Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow II: The Rising Sun

Notes: Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming.

Previously:

"For one thing, it's not safe. Secondly, you and Buffy are in it for the long haul. She should be there. She feels so helpless not knowing what to do for you. Maybe going there with you would help," Kara suggested.

Faith nodded absently. "Okay, I leave as soon as I can with Buffy. I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I'm going back to Boston."

Chapter Twenty-One:

"Are you sure you can do this?" Buffy asked, her eyes shining seriously in the fluorescent airport lights.

"Yes," Dawn sighed melodramatically. "I'm totally fine with this. Spike and I will have everything under control. No one will even know that you guys are gone. Besides, we have Kara, Kennedy, and whatever slayers are in town now to help us out."

"Yeah, I know. But I don't want Kara and Kennedy to have to slay right now. I think they need time to reconnect without a third person jumbled in the mix," Buffy said, slinging her carry on bag over her shoulder.

"All passengers remaining for flight 739 to Boston may now board," a voice said, cloaked in static, over the intercom system.

"You ready," Buffy asked, looking over at Faith, who was still sitting on one the hard, plastic airport chairs. "Faith?"

"Yeah?" Faith asked, ripped out of her thoughts. She looked up at Buffy. "What's up?"

"They just called us," Buffy said, smiling patiently down at Faith. She knew her wife was incredibly nervous about going home.

"Oh, okay. Let's go then," Faith said, dragging herself to her feet.

"Take care of yourselves," Dawn said, wrapping Faith and Buffy in a giant hug. Joyce stood a little back, watching with a slight smirk on her face.

"Don't crush them now, Dawnie," she said, stepping forward and embracing Faith once Dawn had released her. Then she embraced Buffy in turn and gently whispered in her ear, "Take care of her," she said, in reference to Faith.

"I will," Buffy whispered back. Reaching over, she grabbed Faith's cold and clammy hand and pulled her toward the departure gate.

"This is a bad idea," Faith muttered under her breath as Buffy handed their tickets to the airline representative.

"No, it isn't," Buffy replied. Her slayer hearing allowed her to hear most of what Faith probably hadn't meant for her to hear.

"We'll see when we get there," Faith replied. They boarded the plane and stowed their carry on bags under the seats in front of them. "Gonna be a long flight," Faith commented.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. She looked over at Faith, who was as white as a ghost. "You've never flown before, have you?" She asked, suddenly realizing what a great deal of Faith's anxiety was about.

"Not so much," Faith replied, clutching onto her arm rests as the plane began to roll backwards, preparing to depart. "Something about flying through the air at a great rate of speed just doesn't do it for me."

"I think I know something that might," Buffy whispered, leaning over and gently kissing Faith's exposed neck. She ran her teeth over the sensitive skin just below Faith's ear and smiled as Faith sucked in a ragged breath.

"Yeah, what's that?" Faith asked, her voice shaky from excitement and nerves.

"Ever heard of the mile high club?"

………………………………

"You know, 'Bit, I don't think you should be out here," Spike said as he and Dawn walked through one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries. It had been several hours since Buffy and Faith's plane left and, as promised, Dawn was out on patrol.

"Buffy asked me to," Dawn replied smugly, finally having approval from her sister to do something violent to the demon population.

"Buffy has other things on her mind," Spike countered. "Like keeping Faith from going over the deep end again."

"Faith is just fine," Dawn said. "Shouldn't you be sniffing out vampires or something, Spike? Not a slayer, remember? Pretty much relying on you here."

Spike rolled his eyes and looked around. "There's nothing out here," he said confidently. "We should just go home."

"Not until we stake at least one vampire," Dawn replied. "Besides, it's nice out tonight."

"We're in California, love," Spike said, "it's nice every night."

Dawn was about to reply when they heard a low growl from behind them. "What was that?" She asked, instantly clutching onto Spike's arm.

"Not so tough now, are we?" Spike smirked. Then he focused on the noise. "Could just be a coyote."

"Yeah, that's likely," Dawn said sarcastically. "Since when has there ever been a coyote in Sunnydale. It's always a werewolf, or a vampires, or some weird furry, demon with big fangs, and nasty breath."

"You know, I'm beginning to think you have a thing against vampires and demons," Spike commented. "I don't hear anything else."

"Of course I have a thing against vampires and demons," Dawn replied. "They're evil."

"Oh really?" Spike said, turning to look at her with a raised eyebrow. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Okay, all vampires and demons except for you and Angel," she said. "Happy now?"

"Yeah," Spike replied rather jovially. "Can I make a suggestion?"

"We are not going home!" Dawn replied, a bit more forcefully. As if startled by her voice, something in the bushes next to them moved, causing the leaves to shake. A growl sounded out through the night again and both Spike and Dawn froze.

"Alright," Spike said, stepping in front of Dawn and pulling out a stake. "Come on out and show me what you got." The bushes in front of them stilled and the night became silent again. Spike stood there for several moments waiting, before lowering his stake. "Bloody coward," he muttered to himself. Just as he was about to turn back to Dawn, a large, black shape darted out of the bushes, running at him.

The creature leapt into the air and knocked Spike to the ground. The vampire and the creature rolled a couple of feet before they came to a stop. Leaping to his feet, Spike growled. The creature moved away. "Uh, Spike?" Dawn said, watching the scene first with an expression of surprise, horror, and, finally, amusement.

"Now's not the best time," Spike replied, moving closer. The creature moved farther away.

"I don't think we need to worry about him, Spike," Dawn replied.

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, looking over at her.

"It's a coyote," Dawn said, her eyes shining with laughter. Spike looked down at the rather terrified coyote cowering by a gravestone. "I think he's afraid of vampires," Dawn said, laughing as Spike faked a lunge at the coyote, causing it to turn, tuck tail, and run as fast as it could out into the night.

"Come on," Dawn said. "Let's go home. You're right, there's nothing out tonight." Dawn linked her arm with Spike's and together, they began walking home. Once they were out of sight, a man stepped out from behind a mausoleum.

Lucifer smiled and watched them walk away. "That's not entirely true," he whispered and faded back into the shadows.