FIC: These Roads We Travel (11/?)

[Kimber <kacoe@xxxxxxx>]

TITLE: These Roads We Travel (11/?)
AUTHOR: Kimber (kacoe@xxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
SUMMARY: The long awaited next story in "The Road Series".
SPOILERS: Everything is fair game.
DISTRIBUTION: The usual suspects. Anyone else, e-mail me please.
AUTHOR?S NOTES: This comes because I've had so many great responses to the series and
many people begging for another. Be careful what you wish for.
{{Indicates flashbacks}}
-----------

The slight fog of just waking was still clouding Laurels brain when she rolled over. She
flung her arm over to the other side of the bed and came in contact with. . .a body. A
body that was currently snoring lightly. She went to move her arm, but another arm
reached up and tugged her back into position. Laurel opened one eye, then the other, and
found Lisa snuggled deep under the comforter hanging onto her arm. "Li." She whispered.
"Hey, Li."

"Mmm. .rrumph." Came the sleepy and very cute reply. Laurel couldn't help but smile
fondly.

"Li, gimme my arm back. You're cutting off the circulation for gods sakes." Laurel tried
to tug it away.

"Don't wanna." Came the muffled reply, right before she tightened her grip.

Laurel sighed and looked at her watch. "Buffy and Faith are gonna be here in two hours.
Don't you want to get up and get ready?"

"Nope. Plenty of time." She smiled and opened one eye. "Since when do you complain
about being lazy in bed? It's Saturday and we don't have anything planned really."

Laurel shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just. . ." She looked at Lisa who now had both eyes
opened and patiently waiting for her to finish. Laurel looked down and pulled at some
fuzz on Lisa's shirt. "This is. . .weird. Not bad weird, just,"

"Good weird?" Lisa smirked.

"You know what I mean." Laurel swatted her playfully. "I mean, my mom's, they love each
other so much. When I was little and had a bad dream, I'd crawl into bed and snuggle in
between them." She smiled. "Even though I didn't hear them professing their love for
each other every second, I could just. . .feel it. Ya know? Like words weren't good
enough. You could just 'feel' it in the air."

Lisa smiled at the memory. "That's so beautiful. . .the way they loved each other. I
wish I could have met her."

"Me too." Laurel smiled back, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice.

"What's that got to do with what we were talking about though?"

"I'm. . .I don't know." She shook her head and pulled away from Lisa. She turned over
and faced the window.

Lisa frowned and reached out tentatively for her shoulder. Laurel stiffened at the touch,
but Lisa didn't retract her hand. Instead, she began to rub her back trying to sooth away
what ever the other girl was fretting over. "I can't help you. . .if you don't tell me
what's wrong." She whispered. They laid there like that for a few moments, then Lisa
moved closer and wrapped her arm around Laurel's waist.

Laurel looked down nervously at Lisa's arm there. Touching her. Wrapped around her. She
was scared, more scared than she'd ever been up against anything else.

"You're right."

Laurel was broken from her inner struggle by Lisa's comment. "Wha?"

"It's. . .weird." She gave her a little squeeze. "But I was right too. Good weird."

Laurel turned her head just enough to look at her. They were inches away. She visibly
gulped when Lisa's hand came up and touched her cheek, caressing it softly. She smiled
and relaxed considerably under her touch.

"Better?"

Laurel nodded. "Much." She closed her eyes instinctively when she saw the other girl
glance down at her lips.

"Laurel!" Footsteps resounded down the hall.

Within seconds, both girls were up and at opposite ends of the room as the door opened.
"Laurel?" Faith poked her head inside. "You up?"

"Uh, yeah, Faith. We're up."

Faith turned her head to see, Lisa next to the dresser. She waved at here and smiled, and
Faith smiled back. "B and I got up early and decided not to wait. Why don't you two get
dressed? Giles is making breakfast."

Laurel nodded, a bit too emphatically Faith noted, and reached over to start going through
her bags for something to wear. Automatically, Lisa did the same. Faith smirked and
closed the door behind her.

-------

The group sat around Giles' table eating breakfast. Buffy and Faith asked Lisa all the
usual questions about where she lived, went to school, and what her hobbies were. The
girl answered the questions gladly, even after Laurel complained that they didn't need to
give her the third degree.

