Disclaimer: See 1st chapter.

A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Where's Willow?

A week went by without much incident, and Buffy was glad for it. Faith was in good health again, their relationship was coasting along perfectly, and everyone seemed to be used to having her around now. Even with the threat of the Hellmouth opening looming over her head, she couldn't be too miffed about how her life was going. There would always be danger in the world, that's how just it was. But as long as she had people around her to fight it with, she was good.

But—yes there was a but unfortunately—Willow was acting a little strange.

Not glowering at Faith and making with the scowly forehead, but she acted like she had a secret. She hurriedly closed books when someone walked into the room, or was often heard muttering to herself. Maybe she was just going through something or trying to make super weapons for the up coming battle, whatever it was un-nerved the pretty Slayer though. Willow was usually the rock, not the one slowly coming undone.

As for the Hellmouth, well just yesterday there had been a minor earthquake and they all knew what that meant. The signs were all coming together. More demons slinking around, people acting weird and antsy, and not to mention that all around feeling of something bad is gonna happen that drifted throughout the air.

Still she tried to tell herself that it was just the Hellmouth beastie. She'd fought worse throughout the years. Glory had been way worst than that thing, and totally more buckets of crazy. Yet she'd defeated her and lived to fight another day. And this time she was ready, not all, caught off guardy or whatever.

So why then, when she wasn't letting things get to her, did she have this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach?

Frowning, she shook those thoughts away put her hands in her lap, chuckling at the sight of Dawn falling over as she tried to learn the moves Faith was teaching her. It was so nice to see her sister and her girlfriend getting along. To see Dawn actually wanting to hang out with her and stuff. Considering how annoying Dawn had been before she found out she was the Key, she hadn't expected the warm reception. But maybe her sister was growing up.

"Hey Buff? What cha doin'?" Xander inquired, as he existed through the kitchen, coming out onto the back porch where she was.

"Just thinking." She replied slowly. "About stuff."

He nodded and sat down beside her. "Stuff is good. I like stuff. And things…pretty fond of things."

She chuckled, tucking hair behind her ear. "I guess I'm still marvelin' at the sister monster and how well she's getting along with Faith. I'm kinda proud of her."

"Well Faith is of the sane variety now. It's not hard to be her friend." He said honestly. "Nothing kills a friendship faster than attempted murder."

Snorting, she bumped his shoulder. "Have you seen Willow today?"

"Nope. She's been kinda AWOL. I figured her and Tara are cuddlin' up or somethin'." He grinned widely. "I'm surrounded by lesbians. It's like I wrote to Playboy and my wish came true."

"Don't let Anya hear you say that. How is the wedding planning going by the way?"

"She's like a rabid little mouse with bridal magazines. She wants to invite her demons friends. I'm going out of my mind…plus she won't let me do anything. I might have ideas."

"I think you're the first guy who actually wants to help with the wedding."

"I didn't say I wanted to help. I just…wanna pick out some napkins or somethin'."

"Have you set a date?"

"We're gonna see how this Hellmouth stuff goes down. And if we don't die, then set one."

"I've got a feeling it's gonna happen tomorrow night. Things are just too tense."

"Well we're as ready as we're ever gonna be. Maybe it won't be so bad. Or course the last time you guys fought this thing I was…"

"Yeah, let's have that train of thought be totally derailed. I love you but the thought of you and my girlfriend together makes me get sudden blindness."

"Heh, well if it's any conciliation, I don't remember a thing."

"Uh huh. You remember everything."

"Okay I do." Pause. "Ow! What was that for?"

Buffy grinned at him after punching him in the arm. "I also get sudden punchy."

He snorted, but returned the grin. "Things between you and her going good?"

She nodded, her smile widening. "Is it weird? Sometimes I think it's weird and other things, I dunno, it feels so right."

He arched a brow. "You're askin' me if it's weird? I'm engaged to an ex vengeance demon, I think human on human relationships are weird."

Chuckling, she turned her attention back to Faith and her sister. At the time she hadn't been too keen on the idea of unexpectedly having a sister, but if it hadn't been for those monks making her into a girl, and then Glory trying to steal her away, she never would have ended up in Alter Sunnydale to meet stable Faith. She never would have discovered her Faith could be just as…non-stabby. Though she knew she should have took the blinders off long ago and been able to tell how much pain Faith was in to make her do what she did.

