Chapter 7: Home

BUFFY'S POV

Morning was breaking and the warmth from the sun was slowly creeping into the room. It was early, too early for a Saturday morning that's for sure. I'm not quite awake and rather content to stay right here in this in-between state: feeling safe, at ease and surrounded by warmth. Almost every inch of my body is touching that warmth and I love the tingly feeling coming from it. Two strong arms are holding me close, one wrapping under my neck, the other low over my waist. I feel a steady breath on the back of my neck and it's driving me a little crazy. When that breath turns into light kisses, I open my eyes. "Mmmm, this better not be a dream."

"No, not a dream." Faith whispers in my ear as she pulls me closer into her body.

I turn around to face her and smile. Leaning in I kiss her bottom lip, then the top. It starts out so slowly, each of us playfully nipping at the other's lips. The want soon escalates though and I pull her to me locking onto her mouth. My whole body is suddenly raging, pulsing with hers; our Slayer connection is driving me insane. I've never wanted someone like this, it's so overwhelming, almost consuming. I can't imagine what making love to her will be like when I can barely control myself just kissing her. But I'm getting the feeling I'm going to find out very soon.

By some miracle she's found the strength to pull away, I know I couldn't have. "Buffy" Faith pants, her hands run through my hair, down the length of my sides then back up again. Her eyes search mine, asking, needing to be sure this is what I want.

"Please, don't stop." I can barely manage the words.

Tenderly she starts kissing down my neck. Covering the mark Angel left with her lips, she slowly closes her mouth. I gasp, arching into her as her teeth scrape against my skin. "Don't ever stop" I breathe. Pulling her tank over her head I run my nails over the smoothness of her bare back. Her lips find mine again as my hands drift down to the waistband of her boxers.

She brings me up to a sitting position and cups my face in her hands. "So many years..." her words float away as her fingers leisurely trail down my sides. She grabs the ends of my shirt, as if moving in slow motion; she lifts it off, all the while never breaking eye contact. Wrapping me in her arms she closes her eyes as we both reel from the contact of our bare skin.

So many things kept us apart over the years: betrayal, prison, death and finally years of separation; but now nothing could stop us from being together, not even ourselves. We try our best to make up for every minute of our lost past. As the hours go by our movements become more unhurried and deliberate. What started as an almost frantic ravaging quickly turned to slow, gentle love-making. The only goal is the other's pleasure.

Finally spent and sated, my head is on her chest and she's stroking my hair. I'm tracing the outline of the scar I gave her and I think of how crazy everything was back then. I crawl down her side to kiss it. I look up at her when I feel her breath catch.

"I'm really glad you want to take this slow, cause any faster would have definitely killed me." she smirks.

I move back up and swat at her shoulder, "I think I had a little help."

Faith chuckles, "maybe a little." She draws me into a hug, "I can't believe I'm saying this but, I have to go. I have an appointment with a realtor this morning to find an apartment. And I still have to get back to the hotel to shower and change."

I pull her over to rest her head on my chest "It's too early for you to leave; I had visions of lying in bed all day, talking, napping, then waking again..."

"Having half the house make a lot of noise trying to be quiet not to disturb us?"

"Hmmm, you may have a point there."

After a few more protests from me, Faith gets up and starts to dress. "How about I come by after I find a place? Since I don't own a stick of furniture or more than a couple of changes of clothes, there could be some shopping in your future." She sits back on the edge of the bed to put on her boots.

"You think I can still be bribed with shopping after all these years? Ok, I can, so not the point," letting the sheet fall as I sit up, I take the boot out of her hand and drop it on the floor. Wrapping both my arms and legs around her I draw her into a passionate kiss. "I'm not ready for you to go yet," I whisper then kiss her again, this time pulling her down on top of me.

"God," Faith struggles for breath. "How am I supposed leave now?"

"That's the whole idea." I whisper in her ear, then start to nibble.

"I don't care what the PtB say, you're evil." She smiles, not a smirk this time, but a real smile.

"Uh huh, that's me up there with vamps, demons, the First..." I trail my hand up and down her side.

Leaning on one arm, hovering over me, Faith reaches up to tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear, then looks down. "B?" she asks seriously.

I tilt my head and furrow my eyebrows at the tone in her voice, "Yeah?" I suddenly feel exactly how naked I am in every sense of the word.

