(Rather than spend ages explaining everything, I thought flashback-a-go-go was an easier route, the following is spread out over the previous few months. It doesn't explain everything as there is plenty of time for that later. Sorry hotcutii3 - no L-Word in this chapter but it will be back later, and I hope Kris' screen recovers. But a huge thankyou for everyone who's dropped by and reviewed, especially Mika and Hillary, you've made my Xmas card list)
FLASHBACK
"Hey guys, what's up?", asked Buffy in her usual cheery tone as she wandered into the school library and bounced up on to the edge of the table. She swung her legs back and forth idly as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her new blue shirt that, as yet, no-one had noticed.
"Algebra. And if I keep on getting these interruptions Xander is never going to pass", huffed Willow as she greeted her best friend.
"Sorry Wills, not going so good then?"
"If she ever offers to help tutor you...don't", said Xander but his joke was cowered into submission by the redhead's glare.
"Listen, if you don't want..."
"Ah Buffy, is that a new top? What brings you here", interrupted Giles as she sauntered in from his office carrying a mug of chamomile.
"Oh you know, that ever burning desire for knowledge and stuff", she said with a shrug while she was thrilled that someone actually paid attention to her clothing. She was little creeped out that it was the school librarian, but beggers can't be choosers.
"So, not hiding from Principal Snyder trying to press gang you into volunteering for parent-teacher night then?", he smirked as he blew the steam from his drink.
"Me? Oh god no, you know me, all peppy with the school spirit and all that, oh Wills did you get that French homework done?", she said deftly changing subject.
"Why, do you need help with it?"
"No, I was hoping I could just copy it"
"Ah, a woman after my own heart", grinned Xander as he leaned back in the chair.
"Oh thank god, excuse me", Giles said as he heard the phone ringing, to be honest he was glad of the excuse to wrest himself from the inanity that was teenage banter.
"What's up with him?", Willow asked as her pseudo mentor wandered off.
"You know Giles, everything he does is so calculated and thought out, even the slightest thing can offset his Britishiness, hence his whole wigging at our cheating plans", smirked Buffy as she took Willow's French book from her.
"WHAT?"
All three turned to hear the exclamation from the office before, seeing through the window, Giles drop the phone, take a step back and then faint.
"Miss Calendar, what are you doing here?", asked Buffy as she answered the door. She didn't like her home to be invaded by teachers, even ones that she liked. It was an 'Us vs Them' mentality and one she adhered to.
"Hello Buffy, is your mother here? I...I need to talk to her", she asked her nerves obviously frazzling.
"Sure come in...Mom!"
"Buffy, there's no need to shout I'm only in the kitchen", said Joyce as she walked in to the hallway wiping her hands on a cloth, "Oh hello Jenny, what can I do for you?"
"It's this whole thing...with Rupert, it's got my head in a spin and I really don't know what to do", she confessed as Joyce escorted her into the living room currently a hive of activity of Buffy and her friends.
"Well Buffy was a little scarce with the details. She said something about a doctor stealing Rupert's blood and cloning him", said Joyce with a confused scowl.
"What? No, that's not it at all, but I think Rupert should be the one to tell you all about it"
"Isn't he back yet? Xander, would you mind?", said Joyce as she raised a patient eyebrow.
"Huh, oh yeah, sure", he said as he shuffled along the sofa allowing Jenny to sit. He tactfully placed a cushion over his lap as who knows what would arise.
"Thankyou Xander", Jenny said politely as she sat next to him, her sweet scent tickling his recently groomed nostrils.
"Well we'll leave you to it, guys let's go to my room", said Buffy as she didn't like parental figures honing in on her friend time.
"No, don't go, I...I need your help"
"Wait, a teacher needs my help? Well, the circle is now complete", Xander said to an almost audible mass rolling of the eyes.
"It's just...with Rupert now being a father..that makes...or it will make me a...stepmother! I have no idea what to do"
"Didn't you want to have children with Rupert?"
"Yes, eventually,"
"Please, I soooo do not need that visual", scoffed Buffy.
"Me neither", quipped Willow as she took the last of her hay fever medicine.
