Awakenings.

Faith p.o.v.

So we saved the world again, and now we get to rest while Giles and Lara get the new council up and running.

After we took care of the First, there wasn't any place for us to go (well not right away) so my lovely wife suggested everyone come stay with us here in Croft Manor. As if I hadn't had enough of them all, them being the scoob's and B of course. I guess it's not been too bad so far, now that they accept me it's kinda like having family round; you love them but fuck you hate them at the same time. I would love it too be just me and her.

B and Lara get along so much, as in the fact that they avoid each other as much as possible and when they are in the same room you could cut the tension with a knife. It's nice to know that they're trying though, for me

Lara and I would have so much more alone time if it wasn't for the slayer connection me and B have. It's beginning to feel more like a threesome everyday; our connection seems to be growing ever since the thing with the scythe.

Guess I should be careful what I wish for. There's still something between me and B even though we made our peace, there on the edge of the crater that once was Sunnydale. Much as I used to want her to feel something more than hate for me, I'm not sure I can handle feeling and sensing her all the time. I've moved on with my life.

Lara's been so understanding about the whole deal with my feelings for Buffy, I'm not sure how long it'll last but she trusts me, and I never had that before, ever.

Is it possible to love two people at the same time?

Fuck I need to talk to someone, thinking a third party might just help me get my head round some of the shit I'm feeling.

Guess I gotta wait it out and hope it sorts itself out soon.

Buffy's p.o.v.

Well I would like to know what the hell Lara's problem is. Just because she has this big house and a load of money, she thinks if she says 'jump' we're all gonna ask her how high. I knew when she suggested we all come back here to England that it wasn't going to be the best decision that I ever made. But you got everyone all tired, exhausted and wanting to just take it easy for a while, looking at you with big expectant eyes, how could I let them all down? I mean it's not like I could just turn round and tell them "Thanks for the help guys, you can all go back to whatever you were doing before I came along and ruined your life."

I make bad decisions and hopefully no one gets hurt before I can fix them, but moving here has got to be the dumbest plan ever. She's got Giles wound round her little finger, they've begun setting up a new Watchers Council and with Giles being the boss things will run a lot smoother than they used to do. But bets are on too see how long Lady Croft keeps out of slayer business. She's already started to win over the potentials, or should I say other slayers, by showering them with gifts of fancy gadgets and modern weapons. What's wrong with a good piece of home whittled wood?

So I made my peace with Faith and I know it was the right thing to do. I've never seen her so happy, she smiles all the time, which is cute for her. She gets these little dimples in her cheeks you just wanna stick your fingertips in. We train, we slay and have a lot more laughs than I ever though possible. It still feels like there's something unresolved between us though. I'm not sure what it is exactly but I'm sure whatever it is won't stay buried for long. Things between us never do lay to rest for long.

The manor is so big you would think that if you wanted space from someone then you wouldn't have to wander too far to get lost. I always seem to be interrupting Faith and Lara at very inopportune times. You should have seen what I saw the other day. Middle of the afternoon, people all over the house and they were getting their jiggy on in one of the media rooms. I made a quick exit, seeing those two naked and sweaty in a position like that? I'm only human, damned if it didn't turn me on. I spent the next two hours in the training room, trying to clear my head of the naughty thoughts, which didn't really help so I tried the cold shower approach instead.

After my shower I heard Faith outside my bedroom door, knocking impatiently to come in. So I wrap in the closest thing at hand, just as she burst in the door and stands staring at me, just about covering my modesty with a small towel. I thought she was gonna tear me a new one after I interrupted them yet again. Instead she comes in, closes the door and makes herself comfortable on my bed. And she gets that knowing smirk on her face, when she asks me if the training and the shower were a result of what I had seen earlier. I swear the grin on her face would have made the Cheshire cat jealous.

I tried to ignore her as I looked through the drawers for a pair of sweat pants, but she wouldn't let it go. She starts then with the "Ya know B the three of us could have a little fun if you're that wound up, nothing like some boom boom to relieve the tension."

I ignore her, smiling as sweetly as I could, knowing that the colour in my face was reddening and I ask her what she really wants.

"Nothing… I just thought ya might fancy a few rounds in the gym with me."

