When The Moon Hits Your Eye
by Slayer Tash
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a lot of DVDs, a bed a TV, VCR and DVD player and a cool watch inspired by Tru...oh and my car ooh and the computer that brings you this story!
I would have thought the slayer dreams would stop once we closed that damned Hellmouth. I had my next one not long after we began heading off towards safer ground.
There were 9 slayers on that bus, 9 and how many get the dream? Well the Chosen Two, the original slayers before we gave the girls the power of the scythe. I sat up quickly covered in a light sheen of sweat and came face to face with Faith.
"Not good" she said.
"No didn't look like fun."
She fell back against her chair and put her arm over her face. I looked out the window we were on the outskirts of LA. I got up and went to Giles who was driving.
"Angel's place and step on it."
"Um Buffy he is no longer at the hotel."
"Do you know where he is G-man" Faith is behind me.
"Ah yes, yes I do."
"Well don't keep us in suspense, I only saw him a few nights ago."
"Wolfram and Hart."
"What, what are those fuckers doing with him? I will fucking kill that Lilah bitch."
"Faith calm down, they haven't captured him, he runs the LA office."
"Who are Wolfram and Hart?" I asked.
"Evil lawyers, have been trying to have Angel killed for years, even hired me before I turned myself in."
"Oh right." You'd have thought Angel would have told me that.
"I'd have thought hair gel would have filled you in."
"Yeah we didn't have the best of conversations that night."
"Well seems you are okay now if you are snogging him and all that."
"All that? There was no all that."
"Whatever B."
"Girls, why am I going to Angel's?"
"Slayer dream G-man. We need people rested and we need help to be able to fight this one."
"What is it?"
"Rome, Italy…something is brewing" she says.
"Rome? The dream was in Rome?"
"Yeah B, the sacrificial spot was the Pantheon."
"Uh huh little miss architecture."
"Bite me Buffy."
She stormed up to the end of the bus. I find myself watching her cute ass in those tight jeans…wait did I just refer to her ass as cute?
So that is how I ended up in the most romantic city in the world (okay, okay I know most people say that is Paris but not to me alright?) with a moody brunette slayer. She was pretty up to date with her knowledge on the site of our current battle. Rome is pretty holy and this Panthie place was originally a temple then became a church of some sort. I swear the woman actually had an orgasm the first time we checked it out.
She wandered around for ages letting out soft 'oohs' and 'aahs' I even got a few 'This is amazing B.' Yep those groans and sighs of awe got me going. What is wrong with me? Since when did I get turned on by Faith?
We didn't have much to go by on this deal apart from a few gruesome images from our shared dream. If it weren't for Faith's knowledge we would have nothing. So far we thought it might be something to do with the gods…let me tell you I am so over the god thing!
Apart from the occasional perve (which I seem to find a lot more natural now than when I first caught myself doing it) I began to enjoy Faith's company. She was funny and she was smarter than she let on and did I mention she was a fine specimen of a woman? We were in Giles' hotel room for an apparent research party but with nothing more than the name of a really old church researching was becoming hard.
"Anything?" I asked Faith.
"A headache" she slammed her book shut "This fucken bites, I mean the god most likely to have anything to do with the Pantheon is Jupiter and he is a good guy. The deal with him is god of light and sky plus protector of the state. The only bad thing this dude did was marry his sister…ew much."
I saw Giles smile "Well it may be a start Faith. Does it mention any enemies at all?"
"No, this guy was a fucken hero. Leader of armies, worshipped by the people ruler of the universe. With a rap sheet like that any bad guy is likely to be jealous."
"Giles this is useless and pointless. 2 days of this and nothing."
"Ye-ha nothing for you B, so far I have been able to provide us with the location and a possible reason for the hoe down."
"Possible reason, I emphasize possible. We really know nothing Faith."
"You know nothing B, not me" she grinned.
I roll my eyes at her.
"Maybe we should call it a night, I don't know what is worse, the vast nothingness of the research or you two constantly baiting each other" Giles takes off his glasses and begins cleaning them.
"Okay G-Man whatever you say" she jumps up and I follow suit.
"Night Giles" I kiss his forehead.
He smiles warmly at me and we leave his room.
"So B you ready to hit the sack or you wanna see Rome at night?"
"Rome at night, let me grab a jacket" I go into my room and freshen up a little and grab a jacket and meet her in the hall.
"Let's motor."
Rome at night turned out to be a nice little American bar tucked away in some little out of the way street.
I was in a booth while Faith was at the bar grabbing us some beers. For some reason I couldn't tear my eyes away from her as she leant over the bar. She had changed so much since all of the bad shit went down between us. Her stint in the pokie had mellowed her, her words not mine and I agree. She seemed to be at ease with herself and the world she had around her, last time around not so much or with the bonding we seem to be doing this time around.
"What you looking at?" She sits across from me.
"Huh?"
"You seemed miles away" she slides a beer across to me.
