Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow

Note: I will be incorporating the potential slayers, most of them in name only though. I never really got a feel for them watching the show, so I don't particularly think I could write them well. Kennedy may be the only one I deal with. We'll see.

Previously:

"I like knowing a whole lot better than not knowing. Besides," Buffy said, regaining her confidence in the situation, "We're a family right? The three of us. It doesn't matter if we're all practically the same age, or one of us is from the future, or whatever the circumstances may be. We're family."

Chapter Thirty-Two:

"Okay, so now is everyone caught up?" Kara asked wearily. The entire group was gathered around the table at the Magic Box, some gaping in shock, others not quite paying attention to the news, which they had heard before.

"But...with the...Xander...wow," Willow managed to say before leaning back in her chair. Tara laughingly smiled over at her.

"There is a resemblance," Tara said, surveying the foursome sitting across from them.

"Is this a congratulations kind of moment?" Anya asked, smiling widely at Buffy, Faith, Xander, and Kara. "Because if so, congratulations!"

"Uh, thanks," Buffy said, not quite sure how to respond. Xander smiled indulgently at Anya.

"You know, I think Anya and I have some congratulation worthy news of our own," Xander said, sliding over to sit next to his fiancée.

"What's that?" Willow asked wearily, not quite sure how much more congratulatory news she could stand.

"Well," Xander said, draping his arm around Anya's shoulders. "Anya and I are engaged."

Dawn squealed before anyone could respond, rushing over and enveloping both Xander and Anya from behind in a giant bear hug. "That's so great!" She said when she finally let them go and slipped back into Spike's waiting arms.

"Yeah, congrats, whelp, Anya," Spike said, sincere despite himself.

While Xander and Anya were surrounded with hugs, well wishes, and party planning, Kara slipped over to Giles. He was going through a stack of paperwork, renting out storage space for the Council's library and artifacts. It had been a week since their trip to England and already Jack Borland had more than delivered on his promise. Giles' apartment was nearly filled to capacity with Council possessions. Former Council employees, who had quit in order to follow Jack's advice and move to Sunnydale, were starting to arrive. Giles was having a difficult time keeping people situated.

"Hey, how's it going?" Kara asked, sidling up beside him.

"Well, I've got enough storage space, I think. I'll just need help moving things this afternoon. Finding homes and apartments has been a bit more difficult. Fortunately, most of the people coming are single, or their spouses work within the Council. Few have children. It's much easier to situate them in group homes than to try to find them individual places to stay," Giles explained.

"And the money?"

"Jack's got quite a lot funneled our way. It shouldn't be a problem," Giles responded.

"The house across the street from Buffy went up for sale yesterday. Callum and I can go make a bid on it if you want. And Mr. Robson called. He said he's got some potentials he wants to bring here. Then he's going to Ireland to gather some more," Kara said. "He should be here tomorrow. I believe he said he's got three with him: Kennedy, Molly, and Annabelle."

"Alright. Check out the house. I don't care what kind of condition it's in. Give them more than they're asking, tell them you can pay in cash, and get them out before next week if possible," Giles instructed.

"Alright," Kara said, moving away to collect Callum. "Come on," she said, taking him by the arm and leading him out of the door. "We're going house hunting."

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

"Damn that Travers," Jack Borland said as he slung his coat over his shoulders, wrapping it tightly around himself to shield the wind. It was bitterly cold outside, dank, and rainy, as usual. Though Quentin Travers had refused to listen to him, Jack felt confident he had been able to achieve far more than Giles expected. Nearly all of the Council's library had been evacuated, a majority of the funds transferred elsewhere, the sacred artifacts and objects he could lay his hands on he took and shipped to Sunnydale, and all of his people had already gotten out of England and were heading to America. Earlier that day, the Coven had packed up its things and vanished, moving about for a little while to lose their enemies before heading to Sunnydale as well.

Jack stalked down the steps of the main Council building. There wasn't much traffic and he easily crossed the street. He slowed his pace once he got to the other side, surveying the crowd around him. Already, he could see signs of Christmas. Stores were touting new merchandise, their facilities decorated and shining even though the holiday was nearly a month and a half a way. Jack paused to buy a paper. He stepped forward to continue walking and found himself unexpectedly thrown to the ground. A flash of hot air shot over his back and for a moment he couldn't hear anything.

