Today is supposed to be a surprise and I don't like it much. Surprises have never been my friend.

Faith knows all about my dislike and apprehension when it comes to surprises but she still won't tell me where we're going today. All she said is that she was going to change my mind about surprises and that I needed to be ready early in the morning. When I asked what I needed to wear all she would tell me was that we would be outside.

Now I'm anxiously waiting for her to show up as my mom quizzes me about it. I think she knows something is going on between us but she hasn't asked and I'm too nervous to admit anything at the moment.

"Is it just you and Faith going out today?" she asks as she eats a piece of toast.

I guess this is where not knowing anything helps me. I don't have to try and vague up the details if I don't know them. "I'm not sure but I think Willow has to work today."

She nods and doesn't say anything else on it. I know she likes that Faith and I are becoming close, especially since Xander's not in Sunnydale this summer and Willow is working. It means I'm not spending my summer alone and I know she likes that. Of course, I wonder if her mind would change if she knew that Faith and I are dating.

"Okay," she says as she picks up her purse and keys. "Have fun today. Do you think you'll be here for dinner?"

I shrug. "I'm not sure."

My mom smiles. "I'll be prepared just in case."

She gives me a hug and leaves so now I'm alone waiting for Faith. This surprise is making me nervous but at least I don't have to wait long because not more than ten minutes after my mom leaves there's a knock on the front door.

I open it and Faith is on the other side, a huge smile on her face. "Ready to go?"

"And where are we going?" I ask as I raise an eyebrow.

"You really can't take it, can you?" She laughs as I just look at her. "Well, Giles let me borrow his car . . ."

"You have a car?" I ask quickly as I look outside. Sure enough, Giles' old car is parked in the driveway. "Where are we going that we need to drive?"

The look on her face says I need to be quiet and let her talk so I stop to let her continue. "What we're doing is I have that eye-sour of a car packed full of food, drinks, towels and everything else we need to spend a day at the beach."

I instantly start grinning and wrap my arms around her neck. "You are the best girlfriend!"

"I know," Faith says as she puts her arms around my waist. "Now I'm gonna give you five minutes to get a bikini under some equally attractive clothes. I have everything else in the car."

Faith leans in and kisses me then and I return it easily. I'm a little relieved that Faith's trip is to the beach and not something that'll make me even more nervous. It'll be nerve racking enough because I'll be spending the day with Faith . . . in a bikini.

Knowing Faith it'll be in one that won't leave much to the imagination.

"Hey," Faith says to get my attention as she walks us a couple steps inside and shuts the front door with her foot, "stop daydreaming and get changing. We have a little drive ahead of us."

I can't wait.

The drive has been nice and relaxing but after awhile I couldn't figure out where we're going. Faith said we're going to the beach but I know exactly where the turnoff is for the public beach and we didn't take it. That can only mean we're going somewhere else.

"Faith, are you trying to tease me?"

She turns to look at me as she drives. "What are you talking about?"

"You said we were going to the beach but this isn't the way," I say. "Is part of your surprise making me think we're going someplace I love and then not go there?"

"We're going there," Faith says. "I just know a spot that's a hell of a lot better." She looks at me and grins. "Call me possessive but I want you all to myself today and having a beach full of guys ogle you isn't what I call a good time."

"You think they're gonna be looking at me? I'm willing to bet you'll be showing more than a little skin once we get there." I pause. "If that's where we're actually going."

We turn off the main road onto dirt one and Giles' old car gets loud. This piece of crap car better not die on us, especially since no one knows where we are. Faith doesn't seem to notice or care because she's half paying attention to the road and half reading a sheet of paper that looks like it has directions on it.

I really want to pester her some more on where we're going but I don't want to annoy her and it feels like she's thought about this. Faith's never been one to plan and it feels nice that she's taken the time to plan something for the two of us. We're still learning all the ins and outs of being a couple so I know I need to give her some slack.

I am her first girlfriend. Her first relationship.

The car stops when we get to a fence and gate that's blocking the road. It has a big "no trespassing" sign on the gate and it feels like this is the end of the line for us but Faith doesn't seem to think so. She jumps out of the car, leaving it running, and opens the gate so we can get through.

