Simple Choices
by rebelrsr
Chapter 32
[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: General spoilers for S5, starting with "The I in Team." Eh, who am I kidding? This is really AU now.
A/N: Thanks to Ivy for pre-reading and Zigpal and Lilly for the beta. There would be no writing without you guys.
"I don't think you have to worry about anyone laughing," Tara commented, voice trembling with laughter. She scanned the living room and the bodies sprawled on the floor and furniture.
Faith's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Might go deaf from the snores, though. Giles sounds like the fucking train I rode in from Boston."
Grinning, Tara lightly touched Faith's arm. "Let's let sleeping Watchers lie, sweetie." Tara kept her voice light and joking in an attempt to keep Faith calm. "Maybe the rest of the gang is in the kitchen." She felt the muscles under her fingers tauten. Sliding her palm down to Faith's hand, Tara linked their fingers and dragged her reluctant companion across the room.
The moment the kitchen door opened, she knew their timing had been good. Buffy and Willow huddled around Willow's laptop, an audience of only two. "Any luck?" she asked softly. She ignored the way Faith stood as far behind her as their joined hands allowed.
***
Willow stifled a scream and spun around. "Tara! How long...are you...?"
She blushed when Tara grinned crookedly at her staccato speech. "We just got here, Willow, and we're fine." Pulling Faith along like a caboose, Tara moved closer and perched on a bar stool. "Were you able to find anymore information on Adam?"
Staring at Tara's fingers curled around Faith's, Willow shook her head. "Nothing new," she answered faintly. "Did everything....go OK on your end?" Her voice squeaked on the final word. Were they bonded? Willow couldn't quite force herself to ask what they really needed to know.
"You mean, did me and Blondie fuck like you wanted?" Faith's bitter words exploded through the room. "If you want details, Red, you're out of luck. I may be a whore, but I don't kiss and tell."
Before Willow could respond, Tara did. Her head dropped forward in a familiar gesture. "D-don't, Faith. Willow di-didn't m-mean it like that." She peered up at Willow through a waterfall of hair. "Sh-she just n-needed to know if we com-completed the b-bond."
The stutter was worse than Willow had heard in a while. Cursing the whole situation, she leaned against Buffy and held her hands up in surrender. "Yeah, I'm-"
"Shut up, Red," Faith interrupted. She let go of Tara's hand, moving until she stood between them, protectively shielding Tara with her body. "I'll take care of this, T. You just sit back and relax."
Eyes narrowing, Willow watched Faith carefully.
"What do you need to know?" Faith asked, most of the aggression gone from her voice.
Willow gripped Buffy's hands tightly. "Did you complete the bond?"
Faith's lips pressed together, and she took a step forward.
"Did you sleep together?" Willow clarified in a rush.
Behind Faith, Willow saw Tara huddle further in on herself; although, she thought she saw a very thoughtful look on Tara's face before the other girl tilted her head down. "Faith, l-let me han-handle this."
Half turning, Faith glanced at Tara's hunched form. She reached out, gently tucking some hair behind Tara's ear.
Willow did a little turning of her own, shooting Buffy a wide-eyed glance. "Is that Faith?" she asked soundlessly.
Shocked hazel eyes met hers as Buffy shrugged.
"Yeah, Red. We did the deed." Willow spun back around at Faith's soft answer. Faith's arms were wrapped tightly around her stomach. "That's what you wanted, right?" She appeared to be waiting for something.
Leg bouncing nervously, Willow nodded. "Yes. That's," she coughed to clear her tight throat, "that's what we wanted." Her face burned, and she couldn't quite meet Faith's probing brown eyes. "I mean, it's what we needed. We didn't want you and Tara to sleep together. That would be...that's..."
"I get the picture, Red." The bitter edge was back in Faith's voice.
Willow glanced up quickly. Faith was glaring at the floor. Should she apologize? Willow didn't want to set Faith off again, even though she felt bad about pushing Faith and Tara into bed together.
Bad became worse in seconds at Faith's words. "I ain't good enough for T. You don't have to tell me that, Red." Faith raised her head, and Willow's chest ached at the self-loathing expression on her face. "T's a trouper, though. We're all ready to beat Adam now."
***
From her position behind Willow, Buffy listened to the exchange. They had to get past this. What they'd done...pimping out Faith and Tara...it had a purpose. Ignoring the nausea crawling through her stomach, Buffy focused on that thought. Whatever it took, they had to beat Adam. "Will found something in the computer," she said, breaking the silent standoff between her girlfriend and Faith. "A secret way in, maybe."
It wasn't enough. Faith and Willow remained frozen.
"In fact," Buffy continued, slowly climbing out of her chair, "I was on my way to get Giles and the gang. Wasn't I, Will?" She poked a finger into Willow's shoulder.
She relaxed slightly when Willow's head nodded, and her girlfriend said dazedly, "Yes." Then Willow seemed to shake herself. "Yes," she repeated in a louder voice. "I found the entrance to Professor Walsh's secret lab.
Buffy winced when Willow's fingers suddenly dug into her arm.
"Hurry, Buffy. Get Giles. We need to talk about what to do next." The fingers tightened more, steering Buffy through the kitchen to the door.
Taking the not so subtle hint, Buffy stepped through the door and made her way to the couch where Giles lay curled up, clutching a faded pillow. "Hey, Giles," she said softly, reaching over the back to lightly touch his arm.
