A/N: Thanks to everyone still hanging around reading. I know it's taken me forever to get these updates out but I'm hoping these past few days of updates make up for it a little bit. Special thanks to KW Jordan for helping me work through my jumbled up, half thought out plot points. And one last big thanks...thank you SCOTUS for today's ruling on gay marriage!

Chapter 9

I don't have time for this shit. I really don't. The clock is tickin' on us an' Danni isn't helpin'. I cut her off mid tirade with a heavy left hook. "Sorry, Danni but arguing is eatin' seconds we don't have." Her head snaps to the side and she tumbles over. I didn't even hit her that hard. Buffy snorts at Danni's dazed expression before chimin' in so sweetly ta remind me that we are up the fuckin' creek if more wolves start showin' up.

"I'm going to check on…I guess I can't call them bodyguards, those guys we beat up." I hope she doesn't forget herself while she's playin' with them. Killin' wolves would undo everything we're tryin' ta do now. B must read the look on my face because she holds up both hands before I open my mouth. "I know I know. We beat them up already, I can't kill them. I just want to play with them a little is all." She pouts a lil an' I just nod. Because we don't have the time for me ta argue with her.

When she leaves I turn my attention back ta Danni who's starting to focus again. I snap my fingers a few times ta get her attention an' nod at her grandmother in the bed. Somehow she's even smaller than the last time I was here. "Look at her, Danni. Look real good. Now you tell me she'd wanna lay here an' let your brother take her life and her pack." I notice she's been real good at bein' here and takin' care of Ama without really lookin' at her. Like if she looks too hard then the nightmare is real.

"Enzo…" Her sigh is heavy when she shakes her head still lookin' at Ama. "He kill anyone that resist him. I let this happen, Faith, we might all live." Somehow, hearin' her say that makes me feel old. I wanna yell an' tell her she's stupid but I get why she wants ta do it. She thinks it'll save her pack, save anyone else from getting' hurt or killed.

"How long you think it'll be before the pack starts resistin'?" 'Cause sure as shit some of them are gonna resist. They know somethin' is wrong about all this. "How long before you start ta resist?" I let her think on that while I get up an' carefully pull back the pressed white sheets. The scent of decay hits me hard but I choke back the urge ta gag. It won't be long now, an' if she dies here, before the pack sees what's been done ta her, we might as well just give up. I stoop ta cradle her in my arms, liftin' her gently from the bed.

Probably it would have been better if Danni carried her but I can tell from the way she's breathin' through her mouth that she can't get any closer than she is. An' it's killin' her. Ama stirs but doesn't really wake. Probably a good thing she stays out of it as much as possible. "So we just go now? Where? He'll check every wolf in the pack."

I look over my shoulder at her as I breeze through the door with Ama. I almost just wanna leave her here but I know I can't. "Good thing this wolf ain't in your pack." Yet. Surprise roots her in place but I'm already halfway down the stairs. By the time my boots hit the bottom step she's snapped out of it and trotting ta catch up. "If you're comin', shut up an' get in the van. Otherwise wait here for Enzo. You can tell him what I'm doin', I don't care." Buffy shoots me an 'about time' look an' pulls the door open for me. Danni's at my back as B helps me get Ama in to the van as gently as we can. I snarl low in my throat an' turn on her so she knows this shit is for real. "But if you do, nothin' on this earth will save you from me. You understand?"

I'm not angry. It's just the truth. She burns me now I'll make her bleed for it a long time before I kill her. But no mistake. I'll kill her. I'm surprised when she ducks her head submissively an' gets in the van. "Whose van is this?" Didn't I tell her to shut up? I slam the slidin' door shut an' get in the driver's seat. Who fuckin' cares where I got the van. I got it. That should be enough.

Buffy settles in ta the passenger seat without bucklin' up. I manage ta get us out in ta traffic without attracting attention. I know they gotta be headed to Ama's by now an' I'm not sure we're gonna get the word out before Enzo decides ta put his own spin on things. "Faith." I don't look at B when the light changes to red an' I'm forced to stop. She tries again, a lil more firmly, demandin' I give her my attention. "Faith." I grunt an' look at her then back at the road as the light goes green. "We need to make a decision. Someone has to start calling in the wolves. We can't take Ama to safety and door to door the pack."

I know. Fuck. This whole plan sounded so much easier at the bar. "Not the whole pack." My eyes flick up ta look at Danni' in the rear view mirror. She catches my eye then looks away. I think she's ashamed she almost gave up. "Some of the pack is loyal to him. Some they just go along. Even if it feel wrong." I glance at Buffy who raises a brow but says nothin'. She's reservin' judgement until this all shakes out I bet. "I know who'll do right, me. Let me out and I'll bring the pack to you."

It's risky just lettin' her out. She'll be alone with no protection out on the street. If Enzo finds her first, she's fucked an' so is the rest of the pack. But if she makes it to them they'll accept her more than they will me. I pull over an' park. "You be careful. I don't hear from you at each house I come lookin'." She nods once an' jumps out. She hits the ground runnin' which is fine by me. The sooner she gets where she's goin' the sooner she gets back.

