DESTINY’S ENTWINED

BY

KINETIC-KID

Rating:                NC-17 (XXX - Sex - my stories have sex in them?  Come on!)

Disclaimer:        Definitely no money being made.  All characters belong to Joss Whedon and ME.  I own nothing except whatever characters I may make up for this story.

Distribution:      Oh yeah, anywhere, anytime.  Just make sure I get credit and let me know where it is. 

Spoilers:             This is a completely Alternate Universe now!!  

Feedback:           Please, Please, PLEASE.  I live for feedback.  I get irritable and upset if I don’t get any and I might not continue writing.  Of course, if you don’t like the story and think it sucks you may not want me to continue!

Pairing:               B/T/F, X/A

Auth Note:          This is a continuation of my first story Different Endings - so you are not completely lost, I would honestly suggest you read it first!!  But just a quick breakdown to help you out if you don’t want to read the other story - Tara couldn’t forgive Willow for the Tabula Rasa spell, Buffy sought her out for help with the Spike situation and the two became close, eventually Tara moved back in with Buffy and Willow went evil.  Buffy had Giles get Faith out of jail to help protect Tara, the three women fell in love and have happy, happy, kinky, kinky sex, kicked Willow’s ass, Tara became a Vessel for the Goddess and a new slayer was called.  -  That’s it in a nutshell, but all in all I suggest reading the story!!

Summary:        New slayer arrives on the scene, a bleached blonde vampire reappears and the Vessel with her two warriors cause headaches for all of demon kind!! LOL

***

Prologue/Chapter 1:  (Picks up where DE left off)

(After the showdown withWillow, Tara’s lying on the couch with her two lovers who are watching her anxiously after having stitched her back.)

Starting to shift, Tara groans in pain. 

“Lay still.”  Buffy chastises quietly.  “Let me get you some pain pills.”  Buffy quickly jumps up and runs into the kitchen before coming back with the bottle of pills.  Carefully unscrewing the top, she drops two into her palm and grabs one of the juices frowning.  “Damn.  I’ll be right back.” 

Faith chuckles as she watches Buffy run into the kitchen again.  As Buffy comes back with a straw and shoves it into the bottle of juice, Faith laughs lightly. 

Tara smirks and lets Buffy place the pills in her mouth before giving her the straw.  Sucking the juice down and swallowing the pills, Tara lays her head back down.  “Why the hell is Faith down here instead of up in the bed resting?”

“Because Faith insisted on making sure her lover is okay.”  Faith growls. 

“Well, I am.  So get your ass back upstairs and lay down.”  Tara mutters quietly.

“I think you both need to be lying down upstairs.”  Buffy nods her head towards both women.  “Come on, Faith.”  Buffy helps Faith ease up onto her feet.  “You, don’t move.  I’ll be down to help you in a few minutes.”  Buffy gives Tara a serious look.

“Okay.”  Tara sighs quietly, closing her eyes.  

Buffy grabs a couple juices and waters and hands the others to Faith to carry upstairs. Helping her up the stairs and into the bed, Buffy unscrews one of the juices and hands it to Faith.  “Drink this.”  Turning, Buffy runs downstairs to Tara.

Tara laughs silently as Buffy comes pounding down the stairs. 

“How the hell am I going to get you upstairs?”  Buffy grumbles looking at her lover’s back.

“Just help me stand up.” Tara shifts her leg over the edge of the couch, ready to push herself up with her arms when she feels Buffy’s strong arms wrap around her and gently ease her up onto her feet.  Groaning as she feels her back pulling, Tara wraps her arms around Buffy as the slayer helps her keep her balance. 

“I love you.”  Buffy whispers into her ear, holding her lover gently being careful of her back. 

“Goddess, I love you, too.”  Tara buries her head in the slayer’s neck.  “I couldn’t kill her.”

“Shhh.  I know.  Giles called.”  Buffy explains quietly running her hands gently over the witch’s lower back and sides.  “Let’s get you lying down upstairs and plenty of fluids in you.  I’ll order food for you two, so while I’m putting you, my beautiful Goddess, to bed, think about what you want to eat.”

Tara chuckles then moans in pain.  “Don’t make me laugh, it hurts.”  Tara groans.  “Goddess I’m not, Buffy.  But yours I am.”

“There seems to be something of a side effect of what you did to Faith.”  Buffy whispers as they shift around and Buffy helps Tara slowly up the stairs.

“What?”  Tara slowly raises a foot up to the next step.

“It would appear she has a black bird that is a mirror image of your bird where you cut her.”   Buffy winces as Tara groans quietly as they slowly make their way up the stairs.

“Have you looked at your own chest?”  Tara questions quietly.

“What?”  Buffy looks in surprise at Tara. 

“You might want to check yourself.  The spell I did linked us Buffy.  It didn’t just heal Faith.”  Tara feels a tear come to her eye as the pain in her back becomes almost unbearable.  “Thank the Goddess.”  Tara whispers as they reach the top of the stairs.

“Linked us?  How?”  Buffy questions as they slowly walk into the bedroom.  She eases from Tara.  “Do you want me to finish taking the rest of your clothes off?”

“Please.”  Tara nods her head and rests her hand on Buffy’s shoulder to balance herself as Buffy finishes stripping the rest of her clothes off. 

Helping Tara ease into the bed, Buffy smiles as she watches Faith gently pull the sheet up to the witch’s waist.  “Now.  We’re linked how?”

Tara turns her head to look at Faith, raising her hand seeing the black bird on her chest.  “My Dark Warrior.”  She smiles, looking up into Faith’s beautiful brown eyes.  Turning her head back to Buffy, she raises an eyebrow.  She smiles as Buffy quickly strips her top off, kneeling down beside the bed.  Raising her hand to the gold bird on Buffy’s chest she smirks.  “My Light Warrior.  I hate to tell you two, but you’re marked as mine for all time.  And I don’t give up what’s mine.”  Tara smiles before laying her head back down on the pillow, the pills finally kicking in.  “The pills are taking effect.  Order whatever you want to, Buffy.”  Tara yawns slightly closing her eyes, letting the pills take her away.

Faith smirks from where she’s leaning up on her side looking at Buffy.  “So, Light Warrior what are you going to get us to eat?”

“Shut up or I’ll start calling you Dark Warrior.”  Buffy growls at her before grinning.  “What do you want?  I can run out and get Chinese if you would like.  Maybe wait an hour or so, let you two rest for a while first?”

Faith takes a deep breath and lets herself relax on the bed, placing a light hand on Tara’s arm.  “Yeah.  Waiting a few hours and letting us get some sleep probably isn’t a bad idea.  You gonna join us?”

“I just might.  Let me go downstairs and lock up.  I’ll be back up in a few minutes.”  Buffy smiles softly watching as Faith snuggles in closer to the witch’s side in the middle of the bed.  Quickly standing up, Buffy pulls her shirt back on and runs downstairs picking up the living room, stopping at the two bloody knives staring at them momentarily before picking them up and placing them on the coffee table to deal with later.  Turning and locking the front door, Buffy quickly runs back up the stairs and strips climbing in bed beside Faith.  Realizing Faith’s already fallen asleep Buffy runs a hand down her shoulder and arm before snuggling up tight against her back and wrapping an arm around her waist, feeling the last of her energy drain from her body as she slowly falls asleep.

***

Many hours later as the sun is setting, Tara slowly regains consciousness.  As she stretches, she feels an uncomfortable tightness on her back and slowly the memories of the day seep in.  Shifting to her side she faces her two lovers and smiles gently, before frowning.  “My back should be bothering me more than this.” 

Buffy wakens, subconsciously hearing Tara’s voice, to open her eyes seeing her lover looking back at her, she smiles.  Reaching across Faith to cup Tara’s face, Buffy breathes a sigh of relief, seeing the twinkle back in Tara’s eyes.  “Feeling better?”

“Much.  Which actually has me worr…”  Tara trails off thinking for a moment before her eyes widen slightly.  “Buffy, look at my back.”

“Is there something wrong?”  Buffy instantly questions as she hops out of the bed and runs around to sit beside Tara. 

“No.  Actually I have a feeling its better than it should be.”  Tara mutters quietly.

“Huh?”  Faith groggily wakes up and smiles seeing Tara leaning towards her.  “Hmmm.  Witchy goodness.”  She mumbles before kissing Tara deeply.

Buffy chuckles as she eases the bandage from Tara’s back and hisses in surprise.  “What the hell?”

Faith pulls away from Tara quickly upon hearing Buffy and motions Tara to lie completely down on her stomach.  Looking at Tara’s back she glances up making eye contact with Buffy.  “What the hell is going on?”

Tara chuckles.  “It’s healing too quickly, isn’t it?”

“How the hell did you know?”  Buffy questions, running her fingers lightly over the healing wound. 

“The spell we did to Faith.  I think when you were sending her your healing energy it worked its way through me, also.”  Tara chuckles quietly, rubbing her face against the pillow.  “How soon before it’s healed?”

“The rate it’s going it’ll probably be healed completely tomorrow night.  And we’ll need to take the stitches out in another six, or so, hours.”   Faith answers before placing a light kiss on Tara’s back.  “And hopefully your beautiful back won’t be scarred badly.”

“Amen to that.”  Buffy agrees in a heartfelt tone.  Stopping and thinking for a moment she questions.  “Will you have slayer healing from now on?”

“I…”  Tara shakes her head thinking about it.  “I haven’t a clue.”

“Well, we aren’t going to experiment to see if she does.”  Faith growls almost angrily. 

“No, no experimenting.”  Buffy shakes her head to that idea.  “How are you feeling, Faith?”

“Still a little weak.  But a hundred percent better than earlier.”  Faith smirks, then frowns and looks at Tara.  “Did you get anything else from the mojo you guys did earlier?”

“Hmmm?   Like what?”  Tara questions humming quietly as Buffy continues stroking her back.  

“Here, squeeze as hard as you can.”  Faith places her hand in Tara’s.  

“Faith, what are you trying to figure out?”  Tara grumbles, before shifting her body slightly.  “That doesn’t mean stop what you’re doing, Buffy.  It felt good.”

Buffy chuckles quietly and starts softly stroking her hand over Tara’s back again. 

“Come on, Blondie.  Squeeze for all you’re worth.”  Faith growls and waits impatiently until Tara starts squeezing.  “Is that all you got?”  Faith smirks as Tara growls quietly before squeezing harder. 

“Well?”  Buffy questions realizing what Faith is wanting to know.

“She’s stronger than she was.  Nowhere near where we are, but I have a feeling if this is permanent she’ll be quicker and stronger than she was before.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”  Faith smiles slightly.  “It’ll be great if she has the healing properties we have.”

“Anything extra would be of the good.”  Buffy agrees, rubbing her hand over the witch’s back a little more firmly.  Smiling as she hears Tara purring in response.  “Hmmm.  Seems Kitten Tara is in the house, Faith.”

“The question isn’t whether the kitten is in the house but is the Sex Kitten in the house?”  Faith growls quietly and smirks as she hears a groan come from the witch.

“I would dearly love to take this somewhere ladies, but I am getting this uncontrollable urge to hit the bathroom.  Then there’s the fact that I’m getting extremely hungry.  And if I’m hungry, you two must be about starved.”  Tara explains.

“Here, let me help you.  Plus no taking anything anywhere for a day or two.”  Buffy helps ease Tara out of the bed and watches worriedly as she walks stiffly towards the bathroom.  “Do you want more help?”

Tara glances back smiling.  “I’ll be okay, Buffy.  Why don’t you order something to be delivered?  Then I’ll accept help getting dressed and down the stairs.”

***

And now on to the story - Roughly a month later:

Chapter 2

“I’ll get the door.  You two get some clothes on!”  Tara yells as her two lovers run up the stairs laughing.  “Damn slayers.”  Tara chuckles opening the door and opening her eyes wide in surprise.  “Mister Giles!”

“Tara.”  Giles smiles as he’s wrapped up in a warm hug.  Hugging her gently, he chuckles quietly.  “So I assume the other two are upstairs?”

Blushing lightly Tara pulls back and grins.  “They better be if they know what’s good for them.  Come in.”  As Tara steps back she sees a woman standing behind Giles.

Giles glances back and smiles encouragingly.  “Tara, I would like you to meet Jacqueline Morssey, the newest slayer.”

“Jacqi.”  The tall strawberry blonde smiles.

“Hey!  It’s Giles!”  Buffy yells jumping down the last five steps closely followed by Faith.  “What are you doing here Giles?”  Buffy asks while hugging the Watcher strongly. 

Faith chuckles.  “Give him a chance to answer, B.”  Faith looks at the woman beside Giles and raises an eyebrow.  “New slayer?”  At the woman’s nod and shy smile, Faith smirks.  “Didn’t take long for him to bring you here.”

“I was trained pretty much all my life.  They figured they’d get me here quick.  Something about if I could live through you guys I could live through anything?”  She questions slightly confused. 

Tara rolls her eyes.  “Assholes.  Come on in.  The brunette is Faith, the blonde lifting Giles is Buffy.”

Faith chuckles quietly while shaking the woman’s hand.  “That’s because everyone but the witch here has died.”  Faith wraps her arm around Tara placing a kiss on her neck.  “And she’s not allowed to.  I don’t think me or B have the mojo to bring her back.”

“Hell no, she ain’t allowed to die.  I’ll be finding the Goddess and kicking her ass.”  Buffy growls before looking the new slayer up and down.  “So… Jacqi.”  Buffy walks around the woman sizing her up.  “Faith you want her or do you want me to take her to the garage?” 

Tara watches her lover shaking her head.  Seeing the slightly scared look crossing Jacqi’s face, she chuckles.  “Don’t worry, Jacqi.  She’s a pussycat.  She just wants to test you out.  If you want to change, the bathroom’s upstairs.  The first door on the left.” 

“Thanks.”  Jacqi sighs in relief, grabbing her bag and heading upstairs.

“So, Giles.  What’s up?”  Faith questions before plopping down on the couch watching as Giles sits in the chair.

Buffy shakes her head slightly before sitting down beside Faith and smirks as Tara sits on the other side of their lover.  Both of them unconsciously for the past month have been keeping the slayer between them.

“I wanted to make sure everything is really okay here.”  Giles starts off, and sighs as he sees the three women look at him.  “I wanted to talk to you and let you know how Willow’s doing.”

“I don’t give a fuck how she’s doing.”  Buffy growls, jumping up off the couch.

“Buffy.”  Tara quietly says her name watching her lover pacing back and forth.

“Damn it Tara!  She’s alive.  She should consider herself lucky.  She killed Faith and she sliced your back.  You’re going to have a scar for the rest of your life clear across your back because of her.”  Buffy growls.

“Yes.  But Faith’s alive.  We’re all alive.  She’ll never be able to use magic again.  I completely stripped her of her powers.  We can at least listen to what he wants to tell us.”  Tara explains quietly, calmly.

Faith snarls her lip.  “She better not be fuckin’ coming back here is all I have to say about the matter.”

