BUFFY’S POV

“Emma?”  I can’t believe what Sophia just said.

She sits down on the exam table next to Faith, “I don’t know how, I just, when I was carrying her I felt her pain, she was in so much pain.  Then in my head I could hear my Dad telling me to allow myself to feel the pain, then follow it, then stop it.  I really didn’t think I did anything until Sophia said so.  All I did was keep thinking follow the pain then stop it, over and over.  I thought I was stopping the pain, I didn’t know I was actually healing her.”

Faith shakes her head, “And you were doing this while you were opening the portal?”

“Well, after.  Opening it took a lot, but once it was open I could feel you keeping it open with me, guiding us.  I just wanted to help Willow.”

“Sweetie,” I reach for her hand and stop short, oh, ok, that hurt.  She leans to me and takes mine.  “Thank you, Emma.”

“But I didn’t even know…” She starts.

Faith puts her good arm around Emma’s shoulders, “It doesn’t matter, all that does is you wanted to help and you did.  Ken’s gonna be your new BFF.”

She looks at Faith quizzically, “BFF?”

Faith laughs, “Best Friend Forever.”

“Oh, I get it, funny.”

“Hey Buff,” Dawn comes in and smoothes my hair from my face, “How do you feel?”

“Like some ugly ass demon made me into a shish ka bob.  Oh, wait, that really happened...”  I joke trying to get that worried look off her face.

Dawn grins, stroking my cheek, “At least you know you’re not allowed to die on me.”

“Yeah, I already tired that, it didn’t work out.”  I keep up with the quips.

“Ok, smart ass, rest now,” Dawn turns to Emma, “Let’s leave these guys alone so they can let their healing to do its thing.  See you guys in a bit.”

Emma gives each of us a kiss on the cheek then looks at us, “I know I never said this before, but I love you guys and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now than here with both of you.” She ducks her head, suddenly shy as if realizing what she just said, “I’ll see you upstairs.”  She disappears upstairs with Dawn.

“Wow,” I look to Faith as she eases off the table.

She nods, “Yeah, she’s something else.”  She looks around the room then shifts from one foot to the other.

I hold out my hand to her, “You ok?”

She looks at it for a moment, “Yeah,” she takes it, pulling it to her face then kisses it.  “You want me to help you up?  I’m sure you’ll be a lot more comfortable in your own bed.”

I raise my eyebrow.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Buffy; you know that’s not what I meant.”

“Take a nap with me?”  I ask, pouting just a little bit.

She looks to the floor then back up at me, “I kinda just want to go back to mine.”

Trying to be amiable, I offer, “Sure, we can nap there.”

“No Buffy, I mean I want to go back to mine, I need to be… by myself for a little bit.”

“Oh,” I really hope I don’t look as crestfallen as I sound, “Ah, ok, I, ah, I guess I’ll see you later, ok?”  I fumble my words as best I can because I don’t understand why the sudden wall just came crashing down between us.

“Want me to help you up to your room?” She asks softly.

Not knowing what else to do, I let her off the hook, “No, that’s ok; I want to stay here for a little while and see Will once I feel a bit better.”  The look of relief on her face makes my eyes water.  “No walking, tell Andrew to drive you, ok?”

“Ok,” she nods then leans over and kisses me on the forehead, “I love you, Buffy.”

“I love you, baby.” I choke out.  She gives me a sad smile then leaves.  And as I watch her go I suddenly feel so incredibly alone and confused and why the fuck is she calling me Buffy?  Then the tears flow.

BACK PORCH – JANUARY 12th – 10:30 PM

FAITH’S POV

I love the snow, how it’s so pristine, so perfect.  I’ve missed it.

“Hey,” Emma walks outside, “you mind some company?”

Taking another drag of my after dinner cigarette, “Not at all, it’s pretty isn’t it?”  I point my head to the newly fallen snow covering the backyard.

