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"Why two cakes?"

"We've seen you eat, Faith. We're not gonna fight you for a piece! That one's all yours. This one's for the rest of us. Wait! Not yet. We have to sing. You have to make a wish."

The others straggle in and arrange chairs around our side of the table. My sister lights the candles. How about that? In minimum security you can actually have birthday candles.

Everyone's got a wrapped present for her. I insisted on bright wrapping paper, ridiculously big bows, and lots of ribbons. Faith has a thing for presents. Look at her staring at them! I have to laugh. She's such a little kid in some ways.

Xander and Anya settle into chairs on my left, Willow and Tara and Dawn on my right.

"You guys don't have to sing. Really. We can go right to the eating."

"Patience, darling. We're not skipping the singing!"

A guard brings in another chair. They don't often have so many people visit at once.

"Thank you," says the last guest, following the guard in.

"Giles!?" Faith is astonished.

"I was coming next week to see Buffy," he explains, "but I just couldn't miss your birthday so I booked an earlier flight." He sits beside Anya.

"This is the coolest! How's England?"

"England is wonderful... but I believe your candles are burning out."

We hurry up and sing. "Make a wish," orders Dawn as Faith reaches for a fork.

Faith looks me in the eye as she blows out her candles. Then she digs right into her cake. "It's really good, B."

"Dawn helped."

"Well, that explains it. She's a pretty good cook, for a Creature."

Dawn gives as good as she gets. "Thanks... Faitho the Clown."

I wasn't going to say it, but Faith's yellow uniform happens to match her party hat. It's not a very dignified ensemble.

Willow starts cutting our cake. "Twenty... how does it feel?"

"Old," says Faith.

"Can we do the presents now?" asks Dawn, eagerly.

"You guys didn't have to get me stuff!" But Faith's eyes tell a different story. I'd be willing to bet she was up all night looking forward to her birthday. I've been dropping hints that I have a very special gift for her.

Xander and Anya take a long wrapped tube from under the table. "I still don't really get how normal people are supposed to act," Anya tells my wife, "and Xander's even worse. But it's gotten really hard to have stupid fights lately." She squeezes Xander's hand. "All we have to do is think about you two and nothing much matters except for love. You've brought us closer. So... thanks."

Xander hands the gift across. "She says this now, but I've been told in no uncertain terms not to think about you two. Happy birthday, Faith."

She tears into it eagerly. A poster for her cell. Black and white photo of a graveyard.

"Thanks, guys, I love it. Just the thing to cheer the place up. Oh... what's this?" Two cut-out photos drop out of the middle of the tube. Me and Faith in our wedding dresses. I've got my stake raised and she's kicking out. Probably at me, as I recall.

"They've got sticky on the back!" says Anya proudly. "You can put them anywhere!" She reaches over and places me over a grave.

Faith laughs. "Wow, I can put on little puppet shows!" She places her figure on mine. With her raised leg it looks like I'm....

"Faith! Honestly!" I take the poster and roll it up, blushing.

"Me next!" Dawn passes across a flat, heavy package with far too many bows. My wife is delighted! There's no such thing as too much wrapping for Faith.

Faith unwraps a photo album and leafs through it, smiling. "Our garden! Thanks, Creature. These are really good pictures."

"Keep going... not just the garden!" Dawn stand up to point, excited.

The guard rushes over and takes Dawn's arm. "Miss! You need to stay in your seat!" My sister sits down guiltily and I pat her shoulder. I've been tempted to leave my own seat more than a few times.

Faith keeps flipping through the pictures, and smiles wider and wider. "It's everything, Dawnie! The whole house. Every room... I feel like I'm there! This is really sweet."

I look at my sister. "That's the first and last time I'll ever see Dawn cleaning the whole house by herself."

At the end of the album are some of Dawn and I, and an old one mom took of Faith and I together at the dinner table. Faith puts her hand on that one for a moment before closing the album.

Giles' gift next. An old hand-lettered book. How festive... something dusty from the Watcher's attic. Something about roman soldiers and mental discipline. Can you say, 'boring'?

"I thought it might be of use as you continue to train," says Giles.

Faith puts on a good act. "Awesome! Can't wait to dig into all that."

Willow and Tara start to hand over their gifts at the same time. Willow lets Tara go first.

