things are back to being very dead and pick up my bike." Owl moved back out of the bus when they had Faith secure inside.

"Piper..." Buffy moved over as everyone started to file into the bus. "Leave it, it's too risky." She put her hand up on her lover's arm.

"This way we check that there's nothing big and bad still lurking, and hey I'll even look out for Spike." Owl stopped and smiled at the blonde. "And you know me, I love that bike."

"I know you do but we've just beat the First Evil and I saw what she did to you." Buffy urged her again to come back to the bus.

"I'll be two seconds, I'll drive along side the bus all the way." Owl put her hand over Buffy's confidently.

"You better, if I have to come back looking for you I'm going to be pissed." Buffy pulled back and threw her the staff.

"Nah keep it." Owl threw it back right away. "It really messes with my balance on the bike." She winked.

"You can be infuriating." Buffy held it and smiled.

"Yeah but I can also be dead cute." She winked again and waited until Buffy was up inside on the bus steps. "Get on the road!" She urged as she gave the side of the bus a pat.

Giles brought the slightly strained engine to life and with more than a few backfires their makeshift tank started off.

Owl straightened up as the large bus lumbered down the road, flexing her shoulders she began walking towards the open field. She shook her head as she trod lightly across the grass. She tried not to look at the dead bodies of Bringers, and the dark spills of blood that littered the area.

She made her way directly to where she had left her bike, frowning when she saw her Harley on its side with long scuffs up and over the gas tank.

"I'm taking it since you're up and about we won." Spike came out of the shadows wiping off a bloody sword. The vampire looked swollen and bruised in more than one place having obviously been very much part of the fighting.

"You've got people all worried about you." Owl turned and looked at the vampire. "You okay?"

"Just getting started but I'm running out of fun." He looked at the bodies all around. "The boys were coming in behind the bus full of baby slayers so I was trying to help." He pointed to the corridor.

"You know, you try and hide it but you're not really a bad guy now that you got that soul, even if you have made some bloody stupid mistakes." Owl shook her head and looked at the bodies, it seemed the vampire had taken down a few dozen Bringers himself. "We're heading home, to do the count and start patching everyone up."

"You didn't know me before the soul." Spike shook his head and walked closer to her. "I think I'll stay and clean up here, I'm not one for the post war stories."

"Spike, come on, you've been a part of this, you deserve to come back to the house." Piper offered the olive branch as she righted her bike.

With a growl Spike dropped the sword and lunged at her using both hands to push her down over the side of the bike as it fell under her weight again and the tank was scratched more.

"Spike what the Hell..." The air was forced out of Piper's lungs as she tumbled backwards and bounced off the handlebars.

He growled again leaping over her and moving towards the shadows.

It took Owl a little longer to recover than it might have any other time, simply because of everything she had been through that day. But when she had steadied herself and ran after him.

"Didn't you get the memo mate?" Spike tripped the Bringer and leaned down over him snapping his neck. "Fight's over, you lost." He slumped to the side against the wall.

"Nice call." Piper appraised the dead Bringer briefly. "You could have just said 'Piper go kill the guy lurking in the shadows', you didn't have to try and break my neck." She pointed out laughing softly.

"Well I didn't have much time to say that with this…" He reached in moving his coat and pulling the dagger out of his chest. "Coming at you." He dropped it to the side.

"Oh Christ." Owl pulled off her dirty T-shirt, balling it up she pressed it against the large bloody wound.

"Stop fussing I'm fine." Spike tried to bat her hand away.

"What you wanted a war wound to show off to the next few hundred Mrs. Spikes?" Owl ignored his protests and continued to apply as much pressure as she could.

"Are you forgetting Slayer I'm dead." The vampire moved his hand over hers and pushed up to stand.

"Oh damn." Owl stepped back smiling at Spike, letting her grip on the T-shirt ease. "I wish I could remember helpful basics like that, would save my bra getting so much air time."

"Now you want my pity?" Spike laughed sharply and eased off his duster tossing it at her. "Here cover up before Buffy thinks I'm making a pass at you and stakes my ass."

"You saved my life." Piper looked at it and then pulled it on fastening the button between her breasts, the statement was made somewhat matter of factly.

"You should get going, she'll worry." Spike shrugged it off and moved to pull his smokes out of his jean pocket. He took a long draw seeming to enjoy the comfort of the familiar taste.

"I can give you a ride back." Piper pointed back to the bike.

"To be honest I think I'm getting tired of Sunnydale." Spike took another slow drag checking that the bleeding had stopped before he tossed the bloody shirt away.

"You mean you're leaving?" Owl stopped and looked at the vampire.

"Yeah, now don't act all broke up about it." Spike smirked at her.

"Well you know." Piper shrugged. "You've been helpful."

"Look Slayer, we can pretend a lot of things, we can dance around like little girls but we both know the score. She doesn't want me around, she's made that clear." Spike took another drag before he dropped the cigarette and snuffed it out with his toe. "But you tell Rupert this had nothing to do with his little ultimatum, I'm tempted to stay just to see if the fluffer has the balls to live up to what he claimed."

"You tried to rape her Spike, she has every right to not want to see you, but she's not like that you know that as much as I do." Piper shook her head a little. "And as for Giles, well…" She shrugged. "I don't even think he thinks you'd pay any attention to him. Where will you go?" She added quietly.