Giles jerked violently at the contact. Sitting up in one smooth movement, he stared wildly around the room. "What? What?"
His actions woke Xander and Anya. Two groans sounded in concert from the armchair across the room.
"Wake up, guys." Buffy ignored the chorus of yawns and grumbles. "Willow wants us all in the kitchen for a strategy session. She found us a way in." She smiled grimly. "Faith and Tara completed their bond. We're ready as soon as we have a plan."
Giles rolled off the couch, combing a hand through his rumpled hair. "Excellent. Are the girls..." His words trailed off, and he coughed in discomfort.
"Just a hint...to everyone," Buffy said, looking directly at Xander, "don't say anything about how the bond happened. Faith is a little touchy." That was an understatement, but Buffy didn't want to make an issue of an already difficult situation. "Let's just leave it at: the bond is there and move on."
Buffy turned toward the kitchen and stopped after only a step. The back door had just opened and closed.
"Is something wrong, my dear?" Giles moved up beside her.
There weren't any sounds of distress from the kitchen. "I don't think so," Buffy answered slowly. "I think Mom and Graham may have gotten back." Just in case, she grabbed a heavy candlestick from a bookcase on her way to the kitchen door.
***
Faith watched Buffy leave the room and then looked at Willow. Their 'moment' was over. Willow was back at the keyboard. Over her shoulder, Faith saw images flowing across the screen.
"I told you no one would laugh," Tara whispered softly.
Looking down, Faith smiled slightly. "Couldn't resist the 'I told you so,' huh, T?" She hopped up onto the stool next to Tara. "Xander ain't here yet. I still got a chance to be right." Although, she really didn't think he'd be laughing. Fantasizing was more likely.
Tara shook her head. "We're getting ready to plan the attack. He'll be too busy accessing his soldier memories."
"Anya, then?" Faith made one more try.
A blonde eyebrow shot up, and Tara giggled.
The sound had Faith grinning. "OK. You're right. She'll probably want to give us pointers or join in." Leaning her elbows on the counter behind her, Faith waited impatiently for Buffy to come back. She was more than ready to get out of the safe house and go after Adam.
"Anya does have a lot of experience, you know." Tara bumped her shoulder. "If we asked, she and Xander might do a clinic for us."
Faith's head whipped around. "What the fuck?" Tara had been big with the blushing and stuttering a few minutes ago. Now she was talking sex without a hint of embarrassment. "Blondie, you wouldn't-" She broke off as the back door opened.
"Could you ladies give us a hand? I think I bought out the entire store." Joyce disappeared as quickly as she'd arrived.
"Come on, Faith, let's go." Tara took her hand and started for the door.
Buffy nearly knocked her over, barreling through the door, candlestick clutched in her right hand.
Faith pulled Tara closer, gripping her shoulders and keeping her from falling. "Watch what the fuck you're doing, B." Keeping a stabilizing hand on Tara's back, she continued toward the back door. "Your mom's here with food. Put down the candlestick, Colonel Mustard, and do something useful."
***
With everyone pitching in, the groceries were out of the car and on the counters in no time. Joyce began unpacking while the rest of the group got down to business.
"I found the entrance to the lab," Willow told them excitedly. "It's in the caves on the edge of campus." She pressed her finger against the computer screen, tracing a tiny corridor on the schematics. "It's hard to tell from the Initiative blueprints, but...I'm pretty sure this area here is the lab."
Graham disagreed. "I've been there. These are offices, mostly scientists and a few of the lower-level officers." He leaned over her shoulder and pointed. "There's nothing past that point."
"Really?" Willow turned on him, angry at his doubt. "Then explain why you need air ducts and electrical conduits? Do they pump air and electricity to solid rock?"
She waited for him to answer. Seeming confused, Graham looked at the blueprint again. "I...I don't know. Are you sure they don't go somewhere else? One of the labs or offices?"
Buffy gripped Willow's shoulder before she could respond. "If you're right, Willow, we can sneak in through those caves and take Adam by surprise."
Letting Buffy take the lead, Willow listened to her girlfriend start planning. "Graham, will any of the Initiative troops help us out? We may be able to get in; I'd feel better, though, if we could maybe distract Adam with some activity at the other entrances. Have some of your guys try to get in via the elevator and make a big production of moving the rocks at the sewer entrance."
Graham nodded. "I think so. Me and Ry served with some of the unit on a few other assignments. It won't be many, though. Eight...nine at most."
"Go." Willow nearly giggled at the commanding tone Buffy used.
It worked well on Graham. He jumped up immediately.
"I don't want to risk bringing them here, Graham," Buffy continued. "Get them ready and hit the base at nine in the morning."
"In the morning?" Willow tapped Buffy on the shoulder. "During the day? Someone might see."
"Which is why Adam won't be expecting that," Buffy explained. "I want as much of an-"
"I hate to burst your bubble, B," Faith interrupted. "Tomorrow won't work."
Willow beat Buffy to the punch. "Why? Do you have somewhere more important to be?"
She could see the muscles in Faith's jaw flex as the other girl clenched her teeth. "No, Red. I don't." Faith smirked. "If you hadn't been so hot to get me and T into bed, I coulda told you what I found out on my tour of the college."
Faith paused. This time, Willow was the one grinding her teeth. "And just what was it you found out?"
"Nothing much." Willow doubted the truth of Faith's words as her smirk grew. "Just that the Marines are about to blow up those caves you want to use."