I couldn't stop my mouth from talking, by the time my brain caught up it was too late, I'd already said it; "Why? Hasn't the jiggy with Lady C relieved your tension?" I should learn to think before I speak, but she's laid there on my bed smelling sweetly of sweat and sex, my brain wasn't working.

She got up off the bed and went to the door I think her brain hadn't engaged either as she told me that no-one could satisfy her like I could. That was me instant squishy all over again; I had to take another shower. If this kept up people would start to think I had an obsessive compulsive disorder.

Faith's p.o.v

I think, no I know, having a little teasing fun with B is a definite no no. How the fuck does she still do that to me?

I knew when I saw her in the room all wet wrapped in that little tiny towel, I should have turned straight back round and left, but no not me. One minute I'm standing in the doorway concentrating so hard on not drooling then the next I'm sprawled out all over her bed gawping at her. Least I didn't act on the naughty thoughts running through my head, what I wouldn't have given to just grab her, whip off the towel and taste every inch of her nakedness. The only thing stopping me was Lara sleeping down the hall, which Buffy cleverly remind me of.

I'm so fucked up.

I have Lara and everything that goes with her, she trust me, she has Faith in me (no pun intended) Yet I'm still lusting after B like a dog in heat. It's not that I want to settle down with B anymore it's just that, well I never had her in the biblical sense. The though of her naked beneath me sharing our bodies intimately, her calling my name as she has the best orgasm of her life.

So I leave B's room a little pissed at her comment about Lara and horny as hell, and go back to my room. Lara's flat out on the bed where I left her not fifteen minutes ago, as I lean over to kiss her, maybe wake her enough for another round, I get a whiff of myself. No wonder B's pissed; I smelled of sex and she hasn't had any in god knows how long. The last time she got some it was from spike (from what I gather he was great between the sheets) but in my opinion having tried both you can't beat a fellow vagitarian.

Leaving Lara to sleep I turn on the shower taking the luke warm route hoping it might cure the hornies, when I feel Buffy, not literally feel but like slayer connection feeling. I don't know if it was the water or the fact I could feel her in the shower but I got goosebumps all over. Then like I had been hit by some invisible force our connection opened wide, and I let her in. Every time she touched herself I felt it on my skin. It was like a whisper then the more we opened to each other the louder, clearer we could hear.

I close my eyes and concentrate on her (kinda pervy I know but who wouldn't) that's when I hear her clearly saying my name, I answer softly almost whispering to her. She hears me.

"B."

"Faith, I want you."

"Oh god B… I want you too, but I can't."

"You feel me Faith?"

"God yes."

"Can you feel what I'm doing to myself too?"

I had to hold the wall for support. She touched herself, her clit must have been so hard, aching to be touched. Least that's what it felt like for me.

"Oh god B... I feel you."

"Touch yourself for me Faith."

"B... Please."

"Come on, I won't tell."

Who would know except me and her? I ran my hand slowly over my breast, tweaking at my nipple.

"Oh FUCK Faith." Buffy moaned.

Sliding my hands over my stomach and hips, teasing lightly, brushing my mound of curls.

"Faith please… no more teasing... touch me."

I slid my finger between my lips and circled my clit slowly. Pressing a little harder I build up speed, keeping the circular motion steadily constant.

"Faith I'm gonna…"

I spread my legs wider, giving me more balance and used my other hand to play with my breasts.

"Come for me Buffy."

"F… Fai… Faith!"

I gotta admit that had to be one of the best sounds I have ever heard.

Buffy's p.o.v.

Faith now out of the room, I could still smell her like she was stood right next to me. I had to relieve myself, and what better way than in the shower. The thing left between me and Faith I have decided is defiantly sexual tension, it has to be. I only have to think about her and I get squishy.

As I step in the shower I start to think about her, her touching me. I feel her down the hall; she's taking a shower too, alone. Willows been teaching us to use our slayer connection when were out on patrol, how to open it and talk to each telepathically. None of the other slayers seem to be able to feel it like Faith and me which is good right now.

I open the connection wider and call to her; surprisingly she opened right up and accepted me.

I feel a little guilty about what we did but fuck if wasn't good. I know Faith's going to feel a whole hell of a lot more guilt than me. I just hope this hasn't ruined what we have. I'm such a bad girl; I'll have to spank myself later.