"Think she'll make it?" No. But I hafta hope otherwise. I look in the back ta make sure Ama is breathin' before rub my face with my hands. B leans over an' tugs my hands away before I scratch myself. I look at my hands an' frown at how long my claws have gotten. "Sun is coming up soon." She's right. I can't just stare at my hands all night with 'what the fuck!?' face. Another thing I don't have time for. I put the car in gear and head home as quickly as I can so I can ditch the van an' lock us down for the day.

"We might win tonight, B, but tomorrow we still hafta figure out how to sever Enzo's power connection. We got one day ta figure out how ta fight magic with nothin'." Times like this make me kinda miss the white hat party. There was always someone ta ask about magic. I'm thinkin' if we survive this whole thing that me an' B need to look in ta housin' a magic user or two.

"Almost makes you miss the old library, doesn't it?" I hafta smile at that 'cause it's like she read my mind. I pull the van in ta the back lot of the warehouse that hides our House. Before I even finish parkin' I can see Xander proppin' open the door for us. Buffy stares out the window for a long second, just lookin' at what we call home. I can't count the number of places in Sunnydale where we Slayed our lil hearts out in buildings just like this. I don't know for sure what she's thinkin' but I'm guessin' she's thinkin' about how fuckin' weird it is ta be the vampire in the abandoned building now.

She's not like me. I had it rough, yeah but I wasn't born in a fuckin' abandoned factory or some shit. But I learned real early on what the inside of places like this are like. "Hey guys, I was getting worried." Xander takes the keys out of my hand an' gives me a squeeze on the shoulder. "I locked up the bar as soon as Enzo took his boys and left. Let me handle this for you." For a minute I almost say no but I hafta learn that we can't just do everything ourselves. Xander needs ta do this, for him and for us. Probably it's the closest he'll get to a rescue mission again. I nod an' punch his arm lightly.

I know it doesn't hurt but he rubs it anyway like the big baby he is. "Just hurry up. I want my people on lockdown."

He pauses to give me a look. "I'm your people?" He knows he is he just wants ta hear it. I roll my eyes at him.

"Sometimes. Right now not so much if you don't get rid of this thing." It's enough for him an' he smiles. The smile is short 'cause I can feel the sun risin' a minute before the gray around us starts liftin'. I expected B ta be inside already so I'm surprised when I turn around an' she's still there, cowering in a sliver of shade from the building. I never was one for all that girly wistful lovesick shit, but I gotta admit, it feels kinda swoony knowin' she'd face the sun ta make sure I got inside okay.

Avi meets us in the parlor with Denna an' takes Ama from me. Somewhere along the line I musta started trustin' her because I wouldn't give someone as special as Ama to just anyone. Maybe it's because I trust Denna ta make sure Ama gets taken care of. Denna takes my hand only lookin' at it briefly before givin' it a squeeze. "I'll take care of her myself." It makes me smile a lil an' she gives me a kiss on the corner of my mouth.

I never had that ya know? Someone that doesn't expect anything from me, that just cares about the stuff I care about, because I care about it. Maybe I could'da had a shot at it with Buffy back in Sunnydale but I couldn't trust anyone then. I'd been burned too many times before so when shit got real I did the damage before the damage was done ta me. I didn't wait ta see if anyone would disappoint me, I anticipated it. An' after, when I was workin' my way back ta the right side of the line, no one was willing ta reach out again. I had no one. Not even my ma. I had less than nothin'.

But that was then, an' this is now. Now I got a whole family ta be a part of. A family that doesn't judge me by the blood on my hands or the scars on body. Buffy slides her arms around me from behind an' I lean back a lil bit, lettin' the chill of her skin soothe me. "You're not having second thoughts are you?"

I turn in her arms with a shake of my head. "Nah. Just realizin' how much all this means ta me. I got a lot at stake here. Not just the wolves but this. Us. Our people. This is our fuckin' home. This is more than I ever had an' I can't lose it." I don't want her ta see the uncertainty in my eyes so I pull back outta her grip an' look away. I don't really wanna think on this shit right now but B doesn't let me go far. Her fingers lace with mine an' she leads us to our room.

"Come on." I hesitate an' look down the hall that leads to the stairs up. I can't see him from here but I know Gus is at the top of the stairs watchin' the door. He'll make sure the House is secure once everyone is in. "Don't worry, they know where to find us if they need us." Us. I like it when she says that. I like it so much I don't even complain when she shuts the door to our room behind me an' pokes me in the chest. "Well? Undress me."

Only B could be this demandin' while tryin' ta make me feel better.

