Finding Her Way Home
by rebelrsr
Chapter 36
[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 and Lilly 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.
Staring at Dawn, Faith realized she had no idea what to do. This wasn't some quick fuck in an alley or some crappy motel room. Doubt twisted her stomach.
"Faith?" Dawn asked softly. "You still with me?"
Faith nodded, not sure her voice would work. The Slayer rumbled inside, impatient and amused. At least she wasn't pressing for more. Faith wasn't up to a fight — even an internal one.
"So...you're here, but you're mute?" Dawn was amused, too. Faith heard the tremble of suppressed laughter in her light voice. "Perfect. I guess you won't argue when I do this." Warm lips brushed Faith's neck, just above the collar of her shirt.
Faith shuddered at the soft caress. "D," she managed to squeak out.
"Yes, Faith?" The lips continued to tease and torment her neck.
"We...we have to talk." Faith gasped, heat and cold running through her veins at the same time.
The lips paused for a second, then the word, "No," vibrated against Faith's skin.
Paralyzed by indecision, Faith heard her belt buckle clink open, the heavy leather hiss through the denim loops on her pants. Long, narrow fingers fumbled with the button on her jeans. Once, twice those fingers shoved at the metal circle until it slipped through the buttonhole.
Fine tremors teased Faith's nerves — until Dawn's hands caressed the skin between her pants and her tank top. The fingers were cold. "D?" Snapping out of her daze, Faith grabbed Dawn's hands, eyes focusing on determined blue ones. "We don't-"
"Yes, we do." Dawn's lips twitched into a brief smile, then stilled. "I just..." She ducked her head, a blush staining her face and neck. "I don't know what to do."
Faith's eyes closed in a mixture of pain and tenderness at Dawn's admission. "Of course you don't, baby." Lightly gripping Dawn's chin, Faith raised it enough that she could peer intently into Dawn's eyes. The normally clear blue had darkened, the irises merging with enlarged pupils. "One step at a time, D. You don't like, we stop."
Dawn nodded against Faith's hand, her eyes never leaving Faith's.
"OK." Faith's own introduction into the arts of love hadn't included anything resembling gentleness or actually feelings. She prayed to a long forgotten God that she didn't hurt or scare Dawn in the next few minutes. It wasn't God who answered. The Slayer purred deep inside, and confidence replaced the hesitation.
Sighing in thanks, Faith let the ancient essence out to play.
***
They stood just outside the Research Room, and Willow hid a grimace as Buffy gripped her fingers tightly. "In or out, Buffy?" she asked softly. "No pressure," Willow added, "I mean, if you want, we can stand out here all day."
The babble did its job. Buffy grinned and laughed. "If we did that, your Mom would do more than just point a ladle at us." She took a deep breath, and Willow watched as she straightened her shoulders. "Let's go in."
Braced for quiet intensity, hushed whispers, maybe even the first stirrings of panic, Willow was almost disappointed at the seemingly cheerful group scattered in small clumps and pairs around the room. Voices rose and fell in multiple conversations, and no one noticed their entrance.
"Research parties are way different than I remember," Buffy commented, hands on hips.
Nodding, Willow scanned the room. Anya and Drew were the only familiar faces. "And the Scooby Gang has a lot of new members. We may need to make name tags." Giving Buffy a tiny grin, Willow started across the room toward Drew. "Hey, little sister."
Drew's head snapped around, a wide grin splitting her face. "Willow!" She dropped her book and grabbed Willow in a hug. "I thought you and Buffy were going to miss all the excitement."
***
"We thought about it," Buffy said, enjoying the stunned look on Willow's face at Drew's hug. "Dawn seems to have knack for ruining my fun."
Drew stepped back from Willow. "Little sisters are like that." The Willow-smile erupted, and Buffy almost shook her head at the eerie similarity to her Willow. "We do pretty good at pillow and tickle fights, clothes borrowing, and flushing just when you get into the shower, too." She poked Willow. "See what you have to look forward to?"
They'd all forgotten Anya.
"I wouldn't count on that." Anya snapped the book she held closed. "If we can't find the right spell, the First will have a picnic using our gutted corpses as trenchers."
Staring at Anya, Drew murmured, "I don't know what the hell a trencher is, but I'm betting we wouldn't be enjoying some fried chicken and mashed potatoes."
Whatever reply Anya made, Buffy didn't hear. Obviously, two days weren't enough of a vacation. She felt the room tilt for an instant, and reached for the back of a nearby chair.
"Buffy!" Willow's arms wrapped around her, and Buffy leaned into her wife.
Her near nosedive caught Drew's and Anya's attention. Buffy's skin burned under their focused gazes. "I'm fine, Will. Must have been a wrinkle in the rug or something." She pushed away, ignoring the trembling in her legs and the tiny black dots flashing in front of her. "Come on, let's sit down. I think we need to catch up on things."
