Faith and Willow's new apartment, several hours before the explosion on Test Site Alpha.
"Ummph… wazzit…. Um up… um up," Mumbled Faith as she reached for the side table to her left, and then grabbed her beeping phone. She sent the alarm for six in the morning which was her regular time to wake up with help from Willow who was currently off-world at the testing site. Faith, who had been lying with the side of her face down on her pillow, squinted her eyes at the bright light from her phone's screen. She stared at the beeping phone while trying to make out the time since her vision was blurred. Sighing, Faith continued lying flat on her stomach while her head was turned towards the phone as she pressed the screen. The alarm then turned off, and Faith placed the phone on the side table once again before she used her other hand to reach for Willow.
She would usually place her arm around the redhead's waist, but this time Faith's arm fell onto the bed instead of laying on warm skin. The Slayer turned her head, and then stared at the empty space for a few seconds while her mind was trying to wonder why Willow wasn't near her. It would be like this ever since the both of the started to sleep together, and Willow had to go out to the SGC earlier than Faith.
If Willow wasn't by her side, a groggy Faith would wonder if she was living a dream, that she was alone. And then, a few seconds later, she would remember that she was married to Willow; and that Willow had gone out on a mission.
And today was no different. A few seconds later, Faith remembered that Willow was off-world on a training mission with Colonel Carter. Sighing once again, Faith lay her head on the pillow… the very comfortable, soft, pillow. But, despite wanting to sleep until time ended or until Willow returned, Faith knew that she needed to get up and start up on her morning routine. While her body was crying out for more sleep, Faith pushed herself up, and then slowly got off the bed. She stood on the carpeted floor, and then looked around at the room… including the boxes that were stacked one on top of another in the girls' new apartment.
Faith knew that this was just a temporary fix while General O'Neill was using the insurance money to repair his home which had exploded a little more than three months ago. It was the reason why Faith and Willow's bedroom was sparsely populated with pictures of the couple, or why their closets were half filled with some of their clothes in anticipation for the shift back to the house that was being rebuilt. Rubbing the back of her head while yawning, Faith then walked toward the door, opened it, and then walked out into the dark hallway. The chill in the air, despite the heater, was causing her arms to erupt in goosebumps as she walked into the living room in her shorts and sleeveless top.
Pulling the curtains away, she looked out to the slowly lightening sky before turning around and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Heading to the kitchen, Faith yawned once again as her feet hit the cold tiles before she took out a can of coffee powder from the top shelf. Starting her coffee in the machine, the Slayer then sighed before she went back down the hallway to the washroom where she freshened up.
With Dawn and Jon moving in together, the dark-haired Slayer was alone in the home as she got out of the washroom and walked into a smaller guest room which was completely empty. At least except for a few weights and barbells in the corner.
Taking in a deep breath, Faith then started her warm-up routine. For the next thirty minutes, with the smell of coffee permeating the entire apartment, Faith was beginning to sweat as she finished her warm-up. She then began her regular work-out involving weights, and then some martial arts to keep her reflexes in top condition. It would be nearly an hour later that Faith would be lying down on her back on the carpeted floor breathing in and out deeply. The Slayer was looking at the ceiling while her top clung to her body, parts of it drenched with sweat as her tones muscles and abs were accentuated thanks to her work out.
Her stomach rumbling, Faith chuckled before slowly getting up to her feet. She then walked out of the guest room and into the hallway while taking off her damp clothes. Entering the shower after pushing back the curtain, Faith stepped into the shower and turned the water on to its 'warm' setting. Taking a deep breath as the water hit her body freezing cold, it soon turned warm as she turned and let the streams of water run down her back. She pulled her head back and ran her hands through her hair as the warm water wiped off the sweat gathered on her body. Pulling her head back, Faith thought through the rest of the day.
'SG-1 has a mission scheduled for tomorrow,' Faith thought as she turned around and let the water fall on her face and the entire front of her body, 'today? Today I have a training session with Teal'c after lunch, before that I gotta meet Danny-boy about my dissertation. Then I gotta go to my lab and study that artefact from '657, and then see my dissertation supervisor after training, and then meet Red when she lets back. Which reminds me… we need to head out for something special tonight since it's been what? Three days? Yeah, three days. Oh… oh… crap.. almost forgot about Vi.'