"Almost there," she says when she gets back in.

"Are we gonna get in trouble for this?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Nope, got an in with the owner of the property. We got all this to ourselves for the day and I don't have to work later."

I think about what she says as she gets out again to close the gate and there's really only one person she knows that could be responsible for this. He can't own all this though. "Are you staying your boss owns this land?" I ask when she's back in the car.

Faith nods and grins. "Yep."

"But he's so . . ."

"Sleazy?" Faith finishes for me and we laugh a little as she stops at the end of the road. "Yeah, he is but he also knows how to get land cheap, especially when the owners live in Sunnydale and suddenly die or disappear. I guess this used to be owned by a demon. Can you believe that?"

I smile as I get out of the car and start to help her get everything she brought. "Why is Gary letting you come out here?"

"He felt bad that I missed your first night back from San Diego 'cause I was at the bar," she says. "I think he really just wants to make sure I don't leave. He said having a slayer on the payroll is priceless."

"You should ask for a raise then," I joke with her and look ahead to see the ocean and a small beach area. Not as nice as the public beach but we are definitely alone.

Faith doesn't say anything else and we walk to the sand in silence. Once we get there we set everything and I notice Faith's brought a little of everything: sandwiches, fruit, chips and a bunch of other little snacks. Then there's the three or four different kinds of drinks and of course, all the beach supplies. I spread out a towel on the sand and look up as Faith strips down to a very small black bikini.

I'm pretty sure my mouth is open. There may be some drool.

"Like what you see, B?"

I want to narrow my eyes at the confident smirk she has but she's not wrong. "Definitely."

She doesn't respond to that but I know her eyes are on me as I take off my shirt and shorts to reveal my light blue bikini. I can feel the blush begin to creep onto my face so I turn away and concentrate on folding my clothes and putting them off to the side. Once I stand up though, Faith's arms are around me and she turns me to face her.

"Damn, B," she says as she puts her lips to my ear. "I could just fucking eat you right here."

There isn't anything I can think of to respond to that so I just kiss her instead, something she returns instantly. Faith deepens the kiss quickly and I know that if I let this keep going I don't know how we're gonna be able to stop. When I feel her hand move up my back to my bikini top that's the sign I need to break away.

"Sorry," Faith breathes out before leaning down and placing a couple kisses on my neck. "Think I'm gonna have a problem today."

I get on my tiptoes and put my lips to her ear. "You're not the only one."

Faith grins widely at me but takes a step back. I think she's trying to control herself, though I wouldn't mind if we made out a little more. It's not like there's anyone watching us.

We get everything else set up, Faith even thought ahead to bring an umbrella when we want shade, and get suntan lotion on each other with only minimal groping. After we lie back on the towels and relax, something neither of us get a chance to do when we're slaying and training.

Once I close my eyes I think about the fact that Faith and I are moving faster than I thought we would. When she first kissed me I didn't think only a few short weeks later I'd be wondering when is the best time to see her naked. Hell, I wasn't even sure I wanted to see her naked. The way she looks in a bikini though is telling me I definitely want see everything.

After awhile I open my eyes and turn my head to look at Faith. She's got her eyes closed and it looks like she might even be sleeping. My eyes travel over her body as it glistens in the sun and I still can't get over how incredible she looks. Outside of a scar here and there, only a couple that I know are from slaying, her skin is just smooth. I can barely take my eyes off of her.

"Faith?"

"Yeah?" she asks without opening her eyes.

"Did you have a lot of days like this in Boston?"

Her eyes open then and she turns her body to me. "We don't exactly have the same kind of weather in Boston."

"You know what I mean," I say, smiling. "Did you have fun outings when you were in Boston?"

She thinks and shrugs. "Not really. If you're asking if my ma took me anywhere that'd be a big no. Outside of a couple class trips and a few times I skipped school to do something I actually wanted to do, I never went anywhere until I got called."

"I bet your watcher wasn't big on trips either."

"Probably as big as Giles would be."

We laugh a little before she sits up grabs some sandwiches and bottles of water from the cooler and sets them out. I sit up with her and we move under the shade for awhile to eat. Even though I know Faith didn't make a single thing she brought, it looks like she really took the time to make sure everything is just so. It makes me wonder how long she planned this.

