Chapter 7

For the first time in… well as long as she could remember Bela awakened to soothing warmth curled around her body under a thick, down comforter; an arm holding her, a thigh snuggled in between both of hers, and small, warm breaths dashed against the back of her neck. Interspersed light slanted through the stained-glass windows high up in the vaulted ceiling. Bela took a moment to experience the sensation of waking up next to someone and decided that the feelings of panic and sensation of feeling close-in didn't appear. In fact, for the first time in longer than she could remember she felt… content… safe. Not wanting to examine what that meant, she was brave enough to acknowledge that it had everything to do with Dawn. Of course, it helped that she was in the most prestigious and fearsome anti-evil fighting organization in the world. They even get points because those misogynist bastards at the Vatican were forced to call upon them whenever they came across something, that even they, in their centuries-long experience couldn't fight.

Before she was literally dragged-to-hell, Bela had made several failed attempts to negotiate a way to purchase, even borrow, then attempted to steal an invaluable relic from The Council's vaults. But Quentin Travers had caught on, forcing Bela to go in-hiding in the States. Whereupon she stuttered onto her greatest nemesis; the Winchesters – the problem became when using her usual modus operandi, had put her on their permanent shit-list. Not that she could blame them, but she'd always had more faith in them, that they'd unravel themselves from any unpleasantness she'd embroiled them in, then they did.

Unfortunately, her pride, with a dash of arrogance, and shitty timing, even worse luck, meant she'd sealed her fate. A period in time that she was starting to remember with startlingly, Technicolor, frequency, lately; one year on this plane equals one hundred years torture and agony unmatched by anything she had ever imagined. But that somehow paled in comparison to when she began to… enjoy torturing souls, and just as that debilitating realization sank in, that they'd finally broken her, she blacked out, and days later she's waking with a startled gasp, naked and sweaty, in a cheap hotel in London's West End.

For too many days to count she swore she could still smell the scent of sulfur and blood emanating from her pores. Bits and pieces, visions too horrible to contemplate, flitted through her brain like a flickering movie, as she tried to rebuild her life, tried to figure out why she was brought back to life and by whom. A few days later Whistler makes an appearance. all of this runs through her mind as Dawn begins to wake, pressing gently kisses along the back of Bela's neck, her arm tightening around Bela's waist, as Dawn's hips snuggle in even further against Bela's ass.

Now Bela has come to the inevitable fork in the road. Choose to either dismiss Dawn from her life because it may protect her in the long run and of course, save Bela from having to explain to Dawn an incredible, horrible, story. A story so unbelievable but because of Dawn's almost unbelievable background – and her sister as the The Slayer, it would only provoke more questions that she'd rather not rehash. The other choice was to give in to her steadily increasing need for… Dawn. At first, Bela thought it was because she no longer wanted to be alone, but she realized that perhaps Dawn was one of the few people in the world who might give Bela the one thing she'd always secretly wanted; a clean slate.

Nevertheless, the last choice was intoxicating simply because it represented a deep-seated need she'd thought she was above such vulnerability. The sensation of this momentous decision was a bit like standing on a ledge: does she climb to safety or does she jump into the unknown?

At the moment a tongue swirled around the edge of her ear before shallowly dipping in, interrupting her introspection. "Mornin.' How did ya sleep?"

Dawn's sleep-husky tones curled around Bela's insides and made them warm and content, as if Bela was a kitten who was gently waking from a nap in the sun. As the blankets shifted around them, their mingled scents making Bela realize that they'll probably have to shower before the inevitable meeting with Dawn's family. Post-coital chat included a story from Dawn. Had Bela not have her own almost incredulous story, Dawn's story would be hard to believe, while viciously shoving down any feelings of inadequacies compared to what are essentially modern-day super heroes. But the 'big prize' was Dawn herself. Gifted with enormously-high intelligence –allowing her to receive a doctorate's degree from Oxford, no less, which also included an impressive knowledge of all things occult, including being fluent in languages Bela could only speculate on.

Added to this impressive accomplishment were Dawn's fighting skills honed by theSlayers (Buffy and Faith—whom she had yet to meet), a dash of not so insignificant magical abilities under the tutelage of the what may be the most powerful witch in the Western Hemisphere, would have had Bela in her previous life unusually salivating at the prospect of how to use Dawn to her advantage. Now the thought of anyone harming a hair on her…lover's head inspired feelings of… protective anger. Anger because Bela has seen first-hand what's out there. But apparently so had Dawn and her "merry band of Slayers and Witches." Christ, they've even worked with Vampires whom had souls. With an internal chuckle,

Bela wondered how that would throw of the Winchester's stark black-and-white world-view.