Ever since the three extra Slayer's; Rona, Violet, and Molly were activated, it was agreed that after addition psychological examinations and background tests that one of them would be offered a position in Atlantis. Their role would primarily be to help fight the Wraith; but the selected candidate would also be able to contribute to either the military or scientific teams.
And it was Violet who was selected by the BPRI and Homeworld Security.
She was an able Slayer who already had plenty of experience under her belt, even before she was activated. In addition, she had genius level intelligence, something that Homeworld especially was interested in given the level of technology they were dealing with on Atlantis. The young woman was only told about the decisions two months ago, and saying that she was excited would be an understatement.
She was however, told that she would have a cover story that would have to be followed to the letter. Only once disclosure of the Stargate has taken place could she tell her parents about her real posting on Atlantis. IN the meantime, she was going to be working with Deep Space Telemetry with an American NASA team in Florida. And today was the day that Vi would be heading for Atlantis, and Faith was supposed to be giving the young woman's final briefing.
"Three days, and no smoochies," Faith told herself while imitating Willow. The Slayer then chuckled before she leaned back on the wall. AS she thought about Willow, Faith closed her eyes while her hand slowly brushed her own skin from her shoulders, to the nape of her neck, along her collarbone, and down to her chest. Faith imagined kissing Willow as they shared the shower together while at the same time her hand travelled slowly down to her abdomen. Faith imagined looking into Willow's green eyes before the redhead gave a cheeky smile. The same cheeky smile she would give the Slayer when her hands travelled down Faith's back, and then down to her hips, and then to her thighs. As Faith's mind went wild, her own hand kept travelling down her abdomen while water from the shower travelled down her body.
Faith's silhouette could be seen from the other side of the shower curtain as her moans filled the small room. Several minutes after she released a few small screams, Faith walked out of the shower with a goofy smile on her face. After she put on her clothes, the Slayer walked out of her room to the kitchen and cooked herself a breakfast of four eggs, toast, and sausages before pouring herself a cup of coffee. Once she had her fill, Faith left the apartment locking the front door behind her, and then dashed down to Willow's motorcycle. She hopped on before putting on her helmet, and then reversed the vehicle. She looked at their parked car, and mentally told herself that they would take the car for their date late that very night.
It would be a little over thirty minutes later that Faith reached Cheyenne mountain. After having finished all the required security checks, Faith entered the parking lot and then parked the motorcycle. She then headed down to the SGC and started her day.
SGC, Briefing Room, 0900 hours.
After checking in with Daniel, Faith headed straight for the briefing room where she met with General Landry who was talking to Violet in his office. Faith entered the office, closing the door behind her, and then hugged the younger redhead while whispering if she was ready for whole new step in her life.
"No way can I get ready for something like this," Violet chuckled before stepping back and turning to General Landry who told her that it took him some time to get used to the idea of travelling to other worlds through the Gate. He then asked the two women to take a seat before telling Violet that Faith was on Atlantis a few times, and that she could ask her any questions she wanted.
And for the next hour, the three of them spent time in the office answering a multitude of questions that Violet had in her head. Once they were done, Faith told Violet that she was going to like being on Atlantis.
The people there are cool, the city's awesome, and the danger that you'll be attacked by the Wraith is always there," Faith said as she turned towards Violet, "you're gonna be fine, Vi. Dr. Weir will introduce you to the scientific staff; just be patient with Rodney Mackay, and you'll be fine. One of the Kull Armours has already been fitted for you, right?"
"Yeah," Violet said nodding her head. She was already told weeks ago about the Kull Armour, and that it would be able to absorb energy weapon blasts, and thus protecting her if and when she needed to go out in the field. "and I'll be going through more weapons training with this Teyla person?"
"For hand to hand training," said General Landry, "and Colonel Sheppard will supervise your training with the projectile and energy weapons."
"Cool," said Violet nodding her head. She then took a deep breath as he continued coming to terms with the fact that she was going to be stepping into a wormhole that would lead her to another galaxy three million light years away. A smile appeared on her face as she tried very hard to hide her excitement when she said she was actually going to live on Atlantis. "This is going to be so cool."
