Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Katy, Morgan, and Michelle.
CHAPTER 39-PLAY AND DOWNTIME BEFORE THE STORM
Standing up from the desk he walked over and carefully and quietly opened the window, not wanting to disturb his beloved who was catching up on some much needed sleep. He had slept for a time before being awakened by a particularly bothersome dream. He kept quiet as the wind blew in through the open window, across the room, and then over her uncovered body. For some reason Faith would throw the covers off in the night and now as he watched the breeze waft over her she lay on her stomach with her head sandwiched in between their two pillows, snoring softly and undoubtedly drooling a little. It still amazed him that a woman capable of such ferocity and vigor could also appear so innocent and in fact almost childlike at times. He would still at times close his eyes, take a deep breath, and then open them again, checking to see if she was just an illusion. But each and every time that he would open his eyes she would be there, sometimes asking him what he was doing. He'd give her enough of an explanation before she plead for him to stop with the over answering of her questions. Feeling a big roguish himself Wesley leaned over and grabbed a large feather, being used more to accentuate the room than anything else, that was laying on top of the desk. He debated for a second if he should continue or not but being with Faith had given him a somewhat of a randy streak and he wasn't about to stop now.
As stealthily as he could he made his way back across the room and carefully sat down on the bed. Faith moved a little bit but stayed asleep. Grabbing the point of the feather Wesley gingerly brushed the fluffy end of the fear across the bottoms of Faith's feet. At first Faith lay still, except for the effects of her breathing. But when Wesley continued to tickle the bottoms of her feet she reacted. First she flipped her head from lying on the left side of her face to lying on the right side of her face, she curled her toes and moved her feet a bit but otherwise stayed still. Not getting the response that he wanted from only tickling her feet Wesley slowly started to target other areas of her body, slowly moving the feather up one leg, over her butt, and then up onto the small of her back. He stopped for a moment when he thought that he heard a giggle escape Faith's lips, but when she seemed to stay put he resumed his trek. He stopped again when he got to her shoulder. With a sly grin on his face he started to make a line back and forth from her right armpit, up over the shoulder and then across her back to the top of the other shoulder and then down into that armpit before going back. He had just started to trail down the middle of her back when she spoke.
"You better not be thinking what I think that you're thinking, because otherwise I'd have to hurt you," Faith mumbled from in between the two pillows as otherwise she stayed still, with her right arm hanging over the edge of the bed. Wesley started to say something witty back but was interrupted by a knock at the door and then Willow telling them that Angel wanted to talk to them in an hour.
"Saved by the bell," Wesley whispered huskily to Faith as he leaned over her gently lifted up the top pillow a bit, tickling the point in between Faith's shoulders as he did so.
"Go without me," Faith mumbled back softly in reply as she tried to get back to sleep but found it impossible.
"I'm sorry Faith but I can't do that, now come on you…we both need a shower," Wesley said with a slightly apologetic tone to his voice as he sat back up on the bed and set the feather down on the nightstand.
"Go on without me, I'll be there in a bit," Faith said back with a bored tone to her voice as Wesley started to stand up. He had only taken a couple of steps when he caught the sound of Faith softly snoring. With a soft chuckle he turned back around, walked over to the bed, and then scooped Faith up into his arms and carried her towards the bathroom.
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"What kind of demon are you," Morgan asked with an awkward expression on her face as she cautiously approached Lorne, who was sitting in the library with a glass of brandy in his hand and an old book on his lap.
"I'm an empath demon honey-bear, I can sense people's aura's and if they sing a piece of a song then I can read them and see the way that they should go, it's the trying to help them with their future that's gotten me into trouble before," Lorne replied with a warm but tired smirk on his face as he set the glass of brandy down on a coaster.
"Could you…read me," Morgan stammered out with a nervous and scared look on her face as she slowly continued to mill about Lorne's chair, not yet ready to sit down.
"It would be my pleasure sugarplum," Lorne replied with a very warm expression on his face as he could tell that the new slayer was beyond scared about something, and he was determined to put her mind at ease. Lorne listened carefully as Morgan fearfully squeaked out a stanza of Mary Had A Little Lamb. "You're working yourself into a tizzy over nothing Morgan, you and Connor do have a future together, not that it's going to be a perfect one…but then again who gets happily ever after in this day and age anyway," Lorne finally said with a calming expression on his face as he laid his right hand on top of Morgan's left, thankful that she stayed still and didn't pull away at his touch.
