Faith got a sharp pinch in the side. "Ow! Be careful with those. I might drop you."
The pizza was cold when they got to the kitchen. Luckily, Scoobies were made of stern stuff (and cast iron stomachs). As everyone got comfortable at the table, Tara turned on the oven and warmed up the first two pizzas. She shoveled more into the oven in rotations as they ate.
Buffy watched as Tory talked up Willow and Tara and reached over and took Faith's hand. "Do you want to give up our bed and camp out in the living room, or make the witches take the couch?"
It was an easy answer. Faith hesitated, though. She really wanted Buffy and privacy. Duh. But this was about family. She was learning that. "Why don't we have a Scooby night? You know, like you and Red used to have? Movies, junk food, hair and nails." Faith almost choked on that last part. "Give Little T a chance to learn how real superheroes and their sidekicks live."
Smiling, Buffy pondered that thought. Tory must have been listening, though, because she turned her head quickly. "Can I give you pigtails, Aunt Faith? Mommy always lets me." She started with the guilt, and Buffy watched with amusement as Tory then shifted to The Face.
"Sorry, Little T. I don't do pigtails." As soon as Faith said that, she made a fatal mistake. She actually looked at Tory. Holy fuck. Her throat dried up. Her mind went mushy. And Faith swore she felt tears fill her eyes at just the thought she'd disappointed Tory. "Of course, you're a special case. Pigtails for one night won't kill me," Faith babbled.
Buffy kissed Faith's cheek. "You thought my puppy dog face was bad. I love you, Faith." Kissing her again, Buffy picked up another piece of pizza. "You do know you'll be getting pig tails, too, don't you?" She enjoyed the flash of fear on Faith's face.
Tory's quivering lip was gone. The little faker. Faith narrowed her eyes. "Careful, Little T. You overuse that, it won't work no more." She leaned in, letting her voice drop to a scary whisper. "And how will you get me to let you do things your mom said no to? Huh?" Then (because she didn't want Tory to get really scared), Faith kissed her cheek.
Buffy was about to call Faith on her statement, but Tara beat her to it. "Please, Faith, you are still falling for Buffy's puppy dog face. You're in deeper trouble with a younger version of it now."
Turning to her smiling daughter, Buffy said, "Hey, sweetie, why don't you go show
Aunt Willow your room while the rest of us clean up?
Tory was up like a shot, dragging Willow up the stairs.
Faith laughed at Willow's wide eyed look. Tory had one hell of a grip and she wasn't taking slow for an answer. They disappeared in seconds. "So, T. You think the gang's going to be OK with the news?" Faith didn't specify which news. She could take her pick with the biggies.
Tara gave her familiar half-smile. "There might be a few more tears and squeals." She probably meant Dawn. "But they love Buffy. And you," she tacked on. She was nice that way. "And Tory will steal their hearts in no time."
Buffy had to smile watching Faith and Tara. She thought Tara was one of the reasons Faith had changed so much. "Tara, I know Will has a thing for romantic novels, but did she pick up 'Forever Love' by Elizabeth Winters?" It was hard to keep a straight face while looking at Faith trying to do the same. Buffy hated to toot her own horn, but she wanted to see the look on Willow's face.
Looking back and forth between Faith and Buffy, Tara tried to figure out what was going on. "Yes, she actually wore out her first copy because she read it so much. Why?"
"Buffy Summers is Elizabeth Winters." It was Buffy before Tara disappeared up the stairs. "In about ten seconds, I'm about to be attacked by a redhead."
Faith laughed as Tara trotted up the stairs. "She looks real upset about that, don't she, B?" She got a peck on the cheek for her comment. "So, Red's gonna be OK with us. The rest of the gang can work out their issues long distance." She slowly raised her eyes to Buffy. "Fang's got a hell of job with my name on it. We got a house in mind." And Faith didn't have a ring. All she had was herself. It would have to do. Dropping to one knee, she said. "I love you, Buffy Summers. Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Buffy pulled Faith to her feet. "Yes, Faith, I will marry you." Kissing Faith deeply, she only dimly heard someone thunder down the steps. It had to be Willow. Buffy jumped into Faith's arms in the hopes of finding safety. "Hi, Will, is there something you need?"
"You are Elizabeth Winters! I'm best friends with my new favorite romance writer," she babbled before staring at them with her mouth open.