“Beautiful,” she sighs.  “I’m glad you came over tonight.  We haven’t really had a chance to talk a lot have we?”

“Not so much.  Having second thoughts about your decision?”

She shakes her head, “Oddly no, I think I’ve come to accept it.”

“Good, that’s the first step.”

Pulling no punches Emma dives right in, “Are you going to tell Buffy about what we did?  I mean, I know we talked about keeping it quiet for a little while but are you gonna tell her ever?”

“Honestly, Emma?  I don’t know.”

She turns fully to me, “I think you should, they all should know.”

“Know what?”  B asks as she closes the kitchen door and walks over to us quickly folding her arms across her chest to keep warm.

I look at her narrowing my eyes, “Stealthy girl, huh?”

“Emma, can you give us a minute?”  B glances to her then right back at me.  Oh isn’t this just fucking perfect.

Emma looks at us for a moment, “Ok, see you inside,” then returns to the kitchen.

We’re alone now, just the two of us.  We haven’t been alone since, well, since that morning, New Year’s Day.  I crush my cigarette into the ashtray then lean my back into the rail.  “What’s up B?”

She shakes her head at me, “You are a very silly woman, Faith,” she comes over to me opens the flaps of my unzipped jacket and leans fully into me, wrapping her arms around my waist.  “I know what you offered them; I heard it before I passed out.  I didn’t remember at first, but it came back to me.  I know you haven’t been able to talk about it yet.  I was kinda hoping you’d tell me on your own.  And I really didn’t want to push you, but we have to talk about this Faith; I need to know what’s going on with you.  I’m not going to let you hide out at your apartment anymore.”

I exhale loudly then rest my chin atop her head, “Are you angry with me?”

She laughs, “Baby, you’ve made a better life for me, endured years of torture for me and now you’ve given up your life for me and you ask if I’m angry?”

“I didn’t know how to tell you.”

She looks up at me, “That’s why you’ve been so far away?”

I search her eyes then just nod.

“I love you, you big jerk.  Now spill it.”

I pull her tightly to me, “Not much to tell really.  I don’t know when they’ll take me.  It’s something I’m going to try to talk about with the PtB.  I’m going to go and see them next week with Emma.”

“With Emma? Why?”

I pull back a little, “Because Emma also made them an offer which they accepted.”

“WHAT?!”

Blowing out another huge breath, I look her straight in the eye, “She’s going to take my place as Champion of the PtB when, when it’s time.  They said they won’t take me until she is ready to step into the role.”

She pulls her head back as she tries to hold back her tears, letting it sink in.  “So I’m going to lose both of you at once?”  Her voice cracks, she’s not trying to hold them back anymore.  No one I have ever met can cry rivers like my girl.

“You won’t lose Emma; this will be her home base just like Akumal was for me.”

“I guess.”

“I know - we already talked about it.”

“Oh,” she raises her head and swipes at her tears.  We’re quiet for a little while, just standing there, holding each other.  “So I guess it’s really just like it was before.  I mean none of us know when we are going to die.  By them choosing a time that’s after Emma is ready to take over for you, who knows when that will be?  It could be a couple of months it could be a couple of years.  It’s not like we all aren’t living on borrowed time.”

I tilt my head and look at her, “That’s an incredibly healthy way to look at it.”

“Hello,” she scoffs pointing to herself, “psychologist... remember?”

“Yeah, Dr. B, I remember.”

She leans up and whispers to me, “Can I lure you inside with promises of warmth, wine and women?  Well, not women, one woman.”

I kiss her forehead, “I only want one woman.”

“Good answer,” she smiles as she snuggles into my neck.

Taking a deep breath I pull her closer, God, I’ve missed her touch, the very feel of her.  I need to tell her... “I was ready, Buffy.  I was completely prepared and acknowledged that it was my time.  I mean, it was weird but I was ok with it, at peace with it, I knew it in my heart, in every fiber of my being.  I never felt that way before.  I never felt a truer thing.”