I look out as we eat and this really is a beautiful beach. There can't be very many people who actually come out here either and I wonder why a demon would want it. It better not be for some evil purpose because that stuff has a way of finding us. Slaying duties have no place at the beach today.

When I look away and back at Faith she's looking at me. "What?"

"You're really beautiful," she says and reaches out to place a hand against my cheek. "Just beyond hot."

And now I'm blushing but before I can say anything she leans in and kisses me. Her lips are so soft and I'm learning she has the power to turn me into a puddle. The little power I have left I use to move closer to her and place a hand on her side.

Faith uses an arm to move away the cooler so there's nothing separating us and soon I'm on my back and she's hovering over me. Now I'm very happy we didn't end up at the public beach today because I would've wanted to keep touching and public displays to a minimum and I'm having way too much fun at the moment.

I feel her hand move over my back and I tense a little at the thought that my top might be gone soon. The thought makes me more nervous that I thought it would and I think Faith's notices because she breaks away and places a few soft kisses on my neck before lying down next to me.

Part of me wants to give her an explanation but the other part wants to not dwell on it. The bottom line is that I don't want my first time with Faith to be at the beach. Some people might think that would be romantic but I am not one of those people.

"Wanna check out the water?" I ask.

She grins. "I think we'd be missing the point of the coming here if we didn't."

Both of us stand and race each other to the water. I bet we can have a little fun there, too.

The day away from Sunnydale was so much fun but we knew we had to be back with time to spare before patrol so we ended up back at my house just before five in the afternoon. I could tell my mom was already home from work so I knew we'd have to behave once we got inside which is kind of why I don't immediately get out of the car when Faith kills the engine.

"I wish we were still there," I comment.

"Yeah," Faith says as she looks over at me, "but I'm pretty sure we can go there again. Until then I have plenty of memories in that bikini to keep me company."

I laugh. "You're staying for dinner, right? I think my mom expects it now that we're here and she's been plotting what to make."

"I don't know." She looks down. "Being in the water for awhile means I could really use a shower."

"You can shower here," I say too quickly. It makes me blush a little with the way Faith raises her eyebrow at me but I think I can recover. "I mean, if that's all that's stopping you from staying you can use my shower."

She smirks but thankfully, doesn't comment on my eagerness to get her naked in my bathroom. "Cool, if it's all right with your mom then I'll stay."

I reach over and give her hand a little squeeze before we get out of the car and walk into the house. There's a huge part of me that would love to have just one more minute alone with Faith so I could properly thank her for today but my mom walks down the stairs as Faith closes the door behind us.

"Just in time for me to start dinner," she says with a smile on her face. "What did the two of you do today?"

"I thought I'd surprise B with a trip to the beach," Faith says. "Kinda needed a day away."

"Sounds fun." She looks at Faith. "Will you be staying for dinner?"

"Sure," Faith says slowly. "B said it's all right to use your shower if that's okay."

"Of course," my mom says and walks away toward kitchen. Neither of us say anything else as we talk upstairs.

We walk into my room and once I close my room Faith's kissing me lightly. I return it easily and think about how a few weeks ago I was confused at what I felt for her. It could be that I didn't know much about her then but now it's completely different.

"Today was great," she says as we break away. "I hope I didn't make you nervous."

Damn, she did notice. I had really hoped she didn't and I try hard not to blush but I'm pretty sure I'm failing. "You didn't."

I try to look away but she puts her hand on my chin and makes me look at her. "It's okay if you were. You know that, right?"

There's a lot going on in her head, her eyes tell me that, but I can't tell if she means it. That's the first time I can't and now I'm afraid she's saying something she doesn't really mean. "I don't know."

Faith scowls and takes a step away. She runs a hand through her hair and looks down before looking back at me. "Are you serious right now, B? You make it sound like I'm just here to get into your pants. Hell, if that were the case I'd have given up a long time ago."

I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes. "You make it sound so romantic."