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Faith smiles a little at me and takes the finger I poke in to her chest to give it a kiss. I beam sweetly at her when she moves to my back to untie my halter top. She hesitates only a second before letting her warm hands rest on my shoulders. I sigh happily and let the top fall to the floor. Her lips brush across the nape of my neck, calloused hands sliding down my sides to rest on my hips. I knew if I gave her something else to focus on I could stop Faith from falling in to that pit of self-doubt.

And nothing is more distracting to Faith than me. I close my eyes as she kisses a trail down my spine so she can tug my skirt down my. I shimmy my hips a little to help her get it down my thighs and smile when she nibbles the back of my thighs before sliding back up my body. I turn to face her wearing only my heels and black lace panties.

I have never been really insecure about my level of attractiveness but it's always nice to hear that rumbly growl of lust from Faith when she looks at me. She reaches out with a hand, snaking a fingertip under the waistband of my panties but I slap her hand away playfully. "Tsk tsk. No hands." Faith chuckles and kneels in front of me, hands on my thighs as she slowly tugs my underwear down with her teeth.

My thighs quiver when her breath huffs out hotly against my skin. I rest a hand on her shoulder to steady myself as I step out of them. Faith tries to stand but I hold her there because I like where she is right now. Her lips brush over folds lightly and it's suddenly a struggle for me to work the heels off my feet. When I'm firmly on the ground I tip Faith's face up and smile down at her. I love when she's rough and wild. I love when she's possessive and violent. I love when she drowns herself in the darkness inside her heart. But I especially love when all that chaos stills and quiets and the only thing that's left is the tender loving side she keeps hidden.

I lift her to her feet and start to unbutton the front of her vest. It's my turn to let my hands graze coolly along her overheated skin. Goosebumps raise across her chest when I lean in to nibble the swell of her breasts as I work the clasp of her bra. I might be able to get away with not wearing one but Faith never can, her breasts are too full and heavy for that. I hum in to her chest, kissing my way down her belly until I get to her belt. Faith kicks off her boots while I work the belt free of her big silver buckle.

Times like these I realize that I'm so not the patient one of the two of us. While Faith was so content to take her time undressing me, I am only content when I've yanked her leather pants down to her ankles in one hard pull. I look up the line of her body, supremely glad that I don't need to breathe because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to. She runs her fingers through my hair and I rest my forehead against her belly. She smells like cinnamon and blood, a combination that makes me hungry for the taste of her skin. My knees are a little unsteady when I stand but I manage to lead us to the deep Roman style bath. The water is always the right temperature of warm, like stepping in to blood.

When the water is up to our chests I face Faith and wrap arms around her neck even as I wrap my legs around her waist. Now that she's here, relaxed and settled safely in my arms I nudge her jaw with my nose. "I forget sometimes how much we have together." I understand her worry even if I don't share it. Faith's hands caress my back comfortingly but I think the comforting is more for herself than for me.

"I know it's not the type of place ya have Sunday dinners at, or raise rug rats or whatever but all this is…" My brows come up almost to my hairline at that. It never once occurred to me that Faith ever considered wanting or having the whole All American ideal of home. Well. Sure as a kid. Every kid wants that but as an adult, I just assumed she never wanted any of that. Now I'm not so sure. Either way too little too late because Sunday dinners with me means threesomes of sex and blood and raising rug rats…well. I am very good at a variety of things, getting a girl pregnant is so very not on my list of abilities. It should go without saying that for starters that my store bought penis just isn't up to the job. And well. We own a whorehouse. Kids and bordellos shouldn't even been in the same sentence. "It's what I know. Only a fuck of a lot safer."

I have to look at her after that comment. She's purposely not looking at me and I know it's because bits of her past are coming to the surface. The parts of her I've never known but always wondered about. "It's our home not just our House. It's our castle." The look she gives me makes the demon in me scream in pain and shrink away to the darkest part of my mind. It's love. Pure, unadulterated love. And for the first time in my life, I, Buffy Summers, the real Buffy Summers, understand what home really means. "Where ever you are, I'll be. And that's a home no one can take away from us."

As I watch, her eyes bleed from that beautiful rich brown to a black so deep I could drown in it. There's nothing but that endless black and the tiny pin pricks of light flashing in the depths like a million stars in the night sky. She's evolving before my very eyes and I don't think I have seen anything more stunning. She doesn't have to say I love you because I know it. I know it when she's looking at me like she is now. I know it when holds me like I'm the most treasured thing she's ever seen. I know it when her teeth rip in to my skin and her claws slice my flesh. I know it when she warns me with a threat of murder and mayhem against breaking her heart.

And I know it when she kisses me. Our lips meet in a kiss that isn't about sex or hunger. It's a promise. I promise I will tear down the world to be with her and if she ever fucks me over, I promise I'll tear down the world to make her pay. Her fangs oh so delicately graze my lip, teasing me with the suggestion of pain. I let her lead the kiss, falling in to her and feeling the echo of her own promise to be my forever too. We pull back enough to touch foreheads and I open my eyes slowly. The second our eyes meet and I see the faint twinkle of stars in her eyes… I feel my heart beat.