Chapter Eighteen

The adrenaline that was pumping through my body—along with the arousal of watching Faith fight—has made me feel hung over and sore in all the right places. I just lie here in my bed with Satsu at my side and I'm really trying not to feel so guilty for sleeping with my girlfriend instead of Faith last night after patrol. I turn on my side to look at her, her face is turned away from me as she lies on her stomach and sleeps soundly. The sun is just rising, barely peeking through the drapes that are partially closed and streaming over Satsu's naked body.

I run my fingers lightly over her smooth olive flesh, waking her from her deep sleep. She mumbles under her breath as she turns her head to look at me and I smile softly at her before I lean in for a tender good morning kiss. I'm trying to get rid of this guilty feeling and I'm trying to be the best damn girlfriend I can be to Satsu right now. She smiles against my lips, kissing me back just as tenderly before she pulls away and lets out a soft sigh.

"Morning, baby," she whispers as she turns on her side and my eyes fall down to her breasts and I think I've drooled. Just a little. "Horny this morning?"

"Mm-hmm," I mumble in reply as I run the tips of my fingers over her side and up to her right breast. "Maybe a little."

I think last night was exactly what I needed to take my mind off of Faith for even just for one night. But my body is far from being sated, even after three very intense orgasms last night with Satsu. I try not to compare her to Faith, they are each in a league of their own, but it's hard when Faith is all I can think about and Faith is all I want right now.

"Buffy?" Willow calls out, interrupting my thoughts and almost sexy-time with Satsu as she knocks on the bedroom door. "Giles just called an emergency meeting."

"Be right there, Will," I reply and I roll out of bed and quickly get dressed. "Are you coming, Satsu?"

"Yeah," she replies as she lazily stretches out on the bed and I let my hungry eyes roam over her naked body. "Like what you see, baby?"

"You know I do," I reply softly. I grab her clothes she wore last night and toss them on to the bed. "Better get dressed. An emergency meeting this early in the morning is never a good sign."

"Oh, before I forget," Satsu says as she sits up on the bed and makes no move to grab her clothes. "My sister Aiko is coming for a visit in a couple of days. Her timing couldn't be any worse, but she's a good fighter and she might not be a Slayer, but I'm sure we could use her help."

I've never met her sister, none of us has yet, and she very rarely has talked about her before. The only thing I do know about Aiko is that she's only two years younger than Satsu and according to the picture I've seen of her and Satsu when they were much younger, they could easily pass as twins if nobody knew any better. She is right though, the timing couldn't be any worse, but if Aiko is as good as a fighter as Satsu has told me she is, then we could definitely use her in our fight against Falken.

"When is she coming?" I ask Satsu as she finally begins to get dressed.

"Saturday. Early."

I pull her in for a quick kiss before I open the bedroom door. We quickly make our way downstairs for the emergency meeting. Only Giles, Willow, Xander, Kennedy, and Faith are sitting in the living room and none of them looks too happy right now. In fact, I'd say they all looked downright scared out of their minds, but then again I could be wrong and they could all just be as confused as I am right about now. I take a seat on the loveseat next to Willow and look around at the others and wait for Giles to start.

"Well, the reason I've called only you lot together this morning is because it has come to my knowledge that Falken is headed for the Hellmouth in Scotland. In fact, he may already be there at this very moment."

"Knew the team coming in from Scotland was a bad idea," Faith mutters from where she's perched on the arm of the couch next to Kennedy. "So, what are we gonna do now, G?"

"I am afraid we'll need to get to Scotland as soon as possible. We cannot waste any time. Willow?" Giles says as he turns to face her. "How many people will be you be able to teleport in a short amount of time?"

"I'm not sure. I get a little weak when I teleport myself. I'm not sure I could do too many at a time. I need a little bit of time in between to recharge."

"How much time?"

"An hour, two at most."

"Could you teleport two at a time?" Giles asks and she shrugs. "We must try, Willow. It is imperative that we do try as soon as possible. Flying out will take far too much time that we cannot risk at the moment."

Willow shrugs again and I have a feeling she's not telling Giles the whole truth right now. She hates using magic, she still doesn't trust herself not to slip into the darkness again and I really don't blame her either. I reach out, give her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and offer her an encouraging smile.

"I can try two at a time," she says finally. "I can send Buffy and Faith first, Satsu and Kennedy second and if I can do it, I'll send the others in pairs after that."

Satsu sends me a disapproving glare from where she's standing across the room. I'm not too happy with Willow's idea of her sending Faith and me first, alone and together, but it might be better if we do go together. Satsu might be my second in command, but we all know that Faith is a better fighter—for the most part. I stand up from the couch and look around at the others as I take in a deep breath.

"Send us, Will. Whenever you are ready."