"But now he's bringing a teenager into our house, a girl I haven't even met yet, and it's the whole in-at-the-deep-end thing, I need your help...please"
"Oh come on, any child of Giles is gonna be a tea drinking, tweed wearing, uber polite girl with no sense of fun. Don't worry, we'll help. We'll give her a makeover and show her how to have fun, right guys", gushed Buffy at the thought of having a real life doll to play with.
"Right, and maybe I could finally have a study buddy who's on my level...not to say that you guys aren't on my level of intellect but you know, sometimes I have this kind of...I'll stop now"
"Thankyou Willow, I appreciate any help I can get"
"And I offer my services as a virile studly male to help her get acquainted with our American notions of dating"
"Xander, she is American, Boston is in America you know"
"I knew that", he bluffed.
"So what do you think?", asked Willow excitedly, the prospect of a female version of Giles had her in a tizz.
"I'm imagining an A-line tweed skirt and penny loafers", said Cordelia as she adjusted her new Chanel purse that hung from her shoulder.
"Oh, and glasses like Giles, I bet she'll clean them every five seconds and make that coughing sound when she gets embarassed", added Buffy.
"Don't be so mean, if she is all embarass-y I think we should go out of our way to make her feel welcome. We can help her adjust to being cool"
"Yeah, get the Jewish nerd to teach her about being cool. Great idea.", scoffed Cordelia.
"Now play nice Cordy, don't worry Will, we'll all be there for the mini femme Giles", added Xander as he slid his arm around his girlfriend's waist.
They opened the door of the library to see Jenny and Giles sitting by the long table.
"Ah you're here...at last", started Jenny. The punctuality of her favorite students was a constant annoyance to her.
"Sorry, so Giles you gonna tell us what's the what?", asked Buffy as she rooted around in her bag and popped a cherry in her mouth. No pun intended.
"Yes of course. Erm, long story short, as I imagine your attention spans have been warped by years of television and e-numbers"
"Hey", snipped Xander.
"What? It's true", placated Buffy.
"I know, I was just trying to...so Giles, go on", he said veering to conversation back to the Englishman as Xander really had no idea where he was going with his statement.
"Quite, well that phone call last week, the one when I..well..", Giles started as he rose to his feet nervously awaiting their opinion.
"Passed out like a freshman?"
"Well, yes to be honest. The call was from an old friend of mine. He's a doctor out in Boston. When we roomed together at University he was studying medicine so he took some of my blood once to study and noticed a peculiarity in my DNA, it's not indicative of anything wrong, just a quirk of my genes. Anyway, he was testing some blood that had been sent to him and noticed the same quirk. It seems that many years ago, when I was working on my fellowship at Harvard, I went out on a stag night, I got very, very drunk and slept with a lady. Ergo, I have a child. But I had no idea she even existed, so now I have an awful lot to make up for, and well I..I need your help"
"Wow, that's becoming like a catchphrase for you guys", chuckled Xander.
"So where is she?", asked Buffy looking around.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my daughter...Faith"
Stepping out from the office came a dark haired girl who curled her full and succulent lips into an amused smile. There before them stood a figure of defiance and passion moulded into one unique shape. Her t-shirt, bearing the Bad Religion logo, was taut over her more than ample bust that made both Willow and Buffy look down at their own and shrink back into themselves a little in embarassment.
She strode over, creaking in her worn leather pants, her chunky boots slapping against the linoleum with an aggressive thud.
"S'up guys", she said with an unnerring confidence.
"Faith, I'd like you to meet Buffy, Willow, Xander and Cordelia", said Giles as he went to clean his glasses but his hand was swatted away by Jenny.
They all stood there, mouths agape for many different reasons.
"H-hi", started Buffy as she stared into those deep brown eyes feeling herself melt a touch.
"So how did this doctor friend of yours find out about the blood thing?", asked Cordelia as she mentally started to prepare a shopping list for Faith for a mall trip she decided this new girl desperately needed.
"Well, he was testing a batch of blood samples for the criminal records database. It seems that Faith here got in a little trouble and was being detained, being only sixteen she was going to be sent off to a foster home again...but, when my friend noticed the peculiarities in her DNA he remembered how mine possessed the same quirks, so..."
