Chapter 10:

"What's the matter, Slayer?" Twilight taunted. "Don't tell me you're giving up already?"

Faith fell to her knees, feeling a strange wave of nausea flood her senses.

"Your Champion versus mine," the masked man repeated coolly, unconcerned by the ashen look that had befallen the Chosen One. "Do we have a deal?"

The dark slayer pressed her palms into the damp grass, her eyes half-lidded. She felt the world shifting around her like she was being sucked into quicksand.

And then she found herself kneeling on the concrete castle floor.

"Thank Goddess," Willow chirped in her ear. "Dawn started bellowing as soon as you'd been abducted. I was worried. Last time we had a run-in with Twilight, he beat up…" she hesitated on the name. "…Satsu…She was in pretty rough shape afterwards."

The witch closed her eyes and shook her head a little before returning her gaze to the brunette slayer, still on her knees. "Are you okay, Faith? Do you need…you know…a barf bucket?"

The Boston girl swallowed hard and blinked a few times before focusing her eyes on the Wicca. "No, I, uhm, must be getting used to magic transports. I'm fine."

Willow helped the young slayer to her unsteady feet. "What do you need me to do? Just say the word."

Faith stood up straighter on her own, finding her strength quickly returning.

"Call Buffy and let her know that vacation time is over. It's time for her to come out of retirement."

POV Faith

Okay, so call me a stalker. I dare you. Or a voyeur. I don't care.

I'm in my room – Buffy's old room – staring out the window at her and her mermaid little sister. Willow flew her here a few hours ago, and after briefly reconnecting with the Scoobies, she's been hanging out poolside with Dawn ever since.

But she hasn't seen me yet. Course, it's not entirely her fault. I have kinda been hidin' and playin' avoidance-girl. We're comfortable around each other in the Slayer dreams, when it's just the two of us. And I guess I'm just wicked skeptical that we'll have that same kind of chemistry here in Scotland – here in the real world. Plus I know I should be worrying about this latest business with Twilight and all this talk about Champions.

But when she's around, I can't help myself. She's all I can think about. Wanting to touch her. Taste her. Make her moan my name. Fuck. I've got it bad.

You'd think that after actually having sex with her, the mystique or whatever behind Buffy Summers would have worn off. I've seen her with bed head. I've kissed her when she's had morning breath. And somehow, she still manages to get more and more perfect to me with every moment we spend together.

So yea, I'm chicken. But you can't blame me though for thinkin' I'm gonna fuck something up now that she's really here.

My body tenses when I see him walk out onto the grass and stand next to Buffy. Someone needs to remind me why Captain Cardboard is still here, before I do something…Faith Lehane, circa-1999. Even from this distance I can see those puppy-dog mooneyes of his, and all I wanna do is break his nose with my fist and brand Blondie as my own. Claim. Possess. Conquer.

The wind is blowing so I can just make out a few snippets of their conversation through my open window. He and Sam have separated apparently; she wanted him to give up fighting demons, and he wasn't ready to just be a regular soldier. I've got a nagging suspicion that it had something to do with girl named Buffy Summers.

B's nodding politely, listening to him ramble on, but her body language is lookin' a little awkward. Dawn looks annoyed that he's busted up their sibling-bonding time; I'm crossing my fingers that she'll go all Ursula on his ass or at least drench the corn-fed freak.

I should feel relieved that they're not like making-out or something. But oddly enough, I don't feel anything right now 'cept mighty self-conscious. No one but Dawn knows about the two of us. What if Buffy's changed her mind now that she's back in Scotland and G.I. Lame is a bachelor again?

She's turned her back on him, and it looks like she's walking away for some reason.

"What's the hurry, Buffy?" I hear him ask. "Got a hot date?" he awkwardly jokes.

An amused look crosses her angelic features, and she pauses in her exit. "Actually," she says. "I do have a date, Riley." She looks up at the castle and somehow knows that I've been watching her the entire time.

I suck in a deep breath, but don't move away from the window. Uh-oh. Busted.

I feel the blush creeping onto my cheeks, but hell if I can't help the grin that seems to have found its way on my face. I've got a date.

POV Faith

I'm standing in the long hallway, staring at the closed door in front of me. I self-consciously rub my hands together nervously and shake them out at my sides like a sprinter preparing for a race. Finally, checking my courage, I knock on the door. I'm so nervous about this date; I actually practiced my knock beforehand. I don't want it to sound too weak or timid, but don't want it comin' off all manly and aggressive, either.

The door instantly swings open and there she is. All blonde and tan and perfect. Do I kiss her? Hug her? Shake her hand?

Luckily she solves the dilemma for me when she wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me in for a long, gentle hug. I instinctively bury my face in her soft, blonde hair and breathe in deeply. For some reason our Slayer dreams are scentless, so I'm programming this moment into my brain and storing it for a rainy day.