Or maybe I could get Faith too…..NO bad Buffy. Purge that very thought from your head.

Faith's p.o.v.

How come I feel so guilty? I never touched her, not physically. I knew I shouldn't have opened up to her, no good could have come from the situation. I gotta stop thinking about it, it's driving me crazy, only because I want more and I can't. The second she orgasmed and I heard my name, I followed like an express train with an orgasm of my own. I have never felt so much relief and for a few hours after I felt like a weight had been lifted from me.

That didn't last long though because the minute I saw the smug grin on B's face that's when I felt guilty.

Willow knows something's up I'm sure, she keeps asking me if I know who B's been hanging with lately, and who B's been doing the dirty with. She's also been going on about only using the connection when we really have too, says it could have dire repercussions or something. Fuck only knows what she means, she can be a bit weird sometimes but I'm getting used to her slowly.

Me and Buffy have been sticking to the usual routine with the training and everything; neither of us have mentioned what happened the other night. We somehow seem closer, the air between us isn't so thick with tension, it's still there and we have a few close calls when we've been training and we've ended up on top of one another. We've come millimetres away from kissing. I gotta hand it to B though she always pulls away first.

It was one of those times when Willow caught up with us, I had leg swept B, landing on top of her, pinning her to the floor. She gave me this cocky little smile of hers and called me a Dom. Willow walked in just as I couldn't take looking at her anymore and was about to go for it right there in the gym.

So Red starts talking, ignoring the situation she walked in on. I kinda leap to my feet like I wasn't doing anything, B well she stays led on the floor, just rolls onto her side, supports her head with her hand and in her best innocent little Buffy voice she asks Will what up.

Red gives us this huge lecture on misuse of powers etc etc... And the guilt in me grows and grows and I start to blush thinking about what we had done.

So she finishes with the lecture and as she's walking out she turns and says "Did you two forget that I'm a very powerful witch? I know what you did together; I'll take your secret to the grave because that's what friends do but the magic stuff? It stops now." Then she just walked out.

I didn't know what to say, I don't think words would have come out anyway. However Buffy giggled.

Buffy's p.o.v

Faith felt uncomfortable, edgy while Willow was talking. Then again I think if Willow hadn't come in when she did we might have done something really bad. Sure we would both enjoy it but unlike me Faith had a lot more to lose this time. I wouldn't have stopped her if she had taken me right there and then. So thank god for Willow. Truth is I couldn't let Faith take all the blame either; it was me giving out the 'go' signals to her. Faith has tried so hard over the years to make up for her mistakes, and I used her guilt over the past to get what I wanted, I didn't want Faith long term; I couldn't love her and trust her the way Lara does. Too much has happened for us to ever be that honest and open, I cant give Faith what she needs, what she deserves, and that is simply to be loved.

She stood there opposite me her jaw nearly hitting the floor when Willow said her piece and left. I could see the hurt and guilt inside her, a little black ball of darkness growing all over again.

I said the only thing I could; "Faith, I'm sorry." She kind of looked at me weird but never spoke. I stood and moved over too her, looking her in the eye. Repeating my apology I explained to her all the things I felt inside and why we couldn't do what we did ever again. She listened intently, her eyes began to slowly fill as I told her she would always have a place in my heart, the past has gone and we can't change it but today and everyday from now we would be friends, we would be family, and she would be like a sister to me. She turned her head away from me and coughed.

She turned back to face me and I felt the darkness inside her disappear, she smiled the sweetest smile I've ever seen.

"Thanks."

"My pleasure." Was my reply, then we were rolling around on the floor laughing.

Faith's p.o.v

"Really… I seem to remember having some pleasure from our little experiment myself."

Her eyes lit up "Really."

"Yeah really B."

"I sure wish we thought of doing that a few years ago."

"Hell yeah, but coulda, woulda, shoulda. Anyways I like things just how they turned out."

"Me too."

I gotta hand it to her she always knows how to make things right. Guess that's what makes her the best. We still got some of the old sexual tension going on now and again, but we get through it no problems now. Lara introduced her to Alex, one of her old fuck buddies. Her and B are having a great time, and the double dating has its bonuses too.

I think I died and this is heaven.