Author: Shannon (lusty_wrong_feelings@yahoo.com.au)
Title: Morning Has Broken
Summary: Everyone is happily living in the Summers' house until a reformed
Faith gets released from jail, and falls in love with the most unexpected
person imaginable.
Pairing: Buffy/Willow, Faith/Other, a bit of Xander/Anya
Rating: Shouldn't get any higher than PG-13
Notes: This is kind of a second revision.... I got some help on how to
actually write well, and, well, I took the advice :) I hope you think it's
better.
***
Everything was hustle and bustle in the Summers' home. It was 8:30 in the morning, and Willow was rushing Dawn to school.
"Will, how come I have to go to school, and Buffy gets to sleep?" Willow could tell that Dawn was in a semi-bad mood, as if she'd woken her up from an exciting dream involving Joshua Jackson.
"Your sister's still asleep?" Dawn nodded emphatically.
Willow dropped the cheese sandwich that she was making for Dawn's lunch, and started up the stairs. "Buffy!"
***
Xander had slept in, and was now running late for work. As he shrugged a light green shirt on, he rushed past Dawn and ruffled her hair.
"Dawnie, where's Will?" He watched Dawn as she was carefully finish making the sandwich for her lunch that Willow had dropped, and waited for her answer.
"Upstairs, with Buffy." Xander grinned, as happy thoughts filled his head.
"You think I still have a little time to go and, uh, join in on the action?" He waited for Dawn to roll her eyes, and then winced as she punched his arm. Ever since Buffy and Willow had come out to the gang, he'd had made nothing but dirty comments, and everytime he did, he got punched. You'd think he'd learn.
"She's waking her up, 'cause Buffy slept in." Xander sighed, in mock disappointment, then snapped his fingers. "Dammit, I really wanted me some of that Buffy and Willow action." He squirmed away from Dawn and towards the door before she could hit him again. "Buffy, Willow, I'm leaving! You want me to run Dawn to school?"
***
Xander's voice floated up the stairs, and into Buffy's room, where Buffy and Willow were involved in their special waking up ritual -- making out. His voice jolted Willow, and she pulled away from Buffy, ignoring her wailing protest, and yelled back down the stairs.
"No thanks Xan, Buffy has to go anyway!" Willow heard the door shut, and turned back to her blonde girlfriend.
"Buffy, you really need to get ready for work." Buffy lips curved into a well-practised pout.
"What if I'm sick?" Willow smiled, she knew this trick. It held some kind of strength over her, but when it was Dawn's education, and Buffy's job at risk -- she really couldn't let it control her. No matter how sexy it was.
"Sweetie, if you're sick, you get to spend the whole day in bed -- without me there with you." The redhead pulled her girlfriend out of bed, and pushed her towards the closet.
"Come on, sleepyhead, get dressed. Your sister's going to be late, and so are you."
***
"Buffy, do you think you could drive a bit faster?" Dawn cast a worried glance in the direction of her older sister, who was currently driving at the pace of an old woman with a walking cane.
"Dawn, the first thing you need to learn about driving, is..." Dawn saw her sister look at the clock, which was nearing 9am.
"To drive as fast as you possibly can in order to get to where you want to go in time."
Dawn was thrown back into her seat, as the car sped up, and raced through the streets of Sunnydale. Dawn sat back in her seat, gripped her seatbelt, and started mumbling under her breath.
"This is exactly why Mom would never let you drive." She earned a glare from her sister, which was returned with a sweet smile.
***
Faith's head snapped up, when the bars of the cold cell in Los Angeles Jail were moved open, and two heavy-set police officers stepped inside. She knew these guys, not the msot friendly, but then, who was friendly in jail?
Her eyes drifted down to their belts, which were both complete with guns, clubs and cuffs. She felt the first one, Sergeant Wilks was his name, stare at her, while the second, known as Sergeant Biggs, stood with his arms crossed at the cell entrance.
"Faith."
At the sound of her name, she hung her head again. The pain and guilt had still not disappeared completely, she didn't think it ever would.
She heard the scuffle of shoes, as Sgt. Wilks began pacing.
"For almost 3 years you've sat in this room, solitary. Not causing one ounce of harm -- which, I might add, is completely contradicting your track record."
She moved her head back up to look him in the eye, thoughts still tumbling aroundin her head.
"But never mind all that. Today is your day. We're releasing you for good behaviour."
He didn't-- No, he did. He really just said that. Faith was almost overcome with joy -- almost. The sergeant continued as she tried to process what he'd just said.
"Against my judgment, but well, I don't make the desicions. I just administer them."
She saw him step aside, and his partner move towards her. But this time, there were no handcuffs. She walked through the hallway of cells, and out into the main office. After signing release forms and leaving the jail, the reformed rogue slayer looked at the bright sun, and walked towards the bus station. She had no money on her person, but the officers knew of her situation, and gave her a bus ticket back to the one place she could call home -- Sunnydale.
***
"Thankyou for shopping at the Magic Box. Please come again." Willow smiled at the most recent customer of Sunnydale's one and only magic shop. Once the customer left the shop, however, her eager grin turned into an expression of exhaustion.