"Did I?"
"Yeah, worried?"
"No, just" I stop and sip my beer.
"Just what?"
"Nothing, just thinking about times past."
"Are we gonna hug and grow share and learn?" She smiles.
"You always make it difficult don't you?"
"Gotta make it fun B, if you don't what's the point?"
"I am all for fun but sometimes you have to do the hard to stuff."
"I have noticed you checking me out B."
I feel my cheeks go red "What?"
"Slayer senses B, I feel you."
"When I look at you?"
She nods and has a mouthful of beer.
"Does that freak you out?" I ask.
"Should it?"
"No, not at all people look at people."
"True but not all people check out my ass…well most people do…hang on what was my point again?"
"I have no idea on what you are going on about attention span lady."
"People check out my ass all the time, just not you people Buff."
"You ever check me out?"
"All the time, I'm not blind" she grins.
We sit quietly for a bit.
"So the deal with Red make you curious?"
"I guess" I shrug.
"Ever check any other female asses out?"
"Nope sort of only started noticing you this last week."
"Oh."
"But it makes sense to me, the slayer connection the pushing you away it was cause I loved you."
"Oh you stabbed me out of love, that makes it all better."
I don't know if that was a joke or not. I avert my eyes downward and suddenly find my beer very interesting.
"I'm going outside for a smoke."
She leaves the table.
I finish off my beer and head out the same way as Faith.
I find her sitting across the street on a ledge that over looks a canal of some sort.
"Faith I am gonna head back to the hotel. See if I can get Will online and try and crack this mystery."
"Whatever" she answers not looking at me.
For what seems like the millionth time since we met I turn and walk away from her.
We don't talk for days. I thought telling her how I felt would be a good thing turns out it did the total opposite. Researching with Giles was less of a headache…for him anyway. For me it was awful, she wouldn't look at me, she wouldn't talk to me and she barely acknowledged me.
"Buffy I am heading back to England for a few days. Wesley is meeting me there and hopefully he has some more detail with some ancient texts he seems to now have at his disposal."
"Uh huh."
"Do you need me here G-Man?" Faith asks.
"I would prefer it if you stayed, I mean strength in numbers in case anything does happen."
"Fine." Shit she is pissed.
"What are we supposed to do while you are gone?"
"Act like normal 22 year olds. Have fun see the sights, who knows there may not be many sights left to see if we don't find any information out soon."
"Giles we've been cooped up in this hotel for 10 days now can't we explore a little head off to Switzerland or maybe jump over to Spain. What good can we do when we know sweet fuck all?" Faith gets up and starts to pace.
"Faith I don't think leaving the site of a possible apocalypse is a good idea right now."
"Says the guy who is leaving!" I stand up "Faith has a point what can we do?"
Cleaning his glasses again.
"I am in the most romantic city in the world Giles and I can't look at any of it. For countless hours I have poured over books and surfed the net for what? Not a fucking thing, I miss my friends and I miss my sister and I want to go home, only home is a big whole in the fucking ground!"
"Yes alright Buffy, do calm down."
Calm down? Fine I calmly pick up my laptop and my jacket then calmly leave his hotel room and walk calmly over to mine. I then calmly collapse on my bed and calmly cry into my pillow.
Soft knock at my adjoining door, it came from Faith's side. I sit up and wipe my eyes then go over open it and walk back to my bed.
"That was pretty tense in there, you ok?" She sits across from me.
"Oh you are talking to me now?" I hug a pillow to my chest.
"Gotta talk to someone and Giles almost ended up with my fist in his face back there so you are the next best thing."
"Gee make a girl feel special."
"B about the other night, what I said just slipped out and I didn't know if I meant it...I said it so I must have meant it but I just didn't know how I meant it."
"How did you mean it?"
"Who fucken knows, you did what you did cause you had to. I don't need any more reasoning than that."
"You know I am sorry right?"
"We are both sorry B. We did this bit a few weeks ago remember?"
"Yeah I just do-" I am cut off by the softest pair of lips on my mouth. I kiss back tangling my hands in her hair which is softer than her lips. Her tongue is running along my bottom lip and I grant it access to my mouth, my own tongue an eager participant in this kiss.
A loud knock on my hotel door breaks us apart and the warm lips are ripped away from mine and I instantly miss them.
"Buffy, I must speak with you before I head off."
"Damn it G-Man" Faith falls back on the bed.
I get up and answer the door.
"Is Faith in her room? I want to speak to both of you."
I stand aside "She is in here."
He walks in and I close the door behind him and follow him back in.
"Girls I understand your need to get away but you are still slayers and you still have a duty to do."
"Giles do I have to pull out the not a watcher card therefore not the boss of us on this one?"
"Touché Buffy but do I need to remind you what happens when you go against my wishes?"
"People actually enjoy themselves" Faith says under her breath.
"When did you find that stick you had removed a few years ago?" I sit next to Faith on the bed.