"Yes," said the General, "yes, it is."
It was nearly thirty minutes later, after Violet said her goodbyes to her family and picked up her bags from her quarters on base, that she and Faith walked through the hallways and arrived at the Gateroom. The device was already dialling out while the younger redhead walked with Faith into the Gateroom, and stared in amazement at the large ring shaped device. Violet then Jerked back and chuckled as the unstable vortex settled back down to form the event horizon of the wormhole. It was then that the General walked into the Gateroom as well before he and Faith led the young woman to the bottom of the ramp.
"Dr. Weir will meet you on the other side," the General said. Violet nodded her head before shaking his hand. She then turned towards Faith and hugged her, with the dark haired Slayer telling Violet that she'll come check-in on her when she gets some time off. Violet nodded her head as she pulled back and turned to the blue event horizon before taking in a deep breath.
"I guess this is it," she whispered as Faith placed a hand on Violet's shoulder.
"You'll do fine, Slayer," Faith whispered. Violet turned her head away from Faith with a smile on her lips and stared back at the event horizon.
"Well, here goes," Violet said just before she walked through the event horizon. The general and Faith then turned to look at Walter who was looking at a monitor. After a few seconds, he looked up at Faith and the General while giving them the thumbs-up sign. The Stargate then disengaged with Faith and the General walking down the ramp, safe in the knowledge that Violet reached Atlantis safely. It would be then that Faith headed for her lab to get a copy of her dissertation from her laptop, and then hand it to Daniel so that he could take a quick look at it before having to send it out to her supervisor for another check-up.
Once she handed her thumb-drive to Daniel, Faith returned to her lab and started work. The entire time, she would get interrupted by Vala who would pop in after every ten minutes to try and bother her. Faith could only chuckle before asking, at the eleven o'clock hour after working for about an hour, if Vala wanted to join her in examining some artefacts from a civilization which seemed to replicate the ancient Assyrian civilization on Earth. Vala nodded her head before saying, "I was waiting for you to ask me."
Faith chuckled as the both of them then worked together while Colonel Mitchell was training some pilots over at Andrews. They were chatting about their plans when, just as Faith finished telling Vala about her plan to surprise Willow by taking her out to a romantic night out, the klaxons started to blare. Vala and Faith looked up at the flashing lights when Walter's voice came through the P.A systems saying that there was an unscheduled off-world activation. Faith and Vala then looked at each other before they hopped off their seats and rushed out of the lab. Just as the two of them reach the end of the hallway, the Stargate activated. It was then that Faith stopped running as she gasped before leaning against the wall.
"Faith?" asked Vala as she looked in concern at the Slayer placing a hand on her chest.
"It… It's Red," said Faith as she felt a pain in her chest and her leg while her entire body started to warm up slightly while her arms trembled. She knew something must have happened to Willow since she could feel her pain through their psychic link though the Stargate.
"Dr. Lam to the Gateroom with your medical team, Dr. Lam to the Gateroom with your medical team," said Walter as Faith and Vala stared at each other. Faith then asked Vala to take her to the General, she needed to know what was going on. Vala then nodded her head, and helped Faith to the Control Room where General Landry was talking to one of the engineers who said that Colonel Carter had run off towards the explosion.
"General?" asked Vala as she held onto Faith who was slowly regaining her composure since the initial backlash from Willow's injuries were wearing off. The General turned towards Faith and shook hi head, he forgot about the link that she and Willow shared, and so he should have known that she would know something was wrong without being told.
"Major Rosenberg's been injured," said the General as he looked at a worried Faith and Vala just as Teal'c and Daniel rushed down the stairs asking if everything was alright. The General looked at the team and then back at Faith before once again saying that Willow was injured. He explained that initial reports from the testing site revealed that the Groundhog exploded, and that Willow could be badly injured since there was a piece of metal that impaled her leg, "it went through the femur. But the on-site medics said that it may have missed the femoral artery. Right now, we're sending Dr. Lan and her team to stabilize the injury before bring her back here for examination."