“No, she isn’t coming here.  I just wanted you to know that she’s coming along.  It was questionable the first couple weeks.”  He glances up catching Tara’s eyes and seeing her nod of understanding he quirks his lip slightly.  “She realizes what she’s done and she sends her sincerest regrets.” 

“Fine.  You told us and you gave us her message.  Talk of the bitch is over with.”  Buffy growls angrily, before easing her way between her two lovers and wrapping an arm around each. 

Giles sighs, realizing the redhead had completely severed her friendship with these three women.  “I brought Jacqi here for you three to continue her education.  She’s already a very talented slayer.  And even though I had to fight the rest of the Council to let her come here, I believe it is best that she learn from you three.”

“Three?”  Tara questions curiously, looking at Giles.

“Yes, you, too.”  Giles nods his head smiling slightly.  “Whether you know it or not you are an integral part of what she will need.  She has some latent magical ability and I was going to have her study with the Coven in Devon, however they actually believed you would be better to train her.  The Council will be sending you money to pay for her expenses.”

“About time they paid for somethin’.”  Faith growls in displeasure.  Turning to look at Tara, Faith raises an eyebrow.  “You okay with this?”

Tara nods her head.  “I’ll train her.” 

“Thank you.”  Jacqi smiles slightly, coming down the stairs, having quietly been listening to the discussion.  “I know you really don’t want to talk about her, but Willow is extremely sorry for what she’s done.  She hopes one day you three don’t hate her too much, but she honestly doesn’t ever expect to have your forgiveness.”

“Good.”  Faith growls nodding her head.  “She done burnt her fuckin’ bridges with us.”

“Faith.”  Tara sternly states the slayer’s name.  “I think we three are going to have to have a discussion.”  Tara looks from Faith’s to Buffy’s unforgiving eyes and shakes her head.  “She fucked up.  We know it and she knows it.  But one day you two are going to need to let it be.  We don’t have to see her or talk to her, but carrying this hatred inside you isn’t good for either one of you.”

“Well, right now I’m not ready NOT to hate her.”  Faith snarls quietly before looking in Tara’s eyes and sighs quietly.  “But I’ll work on it.”

Buffy watches Faith and then turns to look at Tara and sees the serious look on her lover’s face, and whines.  “Tara!”

“Buffy.”  Tara calmly replies and as Buffy’s shoulders drop, Tara smiles before leaning in and kissing her gently on the lips.  “Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Buffy shakes her head, before burying it in the witch’s neck.  “You are so going to owe me for this.”

“Both of us.”  Faith chuckles quietly. 

Giles shakes his head in disbelief at the discussion.  “How is your back, my dear?”  Giles questions quietly.

Buffy smirks looking up at the Watcher.  “Tons better than it should be.”

“What?”  Giles questions with a confused look. 

Jacqi’s sitting on the stairs watching the interaction between the three women.  It had been explained to her that the three were together, but she hadn’t been prepared for the three beautiful women.  Shaking her head and smirking slightly to herself, she prays they aren’t like this all the time.

“Let’s just say she has a very pale scar left, is all.”  Buffy smiles winningly.

Giles sighs and looks to Tara for a straight answer. 

“It seems there was a side effect to the spell we used to bring Faith back.  It seems some of Buffy’s slayer healing worked its way through me.  It only took a couple days for the wound to heal instead of the weeks it should have.  And it only left a raised thin, pale scar.”  Tara explains quietly.

“Oh, my.”  Giles whispers ripping his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose.  “Any other side effects?”

“Not so much that we‘ve noticed.  She just doesn’t seem to need to sleep as much anymore.”  Faith smirks slightly.

“That’s of the good.”  Buffy smiles wickedly, before opening her eyes wide and glancing at a blushing Tara.  “Sorry.”  She whispers.

“You’re going to be the one paying now.”  Tara shakes her head at her lover.  “You two need to remember we don’t have the house to ourselves anymore.  By the way, when is Dawnie supposed to be back home?”

“Any time.”  Buffy answers.  Looking to Jacqi she smiles.  “I’m assuming they explained to you our unique relationship?”  At Jacqi’s blush and nod, Buffy smirks.  “Good.  That much less I have to worry about explaining.”

“Do you have any other gear that needs brought in?”  Faith questions standing up.

“Yeah, I got another bag of clothes and my gear bag.”  Jacqi answers nodding her head. 

“Is the vehicle unlocked, G-man?”  Faith questions the Watcher and at his nod, she grins.  “You staying, too?” 

Giles shakes his head.  “I have a flight back to England in a few hours.”

“Probably a good thing.  You would have had to crash on the couch if you stayed here.”  Faith growls before laughing.  “I’ll go get your gear, and take it up to your room while B gives you a good breaking in.”

Buffy smiles as Faith heads out the door before leaning over and kissing Tara briefly.  “I’m going to take her to the garage and see what’s the what.”

“Be nice.”  Tara warns with a glint in her eyes. 

“I’m always nice.”  Buffy smirks.  Raising an eyebrow at Jacqi she tilts her head.  “Come on young ‘un.  I want to test and see how good you are.” 

Tara laughs quietly as she watches Buffy lead Jacqi to the garage.  Glancing back towards Giles she sees him watching her intently.  “What’s the matter, Mister Giles?”

Giles tilts his head looking the young woman over.  “Well, I’ll probably be considered a dirty old man, but I must say you look extremely good and happy.”

Tara blushes lightly then smiles.  “Thank you.  I’m more than happy, Mister Giles.  I never imagined being in this kind of a situation, but I have to admit I don’t think I could be any more complete.”

“Damn good thing.  We ain’t makin’ this a foursome.”  Faith growls as she comes in with one bag hoisted over her shoulder and carrying the other.  “I’m gonna put these up in the spare bedroom.  Do you mind if I go watch B put the new kid through her paces?”

Tara chuckles.  “No, no foursomes.  I like things just the way they are.  Of course you can watch Buffy.  Just remember if you two decide to show Jacqi some of your moves, keep them on the PG side, please.”

Faith opens her eyes wide.  “We would never do something like that in front of someone else.”

“Yes, right.  I remember the furniture store, Faith.  So try again.”  Tara narrows her eyes slightly at the woman.

“I’m gonna go upstairs now.”  Faith grins before quickly running up the stairs. 

Tara watches her lover, chuckling as she comes running back down to head to the garage.  Smiling softly she turns back to Giles. 

Giles is pinching his nose and shaking his head before he grins briefly.  “I must say, dear.  Just from the little bit I have seen here you have made an immense change in those two women.  Faith laughing and being affectionate is almost unbelievable.  And Buffy…”  He smiles softly thinking about his slayer.  “She’s happier than I ever remember her being.  If nothing else, I would give you the world just because of that.”

Tara blushes looking down briefly before lifting her head and smirking.  “It isn’t just me, Mister Giles.  It’s all three of us together.  Fortunately Buffy was very understanding with the time I spent with Faith when we were first together.  Part of it we couldn’t help, with her working and my schooling.  Then the problems with Willow…”  Tara trails off frowning.  Shaking her head she looks back up into Giles’ eyes.  “Needless to say things are on a more even keel now.  Plus those two have helped me out just as much if not more than I helped them.” 

“You’re good for each other.”  Giles quietly states.  “I must admit I always hoped that Buffy would find someone like you.  She needs a calm steady influence in her life.  And if Buffy needed that, Faith really truly needs it a hundred times more.”  Giles admits.  “I never would have wished what happened to have come to pass, but I honestly believe it may be the best thing for all involved.”

Tara opens her eyes wide in shock at Giles before smiling genuinely at the older man.  “Thank you, Mister Giles.  There is something else that I don’t think either woman mentioned to you.”  Tara frowns slightly, thinking about it.

“They’re your warriors.  Or, the Goddess’ warriors, as the case may be.  They’re marked as yours, aren’t they?”  Giles’ lip twitches up slightly. 

“How did you…?”  Tara sits looking in stunned surprise at the Watcher.

“Did you ever realize what the Goddess’ will was, Tara?”  Giles smiles gently at the witch.

“I figured it was to do with Willow.”  Tara tilts her head inquiringly at the man.

“No.  After this all went down I came across something else about the prophecy.  It seems the Will of the Goddess was the Dark Warrior to be saved.”  Giles admits chuckling quietly.

Tara shakes her head before collapsing back into the couch.  “You mean to tell me, that for me to become the Embodiment of the Goddess, Her Vessel to do Her will, Faith had to die.  But Her will was for Faith to live?”   At the Watcher’s smirk and nod Tara growls.  “Fucking circular thinking.”

Giles blushes at Tara’s phrasing before coughing into his hand.  “I think you may be spending a bit too much time with Faith.”

Tara waves her hand at the Watcher.  “Sorry.”

Giles chuckles and leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees.   “Are your eyes still different colors to those two?”  At Tara’s nod, he grins.  “Only the true warriors of the Goddess will be able to see your eyes that color.  Your warriors.  It was in that other tidbit of information I came across.”

“But why can’t I see it?”  Tara questions before thinking quietly.  “Because I’m not a warrior.  I’m part of the Goddess, right?”  Tara looks towards the Watcher and as he nods smiling she rolls her eyes.  “They just like messing with everyone’s mind is all it is.”  Hearing loud laughter coming from the garage, Tara raises an eyebrow.  “Now that scares me.” 

She quickly hops up off the couch and runs to the garage, opening the door seeing Buffy flat on her back with a smirking Jacqi standing over her and Faith laughing hysterically.

“She got your ass good, B!!”  Faith gets out between laughs.

Buffy growls from the floor looking at Faith with narrowed eyes.  “It wasn’t that funny.”

“Yeah it was.”  Faith smiles before laughing again.  “B got bested by the new kid.  You are never gonna live this one down.”

“It was one lucky hit.”  Buffy growls as she flips herself up.  Striding towards Faith with a gleam in her eyes.  “You want to take me on, F?”

Faith raises her hands, getting her laughter under control.  “No, old lady.  I think you took a good enough beating.  I don’t want ya’ to be put on your back twice today.”

Tara chuckles quietly looking from one woman to the other.  “I hate to say this, but she’s already been on her back more than twice today.”

“TARA!”  Buffy yells, blushing deeply, before glancing from Giles to Jacqi and back at her lover.  “That was wrong in so many ways.”  Buffy grumbles as she stomps into the house, leaving Faith and Tara laughing behind her.

“That was a good one.”  Faith smirks at Tara.  “But now you’re gonna owe her again.”

“I know.  But I just couldn’t resist.”  Tara smirks looking into the kitchen to a pouting Buffy.  “Oh, poor baby’s pouting.”  Tara smirks as she watches Buffy pout her lip out even further.  Turning she winks at Faith before walking into the kitchen, shutting the door behind her.

Faith rolls her eyes before grinning at Giles.  “So, G-man.  Anything I need to know?”

Giles shakes his head laughing quietly.  “I’m just glad I’m not going to be staying here.  The damn pheromones are enough to give me a heart attack.”  Giles runs a hand through his graying hair.  “Actually I explained pretty much everything I knew to Tara.  I’m sure you can discuss it after I’ve left.”  Giles looks down at his watch and sighs.  “Which I need to get ready to go.”  Looking back up he smiles apologetically at Jacqi.  “No matter how these three may act, you are actually in probably the best hands available.”

Jacqi smiles and nods her head.  “Thanks, Giles.  I have a feeling we’ll get along fine.  I’ll just need to know when to run to another part of the house when things get a little… hot and heavy?”  Jacqi grins at Faith.

“You’re gonna be running a lot.”  Faith growls out before smirking at the young woman.  “How old are you, anyway?”

“Just turned 17.”  Jacqi smiles glancing at Giles.

“So, we’re gonna need to get you in for your Senior year?”  Faith figures quietly.

“No, she’s actually graduated.  She was ahead in her classes.  Very smart young woman, is our Jacqi.”  Giles smiles in admiration of the woman.  “She was wanting to take time off before deciding on college, then she was called.  So I guess she needs to decide what to do now.”

Jacqi nods and smiles at Giles.  “It isn’t that big of a deal.  I’ll figure it out.  Thanks for escorting me here, Giles.”

“No problem, my dear.  If they give you any trouble, just let Tara know.  She’ll straighten out her two slayers.”  Giles smirks at Faith.

“That is just wrong.”  Faith growls before smirking slightly.  “And so right.”  She admits, making the other two laugh.  Walking towards the garage door, she eases it open and peeks her head out before growling loudly.  “Break it up you two, Tweed needs to get ready to leave.”

Buffy and Tara break apart, both blushing before laughing slightly.  “Sorry.”

“No you’re not.”  Faith chuckles.  “We are so going to be hurting for free time when we have a full house again.”

Buffy frowns and leans in to Tara’s side.  “I’ve kind of gotten used to doing what we want where we want.”

“Please do not continue that statement, Buffy.”  Giles walks into the kitchen quickly followed by a grinning Jacqi.  “I understand you three together but I do NOT want to hear any details.”

“Why not?”  Buffy growls quietly with a wicked gleam in her eye.  “You wanted to know about the birthmark on Tara’s breast.  Details at that!!”

“Buffy!”  Giles exclaims in shock looking towards Tara, who he expected to be upset but all she’s doing is giggling. 

“I’m surprised they still don’t insist on taking pictures and sending them to you.”  Tara smiles crookedly at the Watcher, shocking him slightly.  “Come on, Mister Giles.  Do you honestly think I didn’t know about that conversation?  They’ve only gotten worse here lately.”

“Have not.  I’m actually better than normal.  B is the one that’s turned into a regular... ooommmmfff.”  Faith is stopped in the middle of her sentence by Buffy covering her mouth firmly with her hand.

“I don’t think you really want to finish that comment, Faith.”  Buffy growls lowly in her ear.  “Okay?”  As Faith looks at Buffy and finally nods her head, Buffy smiles and releases her mouth. 

“You sure you can’t stay?”  Tara questions the Watcher quietly, knowing how much Buffy would like Giles to stick around for a while.

Buffy looks at the Watcher hopefully.

Giles looks from Tara to Buffy, seeing the hopeful expression on her face and sighs quietly.  “Bloody hell.  I guess a few days wouldn’t hurt.  Just something else to piss Travers off.”  Giles smiles nodding his head.  “But I refuse to sleep on the couch.”

Buffy runs over and hugs Giles tightly.  “Maybe Dawn won’t mind Jacqi bunking down in her room for a while.”

“Oxygen, Buffy!  Oxygen!!”  Giles wheezes out.

“Sorry.”  Buffy quickly releases the Watcher and steps back grinning ear to ear.  “You got any luggage to bring in?”

Giles smiles and laughs quietly.  “Yes, my dear.  I have a small carry-on with a couple changes of clothes in it.  I’ll probably need to run by the store and pick up a few personal items.”

“Consider it done.  Either make a list or we’ll all go.”  Buffy yells as she runs out to the car to get his bag.

Giles watches in surprise as Buffy runs out of the kitchen.

“Thank you, Mister Giles.”  Tara whispers quietly to the Watcher.  “She really misses you.”

“As I do her.”  Giles smiles softly at the witch. 

