EPILOGUE

Things that happened at 3:47 a.m. on the night of Buffy and Willow's return:

Dawn lay awake staring at the ceiling in Rain's bedroom. She could hear her friend's soft snoring next to her and wondered why that didn't squick her out. They had stayed up late talking again and that's why she was sleeping in Rain's bed and not in the guest room. Not like that was a new thing cause she hadn't actually slept in the guest room since the first night she slept over. And it always seemed to be Rain's idea. Not that it was a bad idea, it was just that she wasn't used to sleeping with someone else. But Rain was different all around. Dawn had never had a real friend before. Well, there was Janice, but she was kind of a friend by default. They'd known each other since grammar school, but she couldn't trust Janice with the really big things. They still talked to each other in home room, but since she'd started hanging out with Rain, Janice had become friends with Courtney and her biatch minions, so she couldn't trust her anymore. And she could trust Rain. With almost everything.

Buffy would kill her if she knew, but it wasn't her fault really. Well, maybe it was kind of because she knew better or something like that. She and Rain had gone for a walk after dark to get away from the parentals even though she knew it was too dangerous. They had been attacked by a new vamp and Dawn had reacted without thinking using Faith's trademark sweep and stake method. And Rain had been so cool about it all. Even when she told her about her sister being a Slayer and Willow and Tara being witches, Rain still thought Dawn was cooler than Buffy, which almost never happened.

Because Buffy was a SLAYER and Dawn was just, well, she hadn't really gotten into that part yet. She wasn't quite sure how to tell someone outside her family that she was really an ancient energy switch that opened portals into other dimensions. With blood, which was of the ick for most people. Because even though she knew that she was a Switch she also knew that she wasn't really. She was really more of a girlplus.

Rain shifted in her sleep, rolling to snuggle up to her and she was forced to stifle a squeak. And this was another thing that was becoming normal and kind of cool. She could actually sleep at Rain's. Usually. When she wasn't thinking too much like right now. It was sort of like the few times she had slept with Willow and Tara when she was too scared to sleep by herself. And not like that. Maybe it was like Willow and Tara. The way they always told each other everything and protected each other. And other stuff. Her face heated up at the thought and she became almost painfully aware of Rain's breathing and the warmth of her against her side. No. This was just a friend thing. This was what normal, real friends did, wasn't it? They slept in the same bed and cuddled when they were scared and it was no big. Because Rain was about as normal as it got. No vampires or prophecies and definitely no ex-vengeance demons or super-witches. But she really wanted to tell everyone about her. And Rain wanted to try some spells together so she was going to have to tell someone about it eventually. Just in case. Faith? But she couldn't really talk to Faith anymore since Buffy had gotten in the way. SoTara. Definitely Tara. She would understand. And she missed the blonde witch. She knew it was irrational, but she felt like they hadn't really seen each other in months. Yep, definitely time for milkshakes and total disclosure because secrets were dangerous. She had learned that the hard way. The evil, scary, people-getting-hurt way.

Dawn rolled onto her side and tried to stop thinking about the demons and the Hellmouth and the hordes of things that wanted to eat her family or bleed her or

Rain's arm encircled her waist and she felt the girl curl against her back. "Stop thinking and go to sleep," her new best friend mumbled right against the back of her neck, which made her shiver all over, but definitely stopped those other scary thoughts.

But this was a little scary too, just in a totally different way. Maybe it was magic. Tara had told her about the witchy connection she and Willow had shared almost immediately and something about vending machines. And this definitely felt witchy and connected-y (if that was even a word) so maybe it was magic. Maybe Rain was a witch and she didn't even know it.

She smiled and pushed back against Rain another wave of warmth driving all thoughts of demons and evil from her mind.

Definitely magic. And Tara would know exactly what kind.

"Are you satisfied yet B?" She could just make out Faith's features in the deep black, but she knew that tone. "I mean, I think we've done just about everything" Frustration. That was the tone. But that was okay. She knew how to turn that. Oh yeah, she so knew how to turn Faith frustration around.