"Don't know." He shook his head. "Big wide world out there, might be fun to cause some trouble in a few of my old hot spots, as a good guy of course."

"Make sure you let us know where you are, you know as well as I do, she'll worry if she doesn't know." Owl conceded.

"You really want that?" Spike cocked his head to one side looking at her.

"This isn't about what I want." Piper shook her head. "And rightly or wrongly, she feels for you." She shrugged. "I'm not sure what she feels, but she does."

"She knows what she feels for you though, so you better look after her." Spike glanced at the growing light in the sky above them. "I didn't get this bloody soul just so some frilly bird could break her heart." He warned lightly.

"If she wants me, I'll stay with her and love her as much as I can." Piper vowed. She dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out the keys to her Harley. "Here." She held them out.

"You're an honorable one aren't you?" He snorted with a smile as he reached up letting her drop them into his hand.

"I've counted the scratches on her, if there's so much as one more on her when I see her again, I'll stake you on the spot," Owl pointed out quickly.

"Expecting her back in one piece, you getting slayer stupid?" He laughed and backed up to right the bike again on two wheels.

"Spike." Piper watched as he climbed onto her bike. "You saved my life, you did good tonight by helping all of us but you still have a hell of a lot that I'm never gonna forgive you for." She wanted him to know the score before he left. "Shanti gave me that bike, she gave me it because she believed in me, she gave me it because she trusted me to respect what she was giving me, and I don't just mean the bike. I'm giving you the bike Spike, because I want to trust you. I want to believe you're worthy of that trust and that this soul you say has changed you, really has."

"You're putting a lot on a dead man." He sparked the engine to life. "I'm a vampire and you're a slayer, so the best I can promise is that if I lose this soul...' He paused. "You'll get fair warning before I come to see just how tough you are." He gave her a wide smirk. "And trust me, I expect you to be one hell of a fight after saving the world here."

"Good enough." Piper nodded. "Now get out of here, if you're lucky you can out run the sun."

Spike nodded and pulling down on the throttle took off across the field spinning grass and dirt in his wake.

The bus lumbered down Revello slightly off kilter as one of the tires had begun to deflate on the way back. Buffy had kicked out the useless front door and no one had bothered to secure the back door concentrating more on keeping the injured in their seats. Pulling the vehicle to a stop Giles turned the engine off and pushed up cradling his injured arm to his body.

"Okay for now." Buffy pushed up to stand. "The injured that need real attention need to be taken to my house." She glanced around. "The walking wounded go to the big house." She pointed to the other one.

"You going to float her again?" Kennedy questioned Tara as she went to try and move Faith back towards the door.

"Let me see if I can manage both of them." She looked at the war beaten SIT sadly.

"Together baby." Willow moved over putting her hand in Tara's.

Tara looked down at the hand that touched her own and for a moment it looked like the blonde witch would cry just from the gentle touch. Instead though she nodded softly and closed her blue eyes. The injured Slayer and the Canadian instantly were wrapped in a soft sparkling cloud, that moved them out of the bus and off towards the house.

Slowly everyone else started to file out of the bus, leaning on each other or being carried.

"Faith?" Dawn came out the front door after hastily bringing down the barrier when she'd been signaled that the bus was coming. "Oh my God, Buffy?" She looked up her eyes burning with tears as she looked for her sister.

"Dawn." Buffy's head shot up and she ran forwards to her sister pulling her into a tight hug instantly.

"You're hurt." Dawn held her tightly not even listening to her own words.

"I'm okay." Buffy shook her head and then glanced over to where the other Slayer was being levitated towards the house. "Faith's..." She frowned not able to finish.

"Is she?" Dawn's body began to shake as she looked back at the dark Slayer.

"She's alive." Buffy quickly assured her sister. "But she needs you." She added nodded for Dawn to head back to the house. Dawn took one quick step then stopped.

"Buffy, where's Owl?" She frowned hard.

"She's..." Buffy looked at the road and took a painful step towards the curb. "She went to get her bike." She looked down the deserted street.

"Zoë! Zoë!" The tight, yet still controlled voice of the young English woman announced her arrival in the front garden just as Buffy staggered towards the road.

"Beth." Willow held her hand up trying to keep her from interfering with their spell until they could get her inside.

"Just tell me." She looked up looking into Willow's eyes. "Is she...." She didn't finish her words.

The redhead's sad green eyes looked the short distance over to her lover.

"Let's just get inside Bethany." The blonde witch blinked softly and was pleased when Beth took her answer and moved to keep the door as wide open as she could.

Willow felt their powering dipping as they managed to get Faith positioned on the dining room table and Zoë landed on the couch.

"Is there anything we can do?" She questioned Tara in a whisper.

"Not yet." Tara shook her head as Beth hurried to kneel by the couch. "The best thing we can do is let Beth tend to the obvious physical things." She stepped back a little.

"So she's not..." Willow couldn't finish as she forced herself to look away over to where everyone else was trying to assess Faith's injuries.

"No." Tara confirmed. "Then again…" Her voice dropped slightly. "Neither is Candice." She reminded sadly.

"You mean she could be..." Willow swallowed her voice going to a whisper. "Like Candice?"

"Willow, I'm not saying..." Tara's voice trailed off as blue eyes rolled slightly as if suddenly all of the blonde's efforts and power draining caught up with her.