“You know, with three slayers here on the Hellmouth it would probably be to the benefit of the Council to put a Watcher here that is familiar with the lay of the land, as it were.”  Tara suggests, with a glint in her eye.

Faith chuckles quietly and nods towards Jacqi.  “Come on, kiddo.  Let Tara work her mojo.  I’ll show you the squirt’s room.”  Faith and Jacqi leave Giles and Tara alone in the kitchen.

Giles considers the young woman, realizing that she’s changed a great deal in the time he’s been gone.  Of course, he knew that there had been quite a few changes with everything that has happened here on the Hellmouth.  What Willow told him, was enough to make him sick to his stomach about how she had acted towards these three women.  

Tara watches the emotions crossing Giles’ face and tilts her head momentarily considering the man.  “She considers you a father, Mister Giles.  You’re more of a father to her than her own is.  She’s missed you immensely.  And though she may not say it, she would love for you to come back and stay.”  Tara glances down briefly thinking before looking back up whispering. “And I would feel privileged if you let me consider you my father.”

Giles inhales deeply, seeing the strength of emotion in this woman’s eyes.  “My dear, you definitely don’t play fair.”  He chuckles quietly as a tear works its way down his cheek and he walks over to lean down and hug her gently.  “Of course, this means you can’t call me Mister Giles anymore.  It’s either Giles, or… Dad if you wish.”  His voice drops even lower on the last few words.  “I guess this means I’m going to have to look for living accommodations here in Sunny Hell.” 

Tara chuckles quietly holding onto the older gentleman.  “I guess it does.”

Buffy stands quietly at the doorway to the kitchen, a beatific smile on her face, with tears streaming down her face.  She turns into Faith’s embrace as she feels the slayer’s arms wrap around her.  “He’s home.”

“I heard, B.  I heard.”  Faith whispers quietly hugging Buffy tight to her body.  Smiling in relief, knowing how much Buffy misses the Watcher.

***

Chapter 3

“Get decent, I’m home!”  Dawn yells as she unlocks and opens the door.  “Whose car is in the drive?”   As she walks in she sees Giles standing at the bottom of the stairs. “GILES!”  Dawn yells, dropping her bags and running to the Watcher hugging him strongly. 

“Yes, well.”  Giles coughs and laughs quietly, hugging the teen back.  “I think you’ve grown at least three inches since I saw you last.”

“How long are you here?”  Dawn questions, her head buried in the older man’s shoulder, not letting her grip up at all.

Tara chuckles seeing Dawn attached to the Watcher.  Making eye contact with the Watcher she grins crookedly.  “I guess we aren’t the only ones that missed you.”

“I imagine not.”  Giles smiles gently, patting Dawn’s back.  “I’m staying.”

Dawn pulls back, looking in the Watcher’s eyes.  “You aren’t lying to me are you?”  As he shakes his head, Dawn jumps up, yelling. “YES!!”

“You would think she’s happy or somethin’.”  Faith growls quietly, as she walks down the stairs followed quickly by Buffy.

“I’m starting to feel hurt.”  Buffy whines slightly, batting her eyelashes.  “She didn’t even look for me.  She went straight for the older gray-haired man when her sister was in the house.”

“That’s okay, B.  I still love ya’.”  Faith turns and winks at the slayer. 

“Buffy!”  Dawn whines looking at her sister.  “Umm, not to complain or anything, but exactly why are you here Giles?  And who’s the girl standing behind Tara?”

“Oh, shit.”  Buffy pales before swallowing hard, looking from Faith to Tara.  “We have a lot of explaining to do.”

“She doesn’t know what happened?”  Giles starts cleaning his glasses furiously.

“Hello, Giles!”  Buffy growls the words.  “She was at Summer Camp for the last six weeks.  Should we have just called her on the phone and said oh, by the way all hell broke loose while you were gone?”

“Well…”  Giles stops momentarily thinking about it.

“And we weren’t about to bring her home, everythin’ was already done and taken care of.  Ruinin’ her good time wasn’t what we wanted.”  Faith admits quietly.  “It ain’t often when she can actually be a kid.  So lettin’ her have a good summer was important.”

Dawn whistles loudly looking from one person to another.  “Tell me what the hell happened.  And who are you?”  Dawn turns piercing eyes on the tall woman standing behind Tara.

Jacqi looks from one person to another with a deer in the headlight’s look on her face. 

“This is Jacqi.”  Tara quietly starts, watching Dawn.  “She’s the new slayer.”

Dawn looks at Jacqi and nods her head. “Hi, Jacqi, I’m….”   All of a sudden it hits her and she turns pale looking towards Faith.  “WHAT?????”

“Dawnie, you might want to sit down.”  Tara walks over to place a comforting arm around the teen, urging her to the couch.  Sitting down beside her, Tara sighs quietly.  “Where to start?”

“The beginning would be good.”  Dawn snarls.  “Obviously a lot happened while I was gone.”

“Ummm, well it was kind of like this.”  Tara hesitantly starts telling how they tricked Willow to come to the house, Faith taking the knives meant for her and dying.  Buffy and Tara bringing her back.  Here Tara stops and looks at Buffy and Faith.  “Giles came across some new information.  It seems that the will of the Goddess was for Faith to live.” 

“I’ll be damned.”  Faith growls quietly before sitting down hard on the stairs.  Buffy quickly sits down behind her and wraps her arms around the stunned slayer.

“Needless to say, there was a showdown.  I bested Willow, saw that she still had some of her humanity left, stripped her of her powers and sent her to the Coven in Devonshire.”  Tara finishes quietly. 

“That wasn’t fuckin’ all.”  Faith growls out, her eyes flickering with remembered pain.  “She sliced your back and it took roughly 50 stitches for B to put it back together again.”

Dawn turns pale again, then a slightly greenish tinge comes over her face.  Quickly standing up, she runs out the front door and loses what she had previously eaten over the railing.

Tara stands to quickly follow Dawn.  Stepping out onto the porch, she stops when Dawn raises a hand towards her.

Spitting out the last, Dawn turns looking at Tara.  “Let me get something to drink.” 

Tara nods following Dawn back into the house, slowly sitting back down on the couch.

Dawn takes a few minutes in the kitchen rinsing her mouth out with water before opening a juice, quickly drinking it down before walking back to the living room.  Looking at Tara sitting on the couch she whispers. “Stand up, let me see.”

“Dawn…”  Tara starts then sees a hardened look come across the teen’s face that reminds her of Buffy.  “It’s fine Dawn.  There was a little side effect to the spell we did to bring Faith back.  It healed my back in a couple days.”

Dawn growls out angrily. “Let me see your back.”  Dawn watches as Tara sighs heavily before standing up, turning her back to the teen.  Dawn slowly approaches and gently eases her top up, clenching her teeth at the diagonal scar running across the length of Tara’s back.

Giles and Jacqi both unconsciously move closer to look at the scar.  Giles turns a livid red, realizing that without the healing from the spell, her back would have been horribly disfigured.  Luckily it was just a pale line with a slight raise to it.  Turning he walks over to the mantle, placing a hand on it to support himself.  Remembering how Willow told him about what she did, but in his heart not believing she was capable of such an atrocity.  Finally understanding why Faith and Buffy have been acting the way they’ve been, and finally seeing with his own eyes that everything Willow had told him was true.  Giles whispers quietly to himself, more than anyone else. “I understand better now, and Lord knows I wouldn’t want her anywhere near here, either.”  Unconsciously, the Watcher reaches up and wipes the tears that were running down his face away. 

The three slayers heard what the Watcher whispered and Buffy and Faith glance at each other.  Buffy shakes her head and silently just wraps Faith up tighter in the hug, pulling her back against her body.  Both women had the last month to come to terms with what happened, even though neither would ever forget or forgive Willow.  Maybe they would be able to act civil towards her, even possibly hold a conversation on the phone with her.  But it wasn’t something that would happen any time soon. 

Dawn lowers the shirt before wrapping Tara up in a tight hug. 

“It’s okay Dawnie.”  Tara whispers running her hands soothingly down the teen’s dark hair looking at her lovers with sad eyes.  “I’m okay.  Faith’s okay.  And Willow is working on being okay.”

“Don’t fucking care about Willow.”  Dawn cries out, tears flowing from her eyes as she tightens her grip around the witch.  “She never should have done what she did.  For someone that’s supposedly so brilliant she was totally stupid.” 

Buffy starts to open her mouth about Dawn’s use of profanity when Faith clasps her arm and shakes her head.  “Let her be.  She needs to get it out.” 

Buffy sighs and loosens her grip on Faith as Faith stands and walks towards Tara and Dawn. 

Dawn must have subconsciously known that Faith was approaching because she releases her tight grip on Tara and turns around wrapping her arms around Faith, surprising the slayer.  Looking up into Tara’s sad eyes, she sees the love for her and Buffy shining in her eyes and she smiles and winks at the witch.  “It’s okay, Little D.”  Faith huskily whispers, hugging her gently. 

Buffy chuckles quietly and gets up walking towards Tara, Faith and Dawn.  Pulling Tara in, all four women end up in a tight embrace.  “It’s over, Dawn.  Everything is taken care of, everyone’s alive and doing well.

“Yeah, and we hope you don’t mind, but Jacqi’s gonna be sharin’ your room.  We just got the cot set up in there.”  Faith smirks as she lets the teen know she wasn’t going to have the room to herself.

“Figures.  I just spent the summer in one huge room with 11 other teenage girls.  I guess sharing with one will be manageable.”  Dawn smirks. 

“It’s only temporary, my dear.”  Giles finally turns after getting control of his emotions.  “I’ll start looking for lodgings.  I’m sure there won’t be a problem finding something.”

“I don’t know what would ever give you that idea, G-man.”  Faith smirks at the Watcher. 

“Oh, good.  Now I have somewhere to go when you three get all weird.  Jacqi, just to let you know these three are together and you better double-check before you walk into any room in the house if you don’t know where they’re at.”  Dawn tries to hold back a laugh, knowing she was going to catch hell for that statement.

“Young lady, there will be no discussing our private lives!”  Buffy growls before chuckling.  “And take her statements to heart, Jacqi.  Sometimes it’s hard to resist these two.”

As the four finally loosen their grips on each other, they slowly separate.  Tara shakes her head, blushing lightly and murmurs something about food for dinner as she heads into the kitchen. 

“Need help getting your gear upstairs, Squirt?”  Faith questions looking at the two big bags. 

Dawn smiles at Faith and nods her head, watching as Faith grabs the two bags heading towards the stairs.  “Thanks, Faith.  And I’m really glad you’re here and in one piece.”

“You and me both, Squirt.”  Faith turns and grins at the teen before heading upstairs.

Jacqi silently watches the women, shaking her head before smiling briefly.  Watching as Giles sits down in the chair and Buffy and Dawn sit down on the couch, catching up on what else had happened while the teen was away, Jacqi turns and slowly walks into the kitchen.  Watching Tara as she scrubs potatoes, she watches her for a few moments.  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Tara looks up, smiling.  “What can you do, to help?  Pretty much everyone else around here is useless, though Faith has been learning.”

Jacqi chuckles at the comment before walking over to the sink.  “I can scrub potatoes like no-one’s business.  I can also chop, dice, slice all kinds of other vegetables.  I make a pretty good vegetable stew, my vegetarian lasagna, I’ve been told is decent, also.”

Tara raises an eyebrow at the girl, leaning back into the corner of the kitchen counters watching as she scrubs the potatoes.  “Are you vegetarian?”  At Jacqi’s smile and nod, she chuckles.  “Good.  Now I’m not the only one in the house.”

Jacqi glances up and laughs.  “We’re still outnumbered, though.” 

“Yes, but now I’ll fix more items, instead of just odds and ends, supplemented with salads.”  Tara grins before opening the refrigerator door, pulling out a bag of baby carrots, an onion and a huge roast.  “Do you mind quartering the onion for me?”  Tara looks up and smiles as Jacqi holds her hand out.  Tossing her the onion, Tara turns and places the other items on the counter, grabbing a big pan out, uncovering the roast.  Reaching up out of habit, to grab down the cooking spray and spraying the pan quickly before replacing the can. Tara places the roast in the pan and dumps the bag of carrots around the roast before turning and smiling as Jacqi hands her the cleaned and quartered onion.  “Thanks.” 

Jacqi shakes her head smiling and grabs up the small red potatoes, carrying them over to place around the roast.  “Obviously this is for the carnivores in there, what are you planning to have for us to eat?”

“That is the million dollar question.”  Tara smirks as she covers the roast and slides it into the oven, turning the oven on.  “What do you feel like?  We always have salad fixings on hand.  Occasionally I can even get the carnivores to have one with dinner.  I have three quarters of a vegetable lasagna I made in the freezer, if you feel like that.  I can fix some bread in the bread maker to go with dinner.”

“One loaf of bread with three slayers?”  Jacqi questions, trying not to laugh.

“Oh, it’s a double bread maker.  Does two 2lb loaves.”  Tara admits.  “After I made bread from scratch, the slayers fell in love until they realized how much work went into it and went out and bought the bread machine.  They still bitch that it isn’t as good as my home made, but they won’t let me make it that often.”

“And if you’re lucky you get what, one piece of bread before they scarf the rest of it down?”  Jacqi laughs as Tara rolls her eyes and grins.  “I’ve noticed a marked increase in my food intake, also.”

“I think slayers burn four or five times the amount of calories a normal person does.”  Tara chuckles as she reaches back in the freezer, pulling the lasagna out.  “I’ll let this thaw out.  We’ll throw it in the oven later to re-heat.”  Tara starts grabbing the ingredients for the bread machine.  “If you want, the bread machine is in the cabinet over there.”  Tara tilts her head down towards the cabinet Jacqi’s standing by. 

Jacqi leans down and opens the cabinet, pulling the bread machine out.  “Do you want me to set it up over here?”  Jacqi looks at Tara and at her nod she sets it down on the counter and plugs it in.  Opening the top, she pulls out the two inner pieces, placing them over by the blonde.  “So correct me if I’m wrong, but are you like the caretaker of this group?”

Tara chuckles, looking up with twinkling blue eyes.  “Sometimes I’m even called mom.  Especially when my maternal instincts kick in more than usual.  Of course it’s usually said sarcastically.”  Tara admits quirking her lip up slightly as she measures the ingredients into the mixing/baking containers. 

“Oooh, what’s for dinner?”  Buffy asks walking into the kitchen as Tara finishes with the ingredients for the bread. 

“Roast with lots of potatoes, carrots, just a little bit of onion and one wheat loaf and one white loaf.  Jacqi and I are going to have the rest of my lasagna.  We’ll of course also have a salad to go with dinner.”  Tara glances up smiling lovingly at Buffy. 

“Mmmm.”  Buffy smiles as she watches Tara fix the bread maker and start it.  Glancing up at Jacqi, Buffy looks apologetically at the newest slayer.  “Sorry, but I can’t be in the same room with the witch without kissing her.” 

Tara chuckles as Buffy turns her around, wrapping her arms around her neck and kissing her lovingly.  “You are rotten.” 