"Good," said Vala patting Faith on the back of her shoulder.
It would be a few minutes later that the medical team was sent out through the Gate, before returning after an hour with an unconscious Willow on a stretcher, her injured leg heavily bandaged with the metal still impaled into her bone. Behind her were some of the medics who were near the Groundhog test site being slightly injured with scratches.
"I'll stay with Red," said Faith as the General nodded her head before watching the young woman run down the stairs and into the hallway before following her wife to the operating room.
Sunnydale, 1115 hours.
While Faith, Colonel Carter, Daniel, Teal'c, and Vala very waiting on Willow's operation to be finished; back in Sunnydale, Buffy was sitting on the edge of her bed and looking down at the object in her hand with quiet contemplation. Earlier that day, Buffy had gotten up at nine in the morning, and with Xander having left for an early morning session to brief the Potentials heading off to Miami later that day. So she was alone when she started to vomit for a few times.
Thinking through her memory for anything that she could have eaten the previous day as she groaned and sat back on her bed, Buffy shook her head. She went through everything that could be wrong before she went back into the restroom, and vomited once again. She then looked back up at the mirror and told herself it couldn't be the food Joyce made for them the previous night, "I never get sick from her food. Never… not even from the burned pies.' Buffy then turned around and trudged out of the restroom door while she thought about what else it could be. She then took her temperature, and found she had no fever.
And then she had another thought. Something she wasn't sure of since she and Xander were always careful. She then rushed to her side drawer, and took out a box, opened it, and then pulled out a pregnancy stick before rushing back into the restroom. And now, as she looked at the markings on the stick, Buffy recalled what Sineya had told her when she, Kennedy, and Faith had to prove their worth to the First Slayer so that they could get the location of the Slayer scythe.
"There will come a time when you are already to lead the next generation of Slayers in another way," whispered Buffy to herself as she recalled what Sineya told her that day, after she, Kennedy and Faith proved themselves worthy. She then remembered the hand the First Slayer placed on her abdomen and then tried to rack her brain if she and Xander used protection the last time they were intimate two months ago. Her heart was racing as she stared at the object while imagining having come back from a training session at the BPRI with Xander, who had just returned from a mission with Kennedy's team. The both of them wanted to have a romantic night to push back the events of the day, so they went out for dinner, following that they went out to Kingmans Bluff to look up at the stars.
Buffy remembered that they were the only ones there, the both of them lying down on a blanket as they looked out at the stars. She chuckled when Xander said that he could see the Prometheus Station. She remembered her extended his finger to a distant object, but all the Slayer could see was the profile of his face as she continued to stare while Xander was telling her how he wished he was up there on the station.
"You still have that one offer to train on the Prometheus," Buffy whispered as Xander turned hi head, and then shifted his body until he lay on his side. The young man looked at hi wife, and placed a hand on her hip as she lay on her side as well. They simply looked at each other for a few seconds before Xander spoke again.
"Nah," he shaking his head. "Don't ask me why, but I think I'm needed here more than out there."
"Fine," whispered Buffy as she gently lay a hand on his cheek, "I won't ask."
The both of them stared at one another in silence for a few more seconds before Buffy leaned in and kissed Xander. She didn't know if it was because the both of them were alone on a moon lit night under the stars, but the Slayer held onto Xander as he returned her kiss. She listened for any sounds other than the sounds being made when their lips were in contact with each other, and other than the sound of crickets around them. Making sure that there were none, Buffy broke the kiss and smiled as she looked into Xander's eyes once again.
"We should get back home," said Xander as he placed a hand on her cheek before flicking his eyes upwards, "you never know who may be watching."
Buffy smiled before Xander stood up, and then helped Buffy to her feet. The young man then pulled her closer and kissed her once again. Back in the present day, Buffy opened her eyes as she remembered what happened once they came home that night; and then she realised that was the day it happened. The both of them were already wired thanks to Xander's mission, and Buffy's training of the Potential Slayers, 'that day I trained them with staffs. We really went at it and… and I wanted to win. I remember going all out and… and so did they. I remember I tore off his favourite shirt, and he carried me up and… and yeah. That was the day… it… it has to be.'