"Criminal records?", gushed Willow as all hopes for a study buddy crashed into the reefs of disappointment.
"No biggie, some guy tried to burn a friend of mine so I cracked him in the head with a skateboard", Faith shrugged.
"Oh", said Buffy suddenly feeling intimidated by the leather clad hottie.
"There goes the bell, Faith you have to get to class. Don't want you late on your first day do we?", said Jenny in a light tone.
"Yeah, wouldn't that be a shitter", she scoffed back as she shoved the swing doors of the library open and stepped out into the hallway.
"Buffy, all of you in fact, please be gentle with her. Though she may act tough she's been through a lot so any help would be appreciated", asked Giles
"Er, sure, whatever you say...Faith, wait up!", Xander shouted as he lead the procession of friends after the new girl.
Giles rubbed the shoulders of Jenny whose muscles were knotted tightly. The last few days hadn't been easy for any of them.
"Don't worry my dear, I'm sure she'll come around eventually", he said hopefully.
Jenny and Giles stood outside the door of their house. Both hesitant to return to the scene of the epic three way argument that had raged mere hours ago and could hear the loud music from a mile away, but as Giles opened the door he was surprised to be greeted by the sight of Faith hard at work in the kitchen.
"Faith! Can you turn the music down a bit!", yelled Jenny over the raucous tunes echoing throughout their home.
"Oh sorry", Faith replied as she adjusted the volume.
"Is that..?", Giles started as he recognized the song.
"X-Ray Spex? Yep, found it in your vinyl collection with the Pistols and Anti Nowhere League. Get down with your bad self G man, since when were you into decent music?"
"Back in my youth I was very much into the scene as it were, I even knew Poly Styrene pretty well", he said as he flicked over the record cover of Germfree Adolescents and his eyes twinkled with happy memories of his riotous teen years which were a far cry from the life he lived now.
"Really? How well?", continued Faith as she stirred the soup on the oven, adding a touch of basil to bring out the flavor.
"You could say I...nevermind...Faith, what is that heavenly aroma?", he tactfullly swerved as he felt the jealous stare of Jenny boring into his skin.
"Why? Don't you like it?"
"No, it smells delicious...but... did you cook for us? Why?"
"I like to cook. Besides if I'm gonna be living here I might as well make myself useful and also...I wanted to say...sorry...for this morning y'know", she said with a touch of shame that her temper had once more yielded an unpleasant start to the day.
"That's ok Faith. I know it's hard for you to make such a huge transition in your life, I think we were in the wrong too...a little. We just need to try a bit harder, and not force you into doing things"
"Too fuckin' right, I mean cheerleader tryouts? Who's crackpipe were you toking to come up with that one?"
"Faith, language!", said both Giles and Jenny in unison.
"Fine", she sighed, "Anway sit down, grub's a coming"
Jenny and her fiance, still in a state of shock, put their bags down and took their places at the table covered with a neat linen table cloth and decorated with the fine cutlery and china that they only ever used at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their glasses filled with a fine looking wine.
"Er, Faith. What have I told you about drinking alcohol?", asked Giles as he motioned to the filled glasses.
"Don't worry, it's only sparkling grape juice", she said back a little hurt. Despite all her efforts she still felt he doubted her intentions.
Seeing the hurt register on his daughter's face the Englishman knew he had once again made an error.
"I'm sorry Faith, I really am. Mmm, it's really nice", he said as he sipped his drink, "Thankyou, I..that is we really appreciate what you've done. It's really thoughtful, isn't it Jenny?"
"Mmmh?", she grunted as she was still mesmerised by the napkins that Faith had folded to resemble swans, something that she had always wanted to know how to do.
"Faith, seeing the effort she's made tonight, it's really nice of her isn't it?"
"Yes, absolutely..sorry, it's just such a surprise"
"Well, I just thought...with you takin' me in an' all, I..I had a talk with Red and she like...well said some shit that really hit home y'know. She's a smart cookie that girl, so I figured that it weren't fair for you to make all the effort. I'm just trying to say sorry for all the shit of the last few weeks, I was kinda hoping we could start over. Clean slate and all that?"