“Yes, I am.”  Buffy admits before leaning in for another kiss.  “But you love me anyway.”  Buffy smirks as she winks at the witch and turns to leave the kitchen.

“That I do.”  Tara laughs quietly watching Buffy shake her ass as she walks out of the room.  Glancing over at Jacqi, who’s just smiling, Tara shakes her head.  “Consider yourself lucky.  That was extremely mild.”  Glancing up into the kitchen doorway, Faith comes strolling in.  “There went mild.  You might want to head to the living room.  I don’t want to get in trouble for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”

Faith growls quietly.  “Would I do somethin’ like that?”  She questions walking up to Tara and pulling her in for a passionate, but quick kiss.  “See, I behaved.”  She smirks before turning to open the refrigerator and grabbing a water.  Turning she looks at Jacqi. “Want somethin‘?” 

“Water would be fine.”  Jacqi nods and catches the water Faith tosses her.  “Thanks.”

“Help yourself around here.  The only things off-limits is Dawn, the witch, myself, Buffy and Mister Pointy.”  Faith explains as she heads out of the kitchen.

“Mister Pointy?”  Jacqi questions with a confused look on her face.

“The slayer that was called after Buffy died was named Kendra.  Mister Pointy is the stake that she made and named.”  Tara explains quietly.  “Buffy keeps it upstairs in the bedroom.  She still feels guilty for Kendra’s death.” 

“You guys have been through a lot, haven’t you?”  Jacqi looks up inquiringly at the witch.

“That would be putting it mildly.”  Tara shakes her head.  “I wasn’t around when that happened.  I didn’t come on the scene until a couple years ago.”  Tara admits before smiling.  “My hooking up with those two women is the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me.  And no matter what has happened or will happen, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“You three obviously love each other a lot.”  Jacqi smiles thinking about what she’s seen in the few hours she’s been here.  “I never really thought it was possible to find that kind of love.  Makes me feel good to know it actually exists.”

“It does, doesn’t it?  Makes fighting feel worthwhile.”  Tara smiles.  “It’s going to be a few hours before dinner’s ready.  Why don’t we go out to the living room and relax.”  Tara straightens up from where she was leaning against the counter and heads towards the living room with Jacqi following behind. 

***

“You are not taking her out tonight.  They’ve been traveling all day and are tired.  You can wait ‘til tomorrow.”  Tara puts her foot down at the dinner table as Buffy and Faith discuss taking Jacqi on patrol with them that night.

“But Tara…”  Buffy starts and growls as she sees the unyielding look on Tara’s face.  “Damn it, I hate it when she uses that look.”  Buffy looks down and finishes her dinner.

Faith starts to open her mouth to say something and when Tara turns and looks at her, she just growls loudly before reaching for the last piece of bread.  “Ain’t fuckin’ fair using that look.”

Dawn laughs quietly as she eats the last carrot on her plate and glances at Giles, who’s cleaning his glasses, but obviously holding back a smirk and Jacqi who just looks from one woman to the next, shaking her head.  Leaning towards Jacqi, Dawn whispers.  “You’ll get used to it.  You should see how they act when they’ve done something to piss Tara off.”

Faith and Buffy both look at Dawn and growl deeply.

“Behave.”  Tara murmurs as she sips the last of her water looking at her two lovers.  “And maybe I’ll make a couple batches of brownies.”

Faith and Buffy both sit up and smile, making the rest of the table laugh.  “It ain’t that funny.”  Faith grumbles good-naturedly.  “But since we’ve got another slayer and a Watcher added to the list, you might want to make it four double batches.”  Faith wiggles her eyebrows at the witch.

“Yeah, because we know you’ll eat a whole container by yourself.”  Dawn snarks at the dark haired slayer. 

“Around this house?  You snooze, you loose.”  Faith sticks her tongue out at the teen.  “Can’t help it if you’re usually too slow when the witch fixes desserts.”

“Too slow?  I had Tara hide me some and it still disappeared.  I don’t think it’s fair using slayer enhanced noses to sniff out the desserts!”  Dawn whines.

“That is an abuse of your powers, my dear.  You really shouldn’t…”  Giles trails off as all three slayers turn to look at him, rolling his eyes he can’t help but finally laugh.  “I tried, Dawn.”

“Thanks for the help, Giles.”  Dawn sighs quietly.  “I’ll figure out something, or just eat a good portion after it comes out of the oven.”

Tara shakes her head before standing to start gathering up the dirty dishes. 

“Sit down, babe.  We’ll take care of this.”  Faith stands up and gently pushes Tara back in the seat as she gathers up the plates while Buffy grabs the platters and silverware. “Anybody else need anything?”  Glancing around the table and getting shakes of the head, Faith quickly heads into the kitchen followed by Buffy.

“So, what kind of place are you going to look for?”  Tara questions Giles.

“Don’t know.”  Giles admits.  “I think I might invest in a house this time, instead of an apartment.  Especially since I plan on sticking around.”

Tara smiles and nods her head.  “There’s a couple houses around the block that are up for sale.”  Tara hints with a raised eyebrow.

Giles chuckles quietly.  “Trying to keep me close, my dear?”

“Yes.”  Tara admits.  “If this house was big enough, I’d say everyone could live here.”

“Not a good idea.”  Dawn shakes her head.  “You three need time to do whatever it is that you do.  Having people in the house all the time is not a good idea.  Hopefully Giles will get a house with at least a couple bedrooms that way Jacqi and I can come stay.  Frequently!”  Dawn adds the last word with more force.

Tara grins as she looks down at the table, remembering the past weekend and what Buffy had done to her on the table, makes her blush deeply.

Giles shakes his head and turns to say something to Tara and sees the dark blush on her face.  He rolls his eyes.  “Okay, a house with a minimum of three bedrooms.  I would actually like to have a large room for my books, also.”  Giles admits quietly. 

“Do you think the Council will give you any problems?”  Tara looks up questioningly at the Watcher.

“No more than usual, my dear.”  Giles smirks slightly.  “But I think they will see our side of things, especially since I have three slayers and a Vessel of the Goddess on my side.”

Tara shakes her head slightly smiling.  “Mister Giles, Jacqi, do you like brownies?”   Tara looks from one person to the other.

Jacqi grins in reply and Tara smirks at the obvious look.  “That’s one yes, nuts or no nuts?”

“Either way is fine.”  Jacqi grins as Dawn elbows her in the side.  “What?”

“Be careful of comments that can be taken in multiple ways.”  Dawn stage whispers to the new slayer.

“Watch it, Squirt.”  Faith growls out quietly as she comes into the dining room.  “Kitchen’s all cleaned up and I even chopped up a couple cups of nuts to put in the brownies.”

Buffy grins as she follows Faith out of the kitchen.  “And I got down the ingredients for the brownies.”  Stopping and frowning she looks at Tara.  “I think I got them all down, not real sure what all you put in them.”

Tara chuckles quietly.  “I’m more worried about having enough of everything for four batches.”  Standing she walks towards the kitchen stopping and giving each slayer a quick kiss.  “Thank you.”

“Welcome.”  Faith smirks as she watches Tara kiss Buffy and head into the kitchen.  “Time to patrol, B?”

“Yeah, it’s getting dark out.”  Buffy agrees looking out the front window seeing the dark creeping in.  “I guess we should go get ready.”

Jacqi stands up quickly. “I can go.  I’m not really that tired.”

“No!”  Faith adamantly almost shouts the word out.  “I ain’t gettin’ in trouble by taking you out on patrol.  We’ll take you with us tomorrow.”

“Faith’s right.  Relax, watch television or maybe hit the sack early if you want.”  Buffy smiles at the slayer.  “We’ll break you in properly tomorrow.  Plus I really don’t want to piss off the witch.  She can be downright scary when she gets angry.”

Faith nods her head.  “Thank God she ain’t ever been really angry at either one of us, but we’ve seen it and don’t want it aimed at us.” 

“Whipped.”  Dawn smirks as she says the word towards the two slayers.

“And loving it.”  Faith smirks back at the teen, yelping as Buffy smacks her on the ass.

“Let’s go get changed, Faith.  I don’t want you corrupting my little sister.”  Buffy growls before winking at Dawn.

“Like the things I’ve accidentally walked in on isn’t corruption enough.”  Dawn rolls her eyes before looking seriously at the two women.  “I’m glad everyone’s okay.”

“Us to, Dawn.”  Buffy smiles softly at her sister.  “Let’s go, Faith.”

“’Kay.”  Faith agrees as she quickly heads up the stairs to change.

***

“Need any help with the brownies?”  Dawn questions as she watches Tara.

Glancing up, Tara smiles.  “I’m okay.  Why don’t you sit and keep me company?”

“Anything else happen, while I was away at camp that I should know about?”  Dawn questions watching as Tara pours the chopped walnuts into the huge mixing bowl before stirring to mix them in.

“Hmmm.  Talked about everything that happened with Willow.  Other than other ordinary Hellmouth events I think that’s pretty much the biggie.”  Tara winks at the teen.  Catching movement by the doorway she sees Jacqi standing there.  “Come on in, Jacqi.  This is your home now, feel free to do what you want.” 

“Thanks.”  Jacqi slowly walks over to sit at the island looking from Dawn to the witch.  “Anything I can help with?”

Tara chuckles and glances at the slayer.  “I’ve got it under control, thanks.”  Tara pours the batter she just finished mixing into two separate pans before pouring more ingredients in to the bowl for the other two batches of brownies.  “I was thinking about making cream cheese icing to go on the batches of regular brownies, what do you two think?”

Dawn’s eyes light up and Jacqi nods her head enthusiastically. 

“That’s two yeses I see.”  Tara smirks as she mixes the ingredients together.  “I guess tomorrow we’re all going to need to sit down and get some kind of rotation figured out for everyone.”  Tara pours the mixture into the other two pans before putting all four in the oven and rinsing the bowl out.  Getting the cream cheese out of the refrigerator she sets it down on the counter as she sits down by the two teens.  “You’re going to need to be trained, with me and with Buffy and Faith.  I’ll be starting school back up in a month, but the other two are open pretty much all the time.  How much magic training have you had?”

“Not any.”  Jacqi admits.  “No one really knew I had any magical abilities until I tagged along one day with Giles to the Coven when he was checking on Willow.  They realized I had some latent magical ability, but weren’t real sure how much or how strong it would be.”

Tara nods her head and looks at the new slayer for a long moment.  “Do you mind if I look to see?”

Jacqi’s eyes widen slightly.  “Of course not.”  She quickly answers.

Tara’s lips quirk up slightly.  “Thank you.”  Looking into the woman’s aura, her actual being, Tara sees the solidness of an honestly good soul, untarnished.  Feeling sad for a moment realizing that no matter what, being the slayer would tarnish it to some degree, Tara shakes the thought off as she delves deeper, seeing the slight glimmer of magical ability under the many layers and is surprised at the untapped ability lying there.  It would take time to develop, but in her own right, Jacqi could become a very strong witch.  Nowhere near as powerful as Willow or herself, but still someone to be reckoned with.  Smiling as she again focuses on the slayer’s face she nods her head.  “It’s buried deeply, but it’s there waiting to be tapped.  I’ll start you the way my mother started me.  Learning the ways of the Wicca, and right from wrong.  Don’t worry if it seems to take a while, it isn’t something that can happen quickly if you want to learn right.” 

“I understand.”  Jacqi smiles and breathes out a sigh of relief.  “I can’t believe you’re actually going to train me.”

Tara frowns and looks to Dawn, Dawn shrugs her shoulders and looks at the slayer.  “Why wouldn’t I want to help you?”  Tara questions.

“You’re the Goddess’ Vessel.”  Jacqi starts before being interrupted quickly by Tara.

“That may be, but I’m a person and human being first and foremost.  I’m just me, nothing special.  Please don’t think I am.”  Tara quietly makes the statements.  “I’m just plain Tara.  Remember that.”

“Hey, you aren’t just plain nothin’.”  Faith growls as she follows Buffy into the kitchen.  “You’re our Sex Kit…”  Faith’s eyes open wide and she snaps her mouth shut as Tara turns a glare in her direction.  “Shit.”

“You are so in trouble.”  Buffy mutters to Faith before turning to Tara.  “We’re heading out on patrol.  We’ve got our cell phones, so if you need us call.”  She leans down and kisses Tara on the cheek.  “Love you.”

“Love you, too.  Be careful.”  Tara smiles as Buffy winks at her.  Turning a narrowed gaze on a quiet Faith, she finally smirks.  “You need to behave.”

“Can’t.  It’s against my nature.”  Faith shrugs as she leans down and kisses Tara briefly.  “We’ll try and not be too late.  Love ya’.” 

“I love you, too, Faith.  Both of you be careful.”  Tara watches as the two women jostle each other as they leave the kitchen.  Sighing at her two lovers, she turns back to the two teens.   “I’m sure Buffy and Faith will still want to continue with your training also, Dawn.” 

“What about you?”  Dawn questions.  “Are you still going to be working on the forms and fighting skills also?”

Sighing Tara nods and rolls her eyes.  “Yes, they insist I get in at least ten hours of practice a week.  When I go back to school I don’t know when I’ll have time to do everything and have a love life on top of it.”

Dawn bites her lip to keep from laughing.  “I’m sure you’ll figure out something.”

Tara’s blue eyes twinkle as she looks at the teen.  “I’m sure.” 

“I’m going to go take a shower and sit down and read a few chapters of my book to relax before going to bed.”  Giles pops his head in smiling at the three women. 

“Would you like me to prepare some tea, Giles?”  Tara questions looking at the Watcher.

“I’ll get some when I finish cleaning up, dear.  Don’t worry about me.”  Giles smiles at the witch before nodding his head and turning to go upstairs.

“I think we’re going to need to invest in a big freezer.”  Tara murmurs to herself thinking about having three slayers in the house.  Looking at the door to the basement, Tara nods her head. 

Dawn laughs before standing up and stretching.  “Well, I’m going to go and watch some TV.  Missed watching Discovery and Animal Planet while out in the great beyond.”  Dawn smirks and winks at Tara.  “I’m glad to be home, but I’m sure you three enjoyed having the house to yourselves.”

“Whatever are you saying, Dawnie?”  Tara smirks back at the teen, winking.  “We had a wonderful time.  The only thing is I have a feeling it’s going to take a while to realize we don’t have the house to ourselves anymore.”

“Just make sure clothes stay on while in the rest of the house.”  Dawn begs as she heads towards the living room. 

“You need to tell that to the other two.”  Tara chuckles as she stands up to check on the brownies.  “Dawnie!”  Tara yells remembering something that her scatter-brained lovers would probably forget. 

“What?”  Dawn comes back in looking at the witch in surprise.  “I think you’ve been hanging out with Buffy entirely too much if you’re yelling.”

“Sorry.”  Tara blushes lightly and shakes her head.  “What do you want to do for your birthday?  And anything in particular you want?”

Dawn’s eyes widen and she starts grinning.  “Can we go back to the mall?  I want to get my belly button pierced.”

