Disclaimers: Joss owns them not me. My job is to take them and screw them up. Thank you.
Title: Is it my subconscious mind, because I chose the titles well in advance? Anyway. Natalie Imbruglia owns the line, not me. I'm too lazy to find out what song it's from. Her cd's very good though.
Dedications: To Amsterdam and all the lovely 'ladies of the night'.
Archive: Poor Piper, never realising how many she'd have to archive. I'm sorry, kitten! If you ever come to England I'll take you out to dinner as a reward.
 
Buffy's POV
 
Slayers Do Total Recall XXIX - Then You Wake Up, And Tomorrow Is Today
 
I pick her up from the floor, from where she's passed out, and lay her on the bed.
I take her boots off, carefully, then get her changed into something for bed.
Don't want her sleep walking, and bumping into my mom or Dawn in the hall!
Not sure how I'd explain that one if she was all naked, like normal.
 
There, under the covers and safe!
I flick the stereo off, and get changed into my fluffy pj's.
She always teases me about them, say's they're worse than Dawn's.
I like them though, soft and warm, remind me of her when we're not together.
So over the last few months, I've got to know them real well!
 
Right, into bed, damn; light!
Off the light goes, then I get in, next to her.
I know the drill now, she'll be ok in the morning.
She needs to sleep.
They're like panic attacks.
Dis told me what to do; keep talking to her, get her to calm down, and if she doesn't and passes out, then stay with her.
See, here I am, and I did everything right.
 
But if I did everything right, then why do I feel like crap?
No wallowing, Buffy.
I snuggle up to her, 'cause that's ok, she likes it, even after that.
She murmurs something and throws an arm round me, kissing my head in her sleep.
She's still all cold.
Well, she'll get all warm soon enough, 'cause my body's still on fire from before.
Wow, what a ride that was!
 
Then her eyes flick open and she pushes up.
Huh?
No, I know the drill, and this isn't it!
 
'What the fuck happened?'
 
'Lie back down and I'll tell you. You're at mine. Come on, back down. There, put your arms under the covers, you're all cold. Ok, what do you remember?'
 
'Shit, I spazzed again!!'
 
'No big deal. I mean, it is a big deal if your feeling ill, and it's not good because you passed out. But don't go getting all stressed about it.'
 
'I'm like, this useless person who can't even cop off with her girl because she freaks out! Jeez, why are you so cool with everything?!'
 
'Because it's getting better? Because one day you won't freak out? Because until then, and for all the time after that, you're not getting with anyone else, just me?! You'll be ok one day, you will. We have to be patient. Maybe I can get an en suite shower, just the cold tap?'
 
'I feel like a fuckin' idiot! Can't even kiss my girl without going into overdrive and falling over. You know you should...'
 
'Stop, right there. Don't you dare start with the; you need to get with someone normal, shit! See, you made me swear! Anyway, I am with someone normal. You. And I love the normal you. All of you. The way you leave your boots undone, the way you flick your cigarette's, even if we're in a crowd, that's funny, um, the way you think cooking is cutting up salad stuff, the way you try and get me in tight ass pants. Even the way you were tonight. See how it works? I love all of you. So cut the crappy; you need to get with someone else!'
 
'I was gonna say, you know you should; wear socks in bed, 'cause your feet are freezin'!'
 
'You were not!!'
 
She starts tickling me, and holds my wrists with one hand, so I can't get her off.
Then she stops, all of a sudden, and her thumb strokes my wrist, gently.
 
'No, I wasn't, but maybe we can think I was, yeah?'
 
'Sure.'
 
'You really like the way I flick my smokes? You always tell me off though, B!'
 
'That's only because last time it went in that woman's bag. She was rude to us before anyway, so it served her right. Flaming handbags are funny!'
 
'That's why I did it, 'cause she poked you and talked down to you. I was protecting your honour.'
 
I snuggle into her, and kiss her neck.
Oh, am I meant to be doing that?
Ok, no harm, no foul.
I won't do it...
 
'Hmm, that was nice. Hey, I managed to not pass out. Is that like a first, or what?'
 
I kiss her neck again.
 
'There, that's a second. You want a third?'
 
There's this pause, and she's thinking about it.
 
'Knock yourself out, well, not literally, or I'll probably pass out again, and there'll be no-one to pick up the fallen Slayers.'
 
Ok, I'm with the kissing.
Won't take it any further though, not after the whole passing out thing.
There, and there, and there, little kisses.
 
'How's that?'
 
'Yeah, you're getting there. You know, when we were... when we were kids, Dis taught me how to ride a bike, and I was always falling off, skinning my elbows. Anyway, she'd just put me back on it, right after I fell off. Best way to learn she'd say. If you don't get right back into it then you get scared and you'll keep falling off. She was right, didn't save my elbows, but still, I was riding round the same day. All on my own.'
 
'You want me to get you a bike?'
 
She pokes my ribs, then slides her hand over them.
Ok, so I'm with the knowing what that story was all about now!
 
'No, I want to get right back into things with you, or I'm always gonna be freaking, and letting that fucker win. No way, I'm not. He's not controlling me now. I'm all grown up and I'm taking things back, from this moment on! You wanna play with me, or... I mean, did I scare you off?'
 
'Scare me off? You turned me into a pile of mush! How about we really go slow. Second base. That's all. How's that sound?'
 
'Better than not even getting to the plate, I guess.'
 
And from the feeling of her hands on my ass, I'm going to have to explain the bases a bit more to Faith.