DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Buffy The Vampire Slayer stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Warner Brothers. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. There is some subtext in this story. If this kind of stuff is not legal where you live, if you're under 18 or if you don't like the notion of two women being in love, then you should find something else to read. This story was inspired by the movie Christmas in My Hometown in which Michelle Trachtenberg starred. It is an AU story.
Taking Care of You
By Kristjan Brezovnik
"Mommy! It's snowing again!" little Hope called from the sofa.
Faith smiled and went to the main room.
"Let me see if I can convince it to stop," she said and hit the TV on the side a couple of times. "Ah. Better now?" she asked when the picture was clear again.
"Uh-huh," Hope said with a nod. "Thank you."
Faith smiled.
"Dinner's almost ready, honey."
"Okay."
Hope hopped off the sofa and went to the bathroom to wash her hands.
Faith quickly returned to the kitchen to make sure the milk didn't get burned. She waited for a few moments and then took the milk and poured it into two bowls, which were half filled with cereals.
Hope quickly returned from the bathroom and Faith helped her on the chair.
"Can I have some cocoa on top?" Hope asked.
Faith smiled.
"Of course," she said and fetched the cocoa. "Enough?" she asked when she spread a teaspoon full of cocoa on top of Hope's cereals.
Hope nodded.
"Uh-huh. Thank you."
Faith smiled.
"You're…" She trailed off when somebody knocked on the door. "Wait here, honey," she said, worried, and went to the door.
When she got to the door, she listened for a few moments.
"Who is it?" she asked when she didn't hear anything.
"Em, I'm Buffy. I need your help."
"Are you alone?"
"Yes."
Faith hesitated for a moment and then opened the loophole. She saw a disheveled woman, who was obviously freezing. She looked around, but she couldn't see anyone. She hesitated for a moment and then opened the door.
"Come in," she said, looking around worriedly.
"Thank you," Buffy said as she entered, trembling.
Faith quickly closed and locked the door and then she closed the loophole.
"Can I use your phone?"
"I don't have one."
Buffy frowned.
"You don't have a phone?"
"No."
"Oh. Damn."
They were quiet for a few moments, both thinking about what to do.
"You can stay for the night," Faith then said.
"Thank you," Buffy said, relieved.
"Take off your shoes."
"What?" Buffy said, startled.
"You're soaking wet. I don't want the whole house wet when you go to the bathroom."
"Oh. Right."
Buffy quickly took off her shoes and socks and Faith brought a towel from the kitchen. She gave it to Buffy, who then dried her feet.
"Come," Faith said and led the way to the bathroom. "I'll get you some dry clothes to sleep in," she said as she prepared everything for Buffy to take a bath.
"Thank you," Buffy said as she looked around.
"I'll leave the clothes on the chair outside the door. Don't use too much hot water, I still need to wash my daughter."
"Your daughter?" Buffy said, surprised.
"Yeah."
"Oh. Okay," Buffy said and Faith left.
Buffy quickly undressed and then sat in the bathtub, which was still filling up.
"Everything's okay, honey," Faith said when she returned to the kitchen. "The lady will stay with us for the night. Can she sleep in your bed?"
Hope frowned.
"Where will I sleep?"
"With me."
Hope smiled.
"Okay."
Faith noticed that Hope was almost done with her dinner.
"Still hungry?"
Hope shook her head.
"Uh-uh."
"Okay."
"Can I go watch TV now?" Hope asked, finishing off her dinner.
"Sure, honey."
Hope hopped off the chair and ran to the main room.
When Faith ate her dinner, she first washed the dishes and put them away. Then she took a chair to the bathroom door. She went to Hope's room, took some Hope's things and took them to her room. There, she took a pair of pajamas, a pair of boxers, warm socks and a pair of slippers and took them to the bathroom door, where she put them on the chair. She knocked on the door.
"I brought your clothes," she told Buffy.
"Okay!" Buffy called.
Faith then went to the main room and joined Hope on the sofa.
When Buffy got out of the bathroom five minutes later, she came to the main room.
"Hey," she said.
Buffy and Hope looked at her.
"Hope, this is Buffy. Buffy, this is Hope," Faith introduced them.
"Hi," Buffy said with a smile and waved at Hope.
"Hello," Hope said, clinging close to her mother.
"And what's your name?" Buffy asked Faith.
"Faith."
"Oh."
"Hungry?"
"No, I ate earlier."
"Okay." She looked at Hope. "Sleepy?"
Hope nodded and rubbed her eyes.
"Uh-huh."
"Then let's get you ready for bed." Faith picked up Hope and looked at Buffy. "Come, I'll show you where you'll sleep."
"Okay," Buffy said and followed Faith to Hope's room.
"Here."
Buffy looked around the room.
"This is Hope's room?" she asked, noticing the toys.
"Yeah."
"Where will she sleep?"
"With me."
"Oh. Thanks."
Faith nodded and then went to her room to get the pajamas for Hope. Then they went to the bathroom.
Buffy looked around the room and then went in. She saw a couple of worn out fairytale books and a couple of Hope's drawings. She sat on the bed and looked around again. She yawned and she realized she was tired. She looked at the pillow and decided to go to sleep. She turned on the lamp on the nightstand and then went to the door, closed it and turned off the light. Then she returned to bed, lay down and turned off the lamp. She was asleep within minutes.
After Faith washed Hope, she took her to her room.
"Night, sweetie," she said as she tucked her in.
"Night, Mommy," Hope said and Faith kissed her on the forehead.
Faith smiled and left. She went to the main room and the kitchen, but Buffy was not there, so she went to Hope's room. She silently opened the door and peeked in. She saw that Buffy was asleep, so she closed the door. She thought for a few moments and then decided to go to bed as well.
When Faith got up and looked out the window next morning, she realized that Buffy was stuck with them for at least two weeks. She sighed, wondering how they would manage with food. She dressed up and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
"Wake up, honey," Faith gently woke up Hope when breakfast was ready.
Hope moaned and opened her eyes.
"Mommy?"
Faith smiled.
"Yes. Time to get up."
Hope reached up with her hands and Faith picked her up and then sat her on the bed.
"Let's get you dressed up."
"Is it morning yet?" Buffy asked sleepily when she came from her room after she heard Faith and Hope talk.
"Yeah," Faith said. "Bad news, you're stuck here."
Buffy frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"There was a blizzard last night and it's still snowing. The snow is waist high."
"What?" Buffy said, worried, and went back to the room and opened the window. "Oh damn." She looked at Faith. "How long?"
Faith shrugged.
"Depends."
Buffy frowned.
"On what?"
"On whether the people who clean the roads remember that I live here and take the time to clean the road."
"Oh."
"Last year it took them almost three weeks."
"What? But I need to call my family," Buffy said, worried.
"You can't do anything until they clear the road."
"I could walk."
"I don't think so."
"But…"
"You're stuck," Faith said firmly. "Your clothes are still drying, I'll get you some of mine." She looked at Hope. "Go to the kitchen, honey, the breakfast is ready."
"Okay," Hope said and went to the kitchen.
"I'll go get the clothes," Faith said and went to her room.
"Damn," Buffy said, worried, and followed Faith. "And there's no other way to get a message out?"
"No."
Buffy sighed.
"Great." She thought for a moment. "So what do you do while you're trapped here?"
Faith glanced at her as she rummaged through her closet.
"Watch TV, listen to the radio, read books, play games."
"Oh."
"Here," Faith said and gave Buffy a pile of clothes. "They should fit, we're the same size."
"Thanks," Buffy said.
"Come to the kitchen, breakfast is ready."
"Okay."
Buffy went to her room and Faith to the kitchen.
When Buffy came to the kitchen, Hope had already eaten and Faith was halfway through.
"Thanks," Buffy said when she saw a bowl of cereals waiting for her.
Faith nodded.
"Want some sugar or cocoa with it?" she asked after Buffy tasted the cereals.
Buffy thought for a moment.
"Some sugar."
Faith passed her the sugar.
"Thanks." Buffy put one teaspoonful of sugar on her cereals, tasted them and found them satisfactory. "So, you two live alone?" she then asked.
Faith looked at her.
"Yeah."
"What about Hope's dad?"
"What about him?" Faith said sharply.
"He doesn't live here?"
"No."
"Oh."
"What about you? What are you doing here?"
"I went skiing with my friends. I was driving back to the hotel when a small avalanche pushed me off the road. I'm lucky I'm still alive. I saw your house, so I came here."
"Oh. Where are you from?"
"Sunnydale."
"Which one?"
Buffy frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"There's more than one."
"Oh. California."
"Oh."
Faith finished her breakfast and then started doing the dishes. Buffy hurried up and quickly finished. Then she gave her bowl to Faith to clean it up. She hesitated for a moment.
"Is there anything you want me to do?"
Faith glanced at her.
"No."
"Okay," Buffy said and went to the main room. "Hey," she greeted Hope with a smile.
Hope, who was sitting on the floor, looked at her.
"Hi," she said, curious.
Buffy sat on the sofa close to Hope.
"What are you doing?"
"Decorations," Hope said and showed her.
"For the Christmas tree?"
Hope nodded, excited.
"Uh-huh. And Mommy's gonna put the lights on and then Santa can leave his presents under it."
Buffy smiled.
"Need any help?"
Hope looked at the decorations and then back at Buffy.