"Buffy said you like video games," Tara explains as Faith rips the paper open and examines the little game. "It has three games, and two of them are about beating up monsters as near as I can tell." Plenty of batteries, too. Tara wrapped each one separately.

"Thanks, Tara." Faith squeezes her hand. She's not going to unwrap every battery right now, is she? Yep. She is.

Willow's gift is flat. Just a folder inside, with some papers. Faith frowns, trying to understand the forms.

"For your web site," Willow says. "You said the prison doesn't let you keep a site up for very long. So I got you a real address. It's all paid up for the next five years!"

Faith reads more. "HowToKillVampires.com... thanks, Red, that is wicked!"

That leaves my gift. Faith tears into the paper–two layers for extra tearing satisfaction–and takes out a smaller but thicker photo album than Dawn's. It's tied shut with string.

"It's only half full," I say. "It's got room left for all the photos I've given you. And the ones I will give you."

She starts to untie the string and I stop her. "Um... you don't want to open that here. Wait 'til you're alone." All the photos are of me. All inspired by her recent letters. A few of them have a little clothing.

Faith raises her eyebrow. "Wow, B, I can hardly wait!" But thankfully, she sets the album aside. "Thanks, Buffy. Thanks, everyone... this is all seriously cool. My first real birthday party. A girl could get used to it!" She returns to her cake. I knew she'd finish the whole thing.

"Wait... there is one more little thing I have for you, darling..." I hand my girl the tiniest, plainest package of the day. Inside is an envelope.

Faith pulls out two folded sheets of paper. "This really is the birthday for paperwork, isn't it?" She reads, and her mouth drops open.

"Buffy...! You can't be serious!"

"Of course I am. Half of it belongs to you. It's only right." The deed to the Summers house has been changed. Faith and I own it jointly. "Now you know I mean it when I say it's your home too."

"Wow... a house..." she stares at me in disbelief. "What about Dawn?"

"Dawn got a college fund. I got the house... I figure we can let her stay, though." Dawn sticks out her tongue.

A tear rolls down Faith's cheek. "You guys are always so nice. All of you. Always doing things for me. I wish I could do something for you, just once."

Tara puts her hand on Faith's. "You've done a lot for us, Faith. You brought my Willow back to me." She slips her other arm around Willow's waist. "And you know you set an example for Xander and Anya."

"It's true, Faith," I say, taking her other her hand. "You've done more than enough for all of us. You've brought me and Dawn so much closer together. Because we both care about you... and because you talked me into letting her come on patrol. I can't imagine not sharing that with her now." My sister is beaming with pride. "And you remind me that being the Slayer isn't just a job. It's a gift. It's fun sometimes. I may never love slaying like you do... but you stop me from getting too gloomy about it. And most of all... you made me glad to be alive again. You finished the job Willow started. Bringing me back."

Faith smiles with shining eyes and squeezes my hand and Tara's. We return to stuffing our faces.

Willow tilts her head thoughtfully. "You're doing pretty well for yourself, I'd say, for just turning twenty. You're married, own your home, you have a little money saved, some college credits.... and then the Slayer thing, of course... always impressive on a resume!"

"Well, I gotta fit it all in, you know! Slayers die young." The joke isn't funny and we all fall silent. It's true. As Kendra and I both learned.

We polish off the cakes–Faith finishes hers first–and then everyone leaves us alone for some private time.

As soon as the others are out of sight, Faith pulls the string off the photos I gave her. She flips through, her eyes widening. "Look at your little butt, B!"

"Faith!" I blush. The girl has no shame at all. The guard is still here!

She closes the book. "Thanks a million, B. I wish I could do more than keep saying that. I don't know what I did to deserve you...." She's getting emotional again. Seems like we're always on the edge of getting weepy these days. "It's been so long since I last hated myself. That's all because of you. I think about you every day, all day.... you're my whole life, Buffy!"

"Good. 'Cause you're mine. And someday we'll share one life together."

Faith opens her mouth and closes it again.

I know she was starting to say something. "Out with it, sweetie. What's on your mind?"

She shrugs shyly. She doesn't need to feel self-conscious with me! "Nothing, really. I was just... wondering... if you ever think about... you know, like... having a... family..."

"You and me and Dawn? We're family. No two ways about it. The Summers clan sticks together."

"No... you and me... and... um... Buffy, do ever think about... having kids maybe?" She looks down and shrugs again like it's no big deal. "Just a funny thought I had."

