Here's To You *Chapters 1 &2*

["Whitney Catherine Bynes <cruel_intentions_brat@xxxxxxxxx>" <cruel_intentions_brat@xxxxxxxxx>]

Pair: Faith/Buffy Buffy/Willow

I'm a newbie don't hit me too bad ;-P

Chapter One: Anniversary Present

Summary: Faith realizes she'll never sum upto the Buf's best friend, 
Willow, just in time for the holidays.

Disclaimer: Nope, these people and their demented little world belong 
to the mind of twisted Joss, so, im just taking them out for a walk, 
so to speak :-P

"Guess who" "Mmmn, the Easter bunny?" 
Buffy's lips curled into a smile as she 
pulled the hands covering her eyes away and turned her head for a 
kiss with the brunette girl that had just altered her sense of sight.
"I fear bunnies" Anya said matter of factly nodding, although the two 
girls in her company weren't really listening.

"Bunnies are scary they're all..furry and..bunnyish" Xander provided, 
biting into a slice of pizza.
"By the way Faith, I feel compelled to thank you for bringing this 
food."
Faith broke her kiss with Buffy licking her lips and turning to Xander
"No problem" 
"You sure? We could pay you for the pizza, you know" he offered 
"No Xander darling she picked up the tab, and that's pretty final" 
Anya said taking Xander's hand.

"Anya, see a common curtosey theory here is to offer to pay for 
something when someone has voluntarily gone out in the sweltering 
winter heat to purchase you cheesy, greasy meaty goodness"
Buffy turned to look at her friend
"Winter heat?"
"What else do you call a heat wave in December?" he said, sensibly.
"I'm not sure" Buffy turned back to Faith and smirked
"What? Is there like something on my face?" she wiped at her mouth 
consciously.
"No baby, I just thought our room was winter heat" Buffy quipped 
sexily.
"Xander and I also have a lot of winter heat, if that's the kind your 
referring too" Anya nodded again smiling at Xander who sank down in 
the couch.

"Buffy?"
"Yeah Fay?"
"Bad bad images" Faith and Buffy both stared straight ahead with a 
weird look on their faces.
"Oh hell yeah" 

"Okay guys it's time to..do..Whatever it is we do on Saturdays" 
Willow walked into the Xander's house trailed by a short, silent 
figure with chipped black nail polish. 
"Yes us American teens are dripping with post death sex scandals" Oz 
said, commenting on the news broadcaster on T.V that babbled about 
vampire children and sex scandals.
"It's that time again kids, time to play 'why is Oz a prude'"
Xander said playfully. Oz tossed the nearest object at him.
"That was my purse, Oz" Willow said dejectedly before laughing.

Buffy smiled Willow was so pretty when she laughed.
"It's okay Will" Buffy comforted playfully.
"Okay I'm just gonna go get us some sodas" Faith patted Buffy's knee 
and stood up, as she walked out Buffy and Willow met eyes; with Will 
breaking the stare first.
"I like that dress on you, is it new?"
"Uh, thanks, actually it's something I just sort of found lying 
around"
"For twenty dollars" Oz added
"Twenty dollars? Not bad Will, you'll have to let me borrow it 
sometime"
"Well,..sure..You have all rights to my new twenty dollar dress"
"I'll give you twenty to take it off" Buffy said daringly.
"OhDear" Anya said making a face.
"What?" Willow asked
"I mean to take it off..uh, the couch" Buffy laughed nervously
"Buffy are you feeling alright? Maybe we should get you in bed.."
"I'll say" Buffy let her eyes travel Willow's frame.
"You do need to get me in bed" she said wanting to slap herself for 
being so daring.
"Let me go get Faith for you, and uh, she can take you home, you look 
ill don't want you getting sick now"

"Faith's right here" Faith came out hailing a tray of sodas, she set 
them down on the table, knocking Willow's house keys off by accident.
"Let's get you home sweetie" Faith held out her arms for Buffy who 
stood up.
"I'm fine, just tired" She had to 'stay in character'
"Okay, but still I think I'm ready to turn in anyway" 
------
"Buffy?" things had gotten quieter since they left Xander's.
"Are you awake?"
"I am now" Buffy opened her eyes and turned to face Faith.
"What is it?" she asked
"I just,...missed you" Faith sighed feeling weak, an emotion she was 
unaccustomed to as she cuddled up to her lover kissing her neck.
"mmn, that feels nice"
Faith smiled, she could barely remember the last time her and Buffy 
had been intimate, she started a kiss, deep and long sucking on 
Buffy's bottom lip softly.
Faith slid her hand up Buffy's silky nightdress sliding it up as she 
sucked on her neck.
"Faith" Buffy breathed out and they were about to kiss again when the 
doorbell rang.
"Ignore it" Faith pleaded wanting to be close with her girlfriend 
again.

