FIC: Back In Boston Ch 19 (PG-13 for part)

["CDS" <callistosdarkside@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Here's the long awaited chapter 19. Enjoy.

Although there's some good angst, if you like that sorta thing. :)

Direct link to the html version:
http://www.geocities.com/callistosdarkside/bib16to20.htm

Note: even though the link says 16to20, 20 isn't up yet. I'm just lazy, so
I keep the same link for every five chapters, and just upload over the old
page. :)

-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: Mostly PG-13, but there will be some R and NC-17 stuff as well.
? Pairings: B/F, B/W, and D/F. (Note: It's a love quartet, meaning humor
and angst)
? 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.


Chapter 19


Willow had insisted that Buffy share her bed, so as not to wake Dawn. The
Slayer reluctantly agreed, knowing Faith would probably get the wrong idea,
when she came back.

But Buffy couldn't bare to say no to the obviously distraught Wicca. She
just couldn't figure out why Willow was so distraught. Heck, she still
hadn't found out why Willow had run off into the snow storm. Although, a
part of her, really didn't want to know, because, maybe, just maybe, Buffy
did know the reason.

So Buffy laid awake on the bed, with Willow snuggled comfortably against the
Slayer's side, the blanket wrapped warmly around both their bodies.

The Slayer tried her best to drown out the sounds of both Willow and Dawn
breathing. Her hyper-sensitive hearing, could make out each and every
breath of both girls, as well as, their thumping heartbeats. Normally, she
would've been able to block it out, but tonight she was distracted, which
meant she could hear everything.

Now that Willow was asleep, she didn't have a conversation to drown out the
noise.

So it was easy to make out the footsteps coming from outside the door.

Buffy almost jumped out of bed when the door opened up, and a gust of cold
wind blew into the room.

Faith, covered in white powdery snow, quickly stepped into the room, and
shut the door.

Faith didn't pass by the window when she went to the motel door. She didn't
want to see something that might make her go back out into the cold, just a
few steps away from the warmth of the room.

Now that the brunette was able to make out the sleeping arrangements, she
really wished she had walked by the window.

"Faith," Buffy squeaked.

"Hey," Faith replied coldly.

"You're cold," Buffy stated, mistaking the brunette's cold tone, with being
cold. "Do you want me to?"

"No," Faith cut the blonde off, before stalking off to the bathroom, and
shutting the door.

Buffy didn't mistake the cold tone a second time. Using her Slayer stealth,
Buffy attempted to carefully extricate herself from the bed, trying not to
wake Willow up.

It was harder than Buffy thought it would be, as Willow had her arms wrapped
tightly around the blonde, and didn't seem to want to let go, even in sleep.

"It's okay, Will," Buffy whispered, hoping Willow's unconscious mind might
register the comment, "I'm just going to the bathroom."

Reluctantly, Willow's sleeping form allowed Buffy to leave the comfort of
the bed.

Relieved, Buffy headed to the bathroom, although she felt a pang of dread
creep into her as she neared the bathroom door.

Buffy knocked softly on the door, but when no answer came, she decided to
open the door anyway. Stepping inside, the blonde shut the door and looked
up to see Faith sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

"You okay?" Buffy asked.

"Sure, why not?" Faith shrugged, never looking up.

"You know, you're a terrible liar," Buffy stated with a hint of humor.

"Only when I want to be."

Buffy thought the comment over for a few seconds, before shaking it off.

"What's wrong, Faith?"

"Everything."

"Why everything?" Buffy questioned, slowly inching towards the now
shivering brunette.

"Because."

Buffy knelt down on one knee and took both of Faith's hands in her own.
Leaning forward and looking up, Buffy tried to force eye contact.

"Because, what?" Buffy asked.

"Because you don't love me anymore," Faith sobbed, before she broke down,
her body becoming limp in Buffy's arms.

Buffy expertly allowed Faith to fall into her arms, as she enveloped the
distraught girl.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because, you took off my bracelet, because you told Willow you love her,
and because she got you a better present than me," Faith cried, her body
shaking from the raw emotion.

Faith knew that her plan was shot to hell. She wasn't supposed to be crying
like a baby. She was supposed to be acting like nothing was wrong, but once
she saw Buffy in bed with Willow, her emotions took over.

Buffy lovingly stroked the dark, damp hair down the brunette's back.

"Faith, I still have your bracelet," Buffy assured.

"But you don't want to wear it."

"I only took it off, because of Dawn. I saw how much it hurt her, so I put
it in my pocket." Buffy reached into her pant pocket and plucked out the
silver bracelet, showing it to Faith. "See?"

Faith brought her face out of the blonde's neck long enough to confirm that
Buffy still had it.

"But why did you tell Willow you loved her?"

"When did I say that?"

"When she gave you your present."

"You saw?"

"Yes. Window," Faith explained, anticipating Buffy's next question.

Buffy instinctively looked in the direction of the motel window, only the
bathroom wall was in the way.

"Faith, did you actually hear me say I love her?"

"Well, no, but I could definitely read Red's lips when she said, 'I love you
too.'"