I gape, speechless. I was not expecting that!

But as a matter of fact... "Well.... yeah. I do." She looks up again with a light in her eyes, so I go on. "Willow and Tara have talked about adopting a baby with magical powers. Tara knows how to tell... and so many children have power but never learn to control it. Just look at Willow! And, well, I kinda thought that sounded like a good idea. You know... someday..."

"Yeah," Faith smiles with tears running down her cheeks. "Someday. I don't know about you, but I'm not ready yet even if I was free... But, someday, I'd kinda like... to be moms together. How weird is that?"

I'm shedding some tears myself. "Very weird. And very wonderful. And if you still want that, someday, then... we'll be parents!" I squeeze her hands. I love my wife so much!

"One more thing to look forward to, then, B. Someday." Her smile fades.

"Faith? Sweetie?"

"Someday... Will there be a someday?" Her lip is trembling in the way that tells me something big is bottled up in there. More bad news from her lawyer?

She takes a shaky breath. "I'm afraid to even say it, Buffy. But I'm so scared that you won't be here when I get out." She starts to cry. "Slayers just don't live very long. This has been another awful, dangerous year for you, just like last year, and just like next year! And I'm not out there to protect you!"

I speak very firmly. "Faith. I will be here when you get out. Everything we've dreamed of... it will happen."

"The average lifespan of a Slayer is nineteen, Buffy! As of today we're both living on borrowed time!"

"I think of that, too. But I don't believe it. We have so much that no Slayer has had before. You're safely tucked away in here, and I have a whole gang to back me up. Other Slayers kept their secret from everyone, but I have friends. I have Tara's magic, and Willow and Xander have always stuck by me, and now I have Dawn to rely on too." I lean closer. "And don't tell the others yet... but Giles is staying! So I have him again, too. I think I've got enough help to beat the odds! In fact... I've already died twice, and here I sit." She's hanging on my words, wanting so badly to hope. "We even have you helping us, Faith. And think of all the modern medicine we have today... it could have saved lots of those other Slayers, I bet. Look at me, Faith." I hold her eyes with mine and make a promise. "I'll be here when you get out, no matter how many years that is. And then we'll protect each other. Two Slayers together. We'll have what no Slayer has ever had. Our lives. We may not reach old age, and if we have to go early then I hope we go together. But we'll be around long enough to raise a family. I believe that, Faith. I really do."

I can tell my words help. "I guess you do have a little more going for you than most other Slayers." She rubs her eyes and lets out a sigh.

"Yes. And more reason to live, too." I rub my palm in slow circles on hers and smile. She smiles back. I feel like I know her a little better. And I think I love her a little more.

"Time's almost up, B. There's just one important thing we still have to do."

"What's that?"

"My wish, Buffy. It's going to come true, with a little help. Right now."

"Your wish? What did you wish for?"

But she can't even answer. The guard is beside her all of a sudden, holding the handcuffs for the walk back to her cell. She stands up obediently, but stumbles sideways into the guard suddenly–on purpose?–and knocks his club off his belt with her hip. It rolls to the wall. "Shit," mutters the guard, chasing after it, leaving Faith with only one handcuff on. What the hell is going on here?

Faith walks deliberately around to my side of the table, looking at me intently.

Oh my God. She's planned something! She's going to try to escape! But how? I don't know what I'm supposed to do! She must have sent a letter that I haven't gotten yet... I'll screw it all up! And.... it could never work! We've been through that a dozen times! She can't get out this way and be truly free.

And yet I want her to escape! I want that so bad. I want to storm out of this place with her and never look back. We could start a new life together.

But it really can't work. It would be the end of our lives as much as it would be the beginning. And whatever she's planning is no use anyway, with me not even in on the plan.

"Faith, no!" I whisper. The guard is fumbling with the wooden club, trying to pick it up.

And then she's lifting me to a standing position, and I'm in my wife's arms. We're embracing desperately, her hand inside the back of my top. She kisses me, and our lips and tongues strain to express the passion we've done without for so long. I don't know why she's wasting time with this... but oh... I know I need it!

The guard drops his club again. His back is still to us. We're still just holding each other and kissing. In total violation of the in-your-seat rule. But nothing has any meaning anymore except her hands on my back, her breasts pressed into me, her sweet face joined to mine.

Eventually my lover breaks the kiss. "We better not get too used to this, B." The loss is almost a physical pain. Even worse when she pulls free from my arms and returns to her side of the table.

