Once and Again 1. Chapter 1

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 1

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie and Katie become confused at the abrupt change in Jessie's strength.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either Once And Again or Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: This is an attempt of mine at a crossover with a show that became a quick favorite after I decided to give it a chance. According to a few websites, the series finale of Buffy took place slightly over a year after the series finale of O&A. For that reason, I'm having this take place a year after Chance of a Lifetime and immediately after Chosen. Katie will have just finished her senior year of high school when Jessie, who finished her junior year, becomes a slayer.

* * *

Last day of the school year, Upton Sinclair High School

Jessie and Katie head to Jessie's locker as they prepare for summer. They are trying to be happy, but the fear of what could happen next fall has begun to grow. They were so happy that Jessie was able to convince her dad to let her stay in Evanston while the rest of them went to Australia. However, Katie had been accepted to every college she applied to during the previous year. Katie had been offered a full scholarship by Oxford University. It was Katie's turn for a chance of a lifetime, but she didn't know what to do. Here was her chance to live in London, but it would mean only seeing Jessie during the holidays and summer vacations. Besides, Jessie had given up her chance when she decided against going to Australia. Katie felt that it would seem selfish to go somewhere so far away when Jessie hadn't done the same thing. Jessie would not allow her to pass this opportunity up. Unfortunately, everyone in their school had heard the news of Katie's acceptance and the offered scholarship. Tad wanted to be supportive for her, but he knew how it could affect Jessie and was torn on how to act around them. On the other hand, Sarah was more than happy to help increase the worry.

"I'm going to miss you so much next year, Katie."

"It will be ok, Billie. We still have the entire summer. I will come back home as often as I can, and when I can't, there's always the phone or e-mail."

"But what if you meet someone else over there? Someone more interesting and fun than I am."

"Sweetie, I will be too busy with classes and thoughts of you to even bother meeting someone else. Is that all that's bothering you?"

"Actually, no, I'm starting to feel a little weird. It might be an upset stomach, yet it doesn't feel like a normal stomach ache."

"What's it feel like?"

"It's like a tingling sensation all over."

"Maybe it's an upcoming ulcer, it does happen you know. Or maybe you just didn't eat enough at lunch," Sarah interrupted with an evil smirk.

"Oh god, Sarah. What the heck do you want now?"

"I wanted to congratulate you on your acceptance to Oxford and the scholarship they also offered. I'm glad to hear that you took it. It's a great opportunity, isn't it, Jessie?"

"Yeah, it is."

"So how do you feel about it?"

"Leave me alone, Sarah," Jessie stated as she tried to continue walking to her locker.

All three girls couldn't help but notice that everyone else had stopped to watch in anticipation at the soon to be catfight.

"No, I really want to know how you feel at the possibility that you will lose your girlfriend to another country?" the brunette asked as she stood in front of her enemy.

"I said leave me alone."

"Why? What are you going to do if I don't?"

"Back off, Sarah, she has a black belt in tae kwon do and could kick your ass."

"I doubt that your scrawny, blonde girlfriend could hurt anyone. The fact that she grew a few inches over the past summer is irrelevant," Sarah continued her taunt as she stood in front of Jessie for the second time.

"Get lost, Sarah," Jessie demanded as she attempted to push her enemy out of the way.

Nobody was expecting Sarah to be pushed too far away, so they were definitely stunned when Sarah hit her back on her own locker about a foot away and landed on her butt instead. Shouts of "Whoa." and "Damn." were heard throughout the crowd along with loud whistles and blatant stares.

"What the hell? How were you able to do that?"

Jessie could only stare back and forth between Sarah, Katie, and her outstretched arm before running to her locker.

"Billie, wait up."

The crowd felt this could get even more exciting, so they followed the blonde and her worried girlfriend. They patiently watched as Jessie began struggling with her locker door.

"Come on, you stupid door. Open up already."

"Are you ok, Billie? How were you able to do that?"

"I-I don't know, Katie. I really don't. Can we just get out of here, please?"

"Sure, you want some help with that?"

"No, I got it," the blonde assured her before giving the door handle an even harder pull.

Everyone, including Jessie, gasped as she ripped the door right off its hinges. This wasn't missed by the faculty and staff, who had also become curious of the noise coming from the hallway.

"Miss Sammler, my office, NOW!" the principal bellowed as he waited for her in front of the office door, "Miss Singer, you'll have to wait in the hall."

The shock didn't stop as they all watched Jessie gently lean the door up against the first locker to her right, grab her backpack, and enter the principal's office.

A few minutes later, the principal's office

"Miss Sammler, just because it's the last day of school or someone's bothering you, is no reason to ruin school property."

"I…I didn't mean to do it. Honestly, I didn't," Jessie explained as she began to shiver in her seat.

"What do you think we should do about this?"

"Well, I guess I could pay to have it fixed."

"That's a great idea. We'll discuss it with your mother after I give her a call."

"No, please don't. I'm really sorry, and I promise to pay to have it fixed."

"I'm sorry, too, but she will still have to be contacted. Wait here while I make the call."

"Ok."

On the other side of the door

"Katie, what happened to Jessie? How was she able to do that?"

"She doesn't know, Tad, and neither do I. I plan on finding out very soon. When I know, I'll give you a call."

"You better," Tad replied with a smile just as Sarah quickly walked by them with a look of fear written all over her face.

"At least one good thing came out of this mess."

"What's that, Katie?"

"I don't think anyone will be bothering us anymore."

"Yeah."

Meanwhile, by the edge of the crater formerly known as Sunnydale, California

"Looks like the Hellmouth is officially closed for business," Faith said as she walked over to join the rest of the team looking at the crater formerly known as Sunnydale.

"There's another one in Cleveland," Giles interrupted before turning to look at the young crowd beside him, "To spoil the moment."

"We saved the world," Xander exclaimed as he tried to take in what they had just escaped.

"We changed the world," Willow announced as she walked over to her best friend and placed a hand on her shoulder, making the blonde look over at her as she continued, "I can feel them, Buffy, all over. Slayers are awakening everywhere."

"We'll have to find them," Dawn stated as she looked down at the ground to her left.

"We will," Willow assured her.

"Yes, because the mall was actually in Sunnydale, so there's no hope of going there tomorrow," Giles informed them as he moved to stand closer to the blonde and the redhead.

"We destroyed the mall? I fought on the wrong side," Dawn joked.

"All those shops, gone: The Gap, Starbucks, Toys 'R' Us. Who will remember all those landmarks unless we tell the world of them?" Xander babbled to stay a part of the conversation.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us," Giles reminded them.

"Can I push him in?" Faith questioned the redhead.

"You've got my vote," Willow teased.

"I just want to sleep, yo. For like a week," Faith claimed while playfully punching him in the chest.

"I guess we all could if we wanted to," Dawn declared with a lot of confidence.

"Yeah, The First is scrunched so…What do you think we should do, Buffy?" Willow asked as she began to smile at what they had done.

"Yeah, you're not the one and only chosen anymore. Just got to live like a person. How's that feel?" Faith challenged as she stood behind Buffy.

"Yeah, Buffy, what are we going to do now?" Dawn muttered softly as she looked at her sister.

Their leader smiled briefly before getting back onto the bus with the rest of the group. The blonde was still smiling as they made their way to the nearest hospital to have their injuries checked out by doctors.

Back in Evanston, Illinois

"Is this the office of Karen Sammler?"

"Yes, it is. I'm Karen Sammler."

"Miss Sammler, this is the principal of Upton Sinclair High School. I need you to come to my office as soon as you can."

"Why? What's wrong? Is Jessie ok?" Karen inquired in a clearly worried tone.

"Yes and no."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's not hurt, but she has damaged school property. She claims it was an accident."

"I'll get there as soon as I can."

"Thank you, we'll see you soon."


	2. Chapter 2

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 2

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Karen learns about the change in her daughter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: Since I forgot to mention it in the author's notes for the first chapter, I'll mention here. I will try to use a fair amount of references to previous episodes of Buffy, whether it's just brief descriptions or actual dialogue. Some of it will be like the way it was used in the first chapter while other times it might be used in possible flashbacks.

* * *

Upton Sinclair High School

As Katie waited for Jessie and the imminent arrival of Karen Sammler, she and Tad rolled their eyes at the people who had been using their camera phones to take pictures of what used to be Jessie's locker.

"Can you believe that they're actually taking pictures of that?"

"Yes, I do."

"But, Katie, it was just a stupid locker."

"Well, Tad, you don't see something like that every day. I'd rather have a copy of the video anyway."

"Video? What makes you think someone caught it on video? It was unexpected and happened too quickly for that to have happened."

"Yes, they did," Katie answered as she pointed above to one of a handful of security cameras that had recently been installed in the hallways of Upton Sinclair, "They're going to need substantial proof if any legal action is going to be taken."

"Do you really think that could happen to her?"

"I don't think Billie, I mean Jessie, has anything to worry about. She'll probably just have to pay the cost of fixing the locker. I could be wrong though."

"Billie? Why did you call her Billie? Her name's Jessie."

"Yes, Tad, I know what her real name is. Billie is just a nickname I have for her. She can sing like Billie Holliday."

"Ok, she does sing pretty well."

"She's better than pretty well. She's outstanding. It's one of the things I love about her."

Twenty minutes later

Katie was sitting on a bench outside the office, with her eyes closed, when Karen walked through the door. Katie was shaken from her thoughts about what Jessie had done earlier as Karen began questioning her.

"What did Jessie do, Katie...Are you listening to me, Katie...Answer me, Katie."

"Uh, sorry. What was the question again?" she asked the slightly angry woman.

"What happened with Jessie? The principal said that Jessie damaged school property."

"Yeah, she did, but it was an accident."

"Fine, but what damage is there?"

Katie then slowly pointed to the locker behind Karen, who quickly turned around.

"Are you telling me that Jessie did that?"

"Exactly."

"That's impossible. She isn't strong enough to do something like that."

"She wasn't able to in the past. She can do it now though."

"I guess I'll talk to the principal now."

"That's cool. Do you mind if I wait for the two of you? I want to make sure Jessie is alright."

"It's ok with me. Will you need a ride home?"

"Yes, thank you. My car is in the shop."

"Did you get in an accident?"

"No, just the usual check up."

"We shouldn't be too long."

"Alright, I'll just wait here then."

The principal's office

"Uh, hi, Mom," Jessie greeted her as soon as her mother closed the door behind her.

"Don't hi me, Jessie. Tell me what happened. I was about to make an important call, so this better be important."

"Well, I…I sort of damaged a locker."

"Would that be the locker Katie pointed out to me before I came in here?"

"Katie? Katie's still here? What's she still doing here?"

"She told me she was worried about you. Her car is in the shop, so we're giving her a ride home after we leave."

"Ok," the blonde returned with a smile, which disappeared immediately at the stern look from Karen.

"Are you sure my daughter did this? She isn't strong enough to rip a door off like that. There has to be another reason. What happened before this?"

"It's all here on the video taken from one of the recently installed security cameras."

"It was caught on video?" both of them questioned in unison.

"Yes."

Karen and Jessie stared in amazement at what they saw next. Jessie just had to see it again. Then she'd know that it actually happened and wasn't a hallucination.

"This is where you daughter and Katie Singer were confronted by Sarah Grasser. As you can see, words were exchanged before your daughter pushed her away. Then she made her way to her locker where everyone there saw her tear off the door."

Karen gasped at seeing her daughter pushing Sarah away like that and was rendered speechless at the sight of Jessie ripping off the door. She then turned to her daughter, who was clearly scared at seeing that again

"So what are we going to do now?" Karen inquired to the man in front of her while still trying to grasp in her mind what she had just seen.

"Well, no legal action is going to be taken if that's what you mean. Since your daughter has never caused any problems before, we won't press charges, but she will have to pay the cost of fixing it."

After the adults discussed the cost of the repair, Jessie and Karen began to make their way to the door. However, the principal had a few words left for the two leaving his office.

"Wait a minute, Jessie."

"W-What is it?"

"I just wanted to say that I didn't mean to scare you earlier in the hall. I was shocked like the rest, but I had to remain stern in front of all of them."

"It's ok. You were just doing your job."

"Would it be possible for me to have a copy of that video?"

"Why do you ask, Miss Sammler?"

"My ex-husband won't believe it when we tell him, so the two of us would like to have some proof."

"You can have this copy. I can make another one."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, and one more thing, Jessie."

"Yeah?"

"Have a nice summer, and try to take it easy on the rest of the doors as you leave the building," the man let out with a chuckle.

"I will, I promise," Jessie returned with a giggle of her own.

As Karen closed the door, she and Jessie saw an amused Katie standing in front of them.

"Katie, you know you shouldn't be eavesdropping like that."

"I'm sorry, Miss Sammler. I was just worried about her."

"It's fine, Katie."

"Mom, a-are you really mad at me for interrupting you at work? After all, you still have to make that important call," Jessie mumbled as she stood behind her girlfriend in fear of what her mother would say.

"No, Jessie, I'm not mad at you. My day was going kind of slow. Anyway, I wouldn't be doing my job as a mother if I didn't appear the slightest bit angry."

About an a hour later, the closest hospital away from Sunnydale, California

A small group waited patiently in the half full waiting room for the news on how their team of fighters was holding up.

"How are you feeling, Buffy?"

"I'm fine, Dawn, how about you?"

"I'm good."

"What about the rest of you?"

"We're all five by five, B. Well, we don't know about Robin yet."

"I'm sure he'll make it, Faith."

"Thanks, Red."

At that moment, a doctor made her way over to Giles, Buffy, and Dawn. He quickly stood up and addressed the woman standing in front of them.

"Is everyone else ok, doctor?"

"Yes, and according to the news, you should all consider yourself very lucky."

"What do you mean?" the blonde muttered.

"I assume from that school bus outside, that you're from Sunnydale."

"Yeah, so?" she stated as their gang had caught the attention of everyone else in the room.

"You all should consider yourselves very lucky," the doctor repeated.

"Why?"

"Uh, B-Buffy, l-look," her sister stuttered as she pointed to the TV screen.

Everyone's eyes became focused on what was being shown on TV.

On the TV screen

"For those just tuning in, channel seven news is sorry to interrupt normally scheduled programming with breaking news. According to recent information, the town of Sunnydale has collapsed, and the only thing left in the aftermath is a huge crater. Nobody is exactly sure what happened. The following video was shot about an hour ago from a camera belonging to a group aboard a private plane that was making its way over Sunnydale at the time of the event. As you can see, the town literally just collapses into the ground as a school bus barely makes it out in time with what appears to be a blonde woman hanging on for her life on top. The woman and a small group of people are then seen standing near the edge briefly before heading south to somewhere unknown."

Everyone is left speechless as they watched the Scooby gang and slayers escape the destruction. At the sight of seeing the small blonde rushing across the roof tops and land on the top of the bus, the younger girl beside the blonde hugged her tightly before shedding a few tears.

"It's ok, Dawn. I'm alright."

"I know, Buffy. It's just that until I heard you land on top of the bus and then saw you jump off, I thought I lost you again."

"I didn't miss anything, did I?" a man replied as he made his way into the room.

"Robin, you're alright?" another brunette exclaimed as she ran over to him.

"Yes, I'm alright, Faith. Hey, easy, I don't heal as fast as you do."

"Sorry."

"It's five by five."

A groan is heard from their entire group as they slowly make their way outside, get on the bus, and take off again.


	3. Chapter 3

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 3

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie talks to the rest of her family about what happened to her.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's note: To go along with the pregnancy mentioned in Chance Of A Lifetime, I had Lily give birth to a son.

* * *

Evanston, Illinois; home of Karen Sammler, the kitchen

"Thanks for letting me come home with you and Jessie."

"It's no problem, but I do have to get back to work. Make sure she doesn't break anything else, Katie."

"You could at least wait until I leave the room, so I can't hear you," Jessie growled at her mother as she grabbed a glass from the cabinet, "What the…"

"What's wrong, Billie? Are you ok?" Katie questioned as she and Karen saw Jessie holding a broken glass in her hand along with a few drops of blood.

"I reached for this glass, and it just shattered in my hand. I barely touched it," Jessie explained as she reached for another one, which broke just as easily as the first.

"Are you sure you're ok, Jessie?"

"Yeah, see, no cuts on my hand."

Katie and Karen stood in front of her with puzzled looks on their faces.

"Then why did we see blood?"

"I don't know. This can't be normal, can it?" Jessie babbled as she became more confused and nervous.

"Maybe we should take you to see a doctor."

"I just need to relax. If I could get something to drink without the glass breaking in my hand, it would be good."

"Alright, Jessie, if you need anything, just let me know."

"When are you going to be back, Mom?"

"I should be home in less than two hours. When I get back, we should talk about what we're going to tell your dad when they get back tomorrow morning."

Shortly after Karen had walked out the front door, Jessie sighed and began shifting slightly in her chair.

"What's wrong, Billie?"

"Katie, I think something is really wrong with me. It's starting to freak me out."

"Billie, you're turning pale. What is it?"

"I'm sure I heard Mom ask herself what could be wrong with me, but the door is closed."

"Are you still thirsty?"

"No, I think I just want to go to my room and lie down."

"Uh, ok, do you want me to leave or come with you?"

"You can come up if you want to, but it's totally up to you."

"Then I'm coming with you."

Meanwhile, a hotel just outside Los Angeles, CA; a suite on the top floor

Buffy and her friends are hanging out in a room rented out by Buffy and Dawn. They order some food to be delivered to their room as they try to figure out what they are going to do next.

"So what are the plans now, G-man?"

"Quit calling me, G-man. As for what we should do next, we should probably start tracking down the awakening slayers sometime tomorrow morning."

"That sounds like a good idea, Giles. Do you know where we should start looking for them, Willow?"

"As I said before, Buffy, I can feel them all over."

"Well, maybe you could do a spell and find out where the strongest signal is coming from."

After the gang devoured the delivered food, they all watched the witch perform a locating spell. They waited anxiously as they saw her light some candles, mix some ingredients in a little bowl, and pour the mix onto the floor in front of her.

"What happens now, Will?"

"Be patient, Xander. We've seen her do this type of spell before. After chanting a few words, the name and location of the girl she's looking for will appear before her. Right, Willow?"

"That's correct, Dawn. It's sort of like the one I did to find the potential slayer in Sunnydale."

They all bowed their heads in respect to Amanda, who had lost her life in the fight against The First. Dawn was particularly upset at the memory of the girl who had quickly become a good friend to her. As they raised their heads, the name and location became clear to the redhead.

"So, who's the girl, and where is she?"

"Her name is Jessie Sammler, and she apparently lives in Evanston, Illinois."

"Isn't that near Chicago? We've never been to the Windy City before. Maybe we could do a little sight seeing."

"I don't know, Dawn. Giles said we have a lot of work to do."

"It would only take a day or two, Buffy."

"Alright, just a day or two."

They spent the rest of the day either relaxing by the indoor pool and whirlpool or in their hotel rooms.

The next day, the same hotel

"Just out of curiosity, Willow, why is the strongest signal coming from Jessie Sammler?"

"Well, we know becoming a slayer will be a shock to anyone."

"And?" Dawn interrupted with everyone nodding along with her.

"When I did the spell, I asked for it to show me the one most freaked out. It picked her."

"So, I guess we should buy some plane tickets then? Who wants to come with me and Dawn?" Buffy asked before looking around the room.

"Not me, B. I want to get some more sleep."

"Ok, anyone else?" she continued to the rest of them before turning to Willow, "Willow, I think it might be a good idea if you come too. In case we need more help convincing her, but we won't force it on her. If she says no, the other slayers may be willing join in the fight."

"If Willow's going, then so am I," Willow's girlfriend, Kennedy, stated.

After searching the web for flights, the redhead sighed.

"Is there a problem, Willow?"

"Yeah, all flights into Chicago for the rest of today are fully booked, but I think we should get there as fast as we can."

"Is it that serious?"

"Well, I guess it could wait until tomorrow, but better safe than sorry, right?"

"So what do we do, rent a private plane?"

"Hey, why can't she teleport us there?"

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Kennedy. Do you think you could handle that, Willow?"

"If I can handle awakening the potential slayers, I think I can handle a little teleportation."

"Be careful, girls."

"Sure thing, Giles."

The witch then performed the spell, and within a minute, they were gone.

Meanwhile; Evanston, Illinois; outside the Sammler/Manning home

Grace, Zoe, Eli, Rick, Lily, and the newest addition to the family, climbed out of the shuttle van to see Karen, Jessie, and Katie waiting for them.

"Hi, everyone. How was the trip back?"

"It was a little tiring. Jessie, would you like to hold your baby brother, Matthew, for the first time?"

"Uh, not at the moment."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"We need to tell you something. Make that more like show you something."

"Come inside, and give us a minute to get settled in before you tell or show us."

After they had taken the luggage to their rooms and grabbed something to drink, they joined the other three in the family room.

"So, what's so important, sweetie?" Rick inquired from his nervous daughter.

"Well, I kind of had a problem on the last day of school."

"What kind of trouble could you get into on the last day?" Grace responded with a small amount of sarcasm.

"I damaged a locker."

This got the full attention of everyone else in the room.

"How much damage?"

"I ripped the door off its hinges."

"Whoa," her siblings said together while Lily stared in shock at what she had just heard.

"Jessie, why would you do that?"

"It was an accident, Dad."

"How could something like that be an accident?"

"I don't know, but it is. A school security camera caught everything. We have a copy if you want to see it."

"I definitely want to see this," Eli commented enthusiastically.

"So do I," her sisters chimed in simultaneously.

Jessie put the DVD into the player and hit the play button as Karen and Katie both sat down in the chairs beside her while the rest were sitting on the couch. Jessie began biting her nails as the rest of them watched the blonde push Sarah into the locker and rip the door off of her own. All eyes were on her as they began asking her questions.

"What happens now?"

"How much is it going to cost to fix the locker?"

"What did Sarah say to you?"

"This is all a practical joke, right?"

Jessie sighed before answering them, "I offered to pay the cost, I'm not sure how much it's going to be yet, Sarah was bothering me by asking what I thought about possibly losing Katie to England, and this is no joke. It's real."

"Anything else we should know?"

"Yes," Katie confirmed, "She broke two glasses at Karen's by just grabbing them. There was some blood, yet we didn't see any cuts. She also felt something else. Right, Jessie?"

"Uh, yeah," Jesse mumbled before turning to her mom, "Did you ask yourself, 'What's wrong with my daughter?'"

"Yes, I did. Why do you ask?"

"Because I heard you."

"How? The door was closed."

"I don't know. Somehow, I still heard you."

"This is starting to get really weird," Zoe butted in.

"I th-think I will see if there's any mail," the blonde quickly announced, so she could get away from their stares.

As Jessie closed the door behind her and began walking down the steps to the mailbox, she was stopped by the sudden appearance of a short blonde, a younger brunette, a redhead, and another brunette, who seemed to have a tight grip on one of the redhead's hands.

"NOOO!" Jessie screamed before she dashed back into the house, slammed the door, and rapidly locked it.

"Willow, I thought you didn't sense anyone outside?"

"I didn't, Buffy. She must have just opened the door."

"Well, if she was freaked before, I can just imagine her emotional state now," the younger brunette let out through a smirk.

"Well, comments like that aren't helping us either."

"Sorry, Willow."

"It's ok, Dawn. So, who gets the honor of ringing the doorbell?"

"I think it should be either you or Willow."

"I don't know, Dawn," Buffy replied as she turned to her best friend, "You want to go first, Willow?"

"Not really, Buffy."

"So then how do we settle this? How about rock, paper, scissors?"

The other three giggled and snickered at the blonde, but her friend agreed after she thought about it for a moment.

"Ok, Buffy."

"No using magic to help yourself win."

"Really, Buffy, do you think I would do something like that?"

"I would," her girlfriend affirmed.

"One, two, three, go," Buffy ordered before choosing scissors.

"Rock beats scissors."

"Best out of three?"

"Fine."

"One, two, three, go," the blonde repeated as she picked rock.

"Paper beats rock."

"I guess that means you lead the way again," Kennedy asserted with a huge smirk.

"Yeah."

"What are you going to say to them?"

"How about, 'Hi, I'm Buffy, a vampire slayer. How are you? My friends and I are here to tell you that you're a slayer as well. Want to help us kill some demons and vampires?'"

"Very funny, boss."

"Kennedy, just keep your opinions to yourself."

On the other side of the door

At the sound of hearing the door slam, everyone else rushed to see what was wrong. They found Jessie leaning up against the door with her forehead covered in sweat and gasping for breath.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Rick voiced toward his scared daughter

"Billie, you need to tell us what's wrong."

"I…I was going to get the mail like I said I was going to and…"

"And what?" Grace cut in.

"Four girls showed up out of nowhere."

"People just don't show up out of nowhere, Jessie. Due to what we just saw, it's understandable to imagine that."

"I wasn't imagining it, it happened. They're probably still outside. See for yourself," she declared before standing behind Rick.

As soon as she said that, Katie took a glance out of one of the windows by the door while Grace looked out the other.

"Billie's right. There are four girls out there."

"What are they doing, Grace?" Lily grilled her very curious daughter.

"It looks like they're trying to decide something."

"Probably who gets to attack me first."

"Billie, they're probably just trying to decide who's going to be the one to talk to you or us first."

"Katie's right, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mom."

"So how are they deciding?"

"It's looks like they're playing rock, paper, scissors, Eli."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Grace answered as Katie began laughing at what she was seeing, which was soon followed by the rest of them.

"Well, if they're doing that, then I guess I shouldn't be too worried."

"Here they come, Billie. Do you want to be the one to answer the door?"

"Can you answer it, Dad?" Jessie pleaded as she grabbed Katie's hand and pulled her closer to her.

"Sure."


	4. Chapter 4

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 4

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie and her family are visited by a few members of the Scooby gang. How will they react when a certain redhead and blonde try to explain what's happening to her?

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's note: The italicized words in this chapter represent the telepathic conversation Willow has with Buffy and Jessie.

* * *

A minute later

At the sound of the first ring, Rick calmly opened the door while Jessie hid behind him. As much as she tried, she couldn't stop herself from peeking around him

"Can I help you?"

_It's her, Buffy_.

"Yes, if you don't mind me asking, does Jessie Sammler live here?" _Are you sure?_

_I'm positive._

"Yes, she does. I'm Jessie's dad, Rick Sammler."

"Hello, I'm Buffy Summers. Can we speak to her, I mean all of you, for a little bit?"

"I guess that would be ok. Come on in."

The family watched Buffy enter as she was followed by a younger brunette, a redhead, and another brunette. Lily led them to the family room as Rick grabbed some chairs from the dining room for their visitors to sit on. Then he, Lily, Grace, and Zoe sat on the couch while the three other girls went back to their original seats. Eli decided to stand beside Karen. The four newcomers sat down slowly and remained silent as they were introduced to the rest of the family.

"This is my wife, Lily; my stepdaughters, Grace and Zoe Manning; my son, Eli; my ex-wife, Karen; my daughter, Jessie; and her girlfriend, Katie Singer."

"Nice to meet you," Buffy, Dawn, and Willow responded together as Kennedy started staring back and forth between Jessie and Katie.

"Kennedy."

"Oh, sorry. It's nice to meet you," she chimed in.

"It's nice to meet you too," everyone, except Jessie and Katie, agreed.

Jessie became uneasy at Kennedy's stare while Katie was becoming annoyed.

"I guess it's my turn for the introductions. As I said a few moments ago, my name is Buffy Summers. This is my sister, Dawn; my best friend, Willow Rosenberg; and her girlfriend, Kennedy."

"So, what brings you to Evanston, Illinois?" Katie questioned as they all could feel the tension level start to rise abruptly.

"Uh, I'm not sure what's the best way to handle this, so I'll just come out and ask. By any chance, have you suddenly gained strength and can't understand why, Jessie?"

"Uh, yeah, I have. Is that why you're here? To explain what's going on?"

"Precisely."

"So what's going on with our daughter?"

"Mom, I can handle this. So what is happening?"

"Well, I know it might be hard to believe, but you've become a slayer like me and Kennedy."

"A slayer? What's that supposed to mean?"

"A vampire slayer. The strength you now have gives you the ability to slay vampires and demons."

"What about them?" Jessie wondered as she pointed to Willow and Dawn.

_You can tell them I'm a witch, Buffy, but you better lie to them about Dawn. We don't want them totally freaked out._

"Willow's a witch, and Dawn is just my sister."

"Are you trying to get us to believe that my little sister has been chosen to fight the undead and demons? Not to mention your friend over there being an actual witch?"

All four girls smirked at hearing the word "chosen".

"Yes, Eli," Dawn assured him as they all could see that he was about ready to start flirting with her sister, "And by the way, don't try to start flirting with Buffy. She's not interested. She prefers older men, don't you, Buffy?"

Buffy rolled her eyes as Willow giggled.

"Sorry, a little inside joke between us," Willow announced.

"Alright."

"Eli's right. We want some proof," Zoe finally spoke up as she looked directly at Buffy.

"Ok, we'll show you."

"How?"

"Buffy will lift Karen up while she sits in that chair, Jessie will do the same to Katie, and I will use my magic to raise the couch with the four of you on it."

"But I can't do that, Willow."

"Yes, you can, Jessie. Just give it a try."

Katie, Jessie, and her family were astounded when the three girls did exactly that. This turned into fear in the minds of Karen, Lily, and Zoe.

"Is there, uh, anything else we should know about the change or changes in Jessie?"

"Yes, Karen, there is. Her hearing and appetite for food will also change," Buffy informed them.

"How much will her appetite grow?"

"Well, we can't be exactly sure on how much, but after a slaying it will at least double."

Buffy and the rest of her group became puzzled as everyone, besides Jessie, gave them a huge smile while the other blonde just rolled her eyes.

"She will also be able to sense when vampires are nearby."

"I can communicate telepathically with Buffy, Kennedy, and Jessie."

"Yeah, right."

"I'll prove it, Grace."

_Jessie, if you can hear me, nod your head and pick Katie up once more. When you set her down, tell them that you need to talk to us alone briefly. Buffy isn't telling them everything, and I can sense that you want to tell us something too. You'll want to bring Katie with you. It concerns her as well. _

They all watched as Jessie stood and picked Katie up again. As she set her down, she planted a kiss on Katie's cheek. Then she turned to her family.

"I need to talk to Buffy and Willow in private. We'll be back soon. Come with us, Katie."

"Uh, ok."

A few minutes later, Jessie's bedroom

"Why did Jessie bring us up here, Willow?"

"I think you need to tell Jessie about what you didn't mention downstairs."

"What would that be?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about," Willow mentioned with an arched eyebrow as she glanced over to her girlfriend, who knew exactly what Willow was talking about.

"Willow, I don't think we should tell them that."

Willow just continued with the arched eyebrow.

"Alright, fine. Even though the second never really happened to me, your appetite for food isn't the only hunger that will grow. Our friend, Faith, said it happens to her after a slaying. She calls it a case of the double h's."

"I can also confirm that," Kennedy admitted as she looked at her girlfriend, which got the redhead to blush a bright red.

"What are you talking about? Oh, that," Jessie commented as she realized why the smile appeared on Katie's face.

"Is there anything you want to tell us, Jessie?"

"Like what?"

"Like why you rolled your eyes as the mention of food while your family gave big smiles."

"Well, I kind of have a problem with anorexia. I'm seeing a doctor about it."

"You mean a shrink?"

"Yes, Dawn, a shrink."

"Sorry, I won't bring it up again. I'll let you in on a secret if it helps you at all."

"It might."

"Ok, well, there's another thing we didn't mention downstairs. I'm not completely human."

"Really? How?"

"I used to be a ball of energy known simply as "The Key", but some monks used some of Buffy's DNA to turn me into a sister."

"WOW! I bet that has caused a few problems."

This made Dawn, Buffy, and Willow frown briefly.

"I guess that's something you don't want to talk about."

"We'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else."

"We promise," Jessie and Katie agreed.

"We discovered that a hell goddess could have used my blood to help herself return to her own dimension."

"So what happened?"

"Well, she captured me, had one of her followers cut me, and I bled a little."

"But you're still here, so you obviously stopped her. How did you do it?"

Kennedy watched silently as the other three described the whole Glory situation. At the mention of Tara, Willow became misty-eyed while Dawn comforted her. After they were finished, they all headed back downstairs.

"So, did you have a nice talk up there?" Lily prodded with a slight smile.

"Yes, we did. Now we should finish talking with you. Anything else you want to know?"

"Yes," Karen, Rick, and Lily asserted at the same time.

"Ok, fire away."

"How did this happen?" Rick began as all eyes focused on Buffy and Willow.

"I performed a spell that made it possible for Buffy to share her power with all the potentials, so that they could help in defeating The First. It awakened hundreds, possibly thousands of potential slayers."

"The First?" Jessie's parents asked at the same time again.

"Yeah, a great evil that could have destroyed the world. Many of them died in the fight."

"So witchcraft is the reason? You're the one responsible for putting Jessie in danger?" Karen growled.

"Yes, but it won't be for her like it was for Buffy and Faith," Willow tried to convince them.

"You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Hey, not to be rude, but if it wasn't for my girlfriend, you could have been dead soon."

"Yeah, Mom, you should ease up a little."

"What do you mean it will be different for her?"

"When I was chosen, I didn't have hundreds of slayers watching my back. It was originally supposed to be one girl for every generation."

"If it's supposed to be one girl, then what's the explanation for the potentials, I mean former potentials?" Lily inquired as confusion spread throughout their family.

Buffy sighed loudly before speaking again.

"When a slayer died, a potential would become the next slayer."

"Died? Do slayers die a lot?" Jessie replied as a small amount of fear appeared on her face.

"Unfortunately, yes. Most slayers in the past didn't live past the age of eighteen or nineteen. I…"

"You what?" Katie interrupted.

"I died twice."

"If you died twice already, how are you here now?"

"My friends brought me back. Xander used CPR the first time. Willow used magic the second time."

"How did that feel?" Karen quizzed the blonde, not realizing until she was finished how she herself sounded like a psychologist.

"I'd rather not talk about that."

"So you're saying that if Jessie was to die, that she could be brought back?"

"Katie."

"I want to know, Billie. I think we all want to know, right?"

Jessie and Katie glanced briefly at Jessie's family, who all nodded yes, as they waited for Buffy's answer. Buffy debated on how to respond until she saw all of the nods.

"Yes, but you should be careful. It's dangerous."

"Why?"

At that question, Dawn began to sob and buried her face in her hands. As she felt Buffy put her hand on her shoulder, she stood up, raced to the front door, opened it, and closed it behind her almost as loud as Jessie had done earlier.

"Uh, excuse me for a few minutes."

"Take all the time you need," Rick told her as almost everyone looked on in concern for Dawn

"Thanks."

After Buffy left the room, the next question was directed to the redhead.

"Is she going to be alright?"

_I shouldn't be asking this, Jessie, but could you smack him upside the head for me._

_Ok_.

"OW, what did you do that for, Jessie?" Eli whined as Katie, Grace, and Willow smiled.

"Duh, it was a stupid question to ask, Eli. Sorry about that, Willow." _You've got to love that slayer strength._

"It's ok. It was just really traumatic for Dawn." _Yeah, we do_.


	5. Chapter 5

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 5

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie, Katie, and the Scooby gang learn a little bit more about each other.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's note: The italicized words in this chapter represent the telepathic conversation Willow has with Kennedy. Since I didn't care too much for Kennedy, I'm going to have her be the reason for future problems between her and Willow. This might lead to a few different pairings between Willow and other females.

* * *

Outside the Sammler/Manning home

As soon as Buffy closed the door, she scanned the street and yelled out to Dawn, unaware that the other girl was only about two feet away.

"DAWN, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"You don't have to shout, Buffy. I'm right here."

Buffy looked down to see that Dawn was still sobbing while sitting at the end of the bottom step.

"Dawn, I'm sorry I yelled, but you just can't go running off like that."

"I'm sorry too. I just couldn't handle that question right now."

"Why not?"

"Do you really even have to ask that? You didn't want to come back, remember?"

"I thought we settled this back in Sunnydale."

"I know. It still hurts sometimes."

Buffy joined her sister and held her while the teenager continued to sob. They didn't notice that almost everyone inside was watching from the nearby windows. Willow and Kennedy remained in their seats as Willow was able to see in her mind what the rest of the people were watching. Willow shed a few tears as well while Kennedy comforted her.

_Why are you smiling now, Willow? You were crying just a minute ago._

_Because I can feel Jessie and Karen's hearts ache for Dawnie._

_And that's a good thing?_

_It's nice to know that complete strangers can feel that way for Dawnie so fast_.

After a few minutes, Dawn felt she was ready to go back inside. At the sight of Dawn and Buffy standing up, the family ran back to their seats.

"Sorry about making a scene, especially slamming the door."

"It's alright, Dawn. It's not the first time that door was slammed that hard, and we're sure it won't be the last either," Lily exclaimed as she and Rick looked at their kids, who just rolled their eyes back at them.

"What did your parents think when you told them about everything?" Eli muttered as he tried not to stare at the beautiful blonde.

"Uh, our parents divorced when I was younger, and Mom died a few years ago. But our mom knew and grew to accept it," Dawn revealed as she held in the urge to roll her eyes at him.

"I'm sorry, Dawn. If you or Buffy ever want to talk to someone else about it, other than yourselves or Willow, you can talk to us," Lily suggested.

"Thanks."

"Mine have never been a big part of my life," Willow said without a sign of sorrow.

"Well, you can always talk to me about that, Willow."

"Thanks, Katie."

"So what happens now, Buffy?" Karen asked as the family began to calm down in acceptance of Jessie becoming a slayer.

"Since there could be hundreds, possibly thousands of slayers, her joining the fight is voluntary. Giles will probably set up an office and hire some former colleagues to join the Watchers' Council. Then we would set up a school to train the girls."

"Watchers?" Grace interrupted this time.

"Yeah, there sort of like mentors to slayers."

"Where would this office and school be?" Karen questioned as thoughts of how much they would miss Jessie got stuck in her head.

"I'm guessing possibly either London or Cleveland. Then after enough training, we would send them out to fight when and wherever needed," Willow assumed as her best friend nodded in agreement.

"London, r-really?" Katie inquired as she was almost bouncing in her seat and glanced lovingly at Jessie, who began to blush as much as Willow had done upstairs.

"I take it that's good news to you two. Do you mind telling us why?" Buffy encouraged before laughing.

"Because London is about 60 miles away from Oxford University. I'm going there this fall. I plan on renting a loft there if I can."

"What about Jessie's education? She still has a year of high school."

"We'll most likely hire a few teachers for ones Jessie's age and possibly younger," Willow answered as she looked over to Karen.

"How long before we have to let you know our decision?" Rick quizzed after sharing a look with Karen, Lily, and Jessie.

"Take a few months if you want," Buffy advised, "We should know by then if we really need your help."

"That sounds like enough time. So do you have to get back to wherever you came from, or can you stay a little while?" the younger blonde challenged with a look of encouragement directed to Buffy, Dawn, and Willow.

"Well, we were going to rent a couple of hotel rooms for the night. Dawn wanted to see some of the sights here before we leave. We'll probably leave late tomorrow."

"Good, you can come to my graduation, and Jessie and I can show you around the Windy City if you like," Katie chuckled as what Tad's reaction to their new friends could be popped into her head.

"Thanks. That would be great. We need to get checked into a few rooms and let Giles know the situation. Here's my cell phone number."

"How about if Katie and I come with you? It shouldn't take too long to find a few hotel rooms; plus I would like to know what it feels like to travel the way you did to get here."

"I don't know about that, Jessie."

"Please, Buffy?"

"What do you think, Willow?"

"Well, she has already seen us use magic, so I don't think it would be a problem."

"Thanks, Willow. I need to grab a few things from my room first."

"Ok, we'll just wait for you down here."

"Hey, Buffy, can I ask you one more thing before you go?"

"Yes, Grace?"

"Since those were some pretty amazing things you told us, did you ever think that your story could be made into a movie, TV show, or even a comic book?"

"No, I don't think so. No one would buy that idea anyway. We'll talk to the rest of you again later."

When Jessie returned, she, Katie, and their visitors said their goodbyes to Jessie's family. Her family gulped and gasped as the six girls vanished right in front of them. Rick and Eli then caught Karen and Lily as the women fainted.

"D-Do you think Jessie and Katie will be ok, Grace?"

"I hope so, Zoe."

A few minutes later, a Marriott hotel lobby

This time, Willow made absolutely sure that their arrival wasn't seen by anyone.

"WOW, Willow, you rock. That was awesome, wasn't it, Katie?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Something wrong, Katie?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Willow. It just felt a little weird traveling that way."

"Yeah, it does. Who knows, maybe all of us will get used to it someday."

"You mean we'll get do that again?" Jessie gasped as her eyes filled with hope at the thought of that.

"Possibly. Right, Willow?"

"I know we will, Buffy, but I'm not sure about Jessie and Katie."

"Really, are you sure?"

Katie smiled as Jessie used the puppy dog look on the redhead, who caved at the sight of the pout on Jessie's lips.

"Did she have to do that? I can't resist a look like that," Willow complained as Jessie smiled victoriously.

"Don't feel too bad, Willow, she uses that on me a lot. I cave every time," Katie giggled as she patted Willow on her shoulder.

"I think we'll get along just great, Jessie. Stuff like that works on Buffy all of time."

"Good to know, Dawn."

"It doesn't work all of the time, Dawn."

"Yeah, right."

"It doesn't."

Dawn displayed the puppy dog eyes and pouted lips as everyone waited to see if she would be right. Less than a minute later, Buffy gave up the fight to stay unaffected.

"Ok, fine, you win, Dawn."

"I never had a doubt," Dawn gloated as she gave high-fives to both Jessie and Katie.

"Can I help you, ladies?"

"Yes, we need a few rooms."

"Any preferences?"

"My sister and I would prefer a suite. What about you and Kennedy, Willow?"

"We would like a room with a queen size bed."

"How long is your stay going to be?"

"Just overnight."

"Ok, here are your room keys. Enjoy your stay at the Marriot."

As Buffy and Willow handed over their credit cards, the girls looked around the lobby. Since Willow had her back to her, Kennedy took the opportunity to stare at Jessie and Katie. She managed to get away with this for the first few minutes but was caught by Dawn when the younger girl turned around to ask Buffy something.

"Hey, Buffy, can you see what…"

This caught Jessie and Katie's attention. They looked from an angry Dawn to a guilty looking Kennedy.

"Can I what, Dawn?"

"Umm, never mind, Buffy."

"Alright."

It had taken only one glance at the older brunette to know what she had been doing. This angered Jessie and Katie as well, yet they remained calm. They didn't want to cause a scene, so they whispered back and forth with Dawn on what to do.

"That girl is just making it easier for me to dislike her."

"What else has she done, Dawn?"

"Back in Sunnydale, I caught her staring at some other girls before I knew she had made her move on Willow."

"Who else did she stare at like that?"

"Well, as best as I can remember, there was Vi, Rona, Faith, and Buffy. I think I even caught her staring at me once."

"That's just wrong. Have you ever told any of them?"

"No."

"Why not? I thought Willow is your friend?"

"She is," Dawn stated as she felt her anger rise at what her new friends were insinuating.

"Then why don't you tell her and Buffy?"

"Because it could break Willow's heart, and I don't want to see that happen again. It was hard enough for her after she lost Tara. We almost lost her completely after that. Personally, I think Kennedy's just a rebound," Dawn finished as tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

"You really liked Tara, huh?"

"Y-Yes, she was like a second mom to me. I really felt that after Buffy d-died the second time. It broke my heart when I found her lying dead on her and Willow's bedroom floor. They moved in to help Buffy take care of me."

"You found her d-dead?" Katie stuttered as she handed Dawn a tissue.

"Yes."

As Dawn wiped away the tears, they were interrupted by the other three girls.

"Are you ok, Dawn?"

"Yes, Willow."

"Then what's with the tears?"

"I think I just got something in my eye, but it's gone now."

"What were the three of you talking about?"

"Nothing important, Buffy."

"Really?"

"Yes," her sister insisted as Jessie and Katie nodded along in the lie.

"Ok. Let's go put our bags upstairs, so our new friends can show us around the city."

"Alright."

Dawn, Jessie, Katie, and Buffy followed Willow and Kennedy into the elevator. During the ride up, the three youngest girls threw short glares at Kennedy. Although they thought they went unnoticed by Buffy and Willow, they would soon find out that they were wrong.

Meanwhile, The Sammler/Manning home

The family discussed their opinions on everything they had seen and heard from their mysterious visitors.

"So are you going to let Jessie go with them to London, Cleveland, or wherever they might end up?"

"That's what your father and I are going to talk about while Jessie and Katie are hanging out with them, Eli."

"What do you think about this, Karen?"

"Honestly, I don't like the idea of my ONLY daughter risking her life when there may be so many others who could do it instead," Karen stated as the fear returned.

"But, Mom, you heard Buffy. She will probably have plenty of people looking out for her. Besides, Katie will watch out for her as well."

The family rolled their eyes at Eli as they could clearly see that thoughts about Buffy were entering his mind.

"That's what worries me. The two of them together, thousands of miles away in another country, and with little supervision."

"I thought you liked Katie. Don't you trust her with Jessie?"

"Yes, I do, Rick. However, with us so far away they might be tempted to do something they shouldn't be doing yet."

"Oh, please, you're not going to bring up the topic of sex are you?"

"Karen does have a good point there, Rick," Lily admitted.

"Is this the beginning of the apocalypse? We don't hear you two agree too often," Grace butted in.

"They've been going out for about a year. They probably have already done that."

"ELI, not now. Your mom and I still have to think about it some more before we can come to a mutual decision."

"What if Buffy and Willow are lying, and this is just a trick to get her to join some cult in disguise?"

"Zoe, I don't think it's a good idea to say something like that. You're just going to give us more reasons to not let her do it," Lily explained.

"I think we should let her try it for awhile. It's not like something like this happens every day."

"You just want her gone, Grace. I thought you two were getting along?"

"We are getting along now, Zoe. I was the first one she confided to about her true feelings for Katie. I just want to continue to support her."

"It is a wonderful opportunity. I think she should take it. I wish we could have convinced her to come with us to Australia a year ago."

"See, that's the point I'm trying to make, Eli. If Katie was able to convince her to pass up a trip like that, who knows what else she could get Jessie to do."

"You know that's not true, Karen. Katie didn't force her to stay. We were all there when she told Jessie that she should go, and that she'd be waiting for her here."

"That's easy for you to say, Lily, you have two daughters."

"Now, wait a minute, Karen. No need to be that way. It is a wonderful opportunity."

"What way is that, Rick, like a concerned parent?"

"Are you saying I'm not concerned about her safety?" When Karen didn't respond, Rick continued, "You are, aren't you?"

"I'm not the one who thinks it's a good idea to send her off to what could be an early death."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Mom. You saw how she reacted since she became a slayer. She might not want to do it. Let's see what she has to say before you, Dad, and Lily make up your minds."

"I can't talk anymore about this right now. I'll talk to you later," Karen mumbled as she walked out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 6

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn is confronted by Buffy on her feelings toward Kennedy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: Just like in the previous chapters, the italicized words are telepathic conversations between Willow and the slayers. Kennedy will continue to get on the nerves of some people throughout this story.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Buffy and Dawn's hotel room

After stopping at Willow and Kennedy's room so the couple could drop off their luggage, they all headed to Buffy and Dawn's room. As Buffy and Willow decided on what to do next, Dawn, Jessie, and Katie checked out the rest of the room and the view from the window.

"What should we do first, Buffy?"

"We should probably should call Giles and let him know how things are going so far. We also need to find out if anything's been done about the destruction of Sunnydale being caught on video."

"Hey, Buffy, you and Willow should check out the view over here," Dawn suggested as she totally avoided Kennedy.

"Just a second, Dawn."

_Buffy?_

_Yes, Willow?_

_Is there something wrong with Dawn?_

_Why do you ask?_

_Because she doesn't seem to like Kennedy. _

_What makes you think that?_

_She just totally ignored her when she told us we should check out the view from the window._

_Well, Kennedy admitted to you that she can sometimes be a brat._

_Do you think she's still upset that it's not Tara I'm with now?_

_Possibly._

_What should I do? I really want them to get along._

_Give her some more time. I think she just wants you to be careful about jumping into another relationship so soon._

_Alright. _

"Hey, are you coming over here or not?"

Buffy and Willow walked over to the window as Kennedy slowly followed them. Everyone in the room could feel the growing tension but tried to ignore it.

"What are we looking at, Dawn?" her sister inquired before they looked over to Jessie and Katie.

"That's Millennium Park, and beyond that is Lake Michigan," Jessie informed them.

"What's there to do in the Windy City, you two?"

"Well, there are museums, the lakefront, the Navy Pier, zoos, an aquarium, the Sears Tower, the John Hancock Observatory, and a few boat tours."

"Sounds a little boring to me," Kennedy stated with a smirk.

"Kennedy, don't be rude," Willow advised.

"Yeah, Kennedy," Dawn joined in.

"Well, if you're into sports, we have a handful of teams. Depending on which sport you prefer. There are the Bulls, the Cubs, the White Sox, the Bears, or the Blackhawks."

"Does it look like I'm into sports?"

"If you're going to be that way, Kennedy, why don't you just stay in your room? I didn't want you to come with us anyway," Dawn confessed with a huge sneer.

_Jessie?_

_Yes, Willow?_

_Don't let the rest of them know I'm talking to you right now._

_Why not?_

_Because I want to ask you a question in private._

_Ok._

_Do you know why Dawn is so hostile to Kennedy right now?_

_I'm not sure, but isn't that something you should be asking her?_

_I will. I just wanted to get an opinion from a neutral third party._

_I'm not sure how neutral I or Katie can be._

_Why, you don't like my girlfriend either?_

_Do you want the truth?_

_Of course._

_Then I'm sorry, but we don't._

Willow then glanced over at Katie, who simply arched her eyebrow as she wondered why the redhead was looking at her like that.

_Why?_

_Because we didn't like the looks she was giving us back at my house and downstairs in the lobby._

_And what type of look was that?_

_She was leering at us. It made me uncomfortable and annoyed Katie._

_Are you sure? Maybe you're wrong._

_Maybe, but I don't think so._

"Jessie and Katie, can you excuse us for a few minutes? I need to talk to Dawn privately."

"Sure, Buffy," they announced together.

Buffy grabbed Dawn lightly by the hand as she headed to one of the bedrooms. When they heard the door close, the rest wondered what to do to break the cold silence that still remained in the room.

On the other side of the bedroom door

"Why did you bring me in here, Buffy? Don't we have to call Giles before we go sight seeing with Jessie and Katie?"

"Yes, but I want to know what's going on with you and Kennedy?"

"What do you mean?"

"You obviously don't like her. We can all see it."

"You're right, I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because she's a bitch."

"Aren't you being a little rough on her?"

"No, I'm not. She's not a nice person. She didn't wait long at all before she made her move on Willow. Before that, I caught her staring at a few people other than Willow. I don't like her being with Willow. She's still vulnerable to that type of attention. I want to tell her, but I also don't want to hurt her. I couldn't stand it if we lost her again."

"Who else did she look at that way before Willow? Besides, don't you think you should be careful what you say?"

"Why?"

"Because with her slayer hearing, Kennedy can probably hear what we're saying right now."

"Well, if she can, then Jessie probably can as well," Dawn said as a smirk grew on her face, "Oh, the other girls she looked at were Vi, Rona, Faith, you, and me. I also caught her staring at Jessie and Katie. I don't want Kennedy to scare them away before I can become friends with them."

Dawn remained calm as Buffy tried to comprehend everything her sister was telling her. She became interested at how Buffy seemed to react to hearing her mention Faith's name. "Is there something going on between you and Faith that the rest of us don't know about?"

"No, what makes you say that?"

"You always seem to become distracted whenever she's around or is brought up in conversation. Some might even call it sexual tension."

"You're crazy. You said it yourself. I prefer older guys."

"That doesn't mean that you can't be curious to what it would be like to be with another woman."

"Can we please talk about this another time? The rest of them are waiting for us."

"Ok."

Meanwhile

The tension was starting to ease up as Katie and Willow looked at their girlfriends, who were displaying different emotions. Jessie was smiling tremendously while Kennedy was showing nothing but contempt and disdain as she looked back and forth between the closed door and the couple in front of her.

"What are you smiling about, Jessie?"

