A Walk in the Clouds
by Nykademis
Young Love, Sucker Punches and Forks in the Road
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Disclaimer: I don't own them. If I did Spike wouldn't have survived Season 3.
Feedback: Oh please please please? It makes my day all bright and shiny
Author's Notes: Here ends Buffy's first and begins her second.
Title: A Walk in the Clouds/ Young Love, Sucker Punches, and Forks in the Road
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"You've got two hours before the next one" Vaya whispered into Buffy's ear as they all sat around the dinner table.
Buffy sighed and glanced around at her little family.
"What's up Buff? That sounded like an 'oh crap' sigh to me" Dawn tossed down her napkin and gave Buffy her version of the resolve face.
Buffy smiled at her little sister as she studied the firm set of her lips, her elbows on the table and the determined look in her eye "Willow still does it better, and elbows little missy"
Xander snorted "Little missy. She's like 'taller' than you hello" he demonstrated by holding his hands at two different levels.
"Shut up Xander" Giles said politely as he sipped his tea.
"So Dawnie you ever gonna tell me about this little love affair of your's?" Buffy settled her gaze her on sister, resting her chin on her hands she smiled innocently.
"I'll introduce you" Dawn looked away removing her elbows from the table "Someday"
"Before you go off to college I hope" Giles reached over and rubbed her hand.
"Uh...yeah" Dawn faltered and tried to laugh it off "So Buffy that 'oh crap' sigh"
"Just thinking how nice this is" Buffy wrapped her arm around Willow who sat next to her.
Giles and Xander sat at the head and foot of the table. Dawn sat alone on the opposite side of Buffy and Willow's huginess.
"Yeah and you can invite your 'friend' over and we can get to know each other" Willow picked up on the idea cheerily "And you'll no doubt have your secret smoochies"
"Willow!" Buffy tickled her wife not wanting to think about her little sister smooching anything let alone some hormone crazed teenaged boy.
Dawn simply blushed and excused herself "I need some fresh air"
"Don't forget your-" Buffy rushed to remind Dawn.
"Stake" Dawn pulled one from each pocket "Cross" she pulled down her shirt "and there's holy water too" winking at them all she slid out the door "I'm prepared"
They all watched the door after she disappeared through it.
"They grow up so fast" Giles cleaned his glasses.
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Vaya paced nervously as Buffy and Willow relaxed on the couch.
Buffy ignored the girl in favor of studying her best friend and wife close up as she rested.
Willow's eyes fluttered shut as Buffy continued to stroke her hair off her forehead. Tracing the shell of her ear she began a light massage on her neck.
"Mmm Buffy" Willow sighed as she made herself more comfortable.
Buffy smiled down at her wife and moved lower bringing Willow's head to rest just over her heart.
Willow slid a hand under her head and pressed it over Buffy's breast.
Buffy jumped slightly when another heartbeat joined her own "Is that...the"
"Baby" Willow murmured "That's her heartbeat"
Buffy closed her eyes and lessened her other senses and concentrated solely on the heartbeat of her child. The quick 'thrump' beating in harmony with her own.
"It's beautiful" pressing kisses on Willow's temple Buffy reopened her senses and became aware of two people on her porch.
"Buf-" Willow quieted when Buffy placed a silencing finger over her lips.
Stealthily the slayer left the couch and moved to the front door.
Buffy looked down when she heard a tiny growl at her feet.
"Shh Corky" she tried to shoo away the dog but the little beast wouldn't move "Willow get your barking rat please"
"Corky" Willow hissed from the couch "Corky come"
The dog ignored her.
"Corky Lynn Brownpaws" Willow hissed a bit louder.
The dog turned and faced her wagging her multicolored tail.
"I have cookies!" Willow wiggled her fingers as she said the magic word.
Corky took off for her lap, her tail wagging so fast she nearly knocked herself over.
Smirking at the dogs full name Buffy threw open the front door to find Dawn in an overheated embrace with...
"Faith!"
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"Time" Vaya snapped the silver pocket watch closed and tucked it into an unseen pocket on the black sheath dress.
"No way. No way. I wanna go back there" Buffy advanced on the girl threateningly.