"Giles, I swear to god, if I see one more happy person I'm gonna kill myself." She looked to Giles, and he just smiled. Before Willow could wonder what he was possibly smiling at, the door swung open, with the cheer of Buffy and Dawn entering.
"Hey Giles! Hey Will!" Willow grinned excitedly at her girlfriends voice, and moved towards her.
"Hey, baby." Willow felt Buffy's hands wander to her hips, and she leaned in for another ritual -- the after-work kiss. She smiled into the kiss, she knew Giles was about to take his glasses off, and begin to clean them. She knew he knew this part, too.
Willow parted reluctantly from Buffy's mouth when she heard Dawn clear her throat and speak.
"Ahem, minor here." She raised her hand slightly, and walked over to sit at the table, dropping her schoolbag beside her. Willow grinned as she saw Giles replace his glasses, and clear his throat to speak.
"Willow, I do wonder what happened to 'Giles, I swear to god, if I see one more happy person'--" He was cut off by a punch on his arm from Anya, who had emerged from the back room.
"Giles, Buffy is Willow's girlfriend, and is kissing her. That cancels out any previous unhappy statements." She nodded happily, and Giles rolled his eyes and moved behind the front counter.
The bell above the door rang, and the sound of Xander's voice filled the shop. "Hello, my lovely ladies!" Willow tossed a glance in the general direction of Giles, waiting for Xander's amendment.
"And my, uh--"
"That would be fine, Xander. I don't think I need to be your 'lovely man'."
Willow rolled her eyes as Anya bounced up to Xander and wrapped her arms around his neck. Just because she and Buffy did it every 5 seconds, did not mean she had to stop thinking of Anya as sex-starved.
"Hey, sugar." Xander said, before moving his head down to connect Anya's lips with his own, and the room was filled with squeaks of Giles' cleaning habits, and Willow giggled at Dawn's next smart comment.
"Giles, d'ya think you might wreck your glasses one day?" Giles looked a bit flustered, as he stuttered and pointed at the two couples.
"Yes, well... it's all their fault!"
Willow's brow furrowed, however, when the phone rang. Sure, it was the only Magic Shop in town, but the phone rarely rang. She listened intently to Giles' end of the conversation.
"Hello? Yes it is, may I help you? Oh, I see... Yes, yes, thankyou. Goodbye."
From the tone in his voice, she could tell it wasn't exactly good news. Her thoughts were confirmed when he sighed, and turned to the group, who were waiting with expectant eyes.
"Faith was released from prison and is on her way here. Good behaviour. They notified us here, because they knew we, uh, knew her."
Willow's, and everyone elses eyes turned to Buffy, a puzzled look on her face.
"Oh."
***
Everything was hustle and bustle in the Summers' home. It was 8:30 in the morning, and Willow was rushing Dawn to school.
"Will, how come I have to go to school, and Buffy gets to sleep?" Willow could tell that Dawn was in a semi-bad mood, as if she'd woken her up from an exciting dream involving Joshua Jackson.
"Your sister's still asleep?" Dawn nodded emphatically.
Willow dropped the cheese sandwich that she was making for Dawn's lunch, and started up the stairs. "Buffy!"
***
Xander had slept in, and was now running late for work. As he shrugged a light green shirt on, he rushed past Dawn and ruffled her hair.
"Dawnie, where's Will?" He watched Dawn as she was carefully finish making the sandwich for her lunch that Willow had dropped, and waited for her answer.
"Upstairs, with Buffy." Xander grinned, as happy thoughts filled his head.
"You think I still have a little time to go and, uh, join in on the action?" He waited for Dawn to roll her eyes, and then winced as she punched his arm. Ever since Buffy and Willow had come out to the gang, he'd had made nothing but dirty comments, and everytime he did, he got punched. You'd think he'd learn.
"She's waking her up, 'cause Buffy slept in." Xander sighed, in mock disappointment, then snapped his fingers. "Dammit, I really wanted me some of that Buffy and Willow action." He squirmed away from Dawn and towards the door before she could hit him again. "Buffy, Willow, I'm leaving! You want me to run Dawn to school?"
***
Xander's voice floated up the stairs, and into Buffy's room, where Buffy and Willow were involved in their special waking up ritual -- making out. His voice jolted Willow, and she pulled away from Buffy, ignoring her wailing protest, and yelled back down the stairs.
"No thanks Xan, Buffy has to go anyway!" Willow heard the door shut, and turned back to her blonde girlfriend.
"Buffy, you really need to get ready for work." Buffy lips curved into a well-practised pout.
"What if I'm sick?" Willow smiled, she knew this trick. It held some kind of strength over her, but when it was Dawn's education, and Buffy's job at risk -- she really couldn't let it control her. No matter how sexy it was.
"Sweetie, if you're sick, you get to spend the whole day in bed -- without me there with you." The redhead pulled her girlfriend out of bed, and pushed her towards the closet.