Looking up at me she runs her arms up underneath my jacket, rubbing my back, “I know, I’ve been thinking about that ever since I remembered you saying the words ‘It’s a good day to die.’  God, baby, that gave me chills, and it wasn’t that I was hurt.  It was how you said it, the conviction, the resignation, it blew me away.”

“It’s, it’s the real reason I’ve been so distant.  I wasn’t ready.  It’s taken me a while to accept that I didn’t die, that I’m here, that I still have time with you.  I didn’t give a flying fuck about the rest of the world, everyone else was just gravy.  When I saw you lying there I knew if I could do something to save you, I was going to, so I made them the offer.  It’s like we had such a perfect night and a perfect morning, I was finally happy, in love, content.  I mean, we were in the ancient land of Gods, the sky was so blue, the valley so beautiful.  If there was ever a time, a place, a reason to die, that was it.”  I stop and swallow hard, trying to bring myself back to the land of the living, “Sorry it’s taken so long for me to come back from there.”  Pausing again, I shake my head, “I - I know this all sounds really stupid especially after everything I’ve been through…”

She reaches up to touch my face, “Faith, it’s so not stupid.  It’s how you feel, and that’s important.”

“Are you getting all clinical on me?”  I lean back.

Her hand drops to the base of my neck, “Never happen baby, you break all the psychological rules.”

I just look at her, enjoying this closeness after what seems like so long.

She grabs my shirt in her fist and pulls me down to her, “I missed you,” her breath is warm and sweet as her lips traverse over mine.

How I could have stayed away so long I don’t know, temporary insanity maybe?  Yeah that must be it.  As our kiss deepens and our tongues reunite, I feel that familiar heat build between us, those tingles course through my body as I feel every inch of her leaning up against me and then that delicious ache tells me I’m home again.

She pulls back, a bit winded, and smiles, “Come inside with me?”

I nod, “Yeah.”

Epilogue – All from Buffy’s POV

BUFFY’S OFFICE – JANUARY 19th – 2:00 PM

So, have I mentioned how much I hate my birthday?  It’s not for the usual vain reasons, getting older and all that, it’s never been an issue for me. Well, at least not yet.  No, it’s because absolutely horrible things happen on my birthday: boyfriend literally turning into a monster, evil things rising from oblivion, losing my Slayer powers, Giles turning into a Fyarl demon.  After a few years things calmed down, no freaky happenings were reported on the anniversary of my birth.  But 4 years ago it started up again: first, Dawn and Andrew getting in a car accident, then a vamp nest in China attacking the annual Watcher’s retreat, and last year an earthquake in Peru killing 14 Slayers grrrr, it’s really not a day to be celebrated.

So when Faith told me she and Emma were meeting the PtB today I freaked.  It just wasn’t a good sign, really.  She just laughed at me though, told me not to be silly.  They left about 3 hours ago and now I’m trying to pass the time going through the school’s recertification as a private learning institution when the phone rings.  Hoping it’s her, I answer on the first ring.

“This is Buffy.”

My blood freezes when I hear the thick British accent, “Really, is that any way to answer the telephone at a place of business?”

I take a very deep, calming breath, “Hello Mrs. Pinnington,” slowly I exhale, “How are you?”

“Are you asking because you care or are you just being polite?”

“I – I,” shaking my head, snapping out of my surprise at her obnoxious response, “What can I do for you this Sunday afternoon Mrs. Pinnington?”

“Oh, down to business then?” I hear the satisfaction in her voice from my previous stupefaction, well two points for you, you fucking bitch!  “I want you to know I have not forgotten about you.  I’ve been speaking with Rupert and I mean to keep quite a close eye on you and your whole… ‘organization.’”

Rubbing my forehead I feel the sarcasm dripping from her voice as she says ‘organization,’ I can so see where this is going. “I understand your concern - ”

“You understand nothing,” she snaps, “What are you doing to safeguard these girls you have, God knows why, in your care?”