"Uh-huh," she said and nodded. "We need to put this thread on all decorations. Like this, see?"
Hope demonstrated and Buffy nodded, smiling.
"Okay."
When Faith came out of the kitchen and saw Buffy help Hope prepare the decorations, she stopped and stared at them. Hope was the first to notice her and she smiled at her.
"We're almost done, Mommy."
Buffy looked at her and smiled.
"I'm helping her," she said unnecessarily.
"Are we gonna decorate the tree then?" Hope asked.
Faith smiled at her.
"Yeah. I'll get the lights."
Faith went to her room and took a box from under the bed. She took it back to the main room and took the lights out. She spread them on the floor, untangling them, and then started to put them on the tree. She had a bit of a problem, because the lights kept sticking at the branches.
"Let me help you," Buffy said, having noticed that, and went to help her.
Faith glanced at her.
"Thanks."
They put the lights on the Christmas tree and then Faith looked at Hope.
"Are you done, honey?"
Hope nodded.
"Uh-huh. Can you turn on the lights?"
"Sure," Faith said and plugged in the lights.
Hope's eyes went wide.
"Wow. It's so pretty."
Faith smiled at her.
"Yeah."
"I think a couple of lights don't work," Buffy said.
Faith glanced at the tree.
"I know."
"Oh."
Faith looked at Hope.
"Ready to put on the decorations?"
Hope's eyes lit up.
"Uh-huh," she said, nodding, and got up.
"I'll hold the decorations," Buffy offered and went to the table.
"Okay," Faith said. She looked at Hope. "Start at the bottom, okay?"
Hope nodded.
"Okay," she said and took a decoration from Buffy.
"Hang them close to the lights, so that the light will color them," Buffy advised.
"Okay," Hope said and hanged the first decoration. "Like this?" she then asked and looked at Buffy.
Buffy smiled.
"Yes," she said and gave her another decoration.
Hope excitedly hanged the decorations as high as she could reach. Then Faith picked her up and carried her around the Christmas tree so that Hope could hang the decorations higher up as well. Buffy trailed them with the decorations.
"Nice work, Hope," she said when Faith put Hope down.
"The angel's missing," Hope said and looked at Faith. "Mommy?"
"I'll get it," Faith said and fetched the angel from the closet.
"Wow," Buffy said when she saw the paper angel. "You made it?"
"Yeah," Faith said, slightly nervous.
"I colored it," Hope said proudly and Buffy smiled at her.
"You're a natural, Hope," she said and Hope beamed.
"Here, hold it," Faith said and gave the angel to Buffy. "Come, honey."
Faith picked up Hope again and Buffy gave her the angel. Faith then lifted Hope higher and Hope put the angel on the top of the tree. Faith then put her down.
"Wow," Buffy said. "Very nice."
Faith glanced at her, wondering if she was sincere. Then she looked at the tree.
"Well done, honey," she said and Hope smiled, excited.
"And the Santa will put the presents under the tree on Christmas morning?" Hope asked.
Faith smiled.
"Yes, honey," she said and Hope's smile widened.
"Cool. Can I watch cartoons now?"
"Sure."
Hope went to the sofa and climbed on it.
Buffy smiled at her.
"She's so sweet," she told Faith.
Faith looked at Buffy and then back at Hope. She smiled, proud.
"Yeah, she is."
"Is there anything you want me to do?" Buffy then asked Faith.
Faith shook her head.
"No. You can watch cartoons with Hope or read the books or magazines."
"Oh. Okay."
Faith went to the kitchen and Buffy browsed through Faith's books and magazines. She noticed that most of the magazines were old fashion magazines and that the few that were relatively recent were mostly about cooking and other useful stuff. She guessed that the old magazines were probably from Faith's mother and the recent magazines from Faith. She quickly leafed through a couple of fashion magazines and then put them aside. She hesitated for a moment and the decided to join Hope on the sofa.
"I'm thirsty," Hope declared an hour later.
Buffy smiled.
"Let's go get something to drink then."
They got up and Buffy took Hope's hand.
"She's thirsty," Buffy said when they got to the kitchen.
"There's some orange juice in the fridge," Faith said. "Glasses are in there," she added and pointed at a cabinet.
"Okay," Buffy said. She took a glass out of the cabinet and the juice from the fridge. "How much?" she asked Hope as she poured the juice into the glass.
Hope watched.
"Okay," she said when the glass was a bit more than half full.
Buffy stopped pouring and then gave the glass to Hope. While Hope drank, Buffy put away the juice. Then she looked at Faith.
"What are you studying?" she asked, curious.
"Math," Faith said.
"Oh. Which grade?"
"None. I'm taking the GED."
"Oh."
Hope then finished drinking and she put the glass on the counter.
"Need any help?" Buffy offered.
Faith looked at her, surprised.
"No, I'm five by five."
"Huh?" Buffy said, startled.
"I'm fine," Faith explained.
"Oh. Okay." She looked at Hope. "Done?"
Hope nodded.
"Uh-huh."
Buffy quickly rinsed the glass.
"Let's go back."
Hope took her hand and they returned to the main room.
In the evening, Faith allowed Hope to stay up longer and they watched a Christmas movie. Hope sat between Faith's legs and she raptly watched the movie, but she soon fell asleep. Faith quietly held her until the movie was over and then took her to bed.
Buffy, who had watched TV with them, was amazed at how open and loving Faith was with Hope, in contrast with how reserved she was with her. But in spite of how reserved Faith was with her, Buffy couldn't help but admire her for what she had achieved.
On Christmas morning, Hope insisted on being awakened earlier and Faith obliged her. Faith herself woke up earlier as well. She first dressed herself and then went to wake up Buffy, who had insisted she be there when Hope got the presents. Then she started the breakfast. She didn't worry about the presents since she had put them under the tree the previous evening, before she went to sleep. Finally, she went to wake up Hope.
"Hope, honey, it's Christmas."
Hope blinked her eyes sleepily.
"Do you want to sleep some more?" Faith asked.
Hope shook her head and sat up. Faith smiled.
"Then let's get you dressed up and then you can go see your presents."
Hope's eyes went wide.
"Okay."
A couple of minutes later, Hope was finally dressed and she immediately ran to the main room. She stopped for a moment when she saw the presents under the trees, her eyes wide. Then she ran to the tree, excited, and started looking through the presents.
"Look, Mommy, Santa got me presents!"
Faith and Buffy smiled.
"You've been a good girl then," Faith said.
Hope looked at Faith.
"Can I open them?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Hope beamed and carefully started to unwrap the presents.
"You're supposed…" Buffy started, but she trailed off when she realized something. "No tearing up, right?" she asked Faith quietly.
Faith nodded, relieved and embarrassed at the same time.
When Hope unwrapped the first present, her eyes went wide.
"Mommy, look! I got dolls!" she said and showed Faith three dolls.
"Looks like you got the whole family," Faith said with a smile.
"Uh-huh," Hope said. "They're so pretty."
Faith's smile got even bigger at the compliment.
"You made them?" Buffy asked, surprised.
Faith glanced at her, nervous.
"Yeah."
"Wow," Buffy said, impressed. "They're really good."
"Thanks," Faith said, suddenly getting a strange but pleasant feeling in her stomach.
"Mommy, look!" Hope said when she saw the second present. "Santa got me the book you couldn't buy."
"Smart Santa," Faith said with a smile.
"Will you read it to me?"
"Of course."
Hope smiled and moved on to the third, last, present.
"Mommy, look! Money," she said when she saw the money.
"For your piggy bank."
Hope smiled, got up and ran to her room.
"Money?" Buffy asked.
"So she can buy herself a candy or something," Faith explained.
"Oh." Buffy smiled. "Those were really nice presents."
Faith blushed a bit.
"Thanks."
"I put the money in the piggy bank," Hope reported when she returned.
"Okay, honey."
"Will you read the book to me now?"
"Later, honey, I need to study first. You can play with your dolls now."
"Okay."
She looked at Hope and smiled when she saw her playing with her new dolls. She considered asking her if she wanted her to read the new book, but she decided that that was something Faith should do. She hesitated for a moment and the decided to join Hope.
"Hey," she said as she kneeled next to her.
Hope looked at her and smiled.
"Hi."
"May I join you?"
Hope's eyes went wide from excitement and she nodded.
"Uh-huh."
After a while, Faith decided to check up on Hope. When she saw that she was playing with Buffy, she quietly observed them for a while, glad that they got along so well. Then she returned to the kitchen.
In the afternoon, while Hope was napping, Buffy read through some of the fashion magazines. Since they were old, she quickly got bored. She went to the kitchen to get herself a drink. As she poured herself a glass, she noticed that Faith was obviously having a problem with something.
"Need help?" she asked.
Faith looked at her, startled.
"No."
Buffy slowly drank her juice and observed Faith, who was struggling with an equation. When she was done, she rinsed the glass and then sat beside her.
"Mmm," she said when she saw what Faith was doing. "Those gave me some serious headaches when I was in high school."
"Yeah?"
Buffy nodded.
"Mhm."
Buffy started to explain what she still remembered about the equations. Faith quietly listened and occasionally asked a question, which Buffy answered if she knew how. Faith was a bit nervous at first because nobody had ever helped her before, but she quickly relaxed and accepted Buffy's help.
