Just when things are looking up…
My thanks to those reading this.
Avatar, from the Random House Dictionary, - 2. an embodiment or personification, as of a principle.
The Dawning of Faith
Chapter 26
"If you can read this, we have an Avatar."
"That's enough for today, ready for that ice cream?"
"Sure, I'm pretty hungry for some reason," Dawn answered.
"Well, we have been at this for more than four hours," Willow told her.
"No way," Dawn insisted.
"Most of it was spent tying in to the energy flow, the sending and bringing didn't take more than a half-hour or so counting the breaks."
"I suck at that, huh, the tying in?" Dawn asked ruefully.
"A lot of people can't do it at all," Willow told her, "it will be easy for you now though; you and the energy know each other. If you listen you'll find that you are always connected to it, so it will be there when you need it."
I'll go and get my purse," Dawn said as she stood.
She sat right back down.
"Whoa, I'm a little wobbly," Dawn confessed, and Willow's face sharpened in concern.
"Does your head hurt, or do you feel nauseated?" she asked.
"No, just kind of rubber-legged, like after a hard workout," Dawn answered her.
"Good, that's normal. I did work you pretty hard, and I might have gotten a little carried away with the car, but I knew you could do it. And you should know that 'porting people takes even more power than that. 'Porting yourself is the easiest, of course, but it still takes more energy than the car did. Sending other people is tougher, it took the whole coven working together to send Giles to Sunnydale that time, and Rachel is one of the best. And it's not a bit like Apparition in Harry Potter, there's no side-along. Even Anya couldn't take anybody with her when she teleported, and Vengeance Demons are wicked teleporters. It just doesn't seem to work like that."
"I don't see why it wouldn't," Dawn responded. That gave Willow pause, for Dawn had already explained something that had baffled people for centuries. She decided not to say anything about it just then, however.
"Dawn, you do realize that what you did today is far beyond what usually happens for a beginning teleporter, don't you? Actually, it's unheard of, I only know a very few who would have been able to 'port a car, no matter how much experience they had."
"I thought maybe so, but what really puzzles me is that I'm not more excited about it. It's like I'm not even surprised. Does that seem right?" Dawn asked.
"Part of that is from the energy you have expended, you're subdued from that, but the truth is that for you it would be like getting excited over breathing or something. This magic is just a part of who you are, it's natural for you." Willow's phone buzzed, and she grinned as she read the text.
"O.M.G. !"
"Now Rachel," Willow told Dawn, "she's a little excited. Think you can walk now?" Dawn stood up carefully and stepped towards the door.
"I wouldn't want to have to catch Amanda," she admitted, "but I'm okay to walk."
"Let's go, my treat; want me to drive?"
"I'm not that tired, Will," Dawn assured her.
"Looks to me like Marty is the best of the graduating class, what do you think, Buff?" Faith asked.
"You're right, she really pays attention and she works hard, she's not trying to just rely on her Slayer powers. She wants to learn. She should be the first one to go out."
"I'll take her on a patrol tomorrow at Shady Rest; the ground there is good in case anything shows. She can back me up and get a feel for what it's like out at night."
"Sure you don't want me to do it?" Buffy asked.
"You need all the rest you can get, Buff."
"What makes you think I'll get that at home?"
Willow and Dawn had finished their ice cream and were driving home. Dawn yawned hugely.
"You know Dawnie, even my driving is better than yours is when you're asleep," Willow told her.
"I'm okay; I won't be staying up late though. Thanks for the ice cream, this was fun."
"It's been a while since we went out, for sure. Next time I won't push you so hard, we'll work on some precision shifts and maybe try a little more bringing," Willow said.
"Can we call it something besides bringing? That reminds me of the First."
"Never thought of that, that's just what Rachel called it when she was teaching me. How about fetching?"
"Woof."
"How was your day babe?" Faith asked Dawn once they were back in their room that evening.
"Good, but I'm exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open," Dawn told her as she stepped into her embrace.
"Does Willow crack a mean whip?"
"She's a good teacher, but you'd have to ask Buffy about the whip, I guess," Dawn nuzzled into Faith's neck and sighed.
"I think Red's a bit of a handful, yeah. How's the shoulder?"
"Good, hardly sore at all now. Tomorrow's a big day, wouldn't want to not be able to do my share," Dawn said sleepily.
"Don't worry about it, Amanda is going to wrangle the puppies and get them to do the grunt work, she was over the moon when I told her she was getting her own room. She actually said that she was happy for me, can you believe that?"
"Of course I can, these girls love you, Faith. You just have to let them." Dawn placed a kiss on the end of Faith's nose. "But only in a sisterly fashion."
"No trouble on that count love," Faith assured her, "everyone but you is invisible. Are you and Willow working any tomorrow?"
"No, we'll have the whole day to ourselves, after the move of course."