" Just one more time please," she interrupted, deliberately dragging out the please to sound like a small child while reaching out to tuck a strand of dark hair behind her fellow Slayer's ear. "I promise I'll make it up to you." Faith softened immediately as she expected, but rolled her eyes for good measure. "Any way you want."

"Any way I want, huh?" She thought she saw the flash of perfect teeth set in a sultry smile, but there was a loud sigh. "Fine. One more sweep, but then we're going home." Without even a kiss, Faith stalked away toward the back of Rain's house for another sweep. Buffy fell in behind her, thankful that her sulky frown was hidden in the moonless dark of the yard. She was being irrational she knew that. There was probably nothing here. Her Slayer senses weren't picking up anything unusual, but it was Dawn in there and what if there was something and they had just missed it the first four times? "I think you're OCD, B," Faith growled as she made her way through a row of hedges.

"What does that mean? OCDB?" she demanded testily. She hated knowing less than Faith on any subject. And the way Faith said it it had to be some term she used with that woman. "What? Is that what you and your girlfriend call me when you're having a session or whatever it is you do."

Another loud sigh as the dark silhouette turned to confront her. "She's not my girlfriend, she's my therapist! Damn, B! And it's Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which you definitely have because," Faith turned back to the hedges and began walking again growing more agitated with every second. With a guilty smile Buffy followed behind watching those powerful shoulders and neck work in the trademark sign of Pissed Off Faith. She knew it was cruel, but she so loved getting Faith all, well, Faith-y. It was so incredibly hot. "Hello! Checking Red and Blondie's yard exactly five times every night has gotta be a sign of some kinda major disorder and -- ow! Fucking rosebushes!"

Buffy was about to begin a counter-argument about the importance of being thorough that sounded far too much like Giles, but stopped when she noticed that Faith was sucking her thumb, her face twisted in pain and anger. It was incredible really. The girl could walk home with major stab wounds and massive blood-loss, but any little minor scratch and she was a complete baby about it. She used like four boxes of band-aids a week. And they couldn't be the regular old band-aids. They had to be special band-aids with Hello Kitty or Star Wars or Monsters, Inc. stuff all over them.

"Let me see it." She reached for the injured hand only to have it jerked away.

"No. Why?" Okay, definitely into full guilt-trip territory now. And it was her fault, this terrible injury, because she had made them sweep the yard one last time.

"Because!" she used all of her strength to wrench Faith's hand away from her and into a thin stream of light from the Rains' back porch. "I have to make sure you didn't hit a major artery," she said trying without much success to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"Okay, you obviously don't care about my pain," Faith began in full pout mode as she tried to tear her hand away again, but Buffy held on. She could see the slivery dark of a thorn, could feel its sharp roughness under her fingers. If she only had her old-school manicure this thorn would be out in a second, but her beautiful sculpted nails had been one of the many sacrifices she had made for this relationship' or whatever it was. They were still working that part out.

Though the nails totally worth it, she thought with an evil grin. But she would never let Faith know that.

With a loud sigh, she began trying to dig the thorn out with her too-short, but still perfectly-shaped nails drawing a loud hiss from the dark Slayer.

"What? It's bad isn't it?" Faith sounded almost panicked and she had to stifle a laugh. Laughing at Faith, she had learned, led to hours of angry Faith, brood-y Faith and all-around badness.

"Yep. I think we're gonna have to amputate." With an angry growl, Faith tried to tear her hand away again, but Buffy held on and finally produced the thorn. "See, all gone." But the dark Slayer was still pouting. "Still hurts?" She asked softly.

Faith just nodded angrily crossing her good' arm over her stomach. Buffy leaned down and kissed the injured thumb, but Faith was still staring off into the dark yard, a deep scowl evident on her face.