"I will be back in two days try not to get yourselves or anybody else killed" he heads towards the door.
"Bye Giles I love you" I call after him.
"You can be a bitch sometimes B you know that right?"
"Uh huh" I face her.
"I like a bit of Bitch in my women" she moves closer to me.
"Which bit of you would that be?" My mouth hovers close to hers.
"You'll have to find out won't you lover?" She says before attacking my mouth with her luscious soft lips once again.
So no Giles you would think we would go crazy paint Rome red, the only thing is I don't think I can walk my legs are totally numb. I didn't even know they could do that…go completely numb that is I think it must just be a side effect from sex with Faith.
Yep that's right sex with Faith. The girl is insatiable, not that I'm not I have just never had anyone who can keep up with me. Sure Spike was good for a roll in the hay and some real nasty sex but when it came to pleasing me apart from a quick hard fuck after a slay he was never one for more than a few pokes and a grunt but Faith…Faith has finesse, Faith has skills, Faith makes you feel like she has all the time in the world and she is going to spend it pleasing you, Faith has the most talented mouth I think I have ever come across. Pardon the pun but it is true the woman is amazing in bed.
And it's not what she does to me it is how she responds to what I do to her. I never ever want to stop touching her if I can keep going just to hear her breathe my name in ecstasy it is worth the exhaustion and numbness. I have never really paid attention to my partner when they have come before I am too caught up in my own pleasure one time with Faith and I was anticipating her arrival just to watch her mouth turn up at the corners in this carnal grin that she gets just before she screams my name. Or the way her breath quickens as the orgasm approaches then there is the way her fingers dig into my flesh as I push her over the edge, even the way her eyes roll into the back of her head when she hits her high turns me on. I am watching her sleep as I think about the hours upon hours we just spent trying to out do each other in the sex department.
"B, go to sleep."
"No."
"Why not?"
"I am scared that if I do when I open my eyes this was all some amazing dream."
She pinches me.
"Ow!"
"Not a dream, now sleep B, I want you good and rested for when I wake up" she smiles sleepily.
I cuddled up to her and slowly drifted off.
It's dark and something smells funny. Sort of like charred flesh and not in a nice barbecued meat kind of way either. I am pretty sure I am alone and I don't like the feeling one bit.
"Faith?"
Echoes…not good. It's dark and I have echoes and no Faith. I keep inching forward I can see a light in the distance so I figure I head towards that. It feels like ages before I get close. I can hear running water.
"Faith?"
Running water.
"Shit."
I come to a doorway, no door it lays on the ground in front of me. I walk through it.
I see Faith she is laying on the ground blood caked on her face her body twisted in awful directions. I drop to my knees beside her.
"Faith? Faith baby talk to me!"
"Couldn't stop him B" she wheezes.
"Who baby who?" Tears fall down my face.
She coughs.
"Don't talk" I pick her up "I'll get help."
"It's too late B."
"Sshhhh" I can feel wetness against my stomach, where I am holding her to me. I look down and I can see the blood just soaking my shirt "Hold on Faith please hold on."
I sit up in bed, I have the sheets stuck to me and I can't get them off me. The more I struggle the more they stick to me. I can't breathe and I know I am crying, I can feel the sobs choking me as I try to let them out but just like me in the great sheet struggle they too seem to be getting stuck.
I have hands on my arms "B?"
"It's not too late" I sob.
"For what? It is like 4am, are you hungry do you want room service, I think they stopped serving at 1…If you are that hungry I can go look for something for you" Faith is kneeling in front of me gently rubbing my arms.
"You aren't going anywhere" I throw my arms around her.
"What's all the noise B? You woke me from a pretty nice dream, you were naked and I was doin' some of my best work to date."
I fall back on the bed "Glad one of us is having good dreams" I cover my face with my arms.
"Another funky dream?"
"Oh yeah, they get less funner each time, let me tell you."
"Does it involve me dying? I hate those dreams B."
"Not fun here either F."
"Tell me" she gently rubs her hands over my legs.
"That kind of rubbing not really appreciated right now."
She stops the rubbing and I look at her, it is dark the moonlight hardly makes any shadows but I know she has the standard pensive Faith look on her face right now. All I can see is the outline of her body but I know her, I know it is there.
I manage to maneuver myself out from under the sheets from hell. I go over the where I threw her pants earlier that night and pull out her cigarettes. I take one and light it up. Bad idea I splutter and cough and almost die from an asthma attack then and there.
She comes over "B, you are freaking me out here." She takes the ciggie and turns a lamp on.
Now that I come to think of it I can't pull of the word ciggie let alone smoke one.
She takes a drag and looks at me, waiting for me to start the inevitable Buffy ramble to explain my sudden and loud awakage. God she doesn't say anything yet her look is making me feel like I am being questioned by Detective Goran on a really really bad day.
"Pantheon, burning, charred flesh smell, you bled to death in my arms."