Then a deafening roar filled his ears and he could smell smoke. The sky began to rain bits and pieces of metal and brick. He could hear people screaming. Turning over, he looked back at the Council's complex, and gaped in shock. The entire place was burning; several of the buildings crumpled to the ground like a matchstick houses that were blown over by the wind. He could hear sirens wailing down the street.

Jumping to his feet, he tore off down the street, toward the flat he shared with his wife. It wasn't safe in England anymore. He reached his front door and jammed the key in the lock, throwing the door open. It had the wall with a thud. "Honey?" He asked, throwing the paper on the floor and closing the door behind him.

"Yeah?" Margaret called back from the kitchen. "You're home early," she said.

"I know," he responded, rushing into the kitchen. "You remember what I told you, about us having to leave England this week?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, we have to leave today," Jack said. "The Council's been destroyed. It's not safe here anymore. Pack your things, we have to go."

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

Faith sat on the back steps of the Summers home, her back against the wall, and a cigarette dangling loosely between her fingers. A thin curl of smoke drifted away in the air and she followed it with her eyes. The sun had set two hours before and the stars were starting to pop out, bright and beautiful. Looking up into the night sky, Faith lost herself in the vastness of everything.

"Hey," Buffy said, opening the kitchen door and slipping out onto the steps beside her. "You okay?"

"Five by five," Faith responded, taking a drag off her cigarette before stubbing it out on the stairs and flicking it away. She knew Buffy didn't particularly like it when she smoked. "You?"

"I'm good. Missing quite a party in there," Buffy said, referring to Xander and Anya's engagement party.

"Just wanted some air," Faith replied, her eyes still fixed on the stars.

"I can leave if you want," Buffy said, half standing when Faith laid a hand on her arm.

"I can get air with you here," she said, looking over at Buffy and smiling. Buffy smiled back, sitting back down, and entangling her hand with Faith's.

"You looked deep in thought," Buffy said, breaking the silence again. Faith smirked.

"I'm surprised you know what that looks like. Doesn't happen much," she responded.

"What were you thinking about?" Buffy asked, choosing to ignore her girlfriend's self-deprecating comment.

Faith sighed, torn between shrugging off Buffy's question or actually answering it. She realized in that moment that she and Buffy could never truly have a relationship if she didn't open up and let her blonde haired partner in. "Kara, this whole being a mom thing, my mom," Faith responded, instantly wishing she hadn't flicked her cigarette away.

"Wanna tell me about it?" Buffy asked, referring to Faith's childhood, which she understood to be the underlying issue behind everything Faith was thinking about, pretty much ever.

"My dad left when I was like five," Faith began, her voice taking a slightly narrative tone, as if she was telling a story rather than relating something that had actually happened to her. "After that, my mom got into drugs. We didn't have much money, so she used to trade with her dealers, you know? Like she'd give 'em a go round with me for twenty bucks of something. When I didn't wanna do it, she'd burn me with her cigarettes," Faith said, shivering slightly. It had suddenly gotten colder outside.

"She always had a bunch of guys over, called 'em all my stepfathers. Some of them were kinda violent," Faith said.

"Like the one who...well, killed you," Buffy stated, gripping her girlfriend's hand a little tighter. Faith smiled tightly over at her.

"Yeah, like him. Anyway, this one guy was a real jackass. He used to beat on her a lot. Beat her too much one day and she stopped breathing. I got put in a bunch of different foster homes after that, just bouncing around. None of them were real great either. There are a lot of twisted fuckers in this world. Anyway, my watcher came and got me out. I dropped out of school and started slaying all the time. Then she died and came here," Faith said, sighing deeply when she finished.

"Baby," Buffy said, running her hand down the side of Faith's face. Faith looked over at her, her eyes dark and clouded with reminiscence.

"Yeah?" She asked, her voice husky and low. It sent shivers down Buffy's spine.

"I'm so proud of you," Buffy said, smiling and planting a gentle kiss on Faith's lips.

"For what?" Faith asked, her breath tickling Buffy's cheek.

"You overcame all of the horrible things people put you through to become the loving, caring, albeit badass and slightly warped, woman you are today. I love you so much and I can't wait for us to grow old together and have a family and all of those things everyone thought we would never have," Buffy said, smiling as she wiped the silent tears away from Faith's eyes.

"I want all that too," Faith said, her voice breaking slightly. Leaning in, she captured Buffy's lips, tangling her tongue with the blonde slayer's as Buffy moaned into her mouth. Faith broke away after a few moments, resting her forehead on Buffy's. "I love you too, more than my heart can take sometimes."