Reluctantly I pull back from the soft embrace and award myself with a generous eyeful of my hot date. She's straightened her hair, styling it so a few strands hang diagonally across her unlined forehead. Her make-up is subtle and feminine – just like she is.

B's wearing the cutest little blue-checked sweater vest, over a crisp white button-up, with dark jeans. I don't know if she's trying to blend in with all the plaid and argyle around this joint, but it's wicked cute on her. She kinda looks like a teacher in this outfit, actually. But not in a bad way. I'm definitely hot for teacher right now, and my mind is racing with role-playing scenarios. Put it back in your pants, Lehane.

"You look fantastic, B," I gush like a prepubescent teen. Fuck, you'd think I'd never been a date before.

She gives me a slight leer, and I can feel her appreciate glance roam my body. Yea, I'm lookin' pretty hot myself, I know. "You're not so bad yourself, Slayer," she smiles. B links her arm with mine and we leave the castle, the Scoobies, and slaying behind.

She grins at me as we walk, giving me a sideways glance. "Is it selfish of me to be happy that your brush-in with Twilight got me back to Scotland?"

I shrug, enjoying the way our arms seem to fit together so well like this. "Dunno, B. Is it selfish to want to be happy?"

"I guess no one's dead yet," she quips, smiling. "So I'll stick with 'No.'"

We reach our destination – a small thatch-roofed building at the base of the long, twisting gravel lane that leads to the castle. I had wanted to do something extra special for our first date, but since she's here on such short notice, I had to settle for the local brewpub. I also wanted to impress her with the wicked new bike I had shipped from the States, but since it's a clear evening, she insisted we walk.

"What'll you 'ave, lovies?" drawls the matronly woman behind the bar.

Buffy furrows her eyebrows and looks at me questioningly. "Am I supposed to order a Guinness or something?" she whispers to me.

I bite my lip to stifle a laugh. "B," I tease her. "This isn't your first time to Scotland, ya know. You lived here."

She shrugs unabashedly, apparently not embarrassed by her lack of beer knowledge. "I was too busy defeating the forces of Evil, I guess. I didn't have time to go to the pub."

I smile and nod at the bartender. "We'll have two pints of whatever wee heavy you have on tap."

I'm kinda nervous; not gonna lie. I find myself drumming my fingers on the bar top. "So this Twilight business…." I start.

"Nope," she shakes her head, her blonde locks floating in the air a little. "No shop talk tonight. Don't you know it's rude to talk about work on the first date?"

I cock an eyebrow at her. "Guess I didn't get the memo, Twinkie. I just thought I wasn't supposed to talk about exes."

She scrunches up her face. "Oh. Well," she hesitates. "I guess I'm a little rusty. I haven't been on a real date since – "

I cut her off quickly, bumping my hip lightly into hers. "No exes, remember, B?"

She grins at me, that patented half-smile, and my stomach is instantly assaulted by mutant butterflies.

It's still pretty early in the night and the pub's not that crowded; but hell if I wanna spend all night makin' with the small talk. Time to get this date moving.

"As much as I'd love to get you drunk and take advantage of that tight little body of yours…" I allow my eyes to rove her slight curves and I grin when I see the blush creep onto her beautiful face. "We should probably get a table and eat some real food."

She nods and picks up her pint glass and begins to walk toward the dining hall. I can't help myself. I might have just put my hand in the small of her back. Fuck, she's sexy.

We settle down at our small table for two, and I give the menu a quick once over. "You're not gonna think I'm a guy if I order for us?" I ask, jokingly.

She grins at me from behind the paper menu. "Faith," she states, "You're a little too…soft for me to ever mistake you for a man."

Now it's my turn to blush the way she's ogling me. She saves me from my own embarrassment though. "Order away," she insists, waving a hand in the air. "I've been living off of pizza and Thai takeout the past few weeks, so everything looks amazing."

I give her a smile of my own, not quite pulling out the dimples to full-wattage. I'll save those for later. "Don't make me jealous," I groan playfully. "It's been far too long since I've had American pizza." Damn. I haven't felt this happy in…well…ever?

I look over the menu briefly, my eyes scanning the entrees. "Feeling adventurous?" I ask without looking up from our options.

She leans forward a little and drops her voice to little more than a murmur. "Ask me that question again later tonight."

I swallow hard and manage to smile, but it feels like my heart just leapt into my throat. She grins at my reaction. "Just no haggis, okay?" She grabs her pint glass and takes a long pull.

Our waitress comes over after a while, a small notepad in hand. "Are you ladies ready to order?"

"Uh, yeah. We're gonna start off with an order of Scotch woodcock," I say smoothly, feeling like a native. "Then I'll have the shepherd's pie and she's gonna have the stoved chicken with potato cakes on the side."

