The Dawning of Faith
Chapter 9
"Damn! This stuff is hot!" cried Faith from within the bathroom.
Dawn walked quickly down the hall, trying desperately to find enough air, hoping fervently that she wouldn't meet anyone. The old house that Giles had gotten for them had belonged to a watcher, and he had left it to the Council; as it turned out, that was pretty much Giles now, and the spacious place gave them a comfortable headquarters.
"It's me," thought Dawn, "I'm new, I'm a girl. It's me. It has to be me."
She walked through the large living area, ignoring the Slayers sitting there chatting with the new arrivals.
"Wait until you meet Faith," one of the girls said to Rita and Karen, "she is absolutely delicious!"
"I thought you were straight," said another.
"Honey, ain't nobody that straight."
"Word," said Rona.
Dawn stumbled, but kept on going.
"What in the world is in that stuff, Willow?" asked Faith as she too entered the study be-toweled and turbaned.
"Nature's goodness," supplied Buffy.
"More like Exxon's goodness, but it does help, thanks."
"So things are good between you two now?" Willow asked.
"We've made a good start, I think," Faith said, "I just hope I don't screw it up."
"Just don't get adopted by another giant snake," Buffy said, "other than that I think we'll be good. Now, about Dawn." Faith froze, and Willow looked at them anxiously. "Willow, you and Faith need to work out a schedule for her training, Faith is going to teach her to use her Scythe, and you were going to work with her on her magic, so you guys need to coordinate things. Faith, what do you think about Dawn doing some training with the girls?"
Faith took a moment to settle herself before replying.
"Should work, certainly the strength training and the martial arts, I'll be sure she only works with girls experienced enough not to just overcome her with strength. Her weapons training I'll handle myself; I'll have to come up with a course just for her. She can do the regular morning workout with the Slayers, and not mess with the afternoon stuff. Willow, what sort of schedule will you need with her?"
"I think a few hours in the afternoon three days a week will do to start, it will take a little time to see where her strengths lie. And we have to give her time to study," Willow said.
"We have to give her time to have fun, too," Buffy added. "God knows she's had little enough of that. Maybe we should let the girls have a couple evenings free each week just to be girls. That club Faith and Dawn went to sounds like an alright place. What do you think?"
"Works for me," Faith agreed, "it really is a nice joint… say, they have an open mike night there…"
"Giles!" exclaimed Willow.
"What I was thinking," Faith grinned, "can you imagine the looks on the girl's faces when he cranks out 'Freebird'?"
Dawn slammed her door, threw herself down on her bed, and let the tears roll.
"Delicious" the Slayer had said, lust dripping from every syllable. Dawn felt like a fool, a stupid kid mistaking sisterly affection for romantic love.
And yet…"You don't understand Dawnie, and neither do I. We have to give this some time, but I know for sure you're more to me than just something to fuck. And that's kind of new for me, and you are Buffy's sister and that does make a difference. If we are going to have something together it's going to be right out in the open, okay?"
Faith had said that to her, she had said new.
Dawn recalled the soft kiss that Faith had placed on her hand, and her heart began to race.
" A kid you ain't, you are a damn babe though."
She had said that, too.
"Not her, not like this." Faith had said.
"It IS me," Dawn told herself firmly. "I am a woman, and it IS me."
"It's me," she thought, as the image of Faith's nude back floated to the front of her brain.
"It's me," she thought, as she remembered the feeling of Faith's hair sliding through her fingers.
"It's me," she breathed, as she recalled the soft pressing together of their lips.
"It's me," she sighed, as she wedged a pillow firmly between her thighs and rolled onto her stomach.
"Its me, it's me, it's me, it's me, it's me she loves, it's me she loves, it's me she loves," she chanted , as she imagined Faith's skin against her own.
"It's me she- it's me sh - sh – sheLoves!"
"pleaseletitbeme…"