A Sick Slayer
Buffy's throat felt horrible. Her nose was all stuffed up, she couldn't even breath through it, and her head was throbbing. The slayer sniffled as she listened to her friends talk amongst themselves while she lay on the couch in her apartment in front of the television.
"Maybe we should just do this another night," Giles suggested.
"But we already made the reservations," Xander argued. "It's not easy to get reservations at this place, especially with the amount of people we have."
"Xander does have a point," Kennedy added.
Dawn scowled at both of them. "But Buffy isn't feeling well. There's no way she's going anywhere and we can't just go without her."
They had been arguing about this for at least ten minutes. The Scooby group had been planning a group dinner at Parry's, which was a very good Italian restaurant. They had to book the reservation fairly far in advance because of its popularity. Buffy had come down with a cold the night before they're reservation making the current issue, should they go, or stay with Buffy?
"Dawn's right," Willow agreed. "This whole thing was pretty much Buffy's idea in the first place. We can't go without her."
Faith sighed and leaned up against the wall. She didn't really want to get involved in the argument but she was kind of hoping they were just going to stay. She'd never been a big group person and it took a lot of convincing on Buffy's part to make her actually agree to go in the first place. Now, Buffy wouldn't be able to go even if they did end up still going. Faith had no desire to go at all because of that very fact.
Finally, Buffy decided to make the decision for all of them. "Its ok guys," she said with a stuffy voice to get they're attentions. "You guys should go. Xander's right, it's really hard to get a reservation at Parry's so you can't cancel. If anything we'll just go again next month or something like that. But I want you all to go. I'll be fine."
Dawn walked to her older sister's side with a worried look on her face. "Buffy are you sure? You really don't look very good and I'm really not liking the idea of leaving you home alone. The last time you got sick you ended up in the hospital battling a child killing demon."
Buffy gave her sister a warm smile. It was sweet that she was so worried, but she just had a cold and there was nothing to worry about. "Dawny, I'm glad you're concerned for me but I'm fine." Right after she finished saying that she started to cough profusely.
Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and gave her sister a disbelieving look. "Well you sure sound convincing with that cough to back you up," she responded sarcastically. "Slayers don't usually get sick and that's the only reason I'm so worried."
"She's right Buffy," Willow chimed in. "We wouldn't worry so much if it wasn't so rare."
Buffy rolled her eyes. The worrying was quickly passing sweet and moving right on to annoying. "Guys, really, I'll be fine. Yes, slayers don't get sick often but it isn't unheard of for them to catch a cold every now and then. Xander and Andrew just got over a cold and I probably got it from one of them."
"That is a good point," Andrew helped. "I think I may have drank from her cup when I was sick. Plus I spent a lot of time on that couch."
Everyone turned to Andrew disapprovingly. "Well thank you Andrew," Buffy said sarcastically. She knew that Andrew always spent a lot of time in they're apartment but he must have hung out on they're couch when she and Dawn were out, and who knew when he had shared her drink without asking. Buffy now realized that she should probably get off the couch until they could clean it.
"Smooth star trek," Faith added. "That's gotta be what it was. I mean sure we're slayers and we're super strong and stuff, but that doesn't mean we can't catch a cold."
"Exactly," Buffy quickly agreed as she stood up from the couch. "I just have a regular cold, now will you all please just go? You're going to be late."
Giles could see that Buffy was not going to back down from this. She had made up her mind and sick or not there was no arguing with her. "All right then everyone, Buffy's right. If we're going to go we best leave now."
With that said, everyone but Dawn and Faith started shuffling around the room grabbing they're things and getting ready to leave. Dawn was still focusing on Buffy. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you? Incase you need anything?"
The blond slayer smiled at her younger sister. "I'll be fine. You go and have a good time."
"Yeah, don't worry Dawny," Faith added. "I think I'm just gonna stay and do some patrolling or something so if big sis needs anything she can just call my cell and I'll take care of it."
Buffy smiled inwardly. She knew that Faith was going to do this. She hadn't wanted to go in the first place and she only agreed to it because her slayer wanted her to go. Now there was no need for her to go and in fact there was an even better reason for her to stay.
"See, I'm all taken care of," Buffy reassured her sister. She knew that Faith would take extra special care of her. She had to fight back a suggestive smile as she thought of just how special her girlfriend would probably treat her.
The youngest Scooby still didn't look fully convinced that her sister would be ok but she was wearing down and they really did need to go. Everyone else was at the door waiting for her to join them. Finally she rolled her eyes and gave in. "Fine, I'll go, but you have to promise that if you need us you'll call. I've got my cell phone and I know Willow has her's too."