Buffy continued to stare at the double lines on the device she had in her hand, and tears welled in her eyes as she wondered what Xander would say about what happened. It was something they hadn't planned for, but she wanted it… she wanted to be a mother as she closed her eyes and brought her hand over her mouth while a tear travelled down her cheek. It would be a few seconds later that she wiped her tears, and laughed while looking at the double lines. Buffy then quickly got up to her feet and then rushed out her bedroom door. She rushed down the stairs and headed to the phone in the living room before realising she had her cell-phone in the bedroom.
Standing in the foyer as she mentally switched between calling Xander on the phone in the living room, or going back up to grab her cell phone, or heading out to the car and driving out to the BPRI; Buffy chose the last option. She placed the stick on the table, and then picked up the car keys before she rushed out with a smile on her face as she closed the door behind her. And then, in her sushi pyjama's, Buffy got into her car with bare feet and drove off.
Upon reaching the BPRI, Buffy's car screeched to a stop before she got out and rushed into the main building. She ran as fast as she could while a few Potential Slayers, security men and women, some of the demons who worked there, as well as Angel, scampered to one side as Buffy screamed at everyone to "make a hole! Make a hole! Move! Move! Move!"
Angel could only look at Buffy running like a mad-woman in her pyjama's as everyone else was looking around and mumbling among themselves.
"Okay everyone!" he yelled, "back to work!"
Angel then turned to the hallway that Buffy just ran through, and gave a small smile. He was glad that Buffy was retired from front line duty, and hoped that Buffy had realized what he already knew for the past month. The man was able to smell the new lives growing in his ex's womb, but knew it wasn't his place to tell her or Xander since she wasn't placing herself in danger. He knew that she would eventually find out, 'and I guess you did. Congrats, Buffy. On both of them.'
In the meantime, Buffy ran over to the control center, where Xander was directing some of the Slayer teams with Wesley, who returned from his archaeological trip to Furling Earth, and Tara, who was training with the former to become a Watcher. Buffy pushed the double doors to the control center and looked around for her husband among the many people who were hunched over computers, while several items were studying the large screen in front of them which showed several teams deployed in the United States, while two were in London at the request of the Prime Minister to neutralize a couple of suspected demons who were recreating the 'Jack the Ripper' murders.
Buffy continued to look around, while being oblivious to one of the security personnel asking if there was something she needed.
"Xander," whispered Buffy once she found her husband, and then she ran to the man. She ran past several people and jumped over a few cubicles, before reaching Xander. The young man was surprised to find his wife in the control centre, in her pyjama's, as she jumped into his arms.
HE held onto her tightly while Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist. "Buff?" he whispered, "you do realize that…"
"I'm pregnant," Buffy whispered into his ear while Xander's eyes went wide in surprise. Immediately, he thought back to his own childhood; how his father used to hit him, shout at him, tell him that he was no use to anyone. The thought that he could be a father terrified him to his core… the prevalent thought going through his mind now being, 'will I be like him?'
As if reading his mind, Buffy whispered that he was not his father, "and you'll be better than he ever was, Xander. This is you and me…. Our daughter or…."
"Our son," Xander whispered as Wesley and Tara rushed over asking if everything was alright. Hearing their voices, Buffy released her grip on Xander, and her feet landed on the ground while looking at her husband. She smiled at Xander while Wesley and Tara looked on confused, and the other personnel were bemused at what was happening while other continued their work.
"Buffy?" asked Tara.
"I'm going to be a dad," Xander, pushing errant thoughts to the back of his mind for now, said as he looked at a surprised Wesley, "we're pregnant."
"No, way, Buffy?" asked Tara. Buffy nodded her head with a wide grin on her face as a surprised Tara covered her mouth with her hands. She and Buffy then screamed with joy before they hugged; and then jumped in joy together. In the meantime, Wesley shook Xander's hand while congratulating him. Once everyone had calmed down, Buffy finally realized that she was in her pyjama's before sheepishly saying she was heading home to change, and then she was going to tell her mother, Willow, Faith, Dawn, and then Giles.
"And then there's a lot more to do," Buffy said as she held Xander's hand, "a whole lot."
TBC.