During the next few days, Buffy helped Faith with her studies. She didn't ask Faith if she needed help, she just sat down and studied with her and when she saw that Faith had a problem, she helped her. Even though Faith found the whole thing strange at first, she quietly appreciated Buffy's help, especially since Buffy only offered help when it was obvious that there was a problem.
One day, while Faith was out getting the firewood, the stack toppled over right on top of her. She jumped away, but the firewood still hit her. She screamed in pain as the firewood hit her legs.
Inside, Buffy was watching the news and Hope was drawing when they heard Faith's scream.
"Mommy?" Hope said, worried.
"I'll go check on her," Buffy said and ran outside. Outside, she listened for a moment and when she heard which side Faith's groans were coming from, she went there. "Faith? Oh my god, are you alright?" she asked when she saw what happened.
"My legs hurt," Faith groaned.
Buffy kneeled beside her and quickly removed the firewood. Then she carefully touched Faith's legs. Faith immediately moaned.
"I'll have to carry you inside," Buffy said. "Somehow. Do you think you can take the pain?"
Faith nodded, biting her teeth. Buffy carefully picked her up and then staggered toward the front door. There she paused for a moment and then used her elbow to open the door.
"Hope, honey, close the door please," she said when she was inside.
Hope's eyes went wide when she saw Buffy carrying Faith.
"Mommy?" she asked, scared.
"She'll be okay," Buffy said, "she just hurt her legs. Now close the door please."
Hope ran to the door, closed it and then ran back to the sofa, where Buffy had put Faith.
"Mommy?"
"I'm fine, honey," Faith said through her teeth.
"Okay, let's get your jacket off first," Buffy said and Faith nodded.
Buffy helped Faith take off her jacked and then she threw it on the lounge chair.
"This will probably hurt," Buffy said as she started to take off the boots.
The boots were fortunately not laced up, but Buffy still pulled the laces out first and then very slowly took the boots off. Then she took the socks off as well.
"There's some swelling," she said, carefully probing with her fingers. "We need to take off your pants."
Faith nodded and unbuttoned her pants and Buffy helped her pull them off.
Buffy then ran her fingers along Faith's shins and Faith moaned.
"The right one feels like it's broken," she said through her teeth.
"I don't feel anything," Buffy said.
"It hurts like hell."
"And the left one?"
"Just the ankle."
"Do you own a skirt?"
Faith frowned.
"No. But my mom did."
"Okay. Does Hope know where to get one?"
Faith shook her head.
"No."
"Okay, I'll get one later. I'll go get some cold compressions."
Faith nodded and Buffy went to the bathroom.
"Mommy?" Hope asked, still frightened.
Faith smiled at her and hugged her.
"I'll be fine, I just won't be able to walk for a while," she said and kissed her on the top of her head.
After taking care of the cold compressions, for which she used snow, Buffy got Faith a warm skirt. Then she tried to figure out what to use for supports. She finally decided on some flat and thin pieces of firewood. Luckily Faith had a first aid kit and Buffy used the bandages to secure the pieces of firewood to Faith's legs, thus making them more or less immobile.
When she was done, she looked at her handwork.
"Good thing I'm not studying to be a nurse," she commented and Faith couldn't help but grin.
"Better than nothing," she said. She hesitated for a moment. "Thanks."
Buffy smiled.
"No problem." She frowned. "But you'll have to sleep here."
"Great," Faith muttered. Then she frowned. "How the hell am I gonna wash myself?"
"With great difficulty," Buffy said. "And definitely not without my help."
"What?" Faith said, surprised.
"You're not moving off this couch unless I'm carrying you."
"But how am I gonna go to the bathroom?"
"Like I said, I'll carry you. And I'll help you wash yourself."
"What?" Faith said, blushing.
"I'll keep my eyes closed," Buffy quickly said, blushing herself. "I'll get you a blanket," she said and quickly left.
"Mommy?" Hope said and Faith looked at her.
"Yes?"
"Does it hurt?"
Faith smiled.
"Yeah, but it's better now," she said and caressed her.
Hope smiled, relieved.
"Here you go," Buffy said as she returned.
"Thanks," Faith said as Buffy covered her.
"No problem," Buffy said with a smile. Then she frowned. "Uh-oh."
"What?" Faith asked, worried.
Buffy blushed.
"Eh, I'm a lousy cook."
Faith laughed.
"Man."
"What, I'm serious," Buffy said, her blush deepening.
Faith forced herself to stop laughing.
"Sorry." She took a deep breath. "Don't worry, I'll show you what to do and when." She frowned. "Okay, I won't show you, but you get the point."
Buffy nodded.
"Yeah." She took a deep breath. "I guess I'll go familiarize my with the kitchen then."
The next few days were the hardest. Buffy had to learn how to cook a halfway decent meal, to wash clothes without the washing machine, she had to wash Hope and she had to help Faith wash herself. Of the four tasks, washing Faith seemed the hardest. The main reason for this wasn't that she had to carry Faith from the sofa to the bathroom and back, no, it was the fact that she knew Faith was sitting naked in front of her and she couldn't look. When she realized this, she was confused at first, until she realized that not only did she find Faith very attractive, she was also in love with her.
The realization shocked her at first. Sure, she had thought about making love to another girl before, but it didn't appeal to her. But as she imagined making love to Faith, she got this tinkling feeling in her stomach. And it wasn't just about making love to Faith, she realized, she just simply liked being around her. And around Hope, of course.
Faith's legs fortunately started to hurt less. She still couldn't step on either leg, but at least the pain was bearable now. She too felt strange as Buffy stood in front of her as she washed herself or when Buffy held her when she had to use the toilet. It was humiliating, but thankfully Buffy didn't even mention it and acted as if it was perfectly normal. And what scored some major points with Faith was the fact that Buffy didn't fuss over her. Much. Sure, she was pretty fussy when she thought Faith was overexerting herself, but otherwise she waited for Faith to ask for help. Not that Faith ever did, because Buffy somehow seemed to know when Faith had given up and was preparing herself to ask for help and thus Buffy saved her from asking.
And of course, there was also the fact that Buffy treated Hope like she was her own. And Hope seemed to obey her. As she observed them from the sofa, Faith wished Buffy could stay. She had never cared about anyone before, except Hope, and so she was surprised by her own feelings. She was also scared, she didn’t want to care about Buffy, because she knew that Buffy would leave as soon as the road was clear. And Faith realized she dreaded that day.
A week and a half later, a plow driver finally decided to clear the road to Faith's cabin. When they heard it, Buffy quickly ran outside and waved at the driver, when he came to the cabin, to come out.
"Hi," she said when the driver came to her. "Do you have a radio in the truck?"
"Yeah," the driver said.
"Can you call the hospital and ask them to send an ambulance? My friend hurt her legs and we're not sure whether they're broken or not."
The driver nodded.
"No problem, Ma'am," he said and went back to the truck.
Buffy watched him as she called his base. It took him a couple of minutes to get the reply and Buffy started trembling from the cold.
"An ambulance is on the way," the driver said when he got the reply.
"Thanks," Buffy said and quickly went inside.
"What's going on?" Faith asked.
"I told the driver to call for an ambulance."
"What?" Faith said, surprised. "I'm not going to the hospital."
"Oh yes you are. They need to x-ray your legs to make sure nothing's broken. And besides, we need to buy food and stuff and I need to call my mom and an ambulance can take us all to town." She looked at Hope. "Hope, honey, get dressed, quickly."
"Okay," Hope said and ran to get her jacket.
"Oh," Faith said, not liking the idea very much.
Buffy quickly fetched Faith's jacket and helped her put it on. Then she put on her own jacket, made sure she had her wallet, and finally located the list of things they needed to buy.
The ambulance arrived pretty quickly and they were all taken to the hospital. While Faith was feeling uncomfortable in the ambulance, Hope seemed to enjoy it and that cheered Faith up a bit.
When they got to the hospital, Faith was taken to radiology and Buffy and Hope waited outside.
"Honey, wait here, I'm just going over there to call my mom, okay?"
Hope nodded.
"Okay," she said, looking around curiously.
Buffy smiled, ruffled her hair and then went to the phone and called her mom.
"Summers residence," Joyce said.
"Mom? It's me, Buffy," Buffy said.
"Buffy? Oh my god, are you alright? Rupert! It's Buffy!"
Buffy smiled.
"I'm fine, Mom."
"Where are you? What happened?"
"I had a little accident on the way back to the hotel. A small avalanche hit my car and pushed me off the road. I was stuck in a cabin until today."
"Why didn't you call?"
"I lost my phone and the girl I was staying with didn't have one."
"Oh."
"Anyway, I'll go to the police station later. Did the guys take my stuff?"
"Yes, they did."
"Good." Buffy hesitated for a moment. "Eh, Mom, I'll be staying a while longer."
There was a brief pause on the other side.
"Why?"
"Well, I've been living with this girl and her daughter. She's hurt her legs and she can't walk, so I kinda have to take care of them. Right now we're at the hospital."
"Oh," Joyce said, surprised.
"I'll try to call as soon as I can, just tell everyone that I'm okay."
"Okay, honey."
"I gotta go. Bye, Mom."
"Bye, honey."
Buffy hung up and then went to Hope.
"Have you ever been here before?" she asked when she saw how Hope was looking around curiously.
Hope looked at her and shook her head.
"Are they all sick?"
Buffy smiled.
"No. Some are doctors and some are visitors."