Ok, it’s times like this I wished I smoked.  I see how it calms Faith, the deep breaths, the trace-like way she watches the smoke waft through the air.  It looks really relaxing.  And if she were here right now I’d probably bum one from her.

“Hello? Hello?” she brays, “Good God, are you there?”

“Yes I am, more than you will ever realize,” I’ve officially had it with this woman, grieving mother or not, I’m done.  “Detailed situation reports from both Watchers AND Slayers are downloaded daily to an enormous server we keep here.  That server houses a program which reads through and categorizes each girl’s actions, and reactions.  Anything out of the norm is flagged then reported to me directly.  After a telephone consultation with the girl’s watcher, if I deem necessary I will then fly out to personally review the situation.  What happened to your daughter will not happen again, you have my word.”

My outburst is greeted with stunning silence.

“If you want to really make a difference, I suggest you offer to spend some time mentoring a girl who needs some guidance, unless you feel your abrasive and controlling manner is not one to instill on young girls?”  Oh, fuck, I think I crossed a line here.

I hear her sigh, “Well done Ms. Summers.”  There’s a short pause as I try to figure out what her game is.  “I’ve heard a great deal about you and what you have done over the years.  I was looking forward to meeting that woman, the one who would stand up to me, I’m glad I finally did.  I would actually like to help.  I never really took an interest in Vanessa’s whole Slaying business now I wish I did.”

I silently laugh to myself, when the hell are people gonna stop testing me.  “I appreciate your offer, why don’t you let me see where you would most be needed and I’ll give you a call within the week?  How does that sound?”

“It sounds quite good, till next week then.”

I shake my head as she hangs up.  God, I know she’s a bitty, but I have a feeling she’s going to help someone.  Ahhh, ok, I’m so done with the work shit.  I get up and decide it’s time to go see Will.

WILLOW & KENNEDY’S ROOM – 3:00 PM

“Hey Will, how are you feeling?”  I ask as I poke my head in her door.  Ken was off dropping Sophia, Rona and Vi at the airport so I knew she was alone.

“Ugh, Kennedy won’t let me move except to use the bathroom.  Thank the Gods Sophia said only a couple more days of bed rest.”  Oh Will, she’s such a trooper.  She’s been basically relegated to her room for the past two weeks, but she’s been cool with it.  She’s healing a little bit at a time and with Emma’s help she’s almost back to normal.  She smiles cheerfully at me as she scoots up in bed, “I’m good, come on in Birthday girl.”

“Hush, a demon might hear you and mysteriously appear to wreck havoc.”  We both laugh as I walk in, “I just wanted to stop in and say hey, I know Ken’s at the airport and thought you might want some company.”  I sit down at the foot of the bed then look up at her nodding my head, “How are you really?”

She smiles then shakes her head, “You tell me.”

I laugh.  Since our little trip to Mount Ebih, the four of us have become even more connected, like in tune to each other.  It’s not like after the adjoining spell years ago, we can’t do the telepathy thing, well Faith and Emma still do, and it’s annoying as all hell.  “I can feel you’re nearly healed, I just wanted to hear it from you.”

“Ms Hartness said the connection is going to be permanent.”

Nodding, “Yeah, I kinda figured, it’s been a couple of weeks.”

She tilts her head as if thinking about whether or not to ask something then, “So are you going to tell me why Emma went with Faith to the PtB?”

Reaching out to pat her leg, “How about we wait until they get back, ok?”

“Something else happened out there didn’t it?” She nods to herself, “Yeah, I can feel it, and I don’t even have to feel it, Buffy, it’s written all over your face.”

I sigh, “They’re hoping to get some information.  With any luck we’ll know more when they get back.”  My head is down now, I can’t cry again, I just can’t.  I know Will can feel my heart is heavy, but I bite it down.

Her hand covers mine, “Whatever it is we’ll get through it.  It’s what we do, right?”