"I promise," the eldest slayer nodded. She then put up two fingers and added, "Scouts honor."
Dawn laughed a little, rolled her eyes again, and then ran to catch up with the others. "Feel better," she yelled, and within seconds everyone was gone, leaving just Buffy and Faith in the apartment.
As soon as the door closed Faith began to move her way over to the currently sick slayer. She eyed Buffy up and down suggestively as she moved in closer. When she reached the girl she wrapped her arms around her wait and pulled her in close. "So…what do you wanna do now, B?"
Buffy smiled at the suggestive actions, but then the mood was ruined by an oncoming coughing fit. Her smile turned upside down as she quickly realized that this was not going to be able to be a nice romantic evening.
"I'm sorry baby but all I really wanna do tonight is take a shot of Nyquil and pass out," Buffy explained.
Faith sighed in disappointment, but she understood. Buffy was sick so of course she would want to rest. She gave her girlfriend a reassuring smile. "I understand, it's cool. You should get some rest." Then she leaned in for a comforting kiss, but was surprisingly denied.
Just as Faith was about to lean in and give Buffy a kiss she moved away and broke they're embrace. The extremely hurt and confused look on the other slayer's face told Buffy that she should probably explain. "I don't want to get you sick," she insisted as her explanation.
Faith simply rolled her eyes and shrugged that off. "Don't worry bout it, B. I never get sick." Then she moved in closer to try again hoping that would be convincing enough.
It didn't work. The older slayer just stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, resolve on her face. "Faith seriously, it's bad enough that I'm sick but I don't want you to get sick when I start getting better."
The dark haired slayer sighed once again. She realized that she wasn't going to win this one. It frustrated her though. Since they were still keeping they're relationship a secret it was rare for them to have alone time. She was feeling all riled up and needed a release that she wasn't going to be able to get from Buffy. At least not tonight.
"Alright well I think I'm actually gonna go patrol then," Faith explained with a defeated expression on her face. "I've got some energy to burn." As she turned for the door she was stopped by Buffy grabbing her arm.
The blond slayer turned the other slayer around and gave the girl her best poudy face. "But I was kind of hoping we could just lay together. You know…snuggle."
Faith couldn't help but let a smile break her features. Then she shook her head. "No way Blondie. You're not gettin any snuggles until I get a kiss." It was the perfect blackmail. She knew that Buffy loved to snuggle and even though Faith knew that nothing could happen between them tonight she still wanted at least one kiss.
The senior slayer shook her head disapprovingly, but with a small smile on her face. "You're evil, pure evil!"
The younger slayer shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes you gotta give a little to get a little girlfriend."
Buffy rolled her eyes, but she knew she was going to give in. "You know the only reason I don't want to kiss you is because I'm looking out for you're health," she clarified. Then she began moving closer to her slayer, with a suggestive smile on her face, until she was close enough to put her hands on Faith's waist. "But if that's how you want it," she warned as she finally leaned in and kissed the satisfied slayer.
Outside of the apartment the others were all getting into they're cars ready to go to the restaurant. Dawn realized that in her hurry to get out of the house and catch up with everyone else she had forgotten her jacket. Normally she wouldn't have a problem with that but it was actually a pretty cold night and she was wearing a short sleeved shirt.
"I'll be right back Xander, I forgot my jacket," she yelled to her friend.
"Alright Dawny I'll go pull the car around," he responded back.
Dawn nodded her head in response and then quickly headed back up to her apartment. As fate would have it, Dawn reached her apartment and opened the door at the exact moment Buffy's lips connected with Faith's.
At first, neither slayer even noticed Dawn's presence. The door wasn't very noisy at all and they were both getting very caught up in the moment. However, since Buffy was sick, they're kiss didn't last as long as they usually would have and as soon as they're lips parted Dawn was spotted.
Faith was the one facing the door. As soon as she opened her eyes she saw a very shocked and confused girl standing by the door. Her face immediately turned white. "Umm…Buffy," was all she could get out as she pointed in the direction of the teenager.
Buffy looked at Faith with confusion as she still hadn't noticed that the door even opened. She turned her head and fallowed the direction of Faith's pointer finger. Her face, like Faith's had, immediately turned white as she saw her little sister standing at the door with a look of shock on her face.
Dawn couldn't seem to move, or talk, or even change her facial expression. Instead, she just stood there and waited for an explanation.