"I think we've all made mistakes of late, so yes, a clean slate as you say, would be a fine idea." said Giles.
"I agree", added Jenny as Faith placed the three plates of food on the table and sat down with them.
"Wow, this is really good. I mean really good", gushed Jenny as she tucked into the lemon and herb roast chicken.
"You were expecting what exactly? Sloppy joe's garnished with cigarette butts?"
"No, but I agree with Jenny on this one Faith, you really have a talent. This gravy is divine"
"Thanks, it's made with reduced stock, red wine, a splash of port and a touch of mustard powder to give it that extra bite...what?", she said back with mock shock, but inside she was dancing with joy at being praised for something she loved to do.
"Well, I'm very impressed. Have you ever thought about it as a career?", asked her father as he ravenously ate.
"Yeah right, it's costs a shitload of cash and I'm pretty sure they don't accept foodstamps"
"Now Faith, don't think like that, there are scholarships available and as your father I would be honored to help you in anyway I can"
"Right", she retorted not really wanting to get into it now. Faith just wanted to enjoy a good meal with her new family without it descending into a conversation about her and what the future might hold. She still felt strange at having a man in her life who wasn't a pot dealer or a parole officer.
"Do you think...maybe you want to do this again? Like a regular thing?", asked Jenny, "How about once a week, we sit down for dinner like this, maybe all dressed up like it's a special occassion?"
"Woah, I like the cooking but dressing up? No way you're gonna get me into some flowery dress and look like a dickwad just so we can play at happy families", she snipped back.
"That's not what I meant, I meant just wear something nice...not a dress if you don't want to. It's just..something like this...it should be special for all of us, right Rupert?"
"Of course. Faith, I would love it if we could do that. What do you say?"
"Sure, ok...but no dress. Every wednesday maybe, I got the last period off so I can get to the grocery store so I can shit started early", she said with a nonchalant tone but her underlying excitement at being able to show her true talents. Though she fought it, Faith couldn't stop the wide smile from bursting out on her face, complete with full dimple display.
"Maybe we can invite Buffy over sometime?", Jenny mentioned casually though she knew how Faith really felt about the blonde.
"What?", the Beantown girl said as she choked on the mange tout that was cooked to crunchy perfection."W-why?"
"I think it'd be nice for her to see this side of you, you keep all this hidden from her, from everyone actually. If they could see what kind of girl you really were then I think you might improve your chances with her"
"W-what do you mean?"
"Faith, I may be a teacher and like totally uncool, but I'm not blind. I can see you like her, right?"
The brunette just dropped her head and pushed the vegetables around on her plate not wanting to admit to being so transparent. But if this is what could win Buffy's heart she was willing to take the chance. She gave the slightest of nods. Jenny slid her hand over and tapped lightly on Faith's forearm, she looked up to the warm smile of the woman who could possibly be not that bad of a mother figure. The Bostonian smiled back and let her shoulders visibly relax, it was a turning point in their relationship and Faith was feeling surprised at how good it felt to let someone in, even just a tad.
"Don't worry sweetie, once she sees the kind and thoughtful girl you really are, you'll win her over in no time", cooed Jenny.
"I'll get dessert", Faith said as she jumped from her chair and headed into the kitchen. She wasn't ready to serve the cheesecake topped with rapsberries and mango just yet, she just didn't want anyone to see the tear that was brimming in her eye.
"I know I'm about two bong hits away from total retardation", Faith started a little sheepishly as she stood in front of the High School, her friends sitting on the steps before her all wearing expressions of annoyance.
"Oh, I have no doubt of that", Buffy said flatly.
The previous night Faith had managed to get them all in a bit of trouble with the long arm of the law. After getting them all thrown of the Bronze for getting in a scuffle with Riley she had thrown a brick through his windshield in revenge just as a police car passed. Due to the influence of Cordelia's father, some rushed apologies and an offer to pay for the damage they had gotten off from any charges. The constant weeping of Xander probably helped.
"Look, I-I'm sorry about last night. Riley was acting like a complete twat and I just sorta lost it. I didn't mean to drag you into any shit y'know."
