The Dawning of Faith

Chapter One

"Why the long face Dawnie?" asked Faith upon entering the room.

"No reason. Why should you worry about it when my own sister doesn't?"

"Well, Buff is pretty busy with all of the new kids coming in," Faith sat down beside her and clapped a hand on her jean-covered knee, "why don't you tell Auntie Faith all about it, kid?"

"I'm not a kid!" yelled Dawn, jumping to her feet. "I'm 18 today! Look at me! I'm taller than Buffy, and my boobs are bigger! Why does everybody keep calling me kid?" She stood in front of Faith, arms held wide. Faith looked.

Dawn was wearing snug jeans and a white tank top that showed that her boobs were indeed larger than Buffy's, and that she wore no bra. Her auburn hair spilled down her back in a silken waterfall, a few strands clinging to her face. Her face was red with anger, and Faith realized in surprise that while she was upset, she was not crying. She was in fact a striking young woman. And she definitely did not look like a kid.

"No," said Faith slowly, "no, you're not a kid anymore. Hell, you don't even have Slayer strength and you still fight. You faced the First, the Bringers, the Turok-han. No. A kid you ain't, you are a damn babe though. Your birthday, huh? Guess it kind of slipped everybody's mind, that sucks."

"It's not a big deal, I know everybody is busy. I've been busy myself; I only realized it was my birthday because it popped up on my PDA. I just want to be treated like a woman, that's all."

Tell you what Dawni- Dawn. Let's you and me go out, just two hot women having a good time, what do you say?"

"You mean it?"

"Damn straight," promised Faith, "and if you promise not to rat me out, I'll let you have one drink. If I catch you sneaking another, and I will catch you, I'll put you over my knee in front of everybody and spank you like a baby."

"Okay! I promise! Just let me go wash my face!" Dawn sprinted from the room and Faith's eyes followed her as she ran up the stairs. Not a kid at all.

A few minutes later Dawn reappeared, her eyes alight with excitement. "I'm ready!" Dawn announced.

"I just hope I am," thought Faith, as she stood up.

"Let's go then," Faith told her, and Dawn hooked her arm through Faith's as they headed for the door.

The music was loud, and for a Wednesday there was a pretty good crowd at the club, "Want to grab a table?" Faith asked.

"Not yet, let's dance!" Dawn grabbed her hand and fairly dragged the Slayer out onto the floor.

The pair drew a fair bit of attention, and though they both danced with other people both male and female, they always drifted back together after a time. Faith was not surprised that Dawn could dance, and she took a measure of pride in the admiring looks that the redhead drew.

There came a pause in the music, and Dawn and Faith applauded along with the rest as the band rose for a break. "Thirsty?" asked Faith.

"Yeah, and hungry, there's a table over there." They sat, and a waitress appeared.

"What's good to eat?" Faith asked. The waitress cast a lingering look at both Faith and Dawn, a sly smile on her face, but contented herself with answering the question appropriately.

"I'd stick with the appetizers," she said candidly, "the wings are good, fried mushrooms are great tonight, just got them in fresh this morning."

"Done deal, wings and fried mushes," Faith told her, "hot or mild Dawn?"

"Looks hot to me," said the waitress boldly, Dawn grinned and nodded.

"And two Singapore Slings," added Faith. The waitress cast an appraising eye on Dawn, who was trying very hard to look older.

"Screw it," said the waitress, "you don't look like cops, and anybody with a rack like that is old enough to suit me. I'll be right back with the drinks, I'm Chastity," she added, pointing to the pin on her chest.

"I think our waitress plays for 'Team Willow'," Dawn told Faith.

"I think you're right, did you see the way she was checking you out?"

"I thought I was imagining it," Dawn admitted.

"Not a bit, the fact is, everybody in the joint has been checking you out."

"Really?" Dawn squeaked, and she turned her head to look around.

"Don't get any ideas," cautioned Faith, "you're not a kid, true enough, but I'm not letting you get picked up in some club. You came with me, and you'll go home with me, kapeesh?" The look Dawn gave her set her skin on fire.

"Okay," Dawn said softly.

"What the hell is this?" thought Faith as she rode out the feeling.

"Here you go, ladies," said Chastity, "the drinks are compliments of the two guys at the end of the bar."

Faith looked over at them, and looked back to Dawn. "This is the part where we decide whether or not to invite them over. It's also the part where I tell you that we don't owe them a damn thing for the drinks."