"Right, I don't like the cliff's note version, not sure I wanna ask for the full one."
"That is really all there is to it. Although you did say you couldn't stop him."
"Do we know who him is?"
"No that was when you died and I woke up."
"So should we go check this place out, take a risk?"
"I am not ready to take that risk, we know nothing…NOTHING" I emphasize the nothing.
"So we go into battle with you freaked out?"
"I would rather be freaked out than have a dead girlfriend."
"It was a dream and it can't be prophetic because I am not getting them."
I sighed, knowing I was over reacting "Faith I just got you…finally after all the bullshit I get to have you. I don't wanna lose that."
She came up to "Not gonna have to worry about it B. I am here for the long haul."
"I didn't think Faith did the long haul thing."
"That was old Faith, new Faith does things differently." She steps back from me.
I think I pissed her off with my long haul comment seems I am still the old Buffy.
So here we are, against all my natural instincts that tell us we should have stayed in the hotel room doing that thing that makes Faith squeal out like a little girl but no we have to check out this place. If we are doing battle here we have to know our area.
"Faith, you think we maybe could have done this in the morning?"
"B you really think we could have gone back to sleep after that dream of yours?"
"Who said anything about sleeping."
"Cute B, real cute. Despite the lovin' between the sheets being some of the most mind blowing sex I have ever had we do have another reason as to why we are here."
I was the best sex of her life "I am the best sex of your life?"
"Settle down Blondie, I said some." She swaggers ahead of me straight up to the entrance.
"So we are gonna break in? Giles won't be happy that the first thing he has to do when he gets back is break us out of jail."
"Jesus Buffy, you are having visions of me dying, we know sweet fuck all about this friggen shared dream we had other than it freaks us both out and you are worried about now of all times obeying Giles! Fuck me."
"Gladly, lets go back to our hotel and do just that Faith. I hate this place, I hate the feel of it, the look of it and the being outside of it right now" I grab her arm and begin to lead her away.
"Buffy we need to do this."
"I know we do but please let's just do it tomorrow, in the day light."
"Okay B."
We head back to our hotel she didn't say much just chained smoked the whole walk back.
"Faith what was the main purpose of the Pantheon by Jupiter?"
"Uh, it was like a council office B.…official shit that people in charge do. Wars declared and the public would come in and make offerings, treaties were signed there. It was just basically a place where the Gods conducted their business."
"Oh, okay."
I folded my arms and joined her in the silence as we went back up to my room.
She was right I couldn't sleep, as soon as her head hit the pillow she was snoring. I got up and decided to for the thousandth time look on the net in hope of an answer just popping up in front of me.
"Okay so Yahoo gives me tourist crap to look at, not helpful…. Google, that gives me the same bullshit."
I typed the word Pantheon in at dictionary.com, same old, same old. A line in the definition grabs me 'A public building commemorating and dedicated to the fallen heroes and heroines of a nation'.
I did a bit more research and found that it had burnt to the ground in AD 80 but then rebuilt in AD 125 but all I could find about the historical figures involved in this building was that they were all good men.
The place now is used as a church and was used in the past by Popes as a church and even had tombs with a few famous artists buried there and a couple of Italian kings, all of whom were yep you guessed it good people.
All I had learned was way more about Roman history than I really needed to know.
An IM popped up on my screen from Willow.
'Hey Buff, any luck?'
'Nope, bit fat zero's all around.'
'Had anymore dreams?'
'Yeah, had a freaky one just before, I find Faith bleeding uncontrollably telling me she couldn't stop him before she dies in my arms…. I don't like this Will, it is taking its time whatever it is and that is never a good sign.'
'Giles has no idea either, don't tell him I told you that. He came to the coven to see if they could see anything, he even asked me to tap into my power, see if I felt anything.'
'Did you?'
'No, not a thing. I can't sense any evil surrounding this place Buff. Just a lot of useless boring history.'
'Me too, the only thing that caught my eye about it was that it is a public building that commemorates fallen heroes and heroines. A place of worship for dead people like me, Will. That can't be good.'
'Is Faith worried?'
'Faith is sleeping, she tried to make me case the place earlier.'
'Why didn't you?'
'I don't like the place, considering the only images I get from it are my girlfriend dying in it the further I am away from it the better.'
'Hold up a second, your girlfriend?'
'Yeah, oh Faith and I hooked up. Didn't I tell you?'
'No! Big omission by you. I want details.'
Research forgotten I begin to fill Willow in on the last 17 amazing hours with Faith.
I wake up to a delicious warm feeling in the pit of my stomach…hang on that is a bit lower than my tummy. I open my eyes and notice a tangle of brown hair between my legs and an eager slayer going down on me.
"Oh fuuuuuuuck Faith" I breathe sliding my hands into her hair.
Her eyes flick up at me and while her tongue works its magic I feel her smile and then I feel her tongue.