Finally turning her head, colored sunlight breaking through the beautiful stained-glass windows higher-up, and when she looked at Dawn she barely stifled the gasp that escaped her lips. The sunbeams seemed to fill her lover with incandescent light. But then her eyes widened as that light turned… green. She slowly brought her hand up, uncertain if the greenish-glow would sting her, and when it didn't she gently cupped Dawn's cheek, her thumb slowly stroking the downy-soft skin.

Frowning in bewilderment, Dawn brought her own hand up to cup Bela's hand. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

In that moment, Bela decided. She wanted Dawn for however long she'll have Bela. She just hoped that after she told a story of her own meant the continuation of those lovely baths.

Suddenly the room went so blindingly white that Bella had to momentarily close her eyes. When she opened them, she was alone, clothed and staring at her current pain-in-her-arse: Whistler!

Throwing his arms up in exasperation, almost knocking off his hideous hat, he smirked. "Finally! Look chica, I mean I tried to buy you a 'clue' but surprisingly you were a little slow on the uptake."

"If you want your balls to be shoved in your arse, continue to annoy me! Get to the bloody point!"

"Geez! Every time I deal with you ladies, you're always threatening bodily harm. I mean I AM helping you! And in your case, I literally dragged you outta Hell. And you weren't lookin' too good doll."

Losing her patience, she took a threatening step closer. Bloody hell, she hasn't even had her espresso yet! "And I believe I've thanked you accordingly, now get to the point. She's it, isn't she?"

Holding up his hands in a placating gesture her responded. "Ok, ok. Yeah, sunshine, she's your girl. Your destiny is directly tied to hers. You're the latest and hopefully brightest, Champion. And the way things are going now, we need every single one available. The rest of the Scoobies will be going through some changes of their own, leaving a very, very, essential… element in this latest Apocalypse."

Pulling a piece of gum, littered with bits of pocket debris, which he proceeded to clean off – not entirely though, he shoved it in his mouth, ignoring Bela's look of distaste before providing additional thoughts. "Oh, that element is Dawn—which you'll be guarding with your life. Since you WERE bit by a hellhound, unfortunately you ingested some its essence. Making you a little similar to the Slayer, who has a bit of demon essence of their own. It'll make saving your sweetie's life and your new 'family a little easier."

"What? No, it can't! Do you have any id—"

"Sorry sweet-cheeks, but that's part of the get-outta-jail-free-card. Oh and your new… gifts should be kicking in about 5-4-3-2…and," he snapped his fingers, lurching her back into the present with Dawn staring down at her in concern. "1," Rang in her head, signaling the end of her mystical conversation.

With a gasp, Bela quickly sat up, Dawn clinging with concern. "What's wrong? "

Panting, trying to catch her breath, she brought a hand shaking with adrenaline to her face. It was at that moment that she realized that she could smell a dozen things, mingling in with their scents. Dawn scent was the strongest and most distinct; as if she could find her in a crowded room just on her scent alone. Then came the noise; quickly bringing both hands up she tried to 'dial down' the noise level, she could hear hundreds of voices, chairs being scraped against the floor as someone moved them, tilting her head she could even hear someone blowing their nose from a distance. She was interrupted from her slight panic-attack, when Dawn cupped her face.

"Bela what's wrong? Are you ok? You totally lost consciousness for a moment. It scared the shit outta me!" She gently kissed Bela, trying to soothe her, needing that connection before pulling back to wait for an explanation.

"Yeah…" she licked her lips, trying to block all these new sensations. "Do you know a guy named… Whistler?" at Dawn's look of complete astonishment Bela began to tell her story.

Several hours later, in between tears, interspersed calls between Buffy and Dawn, plus a blonde-haired little queen, named Andrew, who interrupted their lengthy talk with food, they were finally making their way to meet with Buffy and the Gang. Incredibly, Dawn not only didn't run screaming from the room, throw her out, or had her sister beat Bela to a pulp, she wacked her on the head once, shook her head in amused displeasure a few times, even cried a couple times (Bela couldn't remember the last time anyone had cried for her), she simply stared into Bela's eyes after it was all said and done for a few moments, seemingly peering into Bela's soul, and then leaned in to kiss her.

Then she calmly said, "You're not alone anymore Bela. We'll protect you if you'll let us, let me."

Following that, Bela simply broke down. After a shower, a couple of stiff drinks, some eye-drops, Dawn and Bela walked hand-in-hand to sign Bela's fate. Pausing before the set of double doors, Dawn pulled them to a stop before they opened them. She brought her other hand up slide her fingers through Bela's hair and tugging her lips to Dawn's.

After thoroughly reacquainting herself with Bela's mouth, she slowly broke the kiss but not before quick nip on Bela's bottom lip. "Ready?"

"How could I not be after that?" Bela leaned in for another quicker kiss before pulling back; straightening her shoulders, head held high, she slowly grinned. "Besides you're mine now."