"I'll tell you later."

"You promise?"

"You can definitely count on it."

_What's the matter, sweetie?_

_Nothing._

_Are you sure?_

_Yes._

_I don't believe you. Talk to me._

_It's not me you should be talking to._

_Then who, sweetie?_

_Dawn._

_Why Dawn?_

_Because she hates me._

_She may not like you, but I don't think she hates you._

_Yes, she does. Ask her yourself._

_Jessie?_

_Yes, Willow?_

_Can you hear what's going on in there?_

_Yes, I can. Can't you?_

_I could if I wanted to._

_What does that mean?_

_I mean that they went into the other room so they could speak in private. I respect that._

_Are you saying I don't?_

_No, that's not it all._

_Then what are you saying?_

_I'm saying that you're still getting used to your new powers and might be doing something that you wouldn't normally do. Am I right?_

_Yeah, I'm sorry. _

_It's ok. Just try not to make it a habit. Is Kennedy right though?_

_About what?_

_That I should have a talk with Dawn?_

_It might be a good idea._

Jessie's smile started to turn into a frown as she noticed that Kennedy was still shooting her and Katie evil glares before going back into a smile so it wouldn't get Katie's attention. It was at that moment, that Jessie saw that Katie's attention was focused on the view outside, not her. Therefore, she didn't have anything to worry about yet. When Buffy and Dawn returned to the main room, they could tell from Kennedy and Jessie's reactions that the slayers had heard everything. Buffy let out a sigh as she reached for the phone to call Giles. Dawn glanced at Kennedy and smiled at Jessie as she sat down beside her sister on the couch. This got Katie's attention and intrigued her even more on what Jessie would be telling her later.

"Hello, Giles."

"Hello, Buffy, how are things going over there in Evanston? Were you able to find the girl easily?"

"Yes, she and her family are a little freaked out. I guess that's to be expected, considering how we met her."

"Did something happen already?"

"Well, uh, Jessie saw Willow teleport us here."

"Oh, lord. Shall I even ask how the poor girl took it?"

"Like I said, it freaked her out, but we explained almost everything. So all we need to know is if she's willing to join in on the fight."

"She hasn't given you an answer yet?"

"Giles, she just found out about it around an hour ago. We told her that since Willow could feel hundreds of slayers awakening, she could take some time to think about it. It would only be voluntary."

"Did she say how long she'd need to think about it?"

"I gave her a few months, but I don't think it will take that long," Buffy explained as she noticed Jessie listening closely to the phone call, "Do you need something, Jessie? Would you like to talk to Giles about being a slayer?"

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to him."

"Giles, I'm going to hand the phone over to Jessie so you can say whatever you feel like saying to her."

"Hello, this is Jessie Sammler."

"Hello, my name is Rupert Giles, but you can call me Giles."

"Ok."

"I can assume Buffy and Willow have told you everything you need to know?"

"Pretty much. Is there anything that you feel that you need to tell me?"

The girls watched as Jessie and their mentor continued their conversation. After Jessie hung up the phone, Buffy spoke up.

"How did the talk go? Did he say anything that we forgot to mention?"

"No, he just basically repeated everything you told me. He thought the time you suggested was fair."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, he told me to tell you that the situation at the hospital has been taken care of, so there's no reason to worry about that."

"What was the situation he was talking about?' Katie asked as thoughts of what she'd seen since Jessie had become a slayer ran through her mind.

"Katie, it's not any of your business. If they want to tell you, then they will."

"Sorry for being so nosy there, Buffy."

"It's ok, Katie. We understand about being curious to something out of the ordinary. While we were waiting in a hospital waiting room, we discovered that our escape from our hometown was captured on video," Buffy divulged as she began to wonder what was making Jessie and Katie smile.

"Jessie's first acts of slayer strength were caught on video too."

"Really? What it did they catch her doing?" Dawn questioned excitedly.

"They caught her pushing one of our classmates into their locker and ripping the door off of her own."

"Impressive."

"Thanks. What would you like to see first?"

"Well, since it was my idea to do some sight-seeing, I think I want to check out some of the museums. Then we hit the pier and the lakefront. How does that sound to everyone else?"

"That sounds good to me, Dawn. How about you, Willow? Are you and Kennedy up for that?"

"Sure, Buffy."

"I guess it's better than nothing."

"That's enough, Kennedy. Either be nice or stay in your room. Lead the way, Jessie," Dawn recommended as she frowned at the nasty brunette before joining Jessie and Katie at the elevator door.

"And you wonder why my sister hates you," Buffy spat without thinking. She then saw the hurt look on her best friend's face, "Sorry, Willow."

"It's ok, Buffy. I guess it was a little naïve to think we'd all just along great right from the start."

"Yeah, nothing's ever easy, is it?"

"Nope."


	7. Chapter 7

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 7

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The girls show their visitors around Chicago, and Willow's secret feelings toward her best friend start to become known.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok..

* * *

A couple of hours later

The girls arrived at the pier and checked out everything they saw as their stomachs started to growl. After they chose where to eat, the conversation began again. They made sure nobody else was paying attention to them.

"What was life like back in Sunnydale? I mean other than dealing with vampires and various demons."

"I guess it was just the normal stress and angst that people dealt with, Katie."

"So how many boyfriends and girlfriends did you girls have back there?"

"Well, I sort of dated a few vampires, along with a few normal guys, and one who was in the military."

"I once dated a guy who went by the name Oz."

"We thought you were gay? You got a little sad back at my house when a girl named Tara was brought up."

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that. It's just that Tara was my first girlfriend."

"Enough said. I'm sorry if it hurts to talk about her."

"It's ok. I guess some things are out of our control."

"You would have liked her. Tara and Willow were the perfect couple."

"What was she like?" Jessie asked as everyone noticed Dawn smirk in Kennedy's direction.

"Dawn, stop it," Buffy warned her, but Dawn showed no regret in what she had just done.

"She was so shy at first. Whenever she got nervous or uncomfortable, she would start to stutter. It was cute. We all became really close, and that helped her become more confident in whatever she did. When Buffy died the second time, she became like a surrogate mom to me."

Willow beamed at the praise Dawn had given about Tara, much to the dismay of her current girlfriend.

"What about you, Dawn?"

"What about me?"

"Did you like anybody back there?"

"Uh, well, oh look, our food's here."

"Come on, tell us."

"The food will get cold."

"Fine, but you continue after we're finished eating."

"It's a deal," Dawn let out through a sigh.

After they finished eating, the girls began walking toward the lakefront.

"So, let's hear about your relationships, Dawn. You promised, remember?"

"Yeah. I sort of had a crush on our friend, Xander, but I didn't really date anyone."

"Nobody?"

"Well, there was another guy. His name was RJ, but I just hung out with him at a club one night."

Jessie and Katie watched with curiosity as Buffy and Willow groaned at hearing the name.

"Oh, this sounds like a good story. Tell us more."

"Dawn had a crush on him pretty bad. She borrowed my cheerleader uniform to try and get his attention."

"How did that go?"

"I embarrassed myself enough that I cut up Buffy's uniform as soon as I got home."

"What made him so special?"

"He was a football player who had a magical jacket."

"Really?"

"Yes. Whenever he wore it, the girls he talked to were barely able to control themselves. Even Buffy and Willow fell under his spell."

"We did not," Buffy and Willow denied.

"Oh, please, Buffy, you called him your lover."

Buffy blushed as everyone around her laughed.

"At least I didn't rub up against him like some slutbag hussy at The Bronze."

"No, you chose to make out with him in one of the classrooms."

"You should have heard what Xander said when he saw you at The Bronze that night. Oops. Sorry, I should have said that," Willow babbled as she tried to look away from the stare she had just gotten from her best friend.

"What did he say?" Dawn questioned her sister, who had frowned at the redhead.

When Buffy wouldn't answer, she turned to Willow.

"What did he say, Willow?"

"Uh," Willow began as Buffy gave her a "don't say anything" look.

"Just tell me, Willow. I'll bug you and Buffy until you say it."

"Alright. Before he realized it was you, I believe his exact words were, 'Mmm, daddy like.'"

"He really said that?"

"Yes."

"Wow."

"What did you expect, Dawn? You had on a shirt so tight that I swore could have been painted on and jeans that exposed the top of your butt when you danced. Then there was the fact that you were rubbing up against him about a minute later."

"That's enough about our relationships. What about yours?" Dawn directed to Jessie and Katie.

"Katie's the only one I have ever really been attracted to. One of Katie's best friends really liked me. I just wasn't interested in him."

"So then Katie's your first girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"And the only one if I have any say in it."

"Oh, Katie, you know you're the only girl for me."

"Since you're older than Jessie, Did you date anyone before her?"

"Uh," Katie mumbled as Jessie decided to look away from her at that moment.

"It's ok. You don't have to say anything if it's going to upset Jessie."

"Thanks, Buffy. There's not much to say. I was pretty popular in school, so I had hung out with a few different people. None were as special as Jessie. However, there is this other girl who really likes me. She's kind of the jealous type. Her name is Sarah. You'll see her at the graduation. I'll also introduce you to Tad, who was the guy Jessie was just talking about."

"Are we there yet?" Kennedy whined.

"We'll let you know when we get to where we're going."

"Relax, sweetie. Walking for awhile won't hurt you," Willow explained before gently kissing her girlfriend on the lips, which Dawn responded to with a gagging sound.

"Knock it off already, Dawn. Willow's with me now. I don't care if you don't like me. Just deal with it."

About twenty minutes later

"Ok we're here."

"What's so great about this spot?" Kennedy complained.

"This is the Castaways Bar and Grill. Some of the local bands play here on the weekends."

"It seems like a nice place. I like that it's shaped a little like an actual boat."

"Yeah, so would you like to lay out in the sun for awhile? I brought some towels and suntan lotion."

"Uh, that would be great, Jessie, but the four of us didn't think about bringing swimsuits on what was going to be a short trip. We made it out of Sunnydale with just the clothes we had on that day. We picked up these clothes at a department store close to the hotel we were staying at outside of L.A.."

"That's alright, Dawn, I brought a few extras if we needed them. Katie and I are already wearing some because we planned on coming out here today."

Dawn smiled as Jessie handed her a blue bikini while Buffy got a black one.

"I should have asked Grace if we could have borrowed one or two from her. I don't know if she would have let us though."

"Don't worry about it. I've got that covered."

"The restrooms are right over there. We'll meet you back right here."

While Jessie and Katie waited for them, they laid down a few towels and began removing their t-shirts, shorts and shoes. Jessie turned around just as the girls were approaching them.

"Looking good, girls," Katie announced as she began to whistle at Buffy, Dawn, and Willow.

"Ok, Katie, they get the point. No need to try and making them blush."

"Hey, they're hot. I'm sure they've heard that before. If I wasn't devoted to you, I might have to see if my charms could work on them. Besides, Dawn and Willow are already blushing."

"Thanks for letting us borrowing them. They're just the right size."

"How did you get the ones that you and Kennedy are wearing, Willow?"

"Magic. You like them, Jessie?"

"Yeah."

As the girls straightened out the towels, Katie noticed that Willow had begun staring briefly at Buffy, Dawn, and Jessie. She couldn't hide the smile when the redhead saw she had been caught in the act. Fortunately, no one saw this, or so Katie and Willow thought.

"Hey, Willow, I don't mind that you were staring at my girl, but don't you think you should be careful around Buffy and Dawn?" Katie whispered.

"Sshh, they might hear you."

"I'm trying to talk softly enough, so they don't hear us."

"Ok."

Willow felt someone other than Katie looking at her and turned her head to see Buffy staring at her.

_Uh, something wrong, Buffy?_

_Willow, you're my best friend, so I'll say this calmly. Please don't stare at Dawn. It's just as creepy as what Xander said at the Bronze._

_I wasn't staring at her, Buffy. I was staring at Jessie. Dawn just happened to be beside her. I wouldn't do something like that to Dawn. Anyway, he didn't know it was Dawn until she turned around. You heard him apologize immediately._

_Alright, but I don't think that's going to go to well with Katie right beside you._

_She already caught me, Buffy._

_What did she say?_

_That she saw it, but it didn't bother her that much._

_Aren't you afraid about what Kennedy would if she caught you?_

_No, she's been too busy complaining since we got here._

Willow had remembered to block Kennedy from hearing her conversation with Buffy, but forgot about the other blonde. Jessie had heard it and now she was staring at the redhead.

_Uh, you want something, Jessie?_

_Yeah, I want to talk to you like this, but can you make it so Buffy and Kennedy can't hear?_

_Ok, done._

_Were you staring at me?_

_Yes, I was. I'm sorry, I won't do it again._

_Don't get mad, but I heard everything you and Buffy said to each other. Were Dawn and I the only ones you were staring at?_

_No._

_Then who else?_

_I also looked at Buffy._

_Really?_

_Yes._

_Does Buffy know?_

_I don't think so. She hasn't said anything. Can you promise to keep this a secret?_

_Sure. Katie's right, you, Buffy, and Dawn all look good._

_What about Kennedy?_

_She looks good I guess, but I think you could do better. And from what I've heard and seen so far, you deserve better._

_Thank you._

_You're welcome._

"Hey, if you and Willow are done talking telepathically, maybe you could pay attention to us for awhile," Katie requested as she winked the blonde.

"We're sorry."

"It's ok, Jessie. I know it might take a little while to get used to all of the changes."

"Thanks, Buffy."

The girls then stretched out on the towels to work on their tans. Katie and Jessie glanced over at Willow and noticed that she had begun staring at Buffy as the blonde had been applying some lotion. When Buffy was finished, she saw that the redhead was looking at her.

"Did you need the lotion, Willow?"

"Uh, yeah, you know how easily I can get burned."

"Here you go. Is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You seemed to be kind of out of it. Do you need some thing to drink?"

"Yeah, maybe I should go get some water. Do the rest of you want anything?"

"I could use some water too, sweetie," Kennedy agreed.

"How about the rest of you?"

"Coke," Dawn replied.

"Lemonade," Jessie added.

"I'll just have some water as well."

"Ditto."

"So that's a coke for Dawn, lemonade for Jessie, and water for the rest of us?"

The redhead smiled as they all nodded yes.

"I'll be right back."

"Hold on, Willow, I'll come with you," Jessie offered.

"Ok."

As Willow remembered that she left her money back with the other girls, Jessie handed over some to her.

"Don't worry about it, Willow, it's my treat. It's the least I could do for the free entertainment you're providing for me and Katie."

"What are you talking about?"

"Give me a break. We saw you ogling Buffy again."

"I was not ogling Buffy."

"Yes, you were. Dawn is obviously right about what she said earlier," Jessie stated before remembering that maybe she should have kept her mouth shut.

"What did she say?"

"She said that she thought that Kennedy is a rebound, but I don't think she saw you staring at her or Buffy."

"Uh."

"Well, is she? I hate to pry, but it appears to us that you have some deeper feelings for Buffy. Why don't you tell her?"

"Even though she's my best friend, I don't know how she'd react. It could ruin our friendship, but I've wondered for awhile what it would like to be with her in that way. I don't know if I could handle the rejection."

"You never know. She could surprise you."

"I can't risk it. Besides, I want to give this relationship with Kennedy a little bit more time."

"That's understandable. I promise Katie and I won't say anything to anyone."

"Thanks, we should probably get back now so they don't come looking for us."

"Yeah, you're right."


	8. Chapter 8

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 8

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Kennedy continues to anger the other girls.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

As the girls reached their friends, Dawn and Kennedy had just gotten up to see what the hold up had been.

"What kept you two? My sister was almost dying of thirst," Buffy declared as she began to laugh at the blush that appeared on the redhead's face.

"Sorry, Dawn."

"It's ok, Willow," Dawn said as she grabbed the coke from Jessie's hand

"H-Here's your water, B-Buffy."

"Are you sure you're ok, Willow?"

"Yes, Buffy."

"Thanks for the water, baby," Kennedy exclaimed as she was handed the water.

"No problem, sweetie."

Dawn felt like gagging as Kennedy kissed Willow on the cheek. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand the sweet talk between them either. After she saw the look of longing the redhead shot toward her sister when the brunette turned away, she thought it wouldn't be much longer. Dawn then turned to see that Jessie and Katie had been smirking in Willow's direction. This helped her to join in with a smile of her own.

About thirty minutes later

"Wake up, girls."

"What do you want, Katie?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" Dawn added as she looked at Katie.

"We're all beginning to look a little red. Maybe we should turn over before we get burned."

"Good idea," Jessie complied as she rolled onto her stomach and untied the back of her bikini top.

"What are you doing, Jessie?"

"I don't want to get any tan lines on my back. Can you put some lotion on for me?" the blonde requested with a wink.

"Uh, alright."

"Thanks."

After Katie was finished, she saw that Buffy and Dawn had done the same thing.

"Uh, would it bother you and Jessie if I asked if you could do the same for me, Katie?" Dawn questioned as she began to blush.

"I guess it would be alright. We don't want you to get burned. Would you like some help too, Buffy?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'd feel a little less weird if I had Willow help me. No offense."

"None taken, Buffy."

"So, how about it, Willow, could you do that for me?"

"Uh, sure, Buffy, let me know when it's enough," Willow babbled as she began to rub lotion on her friend's back while taking an occasional glance at her butt.

She glanced over to see that Katie and Jessie were grinning at her. Dawn let out a low gasp before nearly biting her tongue to hold in the laugh that wanted to come out.

"Did I miss something funny?" Buffy assumed as she faced the three girls to her left, "It's just a friendly gesture, right?"

"Of course," Willow assured her.

"Then what's with the huge grins?"

"Imagine the thoughts that would be running through Xander's head if he was here right now," Dawn stated before laughing.

"Or Tad's," Katie included.

"What about Eli? I'm sure he'd love to be in Willow's place at this moment," Dawn chuckled.

"Ew, could you not mention my brother at a time like this?"

"Ok, I'm good, Willow, thanks."

"No problem," Willow relented as she sighed at the loss of her touch on Buffy's skin.

"You better wake up Kennedy. I guess she didn't hear Katie," Buffy informed her best friend.

"Kennedy, sweetie, wake up."

"What for? Do you want to head to the hotel now?"

"Not yet, I just don't want you to get sunburned. So roll over onto your stomach, and I'll put some lotion on your back."

"Ok."

Dawn saw this as a perfect chance to get in another shot at Kennedy and sarcastically responded, "Roll over on to your stomach, Kennedy. That's a good dog. When you get back to the hotel, maybe Willow will give you a Scooby snack."

"You little brat, just wait until we get back to California," Kennedy scowled while Jessie and Katie laughed.

"I'm just as tall as you, butch."

Buffy could barely keep in the laugh that she was trying to stop. Leave it to her sister to be ready with comments like that.

"Uh, can someone explain the Scooby Doo reference to me and Katie?"

"Our friend, Xander, thought it was a good idea to call our gang the Scoobies since we seemed to get in all kinds of adventures."

"Ok."

After the girls had spent more time lying out in the sun, they decided to get a closer view of the band that was playing at the Castaways.

"Ok, I think I've head enough of the 80's and 90's cover songs that I can stand. I'm ready to do something else."

"Same here, Buffy," her sister chimed in.

"Ditto," Jessie and Katie muttered in unison before laughing.

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

"I wholeheartedly comply, sweetie," the redhead directed to her girlfriend.

Jessie and Katie waited quietly as the rest changed back into the clothes they had been wearing earlier.

"So what next?" the youngest inquired as she handed back the borrowed bikinis to Jessie.

"Well there's still the aquarium, zoos, the Sears Tower, and the John Hancock Observatory. Or we could watch a few movies."

"I vote for going to the aquarium and then heading back to the hotel."

Dawn smiled as everyone, even Kennedy, went along with the plan. She appreciated the older girl's decision to go along willingly with the plan but wasn't ready to completely ease up on the dislike of her. After leaving the aquarium, the girls headed back to the hotel and spend the rest of the night watching movies and pigging out on pizza. When Katie and Dawn began to yawn, Willow spoke.

"I guess we better call it a night, huh?"

"Yeah, probably. I do need to get some sleep before my graduation tomorrow afternoon. You're still coming, aren't you?"

"We'll be there, won't we?"

"Yes, Dawn. Right, Willow?"

"I wouldn't miss it. How about you, sweetie?"

"I guess it's better than nothing."

"KENNEDY!"

"I mean yes, I'll be there."

"Would you two like me to teleport you back to Jessie's house?"

"If you don't mind," Jessie requested.

"It's not too much trouble, is it?" Katie replied nervously.

"No."

"See you tomorrow then."

After Jessie and Katie left, the other three turned to Kennedy to express their frustration at her attitude.

"Gee, Kennedy, do you think you could be less of a bitch tomorrow?"

"Shut up."

"Don't tell my sister to shut up, she's right. We all know it."

The brunette turned to her girlfriend and was met with a very disapproving look.

"So then you agree?"

"Yes, I really do. They have done nothing wrong to you."

"Fine. Then send me back to California. I'll wait for you along with the rest of our gang."

"Thank god," Dawn spat as she headed to one of the bedrooms.

"What do you want me to tell Katie and Jessie?"

"Tell them something happened back in California, and that I needed to be sent back."

At the same time, the Sammler/Manning family room

The family was watching a movie together as Jessie and Katie suddenly appeared beside them. This caused all of them to jump back a little while Lily spilled the bowl of popcorn all over herself, Rick, Grace, and Zoe; who were sitting with her on the couch. Eli, who was sitting in a chair close to the couch, just laughed at the sight of the whole thing.

"Surprise, we're back," Jessie announced with a smile.

"Are you trying to give all of us a heart attack, sweetie," Rick gasped.

"Sorry, we didn't take into consideration on what you might be doing at this moment."

"Maybe next time you will," Grace grumbled as she began to brush the buttered popcorn off of her lap.

"How's the popcorn, or should I say was?" Katie said with a giggle which was answered with a frown from everyone except Eli and Jessie.

"Why don't you find out for yourself," Grace snapped as she threw some popcorn at Katie.

"Geez, lighten up, Grace. It was a joke."

"Well, we're not amused."

"Obviously," Jessie responded as she rolled her eyes at her.

"How did it feel to travel like that?"

"It was pretty cool, Zoe. Right, Katie?"

"Yeah," Katie answered while looking away from them.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Because you don't sound too convincing."

"It just feels weird, that's all."

"Alright."

"So, uh, did all of you have fun together?" Lily asserted cautiously.

"Well, yes and no," Jessie revealed.

"What does that mean?"

"Everyone, except Kennedy, had fun."

"Why?"

"Apparently, Dawn can't stand her. She was making fun of her and talking about Tara whenever she could."

"Who's Tara?"

"She was Willow's first girlfriend. She died a little while ago."

"That poor girl. How did she die?"

"Not that it's any of your concern, but she was shot by one of their enemies."

"Jessie," her father warned.

"Sorry, Dad. Sorry, Lily."

"It's ok."

"Anything else happen?" Eli commented.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, there was something else," Katie said as she began to smile at the memory of Willow getting nervous around them.

"What else?" Zoe interrupted.

"There were a few staring matches among the six of us."

"Uh, hold on a second, Katie, I need to tell you something," Jessie told her as she led her girlfriend into the kitchen.

"What is it, Billie?"

"Don't tell them or anyone else about how Willow was looking at me, Dawn, and Buffy."

"Why not?"

"Because I promised Willow we would keep it a secret."

"Ok," Katie complied as they headed back to the family room.

"What was that all about?" Grace prodded as soon as the couple came back into the room.

"I was just reminding Katie of a secret we promised to keep about someone.

"Alright," Grace sighed.

"So who was staring at who and what kind of stares?" Eli grilled before smirking at his sister.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Eli. Not everyone is like you. Right, Katie…Katie?"

"Uh."

"Well?"

"Unfortunately, Eli's right this time."

"I am?"

"Yes."

"Kennedy was staring at both me and Katie in the hotel lobby. I wasn't sure what type of stare it was. I just know that it made me uncomfortable. So that's how she was looking at us?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. What's the matter, Eli, are you jealous?"

"Because Kennedy was staring at my sister?"

"No, at the fact that neither Buffy nor Dawn looked at you that way."

"No, I'm not."

"Yeah, right. Face it, Eli, my Billie is hotter than you."

"Your what?"

"I called her my Billie because she's my girlfriend and can sing like Billie Holliday."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't use the word hot to describe my daughter while in my presence."

"Sorry, Rick."

"Can Katie spend the night?"

"I guess it would be ok, but no funny business, got it?"

"DAD!" Jessie shouted as she blushed in embarrassment.

"Do you understand me, Katie?"

"Yes, Rick, I do."

"Ok then, good night."

"Night, everyone."

"Goodnight," they returned in unison as Grace threw in a wink that increased Jessie's blush and started one for Katie.

A few minutes later, the attic/Jessie's room

The girls had regained control of their emotions while changing for bed and began talking again. After the all the conversations that had gone on from when their visitors had returned to the towels until now, Jessie felt the need to ask the Katie an important question.

"Katie?"

"Yes, Billie?" Katie whispered as she slid under the covers.

"Do you really think Buffy, Dawn, and Willow are hot?"

"Yes, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's just…Well…"

"You think that I think that they're hotter than you?"

"M-Maybe," Jessie admitted with slight fear.

"How could you think that? You know I think you're beautiful. Besides, if you weren't then both Kennedy and Willow wouldn't have looked at you that way."

"I know you think I'm beautiful. It's just that you don't use that word a lot."

"What word, hot?"

"Yeah."

"I do think you're hot."

"If you think that, why haven't you tried to do more in this relationship?"

"Are we talking about sex?"

"Duh. It's been a few months since you tried anything like that. Are you starting to lose interest in me?"

"Don't be silly. Sometimes it's hard just lying beside you, knowing that you're not ready. It's been a year. Are you saying you're ready?"

"No, I'm not. That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"The point is that I would like to see you try to make a move like that once in awhile, even if I shoot you down."

"Something like this?" her girlfriend guessed as she pushed the blonde onto her back, began kissing her neck, and slid her hand under Jessie's pajama top to caress the blonde's stomach.

"Exactly," Jessie confessed as she slowly pulled her girlfriend's hand from under her shirt.

"Shall we go to sleep now?"

"Yes, but you can hold me if you want to tonight. You do want to, don't you?"

"I wouldn't be against it," Katie answered with a smirk.

Jessie turned out the light and snuggled up against her girlfriend.

"I love you, Katie."

"Right back at you, Billie, sweet dreams."

"As long as you're here, they will be."


	9. Chapter 9

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 9

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn and Willow have a talk about Kennedy before they and Buffy hang out with Jessie and Katie until the graduation ceremony.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

The next morning, 9:00 AM, Jessie's bedroom

Jessie awoke to Katie smiling peacefully at her. This made the blonde wonder what the other girl was thinking.

"What are you smiling at? Was I snoring or drooling?"

"No, you're just so beautiful while you're asleep. Just like Sleeping Beauty."

"That was very sweet. Thank you, Katie. Is that all that's on your mind at this moment?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could tell me what you promised to tell me yesterday."

"What was that?"

"What Dawn and Buffy were talking about in one of the hotel bedrooms while Kennedy was frowning and you were smiling."

"Oh, that," Jessie stated with a smirk.

"Yeah."

"You have to keep it a secret. I don't think they would appreciate me telling anyone other than you."

"Ok."

"Dawn told Buffy that she didn't like Willow being with Kennedy."

"Why?"

"Because she said Kennedy was a bitch who made a move on Willow while she was vulnerable, and that she looked at other girls like she did at Willow."

"Who?"

"Well, there was her, Buffy, and some other slayers. I believe their names were Vi, Rona, and Faith. She thinks there's some sexual tension between Buffy and Faith. She didn't want Kennedy to scare us off before she could become our friend and was afraid of hurting Willow. I guess something big must have happened when Tara died because she said something about almost losing her. Finally, she seemed happy when Buffy warned her that Kennedy was listening, due to the enhanced slayer hearing."

"So that's why she was frowning and you were smiling? Because you both heard everything?"

"Yes."

"Do you think they would be wiling to come to Tad's party later?"

"I'm not sure. It couldn't hurt to ask."

Meanwhile, the Marriot hotel dining room

After saying goodbye to her girlfriend, Willow joined Buffy and Dawn for the free hotel breakfast. The goodbye had been a little awkward due to the arguments.

"Are you going to be ok, Kennedy?"

"I should be when you're back together with me in California. At least I won't have to deal with Dawn for a day."

"Honestly, Kennedy, drop it already."

"I'll drop it when the pest quits bothering me."

"She's not a pest. You need to giver her more time. Maybe she'll like you if you quit acting bratty."

"I wasn't acting bratty."

"Yes, you were. You even told me at least once before now that you could be a brat sometimes. I'll see you later tonight."

"Why not immediately after the graduation?"

"Because she will probably invite us to some party after that."

"You could fake an upset stomach and come back early."

"I think I would like to go if they ask. I'm sure Dawn will like hanging out with Jessie and Katie."

"If you and Buffy want to hang with a bunch of teenagers, go ahead."

"Well, you're going to have to deal with a bunch of teens as we start tracking down the other girls."

"See you later."

Dawn was smiling as she saw Willow arrive alone at their table but stopped when Buffy glared at her.

"I guess you sent Kennedy back already."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry things didn't go well while she was here."

"It's ok, Buffy, it wasn't your fault," the redhead explained as she turned to look at Dawn, who just looked down at her plate and started eating quietly.

"Can we please just enjoy the rest of the time we're here?" Buffy pleaded before reaching for her cup of coffee.

"Sure," her best friend and sister replied quickly.

"Do you think there will be a party later on?"

"I think you can count on that."

"Can we go if we're invited, Buffy?"

"Yes, Dawn. No drinking alcohol for you though."

"I promise."

"Dawn, I would like to talk to you privately after we eat."

"Uh, sure thing, Willow," Dawn mumbled as she reached for her orange juice.

_Willow?_

_Yes, Buffy?_

_Don't be too hard on Dawn, ok? I'm sure she only acted that way around Kennedy because she loves you and doesn't want to see you get hurt in what might be just a rebound relationship. _

_I know she cares. I just wish she'd try being nicer to Kennedy for the time being._

_For the time being? Is she just a rebound?_

_I'm not sure. Sometimes I think yes while other times I think it could turn into something more serious._

_Ok. If there's ever anything you want to talk about, I'm here. I know I'm not an expert on relationships, but you get the idea._

_Yeah._

The rest of the breakfast was eaten in silence.

"I'm ready to talk now if you're ready, Willow."

"I am."

"You two go talk in the lobby. I'll give Jessie a call. Wait, we don't have each other's numbers."

"I'll take care of that."

_Jessie, can you hear me?_

_Yeah, Willow, what is it?_

_Can you give Buffy a call while I have a chat with Dawn?_

_Ok, just give me the number_.

"Hi, Buffy, did you all sleep well?"

"Yes, we did. Thank you. So when is Katie's graduation?"

"It's at 2:00 PM. Is that ok?"

"Yes, we just got finished eating breakfast. Are you two ready to hang out for a little while before the graduation?"

"Yes, do you have any ideas on what you want to do?"

"Not really, but I'm sure Dawn has an idea or two."

"Cool. Can Willow teleport us again?" Jessie asked excitedly.

"You really enjoy that, don't you?"

"It's growing on me," the blonde admitted with a giggle.

At the same time

"What did you want to talk about, Willow?"

"I want to know why you hate Kennedy."

"You want the whole truth?"

"Why wouldn't I want the whole truth?"

"Because what I'll say might hurt you. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me. What makes you think that?"

"Well, we almost lost you completely when Tara…"

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh. You promise you can handle anything I tell you?"

"Yes."

"Alright, here it goes. I hate her because she made a move on you not too long after she got to Sunnydale. You're still vulnerable. She looked at a few other girls the same way she looked at you before she made her move. I also think she's just a rebound."

"Who else did she look at like that?"

"Let's see, there was Vi, Rona, Faith, Buffy, and me."

"Really? Do you think you could try being nicer to her for me?"

"Yes to the first, and I guess so to the second."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Dawn announced as she gave the redhead a hug.

Buffy was pleased to see smiles on their faces as she joined them in the lobby.

"What's up, Buffy? Are they ready to go?"

"Yeah, would you mind teleporting them? Jessie asked very nicely. I think she's really enjoying it."

"I don't know, Buff. I'm not a taxi service."

"Oh, come on, Will. Do you really want her to give you that same look she gave you the first time?"

"Since you put it that way, ok."

Five minutes later

"It's about time," Jessie said through a smirk.

"Hey, I didn't have to do that you know."

"Sorry, Willow," Katie apologized as she gave Jessie an unhappy look.

"I was only kidding, you two."

"Yeah, Buffy warned her that you might give her the same look you gave her the first time you asked her to do that."

"You mean this one," the blonde guessed before giving Willow the puppy dog stare.

"That's the one," Dawn exclaimed as she appeared to become lost in the smile that Jessie gave to the group.

"What?" Dawn questioned as all eyes turned toward her, "I just think she has a really nice smile. You're acting like I have a crush on her or something."

"No need to get that way, Dawn. You have a cute smile too."

"Thanks, Katie."

"If you three could stop flirting with each other, maybe my sister could tell us what she wants to do now."

"We weren't flirting, Buffy. Jessie and I are one woman girls. Right, Jessie?"

"Yes."

"What would you like to do until the graduation, Dawn?"

"We could go to the Sears Tower, the John Hancock Observatory, one of the zoos, or if you prefer, back to the lakefront."

"The Sears Tower and the John Hancock Observatory sound good to me," the redhead agreed.

"The zoos don't have any hyenas, do they?" Buffy inquired.

"I'm not sure. I haven't been there in a while. Why?" Jessie quizzed as she raised an eyebrow in curiosity at Buffy's question.

"Don't ask," Willow begged as she rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"Ok."

"Hey, where's Kennedy? Isn't she coming with us?" Katie replied as she and Jessie noticed someone was missing.

"Something came up in L.A., and the gang needed her help," Willow lied successfully.

"Really?" the couple responded at the same time, making their new friends smile.

"Yes," Dawn smirked as the fake answer was obvious to everyone.

"That's too bad. I hope things don't get too out of hand. By the way, I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it, Katie?"

"My friend, Tad, will be throwing a party later tonight, and I wanted to know if you would come with us?"

"We would really like that," Buffy stated and smiled at the thought of how much fun they might have.

"Good."

After the older two had left the building, Dawn let them know the truth.

"Willow lied to you. Kennedy wasn't called back early. She didn't want to come to both the graduation and the party afterwards. We'll have more fun without her anyway."

Jessie and Katie showed the girls around Chicago for the next three hours. By the time noon came around the girls were hungry again, so they stopped off to grab a quick lunch. As Katie was making some suggestions, Jessie got Willow's attention.

_Willow?_

_Yes?_

_I want to ask you something without letting Katie know. Let Buffy hear it as well._

_Willow then looked at Buffy and directed her to look over at the other blonde._

_What is it, Jessie?_

_Do you think the three of you could tell Katie that you're not hungry even though you are?_

_Why?_

_Because my family is throwing Katie a surprise party immediately following the graduation. There will plenty of food there._

_Aren't her parents supposed to do that?_

_Well, like she told you when we met you yesterday, they weren't a big part of her life. So as far as she knows, the only party going on is at Tad's._

_That's sad, but at least she has you and your family._

_I know._

"What would you like to eat for lunch?"

"Actually, Katie, we aren't hungry at the moment."

"We aren't?" Dawn declared with a puzzled look on her face.

"I'll explain soon, Dawn. Just tell her no," Buffy whispered.

"This better be good," Dawn whispered back.

"Are you sure? I could have sworn I heard Dawn's stomach growl."

"Yes."

"Ok."

"I guess we could hang out at my house until the graduation since no one is at home," Katie suggested along with a soft sigh.

The girls sat around listening to music until Katie had to get ready.

"You need some help getting ready, Katie?" Jessie implied with a wink.

"I think I can handle it. Keep our guests company. Don't give me the puppy dog look. I actually want to be on time for once."

"Fine."

"Don't worry, Katie. We'll make sure she doesn't interrupt you."

"Thank you, Buffy."

After Katie went upstairs, Jessie gazed at the other blonde with slight annoyance.

"Why did you do that? I wanted to help her."

"Down, girl, I'm sure there will be time for that at Tad's party."

"You better be right."

"How long do you think the party at your house will last?"

"I'm not sure. It might be a couple of hours, and Tad's doesn't start until around eight or nine. So that might give us up to three hours of time to kill between the parties."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure we can think of something to do."

"Are you ready yet, Katie?"

"Yeah, here I come. What do you think?" Katie asked as she twirled around them in a sleeveless, red dress that went down to just above her knees.

"You look beautiful, Katie," Dawn confirmed as Buffy and Willow nodded in agreement.

"Thanks. What do you think, Jessie?"

"I think you're missing something."

"What am I missing?"

"Just follow me," the blonde ordered as she made her way upstairs to Katie's bedroom.

"We'll be right back."

After Katie closed her bedroom door, she turned to Jessie and began to ask her, "What did I f…"

Katie was caught in a heated kiss and then pushed hard enough to fall back on her bed. She stared as Jessie leaned over her, pushed one of the straps holding up her dress off the shoulder, and began kissing up and down the side of her neck and along the shoulder.

"B-Billie, as much as I'm enjoying this, we need to go."

"Oh, come on, we have a few minutes."


	10. Chapter 10

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 10

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The girls attend Katie's graduation, and Katie is the guest of honor at a surprise party.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: Since I don't think they specified what grade Katie and Tad were in, I'm having them both graduate at the same time. I think that when the show ended in 2002, Grace was a senior while Jessie was either a freshman or sophomore. I can't remember how long my graduation was so I'll just have Katie and Tad's last around forty five minutes.

* * *

Downstairs

Buffy rolled her eyes at the fact that she could hear what was going on in the bedroom.

"They aren't doing what we think they're doing, are they?"

"Yes, they are, Willow."

"Great, they're making out while we're starving. I'm tempted to go up there and drag them back here, regardless of how they might be at this moment."

"What do you mean, Dawn?"

"You know what I mean, Buffy."

_Jessie?_

_Not now, Willow, I'm kind of busy._

_I know that, but you need to get back down here quick._

_Why? We have about ten minutes before we should be there._

_Fine, but Dawn is considering coming up and dragging you back down no matter how you might be dressed._

_Ok._

Buffy let out a happy sigh as she heard the sound of the girls getting off the bed and straightening out their clothes. The girls returned and they noticed that Katie was now wearing some jewelry.

"Sorry that took so long, we needed to make sure Katie looked her best."

"Don't even try making up false excuses. We know what you were really doing," Dawn commented.

"We aren't making up excuses."

"Then why is your lip gloss smeared and lipstick by your right ear?" Dawn asked before smirking at the now blushing couple.

"Ok, fine. I couldn't wait. Let's go now," Jessie directed as she grabbed a tissue off of the coffee table to wipe away the smeared lip gloss and lipstick.

When the girls arrived at the school, Katie was met by Tad and her fan club. Jessie, Buffy, Dawn, and Willow decided to stand a few feet behind her. The girls noticed all the attention they were getting from all of Katie and Tad's male classmates. Katie looked back and motioned for them to join her.

"So who do we have here, Katie?"

"Well, you remember Jessie, Tad. These three, beautiful women are Buffy and Dawn Summers and Buffy's best friend, Willow Rosenberg."

"Where are you from, and how do you know Jessie and Katie?"

"Uh," Buffy mumbled.

"They're from California. My mom went to law school with Willow's mom, and Willow asked if she could bring some friends with her. They haven't been to Chicago before."

"Yeah, Katie said it would be alright." _Thanks for the nice save, Jessie._

"If they didn't already invite you, I would like it if you would come to my party later on."

"We already brought it up, and they said they would like that." _No problem, Willow._

"Good. Well, I think Katie and I need to go get in line for the opening march. I hope we can talk again soon."

"Maybe," Dawn answered with a small smile.

"I'll be waiting for you here as soon as the ceremony is over," Katie told them.

"We'll be here," Jessie replied before the girls went to find some good seats for the ceremony.

The girls then found Jessie's family; who had saved seats for them. As they sat down, Buffy saw that Eli was staring at them in a very unsubtle manner.

"What's wrong, Buffy?"

"Your brother is staring at us again. Mostly at me though."

This got the rest of the girls to look to Jessie's left and laugh as Eli quickly looked away.

"Hopefully, this won't last too long," Jessie stated before sighing in aggravation.

Jessie smiled as Eli had managed to keep his eyes away from them for the rest of the ceremony. There was occasional clapping as the students received there diplomas. However, when Katie made her way up the steps, the crowd went almost wild.

"Katie Singer," the principal presented with a huge smile.

"Go, Katie!" Jessie shouted in pride as loud applause was heard.

"KATIE, KATIE, KATIE!" the crowd chanted as she stopped, turned around, and blew a kiss to them, and winked at her now blushing girlfriend.

"Gee, you think they were loud enough?" Willow let out with a chuckle.

"She told you she was popular."

"Well, we see how popular now."

"Aw, look, Jessie's blushing," Dawn said before letting out a giggle.

"Dawn, don't tease Jessie like that."

"It's ok, Buffy, I'm just so proud of her."

"Obviously."

Jessie's blush continued when Katie whispered an "I love you." as she passed by on the march out of the auditorium. As soon as she was able to, the blonde bolted to find her girlfriend. She was closely followed by her new friends. All three laughed out loud when Jessie found Katie and leapt into the other girl's arms. Whistles could be heard as Jessie planted a kiss on a very amused Katie.

"Thanks for the kiss, Jessie. Hey, where's your family? They were here earlier."

"They had plans for after the ceremony, but I'm sure they're sorry they couldn't congratulate you in person," Jessie lied as she pulled Katie into a tighter hug.

"Yeah, at least they were here to see me graduate," Katie sighed while totally missing the smile on the faces of Buffy and Willow.

"Jessie, who's that brunette staring at you and Katie with fire in her eyes, metaphorically speaking of course? She's been doing that since you jumped into Katie's arms," Willow interrupted as Jessie and Katie had begun staring at each other.

"That's Sarah," Katie chuckled

"Whoa, she looks pretty pissed off," Dawn informed her new friends

"Want to see her get even angrier?" Jessie responded with a smirk.

"What are you going to do?" their friends questioned at the same time.

"Just watch, you won't be disappointed."

Jessie planted a soft kiss on Katie's forehead, picked her up, and made her way for the door. A few people in the crowd gasped at the sight while the brunette stormed off in the opposite direction. Buffy, Dawn, and Willow simply followed them in complete silence.

"That was a little cruel, but funny," Dawn admitted as Jessie set her girlfriend down on an outside bench.

"I hope the ceremony wasn't too boring for you, Buffy," Katie muttered.

"Well, it wasn't as exciting as ours," Buffy commented as she pointed to herself and Willow.

"What happened there?" Jessie grilled with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Just a tiny apocalypse led by a giant snake like demon and a bunch of vampires," Willow whispered.

"How long ago was that?" Katie inquired after softly gasping.

"About three years ago."

"If you were the only slayer back then, how did you fight them?"  
"Well, I sort of took on the head demon while our classmates faced the vampires."

"How did it end?"

"Well, the demon and vampires were killed, and the school went boom."

"What do you mean the school went boom?" Jessie quizzed as both she and Katie looked on in shock.

"During the battle, there was an explosion that took out the school. The demon was trapped inside. That's how we know he died," Willow babbled.

"Never a dull day there, huh?" Jessie guessed with a laugh.

"The price you pay for living on a hellmouth," Buffy groaned.

"What are we going to do now?" Dawn voiced as she stared at the entire group.

"We could go back to one of my houses."

"That would be a great idea if we were alone," Katie suggested with a smirk before nodding to their guests, "but what about our friends here?"

"I guess the smooches will have to wait until Tad's party then," Jessie determined before she hugged her girlfriend again.

The whole group smiled this time. Buffy was happy to see that her sister seemed happy for Jessie and Katie, but it also got her to think if she'd find someone like those two had done. The thoughts then turned to what Dawn said earlier regarding Faith. Dawn saw this and decided to say something to her.

"Hey, Buffy, come here a second."

"What is it, Dawn?"

"You wish Faith was here right now, don't you?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Because you have the same look on your face that Willow has when that bitch, Kennedy, is not around."

"I thought you promised to ease up on Kennedy."

"Sorry."

The girls climbed into Katie's car and headed to the Sammler/Manning home. It was clear that Willow was relieved to get a break from the teleporting. They all saw Katie become confused at the sight of cars in the driveway.

"Jessie, didn't you say your family had plans after the graduation?" Katie began as she pulled up in front of the house.

"Yeah, they did."

"Then why are their cars here?"

"Maybe they were suddenly cancelled," the blonde claimed as she smiled at how oblivious Katie was at that moment and that she missed the pair of eyes that darted from behind the curtain of the nearby window.

"Well, let's go see what's up then," Willow advised.

"That sounds like a good idea, Willow," Dawn agreed, "Do you think we could grab a bite to eat, Jessie?"

"We might have something available."

"I thought you weren't hungry, Dawn?" Katie exclaimed.

"I am now."

"Well, come on, let's go inside. Jessie, are you coming? It is your house after all."

"No, high school graduates first."

"Ok, you're acting weird. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, now open the door already."

The blonde smiled at Buffy and Willow when Katie reached the top step. Dawn began to understand what was going on and arched an eyebrow at them. Jessie could feel her heart beating faster as Katie opened the door.

"SURPRISE!" Jessie's family called out as the guest of honor fell back into Jessie's arms.

"Don't stop, Katie. Get in there."

Katie felt tears coming as she marveled at all of the decorations. There were balloons and streamers hanging from the stairs and overhead lights. A big banner that said "Congratulations, Katie!" was posted on one of the walls.

"Y-You all d-did th-this f-for m-me?"

"Of course, we love you, Katie," Karen reminded her.

"Did you know about this?" the teary eyed girl directed to Buffy, Dawn, and Willow.

The tears multiplied as Buffy and Willow nodded yes while Dawn just shrugged at her.

"You didn't have to do this. I can't tell you enough how happy I am right now."

Jessie started to cry at the sight of Karen holding Katie as the girl cried on her mother's shoulder. This turned into a smile as every family member gave Katie a hug. Jessie heard a sniffle and turned to see her new friends were shedding tears of their own.

"I hope everyone's hungry. We have plenty of food here," Lily commented.

"Let me at it," Dawn insisted before walking to a nearby table covered with food.

"Dang, Buffy, don't you feed that girl?" Grace chuckled.

"Yes, she does eat, but it was kind of delayed by holding it in for the surprise party."

Everyone laughed as Dawn piled heaps of food on her plate, sat down, and dived in like she hadn't eaten all day. The rest then each took a turn at filling their plates. Then laughs broke out again as a loud burp came out of Dawn's mouth.

"Dawn, that was so rude. Sorry, everyone, she's normally not like that."

"It's ok, Buffy. It's nothing we haven't seen before," Karen described as all eyes turned to Eli.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Dawn apologized as she set her can of soda down on the coffee table.

The rest of the meal was eaten as discussions switched repeatedly from one topic to another. When they were finished eating, the family had another surprise for the graduate.

"Katie, we have something else for you," Rick announced with a smile.

"You mean there's more. You have done enough."

"So then you don't want your present?" Lily teased.

"P-Present?"

"Yeah, Jessie, could you go get it for us? It's by the kitchen table," Lily confirmed as the entire family looked over at Jessie.

"Why me?"

"Because it's heavy," Karen revealed.

"Ok."

Jessie's whole family smirked as she carried it in with ease before shaking it.

"What is it, Jessie?"

"I don't know. That's why I was shaking it. Here you go."

Katie was speechless as the large box was set down in front of her. She let out a gasp as she started to see what it was.

"It's…It's a mini fridge."

"We all chipped in on it. We thought you could use it in your dorm room at Oxford. You never know when you and/or a guest could get hungry or thirsty."

"Wow, maybe we should have gotten her something, Buffy," Willow spoke as Dawn nodded along.

"Don't worry about it, Katie and I did kind of spring the whole graduation thing on you."

"Yeah, I understand."

"Where's your present to Katie, Jessie?" Grace added with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"It's upstairs. We'll be right back."

"Yeah, we've heard that before," Dawn muttered before rolling her eyes at the couple.

A few minutes later, Jessie's bedroom

"So what did you get for me, Billie?" Katie remarked as she sat down at the end of Jessie's bed.

"Close your eyes," Jessie instructed before going to her dresser and removing a box from the top drawer.

"How much longer, Billie?"

"Just another minute," Jessie told her as she sat down on her girlfriend's lap.

"I like this already."

"Ok, open your eyes."

Katie quickly opened her eyes and closed the very short distance between as she passionately kissed Jessie's soft lips.

"Katie, not now. Open your present."

"I thought this was the present?" she joked as she pulled Jessie down with her while she fell back onto the bed.

"No, silly, this is your present," Jessie asserted with a grin as she handed Katie the box that had been in her hand when Katie had pulled her closer.

Katie slowly opened the box to discover a gold necklace that had a red heart with gold trim around the heart.

"J-Jessie, it's b-beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

"Oh, Billie, I love you so much."

"I love y…," Jessie tried to affirm but was cut off by a heated kiss

"Hey, what are you doing?" Katie mumbled as Jessie moved away from her.

"I didn't bring you up here for that. I wanted to be the first one to see your reaction to the gift. There's also something else I was going to get, and I wanted to you to be the first one to hear about it."

"What is it?"

"I was going to get a tattoo tomorrow."

"A tattoo? I thought you said you that they were waste of money and never saw the appeal of them."

"Yeah, I did, but…"

"But what?"

"I just wanted to show the world how much I love you."  
"You don't need to get something permanent to show the world that."

"Is this your subtle way of saying that you don't think we'll be together forever?"

"Forever is a long time, and who knows what the future holds for us?"

"It sounds like to me that you don't think we'll last."

"That's not what I'm trying to say."

"Then tell me what you're trying to say."

"I'm saying that our love doesn't need to be symbolized by a tattoo."

"Ok, but I think you'd like the design I picked out."

"What would that be?"

"I was thinking about a heart with our initials in the middle placed on my lower back."

Jessie then quickly drew a picture of what it would look like. When Katie got a good look, a smile appeared on her face.

"I like it, Billie."

"I thought you would. We better get downstairs before they think we did more than talk."

"Wait!"

"What is it?"

"Can you help me put on the necklace?"

Jessie smiled as Katie handed her the necklace before holding up her hair to expose the back of her neck.

"There you go, sweetie," Jessie confirmed as she planted a soft kiss on the back of Katie's neck before heading downstairs.


	11. Chapter 11

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 11

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The girls watch a few movies before getting ready for Tad's party.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

A few minutes later, the family room

"That's a beautiful necklace, Katie. Is that what Jessie got you?" Lily asked with a smile.

"Yes, do you like it?"

"I think it's really nice," Lily answered.

Jessie smiled as they all showed signs of agreement. As Jessie had predicted earlier, the party had started to die down after a couple hours. Jessie and Katie decided that they and their new friends would go out and see a few movies to help kill time until the party at Tad's. The girls said their goodbyes before heading out to Kate's car.

"Thanks, the party was wonderful, the food was delicious, the decorations were terrific, and I really love the present."

"It was no problem at all, Katie. You deserved it. Enjoy the movies."

"Thanks, Lily."

"You're welcome."

"Thanks for letting us come to the party. We really appreciated it and had a good time."

"We're glad you, Dawn, and Willow had a good time, Buffy."

"Yeah, we should do this again sometime, Mr. Sammler."

"The three of you can call us Rick and Lily, right Lil?"

"Yes."

"I would prefer that you call me Ms. Sammler," Karen ordered with a stern look that made Dawn gulp before she started to laugh.

"MOM!" Jessie playfully whined.

"Oh, come on, Jessie. Can't a mother joke around with her daughter's new friends?"

"I guess so," Jessie conceded with a shrug.

"Does this mean that you don't object if Jessie decides to help us in the fight?"

"I'm not sure, Willow. We still have to think about it a little bit more."

"Fair enough. Well, thanks again."

"Uh, Jessie?"

"Yes, Katie?"

"Can we leave my present here while we go to the movies? My car isn't big enough for the five of us and the mini fridge."

"I could teleport it to your house."

"That's not necessary, Willow. You deserve a break from that until you leave tonight."

"If you say so, Katie."

The girls then got in Katie's car and headed to the nearest theater.

