Welcome Home
by Rin
Questionable Occurences
[reviews]
A/N: In celebration of the completion of the first draft of my novel, I have written a longer chapter for this much beloved story of mine and yours. Here's hoping you like it!
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"Aww, baby." Willow was sitting in the chair in the nursery, Elita on her lap, rocking to and fro. The little girl was finally used to her other mommy, and relaxed easier when she held her. Willow had taken to reading novels to the little girl, and predictably it would make her fall asleep. She was six months old yesterday, and she and Buffy had spoiled the little baby rotten. Buffy had managed to teach the little girl to stand, and Willow would find her wife crawling along the floor with the little redheaded spitfire, laughing and playing up a storm. Right now, Willow was reading Steinbeck's 'Grapes of Wrath' to Elita; she was in chapter nineteen already. "Once California belonged to Mexico and its land to Mexicans; and a horde of tattered feverish Americans poured in. And such was their hunger for land that they took the land--stole Sutter's land, Guerrero's land, took the grants and broke them up and growled and quarreled over them, those frantic hungry men; and they guarded with guns the land they had stolen. They put up houses and barns, they turned the earth and planted crops. And these things were possession, and possession was ownership."
"What are you doing, Will?" Buffy took a break after she finished her last chapter, and decided to hold off on revision until tomorrow. Finally, her long-awaited third novel in the slayer series was written; yet, it wasn't finished. That would come in the next couple of days, then she would take it to Robin, and everything would go from there.
"Reading to Elita." Willow book marked the page with the ticket from the Decemberists concert she and Buffy attended the weekend before last. It was a gay romp; five stars. Or was it they were gay, and after sex, they saw stars? One can never be too sure about these things.
"Whatcha reading this time?" She moved further into the room before seeing the large novel in her wife's hands. "Please tell me you're not reading 'War and Peace.' It was bad enough last week when you decided she was ready for 'Crime and Punishment.' She's not even one yet, Wills; give the kid a break."
"Research shows that when parents read to their children, and have them listen to music, they become smarter in life." The adult redhead put the book on the baby's dresser, and picked the slumbering child from her arms, placing her in the crib. Buffy came over, and helped her tuck Elita in for the night.
"That's good and all but you don't want to overdo." She turned towards her wife, and arched an eyebrow in amusement.
"Overdo? There's no overdoing here, nope, not at all. I'm just enhancing. Plus, it gives me a chance to brush up on some of my favorites."
"You actually liked 'Grapes of Wrath'?"
"Well, it was a pain to read back in middle school but I didn't mind it so much when I read it for fun freshman year."
"Well, what's next on the list, oh wise Willow?" They walked into their bedroom, getting ready to prepare themselves for bed, too. Of course, a little naughty fun wouldn't be unwelcome.
"I was thinking 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.' I did a book report of it in high school, and decided to just read the whole series."
"Why am I not surprised?" Buffy threw Willow's silky pink tank at her, seeing the arched eyebrow in response to being sent no pants. "Can't blame a girl for liking to see you in no pants. One of us at least still has shapely legs."
"You'll get yours back, baby. I promise." Willow crawled out of her work pants, and showed off her underwear-clad bottom, shaking it a little as she took off her shirt on the way to the bathroom.
"Ya big tease!" Buffy yelled after her, taking off her own clothes, taking them to the hamper in the bathroom, wrapping her arms around a teeth-brushing Willow.
"Well, ya got e comi' oo ya." The redhead was full of paste, spitting it out to start again. "You've got it coming to you."
"How do you figure?" Buffy just moved her hands across Willow's torso, moving them slowly down her treasure trail (which held no hair for helpful exploration). Feeling more than hearing the slight moan, the blonde kissed along her wife's shoulder before releasing her completely.
"You've been working nonstop, and hey! What was that about me teasing you?" She swatted Buffy playfully on the upper arm, both maneuvering to share the sink, getting ready for bed (and possibly a little fun). The electrical charge between them was screaming for release; both felt it, and definitely had no problem adhering to the request. Ever since that first night, the two lovers had been all over each other, catching the other at the perfect moment, whenever Elita would fall asleep. No interruptions, and actually able to keep quiet so they wouldn't wake the slumbering baby. That in itself was a miraculous feat.
"I finished my first draft." They finished their nightly routines, and moved to the bedroom. Pulling back the covers, they fluffed their pillows after removing the decorative ones.
"Really? That's great! Can I read it?"
"You're a little busy reading encyclopedias to a six month old." She smirked, turning off the lamps around the room, while Willow just shimmied under the covers.