"Tara!" Willow squeaked moving to catch her before she fell and slowly lowered her to the ground. She looked around almost ready to ask someone for help but seeing how caught up everyone was she couldn't. She settled on the only course of action that she had, she gathered up a pillow and blanket from the chair and moved over to make Tara as comfortable as she could where the blonde had collapsed.

Beth's eyes flickered somewhat nervously over to Tara and Willow as the blonde sunk to the floor. Seeing Willow there to tend to her, she then turned her attention fully her lover.

"Hey we won." Beth whispered as she reached over and eased sweat-damped hair back off the Canadian's forehead. "Well you guys won, I came second in scrabble." She pointed out with a soft laugh. "I would have got more if Anya would have let me have horrification. Do you have any idea how hard it is to play scrabble with someone who's been alive longer than the game has existed?" She added still chuckling softly.

"Harder than playing with me making up words?" Zoë's hoarse voice was almost inaudible.

"Much harder, I couldn't kiss her into submission when I was losing." Beth's voice hitched and tears sprung to her eyes at the sound of her lover's voice.

"I hope not, I told you I was coming back, so no looking for a new girlfriend." Zoë managed to reach up her hand though the movement made her moan.

"Easy." Beth closed her smaller fingers around Zoë's hand softly. "Just cause you won, doesn't mean you can go and be all pushing your luck on the health front."

"Trust me, I haven't felt this crap since that time the gang took me out for my birthday." Zoë laughed and then coughed as it racked through her. "How is everyone?"

"Well at the moment the place is pretty much chaos." Beth admitted. "What can I do for you?"

"Tell me again that we won?" She struggled to open her eyes blinking as Beth came slowly into view. "Hey sexy."

Beth lightly traced her fingertip over Zoë's eyebrows, playing down her surprise as pale gray eyes looked up at her.

"Are they permanent?" She asked softly tracing her finger over and over the soft arch of short hairs.

"Is what permanent?" Zoë questioned not understanding.

"The gray eyes, not that I'm complaining, but I thought I was the one who had the stunning eyes." She gave a mock pout.

"Baby, I know I just went ten rounds with the ultimate evil but I think I have brown eyes don't I?" Zoë squeezed her hand.

"Well you did have." Beth nodded. "But not right now."

"Oh." The Canadian blinked. "I don't know, I'm just glad I can move all my limbs."

"Me too." Beth admitted. "And hey if they work, I can cope with the gray."

"They work. You put your hair up." Zoë reached up smoothing her hand over the soft locks.

"I did." Beth nodded reaching up to flick at the blonde ponytail. "I thought I might be called on to use my first aid skills. I got the impression from Xander that anything I could help with would be beneficial, even if I never finished my qualifications." She tried to sound convinced she could be of service, even while she was racked with severe doubt.

"You should be, Faith was electrocuted, Buffy was stabbed, Owl was choked."

Zoë tried to push up. "Tara and Will... ow." She gasped as her muscles cramped up and curled her body up in pain.

"Hey!" Beth put her hands on her lover's shoulders and eased her back. "You know what you need?" She said softly. "You need a nice warm Radox bath."

"You might have to hold me up, I think I'd fall asleep and drown." Zoë managed a lopsided smile.

"Well that was more of an offer than anything else." Beth smiled back. "If it were big enough I'd suggest a hydrotherapy pool. But even the big house only has a corner tub."

"Mmmmm it might be a bit hard to carry me that far." Zoë admitted.

"Well how about you try and sleep, and then we'll work on the muscle cramps?" Beth suggested.

"Okay." Zoë felt her eyes slip closed almost without wanting them too.

"Sleep baby." Beth leaned forward and pressed her lips to the Canadian's forehead.

Dawn held her spot at the head of the table, smoothing her hands down the side of Faith's forehead.

"Come on Faith, just open your eyes please." She whispered her head bent down close to Faith's ear. "You beat it, you won, you can't die on me now."

"I don't know what I can do, I'm not a paramedic." Anya scowled as she cut slowly through the thick leather coat trying to get to the wound that the staff had skewed all the way through the Slayer's shoulder.

"Dawn, maybe you should go help the SITs with some of the surface wounds." Sandra put her hands lightly on the teenager's shoulders, attempting to gently pull her backwards.

"I'm not leaving her." Dawn threw the Watcher's hands off and moved to grab a wad of bandages pressing it against the wound when it started to bleed more as Anya relieved the pressure the leather had been offering.

"We need a doctor." Giles moved in from the lounge his shirtsleeves pulled back, his arms more or less covered with blood. There was a deep frown creasing his brow and hard tiredness in his dark eyes.

"We don't have a doctor." Dawn snapped at him.

"That's not exactly true." Beth pushed up from her place on the floor near Zoë, taking a deep breath, attempting to consolidate her confidence.

"What?" The brunette's attention flashed over to her.

"I dropped out in my final year before I started my residency, but I managed four of them." She pulled off the light gray cardigan she wore and re-fixed her hair. "But if you trust me to try?" She asked quietly.

"Giles, move let her help." Dawn managed to keep herself from reaching up and pushing him out of the way. Beth smiled tightly as the Watcher moved aside.

"What we need to do is sort people." Beth looked at Anya, Xander, and the others that were gathered around her now.

"Is this where Zoë learned her skills?" Anya asked handing her a pair of sterile gloves, quickly piecing things together.