Slowly she looks up searching my eyes; "I…" her hand slides to my face, rubbing her thumb against my check, "I love you, Buffy. I always have."

"Oh Faith," so relieved, I hug her tightly. I thought, well, I don't know what I thought, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. "I love you too, so very much."

"I'll be back in a few hours ok?"

"You go find your apartment, just make sure it's close by."

"You bet. Try to get some sleep." Faith kisses me then quietly closes the door. I wrap myself up in the covers knowing I have an idiotic grin on my face but I don't care. Rolling over onto her pillow I breathe in deeply filling my senses with her then fall back asleep.

FAITH'S POV

Amazingly I make it out of the house before anyone was up. I think I've made a clean break until I see Emma sitting on the front steps in her own boxers and tank top. "Hi."

"Good morning Faith." Emma says taking in the boots and jacket in my hands, "Are you sneaking out?"

Put off, I growl at her, "Not sneaking, just don't want to wake anyone up on a Saturday morning is all. What are you doing up so early? And you have to be freezing." I put my leather jacket over her shoulders.

Emma pulls it around herself then blushes and looks down.

"What is it? Are you ok?" I'm concerned.

"It was you and Buffy," she whispers, "Your energy is so strong I could feel it when you two were... eh... you know, so I came out here where I can't feel you so much."

"Ohhh," I sit down next to her and think for moment. Turning to her I put on my boots, "What other things do you feel, Emma?"

"Oh, lots of things, but I try not to tell people, they always get angry. Not taking any pills has cleared my thoughts tremendously. I've been able to focus and pick up on things much better. Well, maybe too well." She looks up at me and narrows her eyes a bit. "I've never felt the power and energy in someone quite like what you have, it comes off in waves." She is so incredibly matter-of-fact. God, I was never that innocent.

"Yeah, masking," I look down then back to her appraisingly, "I gotta work on that."

"You can feel things too, I can tell." She stops and looks at me as I see the puzzle pieces in her mind connecting. "That's why you seem so familiar to me."

I finally understand the vibe I've been getting from her, "The family in South Africa, they're not your real parents are they?"

Her eyes are downcast, "No." She looks up pleadingly, "Are you gonna tell? Please don't tell, she'll send me back."

"Buffy will not send you back. But you have to promise me you'll talk to her when she gets up and tell her everything, ok?"

"But, I'm scared. I don't want to go back, Faith, I can't do it."

"You have nothing to be scared about. Look, I have to go out for a little while. If you want, you can wait for me and we'll do it together, do you want to do that?"

Emma thinks for minute, "No, it's ok, I can do it. Just make sure you come back soon, ok? I feel safer when both of you are here."

Now I narrow my eyes, "You don't feel safe here?"

"Can't explain it, just a feeling, but I don't feel it when both you and Buffy are here."

"Ok, stay put today, and stay close to Buffy, she'll take care of you."

"Ok," she stands and hands my jacket back, "thanks, I'll see you later."

I walk to my bike shaking my head. I'm such an ass. I should have realized the girl is part demon. That coupled with being called as a Slayer must have really been a rude awaking for a young girl. I wonder what happened to her real parents. And how come that other family didn't tell Buffy?

WILLOW'S POV

"So, what do you want for breakfast?" My head is in the fridge surveying the goodies, or lack thereof more like it, hmmm, probably have to do a grocery order today.

"Whatever you feel like making baby." Kennedy's head is already in her laptop, reading the headlines. I notice she's stolen the first cup of coffee out of the pot before it was finished.

"How about scrambled eggs?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Is there enough for me too?"

I turn around to see Emma in the kitchen doorway.

"Well, hi there, Emma." Kennedy looks up from the computer, "so you're hungry huh? Well you're in luck cause Will here makes some mean scrabbled eggs.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Emma is still standing in the doorway.

"Just the whole 'what-do-I-make-for-breakfast-conversation', come on in," I coax, "sit down. I'm thinking you are a little young for coffee, huh? Hmm, we have some English Breakfast tea if you want?" Please God, let her warm up to me.

Her face brightens as she sits down. "Tea would be great."