The clumsy guard finally gets a grip on his club and turns around to finish handcuffing Faith, acting like he didn't notice a thing. She winks at him, and whispers "Thanks!"

He leads my wife away, and I stare after her in a daze. "Faith..." I whisper.

 

---

 

"They're in the caves under Fifth Street?"

The Scoobies lean closer to the speakerphone. "As near as we can tell, yes," says Giles. "But it looks like there's no back way in. I'm afraid Buffy won't be able to surprise them."

"Take the Pine Avenue sewer," Faith directs, her voice hollow from the small speaker.

We look at the map. "It ends at Fourth Street," I observe.

"No, they all go through. It'll work."

"Do have your map with you, Faith?"

"Not that one, no."

"Well the sewer stops, unless the map is just wrong."

"It is. Look at Seventh and Pine."

"I see. There's more sewer tunnel there."

"No, it's the same tunnel. It goes right through from Fourth to Seventh. If you want a back door to get you under Fifth Street, that's the way."

I peer at the map. They didn't draw any sewer where she's talking about. "How do you know it goes through?"

"Where else would it connect to? The sewer can't just stop dead."

"She's right," says Giles. "There's no other connection unless the line runs straight through. That's the best way to approach our demons."

"You sure you don't have your sewer map open, Faith?" I ask, impressed.

"I'm sure, B! But I know all the maps by heart, pretty much." I can hear the pride in her voice. She's been working extra hard at being the Slayer!

"I guess you do. Well this makes things a lot easier. No big head-on battle to plan. So I think that's everything we have, tonight!"

"Short meeting," notes Dawn.

"Actually," Willow interjects, wearing an odd, nervous expression, "while everyone's here, there's something I need to tell you all."

"Oh, and Faith," I add, addressing the phone, "you said you had a little favor to ask?"

"Well, more of a big favor.... The hearing my lawyer's been trying for. We got it. Tomorrow afternoon. My lawyer will be here in the morning to meet with me, and maybe with some of you if you can make it. It's up to her who testifies, we'll just see how it goes I guess. We never thought this hearing would happen so soon, but... I haven't been a teenager for two months."

I sit back slowly, completely forgetting that Willow wanted to say something. CVs again? Even a tiny chance? "Count Dawnie and me in. And Giles, you can come, right? Maybe an old person would be a good character witness!"

"Certainly, I'll assist in any way I can," says Giles, "if I can locate my walker." Anya and Xander promise to come as well.

"Me and Willow have exams tomorrow," says Tara. "But we'll get out of 'em."

"We'll be there," says Willow.

"You'd blow off a test for me, Red? You guys are the best. Oh... what was it you wanted to tell us?"

Willow opens her mouth for a moment, exchanging glances with Tara, then closes it again. "It'll keep. I say we worry about tomorrow right now."

"This will be pretty simple, right?" I ask. "Your lawyer asks us stuff, we tell everybody how great you are, and what a psycho bitch your mom is, and why you really do deserve privileges. Is that about right?"

"Actually, B, it looks like it will be a little more complicated than that. I'll let my lawyer spill the details. She'll be here early to start getting ready. But part of it's gonna be convincing them that you and Dawn are really my family now. She wants to show how keeping you and me apart is hurting a whole family, not just us. Parents with kids have gotten special treatment before, and she wants to make them think that way. She's only found two cases like that in this state, and never with a gay couple, but she's gonna go for it anyway. So... Dawn, you might be the star witness."

"Cool," says my sister eagerly, "I can tell them how mean Buffy is when she's not getting any!"

An awkward silence descends. I stare at my sister as her enthusiastic smile fades. Giles clears his throat.

"OK," says Faith, "maybe we can make do without the Creature!"

 

Continued with "CV-14"

 

I would be grateful if you would give me your comments and rate my stories in my Guestbook, or email me. Reader responses will determine whether I publish more stories, and will help improve them! Thanks for reading! (If you'd like to be notified when I post new stories, let me know.)

If you enjoyed this story, try I Have Never Been to Boston. Dawn sets out to say goodbye to someone she loves–but who she knows never even existed!

I miss her so bad. I need to see her again. Say goodbye. But she's not real. So here I am, to make that sink in once and for all. I have to see with my own two eyes that she never lived. That she never loved me. Because even I didn't exist.

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