"What should we see first?" the redhead was the first to ask.

"How about Wrong Turn?" Dawn suggested after taking a quick glance at one of the movie posters hanging on a nearby wall of the theater.

"What's that about?" her sister questioned as she scanned the list of the movies currently playing at that theater.

"Just a suspense about a group of young people being stalked in the woods of West Virginia after making a wrong turn, hence the title."

"I guess that sounds ok, but what about after that?"

"How about Bruce Almighty?"

"Sounds good to me. I'm sure Jim Carrey will make it worth seeing. So we all agree on Wrong Turn and then Bruce Almighty?"

"Yes," was the group's decision.

After buying their tickets and stopping at the snack counter, Buffy led the way to the first choice. Since she was leading the group, Buffy missed the smile on her sister's face, but the other three saw it.

"What's with that smile, Dawn?" Willow whispered to her.

Dawn simply nodded to a poster similar to the one she saw as they had entered the lobby. Willow gasped before quickly covering her mouth.

"You ok, Will?"

"Sure, Buff, I just got something caught in my throat," she explained as she covered her lie by sipping on her soda.

"Alright."

"What's the big deal about that poster?" Jessie inquired softly as Katie listened in closely.

"The girl on the poster looks exactly like Faith. I can't wait to see the look on Buffy's face."

"Me either," Katie and Jessie replied at the same time, causing them to giggle briefly.

"Hey, are you three coming?" Buffy quizzed her sister and their new friends, who were trailing behind her and Willow.

"Yeah," they replied in unison.

Willow sat down first followed by Buffy, then Dawn, and finally Jessie and Katie. When the topic of discussion made her first appearance, Buffy immediately turned her attention to her sister and glared at her while the younger girl tried to hide the growing smirk. Katie and Jessie just acted like they had no idea what was going on between the sisters.

_Did you know about this, Willow?_

_Uh._

_You did, didn't you?_

_I didn't know until Dawn showed me the poster hanging on the wall as we left the snack counter. Is there a reason why you're getting so worked up over a girl that looks like someone we know?_

_No, no reason. Let's just go back to watching the movie._

_Jessie, do you know something I don't know?_

_What are you talking about, Willow? _

_Is there something going on between Buffy and Faith that I'm not aware of at this moment?_

_I'll plead the fifth on this one._

_Fine, I'll ask Dawn about it later. _

Buffy remained a little jumpy through the rest of the movie. When it was over, she got up and dragged her sister into the ladies restroom.

"So that's why you wanted to see Wrong Turn? To watch your big sister squirm for almost an hour and a half?"

"Actually, yeah."

"That wasn't cool, Dawn, now Jessie, Katie, and Willow will think I have certain feelings for Faith."

"Well, you do, don't you?"

"Yes…No…I don't know."

"I know you do. And believe it or not, I'm ok with it. Sure, I wasn't happy to see her when she reappeared before the showdown with The First. However, after you left the house that other night, I saw that she had changed for the better. I think she cares for you as well. I heard the two of you talking after we got back on the bus that day. You thanked her for holding the line while you were down. I thought I might have seen something in the way she looked at you after that."

"What way was that?"

"That she was sorry for what happened in the past and…"

"And?"

"That maybe she wants more from you. A real relationship, like what Jessie and Katie have together."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Just think about it, ok?"

"Why should I take a risk like that?"

"Because I want you to be happy, just like you said you wanted to see your friends happy again. If Faith can make that happen, then you have to give it a shot."

"I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything."

"Ok."

"Hey, hurry up, the next movie is going to start in about five minutes," Willow called out from behind the other side of the door.

"We're coming."

The time spent watching the second movie went easier for everyone. They had each gotten in fair amount of laughter at the antics of Jim Carrey while being touched by the dialogue coming from Morgan Freeman. After the movies, the five of them went back to Katie's house to get ready for the party.

"Where are you going, Katie?"

"Upstairs to change for the party."

"What's wrong with the dress you have on?"

"It's ok for an event like a graduation, Jessie, but I would prefer to wear something even more comfortable."

"That's sounds like a good idea. Anything in particular?"

"Maybe."

"Ok."

"Are the rest of you comfortable with what you have on right now? If not, you can come up to my room with me and see if I have anything you feel like borrowing."

"I'm good, Katie, but I want to see what my girlfriend is thinking of wearing to the party."

"I'm happy with what I have on, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to see what you have up there," Buffy mentioned before she turned to Dawn and Willow, "What about you?"

"Sure, we're curious to see what she has," Dawn said with a growing smile.

The girls smiled at the selection to choose from. Katie started to undress as the other four had their backs to her.

"You have some nice clothes, Katie," Buffy stated as she admired what she saw in the closet

"Yeah, you have really great t…," Dawn began to compliment her before she saw Katie standing there in her underwear.

"Uh, what do you think you're doing, Katie?"

"I'm changing, remember, Willow?"

"I know, but we thought you might want some privacy."

"I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?"

"N-No," Dawn mumbled before she looked away.

"Relax, Dawn, I'm sure the three of you've seen other girls changing during gym classes, right?"

"Y-Yeah."

Katie smiled as she walked up to Dawn, lightly grabbed the young girl's chin with a few fingers, and had the girl look at her again as she spoke to her, "Hey, we're friends, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, friends should be able to change in front of each other."

"Leave the poor girl alone, sweetie. You're such a teaser."

"It's one of my most adoring traits, Jessie."

"Yeah, but don't let that go to your head, got it?"

Katie saluted Jessie like a soldier to try and get Dawn to laugh at the hope of loosening the poor girl up.

"Yes, Sergeant Sammler, Private Katie Singer shutting up now."

This got everyone else to laugh as Katie smirked at Jessie.

"Is she always like this?"

"Yes, I am," Katie announced as she walked past her guests and grabbed a red blouse and black skirt that was about an inch shorter than her dress.

"I thought you said you were shutting up, Private Singer?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

"Forget the sorry and give me ten push ups," Jessie demanded with a glare that she had learned from her mom.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, now drop and give me ten before I double it."

Katie began to laugh as she started doing exactly that, but Jessie stopped her before she could do the second one.

"You're so cute when you take orders from me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. See something you like, Buffy?" Katie assumed as she saw the blonde staring at something in her closet.

"Uh, maybe."

"Whatever it is, you can borrow it," Katie offered as she put on the clothes she had picked a few minutes earlier.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

The blonde smiled as she chose a pair of black leather pants.

"Plan on teasing the guys at the party?"

"Possibly."

"You want some privacy, Buffy?"

"If everyone can handle Katie changing in front of them, then I guess I can do the same."

Willow felt herself becoming a little nervous as the blonde removed her shorts. Since her back was to Willow, Buffy didn't notice the redhead staring at her while she reached for the pants.

"You ok, Willow?"

"Uh, what?" the redhead babbled as she looked away from Buffy to see the grins on the other girls' faces.

"I said, 'Are you ok?'. I heard you shiver a bit. You've been acting a little weird every so often on this trip. You're worried about everyone getting along, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, that's it."

'That's what I thought," the blonde admitted as she buttoned and zipped up the pants.

Everyone rolled their eyes at the clueless blonde as she picked up the shorts and laid them on the bed. Then they each made a pit stop at the bathrooms before leaving the house. When she was sure Buffy couldn't hear her, Willow turned and warned the rest of them.

"Not one word, got it?"

"Whatever you say," Dawn chuckled.

"We got it, Katie and I won't say anything. But sooner or later, she's going to figure it out."

About ten minutes later, Tad's party

The girls arrived to a suddenly silent room that had begun gawking at the mysterious trio that had arrived with Jessie and Katie. This made Willow and Dawn a little uncomfortable but made the rest of them smirk at the possible fun they could have with this.

_Are you willing to tease the guys a little, Will?_

_That depends on how much?_

_Just follow my lead, ok?_

_Sure, but if you don't mind I'd like to discuss it with Kennedy so I don't do anything to upset her._

_Ok._

_Kennedy, can you hear me, baby?_

_Of course, Willow. Did you change your mind about the party?_

_No, but I wanted to ask you a favor._

_What is it?_

_Buffy wants to have a little fun that would get the guys a little worked up. Is that ok with you?_

_How much did she want to do?_

_All she said was to follow her lead._

_Alright, just no having sex with her. Everything else is fine. Let me know how it went._

_Thanks for being so understanding._

_No problem._

_What did she say, Will?_

_She said as long as we don't have sex, it's cool._

Willow smiled as Buffy blushed at the comment.

"Are you ok, Buffy? You're blushing something fierce there."

"I'm fine, Jessie."

"Why is everyone staring at us, Katie?"

"I guess they haven't seen so many attractive females arrive at one time, Dawn."

"You girls made it."

"We said we would, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean you weren't capable of changing your mind. So, Buffy, Dawn, and Willow, where are you three from in California?"

"We're from Sunnydale."

"Isn't that the town that sunk into the ground due to an earthquake?"

"Yes, we had just made it out as it had collapsed."

"How long are you staying here? Are the three of you seeing anyone? Maybe I can show you around Chicago," Tad asked in what he hoped was a smooth tone, but it only made his friends groan inside at the speed it took Tad to ask them that.

"Thanks, for the offer, Tad, but we're heading back after we leave the party. We are probably leaving the country within a few days. Besides, your friends here showed us everything we needed to see. And Dawn is only sixteen."

"Buffy, I'm not a kid!" Dawn whined.

"As for me, I'm with her. Aren't I, baby?" Buffy lied as she turned to her best friend, kissed her softly on the cheek, laid her head on the redhead's shoulder, and wrapped an arm around the other girl's side.

"Uh, sure she is," Willow muttered.

"You don't sound too convincing, Willow," Tad commented.

"She's just shy around new people, right?" Buffy explained as she softly kissed Willow on the lips.

While the redhead felt like she was going to faint, her friends held back laughs in the attempt to make it even more believable.

"Well, help yourself to whatever food and drinks we have in the kitchen," Tad insisted as he started to walk away from the girls in search of another girl to hit on.

"Thank you. Can I get you anything, Will?"

"Yes, a beer would be nice."

"Good, want to come with me, Dawn? I'm sure there's some soda as well. Would you two like something, Katie?"

"I'll have a beer, too, and Jessie will have a soda."

Buffy simply smirked at the frustration on her sister's face and turned to walk to the kitchen, but not before giving the redhead a pinch on her butt. Everyone except Jessie, Katie, and Dawn gasped at the display that made Willow jump a little and blush.

"Whoa, what got into her?" Jessie wondered as she let out the laugh she was holding back.

"We said that we might tease the guys."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect her to pinch you. Do you think she plans to do more?"

"I don't know."

"I'm guessing yes," Katie stated as she looked toward the kitchen to see when the blonde would reappear.

"Are you going to be ok if she does?"

"Once again, I don't know."

"What do you think Kennedy will do when she finds out?"

"She already knows. I asked her telepathically, and she said as long as we don't have sex, it's cool."

"How come I didn't hear that?"

"Because I blocked you. I didn't want you to hear. I kind of wanted to see your and Katie's reactions."

"Alright."


	12. Chapter 12

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 12

Author: j_rock873

Rating: R

Summary: The girls enjoy the party until one of them runs into serious trouble.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I'm not sure if this will be the only chapter to reach the R rating.

I've been trying to keep it at a PG-13 level, but what happens in this one requires a different rating. I will be using lines that were used in some episodes of Buffy and in a recent Buffy Season Eight comic book. A few other lines used are ones I heard from the movie, "Varsity Blues", and the TV show, That 70's Show.

* * *

At the same time, Tad's kitchen

"Buffy, what in the heck got into you?" Dawn whispered to her sister.

"I said that we might tease them, didn't I?" Buffy whispered back.

"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to pinch your best friend like that. What else do you have planned for the crowd?"

"That's for me to know and the rest of you to find out until we leave."

Dawn sighed at the mischievous smile on Buffy's face as the blonde handed her two sodas and a beer. Then Buffy grabbed a few more beers.

"Can you take those drinks to Jessie and Katie?"

"Sure, Buffy."

After all of the guests had loosened up, Dawn and Jessie watched as Katie, Buffy, and Willow got involved in a few drinking games. Even with some beers in her, Buffy was clearly the most sober of the three girls. The latest game just happened to be Quarters.

"I bet I can do this with my eyes closed," Buffy bragged as she eyed the cup in the middle of the table.

"I h-have to d-disagree. W-We've n-never s-seen anyone be able to do th-that," Tad slurred.

"What will you do if I can?"

"If you c-can, th-then all of us at the table will ch-chug the r-rest of our drinks, r-right, g-guys?"

Jessie and Dawn looked on anxiously as the rest agreed. Buffy slowly closed her eyes and listened as she heard the coin clink twice. Once on the first bounce, and the other when it hit the bottom of the cup with the other coins.

"Nothing but net," Buffy boasted after opening her eyes.

"Chug, Chug, Chug," Buffy, Jessie, and Dawn shouted until the rest of the table was done.

The audience started laughing as Tad and Katie stumbled out of their chairs and onto the floor. They got rowdier when another guy passed out, fell out of his chair, and hit the floor with a loud thump.

"Are you ok, Katie?"

"Yes, let's go dance a little," Katie babbled as she grabbed her girlfriend's hand and led her with a swagger to where others were dancing.

"Come on, Willow, we can't let those two have all of the fun," Buffy announced as she followed their friends.

"Watch where you're going, you jerk," Dawn growled at a guy who had spilled his beer on her shirt as he was passing by her.

"Sorry."

"Whatever."

Nobody noticed that the guy had dropped a few pills into Dawn's soda at the same time. They were too busy watching the actions of Jessie, Katie, Buffy, and Willow while Dawn was distracted by wondering how her sister would react to her shirt reeking of alcohol. For about the next twenty minutes, the crowd was treated to seeing the two couples teasing them. When Dawn moved closer, Katie encouraged her to join them. Buffy smiled at her speechless friend as she rubbed up against her. When she couldn't take it anymore, she spoke up.

"What's got your attention other than me this time, Willow?"

"That," Willow said as she indicated for Buffy to look to her right.

Buffy watched as her sister was doing the same thing with Jessie and Katie.

"Has Dawn been drinking beer without me seeing it?"

"No, Buffy, the four of us have been keeping a pretty close eye on her the entire night. She's just having fun with our new friends. I hope Jessie decides to join the fight."

"So do I. If not for us, then at least for Dawn's sake. We're not sure how well she will get along with the other girls."

Buffy smiled as the music slowed down.

"Uh, Buffy, what are you doing now?"

The redhead watched cautiously as the blonde pulled the other girl as close as she could, rested her head on her shoulder, and ran her fingers through the red hair.

"You know it wouldn't hurt if you did something, Willow."

"Ok," Willow stated before she did the same thing.

Then she was surprised when Buffy lowered her friend's hands down to her waist. Willow laughed as she and Buffy heard whistles from all directions.

"Is that for us?"

"Not completely."

"Then for who else?"

"Jessie and Katie."

The blonde turned her head to the right again and saw Katie slowly push Jessie into a corner about ten feet away.

"It's like they're trying to outdo us."

Ten feet away

"Well, since you two are busy, I'm going to go to the bathroom."

Jessie broke the kiss long enough to ask her, "Are you ok, Dawn?"

"I'm feeling a little tired. I think we might need to leave soon."

"Ok. We'll be right here if you need anything."

"That's obvious, Katie."

"Sorry."

"It's cool. I understand."

"Do you think she'll be ok, Billie?" Katie questioned in a worried tone.

"Yes. We'll ask her again though when she gets back."

As Dawn searched for an empty bathroom, she was being watched by the same guy who had spilled the beer on her. She was definitely disoriented when she began making her way upstairs. When the brunette left the bathroom, the guy followed her.

"Hi, are you ok?"

"I'm not feeling so good. I need to go find my sister and our friends."

"What do they look like? I can go find them while you rest in here," the guy advised as he led her into a bedroom a few feet away.

"The blonde and the redhead who came with me, Jessie, and Katie. My sister is the blonde, and the redhead is our friend from our hometown. Now, if you will get out of my way, I can go find them without your help."

"No, it's the least I could do for spilling beer on your shirt."

"No thanks. I'm not helpless. I'm sure I can find…"

"That was easy enough," he gloated to himself as he began to remove the clothes of the now passed out Dawn.

At the same moment, downstairs

Jessie and Katie were still kissing in the corner when Jessie began to hear more voices. She tried to ignore it until she heard her own name. She gently pushed Katie away, so she could focus her attention to the noise that seemed to be coming from above her. This confused Katie. She leaned in to kiss Jessie again but was stopped by Jessie's hand on her lips. This got the attention of all the people who were standing nearby.

"Burn!"

"Denied!"

"You must be losing your touch, Katie."

"Shut up, Sarah. What's wrong, Billie?"

"Dawn is in trouble. We need to find her."

"What kind of trouble? And how can you hear anything over this music and the people still watching us?"

"It's the slayer hearing, sweetie. She's in life changing trouble," Jessie whispered into her girlfriend's ear.

"You don't mean what I think you mean, do you?"

"Yes, I do."

Jessie grabbed Katie by the hand and started heading upstairs. The guests who had been to Tad's before knew the only things upstairs were a few bathrooms and three bedrooms. At the sound of two light thuds, she picked up the pace. A few began to whistle and cheer.

"I guess you're wrong, Sarah. She's not losing her touch."

"Shut up, Tad."

Twenty feet away

Buffy and Willow were returning from the kitchen with another round of beer as they barely heard cheers above the loud music. They saw two girls walking quickly up the stairs.

"Willow, is that Jessie and Katie?"

"Yeah."

"Then where is Dawn? She was with them the last time we saw her about ten minutes ago."

"She's probably in the bathroom. Jessie and Katie just wanted some privacy. You know what that's like."

"Can you just ask Jessie to make sure?"

"Ok, but I'm sure she's alright."

"Thank you."

_Jessie, can you hear me over the music?_

_Yes, where are you?_

_Downstairs and twenty feet to your right._

_You and Buffy need to get upstairs in a hurry._

_Why? Is something wrong? Is it Dawn?_

_Yes, Dawn is in serious trouble._

_How serious?_

_Life changing trouble._

_We'll be there as soon as we can._

"What's wrong, Willow? Is there a problem?"

"Yes, Dawn is in deep trouble."

"How deep? If she's been drinking, so help me god."

"Jessie said it was life changing trouble."

Buffy didn't need to hear anymore. She and Willow pushed through the people standing in their path to the stairs.

"Excuse me," Buffy repeated as she bumped into almost everyone in her frantic stride.

Willow followed up with, "Pardon us."

The cheers began to erupt as they saw the two strangers take the same path that Jessie and Katie had taken. Jessie was at the last bedroom door when she heard the sound of a zipper. She tried turning the doorknob while knocking on the door.

"Someone's in here," a male voice responded.

"Not for long," Jessie exclaimed as she broke the lock, entered the room, and closed the door behind her and Katie.

"Get lost, Sammler. This girl's mine. She said I could do anything I wanted."

"Well, considering she's unconscious, I think you're lying."

"Back off."

"Sorry, but I can't do that," Jessie stated before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and slamming him up against a wall.

It was then that the girls saw that Dawn was one article of clothing away from being completely naked.

"I don't care what you did to that school locker. I'm not afraid of you. You can't stop me. There's no one here who has enough strength or guts to stop me."

"As our mentor once told my redheaded friend, 'I'd like to test that theory.' What did you do to my sister, scumbag?"

The couple turned their heads to see Buffy and Willow glaring at the overconfident guy being held against the wall.

"I don't have to tell you anything. You can't make me do that."

"REVEAL!" the redhead demanded.

"I slipped a few, quickly dissolving, sleeping pills into her soda while I distracted her by spilling my beer on her shirt."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, I almost groped her small chest. Wait, how did you do that?"

"That's a little secret you'll never learn."

"I can handle this now."

"No, Buffy, I've got it."

"But she's my sister, Jessie."

"I know that. That's why you and Willow are going to take care of Dawn while I take out the trash."

"But…"

"No buts. Cooler heads need to be in control."

"Fine, but the three of you are going to wait in the hall. Dawn, Willow, and I are going to want to see what you're going to do to the guy."

"Alright, Buffy. Can you hold the guy back for a minute or two, Willow?"

"Sure."

Jessie released her hold on the guy and promptly removed the shirt she was wearing to reveal a tank top beneath it.

"Here, Dawn can borrow this since her shirt reeks of beer. Come on, Katie," Jessie called out to her girlfriend, who had covered Dawn with the bed's comforter.

"Thanks, Jessie."

"No problem, Willow. We'll just be waiting in the hall for the three of you."

After unsuccessfully trying to wake Dawn when Jessie had dragged the guy out of the room, Buffy inquired to the redhead, "Could you use some magic to wake her, Will?"

"Sure, Buff. Awaken," Willow ordered as she waved a hand in front of Dawn.

"Huh? What's going on? Where am I? Why are you holding my clothes, Buffy?" Dawn asked as she clutched the comforter to her body.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"I wasn't feeling too good, so I told Jessie and Katie I was going to the bathroom. I swear I wasn't drinking any alcohol. Then a guy who had spilled beer on me earlier offered to help me find you, but I told him I didn't need his help."

"We know that, sweetie. You were drugged."

"Did he…do anything?"

"No, he was stopped."

"I'm really sorry, Buffy."

"There's nothing to be sorry for. You did nothing wrong."

"I guess I should thank you for saving me again."

"Actually, I didn't."

"You said he was stopped. If you didn't save me, then who did?"

"That honor goes to our new friend."

"Huh?"

"Jessie saved you. I couldn't hear anything over the loud music as Willow and I were getting a few more drinks from the kitchen. Jessie, however, was a lot closer. That's why she was able to hear you."

"J-Jessie saved me? How much did she see?"

"While Jessie, Willow, and I were talking to the guy, Katie covered you with the comforter."

"Katie was here as well? Anybody else?"

"No, that's all of them."

Dawn slowly lifted the comforter to get a closer look. When she saw how undressed she was, she burst into tears on Buffy's shoulder.

"Dawn, I know you have every right to cry right now, but you need to get dressed. Jessie and Katie are waiting for us in the hall," Buffy informed her as painful memories of that terrible night with Spike ran through her mind.

"W-What are you talking about?"

"I asked her to wait because the three of us will want to see what she's going to do to the guy."

"You mean Jessie's holding the guy all by herself? What if she needs help?"

When the three girls heard a loud bang, Dawn leaped out of the bed and started getting dressed. She didn't care that Buffy and Willow were watching her. She was worried about her friends.

"Jessie said you could borrow her shirt," Buffy explained at the confused look on Dawn's face as she looked at the shirt on the bed in front of her.

Downstairs

"What was that sound, Tad?"

"I don't know, Russell."

"Maybe Jessie, Katie, and their new friends are having a ménage-a-… What's the French word for four? It seems like they're getting a little rough with each other from that noise," a nearby guy taunted.

"Shut up, punk. Those are my friends you're talking about."

"What's the matter, Tad? What are you more upset about? That they didn't ask you to join them, or that they wouldn't let you watch?"

"That's enough," Tad warned before punching the obnoxious guy standing behind him.

"Well, it looks like someone interrupted them. That's not the same shirt Jessie was wearing earlier either," Russell declared as he pointed toward the blonde at the top of the stairs, who had just slammed the guy into a wall for the second time.


	13. Chapter 13

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 13

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie takes care of the guy who attempted to rape Dawn in the previous chapter and makes a decision on whether or not to join the fight. What will her choice be?

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

"Jessie, what are you doing up there?"

"I'm getting ready to take out the trash, Tad."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I've got it under control."

Jessie began to drag the guy down the steps with Katie and the rest of the girls following her at a calm speed. After they cleared the steps, the guy managed to break free. Instead of running or walking away, he prepared for a fight. Jessie saw this and got into a fighting stance.

"OOH, FIGHT! Give them some room," a drunken guy called out from almost the same spot where Jessie and Katie had been before they rescued Dawn.

"I normally don't hit women, Sammler, but I can make an exception this time."

"Yeah, you just drug them and then try raping them."

It was at that moment, the entire party realized that Dawn was now wearing the shirt Jessie had on earlier. Jessie shot a "I'm sorry." look over to Dawn that was returned with an understanding nod. At the word "raping", Tad began making his way over to where the guy was standing, but Katie held him back and warned all of them.

"Everyone, stay back, Jessie can handle him."

"Are you sure, Katie?"

"I'm positive."

"Well, go ahead, tough guy. I'll let you have the first shot," Jessie challenged as she ignored the scoff she heard from her enemy, Sarah.

His first attempt was easily blocked and countered with a kick to the stomach. He tried another and was hit once again in the stomach. After showing slight discomfort at being hit, he tried yet another punch. This time he was sent flying back about ten feet into a wall as she started to unleash some of her new strength. Jessie took a look around to find out everyone's reaction and was met with an eerie quiet. When the guy stepped forward, a fair sized dent could be seen on the wall. She began to smile at Katie, who was beaming with pride until she saw the guy charge toward her girlfriend.

"Jessie, look out."

Jessie had sensed the guy coming. As soon as she felt him lunge for her, she grabbed him by the wrist and lower arm and flung him over her shoulder. The speed at which he ran to her combined with the strength she used made the guy soar over the nearby couch. A huge crunch was heard as the guy landed backwards on a coffee table that collapsed under the weight. Everyone stared in awe at the sight in front of them. They anxiously waited to see what would happen next between the guy on the destroyed table and a smirking Jessie. Suddenly, almost all of the girls were clapping and/or cheering. At Katie's request, Jessie looked to her left and saw Sarah sigh before she joined in with the other girls' claps and cheers. Jessie basked in the moment briefly before she walked over to the guy and picked him up into a fireman's carry.

"Not done with him yet, Jessie?"

"Russell, you heard what I said. I'm taking out the trash because it's still in the house. Sorry about the upstairs bedroom door, coffee table, and the wall, Tad."

"It's ok, Jessie, we're fully insured."

Jessie started to walk to the front door but had to pause for a moment due to the fact that a few guests raced past them to get a better view for when Jessie made it outside. When Jessie reached the front lawn, she lifted the guy off of her shoulders and causally dropped him behind her. She laughed as the guy rolled onto his side and groaned in pain.

"Everyone, get out of our way," a voice commanded that parted the company blocking the front door entrance.

Jessie was then face to face with Buffy, Dawn, and Willow while Katie stood by her. The three women turned to the guy and contemplated their next move. Jessie and Katie watched closely as Buffy kicked the guy in the stomach, causing him to spit up a bit of blood, followed by a swift kick to the groin by Dawn, and finally heard Willow chant something in a language they didn't recognize at the moment.

"What did you say, Willow? I didn't understand that."

"It was Latin, Jessie. I made him sterile."

"WHAT?"

"Just call it a vasectomy without the snippety snip."

"Whoa, that's awesome, Will."

"Thanks, Buff."

Jessie felt someone staring and turned to see Dawn slowing moving toward her.

"Did you want something?"

"I…I…," Dawn mumbled before breaking down into tears and clinging to the blonde.

"Hey…, it's ok. Everything's going to be ok, Dawn."

"But if you hadn't stopped him, he would have…"

When Dawn began to cry even harder, Jessie patted her gently on her back and looked over at Buffy and Willow with a "What do we do now?" look. Buffy was torn on what to do while Willow shed a few tears of her own over Dawn's pain.

"What are you doing, Buffy?" Jessie asked the other blonde that appeared to be removing a necklace.

"This is for you."

"But, Buffy, isn't that the cross necklace Angel gave you the first time you two met?"

"Yes, Willow, he gave it to me as protection against vampires. Since Jessie protected Dawn when I couldn't, I thought I would let her have it."

"Buffy, I didn't save Dawn in hopes of some reward. It's a nice gesture, but it clearly means a lot to you, so you should keep it."

"But…"

"But nothing. I was helping out a friend. Besides, I'm sure you would have done the same thing if you were in my shoes."

"Y-You consider m-me a f-friend?" Dawn sputtered as she released Jessie from her grip, wiped away some stray tears, and took a few steps back.

"Yes, Dawn. I consider the three of you friends now."

"Th-Thanks. Uh, how soon are you going to need this shirt back?"

"Just hold on to it for me until I join you in wherever you end up."

"You mean you want to help us in the fight?"

"I'm warming up to the idea. I'll be able to give you a final decision in a few weeks."

"Well, I guess it's time we head back, you two."

"Alright, Willow. Come on, Dawn."

"I guess we'll head out as well."

"Before we leave, I need to change out of these pants and back into the shorts I left back at Katie's house."

"Then hop in, and I'll drive us back to my house. You can change and teleport to California in my bedroom."

"Ok. Are you alright to drive?"

"Yes, a fight can sober you up quick."

"Among other things," Jessie muttered.

"What was that, Jessie?" Katie asked.

"Nothing." _I guess this is what Buffy, Willow, and Kennedy were talking about earlier. I guess it isn't restricted to after fighting vampires and demons. If we don't get home soon, I'm going to lose it._

"If you say so."

Buffy and Willow had seen the look on her face and knew exactly what it meant, making them roll their eyes in another direction. Jessie continued to hold in the feelings that were growing since dropping the guy on the lawn. After reaching Katie's bedroom, Jessie and Katie headed to the kitchen to get the ingredients Willow needed, Dawn sat beside Willow, and Buffy changed in Katie's bathroom.

"I guess this is it, for at least a few weeks anyway," Dawn declared through a sniffle.

"You're not going to cry again, are you?"

"No, Buffy, I'm not going to cry again. But I will do this," she said sarcastically before planting a soft kiss on Jessie's right cheek.

Jessie blushed while Katie seemed to get a little upset.

"Well, you still have my cell phone number, right?"

"Yes, Buffy."

"Just checking."

"Jessie, if you end up telling your family what happened upstairs at the party, don't tell them how far he got before you stopped him, ok?"

"I promise."

Jessie let out a happy sigh as the three girls disappeared.

"You're happy they're gone? It sounded like you wanted to join them in the fight."

"I think I do."

"Then why are you happy they're gone?"

"I'll explain when you take me home. It's almost curfew time."

Ten minutes later, the home of Karen Sammler

"You were cutting it kind of close there, Jessie."

"I know."

"So how was the party?"

"Well…," Jessie began while looking at the stairs.

"Well, what? You didn't drink any alcohol, did you?"

"No, Karen, Jessie didn't drink. It's just that something happened a little bit before we left."

"Katie, she doesn't need to know that."

"I don't need to know what?" Karen inquired with a look of concern.

"Uh, just that I saved someone from getting raped tonight."

"Someone was almost raped? Who was it?"

"Dawn."

"Dawn? As in Dawn Summers? That sweet girl we met along with her sister, Buffy, and their friend, Willow?"

"Yeah."

"I'm proud of you, Jessie. So what happened to him?"

"Billie kicked his ass without even breaking a sweat, Buffy kicked him in the gut which made him spit up a few drops of blood, Dawn kicked him in the groin, and Willow cast a spell that made him sterile."

"Anything else?"

"He was still lying on the ground when we left."

"Ok, well, that's enough excitement for me. I'll see you in the morning, sweetie."

"Goodnight, Mom. Hey, can Katie spend the night?"

"Sure, sleep well."

"Goodnight, Karen."

"Goodnight, Katie."

"Mom, are there any leftovers from whatever you had for dinner tonight?"

"Actually, I wasn't sure how much you might eat after you left for the movies, so I ordered a medium, veggie pizza for you. Whatever you and Katie don't eat, I'm sure we or Eli can finish tomorrow."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Ten minutes later, Jessie's room

"Get enough to eat, Billie?" Katie questioned her girlfriend, who was eating the final slice on their way upstairs, with a smirk and an arched eyebrow.

"Yes, did you get enough?"

"Whatever I was able to get my hands on."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you had almost half the pizza gone before I even finished my second slice."

"Sorry, but at least I left you a third slice."

"That you did," Katie commented with a giggle.

"What are you laughing at now?"

"You have some pizza sauce on your chin."

"Really?"

"Yeah, see," Katie explained as she wiped it off Jessie's chin with her right index finger before slowly licking it off with the tip of her tongue.

The next thing Katie knew, Jessie had scooped her up, ran across the room, and lightly tossed the other girl onto the bed.

"Did you have a good time at the party? Well, up to right before we saved Dawn?"

"YOU saved her, not we. You're the one she kissed," Katie grumbled as she sat up and gazed down at the bedspread. This caused Jessie to let out a sigh.

"Are you still upset that Dawn kissed me?"

"I never said I was upset."

"You didn't have to. I could see it on your face. Kind of like the look you have now."

"Alright, so maybe I was a little upset, but it's only because you seemed to like it."

"It's not like I asked her to kiss me. It just surprised me. You understand, right?"

"Of course, but she is beautiful."

"I believe the exact word you used was 'hot'. You don't need to worry. I love you."

"I know. So can you tell me now why you were happy to see them go back to California?"

"Do you remember what Buffy said before about urges?"

"Yes, do you mean you want to now? I thought that only happened after a vampire slay."

"Well, I guess they were wrong."

"Aren't you worried about your mom overhearing us?"

"No, she's a pretty heavy sleeper. The only thing that can wake her is her alarm clock and when you shake her. If it will ease your nerves, we can play some music."

"That might be a good idea."

Jessie started up the Billie Holliday CD before she and Katie got undressed and climbed into bed.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Billie?"

"Of course, it was my idea."

"I know that. I just don't want you do something that you will regret later."

"I won't regret it later."

"Ok, but I need to tell you something important. It might make you change your mind about what we're about to do."

"What is it?"

"It's about the scholarship," Katie revealed as she started to hesitate on telling Jessie the news.

"Whatever it is, we can deal with it."

"I hope so. Ok, here it goes. To get the full scholarship, I need to live on campus for at least the first year. It means I have to forget about renting the available loft I found on a real estate website."

"I'm sure we can figure out something soon," Jessie reasoned as she moved closer to Katie.

"You mean you still want to?"

"Yes."

An hour later, Karen's bedroom

While Jessie and Katie were sleeping after their first time, Karen was having a nightmare.

Karen's nightmare

Karen was preparing a care package for Jessie. It had only been a month since Jessie had moved to London, England to join in the fight, but she missed her daughter tremendously. So when Jessie appeared from behind her, she was ecstatic until she saw the look of anger and sadness.

"I'm so happy right now. I've really missed you. What's wrong?"

"How COULD you? I thought you LOVED me."

"You know I love you. How can you say something like that?"

"If you loved me, then why didn't you stop me from leaving?"

"You wanted to go so badly. I couldn't deny you after the look you gave me."

"MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE!"

"Why are you being this way? What happened over there? Did you and Katie get in a fight and break up over being a slayer?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"I and ten other slayers died about an hour ago."

"What? How?"

"We got a tip on a vampire den, but it was a trap. We were set up by a group of vampires and demons who formed a truce to try and kill us. I saw some vampires dusted before I was killed."

"Can't Willow bring you back since she's a witch and had brought Buffy back?"

"She can't."

"Why not?"

"Because she's dead. The ones who set us up knew who they were dealing with. Willow was the first one to die. I saw her die in Buffy's arms before I was hit with bolts of electricity. I died at Buffy's feet."

"This is just a bad dream."

"No, it's real. Call my cell phone and see for yourself. I'm not sure who will answer, but it definitely won't be me."

Karen immediately called and became worried when it was Katie who answered.

"Katie, is Jessie there? Katie? ARE YOU THERE?"

Karen's heart began to race as she heard cries coming from two girls before a man spoke to her.

"Hello?"

"Hello, who is this?"

"It's Rupert Giles."

"This is Karen Sammler, Jessie Sammler's mother. Who's that crying in the background?"

"That would be Katie Singer and Dawn Summers you're hearing."

"Is Jessie d-dead?"

"Uh."

"Don't give me any uhs. Just tell me. Is my daughter dead or alive?"

"I'm sorry to inform you of this, but yes, Jessie is dead. She died an hour ago along with ten other slayers and Willow Rosenberg."

"I-I n-need to contact the rest of the family. I'll call you back as soon as I can."

"Very well, we'll be waiting to hear from you. I'm truly sorry about what happened to Jessie."

"Thank you."

Karen turned to look at Jessie, who had remained still with the same look on her face the entire time.

"See, I told you. If you had put your foot down more, I would have stayed. This is YOUR fault. I have to go now."

"No, please don't go. Stay here."

"It's too late for that. Goodbye."

"NO!" Karen screamed as she reached for her daughter, but fell right through Jessie and hit the floor.

"You're pathetic, you know that?" Jessie scowled before vanishing.

"NOOO! COME BACK, JESSIE!" Karen screamed again as she quickly sat up in her bed with her forehead covered in sweat.


	14. Chapter 14

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 14

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie and Katie talk about the future while the gang in California finds out how the party went at Tad's house.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jessie's bedroom

Katie was awoken from a peaceful sleep by her girlfriend sitting there with a contemplating stare as she faced the bedroom door.

"What's the matter, Billie?"

"You mean you didn't hear that?"

"Hear what? You're the one with the slayer hearing."

"My mom just screamed."

"She screamed?"

"Yeah, I'm sure it was just a nightmare. I still can't believe you didn't hear that."

"I guess you wore me out more than you thought."

"Yeah, right. Should I go check on her?"

"Maybe."

"You want to come with me?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. This sounds like a mother/daughter moment."

"Well, she told me sometimes she considers you to be like a second daughter. Who knows, maybe you will be someday."

"Ok, but if she would rather be alone with you, I'll understand. I'll just sleep by myself if it comes to that."

The girls swiftly made their way to Karen's room, knocked on the door, and entered as Karen invited them in.

"Have a nightmare, Mom?"

"Yeah, are you going to be ok, Karen?"

"I just had the worst nightmare I've ever had."

"Would you like to tell us about it?"

Karen nodded, patted the bed beside her, and waited for Jessie and Katie to join her. When Katie didn't move, she reassured the girl that it would be ok for her to join them.

"You can sit down with us, Katie."

"Ok."

Karen described every detail that she could remember. The girls were stunned on how coldly Jessie treated her mother in the dream.

"It was just a dream, Mom. With everything they told us, one of us was eventually going to have a nightmare. Even if that happened, I wouldn't treat you that way."

"What if it was more than a dream? What if it was a sign for you not to go away?"

"Well, I sort of made my mind up about that tonight, but I will talk it over with all of you tomorrow."

"What was the choice you made?"

"Mom."

"Please, Jessie."

"Alright, I decided I want to give the slaying a try, at least for a few years."

"So then my dream doesn't matter?"

"I'm sure you won't be the only one to have a dream like that, but I really want to see how I can handle fighting the supernatural."

"Ok, but I still would prefer if you would change your mind and just go to college to become a doctor like you talked about before they came to see us."

"They? They have names, Mom. Would you like it if we stayed here until you fall asleep, like you did when I was little? I will even sing one of your favorite songs to you."

"Which one?"

"That's a surprise."

"Ok."

Karen lay back down as Jessie prepared to sing. Karen let out a smile when her daughter began to sing "Let It Be" by the Beatles. By the time Jessie was done, Karen was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face.

"That was so sweet. It's like you're getting practice in for when we have kids."

"You've thought about that before?"

"Yes, haven't you?"

"No," Jessie answered as she looked away so Katie wouldn't see her blush.

"No? Are you sure about that?" Katie asked as she arched an eyebrow.

"Ok, maybe once."

"How many do you want? Who would give birth to them? What would you want to name them?"

"One of both, and I would be the one. I think I'd name the girl Billie and the boy after my dad if that would be ok with you?"

"I'm cool with all of that."

Back in California

Buffy, Dawn, and Willow had returned and began telling them about their trip.

"I already told them all of that when I returned. So cut to the chase and tell us how the party you went to was. Try not to leave anything out."

"Well…"

Buffy and Willow described everything up until they got to the point where Jessie told them about the trouble Dawn was in. The reactions to their mentioning of the teasing by Buffy and Willow were just like they expected. Giles became uncomfortable, Faith smirked while hiding the slightly jealous feelings toward the redhead, Xander and Andrew felt like their chins were going to hit the floor, and the other slayers just smirked or laughed.

"Anything else happen that was as interesting as that?"

Buffy and Willow looked over to Dawn to see whether they should tell them the rest. Knowing their friends, Xander and Faith would have wanted to be teleported to Evanston to track the guy down. As for the other slayers, they had a rough idea that some of them would have wanted to do the same thing.

"Since it happened to me, I guess I should be the one to tell them."

"Tell us what?" Xander questioned with a bad feeling welling up in his stomach.

"I…I was almost raped. The guy distracted me by pouring beer on my shirt as he dropped sleeping pills into my soda. Jessie, the girl we went to see in Evanston, saved me though."

"Let's go back there. I want to get my hands on that guy. Who's with me?"

"I'm game, yo."

"Xander, Faith, that's not necessary. It's been taken care of already," Buffy assured with a smirk. _I can't resist looking at Faith when she smirks like that._

"How?" _Why's B staring at me like that? Does she know I like her more than I should? Maybe she feels the same way. Nah, she's not like that._

"How's it been taken care of?" _This better be good, or I'm going to ask Willow to send me there. Dawn's like a little sister to me, even though she did have a crush on me years ago. _

"Jessie kicked his ass without even breaking a sweat, Willow cast a spell on him, Buffy kicked him in the stomach, and I kicked him in the groin."

"What kind of spell?" Giles interrupted.

"I made him sterile."

"That's pretty wicked, Red. I wish I could have seen that."

"Not even a sweat, huh? It can't be too hard for a slayer to beat up some drunken guy," Kennedy stated in an unaffected tone.

"SHUT UP, you heartless bitch. I was almost raped, and you act like you don't care."

"He was sober. Can you please apologize to Dawn, baby?" Willow pleaded in an attempt to prevent a fight between the Scoobies and her girlfriend.

"No, I won't apologize for her being careless, and you're right, Dawn, I don't care."

"BITCH!" Buffy bellowed before she smacked Kennedy so hard that the other girl fell to the floor immediately.

As Kennedy stood up and prepared for a fight, Faith stepped between them.

"Don't even try it. You do and I'll split that lip." _B's sexy when she gets angry like that. _

Kennedy stood there for a minute before she turned around, stormed out of the hotel room, and headed for the closest elevator.

"Thanks, Faith," Buffy and Dawn said simultaneously before they looked at each other.

"No problem, D and B. I think I need a smoke," Faith responded before shooting Buffy a look of yearning that was only noticed by Willow and Dawn.

Everyone watched as Faith left the room while she pulled a pack of cigarettes and lighter from an inside pocket of her jacket. Then the rest of the gang headed back to their hotel rooms. Some of them gave Dawn a brief hug as they left.

"Are you ok, Willow?"

"I don't know, Buffy. We knew that Kennedy and Dawn don't get along, but I didn't expect that from her. Can I stay here tonight? I don't want to be around her right now."

"Sure, but there are only two bedrooms here. You can share a room with me. The bed is big enough for two."

"I don't know, Buffy, won't you feel a little weird if we do that?"

"No, we're just friends, right? There's nothing wrong with friends sharing a bed."

"I guess not."

"Good. Well, I'm going to head to bed." When she realized Willow wasn't following her, she turned and inquired, "Are you coming?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes. I just need to talk to Dawn about something."

"Ok."

When they heard the door close, Dawn whispered to Willow, "She's pretty clueless, isn't she?"

"About what?"

"That two more of her friends are possibly in love with her or at least have a crush on her."

"I thought we promised to keep that a secret? What do you mean by two?"

"I haven't told her anything about your crush. I think Faith is in love with her. You did see the look Faith gave her, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't completely sure if that's what it meant. How long has this been going on?"

"Since she returned to Sunnydale. Maybe even before that."

"But she tried to kill us before she left."

"People sometimes hurt the ones they love, whether it's intentional or unintentional."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about what Kennedy said earlier."

"It's ok. I know that you wouldn't say something like that to me. Goodnight, Willow."

"Night, Dawnie."

Willow entered the bedroom as Buffy was changing into pajama pants and a tank top. When Buffy saw Willow staring her, she warned her in a teasing away.

"Now don't get any ideas there, Will. I'm not a put out on the first night kind of girl."

"Uh, of course you aren't, Buff. I wasn't going to try anything."

"Relax, I was kidding."

"I know. It's just been awhile since I shared a bed with someone I wasn't romantically involved with."

"Ok."

After getting comfortable, the girls fell asleep. During the night, Buffy had tossed and turned as memories of the past few days managed to stay at the front of her mind. In her unconscious state, she mistook her best friend for her sister, wrapped an arm protectively around the redhead's stomach, and rested her head on the other's girl's shoulder.

The next morning, 9:00 AM PST, Buffy's hotel bedroom

Willow awoke when she felt something lying on top of her. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Buffy's arm was wrapped around her and her head was now resting on Willow's chest. Every few seconds, the blonde would let out a contented sigh. Willow scanned around the room while trying to decide the best way to wake Buffy. As she prepared to wake her, Willow heard a light giggle and turned to see Dawn smiling at her.

"Sleep well, Willow?" _I wish I had a camera right now. Wait, I have one on my cell phone._

"Uh." _It's just my luck that Dawn would catch us when something like this happened._

"Don't move. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

When Dawn returned and aimed her camera phone at Willow and Buffy, the redhead gasped.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?"

"Please, don't do it."

"Sorry, Willow, I don't know if I'll get another chance like this." _I can barely wait to see the looks on Jessie and Katie's faces when I show them this picture._

Dawn let out a smirk as she took the picture.

"You're not going to show that to anybody are you?"

"Just Jessie and Katie. Oh, and maybe Kennedy if she acts the way she was last night, again. You deserve better than her."

"Thanks for the concern, but I can handle it," Willow declared before turning to Buffy, "Wake up, Buffy."

Dawn let out a laugh as Willow tried to get out of bed, but was restrained by Buffy.

"Don't worry, Dawn, I'll protect you better from now on," the blonde mumbled.

"That's really nice, Buffy, but you would have to let go of Willow and get out of bed to do that."

"Huh? What?"

"I said if you want to protect me, you have to let go of Willow and get out of bed."

Buffy quickly opened her eyes and let go of Willow as she apologized, "Uh, sorry about that."

"It's ok."

"Thanks." _Willow's so sweet. She deserves someone better, just like Tara was._

"You're welcome." _Why did she have to smile at me like that? It's warm enough to melt an iceberg. _

"So how about the two of you get dressed. We'll grab some breakfast and join the others. Giles called earlier and said something about having a Scooby meeting to discuss our next plan or plans."

"Ok."

Meanwhile, the Sammler/Manning family room

Jessie had her family gather around her as she let them know of her wanting to try being a slayer.

"So what do you want to talk to us about, sweetie?"

"Well, I made a decision about being a slayer."

"What did you decide?" Lily inquired as she tried to be ready for however Jessie was going to answer the question.

"I want to do it, at least for a few years. What do you all think?"

"I think it's a great opportunity. Just like Australia was for us. The only difference is that it's more dangerous."

"Thanks, Grace."

"I think she should do it too."

"You're only saying that in the hopes that you can try flirting with Buffy again," Katie commented with a smirk that got laughs from everyone except Eli.

"You already know how I feel, Jessie."

"What? You already knew, Karen?"

"Dad, she only knew because we talked after Mom had a nightmare last night. She thinks it might be more than a dream. That maybe it's a sign."

"What happened in the dream, Mom?"

"Are you sure you all want to hear it?" Karen paused until they had all nodded yes, "I had a dream that Jessie was killed in an attack."

Karen then told them everything she had told Jessie and Katie earlier. Everyone could see tears start to form in Karen's eyes.

"I'm sure it was only a dream. If you wouldn't have had the dream, I'm sure one of us would."

"That's what Jessie told her, Lily."

"Karen, if you're so upset about Jessie leaving to become a slayer, then why were you smiling when you came through the door?"

"Because of a few things that Jessie did last night, Rick."

"And what was that?" they all wondered.

"She saved Dawn from being raped at Tad's party and ate an entire medium pizza before she went to bed."

The rest of them smiled at Jessie, who just sighed at what she imagined would happen next.

"A whole pizza?"

"Not the entire thing, Lily. Katie had three slices."

"Only because you couldn't hold the whole thing at once."

They all began to laugh at the smirk on Katie's face as she looked at Jessie.

"Should we take a vote on this? Her becoming a slayer I mean," Rick suggested.

"Well, it won't change my mind, but I want to see what you think. By a show of hands, who thinks I should do it? Ok. Who thinks I shouldn't do it?"

When it was done, there was a split decision. Karen, Lily, and Zoe voted no while Rick, Eli, and Grace voted yes.

"I want to know what Katie thinks," Grace voiced with a huge grin.

"Well, even though I know she could handle it, I'd still worry about her. However, I think she should do it."

"This isn't just because you're going to school in England where they might set up the school they were talking about earlier?"

"Well, I would be lying if I said that wasn't a factor."

"How soon do you want to go, Jessie?"

"I think I would like to spend as much time as I can with everyone for two weeks. Then I'll call Buffy and let her know. Now if you can excuse me, Katie and I have somewhere we need to be."

"We do?" Katie whispered into Jessie's ear.

"I seem to remember saying something about getting a tattoo yesterday," Jessie whispered back.

"You still want to do that?"

"Yes."

"We'll talk to you later, everybody."

"Goodbye, Katie. Goodbye, Jessie. Don't do anything we wouldn't approve of, alright?"

"Sure, Dad."

After they had gotten into her car, Katie quizzed her girlfriend.

"So then you aren't getting the tattoo?"

"I'm still getting it."

"But wouldn't that fall into "they wouldn't approve" category?"

"I lied."

"Pretty sneaky there, Billie."

"I know," Jessie admitted with a grin.

"What do you think they'll do when they eventually find out?"

"By the time they find out, it will already be too late."

"True."


	15. Chapter 15

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 15

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie gets the tattoo that she talked about in the previous chapter and joins the rest of the gang in England.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I'm going along with what they said in the season eight comic books about how many potential slayers Willow's spell awakened at the end of the Buffy series finale, "Chosen". Which was somewhere between one and two thousand slayers. I know they have slayer central residing in Scotland in the comic books, but I liked the idea of them being in England better. I would like to thank charmedgirl7/Lizzie Lehane for her help in confirming which slayers were Rona and Vi. I was almost positive which ones they were, but I needed to be sure.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, a local tattoo shop

Jessie showed the guy how big she wanted the tattoo to be and lay down on the designated chair for people getting tattoos. Katie sat down in a nearby chair so she could watch as the guy worked but not close enough to be in the guy's way. Fortunately, for two people standing outside, both Jessie and Katie's backs were to a window.

"OH MY GOD! Grace, look, Jessie's in there getting a tattoo."

"WHAT? Jessie would never do something like that. Whoa, you're right."

"I told you so. What type of tattoo is it?"

"It appears to be a heart with a few letters. I'm guessing it's her and Katie's initials."

Just then, Jessie got out of the chair she had been in and stood up. This gave her sisters a perfect view of the tattoo.

"Do you think we should say anything to Mom, Rick, or Karen?" Zoe asked as she frequently looked back and forth between her sisters.

"No, but I want to see Jessie's reaction when we let her know we saw it. We better get going before they see us."

"Yeah, aren't you glad you decided to join me for a bike ride now, Grace?"

"Yes."

Back in California

"So, Giles, what are the plans now?"

"Well, while you, Dawn, Willow, and Kennedy were in Illinois, I was able to get in contact with some of my former colleagues and the coven that helped Willow when she was over there. We were able to get a deal on some property just outside of London."

"What type of property?"

"It once was a private school big enough to house around a thousand girls in dorm rooms, and a few of the buildings' top floors are just like apartments with their own bathrooms. We could use some of the classrooms for kids Dawn's age or younger, so they can continue their schooling along with being trained to fight. There's enough money in the former council's bank accounts and investments to pay the cost of hiring teachers, watchers, the monthly utilities, but we might have to have the parents pay the cost of feeding their daughters."

"Ok, what about the hellmouth in Cleveland? Who's going to watch over that?"

"We already have had some volunteers, but no final decisions have been made."

"Who volunteered so far?"

"Faith, Rona, Vi, and Kennedy have all offered their help. Xander has even offered to be back up for whoever goes."

"You offered? Why didn't you say something to me earlier? Did you even stop to think about how I'd feel about it? I liked the idea of helping train other slayers and any other people with potential to be watchers," Willow directed to her girlfriend as she tried to hide the growing anger inside her.

"Anyone in particular?"