The server nods her head as if approving of my choices. "Anything else?"

I take a quick peak at our options. "For dessert we're gonna split some apple and bramble crumble."

The waitress flashes me a quick smile and looks the two of us over. I don't wanna venture what she's thinking right now. We must look quite the pair – B in her preppy outfit and me in my dark leathers. "I'll put your order in right away," she says. "The woodcock should be out shortly."

When our server waltzes away, Buffy's giving me the eyebrow. "Woodcock?"

I grin mischievously and cluck my tongue against the roof of my mouth. "Remember, B. Adventure."

POV FaithSuggested listening: "Unusual You" by Britney Spears

Didn't anyone tell you

you're supposed to break my heart

I expect you to

so why haven't you

"So. Do I have to wait until the third date…?"

We're standing outside her bedroom door and I don't know where to put my hands, so I settle for cramming them into the back pockets of my leather pants.

"I think we can overlook that one little rule this time," she smiles shyly, grabbing onto my elbow and leading me into her room.

The door closes and our mouths meet, tentatively, as if we haven't done this a hundred times before. It's like rediscovering her body even though I know it so well. But those were just Slayer dreams.

My mind briefly wanders, wondering if the PtB can see what we've been doing to each other in those dreams. Kinky. But I'm quickly jolted back to reality when I feel her tongue slide between my teeth and massage my tongue with her own.

This is not a dream. This is Heaven.

Our clothes are quickly abandoned, scattered across the floor like an odd patchwork quilt of cotton-blends and leather.

I gently guide her body down on the soft duvet comforter and allow my eyes to drink in her nakedness before taking a seat next to her reclined form. I run my right hand along the length of Buffy's naked body and she arches her back to meet my touch.

But my body is trembling and she notices.

"What's wrong, baby?" she asks, sitting up. Her gorgeous hazel-green eyes are filled with concern.

"I-I don't wanna mess this up, B," I admit to her softly.

She gives me a sympathetic smile. When it comes to ruining relationships, we're both guilty. Maybe that's why the idea of she and I together makes so much sense.

Her hand moves up to touch the side of my face and I close my eyes, unable to hold back the sigh that leaves my lips. Her fingers tangle in my unruly mane and she pulls me in for a searing kiss. I used to think of myself like my hair – wild, chaotic, unmanageable. But she's been able to turn this lion into a harmless kitten.

Her mouth is moving magically against mine. But as good as it feels, I need more. I need more of her touch. I need more of her body. I feel my confidence soar once again and I lay her back down on the bed. Her blonde hair fans out on the duvet, framing her angelic face like a golden halo. I don't want this night to ever end.

I hover above her body, holding myself up with my arms and toes like a frozen push-up. I lean down to capture her lips again in a gentle kiss, and she moans into my mouth when she feels my naked breasts brush against her own chest. I can feel her hard nipples pressing into my skin and I shiver. I lower myself just a little more, still not resting all of my weight on top of her, even though I know she can take it.

I grind my naked sex into hers and groan when I feel her arousal spread against me. She's always so fucking wet for me. I want to taste the source of her arousal, but I want to take my time tonight. I continue to slowly grind into her, moving my hips in small circles.

"Fuck, baby. That feels so good," she moans softly. She's rubbing the bottoms of her feet against my bare calves, opening herself up even more to me.

I wedge my right knee between her slender thighs and rest my own thigh tight against her sex. She closes her eyes and bites the bottom of her lip, groaning in the most delicious way. I love the noises she makes when we make love; she never holds back with me. I push up into her wet sex, pulling out more of those sighs and murmurs from her enticing mouth.

"Please," she whispers, her breath hot against my ear. "Touch me, Faith. I need you so much," she begs softly.

I reach between our bodies and slide my fingers through her shaved wetness. I can't help the moan that escapes my lips when I feel just how wet she is for me tonight. I want her to saturate my skin. I want to drown her in arousal. I slip through her silken folds and she pushes up against me, her pelvic bone roughly bumping against my own enflamed core. I drop my head down and bite where her neck meets her collarbone to keep from crying aloud. I want to leave my mark all over her body and show the world that she belongs to me.

She's whimpering and her hips are thrusting slightly to receive more friction against the movements of my hand. I can feel her arousal pooling on her inner thighs. I know she wants me to touch her clit, but I'm a selfish lover, and I want to feel more of her before I give in to her immediate needs.

"Inside," she pants, telling me what she wants. Her hands are clawing desperately against my naked body. "Inside me."

I bite my bottom lip and slowly slide my middle finger inside her wet core. Feeling her like this always makes me painfully aroused, like I've never experienced with any other lover. She's swallowing me whole and I don't mind at all.

I bury my finger deep inside her and cup her sex with the rest of my hand. From this position I can slowly thrust inside her and simultaneously rub her clit with my palm. Her wetness is clicking all around me, filling my ears with its rhythmic harmony.