My eyes drift up to hers and I know the connection we share is more than aftereffects of the Magics used to get through the portal and back.  Willow has been my best friend for more than half my life.  For eighteen years we’ve depended on each other, laughed, cried, literally lived and died with each other.  She’s an integral part of my life and I’ll always love her.  “Yeah, I guess we do.”

“Hey, am I interrupting a moment?”  Kennedy leans in the doorway.

I look over to her, “Naah, just talking.”  I squeeze Will’s hand then get up to leave, “Are you going to make it downstairs for dinner?  Andrew’s been a madman in the kitchen all morning.”  I ask hopefully, then both of us look to Ken.

“Oh, yeah, of course,” she blusters, “but not for too long and no wine! You’re still on antibiotics.”

“Well yes ma’am!” Will gives an exaggerated salute then turns to me grinning, “You see how she persecutes me!”

Kennedy sits down next to her, “Not persecuting you,” she brushes her hand across Wills check, “just want you to get better.”

I smile gently, “Ok, I’ll see you both later.”  I leave them to each other and close the door behind me.

DAWN & ANDREW’S OFFICE – 4:00 PM

“Hey Dawn.”

Her head is glued to her computer screen, “Hey Buff just read your email about Mrs. Pinnington wanting to help out – can I say: WOW?”

“Yeah,” I flop down on the couch, “took me by surprise too.  Did you email Henry in Ops to start the process?”

She looks up, “Done deal, he’ll have an answer for us in a couple of days.  I’m sure he’ll find a girl that will appreciate her, um… tenacity.”

“Ha, you’re funny.” I snicker as I look out the window at the snow coming down harder.

She peers over to me again squinting, “Birthday blues?”

“Ugh, don’t even say that evil word!”

She grins as she holds up her hands, “Ok, but I’m warning you, Andrew has been preparing for this ‘non-event’ we are NOT celebrating for a couple of weeks.  He’s very excited about tonight and wants everything to be perfect.”

Looking down I smile, “I know, he’s very sweet.”  I raise my head to see the smile spread across my sister’s face.  “It’s good to see you happy Dawnie.  Mom was kinda miffed she never got a chance to meet Andrew.  She would have like him.”

She eagerly pops her head up, “You really think so?”

“Come on, can’t you just see the two of them whipping up some incredible holiday dinners together?”

“Yeah, I actually can.”  She softly agrees then joins me on the couch, “I’m glad you had the chance to see her and let her know how we were.”  Then she turns and folds one leg under the other so she can face me.  “And I’m really glad she got to see you and Faith together.  She was always so worried about you finding someone to compliment you, that could handle the whole Slayer side of your life.  You two together are just... right.”

I nod then turn away, “Dawn, I don’t know what I’m going to do if, well, when…”

She brings me into a hug as my tears start to fall, oh shit, “Hey, hey, shhh, let’s not think about bad things ok?  We get enough of that already every day.  Today we’re thinking about good things: How happy Mom is that we found our partners, the wonderful meal Andrew is making us, that we are all able to be here together to share it.”

“Ok,” I manage as I lean back and swipe at my tears, “You’re the best sister ever.”

“I’m your only sister ever so I’m tempering that comment.”

“Oh yeah, well - ” I stop then turn to the door, I feel Emma getting closer, “um, Emma’s back, and she’s, she’s alone.”  Dawn gives me a worried look then we both jump up and go outside.

We watch as Emma slowly pulls into the driveway and parks the car.  I’m trying to stay calm, trying to focus on how I’m going to kick Faith’s ass for letting her drive home alone in the snow with only a Learner’s Permit instead of why Faith isn’t with her.

“Don’t be angry, Buffy.”  Emma says before she’s even all the way out of the car.

“Too late for that, come inside, NOW.”  I growl at her.

