For all you Dawn fans out there, she shows up in this chapter. There are some really sweet fuffy moments here too. I know, I'll be quiet now. No spoilers :]

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We got home, but we hadn't talked the whole way. I didn't really mind; I'd just as well finish our discussion where the occasional pedestrian or vamp couldn't hear. When we got on the porch, I paused and wiped her tears and the rain from her face. I led her over to the porch swing and sat her down so I had one arm around her and she was leaning against me.

Neither of us said anything for a while; we just enjoyed sitting in each other's arms before something inevitably broke us apart.

"Faith, I love you. Maybe it's not what you want, but it's how I really feel. I wouldn't lie to you or anything. I love you," I was the first to break the silence. "I know that you're all 'independent girl' and all, but I hope you decide to stay here, with me. You could –"

"Buffy, you…I don't know how. I've done so many things and I don't know how you can love me. No one's ever really loved me," she said almost inaudibly.

"I love you because you are the way you are. I know that sounds cliché, but it's true. The experiences you've had have shaped you into the person you are. I might not like some of them, but I love you," I was speaking so truthfully that my blunt honesty surprised even myself.

She spoke so quietly that I almost didn't hear her. "But I'm scared, Buffy. I'm scared that I'll mess it up, or leave, or you'll leave, or die." I knew she needed to say this so I didn't stop her. "I love you too, Buffy. But I don't know…I've never been in a relationship or anything and it scares me."

I put my other arm around her and hugged her closer to me. She rested her head tentatively on my shoulder but she was very tense, so I knew that she couldn't be comfortable. I rubbed her back and shoulder gently.

"Fai, it's ok. I don't know how this stuff works either. We'll get through it together, I promise. I'm not planning on dying again any time soon," Faith laughed softly, without much humor. "But I'm not going to leave. I don't think I could. Will you stay here tonight? Do you want to go to your motel room, or would you stay here with me? I can sleep on the couch or something; you can have my bed."

"I don't want to leave," she said softly.

"Ok, baby. Let's go inside, ok?"

"Mm. I'm tired."

"Did you wear yourself out dancing? I know you wore those guys out," I said carefully. I didn't know how she could love me when she had her constant pick of guys, and the sexual experience to deal with them. She seemed to know what I was thinking.

"Buffy, I love you. I don't want any of those pervs, ok? I want to stay here, with you."

I was tearing up at her sweet words by this time. She noticed when I didn't respond and she sat up a little straighter in my arms so that she could see my face.

"Jeez, I'm sorry B, I…I didn't mean to say anything bad. I –"

"No, no Faith. Happy tears," I smiled. She was so cute when she was worried. "Happy tears," I repeated. She looked at me quizzically, but she smiled too. Now it was her turn to wipe my tears. She was very gentle. No one would have believed it from seeing her attitude or watching her dance without me.

I watched her expression for a while, and then started to get up. This was more difficult than I had thought because I still had my arms around her. I ended up getting my butt about two inches off the chair, and then plopping back down again. She grinned at me and disentangled herself from my arms, getting up. I frowned at her, not liking that she wasn't by me anymore. Suddenly, she grabbed me by the waist and pulled me up off the swing – right into her. She wrapped her arms around my shorter body and rested her cheek on the crown of my head. I really loved this girl.

I put my arms around her too. After a few moments, I started shuffling us towards the door. She moved her arms so that we could walk, but still hold onto each other. I grabbed the key from under the rug and unlocked the door. Faith moved again and this time she picked me up. I glanced up at her, and she tried to shrug but it was difficult when she had me in her arms. I laughed at the strained gesture.

We walked through the door and I closed it behind us and locked it again. She put me down and we headed upstairs.

Unfortunately, I noticed too late that the kitchen light was on, so someone must be up. As my foot hit the second stair, I heard a voice behind us – I almost tripped up the stairs. My sister is going to inadvertently kill me one day soon.

"Buffy? Faith? You guys are all wet." It was Dawn, clad in Mickey Mouse flannel pants and a yellow tank top.

"Yeah, little D, it's us. Isn't it past your bedtime or somethin'?" Faith asked accusingly.

"I had a bad dream, and Mom's not home, so I came downstairs to get a warm glass of milk." I gagged at the latter part of my little sister's statement. Dawn frowned at me. Suddenly, her expression changed to one of utter excitement. I looked on worriedly as my sister spoke. "Are you – Faith, are you staying overnight? Because that would be so cool! We could watch a movie and have popcorn and –"

"Dawn, Faith is staying, but we're pretty tired. I think we might just go to bed," I said rather hurriedly. Dawn gave me a disappointed look.

"Oh, well…ok. I'll just…go sit in the kitchen for a while then," she said lamely.

"Alright. Mom should be home soon. She said she'd be home sometime tonight," I said, anxious to get upstairs and dry off.

"Yeah," Dawn said.

"Goodnight, little D," Faith said kindly. Before I knew what was happening, Dawn had given me a hug and had moved on to give Faith one too. Faith wrapped her arms around Dawn gently and hugged her back. Her hug was longer than the one I got. Not that I'm jealous.

Faith and I turned to continue up the stairs, and to my surprise, Dawn hugged me again from behind.

"I love you, Buffy," she said.

