. Hope you'll read and tell me what you think.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating: PG, for now.
Disclaimers: Joss “I’m so great, therefore I can lie through my teeth constantly” Whedon owns all.
Dedications: The kittens. You guys are the best.
Summary: It’s a year later, the girls are out of school and heading out into the big, wide world. They’ve got no idea what’s lying ahead of them.
Thanks to: The kittens and my girl. Without the encouragement you give, these fics wouldn’t exist.
The Calling
Part one
The rain fell silently around him, the shadows covering him in a blanket of darkness. His piercing blue eyes watching the four girls walk out of the Espresso Pump. A blonde girl, the oldest of the group, and a redhead walking in front, a brunette, possibly the strongest so far, and another blonde girl walking behind them. He lit a cigarette, his eyes never leaving the four girls. Closing his eyes, he let their feelings wash over him. He could feel the pain the blonde and the brunette had gone through, but it was not as strong as it had once been. He could also feel the love surging through all of their bodies. It was so strong. He opened his eyes and focused his attention back on the girls. Brushing his long hair back and putting the silver lighter back into the pocket of his long, black leather coat, he continued to watch the girls until they disappeared around the corner. He sighed and stumped out his cigarette.
Man: It’s not their time yet. Not yet. Still….
Then turning in the opposite direction, he vanished into the shadows.
Sunnydale Cinema
Willow paid for the popcorn and made her way back to the three girls waiting for her in front of the screen room doors. Willow pouted, as she looked down at the change the employee had given her.
Willow: I think he over charged me.
Faith: Want me to go back and punch it out of him?
Willow chuckled at Faith.
Willow: No, it’s okay, but we’re gonna miss the movie.
Faith: The trailers haven’t started yet.
Willow: Ugh, I hate the trailers. If I wanted to see previews of movies, I’d go to some movie preview showing or something.
Tara let out a giggle and smiled at her girlfriend.
Buffy: What movie are we seeing anyway?
Faith pulled open the door to the screen room and the four of them walked in, looking at their tickets to see what seats they had.
Faith: Pay It Forward.
Tara: It’s supposed to be really good, but really sad too.
Willow: You brought me to a sad movie? You know I can’t handle sad things. I start blubbering.
Tara: Aww, don’t worry. I’ll be here to comfort you.
Willow: Well, I guess that’s okay then.
They finally found their seats, in the middle of the middle row and Faith grinned.
Faith: Best seats in the house.
Buffy: I thought the ones at the back were the best seats.
Faith: Well, that’s only if you’re gonna spend the whole two hours making out with the person your with.
Buffy: You mean you don’t plan on doing that? Why am I even here?
Faith rolled her eyes.
Faith: Hey, there will be smoochies, but I’d kinda like to see the movie too.
Buffy: Hmm, well, as long as I won’t be completely smoochie deprived.
The brunette smirked.
Faith: Don’t worry. You won’t be.
They sat down, putting their drinks in the cup holder on the side of their chairs and their popcorn on the floor so they wouldn’t eat it before the movie started. The trailers began and the room fell silent. After five minutes of them, Willow had had enough. She leaned closer to Tara and whispered in the other girl’s ear.
Willow: This is so boring. I swear, they show the same ones with every movie. How about we skip off to the toilets for a bit? I hear they have really big cubicles.
Tara managed to stifle a giggle and she turned her head to Willow.
Tara: After what happened in the History Museum?
Willow: I have to say, I have no idea what you’re referring too, Miss Maclay.
Tara: Well, let me jog your memory. The manager was called to the toilets there after someone reported “strange going on’s”. We were band for three months.
Willow: It’s a good job he hadn’t walked in five minutes earlier, otherwise I think we would have had a life ban.
They both giggled at that, remembering the look on the manager’s face when he forced open the cubicle they had been in.
Tara: Well, it would have never happened if someone hadn’t ordered me to open the cubicle and then ravished me then and there.
Willow: I couldn’t help myself.
A loud “shush” sounded from the row behind them and they both decided to quieten down. Sitting next to them, Faith was absently playing with Buffy’s hair. Something that she had done subconsciously even before they had gotten together. Buffy rested her head on Faith’s shoulder, blankly staring at the huge cinema screen in front of them.
Buffy: Why do they even bother putting trailers at the beginning? People come to see the movie, not previews of other movies. The previews are on constantly on TV anyway.