“Your sister is going to kill me.”  Tara mutters quietly.  “If that’s what you want, I’ll talk to her.”  Tara sighs looking at the teen.  “What else?”

“Think she’ll let me get a nose piercing too?”  Dawn smirks as she pushes to see what Tara will say.

“Don’t even.”  Tara warns the teen.  “Belly button, no problem.  Piercing your nose, major problem.” 

Jacqi quietly giggles as she watches the two.  “Anybody else have any piercings here?” 

Tara rolls her eyes and Dawn starts laughing.  “All three of them got their belly buttons pierced before summer started.”  Dawn lets Jacqi know.  “They went on a major shopping spree for Tara and talked her into getting pierced.  I bet if they go back in there all the employees will remember them.”

“That’s an understatement.”  Tara laughs quietly as she pulls the brownies out, checking them before sliding them back in the oven.  “Do you have any, Jacqi?”

Jacqi blushes and mumbles under her breath.  “Nipple pierced.”

Dawn’s closer and hears the quietly mumbled words and laughs.  “I think that’s what Faith and Buffy are planning next for Tara if what I overheard was correct.”

Tara frowns looking from one girl to the other.  “What are you talking about, Dawn?”

Dawn grins and points to her chest before laughing and running out of the room.

Tara scowls and grumbles loudly.  “Great.  I wonder what they’ll do to try and talk me into that.”

Jacqi chuckles quietly.  “It isn’t that bad.  The actual piercing part doesn’t hurt, it’s the afterwards when it’s swollen and tender that’s the worse.”

“I can’t believe I’m discussing this, but how long is it sore?”  Tara shakes her head before sitting back down.  “I know my two lovers and given their penchant for ganging up on me I better find out all I can first.”

“It was sore for roughly five weeks.  It took a little over a week for the swelling to go down.”  Jacqi shrugs her shoulders. 

“Was it worth the pain, I mean…”  Tara frowns trying to figure out the draw for having her nipple pierced.

Jacqi blushes deeply.

“I’m sorry.  You don’t have to tell me anything.”  Tara waves her hand realizing this was embarrassing the teen.  Quickly standing as the oven timer goes off she pulls the brownies out checking them again before putting two pans back in for a few more minutes.  Getting down the ingredients to make the cream cheese frosting, she turns as Jacqi starts talking.

“I didn’t mean… I’m just not used to talking to people about this type of thing.”  Jacqi finally admits.

“Around here you’ll find that no subject is taboo.  With Faith here, she’s kind of gotten all of us to just say everything.  And the last month I’ve become more outspoken than I was before.”  Tara smiles lopsidedly at the teen.  “So just call us down on anything that bothers you.  You’re talking to a woman that was very shy and stuttered something terrible.”  Tara admits quirking her lip slightly.  “Now I’m talking about things like nipple piercing without even batting an eye.”

“You guys sure are different than the Watcher’s Council.”  Jacqi shakes her head and laughs quietly.  “It’s going to take some getting used to.”

“How long were you at the Watcher’s Council?  If you don’t mind my asking?”  Tara asks as she pulls the other two pans of brownies out and turning the oven off before sitting back down across from the teen.

“At the Council itself, only three months.  My Watcher brought me there when he realized he didn’t have much longer to live.”  Jacqi admits quietly. 

“I’m sorry.”  Tara looks sadly at the young woman. 

“It’s okay.  We knew it was a matter of time.  He was seventy and had cancer.”  Jacqi sighs.  “He was kind of like the rest of the Council, except for Giles.  He’s different.”  Jacqi smiles at Tara.  “I think he gets a kick out of pissing the rest of them off.” 

“Probably.”  Tara grins.  “I know they sure have done some terrible things.  I don’t know how well they treated you, but they treated Faith and Buffy both pretty shitily.”  Tara admits as she gets a far off look in her eyes.

“Yeah, well after I was called Giles kind of took me under his wing.  I think he had a discussion with Travers, after that the only one that really had anything to do with me is Giles.”  Jacqi admits.  “They left us alone.  The rest of the group, as Giles said, are a bunch of arrogant ponces.”

“I’ll have to bring him down about that phrasing.”  Tara growls, with a twinkle in her eyes before laughing.  “I’ve been reading up on my British terminology.  He isn’t going to get by saying those kinds of things anymore.” 

“Oh, bloody hell.”  Giles grumbles as he comes into the kitchen.  “I figured I’d come in and save my dignity but I’m too late.” Narrowing his gaze on Tara.  “Exactly how much reading up did you do?”

Tara chuckles as she opens up the cabinet pulling down a couple canisters of tea and a mug while pulling a tea ball out of the drawer.  Pushing them towards the Watcher she smirks.  “Well if I hear you say you’re a buggered old fool like I’ve heard you say before…”  Tara trails off and laughs as Giles blushes.

“You shouldn’t talk that way to the man you consider a father, it just isn’t right.”  Giles mutters quietly as he puts water on to boil. 

“At least I’m not asking if you like doing or being done to.”  Tara mentions tongue in cheek glancing at a confused Jacqi. 

“What does it mean?”  Jacqi questions.

“Don’t worry about it, my dear.”  Giles quickly waves his hand to the new slayer before looking at Tara.  “Don’t you dare tell her.”

Tara smirks and shrugs.  “I can just give her my slang book and let her figure it out for herself.  When I mentioned to Faith what it meant, she‘s been using that phrasing quite frequently.”  Tara busts out laughing seeing the look on the Watcher’s face.  “Without the old and fool portion.  She just likes to say she’s buggered or in need of buggering, or something along those lines.”

“Bloody hell.”  Giles pinches the bridge of his nose.  “Is it too late for me to catch an airplane back to England?   And since when have you become all…”  Giles waves a hand around.  “What happened to the shy, retiring witch that I knew?”

Tara chuckles.  “It’s called having Faith and Buffy for lovers.  That’ll change anybody.”  Tara starts making the cream cheese icing while she laughs quietly.  “Wait until you’ve been around those two for a while.  Faith’s actually changed quite a bit.  As has Buffy.”  Tara smiles softly thinking about her two lovers.  Glancing at the clock seeing they’ve been gone for about one and a half hours.  Sighing quietly, knowing it’ll be at least another hour minimum, before she’ll see them again. 

“I dare say it would.”  Giles admits and pours the water in his cup while gently dipping the tea ball in the mug. 

“Milk or honey?”  Tara sets the bowl down on the counter while checking the temperature on the brownies.  Deciding they need to cool for longer she turns to the Watcher.

“A touch of milk would be fine.”  Giles admits and smiles as Tara grabs the milk out of the refrigerator for him.  “Thank you, my dear.” 

Jacqi shakes her head at the two and stands.  “I’m going to go take a shower and go to bed.  I’m starting to drag a bit.  Plus the fact that my poor little brain has had enough shocks and surprises today.  This place is nothing like what I’m used to.”  Jacqi chuckles as she heads out of the kitchen.

Tara smirks as the new slayer leaves the kitchen and glances towards Giles.  “She’s a good kid.”

“Very much so.”  Giles agrees quietly.  “They had her hooked up with Jeffries.  The old boy should have retired years ago.  She had more freedom than a lot of other potentials, just because of his age.  Luckily she took her training seriously and worked extra hard at everything he taught her, she even went to the local Dojo’s to become more adept at her martial arts.”

“That’s probably how she was able to best Buffy, huh?”  Tara smirks slightly remembering the look on her lover’s face.

“Very much so.  Thinking on it, it would have helped her, actually both Buffy and Faith, immensely to have more martial art’s training.  Learning different disciplines would only have been a plus.  Of course the problem is their strength and speed.  They couldn‘t be trained by anyone.  I taught Buffy all I knew.”  Giles shakes his head sitting down and sipping his tea.  “Jacqi’s great at the technical fighting and a very brilliant young woman.  But she needs to learn the win at all costs mentality that Buffy and Faith have.  I have a feeling Jacqi is too…”  Giles trails off trying to think of the proper phrasing.

“She’s too schooled.  Too in this case you do this or that, no free will just regimented responses.”  Tara looks to the Watcher and as he nods, she whispers.  “Too much like Kendra?”

“Yes.”  Giles admits looking down.  “Not to the degree Kendra was.  Not a complete automaton.  She’s dealt with other people, she has a brilliant mind and does improvise, unlike Kendra did.”

“But she needs to learn to fight down and dirty.  Learn if all you have is a rock, to use that rock to the best of your abilities.  To also learn when to run if you’re in a no-win situation.”  Tara continues quietly. 

“Exactly.”  Giles looks in surprise at Tara.  “I knew it would be a good idea to bring her here.  Of course Faith’s comments had something to do with it.”  Giles chuckles quietly. 

“The discussion she had with you after the showdown?”  Tara questions making sure they were talking about the same discussion.  At Giles’ nod she smiles sadly.  “Can I ask you a question?”  Tara looks up at the Watcher and at his nod she runs a finger between the tiles on the island.  “Jacqi said something about you having a discussion with Travers regarding her.  May I ask what was said?”

Giles sighs heavily then smirks.  “He wasn’t about to let her come here.  He already had a new Watcher lined up for her and was planning on sending her to different hotspots around the globe.  Pretty much throwing her to the wolves.  Every time they did that in the past the slayer was lucky to last three months.”  Taking another sip of his tea he looks down briefly thinking back to that time.  “I sort of let out the fact that if he even thought of treating the new slayer like a tool he was going to have Faith, Buffy and you coming there to kick his ass royally.  Let alone what I was planning to do to the buggered ass.”  He looks up and sees the laughter in the blue eyes at his wording.  Chuckling quietly he shakes his head.  “If it had been just me, Buffy and Faith the only ones he had to worry about, he wouldn’t have listened to me.  I used you as my trump card, my dear.”  Giles admits looking at the witch.

Tara frowns and shakes her head confused.  “Why would mentioning me be the reason he caved?”

Giles reaches out and lays a hand over top of Tara’s.  “You, my dear, are a part of the Goddess.  You can do anything you want.  If you wished it you could bring Travers here at a blink of an eye and rip him a new asshole.  It wouldn’t matter where he was and he knew that.  The head coven mistress told him what you did to Willow and explained to him what kind of power it took.  I dare say I used that to my advantage to keep Jacqi out of his greedy hands.  And even if it upsets you and you don’t wish me to stay, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”  Giles admits as he pulls his hand away.

Tara looks at the Watcher in shock.  “I would never…”

Giles smirks.  “He doesn’t know that.”  As Tara laughs he smiles softly.  “But I also had no doubt that once Jacqi was here, and you got to know her that you would consider her family and will protect her with every fiber of your being.”

“I have a tendency to protect what’s mine.”  Tara nods her head to the truth of that statement.  “Whether it’s friend, family or loved one.”   Tara stands and checks the cooled brownies.  Quickly she spreads the icing across the two regular brownies and slices a big section off for Jacqi and a smaller section for Dawn.  She glances over at Giles who’s sitting there silently drinking his tea staring out at nothing.  “Would you like a brownie?”

Giles quickly turns and looks at Tara.  “No thank you, my dear.  Maybe tomorrow.”

Tara chuckles.  “I won’t guarantee that there’ll be any left tomorrow.”

Giles thinks about it for a minute and nods his head.  “What do you have?”

“Regular brownies with cream cheese icing and a batch of brownies with walnuts.”  Tara smiles as Giles grins at her.  “Would you like a piece of each?”

“Please. I don’t look for there to be any here tomorrow.”  Giles shakes his head knowingly.

“Especially with Faith.  She can sit down and eat a whole pan in one sitting.”  Tara admits smiling at the thought of her lover.  Shaking herself out of those thoughts she slices another brownie off and puts it on the plate before grabbing one of the pans with the walnut loaded brownies.  Setting the plate in front of Giles she winks.  “I’m going to run upstairs and get Jacqi if she’s still awake.  I’m sure she might want to get some brownies before the other two get back.”

Giles chuckles as Tara quickly leaves the kitchen.  “You, my dear, spoil these women.”  Giles murmurs to himself.  “And, I daresay you will do the same for me.  We are definitely one lucky group of people to know you.”  Giles shakes his head thinking about how Willow had royally screwed up. 

“I heard the brownies were ready.”  Dawn comes quickly into the kitchen grabbing a glass before opening the refrigerator to pull out the gallon of milk.  Quickly filling her glass and replacing the milk, she looks at the two plates with brownies on them grinning.  “I bet I know which one is for Jacqi.”  Grabbing the plate with the smaller slices of brownies on it she winks at Giles as she heads back to the living room.

Tara peeks her head in Dawn’s room and sees Jacqi stretched out on the cot and frowns seeing her feet almost hanging off the end of the cot.  “That’s not going to work.  We’ll figure out something to do tomorrow.” 

Jacqi jerks her head up from the book she’s reading looking at Tara.  “What doesn’t work?”

“The cot.  The couch might actually be more comfortable for you than that thing, if you don’t mind waiting to go to sleep?”  Tara makes the statement more of a question.

“This is fine for now.”  Jacqi looks down at the cot.  “I’ve slept on worse.  Is that why you came up here?”

“Oh, no.  Actually I came up here to tell you the brownies are ready if you would like to get some before the two hungry slayers come in from slaying and get their greedy little paws on them.”  Tara smiles sardonically at the newest slayer.  “I love them, but when it comes to food, especially sweets, you got to grab them when you can.”

Jacqi chuckles as she stands up looking down at her t-shirt and shorts.  “This okay to wear downstairs?”

Tara glances over the slightly baggy t-shirt and sweat shorts, chuckling quietly.  “Better than what you’ll see Faith running around in.  Come on down and get your brownies.” Tara quickly turns and heads down the stairs with Jacqi following behind her.  “Do you want milk?”

“Please.”  Jacqi nods and grins at the Watcher as he’s taking a huge bite out of a brownie.  “Is it good?”

Giles nods his head as he quickly chews and swallows.  “Best brownie I think I’ve ever had.  I just might have to get Tara to cut me a couple more pieces and cover them for me.  I’ll hide them in my room to eat tomorrow.”

Tara chuckles quietly.  “They’ll sniff them out, Giles.”  Quickly pouring Jacqi a glass of milk she sets it on the island in front of the slayer. 

Giles rolls his eyes.  “I dare say you’re probably right.  But I’ll try it anyway.”

Tara smiles as she pulls down a Tupperware container and cuts two more pieces of brownies.  “Do you prefer one or the other?”  Tara looks over at the Watcher and grins as he shakes his head.  Putting a good sized piece of each in the container she quickly closes it and hands it to Giles.  “Might have better luck with it being in this.”

“We’ll see.”  Giles smiles as he finishes the last of his brownies and tea.  Sighing quietly and patting his stomach he grins at Tara.  “Absolutely delicious.  And I must say I’m about ready for bed.”

“Have a good night’s sleep, Giles.”  Tara smiles as she watches the Watcher place his mug in the sink as he carries his brownies out of the kitchen with him. 

“You, too.”  Giles murmurs before he heads up the stairs.