"That doesn't mean I can't read your encyclopedia." The redhead pulled Buffy on top of her, when the blonde was next to her, turning the lightswitch. Keeping her captive, she tickled her wife mercilessly, which filled the room with laughter. When the blonde recaptured her senses, she tackled Willow, holding her hands out to the side of her head, holding her legs together between her own stronger ones.
"It's not an encyclopedia. I'll have you know that it's only three hundred pages right now." She disallowed Willow any chance of freedom from her captivity. Their faces weren't close enough together, either. That was a major problem.
"Well, that's the first volume; where's the rest?" Willow arched an eyebrow, refusing to give in to Buffy's captivity. She would fight for her freedom.
"Hey! You're not gonna get to read it now. I was actually considering it there for a moment, too." Buffy finally managed to get Willow to stop squirming.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"How's this for fair?" Buffy leaned down, and devoured Willow's lips, mouth, teeth, anything possible. The moans,
squeals, groans, and squirms told her everything she needed to know: yet another night of passion was about to take place. She was more than ready; matter of fact, she was ready when she sat down to work, while Willow was reading to Elita. Fire bred through their fingertips, as Buffy finally allowed Willow the use of her arms, maneuvering to make their positions much more comfortable, and their heavy breathing through their noses more durable. They didn't want to release the other at any point, so instead of worrying about just getting naked, Buffy dug her hand down her wife's undies, and found the point of no return, pumping her fingers in and out, in and out, getting the desired affect.
Moving to the redhead's neck, no words were needed, as their lips parted for the first time in over thirty-seven minutes. Buffy just kept taking her to the edge, and torturing her by pulling back at the last minute, prolonging the outcome that was building to be too intense. Almost to the point of breaking, Willow clutched down on her wife's hand that was inside of her, moving so fast it was like the speed of lightning, making sure that Buffy would just stop teasing her already. Burying her head in Buffy's neck, Willow screamed with utter abandon, as one of the most amazing sensations rocked through her entire body, giving her a slight buzz and hum. It took at least seven minutes before she was able to even think about moving, let alone actually keep every part of her body from being overly sensitive and numb at the same time. Her wife had really done a number on her this time.
"You okay, Wills?" Buffy looked at her silent, humming wife, worried that she had broken her. The sweat showing through their tanks, and the stickiness between their bodies and hair was phenomenal. If only every orgasm could be this good.
"F-fine." The redhead let out a huge release of air, still humming and throbbing in pleasure. "Just fine."
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"What do ya think of this one?" Faith held up a dress that appeared way too small for her. Kennedy just looked at her, standing in line at the local Gap, and arched an eyebrow.
"Did you just steal that from the Baby Gap?" Placing her new black, bikini underwear, a new lightweight jacket, and a couple of tops that were on clearance, onto the counter, the younger brunette took the aforementioned baby's dress, and watched her girlfriend smirk in excitement. "The things I do for you."
"Hey! I'll pay for it; all of it if ya want. Not like I'm hard-pressed for money, ya know?" Faith took out her wallet, counting out the benjamins that would pay for all of their stuff today. The girl rang up all of the items, and Faith saw a hot tank top, running to grab it before Kennedy had a chance to pay for everything. "Wait; this, too."
"Will this be all?" The clerk tried to hide her excitement at seeing the lead singer for Rogue Slayer at her register; after all, she was just a lowly Gap employee at the moment, excited that she had more material for her poems.
"Oh! Wait, this smells really hot!" Faith started spraying all of the Gap scents, trying to find one she liked. Finally, she decided on 'OM,' grabbing a bottle of each offered product in the scent; lotions, fragrance, bodywash, sprays. She left no stone unturned.
"Now, is this all?"
"Wait! I see a really cute pair of jeans." Faith rushed over to grab her a few new pair of jeans. Willow had been pressing her to get a new wardrobe for years now; instead, she stuck with the clothes she came to Sunnydale in, nothing else. Lately, she would see something she liked, and wouldn't hesitate to get it, regardless of price. Faith really was loaded, especially now that the fourth album dropped, and their summer tour had been sold out every show. They were bringing a new jazzy sound to mainstream music that hadn't been as popular since the 1920s. It was the new Jazz Age.
"Faith! Stop! If you'd actually shopped for yourself instead of Jesse, we wouldn't have to waste this lady's time." Kennedy grabbed her arm, stopping her from heading towards the rest of the store. Faith just grinned sheepishly, knowing full well that she'd been over-spoiling Jesse beyond the point of rottenness. Since she was on break from touring, Faith and Kennedy would keep Jesse several times a week, visiting whenever Xander brought her to work with him, or Anya took her to the bookstore.