"Whoa, hold the fuck up," Faith says quickly as she jumps off the arm of the couch. "It's far too fuckin' early for me to process this shit. Can't we at least get some coffee in us and maybe a decent breakfast before you use your mojo to send us to Scotland?"

"Food is definitely a bad idea," Willow chuckles. "Unless you are a fan of losing your lunch, or in this case, your breakfast."

"Where are Robin, Vi, and Rona?" I ask Giles. "Shouldn't they be here for this meeting?"

"They are aware and already on a plane back to Scotland with t heir team. They left before I could explain that we're too short on time for them to spend ten hours on a plane."

I sit back down on the couch and close my eyes. Everything is one giant mess right now and I have the worst feeling it isn't going to get any easier.

"Faith, gather up some weapons for you and Buffy," Giles instructs gently. "Willow, I need you to send them to this exact location," he says as he passes her a map with an area circled in red pen. "It's very important that you send them here. It's the closest spot to the Hellmouth where they will go unnoticed popping out of thin air."

"Hey, B? You ever been teleported before?" Faith asks as she walks over to the loveseat and sits down next to me. "Call me crazy, but I think it'd be such a fuckin' mind trip."

"I bet it'd remind you much of your days back in Boston, huh?" Satsu asks acidly as she scowls and crosses her arms over her chest.

"What are you implying, Satsu? That I was some kind of drug addict back in Boston?"

"That's the thing, none of us know."

"What does it matter what I was like back then? I ain't the same person," Faith says rather calmly, too calmly that it shocks me a little she hasn't completely freaked out on Satsu for overstepping a line she never should've crossed. "Ain't ever touched drugs in my fuckin' life. I may have done a lot of stupid and fucked up things, but drugs I've never touched."

I rub my temples slowly, trying to calm the headache that's forming. I know Satsu is trying to rile Faith up right now to no avail and it's not working. Faith is onto her game and I know she's more than willing to play it and win. If anyone knows how to play that game, it's Faith.

"Guys, now is not the time to get into this shit," Kennedy says as she steps in between them. "Whatever beef you two have got going on right now needs to be forgotten. We've got much bigger shit to deal with than you two fighting over Buffy's affections."

"Kennedy, line fucking crossed," Faith snaps before I can say a word. I'm already blushing; I can feel my face grow hot as Giles stares over at me wide-eyed. "Whatever beef Satsu has with me has nothing to do with Buffy. I don't even know why she fuckin' has it out for me. Maybe she feels threatened."

"Please," Satsu scoffs as she walks up to Faith so they are both toe to toe and looking like they're ready to fight. "Why would I feel threatened over someone like you?"

"Oh I don't know, Shorty," Faith sneers as she gets right in her face. "Maybe you're feeling threatened by me 'cause you know B ain't had anyone better than me. That includes you."

I don't think I can sink into the couch any further than I am right now. The room falls into complete silence as Faith shakes her head and backs away from her. Giles clears his throat, his face slightly red and I can't even look at him as he clears his throat yet again.

"As, ahem, interesting as this may be, Kennedy is right. You two need to drop whatever it is going on between you and with...Buffy. The last thing any of us need is for two of our best Slayers to be fighting each other instead of side-by-side as they should be with no questions asked. Faith?" Giles says and he pauses for a moment as he slips his glasses off and wipes them furiously with the hem of his white cotton t-shirt. "Gather up enough weapons for you and Buffy. Willow, I would like for you to send them off in less than ten minutes, if possible."

I almost want to pinch myself since it feels like I've fallen into a dream that I can't wake myself up from. No, not a dream, a nightmare. Kind of like those dreams when you dream you're naked in front of the entire class. The level of anxiety is exactly the same.

It's almost an hour before Willow is ready to send Faith and I to Scotland. It gave me just enough time to pack a couple changes of clothes and stuff them into the bag full of weapons Faith had gathered for us. After Faith and Kennedy both teased me for being such a girl for wanting to pack more than a change of clothes, we stood in the middle of the living room, side by side as Willow prepared herself.

"Anything we gotta do?" Faith asks as she slings the duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Um, maybe hold hands so you two don't get separated?" Willow says with a shrug. "I've really never tried to do two people at once. I can barely teleport myself accurately. I'm not sure how this is going to end up or where exactly you two will end up in Scotland either. If I can even send you there."

"Way to boost the confidence level in your magic here, Red," Faith mutters as she grabs onto my hand. "Just get it done and over with. Ready and waiting here."

"Buffy?" Willow says softly and I look over at her. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"I need for you two to set up camp as soon as you arrive there," Giles says as he hands me the map he'd shown Willow earlier. "This entire area is dense woods. There should be a clearing about half a mile from the Hellmouth with a small, unoccupied cabin that once belonged to the Council. The rest of us will meet you two there. And no matter what, do not leave the area until we are all there. Understood?"