She gasps sharply and grabs my ears unexpectedly, and pulls my face back down to capture my mouth in another desperate kiss. She thrusts her tongue inside my mouth. I know she's close. I can feel her tightening and pulsing hot around my single digit.

She wraps her thin legs around my lower body, and pulls frantically on my forearm, encouraging me to thrust harder and deeper inside her. Her moans are replaced by groans as I quicken my pace. She's breathing hard into my ear and telling me all the dirty things she wants to do to my body tonight. My body's overheating; I can feel the sweat trickling down my back as I push my body to its limits. I close my eyes and concentrate on her voice; I focus on pushing her over the edge.

And when I succeed, she looks up at me beneath those luscious, thick eyelashes with a small, post-orgasmic smile curled on her satisfied mouth. I slowly roll off of her sweaty form and onto my back for a breather; but she's quickly found her second wind, and I find myself covered in her body like a human blanket.

She stares down at me with those devastating hazel-green eyes. Her gaze is full of promises that I'm too scared to hope for.

Maybe this night won't ever end.

POV Faith

My back is pressed tight against the cold, stone wall in the short corridor. It might have something to do with the tight little blonde crushing into my front. She's grabbed onto my wrists and pinned them against my sides, the rough rock biting into my skin. Fuck if I care though. As long as her talented mouth doesn't stop what it's doing right now.

I hear a voice down the hallway. It's muffled, but definitely a voice. And I think it's saying my name. The blood is pounding so loudly in my ears I can't quite make it out though.

"Time to go inspire the troops, Fearless Leader," she breathes heavily into my ear, toying with my libido like it's a fuckin' yo-yo. I groan at her wickedness and mutter something about payback under my breath, just loud enough so I know she hears.

I've assembled all the squad leaders for this meeting. The head girls from Toyko, Rome, Brazil, Cleveland, some others I haven't had the chance to meet yet, and Kennedy from New York are seated around the table with the usual cast of characters. Willow even called on good old ghostly Wesley to represent the LA clan. Red, the Xandman, Giles, and Robin are seated close to the head of the table, which I guess is where I'm supposed to go. Fearless leader indeed.

There's only one seat open for poor B. Right next to Soldier Boy. I flash her a sympathetic smile as she sits down next to the lovesick puppy dog. I want her at the head of the table with me. Fuck this Chosen One business. We're the Chosen Two. Always have been, always will be. But I guess we can play musical chairs later.

I can tell everyone's looking expectantly at me, so I reluctantly tear my eyes away from Buffy's lips to address the group.

"So as you've all hopefully heard by now, I had a visit from our new friend Twilight. And just like he did with B last time, he didn't want to fight – just wanted to talk. Which is a good thing, because he's wicked strong from what I can tell." I crack my knuckles cause I don't know what else to do with my hands.

"He's proposed a grand battle," I continue to recant the story. "Our Champion versus his. I don't know who his 'Champion' could be, but he's got the U.S. military on his side plus who knows how many other baddies."

A few of the slay girls cough nervously and glance in the direction of Riley.

The chump holds up his hands in protest. "Hey, I don't know anything about a Champion; I've been incarcerated the past month."

Giles looks down the table at the others. "There's a good chance with the Initiative's background in demonology and their recent alliance with that boy Warren, we could be facing another Adam-type hybrid."

Now all eyes shift nervously to Red at the mention of the filet'ed nerd's name. God this group sucks big time. We all have far too much baggage to be the "Good Guys."

And then she speaks, breaking up the awkwardness that has blanketed the room: "I know no one's gonna be thrilled about this idea, but…" Buffy pauses, weighing her words carefully. "I think we could use the help of what remains of the Los Angeles team. I know we've had our disagreements in the past, but it's time we reconnect with them and make sure they're still on our side."

As she talks, I can see a little bit of that old flame starting to rekindle in her eyes. Yeah, my girl totally gets off on being a leader; and I don't mind, oddly. B in charge is hot as fuck. Hot for teacher.

"If Twilight is throwing around the word 'Champion,'" she continues, gaining a little steam, "we should really get in touch with Angel and the Powers that Be."

Wesley looks suddenly uneasy and stares down at his hands. "Buffy…" he clears his throat. "…about Angel…"

Blondie snaps her head around to look at the ghost-figure. "What's the problem now?" she asks, impatiently. "Don't tell me that he's suddenly gone all evil? How come I'm always the last one to know?" she whines a little.

"No, uh…not evil," Wes stammers. "He's – he's human."

Buffy's eyes go wide and I think I just swallowed my tongue. Mother fucker.

B's silent for a few moments, as if her brain needs some time to catch up with Wesley's revelation.

Finally, she speaks.

"Oh."

TBC