"Sword and dagger wounds though ugly shouldn't be fatal, unless they are deep and located in the thigh, arms, chest or abdomen." She nodded to answer Anya as she snapped on the hygienic gloves.

"We've got a few." Xander piped up hearing the round up and wanting to help as he could.

"Great, now anyone who's conscious and who can tell you where it hurts and how, is gonna hang in." She smiled at the willing volunteer. "See if you can move those who are actually with us and conscious upstairs. No more than two to a bed and any injured limbs elevate and isolated. I think Faith needs most of my attention right now." She assessed just glancing at the dark haired Slayer.

"On it." Xander moved off to start scrambling with the SIT's with older injuries to help.

"Anya." She looked at the former demon. "You're great at stitching, go with Xander, make initial assessments and stitch up any you're happy to do just that to."

"Are you sure?" Anya looked down at the Slayer.

"Positive." Beth took a small step towards Faith and rested her fingers lightly on the pulse point on Faith's neck. "Dawn, you're with me, get me bowls of water, towels, more dressings." She looked seriously at the teenager.

"I'll be right back." Dawn kissed Faith on the forehead quickly and moved off to get the supplies, many of that were already stacked in the kitchen.

"Giles, Sandra work with the unconscious." Beth turned to look at the Watchers. "Check breathing, pulse rates, and eye dilation." She fished in her pocket and pulled out a small torch she held it out to Sandra. "I think Tara's just exhausted, and I think Willow's gonna dip with her soon." She glanced at the two witches. "I don't know how this magic stuff works, but shock might be an issue."

"I'll check them and make them comfortable as well." Sandra took the torch and moved away.

"Okay you." Beth moved tight up to Faith. "Lets see if you've got as much spirit as your mouth suggests."

"I have the stuff." Dawn came back in almost spilling one of the bowls as she dumped it beside Beth and then stacked up towels and bandages.

Beth frowned softly as she eased the heaving wading on Faith's skewer wound, the ripped skin and torn muscle pulsating with the flow of blood. She flicked hazel eyes up at Dawn.

"Where's your sister?" She asked. "I noticed she was bleeding."

"She's on the lawn, Owl hasn't come back. Apparently she was getting her bike and coming right behind." Dawn looked up through the window to where Buffy was sitting on the front walk.

"Send someone to get her in, we don't have blood to transfuse if she loses too much." Beth pointed out.

"She won't come in for anyone." Dawn used a wad of towel to sop up some of the blood as Bethany inspected. Beth swapped the dressing on Faith's shoulder for a fresh set that she ripped out of its sterile packaging.

"This is nasty." She summed up wanting to be straight with Dawn.

"You just have to get her stable, her slayer healing can do the rest." Dawn pointed out hopefully.

"I've heard a lot about this slayer healing and believe me, she's going to need it with this. The wound is too wide to stitch on either side, it's going to need packing, it needs to heal from the inside out." She carefully packed it and secured her work. "There's no guarantee that the muscle will be as strong as it used to be."

"I don't care, she just can't die." Dawn shook her head looking down at Faith. "They won, no one can die now."

"I need to know what happened to her." Beth glanced up again at Dawn. "Perhaps you could try and get Buffy in." She pointed out. "For Faith's sake."

"Okay." Dawn nodded squeezing Faith's hand again before she ran out the front door and down the lawn. "Buffy." She moved down on her knees next to her sister.

"How is Faith?" Buffy said instantly.

"Beth needs to know what happened to her." Dawn admitted weakly. She reached out with the towel she had brought pressing it to the wound that was visible on Buffy's side making Buffy breath in through clenched teeth. "And she doesn't want you to bleed either."

"It's not serious." Buffy shook her head.

"Buffy..." Dawn pressed harder and made Buffy look at her. "What happened to Faith?"

"I... its a bit of a blur." Buffy admitted frowning a little her concentration harshly severed between her sister, the victory and Owl's absence.

"We need to know. Please." Dawn underlined.

"She, there was an electric barrier." Buffy tried to focus.

"She was electrocuted again?" Dawn gasped in.

"She's a slayer Dawn, it'll be okay." Buffy tried to assure her sister but her voice was blank.

"What happened to her shoulder?" The brunette questioned harshly.

"The staff." Buffy glanced down.

"The Staff?" Dawn snapped on the small words instantly.

A low rumble from the street interrupted the conversation as an old Citroen that looked not unlike the one Giles had driven years before into Sunnydale shakily pulled up onto the curb. The driver's door was pushed open, and promptly fell off with a loud clatter. From within it, Owl pushed out and up to stand.

"Piper." Buffy pushed up and rushed towards her.

"Hey, what are you doing out here? You're wounds still bleeding." Owl put her arms around the other Slayer.

"Where have you been?" Buffy looked at her almost not believing her eyes.

"Long story, come on, I'll tell you all about it while I stitch you up." Owl tried to lead her inside.

"Piper, what happened to Faith?" Dawn questioned as they moved closer.

"Faith." Piper spoke the Slayer's name as if remembering the recent fight. "Come on, let's get inside I'll help all I can." Dawn nodded and rushed back inside with them both.

"Owl is here." She explained to Beth as the three of them moved into the dining room.

"Please tell me that one of the Slayers made it without serious injury?" Beth glanced up at Piper as she worked on loosening all of Faith's clothing so she could examine her.

"I'm ok." Owl nodded hoping the woman wouldn't notice the large ring of bruises around her throat.