"That's…how did you know," Morgan gasped out with a very surprised, nervous, and shocked look on her face before Lorne held up a hand and answered her question.
"It could with the horns…empath demon remember," Lorne started to say with a cheery smirk on his face before he threw in a bit of humor.
"Huh…oh right, so then Connor and I won't die tonight," Morgan said with a very relieved look on her face as she tried to smile before she almost came to tears at the though of one of the two dying.
"While I can't completely guarantee anything every sign points to you and Connor sticking around for years to come, though as for the being insanely happy together part…well you're on your own there," Lorne said back with a serious but calm look on his face as he picked his glass of brandy back up and finished it off.
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"So your ex is a witch," Scarlet asked with a bored look on her face as she looked over the collection of jewelry that they had heisted the night before.
"Yeah, and a wickedly powerful one at that, so don't go and get any ideas of trying to take her on all by yourself, I didn't turn you just so that you could get dusted a few days later," Kennedy replied with a relaxed smile on her face as she tried on a couple of rings and then picked up a necklace.
"Besides…you're to good in bed," Rhett joked with a sly grin on her face as she stopped draining an unlucky citizen of London long enough to speak.
"Like you'd know," Scarlet angrily shot back before she spun around on her heel and started to stalk out of the room.
"Settle down you two, tonight you can let out all of your frustrations on the citizens of London, but until then you're going to get along," Kennedy said with a very firm tone of voice as he pulled hard on Scarlet's leash, pulling hard on the collar that was buckled tightly around her neck.
"She started it," Scarlet shot back with a frustrated pout on her face as she looked sympathetically to Kennedy but glared at Rhett.
"Did not," Rhett spat out with a proud look on her face before she was silenced by a sharp jerk on her own leash.
"Sorry mistress," The two newest vampiress' said with humbled and nervous looks on their faces as they both hoped that their mistress would not punish them for their outburst.
"You're forgiven, this time, but as fun as tonight will be we still have work to do, we still need to find you two a sister," Kennedy said with an impatient look on her face as she held up a third collar that was very similar to the one around Rhett and Scarlet's necks.
"Can I pick her out this time," Scarlet asked with a pleading and seductive pout on her face as she sauntered back over across the room towards Kennedy, making a point of what little clothing that she was wearing to try and sway her mistress' favor.
"This isn't a democracy, I'm in charge here and I'll pick your sister, you two just be glad that I'm keeping you around, now be good and go and get me something to eat, I'm hungry…and make her pretty," Kennedy said with a bored and anxious look on her face before she walked over and unbuckled Scarlet and Rhett's leashes before they went out to hunt for a meal fit for their mistress.
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"You sure giving Rupert all of that information is a good idea," Spike asked softly with a concerned look on his face as he finally caught up to Angel on the latter's way down to the basement.
"Good or bad it doesn't really matter anymore, it's the only way that I can think of to insure that at least some of us make it through tonight," Angel replied with a tense and anxious expression on his face as he stopped at a door and then opened it.
"I can think of another way…we lob a few nukes at them and run like hell," Katy added with an impish smirk on her face as she turned to Angel and Spike, as it appeared that she was in the middle of a workout.
"But then London would be a lost cause," Spike quipped back with a soft glare back at her before she stopped doing the splits and then stood back up.
"Good point, guess that's why I'm not the one in charge," Katy replied with an embarrassed smile on her face as she shrugged her shoulders and then slid back down into the splits.
"Getting in a little last minute training Katy," Angel asked with a slightly relieved but still nervous look on his face as he pulled his coat off.
"Not exactly, I have to work out every day to keep looking this damn good, wouldn't want to go all soft when the fate of the world is at stake you know," Katy answered with a scared smile on her face as she tried not to let the two vampires that she idolized see her fear.
"What do ya know, me to," Spike joked with a big toothless smirk on his face as he only shrugged his shoulders when Angel cocked an eyebrow and shot him a confused look.
