FIC: Back In Boston Ch. 14 (PG-13 with swearing)

["CDS" <callistosdarkside@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey all,

Been a while, I know. I kinda put myself in a self-imposed hiatus from the
boards to remain spoiler-free for the past couple of months. Glad to be
back now that the season's ended, although not exactly glad how it ended,
but that's a rant that I'm sure you've all heard enough of from everyone
else.

-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.
? 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.

Last bit of Ch. 13

Buffy shook her head, "Wait a minute. Why would you put the bar of soap in
your bag?" Buffy questioned, just before the realization hit her, "You?
little?" Buffy raised her voice, grabbing a hold of Faith's arm.

"Whoa, what ever you're going to accuse me of," Faith replied, "You're
probably," Faith quickly slipped out of Buffy's grip, "right," Faith
finished, as she ran for the door.

"Get back here!" Buffy screamed, chasing the brunette slayer out of the
motel room and into the morning light.

"Okay," Willow furrowed her brow, "What was that about?"

Dawn furrowed her brow as well, fondling the bar of soap in her hand.


Ch. 14


Faith ran, with her slightly longer legs, the brunette Slayer had a speed
advantage and took off for the nearby park.

Faith slowed down, ducked behind some trees and looked back, only Buffy
wasn't there. Dumbfounded, Faith looked all around , but couldn't spot the
petite blonde.

Then she felt the wind get knocked out of her.

Buffy blindsided Faith and tackled her to the ground, sending a silver
object that was tucked away in Faith's pant pocked, flying onto the grass a
few feet away.

"Umph," Faith groaned as she hit the grass, "God B, I thought we were
playing touch, not tackle," Faith grimaced.

Buffy straddled the Dark Slayer and pinned her hands above her head, "Why?"
Buffy questioned.

"Why what?"

"Why'd you do it?"

"Cuz."

"Cuz why?" Buffy demanded. "Why did you want to see me?" Buffy trailed off.

"Why do you think?" Faith shot back acidly, struggling underneath the
blonde.

Buffy glared, her eyes penetrating the brunette's, "Because you're a
pervert?" Buffy accused.

The accusation stung, "That's right B, I'm a fuckin' pervert. Now get the
hell off me!" Faith shouted, words she never thought she'd utter.

"No," Buffy stated coolly, while tightening her grip on Faith's wrists.

"Fine, then I'll make you," Faith growled, as she brought her knees up and
lifted the blonde over her head, tossing Buffy onto her back.

Faith jumped to her feet and ran off.

Buffy grabbed her side, where she had landed on a foreign object. The
Slayer grimaced, as she picked it up. It was a silver bracelet, not
stunning in it's own right, yet it had a sweet simplistic quality.

She could've sworn it had flew out of Faith's pocket when she tackled her,
but she couldn't understand why Faith would be carrying around a silver
bracelet.

Buffy inspected the bracelet some more, noting that there was an inscription
on it. The blonde half-expected it to be from Faith's mom, or someone Faith
had never talked about, but when she read it, she knew what it was.

It was her Christmas present. She'd found what Faith was going to give her,
and her eyes began to well up with tears.

******

Unbeknownst to Faith, the bracelet she intended to give Buffy for Christmas
was now in Buffy's hands. The Dark Slayer punched a few trees, kicked over
a few rocks and trashed a few trash cans on her way to nowhere.

It wasn't long before she ended up in familiar territory, near a pawn shop
she'd stolen some stuff from as a kid.

Reaching into her pant pocket, Faith looked for the bracelet, but couldn't
find it.

"Where the fuck are you?" Faith screamed, while searching her pants. Faith
slammed her fist into the building of the pawn shop, cracking the wall
slightly, before swinging open the door.

As she entered, the middle-age man behind the counter, reached for something
underneath the counter.

"Relax," Faith stated, "I'm not here to rob you. I got something to sell."

"What do you got?" The owner asked suspiciously.

"A brand new bracelet," Faith answered.

"Brand new? Why don't you just return it?"

"Cuz it's already got an inscription."

"Oh, I see. You realize that will lower the value, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a price."

"Where's the bracelet?"

"I left it back at my place," Faith answered, thinking it must be in her
bag, if it wasn't in her pocket.

"Well, I need to see it before I can give you a price."

"Fine, I'll be back," Faith huffed, turning to leave.

"Ahem," The owner coughed, "If I may ask, why are you pawning a brand new
bracelet with an inscription?"

"None of your business," Faith stated acidly, as she pushed open the pawn
shop door.

******

As the Slayer knocked on the door, she stuffed the bracelet in her pant
pocket. Willow and Dawn greeted her.

"What happened?" Willow inquired.

"Nothing," Buffy murmured before pushing past the two girls.

"Didn't look like nothing," Dawn stated acidly.

"Fine," Buffy snapped, turning to glare at Dawn, "Something happened, but
it's none of your business."

Willow reeled back in shock, but Dawn matched the Slayer's glare, crossing
her arms. At least she was able to match Buffy's glare for a few seconds,
before her eyes began to water.

"That's right, go ahead and cry Dawn, that's what you always do," Buffy
insisted.

Dawn, spun around and ran out the door.

Willow half wanted to go after Dawn, and half wanted to stay with Buffy.

Realizing that Dawn probably wanted to be alone, she decided to stay.

"Buffy, she was just?"

"I know," Buffy breathed guiltily, shaking her head.

Willow closed the gap, and placed a gentle hand on Buffy's arm, "What
happened?" Willow asked again, forcing Buffy to meet her eyes.

Buffy swallowed and turned her head.

"You don't have to tell me, but something tells me you'd feel better if you
did," Willow said, gently stroking Buffy's arm up and down.

"I can't," Buffy stated, pulling away from the Wiccan.