"She needs to know what happened to her." Dawn urged moving up to rub Faith's forehead again.

"Look why don't I help Beth out, you patch up Buffy?" Piper offered Dawn the deal.

"Sit." Dawn nodded slowly and moved towards her sister, she pointed to the chair.

"We won Dawnie." Buffy slid down into it.

"We did." Dawn nodded and moved to cut off the bloody section of the blonde's shirt so she could see the wound. "You did it." She whispered to her sister moving to clean it quickly.

"No, we did it, all of us, together." Buffy felt her eyes close as pain flooded her systems, beating back the endorphins she'd been surviving on.

"We did." Dawn checked the long but shallow gash. "Do you want it stitched?"

She checked moving a large packing bandage over it.

"I think it'll heal up, and I think I deserve some kind of scar don't you?" She smiled at her sister.

"Since you're retiring definitely." Dawn smiled back at her securing it in place with long portions of tape.

"What I'm I going to fill my time with if I give up fighting the bad guys?" Buffy leaned back into the seat.

"Watching me to make sure Faith and I don't do anything you don't like." The teenager gave her a wide grin and Buffy felt a tired smile tug at her face.

"Maybe I should teach, they'll need staff at the new high school." She offered with a light laugh.

"No way, I don't want you watching everything I do." Dawn shook her head. "Is she going to be okay?" She whispered glancing over to where Piper and Beth were working.

"She's tough, she's proved that several times." Buffy nodded.

"Is it really dead?" Dawn finished with the tape and leaned a little against her sister's good side.

"It's really dead." Buffy nodded letting her head droop to rest against Dawn's.

"Shit." Beth's soft curse broke the moment of respite. "Don't do this to me."

"What?" Dawn and Buffy both looked up.

The young English woman growled as she ripped Faith's tight T-shirt open pushing it clearly back from her chest, and vaulting herself up onto the table

"Faith!" Dawn moved over seeing what Beth was doing.

"Dawn." Piper put herself between the teenager and what Beth was doing trying to spare her the memory.

"Faith damn you, I don't have the equipment here to deal with this." Beth growled again. Her small hands interlocked and pressing down in a hard regular rhythm on Faith's chest.

"What else do you need?" Buffy moved over elevating Faith's legs with a pillow.

"Breathing." Beth's eyes flicked up to Buffy. Buffy moved over basically repeating what she'd been doing in the field. "Come on Faith, you loud mouthed egotistical maniac." Beth continued her work tirelessly as she badgered the dark Slayer. "You're better than this, think of everything you have to live for."

"I can help." Willow pushed over her voice a bit of an echo as she raised her hands in front of her. As everyone glanced at her, they stared longer seeing her eyes had turned from green to a light shadow of black that moved over even the white areas.

"What the fuck?" Piper pushed Dawn behind her a little harder

"Oh God no Willow, not the dark magic." Dawn pleaded.

"Willow." Buffy looked up swallowing, she felt her blood run cold as she remembered the last time she had seen those eyes.

"I can use it." Willow moved over putting her hands over Faith's heart. "You both have to move back." She warned as the muscles in her arms went stiffer.

Bethany didn't think to question as she moved herself back slipping off the table. Buffy slowly did the same, her stare fixed on the redhead.

Suddenly Willow's body spasmed a bit and in turn Faith's body jumped off the table as if she had been shocked. The redhead took a deep breath and then repeated the move before she pulled back.

"Check her." She urged breathing in and out of her nose and taking one small step back.

Beth hurried forward pressing her fingers against Faith's neck blinking almost unbelievingly at the redhead and then at Buffy.

"I have output." She breathed in a whisper.

"She's going to be okay?" Willow half questioned, half stated as she dropped her arms to her side and staggered back further.

"Will?" Buffy moved to the redhead, her insides tightening as the metal ring of the binding bracelets in her pocket pressed lightly into her thigh.

"I'm fine." Willow licked her lips, her body shaking a bit as she fought against the course of magic in her body.

"Why don't I head out to the hospital, pick up more gear and a heart monitor?" Piper offered wanting to break the instant tension.

"She's not fine." Dawn gripped her hands into Piper's arm to keep the other Slayer in place. She knew if Willow went on a bender again, it was going to take more than Buffy to stop her.

"I am fine." Willow pushed her hands out into small fists, fighting against the urge inside her that wanted to give into the magic. She was so exhausted though, they'd being casting for such a long time already and the magic was getting harder and harder to fight.

"Willow, honey what's going on?" From behind them all Tara's slightly disorientated voice called to the redhead. The soft sound of the blonde scrambling to her feet was followed by her arrival in the doorway. "I feel… magic…" She looked at her lover and her eyes widened a bit.

"Tara." Buffy looked to the blonde, her hand hovered over her pocket.

"The only way..." Willow clenched her jaw against the struggle inside her. "I am ever going to be in charge..." She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them to show that the darkness was starting to push out from her pupils showing the green in her eyes again.

"That's right sweetie." Tara encouraged softly, glancing at Buffy she shook her head knowing instantly somehow what the Slayer was referencing. "You can control it." She kept her tone calm and soft. "Remember magic is a tool, your tool. You provide the power."

"I provide the power, I can take it away." Willow slowly opened her hands and put them carefully palms together in front of her concentrating.