How she could have just gave up on her the way she did, she'll never truly know. She didn't wanna be all dwelly on the past but she didn't wanna just forget it either. Apart of her was somewhat terrified of repeating the mistakes she'd made back then. But it took two to have a superhuman death match on a roof, and she was proof positive that Faith did not wanna go there again. Not even for fun.

It felt comfortable knowing that the other Slayer had her back in whatever popped up. However now she had to be all worry wart when it came to her health. Performing a job where fists and weapons were constantly flying at your face was enough to get anyone not insured. She knew Faith was strong and could handle herself, but the worrying came with the territory. Just like it had with Angel and especially Riley since he'd been only human.

Of course she'd never try to let on—the brunette would just snort and blow it off anyway.

Yet for all of their progress, she wondered just how much of the real Faith was she getting? Her walls weren't as thick as they were usually, but they were still there. She still internalized certain issues rather than talking about them. But maybe that was just her way of dealing. After all, Buffy knew there were things she'd never understand about Faith.

She'd never understand the guilt she had to carry around about killing another human being.

She'd never understand the darkness in her soul that she fought against.

She'd never understand how it felt to grow up without anyone in her corner.

And of course she would never understand what it was like to be trapped in her own skin while hating it so much.

So she vowed to try extra hard to get the things she did comprehend. Even if they were totally trivial. It was the thought that counted after all.


When Faith fought, she would grunt sometimes from exertion. Or maybe just because she liked to grunt while stabbing things. However Buffy discovered that when they were in bed together, when she was kissing along her perfect breasts and caressing her perfect nipples, she'd release a series of breathy moans that totally betrayed the bad ass persona she portrayed. When she wasn't in control, she would totally give herself over to the other person and had confidence in them satisfying her. Though the blonde had a feeling it wasn't true of all of her partners, just the ones she trusted.

Still it was a beautiful sight to behold, Faith writhing on the bed and whispering her name in a voice that she didn't know she could possess. So soft and gentle, yearning in the sweetest way possible. And she'd clutch at her with slender fingers that left moderate bruises, as if trying to find an anchor in the storm of pleasure that she was feeling. It was like in those moments she was totally free, focusing on nothing but her own passion and how to make it last for as long as it could.

She looked breathtaking.

Buffy had to admit that she was proud of herself when it came to sex with Faith. She'd been sorta fumbly the first time she'd been in control, but it really was like riding a bike. It didn't take her long to discover the spots on her lover that made her whimper or moan loudly. Or to find out that she didn't have to hold anything back because Faith could take it all and then some.

She never tried to pull away and say it was too much, even if deep down she was about to go insane from sensation overload. Even if she was glistening with sweat with the sheets sticking to her body, and her muscles were turning into Jell-O pudding. She would just keep going, riding wave after wave of bliss. There was a better chance of the bed breaking than her.

But the best thing that Buffy found out when it came to Faith was that she loved the taste of her. All of her. In the back of her mind she'd worried that she wouldn't like it, but that hadn't been the case. Far from it actually. It was maybe weird to say but after one hit she was hooked.

Seeing Faith in a state of arousal was enough to make a paralyzed man walk again. She was able to contort her body into interesting positions, some quite raunchy if the mood called for it. Her back would arch and her hips would thrust, making her breasts jiggle with the effort. She'd grab at the sheets with one hand while wrapping the other in the blonde's hair, sometimes pulling her head back to the place where she needed it most. She would get so wet and her skin would get so hot, their connection flaring up like a volcano and rattling their bones. And when she came she'd curse like a sailor or her speech would dissolve into unintelligent whimpers that would bounce off the walls.

"You look happy."

Buffy snapped out of her thoughts, her cheeks pink. "Just thinkin' about what we just did and how amazing it was."

Faith smirked, stretching out her limbs. "Mmm. I feel…used. I like it."

"Good. I like using you."

"So I'm your new fav toy, huh?"

"Yup. How's your warranty by the way?"

"Life time guarantee. Quick fix it time too."

"Great. So I can break you a lot and not have to worry. Yay me."

"You should know though, I play rough with my toys too."

