FIC: Back In Boston Part 16 (R-for Swearing)

["CDS" <callistosdarkside@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey all,

Here's part 16. Enjoy. :D

-CDS

• Title: Back In Boston
• Author: Callisto's Dark Side
• Email: callistosdarkside@xxxxxxxxxx
• Feedback: The more I get, the faster I write.
• Distribution: Can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/callistosdarkside/BackInBoston.htm
• Spoilers: Season 4, but since Dawn's in it, I guess there's also some of
season 5. It's an alternate universe in which Faith never joined up with
the mayor.
• Rating: I'll just set it at R now, cuz I know for sure that's where
chapter 3's gonna be. Possible NC-17 later on, so be warned.
• Pairings: Wait and see. J
• Disclaimer: All characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are copyright
Joss Whedon and 20th Century Fox.
• Summary: Faith convinces Buffy to go back to Boston with her for Christmas
Holidays, but Buffy only agrees if Willow comes along as well. Dawn tags
along, much to Buffy's dismay.

Here's then ending of chapter 15, for a little refresher.

Dawn turned the bracelet over and read, "Chosen 2?"

Buffy sat frozen, unable to speak.

"What does this mean?" Dawn asked.

Faith had her face in her palm, shaking her head. Damn it. Faith thought.
"Buffy…" Faith trailed off.

"No," Buffy shook her head, "no…" Buffy cried, crawling off the bed and
running to the bathroom.

"Shit," Faith muttered chasing after her. "Shit."


Chapter 16


Buffy slammed the bathroom door shut. Faith immediately opened the door,
stepped inside, and slammed it shut as well.

Before Buffy could protest, Faith spun the petite Slayer around and pressed
their lips together.

"Mmm… what're… doing?" Buffy gasped, pushing Faith away.

"What you want, B."

"No…" Buffy shook her head frantically.

"Damn it, B!" Faith shouted. "If you don't love me then stop fuckin' with
me!" Faith turned and slammed her fist into the mirror.

"I'm not.. f…"

"The hell you're not, B. You walk away, no wait," Faith corrected, "you
run away from me, then you buy me a fuckin' gift, that just happens to be
the exact same thing I got you. How, I don't know. Now you don't want to
even kiss me?"

"I was scared," Buffy cried.

"Scared? No, B, scared is when you try to win the heart of someone you know
you don't have a chance in hell with. Scared is when that person keeps
pushing you away and stomps on your fuckin' heart time and time again.
Scared is when you don't know what the fuck she's thinkin' cuz half the time
she probably doesn't know either."

"I'm sorry," Buffy murmured, eyes downcast.

"So am I." Faith took her silver bracelet off and tossed it at Buffy.
"Give that back to me if you ever figure out what those two words on it
mean," Faith seethed.

"Know what they mean?" Buffy lifted her head and glared at Faith. "What
gives you the right to even ask? You gave Dawn, my bracelet. My bracelet!"

"I didn't think you wanted it."

"So you give it to my sister? The same girl that's been pining over you
since you came to Sunnydale."

"I dunno what you're talkin' about, B."

"Don't give me that crap. You know exactly what I mean."

"Yeah, so? Even if I did notice, I was too busy getting rejected by you."

"So you hurt me by giving my sister 'my' gift?"

"Hurt, B? You wanna talk about hurt? How about all the hurt you've been
dishin' out?"

"I was scared."

"Again with the scared bit," Faith exasperated.

"I was!" Buffy cried.

"Of what?"

"I dunno, I was scared that…" Buffy trailed off.

"That your friends would disown you if you were into girls?" Faith asked,
her voice softening.

"I know it sounds stupid, but…"

"It's not," Faith shook her head, tears suddenly forming in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothin'." Faith averted her eyes.

"Did your friends…"

"Disown me? Hell yeah, not to mention my mother. It's not like I gave a
damn, I was better off without her, and my junkie friends."

"I'm so sorry," Buffy said sincerely, stepping towards Faith, bracelet in
hand. "I didn't know."

"There's a lot you don't know, B."

"But I want to," Buffy dipped her head to force eye contact.

"No you don't, B. You're too busy being Buffy Summers to care about my
mess."

"You're wrong. I do care."

"You have a funny way of showin' it."

Buffy ground her teeth before softening, "I know. I'm sorry."

"Whatever."

"No, not whatever," Buffy cupped Faith's chin in her hand, "Look at me,
Faith. Look into my eyes. Tell me what you see."

Faith saw the sincerity in her fellow Slayer's eyes. She also saw the fear.
Most importantly though, for the first time, she could swear she saw the
love.

Buffy slowly fell forward, allowing her lips to lightly brush Faith's. At
first, Faith was taken by surprise, but allowed the petite blonde to melt
into her body.

Faith had wanted so badly to hold Buffy in her arms for the longest time,
and now she could. Lovingly, Faith caressed Buffy's back sending shivers
throughout the blonde's body. Then gently, Faith pulled Buffy closer for a
soft, slow kiss.

And then Dawn walked in.