"Uh-huh." Buffy's smile widened. She'd finally made Willow speechless.
"Fuck, Red. B's a superhero. She's saved the world what? A dozen times? And now you lose your voice?" Faith snorted. "That's sad." No way was she going to tell Willow she'd had a similar reaction.
Tara came back down the stairs holding Tory's hand, and it looked natural. "Um, Buffy, someone is eager to get this slumber party started. I won't say who."
"Really? Faith seems fine to me." Buffy winked and got a kiss from Faith. "So, sweetie, which two people do you want to help you?" Whoever Tory didn't pick could check out the videos.
"Aunt Tara and Faith. You and Aunt Willow can line up the 'toons," Tory said, holding out her other hand as Faith put Buffy on the floor.
"So what do I gotta do, Little T?" Faith bounced on my toes. "I ain't been to a slumber party before."
Tory patted Faith's hand gently. "I'm sorry about that, Aunt Faith. I promise to invite you to all my parties." Two arms wrapped around her in a flash then she moved away, all smiles. "We need lots of food." A small finger pointed in Faith's way. "Nothing healthy. Chocolate, chips, candy. And drinks." That she directed at Tara.
Buffy took Willow's hand and headed for the hall closet. They needed blankets and pillows. "What do you think of my little girl?" She piled a few comforters in Willow's arms before grabbing the rest along with a few body pillows.
"She is so much like you while still being her own person. I can't wait watch her grow up," Willow said as they headed for the living room to make the big nest.
It took two trips for all the goodies. Tara then got the pleasure of going upstairs for the hair supplies and nail polishes. Faith grimaced and flopped down onto the couch just as Buffy and Willow came back with the bedding. "Well, I may look like a freak, but my comfort is a bonus." She helped spread the nests onto the floor. "Your kid's got the whole General B thing down pat. Better get hopping on the movies or she just might make you do pushups or something."
Buffy looked at Willow. "Oh, yeah, Faith is going first. Tory can do her hair while you and I paint her fingernails two different colors. We need to show Faith how special a slumber party can be," she said, laughing at the face Faith was making made as she walked over to the DVD shelf.
"What do you think, Buffy? Let Tory pick the colors?" Willow giggled.
"That sounds perfect."
Faith was so screwed. She knew it, and she didn't care. In fact, Faith was fighting off some very un-cool giggles of her own. Her face actually hurt from grinning. Man, this was a blast. "Come on," she pleaded, forcing her voice not to shake with laughter. "You gotta help me. I ain't up to freaky colored nails and some freaky hairdo. Can't I just be the waiter or something? I can carry drinks with the best of them."
Buffy sat down in Faith's lap. "Sweetie, we all know you are the tough girl but you wouldn't want to disappoint Tory by making demands on what you do and don't want to do." Pulling out all the stops, Buffy gave Faith the grown up version of Tory's puppy dog face.
"B…" It came out in a very undignified whine. Buffy's lip stuck out more. Fuck. Faith closed her eyes. It didn't help. She could actually feel the look. "Buffy…"
Keeping her face in the dreaded position, Buffy bet there were tears in Faith's eyes now.
"OK," Faith whispered. "Just please…please stop with the look."
Buffy gave in. Letting her grin peak out, she gave Faith a deep kiss and ran her fingers through Faith's hair.
"Buffy, um..." she heard Willow say behind her.
"They have been doing that since Faith showed up, Aunt Willow. It's normal now," Tory said, giggling as she ended the kiss.
"Hey, sweetie, Faith wants her hair done first," Buffy announced, standing up and wandering over to put the first movie in.
Tory moved to get Faith settled. She hopped onto the couch behind Faith, and Faith tentatively leaned her head onto Tory's legs. Tory grinned down at her. "I promise not to hurt you, Aunt Faith." Faith didn't tell her there were many different kinds of pain. "I just want you to have fun and look good."
"Wicked. Do your best, T," Faith dared her. Swallowing nervously, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of the tiny fingers combing out her hair. Huh. It felt fucking awesome. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as she thought.
Willow and Buffy flanked Faith, and Buffy handed Tory a couple colors of nail polish and then pressed play on the remote. "You know, Tory, Tara used to braid my hair. If you aks politely, I'm sure she'd do yours, too."