Tara looks out the kitchen window at the night, wondering how her lovers are doing.  ‘How much am I going to miss being around them when I have to start back at school?’  Tara thinks to herself smirking.  Having gotten used to doing pretty much everything together in the last month, Tara knows it’s going to be a major withdrawal when she goes back to school.  Faith was still debating on whether or not to take college classes, and truth be told she didn‘t look for her to take a full load, but if she did go she‘d probably pick and choose a few classes that interested her. 

Tara jumps slightly as the phone rings and turns, walking quickly over to the phone, smiling self-consciously at the newest addition to the household.  “Sorry, I sometimes wander off to my own world.”  Answering the phone, Tara smiles and her eyes soften.  “Buffy… You are?… Wonderful… If you would like to get vanilla ice cream to go with the brownies, that’s fine.  I made cream cheese icing for the regular brownies…Yes there’s room if you pick some up…I love you, too…”  Tara chuckles as she hears Faith in the background.  “Tell Faith I love her also… See you soon… Be careful.”  Tara smiles as she disconnects the phone and hangs it back up.  “If you want any more brownies, you better get a piece now.  Looks like the two bottomless pits will be here in less than fifteen minutes.” 

Jacqi smiles at the witch looking down at her empty plate, debating silently.  “Will they really be gone tomorrow?”  She questions looking back up.

“Most likely.”  Tara admits nodding her head with a quirk of her lips. 

“Well maybe one more small piece of each.”  Jacqi grins.  “They’re really very, very good.”

“Thank you.”  Tara quickly cuts another piece of each and places it on the young slayer’s plate.  Sliding it in front of the woman, she quickly turns and looks at what’s left of the two pans she had been pulling the brownies out of, tilting her head considering the brownies.  Cutting what was left of each pan in half, to make them more manageable, Tara slides them onto one plate setting it on the island before cutting into the other two batches of brownies cutting roughly the same amount and placing it on another plate.  Turning and placing it on the island also, Tara opens the refrigerator and grabs out the milk looking at the half gallon that’s left and sets it down before grabbing a couple of glasses. 

Jacqi looks wide-eyed at the plates covered with brownies.  Looking back up with stunned eyes at Tara she just points at the plates. 

Tara smirks.  “Ten to one Faith will go back for more after she finishes her plate.  Want to bet?”

Jacqi looks down again and up into the twinkling blue eyes of the witch and shakes her head.  “You know them better than I do.  There’s no way I’m taking that bet.”

“Smart girl.”  Tara grins as she leans back against the counter as she hears the front door open. 

“Honey, we’re home.”  Buffy calls before running into the kitchen setting the ice cream down and pulling Tara in for a quick but thorough kiss.  “Missed you tonight.”

Tara smiles softly as she runs her hand through the blonde hair, doing a cursory glance over her lover to make sure she wasn’t hurt.  “I missed you, too.”  Tara admits before leaning in for another kiss.

“Save some witchy goodness for me.”  Faith growls quietly, as she grabs the ice cream and throws it in the freezer before working her way over to Tara. 

“Plenty to go around, Faith.”  Buffy winks at Tara as the witch hugs her tightly to her. 

“How was slaying tonight?”  Tara questions and smiles as Faith leans around Buffy and gives her a toe curling kiss.  “Hmmm.  Must have been good.”

“Nine Vamps and a Dragnar Demon.  He was one ugly little bastard.”  Faith grumbles before leaning in again and kissing Tara quickly. 

Buffy snuggles in deeper against Tara.  “I love you.” 

“I love you too, baby.”  Tara kisses Buffy on top of the head smiling at her lover.  “Anything happen that I need to know about?”

“No.  Just got used to you being with us on patrol.  Missed my snuggles while Faith beat up on the vampire population.”  Buffy grins then frowns as she sees Faith’s hand sneaking towards her plate.  “FAITH!”  Buffy growls loudly.

“You know the rules, B.”  Faith snickers as she grabs one of the brownies off Buffy’s plate.

“That’s on my plate.  Not yours, so put it back down before I sic Tara on you.”  Buffy grumbles before kissing Tara briefly and turning to sit down at the island smacking Faith on the arm.  “Give it back.”

Faith smirks as she throws the brownie back on Buffy’s plate and spins around grabbing Tara up to sit on her lap so she can nuzzle her neck.

“She let you do all the slaying tonight, didn’t she?”  Tara looks accusingly at Buffy.  “You know how Faith gets when she does all the slaying.”

“Yep.”  Buffy smirks as she takes a huge bite out of her brownie.  “So, Jacqi.  Anything interesting happen while we were on patrol?”  Buffy sidetracks the conversation, grinning.

“Tara embarrassed Giles.”  Jacqi admits grinning as she watches Faith completely ignore what’s going on to nibble on Tara.  “Is she like that all the time?”

“Close.”  Tara huskily growls.  “Faith, honey.  Please?”

“You ain’t no fun.”  Faith grumbles as she rests her head against the witch’s shoulder.  “If I can’t nibble on you, can I have some more brownies?”

Tara rolls her eyes before sliding off the slayer’s lap.  “Yes you can.”

“How did Tara embarrass Giles?”  Buffy questions raising an eyebrow at Tara.

“Something about buggered or buggering or something.”  Jacqi looks confused.

Faith grins ear to ear.  “You didn’t!”  She laughs looking at Tara.

Buffy almost spits out her brownie.  “Tara!” 

“I told him I had been reading up on British slang and that if he said he was a buggered old fool that I knew what he was saying.”  Tara shrugs her shoulders before grinning evilly at Faith.  “Then I mentioned to him after I explained what it meant to Faith how she was always going on about needing to be buggered.”

Buffy turns a deep red and shoves the plate away as she bangs her head on the island.  “She didn’t.  She did not say that to my Watcher.”

Faith starts off chuckling quietly before laughing full heartedly.  “Did you get a bloody hell for it?”

“Multiples, I do believe.”  Tara grins as she sets another good sized brownie on Faith’s plate.  “I did say he ought to be thankful that I didn’t ask him if he liked doing or being done too.”

“Ah, hell.”  Buffy whimpers quietly.  “That was not an image I needed in my brain, Tara.”  Buffy whines quietly resting her head on the counter.

“Will someone please tell me what the hell it means?”  Jacqi finally starts getting grumpy.

Tara shrugs her shoulder. “Giles said I couldn’t tell you.”  She looks at Faith and wiggles her eyebrows.  “Sorry, babe.”  Tara whispers to Buffy as she rubs her back. 

“I think we should make her research it.”  Faith smirks at Tara before glancing back at Jacqi.  “I think she’s too young to be hearing what that means.”  Faith grins at the young slayer before taking a huge bite out of her brownie.

“Will someone take pity on the poor new slayer?”  Dawn grumbles as she throws a book in front of Jacqi before placing her plate in the sink.  “I’m feeling a little beat.  My turn for a shower, then I’m going to hit the bed.”  Dawn quickly hugs and kisses Tara on the cheek before hugging the still whining Buffy and smacking Faith on the shoulder.  “Love you guys.”

“Love you, too.”  Tara smiles as Dawn quickly heads out of the kitchen. 

Jacqi quickly flips the book open and looks up buggered and turns red.  “You are so rotten.” Jacqi shakes her head starting to flip the book to ponce when she stops with a frown on her face and looks back up at Faith.

Faith starts chuckling again as it dawns on Jacqi.  “The kid can put two and two together to get four.”

“Faith, behave.”  Tara murmurs wrapping an arm around the slayer.  Tara can literally see the wheels turning in the younger slayer’s mind.  “We’re going to go to jail for aiding in the delinquency of a minor.”

“I’m emancipated.”  Jacqi waves her hand at Tara while blinking repeatedly.  “I think I should go to bed.  I’m starting to have images in my brain probably not unlike what’s going through Buffy’s.  And that’s just wrong.”  Jacqi quickly stands up and starts to grab her dirty dishes.

“I’ll get them, Jacqi.”   Tara smiles.  “Have a good night.”

“’Night, Tara.”  Jacqi smiles at the witch before grinning at the two slayers.  “’Night Buffy, Faith.”

“Night, kiddo.”  Faith smirks slightly as she feels Tara running a hand up and under the back of her shirt. 

“’Night, Jacqi.”  Buffy looks up and smiles at the new slayer.

“So did you two get your fill of brownies?”  Tara runs her hand repeatedly over the warm velvety skin of Faith’s back, while running her other hand through Buffy’s hair.

“I did.”  Buffy growls quietly leaning into the caress before shifting around and wrapping her arms around Tara’s waist.  Leaning forward she starts nibbling on the witch’s collarbone and smiles as she hears a quiet groan come from Tara and her body push in closer. 

Tara wraps both arms around Buffy and pushes herself into the woman more firmly while scraping her short nails up her back. 

Faith feels a hot streak of lust work its way through her body watching the two women.  “Did ya’ get the spell done on the room?”

Tara cries out quietly as Buffy latches onto her nipple through the clothes.   “Didn’t have time.” 

“I guess that means we’re going to keep people up tonight.”  Buffy smirks as she works her way over to the other nipple, growling quietly at the clothes in the way. 

“We got the mats in the garage.”  Faith suggests as she shifts to stand behind Tara gently tugging the witch’s shirt up and unhooking her bra before placing hot wet kisses along her spine.  “The witch here hasn’t been initiated in on them yet.”  Faith growls before nipping along a shoulder blade. 

“Oh, my.”  Tara whispers as Buffy finishes pushing the bra and shirt over her head out of the way, dropping it on the counter as she quickly sucks a hardened nipple in her mouth.  “How come this is starting to feel like a witch sandwich?”  Tara pants out as Faith runs a hand down over her ass, flexing her fingers into her butt cheeks.

“Because…”  Buffy starts before working her way over to the other breast.  “Faith and I had a little fun to take the edge off before coming back home.”

Tara groans quietly.  “Eventually you’re going to get caught doing that.  And I’m not going to bail you out of jail for at least 24 hours.”  She jerks her hips as Faith works her hands around to the front of her pants and presses in tight against her. 

“Then you better be careful, too.”  Faith growls in her ear.  “Because I remember a few times when you got carried away behind a mausoleum or two.”

“Oh, fuck!”  Tara calls out more loudly than she meant to as Faith works her hand down under her clothes and starts rubbing quickly and firmly around her clit. 

Buffy chuckles as she works her way back up across the top of Tara’s breasts, taking a long moment to suck firmly on her pulse point, leaving a deep red mark before working her way up her neck to come in opened mouth and tongue seeking it’s mate, groaning as Tara quickly takes up the challenge, battling her tongue against Buffy’s. 

Faith pants at the wetness she finds oozing out of the witch, quickly dipping her fingers further down to scoop some up and pulls her hand from the woman’s pants, smirking as Tara growls in complaint while kissing Buffy.  “Wanna taste.”  Faith nips Tara’s ear and gets a groan from both women in response to her words.

Tara pants out after Buffy releases her.  “Go elsewhere to continue this, please.” 

Buffy grins at Faith and winks before leaning over the witch’s shoulder and kissing her deeply.  “Garage?”

“Garage.”  Faith nods her head in agreement before grinning wickedly.  “You want the front half or the back half?”

“How about we both get the front first?”  Buffy’s eyes get a mischievous glint in them. 

“I like the way you think.”  Faith growls, then laughs quietly as Buffy quickly picks a protesting Tara up and carries her out to the garage.  Following the two women, Faith flicks on the small light they had set up in the garage while turning and shutting the door firmly behind her quickly following the two women to the mats.

“Oh, Goddess.”  Tara whimpers as she sees the dual gleams of mischief glinting in her lovers’ eyes.  “I’m in so much trouble.”

“Yes you are.”  Buffy growls out with a chuckling Faith right behind her.

***

Chapter 4

Tara groans quietly as she starts to stretch and finds she can’t move.  Opening her eyes she looks down to see her two lovers literally wrapped around her body.  Laughing quietly at the thought that her breasts are going to turn into pancakes with these two always laying on them, Tara reaches down and runs her hands gently through the two slayers’ hair.  “Hey, you two.  I need to start cooking breakfast.” 

“Don’t wanna move.”  Faith growls, shifting in tighter against the witch as she shifts her leg up further, grinning when she hears a moan from Tara as it comes into contact with a very warm, damp place.  Smirking she runs her hand gently down through trimmed curls, tickling her fingertips gently over the area, making Tara giggle.

Buffy opens an eye and watches as Faith’s hand travels over Tara’s body.  “Hmmm.  I think I know what I want for breakfast.”  Buffy shifts her head and sucks as much of Tara’s breast into her mouth as she can.

Tara moans and arches up into Buffy’s mouth, closing her eyes in pleasure.  “We got a full…Faith!”  She cries out quietly as Faith eases two fingers into her body while gently stroking across her clit with her thumb, making it swell with need.  

“B, breakfast is almost ready.”  Faith sing-songs to the other slayer after a few long moments, smirking as Buffy lets Tara’s breast pop as it escapes her mouth.  Keeping up the stroking, Faith groans quietly, feeling the witch’s muscles starting to clamp down on her fingers.  Watching as Buffy leans in, Faith grins and meets her halfway, kissing her deeply.  Finally pulling away, she growls.  “Better hurry, B.” 

Tara rocks herself against Faith’s talented fingers, groaning as she watches her two lovers kiss.  Growling as Faith eases her hand away, Tara watches as Buffy quickly slides down her body.  As soon as Buffy licks over her, Tara jerks up into the caress.

Faith brings her coated fingers up, licking the witch’s flavor from them.  “Damn, I think I should have had breakfast instead of letting B.”  Faith narrows her eyes as she looks at Buffy’s twinkling hazel eyes.

“You got it prepared for me you’re not going to take it away now, are you?”  Buffy quickly murmurs before diving back in.

“Better not, it’ll piss you off.”  Faith growls quietly, before turning her gaze up to the panting, squirming witch.  Easing up, Faith grins down into her lover’s eyes.  “Anything else you would like while Buffy’s being greedy?”

“Faith!”  Tara growls, wrapping her hand in her hair and jerking her down for a very thorough passionate kiss, as Buffy quickly brings her to climax.  Calling out Buffy’s name into Faith’s mouth, Tara pushes her body strongly into Buffy’s mouth.

Faith grins as she pulls away after Tara climaxes.  “Good morning, Blondie.”

Buffy chuckles as she lays her head on Tara’s abdomen, groaning as Tara caresses her head. 

“Good morning.”  Tara murmurs while caressing both women’s heads.  “So…  Who am I going to have for breakfast?”  Tara questions with a lift of her eyebrow.

Buffy and Faith both look at each other.  Grinning, Buffy wiggles her eyebrow.  “Want to see if it’ll work?”

“Oh, yeah.  We know it’ll work B.  We just ain’t told the witch about our idea.”  Faith smirks as she watches Buffy.  “Hey, Tare.  Shift on your side, will ya‘?” 

Tara narrows her eyes at Faith.  “What are you two up to?” 

“Come on.  Don’t ya’ trust me?”  Faith smirks at the witch.  “You might want to move the pillows out of the way, you’ll have something else to use as a pillow.”