"I know you don't like him but we really could've gotten into some deep trouble last night...though it was kind of fun seeing the look on his face when he saw his car", said Buffy with a wry grin.
"Guys, I...er, I'm not good at the apology thing...but...I wanna make it up to ya, so I-I made some muffins...I got blueberry and double chocolate chip", Faith said letting her hair flop forward slightly to try and cover her rosy blush as she flipped open a box full of sweetened delights.
"You? You made these, since when do you cook?", asked Willow as she drooled a little at the forthcoming sugar rush that would no doubt power her throughout the approaching geometry quiz.
"Me Faith, Faith like food, so Faith make good food", she said back in her Tarzan-esque staccato which eased the tension between the quintet.
"But when did you...mmmm, damn these are really good, guys you gotta try one!", said Xander as he waffled the muffin down.
"This one's for you Red", Faith said with a smile as she held up a pretzel she had made in the shape of the star of David.
"Aww, thankyou Faith", the redhead said back with a smile as the prospect of baked goodies was all it took for the redhead to forgive any transgression. Especially one that celebrated her faith.
"Not that one, that's for Buffy", Faith said as she slapped Xander's hand away as he reached for another, and held the container in front of the blonde girl who was still a little irked at Faith.
"Me?", said Buffy as she looked into the dozen or so muffins to see one oozing with choccy goodness with each chip delicately placed to spell out the letter B. She smiled so wide that her cheeks threatened to be forced into her ears.
"Cordy, you gotta try one", enthused Xander.
"No, it's alright", the well dressed young lady said back.
"C'mon C, I made you a pretzel. Don't worry, I know all about your lactose intolerance so I made it with soya milk", said Faith as she held out the pastry.
"You're lactose intolerant? I didn't know that", said Xander as everyone stared at Cordelia feeling a little ashamed at knowing this girl for so long and not knowing the simplest thing about her.
"Shit man, what kinda boyfriend are you?", snorted Faith.
"Hey, this is really good...doesn't mean I like you or anything", said Cordelia with a slight huffiness but was secretly touched at such a thoughtful gesture.
"Wouldn't have it any other way C", grinned back Faith knowing that she had made serious headway with the Queen of Sunnydale High.
"So how come you're all into the cooking thing all of a sudden?", asked Willow as she inhaled the scent of the still warm buns. There's a joke in there somewhere.
"It's ain't a sudden thing. When I was living with Diana she encouraged me so I just got really into it", Faith shrugged.
"Who'th Diana?", Buffy forced out round a mouthful of muffin that inginited her tastebuds.
"My old foster mom...she...died", replied the brunette sadly as she felt the serrrated memories flood within her. She could recall with perfect vividity the night the police came round to inform a scared fourteen year old girl that the only person in this world who ever truly gave a damn about her had been killed in a hit and run.
"I'm thorry", the blonde said softly as the sticky chocolate formed a sovereign state, complete with national anthem, within her mouth.
"It's cool, it was a while ago now, but she always said that I should join the CIA"
"You mean like Mulder and Scully?", asked Buffy as she finally swallowed.
"That's the FBI"
"Oh, wait, do you mean like Grissom and that?"
"B, that's CSI. I mean the CIA - the Culinary Institute Of America", Faith said with a chuckle as Buffy blushed heavily.
"Oh..er, well we got classes to get to. Faith we got History right now, don't want to keep Ms Bird waiting do we?"
"Shit", sighed Faith as she threw the empty box in the trash and held out a hand to help Buffy to her feet. The blonde gratefully accepted the gesture and, once on her feet, she didn't let go of the brunette's strong fingers. All the previous irritation she had felt towards Faith had been melted with each bite of muffin and the fact that Faith had openly admitted to a very painful memory. Buffy's respect and empathy shot up for her as they walked to class still holding hands.
As Cordelia, Willow and Xander watched them walk away they couldn't help but stare at the growing affection between the two.
"You think Buffy likes Faith? You know, in that way?", asked the young man who was now craving for more muffins.
"Oh please, she couldn't be more obvious if she threw her on the floor right now", scoffed Cordelia as she worked out the last of the pretzel that had got stuck between her teeth.