"I don't know what to do here, okay?" She stops scowling and looks at me with I can only guess is frustration. "You like all the buildup, the getting to know you part and dating and all that. I've never given that a second thought for a long time now and you know it. So when I try to do things your way you have to know I'm not trying to push. If I was we'd already have a whole lot more than you're comfortable with and you'd have pushed me away for pressuring you."

She sits down on my bed and lets out a sigh. I feel kind of stupid now but Faith makes me nervous for those very reasons. Everything she said makes me feel selfish, too. I don't want to be the one who always puts on the brakes.

I sit next to her and put my head on her shoulder. "You make me nervous."

"I don't want you to feel that way," Faith says quietly. "I like the fact I'm getting to know all about you. I'm kinda falling in love with you."

My whole body freezes at that. Well, except my heart. That's going a mile a minute and I don't know if it'll ever stop. "What?"

"I think you heard me pretty well."

I can't believe what I heard but when I lift my head up to look at Faith I can see she's very serious. The problem is as much as I want to say it back I don't think I'm quite there yet. I'm falling for her but I can't say that word yet.

Instead of saying anything I lean in and give her the softest kiss I can manage. At the same time I place a hand on her cheek to keep her right where she is. It only takes a second for her to respond but before either of us can deepen it, I break away and rest my forehead against hers.

"No more being nervous," I whisper. "I promise."

Faith nods. "I don't want to scare you off, B, but I really want you."

"I want you, too." I give her another light kiss. "I just want to keep doing what we've been doing."

She grins and stands, taking my hands and pulling me up with her. "I should shower before your mom starts wondering what the hell we're doing up here."

I give her hands a little squeeze before letting them go. "Probably a good idea."

We give each other one last look before I turn and let her head off to the bathroom while I start to walk back downstairs. The only thought in my mind is that Faith is falling in love with me. There's no way I can think of anything else.

After dinner Faith and I dropped off Giles' car then went on patrol, which was more active than I would have wanted. Even though all we did all day was relax in the sun the only thing that got me through the night was the natural energy that goes along with the slay. If it wasn't for that Faith would've had to drag me through the three cemeteries we ended up patrolling.

We ended up at Faith's apartment after that and crashed on the couch, watching whatever we could find on TV. I'm not sure how we ended up in our current position, me lying against Faith with her arms securely around me, but it feels good. It has me so relaxed that I'm fighting sleep within a half hour of watching some random movie we settled on.

"Already falling asleep on me, B?"

"Hmm."

Faith stays silent for a minute then I feel her lips against my ear. "Wanna stay here tonight?"

It takes me a second but I slowly nod. I have to admit even though I'm not ready for sex with Faith yet sleeping next to her is pretty amazing. There's a feeling of contentment that I've never felt before, not even with Angel.

"You know, B," Faith says quietly, "all I can think about sometimes is the first time we're together. You ever think of it?"

She doesn't know the extent of which I've thought about it. It makes me nervous and excited at the same time. "Yeah."

"My brain keeps showing me what it'll be like."

I can't help but sigh contentedly at the thought of Faith thinking about it. "How will it be?"

"It'll start with us just making out and it'll feel like that's all we'll be doing until something hits me and I'll just know," she whispers. "We'll stand and I'll look into your eyes, trying to make sure I can keep going. It kind of surprises me when I see it but it's there: you want me as much as I want you in that moment and it's all I can do to go slow."

Faith pauses and for a second I wonder if she's done but then she starts again. "I know you'll want to go slow though and I want everything to last all night. We take each other's clothes off piece by piece. You'll be a little nervous and I'll be, too, but I'll try to hide it 'cause you're all I think about, all I want." She places a light kiss on my ear. "I'll want to do everything to make sure you're not nervous so when we move to the bed I'll take my time and kiss every inch of you."

"And then what happens?" I manage to whisper out.

"Lots of things happen after that," Faith says as her hands move over my stomach. "I wouldn't want to spoil anything but it's incredible and after we've exhausted each other you fall asleep in my arms and I'll know I'll never wanna let you go."

I want to respond but I can't think of anything to say and she's making me so relaxed that I can't keep my eyes open. I feel her move against me and before I even realize it, she's picking me up and lying me down on the bed. There's a part of me that wonders whether or not there might be some undressing involved but I feel her cover me with a blanket so I guess not.