"Is Mommy gonna have to stay here?" Hope asked, worried.
"No, no, they're just going to make sure her legs aren't broken. Then we're going home."
Hope smiled, relieved.
"Okay."
Buffy smiled back and then they quietly waited for Faith.
Ten minutes later, Faith was brought out in a wheelchair with new supports.
"Everything okay?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, nothing's broken," Faith said.
"That's good," Buffy said, relieved. She looked at the doctor. "Can she keep the wheelchair?"
"Until she can walk, yes," the doctor said.
"Good. Oh, is an ambulance going to take us back?"
"Yes."
"Can they take us later? We still have some shopping to do."
"Yes, of course. Just come to the information desk, I'll let them know."
"Thanks."
The doctor nodded and left.
Buffy looked at Faith.
"Okay, here's the plan. First, we go eat."
"Eat?" Faith asked.
"Yes, I won't have much time to cook today."
"Oh."
"Then I'll go shopping and to the police. And then we'll go home."
"Okay," Faith said, feeling strange because Buffy had made a plan.
"Faith!" one of the waitresses said when she saw her. "What happened?" she asked when she noticed the leg supports.
"Firewood fell on me," Faith said.
"Oh. You okay?" the girl asked, glancing at Buffy.
"Yeah. Buffy's helping me." She glanced at Buffy. "Buffy, this is Zoe."
"Hi," Buffy said with a smile.
"Hey." Zoe looked at Faith. "I guess you won't be working anytime soon then."
"No."
Zoe smiled and looked at Hope.
"Hey, Hope."
Hope smiled shyly.
"Hi."
"We're here to eat," Faith said.
"Okay, get a table and I'll get you the menus," Zoe said and left.
After the lunch, they rested for a while.
"I'm going shopping now," Buffy then said. She looked at Hope. "Hope, wanna come?"
Hope's eyes went wide and she looked at Faith.
"Can I, Mommy?"
Faith hesitated for a moment.
"Yeah, sure."
"Will you be okay?" Buffy asked Faith, noticing the hesitation.
Faith nodded.
"Yeah."
"Okay."
When they got to the store, Hope hopped beside the cart, looking around excitedly as she held on to it. Buffy smiled and cruised around the store, picking up the things from the list.
"Hope, do you want a candy?" Buffy asked when they got to the counter after she got all of the things from the list.
Hope's eyes lit up.
"Can I?"
Buffy smiled.
"Sure."
Buffy picked a soft candy bar and put it on the counter. Then she started putting on the rest of the groceries. When she was done, she took the candy bar, opened the wrapping, and gave it to Hope.
"Here you go, honey."
Hope's eyes lit up again and she started to eat the bar.
"Ma'am," a police officer said.
Buffy looked at him, startled.
"Yes?"
"Is she yours?" the cop asked and nodded at Hope.
Buffy glanced at her.
"Hope? No, she's Faith's." She frowned. "I don't know her last name. She's at Marianne's Diner."
"I see."
Buffy looked at the shop owner.
"Is there any way you could deliver this to Faith's cabin?" she asked as she gave him the cash. "You know which I'm talking about?"
The owner nodded.
"Yes. Though I'm afraid I won't be able to make any deliveries today."
"Oh," Buffy said, disappointed.
"I can take your bags," the cop said. "I'll be going that way in an hour or so."
"Really?" Buffy said, relieved. "That would be great, thank you."
The store owner returned the change and then helped Buffy put the groceries into the bags.
"Thanks," Buffy said when they were done. She looked at the cop. "Do we just put the bags in your car?"
"Yeah, sure," the cop said and picked two bags.
Buffy picked the other two and then looked at Hope.
"Come, honey," she said and Hope followed her.
Outside, the cop opened the back of his car and put in the bags. Then he took Buffy's and put them in as well.
"Thank you," Buffy said. "And if we're not back yet, just put them on the bench in front of the cabin."
The cop nodded.
"I will."
"Great. Oh, where's the police station here?"
The cop pointed.
"Three blocks that way. That gray building."
"Oh yes, I see it." She looked at him. "Thank you." Then she looked at Hope. "Come honey, let's go to Mommy."
Hope smiled and took Buffy's hand.
"I thought you went shopping," Faith said with a frown when Buffy and Hope returned without any bags.
Buffy smiled.
"We did."
"Mommy, look what I got," Hope said excitedly and showed her the candy bar. "Want some?"
"Eh," Faith said, surprised. She thought for a moment. "Yeah, sure," she said. She took the candy bar, took a small bite and then gave it back to Hope. "Thank you, honey," she said and Faith smiled. Then she looked at Buffy. "Where's the stuff you bought?"
"A police officer is going to take it to our house. I didn't think the medics would be very excited about hauling our groceries around in their ambulance."
"Oh."
"Listen, I have to go to the police station now and tell them I'm still alive. Will you two wait here?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Okay. I bought some magazines and a comic for Hope."
"Thanks," Faith said, feeling strange because Buffy was buying things for her.
Buffy smiled.
"I'll be back as fast as I can," she said and left.
It took Buffy two hours to take care of everything.
"Sorry it took so late," she said when she returned to the diner.
"Everything okay?" Faith asked.
"Yes," Buffy said and smiled. "I even got a new phone," she said and pulled a cell phone from her pocket.
Faith frowned.
"Does it work?"
"Yes. The police found the car and even my phone. It was destroyed, but my SIM card was still okay. Luckily I found a shop where they sell phones. I already called Mom and told her that I have a phone."
"Oh."
Buffy took a deep breath.
"How about we order some food to take with us?"
Faith frowned.
"I don't know."
"Come on, I'm a bit tired after all this running around."
Faith hesitated for a moment.
"Okay."
Buffy smiled.
"Great."
After they got the food, they went to the hospital, where they had to wait for another ten minutes before the medics could take them back to the cabin.
When they arrived to the cabin, Buffy was relieved that the cop had already delivered their groceries. The medics put Faith on the ground and she rolled to the door and unlocked it.
"Thank you," Buffy said.
The medic nodded and then drove away.
Buffy quickly grabbed the bags and put them inside and then she closed the door.
"Take off your shoes, Hope," Faith said when she saw that Buffy was taking hers off.
Hope obeyed and Faith then helped her take off her jacket.
Buffy then took away their dinner. She quickly returned and undressed as well.
"I'll go get a cloth to clean up the wheels," she then said and went to the bathroom.
While she was gone, Faith took off her jacket and unwrapped the blanket from around her legs.
Buffy quickly returned and then wiped the wheelchair wheels clean.
"Okay," she said when she was done, and went back to the bathroom.
Faith waited until she returned and then gave her the jacket and the blanket.
"You're not cold?" Buffy asked.
"Right now I'm a bit hot."
"Oh. I'll put the blanket on the sofa, so you can reach it."
"Okay," Faith said and rolled to the sofa.
Buffy followed her, in case Faith needed her help, but Faith managed just fine.
"Looks like you'll be able to sleep in your bed from now on," Buffy said.
"Yeah," Faith agreed.
"But Hope will have to sleep with me."
Faith frowned.
"Why?"
"Because your legs are sensitive. I don't think you want her to accidentally kick you in sleep, do you?"
"Oh. Right."
"Oh," Buffy suddenly realized and looked at Hope. "Hope, would you mind sleeping with me?"
Hope looked at Faith and then back at Buffy.
"Why?"
"Because Mommy is going to sleep in her bed tonight."
"Why can't I sleep with Mommy?"
"Because her legs still hurt. You wouldn't want to accidentally kick her, would you?"
Hope shook her head.
"Uh-uh."
"So, will you sleep with me?"
Hope thought for a moment and then nodded.
"Uh-huh."
Buffy smiled.
"Okay." She looked at Faith. "I'll go put out the groceries."
"What did you buy?" Faith asked.
"Everything we need."
"How much do I owe you?" Faith asked and wanted to sit in the wheel chair so she could go get her wallet.
"Nothing," Buffy said with a frown.
Faith stopped and looked at her.
"What do you mean? You bought half the store."
Buffy smiled.
"Look, I've been living with you and eating your food. The least I can do is buy some food. I mean, we're probably stuck here until you can ride your motorcycle again."
"We?" Faith asked, surprised.
"Yes."
Faith frowned.
"I thought you were leaving."
"Leaving?" Buffy said, surprised.
"Well, yeah," Faith said, confused. "I mean, the road is clear and all."
"I can't leave now. Your legs still aren't alright and I don't want you to exert yourself while you're in the wheelchair."
"Oh," Faith said, surprised. She hesitated for a moment. "Thanks."
Buffy smiled.
"You're welcome. I'll be in the kitchen," she said and went to the kitchen.
Faith stared after her until she disappeared. It surprised her how Buffy took it as self-evident that she would stay and help. It made Faith feel strange, a good kind of strange. There weren't many people that would care about her so much and she had no doubt that Buffy cared about her.
In the evening, Faith was finally able again to tuck Hope in. She was glad she could move around again. Unfortunately, she knew she would still need Buffy's help with washing. She sighed and kissed Hope on the top of the head.
"Night, baby."
"Night, Mommy," Hope said and closed her eyes.
Faith smiled and rolled out of the room.
"Is she asleep?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah."
"Okay. When are you going to get washed?"
Faith thought for a moment.
"I don't know, as soon as you have the time."
Buffy nodded.
"Okay, in ten minutes."