"Maybe. Dawn has gotten better at the research, and Jessie's stepsister seems to be smart enough to be able to do the job."

"You have something to say, Kennedy?" Dawn growled after seeing the slayer roll her eyes in annoyance of Jessie and her family being brought up again.

"No."

Two weeks later, just outside of London, England

The Scoobies and the slayers were finishing up on getting everything organized at the school before they began to contact more slayers. Suddenly, Buffy heard her cell phone ringing in one of her pants pockets. She could tell who it was from the caller id but wanted to have some fun with Jessie while keeping her friends in suspense. She could imagine the reactions of Jessie's family since she could hear a few voices in the background.

"Hello, this is Buffy Summers, who may I ask is calling?"

"It's me, Buffy."

"Hi, Me. So is me a first name or a last name?" Buffy asked as she tried holding in a laugh, which had gotten the attention of the Scoobies.

"BUFFY!" Jessie stated in an agitated tone.

"So then me is a last name and Buffy is your first name too? What a small world."

"Honestly, Buffy."

"Honestly, is that a nickname?"

"Who is it, Buffy?" Dawn interrupted in the hopes of finding out if it was who she hoped it was.

"Some girl named Buffy Me. I think somebody nicknamed her Honestly. And I thought I had heard them all," Buffy explained as she started laughing at the laughter she heard on the other side.

"Alright, fine. It's Jessie Sammler."

"That's better. How's it going, Jessie?" she questioned as she shot Dawn and her friends a smirk.

At hearing Jessie's name, Dawn's eyes got bigger and she displayed a huge smile, Kennedy frowned, Willow sighed at the possible confrontation between her girlfriend and her new friend, Faith began to smirk at the frown on Kennedy's face, and Xander became slightly anxious to thank the girl who had saved Dawn.

"It's great. I have news for you."

"It's good news, I hope."

"I decided to help you in the fight. I have some questions before my family, you, and Mr. Giles work out the all of the necessary details."

"Ok, we're glad to have you join in the fight, and we'd be happy to answer any questions you have," Buffy said as she glanced back to see Dawn almost jumping up and down at seeing the blonde again.

"First, is it normal to dream about vampires?"

"Yes, it wouldn't be normal if you didn't have at least one. Did you have one already?"

"No, my mom did. She thinks it might be a sign that I shouldn't fight."

"What happened in the dream?"

"She dreamed that Willow, ten other slayers, and I died after being set up by demons and vampires who formed a truce to destroy us."

"How did Willow, you, and the other slayers die?" Buffy continued before realizing she shouldn't have asked that with the gang so close to her.

She immediately turned around to see the fear stricken faces of Dawn, Willow, Kennedy, and Xander.

"She said I told her I saw Willow die in your arms. The other slayers died when a building collapsed. I died at your feet after being hit with a few bolts of electricity."

"Willow died in my arms, and you died at my feet?" Buffy repeated before covering her mouth with her free hand.

At that point, Dawn began to cry in Willow's arms as the redhead tried to calm her down. Jessie began to feel bad as she could hear crying in the background.

"Uh, Buffy, who's that crying over there? It isn't Dawn or Willow, is it?"

"It's Dawn."

"I'm sorry that I upset her. After what we all talked about two weeks ago, it's understandable that my mom had that dream. I'm sure it's only a dream."

"I agree. We're usually pretty careful when we work with vampires and demons."

"You've worked with them before?"

"Yes, Angel was a vampire with a soul when I first met him, Spike was also a vampire, and Xander's ex-fiancée, Anya, was a former vengeance demon." _Dang, I should know how to be more discreet when I talk like this._

"Second, where will I be moving to? Third, will I be sharing a room with anyone? Fourth, can Katie stay with me until her school year begins? Finally, can Willow teleport me and Katie there?"

"We're just outside of London, England. Until we have a final count of who will be coming, you will be sharing a room with Dawn. Yes, Katie can spend the time with you, and I think Willow wouldn't mind doing that. Katie couldn't find a loft in London, huh?"

"Well, yeah she did, but the university will only give her the full scholarship if she lives in the dorms for the first year."

"That's a bummer. Hey, would Grace be willing to rent the loft?"

"Why would Grace want to rent a loft in London?"

"Because Willow thinks that she would make a good watcher. What do you think about that?"

"I think she could handle being a watcher."

A moment later, Buffy could only hear mumbles and some thuds coming through the other end.

"Jessie? Are you there? HELLO!"

"Sorry about that."

"What just happened?"

"Oh, just a few family members fell out of their seats, Lily fainted, and Zoe began begging Grace to stay."

"Ok, so does she want to do it?"

"She said she wouldn't mind doing it, but she already had plans to move to New York City."

"Well, after she's gone through some training, she could relocate to New York."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, apparently there are some other hotspots for supernatural activity."

"Alright, now my parents want to talk to either you or Mr. Giles."

The gang watched as Buffy handed over her phone to Giles before she began talking to Willow and her sister. After about five minutes, Giles hung up the phone, handed it back to Buffy, and began speaking to the group.

"Well, everything's settled. Jessie, Katie, and Jessie's stepsister, Grace Manning, are coming. Would it be too much trouble for you to teleport them here, Willow?"

"No problem, Buffy already asked me. Do they want me to do it right now?"

"Well, they said it would be great if you could give Grace about five to ten minutes to pack. Jessie and Katie were ready to go," Giles claimed with a smile creeping onto his face.

"What are you smiling about, G-man?"

"For heaven's sake, Xander, I told you to quit calling me that."

"Sorry."

"I just hope the rest of the confrontations go that well, whether they choose to join or not."

Ten minutes later

Jessie, Katie, and Grace arrived to see a group of strangers staring at them before noticing that Buffy, Dawn, and Willow were smiling at them. Kennedy, however, just looked bored.

"Jessie, Katie, I'm so glad you came. It's nice to see you as well, Grace."

"Thank you, Dawn. How are you holding up?" the oldest of the three asked before getting elbowed by Katie, "What did you do that for?"

"Because that is something Eli would do. Maybe she doesn't want to talk about it."

"It's ok, Grace. It was bound to come up again," Dawn confessed as she started hugging Jessie.

"That didn't take long at all."

"What didn't take long at all, Kennedy?" Katie inquired as she prepared for something she probably wouldn't like hearing.

"For Dawn to hug her hero."

"Are you jealous, Kennedy?"

"Hardly, blondie. I could take you any time, any day."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Yes, Katie, that's a challenge to your girlfriend who doesn't look that great."

"I accept that challenge."

Dawn introduced them while becoming anxious to see Jessie beat Kennedy, "Girls, this is Mr. Giles, Xander, Faith, Vi, Rona, Andrew, and some of the other slayers we have contacted since we got back from seeing you. Everyone, this is Grace, Katie, and last but not least, Jessie."

Jessie and Katie smiled back and forth between Dawn and Faith when they heard her introduce the other famous slayer. Jessie began to get nervous at the sight of everyone, except Kennedy, smiling at her. When Faith, Xander, and Giles started walking toward her, she became even more nervous. She felt relief as they each reached out their hands to shake hers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Jessie."

"Same here, Mr. Giles."

"You can call me Giles."

"Thank you for saving Dawn."

"You're welcome, Xander."

"Yeah, that was a pretty wicked fight we heard about, J."

"J?"

"Yep, I call Buffy, B and Dawn, D. You don't mind if I call you J, do you?"

"I guess not."

"Does that mean you're going to call me, K and Grace, G?" Katie guessed before Grace could respond.

"No, I was going to call you hotstuff and Grace, brainiac. Relax, J, I won't try to steal your girl."

"Ok, enough with the pleasantries. I want to show blondie why I'm the third best slayer."

"I guess that makes Buffy and Faith the best right now," Jessie assumed with a smirk.

"Yeah, until they step down or die."

As Jessie and Kennedy began another staredown, Andrew interrupted with a comment of his own.

"This is kind of like when Luke Skywalker first faced Darth Vader, but the girls fight on the same side. Since this is the first time there has been a direct challenge like this, maybe we should play some music while they fight."

"Andrew, if it's another Star Wars analogy, I'm going to make you wish you never mentioned it."

"Ease up on geek-boy, B. Let's see what he has in mind."

"Thank you, Faith," Andrew replied as he put a cd into the player and turned it up loud enough for everyone to hear.

Buffy hit the stop button after recognizing the first few notes.

"Honestly, Andrew, the Mortal Kombat theme?"

"It kind of fits, doesn't it?"

"Maybe, if they were fighting to the death, dummy," Willow announced, followed by a sigh.

"I say let him play it, Buffy. We deserve to have a little fun."

"Alright, Dawn."

"So what are the conditions and stakes for the fight?" Jessie quizzed as she arched an eyebrow at her challenger.

"No holds barred other than chokeholds. Last one standing wins. The winner has bragging rights for at least two months."

"Ok."

"I say we make this even more interesting."

"And how do you propose we do that, Faith?" Willow questioned as she arched an eyebrow as well.

"Since your girlfriend seems to think she's all that, whoever wins becomes third in command. I think we should also make bets on this. I have five dollars that says J will win," Faith stated as she smirked at the blonde.

"I'll bet five on Jessie too."

"Gee, what a surprise, Dawn bets on the blonde," Kennedy voiced sarcastically.

"So, Willow, Katie, do you care to bet on your girls?"

"Ok," Willow agreed with a slightly tense smile.

"Ditto," Katie answered with her face expressing overflowing confidence.

"What about you, Buffy? Who are you putting your money on?" Dawn wondered.

"I'll go along with everything except the bet. Someone has to stay neutral here."


	16. Chapter 16

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 16

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie shows off her fighting and singing abilities to her new friends and gets settled into her new, temporary home.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

By the time all bets had been made, only Buffy and Giles managed to remain neutral. Dawn scoffed as she prepared for the possible outcome. The battle lasted a few minutes after the song. During the song, it had been a pretty even match. However, when it was over, Jessie had gained the advantage. She noticed that her opponent was beginning to stagger, so she hit her with a spin kick that knocked Kennedy down while splitting her lip. Dawn began to count her out just like a referee at a boxing match.

"1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10. She's out, Jessie wins. Pay up time, people."

Dawn grinned as she collected the money and divided it up between Grace, Katie, Faith, and herself. Jessie offered to help Kennedy, who was kneeling on the ground, get back up but was surprised with an uppercut that split her lip as well.

"KENNEDY, don't be such a sore sport. You lost, get over it," Katie shouted, "Are you ok, Billie?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Because you're a little bruised. Does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't hurt. Maybe I should put some ice on it though."

"That's not necessary, Jessie, slayers heal fast," their leader explained before turning to the rest of the group, "From now on, whenever I or Willow aren't around, Jessie is in charge of the slayers."

"Really? In that case, smile for me, Jessie," Grace requested as she reached for her digital camera.

"Why do you want me to...What did you do that for?" Jessie asked her with a slight frown.

"When we tell our family about this, they're going to want proof."

Grace quickly turned to Kennedy and snapped another picture as Dawn smiled.

"Uh, Katie, why did you call her Billie?" Dawn questioned her.

"Because she can sing like Billie Holliday," Katie stated before kissing her girlfriend softly on her forehead.

"J can sing too?" Faith inquired with a smirk.

"Yeah, got any requests?" Jessie directed to the smirking brunette.

"None that I can think of right now. How about you, D, got a request for your hero?" Faith teased.

"How about 'Hallelujah' by Jeff Buckley?"

"Couldn't you pick a less depressing song?"

"I know it's kind of depressing, but I want to hear it, Buffy. How about it, Jessie?"

"I don't know," Jessie mumbled.

"Why not?" Dawn encouraged.

"Because it made her cry the first time she heard it."

"KATIE!" Jessie yelped.

"So did Dawn," Buffy revealed.

"BUFFY!"

"What? You did. Willow and I heard you."

"Fine," Dawn muttered, "Can you sing it, Jessie? Please!"

"Ok, can anyone here play the guitar? It would help me if they could."

"Giles can. He's pretty good," Willow informed the blonde.

"Thank you very much," Giles blushed, "but you know I no longer have one."

"Appear," the witch ordered.

Everyone smiled as a guitar was now in his hands.

"You don't have any more excuses," Buffy reasoned as she and the rest of them got comfortable.

The smiles from Grace, Katie, and Dawn calmed Jessie as she stood by Giles, who had started playing. Near the end of the song, Dawn and Willow began to shed a few tears. She debated internally about stopping but continued until she was finished. She then was congratulated with applause and smiles. The reaction she got from Faith caused her to smirk. The smirk made everyone look over at Faith.

"I normally don't listen to music like that, but that was wicked. J's got mad skills," Faith complimented as she held up her lighter like a torch.

"Thank you, Faith."

"No prob, J. I guess I'll be leaving now. I just came to see the one and only Jessie Sammler."

"Do you have to leave so soon?" Jessie replied.

"Yeah, I need to get back to Cleveland and guard another hellmouth. You're going to miss me already? I'm touched. I guess I could give Dawn a run for her money," Faith declared before winking at the young girl standing beside her.

"Huh?" Jessie and Katie quizzed.

"Nothing, she's kidding around. Right, Faith?" Dawn grumbled.

"Yeah, I am. Here's my phone number if you want to talk about anything though," Faith smiled as she handed Jessie a piece of paper before turning to the redhead, "Ok, Red, work your magic," she requested before smirking at Dawn and giving Buffy a look of yearning that was only noticed by Dawn, Jessie, and Katie before she vanished.

Dawn then interrupted the silence, "So I guess I'll show Jessie and Katie where they will be staying before they go to Grace's loft. Can I go check it out with them?"

"Why do you want to go?" her sister responded with a raised eyebrow.

"I think it would be cool to see, that's all."

"It's ok with me if it's ok with them," Buffy said as Grace, Jessie, and Katie nodded in agreement.

Dawn smiled as Jessie tried to grab the luggage for all three girls. Grace refused the help from her sister.

"You don't need to do that. You're strong, we got it. There's no need to impress us more than you already have."

"Alright," her sister complied.

Dawn led the trio out of the gym and up the stairs to her and Buffy's apartment. After watching how Dawn was looking at their new friends, Willow turned to her best friend and heard the blonde sigh.

_She's got it bad for Jessie, doesn't she?_

_Not now, Will._

_Sorry, Buff._

"Is it just me, or does anyone else see that Dawn has a crush on Jessie?"

"Good job stating the obvious, Xander," Willow said as she rolled her eyes at him.

Buffy's curiosity at whether Jessie heard them was answered when Jessie quickly looked back at the other blonde before following the new co-president of her fan club.

Ten minutes later, Buffy and Dawn's apartment

Dawn opened the door slowly before walking in and giving them a tour of the place.

"Ok, here's the family room, to the right is the kitchen, and straight ahead is the bathroom. Sorry there's only one. We'll have to share it with Buffy. Her bedroom is to the left of it, and ours is to the right. There are connecting doors to the bathroom from the opposite ends of the bedrooms."

Dawn then opened their bedroom door and stepped aside so the three other girls could go first. This gave her the opportunity to get a glimpse of Jessie from behind. This went unseen by Jessie and Katie, who were checking out the room, but not by Grace.

"So what do you think of it?" Dawn told them as she tried to avoid the stare she was getting from Grace.

"It was just like I pictured it would be," Jessie described.

"Ditto," Katie babbled as she and Jessie saw the shirt Dawn had borrowed from Jessie laying neatly on one of the beds, "We see that you took good care of Billie's shirt."

"Uh, yeah, thanks for uh...letting me borrow it."

"No problem," Jessie assured her as she attempted to prevent whatever reaction Dawn might give her for the brunette's sake, "Let's see the bathroom."

Dawn silently thanked Jessie for what she knew the blonde was doing.

"Wow, even the bathroom is nice. Two sinks, a bathtub, and a separate shower," Katie insisted with a growing smile.

"The tub has a few whirlpool jets in it," Dawn announced.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"We'll have to try that out later tonight," Katie whispered into Jessie's ear.

"Definitely."

"Would you two like some time alone?" Grace voiced sarcastically.

"Yeah, that would be nice. We'll be done in around forty five minutes," Jessie determined as she carefully pushed her sister and Dawn out of the apartment.

As she and Dawn made their way downstairs, Grace heard another sigh come from the girl beside her.

"I know I'm probably stating the obvious, but you really like Jessie, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I even slept in the shirt that I borrowed."

"How many times, just that night or more?"

"That night and the first night here. Don't tell anyone, ok?"

"Alright," Grace answered.

"Thanks," Dawn sighed as she rested her head on Grace's shoulder while they were in the elevator.

Dawn then showed Grace around the rest of the campus before heading back to the gym.

"Where are Jessie and Katie?" Buffy asserted to the two girls.

"They wanted some time to be...alone," Dawn let out through a sigh.

"Oh geez, you didn't show them the bathroom already, did you?"

"They were going to have to see it eventually."

"I guess the double h thing doesn't just apply to after a slaying," Xander blurted out said without thinking.

"Could you please avoid talking about what my sister and her girlfriend might be doing at this moment?"

"You're cleaning up whatever mess they make, Dawn!" Buffy demanded, "I don't care what it is."

Around thirty minutes later

Jessie and Katie strolled back into the gym hand in hand with smiles on their faces.

"D-Did you two h-have f-fun?" Willow stuttered.

After seeing the looks on everyone's faces, Jessie blushed while Katie spoke up, "As a matter of fact, we did."

"You didn't leave a mess, did you? Buffy said I would have to clean up any type of mess you left."

"No, Dawn, Katie and I clean up our own messes. Don't we, sweetie?"

"Always. Can anyone tell us where this address is?" Katie interrupted as she retrieved a piece of paper from a pocket of her jeans.

"Can you let me see that?" Giles requested as he stuck out his hand. Katie quickly handed it to him, "This is about five or six blocks north of us."

"Thank you, Mr. Giles. I mean Giles," Katie murmured.

"Well, if the three of you are ready, I want to see my new place," Grace lightly scoffed

"Alright, be careful. Especially you, Dawn."

"It's not even dark yet, Buffy."

"Yes, but it will be soon."

"I think I can take care of myself. I did ok during the fight with The First."

"Buff, I think they will be ok. They will have a slayer with them."

"You're right, Will," Buffy agreed with the redhead before turning to Jessie, "Take this with you."

"What's this?" Jessie gasped as she was handed a stick that got some looks from Dawn, Willow, and Xander.

"It's a stake. It's a slayer's normal weapon against vampires."

"Buffy, isn't that Mr. Pointy?" Xander wondered.

"Yes, it's the same Mr. Pointy that Kendra gave me before she died."

"Who's Kendra, and how did she die?" Katie cut in.

"She was the slayer called after I died the first time. She was killed about five years ago by a vampire named Drusilla."

"Good luck, blondie. You'll need it."

"Shut up, Kennedy," Dawn spat before the four girls walked out of the gym.

Buffy and her friends once again noticed the stare Dawn was giving the other blonde as they left.

"Should we say something to Dawn about her crush?" the redhead suggested to her best friend.

"It's just hero worship that will fade with time. I'm sure of it."

"Unless...," Xander remarked.

"Unless what?" Buffy interrupted.

"Uh...nothing."

"What I think he was trying to say is what if Jessie saves her from a vampire or two? Don't you think it will get stronger after that?"

"We'll worry about that when and if the time comes."

"Oh please, blondie will probably run in fear at the first sight of a vampire. If anything happens to them, it will be your fault."

"Kennedy, if I want any more smart remarks from you, I'll let you know," Buffy ordered as they went back to various training exercises.

Jessie had barely heard the conversation, but it made her mind start to wander at the whole idea of what could happen to her and anybody else close to her since becoming a slayer. They got a glance at everything they could on the path to Grace's loft.

"I can't believe we're in London, Billie."

"Well, believe it, sweetie," Jessie challenged as she heard a soft sigh from the brunette to her right but chose to act like she didn't hear it.

About thirty minutes later, Grace's loft

"Wow, this is a great loft. You have really good taste," Grace admitted.

"Thanks for the praise, but I thought that was already made clear," Katie joked as she watched Jessie blush.

"It's just like the loft in the movie "Ghost"," Dawn implied.

'Is that good or bad?" they all wondered.

"It's definitely good," the youngest divulged.

After helping Grace get unpacked and settled in, the girls decided it was time to head back. Jessie paused for a moment in front of Grace before talking again, "Grace, do you think I..."

"Do I think you what?"

"Do you think I made the right choice in wanting to become a slayer? I mean the added strength is great, I loved that I was able to help out Dawn, and also won a fight with another slayer, but..."

"But?"

"I just don't want to disappoint anyone," Jessie sniffled.

"Listen to me. You could never disappoint us. We love you and we always will."

"Thanks, Grace, I love you too," Jessie confessed before lightly sobbing on her sister's shoulder.

"Uh, I hate to spoil the sisterly bonding, but we've got to get back," Dawn decided as she looked away from them.

"Alright, call me when you get back, so I know you're ok."

"Sure thing, Mom," Jessie relented with a giggle that was followed by ones from Dawn and Katie as well.

They had only gotten a few blocks away when Jessie stopped immediately in her tracks.

"What's wrong, Jessie?" Dawn muttered softly.

"I don't know. I just got this tingling feeling inside."

"Uh oh," the brunette groaned as she clearly became worried.

"What's with the uh oh's?" Katie wondered as she gazed directly into Dawn's eyes.

"That means there's a vampire or vampires nearby."

"Really?" Jessie gulped as she began searching her pockets, "OH CRAP!"

"What now?" Dawn and Katie asked together.

"I lost the stake."

"YOU LOST MR. POINTY!"

"Not so loud, Dawn. Yes, I lost it."

"Maybe you left it at Grace's." Katie guessed in an attempt to calm Jessie's anxiety.

"I hope so, or I'm so dead."

"Not yet, Miss Summers, but you will be soon."

"Huh?" the three girls babbled as they turned to see a man, dressed completely in black, walking toward them.


	17. Chapter 17

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 17

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie faces her first vampires.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

"You're not Buffy Summers," the stranger stated with a frown.

"Good observation, dummy," Dawn said with a roll of her eyes but was still a little worried.

"But you are Dawn Summers," he hissed, "We heard what you looked like and that wherever you were, that she would be close by, so you can understand the mix-up."

"So then y-you're a v-vampire?" Jessie stuttered as she quickly scanned around them and debated their next move.

"They sure are scraping the bottom of the barrel for slayers these days," the guy chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Katie questioned him.

"Look at her. She's unarmed and almost frozen in fear. This won't be as much fun as I hoped. You can either accept your defeat now or try to run and die anyway. I'll even give you a minute head start," he offered as he showed his fangs.

"I choose option three," Dawn told him with a confident stare.

"What's option three?" he scoffed.

"That's where we run, you go home alone, and we meet again another night. Jessie, Katie, let's go. JESSIE, COME ON!" Dawn yelled as they turned to run.

They had only gotten another block away when Katie tripped and fell to the ground hard.

"Get up, Katie."

"I can't, Dawn. I think I twisted my ankle."

"Of course you would," Jessie groaned.

"What's that supposed to mean? That I'm just a klutz who can't even tie her own shoes?"

"No, that something like this would happen. Dawn, help her up and get out of here. I'll take care of the vampire," Jessie ordered with sudden confidence in her ability to fight.

"No, Billie, you're coming with us," Katie begged.

"I said go, NOW!" Jessie demanded.

"LET ME GO, DAWN! BILLIE!" Katie screamed as she unsuccessfully attempted to get away from the brunette.

Jessie began punching and kicking as the vampire began to smirk.

"What are you smirking at?"

"Look for yourself. Don't worry. I want to see your face while you die."

Jessie looked over her shoulder to see another vampire appear in front of Dawn and Katie.

"Who's that?"

"That would be my brother, Chris."

"So ugliness runs in the family?"

"Aren't you clever. It's a shame you won't live long enough to work on that sense of humor. Chris, bring those girls over here. One is Dawn Summers, sister of the famous Buffy Summers, and the other is this slayer's girlfriend."

Jessie was suddenly grabbed from behind and struggled as Dawn sat Katie down, began attacking the other vampire with a trash can until he fell down, grabbed Katie again and hid in the nearby alley. Jessie managed to break the hold and continued the fight. They battled for about five minutes. At the first opportunity she had, Jessie ran to a fence about ten feet away.

"Hey, where are you going, you cowardly slayer?" he sneered as he chased after her.

By the time he reached the fence, Jessie had scaled it. With cat like reflexes, she jumped onto a tree branch and tore off the branch above her. Meanwhile, Katie and Dawn were watching Jessie fight from the hiding spot behind a dumpster. They watched in awe as the blonde attacked her opponent. Then Dawn accidentally bumped into the side of the dumpster causing it to kick up some dust. The vampire grinned as he got closer.

"Dawn, we need to help her."

"How do we do that? You have a twisted ankle, and my cell phone just died. What about yours?"

"I left it back at your and Buffy's apartment."

"Just great. Ah...Ah...ACHOO!"

"There you are. Come with me," he growled as he viciously grabbed Dawn's arm.

"Let her go," Katie snarled as she was pushed back.

Dawn gasped when Katie was knocked out as her head hit the side of the dumpster.

"JESSIE, HELP!"

"It looks like you're all going to die very soon."

Jessie dropped the branch, knocked the guy to the ground with two hard punches to the nose and mouth. She smirked as she saw that she had broken his nose and split his lip before racing toward the alley.

"Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back. I just have to save my friends and kill your brother."

When Jessie got to them, Dawn was on her back and was on the verge of being bitten while Katie was lying there unconscious. She ripped the guy away from Dawn and pulled him back into the street. She planned her next move as the first vampire got up and charged toward them.

Meanwhile, Grace's loft

Grace was uploading the pictures from her camera when she got a call from Zoe.

"How's it going over there," she inquired.

"Great. Jessie had another confrontation with Kennedy," Grace reported with a smirk.

"The same Kennedy that came with Buffy, Dawn, and Willow?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"Well, she..," Grace tried to explain but was interrupted.

"Hold on a minute."

Almost five minutes later, she heard her sister's voice again.

"What was with the wait?"

"Everyone here wanted to hear the phone call so we put it on speaker phone and made it a conference call with Jessie's mom. Go ahead and tell them what you were getting ready to tell me."

'Well, Jessie got into another confrontation with Kennedy."

"The same Kennedy from two weeks ago?" they all assumed together.

"Yes."

"What happened?" they asked in unison again.

"She challenged Jessie to a fight. The conditions were that whoever won would have bragging rights for two months and would become third in command of the slayers. We also made bets on it. Faith, Dawn, Katie, and I were the only ones who bet on Jessie."

"Who's Faith?"

"Another slayer. I think she and Buffy are attracted to each other, but I don't know if they're going to do anything about it. To cut it short, Jessie won. I'm sending after the fight pictures through e-mail. They are both a little bruised on their faces, but Buffy said not to worry because slayers heal fast. They were almost gone when Jessie, Katie, and Dawn left my loft. Oh yeah, Dawn also has a crush on Jessie."

"Are you saying my baby is already third in command?" Karen guessed in a happy and relieved tone.

"Exactly."

"Why does my sister suddenly get all the hotties?" Eli mumbled.

"I guess because she's a hero in their eyes. Besides, Eli, Katie, and Dawn are jail bait."

"Yeah, yeah. Uh, has Buffy said anything about me yet?"

"Not yet," Grace declared as the rest of the family laughed at him, "but if Buffy joins the Jessie Sammler fan club, you'll be the first family member other than me and Jessie to find out."

"Gee, thanks," he returned with a scoff.

Back on the street

As the first vampire continued to charge, Jessie used all of her strength to throw the second at him. They collided and fell down with a loud thud. She then grabbed the branch, broke it half on the curb, and walked up to them.

"Look who's going to die now," Jessie announced before dusting them both at the same time.

"J-Jessie, you w-were great. I mean that was great. Better than great, more like spectacular," Dawn babbled and began to blush a deep red as she hugged her hero. Before she knew it, Dawn leaned in and kissed Jessie softly on the lips, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I swear I didn't." _Who are you kidding? You've wanted to do that for at least a week._

"Thanks for the compliment. I know you didn't mean to kiss me. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing, which I totally understand. Where's Katie?"

"Katie?"

"Yeah, my girlfriend, Katie," Jessie chuckled.

"She's still out cold in the alley."

"Well, let's go get her and head home. That's weird."

"What's weird?"

"That I'm already calling this place home. Now I have three homes."

"You're lucky. You have three homes, a great family, and someone other than family who loves you."

"I guess I am."

"While I only have one home, one family member, and no significant other. I don't even know how long we will be here."

"You might not have someone like that, but you have others that love you. There's Willow, Xander, and Giles."

"It's not the same though. Can we just get back? They might be worried about us."

"Sure," Jessie agreed as she picked Katie up and carried her the rest of the way.

Fifteen minutes later, the school campus, the gym

Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies were kidding around while relaxing when Buffy got a call.

"Hi, Buffy, are Jessie, Katie, and Dawn there yet?"

"No, we thought they were still at your loft."

"They were, but they left a little while ago."

"How long ago was that?" Buffy questioned as worry started to show on her face.

"They should have been back about ten minutes ago," Grace confirmed as she looked at her watch.

"TEN MINUTES AGO!" Buffy yelped as her friends became silent.

"Yeah, you don't think they ran into any trouble, do you?" Grace asked as she now became worried.

"I-I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Ok, but have Jessie call me when they get back."

"Definitely, Grace."

"What's the matter, Buff?" Willow inquired as she shared a concerned expression with Xander, Giles, and her girlfriend.

"Yeah, what's up, Buffster?" Xander wondered as well.

"That was Grace, obviously. She wanted to know if Jessie, Katie, and Dawn were back yet, and that they should have gotten here around ten minutes ago."

"I'm sure they're fine," Xander said with a momentary pause, "They just probably got held up by something."

"Yeah, a vampire attack," Buffy answered as she stood up and reached for a weapon, "We have to see if they're ok before anything happens."

"It probably already has," Kennedy assumed with a growing smirk.

"SHUT UP! IF I WANT ANY SARCASTIC COMMENTS FROM YOU, I"LL ASK NEXT TIME!" Buffy lashed out in rage as she headed for the door with Willow, Xander, and Vi close behind.

They hadn't even moved two feet before Dawn and Jessie, who was still carrying Katie, strolled through the door. Everyone could see that all three were a little dirty, and that Jessie was slightly bruised as well.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Grace said that you should have been back ten minutes ago."

Dawn spoke up, "We're sorry, but we can explain."

"You better," her sister commanded, "What's wrong with Katie?"

"Well, we were walking back when we were stopped by a few vampires," Jessie explained as she began to study the looks of everyone except Dawn.

"Oh my god, are you three ok?" Willow gasped as the rest gawked impatiently.

"We're dirty, I'm a little bruised, and Katie's unconscious, but we're ok otherwise."

"I thought I told you to be careful?" Buffy argued, "How many were there?"

"Two. Jessie couldn't find the stake so we tried to run, but Katie twisted her ankle and fell to the ground. Jessie demanded that we try to get out of there while she faced one unarmed, but when we did that we were stopped by the second one. I hit him with a trash can until he hit the street. Then Katie and I hid in an alley. If I hadn't sneezed, we could have probably hid longer. He grabbed me by an arm and dragged me away from Katie. She tried to help but was pushed back into the dumpster and knocked out. Jessie dusted both of them at the same time shortly after that."

"You could have called us on your cell phones," Buffy continued the argument.

"Katie left hers back at our apartment, and mine died as we started to hide. Jessie was too busy to use hers, obviously. Don't be mad, Jessie saved my life...again. I mean my and Katie's lives," Dawn announced before observing her hero with what could be described as lovestruck eyes. This was missed by no one.

"Thanks for saving my sister again," Buffy directed to Jessie, who was gently laying Katie down and cushioning Katie's head with her and Katie's jackets.

"No problem. That's what friends and slayers are for, right? Can one of you grab a first aid kit for me?"

"I'll get it," Xander decided as he headed into the locker room.

They all watched as Jessie expertly wrapped up Katie's ankle and woke her with some smelling salts. Buffy remained silent as Dawn was still staring at Jessie the same way. Dawn was brought out of her stare at the sight of Katie rapidly sitting up with a confused gape.

"W-Where am I? Are Jessie and Dawn ok?" Katie babbled in fear before realizing that Jessie was sitting right beside her with a disappointed appearance.

"You're back in the gym. The three of you are fine," Willow informed her.

"W-What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember, sweetie?" her girlfriend prodded softly.

"You fighting a vampire, Dawn and I hiding from another one, then trying to help Dawn until everything went dark."

"Well, you got knocked out trying to help her. I was able to pull the other one away before he bit her. Then I killed them and carried you back here."

"You k-killed them without a weapon?"

"No," Dawn interrupted, "she ripped a branch off of a nearby tree, broke it in half on the curb, and staked them at the same time," Dawn concluded with a beaming smile.

"I'm sorry I missed that. What did you do with the branch after staking them?"

Jessie let out a smirk, reached into the back pocket of her jeans, retrieved the weapons, held them in front of everyone, and spoke as she indicated which one was which, "Meet weapon number one and weapon number two."

"Oh, Billie, I'm so proud of you. If you killed two of them, then why do you look disappointed? Is it because that I missed the whole staking thing?"

"No, it's because of something else."

"Because of what?" almost all of them wondered.

"B-Because...Because I choked at first. I'm sorry, Buffy."

"Don't be. It seems like you did the right thing. I would have only been upset if you hadn't saved them."

"I knew it. I told you she would choke. This is the girl you want to be in charge whenever you or Willow aren't around?" Kennedy reminded their leader before sneering in the younger blonde's direction.

Dawn surprised them all when she leaned over to the arrogant slayer and smacked her hard across the cheek. The now enraged slayer reached over in retaliation.

"Touch her and the two of us are going a second round. Got it?" Jessie said while grabbing Kennedy's extended arm by the wrist and then turned to Dawn, "Apologize, Dawn. She didn't deserve that."

Dawn gasped before talking through clenched teeth, "Fine. I'm sorry, Kennedy."

"Try again," Jessie recommended.

"I'm sorry," Dawn repeated as she got up and began walking to the door.

"Where are you going, Dawnie?" Willow pried.

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight, everybody."

"Goodnight," they replied in unison.

Then Jessie and Katie got up and started to follow Dawn. They were stopped by Buffy on the way.

"Are you going to bed too?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to get something to eat and cleaned up first."

Buffy and her friends looked for the double h look, however, it never came.

"Thanks once more for saving Dawn. I don't know what I would have done if I lost her," Buffy claimed as a tear made it's way down her cheek while hugging the other blonde and finished it by whispering into her ear, "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"See you later, everybody," Katie exclaimed through a yawn.

The happy couple smiled as the rest waved their goodbyes. After the two were gone, Kennedy was caught smirking again by Buffy and Willow.

"Something else on your mind, sweetie?" Willow presumed to her girlfriend.

"Actually, yeah. If Jessie can have that much control over our fearless leader's bratty sister, she can't be that bad. However, don't go thinking her and I are going to become friends."

"So help me, Kennedy, one more word like that and you're going to need an ice pack," Buffy warned with a glare.

They watched in suspense as the blonde and brunette shared a staredown before the brunette was pulled away from the group by her girlfriend. There was obvious disappointment seen from a few as their hopes for another fight were squashed.


	18. Chapter 18

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 18

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn, Jessie, and Katie have a few conversations as they prepare for bed. A little bit later on, one of them has a nightmare.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Around twenty minutes later, Dawn and Jessie's bedroom

After satisfying her hunger, Jessie entered the room with Katie. She could distinctly hear soft crying over the sound of running water and was torn on what to do. She thought about having a private conversation with Dawn but wondered if that would do more harm than good. In the end, she decided to let the other girl come to her first.

"So do you want to take your shower next, or should I go?"

"Heroes first," Katie griped bitterly.

"Don't be that way, we saved Dawn again. You should be happy."

"Correction, you saved her…I mean us. I only put her in more danger by getting knocked out."

"I'm sure she doesn't see it that way."

"I disagree. She might say she appreciated my help, but you're the one she can't stop looking at."

"Are you done yet?"

"Yeah, do you mind if I go first instead? I am suddenly feeling more tired than before."

"Fine, but we should probably talk about this again later."

Dawn walked uncomfortably from the bathroom to her bed in a t-shirt and shorts. She watched silently as Katie slowly walked into the bathroom without recognition of seeing her. Jessie sort of smiled at her before reaching for her phone to call Grace. Without even thinking about it, Jessie removed her shirt then dialed the number. At hearing a slight gasp, she turned around to see Dawn staring at her again.

"Uh, sorry. I guess I shouldn't have done that, huh?"

"No, it's o-ok. I mean Katie did the same thing back in Illinois, right?"

"Yes, but we saw how it made you feel."

"Just a little surprised, but I'm fine now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, uh...when did you get that tattoo?"

"Oh, that. I got it the day after you left."

"Ok. Is Katie mad at me for some reason?"

"Well, I guess she's a little upset with herself about what happened in the alley and a little jealous of me for being the one who saved you again."

"She thinks I don't appreciate her trying to help even though she was injured?"

"Yeah."

"That's silly. I do appreciate it, but there's only so much a normal person can do against a vampire."

"We all know that, but it would be nice if you could tell her that."

"I will when she gets back."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Jessie then heard Grace pick up the phone.

"It's about time. What took you so long?"

"Well, we got delayed by a few vampires."

"Really? Wow? So how did it go? Are the three of you ok?"

"Yes, Dawn, Katie, and I are fine. I'm a little bruised and Katie was unconscious for a little bit, but I dusted them," Jessie stated with a sigh, "At least I think that's how Dawn described it."

Jessie looked back at her roommate, who confirmed it with a nod.

"I knew you could do it, sis," Grace congratulated as Jessie could sense the pride coming from her along with a smirk.

"Can I be the one to tell them? After all, you let me tell them about the fight with the bitchy brunette."

"Yeah, she can be quite bitchy, can't she?"

Jessie smirked when their conversation was interrupted by laughter from behind her.

"Was that Dawn I heard laughing?"

"Yeah."

"So how did it feel to slay your first vampires?"

"Well, I guess it could have gone better."

"How?"

"I kind of choked at first. It took Katie getting injured to snap me out of the fear."

"Wait, Katie got injured? I thought you said that she only got knocked unconscious. What else happened to her?"

"She twisted her ankle when we tried to run away."

"Why did you run?"

"Because I was unarmed. Did I leave Mr. Pointy at your place?"

"Let me check," Grace instructed as she searched around and saw it on the end table by the door, "Yeah, I just found it."

"Oh, good, I thought I'd lost it."

"So if you were unarmed, how did you dust them?"

Jessie then quickly described the entire fight before asking, "Are you disappointed?"

"How could I be? You're alive, and thanks to you, so are Katie and Dawn."

"Thanks, Buffy said the same thing. It's always nice to hear more than one opinion."

"So, uh, what did you know who have to say about that?"

"Who do you mean? Katie?"

"No, Kennedy."

"She made fun of me. She told them she knew I'd choke and shouldn't be third in command."

"What was everyone's reaction to that?"

"Well, Dawn slapped her, but that was pretty much it before Katie and I left the gym."

"Ok, well I better let you get some sleep. I'll be over as soon as I can tomorrow. Can you do me a favor?"

Grace and Jessie whispered the last part of their talk. Jessie then turned to Dawn who was a little confused by the smirk.

"Uh...what's up, J?"

Jessie smiled at the nickname before sitting down in front of Dawn.

"Well, D, Grace wanted me to give you this for slapping Kennedy," Jessie said with a chuckle as she hugged her.

"N-No p-problem," she stuttered as she felt the exposed skin of Jessie's stomach against her and was thankful that the blonde at least had her bra on.

Little did they know, Katie had seen the embrace but didn't hear the phone call so jealousy and anger began to invade her mind again.

"What's going on here?"

"D and I were just having a little chat, nothing major."

"Do you normally talk to people without a shirt on?" Katie asked, clearly upset.

Jessie, who was tired and letting the effect get to her, shot back, "Depends on if they buy me dinner first."

They frowned at each other as Jessie grabbed a t-shirt and pajama pants, headed to the bathroom, and shut the door just below a slam.

"Uh, maybe I should hang out in the family room until she gets back from the bathroom."

"Why?"

"Because I think it would be safer that way."

"No, wait, I need to talk to you about a few things," Katie insisted as she gently grabbed Dawn by the arm to stop her from getting off the bed.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry I'm a little bitter. It's just that I missed Jessie's big moment, and that I felt like a failure in my attempt to help you."

"You shouldn't. I appreciate you trying to help me while you were injured. I honestly mean that. There's only so much a normal person can do against a vampire who's a lot stronger."

"Yeah, I know. It still bothers me though."

"What, that you couldn't be a slayer as well?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"Don't be. There are times Buffy wishes she wasn't a slayer."

"Really?"

"Of course, is that all?"

"No, I was hoping you could tell me all that I missed while I was out cold."

"Well, you know what you heard back in the gym."

"Yeah, however, I have a feeling there's more than what you said earlier_." I'm sure more happened. She probably kissed Jessie, and they had to have talked about something on the way back. Stay calm if Dawn did kiss her. You don't want Jessie to be more upset than she already is right now._

"There is, actually. We talked about how she already started calling this place home, and I..." _Don't do it. If you tell Katie that you kissed her girlfriend, she'll freak and who knows what else_.

"You, what?"

"I...I kissed her. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. I was just so happy that she saved us. I congratulated her and gave her a hug. Before I knew it, I kissed her." _How could you be so stupid? I told you not to tell her._

"Ok, just don't do it again. She's already calling this place home, huh?" Katie began to laugh, "Now she has three homes."

"That's what she said. And soon you will have four homes."

"To be honest, I never spent much time at my own house. I was always at either one of Jessie's homes. So it's more like I will have three homes. Things were never that great at mine. That's why I chose to get far away from my family. In fact, Jessie's family is more like my family. Which is a little strange since I'm dating one of their daughters."

While Jessie was in the bathroom, she used her slayer hearing to pay attention to them. She wanted to be ready if a fight broke out. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry after hearing what Katie said about their families. However, one glimpse at Katie's face broke that promise.

"Oh, Katie, I'm so sorry that you had to go through that, but I'm glad we were able to be there for you."

"You were listening again?" Katie sniffled.

"Yeah, I didn't mean to, but I just can't seem to stop myself from doing it."

"I understand. Let's just go to bed, ok?"

"Alright."

"Uh, Billie?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Could you sing to me and Dawn? Any song you want."

"Sure."

Both girls smiled as Jessie picked "Imagine" by John Lennon. When the song was over, Jessie and Katie giggled at the sound of happy sighs coming from the brunette.

A few hours later

This time it was Jessie's turn for a nightmare. In the nightmare, Dawn, Katie, and Jessie were on their way back from a club when they were attacked by twice as many vampires than the first time.

"Thanks for coming to the club with me. I just couldn't stand Kennedy earlier, and then there was Andrew. Can you believe that? What made him think that anyway?"

"Gee, D, I don't know why a slightly normal guy would ask out a beautiful girl like you."

"Yeah, me either," Katie joined in on the teasing.

"He's too much of a geek. Besides, I want someone who will like me for more than just my looks. Someone I can feel safe with. Someone who can protect me. Someone like..."

"Someone like...ME?" Jessie teased with Katie looking on with an arched eyebrow.

"Huh? Wh-What makes you think I was talking about you?" Dawn babbled as she looked around for anything that would cause a distraction or another topic to talk about with them.

"Well, I've saved you twice already, I know you're smart and not just beautiful or 'hot' as Katie said back in Chicago, and you have the habit of babbling when you're around me. We all know you have a crush on me. I'm really flattered, but we know it can't happen because..."

"Because you're in love with Katie and possibly attracted to Faith? You seemed a little disappointed when she had to leave shortly after meeting you. I-I wouldn't blame you if you did. We can see that Buffy likes her. Xander even had a one night stand with her before she turned all evil on us," Dawn interrupted with a whisper as Katie seemed to be lost in thoughts of her own.

"Besides, I told Buffy I wouldn't mind watching..."

"What? So you're like my personal bodyguard now?" Dawn questioned as her anger began to rise.

"Uh," Jessie mumbled as she tried looking away from her new friend.

"Just tell me the truth."

"I guess I am then."

"But that's not why you came here. You came to be a slayer, and you won't get a chance to patrol much if you're always looking out for me. I'm going to talk to Buffy when we get back. Maybe have a different slayer each time I go out. I want you to do what you came here to do."

"B-But I don't mind, really," Jessie declared as she poorly tried to convince her.

The next thing they knew, they were surrounded by four vampires.

"Look who we have here, the famous Dawn Summers and possibly two baby slayers."

Dawn and Katie gasped at the sight of four sets of fangs, but Jessie remained stoic while ordering them to run and hide, "Dawn, Katie, go hide and call for back up while I try to hold them off."

Dawn and Katie followed her orders and hid in another alley before calling for help, "Buffy, we need help."

"What's wrong?"

"We're being attacked by a handful of vampires, well, actually, Jessie is. You need to get here quick. I don't want anything to happen to..."

"Dawn, are you there? DAWN!" her sister shouted before hearing various noises, "Vi, Rona, come with me. Dawn, Katie, and Jessie need some help."

When they got there, they saw Jessie battling two vampires as the others were about to bite Dawn and had already started on Katie. Both girls had been unconscious just like Katie had been before. Buffy raced over to help Jessie while Vi and Rona instantly pulled the other two away and staked them. Then the girls watched as the two blondes dusted theirs with smirks on their faces.

"So how are they?" Jessie inquired frantically.

"Yeah," Buffy joined in.

"Dawn's ok, but Katie got bit. She should be ok though."

"Oh no," Jessie exclaimed.

"Relax, Jessie," Rona assured her, "He had just started when I got to him."

"Oh, that's good I guess."

"She'll live. Vi, Rona, you keep a lookout, I'll carry Dawn, and Jessie will carry Katie."

Fifteen minutes later, the girls had reached the campus with a group standing just past the front gate. They didn't know really what to say at the sight of the passed out girls being carried by the blondes. Worry quickly set in on Willow and Xander's faces at the dried trail of blood seen on Katie's neck.

"Relax, everyone, other than Katie getting bit, they're all fine. Rona said that Katie had just started getting bit when he was staked. She'll live. Jessie and I are going to put them to bed and check on them in the morning," Buffy said as Vi and Rona nodded in agreement with her.

"Are you going to be ok, Jessie?" Willow quizzed as she rested a hand on the still frantic girl's shoulder.

"Y-Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

The next day, the apartment family room

"Is Katie feeling better yet?" Dawn muttered in concern for the girl who was still in their bedroom.

"Well, she said her migraine was getting better. She might come down soon, but you can check on her if you want," Jessie offered with a smile.

"Thanks, I think I will," Dawn claimed before watching Jessie leave.


	19. Chapter 19

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 19

Author: j_rock873

Rating: R

Summary: Jessie wasn't the only one dreaming that night.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: The inspiration for part of this chapter belongs to Jaymie Leeds Cullen. I mentioned to a few people how many chapters there might be in this story. They know who they are. I would like to take that back. I have no idea how many there will be before it's over.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later

As Katie and Dawn entered the gym, they had passed by a mirror. Everything got quiet as the duo reached Jessie and the Scooby gang. They had seen Dawn's reflection but none from Katie and became worried at what might have to be done to one of their new friends. Jessie felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Since Dawn had no idea what was going on, she gave all of them confused looks before speaking.

"Katie's feeling better. Isn't that great? What's wrong?"

"Katie, don't hurt her," Jessie, Buffy, and Willow begged.

"Yeah, don't do anything stupid," Xander commented.

"What are you talking...," Dawn began to question but was interrupted by a cackle from behind.

She hesitantly turned around to see Katie flashing her fangs.

"H-How?" Dawn gasped as she turned pale.

"Well, apparently they missed that a vampire had cut himself and fed me his blood as he bit me. I'm a full fledged vampire, baby," Katie chuckled as she spun Dawn back around and tightened the grip.

"What will it take for you to let my sister go?"

"That's up to Jessie," Katie revealed as she made Dawn whimper in pain before tilting the brunette's head and momentarily licked her neck.

"What do you mean?" Jessie asked as her girlfriend sensed Buffy trying to make a move.

"Ah, ah, one more step and I snap her neck," Katie assured them as she tightly wrapped one arm around Dawn's neck and the other around her head, "Either you can watch this sweet girl die or become a vampire with me. Heck, I might kill her anyway, just for the fun of killing the girl who has kissed my girlfriend at least three times."

"You realize if you kill her, the same will happen to you," Giles warned her.

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way I'll have the satisfaction and fame of being the one who killed the most important person in Buffy's life right now."

"Alright, I'll come with you and become a vampire. You have to let Dawn go though."

"Fine," Katie complied.

Katie continued to hold onto Dawn with one hand while Jessie moved forward. When Jessie got close enough, Katie hit her with almost all of her strength to knock her shocked girlfriend to the floor.

"I thought you said you were going to let her go?" Jessie whimpered.

"I lied," Kate sneered before instantly breaking Dawn's neck with a loud and sickening snap.

As Buffy rushed to Katie, everyone speechlessly watched a now lifeless Dawn fall into Jessie's arms.

"So did I," Jessie said as she removed a stake from a back pocket while Dawn lie on her other arm.

"What? Ah, f...," Katie replied to being staked through the heart by Jessie, who had beat Buffy to that by a matter of a few seconds.

They all slowly made their way over to Buffy and Jessie, who was still holding Dawn, as the blondes sobbed. Jessie gently and slowly closed Dawn's eyes. Her and Buffy's tears sprinkled the brunette's face. Willow collapsed, fell into her girlfriend's arms, and wept. Xander constantly punched the padded wall ten feet behind him. Giles removed his glasses and let tears run down his cheeks at the loss of the girl he began to consider a surrogate daughter, just like he did with Willow and Buffy. Jessie carefully handed Dawn over to Buffy before walking out of the room.

"Uh, Xander, c-could y-you h-hold D-Dawn w-while I-I g-go a-and t-talk t-to J-Jessie?"

"O-Ok. What do you want us to do now?"

"I-I w-want y-you t-to t-take h-her t-to th-the n-nearest f-funeral h-home a-and th-then y-you, W-Willow, a-and G-Giles c-can h-help m-me p-plan D-Dawn's f-funeral."

"Is there anyone else we should notify about this?"

"Y-Yeah, let Jessie's family know," Buffy inatructed as she handed him her cell phone, "I think they would want to know."

About fifteen minutes later, Buffy arrived at the apartment and heard slamming noises coming from Dawn and Jessie's bedroom.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Well, I'm packing my things. Do you honestly think I would stay here after what just happened? Forget what I said about slaying for two years. I'll be out of here first thing in the morning. If you want me gone before that, I can go to Grace's. I think she won't have a problem with leaving if you would like that as well."

"Why would I want that?"

"Are you seriously asking that? MY girlfriend KILLED your ONLY sister. I would want that person gone," Jessie sobbed.

Buffy silenced Jessie by softly taking Jessie's face into her hands and stared into the blonde's sad eyes as she spoke, "Jessie, you may think I want you to leave, but I don't. Nobody had done so much for Dawn in such a short time. If she had survived before you k-killed Katie, she would have fallen in love with you. I know it, and I wouldn't have stopped her from loving you if you had also loved her," Buffy responded as she softly kissed Jessie's forehead.

"I think I could have fallen for her. I g-guess we'll never know," Jessie muttered as another tear ran down one of her cheeks.

"Would you like some time alone, or can I stay with you for a bit?"

"You mean you would want to do that?"

"Yes," Buffy answered as she led Jessie over to her bed, "Shall we just lie here, or would you like me to sing to you like I did to Dawn when she was younger?"

"No, we can just lie here together," Jessie decided as she attempted to brush away the hair that was falling into her eyes.

"I'll get that, J," Buffy smirked.

Jessie let out a slight giggle, but it was stopped as she started tearing up again.

"I'm sorry, Jessie. I guess I shouldn't have said that since it was Dawn's nickname for you."

"Well, actually, Faith started it. However, Dawn did sound cute when she would say it. I mean…"

"I know what you mean," Buffy admitted as an unknown force made her lean in and lay a kiss on Jessie's lips.

Both girls pulled back in shock briefly before Buffy leaned in again.

"B-Buffy wh-what are you...," Jessie whispered before feeling Buffy's soft lips, "Do you really think we should...," Jessie tried again as Buffy placed a few fingers on her lips.