"It's okay, Laurel. I don't mind." Lisa smiled at her.

Laurel looked up at Buffy and Faith. "She has a pulse and no record. Isn't that good
enough?"

"Laurel, they're simply curious about your friend. I've had the pleasure of her company
every weekend and this is the first time your mother and Faith are meeting her." He
leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Humor the two old ladies."

Laurel smirked and kissed him on the cheek. "Okay."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at Giles. "What was that all about?"

"It's between my granddaughter and I. If you don't mind?"

Buffy was about to say something, but Faith stopped her. "Anyone for more juice?" She
picked up the pitcher and began pouring. "So what do you two have planned today?" She
asked the teens.

Laurel shrugged. "I dunno. I was thinking we could go to the beach. . .maybe?" She
looked over at Lisa who nodded. "Then back here. We rented some movies for tonight and
we're gonna have a vid fest and stuff our faces with popcorn." She smiled.

"Oohh! I know. . .we can stop at the mall before we get back and grab some lunch then ice
cream." Lisa responded.

"Yeah! That way by the time we get back and put the movie in, we'll be all ready for the
popcorn. Good idea, Li."

Lisa nodded. "Thanks, Lau-Lau."

Faith smirked again watching the banter between the two girls. They got up, put their
plates in the sink and headed off to their room to get ready for their day.

Buffy watched Faith's expressions as the two girls planned their day. Once they were out
of the room, she turned to Faith. "Okay. What'd I miss?"

Faith shook her head and looked at Giles. He looked back at her and put his hands up.
"Well, don't look at me like that. I'm not getting into this."

"So you see it too then, G-man?"

Giles simply coughed and excused himself to go do the dishes.

"Faith?!" Buffy nudged her. The exasperation was clear in her voice.

"Your daughter's got it bad, B." Faith sat back with a self satisfied grin on her face.
She looked over at the blonde. "And don't give me 'for who' either. We both saw that
little glowy thing both of their faces did when they looked at each other." She shook her
head and mumbled. "And they said it wasn't genetic."

Buffy opened her mouth to respond. . .only to shut it again with an audible click. She
shook her head and growled at Faith, which sent the Dark Slayer into, of all things, a
giggle fit. "I don't see how this is amusing." Buffy pouted.

"Look at it this way, B." Faith slung her arm around Buffy's shoulder. "At least you
don't have to worry about her getting pregnant." She laughed again.

"Oh, very funny. Ha ha. I'm so amused." Buffy tried to be mad, but a little smile
crossed her face. She laid her head on Faith's shoulder. "You think they know?"

Faith nodded. "Oh, they know alright. When I went in there this morning, they looked
guilty as sin."

"What? What were they doing?" Buffy looked at her.

"Nothing as far as I can tell. Relax, Buff. I don't think they've even kissed or
anything yet. Not with as fidgety as they are around each other. They're in the
butterfly stage now. . .but believe me, with the way Laurel looks at her, it won't last
long."

Buffy sighed. "Why couldn't we have had a boy?"

Faith smiled and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You wouldn't trade that kid for the
world."

Buffy smiled at her and kissed her on the lips softly. "You're right."

--------

Laurel was on her way back down the hall to turn on the 'puppy dog face' and beg her mom
to let Faith drop them off at the beach on her motorcycle. She stopped in her tracks and
caught the tail end of their conversation. <wouldn't trade that kid for the world.>
<You're right.>

She stood stock still and gasped when she saw Buffy kiss Faith. She couldn't believe it.
In nearly three seconds she ran the gambit of emotions; shock, then fear, then confusion
then loathing firmly set in. Her mother had been gone not even a year and there was
Buffy, moving on already. And with Faith! Laurel couldn't believe what she'd just seen.
She was angry that Buffy could forget about her mother so easily and just move on as if. .
.as if she'd never existed.

"Laurel?" Giles stood in the doorway concerned.

She turned to him, then glanced back at Buffy and Faith as they kissed again, then headed
back down the hallway without a backward glance.

"Oh, dear." Giles rubbed his temples.

------

Your humble bard,
~~Kimber


Official Noodle wetter and distributor, Gutter-Slut and Vice President and Treasurer of
the Riley/Oz neutering society and garden club...Personnel Recruiter for all main gutter
and sub gutter affairs.



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