Tara tilts her head questioningly at the slayer, but finally shifts on her side, moving the pillows away.  Watching as Buffy crawls up beside her, kissing her briefly before rotating her body around.  Tara watches the angle that Buffy’s shifting her body in and the light bulb kicks on.  Chuckling quietly, she helps Buffy shift to where she has access to the slayer’s most intimate area, running a fingertip gently through the glistening lips before laying her head on the slayer’s inner thigh, licking over the slayer’s weeping sex. 

Faith chuckles as Tara realizes what they’re up to. 

Buffy groans as Tara starts licking and sucking on her swollen sex.  Reaching out, she tugs Faith none-too-gently to get her where she wants her.  “Get your ass here, Faith.”  Buffy yanks Faith to her after she quickly slides her into position.  Diving in, Buffy shoves three fingers quickly into the slayer while flicking her tongue strongly over Faith’s quickly swelling clit. 

“Fuck!”  Faith cries out quietly, as Buffy starts pounding into her.  Smelling Tara’s arousal, Faith quickly leans in the short distance licking strongly over her, smiling to herself, before sucking the muscle into her mouth, flicking it occasionally.  Sliding her hand up, Faith slides two fingers gently into the witch’s center.  Gently stroking over the inner muscle, Faith groans into the witch as Buffy brings her closer to the brink.

Tara growls as Faith starts caressing her inner sweet spot, picking up the pace of her licking, Tara quickly pushes three of her long fingers deep in Buffy.  Groaning as Buffy pushes hard against her.  Knowing Buffy’s close, as she clenches repeatedly on her fingers, Tara gently scrapes her teeth across Buffy’s clit, before licking back in the opposite direction.  Feeling the muscle starting to quiver strongly, Tara bites down gently as Buffy climaxes, causing a chain reaction in the other two women as they quickly follow her over the edge. 

After a few long minutes, all three women shift onto their backs, amongst various grunts and moans. 

“Fuck me!”  Faith groans finally.  “Was it just me or was there like a domino effect thing happening?”

“Definitely.”  Tara smirks running a hand over Buffy’s leg.  “We’re good, but I don’t think we’re that good.”

Buffy laughs quietly before nipping Faith’s thigh, smirking as she jumps.  “What’s the plan for the day?” 

“I like the idea of stayin’ like this for the rest of the day.”  Faith huskily states turning her head and placing a kiss on Tara’s thigh before shifting up and snuggling into her stomach. 

“You’d be yelling for food in another hour or so.”  Tara chuckles running a hand through Faith’s hair.  With her other hand she tugs on Buffy’s arm.  “Come here, Buffy.”

Buffy grins and shifts around snuggling her face into Tara’s neck kissing her pulse point.

Tara laughs and runs the other hand through Buffy’s hair, holding her tightly to her.  “I love you two.  And if everyone wants to eat, I probably should be getting up here soon.”

“They can feed themselves.”  Faith growls out.  “I think they’re all awake already.”

“They are.”  Buffy nods her head, softly running a finger around Tara’s nipple, smiling as it slowly stiffens.  “What were you planning on fixing for breakfast?”

“Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and toast.”  Tara murmurs as she strokes down Buffy’s neck.   “How do you two want your eggs?  Scrambled, over-easy, hard fried for sandwiches?”

“It’s been a while since we’ve had over-easy.  I wouldn’t mind some runny eggs to run the toast through.”  Buffy admits.

“Don’t sound bad.”  Faith agrees running a caressing finger over Tara’s hip.  “Do we have enough eggs for everyone?”

“Probably not.”  Tara admits quietly.  “If one of you two will run to the store and pick up a couple more dozen…. You know I was thinking.”

“Uh, oh.  Here we go again.”  Faith growls before laughing as Tara tugs on her hair.

“How come you always have to pick on me when I start thinking?”  Tara smiles before running her finger over the slayer’s full bottom lip.

“Because you come up with some interesting ideas.”  Faith mutters before licking the finger playing with her lips.

“Well it occurred to me that with three slayers in the house, a witch and a key.  Not counting the fact that Giles will probably be eating over here frequently, we should probably invest in a big freezer and maybe a second refrigerator.  We have room down in the basement for them.”  Tara continues running her hands over her lovers, smiling softly as she feels them burrowing deeper against her. 

“I think she says we eat a lot.”  Buffy grumbles quietly.

“We do.”  Faith admits chuckling.  “And unless we want to go to the grocery store every day or possibly even multiple times a day, we probably should invest in another fridge and freezer.”

“Maybe two freezers.”  Tara mutters.  “Have one as an ice cream freezer with the way you two go through sweets.”

“Oooh.  Open the door and have a choice of all different kinds of ice cream?  I like that idea.”  Buffy lifts her head up looking at Tara.  “Do we need to go to the store and see how quickly they can deliver?”

“Well, you need to measure the width of the door to make sure that whatever you order will fit through there.  Plus they’ll have to be maneuvered around the island and there might be problems at the bottom of the stair case.”  Tara thinks quietly. 

“Naw, B and I can lift whatever we get over and around the island.  The bottom of the stair case I can remove the railing to make it easier to deal with.”  Faith frowns thinking if there was anything else that might come up.  “You think there’ll be a problem, B?”

“Nope.  I think we can handle it.”  Buffy smiles.  “I guess this means we ought to get cleaned up and run to the store, huh?”

“It would be helpful if you want to eat.”  Tara grins.  “We can all go out for a walk around town after breakfast.  Stop at the store maybe buy at least a freezer.  It’ll probably take a few days before they can deliver it.”

“Yeah, and we can confuse them when we tell ‘em we’ll put it down in the basement.”  Faith grins wickedly.  “I love to see guys’ faces when B and I start toting things around that makes them sweat.”

“You two just like showing off.”  Tara murmurs and laughs as Buffy shifts up and gives her a quick kiss. 

“Got dibs on the bathroom first.”  Buffy yells grabbing a robe and running to the bathroom.

Faith chuckles and shifts up beside Tara.  “She’s a brat.” 

“Yes, she is.”  Tara agrees smiling.  “But then again, so are you and so am I.” 

“You didn’t have to bring that portion of it up.”  Faith growls running her fingers gently over Tara’s stomach, playing unconsciously with the piercing.  “How does the new kid seem?”

“She’s a good kid.  I think she’ll fit in well.”  Tara frowns thinking about what Giles had told her.  Sighing she smiles softly at Faith who’s now watching her.  “Wait until Buffy comes out of the bathroom.  I’ll tell you what Giles said.”

“’Kay.”  Faith props her head up on her hand watching Tara.  “We almost need a bigger house.”

“I know.  It’s getting full quick.”  Tara grins.  “We can always possibly fix up the attic as another room.”

“That’s an idea.”  Faith agrees quietly.  “I would have suggested the basement, but considerin’ we’re gonna be putting a fridge and freezer down there, that will knock it out.”

“Well, unless we want to build an addition onto the house making it your guys’ work out room, and move the appliances to the garage…”  Tara shrugs her shoulders. 

“Hmmm.”   Faith nods her head.  “Need to think on this, see if we can figure somethin’ out.”

“What are you talking about while I was showering?”  Buffy smirks at her two lovers as she walks back into the bedroom, running a towel over her hair.

“Renovating the house.”  Tara grins.  “Actually Giles and I had a discussion yesterday regarding Jacqi, that I need to tell you two about.”  Tara watches as Buffy sits down on the edge of the bed.  Shifting up to prop her back against the headboard, Tara frowns momentarily.  “He mentioned that Jacqi is a very talented and smart young woman.  Of course she had an older Watcher that wasn’t a lot of help, but she did take the time to seek out different Martial Arts learning everything she could.”  Tara smirks at Buffy.

“Yeah, yeah.  I kind of figured that out.”  Buffy growls quietly.

Faith sniggers before shifting her body to lay her head in Tara’s lap, smiling as Tara automatically starts stroking her hair.

“Well he mentioned the fact that she’s good at the execution, but that she’s a little automatic in her responses.  She’s not as bad as Kendra, because she has had different training and been exposed to other people.  But she doesn’t have the kick ass and win however you can mentality.”

Buffy frowns thinking about what Tara’s saying.  “So he’s wanting us to bring her more up to speed and make her realize you do whatever you have to, to live?”

“Yes.”  Tara nods her head at her lover.

“She needs to be taught how to fight down and dirty.  Use anythin’ and everythin’ she can to win, or to be able to run away to come back later.”  Faith growls out quietly.

“That’s what you two are going to teach her.  Teach her to know when to fight and when to run.  Make sure she’s aware of everything around her, that way if she runs out of stakes or weapons, she can use the normal day items to her advantage.”  Tara smirks at Buffy.  “Personally, I’ll be working on her with the learning and understanding of magic.  We’re going to need to set up some kind of schedule.  You two training her will be easier, you can work it in anytime.  I’ll be going back to school here soon and will have to work around my schedule.”

Buffy and Faith both growl at that thought. 

Tara smiles at her lovers before tapping Faith to move.  Slowly standing up she stretches and groans quietly.  “My turn in the shower.  Then I’ll head downstairs and start fixing breakfast.”  Throwing her robe on, she grabs clothes and heads to the bathroom. 

Buffy smiles at Faith who’s shifted around to lay her head in her lap now.  “You wanting to spend all day in bed?”

“Only if I can talk someone into stayin’ here with me.”  Faith growls quietly. 

“Sorry, Faith.”  Buffy smirks running a hand down her neck.  “If you want, I’ll run to the store while you get cleaned up.”

“You don’t mind?”  Faith looks up and smiles at Buffy as she shakes her head.  “I can always toast the bread and butter it.”

“I probably should pick up another couple loaves of bread while I’m there too.”  Buffy chuckles quietly.  “Hell, maybe some more links and bacon wouldn’t hurt either.”

“Probably not.”  Faith agrees.  “Hell.”  Faith finally shifts to sit on the bed.  “You go ahead and get ready.”  Faith grumbles as she finally stands and yanks out a pair of shorts and one of her tank tops to wear.

“Put a bra on, Faith.  We aren’t here by ourselves anymore.”  Tara smirks as she walks back into the room.

“Ruin my fun.”  Faith growls grabbing underwear.  “Shower time.”  Faith grabs Buffy’s discarded robe and heads towards the bathroom.

Buffy and Tara look at each other laughing quietly.  “I’m going to pick up some more bread, sausage and bacon to go with the eggs.  Do we need anything else?”  Buffy questions as she brushes her hair.

“Probably another gallon of milk.”  Tara thinks quietly.  “We’re going to need to run to the store and really stock up sometime soon.  I need more flour and other staples.”

“Get a list started.  We can use Giles’ car before he has to take it back to the rental agency today.”  Buffy smiles watching Tara dress quickly. 

Tara tilts her head watching Buffy before leaning in and kissing her gently on the lips.  “I love you.”

“I love you.”  Buffy quickly grasps the witch behind the head before she can shift too far away and pulls her in for a deeper, more passionate kiss.  Finally pulling back to breathe, Buffy chuckles.  “How often do you think we can get rid of Jacqi and Dawn?  Giles the babysitter.”

Tara smirks at her lover.  “Not as often as you two wish we could.” 

“Probably not.”  Buffy growls quietly.  Quickly dressing she pulls her boots on watching Tara.  “Do we need more syrup?”

Tara chuckles quietly and shakes her head.  “No, I picked up a couple big bottles the last time I went to the store, so we should have at least one bottle.”

“I’m going now, that way we’ll have plenty of food.”  Buffy smiles as Tara closes the distance between them again. 

Placing a gentle kiss on Buffy’s lips, Tara leans in, hugging her tightly.  “I want you two to learn from Jacqi also.  More formal training in the different Arts would be beneficial.”

“I kind of figured.”  Buffy admits hugging Tara back.  “I’ll be back as quick as I can.  Love you.”

“I love you, too, be careful.”  Tara smiles as Buffy heads out of the bedroom.  Grabbing a brush and running it quickly through her still damp hair, she heads towards the stairs, laughing quietly as she hears Faith singing in the shower.  Working her way downstairs she smiles at Giles sitting in the chair sipping a cup of tea.  Frowning, she looks around not seeing Dawn or Jacqi.  Walking into the kitchen, she chuckles as Jacqi is in the middle of making a huge stack of pancakes. 

Dawn turns mischief filled eyes on Tara.  “Did you guys forget something last night?”  She smirks as she slides Tara’s shirt and bra across the island towards Tara.

Jacqi giggles with her back turned to the witch.

Tara turns a deep red, grabbing the clothes.  “Damn, I knew we were forgetting something.”  She mutters quietly before heading to the basement for the next load of laundry. 

“We didn’t find them.”  Dawn admits, biting her lip when Tara came back into the kitchen.  “Giles was up early making a pot of tea.”

“Ah, hell.”  Tara groans quietly.  “Now he’s going to pick on me.”  Opening the refrigerator, she grabs out the items for breakfast.  “Thank you Jacqi for fixing pancakes, I’m going to add something a little extra for the meat lovers.”

“Bacon?”  Dawn hopefully questions.

“Bacon, sausage links, eggs over easy.”  Tara smiles at the teen.  “Buffy headed out to get more.”  Quickly opening packages and adding skillets to the stove, she starts cooking the food. 

Jacqi chuckles as she finishes the pancakes.  “Start with pancakes?”  She questions looking at the witch. 

“Go ahead and take them to the dining room table.  It won’t take to long for this to finish cooking.”  Tara grabs a loaf of bread out and starts toasting the bread.  Smiling as she watches Faith open the refrigerator grabbing out the butter and syrup.

“I got the toast.”  Faith runs a hand across the witch’s back as she works her way over to the toaster. 

“Thanks.”  Tara smiles briefly at Faith as she turns the meat.  Cracking a couple eggs and adding them to a skillet, she smirks as Faith leans against her. 

“This ain’t quite fair.  I can’t cop a feel whenever I want no more.”  Faith growls quietly in her ear. 

“You can, you just have to wait ‘til we have the room to ourselves.”  Tara whispers back, laughing gently.  Sliding the eggs onto a plate, she cracks more.

“I’m back.”  Buffy laughs quietly as she watches Faith buttering toast while Tara fixes breakfast.  “I saw that pile of pancakes out there.”

“Jacqi had started them.  I’m just getting the eggs and meat done.”  Tara looks up laughing at Buffy as she sees the bags piled up in her arms.  “Need help?” 

“I got it.”  Faith grabs a couple bags from Buffy, unpacking them quickly 

“Want me to grab milk and juice to take out to the dining room?”  Jacqi questions as she comes back into the kitchen.

Tara looks up smiling.  “Please.  Thanks.”  She quickly finishes placing the food on plates, handing them off to Buffy and Faith as she starts some more bacon and links. 

“Babe, why don’t you go eat the food before it gets cold.”  Faith looks at the meat.  “I think I might be able to handle the frying of the bacon and links.”

“I--”  Tara trails off as Faith grasps her by the hips and shifts her from in front of the stove. 

“Go eat.  I got it handled.  You taught me well enough to keep it from burnin‘ too bad.”  Faith smirks. 