"I want to show you how much everything you did means to me," Buffy explained as she intensified the kiss.

"I really don't think we should be doing this right now."

"Ssshh, let me do this for you, ok?" Buffy ordered as she reached for the bottom of Jessie's shirt.

"Ok," Jessie relented as she raised her arms, so Buffy could remove her shirt.

Jessie could feel several emotions running through her as Buffy kissed and nibbled on her neck before moving a little bit lower. They rapidly got stronger as she heard the sound of a zipper and felt hands against her now exposed legs. Around twenty minutes later, she was sitting up. When she opened her eyes, Katie and Dawn had scared expressions on their faces.

"What happened?" Buffy questioned from the doorway between the bathroom and the girls' bedroom.

"I…I had a nightmare," Jessie confessed.

"That's pretty clear. What was it about, Billie?"

"Yeah, J?"

"The three of us went to a club and on the way back we were attacked by more vampires. Buffy, Vi, and Rona came to help. They got dusted, but..."

"But?" the three girls butted in.

"Katie got bit, but we didn't know that she had also been fed a vampire's blood shortly before that. She revealed to us that she was a full fledged vampire and threatened to kill Dawn if I didn't do something."

"What was that?" they all wondered.

"That I sacrifice myself and become a vampire."

"And?" the other three continued together.

"I said I would if she let Dawn go. She agreed but killed Dawn anyway. It all happened so fast. After Dawn fell into my arms, I staked Katie. I beat Buffy to the job by only a few seconds," Jessie described before breaking down in Katie's arms, but happy that she was able to keep the final part from being said.

"Uh, come with me, Dawn," Buffy suggested.

"Why?" Dawn inquired.

"Because Jessie and Katie probably want some time alone."

They glanced at the couple, who nodded in agreement. Dawn stepped forward to give Jessie a hug but then changed her mind and followed Buffy.

A few minutes later, Buffy's bedroom.

Dawn climbed into Buffy's bed as a few tears streaked down her cheeks while Buffy stood there silently watching her sister.

"What?" Dawn groaned.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine," Dawn confirmed, "I'm more worried about Jessie. Do you really think she would sacrifice herself for me?"

"I honestly don't know, but she seems to be a pretty honest person. As for the dream, it was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Yeah, I know. Do you think this will change her mind about slaying or even remaining my friend?"

"I don't think it will come to that."

"Good, I don't want to lose her. I mean them. What now?"

"I know you really care about Jessie."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I know you have a crush on her, and I'm ok with that. After all, you did have that crush on Xander awhile back."

"What if it becomes more than a crush?"

"Huh?" Buffy muttered.

"What if I end up falling in love with her? It's stronger than the one I had on Xander."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Let's say, hypothetically of course, that Jessie and Katie broke up. Would you be able to handle it if I started to date her?"

"I'm alright with Willow being gay. I just don't care for her current girlfriend."

"Clearly, I don't either, but it's different since I'm your ONLY sister."

"I know that, and if she was the one who made you happy, then I wouldn't stop it."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Let's get some sleep."

"Alright."

A few hours later, Dawn was having a different dream about her hero.

"So how did the slaying go?"

"Great. Especially when Buffy told us that a sure sign of noticing them at bars, clubs, or wherever is when they wear seriously outdated clothing."

"Ok, are you coming to bed soon?"

"Yeah, I just want to grab a bit more to eat and take a shower."

Fifteen minutes later, Dawn was woken from her sleep by Jessie, who was constantly tossing and turning in her bed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Dawn had a rough idea what was wrong but decided to say something anyway. She got out of her bed, walked over to Jessie's, and questioned her, "It's not nothing. Something's keeping you awake. I want to know what it is."

"Well, it's just that Katie and I are still fighting, I don't know when we'll get back together, if we'll get back together, and the cold shower I took isn't helping."

"The double h thing, huh?"

"Yeah, I think I'll go sleep on the couch, so you can sleep."

"You don't have to do that. How about I help you?"

"Huh?"

"I'll help you," Dawn announced as she slowly removed her t-shirt and shorts and climbed into Jessie's bed.

"Dawn, I don't know if this is a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because..."

"Because you still love Katie, it's a probably going to be a one time thing, you don't want to ruin our friendship, and you're wondering if this would be my first time?"

"Yeah."

"And if it's my first time, you want it to be special to me with someone I love."

"Uh huh."

"Well, I can accept the fact that it will probably be a one time thing, and I won't let it ruin our friendship. I want my first time to be with you. You've come the closest in making me feel that way. If it's with you, it will be special."

"If you're sure."

"I am. I'm just a little nervous."

"Understandable. I won't do anything you don't want me to do, and you won't have to do anything you don't want to do either."

"Alright."

Dawn then gave in to Jessie's seduction of her. Dawn blushed as Jessie helped her remove the rest of her clothes before taking off her own. They passionately kissed for a few minutes before Jessie pushed Dawn onto her back and kissed her neck. Dawn moaned when a hand caressed her small chest before it moved down to her stomach. She giggled as a finger tickled her belly button. She felt her back arch off the bed as Jesse's mouth made its way to her chest while the same hand moved down even lower. When the blonde's mouth made the way to the final destination, Dawn started losing control and bit down on a pillow to muffle the sounds coming from her.

Fifteen minutes later

"How was that, D?"

"It was... It was wonderful. I'm sorry I couldn't do the same thing to you."

"It's ok, Dawn. It was your first time."

"That's a lame excuse. I am sorry."

"No, it's fine. Maybe next time."

"Next time? There's going to be a next time?"

"Yes, if you want there to be one."

"I do. I guess we should get dressed huh?"

"Only if you want to."

"I want to. Could you do that as well?"

"What? Get dressed?"

"I would sleep better if you had at least some clothes on."

"Sure."

"Uh, J-Jessie."

"Yeah?" the blonde asked with a sleepy smile.

"I th-think I love you."

"That's nice to hear," Jessie said as she gently ran her fingers through Dawn's hair.

"I k-know you don't love me, but that's o-ok."

"I almost believed that."

"I mean it."

"No, you don't. I mean about being ok with it. I don't love you like that yet, but it doesn't mean it can't happen in the near future. You'll just have to be a little patient with me."

"I will," Dawn concluded as Jessie briefly kissed her lips and laid her head on the brunette's shoulder.

At the feeling of Jessie resting her head on her shoulder, Dawn sat up in bed and noticed that Buffy was watching with a completely astonished gawk.

"Something wrong, Buffy?"

"You tell me," Buffy teased.

"Uh, how much did you hear?"

"Pretty much everything. You woke me up when this hit me in the face," Buffy confessed as she tossed Dawn's t-shirt at her and pushed her shorts over to her under the sheets, "At least you kept everything else on. Maybe they weren't in the dream, but you know what I mean. I didn't think you were capable of dreaming like that."

Dawn began to cry as she clutched the shirt up against her body. She quickly put her shirt and shorts back on, got up, and ran to the bathroom as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Unfortunately, in Dawn's mind, Buffy caught up with her and dragged her back to the bed.

"Dawn, listen to me. I'm sorry I teased you. Everything will be ok."

"You don't think she heard me, do you?"

"I can't be sure of that. We can ask her tomorrow if she heard anything. We'll decide what to do or say when we hear her answer."

Meanwhile, Willow and Kennedy's apartment

After seeing the argument between her girlfriend and best friend, Willow had a dream about the blonde that went back to the night they returned from Evanston, but with a different ending,

"Hi, Will, what's up?"

"I just wanted to say that I had a good time with you at the party earlier."

"Yeah, thank goodness that Jessie saved Dawn, huh?"

"Yeah, but could we get back to what I was trying to talk to you about?"

"Why, is something wrong?"

"It felt great being held in your arms, even if it was just part of the joke. Although, it also..."

"Yeah?"

"With all the hugging, rubbing, grabbing, and kissing, it made me realize something. Something I've been hiding since my return from England."

"And that would be?"

"Please don't interrupt me. This is kind of important."

"Sorry."

"Ok. When I was over there, I thought a lot about what I did to all of you. I can't believe I did that when you were just trying to help me. I never truly meant to hurt you. I was just so distraught over Tara's death. I was happy when you all forgave me. It was shortly after that I realized that I loved you. I mean love you."

"We know. We love you too."

"That's not what I mean. I mean I love you in the same way I loved Tara."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I'm sure I am. H-How do you feel about me?"

"I feel the same way. After the initial shock, I became a little jealous of Tara. Since you were with her, I had to hide my feelings for you. Riley came along and that provided a distraction, but thoughts about you never went away completely. I was going to tell you how I felt, but then the potentials started showing up, and that bitch, Kennedy, swooped in like a horny vulture."

"So you're saying you want to be with me in that way?"

"Yes, I want you to be mine."

"I guess we should celebrate this moment, huh?"

"Of course," Buffy agreed as she lifted the covers and made room for her now girlfriend.

"I want to make love to you, Buffy."

"Same here, but let's take it slow after this, ok?"

"That's fine with me," Willow babbled as she leaned in to passionately kiss the blonde.

Willow began to blush and shiver a bit as Buffy began to slowly pull off the redhead's t-shirt.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, I said I wanted to, didn't I?" Willow said a little shyly.

"Yeah but you're acting all nervous and hesitant on me."

"That's just because it's our first time together like this. I want it to be special."

"I can show you how special we can make it," Buffy asserted with a smile as she helped Willow off with her clothes and continued to smile as Willow did the same to her.

They could feel the love between them as they placed several soft kisses on each other's lips. Buffy let out happy sighs as Willow pushed her onto her back and began to kiss her neck. Buffy would occasionally moan as the redhead would rotate between kissing, nibbling, and nuzzling along one side of her neck. Willow then began to caress her best friend's soft skin. She enjoyed watching Buffy react as her hands wandered all over Buffy's body. Willow giggled softly as Buffy arched her back when the redhead began to eagerly kiss her chest. Buffy gripped the sheets on the bed as Willow made her way down her body. When the redhead reached the right spot, Buffy let out the loudest moan she ever made. Willow finished with a grin as she seductively made her way back up her best friend's body.

"Will, that was...that was...the best I ever had."

"Thanks,"

"It's my turn now. I'll show the true limit of slayer endurance."

For at least half an hour, Buffy showed off almost all of her slayer abilities. When Buffy finally began to tire, she gently lay down beside Willow with her head resting on the redhead's shoulder.

"How was that?" Buffy questioned softly before letting out a yawn.

"As good as I hoped it would be. No words can describe how that felt."

"Was I better than her?"

Willow knew who she was talking about and paused as she tried to think of the best possible response.

"It's ok if you say I wasn't. I won't be hurt. I know how much you loved her."

"If we're being honest here, then no you weren't. Nobody made feel the way she made me feel. If it helps any, you came as close as anyone could."

"It actually does. I love you with all of my heart."

"I love you too," Willow whispered as the couple leaned in for another kiss, but her dream was interrupted by Kennedy as the redhead and blonde's lips met again.

"Uh, did you want something?"

"It sounded like you were having a really great dream. I must have been at the top of my game in that one. If you want, I can make the dream a reality."

"No, I think I want to get some more sleep."

"Ok, just let me know if you change your mind," Kennedy suggested as she laid her head back down and went to sleep.

"Alright."


	20. Chapter 20

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 20

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The morning after, more find out about Jessie's dream. Jessie, Buffy, and Willow share even more information about their dreams, and a few months later, a not so secret affair is revealed.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: According to the first issue of the eighth season comic books, at least 1800 new slayers were activated by Willow's spell. In my story, however, only 1,000 accepted their calling.

* * *

The next morning, around 9:00 AM, the cafeteria

"So how did everyone sleep last night?" Xander asked with a smile.

"I slept fine until Dawn woke me up," Buffy mentioned with a smirk that disappeared instantly with a brief glare from Dawn.

"I had trouble sleeping last night," Dawn interrupted.

"So did I," Katie followed with a curious smile.

"How about you, Jessie?" Xander asked again with another smile.

"I...I..."

"Something wrong?" Willow questioned softly as all faces at their table turned to the blonde.

When Jessie simply looked at her, Katie answered, "Jessie had a nightmare last night."

"What happened?" Willow continued.

"In the dream, Dawn, Jessie, and I were attacked by even more vampires. Dawn and I got knocked out. Vi saved Dawn, Rona saved me, and Buffy helped Jessie dust the two she was originally fighting," Katie paused for a minute when she noticed that the two other slayers, who were sitting at the next table over, smirked at them, "However, they didn't know that I was fed another vampire's blood while I got bit and later became a full fledged vampire, so I actually wasn't saved. Jessie offered to sacrifice herself to save Dawn, but I ended up killing Dawn anyway. Jessie then killed me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Willow finished as almost all of the people at their table nodded along.

Kennedy, on the other hand, made another sarcastic comment, "Nothing says love like staking your girlfriend."

Willow, Buffy, Dawn, and Katie gasped as Jessie stood up, leaned across the table, and punched Kennedy solidly in the nose. This sent the brunette flying out of her seat and landing on her back with a bloody nose.

"I th-think you broke my nose," Kennedy snarled.

"It serves you right. You should have learned by now not to make fun of her," Dawn said loudly through a smirk.

"I was only kidding."

"I don't care. I've kicked your ass once already. If you don't want it again, you'll keep that big mouth on that ugly face of yours shut."

A round of "Whoa, Damn, and Oh, snap." echoed through the room. This was followed by a chant of "FIGHT!" Their hopes were once again dashed as Kennedy was held back with magic from attacking Jessie.

_Buffy._

_What is it, Willow?_

_I get the feeling Jessie isn't telling us everything. Maybe you should find out what it is._

_Why me? Since you think that, why don't you ask her?_

_From the way she's acting, I think it involves you._

Both girls then looked over at Jessie and saw that the blonde would occasionally glance at Buffy and Dawn before looking at her smiling girlfriend.

_I think you're wrong, but I'll ask her. You have to come with me though._

_Why?_

_So I can prove you wrong._

_Ok._

"Let me go, Willow, I want another shot at blondie."

"Not now, sweetie."

"Why not?"

"Because…"

"Because?"

"Because she doesn't want to see you get your ass kicked two days in a row," Jessie chuckled as Dawn and Katie smiled at the furious brunette.

"That won't happen," Kennedy insisted.

"Oh, really? If that was true, Willow wouldn't be holding you back," Dawn taunted between laughs.

"Jessie."

"Yes, Buffy?"

"Can Willow and I have a few words with you...ALONE?" Buffy questioned as she saw confused reactions coming from Dawn and Katie, but a slightly understanding one from Jessie.

Everybody watched as the three girls exited the cafeteria. After they closed the door, Willow and Buffy interrogated the other blonde.

"If this is about what I did to Kennedy, I won't apologize. She's been getting on my nerves ever since I met her. I'm already getting sick of trying to be nice to her. Why aren't we talking about this telepathically, like we've done before?"

"Because I wanted a break from that. This is about a few other things though," Willow explained.

"Wh-What else?" Jessie gulped.

"Did you hear anything coming from my room last night?" Buffy inquired with a slightly concerned expression.

"No, why? If you're going to say something disturbing went on between you and your sister, I'm so out of here," Jessie teased.

"Ok, ew," Buffy answered as she shuddered at the thought, "Dawn kind of had a bad dream and was hoping your slayer hearing didn't listen."

"I was too busy with my own dream to notice hers."

"Good, she'll be relieved to hear that."

"Is that it?"

"No, my red-haired friend seems to think that you're not telling us everything about your nightmare," Buffy stated with a smirk.

"Th-That's crazy. I have no reason to lie to you."

When they both gave her an unbelieving stare, Jessie confessed, "Ok, she's right. There's more, but you can't tell anyone else, especially Dawn and Katie."

"Why not?" Willow playfully whined.

"Because I love Katie, and Dawn has a crush on me."

"Fine, we promise," Buffy assured her as Willow nodded along.

"After I handed Dawn's lifeless body over to you, I walked back to the apartment. When you got there, I was in the process of packing my things. I had planned on leaving London and going back home. I was pretty sure that Grace would have left with me."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I thought it was a good idea to leave. I didn't think you'd want me here after what occurred. You stopped me."

"How did I stop you?"

"You gave me a nice, little, pep talk where you thanked me for what I did for Dawn while she was alive. Then you...We..."

"We what?" Buffy added right before the implication came to her with a helpful nudge from her best friend.

"So, uh, how was I? I mean how was it?" Buffy shyly giggled.

"It was as great as I thought it would be."

"You thought about this before?" Willow and Buffy gasped.

"Only in that dream. If Dawn found out that her hero had dreamed about her sister in that way instead of her, it would crush her. Not to mention that Katie would get jealous and do who knows what. It will also make things weird between us."

"I won't let that happen."

"She's right. Besides, I had a dream about her as well," Willow accidentally revealed instead of doing it telepathically like she originally intended. She instantly looked down at her feet so the blondes couldn't see her blush.

"Wait, so both of you had that type of dream about me?"

"Uh, yeah," Jessie mumbled.

"Well, they might have been slightly different due to a few things," the redhead explained.

"What would those be?" Buffy continued with a smirk and an arched eyebrow.

"Well, because I can use magic, and you wanted us to become a couple in my dream."

"Ok, enough said," Buffy replied, "Let's get back so they don't think we're hiding too much from them."

"I agree," Willow announced as they headed back to the cafeteria.

"Ditto," Jessie responded as she followed them with amusement at the sight of the witch getting a glance at the slayer's butt.

Jessie playfully smacked Willow on her back, making the redhead blush as she spoke after blocking Buffy.

_Not one word, got it?_

_I got it. So how was it with her? In the dream I mean._

_The best I've had since Tara._

_Even better than Kennedy?_

_Kennedy can't even compare to Buffy. What did you think?_

_That I could understand why you'd want to be with her on a longer basis._

_Was she better than Katie?_

_Honestly?_

_Duh._

_Then no, she wasn't. She had potential though._

Willow simply rolled her eyes at that word. They re-entered the cafeteria to make another announcement.

"Ok, Willow and I have a few things we would like to say."

'What, that you two are now dating, and Willow is dumping Kennedy?" Dawn smirked as a low whistle could be heard.

As the broken nosed slayer approached the smirking teen, Jessie spoke up, "Remember what I said, Kennedy."

"No, Dawn, for the next couple of months, Giles, Willow, and I are going to be contacting the rest of the slayers and see how many more will join us. We may have to take occasional trips like we've done already. That leaves Jessie in charge of the training and the nightly patrolling schedules."

"Can I talk to you and Willow alone for a moment?" Dawn pleaded nervously.

"Sure," Willow confirmed.

"So what is it?" Buffy began as a small grin appeared on her face.

"I want to do something special for Jessie, and I want your opinions and help," Dawn requested and smirked as their eyes bugged out, "No, not that. Not that I wouldn't do that if she wanted to, but..."

"Yeah?" Buffy and Willow sighed.

"We know how much Jessie's family worries about her, so I thought I'd help them worry less."

"How would you do that?" they wondered.

"I thought maybe if we secretly recorded her leading a training session, slaying, and curing the first of the double h urges, they wouldn't worry as much."

"That's a sweet idea, Dawn," her sister commended, "but how could it be done secretly?"

"I assume that's where I would come in, right?" Willow laughed.

"Yeah, I hoped that maybe Willow could teach me how to do an invisibility spell. Then I could record Jessie while she's leading a training session and while she's patrolling. If not, a slayer could watch my back from a hiding spot at one of the local cemeteries. I would hide the camera as the slayers pigged out in the cafeteria later that night."

"Ok, I think we could do that, but no using the spell to do anything you shouldn't be doing," Willow declared.

"Like what?" Dawn challenged.

"Like when she wants some privacy," Buffy implied.

"Buffy, how could you say that? I would never..."

Dawn sighed in defeat under the arched eyebrows of the other two.

"Fine, but it wouldn't have been done out of perversion. It would have been done out of lo...," Dawn mumbled until she realized what she had almost said and ran away from them.

"Uh oh," Willow muttered.

"Yeah," Buffy groaned, "My sister is going to have her heart broken, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"You can't stop a heart from breaking. It happens to everyone at least once."

"Thanks for the reminder."

About two months later

Like their leader had said, the girls would occasionally travel to a few countries. Dawn and Kennedy convinced Buffy and Willow to let them go with them on these trips. Since they weren't both allowed to go at the same time, they would have to alternate turns. Xander, Grace, Jessie, and Katie couldn't stop the smirks as Buffy, Willow, and Dawn, came into the gym. Dawn was soaking wet while Buffy and Willow had been wearing raincoats.

"Uh, there are some clean towels and clothes in the locker room," Giles advised as he turned away because he didn't want Dawn to see him smile at her misfortune.

"Go ahead and laugh. I know you want to," Dawn scowled at him.

"What happened, D?" Jessie voiced softly.

"Uh, h-hi, J-J," Dawn greeted through chattering teeth, "It's W-Willow's f-fault."

"How is it my fault?"

"Y-You're th-the o-one wh-who d-decided t-to t-teleport u-us o-outside in-instead of in h-here, l-like u-usual," Dawn whined.

"How was I supposed to know we'd get caught in a downpour?"

"H-Hello, th-the w-weather ch-channel. Ever h-heard of it?"

"Dawn, that's enough," Buffy told her, "Besides, she did tell you to take a coat just in case."

"Ok," Dawn relented before facing Jessie and Katie, "I got something for you two while we were in Paris."

"Really?" Katie chirped in slight surprise.

"Y-Yeah, I hope you don't think it's lame, stupid, clichéd, or whatever," Dawn described with a blush as she removed two identical boxes from her bag and handed them to the girls while Buffy and Willow smiled at the three of them.

Jessie and Katie opened the boxes to reveal berets.

"I got the blue one for Jessie because it matched her eyes and the red one for Katie because she looks good in red."

Dawn began to frown at the smiles on the faces of Xander, Giles, and Grace as she expected them to do or say something to embarrass her. Willow prevented them from doing that with an implied warning on her face.

"Merci beaucoup," Jessie thanked her with a warm smile.

"Yeah, merci bleh bleh," Katie chuckled.

"Couldn't you have thanked her without making a joke? You sure are childish sometimes," Jessie complained.

"I know you are, but what am I?" Katie joked before laughing like Peewee Herman.

This caused a chain reaction of groans, laughs, and rolled eyes. Dawn smiled as no other teasing comments were made about her gifts.

"Come with me," Jessie advised Dawn as she put on the beret and led her to the locker room. On the way there, Jessie said to the group of slayers who were watching her and Dawn, "Everyone, take a break. We'll go over the patrol schedule when I get back."

When they were gone, a newbie slayer who actually liked Kennedy and was jealous of Jessie sarcastically asked Katie, "How come you didn't go in there with them?"

"Why would I? I trust them."

"Maybe she's thanking Dawn in more ways than one."

"She wouldn't do that," Katie scoffed.

"What makes you so sure? She could be slutting it up with Dawn on a locker room bench right now. She's probably leaving marks all over Buffy's impressionable sister."

Katie stormed over with Buffy as the blonde yanked the girl off the floor and held her tightly against the padded wall.

"Do you want to end up like Kennedy?" Katie smirked as Buffy glared at the girl.

"N-No," the girl groveled as she flinched under Buffy's glare.

Buffy let the girl go with a smirk and focused on her mentor, "How did things go while we were gone? I mean did Jessie..."

"Jessie did well as usual," Giles divulged.

"And the other thing?"

"She still has no idea about that. Dawn edited the video to her satisfaction while you were on your last trip with Willow and Kennedy."

"Good, anything else?"

"If you like gossip, there's some you might want to hear," Katie butted in.

"We like it if it's juicy enough," Willow asserted with an arched eyebrow.

"Vi apparently has it bad for Xander, but he's clueless," Katie whispered as she pointed to the other redhead.

The other redhead was smiling at Xander while he was talking to Rona. Rona almost rolled her eyes at his oblivious state of Vi's crush on him.

"Anything more to add, Giles?" Willow prodded as her mentor was attempting to talk again.

"Everything is running smoothly around here. From what you've told me through phone calls and the talks after you've returned, only a thousand of the new slayers agreed to help. Some are coming immediately and the others over the next six months or so. Some will be able to have a room to themselves while others might have to share a room. Tomorrow, you, Buffy, Xander, and I will go over the maps that indicate where other hotspots are located. Some of the youngest slayers will be able to fight close to their own homes. We'll decide on where to place the others after that. Then I will continue the hiring of possible Watchers, and finalize the contracts for the teachers I've hired for the girls that are Dawn and Jessie's age or younger."

"So what is the age range?" Buffy and Willow wondered.

"They range from fourteen to twenty."

"Good to know. I guess that's it then," Buffy finished as she and Willow waited for the return of Jessie and Dawn.

"I must say how proud I am of Grace. She's a quick learner and more dedicated to this than I thought she would be."

"Have you told her that yet?" Buffy remarked.

"I was going to tell her soon."

"Well, no better time than the present," Willow determined but was briefly interrupted as Jessie and Dawn reappeared.

Jessie was still wearing her beret while Dawn was drying her hair with a towel and in a t-shirt and sweats.

"Grace."

"Yeah, Willow?"

"Giles has something he wants to say to you."

"Really? What is it?"

"I just wanted to say how proud I am of you. You're a quick learner and more dedicated than I expected."

"Thank you. I have a great teacher," Grace commented as she successfully made the man blush.

_Uh, Willow, does that say what I think it says on the shirt Dawn's wearing?_

Willow looked to the green clothes that Dawn was wearing.

_Yeah, it does say Upton Sinclair High School on them._

_Great, now she's wearing Jessie's clothes. This is going to blow up in her face if she doesn't watch it._

_Love has a way of doing that sometimes._

Willow was noticing someone important was not there and turned to Jessie, "Hey, where's Kennedy? Shouldn't she be here?"

"Uh," Jessie mumbled as she shared an uncertain gaze with Katie and Xander.

"What is it?"

"Maybe we should talk about this privately, or Xander should be the one to tell you since you've known him a lot longer."

"Tell me what?" Willow demanded as she stared back and forth between Jessie and Xander.

"Well…," Xander mumbled this time.

"Just tell me already," the redhead requested urgently.

"We think Kennedy's been cheating on you," Jessie and Xander announced together.

"How could you say THAT? She wouldn't do something like that to me."

"Because when you went on this latest trip and the one you went on with Buffy and Dawn before that, she would be late or miss a training session. So would one of the newer slayers. If they were both missing at the same time, then there's a chance they were together."

"I'll go find them and prove you wrong," Willow exclaimed before running out of the room and headed to her and Kennedy's apartment.

Twenty five minutes later, Willow and Kennedy's apartment

Willow had searched every other room in their place before entering their bedroom. She hadn't seen the brunette anywhere along the way or in the apartment. At the first inspection of the room, she didn't notice anything suspicious. She began to think everything Jessie had said was part of a mean joke. As she reached her bed, she accidentally bumped into a bed post. When she leaned over to rub her bruised knee, she saw a red hairclip that she hadn't seen before. Jessie and Xander's accusations now came rushing back to her and quickly intensified the growing anger in the redhead.

"She better have a good explanation for this."


	21. Chapter 21

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 21

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The fallout between Willow and Kennedy, a certain brunette returns, and Dawn gets a surprise visit from a loved one. Who could it be?

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: The first time I watched the Faith episodes during the third season, I felt that the Scoobies could have treated her a little better. So that's what's going to happen in my story. In case you're curious about the chain of command in my story, I will tell you. First in command is Buffy because she's been the leader for so long, second is Faith because she's the second most experienced slayer, third is Willow because she could use her magic in controlling any out of line slayers, and finally, Jessie because of her victory mentioned in chapter fifteen. I also want to thank Jaymie Bishop for help with some of Faith's dialogue in this chapter. The girl Kennedy cheats with has the same name of the potential at the beginning of "Dirty Girls". It's only a coincidence though.

* * *

Willow returned to the gym to come face to face with her girlfriend, who seemed almost out of breath, smiling at her.

"Hey, baby, when did you get back?"

"At least half an hour ago. Where have you been? Jessie says that you've missed some training sessions while we were gone. She and Xander seem to think you're cheating one me."

"I wouldn't do that to you," the brunette said as she glared at her accusers.

"Then explain what this was doing under our bed," Willow demanded as she held up the hairclip in front of everyone, "This definitely doesn't belong to either you or me."

"Maybe someone planted it there to frame me," Kennedy exclaimed as she stared back and forth between Dawn and Jessie.

At that very moment, Shannon, a newbie slayer, jogged through the door almost out of breath and stopped in front of the arguing couple.

"There's my hairclip. Where did you find it? I've been looking for it for hours."

"Under my and Kennedy's bed," Willow growled.

The next thing everyone knew, Kennedy and Shannon were hanging at least five feet up in the air. A loud gasp was heard as the redhead's hair had turned black.

"Uh, are you ok, Willow?" Jessie cautiously asked as she tapped her on the shoulder.

"I will be…SOON," Willow answered as she turned around to face Jessie and everyone standing behind her.

Pained and scared expressions appeared as they saw black eyes and veins on her face before taking a few steps away.

"Oh no," Buffy and Xander commented.

"Good lord, Willow, let them down," Giles admonished the witch.

"Wh-What's g-going on?" Jessie and Katie stuttered as they couldn't figure out what to do.

"Shannon, you knew that Kennedy and I were dating and living together. Why would you do something so dangerous?" Willow questioned with an eerie smirk.

"That's not what she told me. She said you two broke up before the last trip you went on with Buffy and Dawn. She also said that you were crashing temporarily with them."

"WHAT! HOW COULD YOU?" Willow snarled at Kennedy, who had begun choking.

Dawn marched up to Willow, looked her in the eyes, and spoke, "No, Willow, you're not going to hurt them. LET THEM GO!"

"Why, Dawnie? I thought you'd like the idea of Kennedy no longer being around," Willow chuckled evilly at the now fearful looks on the levitated slayers' faces.

"Because you promised me," Dawn reminded the redhead.

"I promised you what?"

"You promised me back in Chicago that we'd never lose you. If you do something drastic like killing that slut, don't you think that's what will happen? Remember what happened when Tara died?"

"DON'T!" Willow warned as her hair color flickered back and forth between black and red.

"Please listen to me. We LOVE you, don't do this. I don't want to lose you," Dawn begged as she tightly hugged Willow, "You will find someone else who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated."

Buffy, Giles, Xander, Jessie, and Katie watched hopefully as the holds on Shannon and Kennedy were released. They watched the young slayer fall slowly to the floor while Kennedy was thrown up against the padded wall not too far away. Willow and Dawn fell down to their knees. Willow began to cry and buried her head on Dawn's shoulder as she was held by the younger girl. They were relieved as her hair became red again and stopped changing. Everyone briefly stood still at the sight of Willow gently sobbing on Dawn's shoulder.

"Is there anything we can do for you, Will?" Buffy offered as the rest wondered the same thing.

"Y-Yes, m-make h-her l-leave," Willow sadly mumbled as she slowly looked up and pointed to Kennedy.

They were happy to discover that her eyes and face were also normal again, except for the tears running down her cheeks.

"You heard her, Kennedy. Pack up your things and get out of here," Buffy ordered the now smirking brunette.

"You need me in this fight, and you all know that. Where would I go?"

"I hear Cleveland's nice," Xander suggested.

"I don't know if Faith would be too happy with me intruding on her new stomping grounds."

"We'll just tell her she's needed back here for awhile. Now get packing," Buffy repeated.

"Fine, I'm sick of this place and certain people here anyway," Kennedy sneered as she began to turn away but stopped and spoke again, "I'm not sorry for cheating on Willow. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Tara did the same thing. After all, they couldn't have been together 24/7."

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HER! SHE NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE THAT TO SOMEONE SHE LOVED!" Dawn screamed as she jumped up and smacked the slayer as hard as she could before returning to the sobbing redhead.

The sound of the slap was even louder than the first one.

"Now you're going to get it, you…," Kennedy snarled as she lunged for Dawn.

However, Jessie got to her first. She pushed Dawn out of the way, grabbed Kennedy's wrist, and twisted her arm up behind her back.

"Tara couldn't have done that. I knew her schedule."

"So what? She could have skipped a class when you weren't looking and gotten some on the side. Or she could have performed some sort of mind bending spell," Kennedy informed as she tried to squirm out of the hold with a grunt.

"Shut up," Willow spat as memories of her breakup with Tara started entering her mind.

Buffy held her best friend back as she spoke to Xander, "Can you call Faith and tell her we need her back here?"

"Alright," he agreed as he used his cell phone to call Faith.

As Kennedy left the gym to pack her bags, Dawn began to hug Willow again. Suddenly, Dawn thought she could feel some sort of magical energy around her. She shivered as she unsuccessfully tried to hold in the worry that started to take over her body. The worry went away as she felt a hand on her shoulder and soft lips briefly kiss her forehead. She looked around but saw that neither her sister nor her friends had been close enough to do that.

"Are you ok?" Buffy inquired as she walked over to Dawn and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" _What the heck was that? Could it have been Tara? Don't be silly. Tara's dead. Isn't that what ghosts do though?_

"Because just a minute ago, you shivered and got a scared look on your face that quickly changed to a smile," Buffy described as Jessie nodded along.

"I guess I was just worried about what Willow is going to do now and then being happy that Kennedy's gone." _Good cover, but maybe it could have been her._

Meanwhile; Cleveland, Ohio; Faith's apartment

Faith was getting dressed after an afternoon romp while her fling remained asleep. She became curious at the sound of a ring coming from her phone.

"Yo, this is Faith. Who's calling, and what do you want?"

"Hi, Faith."

"Hey, Xander, what's up? How's the gang over there in jolly, old England? Whoa, slow down. What's wrong?"

"We need you come back here and let Kennedy take care of Cleveland."

"Why would I let her do that?" Faith argued as she glimpsed over to the person moving around under the covers of her bed.

"Because she cheated on Willow, and nobody wants her around."

"Wow, she cheated on Red? That's pretty stupid with Red being a witch and all."

"So will you come here?"

"Sure, maybe you could have Red teleport me or whatever over there. Give me about ten minutes. That should be enough time to pack and get out of here before my latest fling wakes up."

"Huh?"

"I'll explain when I get there. Just do what you've got to do."

Ten minutes later; London, England; just past the main door of the school gym

Faith appeared before them with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Nice to see everyone again. So where am I staying?"

"You can stay with me, Buffy, Jessie, and Katie," Dawn said as a smile grew on her face as well as on Buffy and Jessie's.

"Alright, lead the way, D."

"Not so fast, Faith, are you sure you're ok with coming back here?" Buffy quizzed.

"A little late to be asking me that, B, but yeah, it's cool."

"Before you go, tell us about this fling. What's his name, where did you meet him, and why so early in the day?" Xander added eagerly.

"Her name's Natalie. I was eager for an afternoon slay. Just like B and I did that one day years ago back in Sunnydale. I met her at a fast food joint while curing the first of the double h's. She helped with the second h."

The Scoobies all gasped at this startling news as the slayer winked at Jessie, which made the blonde blush a little.

"You h-hooked up w-with a g-girl?" Xander babbled, "What did she look like?"

"Xander, get your mind out of the gutter," Willow requested.

"It's alright, Red. She was kind of a short blonde with a nice body. She was a little bit moody but served her purpose," the sly slayer teased. _Let's see how B reacts to that._

"Did you tell her goodbye?" Jessie replied with a slight chuckle.

"No, after I'm done with them, I either leave or let them get dressed and then kick them out the door. It's my want...take...have motto," Faith revealed as she smirked at Xander.

"Isn't that a little cold?" Jessie declared.

"They were only one night stands, I don't do relationships well," Faith claimed as she briefly eyed Buffy. _Not yet, anyway_.

"I don't think I could ever do that to someone," Jessie responded.

"Ok, how are you holding up, Red?" Faith muttered as she tried to ignore the stare Buffy was giving her.

When the redhead didn't respond, Dawn spoke up again, "Let me show you to our place, Faith."

"Sounds good, need some help patrolling tonight?"

"That would be nice. You could go in my place while I hang out with Willow tonight."

"I can still go out, Buff."

"No, Will, we're hanging out together tonight and drown our problems at the nearest club. The rest can join us after the patrol."

"Fine, but let the record show I was still willing to fight tonight."

"So noted," Buffy let out through a smirk, "Faith, when you get back, check with Jessie. She already has the schedule set up."

"You're really enjoying the authority, huh, J?" Faith guessed as she turned to face the other blonde.

"Yeah," Jessie happily sighed.

"Great, but now you're fourth in command."

"If that's what it takes for you to be back, it's ok."

"Glad you understand," Faith stated as she peered over at Buffy before being led away by Dawn.

Back in Cleveland, Ohio, Faith's former/Kennedy's new apartment

Kennedy silently watched the blonde woman, who was still sleeping and apparently naked underneath the covers. She rolled her eyes at the striking resemblance between the girl in front of her and their leader back in London. She lifted up the covers to get a better look and to confirm her assumption. She let out a low whistle at the physical attributes of Faith's latest conquest. The sound of the whistle and the slight breeze across her skin woke the blonde.

"Want some more, F-Faith? W-Wait, who are you? Where's Faith?" the girl hissed as she pulled the sheet and comforter away from Kennedy and covered herself again.

"The name's Kennedy. What's yours?"

"Mine's N-Natalie. I guess I should be going then," Natalie decided as she searched for her clothes, "Is she going to be back soon?"

"No, she had to leave and take care of some business back in London. I don't think she'll be coming back."

"Then I should go," the blonde repeated as she reached for her clothes.

"You don't have to run off so fast you know," Kennedy encouraged as she approached the girl trying to get dressed under the covers.

"W-Why?"

"You sounded like you want more, and I can show you that I'm probably better than Faith," the brunette predicted as she quickly got undressed and hopped into bed before throwing the blonde's clothes toward the floor.

"Al-Alright," the blonde relented before being pushed onto her back.

Around twenty minutes later; London, England; Buffy, Dawn, and Jessie's apartment

"Nice place, D. Definitely better than mine."

"Thanks, you can set your bags down by the couch before you head back to go patrolling. I guess you'll be sleeping on the couch unless…"

"Unless what?" Faith grunted.

"Unless you could convince Buffy to share the bed with you."

"W-Why would I do that?"

"Because the couch isn't that comfortable, Buffy's bed is big enough for two, and we know you really like Buffy."

"Who said I like Buffy like that?"

"We can all see it. Well, if Buffy wasn't quite aware before, she should be now. That girl, Natalie, must be the spitting image of Buffy."

"Maybe," Faith admitted as she studied the look on Dawn's face, "Something else bothering you, D?"

"No, what makes you say that?"

"I don't know. It just looks like something else is on your mind. Or maybe I should say SOMEONE. A blonde about the same height, nice body, great smile, can sing, and knows how to kick some serious ass."

"Possibly."

"And you want to know what it would possibly be like to kiss her? I'm assuming you're asking me because of my confession back there. Although, Red should've already let you know what it feels like to kiss a girl."

"I already have," Dawn confessed, "It was after she saved me and Katie from some vampires."

"Wow, D, I'm impressed. Did you like it?"

"Yeah, I did, and that makes me feel bad."

"How is that bad?"

"Because she's still with Katie, and it also makes me wonder something else."

"And that would be?"

"Does liking the kiss make me gay or just confirm my crush on her? I mean can you tell from one kiss on the lips if you're gay, bi, or straight?"

"I'm not sure I can give you an honest answer, but we could find out the easy way."

"What are you talking…," Dawn mumbled before being caught up in a soft kiss from the former rogue slayer.

Dawn was a little resistant at first but caved in. As the kiss continued, she felt her tongue enter Faith's mouth while the slayer gently grabbed her butt. Dawn was brought out of her current stupor when she realized Faith's hands were now touching her underwear as the older girl was kissing her neck. She started to step away from Faith as hands began to make their way under Jessie's t-shirt. Faith's touch on her skin just above her hips felt almost like a jolt of electricity.

"Stop it, Faith," Dawn commanded softly as she stepped away even more and pulled the sweats back up.

She was a little shocked that Faith had been able to untie the drawstrings and pull them down to her knees before she noticed.

"Wh-What? Oh, damn. I'm sorry, D, I didn't mean to do that. I guess I got carried away. I was just…" _Damn, B's going to want to hurt me for this. If I want a relationship with her, I'll have to tell her about this soon. I just hope she doesn't try to hurt me._

"Even though you were kissing me, you began thinking I was Buffy?"

"Yeah, like you were thinking I was Jessie?"

"Yes."

"If you were thinking that, then why did you stop me?"

"Because I couldn't do that with her if she's still with Katie." _Yeah, keep thinking that. I wonder how far we would have gone if I hadn't remembered it was Faith_.

"So does that answer your question?"

"Y-Yeah," Dawn divulged with a positive nod.

"And?"

"I guess I am, but this should never happen again," Dawn determined.

"Because you don't want either of us to hurt Buffy?"

"Uh huh," Dawn sadly sighed, "Not to mention the age difference."

"I'm glad we both agree, but if I want a relationship with B, we're going to have to tell her what happened. I don't want to lie to her anymore."

"Faith."

"Yeah?"

"How far do you think we would have gotten if we hadn't snapped out of it?"

"I think we both know," Faith informed as she motioned over to Dawn's bedroom, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, what am I going to do? I mean I really like Jessie, but she's still with Katie. I don't want to be the one responsible if they break up, but I don't know how much longer I can hold this in."

"Well, if they break up and you want to make a move on your hero, I might be able to give you some advice."

"I don't know. We need to get back downstairs."

"Just think about it. By the way, you look good in blue."

"Stop it," Dawn pleaded as she blushed.

"Ok, so you're not angry with me?"

"No, because you paid attention when I asked you to stop, and I could tell you didn't meant to take it that far."

"Good, hey, where are you going?"

"To quickly change into my own clothes."

"Why? You look good in J's clothes."

"I don't think Katie liked me borrowing them."

"Mind if I watch?"

"W-What? W-Why?"

"So I can get a better look at what I can't have," Faith teased as she followed Dawn into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

"I don't think that would be a good idea after what we just did and said."

"Just once?"

"No, if Buffy found out that you watched me do that, she'd go postal."

"Whatever you say," Faith conceded as she quickly patted her on the butt and made her way out of the room.

"FAITH!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist it. Maybe one day J won't be able to resist either."

"Yeah, right."

Thirty minutes later, the gym

"What took you so long?" Buffy grumbled.

"Sorry, B, I had to ravage your sister. She did pretty well for a first timer. Unfortunately in the process, I tore J's clothes into pieces. Sorry, J. They did look good on her though," Faith described with a smirk before directing a wink at Dawn.

"THAT BETTER BE A JOKE! IF NOT, IT'S STATUTORY RAPE!" Buffy yelped.

"Ease up, B. Of course it's a joke. This isn't the United States anyway. The laws might be different over here."

"That's not funny. Don't do it again," Buffy warned as signs of jealousy were evident to Jessie, Katie, Dawn, and Willow.

"Geez, Buffy, learn to recognize a joke. We talked and came to a decision about a few things. Like the sleeping arrangements and…," Dawn said with a deliberate pause.

"And?" Buffy asked.

"And I think I'm kinda gay," Dawn announced before smirking at Buffy and Willow.

Buffy rolled her eyes at her sister while her best friend simply smirked back at the amused teen.

"Sorry, another inside joke between us," Dawn explained to Jessie and Katie.

Buffy became worried at the sudden change of mood on Willow's face. It looked like the redhead was on the verge of crying again.

"What's wrong, Willow?"

"N-Nothing."

"That's a lie. Tell me what's on your mind," Buffy continued the questioning.

"Ok, I'll do better than that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll show all of you," Willow responded before mumbling, "Appear."


	22. Chapter 22

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 22

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Willow shows them what she was talking about in the previous chapter, and the loved one reveals their identity.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: This majority of this chapter contains dialogue from various sixth season episodes of Buffy T.V.S.. I would like to thank Jaymie Bishop and charmedgirl7/Lizzie Lehane for their help with the episode dialogue.

* * *

The big screen TV from what used to be Willow and Kennedy's apartment appeared in front of them. The witch placed a hand on the side of it and chanted a spell they had never heard of before. The screen became even bigger, and her memories played out like a movie from her point of view. They all were captivated by the magic Willow was displaying. They also noticed that as they were watching this that her hair color had begun flickering between black and red for the second time. Her face and eyes remained the same though.

What they saw

1st memory (From Entropy)

"Tara."

"You can never put them back they way they were."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm sorry, it just…you know it takes time. You just can't have coffee and expect…"

"I know."

"There's so much to work through. Trust has to be built again, on both sides. You have to learn if you're even the same people you were. If you can fit in each others lives. It's a long and important process, and can we just skip it? Can you just be kissing me now?"

2nd memory (From: Seeing Red & Villains)

"Your shirt."

"Tara? Come on, baby. Get up. Please, Tara. No. No. No. Tara! Baby! Oh god, oh no. Please, please, come on. Come on, Tara! Please, come on, baby! By Osiris, I command you, bring her back. Hear me, Keeper of darkness!"

"Witch! How dare you invoke Osiris in this task!"

"Please, please, bring her back."

"You may not violate the law of natural passing."

"How? How is this natural?"

"It is a human death, by human means."

"But I…"

"You raised one killed by mystical forces. This is not the same. She is taken by natural order. It is done."

"No. There has to be a way."

"It is done."

"NOOO!"

3rd memory (From Villains)

"You're really asking for it. You know that?"

"I'm asking for it?"

"I'm gonna walk away from this. And when I do, you're going to beg to go join your little girlfriend."

"She wasn't your first?"

"Uh, first who?"

"Tara. She wasn't the first girl you killed."

"I don't know what you're talk…"

"Reveal."

"I should have strangled you in your sleep. Back when we shared a bed. I should have done the world a favor."

"It's a trick."

"Why, Warren? You could have just let me go."

"Make it shut up. Make it go away."

"It didn't have to be like that."

"I'm not kidding."

"How could you say you love me and do that to me?"

"Because you deserved it, bitch!"

"Cause you liked it."

"Oh, shut up."

"You never felt you had the power with her. Not until you killed her."

"Women. You're just like the rest of them, mind games."

"You get off on it. That's why you had a mad on for the slayer. She was your big o, wasn't she, Warren?"

"Are you done yet? Or can we talk some more about our feelings? Help! Let me go. SOMEBODY! HELP!"

"I thought you wanted to talk?"

"No."

"Ok, I'll talk."

"What? What are you doing?"

"Shhh."

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry, ok? I'm sorry."

"Wanna know what a bullet feels like, Warren? A real one. It's not like in the comics."

"No. No."

"I think you need to. Feel it."

"Oh god. Stop it."

"It's not going to make a neat, little hole. First, it'll obliterate your internal organs. Your lungs will collapse. Feels like drowning."

"Please! No."

"When it finally hits your spine, it'll blow your central nervous system."

"Oh please, god! Please."

"I'm talking. The pain will be unbearable, but you won't be able to move. Bullet usually travels faster than this, of course. But the dying, it'll seem like it takes forever. Something, isn't it? One tiny piece of metal destroys everything. It ripped her insides out…took her light away…from me…from the world. Now the one person who should be here is gone, and a waste like you gets to live. Tiny piece of metal. Can you feel it now? I said, can you feel it?"

"Please! God! I did wrong. I see that now. I need. I need jail. I need. But you, you don't want this. You're, you're not a bad person. Not like me. Oh, and when you get caught, you'll lose them too. Your friends. You don't want that. I know you're in pain, but…"

"Bored now."

"AHHH!"

"Oh my god."

"What did you do? Willow, what did you do?"

"One down."

4th memory (From: Two To Go)

"Dawnie, what are you doing here? Cause if you're looking for me, now's not a good time."

"You look terrible."

"Do I?"

"You're back on the magics."

"No, honey, I am the magics."

"Did you kill that guy?"

"It's an improvement, believe me."

"I've got to go."

"Why? So you can run and tell Buffy?"

"Willow, please just listen to me."

"You don't have to talk. Just think really loud. I can hear you."

"You're freaking me out."

"Oh, don't be like that. I'm just a little wired, and I have some things to do. I thought if anybody'd understand…"

"I miss Tara too. But this…what you're doing here…this is not the way to go. You're only going to make things worse, but I promise it's not too late to…"

"You miss her?"

"Yes."

"Did you cry? Of course you did. I get that. I understand the crying. You cry because you're human, but you weren't always."

"Yes, I was."

"No, no, please. Are you telling me you don't remember? You used to be some mystic ball of energy. Maybe that's why you're crying all the time, Dawnie. Cause you don't belong here. Wanna go back, end the pain? You'll be happier. I'll be happier. We'll all be a lot happier without having to listen to the constant whining."

"Willow, stop."

"Mom! Buffy! Tara! Waah! It's time you went back to being a little energy ball. No more tears, Dawnie."

"I think you need to get away from her. You need to back down a minute and think, Will."

"I wasn't going to hurt her, buzzkill."

"She tried to turn me back."

"You're attacking the people who love you now?"

"Only the ones in my way."

"That's not…you need help."

"Doing fine on my own, thanks."

"Dawn, get out of here. Go."

"Don't. We're all friends."

"Willow, I know what you want to do, but you have to listen to me. The forces inside you are incredibly powerful. They're strong, but you're stronger. You have to remember you're still Willow."

"Let me tell you something about Willow. She's a loser, and she always has been. People picked on Willow in junior high school, high school, up until college with her stupid, mousy ways. And now…Willow's a junkie."

"I can help."

"The only thing Willow was ever good for. The only thing I had going for me were the moments…just moments when Tara would look at me, and I was wonderful. And that will never happen again."

"I know this hurts bad, but, Willow, if you let loose with the magics, it'll never end."

"Promise?"

"You don't want that."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll lose everything: your friends, yourself. Willow, if you let this control you, then the world goes away and all of us with it. There's so much to live for. Willow, there's too much to…"

"Oh, please! This is your pitch? Buffy, you hate it here as much as I do. I'm just more honest about it."

"That's not true."

"You're trying to sell me on the world? The one where you lie to your friends when you're not trying to kill them? And you screw a vampire just to feel? And insane asylums are the comfy alternative? This world? Buffy, it's me. I know you were happier when you were in the ground. The only time you were ever at peace in your whole life was when you were dead. Until Willow brought you back. You know, with magic. Aw, sorry, the trip can be kind of rough if you're…you know...not me. Jonathan, Andrew, you boys like magic, don't you? Abracadabra."

5th memory (From: Grave)

"Hey, black eyed girl. Whatcha doin'?"

"Get out of here."

"Ah, no. You're not the only with powers you know. You may be some hopped up, uber witch, but this carpenter can drywall you into the next century."

"I'm not joking, Xander, get out of my way now. You can't stop this."

"Yeah, I get that. It's just, where else am I going to go? You've been my best friend my whole life. World gonna end, where else would I want to be?"

"Is this the master plan? You're going to stop me by telling me you love me?"

"Well, I was going to walk you off a cliff and hand you an anvil, but it seemed kind of cartoony."

"Still making jokes."

"I'm not joking. I know you're in pain. I can't imagine the pain you're in. And I know you're about to do something apocalyptically evil and stupid, and hey, I still wanna hang. You're Willow."

"Don't call me that."

"First day of kindergarten, you cried because you broke the yellow crayon, and you were too afraid to tell anyone. You've come pretty far. Ending the world not a terrific notion, but the thing is, yeah, I love you. I love crayon breaky Willlow, and I love…scary, veiny Willow. So if I'm going out, it's here. If you want to kill the world, well then start with me. I've earned that."

"You think I won't?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll still love you."

"Shut up."

"I love you. I…love y…"

"Shut up!"

"I love you, Willow."

"Stop!"

"I love you."

"Stop!"

"I love you."

As the screen went dark and back to normal size, Buffy and Dawn ran to Willow. Buffy then held both Willow and Dawn as the two hugged each other and cried. Xander, Giles, Faith, Jessie, Katie, and Grace stood there speechless. Andrew gulped at seeing what happened to his former friend and partner in crime. The new slayers reactions varied from sadness, fear, anger, and shock. As Dawn hugged Willow, she suddenly felt a soft kiss on her forehead and shivered enough for Buffy to notice.

"So let me get this straight. I kill someone and have to go to jail. Meanwhile, Red here kills someone and never faces jail time? How fair is that?"