"Okay."
After helping Faith wash up, Buffy washed up herself and went to bed. She was as quiet as she could be, not wanting to wake Hope. But as soon as she was lying, Hope cuddled up to her. Buffy was startled for a few moments, but then she put her arm around Hope and pressed her closer to herself. As she waited for the sleep to come, she realized that she would miss Hope terribly when she left. And Faith too.
A few days later, Faith's ankle healed enough and she could hop around on one leg. She could wash herself now, but she realized she kinda missed having Buffy around. And since she could walk around now, she busied herself with small cleaning jobs.
One day, she found Buffy in the kitchen, staring out the window, obviously deep in thought. She said nothing, but Buffy noticed her anyway.
"Oh, hey," Buffy said with a smile.
"Hey."
They stared at one another for a few moments.
"Everything okay?" Faith then asked.
Buffy sighed.
"No, not really."
Faith frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Buffy hesitated for a moment.
"Well, I've just been thinking. I mean, you're going to get better soon."
Faith looked at her legs.
"You don't want me to get better?"
"No. I mean, yes, of course!" She blushed. "It's just, I mean, now I have an excuse to be here, but when you get better, I'll have to leave." She hesitated for a moment. "And I don't really want to," she finished, her blush deepening.
"Oh," Faith said, startled.
Buffy sighed.
"I'm so going to miss you," she said and blushed.
"You are?" Faith said, surprised, her heart beating faster.
Buffy's blush deepened.
"Yes." She hesitated for a few moments. "These past couple of weeks have been, like, the best in my life. And Hope, she… Well, I feel like she's my own. You know? I'm going to miss her. And you, of course." She sighed and looked at her feet, nervous. "I think I love you," she then admitted, blushing. She stared at her feet, but when Faith didn't respond, she looked at her, worried. "Faith?"
Faith just stared at her, shocked. It took her brain a couple of moments to get back in gear and start processing what Buffy had just said. She was astonished that anyone, let alone Buffy, could love her. Nobody ever had, except Hope, and she had no idea how to react. She cared about Buffy, a lot, but she feared any commitment, knowing that Buffy would leave eventually. Not to mention that she was afraid of any kind of commitment at all, she was even afraid that when Hope grew up, she wouldn't love her anymore.
"Faith?" Buffy asked, having a sinking feeling.
Faith blinked a couple of times.
"I… Eh… I… Em… I… I…"
Buffy sighed.
"It's okay, Faith," she said with a soft smile, "I understand."
She turned around, deciding to start making lunch.
"No," Faith said, panicking.
Buffy turned around.
"What?"
Faith gulped and looked at her feet, scared.
"I… I…" She took a deep breath, desperately trying to calm down. "I love you too," she then quickly said in a quiet voice, a part of her hoping that Buffy wouldn't hear her.
Buffy blinked, surprised, and then a smile slowly spread across her face.
"You do?" she asked and Faith looked at her, blushing.
"Yeah," she said and Buffy could see that she was afraid.
Buffy hesitated for a moment and then slowly stepped closer. She spread her arms and Faith's eyes went wide when she realized what Buffy wanted. Buffy smiled and then slowly hugged Faith. Faith hesitated for a moment and then wrapped her arms around Buffy tightly.
They stood still for a few moments and then Buffy slowly let go of Faith and Faith did the same. They stared at one another and Buffy finally caressed Faith, who flinched at first, not used to being caressed. Buffy smiled softly and then thought for a few moments.
"You know, you could move in with us," she then suggested.
Faith blinked, surprised.
"Us?"
"Me and my family. My mom, my step-dad and my sister. We have a spare room and it could be Hope's and you could sleep with me." She blushed when she realized how that sounded. "I mean, in my room."
Faith gulped, nervous, not knowing what to do.
Buffy smiled.
"Just… think about it, we still have a couple of days."
"I… I'll have to talk to Hope."
"Of course." Buffy hesitated for a moment. "You know, now that we're a couple, we could try sleeping together," she then suggested, blushing.
"What?" Faith said, surprised.
"Just sleeping," Buffy quickly said. "I mean, if you're ready. Think about it, okay?"
Faith nodded and Buffy smiled.
"I'll make us some lunch then."
Faith stared at her for a few moments and then slowly went back to the main room. She sat on the sofa and stared at Hope for a few moments, her mind blank. When her brain started functioning again, she started to think about the consequences. She was suddenly scared. On one hand, she didn't want Buffy to leave, but on the other, she was uncertain about moving in with Buffy and her family. She knew nothing about them and she didn't know how they would react. Not to mention that if things didn't work out between her and Buffy, she would have to move out and she didn't have the money to buy her and Hope a place to stay. Because as lousy as their cabin was, it was still better than a motel room. Sure, she had some money saved up, but that was so Hope could go to school.
"Mommy?"
Faith jerked, startled, and looked at Hope.
"Yes, honey?"
"Is something wrong?"
Faith frowned.
"No. Why?"
"You look… sad."
"Oh." Faith smiled softly. "No, I'm not sad, just… confused."
"Why?"
Faith sighed.
"Come here," she said and spread her arms.
Hope got up and climbed into Faith's lap. Then she looked at her curiously.
Faith smiled and caressed her. Then she thought for a moment.
"Do you like Buffy?" she asked.
Hope nodded.
"Uh-huh. She's nice, like you, Mommy."
Faith smiled.
"Yes." She hesitated for a moment. "Would… Would you like her to become your second mommy?"
Hope frowned.
"How?"
Faith thought for a moment.
"Well, you know I love you, right?"
Hope nodded.
"Uh-huh."
"Well, Buffy loves you too, like I do. And we love one another." She thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to be more clear. "She would become a part of our family."
"I would have two mommys?" Hope asked, excited.
Faith smiled.
"Yeah." She frowned. "Only you would have to call her something else. Mama, for example. If you want."
Hope smiled.
"Okay."
Faith thought for a moment.
"She would have to leave in a couple of days."
"Why?" Hope asked, her eyes wide.
"She has to go back to school. But she said we could move in with her."
"Move in?"
"Yes. Right now she's living with us and if we moved in with her, we would live with her."
Hope smiled.
"Okay."
"But we would have to leave this cabin."
"Where would we go?"
"With Buffy, to California."
"Where is that?"
Faith frowned, thinking.
"Well, if my palm is the United States of America, then right now we're here," she said and pointed at a spot on her palm. "And Buffy lives here."
Hope looked between the two spots.
"Is that far?"
"Yes, pretty far."
Hope thought for a moment.
"Okay," she then said.
"You want to move in with Buffy?"
Hope nodded.
"Uh-huh."
Faith smiled.
"Okay," she said and kissed her on the forehead. "Why don't you go tell her the good news."
Hope smiled and slid off Faith's knees. Then she ran to the kitchen. Faith got up and slowly followed her.
"Mama! Mama!" Hope called as she reached the kitchen.
Buffy turned, surprised.
"Hope?"
Hope ran to her, her arms wide, and Buffy picked her up.
"Mama, Mommy said, we will… move in with you."
Buffy blinked, surprised, and then looked at Faith, who had reached the kitchen.
"Faith?"
Faith blushed.
"I've thought about it and I've talked to Hope." She hesitated for a moment. "We would like to move in with you."
Buffy smiled.
"Really? That's great!"
She went to Faith and hugged her. Faith hugged her back and Hope hugged them both.
When they stopped hugging, Buffy looked at Hope.
"So, you're calling me Mama now?"
Hope nodded.
"Uh-huh. Mommy said I could."
Buffy smiled.
"Sure you can," she said and gave her a peck on the nose. Then she looked at Faith. "Thank you."
Faith frowned.
"For what?"
"For letting me become a part of your family."
Faith just stared at her for a few moments, surprised.
Buffy smiled and caressed her.
"I love you, Faith," she said and blushed.
Faith just stared at her, not used to anyone loving her.
Buffy smiled.
"I'll call Mom after lunch and make the arrangements," she said. She looked at Hope. "Do you want to go back to coloring?"
Hope nodded.
"Uh-huh."
"Okay," Buffy said and then kissed her on the cheek. Then she put her down and Hope ran back to her coloring book. Buffy looked at Faith. "You okay?"
Faith blinked a couple of times, startled, and then nodded.
"Yeah, just… overwhelmed."
Buffy smiled and touched her cheek with the palm of her hand.
"It's gonna be okay, Faith," she reassured her.
Faith hesitated for a moment and then covered Buffy's hand with her own. They stared at one another for a few moments and then Faith let go of Buffy's hand and Buffy pulled her own back. Faith smiled a little and then went back to the main room.
Buffy smiled again and returned to cooking.
After lunch, Buffy took her cell phone and called her mother.
"Summers," Joyce answered the phone.
"Hi, Mom, it's me."
"Buffy! How are you?"
"I'm fine, Mom. I'll come home by the end of the week."
"Thank god."
Buffy hesitated for a moment.
"Em, Mom…" Buffy took a deep breath, hesitating. "Well, I fell in love with Faith."
There was a brief silence on the other side.
"The girl you're staying with."
"Yes."
There was another silence.
"Okay," Joyce then slowly said, having a feeling there was more.
Buffy hesitated for a moment.
"Em, can they, she and Hope, I mean, can they, eh, move in with us?"
This time the silence was longer.
"With us?" Joyce then asked. "Why?"