"Come on, sleepyhead, get dressed. Your sister's going to be late, and so are you."
***
"Buffy, do you think you could drive a bit faster?" Dawn cast a worried glance in the direction of her older sister, who was currently driving at the pace of an old woman with a walking cane.
"Dawn, the first thing you need to learn about driving, is..." Dawn saw her sister look at the clock, which was nearing 9am.
"To drive as fast as you possibly can in order to get to where you want to go in time."
Dawn was thrown back into her seat, as the car sped up, and raced through the streets of Sunnydale. Dawn sat back in her seat, gripped her seatbelt, and started mumbling under her breath.
"This is exactly why Mom would never let you drive." She earned a glare from her sister, which was returned with a sweet smile.
***
Faith's head snapped up, when the bars of the cold cell in Los Angeles Jail were moved open, and two heavy-set police officers stepped inside. She knew these guys, not the msot friendly, but then, who was friendly in jail?
Her eyes drifted down to their belts, which were both complete with guns, clubs and cuffs. She felt the first one, Sergeant Wilks was his name, stare at her, while the second, known as Sergeant Biggs, stood with his arms crossed at the cell entrance.
"Faith."
At the sound of her name, she hung her head again. The pain and guilt had still not disappeared completely, she didn't think it ever would.
She heard the scuffle of shoes, as Sgt. Wilks began pacing.
"For almost 3 years you've sat in this room, solitary. Not causing one ounce of harm -- which, I might add, is completely contradicting your track record."
She moved her head back up to look him in the eye, thoughts still tumbling aroundin her head.
"But never mind all that. Today is your day. We're releasing you for good behaviour."
He didn't-- No, he did. He really just said that. Faith was almost overcome with joy -- almost. The sergeant continued as she tried to process what he'd just said.
"Against my judgment, but well, I don't make the desicions. I just administer them."
She saw him step aside, and his partner move towards her. But this time, there were no handcuffs. She walked through the hallway of cells, and out into the main office. After signing release forms and leaving the jail, the reformed rogue slayer looked at the bright sun, and walked towards the bus station. She had no money on her person, but the officers knew of her situation, and gave her a bus ticket back to the one place she could call home -- Sunnydale.
***
"Thankyou for shopping at the Magic Box. Please come again." Willow smiled at the most recent customer of Sunnydale's one and only magic shop. Once the customer left the shop, however, her eager grin turned into an expression of exhaustion.
"Giles, I swear to god, if I see one more happy person I'm gonna kill myself." She looked to Giles, and he just smiled. Before Willow could wonder what he was possibly smiling at, the door swung open, with the cheer of Buffy and Dawn entering.
"Hey Giles! Hey Will!" Willow grinned excitedly at her girlfriends voice, and moved towards her.
"Hey, baby." Willow felt Buffy's hands wander to her hips, and she leaned in for another ritual -- the after-work kiss. She smiled into the kiss, she knew Giles was about to take his glasses off, and begin to clean them. She knew he knew this part, too.
Willow parted reluctantly from Buffy's mouth when she heard Dawn clear her throat and speak.
"Ahem, minor here." She raised her hand slightly, and walked over to sit at the table, dropping her schoolbag beside her. Willow grinned as she saw Giles replace his glasses, and clear his throat to speak.
"Willow, I do wonder what happened to 'Giles, I swear to god, if I see one more happy person'--" He was cut off by a punch on his arm from Anya, who had emerged from the back room.
"Giles, Buffy is Willow's girlfriend, and is kissing her. That cancels out any previous unhappy statements." She nodded happily, and Giles rolled his eyes and moved behind the front counter.
The bell above the door rang, and the sound of Xander's voice filled the shop. "Hello, my lovely ladies!" Willow tossed a glance in the general direction of Giles, waiting for Xander's amendment.
"And my, uh--"
"That would be fine, Xander. I don't think I need to be your 'lovely man'."
Willow rolled her eyes as Anya bounced up to Xander and wrapped her arms around his neck. Just because she and Buffy did it every 5 seconds, did not mean she had to stop thinking of Anya as sex-starved.
"Hey, sugar." Xander said, before moving his head down to connect Anya's lips with his own, and the room was filled with squeaks of Giles' cleaning habits, and Willow giggled at Dawn's next smart comment.
"Giles, d'ya think you might wreck your glasses one day?" Giles looked a bit flustered, as he stuttered and pointed at the two couples.
"Yes, well... it's all their fault!"
Willow's brow furrowed, however, when the phone rang. Sure, it was the only Magic Shop in town, but the phone rarely rang. She listened intently to Giles' end of the conversation.
"Hello? Yes it is, may I help you? Oh, I see... Yes, yes, thankyou. Goodbye."
From the tone in his voice, she could tell it wasn't exactly good news. Her thoughts were confirmed when he sighed, and turned to the group, who were waiting with expectant eyes.
"Faith was released from prison and is on her way here. Good behaviour. They notified us here, because they knew we, uh, knew her."
Willow's, and everyone elses eyes turned to Buffy, a puzzled look on her face.
"Oh."