All disclaimers the same.
Thanks to all the Kittens who have stayed with this fic even though it takes forever for me to update.
Thanks to Amber and Alyson for your inspiration.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 17The bed and breakfast was so beautiful. It lay next to a small lake that the girls could take boat rides on or go swimming in if the weather didn’t get too low.
It was a small little house on a small piece of land. The B and B was owned by a couple who had retired the year before from fast paced lifestyles. The couple was just looking to slow down and that is exactly what you seemed to do the moment you walked in to the B and B. You just seemed to unconsciously slow down.
There were four rooms for guest, but seeing as the two wiccans had rented the place out, it was very quite. The rooms were done up in four very different ways to cater to most different tastes.
The room that the girls had chosen to stay in was the largest. It had a king sized bed in the middle of the far wall, opposite the door. Beside the bed on either side was a small nightstand. There was a small dresser on the right side wall next to the closest and a coffee table in the middle of the room that doubled for a sitting area.
A small entertainment center was set up where you could view it easily from either the bed or the sitting area. It contained a 19-inch television, a DVD player, and a CD stereo. There was a stack of DVD’s and CD’s for them to choose from, along with the ones they themselves brought. There was also a note about a place to rent movies and CD’s just a little ways away from the B and B.
All the furniture was made of the finest oak. It was finely polished and seemed very well taken care of.
When they arrived, Willow and Tara were given a tour of the house and the land. They were shown their room and were told that breakfast started at 7am and went until 10am.
The first week that they were there was peaceful and uneventful. They just took their time at doing things. They tried a lot of new things in and out of the bedroom. They spent a lot of time in and by the lake, boating, swimming, and just lounging. They had picnics and went on hikes in the surrounding woods. And no matter how tired they were the second they shut the door to their room the two girls would always get a new wind. Everything was perfect.
Then on the first day of the second week they received a phone call.
“Hello?” Tara asked.
“Hey Cuz.” Faith said over the phone line.
“Faith? Is everything okay? You sound weird.” The blonde witch asked with worry filling her voice.
“Yeah, yeah, no worries. I was just calling to see how things were going.”
“Oh. Well everything here is going great. This is the best vacation ever.” Tara was still wondering what was going on. She could hear that there was something wrong in her cousin’s voice. “How is your vacation going?”
“It was going great til this morning.” The brunette answered.
“What happened?”
“Well B.’s dad came home early.” Faith said coughing. “He caught me and B. in the shower… together. And that isn’t the worst of it.”
“What could be worse than that?” Tara wondered.
“Well you know how I was worried Mrs. S. would think I converted her daughter? Well seems I had the wrong parent.” The brunette slayer’s voice sounding joking but Tara knew that she was hurting and hurting bad.
“So he kicked us out and told B. not to come back until she ‘got over whatever this is’.” Faith finished.
“Oh goddess. So where are you now? Wasn’t Mr. Summers suppose to drive you two home?” the blonde wiccan asked.
“Yeah, B. and I are at a bus stop, but we don’t have enough money to get home. We couldn’t get a hold of any of the ‘rents. Tare, I’m really sorry to disturb you and to have to ask you this, but I was wondering if you could wire us some money? I swear I’ll pay you back when we get home.” Faith hated doing this but she was desperate.
“Of course we can. Where are you?” Tara couldn’t even believe what was happening.
“We’re in this little town just south of L.A. It is like a desert or it seems that way. The place is called Oceanveiw.” The slayer explained.
“Oh Faith, that is where Willow and I are!” Tara exclaimed. “Wait at the bus stop, we are coming to get you.”
Before Faith could get out a word of protest Tara had hung up.
“Well B., turns out T. and Red are here in this town. T. said that they were coming to pick us up.” Faith looked over at her crying girlfriend.
She went over to the blonde and wrapped her arm around her and soothed the girl. “It’s alright baby. I’m here. I won’t leave you. Shhh, it’s all right.
****
About twenty minutes after they hung up Tara and Willow were pulling up to the bus stop to meet their friends. As they pulled into the filthy little station they saw the slayers huddled together in a far corner.
The witches got out of the car and walked over to the slayers. They could tell that Buffy had been crying and that Faith was holding them back.
As the wiccans got closer the slayers looked up. “Hey cuz. Thanks for coming. I’m sorry for ruining your get away.”
Faith was still holding Buffy close. The shorter blonde, for all her strength, looked as weak as a little child.
“It was no problem. Willow and I talked and decided that you two will spend the rest of the vacation with us and we can all drive home together.” Tara smiled as she leaned over and hugged her cousin.
“We can’t do that. This is suppose to be a romantic get away for the two of you.” The brunette slayer protested.