"Sorry no can do until all this is over" Vaya smiled sweetly "What were you gonna do?"
"I was gonna rip off her damn arms, then her lips, and a few other parts she had wrapped around my little sister" Buffy threw herself down on a pure white couch.
Realizing there was furniture present Buffy looked around. She found herself in a long hallway with several doors on each side. Each with it's own couch right next to it.
"Where are we?" Buffy looked down at the plushly carpeted floor and up to the textured walls and ceiling.
"Nowhere" Vaya smiled and looked around "They finally got around to decorating"
"Nice" Buffy leapt to her feet "That vortex HURT LIKE A BITCH!" snatching the little girl up she shook her only to find no purchase in her hands after a few good shakes.
Vaya was on the opposite side of the hallway holding her head as she wobbled slightly "You're a quick one"
Buffy smiled grimly.
"Okay so the vortex was painful. But it was just to regulate your body for this ordeal" Vaya slowly began to make her way back to Buffy. She kept a fighting stance with every step she took "Well as I was saying this new and improved nowhere is equipped with doors!"
Buffy grimaced as the room was filled with gameshow lights, weaving and waving the multicolored spots around.
"Behind door number 1!" Vaya spun disappearing in a flash and reappearing wearing a champange colored sequin dress and big blonde hair "A fabulous reality wherein your fiery friend Faith, who also happens to be another slayer, did not make that little mistake in that dark alley" Vaya motioned to the door with a Vanna wave.
"Well that would make life easier" Buffy nodded at the door appreciatively.
"Yes you'd think" Vaya said that big Barbie smile still pasted on her face "She eventually helped you close the HellMouth and you now both attend college with Willow and that sweet little lesbian friend of her's. What was her name again?" Vaya sat on a stool that appeared behind her just for that reason, and appropriated the 'thinking man' position.
"Tara!" Buffy's eyes lit up at the chance to see the quiet little Wiccan again "Tara's alive!"
"Yes she's alive" Vaya stood and stomped her foot. All the lights disappeared and after a few tweaking moments the harsh florescents on before reappeared "Now we have this little thing called a time limit. You choose the reality you wanna go to or if you take too long. The Powers that Fuck You Over" Vaya squealed as the lighting struck not at her feet but on her head.
Buffy flinched at the squeal and the 'poof' of the lighting striking.
Smoke filled the hallway, choking the slayer and her 'guide'.
"Fan please" Vaya called between hacking coughs as she patted down her hair.
Buffy's vision cleared long before the smoke and she stood silently biting her lip, a delighted look on her face "Anya would so not like it here"
"Anya? Why not?" Vaya dusted herself off and let out a frustrated growl when she realized just what Buffy was talking about. She was clad rather adorably in a big fluffy pink bunny suit "You know I think they take joy in annoying me"
Buffy snorted behind her hand, her eyes dancing with her smothered humor "I think so too"
"Oh get in the door" Vaya moved faster than light, shoving Buffy into the open doorway.
And she was falling. Again.
"Dammit Vaya!" she screamed as she once again fell through the clouds, hurtly head over heels towards the unforgiving ground beneath.
"Oh don't worry you always land in bed" Vaya appeared next to her strapped into a parachute.
"Somehow that's not reassuring" Buffy made a grab for her only to have her pull away and out of range.
"Oh don't worry. The Powers whom torture me won't let you get hurt" Vaya fluttered away "Oh and we fixed that little info prob" smirking at the slayer she folded her hands and lay her her down feigning sleep "You have to sleep a few hours and you get the whole run down. You and Red woke up 'way' too soon"
"Gee thanks I really-"
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"...needed that explanation" Buffy sniffed and rolled over "still falling way too fast"
Willow and Tara giggled. Faith merely rolled her kohl-lined eyes.
"D-does she usually t-talk in her s-sleep?" Tara whispered as the little blonde slayer smacked her lips and rolled over facing the wall.
"Yeah. You should hear some of the things she says" Willow chuckled.
"Oh like last time?" Faith took a dramatic pause and situated herself comfortable on Buffy's bed "He's killing the chickens!" she put on a panicked face and squirmed around "Catch the chickens or he'll eat them all!"