"Me Faith, Faith like Buffy", she said in the neanderthalic way that always made the blonde giggle.
"Well Buffy like Faith too, wait what am I saying? I mean, yes Faith, I like you too so in order to answer your question, yes I will go out with you"
"Really?"
"Of course, dummy", Buffy said as she lightly swatted at the brunette's arm.
"Damn, this really is the best birthday ever!", Faith said as she hugged her tightly.
"I think we should go back in", Buffy said as she could hear the party in full swing. Though most of the revellers winced at the music that reverberated around the place that Faith now proudly called home.
"Ok", replied Faith as she took the blonde by the hand and lead her back into the gaudily decorated living room.
"So what did Giles and Jenny get you?", asked Willow as she handed her gift to the brunette who couldn't stop beaming
"Well I wanted a Bon Jovi pinata, but instead they got me tickets to see the greatest band ever"
"Wyld Stallyns?", butted in Xander.
"No, dumbass, Dropkick Murphys"
"Who?"
"Don't worry, they got four tickets so we can all see 'em. Two weeks time in LA, it's gonna be fuckin' awesome...shit Red, thanks. This is wicked cool", Faith said with a bizarrely girly squeal as she unwrapped the pestle and mortar Willow had bought her so she could grind up her spices and things. Maybe a little weed too.
"No problem", the redhead said back with a genuine smile as she tried to pry the arms of Faith from her torso. After a rocky start they had started to bond and even hung out together. Just the two of them, and it had become a weekly ritual that both looked forward to.
"I guess I got me some grinding to do, I just gotta check what's in stock", Faith crowed as she pointed to the spice rack that Xander had spent the last two weeks working on. Though he was low on cash young Mr Harris was high on affection for the girl and so, taking Faith's own desire to explore her hidden talents as inspiration, he had resolved himself to make her a gift that would give him as much pleasure in creating as she would garner from receiving. He included a space for cumen which most people overlook.
Wearing her black leather lace up pumps by Dior with the open toe to show off her meticulously painted nails, Buffy took a seat next to Faith trying not to be too obvious with her flirting. But seeing as everyone else seemed to know about their mutual attraction before they did, it was a pointless task.
"So what else did Jenny and Giles get you, heh, it's weird calling her by her first name"
"Only outside school Xander", Jenny called from the kitchen.
"Yes Miss", he said back out of instinct.
"They got me these wicked cool knives for cooking and shit. They said I can use 'em all the time just as long as I don't try to juggle 'em or throw 'em at the stupid kid who lives down the street", Faith continued as she snapped open the exquisite case they came in.
Each black handle on the knives was engraved with a silver F in an exotic font and, as the birthday girl stroked each one, she fought to hold back the tears. For that morning, when she unwrapped the gift of fine blades, she hugged Giles tightly and called him the name she had been trying to summon the courage to do for the few weeks. That of 'Dad'. Upon hearing that simple word Giles had increased his embrace to a lung purging degree. It was the greatest monosyllabic utterance he had ever heard.
"Well the knives and tickets are cool as fuck, though I did want another tattoo"
"NO!", yelled both Giles and Jenny from the other room with an eerie sense of hearing.
"How do you think I'd look with a tattoo?", asked Buffy as she stroked her fingers across the brunette's tribal ink.
"B, why put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari?"
They giggled together and shared a secret look. They believed it was their secret look but in the recent weeks and months everyone knew it's significance, and sighed that the two girls hadn't yet accepted what was obvious to them all.
"Oh Faith, sorry I'm late but business in LA took longer than I thought, here, happy birthday", Joyce said as she wandered in through the open front door and handed the brunette a gift. The proximity of Buffy to Faith didn't come as a surprise to her, it seemed that the long talk with her daughter had finally paid dividends.
"Thanks Mrs S", Faith said as she gave her a quick but affectionate hug.
Tearing the paper decorated with cookies off the large present, Faith had to take a moment to gulp away yet another tear as she ran her fingers over the tome before her.
"Thanks, i-it's great", she said as flicked through the Encyclopedia Gastronomique. The holy book for those of a culinary persuasion.
"Hi Joyce, glad you made it. Wine?", asked Jenny as she gave a quick kiss of welcome on Joyce's cheek. Then another, how European.