"I'll be out kind of late though," Faith told her, "I'm taking Marty for her first patrol. Just Shady Rest, to let her get the feel of it a little. Our shift is sunset till ten, so it won't be too bad. We'll head out right after dinner and do a little recon before dusk."
"So Marty is the pick of the litter, then?"
"Yeah, she's a good kid. She doesn't have your moves, but she's solid." Dawn yawned. "Come on love," Faith said tenderly, "let's get you tucked in."
There was a flurry of activity after breakfast on Sunday, and by the time the lunch crew had to break off and prepare the meal there had been substantial rearrangement of the Slayer Hilton. The appropriate furniture had been exchanged between Dawn's room and Faith's, and all of Dawn's personal items had been transferred. Amanda had preferred Faith's old bed to her own, and Kennedy liked Amanda's old one. Amanda's old roommate had asked a girl from a triple to share space, and there had followed a general reshuffling of living quarters.
"Good Lord," sighed Giles as he collapsed in his study, "it was like being invaded by Doozers."
"Hell hath no fury like a bunch of women redecorating," Buffy agreed.
"We should move in together," Willow said, "it would free up a room for someone else."
"Fine in principle," Buffy said, "but I don't want my shoes sharing space with newt eyes. We'll just shack up until we can get a house of our own."
"REALLY?" squeaked Willow.
"Actually, I have a few leads on houses for you to look at already," Giles told them. "Real estate is a good investment, even today. We'll just roll it into your salaries, which, by the way, start next week. Faith of course gets the next house. We're a few months away from being able to purchase them, I'm afraid, but no more than that."
"It's gonna feel strange to commute," Buffy said.
"There is also the possibility of acquiring adjoining properties and forming a sort of community. There is a fair bit of adjoining land that is available, but it would mean building, of course. And we should also plan for your and Faith's retirement, Buffy. Just because no Slayer ever has, doesn't mean that it isn't a good idea."
"Holy crap…" Buffy breathed, "that could actually be possible now, couldn't it?"
"Indeed," Giles assured her, "that brew-up in LA was quite a bit less than subtle, and a lot of influential and extremely wealthy people are showing a real interest in supporting those who can protect them from that sort of thing. And now that we have so many more Slayers, it only makes sense to map out a career path for those who decide to follow the calling."
"What about the ones who don't follow the calling," Willow asked, "won't they cause trouble?"
"The potential is there of course," Giles told them, "but I don't think we need worry too much, besides, we've only had the one rejection so far, and we can't possibly find them all."
"I have one problem with the plan as presented," Buffy said.
"Yes?" Giles queried.
"You get the first house. None of this would have happened without you, and if we don't get you to safety Rona is going to carry you off."
"I wouldn't need a large one, just something with stout locks," Giles admitted hastily.
"And now, at the risk of spoiling the mood, there is one other thing that we have to prepare for." Willow and Buffy waited. "Some of these girls are going to die, and even Lloyd's won't write a policy on a Vampire Slayer."
"This is our place," Dawn said in wonder as she looked around the newly-decorated room. They had spent the entire afternoon arranging and re-arranging, and now they had things set in a manner that suited them both, just in time for dinner. "Ours. You and me. Together."
"And that's all I need," Faith whispered as she took Dawn in her arms, "just you and me together."
"Okay Marty," Faith said as she cleared her place after dinner, "grab your gear, it's showtime."
The young Slayer's excitement was plain to see as she scurried to clear her own place, and get her equipment.
"Watch your back love," Dawn told Faith at the door, "I'll be waiting." Faith gave her a special smile, walked down the sidewalk to the battered yet reliable compact that was one of the vehicles the Slayers used, waved, and drove off.
"I need to use the car," Dawn told Buffy.
"Sure, what's up?"
"Just a little surprise for when my girl gets home," Dawn told her.
"Awwww," said Willow.
"Okay Marty, first thing in a new cemetery, you get the layout, and we did that this afternoon. You need to get a sense of the way it's laid out so that you can make good time in the dark. Keep your eyes moving, and look for disturbed earth or anything else that indicates activity."
"Like really bad music?" Marty asked.
Dawn staggered into the kitchen, her arms full of flowers.
"Little help, please!" she called, and Buffy, Willow, and Giles responded, joined shortly by Amanda, Kennedy, and LeAnne.
"Taking up gardening?" Buffy asked.
"No, I just wanted to have these to surprise Faith; this is our first night officially living together."
"Awwww," said Willow, "that's so sweet!"
The gushing was preempted by the sound of a car screeching to a halt out front. An instant later, Marty burst into the room.
"Faith!" she cried, "We have to help her! There was a nest, and we were leaving to call it in and then some more showed up and the vamps from the nest poured out, and - and, she ordered me to leave, and I didn't want to but, but… she ordered me to! And there were so many of them!"
The flowers spilled onto the floor.