"Crystal clear, G."

"Understood," I say under my breath as I squeeze Faith's hand a little.

I close my eyes as Willow begins to chant quietly and a soft blue light surrounds Faith and I. I feel warm all over as my feet feel as if they lift from the floor suddenly. My body feels strained, almost as if it's being pulled apart and before I know it, I land in a heap on the ground in tall, wet grass with Faith next to me still holding onto my hand. She lets go suddenly and stumbles off a couple of feet, dry heaving as she tries to catch her breath. I feel slight nauseous, but after a few deep breaths, the feeling passes.

"Fuck," Faith groans as she lies back on the ground and shoves the duffel bag away from her. "Feels like the worst hangover I've ever had."

"Wasn't so bad," I say as I move to sit next to her, my body still feeling as if it's being pulled apart.

"That was definitely somethin' else. Think eating that muffin while you were grabbing some clothes was a bad idea."

"You'd think," I laugh and shake my head at her. "Well, we better find that cabin Giles mentioned. Looks like it's going to rain."

"In this part of Scotland, you're lucky if it doesn't rain," she mutters under her breath. She gets up from the ground and holds her hand out towards me. "Come on."

"Well at least we're in the field," I say as I look around, the fog rolling in from every side slowly and making it nearly impossible to see very far.

"Been here before," she says as she lets go of my hand and picks up the duffel bag. "Couple years back. Giles wanted me to take a couple of the girls out on a retreat, put their skills to use out in the middle of nowhere. Definitely was a bad idea sending them out with me."

"Why?"

"Spent that entire weekend drunk," she laughs softly. She starts walking and I follow, having no idea just where we need to go. "Let's just say G wasn't too happy when he found out. Last time he ever trusted me alone with the girls. Can't say I don't blame him either."

"What was the retreat for anyway?"

"Just wanted to see how they could handle being so close to a Hellmouth. Guess being drunk all weekend defeated the purpose. Ain't like there was any activity though. We got lucky."

"And this is why Giles has trust issues with you?" I ask her, really trying to understand. I barely remember Giles telling us about not being able to trust Faith with any of the younger girls since it happened when we first got to Cleveland. "Faith?"

"Guess so, B," she shrugs. She points ahead as the fog surrounds us and I can barely make out what looks like a hut, not a cabin. "There it is."

"That's it?"

"Ain't much to it, B. Got a bed, a stove, some supplies. We'll make do," she says as she picks up the pace and ends up halfway across the field from me in mere seconds. "Coming, B?"

I sigh and I jog to catch up to her, the wet grass soaking into my jeans with every step I take. She's already inside when I reach the door and I stand there, watching her as she rifles through a few of the cupboards along the far wall. The bed is barely a bed, just an old mattress on the floor. I cringe slightly at the musty, dirty smell wafting out from inside the small hut. Faith pulls out three tents from the larger cupboard and tosses them towards the door.

"So, when Giles said to set up camp, he literally meant to set up camp, didn't he?" I ask her and she laughs as she slams the cupboard doors closed. "Great."

"You gonna pull the miss prim and proper card here, B? It ain't gonna kill ya to sleep in a tent for however long it takes for us to deal with Falken," she laughs again as she walks up towards me and leans against the door frame. "If ya just killed him instead of slicing off his arm, we wouldn't even be here right now, B."

"Don't even start, Faith! I am so not in the mood to fight over what I should have done versus what I actually did."

"Whatever," she shrugs as she picks up the four tents and tosses them outside. "How long ya figure 'til Ken and Satsu get here?"

"Don't know," I reply and I lean against the wall next to the door and watch her as she opens the first tent bag. "Willow said it could take her almost an hour before she can get enough energy to send them here."

"Well then fuck it, I'll wait for Ken to get here. I ain't setting up camp on my own and I doubt you're willing to help out," she groans as she kicks at the tent poles angrily. "Feel up to doing some exploring, B?"

"Giles told us to stay put."

"Since when do you listen to G? You're the one in charge, aren't ya?"

"Yes, but that's not the point."

Faith laughs as she walks back inside the hut and I hear her rustling through the duffel bag. She comes out with a small sword and a crossbow. I roll my eyes and cross my arms heavily over my chest as she smirks and motions for me to follow her. She winks and blows me a kiss before she takes off running towards the woods that surround the entire field.

I watch her as she disappears into the woods and I look up at the sky as the rain begins to fall heavily. I move inside the hut and lean against the door frame and watch as the rain falls from the sky. Faith comes running back a few minutes later, completely drenched and nearly out of breath and I feel an involuntary shudder roll through my body. I think she knows the effect she has on me since she winks as she steps past me and strips out of her wet clothes. I keep my back to her, trying to find my resolve to keep my hands to myself. This is going to be one long hour alone with her. I'm not looking forward to it at all.