Faith: Yeah. It is pretty pointless.
Finally, the movie began. They got comfortable in their seats, seeing as how they weren’t going to be moving for at least two hours, and Willow picked the popcorn up off of the floor and settled it on her knees. They became so engrossed in the movie, they didn’t notice the man walking into the screen room and sitting down a few rows behind them. As time wore on, his eyes never left the four girls. He could feel everything they were feeling, something he hadn’t been able to do for a long time. They all had so much love for the person sitting next to them. Whether they were simply friends or more than that, he couldn’t tell yet, but if he were pressed to make a decision, he’d say that the older girl was with the redhead and the stronger one with the blonde. He smiled to himself.
Yes. I think that’s about right. It will be interesting watching them. I just wish their time were here. All this watching them is…. Well, I know if someone were watching me, it’d be freaky.
He noticed the credits for the movie had started to roll across the screen and he got up. Taking one last look at the four girls, he left the movie theatre, his long black coat, billowing behind him. As he left through the doors, the cool air hit him and he closed his eyes.
Their time is near. I can feel it.
Opening his eyes, he looked around at the street he was on. Finally he spotted a dark alleyway and disappeared into it, just as Buffy, Faith, Willow and Tara existed the movie theatre.
Faith: That movie was so boring.
Buffy: I thought it was good.
Faith: Yeah well, I could hardly hear it over the blubbering.
At this point, Willow stopped and turned to face Faith.
Willow: They killed him! You’re just upset because you don’t have any emotions.
Faith: I do so have emotions. I’m just not as…. Open, about them as you are.
Willow: And I suppose being overly emotional is my fault? It was my mother who sat me down in front of the TV and played Bambi over and over again.
Tara: Aww, that film was so sad.
Faith: You cried in Bambi?
It was Buffy who spoke up this time.
Buffy: His mother was killed! It was upsetting.
Faith: Oh yeah, very upsetting when the artist stopped drawing the character.
Willow: You have no feelings!
Tara: Got to admit it, Faith. Even I got upset watching Bambi.
Faith: You’re all just too easily affected by things.
Willow: No, it’s you. You’re dead inside.
Faith: Oh, I am not.
They began walking down the street, still arguing about the movie.
Faith and Tara’s apartment
The front door opened, and a rather rowdy crowd consisting of Buffy, Faith, Willow and Tara entered the apartment. Faith put her apartment key onto the table and turned back to the three girls who hadn’t stopped bothering her about her “lack of emotion” since they’d left the movie theatre.
Willow: The Lion King?
Faith: Never saw it.
Buffy: Romeo and Juliet?
Faith: Too mushy.
Tara: The Terminator?
They all turned to look at Tara, confused. The Terminator wasn’t exactly the type of movie they thought she’d be into. With all the death and blood.
Tara: What?
Willow: It’s just…. I didn’t think you were into that kind of movie.
Tara: Can’t I be flexible?
Willow: Oh you are, very.
Tara began to blush furiously at Willow’s remark and she slapped her girlfriend on the shoulder, getting a loud squeak from Willow in return, which made everyone laugh.
Willow: I meant-
Faith: We all know what you meant, Will.
After they’d all quietened down, they sat in the living room of Faith’s apartment and began talking about what colleges they were going to apply for.
Buffy: I already applied for UC Sunnydale.
Faith: You did?
Buffy: Well, I’m not planning on going anywhere am I?
She leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on Faith’s lips, smiling.
Faith: I certainly hope not, but…. I don’t want to hold you back. You’re smart Buffy, I don’t want you having to settle for a college knowing you could have got into one a lot better.
Buffy: See, this is why I never said anything. I knew you’d try to talk me out of it. I love you, Faith. There’s no way I’m leaving you.
That seemed to put Faith’s mind at ease and she smiled at her girlfriend, before turned to the other two girls sitting across from them on the floor.
Faith: What about you, Will?
Willow: Well, Tara and me both decided to apply for UC Sunnydale, too.
Tara: Yeah. We didn’t like the idea of being spilt up.
Faith: Aww.
Buffy let out a giggle, while Willow and Tara simply beamed at each other.
Buffy: So, Faith, you going jump on the wagon and apply there too?
Faith shook her head.
Faith: Nope.
Buffy: What?
Faith: I’m not going to college. Well…. Not yet anyway.
Buffy: How come you never told me?