"Shiiiiiiiiiiit oh shiiiiiiiiiiit yeah Fai, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck."
She retracts her tongue to I think say something.
"No talk just fuck" I push her head back down and feel that tongue back inside me, thick and filling me perfectly.
Her thumb is circling my clit only brushing it every third or fourth circle. It was driving me insane.
I thrust up into her face willing her to just stop the teasing and make me come hard and fast and all over her face.
She pushes me back down on the bed.
"Settle B, all in good time."
I growl at her "Stop playing Faith, I need you so much right now."
"I'm not playing B, just making love to my girl is all." She kisses her way up my body "And now you are awake maybe we can make love together."
"Maybe" I smile at her pulling her down for a sweet and loving kiss. She parts her legs a little and I open myself up for her, she lowers herself on me and I moan as our pussies make contact.
I wrap my legs around her and we begin moving against each other. She hovers over me, staring intensely at me as we make love.
"Faith" I breathe "I lo-"
I am cut off by a kiss, her tongue silencing my almost declaration of love.
She speeds up her actions above me, I break the kiss to moan her name.
"Faith" I breathe again "Faith, Faith, Faith, Faith" I dig my fingers into her lower back "Yes Faith fuck yes."
"You like that B, you like how I rub my pussy against yours?"
I moan my response, lost in the pleasure she is giving me. She pushes herself up more and is now grinding into me so fast that I think she is breaking the speed of sound.
I arch up into her, wanting her close to me as I come.
"Fuck B, can you feel it, can you feel what you do to me?"
"Yes Faith."
"Cause I can feel what I do to you, I feel you dripping around me B, I feel you on me B."
I can feel my heart thumping in time with the headboard against the wall, it is so fast I think it might explode.
"Make me come Faith, please, I need to come."
She lowers herself again, so close that I think she is sliding into my skin. I can feel it building. I can feel it arriving.
She glides against me "Let go baby, let go, come for me." She feels it too.
My orgasm explodes out, I am clawing at her back, my legs clamp around her and I scream her name that I am sure they hear us all the way back in LA.
She keeps moving against me working the last of my orgasm out, and then I notice the need in her eyes, her need to come as well.
"Fuck me baby, come all over me Faith."
"Jesus B, keep talking." She pushes herself up again.
I move my hands underneath us and grab her breasts "What do you want me to say Faith?" I tease and I squeeze.
"Fuck B, Fuuuuuuuck."
"That's it Faith, fuck my pussy, fuck it hard baby, fuck it so hard."
"Yes B, yes, more, I need more."
"Come all over it Faith, drown my cunt in your juices baby."
Her mouth is in the shape of an O and she is jerking against me grunting.
"Fuck it Faith, fuck it, fuck it, fuck it, fuck it, fuuuuuuuuuuck it" I come again as well.
She collapses on top of me "Oh shit B, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit."
I moved my hands and began running them up and down her back. I close my eyes and I feel myself falling back to sleep.
I stretch out as I wake up, I feel sated beyond belief. I don't ever remember waking up feeling this way ever.
"Faith?" I call into the room.
I don't get an answer.
"Faith?" I call out sitting up, looking around the room. I notice a note on the bedside table.
I reach over and pick it up.
'Hey B, thanks for an amazing good morning. I think I could get used to waking you up like that! I thought I better check out the Pantheon see what the deal is. I figure I should be okay in broad daylight. Sorry I didn't wake you but I know how freaked out you were plus you looked so adorable lying there that I didn't have the heart to wake you. Please don't worry I will be fine, I can look after myself. I will be back by 3 see you then Princess xoxo F. P.S. Did you say cunt in the heat of the moment?'
I smile and look over at the clock it was a little after 2.30. I get out of bed and make my way to the shower, thinking that hopefully Faith will come back to the room and join me.
I stayed on that shower until the water went cold, as soon as I shut those taps off my blood went cold as well.
I stand stock still in the shower. I can feel the presence in the bathroom and I know it isn't Faith, there are no tingles just chills and they were multiplying. 'And I'm loooooosing control.' Not now Buffy! Damn musicals!
I breathe in while I weigh up my options.
1. Stay in the shower because I am naked here and I don't want whatever it is seeing my goodies.
2. Face the intruder in all my glory.
3. Stay in the shower because I am naked and I don't want whatever it is seeing - Oooh ooh 4. Peek over the top and face the demon while still keeping my dignity!
So number 4 it is, I turn in the shower and peek over the top. Some guy in a white robe with ridiculously long hair and even longer beard is floating in my hotel bathroom.
"We need you Slayer."
"Uh for what exactly?"
"Things are not right in the universe, we require your assistance."
"Is this to do with the Pantheon and Jupiter?"
Beard guy just laughs "Jupiter? No this is to do with my son Ares."
"Ares? You are gonna have to fill me in on him, the slayer who knows all about this has gone on walk about."
"She is safe, she is waiting for you."
"Okay this screams trap to me."