"Because he got what he deserved. He killed Tara and almost killed me. Willow went almost completely over the edge as you just saw. However, the deputy mayor and Professor Worth didn't deserve to die. Yeah, the one with the deputy mayor was an accident, but justice was served. Now, you're a person we can be proud to know. A person we should have gotten to known better years ago before you went all evil on us. And I…," Buffy tried to explain.

"You what, B?" Faith interrupted with an arched eyebrow before winking at Dawn.

"I'm glad you're here. We couldn't have done as well against The First if you weren't there. I'm sorry we didn't accept your offer at help and friendship better back then."

"Gee, now I feel all warm and fuzzy inside," Faith teased.

"Faith," Buffy groaned. _Why does she always make me feel this way? It just makes me want to… Stop, now's not the time to be thinking about that._

"Just kidding, B. Is that all?" _Come on, say it. You want her as bad as D wants J. Yeah, that might be true, but I sure am not going to be the one who says it first._

"Almost, let's go over the patrol teams and schedules that Jessie made for tonight."

"Thanks, B," Jessie giggled.

Buffy rolled her eyes while Faith and Dawn laughed at Buffy's slight discomfort.

"Just great, Faith, you're turning another one into you."

"You say it like it's a bad thing. I am reformed after all."

The banter between her friends began to cheer up the sad redhead. After going over and agreeing to Jessie's plans, Buffy spoke again.

"So everyone understands everything?"

"We're five by five, B," Jessie said with a huge smirk that made everyone except Buffy laugh.

Buffy lightened up when the loudest laugh surprisingly came from Willow, not Dawn.

"Ok, get going, everyone. If we don't see you later at the club, then we'll see you back here later tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Can I hang out with you and Willow?" Dawn carefully asked her sister.

"Not this time. I want you here where you'll be safe."

"But."

"No buts."

"What am I going to do then?"

"I guess you could hang at our place and watch TV or movies with Katie and Grace."

"Wh-What?"

"You heard me."

Silence filled the room as the sisters looked over at Grace, Katie, and Jessie.

"I'd like to, Buffy, but I haven't spent that much time alone at my own place," Grace reasoned, so she wouldn't have to be a witness to the possible tension between Katie and Dawn.

"I understand. Are you ok with that, Katie?"

"Sure, come on, Dawn. I'll even let you pick the movies."

Dawn looked for reassurance from Jessie before agreeing with Buffy. She let out a soft sigh as Jessie gave her a warm smile before whispering into her girlfriend's ear.

"Fine. Be careful out there, everybody," Dawn announced before slowly heading back upstairs but once again felt a hand on her shoulder.

This caused her to shiver a second time before covering it up with another smile.

"Are you sure you're alright, D?"

"Yes, Faith, I already told Buffy that. Why are you asking me?"

"Because you did it again," Jessie informed with an arched eyebrow.

"I did what again?"

"You shivered and then smiled. Maybe Willow and I should stay after all," Buffy stated.

"No, go ahead. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Buffy, Faith, and Jessie asked together.

"Yes," Dawn answered before smiling at Jessie.

They watched with concern as Dawn left.

"Tell me again how you can do that?" Xander questioned Jessie.

"Do what?" the blonde inquired even though she knew what he was getting at.

"Have so much control over Dawn?"

"You heard what Faith said the first day I met her. I've got mad skills. If you don't believe that, just ask Katie," Jessie chuckled as she gave Faith a high five while Katie blushed.

"Face it, J's hotter than you, Xander," Faith declared with a slight smirk.

"Yeah, right," he scoffed.

"By a show of hands who thinks J's hotter than Xander? Be honest, whether you're straight, bi, or gay," Faith quizzed the rest of the girls eagerly.

Only Vi ad Rona managed to keep their hands down.

"Go already!" Buffy ordered as she laughed at Xander's reaction to his best friends raising their hands.

"Come with me and my team, Grace, your place is on the way to our destination. Don't worry, B, I'm sure Dawn will be ok," Jessie suggested with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"You are really enjoying doing that, aren't you?" Buffy groaned.

"You got it, yo," Jessie revealed as she smirked at Faith.

Nobody paid attention to the whispered conversation between Jessie and Katie before they left.

"Why did you have to say that? You're so going to get it when you get back, or should I say not going to get it?"

"I'll make it up to you."

"How?"

"When we get back, we can role play. I'll be the damsel in distress, and you'll be the kick ass slayer."

"Ok."

"Now hang out with D and be nice."

"I will, Billie."

Meanwhile

Dawn spoke when she was sure no one was around, "Tara, if that was you, thank you."

"You're welcome, Dawnie, and thank you," the ghost whispered with a smile that Dawn would have loved to see before disappearing.

The rest of the way back, Dawn's whole body felt the love that she missed dearly. She vowed to keep it a secret for everyone's sake. She didn't want them to think she was starting to go crazy anyway.


	23. Chapter 23

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 23

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Katie and Dawn spend some quality time together, Jessie and Faith talk about Buffy, and Faith decides to act on her feelings.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: Since we didn't get a chance to learn more about Katie's family, I'm having her be the youngest and the only girl. I hope I have added enough dimension to Jessie and Katie for you so far in this story. If you can think of anything that you might like added, whether you have seen it before or not, let me know. I can't guarantee that I'll use it though.

* * *

Buffy, Dawn, and Jessie's apartment

When Katie arrived back at the apartment, Dawn was already preparing the refreshments while looking through their collection of DVDs and the channels on their TV.

"Find anything interesting, D?"

"Uh, I guess so. You don't really have to listen to what Buffy said. If you want to be alone, I can take my laptop and hang out in the bedroom."

"No, I want to hang out with you."

"Sure you do," Dawn said a little sarcastically, "Who wouldn't want to hang out with someone who has a crush on that person's girlfriend?"

"Don't be like that. I would like to be friends with you. Then I can have someone else who can join in when I tease Billie," Katie announced sweetly and honestly.

"Then what did she say to you before I came back upstairs?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I was just curious to know if it was about me."

"It wasn't," Katie lied successfully.

"Then who or what was it about?"

"It was about how happy Vi is because Jessie listened to her and decided to help out with the Xander issue."

"The Xander issue?"

"Don't tell me that you were so wrapped up with your own crush that you didn't notice Vi's on your first crush."

"Uh."

"It's ok. Anyway, I think we have some movies to watch."

For the first movie, the girls sat on opposite ends of the couch. As the night went along, they slowly made their way closer to each other. When she couldn't take any more of Dawn's occasional, concerned looks to the door, Katie paused the movie and questioned the brunette.

"What's wrong with you tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"I thought we agreed to have a good time together?"

"We are."

"I am, but you keep looking over at the door. You're worried, aren't you?"

"Duh."

"About Jessie?"

"Not just Jessie. I'm also worried about Willow. Especially after all of the trash talk Kennedy had to say about T-Tara," Dawn revealed as she tried to hide back the tears that wanted to come out.

"How about we stop the movie and talk about anything we want to? I know we talked about Tara a few times already, but I wouldn't mind hearing about her again. You clearly loved her. Maybe not the same way Willow did, but it was there. If you feel like crying on my shoulder while you do that, you can."

"R-Really?"

"Yes, really," Katie confirmed with a nod before stopping the movie.

"She was one of the most wonderful girls I've ever met. You saw how beautiful she was on the outside."

"Yeah."

"Well, she was just as beautiful on the inside. She was so shy at first, but w-when m-my m-mom d-died, she became like a surrogate mom to me. She and Willow moved in with us to help Buffy raise me. The added responsibility really did a lot for her confidence. Then when Buffy died the second time, she was always by my side. I don't think I could have done as well without her. I really miss her. I…"

"Yeah?"

Instead of saying another word, Dawn just broke down and cried on Katie's shoulder. After about ten minutes, Dawn felt herself getting tired and began to get off the couch.

"Where are you going?" Katie asked.

"I've cried on your shoulder long enough. I'm going to bed. Let me know when they get back, ok?" Dawn sniffled.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere. Stay here," Katie ordered.

"But I'm tired now and want to lie down."

"Then do that here."

"I don't want to lie on the floor."  
"Who said anything about the floor?"

"Then you will have to get up and sit in one of the chairs."

"I'm not moving."

"How do you expect me to lie down if you're in the way?"

"I guess you'll just have to rest your head on my lap."

"WHAT? Won't that make you uncomfortable because I know I probably will be?"

"Maybe, but that's a risk I'm willing to take for friendship. I think I know what you need, so just do what I say."

"I don't know."

"Just trust me, like you trust Jessie. Besides, with having only older brothers, I never got to play the big sister card."

Dawn gave in and lay down with her head resting on Katie's lap. They talked about school, what Jessie and Katie could expect from dealing with the supernatural, and their families. Then they went back to watching movies as Katie gently ran her fingers over and through Dawn's hair. This seemed to help the younger girl relax, and within fifteen minutes, she was sleeping peacefully with an adorable smile on her face.

A few hours later

Jessie and Faith stepped out of the elevator and onto the floor in front of the apartment door. Faith was leaning pretty heavily on Jessie's shoulder to prevent herself from falling on her face.

"Do you think you could make it into the apartment without waking Katie and Dawn? I don't hear any noise other than the television. They might have fallen asleep on the couch."

"Or fought to the death for your eternal love," Faith teased a little sarcastically before slipping and almost kissing the blonde on the lips before Jessie caught her, "Oops, sorry, J, I guess it would have been bad if that had happened, huh?"

"Yeah, let's just keep this between us, alright?"

"That's cool, yo, but it would have been interesting to see what it felt like."

"I guess you'll never know," Jessie laughed, "How much did you have to drink anyway?"

"I don't know, I kind of lost count after the fourth shot."

"What made you drink that much? It wasn't over Buffy, was it?"

"No, you saw that guy bragging about how tough he was. I had to put him in his place," Faith answered as she leaned up beside the door, "Before we go in, I have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that B's upset that I'm having this effect on you and D?"

"What are you talking about?" the blonde inquired while again knowing what the other person was talking about.

"You and D picking up my habits. Like when you both started calling each other and Buffy by the first initial, and when you said five by five."

"Honestly, I think she actually liked it. I think she really likes you. She's just afraid of you rejecting her, which is crazy because you clearly like her."

"So what should I do?"

"Well, I guess you could use the same moves you used to get that girl, Natalie, to come home with you."

"But what if that doesn't work?"

"You could always surprise her. I'm not sure if she's coming back home tonight. I think she said it depends on if Willow wants her to stay with her or not. You could always tempt her with your overflowing, physical appeal as you wait for her in her bed."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I think so. You know what they say. 'If you've got it, flaunt it.' Just don't overdo it."

Faith listened as Jessie gave her a few more tips.

"You really are something, you know that? I can see why Dawn and Katie like you so much. If things were different, I might have tried to see what my chances would have been with you."

"I don't know, Faith. You might have had to get in line after that survey back in the gym."

"Yeah?"

"The wait might not have been that long though," Jessie sort of teased, "I'm assuming that when you said things, you meant if you weren't in love with Buffy, Dawn and Katie weren't in love with me, and I wasn't in love with Katie?"

"Enough with the word "love", but yeah."

"Ready to go inside?" Jessie replied as she motioned to the door.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Jessie quietly opened the door and was surprised by a few things. The feeling of Faith's hand lightly smacking her butt and smirking when Jessie looked back at her. Then turning to see her roommates passed out on the couch. When she got a closer look at them, she felt her heart melting. Dawn was still lying down in the same position while Katie's head was lying against the edge of the couch as her fingers were still in Dawn's hair.

"Faith, look."

"Aw, Kodak moment."

"Good idea. Stay here and don't say a word, I'll be right back."

"Better make it quick."

Within minutes, Jessie was back with the same video camera Dawn had used earlier.

"You wake them up, but not too rough, ok? Just shake Katie a little. If she reacts like normal, then Dawn will also be woken up."

"Whatever you say, J," Faith responded as she walked over to Katie and gently shook her, "Hey, hotstuff, time for bed."

"W-What?" Katie stuttered as she jumped a little at Faith's nickname for her, knocked over the drinks and watched as one splashed onto Dawn's shirt.

Dawn managed to remain asleep, amusing the slayers.

"Are you enjoying recording this?" Katie muttered at seeing the camera pointed at her.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Jessie announced before seeing spots on Katie's shirt, dried tear drops on each of their faces, and turning off the camera, "What went on here? Did you make each other cry? I thought you promised to be on your best behavior?"

"I was," Katie told her in an offended tone as Jessie set the camera down on the coffee table.

"Then why are there tear marks on your faces?"

"You will have to ask her in the morning. We just talked."

"Alright, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."

"Apology accepted. How did the slaying go?"

"Kind of a slow night, my and Faith's teams were the only ones that saw any action."

"Ok," Katie stated with a slight smirk, "Does that mean you want to…you know?"

"Actually, no. Faith and I let the others do the dusting while we supervised. They have to learn the hard way. They were a little sloppy, but nothing that can't be improved with more training and experience."

"Cool, I was kind of tired anyway," Katie admitted before noticing that Dawn was still asleep on her, "A little help here would be nice."

"Oh, sorry, you two looked so adorable passed out the way you were a few minutes ago," Jessie whispered as she carefully picked up Dawn and carried her to the bedroom.

"Are you drunk, Faith?" Katie quizzed the smirking slayer.

"Maybe a little, want to take advantage of me in my weakened state while J puts D to bed?"

"NO!"

"Relax, hotstuff, I was kidding. I know you love J. My heart belongs to B anyway."

When Faith realized what she had said aloud, her eyes bugged out along with Katie's before she headed into Buffy's bedroom. Katie's mouth hung open as she locked the door and headed into the other bedroom.

"Did you hear what Faith just said?" Katie began softly, so she wouldn't wake Dawn.

"Loud and clear, sweetie. Let's just keep it between the three of us. You can use the bathroom first since you were so nice to Dawn tonight," Jessie informed her as she wiped away Dawn's dried tears.

"Yes, your majesty," Katie playfully mocked the blonde as she actually bowed to her.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you sometimes," Jessie giggled.

"Oh, come on. You love it and me," Katie insisted as she waited for Jessie's response.

Jessie slowly walked up to her, kissed her softly on the lips, and spoke, "I REALLY do."

Jessie kissed her once more on the lips before walking back to check on Dawn. Katie was so moved by the display of affection that she shed a tear before walking into the bathroom with the tips of her fingers gently touching her lips. Jessie felt a lump in her throat as she watched Katie walk away. She shook it off, searched through Dawn's side of the dresser, removed another t-shirt and some pajama pants, and used her slayer abilities to rapidly change Dawn's clothes without waking her. However, when Jessie kissed her softly on the forehead, Dawn's eyes immediately shot open.

"Uh…Uh," Jessie mumbled as she tried to think of something resembling a reasonably intelligent excuse but failed. _Oh crap! Well, at least she didn't do that while I was changing her clothes._

"Don't worry, I won't say anything," Dawn assured her before glancing down at herself and finished before both girls blushed, "Thanks for the help." _Oh my god. She KISSED me. Sure, it was just one on the forehead, but she kissed ME. And she saw me in my… That's not such a big deal. It wasn't any more revealing than the bikini she let me borrow back in Chicago. Don't forget she also saw you in less than that the night of the party. Oh no, the party. I promised myself not to think about that again. Stop now or that dream will come back._

Meanwhile, Buffy's bedroom

Faith was going over the tips Jessie gave her as she also thought about what she had said to Katie earlier.

_How could I be so stupid? I'm just glad I can trust J and hotstuff to keep their mouths shut. At least I think I can trust them. I better ask to make sure._

Faith debated about what to exactly say as she stripped down to her underwear. When she decided the best thing was to just ask, she got up and knocked on the door without putting on the robe that Buffy had laying at the end of her bed.

"I'll be done soon, Faith, unless you need to throw up," Katie told her as she went through the final steps of her nighttime routine.

"I need to talk to both you and J for a moment when you're done."

"Ok."

Jessie and Katie opened the door to see Faith standing there in her skimpy underwear.

"Faith, I assumed when you said you wanted to talk that you would be fully clothed," Katie gasped.

"I figured that if I came to you in the way I used to dress for bed, you would have slammed the door in my face."

"And how was that? Oh," Jessie answered as she almost pictured what the slayer was saying.

"What did you want anyway?" Katie yawned.

"That you don't tell anyone what I said earlier."

"Our lips are sealed," Jessie promised before she tossed an imaginary key over her shoulder.

"Yeah, and wear a robe next time," Katie suggested.

"If you got it, flaunt it. Right, J?"

Jessie kept her mouth shut as Katie stared at her suspiciously. Faith simply grinned as she closed the door in front of them. Jessie then prepared for bed. As they climbed into bed, they were distracted by Dawn.

"Sorry, I forgot to brush my teeth."

When they heard the door close, Katie turned to Jessie and grilled, "When did she change into those?"

"When you were in the bathroom."

"Did you watch her?"

"No, I turned around to give her some privacy," Jessie lied as she barely heard a soft sniffle coming from the bathroom. _Damn this slayer hearing sometimes. I should have just let her sleep the way she was._

"Ok."

By the time Dawn returned, Katie was asleep. She gazed at the two of them and could tell from the expression on Jessie's face that the blonde had heard her. Jessie gave her the same response she had given to Faith earlier, which was acknowledged with the "I cross my heart." sign.

Another twenty minutes later

Jessie was awoken by the sound of footsteps heading toward Buffy's room. She carefully sat up and wished she had a bowl of popcorn at this moment. She could imagine what would happen next. If she could have actually seen what was going to happen, it would have been just as great as the feeling of kicking Kennedy's ass the very first day they arrived.


	24. Chapter 24

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 24

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Two of our favorite slayers finally confess their true feelings about each other. Meanwhile, someone they care deeply about has a dream about one of the worst moments of her life with a different ending.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: If you want to leave them.

Author's note: Even though this story is mainly about how Jessie and Katie deal with Jessie being a slayer, I am going to include some Faith/Buffy moments.

* * *

Buffy's bedroom

Buffy was too busy thinking about Willow as she turned on the light to notice the half dressed slayer watching her change. If she had, she would have seen as much of Faith at that very moment since the bed covers were pushed back. As the blonde turned around, Faith faked being asleep.

"FAITH! What are you doing in my bed half naked?"

When Faith refused to answer her, she shook her but got nothing. She thought about what to do next and came to the conclusion that whatever she did might wake the other three girls if the blonde wasn't awake already. The thought of Jessie picturing her and Faith this way made her uneasy. As long as Faith was asleep, or so she thought, nothing would happen. She carefully made her way into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and hair, and then climbed into bed beside the other slayer. Faith smiled as the blonde pulled up the covers and turned off the light with a quick clap. After listening to the blonde breathe at an abnormal pace, Faith rolled over and placed her hand on Buffy's tank top. Her fingers gently pushed up the end of the shirt before they caressed Buffy's stomach. At hearing the other girl gasp, Faith cuddled up next to Buffy and nuzzled her neck. Then she softly kissed the smooth skin as she used a foot to rub one of Buffy's legs. This was the breaking point for Buffy, so she sat up and glared at the now smirking brunette.

"I know you're awake now. Stop faking being asleep, and tell me what you think you're trying to accomplish here."

"It's called seduction, B. I can tell you liked it."

"That's not true."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes."

"If that was true, you would have kicked me out of bed, but you didn't."

"I thought you were asleep. At least until you rubbed your foot on my leg."

"Honestly, B, you actually bought that I was asleep until then?"

"Yeah, how was I supposed to know for sure? I don't know your sleeping habits."

"I must be a better actress than I thought."

"So all of this is just a game to you?"

"No, I really like you. I've never felt this way about someone, and it scares me even more to say it. Do you feel the same about me? If you do, say so. If you don't, say nothing and I'll go sleep on that uncomfortable couch. Then what just happened won't happen again."

When Buffy remained silent, Faith sighed, got out of bed, and walked to the door.

"Faith, wait."

"Why, B? Those moments of silence answered the question. It's not the one I was hoping for, but like they say, 'There's someone out there for everybody', even if they are REFORMED killers."

"Would you just stop and listen to me before you walk out of here dressed like that?"

"Then enough with the mind games here. Say it or I split and crash somewhere else."

"Alright, I do have feelings for you. Deep feelings that I didn't want to admit to myself or anyone else in fear of what they would think. Then Willow fell in love with Tara, and I thought if anyone would understand falling in love with another girl, she would. Although, if she found out it was you, she'd freak. I saw how Xander was around Willow and Tara. Sure he loves Willow and really cared about Tara, but he would constantly let his mind wander to thoughts about them together in a sexual way. It nearly drove us up a wall. When you drew that heart on the school window, it made my heart race. There was no way I could reject you after that look on your face. Maybe if I had admitted my feelings then, things might not have gone so wrong. I was jealous of Robin when I heard about what happened between the two of you. I wanted you to be with me, but problems got in our way again. I was so happy that you came back when we asked you. Then you brought up that blonde who was obviously like me in many ways. I thought it was just a way to mess with my mind. What are you smirking at?" _So help me. If this is just another way to mess with my mind, I'll kick her ass._

"The ability to make long speeches never failed you, huh?" Faith teased, making the blonde frown, "Ok, I know that look. So are you telling me that you LOVE me?" _Good job, make her say it first. She's so damn cute when she's annoyed like that._

"I-I g-guess I-I am. Do you love me?" _Damn, she's doing it again. She just loves to torture me._

"You're alright, I guess," Faith said with a smirk.

"Faith."

"Yeah, I love you too, B. I guess I always have."

"Even when you tried to kill us?"

"Well, here's another popular phrase I'm sure you've heard before. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

"What about Robin?"

"If I wanted to be with him, I would. I want to be with you."

"Come here, Faithy."

"Faithy?"

The girls could hear a light chuckle coming from the other side of the door to the bathroom but temporarily ignored it.

"Yeah, it rolls off the tongue nicer than just F."

"Fine, just save that for the bedroom."

"You got it, yo," Buffy said through a giggle as the laughs from the other side of the door got louder. Faith winked at her new girlfriend as she slyly got off the bed and made her way to the door with Buffy sitting still. This helped the blonde get a good look at her girl's butt. Faith whipped the down open to see a smirking Jessie.

"Get a good listen there, J?"

"I sure did, Faithy," Jessie laughed before smirking at the blushing blonde on the bed, "It's about time you two got together. I'm so happy for you. I'm sure I won't be the only one that will feel that way."

"If you have the slayer hearing like me and my B, why were you listening in the bathroom?" _Did I just say my B? Damn, look how they are both looking at me. Damn feelings of love._

"Because if I laughed in there, like I just did, I could have woken Katie and D."

"Good point," Buffy admitted, "Can you do us a favor?"

"Sure, but you still owe me from earlier," Jessie responded with a wink at Faith.

"Let us be the ones to tell everyone and in our own time. I haven't forgotten about that either."

"Ok."

Jessie was then caught up in a hug by the new couple before heading to her bedroom.

"What do you still owe her?" Faith wondered.

"Don't worry about it. If it ends up involving you as well, I will let you know."

"Uh, B, before we go any further, I need to tell you something."

"Is it that important?"

"If you want to have an honest relationship, it is. You want that, don't you?"

"Definitely."

"Ok, here it goes," Faith started as she got the blonde's complete attention.

Faith then told Buffy everything that went on between her and Dawn, why they did it, and what she did to Jessie earlier that night. Buffy was left speechless and felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"I'm REALLY sorry, B, but I had to tell you. Do you still want to be with me?" the brunette asked a little timidly.

Buffy, surprised by Faith's unusual response, said softly, "Yes, Faithy, I still want you, but you're right. I should have been told that. I'm also going to need to talk to Dawn about this. I don't think I need to say anything to Jessie though."

"That's understandable, but don't be hard on her. Her feelings for J are really messing with her head."

Buffy smirked before answering, "Look at you being all protective of my baby sister."

"Well, you changed my life, so how could I not try to protect Dawn too?" Faith replied as she kissed the blonde; which was immediately returned with the same amount of love before they lay down and went to sleep. Faith began to smile as Buffy fell asleep in her arms.

_I can't believe how good this feels, and I'm only holding her._

Two hours later

Dawn's nightmare of what could have happened that night back in Evanston crept into her mind for the third time.

"What do you think you're doing? Hey, stop. You're ripping my clothes. OH GOD, PLEASE STOP! GET OFF OF ME! HELP! SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, HELP! OW! YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH…"

At this point, Dawn began thrashing about on her bed. This only lasted for a few minutes as she could feel herself pinned to the bed in her dream.

She could feel the guy climbing off of her as he warned her, "Tell anyone about this and you're dead. Besides, deep down I could tell you liked it. Girls who dance like you were with Jessie and Katie are sluts who like this type of stuff."

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT! I DID NOT LIKE IT! YOU'VE RUINED MY LIFE, YOU ASSHOLE! I HOPE YOU BURN IN HELL! OW!" Dawn screamed as she felt herself get hit and fall to the floor with a stinging pain on her cheek before being shaken almost roughly.

"DAWN, WAKE UP! You're having a nightmare," Jessie said as she was finally able to shake Dawn out of her dream.

Dawn opened her eyes to see a concerned Jessie looking at her sadly.

"Oh, J-Jessie," Dawn sobbed before breaking down in the blonde's arms with her head on Jessie's shoulder.

Dawn felt Jessie shift, so she opened her eyes and gently turned in the same direction. She saw a half dressed Faith staring at her with a shocked expression from the bathroom doorway as an equally distraught Buffy ran to her. Buffy hugged both girls since Dawn wouldn't let Jessie go.

"What the hell is going on, B?" Faith asked as the slayers saw that Katie was somehow still asleep.

Faith didn't know whether to be happy or angry about that. Buffy had no problem stating her opinion on it though.

"How in the hell could she sleep through something like this?"

"When Katie's deep in thought, it takes a lot to wake her. It's nothing personal," Jessie answered before asking about the nearly hysterical teen, "What's wrong with her?"

"She…She…She had THAT dream again," Buffy said as she began to cry again.

"What dream?" Jessie wondered.

"The night we returned to L.A. and the first night we were here, she had the same dream about that…thing that happened at the party."

"You mean?" Jessie asked as she instantly understood what Buffy was trying to say as discreetly as possible, "But why? I saved her."

Faith became angry as she thought about how Jessie stopped her from seriously hurting that guy.

"Yeah, but in the dream nobody saved her. She told me the entire dream the morning after. The guy ripped off her clothes and brutally raped her. She cried for almost half an hour in my arms as everyone except that bitch, Kennedy, watched helplessly. It nearly broke Willow and Xander's hearts. Faith beat Kennedy to a bloody pulp. She broke Kennedy's arm and almost put her in a coma."

Jessie looked over to Faith; who briefly grinned with pride.

"What about Giles? What did he do?"

"He said he was going running. I had never heard him say something like that before. We thought that he did though. When he came back, he was breathing heavily and covered with sweat. He was gone for almost an hour. We learned the truth when hotel management said that his cell phone was left in the exercise room. A few people in the hotel saw him use every piece of equipment in there. They said he almost destroyed a punching bag. He actually scared a few of them."

Jessie looked down at Dawn. They could tell she had calmed down tremendously, but a few tears remained on her cheeks as she nodded at Buffy's last statement.

"I-I felt more loved at that moment than I ever had, even after Buffy sacrificed herself for me," Dawn said as she lay her head back on Jessie's shoulder.

Buffy wiped away her own tears at that same moment.

"Listen to me, Dawn," Jessie requested as she wiped away the brunette's tears with a tissue.

"Yeah?"

"As long as I'm around, that will never happen. If it ever does, you can be damn sure that person will end up in a coma. I'm sorry I wasn't able to wake you earlier. I wanted to be able to wake you but let them sleep. I guess it wouldn't have mattered either way since they're here now."

"I understand," Dawn mumbled.

"Are you sure?" Jessie questioned hesitantly.

"Yeah, I promise I'm sure."

"Great, I guess Faith and I will go back to bed since Dawn seems to be in good hands."

"Goodnight," Jessie said with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks, Buffy. Thanks, Faith," Dawn responded.

"Anytime," the two slayers replied before slowly closing the door.

"Jessie."

"Yes?"

"I know you've done so much for me already, but can you do something else?"

"Sure, D."

"Will you sleep with me tonight?"

"What?"

"I don't mean it like that. I mean can you stay in my bed for the rest of the night? I don't want to be alone."

"I don't know."

"Please!" Dawn begged as she threw in the puppy dog look.

"Hey, no fair using that on me," Jessie playfully whined.

"Why? Did it work?"

"Yes," Jessie admitted as the two girls lay down together and promptly fell asleep.

That morning, around 8:00 AM

Dawn was the first of the three roommates to awake. She felt something lying on her and opened her eyes to see Jessie's arm draped over her side while she was lying on her stomach. The combination of this and the angelic look on the blonde's face that was slightly hidden by her hair seemed to make Dawn's heart beat faster and louder. She also felt butterflies in her stomach. She leaned over a little and gently brushed the hair away from Jessie's face; making the blonde's smile grow.

_She probably thinks I'm Katie right now._

Dawn watched the blonde's face as her hand made its way down to Jessie's exposed lower back. This was due to the fact that Jessie's shirt had ridden up as she slept. Dawn tried to stop herself from doing it, but she eventually used a finger to trace the heart shaped tattoo. This made Jessie react even more.

"Hmmm," Jessie sighed as she moved closer to the brunette. _I didn't think Dawn had the guts to do this. I sure hope Katie's still asleep. It's pretty quiet in here, so maybe she is. I think I will have some fun with Dawn. _

Jessie cuddled up against Dawn as she faked disappointment at the loss of Dawn's touch on her skin. She held in a giggle as her fingers made their way under Dawn's shirt and rested on her stomach. At sensing Dawn holding her breath, Jessie got even more daring and actually placed a brief kiss on her neck. This made Dawn softly moan. Then Jessie gently whispered into her ear.

"Mmm, morning…, D."

"What? You knew it was me? I thought that you thought I was Katie."

"I knew it was you the entire time."

"If you knew it was me, then why did you let me do it?"

"Because it felt nice and comforting. Plus, I knew it would be like sweet torture to you."

"So you wanted to torture me?"

"Just having a little fun with you. That's what friends do, right?"

"Yeah, best friends," Dawn sighed happily before blushing.

"I'M your best friend?" Jessie asked as she was briefly confused at why she sounded surprised by what Dawn had said, "What about your other friends?"

"What about them?"

"Aren't they closer to you than I am?"

"Yeah, they're close, but Buffy and Willow are best friends. Xander considers Willow to be his best friend. I think he still wishes sometimes that Buffy felt for him what she feels for Faith. Do you think they will ever get together?"

"Yes, I do," Jessie stated as she remained stoic at the memory of her talk with the other slayers earlier.

"So that makes YOU my BEST friend,"

"BFF's?" Jessie questioned with a smile.

"Y-Yeah. That is if you want to be?"

"You are just the sweetest girl, next to Katie, of course."

"Of course," Dawn repeated sadly.

"Hey, don't be like that. I really care about you."

"I know, and I love…," Dawn muttered before covering her mouth, jumping out of bed, and running to the bathroom.

Jessie was presently stunned. She knew Dawn really liked and possibly loved her but didn't expect to hear that word, at least not yet. She pondered on what to do as she headed to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee for Buffy, Faith, and Katie. Jessie didn't know that Katie had seen everything that went on between her and Dawn from the moment Dawn touched her hair until she ran to the bathroom. Katie's blood was almost boiling at why someone she treated like a baby sister earlier would do that. Also, that her girlfriend would kiss another girl like that whether or not it was just teasing. It was at that moment, she could feel herself starting to lose Jessie.

On the other side of the bathroom door

"Hey, a little privacy here, D," Faith ordered from the bathtub filled with water and suds while it was being shared with Buffy.

"I thought you said you locked all three doors?" Buffy asked after she had slid under the water until only her neck and head could be seen.

"Uh, sorry," Dawn mumbled as she started to turn around but stopped and remained still at hearing Buffy's voice, "Faith, what are you doing naked in the bathtub with my sister?'

"What makes you think we're naked?"

"If you weren't, then Buffy wouldn't be hiding the rest of her body. When did this happen?"

"Last night, before your dream. Uh, Jessie already knows," Buffy babbled as she tried not to move at the touch of Faith's hand on her thigh under the water.

"Great, you tell your protégé before you tell your own sister."

"My protégé?"

"Yeah, that's one way to describe her, isn't it?"

"I guess so. Just like you calling her your best friend," Buffy returned with a smirk.

"Don't forget she used the word "love", B. I guess that's why you ran in here?"

"Yeah, what am I going to do? This calls for major damage control."

"Well, you're going to let us finish our bath, and then we'll talk about it in the family room."

After Dawn left the room, Buffy turned to look at her girlfriend.

"Faith."

"Yeah?"

"Did it bother you that I fell asleep in your arms last night? I wasn't sure how uncomfortable you would have been with that."

"It was everything I hoped for, B."

Buffy felt tears coming, looked down at the water, and missed the smirk on Faith's face. Faith used a few fingers to lift up Buffy's chin, so she could look into the blonde's eyes.

"Faith, I…" _Everything she hoped for? She thought about this as much as I have? Get a grip. Don't lose it in front of her. Oh, go ahead, she loves you, and you love her._

Faith leaned in, kissed her softly on the lips, and whispered, "I know." _I honestly think I love that girl…I mean woman._

Faith stood up, turned around, carefully climbed out of the tub, and reached for a few towels while a tear ran down Buffy's cheek. As Faith turned around again, Buffy had just climbed out of the tub and smiled at her. Faith wrapped one of the towels around Buffy and dried herself off with the other. Buffy remained silent as Faith tossed the towel she had used into the hamper, winked at Buffy, and casually strolled back into their bedroom.


	25. Chapter 25

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 25

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The girls have a heated discussion about what happened the previous night up to when Dawn ran to the bathroom.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: When I picked the countries and some of their cities mentioned later in the chapter, I wasn't trying to show favoritism. They are just the ones that popped into my head. I tried to include a variety of countries and cities and be as specific as possible. If I didn't include your country, state, providence, city, etc, don't take it personally. Oh, even though there are cities on the list that have been used for U.S. sitcoms, there will not be any other crossovers. However, one show will be specifically mentioned.

* * *

Meanwhile

Dawn entered the family room and saw Jessie removing some coffee mugs from the kitchen shelves. She sighed softly as she sat down at the kitchen table. Jessie slowly walked over to Dawn and gave her a brief hug before going back to make the coffee.

"Hey, D, do you drink coffee?"

"No, but thanks anyway. Why didn't you tell me about Buffy and Faith when we woke up?"

"What about them?" Jessie quizzed her with a slight smile.

"That they hooked up last night."

"How do you know about that?"

"I caught them together in the tub when I ran into the bathroom. I guess they forgot to lock every door."

"Wow, are you scarred for life now?" Jessie chuckled.

"No, Buffy's body was completely covered by bubbles."

"And Faith?"

"Well, I saw a little bit more cleavage than usual, but nothing else."

"Bummer, huh?" Jessie chuckled again.

"Not since she's with Buffy."

"So then if she wasn't, you would have joined her?" Jessie asked as she nudged Dawn with an arm while hearing Buffy's bedroom door open.

"No."

"That's good. I don't think B would have liked seeing that. Can't say the same for J though."

Jessie rolled her eyes, Dawn gulped as she froze in her seat, and Buffy playfully slapped Faith on the back.

"Leave my sister alone, Faithy."

"Hey, you promised," Faith groaned as Dawn laughed.

"Just like you promised not to borrow my clothes without asking first?" Buffy reminded her as she smirked at the girl wearing her robe; which went just past Faith's knees._ She looks really good, but would it have killed her to put something on underneath?_

"I thought you said I could?"

"No, I didn't. You ran out here as soon as you smelled the coffee."

"Well, if you want it back…," Faith began as she reached to untie the robe straps.

"Don't you dare open that robe. You're not giving my sister and our friend a free peep show."

"Y-You're n-naked u-under th-there?" Dawn stuttered as Jessie smirked.

"Yeah, wanna see?" Faith joked while untying the robe but holding it closed.

"No," Dawn muttered as Jessie raised an eyebrow; indicating that she might not be against it.

"Who made the coffee? It smells wonderful," Buffy stated to draw the topic off of what Faith wasn't wearing under Buffy's robe.

"That would be me, B," Jessie revealed with a smile.

"You're an angel," Buffy praised as she kissed Jessie on the cheek.

"Yeah, she is," Faith agreed as she moved closer and kissed the other cheek while tying up the straps of the robe again.

When Jessie realized that the brunette hadn't lied, she held back the surprising urge to open the robe. Dawn sighed and looked away until they were interrupted by the last person to enter the room.

"WHAT'S WITH YOU SUMMERS GIRLS? You too, Faith whatever your last name is? Do you get some type of thrill out of kissing and/or caressing somebody else's girlfriend?" Katie sneered before she glared at Dawn for the last question, "I thought we were friends after what happened last night?"

"The last name's Lehane, but I only go by my first name. Don't you dare talk about my girl and her sister like that. Consider yourself lucky that J loves you," Faith scowled.

"Why are you talking about caressing? All Faith and I did was kiss her innocently on the cheek for making all of us coffee. How do you know what happened last night? You were asleep through the whole thing."

"Dawn did though. Who knows what she could have done if Jessie continued to sleep?" Katie asked Buffy before turning to Jessie, "Or should I say pretended to sleep? I saw what you did as well."

The angry look had changed to deep hurt.

"Katie, it's not like that at all. Since you saw what happened in the bedroom, then you also heard what was said. I will say it again though. It doesn't matter that we're not alone right now. I knew that it was Dawn doing that stuff to me. It felt nice, comforting, and not weird because Dawn said I'm her best friend. You know I love you and that you love me. If I didn't, I wouldn't have gotten this," Jessie explained as she lifted up her shirt and showed off her tattoo to everyone in the room.

Buffy smiled while Faith whistled and complimented the blonde, "Pretty sexy tattoo, J."

"Wait, did Faith call Buffy her girlfriend?" Katie asked.

"Yeah, B's my girl. She became mine shortly after she got back last night."

"That's right," Buffy confirmed, "Dawn, can you tell us what Katie's talking about regarding last night? If you don't mind, we'll tell her what I was talking about."

"If it will clear everything up, I will tell you. Last night, Katie and I were trying to watch a movie, but I was distracted. I was concerned about Jessie and Willow for obvious reasons. We stopped the movie and talked about anything and anyone we wanted to talk about, including T-Tara. When I couldn't take it anymore, she let me cry on her shoulder for ten minutes. I wanted to go to bed after that, but she wouldn't let me. She let me rest my head on her lap while I lay down. We talked some more and went back to watching movies until I guess we both fell asleep. While I was awake, she ran her fingers over and through my hair. Like you did after that fight we had and at the hospital while we were waiting for news on M-Mom. She said she never got to play the big sister card."

"Yeah, I got that on the video camera. You should see it, Buffy. It was the sweetest thing I had seen since I met all of you."

"Later, Jessie," Buffy suggested, "Can I tell her now, Dawn, or do you want to tell her?"

"Tell me what?" Katie wondered.

"You can say it. I think I'll just start crying again if I say it."

"Alright, the night we returned to L.A. after the party and the first night here, Dawn had a nightmare."

Dawn rested her head on her sister's shoulder as she could feel her eyes welling up again.

Buffy continued, "During the nightmare, she was back in the bedroom with that asshole. NOBODY heard her screams. He ripped the clothes from her body, brutally raped her, and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. He hit her one more time before he left."

"Oh my god," Katie muttered.

"Y-Yeah," Dawn sniffled, "I didn't mean to do what I did to Jessie in the bedroom. She just looked so angelic as she slept with some hair on her face. It's like my hand had a mind of its own. I would never intentionally do anything to hurt my best friend. I…"

"You LOVE her, I know. I heard that already."

"It's my turn to say something," Jessie said as she interrupted them, "Katie, you need to stop this jealousy thing. You're turning into HER. We both know what happened there."

"I'M NOT TURNING INTO SARAH!" Katie yelled; shocking Buffy and scaring Dawn.

"You could have fooled me. Where do you think you're going? We're not done yet."

"I n-need to g-go for a w-walk or m-maybe a r-run. We can all talk later."

"Katie, please don't go," Dawn bawled.

Katie sadly looked at all of them before ignoring Dawn's request and closing the door behind her as she left them sitting on the couch.

"It will be ok, Dawnie," Buffy said as she tried to comfort her sister.

"I'm not so sure. I REALLY screwed up this time. You believe me when I said I would never intentionally hurt you, right, J?"

"Yes, D. You didn't screw up. Katie did when she jumped to the wrong conclusion. Let's get some breakfast before it's all gone."

Faith winked at Jessie before she and Buffy walked back to the bedroom hand in hand. After the girls had quickly showered and gotten dressed, Jessie grabbed Dawn's hand and led her to the elevator before Dawn put her head on Jessie's shoulder.

"What are you thinking?" Faith asked her girlfriend as they followed Dawn and Jessie.

"I think I love J now," Buffy giggled. _Great, she's got me doing that now_.

Jessie and Dawn smiled while Faith frowned.

"I'm kidding. Just letting you know that you're rubbing off on me as well."

"In more ways than one, B," Faith whispered as softly as she could.

Jessie quickly gave her a "Please, no more." look as the doors closed. Faith smirked while Buffy blushed.

Twenty five minutes later, the cafeteria

The four girls walked into the cafeteria to see almost everyone there eating breakfast. As they reached their usual table, they were met with confused looks.

"Uh, sorry to pry, but what's wrong?" Willow cautiously asked Buffy.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy said as she tried to show that she had no idea of what her friend was talking about.

"As we were walking here," Willow said as she indicated the entire table, "we saw Katie running. She was crying really hard."

"Something happened earlier that caused a fight with her and the four of us."

"What was it?" Xander questioned almost immediately.

"Hotstuff saw some things that upset her and jumped to the wrong conclusion," Faith stated as the other three nodded along.

"Hotstuff?" Xander and Willow asked in confusion.

"Yeah, that's my nickname for her. J's still hotter though."

"Get to the point," Buffy advised as they sat down.

"Anyway, we argued with her, and she took off for a run."

"About what?" Willow asked.

"She saw me and J in bed together, caught me touching her, her kidding around with me, and me telling her I…"

"Why were you in bed together?" the redhead questioned as she tactfully ignored what Dawn left out.

"You what? OW!" Xander yelped as Faith glared at him.

Buffy smiled at Faith and waited for a nod from Dawn before speaking, "Dawn had THAT dream again."

Willow's eyes welled up with tears, Giles angrily ran his fingers through his hair, and Xander slammed his hand down on the table; getting the attention of everyone.

"Sorry," he muttered as he felt Willow's hand on his shoulder before she concentrated and blocked out everyone except Buffy, Faith, Jessie, and Dawn.

_Dawn, if you would like, I might be able to work out a spell to block that nightmare from your mind for the rest of you life._

_How are you able to do that with me? I thought it only worked on the slayers. _

_It can work on anyone with the slightest bit of magic in them. I just never tried it with you._

_Wow, way to work the mojo, Red._

_I agree with Faith._

_Thanks, B._

_Wait, they can hear us too?_

_Yes, Dawn, _Jessie stated_._

_Are we the only ones hearing this?_

_Yes, Jessie. How about it, Dawnie?_

_Let's finish breakfast first, and then we'll talk._

_Ok. _

"If the five of you are finished, can you tell us if there's anything else?" Xander grumbled after being left out of yet another conversation.

"Yes, B and I are a couple."

"What?"

"B's mine and I'm hers."

"I don't believe it," he exclaimed.

"Get real. You can't tell us you didn't notice the tension between them," Dawn scoffed.

"I noticed it. I just didn't think it was that type of tension."

"Then I guess you can't see that Vi has a crush on you," Jessie said carelessly before covering her mouth with her right hand.

Vi, who was sitting at the table to his left, turned and tried to deny it.

"I do not."

"Yes, you do," Rona added.

"Alright, fine. I do like you, Xander," the redhead admitted, "Why do you think I'm always placed on your team? I asked Jessie to do that but keep it a secret," she finished as she looked over at Jessie.

"I'm sorry, Vi."

"It's alright. He was going to have to find out sooner or later."

While everyone was getting up from their tables, Faith smirked at Xander, kissed Buffy on the lips as she lifted her out of her seat, and smirked again at an open mouthed Xander. Buffy decided to give all of the girls a day off from training, so they could do whatever they wanted. They said goodbye to Robin and Andrew before the two headed to the airport. Robin had decided to go back to New York while Andrew headed back to California to live with relatives. After waiting at least an hour for Katie to return, Jessie and Dawn decided to leave as well. Giles, Willow, Xander, Buffy, and Faith met in the library for a Scooby meeting as Jessie and Dawn went to Grace's. Xander would occasionally glance over at the two slayers on the opposite side of the table. He didn't say a word as Buffy was sitting on Faith's lap while Faith had her arms wrapped loosely around the blonde.

"Before we start, Giles and I would like to tell Faith something."

"What's up, Red?"

"We altered your criminal records and prepared a fake id just in case you need it," Willow announced with a smile.

"Thanks, you never know when B and I might want to take off for awhile."

"You're welcome," the redhead responded.

"Since J is fourth in command, shouldn't she be here for the meeting, along with D?" Faith questioned them.

"Well, if that little argument hadn't happened earlier, I would say yes. I think it was best that we let them skip this one, but they should probably be here for any future meetings," Buffy informed them.

"So then she's officially a member of the Scooby gang?" Faith and Willow wondered.

"Yes, is that ok with you?" Buffy asked them.

"I think it's a splendid idea," Giles admitted.

"So do we," Faith and Willow agreed before Willow turned to Xander, who had been staring at the slayers again, "Pay attention. Now, as you were getting ready to say, Giles?"

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"With help from the local coven, I finished the maps locating areas around the world that are experiencing various amounts of vampire and other demonic activity. As you can see, there are several places. The various shades indicate the level of the threat. The amount of slayers and watchers assigned to each area will be determined by population and level of danger."

They were amazed as the following areas were highlighted.

United States

Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA

Denver, CO

Washington, D.C.

Miami, Panama City, and Orlando, FL

Atlanta, GA

New Orleans, LA

Boston, MA

Las Vegas, NV

New York City, NY

Cleveland, OH

Portland, OR

Philadelphia, PA

Dallas and Houston, TX

Seattle, WA

Australia

Sydney, New Wales

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro

Canada

Niagara Falls and Toronto, Ontario

China

Beijing, Beijing

France

Paris, Ile-de-France

Germany

Berlin, Brandenburg

Greece

Athens, Attica

Ireland

Dublin, Dublin

Italy

Rome, Lazio

Japan

Tokyo, Kanto

N. Korea

P'yongyang, P'yongyang

S. Korea

Seoul, Seoul

Mexico

Cancun, Quintana Roo

New Zealand

Auckland, North Island

The Philippines

Manila, Luzon

Russia

Moscow, European Plain

Spain

Madrid, Madrid

U.K.

London, Greater London, England

Belfast, Antrim, N. Ireland

Glasgow, Edinburgh, Scotland

"You're right. I hoped it wasn't so widespread," Buffy sighed.

"Unfortunately, quite a bit," Giles informed them as he cleaned his glasses with a tissue.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but you do know there are witches in San Francisco, don't you?" Willow asked with slight confusion.

"I guess the coven forgot to mention that. You've heard of them?"

"Any practicing witch knows about The Charmed Ones. They're three of the strongest witches ever. They've faced off against just as many demons as we have but not as many vampires. They also defeated some Gods too."

"Wow. What are their names?" Buffy casually asked as all eyes focused on the redhead.

"Phoebe and Piper Halliwell and a half sister, Paige Matthews. They lost their oldest sister, Prue, a few years ago."

"How did they handle that?" Buffy questioned while the back of her head rested on Faith's shoulder.

"Piper went on a rampage and got almost as bad as I did. Paige stopped her though. Just like Xander did for me."

Buffy watched as her two friends shared a brief hug and a smile.

"So we can forget San Francisco then?" Giles questioned Willow.

"Yeah, they've got it covered."

At the same time, Grace's apartment

Grace opened her door and saw Jessie smiling at her, but she wasn't sure how to react.

"Uh, what are you two doing here?" Grace questioned as she looked over her shoulder.

"Nice to see you too," Jessie answered with a smirk as Dawn looked at Grace suspiciously.

"I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I have some company right now."

"Really? Who?" Dawn wondered.

Jessie knew exactly who her sister was talking about.

"She's here, isn't she? I guess I should have expected that. Is she ok?"

"Uh."

"Just tell me…us."

"When she got here, she was covered in sweat. I made her take a shower and let her borrow some of my clothes. She cried on my shoulder for about fifteen minutes before falling asleep. She wouldn't tell me what happened," Grace described as she looked around after hearing a few noises from the second floor, "I don't think she wants to talk to you right now. I've got to go. I'll try to get her to open up or call you soon," she finished in a whisper before almost shutting the door in their faces.

"Who was that, Grace?" Katie asked as she made her way from Grace's bedroom into the kitchen.

"Just some neighbor kids trying to raise money for some charity," Grace lied as she could tell Jessie was sighing on the other side of the door.

"Oh, ok, would you like me to cook something? It will help me take my mind off of certain things."

"You can. I know you said it's therapeutic for you, but you have to tell me what happened back there."

"Fine, but promise me that you won't hurt me or throw me out."

"Is it that bad?"

"I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't."

"Fine, go ahead, hotstuff."

"Whatever you say, brainiac."

Both girls laughed at Faith's nicknames for them, but inside Katie wanted to cry again.

On the other side of the door

"Uh, what should we do now?" Dawn asked as she glanced at her best friend.

"I guess we check out the entire city. I really haven't done that yet. Well, not during the daytime anyway," Jessie chuckled as she grabbed Dawn's hand lightly; making the other girl internally swoon at the touch.

"Sounds good," Dawn sighed. _Why is she doing this to me? Doesn't she realize what she's doing?_

"Relax, Dawn, everything will work out." _She's so cute when she's concerned like that._

"If you're sure." _Do something before you end up kissing her again._

"I am," Jessie confirmed before slightly tightening the grip that Dawn tried to break as they walked down the sidewalk. _There's that adorable smile again._

They were unaware that Grace was watching them closely from a window. When she saw they were holding hands, she sighed heavily.

"Something wrong?"

"Nothing," Grace replied as she turned to look at a disbelieving Katie, "I'm just hungry, that's all."

"Well, you won't be soon. Come here, it's almost ready."

"Alright," Grace obeyed as she forced out an innocent smile. _Why did Jessie have to hold Dawn's hand? Maybe Katie has something to be worried about._


	26. Chapter 26

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 26

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn has another gift for Jessie, and Jessie calls Buffy on what she said to Jessie in chapter seventeen.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: In this chapter, I included a line used by Eliza Dushku in one of her movies. As for Dawn's gift to Jessie, I was too lazy to think up names for the rest of the new slayers. Just imagine a bunch of names when you get to that part.

* * *

Around two hours later

As Dawn and Jessie made their way back onto the property, they came across the Scoobies relaxing and enjoying the decent weather that day. They weren't sure how to react at seeing Jessie and Dawn holding hands. Jessie, on the other hand, could sense the apprehension at their arrival and let go of Dawn's hand. Dawn let out a soft, happy sigh at the loss of contact. Faith noticed the blue beret for the first time and was glad to find something to talk about.

"When did you get that hat, J? It looks good on you."

"I g-got it for her. We came back from Paris yesterday. I got her the blue one because it matched the color of her eyes," Dawn described as she fought the feeling of an upcoming blush, "I got a red one for Katie."

"It's not as nice as the tattoo though."

"She has a tattoo?" Willow and Xander babbled, "Can we see it?"

"I don't think so," Jessie said as she returned the winks she got from her roommates.

"Why not?" Xander asked as he became excited of what it could be and where it was.

"Because enough have seen it for now," Jessie explained.

"Who's seen it, other than Katie?" Xander inquired.

"Just Buffy, Faith, and Dawn."

"Why did they get to see it and we don't? I at least should get to for all the times I've teleported you," Willow reasoned.

"Alright, come here," Jessie directed to the redhead.

"Nice, but you should also let Giles and Xander see it," Willow announced with a growing smile after looking at the tattoo.

"That's quite alright. I don't need to see it," Giles stated as he was becoming slightly uncomfortable.

"Relax, it's not like it's on her butt," Dawn giggled.

"No, really, it's ok," he muttered as all of the girls were amused at his reluctance over something that wasn't that big of a deal.