"Oh, it won't take long," Anya chirped. "Drew and I are trying to find a spell to stop the First from freeing a whole army of Super Vampires. Like I said, though, we aren't having any luck."
"Super Vamps?" For a second, Buffy imagined an army of red caped vampires flying across the Sunnydale skyline. Reeling from that mental picture, she dropped onto the floor in front of the love seat Anya and Drew had been using.
Drew handed Buffy a slim, leather-bound book and pointed to a particular passage. "The Turok Han."
The words swam in front of her eyes, so Buffy shoved the book at Willow. Willow understood books and spells. "If these guys are so bad, why isn't the whole group working on this?"
Anya rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Because they aren't the only problem, Buffy."
"Ah." Buffy rubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to get rid of the sudden goose bumps. "I should have known that." Her head pounded, and she rolled her neck, trying to loosen her muscles.
The movement didn't help. Willow's deft touch through their link did. The shared energy steadied Buffy. Taking a deep breath, she leaned against Willow when her wife joined her on the floor.
"Law of the Hellmouth, sweetie. The more Scoobies on the job, the more Bad Guys in town." Willow laid her head on Buffy's shoulder and pointed to the book. "So you're trying to stop the First from opening the Seal of Danzalthar and letting these guys out?" Anya and Drew both nodded. "Do we even know where the Seal is?"
A throat cleared behind them. Buffy stiffened as Giles moved into view. "I'm sure it won't be much of a surprise that we believe the Seal is in the basement of the old Sunnydale High School."
***
Dawn shivered under her fingertips, and Faith smiled in triumph. Keeping her movements slow and gentle, Faith pulled Dawn's T-shirt out of her pants and pushed it over her head. Dropping the shirt to the floor, she waited, checking on Dawn's readiness.
Hard nipples pressed insistently against the thin fabric of Dawn's bra.
Faith worked on Dawn's pants next, letting them slither down the long legs to pool on the carpet. "Lose the shoes and step out, D; don't want you to trip or nothing."
That earned a giggle and a full smile. Toeing off her sneakers, Dawn kicked them and her discarded jeans away.
"Fuck, D," Faith breathed, finally getting a good look at the younger girl. "You're beautiful." Hands unsteady, she reached out again, running a single finger over the lace edge of Dawn's bra. "So beautiful." Bending forward, she replaced her finger with her tongue, dragging it over the same area before laving Dawn's nipples through the fabric.
Fingernails dug into her shoulders in response.
Feeling Dawn's heart pounding under her lips, Faith smiled. "You like that?" she asked softly, not really looking for an answer. She concentrated on Dawn's right nipple with her tongue while insistently circling the left with her fingers.
A slender leg wrapped around Faith's waist, pulling their lower bodies tightly together.
Faith groaned at the wet heat rubbing against the bare flesh of her stomach. She wanted to go slow. She wanted to give Dawn a chance to explore.
"Faith?" Dawn's voice drifted over her.
It took Herculean effort for Faith to lift her head. "I'm sorry." She'd gone too fast. Pushed too far. Her muscles bunched as she tried to slide away.
Strong fingers gripped her arms and the leg around her waist tightened. "Will you stop that?" Dawn asked. "Faith, I'm fine."
"Oh." If Dawn wasn't freaking... Faith shook her head. She couldn't focus. Dawn's body pressing against her, the smell of their joint arousal, and the Slayer's persistent purring in her mind whirled together.
Gentle laughter sounded. "Looks like I'm going to have to show you, huh?" Dawn stepped away. Hands steadier this time, she slipped the zipper on Faith's jeans down, pushing the heavy fabric over Faith's hips. "I think someone warned me about the dangers of tripping."
Faith glanced down at the jeans tangled around her boots. "Think we need to work on your technique, baby." Her dimples appeared, and she placed her hands on Dawn's shoulders before maneuvering to sit on the bed. Stretching her legs out, Faith lifted her feet off the floor. "Combat boots don't slip off."
"Damn." Dawn glared at the offending footwear.
The look was so fierce (and so cute), Faith chuckled. "No worries, D. You were doing good. It'll just take a second to untie them."
Deep blues eyes met Faith's, and she sucked in a deep breath at the need clearly visible there.
"Or we could improvise," Faith continued faintly. Her body moved restlessly under Dawn's look, her skin so sensitive the feel of the comforter had her close to moaning.
"What did you have in mind?" Dawn paced the two steps to the bed and climbed on, straddling Faith's right thigh.
Faith wondered just who was leading the way now as Dawn "innocently" ground her knee into Faith's clit. "What...what are you doing?"
"Your jeans are in the way, remember?" Dawn's purr rumbled through Faith. Any lingering doubts about being here, being with Dawn faded when the body hovering over hers dipped and swayed, and Dawn's cloth-covered breasts brushed her own. "Do you believe that I'm fine yet, Faith?"
Nodding jerkily, Faith panted, her nipples stiff and aching. "Yeah, D. That felt...I mean, you feel fine."