"Well, when I leave, god knows when I'll be able to contact her again since she doesn't have a phone. And besides, this cabin, well, it's okay, I guess, Faith did a great job at maintenance, but it's far away from town and when it snows, they're basically trapped inside until someone remembers to clean the road. And if Faith goes to town, she either has to take Hope with her or leave her all alone. And she doesn't have a car, she has a motorcycle." She sighed. "I'd really miss them both."
There was another silence as Joyce thought about it.
"I'll let you know. I need to talk to Rupert and Dawn about it."
"Okay. Thanks, Mom. And don't worry, you'll like them both. A lot. Say hi to everyone for me."
"I will. Goodbye, Buffy."
"Bye, Mom."
Buffy turned off the phone and got off the bed. She stretched a bit and then went to the main room, where Faith looked at her anxiously.
"She needs to talk to Giles and Dawn first."
"Oh."
"But she didn't sound upset or anything."
"Okay."
Buffy smiled as she sat beside Faith on the sofa and took her hand.
"It's going to be alright, you'll see."
Faith stared at her for a few moments and then smiled a little.
"Yeah," she said, slowly starting to believe that it will.
Buffy thought for a moment.
"Have you two ever made a snowman?"
"No."
"How about we make one tomorrow then?"
Faith thought about it.
"Okay."
Buffy smiled.
"It'll be fun."
In the evening, Buffy's phone rang.
"Yes?" she said as she switched it on.
"Buffy?"
"Hey, Dawn."
"Hey. How are you?"
Buffy smiled and looked at Faith and Hope.
"I'm having the time of my life."
"Really?"
"Yes." She hesitated for a moment. "Did Mom talk to you and Giles about Faith and Hope moving in with us?"
"Uh-huh."
"And?" Buffy asked when Dawn didn't continue.
"We're okay with it."
Buffy smiled and looked at Faith.
"They're okay with it," she reported. "That's great," she told Dawn. "Thanks."
"What are they like?" Dawn asked.
"They're okay, you'll like them. Especially Hope, she's so adorable."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. You'll love her."
"When are you coming home?"
"By the end of the week."
"Okay."
"Do Mom and Giles want to talk to me?"
There was a brief pause.
"No, I don't think so."
"Okay. Tell the guys I said hi."
"I will."
"Okay. Good night then."
"Night, Buffy."
Buffy switched off the phone and went to the sofa.
"See, everything's okay," she said as she sat down.
Faith smiled a little.
"I'm just… nervous."
Buffy put her arm around her.
"Yeah, me too." She frowned. "Okay, I'm more excited than nervous. I just can't wait till you meat my family. And they you, of course."
"Yeah." Faith thought for a moment. "Em, I've been thinking."
"Yes?"
Faith blushed.
"Well, em, since we're, eh, together now, I decided that we could, em, sleep together." Her blush deepened when she realized how that sounded. "I mean, you know, since I would be sleeping with you, I mean, in your bed, and I we could, em, practice. You know?"
Buffy smiled. She hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Okay." She glanced at Hope. "Are you going to tell her?"
Faith looked at Hope and smiled.
"Honey," she said and Hope looked at her. "You will sleep in your own bed from now on, okay?"
"Okay," Hope said and smiled.
Faith's smile widened.
"That was easy," Buffy said with a smile.
"Yeah."
After they tucked Hope in, Buffy and Faith went to bed themselves. They both felt a bit strange, lying on their sides, facing one another. They stared at one another for a few moments and then Buffy reached over and caressed Faith.
"I love you, Faith."
Faith's eyes widened a bit.
"I love you too," she whispered.
Buffy smiled.
"Good night."
"Night."
Buffy closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Faith stared at her for a few more minutes and then went to sleep herself.
"Honey," Faith said the next day after breakfast, "you know what we're gonna do now? We're gonna build a snowman."
Hope frowned.
"What's that?"
Faith smiled.
"It's a man made of snow. We're gonna put a scarf on him and a hat."
Hope smiled, liking the idea.
"Okay."
"Then let's go."
After an hour or so, the snowman was complete. It wasn't very high, because Faith and Buffy wanted Hope to help build it.
"Okay, the hat and the scarf," Faith said.
"Right here," Buffy said and first put on the hat and then the scarf. "Now all it needs is a face."
"Right," Faith said and took the plastic bag she had brought out. "Okay, hold it," she said and gave it to Buffy. "Hope, now you're gonna make him a face."
"How?" Hope asked.
Faith lifted her up.
"Buffy, the carrot."
Buffy took the carrot from the bag and gave it to Hope.
"Here."
"This will be his nose," Faith said. "Stuck it into his face. The narrow end should point out," she instructed.
Hope looked at the carrot and then stuck it into the snowman's face.
"Like this?" she asked when the carrot was fixed.
"Yes," Faith said as Buffy made sure it wouldn't fall out.
"The eyes," Buffy said and took out two big stones. "Stick them here and here," she instructed.
Hope first one stone and stuck it into the snowman and then the other.
"Is this okay?"
"Wonderful, honey," Faith said and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Now the mouth."
Buffy took the remaining stones out, which were smaller than the eye stones. She gave one to Hope.
"Okay, stick them into these holes," she said and made eight small holes in the shape of a mouth.
Hope stuck the stones in one by one.
"Well done, honey," Faith said when Hope was done.
"Ooh, wait! The buttons!" Buffy suddenly realized.
"Oh. Right," Faith said and looked around. "There are a couple of stones," she said when she noticed them.
Buffy fetched them and Faith put Hope down.
"Here," Buffy said and gave Hope two stones.
"Here and here," Faith said and pointed as Buffy stuck in the highest three stones. "There. All complete." She took a step back and looked at the snowman. "Excellent job, honey," she said.
Hope smiled as she admired the snowman.
"That was fun," Buffy said excitedly and Faith smiled at her. "Ooh! I know."
She ran to the small shed which doubled as a garage, and quickly returned with a shovel.
Faith grinned.
"A good idea."
"Help me."
Together they pushed the handle through the snowman's arm.
Hope clapped, excited, and they both smiled at her, glad that she was happy.
"Mommy, I'm cold," Hope then said.
"Then let's go in, we're done anyway," Faith said and took her hand. "Come."
After they had warmed up, Hope was looking through a magazine and Buffy sat on the sofa and watched her while Faith went to the bathroom. When Faith returned, she joined Buffy on the sofa.
"How's your leg?" Buffy asked as she took her hand.
"Okay, I guess."
"Ready to take the support off?"
Faith thought about it.
"Okay."
Buffy smiled and then kneeled in front of her and started to unfasten the support. When she removed it, Faith wiggled her toes and moved her leg a little.
"Any pain?" Buffy asked.
"No, not really. Just… a bit stiff, I guess."
Buffy started to gently massage Faith's calf.
"Let me know if it hurts," she said.
Faith nodded.
"Yeah."
Buffy thought for a moment.
"You know, we should start preparing for moving," she said.
"How?" Faith said, not having any experience with it.
"Well, I was planning to go to town and see if there's a moving company. Then we need to pack. We'll need boxes for that. Then we'll send everything to Sunnydale." She hesitated for a moment. "Are you going to sell the cabin?"
Faith frowned and slowly looked around, thinking.
"Yeah, I guess."
"You don't need to, if you don't feel comfortable about it."
Faith thought about it.
"No, I think I'll sell it."
Buffy smiled a little.
"Okay." She thought for a moment. "If you're not going to take everything with you, make a list of things to sell."
"Okay. You gonna take the bike?"
"No, I can't ride it. I'm going to call a cab."
"Oh. When?"
Buffy thought for a moment.
"I don't know. You feel up to cooking lunch?"
"Sure."
Buffy nodded.
"Okay. I'll go right away, you cook lunch only for you two. And dinner too."
"When are you gonna be back?"
"I don't know. As soon as possible."
"Okay."
Buffy smiled.
"Does it feel better?"
Faith wiggled her toes again and then tried to move her leg.
"Yeah, but it's gonna take me a while to get used to it."
"Just take it slowly."
Faith nodded.
"I will."
Buffy thought for a moment.
"I can take the wheelchair and the supports back, if you want."
Faith nodded.
"Okay."
Buffy gave her a kiss on the lips, but she broke it as soon as she realized what she was doing.
"I'm, eh, sorry," she said, suddenly nervous.
Faith stared at her for a few moments, still surprised by the kiss. Then she smiled.
"I'm not," she said and blushed.
Buffy blinked and then slowly smiled.
"So I can kiss you again?" she asked and sat on the sofa.
Faith's blush deepened.
"Yeah," she said and gulped, nervous.
Buffy's smile widened and she slowly leaned in for another kiss.
Faith had barely the time to moisten her lips before Buffy's lips claimed hers.
It was a short kiss, because Buffy didn't want to push it, but it still left them out of breath.
"I could do that all day," Faith said and blushed.
Buffy smiled, blushing as well.
"Me too."
"Hope," Faith suddenly noticed the girl watching them.
"Hope," Buffy said and blushed.
Hope merely smiled and returned to the magazine.
"That went well," Faith commented.
Buffy smiled.
"Yeah," she said, glad that Hope seemed to be okay with it. She looked back at Faith. "I better go now."
Faith looked at her.
"Okay."
When Buffy returned to the cabin, it was dark already and she was tired.
"I'm home!" she called as she entered.