"Still?" An angry, incredibly cute nod and she remembered the Slayer's own remedy for her injured thumb. With a mischievous grin she pulled the thumb into her mouth and was rewarded immediately with a sharp intake of breath. Faith's head snapped around to face her, her mouth open in surprise. "Still?" she mumbled around the injured thumb as Faith swallowed hard and nodded once.

"B?" Her voice was shaky and small, so totally unlike the big bad Slayer everyone was used to. She knew that tone of voice, knew exactly what Faith was asking for -- consent. And it nearly broke her heart. This was another one of the tricky parts of their relationship — power dynamics' (that was her word for it, that way-too-hot-to-be-a-therapist woman). Here she was with Faith's thumb in her mouth, but the poor girl still had to ask to make sure she wanted her. It was part of her therapy and it made for some unbelievably awkward moments when they both wanted each other desperately, but were too afraid or proud or whatever to ask. But still, when they finally did get started things tended to get totally off the hook' (as Faith would say) pretty quickly. In the best way possible.

But she would have to find a way to let Faith know soon that she trusted her enough to start things. Enough to take what she wanted when she wanted it. Because she was pretty sure there wasn't anything Faith wanted to do to her that she wasn't going to like. She flashed back to an old memory from before. She and Faith and Angel with nasty-looking instruments' and lots of talk about torture. Then focused on the deep brown eyes before her, eyes that were studying her with hope and something else they hadn't been able to say to each other yet. This was a different girl. She had proven that again and again even when Buffy had done everything in her power to keep her the same. And maybe, just maybe she was different too. For once, maybe that didn't have to be a bad thing.

She slowly pulled the thumb out of her mouth and was rewarded with a speechless, open-mouthed Slayer. With a satisfied smile she took the hand in her own. "I'm thinking four and a half times is way enough to spot the evil."

"You think?" so the sweetness was definitely on the fade because that was a smirk. Definitely a Faith smug smile trying to hide in the dark.

"You so played me!" She growled and Faith shook her head, her eyes all wide-eyed innocence, but her smile had turned to one of pure mischief as she slowly backed away from Buffy. "You," she reached for the dark Slayer, but she danced away from her. "You are a dead woman!"

With a shriek they were both off, tearing through yards and hedges at blinding speed and it felt so good. She hadn't had a good slay in five days and the Slayer inside her needed this. Needed the woman in front of her who seemed to have a special gift for calming that demon or probably just wearing it out. Maybe it was the combination of the Chosen two canceling each other out. Or something.

But those thoughts were quickly giving way to other thoughts. To the what-am-I-gonna-do-when-I-catch-her-thoughts that generally involved lots of clothes-ripping and sex in strange places because they didn't have to hold back with each otherafter the consent part, which was already done. So, no holding back for fear of hurting anyone with superhuman speed and strength. Because she would. Catch her. They had established that over the past two years of sparring, training and slaying. Although they were equal in stamina, Faith was just slightly stronger, but Buffy was that half a second faster. So she would catch her and it would be her turn to do whatever she wanted with Faith for a while. She heard the mumbled curse as the Slayer stumbled on something just a few yards ahead of her. Yep, she would definitely catch Faith. It was only a matter of time.

Anya lay in bed watching Xander sleep, her fingers tracing the still-purple scar on his back. The deep gunshot wound that had brought them both so much pain and, more importantly, had drastically reduced the number of orgasms she was accustomed to. And that led her thoughts back to revenge. Evisceration? No. Been there, done that and it just wasn't enough for the pain Warren Mears had inflicted on her. And Xander. Skinning him alive? Not original. Willow had done that once and she prided herself on originality. So she would just have to keep searching for a spell to extend his fifteen-year sentence to life without parole. With a big nasty cellmate named Vern. Or maybe she could get Hallie to bend the rules a little and send him to Oz. The TV show, not that hellhole with the terrifying singing munchkins. Everyone had assured her that a life as a paraplegic and time in a maximum security prison was enough punishment for the wannabe Big Bad, but Anya knew better. There was never enough punishment for those who hurt the people you love. So she had a project. A make-Warren-suffer-for-the-rest-of-his-pitiful-life project. And that brought a bright smile to her face. She loved projects and it was after all in her field of expertise.