Willow started laughing hard enough to knock herself off the bed and Tara off balance enough to nearly join her.
"You're serious?" the shy blonde covered her mouth as she snorted.
"Oh man yes. I don't know what she dreams about sometimes. But we die off her outburst alone" Faith wiped under her nose and reached for her glass ok Cola "Oh Willow remember that one time when she-"
Willow popped up on the side of the bed "Oh yeah she started swinging the-" she managed before falling over laughing again.
"..then she stood up and hit the-" Faith gave into her laughter as well, nearly spewing the soda out of her nose.
"Oh and then she-!" Willow popped back up beating her fist on the bed to keep from laughing.
Faith recovered in time for them to say in unison "I AM THE PILLOW GODDESS!"
Both collapsed in hysterical laughter, leaving Tara slightly out of the loop.
"That's one thing about Buffy, she'll keep you laughing" Faith assured Tara who was looked slightly out of place huddled nervously on Willow's bed.
"She must be really tired to sleep through all this" Tara stage whispered and eliminated the problem of her stutter.
Willow ran her fingers through Tara's long blonde hair, stopping only to draw shapes on her nape "She had a rough patrol"
"Yeah. These ooey gooey Ice Cream demons" Faith smack her hands together and made an all too unappetizing sound "It was beyond gross. Looked like something upchucked last years thanksgiving on us when we hit 'em" shaking down her fleecy sleeves Faith sank down into Buffy's bed pressing herself against the smaller slayers back.
"Eww. But why are you awake and she's out like a light?" Tara peeked around Faith to see Buffy hugging an old stuff pig as she murmured something.
"Well B gets kinda tired and cranky after a slay like that" Faith rested a hand on Buffy's hip when the slayer began to squirm in an agitated way "Me I'm all worked up until I can let off some steam. B usually helps me with that"
Willow blushed and looked anywhere but at Faith who was leering at her.
"How does she do that?" Tara asked looking between her friend and the darker young woman who seemed goddess like at times.
"Well you see slaying makes you-" Faith settled in to tell Tara all about being a slayer.
"Faith she doesn't need to know that part" Willow interrupted covering Tara's ears.
"She asked Red so I'm fittin' to tell her" Faith licked her ruby lips and sent a sultry gaze Willow's way knowing it would unsettle her long enough to get out what she wanted to say.
Willow blushed as her gaze hit the floor. Faith was good at unsettling her.
"Slaying makes you hungry and horny" Faith spoke to Tara as if she were a teacher and the wiccan her student "After you're through huntin' you got all this extra energy left over. There's gotta be an outlet"
"B-buffy's your outlet?" Tara looked between Willow and Faith completely confused. Twisting her mouth in a way Willow though adorable and Faith was quickly beginning to agree "So you spar?"
"No. Well yeah, but it's more of the horizontal kind" Faith rubbed her flattened hands together and made as many carnal sounds as she could before Willow reacted as she always did.
"Twinkle twinkle" she began singing at the top of her lungs.
Banging on the wall insued, along with a chorus of 'shut up' 'you freaks' and of course the all purpose 'fuck you'.
Which was enough to wake the sleeping slayer.
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"Ok hold on. Faith's a badass good girl?" Buffy braided her hair knowing it was nothing but part of her dream.
"Yeah. She's become a very strong slayer. You two are well matched" Vaya filed her nails down and blew on them.
"Gee that's great. I mean I always like working with her she-" Buffy paused thinking about what she was going to say.
"She pushed your buttons?" Vaya teased flipping Buffy's hair up and messing up the braid.
"Hey no" Buffy took a halfhearted swing at the brat and returned to her hair.
"Well.." Vaya trailed off as sounds began to filter in.
"Wakey wakey time" she taunted.
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Buffy rolled over and yawned.
Squeezing the warm fleece covered form before her she opened first one eye, then the other.
"Look who choose to grace us with her presence" Willow smiled at the cloudy green eyes that stared her down.
"Yeah B wake up I'm getting kinda antsy" Faith nudge her gently as she turned around in Buffy's arms.
And placed a soft wet kiss to her lips.
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