"Hey," Faith said as she came from the kitchen.
Buffy smiled when she saw her.
"Hey."
When Faith reached Buffy, she hesitated for a moment and then kissed her.
"Mmm, I could get used to this," Buffy said with a smile when they stopped kissing.
Faith blushed.
"How'd it go?" she asked
"Great," Buffy said as she started to undress. "Did you have dinner yet?"
"No, we're about to," Faith said, helping her. "Want me to make something for you?"
Buffy shook her head.
"No, no, I ate already. You go eat, I need to organize my notes first and take a shower. Then we'll tuck Hope in and then I'll tell you how it went."
"Okay."
Buffy took off her shoes and stretched.
"I feel stiff. I'm definitely gonna enjoy the shower."
Faith smiled.
"Come, say hi to Hope."
Buffy smiled and followed Faith to the kitchen.
"Hi, honey," she said.
Hope looked at her with a smile.
"Hi, Mama," she said and Buffy's smile widened.
"I'll take a shower now."
Faith smiled again.
"Okay."
After they tucked Hope in, they sat on the sofa and Faith raised an eyebrow when she saw Buffy's notes.
"Which hurricane passed through these?"
Buffy smiled.
"None."
Faith smiled back.
"So, tell me."
"Well, I found a company. They're bringing boxes over tomorrow. We'll have till Friday to pack everything. I already called Mom and told her we're coming on Saturday. Our flight is at ten o'clock." She picked up a piece of paper with names and addresses. "These people will come tomorrow to check out the cabin. I also talked to a real estate agency, so if no one buys it, they will. One of their people will also come. I made sure he comes first, so we'll know how much we'll get."
Faith checked the list.
"I know some of them."
"I know."
Faith took a deep breath.
"So, I guess tomorrow we'll be packing and showing people around."
"Yeah."
Faith hesitated for a moment.
"Will you show them around, you seem to know more about this than I do."
Buffy smiled.
"Okay. And you'll pack?"
Faith nodded.
"Yeah."
"Okay." She yawned. "Looks like we'll have a long day tomorrow."
"Yeah."
"I'm going to bed."
"Me too."
Buffy smiled again and then kissed Faith, who immediately responded.
"Okay, definitely a bad idea," Buffy said when they stopped kissing.
Faith frowned, worried.
"Why?"
"You really think I'll be able to fall asleep after this kiss? I'll keep thinking about it."
"Oh," Faith said, blushing.
Buffy smiled and got up.
"Come quickly."
Faith smiled as she got up as well.
"I will."
The next day, they were very busy. The moving company delivered the boxes and they immediately started packing. Hope wanted to help, so they gave her small tasks. People came and went all day and Buffy barely had the time to make lunch.
In the evening, they were all exhausted. They hadn't packed everything yet, but at least the cabin was sold at what Buffy thought was a great price. They still had to sign the papers, but that could wait till the next day.
"I'm beat," Faith declared as she threw herself on the sofa.
Buffy smiled as she slowly joined her.
"Yeah, me too."
Hope came to them and climbed on the sofa, right between them."
"Hey, honey," Buffy said with a smile, and ruffled her hair.
"Tired?" Faith asked.
"Uh-huh," Hope said and leaned on her.
Faith caressed her.
"I'll go make us some dinner and then you can go to bed, okay?"
Hope nodded.
"No, no, I'll make dinner," Buffy said and got up. "You stay with Hope."
"Okay," Faith said and leaned back.
Buffy smiled and went to the kitchen.
After dinner, they put Hope to bed and then went to bed themselves.
"I'm so tired," Buffy moaned.
"Me too," Faith agreed.
Buffy hesitated for a moment.
"Can I cuddle up to you?" she then asked.
"Huh?" Faith said, startled, and looked at her.
"Can I cuddle up to you?" Buffy repeated, blushing.
Faith stared at her for a few moments.
"Eh, okay."
Buffy smiled and slowly cuddled up to Faith.
Faith tensed at first, but then she slowly relaxed and put her arm around Buffy.
"Good night, Faith," Buffy said sleepily.
"Good night," Faith said, slowly getting to like the idea of cuddling.
When Saturday morning came, they got up early. Faith made them breakfast and then they packed the last few things. After that they had to wait for the new owner to arrive. When he did, Buffy showed him around the house and when he was satisfied, she gave him the keys and called a cab.
As they waited, Faith looked around the empty cabin. She had spent all her life there and now it belonged to somebody else. It was a strange feeling. There were not many happy memories connected with the cabin, but those that were meant a lot to her. She caressed Hope, who was standing beside her, also looking around.
"You okay?" Buffy asked her, noticing the thoughtful look on Faith's face.
Faith sighed and nodded.
"Yeah."
Suddenly she tensed and Buffy noticed that.
"What is it?"
Faith gulped and took a deep breath.
"I… I'm… scared," Faith said, not looking at her.
Buffy frowned for a moment, puzzled, but then she guessed why Faith was scared. She took her hand and gently squeezed it.
"It's going to be okay, Faith," she said. She hesitated for a moment. "And even if for some reason things don't work out between us, I promise you that I will make sure that you and Hope are taken care of."
Faith looked at her, grateful. She smiled a bit.
"Thanks."
Buffy smiled.
"That's what family's for."
When the cab arrived, they put the bags in the back and then got it. On the way to the airport, Hope stared out the window, curious. She had spent most of her life at the cabin and at the diner where Faith worked, so most of the things were new to her.
The airport was a place of wonder to Hope. Faith held her hand tightly with one hand, while in the other, she had two bags. Buffy carried four bags and a backpack and Hope had a small backpack.
On the plane, Hope wanted to sit by the window, so they let her, but she was too small to see outside while she was sitting. Faith fastened her seatbelt before takeoff and unfastened it when they were in the air. Hope then immediately kneeled on the seat and looked out. Her eyes went wide when she saw that they were in the air.
"Mommy, look! We're flying!" she said in wonderment. She looked at Buffy. "Mama, we're flying!"
Faith and Buffy both smiled at her.
"What do you see?" Buffy asked her.
Hope looked around through the window.
"Clouds. And mountains." She frowned. "I don't see any people."
"That's because they're too far," Faith explained.
"I see the sun."
"Don't look at it," Buffy warned her, "you'll hurt your eyes."
Hope nodded and looked away.
Buffy smiled and gently squeezed Faith's hand.
Faith looked at her and smiled back.
When they landed, they went to baggage claim, where it took them a while to get all their baggage. Then they could finally leave.
"Buffy!"
Buffy looked and smiled when she saw her family and her friends, who were running toward them.
"Hey," she said and dropped the bags when Dawn hugged her.
Faith and Hope stopped a few steps behind, Faith suddenly very nervous and Hope curious.
"Buffy," Joyce said when Dawn let go of Buffy.
"Hi, Mom," Buffy said and they hugged.
"Hello, Buffy," Giles said when Joyce and Buffy stopped hugging.
Buffy smiled.
"Hey, Giles." She looked at her friends. "Hi, guys."
"I got your notes," Willow said.
"Thanks. Oh," she suddenly remembered and looked around for Faith and Hope. "Everyone, these are Faith and Hope. Faith, Hope, these are Mom, Giles, Dawn, Willow, Xander, Anya and Tara."
"Hi," Faith said, suddenly a bit scared because everyone was staring at her.
Hope got nervous as well. She hid behind Faith and peeked from behind her, curious.
"Eh, hello, Faith," Joyce said, stepping forward, and offering Faith her hand.
Faith hesitated for a moment and then took it.
"Hi."
Dawn stepped closer and leaned down.
"Hi, Hope," she said and waved at her, smiling.
Hope giggled.
Buffy smiled, glad that things seemed to go smooth. She looked at Faith.
"Come on, let's go home." Then she looked at Giles and Xander. "Giles, Xander, take the bags please."
"Yes, of course," Giles said and moved to pick the bags.
Xander followed him.
Buffy took Hope's other hand and they went out.
"There's no snow," Hope said, surprised, looking around curiously.
"It doesn't snow here," Buffy said with a smile.
Hope looked at her.
"Why not?"
Buffy shrugged.
"It's warmer here."
"So we can't make snowmen?" Hope asked, disappointed.
"No. But we can make sand castles at the beach."
"Sand castles?" Hope asked, interested.
"Uh-huh. You know, castles from sand."
Hope smiled.
"Okay."
Everybody observed them with interest as they walked toward the cars.
When they put the bags in the back of Joyce's car, Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara went to Xander's car. Buffy, Faith, Hope and Dawn got in the back of Joyce's car, Faith sitting in the middle and Hope on her legs.
As they drove, Hope kept looking out, curious.
"Mama, what is that?" she asked as they drove past the park, and climbed over to Buffy's side to look out the window.
Buffy looked and smiled.
"That's a carrousel."
"Can we go?" Hope asked, excited.
"Not today, honey. Maybe tomorrow."
"Okay," Hope said, staring out the window.
"She's calling you Mama?" Dawn asked, surprised.
Buffy smiled at her.
"Yes."
"Cool," Dawn said and smiled.
"This is your new home, honey," Buffy said when they got to the Summers house.
Hope looked at the house, curious.
"It's big."
Buffy smiled.
"Yes. Come, let's go in."
Dawn ran ahead to open the door and Buffy and Faith followed her with Hope, while Joyce and Giles took care of the bags.