LIVINGROOM – 5:00 PM

“So, you see, the snow was getting worse and the PtB still needed to talk to Faith and they were going to be a while and she said she had to do something afterwards so she told me to drive home very slowly and that she’d be home later on and it was all ok.”  Emma is trying her very best not to get grounded for life.  Is this what I did with Mom I wonder? Ridiculously lame excuses after taking tremendously dangerous risks?

Standing over her I begin my tirade, “Do you realize you could have been killed?  That some drunken freak driving like a manic could have hit you?  What if you skidded off the freeway and ended up in a ditch?”  Oh my God I’m officially channeling Joyce Summers now.  “Emma did you at least think of any of those things?  For Christ sake, you’ve never even driven in the snow before.”

She snaps her head up at me, “Actually, Faith kinda taught me how to drive in it last week.”  Seeing my eyes get wide she quickly adds, “She was with me of course.”  Then she peeks up at me from her bowed head, “She said I did really well.”

Putting my face in my hands, “I don’t know which one of you I’m going to kill first.”

“Buffy, I was really careful; I drove like 20 miles an hour, that’s why it took me over an hour to get here.  I’m clearly in one piece and I promise I won’t do it again UNLESS it’s absolutely necessary, ok?”

Regarding her for a moment I ask, “How exactly is Faith getting home if you took the car, Emma?  Is she getting a ride from one of the PtB’s neighbors?  You know one of the crack dealers or maybe one of the gang members?”

“I, ah, I didn’t think about that...” She stammers.

“Yeah, that’s obvious.”  I’m about to start a whole new Mom-esque diatribe when I suddenly feel Faith, she’s here, right now, somehow, upstairs, in my room.  Emma whips around to me; I guess she feels it to.  I run to the stairs but call out behind me, “This isn’t finished, Emma.”

I hear her sigh and murmur dejectedly, “I know.”

BUFFY’S BEDROOM – 6:00 PM

I fly into the room to find her sitting in my reading chair in front of the fireplace.  There’s no fire lit, she’s just staring at the empty grate.  She looks so tired.  I’m deciding if I’m going to yell at her or gather her into my arms when she sighs out, “Hey B.”

Ok, option number one it is, I close the door.  “‘Hey B?’ are you fucking kidding me?  You’re gone all day without a word, allow the child we’re responsible for drive home alone in a snowstorm and all you can say is ‘Hey B?’”  She’s silent as I come around to face her, “Faith, what were you thinking?”  I shake my head, “Were you thinking?”

“Sorry Buffy, they needed to talk to me alone and I thought she’d be safer driving home than hanging in that neighborhood waiting for me.  I taught her how to drive in the snow, and she could have stopped an accident with her magic if she really needed to.  I also had an errand to run after, so I wanted her back here before the storm got any worse.”

“But Faith, she’s just…” oh shit, I’m close to whining, I hate it when I do that.

“Come here,” she cuts me off as she takes my hand pulling me into her lap.  Her arms engulf my waist and I can’t help but fall against her.  “We’re all back safe and sound.  And Emma’s not a child B; you helped save the world at 15, so did she.”

As I drape my arms around her neck, I kiss the top of her head, “I was so worried about you.  You were gone for so long and then Emma came back alone.  It freaked me out.”  Sighing I rest my head atop hers, “Don’t you remember, baby?  Only bad things happen on my birthday.”

“Not this year,” she says flatly.

“Don’t even tempt the Gods by saying that!” I admonish her.  Then with great trepidation, “So what did they say?”

Nodding she searches my eyes, “Just that you’ll find out what I’m gonna look like with grey hair.”  A smile begins to creep onto her face.

It takes a minute for her words to sink in, then I furrow my brow.  “What?!?”

“Emma and I will be working with the PtB in preparation for something on the huge scale down the road that will need three generations of Slayers, hybrids like her and me.  It’s going to be massive: multiple dimensions, imploding worlds, some wicked big mojo.  I need to talk to Andrew about finding the third Slayer; I want to see if we can find her now as a baby.  It’s never too early to start training right?”