"How's your leg," Angel asked with a sincere look of concern on his face as he helped Katy back up to her feet and as a look of discomfort crossed her face.
"Still a little sensitive, but thankfully only if I step wrong," Katy replied with a nervous smile on her face as Angel let go of her hand.
"That's good to hear, you did well during the last fight Katy, perhaps if you accelerated your training you could be almost as good as Buffy or Faith," Angel said with an honest expression on his face as he slipped his coat off and laid it on a nearby chair.
"You think so," Katy said back with a nervous but excited gleam in her eyes, as she couldn't help but allow a cheesy grin to crease her face.
"Yes Katy I do, if you like I could show you a few things while we have the time," Angel replied with a slow nodding of his head as he stepped back away from Katy a step and grinned. He willed himself not to laugh as he saw Katy's eyes light up and the smell of her excitement was intoxicating, not to mention that her hormone's were running in overdrive.
"When do we start," Katy started to ask with an invigorated look on her face before Angel rushed forward and took her feet out from under her, with Spike catching her just before she hit the floor.
"Rule number one pet, never let your guard down," Spike said in a kind voice before she shoved her hard back up to her feet as Angel sent a spin kick towards her head. With a yelp she barely missed the kick and retaliated with a kick of her own towards Angel's stomach as she ducked underneath the kick and used her arms to give herself enough leverage to put something into the kick.
"Good, but not good enough," Angel said with an even keeled look on his face as he recovered from his attack and caught Katy's kick with both hands. Before she could react he spun her around and into the nearby wall. With a pained grimace on her face Katy slowly picked herself up and raised her guard, not sure which vampire was going to attack her next.
"Okay then, don't keep me guessing," Katy said with an almost daring look on her face before she took a step towards Angel and saw Spike start to move out of the corner of her eye. Believing that he was making his move she shifted her position to defend against Spike's attack, but it never came. Instead Angel's left fist connected with her jaw, sending a shower of stars into her field of vision as she staggered back into a rack of brooms. "Ow," Katy mumbled with a humbled and embarrassed look on her face as she slowly started to extricate herself from the mess.
"Rule number two Katy, never let your opponent have the advantage," Angel said with a serious tone to his voice before he started to step forward to help Katy up out of the mess.
"You mean like this," Katy said with a nervous look on her face before she swung her legs out and surprised Angel, knocking him to the ground on his back hard before she started to spin around to get back up to her feet but was stopped immediately when she found Spike holding the point of a sword to the tip of her nose.
"And never focus all of your attacks on only one of your enemies, otherwise if this were a real fight then you would be dead," Spike said with a very serious look on his face before he pulled the point of the sword away and offered Katy a hand up.
"Lucky me then huh," Katy said with an embarrassed expression on her face as she took a hold of Spike's hand and let her pull him up.
"Luck has nothing to do with it Katarina, in the end it's the one that wants it the most that wins, no matter what the odds are," Angel added with a very serious look on his face as he got back up to his feet.
"Okay, I get it…now can we actually get to the moves, I could die tonight and honestly I'd really rather not," Katy said with an equally serious look on her face before Spike and Angel launched into a bit of training.
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"You and Spike seemed pretty chummy earlier," Dawn said in a singsong voice as she came up behind Buffy and couldn't help but grin.
"Which reminds me Buff, didn't you and Spike come in pretty late this morning," Willow added with an almost jokingly accusing tone to her voice though Buffy could see the sadness at losing Kennedy in her eyes.
"Did we…I really didn't notice," Buffy answered with a carefree tone to her voice as she made her way towards the kitchen.
"That line may work on Giles and Xander but it won't work on me sister, I know you to well," Dawn exclaimed back with an overly excited smile on her face as she hurried to catch up to Buffy as they entered the kitchen.
"Dawn's right, I know that something happened between you two last night and I believe that you're obligated to spill, or else we'll just go ask Spike, I'm sure that he'll…," Willow started to add with a proud look on her face as she hurried over to the refrigerator and pulled out a pint of ice cream and grabbed three spoons before finally pulling up a chair next to Buffy's.