"Nice place," Faith said as she looked around when they entered.
Buffy smiled.
"You like it?"
Faith nodded.
"Yeah."
"It's your home now."
Faith looked at her and then smiled.
"Yeah."
Buffy looked at Hope.
"Do you want to see your room, honey?"
Hope looked at her and nodded.
"Uh-huh."
"Come."
They went upstairs and Buffy led them straight to Hope's room.
"Here you go," she said as she opened the door.
Hope's and Faith's eyes went wide when they saw the completely furnished children's room. Hope ran in to familiarize herself with it. Dawn followed her.
"Who's that, Mama?" Hope asked when she saw a stuffed pig.
Buffy smiled.
"That's Mr Gordo. He used to keep me company when I was little. Now he can keep you company."
Hope's eyes went wide.
"Really?" she said, excited.
"Yes."
Hope started to climb on the bed and Dawn helped her.
"Buffy…" Faith started as Hope reached Mr Gordo and inspected him.
"Yes?" Buffy said.
"You didn't need… I mean, eh…"
Buffy took Faith's hand and gently squeezed it, smiling.
"Faith, she's my daughter too."
"Yeah," Faith said and looked around, obviously feeling worried about something.
It took Buffy a few moments to figure out what.
"Faith, Hope will always love you, not matter how many presents I give her. What you gave her is worth far more than all the presents I could possibly give her."
Faith frowned.
"What did I give her?"
"Your love," Buffy said and smiled. "I'm not trying to win her love or anything, I already have that. And I love her too, but you were there for her since she was born, nothing will ever be worth more than that. And you did an awesome job raising her, I don't know if I could've done the same if I was in your place. You'll always have a special place in her heart."
Faith stared at her, moved, fighting the tears that were welling up in her eyes. Buffy smiled and caressed her and then a few tears finally escaped from Faith's eyes. Faith wanted to wipe them, but Buffy stopped her and then did it herself.
"I love you," Buffy said and kissed Faith.
Dawn watched them, curious. She had never thought that Buffy could be gay, but she was obviously wrong. And she had to admit that they really did love one another. She smiled.
"Feel better?" Buffy asked when they stopped kissing.
Faith smiled a bit and nodded.
"Yeah. Thanks."
Buffy smiled.
"That's what girlfriends are for," she said and Faith's smile widened. She looked at Hope. "Honey, do you want to see where Mommy and Mama will sleep?"
"Okay," Hope said and Dawn helped her off the bed.
"Looks like she got used to you," Faith said.
Dawn smiled.
"Uh-huh," she said, holding Hope's hand.
"Come," Buffy said and led the way to her room.
"Wow," Faith said as she looked around.
"You like?"
Faith nodded.
"Yeah." She looked at the bed. "We sleep together?"
"Yes," Buffy said, blushing a bit.
"Okay." Faith looked around. "Where do I put my stuff?"
"Wherever you want."
Faith looked at her.
"We'll go through the closets together, okay?"
Buffy smiled.
"Yes." She looked at Dawn. "Is Faith's stuff in the basement?"
Dawn nodded.
"Yes. Except the food. That's in the fridge. We've eaten some."
"That's okay," Faith said.
"Hope, why don't you watch some TV until Mommy and I see where all the stuff is," Buffy said.
"Okay," Hope said.
"Dawn."
"I'll take her downstairs." She looked at Hope. "Come, Hope, let's go watch TV."
Hope smiled and followed Dawn out.
When they were gone, Faith hesitated for a moment and then hugged Buffy. Buffy hugged her back, smiling.
"Thank you," Faith whispered.
"Any time, Faith," Buffy whispered back.
Then Joyce and Giles arrived with the bags.
"Oh, eh…" Giles started.
Faith let go of Buffy and they looked at Joyce and Giles.
"Ah, the bags," Buffy said.
"Where do we put them?"
"Right there, we'll take care of them."
"Okay."
Joyce and Giles put the bags down.
"Mom, can you make us lunch? We had an early breakfast and we're hungry," Buffy said. "At least I am," she added and looked at Faith.
"Yeah, me too," Faith said.
"How about I just order us a couple of pizza?" Joyce suggested.
"Sounds fine," Buffy said.
"Can Hope eat pizza?" Joyce asked Faith.
"Yeah."
"Okay."
Joyce took Giles' hand and they left.
Faith took a deep breath.
"That went well," she murmured.
Buffy looked at her with a smile.
"Told you."
"And your friends?"
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, Willow and Tara are girlfriends."
"Yeah, I noticed."
"They'll be okay, trust me. When Willow first came out, we were all surprised, but we got over it. They'll have questions thought, about you and Hope and what we've been doing."
"Oh. Okay."
Buffy caressed her.
"How about we take care of the bags and then go see where the boxes are?"
"Okay."
Downstairs, Dawn helped Hope climb on the sofa and then turned on the TV.
"You wanna watch cartoons?" she asked her.
Hope nodded.
"Uh-huh."
Dawn smiled.
"Okay."
"Wow," Hope said when the picture appeared on TV. "It has colors!" she said, excited.
Dawn looked at her, surprised.
"Yes. You didn't have a color TV?"
Hope shook her head, staring at the TV, excited.
"Uh-uh."
"Oh."
She switched to a cartoon channel and then sat beside Hope.
"Having fun?" Faith asked when she and Buffy came downstairs after having taken care of the bags.
Dawn and Hope looked at them.
"Yes," Dawn said with a smile.
"Look, Mommy, it has colors," Hope said, excited.
Faith smiled.
"Yeah."
"We'll go take care of the boxes now," Buffy said.
"Okay," Dawn said.
Buffy and Faith started for the basement when the bell rang.
"Lunch!" Dawn said and got up.
Joyce came from the kitchen and went to get the pizzas.
"Come, Hope," Dawn said and helped Hope off the sofa.
They slowly went to the kitchen and Buffy and Faith followed them.
"How will we sit?" Dawn asked.
Faith looked at Buffy, who was thinking about it.
"Faith and Hope on one side, you and me on the other side and Mom and Giles at each end. I'll sit across Hope."
"Okay," Dawn said and helped Hope into a chair.
As Faith and Buffy sat down, Giles and Joyce arrived, Giles carrying the boxes.
"Dawn, help me with the plates," Joyce said, seeing that Dawn hadn't sat down yet.
"Okay, Mom," Dawn said and helped her while Giles put the boxes on the table.
"Pretty hot," he said and rubbed his hands together.
Joyce and Dawn quickly distributed the plates and then Dawn sat down while Joyce got the drinks out.
Buffy opened the topmost box and Hope's eyes went wide when she saw what was in it.
"Pizza!" she said, delighted.
Everyone smiled at her.
After lunch, Buffy and Faith put Hope to bed for a nap. Then they went to the basement to check out the boxes. Dawn went with them, curious, and helped them.
It took them the rest of the afternoon to take care of the boxes and Joyce and Giles volunteered to keep Hope occupied. By the time they were done, they were exhausted. And since it was time for Hope to go to sleep, they tucked her in.
"Night, honey," Faith said and kissed her on the forehead.
"Night, Mommy."
Faith stepped aside and let Buffy closer.
"Night, sweetie," Buffy said and also gave Hope a kiss on the forehead.
"Night, Mama."
"Sweet dreams."
Hope smiled and closed her eyes.
Buffy and Faith stared at her for a few moments and then left.
"I'm beat," Faith said outside.
Buffy smiled.
"Me too. How about we turn in early?"
"Okay."
Buffy took shower first and then Faith. When Faith got in bed, she hesitated for a moment and then cuddled up to Buffy, who smiled.
"Like cuddling, huh?"
Faith smiled.
"Yeah."
Buffy kissed her on the top of the head and then they lay quietly for a while.
"You know, I've been thinking," Buffy then said. "We could send Hope to kindergarten."
Faith looked up.
"No, we…" She trailed of with a frown. "Can we afford it?"
Buffy smiled.
"Yes."
"Oh." Faith thought for a moment. "We'll have to talk to her about it."
Buffy nodded.
"Yes. I'll take you two tomorrow on a tour of Sunnydale. I'll show you where the kindergartens are and you can take her there to see what it's like."
"Okay."
"And I'll show you where you could look for a job. You'll get a job, right?"
Faith nodded.
"Yeah."
"Okay." Buffy thought for a moment. "Have you thought about going to college?"
Faith raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"No. I just wanted a GED so I could get a better job and get enough money to put Hope through school."
Buffy smiled.
"And now?"
Faith frowned, thinking.
"I don't know." She hesitated for a moment. "You think I could?"
"Sure. If you want."
"I'll think about it."
"Okay."
They lay still for a few moments and then Faith cuddled up even closer to Buffy, who smiled again. Faith blushed.
"I, eh… You make me feel safe."
Buffy's eyes widened a bit.
"You make me feel safe too."
"I do?" Faith said, surprised.
"Of course," Buffy said and smiled. "You know why no one loved you before? Except Hope, I mean?"
Faith tensed.
"Why?"
"Because they were a bunch of morons," Buffy said and caressed her. "You're very special and I'm glad you're mine."
Faith just stared at her for a few moments, fighting back the tears.
"I love you," she then whispered.
Buffy smiled.
"I love you too, Faith."
Faith smiled a little and then laid her head on Buffy's chest.
Buffy kissed her again on the top of the head and then they slowly drifted off to sleep.
The End