"I can't, I'm sorry" Buffy stood up putting her robe on and walking 
downstairs as the doorbell rang again, she reached the bottom landing 
and unlocked the door pulling it open. She saw Willow leaving the 
steps.
"Will?" her voice was soft and she stepped out into the warm night 
air.
"Buff, your,..your here"
"I live here" Buffy informed her
"I,..I know I knew you were sick and all but I lost my keys at 
Xanders and Dingoe ate my baby had a gig and I couldn't get in and 
it's dark and Xander and Anya are doing the..well you know..so I 
couldn't bug them,.."
"It's okay" Buffy smiled "Come in" 
Willow smiled "Thanks, I'm glad your always here for me Buffy" she 
hugged her best friend tight.
"Always, Will" she kissed her friend on top of her pretty red hair.

Faith watched from the stairwell, tears streaking down her cheeks.
What was so wrong with her that Buffy avoided her? She walked into 
the bathroom and sat down on the floor burying her head in her hands.

"Let's get you a warm shower, alright?" Buffy lead Willow up the 
stairs and knocked.
"Faith?"
"Yes?" 'she's going to apoligize' Faith thought smiling
"Hey, Willow's staying the night okay, she's going to shower when you 
get out" As Buffy finished her last words the door swung open.
"I am out" 
"Good thanks babe, okay Will towels on the left shampoo and 
everything else in the shower"
Faith went back to the bed and layed down.
Buffy should have seen the tears on her cheeks and in her eyes.

Buffy went downstairs and fixed a cup of coffee , she was going to 
wait for Willow to get out so they could talk for awhile, after all 
Buffy wasn't tired after Faith woke her up, sometimes Faith could be 
selfish.
It was two thirty by the time the laughter downstairs died away to a 
goodnight hug--and kiss between the two girls.
"That was nice" Buffy said breaking the kiss
"It,..it was" Willow secretly wanted nothing more then Buffy.
"Yeah,..well I'd better..Faith is.."
"Yeah, I should uh, call Oz, yeah and tell him where I am"
"Alright"
"Yeah"
"Good night"
"Night" 
Buffy climbed back in bed with Faith smiling, Faith was already 
asleep, aempty bottle of Champagne on the floor.
"What?" Buffy furrrowed her brow in confusion.
Then she remembered, their anniversary.

Chapter Two: Five By Five

"Monday December 23rd 2 O'clock pm"
"Hey Buff it's me just calling to say that I'll be a little late 
tonight, yaknow gonna patrol and all that but if you,.."
Buffy deleted the message and turned back to her bowl in the kitchen 
stirring the dough vigourously.
"Okay Buffy I don't think the cookie dough did anything to you"
Buffy offered up a sheepish smile and slowed her attack on the dough.
"What next Xander?" she asked blowing a strand of blonde hair out of 
her face.
"Next Buffy the baker takes a moment off" Willow stood up from her 
seat at the table, leaving the calculus book open.
"I can't it's Christmas time we need cookies and brownies and 
cupcakes"

"And fairies and good little magical items" Xander quipped from over 
a big recipe book.
Willow took the spoon from Buffy and pushed her gently out of the 
way, letting her fingers linger just over too long as she did.
Buffy feltt another wave through her.
She wished Willow felt the same about her, and then sometimes she 
wondered if they'd fall apart together.
"..and it's like a cake al nice and togethery yaknow?" Willow said 
pouring the batter into a pan.
"Huh? Sorry Will I was thinking" 
Willow stopped to face Buffy.
"Your sure your alright?"
Buffy looked down at Willow's book
"I'm fine"
She picked up her pencil and began to act as if she was doing work.
"Buf, why are you doing Willow's math?"
Buffy looked up 
"Hmnm?"
"Willow's math" he said slowly
"Oh,..I" Buffy shook her head 'Get it together slayer' she scolded 
herself.
"Was going to finish it for her while she cooked for me"
Willow laughed "Maybe I shouldn't cook, in that case" 

Faith walked in hair soaked and wiping water off her face.
"Dweeboid rat punks" she stormed across the kitchen reaching up for a 
dishtowel and knocked the cake batter over by accident, splattering 
it all over her and Willow.
"Fuck!" She exclaimed, and without apoligizing she grabbed a towel 
from the laundry and headed into the bathroom.
"I'm going to shower" she called back to them angrily kicking off her 
boots as she went.
"Are you okay?" Buffy yelled up to her 
"Five by five" 

Buffy got up and walked over to Willow.
"My gosh your a mess" Buffy walked around her looking her over. The 
batter splattered red sweater, now painteed to match the splattered 
grey skirt.
"Even my bra is soaked" Willow whined trying to shake access batter 
off her arms.
"Well, let's get you cleaned up" Buffy tugged her up the stairs.