Kennedy explained how Emma felt last night then I told her how Faith saved Xander. There's so much going on right now we decided we can sort out what kind of gifts she has later. For Pete's sake the kid's only been here a day. I just don't want her to feel she needs to hide anything or be scared of me. Well, not that I should be taken lightly, I can be a force to be reckoned with, just ask that Fyral demon, ha I sure showed him... and, and I can still be a complete ass too. I laugh to myself as I make breakfast.

"Willow, some of the girls say you have an incredible library. May I see it after we eat?"

"Of, course, I'll show you how the databases work too if you want."

"Cool, thanks."

I look at Kennedy for a moment. We talked about me reaching out to her, but it looks like she's reaching out to me. "Emma, I want you to forget about yesterday. You and me," I wave my hand, "clean slate, ok?"

"But I want to apologize; I didn't mean to be rude in any way." She lowers her head.

Putting a plate in front of her, I pat her hand, "You weren't, I know it's hard to trust strangers when you're far away from home, especially ones with mystical power, right? Look, magic is dangerous; I know that probably better than anyone here. But I want you to know, I'd never hurt you, that's not how I operate, it's not how we operate."

"I know, I guess I just felt overwhelmed by it yesterday."

"Good, now eat up, we'll make Ken here do the dishes while we check out the library."

Shocked, Kennedy looks up from the laptop, "Hey, how did I get stuck doing the dishes?"

TWO HOURS LATER

DAWNS POV

I walk into Buffy's room expecting her to be working like she is every other Saturday at 10 o'clock in the morning. Instead she's fast sleep, totally naked, half wrapped in the covers and hugging her pillow. "Holy crap!" I say out loud then try to creep out of her room. I'm almost to the door when I see my Mom's eyes. How can that be here? My God and the old Scoobys... "B-B-Buffy?"

"Hhmmpph?" She replies.

"Buffeeeeeee!!!!" I'm trying really hard not to lose it; I don't think I'm succeeding.

"Dawn?" She peers at me from under her hair. "What time is it? And why are you freaking out?"

"Buffy, where, how..." I'm just pointing at the pictures now.

Finally awake her gaze follows my finger, "Dawn it's ok. Faith brought them back with her. She gave them to me last night."

"Faith gave them to you? but how?"

I'm staring at her disbelievingly then a realization seems to hit me like that ton of bricks everyone talks about. I look at Buffy, the rumpled bed, her clothes on the floor, then back to her. "Holy crap" I repeat as I lean against the door, closing it.

"Dawn, ahh, I..." She is grabbing the sheet to herself then stops, "fuck it". She gets up, puts her jammies back on then sits Indian-style on the bed. "Come on, sit". She motions over to me.

I walk over and sit next to her still a little stunned.

"Are you ok?" She asks me.

"Am I ok? Shit, Buffy are you ok?"

She nods, "I'm very ok."

I hold her gaze, "So you two finally..."

She takes a deep breath, "Yeah." She's a little dreamy. "Hey, what do you mean 'finally'?"

"Please" I roll my eyes, "You can't be serious."

"That obvious, huh?" She blushes and lowers her head.

"Pretty much" I lean into her, bumping her shoulder, "Well?"

"Don't even try to make me explain. She, we... it was incredible."

"Wow"

"Yeah," She looks at me and narrows her eyes, "you cool with this?"

"Yes, I am so happy for you." I pull her into a big hug. "I was honestly starting to get really worried about you."

She pulls back and gives me her patented Buffy-head-to-the-side-questioning-look, "Worried?"

"Well, yeah, since Jessie died all you've done is work. I know you were still dealing with what happened and everybody deals differently, but it's been a couple of years so I was worried."

"Ok, who's the psychologist here?"

"Hmmm, sister's prerogative?" We both laugh.

"Thanks Dawn but there's not need for you to worry. I just didn't want to get involved for a while." She raises an eyebrow, "So now that we're sister-sharing, does this mean you're gonna tell me about you and Andrew?" She asks hopefully.

"We're so not going there." I nip that in the bud. "Now, how did Faith get the pictures?"

"Hmmm, alright." She winks at me. "She went back in time and took them before Sunnydale imploded on itself. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Very cool, maybe you should ask her to go back again and get Mr. Gordo?"

"You know, at 32, I think I'm too old for Mr. Gordo." She chuckles then pauses for a second. "You think she would?" Then we both crack up.