"I guess this will be all now?" The clerk smirked at the two, not fully aware of their relationship. Faith has never indicated her sexual orientation in any interviews, and she's so sexually charged that it wouldn't surprise anybody one way or the other, or even both! This particular clerk wanted it to be one way, though.
"Yes. No more soup for you." Kennedy took Faith's hand, and held her in place, mocking the soup chef from Seinfield to get her point across. Seeing the amused smirk on the dark girl's face, the girl knew she won.
"That's two hundred nine and fifty-six cents."
"You're crazy! Spendin' that much on a jacket! You better look hott in that thing." Faith handed the clerk the money, and eyed Kennedy with worry. The spoiled brat spent money like it was going out of style, whereas Faith loved to hoard the green.
"And none of this is yours, of course." Kennedy smirked; that got her girlfriend to be quiet.
"What? Jesse'll look cute in that dress, and you know it." Faith pouted, crossing her arms once she put her wallet back in its hidden place. Even Kennedy hadn't been able to figure out the secret compartment yet; it was a fun game they played at night, right before seduce the newbie.
"Okay, I'll give you that but you really should do what Willow tells you. It's time for some new clothes; your old ones have holes everywhere. There are pictures of your ass everywhere on the net 'cause of those jeans you wore at LiveAid this year, and we all know that you live for commando." Kennedy picked up one bag, leaving the other for Faith. The clerk just stared wide-eyed at the singer, so Faith pulled her no-leak pen from its designated hiding place, too. "That's why I bought you some undies here."
"You what?" Faith uncapped the pen, and the clerk just looked at her, wondering why they were still standing in line.
"I got you a few pairs of underwear to try over at Calvin Klein's. I think you'll like them; plus, you'll look really super hott in them." She winked at her now blushing girlfriend. Kennedy wasn't sure if the blush was more from the anger at wearing underwear, or that she said she'd look hott. Either way worked for her.
"What's your name, I'm sorry?" Faith chose to change subjects; they could have that argument later, so she focused on the clerk instead.
"Cassie." She was taken aback; why would an ultra-famous rock star ask for her name? It sucked that Gap didn't issue nametags.
"Great." Faith pulled a Gap credit card brochure from its holder, and started writing something on it, the clerk nervously wondering what in the world was happening. "Here ya go, Amanda. Thanks a bunch!"
"You're welcome. Have a great day!" Amanda yelled after the retreating singer and her friend, pulling the brochure closer. Upon inspection, it said:
To Cassie, Thanks for being patient for me and my girl; much appreciated. Keep rockin', Faith (Rogue Slayer)
The Gap clerk took a deep breath, ignoring the new customer for a moment. She had just found out the secret identity of her favorite singer, who she had just met. Now, she could die happy. The ironic part: that's when she had heart failure, and collapsed to the floor lifeless.
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Willow had just finished reading the last chapter of 'Grapes of Wrath' to Elita when the phone rang. Buffy picked it up, and her face took an expression of confusion. Taking Elita from her wife, the blonde handed the phone to her. The redhead, still on a high from reading to her baby, answered in a chipper manner. That all changed when she found out that Faith was at the Sunnydale police department, being questioned for information regarding a young girl's death. Hanging up the phone with the officer, she rushed to get out the door, calling Faith's lawyer in the process. When she arrived, he was there to walk in with her.
"I was called concerning a Faith..."
"Right this way." The officer cut her off, knowing full well who she was, and who she was there to see. Truth was, he had a big crush on Willow Rosenberg back in high school, and hated it when she started dating Fred, another girl he was interested in at the time. He batted two and O on that field. It was kind of ironic that he wound up in law enforcement, especially considering his nickname in school: the Corrupter. Officer Malcolm Black ushered them to the room where Faith was being held for questioning. It wasn't a serious charge, and the police force was having too much fun, trying to blame the singer for everything. Malcolm loved every second of it.
"Faith, are you okay?" Willow immediately knelt in front of her friend, checking her face for any bruises or bleeding. There were only two scratches, and one black eye that would heal pretty quickly. Faith just closed her eyes, inhaling Willow's scent. It'd been so long since she'd been in jail, and when the officers started beating her for information, blaming her for the girl's death, it took every ounce of strength she had not to revert to her old ways, fighting back with utter abandon. Seeing the redhead, the good parts of her new life as a fine, upstanding citizen kept her at bay. Taking a deep breath, her only response to the redhead was a nod. "We'll get everything straightened out; I promise."