******

Buffy and Faith had run into the bathroom, leaving a stunned Dawn still
sitting on the bed.
Dawn sat frozen, staring at the silver bracelet Faith had gotten her. The
same bracelet that had the words "Chosen 2" written on it. The same phrase
she'd heard Faith use on occasion when referring to herself and Buffy. But
more importantly, it was the same phrase written on an identical bracelet,
that Buffy had given Faith just moments before.

Dawn turned the bracelet over in her hands again and again, feeling the
silvery material, but never thinking about placing it on her wrist. She
wanted Faith to do that. But Faith… Dawn's thoughts were interrupted by a
loud crash.

Dawn lifted her head as she heard something in the bathroom shatter, but the
door was closed.

"She can't…" Dawn cried, wrapping her arms around herself, holding the
bracelet to her heart.

Dawn shivered. The young brunette lifted her head to see snow pouring into
the motel room.

"What the…" Dawn muttered, looking around to see Willow was gone.

Dawn wanted to get up and close the door, but she heard Buffy and Faith
shouting, so she got up and walked to the bathroom door instead.

Dawn stood just outside the bathroom and listened. The Slayers' shouts were
audible enough for Dawn not to have to place her ear to the door.

The snow continued to pour inside, and the cold air quickly dropped the
temperature to freezing cold, but Dawn didn't budge. She needed to hear
what they were talking about, she needed to hear the truth.

All she heard though was Buffy say "Look at me, Faith. Look into my eyes."
The rest was inaudible, and then there was silence.

Dawn waited, finally placing her ear to the door, before, growing impatient
and turning the knob, stepping inside.

******

Willow slumped into the soft, downy snow, unable to go any further. She had
no idea how far she was from the motel. All she knew, was that the pain she
felt inside her heart, was greater than when Oz had left.

"Why do I feel like this?" Willow muttered to herself, her teeth chattering
from the freezing cold.

In her haste to get out of the motel room, Willow had left without a jacket,
clad only in her sweater and jeans.

In her right hand, she held a tiny box. Buffy's box.

The Wiccan eyed the carefully wrapped box. She had spent what seemed like
hours wrapping it. She knew it was stupid to spend so much time wrapping a
single gift, but she wanted it to be perfect, even if the wrapping would
come off in only seconds.

Willow rubbed her eyes, the intense snow blurring her vision. Her arms
instinctively wrapped around her body, futilely attempting to fight off the
bitter cold.

Deep down, Willow knew she could've done a spell to keep herself warm. Some
sort of fire spell, or protection shell to keep away the snow and cold, but
even deeper down, she knew what she really wanted. She wanted to be saved.

And so the Wiccan waited, freezing, and on the verge of hypothermia, waiting
for her heroine to save her.

******

Dawn knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to walk over to Buffy and Faith
and push Buffy out of the way. She wanted to kiss Faith, in front of Buffy
and claim what was hers.

But she knew she didn't have the courage. So she did what she could do.
She threw the bracelet she had in her hand at both of them and ran.

At first, Dawn wanted to jump into bed, and cover herself with the covers,
but she wanted to get away, and the door was wide open. So the young
teenager ran outside into the bitter cold of the snow storm, knowing she'd
regret it sooner, rather than later.

******

Faith caught the bracelet as Dawn threw it.

"Dawn…" Faith trailed off guiltily, but Dawn had already ran off, sobbing.

Faith turned to Buffy, "I fucked up, B," Faith breathed. "I hurt her bad. I
wasn't supposed to ever hurt her."

Buffy paused, not knowing how to respond.

Faith eyed the bracelet in her hand now. The bracelet she was supposed to
give Buffy. The bracelet she had so callously given Dawn, without thinking
about the consequences.

"I should go talk to her," Faith muttered, before locking eyes with Buffy,
as if asking for approval.

Buffy silently nodded okay.

But as Faith turned to leave, Buffy gently grabbed Faith's arm, turning the
brunette back around.

"Can I?" Buffy asked, motioning towards the bracelet in her own hand.

"Do you know what the words mean?" Faith asked.

"I do," Buffy smiled, tearing up.

Faith choked back a tear, allowing Buffy to place the bracelet on her left
wrist.

A shiver ran down Faith's spine as Buffy placed the bracelet around her
wrist. Even the smallest touch, had the biggest effect on the brunette.
She could only call it magic. That's what it had to be.

As Faith admired the bracelet around her wrist, she asked the same question,
"Can I?"

Buffy nodded yes.

Faith gladly placed the bracelet she'd bought around the blonde's delicate
left wrist, savoring the feeling of Buffy's silky smooth skin.

"You should go…" Buffy began, "talk to her."

"Yeah, I should," Faith replied, before turning and leaving.

Buffy decided to wait in the bathroom and let Faith talk to Dawn, but
hearing Faith yell, "Shit!" changed the petite blonde's mind in an instant.

"What is it?" Buffy shouted, running out of the bathroom.

Buffy didn't need an answer.

The door was wide open. The cold was blasting inside and neither Willow nor
Dawn could be found.


To be continued.