But all of those thoughts about Warren and revenge brought her back to a terrifying possibility: What if this Xander wasn't really alive? What if he was really lying dead beside her on the bed. She poked him, but there was no movement, so she poked him again. Hard.

"Ow." A loud groan and there was movement. "I'm alive An, so you can stop with the poking," Xander grumbled in his sleep, turning to throw a comforting arm across her stomach.

"Just making sure, honey." She smiled again and brushed back his thick dark hair wondering for the millionth time why she stayed with him. For as strong and sturdy as he looked he had far too many soft parts that always seemed to be in danger. He was vulnerable and since he held her heart that meant she was vulnerable too. Why couldn't she have picked a Slayer? They were much harder to break. And with all that super-stamina there would have been much longer orgasms and probably a lot more of them. With a heavy sigh she looked back at the sleeping figure beside her and knew the answer. As ridiculous and impractical as it was, there was the indisputable fact that she was hopelessly in love with this goofy, flawed, fragile human.

She would have to remember to thank Willow later and maybe even Buffy if she could stomach it. For Xander and Tara and this new world. Even if it was all a crazy accident. Because for once in her twelve hundred-year existence, she had to admit she couldn't have done it better herself.

"Tara why are you dressed in a fish suit?" Willow mumbled sleepily into a bare shoulder and Tara smiled at the serious expression on the redhead's face. Whatever was going on in the dream it definitely had her girl very concerned.

"It's a costume party sweetie," She replied gently and kissed the lines on Willow's forehead away. That seemed to satisfy her. "Do we get to keep the fins?" But she wasn't really looking for an answer, already deep asleep again as she snuggled against her. She felt the press of bare skin, the slide of silky red hair on her chest and took a deep breath to push back her desire. Willow needed to sleep. She looked down their entwined bodies, her eyes following the sinuous curve and angles of one perfect leg thrown over her and sighed.

Willow needs to sleep she reminded herself and smiled at her insatiable need for this beautiful bright woman now sprawled across her.

But she was going to make sure her slumber wasn't interrupted by anything — not demons or vampires, nightmares or frog dreams, not even her own want — nothing was going to come between her girl and the sleep she so badly needed.

Pulling Willow closer still she held onto her slippery girl with all of her strength. Reassuring herself that they were safe. Buffy and Faith had been by earlier to sweep the yard earlier so there were no demons to worry about. The Slayers' combined energy signature was like a bright spike in the murmuring field of her other senses. And their incessant, muffled bickering left no doubt about their identity as they made their routine secret' sweep. Rain's house was next no doubt.

The thought of the Slayers checking up on their little sister made her smile. Things felt so wonderfully righteven if they were still a little bumpy. Yes, there were still demon devices and the threat of Vra'al and there was all of that past to deal with. So much pain and darkness behind those beautiful green eyes and she had to find a way to take some of it from her love.

She looked down at the smiling redhead whose fingers were now moving over her chest in lazy circles.

My sneaky, sneaky girl.

"Willow you need to sleep," but that brought only a pouting turn to that unbelievably sexy mouth.

"Mmmmdon't wanna," as Willow's lips moved over her breast in hot, wet swirls she saw the flash of green and violet, felt the rush of their arousal as it swept through the room, crashing back into them in a breaking wave. And felt the rightness of this as a real thing. A glowing, fiery space they were bringing into the world with every movement and moment. Drawing it around them in lines of breath and touch. As Willow moved lower, moaning as she opened up that burning want that seemed to never end, she understood again. She didn't have Willow's memories of that other world, those other pasts to pull from, but she had the aching heat of now and the reason of them. This was her girl and her place. Her home. There was nothing and nowhere else for her but Willow. Ever.

The End

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