"It's cool, Willow. Thanks for comin'; ya didn't hafta. I know you're busy an' all with that spitfire of yours." She swallowed, as Willow leaned forward, kissing her split lip softly. Malcolm took a quick picture of the scene, knowing full well the things he could do with it, even better because the two girls were too busy to notice.
"Kennedy's worried sick. I had to turn off my phone 'cause she keeps calling every ten seconds, and I mean that literally. I'll show you my history, if you want proof." Willow placed her hand gently on Faith's scratched cheek, while Lindsey worked everything out with the cops in the room. It took all of seven minutes before Faith was in the clear, especially since the coroner called, stating the cause of death as heart failure, so the police had nothing to pin her with anymore. Grumbling, everybody left his or her post from the loss of excitement in the precinct.
"Thanks, Lindsey." Willow and Faith shook the young man's hand, glad that he had quit Wolfram and Hart three years ago when the whole Lilah fiasco happened. He was a better man for it, even though he was still a little more than ambitious.
"Take care, Ms. Rosenberg, Faith." He nodded his head towards them, as he carried his briefcase back with him to the car. It wasn't hard getting Faith off, especially considering the ridiculous evidence they were trying to make the charge with; Sunnydale police were just not any count.
"Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to drive you to your apartment, or Kennedy's?" They got into Willow's car, and sat there for a few minutes; both more than relieved that the press hadn't caught on that there was something happening.
"Um, my apartment's fine. I don't wanna bug Ken; she has an early flight to New York for that art exhibit thingy." She was shaking, trying to hold it in, unless the redhead saw her as some weak idiot. If she'd known meeting somebody would kill them, she would've stayed lock inside today.
"Why aren't you going with her, or staying with her tonight then?" Willow kept her hands gripping the wheel. One minute, she's happy family girl, then she's business girl, and then she's best friend. It's hard on a person to go from one thing to the next in such a short time span.
"Think I can stay with you tonight? I mean, I don't wanna be a burden, or nothin' but the papzi's gonna be all over the building, and I don't..."
"Sure but that doesn't answer my question."
"I just don't wanna bother her; that's all." Faith started rubbing her palms, still itching to lay into the officers.
"What's wrong?" Willow sensed the tension; the confusing part was: what was it about? Turning around in the car, she stopped Faith from rubbing her palms raw.
"Nothin'; just tired, probably." Faith still wouldn't look at her friend, her lips still tingling from the earlier contact. She knew it was to soothe her but it worked a little too well. It felt wrong to go to Kennedy after such an intense moment with another woman, the woman that she would always be in love with, and was still halting her from asking her real girlfriend to get an apartment together, maybe for the rest of their lives. She had the ring; she'd had it for a year now, ever since that lonely night in New York, and had stopped at Tiffany's the next day. Knowing Kennedy would hate something too girly (honestly, she would, too), she picked out an elegant band, white gold, diamond inlays around the rim with a unique intricate design that looked kind of artsy-fartsy, the type of thing the girl would like.
"It's not a problem if you want to stay with us but I don't think that it's because you're just tired." Willow sighed, wanting to give her friend room but knowing that if she didn't push, then Faith would close up completely. "That girl had a history of heart failure in her family; you had nothing to do with her death, okay? It was going to happen whether you were there or not. It was fate. She was going to die no matter what, no matter what you did. All you were doing was being great to your fans; you recognized a fan without her saying anything, and you did something nice for her. That doesn't make you a killer, Faith. That makes you extraordinary."
"Will, I just don't..." Faith fell into Willow's lap, letting the redhead caress her hair, clutching her with all her might. She sure felt like a killer. If she hadn't been there to give the girl a heart attack, then nothing would have happened. What Willow said tore through her heart, and she let everything out, moving with her sighs.
However, to a person not listening to the conversation, the way the two girls looked was questionable. It looked like Faith was giving Willow a happy outside the police station. Officer Malcolm smiled, knowing full well he was going to make a fortune, and ruin a lot of peoples' lives over the graphic photos he kept taking, filling up his digital camera completely, not missing a shot, even taking a short five minute video that captured the 'road head' perfectly. He knew what was really happening but the way things looked told a different story for those not in the know. It was heaven to him.
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A/N: It wouldn't be such an interesting story if there wasn't enough suspense, or even drama. It's gotta come eventually, even if we all just want to see bluebirds and daisies. Plus, I love the smell of Gap Scent 'OM'...it's what I wear myself. LOL. I had to do a little pitch in there.