Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow

Previously:

Well at least she's not really in love with Farm Boy, Faith thought to herself with a sigh. "So, who is it?" Faith asked, honestly curious.

Buffy paused for a moment, her mouth suddenly drier than a desert. "You."

Chapter Fourteen:

Faith blinked several times, staring at Buffy, convinced that she had fallen asleep on the grass and this was some sort of dream. "Could you repeat that?" Faith asked finally, just to make sure she understood clearly.

"I'm in love with you," Buffy said a second time, her anxiety rising with each second that Faith continued to stare at her with a blank mix of shock and...well, shock. "Say something?" Buffy pleaded, not quite ready to regret telling the dark haired slayer, but speedily approaching that point. Faith suddenly brilliantly smiled and started laughing, much to Buffy's confusion, irritation, and amusement. "Okay, what's so funny about that?" Buffy demanded, irritation winning out.

"Nothing," Faith responded, trying to kill her laughter as she saw Buffy clearly not appreciating it. "I just thought you were gonna kick me out or start rambling on about this great new guy you met."

"Why would I kick you out?" Buffy asked. "I would never kick you out."

Faith gave her a lopsided smile. "Just indulge my raging insecurities, okay B?" Faith answered, then grew serious. Reaching over, she took Buffy's hand in hers and gently pulled the golden haired slayer closer. Gazing into her eyes, Faith was amazed at the myriad of colors and emotions layered behind them. Though she had never known the meaning of hesitation, Faith found herself slowly tracing her free hand up Buffy's neck, cupping the side of her face. Leaning forward slowly, she captured Buffy's lips with her own. The kiss was gentle, a mutual exploration that stirred their longing. When Faith pulled away, she grinned at the dazed and content look on Buffy's face.

"I've been in love with you the moment I saw you outside the Bronze, B. Just never had the guts to say it," Faith said lowly, her voice husky with desire. It sent shivers down Buffy's spine.

"Pansy," Buffy teased, smiling so hard she thought her face might split in two. "So this is what it's like to be happy," Buffy whispered to herself, just loud enough for Faith to catch with her slayer hearing.

"Yeah, must be," Faith answered. Pulling Buffy into her lap, their lips crashed together. Faith slipped her tongue into Buffy's mouth and both moaned at the contact, falling deeper and deeper into their embrace until the world around them ceased to exist.

...............................

Riley stood at the window in the kitchen of the Summers house with his fists clenched at his sides and a grim look of hatred on his face. He watched as Buffy and Faith confessed their love and kissed on the grass in the back yard. Riley wasn't a stupid man, he had felt Buffy spinning further and further away from him, just like he felt his life was slowly falling apart around him. Now, however, there was a reason. Riley glared at the dark haired slayer, anger bubbling up inside him. There was no way he would lose his girlfriend to that psychotic whore without a serious fight.

.....................................

"I've figured it out," Spike said rather proudly as he sauntered into the kitchen. Kara sat at the table, lost in thought with a cold mug of tea in front of her. Turning, she watched the vampire carefully tiptoeing through the room to avoid the sunlight before plopping down in a chair across from her.

"Figured what out, Spike?" Kara asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know.

"It's the Nibblet," Spike said significantly, leaning forward.

Kara stared at him blankly for a few moments. "What's the Nibblet? And who the hell is the Nibblet?"

Spike sighed in frustration and leaned back. "Dawn. It's Dawn. You told me to think about who comes to mind when I forget about Buffy. It's the Nibblet," Spike responded. "And now she just comes to mind all the time and I don't even think about the slayer anymore."

Kara smiled to herself. "Uh huh. So what do you think about her?"

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, lighting up a cigarette.

"Must you do that in the house?" Kara whined. Spike simply raised an eyebrow and inhaled, blowing the smoke out through his nose. "Fine. Think real hard here, Spike. When you think about Dawn, what do you feel?"

Spike's face scrunched up in concentration as he thought, which Kara found entirely too adorable. "Well...happy," Spike replied after several agonizingly silent minutes. Kara smiled knowingly.

"Remember that. She's a bit young and Buffy would kill you" –

"Wait just a bloody second," Spike said suddenly, flying forward. "I'm destined to fall in love with Dawn?"

Kara sighed, nearly banging her head on the table. "God, you are so dense sometimes," she muttered. "Yeah. Is it really that shocking?"

Spike thought for a moment and then shrugged. "I suppose not," he said and then smiled with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "The slayer's gonna kill me."

....................................................

Glory closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten, trying to dispel the murderous rage from rising up again. Her minions stood cowering before her, all desperately trying to placate her back into a blissfully pleasant mood. It wasn't working. "Okay, listen up boys," she said through gritted teeth. She really hated this world. "I'm gonna say this one more time, then heads are gonna roll. Find me the key. Find me someone who knows about the key. Find me anything to do with the key. Shit, find me a friend of a friend's cousin who at one point in time knew a girl who heard the words 'the' and 'key' in the same sentence! And do it now."