“Aargh.”  Tara grumbles before heading to the dining room. 

***

“What’s the plan for the day?”  Tara questions looking at Giles.

“I need to take the car back in a couple hours.  I’ll get a newspaper so I can check out the Real Estate ads.”  Giles frowns slightly.  “Did you say there were houses around here for sale?”

“Around the corner there’s a couple.”  Buffy answers Giles.   “Can we go on a food run?  Pick up a few more things before you get rid of the car?” 

“Of course.”  Giles smiles.  “We’ll pick up a newspaper while we’re there.”

“Okay, we need to look at freezers and refrigerators while we’re out, B.”  Faith brings up easing closer to the blonde slayer, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.  “So do we wanna split up, or all go out together?”

Dawn smirks.  “Personally I want to go to the mall and look for my future present.” 

Buffy groans quietly.  “I can’t believe she wants a piercing.” 

Tara chuckles and runs a hand down her leg, clasping her knee.  “It’s okay, honey.  I can go with Giles to get the groceries if you four want to head to the mall?” 

“Don’t you want to go with us?”  Buffy pouts adorably, batting her eyelashes at the witch.

“Dear Lord.”  Giles mutters.  “Can’t you be without each other for a couple hours?”  He grumbles.

“Yes, we can.  Hence me and Faith doing patrol last night.”  Buffy snarks at the Watcher.  “We just don’t like to be without her for long periods of time.”  Buffy admits quietly. 

Tara rolls her eyes before grinning.  “How about we run to the appliance store, look at the refrigerators and freezers, then stop at the grocery store on the way back?  Giles can drop us off at the mall when he takes the car back.”  Tara offers the compromise.

“Okay.”  Buffy grins snuggling down into the couch between her two lovers.

“Brat.”  Faith growls quietly, looking over Buffy’s head to Tara, smirking.

“Well, personally I don’t want to go appliance shopping.”  Dawn wrinkles her nose at the thought.

“You guys don’t have to go.  Have you talked to Janice yet?”  Tara questions with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh no!  I completely forgot about calling her.”  Dawn groans loudly before turning and heading into the kitchen to grab the phone.

Buffy chuckles looking up at a completely lost Jacqi.  “Poor Jacqi.  She doesn’t know what to think about us.” 

Jacqi walks over and sits down on the steps.  “I figure it’ll all start making sense eventually.” 

“Give it six months to a year.”  Faith smirks at the new slayer.  “It might make sense then.  Let’s get goin’.  You wanna go appliance shoppin’, Jacqi?” 

“I think I’ll pass.”  Jacqi shakes her head looking at the three grinning women. 

“Got anythin’ you want in particular at the store?”  Faith moans as she stretches after she stands.  “You know an unhealthy obsession with Twinkies or donuts?”

“Twinkies are Xander’s obsession.”  Buffy smirks. 

“And donuts are Buffy’s.”  Tara leans in and kisses Buffy’s cheek before standing.  

“Personally those brownies were really good.”  Jacqi grins.  “Maybe stuff to make some more of those?”

“That can be arranged.”  Tara grabs her purse looking at Giles.  “Feel like being a chauffer?”

“Certainly.”  Giles smirks at the witch, debating on whether or not to pick on her, deciding what the hell, he continues.  “Chauffer is better than a maid, picking up after people.”

Tara blushes looking down.  “That so is not going to happen again.”  Tara mutters quietly.

“What happened?”  Buffy looks from Tara to Giles.

“You guys need to be sure to pick up after yourselves when you decide to get freaky in other parts of the house.”  Dawn snarks at her sister as she walks back into the living room.  “Giles came across a few items of Tara’s in the kitchen.”

Faith chuckles and smirks.

Buffy groans looking at the blushing witch.  “Sorry.”

Tara rolls her eyes and looks at her two lovers.  “Payback’s a bitch, remember that.”  Tara growls quietly.  “Come on, let’s go shopping.”

***

Chapter 5

Tara laughs quietly as she watches Buffy and Faith bickering.  Shaking her head she looks at Jacqi who’s looking around, with an almost lost look on her face.  Deciding to take pity on the new slayer, Tara walks up and taps her gently on the shoulder.

Jacqi looks up and throws her hands in the air.  “I’m lost.  I admit it.  Dawn headed to parts unknown when she saw Janice.  Those two I don’t even want to go near.”  Jacqi looks at Buffy and Faith. 

“So I win by default?”  Tara laughs quietly.  “Come on.  What do you need?  Do you need any clothes or anything?”

“Most of my clothes are heavier.  I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get some lighter tops and a light jacket.”  Jacqi admits quietly.  Tilting her head as the two slayers become extremely quiet as they point at something in particular.  “Is it okay to leave those two here by themselves?”

Tara looks over, frowning at her two lovers.  “Probably not.  God only knows what they’ll get up to when we’re gone.”  Tara walks over to her lovers and leans over Buffy’s shoulder, wrapping an arm around her waist.  “What are you two up to?”

Buffy looks at Faith and raises an eyebrow.

“We were kinda wonderin’ if you might want to get a nipple pierced?”  Faith questions hopefully. 

“Hmmm.  And tell me what exactly do I get out of this piercing?”  Tara questions quietly. 

“We won’t try and talk you into getting anything else pierced?”  Buffy offers smiling. 

“We’ll be your love slaves for a month?”  Faith ups the offer. 

“And how would that be different than it is now?”  Tara cocks an eyebrow at Faith. 

“Yo!  Nobody told me Hot Babes ‘R Us were back.”  One of the employees yells from where he’d just finished piercing someone. 

“That’s because we were waiting to see if they were going to entertain us like last time, Jack, you idiot!!”  Sherry exasperatedly yells back at him.

“Damn, sorry.”  He mutters in apology. 

Jacqi covers her mouth as she feels laughter bubbling up.

“I knew they’d remember us.”  Tara moans quietly, dropping her head on Buffy’s shoulder. 

“We don’t forget babes like you making out in the store.”  Jack admits.  “That was some hot display.”  He nods his head grinning from ear to ear. 

“Hey, if we put on another display can we get a discount?”  Faith calls out smirking.

“Hell, yeah!”  Jack’s eyes light up at the thought.

“Faith!”  Tara growls quietly.  “I am not putting on a display just to get a discount.”

“How about I tell you I love you and then you attack me again?”  Faith’s eyebrows wiggle as she chuckles. 

“I don’t think it’ll have the same effect it did last time, Faith.”  Buffy growls.  Shifting around she wraps her arms around Tara’s waist and squeezes her lightly.  “Is there a chance we might talk you into the piercing?”

Tara tilts her head leaning it against Buffy while threading her fingers through Buffy’s.  “You two do realize that it would make that breast sore for quite a few weeks and you two will be missing out on your favorite pillows for a while.”

“Damn.  Didn’t think about that.”  Faith grumbles, frowning heavily, before blinking.  Moving to stand in front of Tara she looks at her neck.  “B?”

“Yeah?”  Buffy looks up into the dark slayer’s twinkling eyes. 

“Didn’t you put like a hickey from hell on her neck last night?”  Faith questions.

“I seem to remember a very deep dark red spot on her pulse point from last night, yes.”  Buffy answers frowning. 

“It’s gone.”  Faith whispers wiggling her eyebrows.

“Huh?”  Buffy turns Tara around and looks at her neck.  “Why didn’t I notice that?”

“None of us did.”  Tara admits quietly.  “Does that mean the slayer healing stuck with me?”

“It seems that way.  If that’s the case the piercing would probably only be sore for a very short period of time.”  Buffy thinks heavily for a moment.  “Maybe we should do some kind of testing.  Not anything painful, but maybe place another hickey on another body part and see how long it takes to fade away?”  Buffy smirks looking down at Tara’s breasts.  “Maybe multiple hickeys, you know, for scientific purposes?”

“Yeah, right B.”  Faith mutters sarcastically.  “And you say I have a breast fetish.  You’re worse than me.”

Buffy glances at Faith’s breasts and back to Tara’s breasts.  “Oh, yeah.  I’ve got two sets of the most delicious breasts in the world to play with.  I almost feel sorry that you two got shorted.”  Buffy glances down to her meager breasts.  “Almost.”  Buffy glances back up laughing quietly. 

“Your breasts are absolutely perfect.”  Tara whispers quietly in her ear.  “And when we get some free time I’ll show you just how much they turn me on.”

Buffy’s eyes darken and she whimpers quietly.  “I’m holding you to that.”

Faith shakes her head before easing away from the two women.  Glancing around at the customers and employees who all seemed to have something else to do, Faith narrows her eyes.  “Yeah, like we’re gonna to believe that, people.”  Shaking her head she pats her two lovers on the ass.  “We’ll do research then go from there.  How about that?”

“That sounds like a very good idea.”  Tara agrees.  “We’ll be seeing you guys again this weekend.”  Tara waves to the employees, laughing loudly at the looks of disappointment on their faces.

“You guys really did put on a display here.”  Jacqi states in disbelief.

“Not us, those two.”  Buffy points towards Faith and Tara.  “Tara practically attacked Faith the last time we were in here.”

“And who chased me around the store?”  Tara questions with a raised eyebrow.

“You had it coming.”  Buffy whines.  “You were being mean to me.  Setting Dawn up to get me all riled.”  Buffy stops and thinks for a moment.  “You know, I don’t think I ever did get to do to you what I promised.”  Buffy’s eyes glint with mischief.  “I think I just might have to remedy that.”

“Oh, shit!”  Tara blushes deeply as she remembers what Buffy had told her what she was going to do to her. 

“That’s right, B.”  Faith nods her head as she replays what happened that day.  “You went to the shop and got the ingredients for the spell to keep Red out of the house and that’s the night when we found out about my dying for Tara to become the embodiment of the Goddess.   That’s also the afternoon that I had some really hot and sweaty lovin’ with the witch.”

“I remember.  I came home and you two were both passed out and wringing wet.”  Buffy nods her head, laughing.

“Will you two stop!”  Tara hisses out as she blushes and looks over at Jacqi who’s biting her lip and trying not to laugh.  “Sorry, Jacqi.”

Jacqi waves her hand before laughing loudly.  “In just the short period of time I’ve been here, I’ve come to the conclusion that you three are going to be like this all the time.  So I either need to ignore it, laugh at it, or get digs in whenever I can.”  Jacqi hesitates for a moment looking at the three women. “I’m still debating.  I may do a combination of all three.”

“She’s fittin’ right in.”  Faith nods her head smirking.  “Hey, I’m gettin’ hungry.”

Tara chuckles shaking her head.  “I’m not.  How about you two?”  Tara questions looking from Jacqi to Buffy smiling at the grin crossing Buffy’s face.  Leaning in she kisses her quickly.  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I can eat.”  Jacqi admits quietly.

“Slayers.”  Tara rolls her eyes.  “Food court, here we come.” 

***

Tara crosses her legs sipping her soda while the three women demolish the pile of food in the middle of the table.  “Feeding you three is going to be like feeding a Tyrannosaurus Rex!”

Jacqi giggles while sneaking the last veggie sub sandwich out from under the wrappers.

“HEY!”  Faith yells, watching the teen with narrowed eyes. 

“First come, first serve.  You like meat on your sandwiches anyway!”  Jacqi smirks before taking a huge bite out of the sandwich then waving it in Faith’s face.

“That’s the wrong thing to do.”  Tara’s eyes twinkle as Faith snatches it out of the woman’s hands and proceeds to eat it.

Jacqi’s eyes open wide and she looks from her now empty hands to the slayer with a mouth full of food grinning at her.  “That wasn’t nice.”

Swallowing the bite of food, Faith chuckles.  “I’m not nice.  Remember, I’m the BAAAAD one of the group.” 

“Don’t you guys ever stop eating?”  Dawn comes up to the table with Janice standing beside her. 

Tara smiles at the teen before nodding towards Janice.  “Hi, Janice.  And no, they don’t.”

“Hi, Tara.”  Janice grins looking at the women and the pile of wrappers on the table.  “I don’t know how you eat that much and stay as skinny as you do.” 

“Good metabolisms.”  Faith and Buffy state at the same time, before chuckling.

“That what it is?”  Janice laughs sliding a glance at Dawn.  “Dawn said it was something else.”

“Janice!  Don’t you dare repeat what I said.”  Dawn’s eyes get huge. 

“I can imagine what Dawn said.”  Buffy narrows her eyes on her sister. 

Dawn pales and steps back.  “Ummm.  I was kind of wondering if it was okay if I spend the night with Janice?  Her mom said it was okay.”

Tara laughs quietly and reaches out grasping Buffy’s hand in hers.  “That’s fine, Dawnie.  Jacqi will probably enjoy sleeping in a bed tonight.” 

“Got that right.”  Jacqi mutters digging through the wrappers to make sure there was no more food. 

Buffy laughs watching the slayer.  “If you want some more food, you can go get more.”  Buffy grabs some money and hands it to the teen.

“Thanks.”  Jacqi grins heading towards the food stalls.

“Definitely need to get the additional refrigerator and freezers here quickly.”  Tara exchanges looks with her two grinning lovers.  Scooting her chair closer to Buffy, she wraps her arm around the slayer. 

“Is it okay if I ride home with them?”  Dawn questions smiling at her sister and Tara.  Glancing towards Faith who’s just smirking at the two women. 

Buffy leans into Tara’s side and nods her head.  “Got your keys?”

Dawn opens her purse and closes it nodding her head.  “I got them.”

“Need any cash?”  Faith questions digging in her pocket.

“I’m good, thanks.”  Dawn smiles thankfully at the rogue slayer. 

“I told mom we would meet her and it’s almost time.”  Janice speaks up before waving at the three women.  “Have fun shopping.”

“We will.”  Tara rolls her eyes, smiling after the two teens.  “I wonder when Giles is going to get here.”  Tara chuckles as Buffy runs a fingertip over her knee. 

“Hopefully here soon.  He needs to get some clothes and other essentials.”  Faith smirks.  “Or we could always buy his clothes for him.” 

“We could.”  Buffy grins at Faith before looking at Tara.  “Do you think boxers or briefs?”

“Boxers, definitely.”  Tara nods her head, laughing.  “He’s not allowed to go into any stores that carry tweed.  We’re bringing him into the 21^st Century one way or another!  And he’s going to learn to wear jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes.” 

“Oh, bloody hell.”  Giles groans coming up to sit beside the three women.  Looking around he frowns.  “Did you lose a couple teenagers?”

“Dawn ran into Janice and is going home with her tonight.  Jacqi is getting more food.”  Buffy explains, smirking at the Watcher.  “How much did you hear?”

“More than I wanted to.”  Giles rolls his eyes.  “And who says I wear either?”  He raises an eyebrow at Tara, making her blush.

“Did not need that picture in my head, Giles.”  Buffy groans, while Faith snickers. 

“Yo, G-man, we need to get you a woman!”  Faith chuckles rocking back on the back two legs of her chair.  “Tare, keep an eye out at school, see if there’s any hot women for Tweed man.”

Tara