"Well, I finally got him alone last night out on the dock, we talked for a bit before…," Buffy started to nervously reply as she couldn't help but smile before she blushed furiously and couldn't continue.
"Are you saying what I think you're," Willow started to say with a surprised look on her face before she was cut off by an almost ear piercing squeal from Dawn as she jumped over and gave Buffy a very tight hug.
"Yes…I knew it," Dawn shrieked with an ecstatic and zealous grin on her face before she began to eagerly hop up and down on her chair.
"He said that he didn't want me to keep us a secret like last time," Buffy said with a nervous look on her face as she awkwardly tapped on the top of the ice cream with her spoon.
"So I guess then you're lucky that you and The Immortal are done with and have been for awhile," Willow offered up with a sincere look of happiness on her face as she clapped Buffy on the back.
"I still don't understand exactly what happened, Lorne said that he just died…just like that, I know that I should be feeling really sad right now but for some reason I just can't do it," Buffy said with a confused look on her face as she dipped into the ice cream just a bit and then took a bite.
"Well him being an ageless demon probably didn't help matters," Jamie interjected with a nervous and slightly scared look on her face as she stood in the doorway of the kitchen.
"What," Buffy asked with a confused and unsure expression on her face as she turned around in her chair, stopping in the middle of getting another spoonful of ice cream.
"He was exactly what Illyria was, one of the ancient ones, he existed before vampires first showed up on the scene, then he made a deal with Whistler to stay alive when all of the others like him started to kill each other off, he's been hiding ever since, doing whatever he wants along the way, Angel and Spike have history with him, history that goes back over a hundred years, they had a good reason to hate him, and it certainly didn't help when he rubbed your relationship in their faces," Jamie replied with a very serious and concerned look on her face as she slowly made her way across the room and got out another spoon, with Willow's eyes trying not to stay locked on her two greatest assets or notice how low her tight jeans were riding.
"You sure about," Buffy started to say with a bit of scorn and disbelief in her voice before Jamie stuck her spoon into the ice cream and interrupted.
"Damn sure, I was possessed by Illyria for long enough to know what she was, and to know that your ex The Immortal, was the same thing, guess he wasn't as immortal as he thought," Jamie interjected with a very serious and sarcastic expression on her face as she lifted up a large scoop of ice cream and then shoved it into her mouth.
"Why you," Buffy started to growl with a very angry scowl on her face before both Willow and Dawn leapt into action, grabbing her shoulders and keeping her from going after Jamie.
"All I'm saying is that you were duped into falling in love with an almost ageless demon that really didn't give a damn about you, other than the fact that you were the slayer and he got points with his buddies for boinking the slayer," Jamie quickly replied with a confidant look on the surface but her eyes shown her fear through clearly enough. Buffy was just about to shove both Willow and Dawn away and go after Jamie when they all heard a popping sound behind them.
"Dimension hopping is the worst, you always feel like you're going to lose your lunch when you rematerialize," Whistler said with an odd and comical tone to his voice as he smiled at the women and then began to dig through the refrigerator. Buffy, Willow, and Dawn just stared at Whistler in a stunned silence but Jamie very nearly jumped out of her skin and dropped her spoon to the floor at Whistler's sudden appearance in the kitchen.
"Wha…what, who…who are you," Jamie stammered out with a scared look on her face as she began to slowly take a step back towards the door and away from Whistler.
"Whistler's the name and destiny's my game pretty lady, I help special people find their way back to their true path in life, which basically means that I see them at their worst…and let me tell you, it ain't pretty, ya got any booze," Whistler calmly and politely replied at first with a comforting smile on his face before he delved back into the refrigerator to continue his search for something to drink.
"Is he for real," Jamie asked Buffy with a timid look on her face as she took another step back towards the door.
"Unfortunately," Buffy grumbled with an unhappy scowl on her face as she rolled her eyes and abandoned the ice cream.
"Hey now, is that any way to talk about the guy that's going to save your lives, if you ladies want to survive tonight then you're going to have to play by my rules, otherwise you'll all get slaughtered, not a pretty picture," Whistler shot back with a frustrated pout on his face before he found what he was looking for and popped the top off of a bottle of beer before chugging a large mouthful.
END OF CHAPTER 39