"Trust me it isn't."
"Oh sure, just like that."
"Your insolence angers me child, Ares is a god of war, although not very good at it times have changed. He has found a way to make himself human again and that is not good."
"Uh huh, can you prove to me that this isn't a trap?"
"We have been sending you dreams to get you here to help us. We sent one to you both and then one to you."
"Why only one to me?"
"We felt that if you thought or felt your loved one was in danger you would come to us quicker to help us."
"Okay, can I get some clothes on?"
"Yes but hurry time is of the essence."
"Okay, I get it old man" I got down from where I was.
"Do stop calling me old man."
"Did you have a son called Rupert by any chance?"
"No, why?"
"Never mind" I smile to myself…I just caught a glimpse of Giles at 80 "I don't suppose you can hand me a towel."
It was quiet. I opened the door a bit, he was gone.
I stepped out and got dried then dressed and headed off the home of the gods.
As I walked through the Pantheon I tried to remember flashes from my dream. So far all I was seeing in from of me was the stock standard things all tourists see, nothing dark, dank or even the sound of running water except in the ladies room.
I had looked around in there just in case but no luck. It was days like these I wished Faith had a cell phone.
I found a quiet spot and tried to feel her out but again no luck.
"Great, come get me but don't show me the fricken way to go stupid old man!"
"I do wish you wouldn't call me that."
I jump back as he appears in front of me "Oh like appearing in thin air while I am having a shower is okay."
"Follow me." He sighs….can floaty ghost thingies sigh?
I follow him as we head towards what I gather to be the back of the Pantheon.
Hidden passages and the dank dark areas begin to appear as if by magic.
"Could you at least give a girl a warning?" He keeps floating ahead of me "Not much of a talker are we old man."
Again I hear a sigh.
"Are you sure this isn't a trap, I mean it isn't like you are going to say yes or anything but I don't like falling into traps especially when I know it is a trap and I fall into it anyway that kind of isn't fair."
"The dark one was right about you, you talk a lot."
"The dark one?"
"Faith, she may have attitude but least she is quiet."
"Uh are you talking about the same Faith I know? There is no way she is quieter than me…old man."
All of a sudden we are in this round room. One I haven't seen before, I see Faith.
"Faith!" I run over to her and we hug.
"Hey Princess."
"You should have woken me."
"I told ya why I didn't baby."
"Yeah well I wish you did cause old man over there just turned up while I was in the shower."
"Did he oogle the goodies?" She looked over at him.
"Seriously the fate of the world rests in the hands of you two?"
"Up until a few weeks ago, yeah. Now there is an army of us. So don't try anything old man" Faith says.
"Believe me if I wanted to try anything I would have done so by now."
"So you going to tell us what you need us for?" I ask.
"My son Ares, he was the god of war."
"Not a very good one" Faith snorts.
"Yes, yes, any way in his afterlife he seems to have found out a way to become human. He intends on picking up where he left off."
"Right where he left off was trying to kill other gods. He is aware that we don't have those around these days right?"
"He intends on opening a portal to a dimension that does."
"Have I mentioned I hate gods that try to open portals, I have been there and I have done that."
Faith gently rubs my back "Does he need a key for this?"
"Not that I am aware of, he knows of a witch that has great power. A witch that almost ended the earth and then helped saved it not long after."
"Willow" I breathed.
"What does he want with this witch?"
"He wants her power and I know Ares, he will do all he can to get it."
"Has he taken his human form yet?"
"We are not sure, he has done a lot of work to cover his tracks up."
"Well how do you know about his plan to become human?"
"He told us."
"Oh of course he did. He covers his tracks so well then goes and blabs about it. I smell a huge fucken rat old man."
"Would you two stop calling me that!"
"Did you happen to have a son called Rupert Giles?" Faith asks. I laugh.
"Children, the fate of the world is in the hands of children."
"Settle down Father Time."
"My name is Zeus, need I remind you that I am a god."
"Yeah one that came to us for help, so fat lot of good that threat is."
"Will you help me or not?"
"How can we help you? You don't know if he is human yet and you can't tell us anything about him."
"I know that you know the witch and he will be in contact with her as soon as he is human."
"Okay" I say "We will go from there then."
"Need I remind you two that ti-"
"Time is of the essence" I cut him off.
"Right." He waves his hand and in the blink of an eye we are back in my hotel room.
I am pacing, I am also ranting. There is a bemused slayer sitting on the bed and this makes me only rant and pace more.
I am upset, she went off without me, without any regard to my dream, dreams that normally come true in the most painful way.
I get silenced by a soft, warm pair of lips against mine, nice move LeHane but I am mad. I pull back.
"Nice try LeHane, but I am pissed at you."
She leans in again and she gets my right hand in her face.
"Just listen, please?"
She puts her hands in the air and steps back from me.