"Speak for yourself," Xander declared as he got closer in hopes of catching the blonde off guard.

Jessie saw him coming and tried to lower her shirt, but Faith stopped her and held it up so the guys could see it.

"Let me go, Faith, you're making Giles uncomfortable just to please Xander."

"Maybe, but I'm not budging until they both look, even if it's just for five seconds."

"Just look at it, guys," Jessie ordered as she rolled her eyes at the other slayer but secretly liked the feeling of Faith's fingertips touching her skin.

Even though Buffy couldn't help smiling at Faith and Jessie's antics, she had to do something at hearing her sister sigh. She turned and carefully rested her hand on Dawn's shoulder. Dawn let out another sigh before looking away.

"That's enough, you two. Anyway, Dawn wanted to give you something else, Jessie," Buffy told them as she winked at Willow and Giles.

"There's more? You didn't have to, D."

"I know, but actually, it's for you and your entire family."

"What is it?"

"Do you remember the few times you couldn't find me when Buffy, Willow, and Kennedy were on one of their last trips together?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I made a DVD of you leading a training session, a slaying later that night, and all of you eating when you got back."

"How?"

"Willow taught me an invisibility spell, so you couldn't see me."

Jessie gulped at that confession.

"I know what you're thinking. I wouldn't spy on you like that. I just wanted to surprise you since your family worries about you so much."

"Can I see it now?"

"Yeah, if you want to, but I thought you might want Grace and Katie to be here for the first showing. I have another two ready to send to your family."

"It's ok. I will let them see it later."

The group headed up to the apartment and got comfortable as Dawn hooked up the video camera to the TV and started it up.

"Uh, Dawn, do you mind if we watch what I recorded of you and Katie last night?"

"If it's not too embarrassing, I won't mind."

"Cool."

Meanwhile, Grace's loft

Katie and Grace talked after eating the meal Katie had prepared for them.

"I can't believe you said that to them or even thought that about my sister," Grace growled.

"I thought you said you wouldn't get mad at me?"

"I'm sorry, but basically accusing Jessie, who we both love but not in the same way, of cheating on you makes me angry. Especially, since she got that tattoo."

"You know about that?"

"Yeah, so does Zoe."

"Just great. Are you the only family members that know about it?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't know that we know."

"Were you going to say anything to her about it?"

"That depends. Are you going to apologize to them?"

"I planned on it, but I'm nervous about whether they'll accept it or not."

"I can't speak for our new friends, but I think Jessie will. Although, if you keep it up, the same thing will happen to you that happened to Sarah."

Katie felt her fingers clench as she spoke, "I know. I can't lose her, Grace. Not after what she and I have been through together already."

"Then go talk to her…now."

"I can't. If I do, I'm afraid I'll mess up even more and drive her into the willing and loving arms of Dawn."

"Katie."

"Just let me stay here a little bit longer."

"I will as long as you promise to talk to them."

"I promise."

The girls spent the rest of Katie's time there watching TV.

Back at the slayer campus, the family room of the girls' apartment

As the girls, Xander, and Giles watched the movie, they displayed various reactions. First, the slight annoyance of Dawn's self promotion during the opening credits. Second, pride at seeing how well Jessie handled the training session and the skill she showed during the slaying. Third, happiness at how the blonde barely broke a sweat during the slaying. The movie credits and prologue were shown just like the Star Wars saga along with the same music being played. They groaned at the thought of Andrew helping her with that.

Opening credits:

Title: Jessie Sammler, The Vampire Slayer

Rating: PG-13

Producer: Dawn Summers

Narrator: Dawn Summers

Editing manager: Dawn Summers

Editing assistant: Andrew Wells

Score: Dawn Summers and Andrew Wells with special thanks to John Williams

Starring: Jessie Sammler

Co-starring: Katie Singer, Grace Manning, Rupert Giles, and Xander Harris

Additional slayers in order of appearance: Vi, Rona, the remaining slayers

Prologue: The description of the prophecy, Buffy's introduction to it, the physical and emotional battles she dealt with from the time being called up to the battle with The First.

Chapter 1. Dawn describing in her own words their lives in Sunnydale, the destruction of the Hellmouth, meeting Jessie; Jessie's family; and Katie Singer, and moving to England.

Chapter 2. the training session (narrated by Dawn with shots taken at various spots to show how many were paying attention to Jessie's orders)

Chapter 3. The slaying (There is more narration by Dawn before the actual Buffy theme song by Nerfherder is played. The main focus is on Jessie, but a few close ups of Xander, Vi, and Rona are seen)

Chapter 4. The girls and Xander eating in the cafeteria afterwards (with even more narration and an occasional close up of them)

Epilogue: The girls and Xander relaxing and joking with Giles while Good Riddence (Time Of Your Life) by Green Day is played in the background (with a close up of Vi smiling at a clueless Xander while Rona rolls her eyes at him)

Closing credit:

Dedicated to: Karen Sammler, Rick Sammler, Lily Sammler, Eli Sammler, Grace Manning, Zoe Manning, and Katie Singer

When it was finished, they made comments.

"What?" Dawn questioned as they smiled at her while Faith, who had an arm wrapped around Buffy, smirked.

"Dang, D, self promotion much?" Faith commented before the smirk returned, "Nice song you picked for the fight scene. It's kind of a catchy tune. Maybe even a good TV show theme song."

"Yeah, Dawn, I have to agree with her about the self promotion thing," Buffy chuckled before turning to Faith, "As for the song, nobody would choose it as a theme song. It's like when I told Grace that no one would buy the idea of my life story being made into a movie, TV show, or comic books. Excuse me, I mean graphic novels," Buffy finished with a smirk at a slightly angry Xander.

"You never know, B. Stranger things have happened," Faith stated as Buffy lie back against her while the brunette winked at Dawn.

"Like what?" Buffy quizzed while being slightly confused.

"Like you falling in love with me."

"Or you falling in love with me."

Willow, who had been smiling throughout the movie with an occasional glance at Xander, laughed at him being clueless about Vi and irritated by Buffy's teasing.

"It's not that funny, Will," he complained.

"I think so," Willow said before turning to Giles, "What do you think?"

"I agree with you quite a bit actually."

Dawn smiled as Xander huffed again at what happened at the ending.

"Ok, now the most important opinion. What do you think, J?" Faith asserted as they all leaned in to hear Jessie's answer.

Jessie let a tear slide down her right cheek before speaking, "I-I l-love it. My family will love it almost as much as I do. Th-Thank y-you, D."

"Y-You're w-welcome," Dawn stuttered.

"Aw, tear," Faith teased.

Buffy lightly smacked Faith while gazing at Jessie. Jessie smiled at everyone, hugged Dawn, and then suddenly kissed her on the cheek, temporarily stunning the rest of them as Dawn blushed.

Faith let out after a whistle, "Way to get a thank you from your crush, D. I mean best friend."

"What about me?" the redhead playfully mocked, "After all, I taught her the spell."

"Hey, I'm the one who made her third in command. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't be the main star," Buffy insisted as she joined in on the kidding with her best friend.

"Excuse me, B, but it was my idea that we make her third in command."

"It was my idea to make the video," Dawn reminded them.

"Care to say anything, guys?" Jessie directed to Giles and Xander.

"I can't think of anything, other than I'm glad I was in it. I didn't even have to do anything either," Giles said with a smile.

"I liked it, but I'm not the only who's been clueless to being liked by someone in that way," Xander exclaimed.

"Point taken. Let's watch what I recorded last night," Jessie suggested as the rest nodded in agreement.

As they watched the recent footage, Willow and Buffy could feel themselves getting choked up.

"Aw, isn't that the cutest thing you ever saw?" Faith joked as she watched all of the reactions.

"Y-Yeah," Buffy and Willow mumbled.

"You're not going to cry on me, are you, B?"

"N-No, of course not."

"Yeah, right," Faith sighed briefly before patting Buffy on the shoulder, "Go ahead, I don't mind."

Buffy gave in and let a tear run down her cheek as she rested her head on Faith's shoulder. Xander smiled before letting Willow do the same to him.

"Did I embarrass you, D?" Jessie replied carefully.

"Almost, but I'll survive," Dawn assured the blonde before stopping the video.

"Got to love those Summers girls, huh, J?" Faith chuckled. _Good job at putting J on the spot._

"Uh." _Thanks a lot, Faith._

"Don't worry, you don't have to answer that," Dawn responded as she and Buffy rolled their eyes at Faith.

"Alright. By any chance, did Katie stop by while D and I were gone? She didn't call yet."

"I'm sorry, but no," Buffy answered politely.

"If she's going to be jealous of your friendship with Dawn, maybe you shouldn't be with her," Faith added, "There are plenty of girls that would like being with you, including me. That's if Buffy and I weren't already together of course. D would be more than happy to. Maybe even Red wouldn't be against it."

"Not now, Faith," Buffy instructed before staring at Willow and Dawn.

"Uh, Xander, maybe you and I should leave the girls for awhile. In case they want to talk in private," Giles suggested as he headed for the door.

"Yeah, you're right," Xander agreed as he followed him out of the apartment.

"So…what are your plans now, Jessie?" Buffy muttered.

"I'm going to check my e-mail while I wait and see if Katie comes back or calls," Jessie claimed as she walked back to the kitchen table, sat down, and turned on her laptop.

"Would you like us to leave when she comes back, so you can talk to her in private?" Willow offered casually.

"No, you can stay. She owes all of us apologies anyway."

"She's right, yo. I'm staying."

"You can't hurt her though. I'm sure she's sorry," Jessie warned.

"You got it, J."

"Uh, Dawn, can I talk to you for a few minutes in my and Faith's bedroom?"

"I guess," Dawn relented as she followed her sister and Faith into the room before closing the door.

A minute later, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

"So what did you want to talk about?" Dawn began as she tried to avoid staring at her sister.

"Uh…," Buffy paused briefly before speaking again, "before you had that nightmare again, Faith and I were talking."

"And?" Dawn continued although she had a rough idea of where this talk was heading.

"Faith told me everything that went on between you and her when you two came up here together yesterday."

"Everything? Even what we were talking about?"

"Well, just what directly involved me. I understand and respect your need to keep certain things you've said and feel about Jessie a secret with people other than me. You also have to know that you can tell me anything, anytime."

"Ok, are you mad about what Faith and I did?"

"Well, I wasn't thrilled to find out that she almost got my sister out of her pants before she and I hooked up, or should I say Jessie's pants?"

"B," Faith sighed.

"Or that my only sister French kissed my new girlfriend. Yeah, she wasn't my girlfriend yet, but you know what I mean."

"Buffy," Dawn whined.

"All kidding aside, give me a day, and I'll be ok with what went down. It just better not happen again."

"We promise," Faith and Dawn pledged.

Dawn hugged Buffy before they left the room with the slayers walking out hand in hand.

A moment later

The girls entered the family room, sat down, and started to watch TV along with Willow when they were interrupted by Jessie mumbling something they couldn't understand.

"What's wrong?" Buffy wondered as she looked over her shoulder to Jessie.

"It's Eli."

"He's ok, right? I mean nothing's wrong with him?" Dawn guessed as she became slightly worried.

"Depends on what you mean by ok," Jessie determined with a smirk as she looked back at her computer.

"Oh, this sounds good, spill it," Willow giggled.

"He's asking about Buffy again, Red," Jessie revealed.

Faith became confused at never hearing that name before but enjoyed seeing the redhead roll her eyes at Jessie.

"Who's Eli, and what does he want with my B?" _Damn it, I said it again. I really need to watch that, but at least it doesn't bother the rest of them when I say it. I can't believe they are so cool with me and her being together._

Willow, Buffy, and Dawn laughed as Jessie explained Eli's obsession with Buffy.

"Eli's my brother. He keeps asking about her and wondering if she's ever talked about him in the same way she acts around you. He's been that way since the last time he saw her."

"So what should we do, B?" Faith babbled as she raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know, but I'm open to suggestions."

They were silent until Jessie divulged, "I've got it."

"You've got what?" the rest grilled together.

"Hopefully, a way for him to leave you alone and drive him slightly crazy."

"You don't mean?" Willow gasped as Faith smirked and Buffy and Dawn's eyes began to bug out.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Jessie," Buffy advised as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure it is. Besides, you owe me, remember?"

"Yeah, but I was hoping that it wouldn't be something like that."

"You said ANYTHING."

"I should watch what I say from now on. Come on, Faith. Will, you and Dawn wait here, ok?"

"No problem, Dawnie and I definitely don't want to see it," Willow informed them quickly.

"I can understand why D wouldn't want to see it, but wouldn't you be curious, Red?"

"Enough already, Faith. Just ignore her, Will," Buffy recommended as she took her girlfriend by the hand and led Faith and Jessie into Buffy and Faith's bedroom.

A few minutes later, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

The girls waited patiently on the bed as Jessie cut through the bathroom to retrieve her digital camera from the other bedroom.

"Are you ok with this, Faithy?"

"Of course I am, B, couldn't you tell by the look on my face? It'll drive this Eli guy almost crazy, we don't have any pictures of us together as an official couple, and like J told me the night before. If you've got it, flaunt it."

"So then the whole seduction was her idea?"

"No, she gave me some advice, but the seduction was all mine."

"What advice did she give you?"

"Nothing that I wasn't already thinking. Well, except for not overdoing it with the flaunting."

"Are you two ready?" Jessie interrupted.

"How far do Faithy and I have to take this?" Buffy asked as she started to feel nervous.

"Only as far as you're comfortable with going," Jessie explained as she giggled lightly at hearing Buffy's nickname for Faith again.

"I thought I asked you to save it for the bedroom?" Faith complained.

"Well, we're in the bedroom," Buffy giggled.

"You know what I meant, B," her girlfriend playfully whined.

"Sorry."

"Ok, just don't do it again."

"So how far do you want us to take it?" Buffy inquired while wondering how different her and Jessie's limits might be from each other.

"Well…," the other blonde thought about it for a few minutes before telling them.

"That's it?" Buffy chirped while being happy that both blondes were on the same page.

"Yeah, anything else would give him some type of attack."

"J's right," Faith agreed as she wrapped her arms around Buffy and pulled her back until they were both leaning against the wall behind them.

As Jessie continued taking pictures of Buffy and Faith in various poses, the other blonde began to feel more at ease. When it was over, all three were smiling.

"See, it wasn't that bad, was it? You weren't wearing anything more revealing then that day at the lake back in Chicago."

"You're right, I'm sorry if got the impression that you wanted us to do more," Buffy apologized as she and Faith put their shirts and jeans back on.

"It's alright. I could see how you might have assumed that."

"Are you ok, Faith?" Jessie wondered.

"It's all good, J, I would have been willing to do more though."

"Like what?" the blondes questioned her in an amused tone.

Faith told them what she had been thinking.

"My brother was getting annoying, but I wouldn't have put him through that," Jessie smirked.

"That's his loss then, or maybe it's your loss too," Faith chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yeah, what's that mean, sweetie?" Buffy voiced with slight confusion. _I can't believe I called her sweetie. What's next? Baby? Honey? Maybe even sexy? No, I don't think so. There's no way I'm going to call her that in front of people._

"I mean I'm getting the idea that Jessie liked it when my fingers touched her bare back as she showed Red, Giles, and Xander the tattoo."

"Uh, if I tell you the truth, can you two keep it a secret?"

"Yeah," Faith and Buffy consented.

"And you won't get mad either, Buffy?"

"No."

"Ok, I kind of liked it, regardless of how it appeared to everyone else."

"Kind of?" Faith teased.

"Fine, I liked it, just like when Dawn did it," Jessie let out before immediately shutting up.

"So that's what Katie meant by caressing?" Buffy assumed.

"Uh huh."

"Well, you're going to have to face it, J, girls just can't keep their hands and lips off of you."

"Not all of them."

"Ok, mainly just D and hotstuff," Faith mentioned as Buffy began to smile.

"Something else on your mind?" Jessie encouraged Buffy.

"Yeah, you're not going to dream about me again, are you?" Buffy smirked.

"No, that was a one time thing, I'm sure. You said you and Willow wouldn't tell anyone else. Besides, what if Dawn's listening to us right now?"

"She's watching TV with Willow," Buffy recalled.

"Whoa, you dreamed about my girl?"

"Just once. It happened after I killed Katie in the same dream."

"Why did you kill hotstuff in a dream? It wasn't over jealousy, was it?"

"No, she had become a vampire and killed Dawn. I couldn't let that go that unpunished with me being a slayer."

"Well, I'm talked out for now," Faith confessed as she reached for the door.

"I hope that's all you're tired of doing right now," Buffy implied as she smiled at her girlfriend.


	27. Chapter 27

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 27

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The girls have a few confession filled conversations. Grace tells them how Eli reacted to the pictures.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

When the door was opened, the girls came face to face with an upset brunette as a confused redhead watched them.

"Dawn, wait," Jessie and Buffy begged as Faith felt sorry for Dawn.

She liked occasionally teasing Dawn but honestly didn't want to see her like this. Every time Buffy and Jessie got closer, Dawn would take a step back. After the third time, she ran to her and Jessie's bedroom and locked the door behind her.

"D, please open the door so we can talk," Jessie requested.

"Willow, why didn't you stop her from listening?" Buffy asked.

"I told her not to, but she's almost an adult and capable of making her own decisions. Anyway, I didn't think you'd say that when Dawn was so close."

"It's not like we shouted it. What are we going to do?"

"I guess you could tell her that I dreamed about you as well. No, that's a bad idea," Willow babbled under Faith's scrutiny of her.

They stopped as they heard the bedroom door become unlocked and slowly open. Jessie stood in the doorway as Dawn allowed just enough room for her to enter. She sighed as Jessie looked over her shoulder at the three girls behind her before focusing back on the girl standing in front of her. Dawn opened the door the rest of the way before stepping aside to let all of them in. Then she closed and locked it again; confusing her sister and their friends.

"Why did you lock it again if we're all in here?" Jessie questioned softly.

"In case someone else decides to come in," Dawn answered.

"By someone you mean Katie?"

"Yeah, she's still your girlfriend, right?"

"As far as I know."

"B-But that might change?"

"I can't answer that question honestly. Anything else you want to ask me?"

"Y-Yeah…," Dawn mumbled as she sat down and looked her feet.

"Well?" Jessie continued after a minute of silence.

"W-Why?" Dawn griped before softly crying.

"Why what?" Jessie inquired.

"W-Why B-Buffy and not m-me? No offense to her, but I hoped…I mean thought that it might be about me before her, Faith, or even Willow."

"Hey," Willow said as she felt offended but stopped as Buffy gave her a pleading stare to stay quiet.

"I d-didn't m-mean it l-like th-that," Dawn stuttered before wiping away a tear, "I meant I thought it would be them over you due to the slayer connection, but that it would be me first."

"And why is that?" they all wanted to know.

"Because the three of you really like her, but I'm the one who l-loves h-her. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ So why her and not me?"

"If you heard us, then you heard why I did," Jessie replied.

"No, after hearing you say that it was a one time thing, I blocked the rest out."

"Well, you have to understand that it happened in the dream where I killed Katie after she had killed you. You fell into my arms before I staked Katie. Buffy and I cried as I held you and slowly closed your eyes. They were just frozen open in fear. Our tears sprinkled your face before I handed you off to Buffy. She came to me as I was packing up my clothes. I was going to leave and go back home. I didn't want to stay after watching you die and having to kill Katie. We started talking. For some reason, she kissed me. It led to another a kiss. One thing led to another, and we ended up in bed together. I didn't want to tell you because I knew it would hurt you."

"You mourn my and Katie's deaths by having sex with Buffy?"

"D."

"I'm sorry. So then it was unintentional?"

"Yeah," Jessie confirmed as she looked over at the other blonde, "no offense."

"None taken," Buffy assured her.

"Can I be alone for a bit?" Dawn pleaded.

"I thought you were ok now?" Jessie responded softly.

"I will be. I just need a few minutes alone," Dawn mentioned before she lie down on her bed.

"Alright," Jessie complied as she, Willow, Buffy, and Faith left the room, but not before they all kissed her softly on the forehead.

Dawn smiled at the first three kisses but was surprised by the final one.

"What? I care about you as much as they do. Why else would I want to beat up that guy and attack Kennedy?"

"To impress Buffy."

"Well, believe it or not, she had nothing to do with it. It was about you."

"Th-Thank you," Dawn sniffled as she hugged Faith.

After they all had left Dawn alone, Faith grunted, "What, B?"

"It's moments like that back there that make me love you even more," Buffy explained as she kissed her gently.

"Aw, isn't that the cutest thing you ever saw?" Jessie teased and smiled while the couple hugged each other.

"Don't get any ideas," Willow ordered with an arched eyebrow as Jessie winked at her.

"You mean you'd turn this down?" Jessie chuckled as she slowly turned in a complete circle.

"While you're with someone else, and Dawnie is in love with you?" Willow reminded her.

"I don't know. That's why I asked."

"I couldn't and wouldn't do that to them. No matter what Katie did this morning."

"You told her?" Jessie ranted.

"Yeah," the two slayers admitted together, "You don't mind, do you?"

"I guess not. Are you sure you don't want to see the pictures, Red?"

"I thought I already said no," Willow stated.

"Relax, it's nothing you haven't seen before," Faith announced.

"Alright," Willow agreed as Jessie handed her the camera.

The redhead was hesitant at first but eventually looked through all of them. She remained calm as she finished.

"See, not so bad, huh?" Buffy chuckled.

"No," the redhead claimed as she turned to look at Jessie.

_Are you ok?_

_Not as much as I appear to be. At least they didn't do more than that._

_Uh._

_Uh?_

_Faith told me she would have been willing to do more._

_Could you have been willing to do that?_

_I don't think so. It would have made me uncomfortable and…_

_Enough said._

"If my best friend and my protégé, as Dawn described it this morning, are done with their private conversation, maybe we could enjoy the decent weather a little more," Buffy interrupted.

"What about Dawn?" Jessie wondered.

"I'm sure she'll come down when she's ready," Buffy sighed.

As they reached the front door, they heard a knock. Jessie answered it to find a hopeful but nervous Katie standing in front of them.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, but why did you knock instead of just coming in?" Jessie grilled her girlfriend.

"I thought it would be better if I knocked."

"Smart move," Faith growled as she cracked her knuckles in front of Katie.

Jessie glanced at Faith as a serious expression appeared on the brunette's face.

"You're still staying here though," Jessie told her girlfriend.

"Not for much longer," Buffy commented confidently.

"Buffy," Jessie groaned.

"What, she has to get to Oxford soon, right?" Buffy declared.

"Yeah, the classes don't start for at least a month, but I was going to go there a little early to get used to living in a dorm."

"How much different will that be from living here?" Jessie challenged.

"The dorms will be a lot smaller than this place, Billie. I can still call you that, right?"

"Yes."

After being as patient as she could be, Faith slightly sneered at Katie, "So what did you come here for, Katie?"

Katie wasn't sure what to do or say next since Faith didn't use the nickname she had given her on the very first day.

"Uh, I came to apologize…to all of you."

"Another smart move," Faith spat.

"I'm REALLY sorry I acted that way. It's just that Jessie's the most important person in my life. Nobody has loved me as much as she has. The thought of someone kissing and touching her, regardless of the situation, made me act stupid."

"More like jealous," Buffy argued.

"Ok, fine, jealous. Can you forgive me?" Katie directed to Buffy, Faith, and Jessie.

"I will," Jessie conceded as she hugged her girlfriend.

"That depends on how well you apologize to B's sister."

"Yeah," Buffy chimed in as she reached for her girlfriend's hand; making Faith smirk.

"W-Where is sh-she?"

"In the bedroom," Jessie revealed as she pointed to the bedroom door.

"C-Can I t-talk to h-her?"

"Yeah, but not alone," Buffy commanded as the rest nodded along.

Katie slowly walked to the door and knocked softly.

"I said I needed a few minutes alone, didn't I?" Dawn snapped from the other side of the door.

"Please open the door," Jessie demanded softly.

"What is it?" Dawn grumbled as she opened the door before spotting Katie, "What do YOU want?"

"I came to apologize."

"It's about time," Dawn nearly snarled as she strode to her bed and sat down, "Are you going to come in or stand there?"

"Can I come in?"

"I wouldn't have asked otherwise."

"Why are the rest of you standing there? I assumed that she would apologize in private."

"They wouldn't let me," Katie informed her.

"Huh?"

"Buffy and Faith wouldn't accept my apology unless they were satisfied with mine to you. I'm REALLY sorry I hurt you like that, Dawn. I understand how you could fall in love with Billie. I promise to try not to act like a jealous bitch again."

"Do you really mean that?" Dawn sniffled as Katie hugged her.

"Yeah."

After the hug, Katie turned around to face Jessie, Buffy, Faith, and Willow.

"S-Satisfied?"

'Yeah," Faith confirmed with a smirk.

"Yes," the blondes asserted with a tear running down their cheeks.

Willow just gave an affirmative nod.

"So what should we do now?" Katie rambled as she got off the bed.

"I think J has some pictures you might want to take a look at. Then we have some videos for you to watch," Faith announced.

"What type of pictures?" Katie wondered as Willow, Buffy, and Dawn groaned.

"We're not telling you that. You have to see for yourself," Jessie smirked.

"Before you do that, I need to tell you something, Jessie," Buffy began.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?"

"Hardly, Giles, Willow, Faith, and I decided to make you a member of the Scooby gang since you're fourth in command."

Willow, Faith, and Buffy smiled as they heard Dawn sigh happily.

"I take that as a sign that Dawn agrees," Willow determined.

"Duh," Dawn affirmed as she beamed at Jessie.

"How about it, J? It's just as big of an honor as becoming fourth in command. Even you know who didn't get that far."

"R-Really?" Jessie gasped before she smiled excitedly.

"Yeah," Buffy sighed as she looked over to the redhead, who sat there silently.

"Thank you so much," Jessie told them as she hugged each of them, bringing a smile to their faces as well.

Jessie headed to the kitchen to grab the camera as the rest sat around the tv. Jessie hesitated before handing it to Katie. They were all amused by the look on her face as she scanned through all of them.

"Well?" Buffy, Faith, and Jessie voiced in unison.

"Black definitely suits both of you," Katie complimented with a smirk and a wink directed to Buffy.

Buffy blushed as Dawn grabbed the camera from Katie.

"I thought you didn't want to see them?" Willow questioned.

"I didn't at first, but if Buffy is going to blush like that, I want to see them."

They became confused at why the girl was now giggling.

"Sorry, it's just that Buffy looks the same way she was on the beach, not counting the affection for Faith," Dawn described as she winked at the redhead, but it was missed by Buffy.

Now Willow was blushing as Jessie and Katie held back laughs at the memory of Willow's attitude around her best friend that day.

"What's with the blush, Will, it was just a bikini, right?"

"Yeah." _Unfortunately._

"Ok, I think I have a few videos to watch," Katie interrupted much to Willow's relief.

Katie's reaction to the first video was the same as theirs.

"Dawn, that was so sweet. Jessie's family will love it. You may even make their Christmas list with that video. Not like that's hard to do if you're like me, not counting this morning," Katie gloated before smiling at Dawn.

"Really?" Dawn wondered.

"Yeah, they might even ask you to be a bridesmaid at their daughter's wedding."

Katie was then immediately elbowed on her left side by her girlfriend.

"Uh, sorry."

"It's cool. I might have some experience by then anyway," Dawn guessed as she smirked at Buffy and Faith.

"B and I just got together."

"Yeah, but you've wanted each other for years."

"It's time for the next video," Buffy demanded to get the topic off of something she didn't want to talk about yet.

"Alright."

Dawn turned back to the TV just in time to see Faith waking Katie in the second one. She was able to not blush again, but Katie wasn't so lucky.

"I still can't believe you did that while we were asleep," Katie grumbled as she turned red.

"To quote Faith, 'Aw, Kodak moment'."

"You really said that?" Willow, Buffy, Dawn, and Katie pressed as Jessie laughed.

"Yeah, but only because I was a little tipsy. If I hadn't been, I would have just smirked like J is right now."

"I couldn't resist. Like I said before Katie took off, it was the cutest thing I saw since we got here."

"So what are you going to do with the pictures, Billie?"

"I was going to e-mail them to Eli, so he will stop asking me about Buffy."  
"You aren't really going to send them, are you?" Katie spoke with a smirk.

"That was the plan, sweetie."

"But isn't that a little cruel?" Katie chuckled.

"No, cruel would be sending him some of the other type of pictures Faith was willing to take."

"And what would that be?"

Jessie turned to Willow and Dawn before speaking again, "You two might want to cover your ears."

"Why?" the two requested casually.

"Do you really want to hear it if it involves Buffy?"

"Good point," Dawn reasoned as she and the redhead covered their ears.

This didn't stop them from watching Katie's reaction to what Faith was telling her. They laughed as Katie's eyes bugged out and her mouth hung open for about ten seconds.

"Understand now, sweetie?" Jessie inquired as she indicated that Willow and Dawn could uncover their ears.

"Y-Yeah, d-do you think you could handle th-that, B-Billie?"

"I don't know. If it took that to get Eli to leave us alone, maybe I could."

Jessie smirked as they all watched her send the e-mail.

"Let's get some fresh air," Katie suggested as she motioned to the door before grabbing Jessie's hand with one hand and Dawn's with the other; surprising all of them.

Faith strutted to the door and opened it as she held Buffy's hand with the other. Willow seemed to be the only witness to Dawn's inner turmoil as she looked over her shoulder to the witch.

_Please help me. This is almost killing me inside._

_What do you want me to do? I mean what could I do?_

_I don't know, but can you think of something, PLEASE! I can't think of anything right now. _

"Hold up, everybody, we forgot something," Willow declared.

"What's that, Red?" Faith responded.

"The DVDs Dawn was going to send out today."

Faith glanced over, saw the brief, pained expression, and understood, "Well, go get them, D. That's if you want to make it onto the Sammler/Manning Christmas list."

"Alright," Dawn happily sighed as Katie let go of her hand.

_Thank you so much._

_Anytime, Dawnie._

A few hours later

The Scoobies and Katie were relaxing when music started coming from Katie's cell phone.

"Is that Jessie's voice coming from Katie's phone?" Buffy guessed with a smirk.

"Yeah, it's her singing "God Bless The Child" by Billie Holiday. I chose it to be my ring tone."

"Cool," Dawn giggled.

"It's Grace. Why would she be calling me and not you?"

Jessie searched her pockets and realized why.

"I guess I left mine upstairs."

"She's probably calling to see if I apologized yet."

"Well, answer it, hotstuff," Faith advised as they all noticed that Dawn seemed to have gone into a trance at hearing Jessie sing.

"Hi, Grace, if you're calling to see if I apologized, I did. Whoa, slow down. Eli did what? And Zoe?" Katie babbled before falling out of her chair, laughing loudly, and handing the phone to Jessie.

This snapped Dawn out of the trance. They all watched in confusion and curiosity at Katie laughing while lying on the ground and Jessie smirking as Grace continued to talk to her.

The phone conversation

"Yes, it's true. I know because I'm the one who took the pictures."  
"When did they get together?"

"Last night. So what did Eli do?"

"He almost fainted. Zoe heard him fall out of the chair. As she went to check on him, she saw what he was looking at."

"ZOE SAW THEM?"

"Yeah."

"What did she do?"

"She began laughing as hard as Katie was before she handed to the phone to you."

"Were Dad and Lily there?"

"No."

"Too bad we weren't there to witness that, but I can imagine it."

"Can I see the pictures?"

"Yeah, and we want you to see a video D made of me. She sent two copies through FedEx not too long ago."

"Two?"

"Yeah, one to my mom and another to Dad and Lily."

"Good. So did Katie apologize to you?"

"Yes."

"Did you accept it?"

"Yeah, we did. I accepted it first. Buffy and Faith said they'd only accept it if they were satisfied by her apology to Dawn."

"Is Dawn ok?"

"Yes, D is fine now."

"Just fine?"

"What are you getting at?"

"I saw you two, you know."

"What did you see?" Jessie whispered.

"I saw you holding Dawn's hand as the two of you headed to wherever it is you went," Grace whispered back, "Is there something going on that the rest of us don't know about yet?"

"We're just friends, so I held her hand. No big deal," Jessie continued to whisper.

"If it's no big deal, why are we whispering?"

"Because I don't want the same things to happen twice in the same day. So are you coming over before we go slaying tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way over there now," Grace said before ending the call.


	28. Chapter 28

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 28

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The gang finds out that Eli wasn't the only one to see the pictures of Buffy and Faith and learns a little bit more about Katie's home life. Grace reveals a secret about Jessie and Katie, Dawn plays a slightly mean joke on Buffy and her friends, Katie paints a few portraits for them, and Jessie starts to become attracted to Dawn.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: This chapter will contain the last of the Kennedy bashing for now if not for the rest of the story. I know there are those who won't like where I'm heading with Dawn/Jessie/Katie, whether they leave comments or not. Just because this is happening, it doesn't mean that it's permanent. Don't stop reading because of that. If you do, you'll miss some funny and sweet moments between Jessie, Katie, and the rest of the characters. To get a good idea of how things went with Buffy and Faith at the end of the chapter, just imagine the love scene from "Lost And Delirious" with Faith as Tori and Buffy as Paulie.

* * *

After the call, Jessie turned to see the rest of the Scoobies staring at her while Katie smirked.

"Is everything alright, J?"

"Yes, Faith."

"Then what was making your girl laugh so hard?"

"Apparently, Eli saw the pictures."

"What pictures?" Xander questioned as Giles remained silent.

"And?" Buffy and Faith remarked as they ignored Xander's question.

"Grace said that Zoe told her that he almost fainted as he fell out of the chair. When she went to see if he was ok, she saw the pictures of Buffy and Faith. She then started laughing at him. Fortunately, our parents weren't home."

"Are you telling us that Zoe actually saw the pictures?"

"Yes, D," Jessie answered as Katie held her sides while laughing hard again.

"Isn't Zoe your younger sister that we met about two and a half months ago?" Buffy replied.

"Yeah."

Buffy blushed bright red as Willow, Dawn, and Jessie joined in the laughter with Katie.

"How old is she?" Faith asked.

"About three years younger than me," Jessie revealed.

Buffy's blush got even brighter as Faith smirked, "I guess it's a good idea we didn't take the other pictures, huh?"

"Faith, I don't think I like the idea of a thirteen year old girl seeing me…I mean us like that."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Xander griped.

"To get Eli to quit bugging me about Buffy, I took some suggestive pictures of her and Faith together. Before you ask, no, you can't see them."

"Why not?"

"After the way you acted around Willow and Tara for the first few weeks, there's no way you're going to see them," Buffy explained.

"Fine," he grumbled.

"Well, I want to see his reaction, B. You better close your eyes or look away, Giles."

Giles wasted no time in doing exactly that.

"Please, don't," Willow and Buffy pleaded.

"Pucker up," Faith simply responded before wrapping her arms around Buffy, kissing her passionately, and almost resting her hands on the blonde's butt. A minute later, she released the blonde, "How was that one for you, B?"

"That was…That was…"

Faith turned to a gawking Xander and whispered, "Now, picture that with us half naked on our bed. I thought touching her butt might be too much for you though."

"Dear lord, what did you do to him?" Giles muttered as he stared down at an unconscious Xander.

"I made him faint. The poor guy couldn't handle seeing me make one of his best friends VERY happy," Faith chuckled as Buffy playfully slapped her on the shoulder.

After waking Xander with a few light slaps, Buffy inquired, "Are you going to be ok?"

"S-Sure, Buffy."

"Dawn, did you think any more about what I said earlier?" the redhead quizzed to get the topic off of Buffy and Faith.

"What are you referring to?" Dawn replied as she wasn't completely sure what the witch was talking about.

"You know," Willow answered with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I have."

"And?"

"Yes, but there isn't going to be any problems or side effects, right?"

"I promise no mistakes or side effects."

"Ok."

"Somebody please tell me what you're talking about. I'm getting tired of being left out of conversations," Xander complained again.

"Willow's going to do a spell that will block the nightmare from my memory for the rest of my life," Dawn described.

"Is that a good idea?" he sighed, "What if something goes unexpectedly wrong?"

"If it makes all of you feel better, it can be reversed."

They watched nervously as the witch laid her hand on Dawn's forehead, chanted some words in Latin, and then pulled her hand away. They had gotten a little worried when they saw blue light coming from the witch's hand during the chant.

"Uh, Will, was that supposed to be part of the spell?" Buffy grilled as concern covered her face.

"What? The blue light?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"Yes, how do you feel, Dawnie?"

"I'm great," Dawn announced as she looked around, "Wait, where are we, what are we doing here, and when did we get here?" she then turned to Jessie and Katie, "Who are you?"

"You don't know? What's the last thing you remember?" Buffy declared as she glared at her best friend.

"We were trying to decide what to do next as we stared at what used to be Sunnydale."

"You honestly don't remember me…I mean us?" Jessie interrupted.

"No, who are you again?" Dawn responded as Jessie appeared hurt.

"This is my girlfriend, Katie, and I'm Jessie. I've saved you twice. The first time was from an attempted rapist and the second from a couple of vampires. You called me your best friend, developed a crush on me, and told me this morning that you loved me," Jessie told her as the hurt seemed to grow.

"So you're gay?" Dawn continued as Jessie nodded yes, "You're beautiful, but I couldn't love you in that way. I'm straight. Willow isn't though. Maybe if you and Katie weren't a couple and Willow wasn't seeing that bitch anymore, one of you could get together with her. Where is Kennedy anyway?"

"Willow, you said there wouldn't be any problems," Xander growled as everyone except Faith gaped at the redhead.

When they turned away from her, Dawn smirked but stopped when she was caught by Faith.

"Tell them or I will, D."

"Huh?" the rest wondered.

"Fine, I was kidding. I remember everything except the nightmare."

"THAT WASN'T FUNNY, DAWNIE! You worried all of us and got Buffy mad at me. This is your fault, Faith," Willow snapped.

"Whoa. How is this MY fault? I didn't tell her to do that. Sure, I like a good joke now and then, but I wouldn't do something like that," Faith countered with a sneer.

"Well, she didn't do stuff like this when you weren't around," Willow stated with a frown while Buffy didn't know what to do or say.

"Don't blame Faith. It was all my idea. I'm REALLY sorry," Dawn groveled before turning to Jessie and Katie, "I could never forget what you've done for me, J, and what you did for me last night, Katie. You played the big sister card pretty well. I'm also sorry about what I said about either one of you and Willow getting together," Dawn finished with a hug for both of them.

Dawn didn't seem to notice Katie become rigid and sneer slightly.

"I think I deserve another apology," Faith ordered, "but so does Red."

"I'm sorry, Faith," Willow apologized.

"We're sorry too, Will," Buffy said as she pointed to herself and Xander.

"Ok," Faith and Willow replied together before smiling.

"So what should we talk about next?" Willow suggested anxiously.

"How about Katie?" Dawn asserted.

"What about me?"

"What made you choose Oxford?" Buffy began.

"Well, it was the only school close to London that I could get into that offered a full scholarship. I guess I should've applied a little earlier. So I will be going there for the first year. Then hopefully transfer to a school in London."

"When we were at your home awhile back, it seemed that your family was doing well enough that you wouldn't need a scholarship. So what happened?" Buffy continued.

When Katie and Jessie sighed sadly, the others remained quiet.

"Remember when I said that I didn't have a good family life?" Katie grumbled.

"Yeah," Willow stated.

"Well, they have never accepted the fact I'm gay and told me that as soon as I was considered an adult, I would be cut off from them completely until I got over the phase I was apparently in. Hopefully, I will be able to get a scholarship from someone else, get a part time job, or make money selling paintings to get by. Also, I've wanted to see what it'd feel like to live in a loft in London."

"It's horrible that they did that. What do you want to study?" Dawn added before sighing sadly at Katie's pain.

"I'm going to have a double major in marketing and computers with a minor in art. Maybe next year I can transfer to a school in London that will offer a scholarship too," Katie claimed as Jessie held her hand in support.

"Katie's really smart, a natural at knowing how to sell anything, and normally pretty charming. She's also an excellent painter and sketch artist. She can be just a bit forgetful and procrastinating," Jessie smirked as Katie immediately started blushing.

"Do you think she could do a painting or sketch of the Scooby gang, me and Faith, or me and Dawn?" Buffy commented with a smile.

"M-Maybe,' Katie stuttered.

"Of course she could," Jessie decided as Katie blushed again.

"I guess we'll have her do that. How much would she charge?" Dawn muttered as Buffy agreed with her.

"After what happened earlier, I would say no charge," Katie recommended.

"Hey, you apologized, so we could pay you," Faith said with a slight smirk at the thought of what Katie was capable of doing.

"I guess you could pay for the cost of the paint if that's your choice," Katie offered.

"Cool, do you need anything else, like other supplies or us to pose?" Buffy mentioned.

"No, she's got an easel, brushes, and is talented enough that you wouldn't need to pose," Jessie praised.

"Oh, Billie, that's so sweet, but that's a biased opinion."

"If I was wrong, then you wouldn't have won those amateur art contests."

"Well, I had a great subject," Katie beamed at Jessie.

"Ok, before you two get anymore sickeningly sweet, here's some money to go get some paint," Buffy announced as she handed Katie some money, "Get back before it gets dark."

"Ok," Katie complied as she grabbed Jessie by the hand and strolled off the property in search for paint.

As they walked away, they passed by Grace.

"Where are you two going? I thought you were going to show me the pictures and movies."

"Buffy and Dawn can explain everything and show them to you," Jessie insisted with a smile.

"Alright."

When Grace reached the group, she noticed that Dawn was peeking over her shoulder in hopes of watching her sister. When Faith saw Grace smirk, she nudged Dawn on the arm.

"Oh, hi, Grace," Dawn greeted her as she began peering down at her shoes.

"Hi, Dawn. Jessie said you and Buffy would tell me what's going on."

When Dawn remained still, Buffy answered for her while Faith smirked and Xander chuckled. Willow smacked him on the shoulder to shut him up.

"The happy couple told us about her college plans and how talented she was."

"That again," Grace muttered sarcastically.

"So J does that a lot? I mean brag about her girlfriend?"

"Yeah, she does, Faith. It gets annoying sometimes, but then Katie does it too about Jessie's grades and her tae kwon do skills."

"If you want to see the pictures and videos, follow me," Dawn sighed a little sadly.

Buffy lightly patted Dawn on the shoulder as they followed her and Grace.

"Dawn, I thought I'd let you know I saw you and Jessie holding hands when you left my place earlier," Grace whispered.

"It w-wasn't m-my idea. It was h-hers. I tried to break the hold, but I couldn't. Please don't tell Katie. You don't need to worry about Buffy, Faith, or any of our friends saying anything. She was still holding my hand as we came back. They saw it but said nothing," Dawn whispered back.

"Well, I won't say anything."

"Thanks," Dawn concluded as she cast a glimpse behind her to see if Buffy and Faith had heard them.

They obviously had but tried to act as if they hadn't. Dawn sighed again after seeing this.

Thirty minutes later, the family room of Buffy, Faith, Dawn, and Jessie's apartment

Grace's reaction to the pictures and video was just like everyone else's.

"So you liked it?" Dawn asked her nervously.

"Yes, very much. The pictures were great too," Grace complimented as Buffy blushed.

"Is Katie really that great of an artist?" Dawn babbled as Buffy and Faith both arched an eyebrow while they waited for Grace's answer.

"Yes, she's pretty impressive," Grace admitted with a laugh before shuddering.

"What's up with that, brainiac?"

"I'll tell you, but you three can't say anything. If you do, Jessie might kick my ass."

"Ok, we promise," Buffy smirked as Dawn and Faith nodded.

"Once, I caught Jessie posing for Katie in an unexpected way. She and Katie didn't hear me when I knocked. I thought they might have been asleep or too busy kissing to notice. It clearly wasn't the case."

"In an unexpected way?" Dawn asked with confusion while her sister and Faith seemed to have a rough idea, causing Faith to smirk, which went unseen by Dawn.

"She was naked."

Dawn gasped while Faith whistled.

"Do they know that you saw that?"

"Yes, hence the part where I asked you to keep it a secret."

"So how did they react?" Buffy questioned as Dawn seemed to be picturing it before looking away from them.

"Well, Jessie jumped up in shock and Katie tried to block my view, but it was too late because I had seen more than I ever wanted to see."

"So then you saw everything and are scarred for life?" Buffy laughed.

"Almost everything, but I'm not scarred. I'm pretty sure Jessie is though."

"Looks like D will be having a great dream tonight if she's able to fall asleep. So does she look just as good naked as when she's dressed?"

"Faith, can you please shut up?" Dawn and Buffy begged as Grace rolled her eyes at the question.

"Sure, B. Sorry, D. Hey, maybe B or I could do that."

"FAITH!" Dawn and Buffy yelped.

"Just kidding," Faith chuckled.

That evening, the girls' apartment

"So while Jessie, Faith, and I are out patrolling, what are you two going to be doing?" Buffy inquired.

"I guess I can start the painting of the new Scooby gang," Katie decided as she headed to the bedroom to set up her easel.

"Can I watch?" Dawn requested hopefully.

"No," Katie smirked.

"Why not?"

"Because you're in it, so you need to be surprised."

"Fine," Dawn scoffed.

"Trust me, it'll be better if you wait. Uh, Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a few questions for you. What would you like the theme of the painting to be?"

"Huh?" Buffy replied.

"Yeah, what she said," Faith and Dawn added.

"I mean do you want one that's heartwarming or has a slight touch of humor to it?"

"Surprise us," Buffy insisted as she became curious at what Katie could be thinking.

"Would you like Giles in the picture or have it just be you, Faith, Jessie, Dawn, Willow, and Xander?'

"It would be nice if you included him," Buffy determined.

"Ok."

"I guess I'll surf the net while she's painting," Dawn decided as the three slayers made their way out of the apartment.

For the next few hours, Katie painted in their bedroom as Dawn surfed the internet. Dawn remained frustrated that she couldn't watch Katie as she worked. The frustration grew as she saw Katie laughing during a break from the painting.

"Is it done yet?" Dawn playfully whined.

"Almost," Katie responded as Dawn frowned at her, "Aw, cheer up, D, you'll love it."

"I better since you making me wait feels like torture," Dawn complained before turning her attention back to her laptop.

After finishing the painting, Katie looked it over and hoped they would like it as much as she did. Then she thought about how the one of Buffy and Dawn should look before working on it. She was finishing that one up as the trio of slayers re-entered the apartment.

"Is Katie still painting?" Faith directed to the moping teen.

"Yeah, how did the slaying go tonight?"

"A little rougher than usual," Jessie mumbled.

"Uh, ok, what's wrong?" Dawn kept going as all three slayers seemed a little bruised.

"We're just a little bruised and sore," Jessie answered, "I think I'm going to take advantage of the whirlpool jets of our tub. Since its big enough, do the rest of you want to join me?"

"Sure, B and I could use the relaxation."

"See you soon then," Jessie assumed with a smirk.

Jessie entered the bedroom as Katie was covering the painting of Buffy and Dawn.

"Hold up, let me see that."

"Uh, ok. What do you think?" Katie whispered as she hesitantly smiled.

"I love it. You really are a great artist. Would you like to join us in the bathroom?"

"What for?"

"Faith, Buffy, and I are going to relax our sore muscles."

"Just the three of you?"

"I'm not sure. Will it be a problem if Dawn is there too?"

"I guess not," Katie conceded before she covered up the painting, hid it along with the first one under the bed, put away the supplies, got changed, and entered the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, their bathroom

As the jets pumped out the warm water, the slayers could feel the pain melt away while Katie and Dawn smiled at them.

"Feeling better now?" Katie and Dawn prodded.

"Yeah," Buffy, Faith, and Jessie sighed in agreement after the blondes sipped some soda while the brunette chugged a beer.

"This was a great idea, Jessie. I'm glad this tub is big enough for times like this," Buffy sighed again as she rested her head on Faith's shoulder.

"Uh huh," Jessie sighed before turning to Dawn, who was blatantly staring at her, "Something wrong, D?"

"N-no, n-nothing's w-wrong."

Faith smirked at the now embarrassed teen as Buffy rolled her eyes.

"What's up with her?" Katie questioned Buffy and Faith.

"We promised someone we wouldn't say anything," Buffy confessed before looking at Dawn and Faith.

"Who?" Jessie argued with an arched eyebrow.

"Grace," Dawn revealed before covering her mouth with her hands.

"What did Grace say?" Katie chuckled.

Faith, who was becoming extremely amused, informed them, "While you were shopping for paint, Grace watched the movies and saw the pictures of me and B. Then she talked about how the two of you constantly brag about each other. She finished with telling us a VERY interesting story."

"Faith, be quiet," Buffy ordered.

It only took a few seconds for Jessie to realize what Faith was saying.

"Oh…OH, she told you that?" Jessie groaned as she lowered herself deeper into the bubbling water, "If she wasn't my stepsister, I swear I'd…" _Just great, now I have to yell at Grace._

Katie began laughing as both Jessie and Dawn were blushing deeply.

"I don't know how well D's going to sleep tonight," Faith laughed.

Dawn felt that she couldn't take it anymore, so she quickly got out of the tub and walked to the door.

"Aw, you don't have to leave already, Dawnie," Buffy remarked as she tried to encourage her sister to stay.

"No, I think I want to get some sleep. Besides, I don't want to be a fifth wheel."

"Alright, but don't feel that you have to leave because of what Grace shouldn't have told you," Jessie advised.

"No, it's cool."

As Dawn left the room, Buffy and Faith noticed that Jessie briefly stared at her in an almost suggestive way. This made Faith smirk and Buffy groan as Katie missed the scene due to being lost in her own thoughts.

Later that night

After Buffy and Faith cured the need for each other, the two had a brief talk.

"So how was it for you, B?"

"It was as great as I hoped it would be. Why didn't we do this the first night you were here instead of you teasing me the way you did?"

"Because I had fun doing that, yo. I also wanted to show you I wasn't a 'Get some, Get gone' type of girl anymore. Well, as long as we love each other."

"Good to know. Anything else on your mind?"

"Yeah, should we tell Dawn about how J was staring at her butt as she left the bathroom?"

"You know this after feeling would be better if you didn't talk about my sister's butt. To be honest, I don't know. I kind of want to, but it might do more harm than good."

"True. I guess we say nothing unless the happy couple breaks up," Faith finished with a smirk.

"What now?" Buffy murmured as she began to put her clothes back on.

"I was just thinking that maybe you should live a little more dangerously sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean ditch the pjs once and awhile."

"You mean like you?" the blonde exclaimed as she smiled at her topless girlfriend while climbing into bed, "Won't you be a little cold?"

"Yeah, sometimes. At least the pjs anyway," Faith dared as she cuddled up against Buffy, "Besides, we have each other to keep warm."

"Ok," Buffy consented happily at feeling the brunette wrap her arms around her.

Little did they know, Dawn had been in the bathroom during their talk. After returning to her bedroom quietly, Dawn couldn't stop herself from looking at the somewhat happy couple in front of her. She wanted to be happy for Buffy, Faith, and her best friend, but the possibility of Faith being right and impure thoughts about Faith and Jessie weren't helping her.


	29. Chapter 29

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 29

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Buffy and Faith talk about Jessie becoming attracted to Dawn, the Scoobies are shown the paintings Katie had worked on the previous night, and Katie makes assumptions about Jessie and Dawn.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: To get a good idea of what the Scooby gang painting looks like, just imagine the original Scoobies posed like the cast of The Breakfast Club on the movie poster or VHS/DVD cover. Their positions: Buffy - Molly Ringwald (with a stake in the hand touching the floor), Faith - Judd Nelson (with a stake in her right hand), Xander - Emilio Estevez, Dawn - Ally Sheedy, Willow - Anthony Michael Hall (with her resolve face showing), Jessie - sitting between Willow and Xander (while smiling), and Giles - standing behind Xander (with a slight smile on his face) There will be some Xander bashing at the end of this chapter because I thought he was stupid and a hypocritical jerk too many times.

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast, the girls' apartment

Katie and the Scooby gang had gathered in the family room.

"So why did you want us to come up here, Katie?" Willow asked as her curiosity grew every second.

"Yeah," Xander added with apparent confusion.

"I just wanted to show you the paintings I did last night. The first one is of the new Scooby gang, and the second is of Buffy and Dawn."

"The new Scooby gang?" Xander questioned while still confused.