“Yes, but we also plan to have a lot of fun. And what is more fun than to hang out with your friends?” Willow chipped in, and the to make sure there were no more arguments she gave her resolve face.
“Okay, we give.” Faith smiled a little and then looked at her silent girlfriend.
Willow leaned over and took Buffy’s hand. “Buffy, I understand. I know what you father means to you and I know that it must hurt. We are going to get you to the B and B so that you can lay down.”
Buffy looked right into Willow’s eyes. She stared at her for a moment before she said the first words she had spoken in hours. “He just kicked us out. Said if this is the lifestyle that I chose, then I wasn’t his daughter.”
Tara and Willow were shocked at such cruel words directed at the kind and loving blonde slayer. Faith wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist again and held her close as fresh tears started to fall.
“How could her say such an awful thing?” the blonde witch asked with hurt in her voice and showing in her eyes.
“Because he is an asshole!” Faith yelled. “That man is no kind of father!”
“Faith’s right. He doesn’t deserve a wonderful daughter like you Buff.” Willow soothed.
“He isn’t my father. He can’t disown me, cause I disown him.” Buffy said in a very calm, almost eerily calm voice.
After that, no one had anything to say. They took the slayers’ things and loaded the car. Then they all got in and headed back to the B and B.
****
When they got back to the Bed and Breakfast Willow and Tara showed the two girls to their room and then left them to unpack. They went to find the couple that ran the place. They explained what had happened and that the two girls would be joining them for the next week. The couple had no problem and sent their condolences to Buffy for what had happened.
When they witches got to the slayers’ room they knocked on the door. Faith answered a few seconds later.
“How are you two doing?” Willow asked.
“We’re doing pretty well, but we’re tired. We haven’t gotten much sleep. I think we are going to find some food, bring it back here, eat, and then hit the sack.” Faith explained.
“Well why don’t you relax. We’ll go get all of us some food.” Willow offered.
“But you have already done so much, we couldn’t ask…”Faith was cut off.
“You’re not asking, we’re offering.” Willow said. And with that she and Tara were off to get food.
Faith turned back to the room smiling. “Those are two really great friends we have.”
Buffy looked up with a slight smile. “Not friends, family.”
The brunette smiled and went to hold her lover lightly and they lay down on the bed holding each other. Within no time, they were fast asleep, heading off to dreamland.
****
As the two wiccans were coming back with the food from the little mom and pop restaurant about three miles from the B and B they continued to discuss what had happened to the slayers.
“I just can’t believe that he did that!” the redhead was furious. “And here Buffy was, thinking that he knew and was fine with it.”
“Honey,” Tara said trying to calm her lover. “He is a idiot. He just can’t see the love that they share. And he is hurting himself more than he is hurting Buffy.”
“How can you say that?! How is he being hurt?!” Willow asked excitedly.
“Because, he is losing his daughter, and he will never have her love, or see her married, or see his grandchildren. He will now miss out on all of the rest of the things a father looks forward to doing with their children. Buffy hurts, but luckily she still has us and her mother, and Giles. And she always thought of Giles as a father.”
After the blonde’s speech, Willow was silent for a while. She just kept driving and starring ahead. As they pulled into the driveway of the B and B Willow finally spoke. “She has us. That is all she needs. If he can’t see how great she is, she is better off without him.”
With that the two witches got out of the SUV and took the food up to their friends’ room.
****
A knock at the door woke the brunette slayer. She got up and answered the door. When she saw Willow and Tara she gave a small smile and waved them in.
The girls came in and set down the food and then turned to Faith. They saw that she looked wiped out. Tara took and hugged her, closely followed by Willow.
“How are you doing?” the blonde wiccan asked.
“I’ve been better, but as long as I’m with B. all is five by five.” Faith forced a smirk.
“How is Buff?” the redhead asked.
“She isn’t the best ever. She hasn’t slept in a while until now. She won’t touch food. I’m just hoping that she can get through this.” The brunette sighed.
At the sound of voices the blonde slayer started to stir and sit up. Faith went to her side right away.
“Hey B., feeling better?” the concern was clear in Faith’s voice.
“Yeah, I feel better. No worries, I’ll be fine.” Buffy smiled and then leaned over to give her girl a light kiss to assure her.
Willow looked over at Tara and wrapped an arm around her waist. Then looked at her friend. “Okay, so we have food here, lets eat, then we can take you on a tour of the grounds.”
All the girls smiled and agreed. They sat around the table and ate and shared small talk. They took great lengths to stay away from anything too heavy for the day. There would be plenty of time for those talks later.
T.B.C.Grace
Grace :glasses :flower :fallen :peace
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"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos
"Sometimes you have to walk through Hell to get to Heaven."--Me
Edited by: bluewillowwitch at: 1/21/05 12:44 pm