“Babe, wait, too much information at once.  Why didn’t they know about this before?  I thought they knew every possible outcome of every possible reality?”

She pulls me closer to her, “They do.  They never took into consideration what would happen if Ellil refused my sacrifice.  So this is the new reality due to his refusal.”

“Wait, what do you mean he refused?”  I look down into her eyes, “You said the Gods accepted both sacrifices.”

“Yeah, well apparently he recanted.  The PtB didn’t say why exactly, just to heed Ereshkigal’s words.  So I’ve been racking my brains and there are two things the Goddess said to me that really stand out: Know the Gods have smiled on your honor and humility - I’m guessing means the Gods acknowledged I was wholeheartedly willing to make the sacrifice.  They were satisfied with my intent because they knew what it meant to me and didn’t need to take my life.  The other thing she said was: It will be your power that frees your world - at first I thought that meant my giving up my life on Ebih, but now that the PtB told me about this new fight, I’m not so sure.  Maybe it’s to help win this next challenge.”  She holds my gaze, “I know it sounds crazy cause they’re not supposed to interfere, but I think the PtB had a hand in this.  It wasn’t in what they said, but what they didn’t say.  It’s like... they were happy, proud of themselves you know, so crazy right?”

“No, you’re their Champion, they care,” in their own freaky way I add to myself.

She gets a little dreamy, “Can you imagine it, Buffy: three generations of Slayers fighting together?  It’s gonna be fucking incredible.”  She shakes her head then looks up at me, “And by the grace of the Gods, even the angry volatile ones, we’ve been given a chance.”  She traces my lower lip with her finger.  “Think you can handle that, B?”

My eyes rest on hers, “I just can’t believe it.”  I don’t care why the Gods changed their minds, I’m not going to analyze it, my mind is too busy reeling.  “You have no idea how happy I am right now.”

Her hand caresses my cheek, “Yeah, I think I kinda do.”  I lean into her kiss as my head begins to swim, trying to grasp all she’s said: she’s not going to be taken away from me, we can really have a life together and… and her fingers are sliding underneath my sweater, first trailing across my back then moving up to my shoulders as she pulls me down into her.  My heart starts to pound as I squirm on her lap.

We break apart, panting, “Baby,” I pull back a little, “we have to be downstairs in,” I look at my watch, “15 minutes or Andrew will break down the door and drag us to dinner.”

She smiles, teasing me, “Then I guess you’ll just have to wait till later to see your birthday present.”

Feeding off her mischievousness, I pout a little, “But what if I don’t want to wait?”  I lean forward again and breathe into her neck, kissing her throat softly.  “Come on, whatcha get me?” I whisper seeing the goose bumps rise on her skin.

Now she’s the one squirming, “I –um, heard that good things come to those who wait.” She strains to move her neck away from my lips.

I start to get the feeling she’s done something sneaky because her smile turns into that smirk and her dimples have come out to play.  Now I know she’s up to no good.

“Faithy?” I breathe then gently suck on that spot, high on her neck, right behind her ear.

“Yeah? Oh, mmmm.” She closes her eyes and leans into me.  I so have her right now.

“Where did you go after you left the PtB?  Before you came here?”  She’s done; she and I both know it.  I give her neck another kiss then a lick to help speed her confession along.

Trembling slightly she finally surrenders, “B, ok I give up, but you really gotta stop that or when Andrew busts in he’s gonna witness the Slayer show of a lifetime.”

I pull back a little bit beaming with satisfaction.  So, have I mentioned how much I love getting my way?

“I wanted to surprise you with this later on but, since you’re getting all demandy…”  She wiggles her eyebrows then reaches behind her and puts something in my lap.

I look down and I’m shocked at first, how the hell... oh yeah... of course she didn’t need a ride she had another way to travel.  A huge grin breaks out on my face then I look back to her laughing, “Mr. Gordo!”

She nods as her smile reaches her eyes.  Kissing me gently she whispers, “Happy Birthday, Buffy.”