"They seem okay, maybe if we let them join us they'll pay for the food too. If they get out of line we'll just kick their asses."

"That's my girl," Faith smiled and waved the guys over.

"Hi, I'm Bill, and this is Ted," the blonde man said in introduction.

"You're kidding, right?" Dawn asked.

"'Fraid not," answered Ted, "although we have considered changing them."

"We were thinking of Thelma and Louise," Bill told them. Faith raised her eyebrows a bit, and Dawn giggled. "How long have you two been together?" A silence fell over the table, and Bill looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry if I misspoke, it's just that you two danced so well together, and you seemed so happy…"

"It's okay," Dawn told him, "so you two are a couple?"

"Three years tonight," Ted answered.

"I didn't know this was a Gay club," Faith said.

"It's not, but it's a friendly place. It's all about the music and the dancing here, that's why we like it," Ted supplied. "You two are the best dancers here, so we thought we should get to know you."

"Cool, the band is good too," Dawn replied.

"Here're your wings and mushrooms," announced Chastity, "hot." She winked at Dawn and departed.

"I think Chas may have the wrong idea about you guys too," Bill mused.

"We never said you were wrong," Dawn told him, and she slipped Faith a wink as she took her hand. Faith grinned in response and gave Dawn a dazzling smile, happy to play along. But a part of her mind was wondering why holding Dawn's hand felt so natural.

"I knew it," Bill exclaimed, "my gaydar is never wrong!"

The wings really were good, and they really were hot. Dawn coughed, grabbed her drink, and chugged it down.

"Go easy there Dawn," Faith cautioned too late.

"Gosh those things are hot," gasped Dawn.

"I'll get you another drink," Ted offered. Faith was about to protest, but Dawn rose to the occasion.

"Just a soda please, I want to keep my head on straight," she told him. For some reason, Faith felt a warmth grow inside of her then. It was a simple thing, just Dawn remembering her promise to Faith and honoring it, but Faith had known many broken promises in her life.

The wings really were good.

The four of them enjoyed each other's company as if they were old friends, and when the band returned, they all danced together either as a group or as random couples, but when the music started to really pound, Faith found herself facing Dawn, and the air rushed out of the room.

Faith could see nothing but the blue eyes in front of her, and the pair of them surrendered to the music and moved like a single being, never touching, never more than a scant inch apart, the music of the band supported by the rhythmic clapping of the crowd as everyone drew back and gave the women the floor. The music ended with a crash, and the crowd applauded as Faith and Dawn stood panting and staring into each other's eyes, sweat shining on both faces.

Dawn threw her arms around the Slayer and hugged her fiercely. "Let's go home," she whispered to her.

"Thanks for the drinks and things, guys," Faith said to them.

"Our pleasure," assured Ted, "hope to see you again."

They had parked a fair distance away, and after taking leave of their new friends they walked slowly back to the car.

"Those guys really bought into us being a couple, good joke, Dawn," Faith complimented her.

"This is the best birthday I've ever had," Dawn said seriously, "thank you for not treating me like a kid."

"You didn't act like a kid; you stuck to your word, no whining. No, you're not a kid."

"Will you kiss me?" asked Dawn, and Faith stopped in her tracks.

"Why?"

"Because it's my birthday, and I had the best time of my life, and I had it with you, and I want the night to end with me being kissed."

"Dawn, I… I don't think I should," Faith hesitated.

"Is it because I'm a girl? You don't want to kiss a girl, or is it because I'm Buffy's sister? You already told me I was a babe, so it's not that." Dawn was not whining, she was calmly asking a question, and her eyes were firm on Faith's own.

"No, well, maybe a little 'cause you're Buffy's sister, I – I'm just a little confused is all." Faith's head was awhirl, how the hell had this happened? And what was the big deal, anyway? It was just a kiss, for crying out loud. Except maybe it wasn't, not this time. Dawn's expression gentled, and she seemed to know, she smiled.

"Just close your eyes," Dawn told her, and Faith felt her lids ghost down over her dark eyes, felt Dawn's soft warm hands slide into her hair, and then, so gently that it was almost imagined, a kiss wished itself upon her lips.

"I've waited this long," Dawn whispered, her breath warm on Faith's neck. "I can wait a while longer, I'm not a kid."