Finding Her Way Home
by rebelrsr
Chapter 35
[reviews]
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and lots of people in expensive suits. I'm not making any money here, just trying to create a happier Buffyverse for my favorite characters.
Spoilers, etc.: Pretty much everything after the Gift.
A/N: Character thoughts are enclosed by **. Flashbacks are enclosed by //. Thanks to Ivy for the preread and Zigpal for the beta and encouragement! I couldn't do it without you.
Archiving: By permission only.
A/N2: I'm mixing parts of S6 and S7 with very little regard to canon. For purposes of the fic, Dawn is over the age of consent *wink*.
Special Note: For those who've skipped the disclaimer — DAWN IS 18 IN THIS FIC. If the thought of her having sex offends you, please go read something else.
Faith's Slayer dropped to one knee, head still bowed. She waited, the only sound in the clearing Dawn's soft sobs and the sizzle from the remains of the fire ring.
"The Pack is complete." A hand rested on lightly on the Younger Sib's head. "Stand, Young One. The time of your Joining is at hand. Tomorrow, we will face our Enemy and our Descendents complete and whole."
Almost purring in contentment, Faith's Slayer rose. Her eyes swept the clearing, finding Dawn, taking in her beauty. Energy crackled around her body, the fine hairs on her forearms standing upright in response.
***
Now that the fighting and posturing was over, Buffy wasn't about to let her Slayer officiate her own, private, shotgun wedding. Faith and Dawn deserved a chance to talk this over, to explore their relationship and the growing link. Grabbing the primal part of herself with mental hands, Buffy dragged the Slayer into the background, ignoring the howl of protest.
"Faith, you two need to be alone, spend time together. Unfortunately, we can't let you and Dawn use the guest house. Not with the First in town. Can you put your Slayer away so we can find somewhere else?" Buffy waited tensely for Faith to return.
Heated orange eyes gazed back at her. They weren't as aggressive as Buffy imagined they would be. As she watched, though, the color fled. In seconds, Faith's normal brown eyes looked back at her. "Fuck, B, your Slayer tried to kill me."
"And Willow was helping her." Dawn ran to Faith's side, wrapping thin arms around her waist. "Are you OK?"
Buffy snorted. "You were here, Dawn. Pull back on the protective girlfriend routine. In case you forgot, Faith's a Slayer, too. That little toss? It probably didn't even leave a bruise."
"Speaking of protective girls, B," Faith said with a grin, "yours was pretty impressive. What the hell was that thing, Red? Your pet tornado?"
Matching Faith's smile, Willow nodded. "Something like that. Are you guys done with the chest pounding? We should probably make sure Kennedy's alright and check in with Mom and Mama. I'm a little surprised neither one of them is here freaking out on us."
"I'm ready." Buffy leaned against Willow, suddenly drained. "Hey, Faith?" she asked as Willow steered them toward the house.
"Yeah, B?" Faith responded, no trace of an answering weariness in her tone.
"The Slayer was right." The house was in sight, and Buffy slowed their progress, needing to finish. "The past is over. Maybe not forgotten," she allowed regretfully. "Forgiven, though. Welcome home."
Faith looked away, but not before Buffy saw the glint of tears on her eyes. "Thanks, B," she mumbled, voice rough. "That means a lot."
"I told you everyone would see you'd changed," Dawn pointed out triumphantly. She glared momentarily at Buffy. "Although I'm still not happy with how you showed it." A narrow finger pointed at her sister. "Willow won't always be around to save you." A giggle ruined the threat. "You should see your face."
A little put out when the other two laughed as well, Buffy grumbled, "Fine. I'll make sure you aren't there when I toss your wife around the next time." She froze, hand on the door to the main house. Studying Faith closely, Buffy watched for a reaction.
"Wife." Faith's mouth worked at the word, trying it out. "Can't say I ever thought I'd say that."
Pulling open the door and leading the way inside, Buffy agreed. "Yep. I freaked on Will the first time she used 'married' and 'us' in the same sentence." The large kitchen was bustling. Buffy noted several new faces fixing sandwiches and pouring drinks. "Damn. Back to work, I guess." The fatigue grew worse, and her shoulders drooped.
***
"Just for a little while, Buffy," Willow said quickly. She sent a frisson of energy through their link, hoping to keep Buffy from sinking back into her depression.
Her efforts gained her a smile and a kiss through the link. "Got it, Will. Short term return to duty," Buffy said. Willow watched her mock glare at Faith. "One night. Honeymoons for active duty Slayers are one night. No more. I expect you and Dawn ready to go first thing tomorrow."
Blushing bright red, Dawn hid her face in Faith's neck.
Faith, of course, smirked. "As long as 'first thing' is lunchtime, B. I'm thinking breakfast might take us awhile." She finished off the statement with a wink.
"Faith!" Dawn pulled away long enough to smack Faith in the stomach, earning a grunt and a pout.