"Oh I know. I have the bruises to prove it. Or I would if they didn't heal all quick and stuff."

"Are we really havin' this conversation?"

"I think so. We're fun like that."

"Uh huh. So you stayin' over?"

Buffy tilted her head to the side, idling dragging her fingers up and down Faith's spine. "I might. I don't wanna leave Dawn home by herself all night, so if Will and Tara get back anytime soon I will."

The brunette nodded, her gaze on the wall. "Sounds good to me."

"What cha thinking?" The blonde inquired, noticing she had pensive face.

"About Angel. I need to give him a call or somethin', but I dunno what to say." She grumbled. "I just feel like I should call cause—cause he's my boy. Maybe when all of this Hellmouth shit is over, I'll go visit him."

"I'm sure he'd like that." Buffy replied. "I'd go with you but, I'm probably the last person he wants to see right now."

"I dunno. Fightin' and makin' up. Ain't that what you guys do?" Faith asked, rather amused. "I bet if you told him you needed him he'd come."

"Yeah but, this is different. When he found out about Riley and me, he was upset but it was expected I guess. And he didn't care about Riley, not the way he cares about you."

"In that case he'll be pissed at me. Not you."

"No. He thinks you deserve to be happy."

"But with the love of his life?"

"Faith…" Buffy sighed, wetting her lips. "I know you had front row seats to the Buffy and Angel show once upon a time, but it's different now. We discovered that things would never really work between us. We couldn't give each other what we really needed."

Pause. "You mean screwin'?"

"Well…that's part of it. We walk in two different worlds that just happen to clash sometimes. I never admitted it but sometimes I'd think about our future. How I'd just get older and older, and he'd always remain the same. He would have stayed with me but…well…it wouldn't have been fair to either of us." She explained softly. "But seventeen year old me didn't wanna hear that or believe in it. Seventeen year old me didn't wanna believe in a lot of stuff."

"Yeah…" The other girl said. "Well if ya wanna tag along I'd be glad to have ya. If I go that is."

"I should go. Apologize or whatever." Buffy mumbled as her brows knitted together. "Eh we'll see what happens."

"That seems to be the quote of the day." The brunette related.

"Well…it's all we can do really. Wait and see what happens. And hope it's in our favor."


Willow stepped over a broken desk and made a face, scrunching her nose up at the smell. Her fiat lux spell was working perfectly, lighting the way throughout the ruined school. Being inside alone gave her the heebie jeebies, but she had a job to do. Well no—not so much a job as an idea that she wanted to try out before anyone else was around. Just a little spell that she was sure gonna tip the scales in their favor.

Of course she couldn't tell anyone about it. Not even Tara. Everyone was suddenly seeing magic as a bad thing, when it had totally helped them heaps in the past. Like—like with the calling on the first Slayer or re-souling Angel. But noo…now it was all "that could be dangerous" or "we should heed Faith's dream."

Well pfft to her dream. It didn't make sense for everyone to just take her at face value. Even Xander seemed to be forgetting everything that she did back when they were teenagers. Sure she may be all repenty now or whatever, but they were forgetting the fact that they were her friends. They should be on her side, supporting her, knowing that she was capable of performing one silly little spell.

But okay, they didn't want her doing anything to keep the Hellmouth closed then she wouldn't do anything. However no one said a word about doing something to make it smaller! Cause if like the second time they fought it and the creature was bigger, it made sense for it to be even more so this time. It might engulf the entire school and there was no way they could take on something so massive. So she was just gonna small it up and no one would even be the wiser.

Making her way down the rusty hall and towards the library, she slowly walked up to the edge and peered down into the large gaping hole. She dug into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out a small vial of green liquid. She had been researching for days to make sure that her potion was perfect; that the ingredients she added would do their job. After testing it on a potted plant and watching it not only shrink, but barely be able to hold its own leaves up, she knew things were even stevens.

"Here goes nothing." Tossing it into the abyss, she wet her lips and closed her eyes to concentrate. "Hear my call to let the mighty fall. Drained of strength and stature tall. Vegrandis ut magnus."

A bright green light flashed and for a moment, she was blinded. However when it was over, everything remained the same and she grinned. "See? Things are totally fine." Proud of herself, she turned and headed for the exit.