"No thanks, I'm driving. Wow, I didn't think you'd be able to convince Faith go all out with balloons and streamers and everything."
"That was Rupert's idea, we just said that Faith could bake her own birthday cake if we got to decorate. You know how she is with cake"
Giles just blushed as his inner child was exposed, but he shook it off and lit the last of the candles picking up the cake in the shape of Kenny from South Park. It seemed that even in cake form the poor hooded child was to perish.
The adults came back into the living room interrupting Faith and Dawn air guitaring to 'Good Rats' so they could all sing to her. She blushed and tried not to smile but having not had the birthday song sung to her since she lived with Diana, she felt more touched and more honored than ever.
"Make a wish", said Giles with the broadest of grins.
But Faith didn't have to. Seeing the room full of people who genuinely cared for her, her friends, family and most importantly, Buffy. This was more than any wish could grant and more than she ever dared dream could be real.
Leaning forward she blew out the candles and smiled as her loved ones clapped in congratulation. Biting her lip she leant back, finding that Buffy had manouevred herself so she was now wrapping her arms around the brunette. The soft contractions of Faith's body as she fought to hold back the tears warmed Buffy's heart all the more as they resonated through her body.
Later, as the party fizzled out, Faith took Buffy to one side.
"B, I just wanna say..thanks. Not just for tonight 'cos it was fucking' awesome, but I mean for everything", she said with a startling honesty.
"You're welcome F", the lusty blonde said back with a cheeky smile.
Before anymore words could rebound between the two they found themselves in the greatest, most longed for moment of their lives. Their first kiss.
END EXCESSIVELY LARGE AMOUNTS OF FLASHBACKS
Joyce shuffled her weight from foot to bunioned foot as she tried to summon the courage to knock on the door. It was just a wooden door, but on the other side she feared what she would find. Rejection? Anger? A suicide note written in the finest penmanship?
Before she could rap her knuckles on the door, it opened.
"Joyce", said Bette curtly. Her earlier hurt had diminished slightly but not enough to forgive the woman who stood in front of her.
"Honey, I'm so, so sorry. I wanted to tell you, tell them, about this...us... but I was so scared they would look at me differently. I was stupid, I was...an idiot, I know I've hurt you, so badly, but I want to make it up to you. Please, will you just give me a chance?", said Joyce as her voice took on a begging stance. She willed her tears back but when confronted with the beauty standing before her, upon seeing the pain that nestled behind those deep brown eyes, the warm salty droplets defied her and slipped out.
"Joyce...I...want to, I really do. But I was so...oh god, Joyce I felt so stupid being here. Seeing them all in your house, I just realised all the things that I thought would happen, that I would...could be part of your life...your family...it all shattered right in front of me."
"But you are part of my life, I want that more than anything. I want you to meet them...all of them...properly. I talked with Buffy and Dawn and, god bless them, they were ok with it."
"But...what now? Where do we go from here?", said the brunette softly as nervously played with the rings on her fingers.
"Bette, would you do me the honor of being my 'plus one' at the wedding. I really want you there, I want to show everyone the woman that I love, 'cos I do, I really, really am head over heels in love with you. I'm so sorry for being so stupid and selfish, but come with me...please", she ended with a squeal as her tears flowed more freely, her heart clenching tightly knowing that this could be the last time she would ever see Bette. And she didn't blame her if she never wanted to see her again, it was her fault that everything that was so good between had got so messed up so quickly.
"Joyce...shhh", whispered Bette as she pulled the sobbing woman into her arms. They held each other tightly and let all their emotions flood freely into each others souls. The hurt, the loneliness, the fear, all of it mingled within their heated embrace.
Bette pulled Joyce back slightly and looked deep into her reddening eyes.
"Joyce, I would love to be your date for the wedding"
"Really?"
"Yes, really"
Without another word need said they clashed their lips together and whispered words of love and sorrow as they made their way into the hotel room. A few seconds later, Bette popped her head out into the hallway and placed the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door handle whilst Joyce text Buffy saying that she wouldn't be home tonight.
No further explanation was needed.
(To be continued - almost there now)