"I love too, Dawnie. Goodnight." Faith looked touched at our brief show of sisterly affection. Before she knew it, she was being hugged again. I smiled.

"I love you too, Faith. I'm glad you're staying here," Dawn said quietly.

"I love you too, Dawn, and I'm glad I'm here too," Faith said softly, and she glanced at me and then grinned down at Dawn. "No more bad dreams, ok? The big ol' slayers in the house will chase them away." Dawn smiled and bounced back into the kitchen to heat up more milk. Gross.

Faith gently took my hand and entwined our fingers. I led her upstairs quickly. I didn't want to have to have a conversation with my mom if she came home soon. I just wanted to go to sleep. When we got to my room, Faith snapped me out of my temporary reverie.

"Uh, B? I don't have any – uh – pajamas or anything." I felt stupid for not thinking of this before.

"Oh. Well, I probably have something that will fit you, if you don't mind, you know…"

Faith smiled at me. "Thanks B. For letting me stay here and all, and for going dancing with me; I think we had a fun girls day, even without Willow."

I smiled too. "Yeah we did. I wonder what happened to her today anyway. I'll have to give her a call tomorrow."

"Maybe she had a hot date," Faith said, suggestively wiggling her eyebrows for emphasis.

"Willow? I don't know. Maybe. Her and Oz have seemed pretty tight lately."

"See, nothin' to worry about. Girl's gotta have a little fun every now and then," she said and took a step closer to me. I grinned innocently up at her, and then leaned up slightly and kissed her nose on impulse. She blushed. I didn't think Faith could be self-conscious enough to blush. I knew she was searching for something to say, but nothing could break her out of her surprised state.

I spun around quickly and fished a couple pairs of sweatpants and a couple tank tops from my dresser. I quickly realized that both of us were still soaking wet from the rain, and I for one was freezing.

"Oh, we're still wet," I said lamely. Faith laughed.

"Nice work, Captain Obvious," she kept laughing. I was surprised that she hadn't made some kind of sexual remark.

"Well there are towels in the bathroom, if you want to change in there."

Faith gratefully took the plaid pants and black tank top that I handed her and went to the bathroom to change. I grabbed a towel that I had left on my bed that morning after taking a shower, and dried myself off before donning light blue-checkered sweatpants and a white tank top that had a few bunnies on the front. I ran a hairbrush through my hair before squeezing the water out with the towel. Faith came back in, closed the door behind her and turned to face me. She looked me over and then grinned at my choice of sleepwear.

"What?" I asked defensively. "I haven't been able to wear the shirt in public since Anya's been around – she always spazzes about it." Faith kept grinning. "What?" I asked again.

"Nothin', B. I just…love you. That's all."

I looked at her. She looked so beautiful, even in my frumpy old clothes.

"I love you too, Faith," I said. She noticed me staring at her and she moved out of my line of view to sit down on my bed, and then prop herself up with my pillows.

"I – uh – well, I guess I'll just go sleep on the couch downstairs," I said with a dejected sigh. Faith looked at me oddly.

"Well, at least give me a hug goodnight," she said. How uncharacteristic of her. I mentally shrugged it off and set my towel down on my desk chair and walked over to her. As I bent down to hug her, she put her hands tenderly on my hips and pulled me down on the bed next to her. I closed my eyes and leaned my head on her chest. So that was her ulterior motive.

"Stay here? With me?" she asked.

"Mm. I couldn't leave now if I wanted to," I said. I pulled myself out of her grasp long enough to pull the blankets out from under us, and then back on top of us. She fluffed up the pillows and moved Mr. Gordo so that we could lie down. She lay down on her back and looked up at me. I was still sitting up, looking unsure.

"What's up, B? Something wrong?" She asked, once again concerned. Before I could say anything, she seemed to realize my hesitance, and she sat up next to me.

"Look, B, if you don't want to stay here, that's fine. I can go sleep on the couch too."

"What? No! I want to stay here, I just…I've never done this kind of thing before with the relationship and the – and you have and…I just don't know –"

"Buffy, I don't expect anything from you, ok?" she reached up and tenderly brushed my cheek with her hand. "I love you, and I just want to be close to you, ok?"

I leaned into her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around me and carefully lay down so that I was still wrapped in her arms, with my head on her chest and one arm slung over her stomach.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?" I asked, surprised that she had spoken.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Loving me."

I sat up on my elbow slightly to look into her deep, chocolate brown eyes. There was pain in them, something I hardly seemed to notice on any other day. I leaned down and kissed the little spot just above the bridge of her nose. She shivered slightly under my touch, and I lay back down and wrapped my arms more tightly around her.

"I'll always love you, Fai; always and forever."

"Goodnight, baby," she said quietly.

I fell asleep listening to the steady beating of her heart.

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Aww, what a perfect ending, right? Well folks, this is NOT the end of this story! No sir. There are many chapters to come, the next will be on it's way tomorrow. I'm going to a book signing so I won't be able to write tomorrow, but I have a few more chapters that are ready to post :] I just enjoy making all of you wait. Mwa ha ha. I got bored of writing from Buffy's point of view, so the next few chapters will be switching around with different characters, just to warn you. Thanks for reading! And please, please, please review! I love reading all your comments; they're very inspirational.