Millimeter by millimeter she pushed the darker desires of her addiction away, taking control of it before she was finally able to blink clear green eyes at everyone and her body began to relax.

A broad and proud smile broke over Tara's face as she moved over and wrapped her arms around her lover.

"I love you." She breathed kissing the redhead's cheek.

"I love you too." Willow leaned against her exhausted.

"I think as the world has just been saved, can Willow and I be excused, so that we can sink into a comfortable bed?" Tara rubbed her hand up and down Willow's back gently.

"Do you want help upstairs?" Buffy offered while Beth moved to stabilize Faith further, the dark Slayer wasn't out of the woods yet by any means.

"Thank you." Tara nodded gratefully, trying to resolve herself to leave them all to tend to Faith and the others. Right now her job with Willow, was getting both of them in a better position to control their powers.

"I'm still gonna head out to the hospital, need anything else?" Piper checked with Beth.

"Just what you already mentioned, oh and a standard IV set up." She looked at the tall Slayer hopeful that she'd know what to grab and was relieved to see Piper nod.

"Bandages and sutures." Sandra called from the front room. "Saline and tape."

"Does Zoë need anything?" Dawn moved over to rub Faith's temple again, comforted by the feel of the Slayer's heartbeat as she moved one hand down to Faith's neck.

"Just to sleep I think." Beth gave the brunette a soft smile, touched by her concern.

As everyone had put in orders, Buffy had moved silently to help Tara get Willow, and herself, upstairs.

"I'll grab everything that looks useful." Piper smiled quickly jotting down things on her arm with a pen.

"Do you want company?" Buffy came down the stairs having pulled on a new shirt.

"You up to it?" The Slayer paused.

"I know the hospital well. I can show you were they hide the good stuff." Buffy nodded picking up the staff. "Just in case we find any stragglers."

"I think you just like to carry it around." Piper grinned. "Trying to look butch." She winked and held the door open

"I can go get my troll hammer if you want to carry it." Buffy teased moving outside.

Dawn leaned her head to the side looking at Faith, she could feel the exhaustion pulling at her body and mind but she couldn't dare to fall asleep until Faith had at least woken up for just a moment. The silence of the room was broken by the solid and constant beeping of the heart monitor machine that Owl had borrowed from the hospital. Everyone had been reactively patched up, and the plan was that as soon as everyone had a few hours sleep they were going to bundle up those in the worst shape and make a quick drive to the nearest working hospital.

"You should wake up now, you're going to be so pissed off if you wake up at a hospital." Dawn urged her rubbing her hand over Faith's.

"What the hell is that annoying beep?" Faith's dry and cracked lips made her whisper even softer.

"Faith." Dawn pulled her chair up closer rubbing her cheek.

"Hey D, we kicked ass." The dark haired Slayer's eyes were still closed but she did nudge her cheek into Dawn's hand.

"Did you have to get your ass kicked in the process missy?" Dawn kept rubbing and moved her other hand up resting it on Faith's stomach. "That beep is your heart monitor by the way."

"How many did we lose?" A frown creased Faith's pain etched features, her dark eyes still closed.

"No one yet, a few are in bad shape. As soon as anyone is capable we're moving most of you to the hospital." Dawn tried to explain.

"Does that mean I'll get my bed back and not have the blessings of the…" She opened her eyes and turned her head. "Summers dining room table."

"No, it means you're going to the hospital." Dawn informed her firmly. "You get to eat hospital food Miss went and got herself electrocuted."

"No way, what do I want to go to the..." Faith tried to push up and then fell back with a loud groan before she'd even managed to lift her head.

"Exactly." Dawn helped her get comfortable again. "You're shoulder is a mess, don't even ask what Willow had to do to bring you back..." She tried to keep the confidence in her voice but her eyes started to fill with tears.

"Hey." Faith blinked and looked at the teenager. "Dizzy, I'm okay."

"You are now, I know." Dawn nodded trying to regain her composure. "It's just been a crazy few hours."

"So you're packing me off to a hospital?" Faith frowned. "Can I have my own nurse and stay here?"

"When we can get a nurse yes, until then I'm going to get one of those cots and stay with you to make sure you do what you're supposed to." Dawn rubbed her hand again.

"I was kinda hoping you'd wear a nurse outfit and fill the position." Faith winked slowly.

"Are you thinking naughty thoughts?" Dawn laughed lightly and smiled, easing up Faith's hand to kiss it.

"How could I not be? That monitor proves my heart is beating, beating heart means I'm either thinking naughty thoughts or sleeping." Faith smiled but it waned slightly showing how exhausted and in pain she was.

"I love you." Dawn leaned up and kissed her on the lips. "Try to sleep, I'll be right here."

"Hey don't say stuff I might hold you to at a later date." Faith's eyes dipped closed.

Epilogue

"Dawn, are you getting in the car?" Piper stood with the door of the large blue jeep in her hand, and then glanced at Buffy. "How long does it take a girl to get ready? We're only going to pick Faith up from the hospital."

"This is Dawn." Buffy laughed and moved around towards her. "And you know she's excited."

"How you doing baby." Owl slipped her hand around Buffy's waist.

"Am I allowed to say tired?" Buffy admitted leaning into her a bit. "I thought fighting the First was insane, the last two weeks have been worse. With everyone going their own way, Zoë and Beth moving out but staying around. I have to say I was impressed with the way they checked the hotel bookings to find a free room, note I am not commenting on the way Willow convinced the system that they had booked and paid for a two month stay."