I get up and take the picture of us and Mom with me. "I'll bring this back; I just want to scan it so I can make a copy. And Emma's been looking for you. I'll tell her you'll be down soon ok?"

"Yeah, let me just grab a quick shower."

"Will do. Oh and Buffy?"

"Yeah, Dawnie?"

"It's a little chilly out today so I'd suggest a turtleneck. It will also come in handy to hide that love bite you got right here." I can't help but smirk at her as I point.

Her eyes widen as her hand goes to her neck, "Oh shit."

"See you downstairs." I chuckle leaving my sister with a bemused look on her face.

EMMA'S POV

I'm reading the Abridged Demon Guide that Willow lent me on the back yard deck when Buffy finds me. She looks very smart in her cream colored turtle neck and brown trousers. "You look like you've finally got some sleep. You seem quite rested and relaxed." I say as I can't help grinning.

She smiles at me, "Yes, I feel 1,000 times better today."

"I'll bet." I nod as I make room for her next to me on the steps.

She pauses, trying to read my meaning, shrugs and sits down. "Ok, you going to tell me what's going on with you? I can tell the drugs have worn off and you are by far more articulate than I thought you'd be without going to school."

"Yes, the drugs have worn off and I'm so thankful you chose not to continue with them. As for my education, the hospitals had rather extensive libraries. So I tried to get through as many books as I could."

"Hospitals? As in more than one?"

I nod.

"Let's come back to that. Tell me about you Emma, I can sense there is more than meets the eye. And you'll learn Slayer sense is rarely wrong. Now, out with it."

"Well, I talked to Faith this morning before she left and she told me to speak with you but you have to promise not to send me back." I look up at Buffy defiantly.

She looked quite taken aback. "Emma, we'll never 'send you back' this is your home for as long as you want to stay. Think of us as your family now. Not that you can't see your real family in South Africa of course, but we are here to give you all the love and support you need. Now come on, what did you tell Faith this morning?"

"They're not my real family." I stare out into the backyard.

"What?" She was incredulous.

"Ok, wait, you see, this morning I was awakened because I could feel Faith's energy, well you and Faith, I mean it was so intense, oh God this is embarrassing." I put my head in my hands; this was so much easier with Faith.

"You could feel us?" Buffy says as the color drains from her face.

Damn it, there is no way I can ever make eye contact with this woman again. "Well, yes. But I came outside where the feeling wasn't as strong so I wouldn't be... I don't know, like eavesdropping, yeah?"

"Yeah, I guess." She nods, still a little unnerved, but sees my point.

"So later when Faith saw me on the porch this morning I told her. She said I had to tell you everything and she said you wouldn't send me back." Out of the corner of my eye I can see she's looking me, head cocked to the side, letting it all sink in. "I feel things Buffy, I sense what other people experience as if it's me doing it, feeling it. I can't stop it; it's always been this way. It made the New Parents very angry."

"The 'New Parents'..."she sighs "and no one told me this because..."

"I would imagine they wanted to get rid of me. I've only been trouble to them." I'm so incredibly scared; she is definitely going to send me back now.

"Where are your real parents, Emma?"

"They're dead," I can't help it, I'm crying now. "When I was 8 there was an accident then I went to the New Parents. Please don't send me back to them." Oh God, I can't do this, where's Faith? I should have waited for her. Why does it feel so raw after all this time? I suddenly feel myself being lifted up and then I'm in Buffy's arms and she's holding me and smoothing my hair and I feel so amazingly safe but I can't stop crying.

"Shhhh, it's ok. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore. You're safe here. Shhhh. You're home Emma."

I can feel her love and kindness and, oddly, pain. Suddenly, I start to get this unbelievable sense of déjà vu. I concentrate for a moment, scanning my memory. Then I see a woman's face; blonde hair pulled back, eyes shining, like she'd been crying, then it's gone. I take a deep breath and break away from Buffy. Looking up at her I wipe my eyes. "Thanks, I'm ok now, really." I sit down again. Whoa that was bizarre.

"We can do this later. Don't feel..." she offers.

"No" I cut her off, "now is good, I'm, I'm fine." I take another breath and start: "My Dad was a white witch. He had a lot of power like Willow does. My Mom was a demon and could feel things like me and Faith. She said she was going to teach me how to control it when I got older but... that never happened. I don't remember everything, but there was some trouble and there was a big fight with magic and it got out of control. Then they were dead and I was alone. Then the New Parents came and took me away."