Faith: For the same reason you never told me about applying to UC Sunnydale. I knew you’d try to talk me out of it. Or, into it, as it were.
Tara: Then what are you going to do?
Faith shrugged. To be honest, she didn’t really have it all planned out.
Faith: Get a job, join the army, I don’t know.
She felt Buffy slap her on the arm and turned to face her other half.
Faith: Ow!
Buffy: That army thing better have been a joke.
Faith: What if it wasn’t?
Buffy: I may have to tie you to the bed to stop you from going.
Faith: You mean I’d have to apply for the army to get you to tie me to the bed?
Buffy: Or, you could just ask nicely.
Willow: Okay! Getting a little weirded out here.
Buffy and Faith chuckled in response and Willow took a sip of the mocha she’d picked up on the way home.
Faith: You mean you and Tara have never engaged in wild, rampant diddly in the bedroom.
Willow’s mocha was immediately spat everywhere and she almost choked.
Willow: That is none of you business!
Faith: So, that’s a yes then.
Willow: No!
Buffy: It’s a no?
Willow: Can we please talk about something else?
She was answered by another round of giggles from Buffy and Faith.
Faith: Okay, okay.
They fell into a comfortable conversation about their last year of school. The Prom, Graduation, Buffy and Willow coming out to their parents and introducing their girlfriends to them. That, turned out to be a very interesting conversation indeed.
Faith: What happened when you told your mom, Will?
Willow: Well, her and dad had gotten home from their trip to France and I decided to take the chance and tell them then, cause they’d probably be going on another trip soon and I wouldn’t see them again for a couple of months. So, they were sitting in the kitchen one night and I walked in and said “Mom, dad, there’s something I need to tell you”.
Tara chimed in at this point, doing a rather bad impression of Willow’s father.
Tara: You know you can tell us anything, poodle.
Willow: Well, I’ve been dating someone for a while now….
The pitch in Tara’s voice became slightly higher, as she began her impression of Willow’s mother.
Tara: Oh! Why didn’t you tell us, sweetheart. Who is he? Where does he live? What’s his name?
Willow: Um, well, they go to Darwin High and um, live pretty near actually.
Tara: That’s nice honey. What’s his name?
Willow: Tara.
Tara’s voice deepened once again.
Tara: Bit of a girly name for a boy, isn’t it?
Willow: I guess. Except it isn’t a boy.
She paused.
Willow: Then I kinda took a deep breath, bit the bullet and said, “I’m gay.”
Tara: Willow’s mom fell off her chair and her dad nearly fainted.
Both Buffy and Faith burst into giggles.
Buffy: They didn’t take it well.
Willow: Not at first, but after Tara came over for dinner, they completely folded under her charm and said, “You’ve got yourself a wonder girl, Willow. Don’t let go of her.”
Willow beamed at her girlfriend and kissed her softly, before turning to Buffy.
Willow: What about you? How did Mrs Summers’ react?
Buffy: I didn’t have to tell her.
Faith: Huh?
Buffy: Well, you remember the night we finally got our feelings out in the open?
Faith: Not one I’m ever going to forget.
Buffy: It was my mom that convinced me to go tell you.
Faith: It was? Wow. Remind me to thank Mrs S sometime.
Buffy: Who are you? The Fonze?
Faith: Hey, the Fonze was cool.
Willow: You’re only saying that because he was constantly surrounded by girls.
Faith reached behind her and threw a pillow at Willow. Who it hit in the face.
Willow: Hey!
The brunette stuck her tongue out at her best friend and grinned.
Faith: Don’t mess with the best.
Everyone grabbed their own pillow then and threw it at the squealing Faith.
Faith: Hey! I’m only telling the truth.
Buffy: Dog pile!
The three girls leapt up at that and threw themselves on the helpless brunette, who could do nothing but curl up. Finally, she managed to find enough space to stick her head out and exhaled loudly, blowing the hair from her face.
Faith: You guys suck.
TBC.................
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions? Comments?
Thanks for reading.
~ Jen
(Do you see any goats around? No, because i sacrificed them! ~ Willow)
Edited by: xita
at: 10/14/02 2:36:53 pm
And the man following them is intriguing. Can't wait to see where you take this.
I hope nothing bad is going to happen to our girls. 
But what is w/ this guy sayin "It's going to happen soon" and "The change is near". I guess I will just have to wait and c, huh. But I know its not good, and he's kinda freaky! Can't wait to c what happens next!