"And here I thought you were more happy that Kennedy decided to stick around and keep her eye on them, gets her out of the house." Piper smiled.

"She needs to be needed right now, I'm hoping Giles will come up with a more long term solution for her in time." Buffy admitted.

"She'll be okay baby, I think she's got the message that the witches are a forever thing." Piper smiled at the other Slayer's altruistic concern. "So you're sure you're not lonely? You know with only having Will, Tara, Giles, Sandra, Dawn and me around."

"No, I'm enjoying only having a small army." Buffy smiled softly. "It was nice to see all the girls going home, alive and happy."

"Hey did Dawn tell you, we saw a whole bunch of people moving back in on east side on the way back from the hospital yesterday." Piper commented.

"Really?" Buffy turned to look at her. "I guess it's typical Sunnydale, the crisis is over."

"Yeah, give it a month and nobody will even remember it ever happened I'm guessing." Piper rubbed Buffy's back over and over

"Nope, though they might notice that we've looted half the town." The Slayer worried a little. "Maybe we should bring all that hospital equipment back."

"I believe Giles and Sandra are working on that today, but don't you dare get a complex about the other stuff." Piper shook her head.

"I won't, I'm glad Giles and Sandra are dealing with it thought, it gives me one less thing to worry about." Buffy nodded.

"You worried about picking Faith up?" Piper asked softly.

"You heard the doctors when we brought her in, I'm not sure she's well enough." Buffy turned a little looking up at her, admitting her worry.

"But she's just winding herself up in there." Piper pointed out. "I get the impression she doesn't like hospitals."

"I know." Buffy was forced to nod again. "But can we manage to take care of her? Willow and Tara are just getting mobile themselves."

"I think I know someone who wants the job." Owl's eyes went up as Dawn moved out of the house.

The tall teenager turned and pulled the door closed, and then ran her hand down her thigh before turning around to reveal the blue skirt that Tara had bought her back from Italy. The expensive designer skirt was designed to be a little less than knee length but on the tall young woman only managed to reach mid thigh. She wore long black boots with it and a black sleeveless lycra top with a splash of red paint over her chest and shoulder.

"Get a blanket!" Buffy's face went into a frown and she went to step away.

"Easy baby." Piper's hand on her back tightened gently on the loose fabric to hold her in place.

"She is not allowed to look that... that..." Buffy hissed under her breath.

"She looks lovely." Piper smiled. "Look at her without the whole sister-mom eyes for a second."

"Hummmmm." Buffy huffed as she watched Dawn push on a pair of dark sunglasses. "She's not allowed to look better than me."

"Never baby." Piper leaned in and kissed near her ear.

"You're biased." Buffy turned back to her pushing on her own sunglasses.

"No, I'm right." Piper winked.

"Let's go get Faith, I'm sure they won't let her out when her blood pressure goes up." Buffy waited for Piper to open her door.

"I thought you might want to drive." Piper held out the keys jangling them lightly.

"And get a scratch on your new baby?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"Hey it's an offer, you want to turn it down?" The youngest Slayer arched her eyebrow back.

"No." Buffy reached up snatching the keys. "Come on Miss. Summers." She called to Dawn to hurry up.

The younger Summers jogged lightly down the front walk, her dark hair swinging lightly over her shoulders.

"You're not driving her home." Dawn put her hand on her hip and stared at the keys in Buffy's hand

"Come on you don't trust me?" Buffy grinned and jumped up into the driver's seat.

"Hey, guess who has the house to themselves?" Tara eased the drapes back into place as the car carrying Giles and Sandra pulled out of the drive

"Me and this gorgeous blonde?" Willow moved behind her and hugged her arms around Tara's waist.

"Am I allowed to admit it all feels so strange." Tara leaned her head back slightly finding Willow's shoulder in its usual place ready to support her.

"Yes, I think this is the first time in ages that there has only been two people in this house." The redhead gave a content sigh.

"Like the idea?" Tara asked softly.

"It's just me and you, I love it." Willow closed her eyes just enjoying the sound of her lover's breathing.

"We should get something, just something small, for just you and me." Tara let her eyes close introducing a soft slow rock.

"That would be nice. Something like that place Xander has but maybe cozier." Willow agreed. "We could keep the place that Mr. Giles leased us, it's still ours."

"Yes." Tara nodded. "And it already has memories, of the good kind." She stressed. "Beth and Zoë are kinda showing us up, having more or less settled down together already."

"I know but I think that had a little more to do with Beth wanting Zoë to rest and recuperate properly." Willow admitted with a smile. "If we're lucky maybe we can get them a place in our building."

"I suppose there's always Anya's apartment, she and Xander were talking last night about smoochies and suitcases." Tara mused and felt Willow nod contemplatively. "You like Beth don't you?" She added teasingly.

"Why wouldn't I?" Willow questioned opening her eyes. "She's smart and very worldly." The comment made Tara laugh gently. "They make a great couple."

"I was just going to say, you have a soft spot for Zoë, what is you're always calling her in Italian? The moose?" Willow chuckled.

"It suits her." Tara laughed a little harder. "She can be so stubborn."

"From what Giles told me about the spell on the roof I think we have her stubbornness to thank for being here at all." Willow relaxed her arms a little and urged Tara to come over to settle on the couch with her.