"That's why you're scared of Willow? The fight with the magic?"

"Yeah, well not so much now. I talked to Kennedy about it yesterday, then Willow herself this morning, but she has so much power and it's just like my Dad's."

"I know, don't worry, she can handle it. She has for some time now." She pauses then looks at me. "Emma, these New Parents, they had problems with your powers didn't they?"

"Yes, they wanted me to stop using them, as if I could even if I wanted to."

"So they took you to doctors to keep you drugged. Because if you're drugged you don't use the power." Buffy sounds like she's heard this part before, probably from other Slayers.

"Exactly, that's why I became such an avid reader. There was nothing else I could do."

"You said hospitals before; they put you in more than one?"

"Yeah, the first hospital was in Jo-burg. I really don't remember why but some years ago I went to a new hospital in Durban."

Buffy put her arm around me. "Ok, we can talk about that later, maybe we can ask Willow to help you remember some more. But I think we need to talk to Faith first. Let me give her a call then maybe the three of us will go out and get some lunch, ok?"

"Ok, I'd like that."

DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND

FAITH"S POV

It takes me about three hours to get back to the hotel, take a quick shower, meet up with the realtor and find an apartment. My new-found money apparently opens a lot of doors. I check out of the hotel and seeing as I didn't have any breakfast, decide to grab something at the diner I went to with Ken.

Just as I take the first bite into my cheeseburger, an average looking guy sits down next to me. "The PtB need to see you now." He puts a scrap of paper in my hand.

"But I just got here. Don't I get a little time off?" I mumble with a mouth full of food. I can't believe it. I haven't even been here three full days yet.

"Just go, now, they're waiting for you." He gets up and briskly walks out.

I pay the bill then find an internet café nearby to look up directions. I'm reading them over when my cell phone rings. Knowing only one person has the number I answer,

"Hey Ken."

"Actually, it's me," Buffy responds. "Kennedy gave me your number."

""Hey B" I say softly. "Were you able to get back to sleep?"

"Yeah for a couple of hours, I was pretty wiped out."

"Can't imagine how that happened."

"Yeah, well," I could almost feel the blush on Buffy's face. "I just talked to Emma and I wanted to run some things by you. Can you come by for lunch with us or are you still apartment hunting?"

"I found a furnished place about 10 blocks from you, but I can't come by till later on. The PtB sent a messenger telling me to meet them. It's about 20 miles out of town, so how about I come over after I'm done?"

"What do they want? Is something wrong?" She's worried; I can hear it in her voice.

"Don't know yet, they just said 'come' so I do. It shouldn't take too long. Look, I'll call you when I'm on my way back ok?"

"Ok, please be careful."

"Will do, talk to you in a little bit."

I put the phone in my pocket and drive to Macedonia.

The address was to an abandoned building. 'Of course', I think, 'why isn't it ever a swanky restaurant?' As I close the door behind me I hear them speaking in unison, "Welcome." Them speaking as one I got used to over the years, but it still creeps me out that they are so ghost-like, have been ever since the attack in LA. When their physical bodies were destroyed they transcended into pure essence. I guess they must expend a great deal of energy to actually appear physically before me, but I still wish they weren't so, I don't know... translucent? It's just spooky.

"Hey" I call out as I approach them. "Love the name of the town, you guys are way dramatic. What's up?"

"A darkness is coming, it craves the light."

"When is it coming? What does it want and what light?"

"Answers will be found in questions from the past."

"Ok, that's helpful… I guess we'll start the research as soon as I get back to the house."

"Good." They pause, "Faith, don't let your new relationship with the slayer distract you."

"I won't." I say a little indignantly. "So I guess I'll never get more than a couple days off, huh?" I try to change the subject.

"Why do mortals always ask questions they know the answers to?" They sigh as if I'm a child; well to them I guess I am. "You are a champion, Faith, and always will be."

"Got it." Feeling defeated, I leave.

Pulling out my cell I straddle the bike and wait for someone to answer the phone. Buffy picks it up after the second ring. "Faith?"

"Yeah."

"It's bad isn't it?" I'm sure Buffy can hear the tension in my voice.

"Not sure yet. I'll be there in a half hour or so. We're going to need everybody on this."

"We'll be waiting."