"Don't worry about me i'll just stay here and read the paper and,..do 
nothing"
"Mop Xander" Buffy ordered
"Sir yes Sir" Xander stood up and set to work cleaning.

"Okay, this shirt, with.." Buffy searched through her closet tossing 
perfectly decent skirts all over the floor.
"This skirt" she held up a short pink skirt
"Don't you think that's a little,.."
"It's fine" Buffy assured her handing her the white sheer top and 
pink skirt. 
"Redheads don't look good in pink,.." 
"You look good in anything" Buffy said seductivly and turned to put 
her closet back in order.
Willow was suddenly shy about changing in front of Buffy, what if she 
didnt look right? Or the skirt was too smal or,.
"What are yah waiting for?" Buffy had to admit she was anxious to see 
her friend, not that she hadn't thousands of times over.
"uh,..nothing..just" Willow sighed and began to change quickly.
"Looks good" Buffy said smiling 'looks very good' 
Faith walked into their bedroom and screamed.
"Can I have some privacy please??" she asked edgily.
"I..uh..yeah..sor--"
"Don't you yell at her" Buffy scolded her lover taking Willow bythe 
arm.
"We'll be downstairs when you acquire people skills" Buffy tugged 
the redhead out of the room.
"Well fine at least I have my privacy" Faith muttered to herself.

"You thought you did" Spike stepped out of the shadows of Buffy's 
closet smiling.
"Spike!" Her eyes went huge 
"How the hell did you get in here?"
Spike bit into an apple 
"Slayergirl let me in last week, love" he told her tossing the apple 
to her.
She caught it, forgetting she only had on a towel.
"You really did fill out nicely" Spike admired her with a deadly 
gleam in his eyes.
"Your slayer dust" She launched at him and he caught her by the 
throat dropping her to the floor.
"Let's not make this hard on you,.." he looked down at her calmly
"I'm not here to fight"
"That's what they all say" Faith muttered standing up finally able to 
throw something on.
"What the hell is all over your bloody clothes?" 
She looked down, Willow's clothes.
"The unicorn, or the cake batter?"
"The unicorn" Spike answered in distaste.

"Fancy a fuck?" Spike sat down on the bed Buffy and Faith shared. 
>From the room below she could hear laughter.
Willow and Buffy's laughter.
"Sure Spike anything's worth a go once, right?" 
"Your my kind of girl" He leaned in on her as they layed back 
together on the bed.

----
"So your meaning to tell me he really said that?" Willow laughed 
loudly covering her mouth to stifle another fit.
"Yes! and you know what I said to him?"
"What was that?" Willow asked still laughing
"I'm a lesbian, Spike, and I am in love with my best friend"
Willow stopped laughing and looked over at Buffy.
"But, we're best friends--I..I thought that..and I mean Faith.."
"Your my best friend" Buffy confirmed
Willow's jaw dropped and she shivered smiling weakly.
"Did you lie to him?"
"What do you think?"
Buffy leaned in quickly kissing her before she could answer.
"Okay, let's make this fair I didn't see you, you didn't see me"
Buffy broke the kiss embarassadly and wiped her mouth looking up at 
Giles. A jolly Giles.
"Your Santa Clause" Buffy stated
"Thank you, I wasn't aware" he said dryly, taking off the Santa hat.
"No prob" 
Willow looked mortified, in a way, she'd been caught making out with 
someone she looked upto. Authority caught her making out.
"It's only tonight, don't look at me that way" Giles whined 

"Where you going dressed like that?"
"The mall"
"Oh no I have to go see Giles be a mall santa" Xander came out from 
the kitchen grinning evilly.
"That's not all" Giles said
"No?" the group asked collectivly
"Meet my elf" Oz stepped out from behind Giles red with anger
"It was a bet. I lost a bet"
"Where's my coat? We're so going"
Willow laughed handing Buffy her coat, it seemed as if all the 
tension from seconds before had melted away.
-----
"Your just going to leave?" Faith buttoned her blouse up and brushed 
out her hair.
"Would you rather I phone tomorrow, love?"
"phone calls are nice" Faith said sarcasticaly
"Bloody hell" he turned to leave
"Here" Faith tossed him his cloak.
"You might need that"
"You alright?" Spike asked her in concern sa she rubbed her forehead.
"Five by Five" she smiled almost evilly and got up to peer in the 
mirror after Spike was gone.
"You bastard, you left a hickey!" Faith began to panic
"Okay, makeup girl has to have something here" she dumped the entire 
contents of Buffy's purse out on the floor frantically seeking out 
concealer.
A folded sheet of paper with I love you written onit fluttered out.
"What's this?" Faith began to read it
'Willow I've been waiting forever to tell you this but I don't know 
how...'
"Tell her what Buffy?" Faith shredded the note in anger.