"I don't want to be a stick in the mud or spoil your fun but we have no idea what we are dealing with here. I have these dreams where you die and I don't like it and then you voluntarily head off to that place where I dream you die. It is like playing Russian roulette."
She sits on the bed and folds her arms.
"I also don't want you to feel like I am scalding you like I am a mother telling off her 4 year old. It isn't how it is at all."
"How is it then? Cause all I see is the same old shit."
"I just found you, I've screwed up all our other chances at this and now I have it, now we have it and until we know what we are dealing with I would just like us to do all the looking into it together."
"Can I mention something?"
"Of course" I sit next to her.
"I don't wanna step all over you and this dream you had but I never had this dream. The only dream we had that was the same was the one on the bus and since then all I feel we have gotten is smoke blown up our asses! When I was at this place today B you know what I felt?"
I shake my head.
"Nothin! I big fat old zero. There were no tingles, no feeling in the pit of my stomach. The whole time I was there it felt like smoke and mirrors."
"Oh."
"You felt something?"
"Anxiety mostly."
"Over what?"
"The fact you were gone" I said quietly.
"Anything else?" She took my hand and laced my fingers between hers.
I shake my head.
"Talk to me B?"
"I feel stupid, I mean this whole time I am carrying on like an idiot `be careful Faith, don't do anything without me' and it is all a big fat farce!"
"We don't know that yet."
"Over the years the one thing you have told me over and over is to trust my gut, you trust yours all the time. You have always embraced this job, you feel it, you know it and I have just done it because I had to. Now here it is the chance to make the right choice, do I keep my head up my own ass or do I actually listen to someone else cause you know…I'm not always right."
"What was that?" I hear the smile in her voice.
I look at her and she is smiling at me and I lean in and we kiss softly, this time she pulls back.
"Nice try Summers, but I believe I asked you to repeat yourself."
"Which part?"
"The very last part."
"I'm not always right."
She puts her hand up to her ear "Again please."
"I. Love. You" I state boldly and proudly.
She drops her hand and looks at me.
After what seems to be the quietest space in time ever I say "Again?"
"Uh, no." She gets up off the bed "You think we should call Giles and let him know the news?"
"That I love you? Sure, I mean I don't know how he will take it" I say trying to be cute cause I know I have wigged her out.
"Stop joking Buffy, something could be really wrong. Giles hasn't called us since he left."
"Okay, I guess we will deal with what I said later."
"Much, much later."
"I said it before at the bar, why is now different?"
"We have work to do, we may not know what has us here but we are and we need to get on top of it."
"Sure" I fold my arms across her chest.
She opens my laptop "How do I log on?"
I take the laptop from her and log on, I hand it back to her.
"Awesome, Red is on."
I hear her typing away so I get up and leave her to it. I pick up my cell and call London Central.
Andrew answers "Watchers Council, How may I assist you?"
"Andrew it's me I need Giles."
"Oh hey Buffy how is Rome? You and Faith killed each other yet?"
"No Andrew, can I please speak to Giles."
"How is the shopping? I hear there are some awesome markets held under the Arc De Triumph."
"That is in France Andrew. Can you please put me through to Giles?"
"No need to get huffy Buffy" he starts laughing. "Huffy Buffy, I am so funny."
"ANDREW! Giles now."
"Gosh, just hung on" I hear him muttering to himself then I am listening to the lovely tune of green sleeves.
"Yes Buffy, hello."
"Why did you make Andrew receptionist, he is terrible at it."
"I know but things are still under construction here so Andrew is it at the moment. How are you and Faith?"
"Oh peachy Giles! We are stuck in Rome with our thumbs up our asses and no freakin idea why! We had this creepy guy appear saying he was Zeus and Faith checks out the Pantheon and to be honest with you we think this is a pile of horse shit."
"Uh you do, why?"
"Lack of everything Giles, we didn't even get the tingles or the low down feeling I normally get in the pit of my belly when there is a big evil brewing in my general vicinity. There is no sign of anything remotely dangerous about to happen here."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! Apart from Faith wigging out on me there is nothing wrong here, something is trying to distract us."
"Right, well I can have Willow do a mystical energy spell on your area."
"Yeah well this Zeus guy said that his son, the one we are all supposed to bow in fear of will be in contact with Willow soon, he knows her power and he will use her to get what he needs."
"I gather I need to let Willow know this."
"Faith is online with her now, she is giving her the 411 on everything. Well I think she is because she is typing furiously on that little laptop of mine."
"Maybe she is just playing Doom."
"I dunno Giles, she has been pretty serious about this. She's done recon, she is the one that made me realize there wasn't no spider senses going off. I mean I wanted to fool around earlier and she was like no we gotta talk to Giles."
"Uh, do I want to know what fool around is?"
"Oh just before you left we hooked up and we are now kinda seeing each other."
"Right well."
Can you hear someone clean their glasses over the phone?
"I better get on with, speak to Willow. I should be back in 2 days."
"Okay, and Giles let us know something!"