Tara easily moved with her lover and the two settled side by side on the soft cushions.

"So what happens now?" She asked looking around the barely recognizable room the whole house had been painted with liberated paint from the decorating store and there was new furniture in all the rooms that had mysteriously disappeared from the already looted stores downtown. After the dust had settled, and the injured had been tended too a jovial mood had overtaken everyone, and with still a lot of SIT energy to burn it had been Piper that had come up with a way to give everyone a post apocalyptic focus.

"I thought we'd decided on the apartment." Willow reached out taking Tara's hand.

"I meant more..." Tara rubbed Willow's hand with her thumb. "You and me, the wedding, children?" She added in a soft whisper.

"Well once we get the apartment sorted then we can start planning the wedding. If we time it right then we can blackmail Zoë and Beth to stay and help." Willow assured her. "I think we can work on children after that."

"Or we could take some time off, and I can show you Europe, you could meet M." Tara offered softly.

"We can do anything we want." Willow urged her to come closer.

"You know in a few weeks, Sunnydale we be Sunnydale again. Full of all the old dangers and demons." Tara drew her legs up and nuzzled into her lover's body. "The First will just be another thing beaten, another apocalypse avoided."

"Are you saying you don't want to be in Sunnydale anymore?" Willow questioned softly.

"What?" Tara sat up and looked at her lover, and then shook her head, smiling softly. "No, no I'm not saying that at all," She assured her. "I was just you know, thinking." She tried to explain herself. "The First, it may have been the original evil, but evil will always exist. Just like good will." She took a breath.

"Just like the Scoobies, we get new people, we get more powerful and we keep beating evil back to where it came from." Willow smiled and kissed her lightly. "Buffy said she was thinking about selling the house." She added softly. "Getting something new, so she can start over without all the memories that are here in this house."

"I heard her talking to Dawn about it." Tara admitted. "How do you feel?" She asked tenderly.

"I think it could be a good thing, give her a place to call her own. To start over with Owl." The redhead nodded.

"This place has been our home too." Tara reminded gently.

"I know, but I'm ready for us to have our own home. I still want to be there for Buffy and Dawn, for everyone, but I want to come home to a place where it's just you and me." Willow was honest.

"A place to come home to and slip your shoes off, drinking home made hot chocolate and snuggle your adoring wife." Tara filled out the description.

"Mmmm yes, snuggle naked without having to worry anyone is going to walk in on us." Willow giggled.

"Someone's feeling perkier." Tara noted with a happy smirk.

"Considerably." The redhead smiled happily. "How are you feeling?"

"Ready to show my sweetie how very proud of her I am." Tara replied.

"Really?" Willow wiggled her eyebrows.

"Over and over." Tara leaned up and kissed Willow's lips lightly before making the soft vow.

"And..." Willow gave a slow gulp. "Over?"

"And perhaps more than that." Tara's blue eyes twinkled.

"Willow." Tara pushed up and held out her hand. Willow blinked at her waiting for her to continue. "It's really over isn't it, this whole nightmare?" She urged her up off the couch into her arms.

"It's gone love, just your normal Hellmouth problems now." Willow nodded slowly.

"I meant more." Tara glanced over her shoulder to her backpack that was screwed up on top of one of the last remaining piles of broken things that needed to be taken to the garbage dump. "The us bit of this nightmare." She admitted closing her arms around the redhead.

"I don't know what you mean?" Willow looked over but she closed her arms around Tara.

"Willow, I left you." Tara reminded her gently.

"Oh... I thought with all the marriage talk, and apartment, and kiddies." Willow bit her lip.

"That's my point sweetie. I left you all that time ago because I was frightened of who you were, what you could become, I left because I was lost and scared in a place where I had been secure and complete. I came back, I walked into a nightmare, but I even with all that was going on, I walked back into your life, and since then you have shown me over and over again how much you have grown, how much you have changed. When I stepped off that plane from Florence I was ready to come here, find Buffy and just give her this." Tara slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out an envelope, the corners were bent showing it had gone through more than enough wear.

"You weren't even going to see me?" Willow looked at the envelope.

"That would have been your choice." Tara nodded again at the envelope.

"Do you want me to open it now?" Willow questioned looking at it.

"I don't know." Tara admitted. "I wrote it, on the plane, after a lot of thinking, crying and then more thinking." She revealed her fingertip tracing over the name on the front.

"Baby, I don't care what you put in this letter." Willow shook her head. "As you said everything has changed, we've faced and beat the First, we've both changed so much. I'm not the girl you left and you're not the girl who left me anymore, but we're still madly in love and want to spend the rest of our lives with one another. So this letter, doesn't need to be read." She leaned up kissing Tara lightly. "I've made my choice, I want to see you every day for the rest of my life."

Tara smiled and turned the envelope over, she slid her finger under the seal and eased it open, pulling out the folded pink paper from within. She turned it around and slowly opened it, uncrossing the single fold mark in it. With a smile she looked down and then turned it around to face Willow. On it were written five words.

"I am you know, Yours." She read it in a whisper as she held it out offering it to her lover.

"Oh baby." Willow took the piece of paper and held it to her heart, her eyes filling with happy tears. "I love you." She hugged the blonde to her tightly.

"When I say forever, I mean it." Tara underlined holding her back.

"So do I." The redhead's voice was a loving whisper. "So do I."

The End

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