Tory had the early stages of pigtails done on Faith's hair. "Cool, Mom. If Tara does my hair, you and Aunt Willow can do my nails like Aunt Faith's." She was showing all the hallmarks of hero worship for Faith.
"You got good taste, Little T. I was always trying to tell your mom she needed to be more like me. Too bad she didn't listen." Faith wiggled a little against Tory. All the pulling and tugging on her head was giving her a headache. "Bout done? I'd like to get some grub before the pigs eat it all."
Buffy watched as Tory tied off the ribbons before kissing Faith's cheek. "You're all done," Tory announced.
"My turn!" Buffy shouted. While Tara put Tory in her lap, Buffy grabbed one of the polishes Tory had chosen and she and Willow started on Faith's. "This is like old times, Will. When we're finished here, you can do my hair while I do yours." Remembering Faith's comment about never attending a slumber party, she turned to her. "Faith, do you want to braid Tara's hair or let Tory do it?" Buffy was fairly certain she'd want Tory to do it, but this way Faith wouldn't feel left out.
If they all hadn't been looking at her, expecting her to bow out, Faith would have let Tory do it. But this was a dare, pure and simple. "Have a seat, T. I can't wait to make you as sexy as me." She grinned evilly. Fuck, she knew she looked like a moron. Faith could see the pigtails out of the corners of her eyes. All lopsided and shit. And the nails…Green on the left hand, purple on the right. Her right foot was pink. The other…let's just say that shade of blue wasn't natural.
Once they had made Tory a mini-Faith, Tara sat down in front of Faith and Buffy parked herself in front of Willow. Like always, Tory painted all twenty nails different colors, and when Willow and Buffy switched places, she did the same to Buffy's nails.
It took all three of them, though, to do Tara's nails.
"Now that we all look like sorority rejects, what do you say we concentrate on the first 'Ice Age'?" Buffy asked.
Tory clapped her hands and climbed onto Faith's lap. "Having fun, Aunt Faith?" she whispered in Faith's ear.
Faith nodded. "You bet, Little T. I ain't looked this hot since…well, I can't remember." She hugged Tory with near-Slayer strength. "Thanks for inviting me. If I'da known what I was missing, I never would have let your Mom and Red have these without me."
"Yeah, Tory instead. Since Faith wasn't around, we had them with your Uncle Xander. He isn't as beautiful as she is, but he did look cute all dolled up." Buffy tapped Willow's arm and started laughing at the amount of times he had allowed them to put makeup on him.
Xander in drag. Faith shivered. That was just a little upsetting. She shook off that image and grinned at Tory. "You know, I bet when you meet him, he'll let you give it a try. All you have to do is ask your Aunt Anya about it. She'd love it if her Xander dressed up."
Tory giggled. "You guys are funny. Who knew adults liked the same thing as kids?"
"That's because we are kids, Little T," Faith confessed. Then the movie started and she lost Tory's attention. Oh, well. The little girl felt good in her arms. She hunkered down for some cartoon-y goodness, but…Faith couldn't focus. First she watched Buffy giggling with Willow and Tara. Then she watched Tory and her smile. Damn. Life was good. Leaning her head back on the edge of the couch, Faith finally got comfortable.
Buffy felt Faith's utter joy through their Slayer bond as she put her arm around Faith to pull bring her girls closer. She smiled wider, seeing the way Tory had burrowed into Faith's chest. Somebody (like Faith) was going to discover the joy of being Tory's bed. Although, knowing her daughter, Tory would probably be laid across all four of them.
The movie was cute. Faith laughed with Tory, enjoying her giggles even more than some of the lame jokes. By the end, though, Tory was like a big sack of potatoes with tentacles. Snores rumbled through Faith's chest and Tory's breath tickled her throat. She looked at Buffy with a silent request for help.
Buffy saw Faith wanted help so she removed Tory's arms from around her and rolled Tory on top of her. Sliding down to the floor, Buffy got closer to the nest of blankets; the sleepies were catching up to her. Luckily, Tory had a play date in the morning. She could spend the day with her friends, leaving the adults to discuss things as a group.
Faith climbed to her feet and got rid of all the party trash and leftovers. A quick check of the house, and she was back for bedtime. She smiled. Buffy and Tory were already asleep. Willow and Tara were cuddled close by, talking softly. Winking at Tara, she snuggled under the blankets with her two Summers. Perfect. Warm, safe, and hers.