Buffy laughed lightly, realizing the source of Faith's pain.

"I said, 'I love it,' and Willow thought I said 'I love you.'"

"So you don't love her?"

"Of course I do," Buffy said soothingly. "Just not the way I love you."
Buffy tucked a strand of hair behind Faith's ear. "Will's my best friend,
and has been for a long time. Why would you think we'd be anything
different?"

"Well, because, I see the way she looks at you, and?"

"And how does she look at me?"

Faith laughed lightly at the question, almost as if she had come to a
realization of her own.

"I'm being stupid, right?" Faith asked.

"No one I love could be stupid." Buffy smiled, softly kissing Faith on the
lips. "Temporarily insane, maybe, but not stupid," Buffy teased, bringing a
smile to Faith's face.

"So you don't mind dating someone that's jealously insane every time a girl
looks at you?"

"Technically, we haven't even gone on a date."

"Yeah, but we will, right?"

"Just name the time and place."

"Thank you," Faith said softly.

"For what?"

"For making all my dreams come true," Faith answered, leaning forward to
kiss the woman she loved.

******

Dawn laid awake in her bed, the sounds of the two Slayers in the bathroom
echoing in an almost deafening fashion inside her head. Even though the
sounds should have been drowned out by the snow storm outside, her ears were
entirely focused on any noise coming from the bathroom.

Turning her head, she looked to see if Willow was awake. Seeing the redhead
sound asleep, or so she thought, Dawn slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the
bathroom door, dragging the blanket with her.

The light from underneath the bathroom door, was all the young brunette
needed to walk over and not bump into anything.

Dawn placed an ear to the door, seeing if she could make out any of the
words. All she heard was the shower being turned on, and the two Slayers
giggling.

She heard Buffy mumbling some sort of warning about not being so loud, and
then the words were drowned out by the falling water.

Dawn slumped silently to the ground, tears falling from her eyes as she
heard the Slayers laughing and giggling.

If she tried hard enough, she could hear them say 'I love you.'

Dawn didn't know why she stayed there by the door, enduring the pain, or
maybe she did. When she was younger, she had always wished that she was the
Slayer, that she was her older sister.

Dawn had found out that her sister was special way before mom. Buffy made
Dawn promise that she wouldn't tell mom, and she didn't.

Dawn had always wished that she could beat up the bad guys, rescue people,
and be the hero. Heck, she even wished that she could be the one that would
win a tickle fight in their unending battles.

Now she wished she was Buffy for a whole different reason. She wished she
was Buffy, because that's who Faith loved. She wished she was Buffy,
because, right now, that's who Faith was with. She wished she was Buffy,
because she knew that Faith would do anything for Buffy.

If Buffy asked Faith to go halfway around to world to get her special stake,
Faith would do it.

Dawn wanted Faith to feel that way about her, but right now, Faith only felt
that way about Buffy. That's why Dawn wished she was her older sister, and
that Faith was kissing her right now.

******

Willow tried desperately to cling to Buffy when she slipped out of bed, but
she knew it was no use. Buffy was determined to follow Faith into the
bathroom, and there was nothing Willow could do to stop her.

After all, she was supposed to be asleep. Willow had wanted to fall asleep,
but lying next to Buffy, had made her want to stay up even more.

The redhead had relished the close contact between them, but it was broken
when Faith returned. That's how it always was.

Looking back, Willow finally realized why she had hated Faith so much when
she arrived in Sunnydale. Whenever Faith showed up, Buffy disappeared with
Faith.

It didn't matter if they were doing homework, watching TV, or planning to go
see a movie. Faith would ruin everything. All Faith had to do was bounce
into the room, and Buffy was gone.

This time was no exception. Faith came back, and Buffy followed.

After some time wallowing in her own despair, unaware of Dawn's movement
towards the bathroom, Willow could make out small laughter.

Willow tried desperately to muffle the sounds. She brought the ends of the
pillow up to cover her ears, but she knew she couldn't keep that up forever.

Then she heard sobbing, and sniffling. Instinctively, Willow searched for
the sounds with her eyes. Looking at Dawn's bed, Willow began to panic when
she didn't see Dawn in it. But almost just as soon, she saw Dawn crying
next to the bathroom door, her left hand desperately laying flat against the
wooden surface, as if reaching out for someone.

Willow knew it was Faith.

Willow's heart went out to the young girl, knowing the pain she felt.
Ironically, Faith was the cause of both their pain, because both girls
wished that Faith didn't love Buffy.

Willow wished Faith didn't love Buffy, because she did. Dawn wished Faith
didn't love Buffy, because she wanted Faith to love her instead.

'This would make a pretty popular soap opera,' Willow mused silently,
laughing lightly at the pain that dug deep inside.

Strangely, it no longer shocked the Wicca how she felt about her best
friend. She didn't know when exactly it started. Maybe, she always loved
Buffy, but was just too afraid to admit it to herself. Now that she was in
Faith's hometown, she no longer was.

'I love you, Buffy,' Willow mouthed the words to herself, as she pressed a
hand to her heart.


To be continued.