"Yes, yes Buffy."
The line went dead.
"And bye to you too Giles" I chuck my cell on the bed "Any luck with Willow?"
Faith looks up at me "Uh well she is checking out all what I told her and is going to do some type of spell, it will tell us if magic has been used on us or near us. She is even going to try and look for evil or demon hot spots."
"Great, well I spoke to Giles and he is on it as well."
"Great, I think I am going to head to the hotel gym…..I need to unwind."
"Sure."
I watch her walk away from me this time and I hate it.
I decide to impress Faith with my research skills while she is at the gym. I log on and begin the tiresome chore of searching. I find this interesting page that states Ares the person we are all supposed to fear lived in Greece mainly and here in Rome was known as Mars not Ares…I had found the breakthrough!
Most pages I found referred to him as The Greek God of War and here we are sitting in a whole other country.
Faith walks in looking al sweaty and sexy.
"I think I may have found something that will help."
She arches an eyebrow as if to say really?
"Yes! Ares isn't known in Rome, Ares is the Greek god, here it is Mars and from what I have found Mars and Ares are two different people. The Greeks had their gods as did the Romans. And if Ares was coming back then I am pretty sure his Dad wouldn't be doing the warning and Ares sure as hell wouldn't be quiet about it. He wasn't someone that was worshipped much so there is a reason as to why he may want some attention now but honestly he wouldn't do it here. It isn't his jurisdiction."
"Okay." She walks all the way into the room.
"And Mars, well it seems he was celebrated not hated like Ares was. So why would anything go down in Rome? I don't think they ever went onto anyone else turf."
Her brow is creased
"Or I am completely wrong and have wasted the last hour."
"No…..Just digesting."
"Nothing adds up. I mean I get Zeus coming to us, he hated Ares but here it just doesn't make sense."
"I agree, I think someone is pushing our buttons B. Want us out of the way so we are here on a wild goose chase."
"So next time Mr. Floaty White Zeus shows up what are we to do?"
"Not sure yet, I figure he only just left us a couple of hours ago and it took him a few days to show up….we wait and see what Red comes up with."
"Did you tell her that Ares was maybe coming to her?"
She nods.
"I mentioned it to Giles, but talking to him even that seemed odd."
"What do you mean?"
"Well you know Giles and how he is with impending doom. Well there was none of that when I spoke to him. He wasn't `Mr. British Man with stick up his ass'. He was like `Yeah Whatever man' it is strange. He was the one that left us here as well."
"You think maybe something has messed with G-Man?"
"I think something is messing with all of us Faith. They have separated us."
"Well not us, you and I us."
"They've taken away the firepower from the core of the group. Giles, Will and Xander without the slayer protection?"
"Red can hold her own B and in the fray back in Sunnydale Giles and Xander kicked plenty of asses as well as saving them."
"I'm frustrated" I stamp my foot for emphasis.
"And acting like a brat is helping how?"
"Screw you!"
She sighs and walks into the bathroom closing the door, a few seconds later I hear the shower start up.
I throw myself on the bed in the melodramatic way I am famous for. "I am totally not being a brat" I say to myself "I'm not" I cross my arms over my chest and stare up at the ceiling.
"Answers to our problems written on the ceiling?" Faith's voice breaks me out of my brood a little while later.
"No" I answer softly.
"So what do we do? Do we rely on Giles and Red or do we assume that they are being played and do it ourselves."
"I have no idea, I was never the brains Faith. I am all about the moving speeches and ass kicking."
"I have a few links that Red sent me before things went pear shaped. I can look up the spells we need to check all this crap out."
"Whatever" I am so over this whole stupid trip and I don't care anymore.
"Whatever, did you just whatever me?" She straddles my waist, that dimply grin on her face.
"I am done Faith. I over this stupid wild goose chase. This trip was wasted, well not completely cause you and I with the sex and the lo…sex."
"Lo sex, something we invented B?" She smirks.
"No, just a word that you don't want me to use" I could smack that smirk into next week right about now.
She doesn't say anything and she is avoiding looking at me now. Smirk totally gone.
"I want to know who is yanking our chains. Nothing adds up and I hate that."
"Well I will do the spells, see if I can get a trace on who or what is doing it. I don't like the fact that Team USA are all by themselves."
She gets up off me and I sit up.
"I have to get supplies for these spells so I am going to head out."
"Great I will sit here and twiddle my thumbs."
"You could always join me."
"No thanks, I feel like being alone right now."
She leaves and I sulk. Right now I don't care though cause not only is this whole not knowing thing pissing me off, she is too.
If someone told me they loved me, someone being her I would totally embrace it and accept it. I just can not for the life of me understand why she is avoiding it. Isn't not being truthful about how we feel towards each other where we went wrong last time? Does she just want some post apocalyptic sex with no strings attached? I guess the experience in complicated relationships I got from being with Angel is for sure going to come in handy here with Faith.
...to be continued...