HEARTS IN DARKNESS IX
We were in Australia for a couple of weeks. Getting the slayers straightened out and situated. In order to do this we had split up; we met back in Sydney. We were staying at the Regency, across the harbor from the opera house. It had been a pretty lively dinner, comparing notes and stories. The girls went out, but I was still tired, so I just stayed in and read. An hour or so later, when it was very dark, I went to the balcony and looked out over the harbor. The moving lights and energy and the grace of the opera house; it was a breathtaking picture.
I felt a soft hand on my shoulder; "beautiful, isn't it" Dawn said. I just nodded. "None of them realize how close they came to dying, do they?" Again, speech failed me, so I just shook my head. We stayed there for a while, just looking out at the city.
Finally I turned into her arms "I missed you so much". "I missed you too" she answered; then she kissed me. I could feel her body pressed to mine; our hands running over the other's sides and back and legs. I was just wearing boxers and she was just in a long T-shirt, and we stood and kissed and held each other, like it would last forever. We moved back into the room, without breaking the kiss. Finally we pulled apart and tumbled into bed. We began kissing again, but this time our hands were more insistent, explored further than before. The kisses were more intense, wetter somehow. Soon we were naked and the kissing and caressing was at a feverish pace. She backed off a bit. "You're shaking" she said.
"I'm nervous" I answered "I've never done anything like this before".
"Trust me" she said "I'll take care of you."
And then we were naked and moving together and it was ecstasy. Suddenly I felt her mind and opened mine up to her. We were bound together mentally and physically, and I knew I could never be happier. We positioned our bodies in different ways, but we never broke the meshing of our minds. Afterwards, we lay there, enmeshed with each other; she was running her hands through my hair and I was caressing her neck with my tongue, and stroking her nipples. "You're gonna be gone soon, I don't know if I'll be able to stand not seeing you for another two years."
"Well" I answered "I actually have a couple weeks off, the cardinal was told that I needed some time." I looked up into those incredible eyes; "sometimes Dawn, I wonder if what I do is worth anything. I mean I know I make a difference; look at what just happened. But it feels like for every situation I clear up, there are dozens more that could have used my help."
"I don't know Ian, I guess we all do what we can. Buffy is a great slayer, but when she was there people still died in Sunnydale, I guess you just gotta count the living."
"Thanks, Bella Alba" I said.
She just giggled and we held each other tighter. We fell asleep like that, entwined with each other. I awoke in the middle of the night. I knew someone was in here with us. I extended my senses, and said "Hi Buffy, you gonna kill me quick or slow."
"Neither, just yet; I know you love each other" she said "take care of her."
She just got up, and I truly saw her then, the person that had cared for the world in anonymity for so long. This person who had born the cares of the world; just a surely as I had, someone who was called as I was. I was awed by the depth of her feelings and compassion. "Almost as good as you have, I hope" was my reply.
She smiled, nodded once more moved toward the door, I could see tears in her eyes.
Dawn spoke up "Thank you Buffy" was all she said, but her tone carried a lifetime of meaning. We stayed in Sydney for another couple of days, seeing the sights and hitting the clubs.
All too soon, we were winging our way back to the USA. Dawn and I were sacked out on a couch in the rear compartment, when she whispered "Ian".
I was instantly awake; "Listen", she said. I listened, but didn't hear anything.
"No doofus, in my mind". I was surprised, she had figured out how to extend her physical senses as well as her mental ones; I listened in:
'anyway, I was thinking how those girls were barely trained.'
'Thank God, or it would have been a lot harder.'
'I thought that maybe starting a school would be a good idea.'
'A slayers academy, not bad B.'
'I'll need your help.'
'You want me to persuade Robin, I mean, that is what he's good at.'
'No, dummy, I want you to start it with me.'
'Come on B, can you see me as a teacher.'
'Absolutely, Dr. Faith, professor of kicking ass and taking names.'
'Come on B, you don't even like me we'd be at each others throat in no time.'
'I don't believe that.'
'Yeah, well look at our track record; it'd be pretty much like rebuilding the Titanic, doomed'
'I dunno, when we first started out, we rocked; Kakistos, etc.'
'Till I went wiggy you mean.'
'No, till I went and blew off the best friend I could have ever had.'
'Huh?'
'When you first showed up, I was jealous as hell, but then I was with you, and thought you were incredible. I cared more about you in a week than all of my friends put together, and that scared me bad. It scared me so bad, I played queen of denial, until it was too late. Then when you needed support the most, I left you to twist in the wind. I know all this is past, and there's no way I could ever make up for it, but I'm sorry. I wish I had treated you the way you deserved, I wish I had been a better friend, and I hope I can be, if you want.'
'Thanks B, that's a load to think about.'
'Your welcome, I just wish I had the guts to tell you this sooner'
'Better than never B'
'Well, you deserved to hear it'
Dawn pulled her hearing back to normal and we just snuggled. It was a start.