Their new burst of laughter was interrupted when Jennifer approached. Wrapped in an apron and waving a ladle, she smiled. "Sorry, girls, the merriment needs to move out of my kitchen. The beacon spell is already working. Three new Potentials and their Watchers are here. We're cooking for a huge crowd, and you," the ladle pointed to each one of them in turn, "are taking up valuable space."
Willow's eyes threatened to pop out when Faith asked, "You need a hand? I ain't much for cooking, but I make a mean salad."
The ladle dropped onto the nearby table and Willow did a little smirking of her own at Faith's stunned face when Jennifer pulled her into a tight hug. "I heard the word honeymoon. It couldn't be for my daughter and her wife. That means you and Dawn are celebrating."
Faith nodded dazedly.
"If you're working on the bond, why are you still down here?" Jennifer teased, pushing Faith away. "I felt the Slayers doing their thing earlier. There are two rooms all ready upstairs. Pick the one you want. Once you close the door, the warding will set. Nothing in or out until you open the door again. Then all bets are off," she warned.
Willow snickered when Faith immediately grabbed Dawn's hand and moved toward the stairs. Over her shoulder, she called. "Hey, B, make me be at work first thing tomorrow." She and a giggling Dawn pelted up the steps.
Watching them go, Willow's laughter slowly faded. She pulled Buffy into her arms, chin resting on Buffy's shoulder. "I must be sick or something. The two of them together feels right, you know?"
"Yeah, Wills. Scary, huh?" Buffy leaned her head back, meeting Willow's eyes. "We need to let your Mom cook, and," the eyes darkened slightly, "we need to get back to work."
Dread twisted in Willow's stomach. However, Buffy looked calm and determined, ready to face the Scoobies. Stepping away, Willow forced a smile, "Lead the way."
***
Dawn led them to a door at the far end of the second-floor hallway. "This one or the one across the hall?" she asked, still smiling from the earlier laughter.
"Uh..." Now that they were here, minutes from a big heart to heart, Faith hesitated. Doubts rushed back in. "Dawn," she started, shaking hands unerringly finding her pockets, "we don't have to do this. I mean," Faith scrambled to explain, "you can go back downstairs, get friendly with the new girls." She swallowed hard. "Find someone else."
Blue eyes swimming in tears, Dawn shook her head and moved closer. She wrapped her arms around Faith, walking them backward until they rested against one of the doors. "I don't want anyone else, Faith. Just you." She smiled with trembling lips. "Think back, Faith. The day we met. Didn't you feel it? I think — even then — I knew I was yours."
Eyes wide, Faith tried to deny that. "D, come on. You were what? Twelve? Thirteen?" Shaking her head, Faith continued, "No way. I was some almost-friend of your sister. Maybe I was cooler, better dressed, sure. Nothing else. Fuck, even I wasn't in to sex with little girls."
"I'm not saying I wanted to throw you to the floor and rip your clothes off, Faith," Dawn clarified, rolling her eyes. Dawn let one arm drop from around Faith. "It was...a tingle — here," she brushed her fingers over Faith's heart, "and here." The fingers lightly touched Faith's forehead.
Faith fought the answering memories. She'd been too busy trying to impress Buffy and Mrs. Summers back then to pay any notice to Buffy's annoying little sister. Still, Dawn's words and her touch pushed the memory forward. The 'tingling' had been there. It hadn't been sexual. Faith would certainly have noticed that - and commented on it just to see Buffy's reaction.
Dawn moved her hand away from Faith's face, reaching back to twist the knob and open the door. Walking backward, she kept her eyes on Faith. "Come inside." Faith didn't move. "Please."
The soft word coiled around Faith, pulling her into the room.
Reaching around Faith's stiff form, Dawn closed the door.
"I'm curious," Dawn said, dropping to sit on the bed. "Are you suddenly so brave because my sister and her Slayer aren't here to beat you to death or do you really not want to do this?" Although Dawn looked calm, Faith heard the tightness of suppressed tears in Dawn's voice.
All she had to do was say she didn't want Dawn. Faith opened her mouth — and closed it.
Amazingly, despite the tension in the room, Dawn laughed. "It's going to be really hard to do all that talking if your voice isn't working." Grinning at Faith, Dawn winked. "Of course, I thought 'talking' really meant 'make love'." Her blue eyes burned Faith's skin wherever they touched.
"D-" It was now or never. The stillness in the room, the privacy...Faith fought the desire flowing through her. Almost panting, she tried one last time to convince Dawn to leave. "I'm not-" *good enough*, she meant to say.
Faith found it hard to finish the statement when Dawn's lips covered hers.
Tentative hands brushed her sides, settling on her hips while a questing tongue stroked Faith's. Faith was on fire. Not even Willow's fireball could burn as hot. Wrenching her head away, she ground out, "You're sure?"
"I'm sure." Dawn smiled, lips swollen and red.
A/N: Faith's approximation of Dawn's age when they met does *not* refer to Dawn's age in S5, but to the age Dawn would have been in the monk-planted memory of their meeting when Faith first came to Sunnydale.