"Okay," Willow conceded, "but can you answer me one question?"

"Is it the same question?" Buffy asked.

"No."

"K, go ahead."

"Why do you always let her get to you like this?" Willow inquired.

"Get to me?"

"Yeah. I mean, one minute you're happy go lucky, the next, you're a total
downer."

"No I'm not."

"Oh, please Buffy. The whole world can see how she affects you."

"Affects me?"

"Uh huh."

"It's just?" Buffy trailed off.

"I know what it's like, Buffy. She can really get under my skin too."

"What?" The Slayer shook her head.

"Yup, contrary to popular belief, Faith gets under a lot of people's skin,"
Willow drawled. "It's just she seems to bug you more than others. I mean,
I've wanted to deck her a couple times myself, but you, you actually have
the means to do it."

"It's more complicated than that."

"Then why don't you un-complicate things?"

"How?"

"Move out of the house."

"Move out?"

"Yeah, move in with me, like we discussed earlier."

"I don't know?"

"Do you really want to keep going through this? I mean, I don't think Dawn
can take much more of you after a fight with Faith," Willow argued.

"I know. I should apologize."

"Of course you will, but honestly, I think you'd be much better off, if you
and Faith saw less of each other."

"Maybe," Buffy breathed, before walking over to Faith's bed, pulling out
Faith's bag underneath, and sticking the silver bracelet in one of the bag's
compartments.

"What was that about?" Willow questioned.

"Just something she dropped when we fought," Buffy answered somberly.

******

As Faith turned the corner to the motel, she spotted Dawn crying on the
curb. All thoughts of her hatred for Buffy faded. The brunette walked over
to the sobbing girl.

Dawn looked up through teary eyes, expecting to see Buffy, but saw Faith.

As Faith sat down beside Dawn, the younger brunette wrapped her arms around
the Slayer, hugging her tight.

"Why are crying?"

Dawn sucked in another sob, "Buffy? she?"

"Oh," Faith interrupted, not the least surprised.

"She was so mean for no reason," Dawn sobbed.

"There probably was a reason," Faith stated.

"How can you say that? I didn't do anything," Dawn protested.

"No, I didn't mean you. I meant me," Faith corrected.

"What do you mean?"

"Dawn, there's something you have understand about us."

Dawn listened closely, partly because she was surprised that Faith had
actually called her by her name, rather than one of her pet names.

"You see Dawn, sometimes your sister and I fight, a lot, and not just with
fists. Sometimes, we just?" Faith squeezed her fist tight, "Sometimes we
just really hurt each other, and that's why she reacts to you the way she
does."

"But you're nice to me."

"True, but you probably wouldn't have wanted to meet me twenty minutes ago."

"Would you have been mean to me then?"

"I dunno, maybe."

"I don't think you would've."

"No, huh?" Faith smiled, rustling Dawn's hair.

"You've never been mean to me," Dawn stated.

"I haven't?"

Dawn shook her head.

"Not even once?"

"Nope."

"Wow, you must be special, Sunshine."

Dawn grinned, tightening her arms around Faith's waist, and burying her head
in Faith's shoulder.

******

Awkwardness was an understatement, as Faith and Dawn returned to the motel
room. Buffy and Willow were seated silently in one bed, watching
television, while Faith and Dawn walked through the door.

Willow nodded hi to Dawn, and Dawn nodded back.

The Slayers, avoided making eye contact.

Dawn sat down on the far bed and leaned against the headboard, while Faith
walked to the bathroom, and shut the door.

Willow nudged Buffy in the side, pouting at the Slayer.

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned to her sister, "Dawn?"

Dawn crossed her arms, and turned her head away from Buffy.

"I know you're mad and you should be. I'm sorry Dawny. I didn't mean to
blow up at you."

Buffy waited for a response, but didn't get one, so Willow nudged Buffy
again.

"Dawny, I'm sorry for being such a terrible sister. I should've never taken
out my anger on you. I wasn't angry at you, I was angry at myself."

That piqued both Dawn and Willow's interest, as they both assumed, Buffy was
angry at Faith.

"Why'd you have to yell?" Dawn asked.

"I'm sorry, I promise I won't don't it again."

"Yes you will."

"You're probably right," Buffy replied, "but I promise I'll try not to."

"No you won't."

"I mean it, Dawny. I'll try hard."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Dawn turned her head and saw Buffy staring sincerely at her, "Okay," Dawn
replied reluctantly, accepting the apology and promise.

******

After it seemed like Faith was going to stay in the bathroom forever, Buffy
got out of bed, and walked to the bathroom door, giving it a couple knocks.

"What?" Faith asked.

"Can I come in?" Buffy asked in return.

After a few seconds of silence, Faith finally answered, "Go ahead."

Buffy turned the knob, stepped inside, and closed the door.

The petite blonde, saw Faith sitting on the edge of the bathtub with her
head down.

"Why didn't you come out?" Buffy asked.

"Why do you think?"

Buffy wanted to pace, but there wasn't any room, so she grabbed onto the
towel rack.

"I'm sorry, Faith," Buffy apologized.

"Yeah, whatever."

"I mean it, Faith."

"No you don't."

"How can you say that?"

"Easy, I just did."

"Fine, whatever, just remember I tried to apologize," Buffy steamed, before
turning to leave.

"Wait," Faith muttered, almost too quiet to hear.

Buffy stopped, her hand on the door knob.

"I know you meant it," Faith said somberly.

Buffy let go of the knob, and turned back to face Faith, "I'm moving in with
Willow," Buffy stated, like she was testing the statement out.

"Go ahead," Faith replied.

"You don't care?" Buffy questioned, crossing her arms.

"Why should I?"

"Fine, then don't care," Buffy cried, before storming out of the bathroom.


To be continued.