"Yeah, since Jessie's a Scooby now, it's correct to say that. You've all seen The Breakfast Club, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Willow inquired.

"YOU DIDN'T!" Buffy giggled.

"I SO did," Katie admitted with a smirk, "I would like to present the NEW Scooby gang."

When Katie pulled the cover off of the painting, the rest smiled before joining Buffy in laughter.

"I love it just as much as the one of Buffy and Dawn," Jessie said as she kissed Katie and began singing Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds.

"Well?" Katie quizzed the rest of them while smiling at the feel of the kiss and hearing Jessie sing.

Willow congratulated her, "It's excellent. You captured our normal expressions so well."

"Where should we put it?" Buffy announced.

"How about on the wall next to Giles's office door?" Dawn suggested as the rest of them couldn't remove the smiles from their faces.

"That's a great idea," Xander complimented Dawn.

"How does that sound, Giles? I mean do you like that idea?" Buffy commented to their mentor.

"Yes, quite a bit actually. You're very talented, Katie."

"Th-Thank y-you," Katie declared shyly.

"You haven't even seen the second one yet," Jessie reminded them.

"Oh, right," Katie mumbled nervously, "Dawn told me of how she helped out in the fights a few times, so here it is."

Katie then pulled the cover off of the other one. Buffy, Dawn, and Willow shed tears of joy at seeing Buffy standing beside Dawn with her left arm wrapped around her sister's shoulders. They both had cute smiles on their faces as Buffy was holding the famous scythe in her other hand while Dawn held a sword in hers. Giles and Xander smiled back and forth between the painting, Katie, Buffy, Dawn, and Willow.

"Aw, how sweet," Faith playfully mocked before changing her tone, "Those are some wicked paintings, hotstuff."

"I told you she was great," Jessie bragged.

"Thank you, B…," Katie tried to say before she was hugged tightly by both Dawn and Buffy.

"Ok, step back, she needs to breathe now," Jessie giggled.

"Thank you," Buffy told Katie with a heartwarming smile.

"Yeah, th-thank y-you," Dawn stuttered before smiling.

"You're welcome."

"What are the plans for the rest of the day?" Faith quizzed after having enough of the Hallmark card moments for the day.

"Well, several hundred of the new slayers will be arriving starting today through the rest of the week, and we'll be meeting the teachers for the girls still in high school. Classes start in about a week. We should do a final look to make sure that the rest of the dorm rooms and classrooms are still in good shape. Then we need to decide the living arrangements for those slayers," Giles explained.

"So we quickly check out the rest of the dorm rooms, the classrooms, and then back to the library for the next Scooby meeting?" Buffy groaned.

"Exactly," he confirmed.

The next few hours were spent making sure everything was ok with the rooms. Everything seemed ok, so they met up again in the library while the rest of the slayers there took part in light sparring matches.

"Ready for your first Scooby meeting, J?"

"I sure am, Faith. I know she's not officially a Scooby, but would you mind if Katie comes with us?"

After getting a positive nod from the rest of them, Faith answered, "It's cool, yo."

Buffy then led her girlfriend to the same spot as before but had Faith sit on her lap this time. Katie and Jessie watched them and chose to do the same thing with Katie sitting on Jessie's lap. When they had their backs to Dawn, she let out a very soft sigh and flashed a brief, sullen look. Buffy then gave her sister an apologetic look that Dawn acknowledged with a shrug.

"She'll be alright, B," Faith assumed as she caught the interaction between the sisters.

"I hope so."

Before Buffy could even finish her reply, Jessie turned to look at Dawn; who immediately looked away. Jessie then turned to the older slayers, who signaled for her to not do anything. The rest of the meeting went smoothly. They had come to mutual decisions on who would be sharing rooms going by age. Then they contacted a few shuttle companies and set up pick up times for trips to and from the airport, train stations, and bus stations. As they were getting ready to end the meeting, an idea popped into Faith's mind.

"Hold up," Faith demanded before they got out of their seats, making all of them turn to look at her.

"What is it?" Buffy muttered with a smile.

"Since J's a Scooby now, she should get to hear the speech you made back in Sunnydale."

"Which one?" Buffy sighed.

"The one you used to motivate the potentials before they became slayers," Faith replied.

"I don't think so," Buffy groaned.

"Speech," Faith began to chant as she smacked the table in unison.

This was quickly followed by Dawn, Xander, Willow, and Katie. Jessie simply smiled as Giles chuckled at Buffy's growing irritation of the chanting.

"Fine," Buffy groaned again.

Her girlfriend acted like she didn't hear it to irritate the blonde even more.

"What was that, B?" Faith responded as the others continued to chant.

"I said FINE," she growled.

"That's what I thought you said," Faith smirked as the rest stopped.

Buffy stood to give it the full effect and made sure to point at Willow at the right moment like she had done in Sunnydale.

"I hate this. I hate being here. I hate that you have to be here. I hate that there's evil, and that I was chosen to fight it. I wish a whole lot of the time that I hadn't been. I know a lot of you wish I hadn't been either. But this isn't about wishes. This is about choices. I believe we can beat this evil. Not when it comes, not when its army is ready, now. Tomorrow morning, I'm opening the seal. I'm going down into the hellmouth, and I'm finishing this once and for all. Right now you're asking yourself, 'What makes this different? What makes us anything more than just a bunch of girls being picked off one by one?' It's true. None of you have the power that Faith and I do. So here's where you make a choice. What if you could have that power…now? In every generation, one slayer is born because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman is more powerful then all of them combined. So I say we change the rule. I say my power should be our power. Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be a slayer will be a slayer. Every girl who could have the power will have the power. Can stand up will stand up. Slayers, every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?"

Buffy began to smile at her sister slayers as the rest clapped and whistled.

"That's my girl," Faith chimed in as she wrapped her arms around Buffy and kissed her softly on the right cheek as her girlfriend blushed.

"Happy now?" Buffy remarked after she stopped blushing.

"Five by five."

After the meeting was officially adjourned, Jessie and Katie decided to head back to the apartment while the rest went to check on the other slayers. Katie was internally pleased that there would be enough room for Jessie to temporarily share a room with someone other than Dawn after she left for Oxford and shortly after that, her own room. However, Jessie felt the opposite and let her know it as they made their way back to the apartment.

"So, uh, Billie."

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Now that you know that you can share a room with someone other than Dawn, are you going to stay in the same place or crash someplace else? Then when there's enough room, you can have your own room."

"I think I'll stay where I am now. Do you still have a problem with her?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then why did you ask?"

"The main reason you liked the attic bedroom was because you didn't have to share it."

"Well, I thought I'd have a problem sharing a room, but I don't. It sounds like you do though. What are you afraid of?"

"That not too long after I'm gone, she will make a move on you or maybe even spy on you when you want some privacy."

"What makes you think she'd do that?"

"Well, after what Grace said, I wouldn't be surprised if she tried. Besides, I'm sure she still remembers that invisibility spell."

"She wouldn't do that."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I TRUST her."

"Fine," Katie hissed as they walked the rest of the way in silence.

Their friends assumed from the way Jessie and Katie were acting that it was a fight but couldn't confirm it since the girls were far away enough to not be heard.

Twenty minutes later, Dawn and Jessie's bedroom

Jessie had become tired of the silent treatment, so she started up another conversation.

"Ok, I'm tired of this silent routine. So say something, or I will."

"Something," Katie snapped as she sat down on Jessie's bed.

"Oh, that's really mature."

"You told me to say something, and I did."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"What do you want me to say?"

"If you honestly think Dawn would do something like that, or maybe it's that you think I wouldn't stop her."

"With all the things she's done already, I wouldn't put it past her. I trust you though."

Jessie wasn't too convinced by the last statement and spoke, "I don't believe you."

"Well, if she already admitted that she loved you, then she's probably at least thought about it. Who's to say that in a moment of weakness after a slaying that she makes a move, and you don't stop it? You could probably get her to do ANYTHING for you or to you."

"So then you don't trust me either."

"I didn't say that."

"You just did. I think you need to stay up here and think about the way you're acting before you do something you regret."

Jessie then made her way out the bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"To join our friends while you do some thinking."

"Are you going to tell them what we said?"

"No, because I don't want a repeat of what happened earlier."

At hearing Jessie leave the apartment, Katie stood up and tried walking around the bedroom in the hopes of calming herself down. After not getting results from that, she lashed out and kicked over a trash can by the dresser. Katie smiled at the release of her anger and leaned over to clean up the mess. She gulped as the last item she picked up turned out to be the instructions for the invisibility spell and its reversal. She quickly hid it in the side pocket of one of her bags before leaving the room.

Around thirty minutes later

"Where's hotstuff?" Faith grunted as Jessie walked over to them while they were hanging out at the same spot on the grass near the library.

"She's still upstairs. She'll be down in a little bit."

"Did you two have a fight?" Buffy assumed.

"Uh, yeah, we did."

"What was it about?" Buffy continued cautiously.

"It was about me. Their fights are always about me. I'm really sorry, J," Dawn apologized before looking down at the ground.

"A little overconfident, aren't we?" Faith chuckled to try and ease the tension.

When Jessie didn't respond, Buffy spoke, "So then it was about my sister?"

"Yeah."

"I told you so," Dawn mumbled before sitting down against a nearby tree.

"Anyway…," Jessie murmured as she tried to think of a new topic.

"So what should we do now?" Xander interjected.

"I guess I could show Buffy, Faith, and the other slayers already here some moves I haven't seen any of them use yet."

"Oh, really," Faith claimed, "How good are they?"

"You'll have to see for yourself," Jessie answered.

"Is that a challenge?" Faith almost scoffed as she arched an eyebrow.

"I guess so," Jessie informed confidently.

"Xander, you and Red go track down the other slayers," Faith advised.

Buffy took this moment to walk over and sit next to Dawn, who was still moping over Jessie's confession, as Faith and Jessie were trying to have their own conversation.

Faith and Jessie

"So how does it feel to know that when you see me that you can look but can't touch?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you wanted me to open that robe, or maybe you wanted to open it yourself."

"I did not."

"Sure, you didn't," Faith chuckled, "B and I also saw you checking out Dawn last night."

"Once again, I don't know what you're talking about."

"When Dawn left the bathroom, we saw you looking at her butt."

"No, I didn't."

"Look me in the eyes and say with a straight face that you didn't do any of that. If you can, then I'll believe you."

When Jessie couldn't do it, Faith smirked at her.

"I knew it and so did B."

"She wasn't upset about any of it, was she?"

"No, but if you hurt Dawn, there will be a problem."

"I would never intentionally hurt her."

"Ok."

"Please don't tell Katie."

"Your secret is safe with us."

Buffy and Dawn

"It will be ok soon. I'm sure of it," Buffy tried to comfort Dawn.

"I don't think so," the moping teen disagreed as she tried not to think about what she had heard about Jessie earlier, "I try to control myself around Jessie, but it doesn't seem to do any good. Katie thinks as soon as I get a chance, I'm going to do something with or to my best friend. She's probably found and reading my diary as we speak."

"You mean the Dawnmeister Chronicles live on?" Buffy teased as she recalled an earlier talk with Xander back in Sunnydale.

"Yeah, don't tell anyone else, ok?"

"Ok."

Then all four girls looked at each other. Dawn became aware that the other two had heard everything, but she hadn't been as lucky. From the looks on their faces, she could tell that maybe it was better that she hadn't. Dawn tried to look away when Jessie made it clear that she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how to say it.

"I know you heard me and Buffy. So if you want to say something, just say it."

"Alright, I don't think Katie would do that, but I'm kind of curious now. Can I read it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because the latest chapter is probably about you," Buffy asserted as Faith smirked and Dawn began to blush.

After a few minutes of silence, Xander and Willow returned with the other slayers.

"So I guess Xander and Red told you why we wanted you to come over here."

When they nodded no, Faith and Buffy gazed at their friends curiously.

"We thought we'd let you tell them," Xander explained before he and Willow sat down beside Buffy and Dawn.

"Ok, junior slayers, Jessie seems to think there are a few moves that we haven't taught you yet. I agreed to challenge her," Faith affirmed before turning to Jessie, "This isn't going to be like your fight with you know who, is it?"

"Of course not. Just a regular, sparring match with the moves thrown in."

"Good, because I wouldn't want to damage the beautiful face of D's best friend."

"Are you ready?" Jessie warned before laughing.

"Bring it on, J," Faith insisted before smirking.

"Jessie, before you two start, we thought we'd let you know we saw Katie about five minutes ago," Willow divulged as Xander nodded.

"Uh, ok. Did she say where she was going?"

"She said she was just going to walk around the campus a bit before heading to the gym."

"Alright," Jessie sighed.

Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow became a little uncomfortable at the growing tension, but Faith shook it off as she prepared for the challenge. The match started out as usual with each of the slayers getting in a shot or two while blocking others. As the match continued, Jessie became slightly more aggressive and shocked all of them a minute later. She connected with a punch/kick combination to Faith's face and upper body that knocked the more experienced slayer down to her knees. Faith immediately got back up with a small frown. They battled for a few more minutes before Jessie landed the second one, which made Faith land on her back with a split lip. Jessie stood in front with a curious expression as she tried to figure out what Faith would do next. The Scoobies inhaled silently together as Faith slowly got up, wiped some blood away with her fingers, and approached the now worried blonde. Jessie contemplated her next move as Faith stood there sneering for a few moments. They exhaled in relief as her sneer turned into a smirk.

"Nice work," Faith admitted as she shook Jessie's hand.

Dawn got up from where she was sitting, walked up to Jessie, glanced around to see if Katie was anywhere close, and hugged her when she didn't see Katie.

"Nice job, J."

"Thanks, D," Jessie replied as Dawn quickly stepped back and smiled at her.

"Are you ok?" Buffy voiced gently as she smiled at her girlfriend.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you that aggressive in bed, J?"

Jessie rolled her eyes while the rest groaned.

"Sorry," Faith apologized at the glare from Buffy, "but come on, you were all thinking it. Well, maybe just Dawn."

"I DID NOT!" Dawn denied.

"Whoa, I was only kidding."

"I know, but could you not say stuff like that so often? At least while I'm around," Dawn requested.

"But it's part of my charm, along with my extreme sex appeal," Faith boasted with a wink thrown at Buffy and Jessie.

"Hey, Dawn."

"Yes, Xander?"

"Do you think you should have hugged Jessie like that? What if Katie saw you?"

"I didn't see her around anywhere."

"Just because you didn't see her doesn't mean that she didn't see you. She needs to work on her jealousy. She's beautiful and intelligent, so she shouldn't be acting that way around you."

Before he or anybody could say something else, Jessie confronted him.

"Listen up, Mr. Seven minute man. You won't ever put down my girlfriend again. After all of the stories you and your friends have told me, you're the last one who should be giving advice. After all those years, I would think that you would have learned to watch what you say around someone. You have put your foot in your mouth so many times, I'm surprised your breath doesn't smell like dirt. If you hadn't saved your best friends' lives, you would be TOTALLY expendable. Anybody ever tell you that? Oh, wait, they did. Does the name Cordelia Chase ring a bell?"

Jessie smiled as he flinched under her glare while Faith whistled in a low tone.

"Jessie, I'm sure he didn't mean to offend you. Could you apologize to him?" Willow stated nicely.

"Sure, I'll apologize for being mean if he apologizes for being stupid."

"Jessie," Dawn pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Dawn, but he kind of asked for it."

"I know, but…"

"But he is your friend," Jessie finished for her.

"Yeah," Dawn exclaimed before looking at him, "Xander."

"Ok, Dawn. I'm sorry, Jessie," Xander murmured with a sincere expression.

"Good, I'm sorry too." _Not really, but whatever_.

Jessie suddenly noticed a lot of them looking around her. She turned around to discover Katie standing there with a smile on her face.

"What's going on?"

"I thought you were going to take a walk around the place before heading to the gym?"

"Well, I was going to, but after I heard you were going to teach the girls some moves, I changed my mind. I guess I should have moved faster. I'm sorry I missed it. I just didn't feel like moving as fast as they did."

"Oh, so what did you see and hear?" Jessie asked nervously.

"Just you defending me and the apologies. What did he say about me?"

"Nothing for you to worry about. We both apologized and everything's cool."

"Thanks, Billie."

"You're welcome."


	30. Chapter 30

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 30

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn gets a surprise at the beginning of the chapter, the gang talks about future plans, Willow gets hit on at a club, and some barely hidden feelings are revealed.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I think Jessie was a sophomore at the end of Once and Again and around fifteen. In the last season of Buffy, Dawn was a sophomore and around fifteen or sixteen as well. I'm having Dawn skip a grade, making both of them seniors. I don't mean to knock the job of the person who hits on Willow. It was just the first one that came to mind.

* * *

Almost a week later, the girls' apartment

The girls were getting ready to leave the apartment when they were surprised by a knock on their door.

"Who is it?" Buffy replied.

"It's Willow," the redhead answered before her best friend opened the door.

"We were on our way down, so what's up?" Faith asked.

"Apparently, you forgot your apartment's buzzer was one of the buttons by the front gate."

"No, you just beat us to the gate," Buffy explained.

"Anyway, Xander and I have a few special deliveries for a Miss Dawn Summers," Willow declared while she beamed at Dawn.

"Really, special deliveries for me? Who are they from?"

"See for yourself," Xander encouraged as he and Willow each handed her a bouquet.

Willow handed her one that was a mix of some flowers in various colors. Xander handed her a flower/balloon combination.

"Looks like D's got a secret admirer or maybe admirers," Xander and Willow informed them, making Dawn blush slightly.

Katie smiled at that thought. This was only seen by Faith and Buffy when Faith tapped her girlfriend on the shoulder and motioned to Katie.

"Who are they from?" Jessie questioned although she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, read the cards already," Xander stated with curiosity.

"Ok, here it goes," Dawn announced as she began reading, "The one that Willow gave to me says to Dawn Summers from Karen Sammler. Dawn, thank you so much for the DVD. I can't say enough how much it means to me that you would do something like that. Now, I won't have to worry as much about her. You, Buffy, and your friends are welcome here any time. Maybe you could join us for the holidays. Love, Karen; the other one says to Dawn Summers from Rick and Lily Sammler. Dawn, we'd also like to thank you for the DVD. It means a lot that you cared enough to do that for us. You're as welcome here as you are at Karen's. We hope you and your friends join us for the holidays if you haven't started making plans already. Love, Rick and Lily; P.S. Jessie has a surprise for you, Buffy, and Willow."

They all watched quietly as Dawn gently set the flowers on the table, smiled back at everyone in the room, and held back a tear. Faith felt the slight urge to tease Dawn about the almost tear while the other half was honestly almost as touched as Dawn. She wasn't going to let any of them know that. Not at this moment anyway.

"See, Billie and I told you they would love it," Katie said as she faked a smile while being disappointed that Xander and Willow were wrong.

Jessie and Buffy glanced over and saw through the fake smile, which made Buffy sigh.

"They're beautiful," Jessie exclaimed.

"Yeah," Dawn agreed as she smelled the flowers again.

"How come they never sent me flowers?" Katie teased her girlfriend.

"Because you were at my houses almost as much as I was. Besides, they threw you that surprise graduation party."

"Oh, yeah, I was. I hope I wasn't being a pest."

"Not at all. Well, maybe."

"Hey," Katie frowned with a playful smack to Jessie's left arm.

"I was only kidding."

"I know."

"So what's the surprise your dad and Lily were talking about?" Dawn questioned.

Jessie smirked, went over to her laptop, logged on, and opened the latest e-mail she had gotten from her dad and Lily. Everyone smiled as they saw pictures that Rick had taken during Katie's graduation party.

"I guess that's Eli, huh?" Faith guessed as she pointed to the guy almost leering at Buffy.

"Yeah," Buffy revealed, "are you jealous?"

"Not one bit," Faith assured them, "I'm the one that got the girl."

"Yes, you did," Buffy confirmed with a smile.

Another week later

Just as Giles had said earlier, girls continued to arrive at the campus. Dawn, Jessie, and the younger slayers got into the daily routine of going to classes and training after classes were over for the day. Buffy and Faith would take the older slayers out on patrol during the week and the younger slayers out on the weekends, so they could get the training they needed before being sent to battle evil across the world. While Buffy and Faith took the older slayers out on patrol, Jessie would supervise the training sessions and study along with Dawn later that night. The Scoobies had a few meetings during that time to decide who was ready and the order they would be sent out.

"So what's this meeting for, Buffy? I thought that all of you decided who was going where and when?"

"Yeah, we did as far as the slayers were concerned. However, Xander and Willow wanted to tell you something," Buffy said a little hesitantly.

"Tell me what?" Dawn responded as worry began to show on her face.

"We're leaving," Xander confessed before staring over at Willow.

"When, where, why?"

"We're leaving this weekend. Xander, Vi, a few other slayers, and Grace are going to meet up with Robin in New York. I'm going to Brazil with a few slayers and the rest will go to the other places Giles showed us on the maps. We can't all stay here," Willow described as Dawn got a little upset.

"So you're just going to leave me again?"

"We're needed elsewhere, Dawnie. If we don't go, then it's like the win over The First didn't mean much."

"Fine," Dawn mumbled.

"Don't worry, D, B and I are still here. You also still have Jessie," Faith reminded her before winking at the blonde beside Dawn.

"Yeah, I'll be here for you," Jessie affirmed with a smile.

"But isn't Katie leaving this weekend too?" Dawn questioned.

"Yes."

"So won't you want to spend time alone with her before she leaves? And what about after that? How will you be able to spend time with her then?"

"Buffy, Faith, and I worked out a schedule where I could spend part of the weekend with Katie and the rest of the time here."

"So how about we go out to one of the clubs as a group before they leave?" Buffy suggested in hopes of cheering up her sister.

"Sure, if everyone else is up for that," Dawn agreed before looking around to see the rest agree with her and Buffy.

"Before we end this meeting, I have some questions," Jessie revealed to Buffy and Giles.

"What are they?" they inquired.

"I know we've gone over the details about the slayers that will be coming and going, but what happens after it's just us and the slayers assigned to London? I mean we won't need this much space, will we? And how did Kennedy react to a few more slayers being sent to Cleveland? I thought I heard that she wanted to guard the Hellmouth alone."

"Well, we sort of planned for something like that, so the teachers were hired on a temporary basis. We're only renting this place until most of the slayers are relocated to the other places on the maps. After the rest have been relocated, the slayers staying here will move into one of the apartment complexes nearby, and I'll open an office somewhere else in town that will serve as the new Watcher's Council headquarters where I will be in charge," Giles stated, "Whatever slayers that will start training after that will be trained by the watcher or watchers in that area."

"As for Kennedy, she wasn't thrilled but cheered up when we told her that she could be the leader of that group. After you and Dawn go off to college, Faith and I were planning on relocating as well."

"Where were you planning on going to college?" Dawn quizzed her best friend.

"Well, I applied at a lot of places, but since I became a slayer, I'm leaning more toward Harvard, UCLA, or NYU. That way I can be close to one of the hot spots like Boston, L.A., or New York City if I want to be a slayer longer than a few years. What about you?"

"I was thinking of Harvard too. Or maybe somewhere close to Buffy and Faith if they choose Italy or Spain. That's if that's ok with them. What will you being majoring in?"

"That's fine with us, right, B?" Faith interrupted as she looked between Dawn and Buffy.

"Sure, I told you I wanted to show you the world, I can't do that if you're too far away," Buffy said in agreement with Faith.

"As I was getting ready to say," Jessie started with a slightly sarcastic tone followed by a smile, "I was thinking about being a doctor, maybe either a psychologist or pediatrician. What about you?"

"So a shrink by day, slayer by night. That sounds like a lot of work, J. I guess some slayers would like having a shrink that truly understands what they go through," Faith determined with a smirk while Buffy groaned.

"Please quit interrupting us," Dawn directed to Faith before focusing back at Jessie, "I don't know yet. I was thinking of maybe becoming a watcher," Dawn divulged said as she failed at trying to hide the excitement of both her and Jessie thinking about Harvard, making both Faith and Buffy smirk while Jessie smiled back at her.

"If we both go to Harvard, maybe we can share a dorm room."

"That would be cool. Then no need to worry about getting a demonic roommate," Dawn chuckled before gazing at Buffy.

"Huh?" Jessie muttered with an arched eyebrow.

"My first roommate turned out to be a demon. Willow became my roommate after the demon was gone," Buffy confided with a smirk.

That Friday night

After some of the slayers that Willow mentioned had left, the Scooby gang, Vi, Grace, and Katie headed to the club that they had designated as their hangout since arriving in London. They hadn't been there long when they noticed Willow was being watched from about twenty feet away.

"Hey, that brunette in the corner has been checking you out for the past five minutes," Faith whispered to Willow, who had no idea that she was being watched.

"Really?" Willow gasped before turning around and facing the girl; who was currently ogling her.

"She's cute, Will, and she's coming over here. Are you going to talk to her?"

"I don't know, Buff. I'm not sure if I'm ready for another relationship so soon."

"Who said it had to last long enough to be a relationship?" Faith joked.

"She's not the one night stand type of girl, are you?" Xander remarked as all of them waited for her response.

"Well, after what's happened with my life lately, I don't know."

Before anybody could say anything, they were interrupted by the brunette.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I was wondering if I could get you to join me for a drink or a dance," the mysterious girl offered to Willow.

"I don't know," Willow mumbled.

"What makes you think she's gay?" Dawn commented with a smile.

"I'm not sure, I just kind of sensed she was. If I'm wrong, just say so, and I'll leave all of you alone. If I'm right, then maybe she'll take me up on the offer."

"Well, I was kind of busy with my friends."

"Can I join you if the rest don't mind?" the girl asked with a smile.

"Uh," Willow mumbled again as she became slightly uncomfortable at being approached like that again.

"Sure," Dawn agreed as the rest appeared surprised until they saw the smirk forming on her face, "What's your name anyway?"

"Mine's Abby," the brunette declared as she grabbed a chair and sat next to Willow.

"Well, I'm Dawn. This is my best friend, Jessie; her girlfriend, Katie; Jessie's sister, Grace; my sister, Buffy; her girlfriend, Faith; Xander, Vi, and last but not least, Willow."

"Like the tree?" Abby giggled.

"Yeah," Dawn affirmed with a roll of her eyes, which went unseen by Abby.

The rest remained quiet.

"So, did I hear that you were headed to someplace else tomorrow?" Abby asked.

"Yes, I'm going to Brazil," Willow remarked.

"Where in Brazil?"

"I was thinking around Rio de Janeiro," Willow asserted as she tried to politely show she wasn't interested by saying as little as possible.

"Ok, business or pleasure?" Abby continued without a clue.

"Business."

"Alright, so what do you do?"

"I'd rather not say."

"I understand. I've been working as a maid in a hotel, but I was thinking about going back to school."

For the next ten minutes, Abby tried to sound intelligent but couldn't tell that she failed horribly. After barely catching eye rolls and other looks of annoyance from almost everyone, she decided it was time to leave.

"Well, it was nice talking to you. Maybe we can talk again some other time," she concluded as she quickly wrote down a phone number on a piece of paper, handed it to Willow, and waved as she walked away.

Willow briefly studied it before laying it down on the table in front of them. Dawn quickly reached over and used it as she faked a sneeze before tossing it into a nearby trash can. This got laughs from everyone except Willow.

"That was a little rude, don't you think?" Willow argued.

"I'm just having fun, yo. Besides, you deserve better than her. That girl is so stupid."

Dawn smirked at hearing her sister and Willow groan.

"How stupid is she, Dawn?" Jessie, Katie, and Faith asked with smirks of their own as they leaned toward Dawn while the others prepared for whatever Dawn was going to say next.

"She's so stupid that if she got lost in thought, it'd take a search party to come and get her out."

"Good to see the classics never die," Xander added with a laugh, which was followed by almost everyone.

"She wasn't that bad," Buffy insisted as she tried not to laugh.

"Buffy, she thought the U.S. Electoral College was an actual school. There's no way that girl will ever get back into school."

After the laughter had stopped, Buffy, Faith, Xander, Vi, Jessie, and Katie headed to the dance floor. However, Grace, Dawn, and Willow remained seated. They observed Dawn as she tried not to focus too much on Jessie. They could see the sadness and slight jealousy coming from her.

"Hey, Dawnie, want to dance with me?" Willow offered to the sullen teeanger.

"Huh?"

"I asked you if you wanted to dance with me."

"Uh, ok, but wouldn't you feel weird doing that, especially in front of our friends?"

"It's just one dance, right? Come on, let's get out there."

"Alright, we'll be right back, Grace, if that's ok with you," Dawn babbled.

"Sure, have fun." _I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they get there._

Grace wasn't disappointed as she watched everyone be surprised when Willow innocently wrapped her arms around Dawn's waist. It only got more interesting when she and Faith were the first to see an expression of jealousy coming from Jessie. Katie was too happy with the possibility of where that dance could lead to notice Jessie's reaction. Vi kept herself and Xander distracted from that display by flirting with him the best she could.

_Why are you dancing with Dawn? You're not trying to put the moves on my sister, are you?_

_No, of course not._

_Relax, Will, I was kidding. Thank you for being so nice to her when she's hurting over Jessie._

_No thanks needed._

_Whoa, look at that, B, you too, Red._

_Look at what?_

_Just look to your right, B, and to your left, Red._

The girls turned to see Jessie peeking at Willow and Dawn as the witch let the younger girl rest her head on the redhead's shoulder. Faith held in a smirk at Jessie frowning as Dawn kept her back toward her best friend.

_Looks like J's getting jealous, Red. I dare you to make a move._

_Please tell me that I didn't just hear my girlfriend tell my best friend to make a move on my sister. _

_Yeah, you did. Go on, Red, do it._

_Get your mind out of the gutter, Faith. _

_Yeah, stop already._

_Oh, come on. I want to see how J reacts. Just kiss her or put your hands on her butt for a few seconds._

_Faith, keep it up and the most you'll get is a kiss goodnight._

Then Faith surprised them with a pout that Buffy couldn't resist.

_Fine, it's ok, Will. Just make it quick if she agrees._

_Ok._

"What is it? Did you want me to stop resting my head on your shoulder?" Dawn assumed as she noticed the witch eyeing her.

"No, I was going to ask you if I could do something. Don't worry, I'm blocking out Jessie, so she can't hear us."

"Ok, what did you want to do?"

"Is it alright if I gave you a quick kiss?"

"Where and why?"

"On the lips and I promise I'll explain later. Buffy's ok with it."

"Alright, wait, Buffy's ok with it? What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later."

"I hope so."

Willow made sure Jessie could see them, but that Dawn couldn't see Jessie. Katie was too busy listening to the music and spying while Vi flirted with Xander to notice what was going on behind her. Jessie held in a gasp at the sight of Willow's lips quickly and softly touching Dawn's.

"What's wrong, Billie?" Katie questioned as she felt Jessie move while she held her.

"Uh, nothing."

"Nothing? Are you sure? If it was nothing, you wouldn't have moved."

"My back started itching, that's all."

"Aw, my poor girl. How's that?" Katie inquired as she gently scratched Jessie's back.

"That's better," Jessie claimed as she looked away from Dawn and rested her head on Katie's shoulder.

"See, I always know how to make my Billie feel better, don't I?"

"Yes, you do," Jessie successfully lied before frowning for about fifteen seconds.

Faith laughed while Buffy and Willow just smiled at each other and Faith.

_See, that was priceless, yo. Don't you agree?_

_I guess I found it slightly amusing. _Willow confessed.

_I shouldn't say anything since my girlfriend used my best friend and sister like that. Just for a laugh. But…_

_Yeah? _Faith replied with an arched eyebrow.

_I guess it was a little funny._

_Looks like B's no longer the stuck up, tight ass with no sense of fun._

_Hey!_

_Relax, B, your ass is still tight. Just a different type of tight._

_Oversharing._

_You know you love that tight ass too, Red._

_Don't be silly. Willow and I are just friends. Right, Will?"_

_Yes, Buff._

_Ok, my bad. _

Willow was thankful that Buffy missed the following glare she directed to Faith, who just brushed it off with another smirk. After a little more dancing and some more drinks, the Scoobies, Vi, and Katie decided it was time to head back to the campus while Jessie decided to make sure Grace got back to the loft ok. When they got there, Jessie and Grace had a talk as they finished packing Grace's things.

"Are you nervous about moving to New York?" Jessie pried softly.

"Not really. You know I had been planning this for awhile. I know it's a dangerous place, but I will occasionally have slayers watching my back and still remember the moves you taught me. The question is, are you going to be ok?"

"Of course I will. Why would you ask me that? I'm strong enough to defend myself against anyone," Jessie chuckled.

"Even against yourself?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm talking about what's going on between you, Katie, and Dawn."

"There's nothing going on between me and Dawn. We're just friends. Sure, Katie and I have had a few problems lately, but we're good and still love each other."

"Well, what you said about you and Katie might be true, but what you said about you and Dawn isn't exactly the truth, is it?"

"Of course it's the truth."

"If you two were just friends, Dawn wouldn't be in love with you the way she is. You also wouldn't have gotten jealous when she danced with Willow or when Willow kissed her."

"I wasn't jealous. I was just surprised, that's all. Maybe Willow was doing that just to see what the reaction would be from the rest of us."

"Yeah, but if you weren't jealous, you would have smiled, not frowned."

"You saw that? Did anyone else see it? I mean what frown?"

Grace smiled at the babble coming from her sister. Jessie tried acting like nothing was wrong but stopped when she realized it wasn't working.

"Just admit that you're a little bit attracted to Dawn. I can see it, just like Buffy and Faith can."

"Uh, Faith and Buffy already know how I'm slightly attracted to Dawn. We already talked about it. I guess tonight was the first time I was slightly jealous when it came to Dawn. "

"They do? When did this happen?"

"Do you remember the paintings Katie did not too long ago?"

"Yeah, what about them?"

"Well, Faith, Buffy, and I had a slightly rough patrol that night, so we relaxed in that huge tub in our bathroom. They brought up that time you caught me...you know."

"Oh," Grace muttered as she began to back away from Jessie.

"Yeah, oh. You're lucky I didn't kick your ass for telling them that. Anyway, after bringing that up, Faith teased Dawn enough to make her get up and leave the room."

"And?"

"They caught me looking at Dawn's butt while she was leaving. Fortunately, Katie didn't notice."

"How could she not notice?"

"She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, so I'm not going to say anything. You better not either."

"Ok, so now that I know the truth, I have to ask you something. Did Katie say anything when she saw you move in her arms?"

"Yeah, she asked what was wrong."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her my back started itching," Jessie sighed.

"So then you lied to her?"

"Yes, but please don't tell her."

"I promise I won't, but eventually it will come out. The truth usually does."

"Yeah, dumb truth," Jessie grumbled as Grace began to hug her.

"I'm always here for you. If you need anything, call me."

"Thanks, I guess I'll see you tomorrow when you all leave."

"One more thing, Jessie."

"Yeah?"

"Zoe and I know about the tattoo on your lower back."

"What tattoo on my back?"

"The heart shaped one with your and Katie's initials on it."

"Did Katie tell you?"

"No, we saw you as the guy was finishing it," Grace added at the worried look on Jessie's face, "Don't worry, we won't say anything. Why did you do it anyway?"

"Because I wanted to show Katie how much I loved her."

"You don't need a tattoo for her to know that."

"Yeah, I know. Katie said the same thing, but I got it anyway."

"What are you going to do if you two break up?"

"I don't think we will, but if we do, it won't mean I don't love her anymore."

"Ok, if you're wrong, I guess you could always have another artist change the K to a D."

"Don't say something like that. That could jinx us."

"Alright, I'm sorry. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, goodnight "


	31. Chapter 31

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 31

Author: j_rock873

Rating: R

Summary: Willow, Buffy, and Faith explain the reason behind the kiss at the club and Jessie's reaction. Goodbyes are said among the Scoobies, some of the slayers, Grace, and Katie before they head out to the locations mentioned on the map in chapter twenty five. Jessie heads to Oxford University with Katie to help her get settled in.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's note: I guess I could say this is a pretty emotional chapter for Buffy and Dawn. There is a moment of Xander bashing in this chapter too.

* * *

Meanwhile, the girls' apartment

Willow, Dawn, Faith, and Buffy were having a discussion as well while Katie was getting ready for bed. They made sure to talk softly enough that Katie wouldn't be able to hear them.

"So can you tell me what was with the kiss at the club, and why Buffy was ok with it?" Dawn asked as she looked at all of them.

"Well….," Buffy and Willow muttered.

After about ten seconds of silence, Faith decided to speak up.

"What B and Red are trying to say is that the three of us and Grace saw J get a little jealous when Red danced with you. So I told her to make a move because I wanted to see how J would react."

"Really, she got jealous?" Dawn questioned in surprise.

"Yes, it appears she did," Buffy confirmed.

"What kind of move did you want her to make?" Dawn inquired from Faith.

"Well, I suggested that she either put her hands on your butt for a few seconds or kiss you. I would have preferred the first one."

"And why is that?"

"Because I think it might have gotten a more amusing response, and Willow would know what it feels like to get her hands on some Summers' ass," Faith said with a smirk.

"FAITH, I would appreciate it if you didn't talk like that about Dawn. It just makes the memory of you and her up here alone come back."

"Sorry, B."

"So that's why you chose a kiss," Dawn assumed as she turned to Willow, "And how did she react?"

"Yes, and she wasn't exactly smiling," Willow chuckled.

"Well, can you show me the look she had on her face?"

"This is how she reacted to seeing us dance," Willow stated before giving Jessie's look of shock; "This is how she reacted to the kiss," Willow finished with Jessie's frown.

Dawn needed a second opinion, so she glanced over to Buffy.

"That was exactly how she reacted. Good job, Will," Buffy laughed.

"Thanks."

"See, D, J's starting to really like you. What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing, are you crazy? She wants some of that Summers…," Faith said until she saw the glare she was getting from Buffy.

"I can't do anything while she's still with Katie. I care about her too much to do something that could ruin our friendship."

"But if she wasn't?" Faith continued.

"I guess we'll find out if they ever break up."

Then they began to talk about Xander and Vi.

"So do you think Xander will get up the guts to ask out Vi on a real date soon?" Dawn asked Buffy and Willow.

"I think so," Willow commented, "What do you think, Buffy?"

"He does seem to have a thing for powerful women, so it shouldn't be too long," Buffy concluded with a look at Faith, who laughed at the smile on Buffy's face.

"Should I warn her about him lasting only seven minutes at a time?" Faith joked.

Faith laughed as her question was answered with only annoyed groans.

Saturday morning, 10:00 AM

For the last half hour, Willow had been teleporting the remaining slayers that were leaving that weekend. Now, the only people left for her to say goodbye to were the Scoobies, Grace, the few slayers going with Xander and Grace to New York, and Katie. Grace, Katie, Vi, and the slayers going with Xander and Grace or with Willow watched a little uncomfortably as the new Scooby gang said their goodbyes to each other.

"Bye, Xander," Dawn declared as she tried to hide the sadness in her voice.

"Bye, Dawnster. Bye, Buff. Bye, Faith. Bye, Giles. Bye, Willow, Bye, Jessie, Bye, Katie," Xander announced before giving each of the Scoobies a hug but was stopped with only a handshake from Katie.

"I guess it's our time to go," Grace decided as she and Xander walked over to where Vi and few other slayers were standing.

"Wait," Jessie told them before giving Grace a hug and exchanging the "Call me some time." sign.

Grace smiled back as Jessie rested her head on Katie's shoulder but stopped when she saw the gaze Dawn was giving her sister. Willow then said the teleportation spell for the ones going to New York, and they vanished.

"Ok, I guess I and the others should go now," Willow determined before giving almost all of the Scoobies a hug. She turned to Katie, who wasn't sure to do, and settled for a friendly handshake.

"If you ever need me, I'm just a phone call and a teleportation spell away, Dawnie."

"Thanks."

Willow noticed Faith staring at her in a certain way and went into telepathic mode again.

_What is it this time?_

_I just wanted to say I'm sorry for teasing you about your crush on Buffy. I'll take good care of her and Dawn._

_You promise?_

_Yeah, I promise. I'm pretty sure things will go great with me and B. If they don't, I'll let you know. Then you can be the first one to try to be with her._

Faith then surprised them all as she hugged Willow.

"Be careful out there, Red," Faith warned her as Buffy pulled her into a tight hug and wrapped her left arm around Faith's waist.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." _At least I hope I will be._

The last thing Willow saw before disappearing with the other slayers was Dawn resting her head on Buffy's right shoulder as Buffy wrapped her right arm lightly around Dawn's shoulder.

"Where are you two headed?" Buffy quizzed Jessie and Katie.

"We just need to make sure Katie has everything she needs packed up," Jessie affirmed before staring at Dawn, "Are you sure you don't mind teleporting Katie and I to Oxford? I mean if it's too much trouble, Katie and I can find another way."

"No, it's cool. Willow has been teaching me spells from time to time. I think I can handle it."

"Alright, well, Billie and I will be waiting upstairs. Just come up when you're ready," Katie commented with an honest smile.

"I'll be up in a few minutes," Dawn replied with a fake smile that only Katie didn't recognize.

After the two were far enough away, Dawn turned to her sister and Faith.

"That wasn't a very convincing smile. You might want to work on it," Faith advised.

"I know," Dawn mumbled.

"Are you going to be ok, Dawnie?" her sister challenged with obvious concern.

"Yeah, it might just take awhile," Dawn admitted through a sigh.

"How about B and I take you out to a movie tonight? Maybe fill you up on junk food and soda until you almost bust, or we could watch a couple in the apartment? We could still do the junk food and soda binge. The advantage will be being a lot closer to a bathroom. We can have one of the most trained slayers still here lead the patrol."

"That sounds good," Buffy agreed as she smiled at both of them.

"Uh, ok," Dawn relented with a growing smile before running up to their apartment.

"What?" Faith muttered to Buffy; who was almost beaming at her.

"You're wonderful, you know that?"

"Explainy," Faith teased her girlfriend, making the blonde laugh.

"What you just did for Dawn. It's sweet. If you don't watch it, she might fall for you too."

"It wouldn't do her any good. That part of my heart belongs to only one Summers woman."

Buffy was so touched by that declaration that she felt her heart almost bursting as she softly kissed the brunette on the lips.

"You aren't going to get all weepy on me, are you?"

"M-Maybe, is that ok?" _I really love this woman. I actually think I'm getting weak in the knees right now._

"It's cool, yo. You Summers women are pretty emotional though." _B's so beautiful when she's emotional like this. Well, she's always been beautiful, but moments like this bring it out more._

"Does that bother you?"

"No, because it definitely has its advantages," Faith asserted with a smile. _I can hardly believe how she gets me to act this way. I guess this really is love_.

Around five minutes later, Dawn and Jessie's bedroom

"So are you ready to go?" Jessie quizzed her nervous girlfriend.

"Uh, yeah," she answered unconvincingly.

"This isn't the start of another talk about Dawn, is it?"

"No, it's about me. What if I can't handle the pressure? What if people don't like me? What if the art professor thinks I suck?"

"If you can't handle the pressure, we'll figure something out together. Of course they'll like you. If they don't, then they're too uptight without a good sense of humor. If he or she doesn't like your artwork, then it's just one opinion."

"Thanks, so Buffy and Faith don't mind that you're staying overnight with me?"

"No, I'm almost an adult, not some kid that my parents felt they needed to watch over more when I got a hot girlfriend."

Jessie smiled as Katie blushed.

"Thanks," Katie mumbled as she wrapped her arms around Jessie, leaned in to kiss her, and then gently rested her hands on Jessie's butt.

"You're welcome," Jessie sighed happily before being kissed, which continued until Katie stepped back, "Hey, why did you do that?"

"Look behind you," Katie whispered.

Jessie turned around to see Dawn standing there while she tried to appear happy for both of them.

"Uh, hi, Dawn. We're ready if you are."

"Ok," Dawn responded before getting everything ready.

For a few minutes after she had everything ready, the three girls stood there not doing anything other than gazing at each other.

"I hope you enjoy college and don't get a demonic roommate," Dawn voiced nervously before briefly hugging Katie.

"Yeah, if I do, you'll be one of the first to know," Katie revealed with a smile.

"Ok, well, I guess this is where we say goodbye until tomorrow," Jessie claimed with a hug before she and Katie each grabbed some of Katie's things with one hand while holding each other's hand with the other.

A few minutes later, Oxford University, Katie's dorm room

"So, do you like teleporting a little more by now," Jessie began the conversation.

"Yeah, it grew on me."

"I knew it would. Uh, nice room," Jessie exclaimed as she scanned the room.

"I know it's not as great as your bedroom, but at least it's a little bigger than I expected. Just enough to do some redecorating if I wanted to."

"You don't like it like this?"

"Not really, do you think you could help me feng shui it or something?"

"Ok," Jessie agreed as she lifted the furniture easily and put it wherever Katie wanted it while being unaware that she was being ogled.

Katie had started doing this after Jessie's shirt had become untucked when she lifted the furniture, exposing the skin between her belly button and the waistband of her pants.

"Is this better...Katie…Hey, earth to Katie."

"Sorry, what did you say?" Katie questioned as she sat down on one of the beds while she nervously tried holding back the anticipation of what she hoped would be happening soon.

Jessie peered down to where Katie was staring, smiled, and spoke.

"Like what you see?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Would you like to see more?"

"D-Definitely."

"What are you nervous about? We've been alone like this before, and no one we know will be interrupting us now."

"Good point," Katie mentioned as she stood up, grabbed Jessie by the belt loops on her pants, and pulled the blonde a lot closer.

Katie couldn't stop the smile as Jessie removed her shirt revealing almost all of her upper body.

"You're beautiful. Do you want some help?"

"I wouldn't be against it," Jessie admitted as Katie reached for the waistband of Jessie's pants, unbuttoned them, and grabbed the zipper while they kicked off their shoes.

Jessie surprised her as she gently grabbed Katie's hand and helped her pull down the zipper.

"Is that better?" Katie asked as she unexpectedly blushed.

"Much," Jessie answered as Katie watched Jessie's pants fall to the floor. After Jessie stepped out of them and kicked them gently to the corner of the bed, she told Katie, "I believe you're overdressed now."

"Yeah, I guess. Hey, what are you doing?"

"Helping you, sweetie," Jessie confessed as she easily unbuttoned Katie's pants, used her teeth to pull down the zipper, and quickly pulled them off.

"That's the first time I saw you do that. How long have you wanted to do that?"

"For a little while, didn't you like it?" Jessie inquired as she became worried.

"Yes, I just didn't expect it."

"Alright," Jessie declared as a smile reappeared on her face.

The rest of their clothes were quickly discarded, they climbed into bed, and Jessie pulled the covers back up over them.

About twenty minutes later

Jessie smiled as she watched Katie wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"I didn't wear you out, did I?"

"Not completely. Are you a little worn out?"

"Very little."

"How is that possible? We almost broke the bed."

"I guess it's the slayer strength and endurance. So does that mean you don't want to go again?"

"Maybe when I get some energy back," Katie divulged as she lie back and smiled.

"Ok," Jessie smiled before an image of Dawn smiling briefly appeared over Katie's face, making her move back a few inches.

"Are you ok, Billie?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" _Oh, crap. Think of something quick._

"You seemed to be out of it for about five seconds."

"I just got a little thirsty, that's all." _Good cover. Now stop thinking about Dawn._

"Well, grab something to drink out of the fridge. They should be cold enough by now."

"Ok," Jessie relented as she grabbed the comforter, wrapped it around herself as she got out of bed, and walked over to the mini fridge in the corner of the room.

Katie reached for the bottom half of her underwear and the t-shirt by the bed, quickly put them on, and started going through the boxes and bags sitting on the other bed. Jessie stared at her as the shirt Katie had on was just long enough to cover her butt, exposing most of her legs.

"What are you doing? I thought you wanted to get your energy back?"

"Organizing my room and hooking up my computer won't take a lot of energy," Katie explained as she turned around and saw that Jessie had been staring too and what she was staring at.

For about the next ten minutes, Katie had emptied the boxes and bags and straightened out her room.

"I'm done. Just give me a minute or two to take off my clothes before I get back into bed."

"That's too long," Jessie griped before getting up and ripping the t-shirt from Katie's body.

"Hey, you knew that was my favorite old t-shirt."

"Yeah, stress the old part."

"So?" Katie growled lightly.

"Don't be like that," Jessie requested as she observed her girlfriend's bare chest, "I'll make it up to you."

"How?"

"I'll let you have my favorite old shirt."

"You mean the white one with the red sleeves and faded design. You know the one you were wearing the first time we kissed after the letter?"

"Uh huh."

"You would really let me have it? Isn't it special to you?"

"Not as much as you are."

"Aw, that's so sweet."

"Yeah."

"Are you ready now?"

"Yes," Jessie agreed before another brief image of Dawn, smiling while just as undressed as Katie was at that moment, appeared in front of her.

"Are you ok? You spaced out again for a few seconds."

"Sorry, sometimes I just get lost in your beauty."

"How can you be so sweet?" Katie asked as she removed the last item of clothing and climbed into bed.

"I guess it comes naturally or maybe with lots of practice," Jessie finished with a laugh and the smile that Katie loved so much.

Another thirty minutes later

After Katie became worn out again, Jessie headed to the bathroom, so her girlfriend could get at least a few minutes of sleep.

"You're so beautiful and lovable, Billie," Katie told her as the younger girl returned in a robe and a towel wrapped around her head.

"So are you, sweetie."

"I guess I should get cleaned up too?"

"If you want to come outside with me, then yes."

"Where are we going?"

"You're going to give me a tour of the campus, websites and pamphlets can only do so much."

"Ok."

Katie came back shortly after that and changed while Jessie waited for her. Jessie saw all of the pictures Katie had set up and tried to keep thoughts of Dawn out of her mind.

"Ready?" Katie guessed.

"Yes."

"Then let's go," Katie insisted as she took Jessie by the hand, led her out of the room, and locked the door behind them.

Meanwhile, Dawn and Jessie's bedroom

After Dawn finished the spell, she put away the things she had needed for it. She sat on her bed and checked out the pictures Jessie had printed out from the e-mail again before spotting the old t-shirt Jessie and Katie had been talking about lying on Jessie's bed. She hesitated for a moment before taking off her shirt and putting on Jessie's shirt. She had only been staring at herself in the mirror for a few minutes when she heard a door close behind her.

"Isn't that Jessie's shirt?"

"Yes, don't you know how to knock?" Dawn hissed.

"Don't you know not to wear other people's clothes without asking first?"

"You and Faith do that constantly," Dawn reminded her.

"True, but we're dating. You and Jessie are just friends," Buffy babbled without thinking and winced at the sight of Dawn's painful expression, "I'm sorry."

"Whatever."

"I mean it. I just need to know that you aren't going to go all 'Single White Female' on your best friend."

"Of course I won't. I love her and want to be loved by her, not be her. Sometimes, I just wish..," Dawn babbled before focusing on a picture of the graduation party for the third time.

"You know better than to say that."

"There aren't any vengeance demons around us right now."

"Ok, you're right. So what do you wish?"

"I wish I hadn't needed to be saved by Jessie that night back in Evanston. That's when it all started. If it hadn't happened, I wouldn't be feeling like this."

"What about the vampire attack?"

"It was just another vampire attack where I was saved, nothing more."

"If it was nothing more than just a vampire attack, then why did you kiss her?"

"Because it made me immediately think of the first time she saved me. Don't tell her or Faith that I tried on the shirt, ok?"

"I promise. Can I do anything else for you right now?"

"Yeah, can you and Faith give me some time alone?"

"Does that mean you want us to leave the apartment?"

"No, you don't have to. Just stay out of here."

"Alright," Buffy consented.

"Uh, Buffy, one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"I thought I'd let you know I heard what you and Faith said that night after I left the bathroom."

"Huh, explainy."

"About how Jessie supposedly looked at my butt."

"Oh…OH, is that all you heard?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I was just curious. If you need either me or Faith, just let us know."

"Ok."

A minute after Buffy had closed the door, she heard Dawn begin to softly sob. She turned around to see Faith standing there with a concerned appearance.

"Is D going to be ok?"

"I hope so. Don't tease her about it, alright?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. Do you think it's a good idea for them to still be sharing a bedroom?"

"When did you get so insightful?"

"I have always been slightly insightful. I've just been more open to showing it lately."

"Maybe later we should suggest that Jessie switch rooms with another slayer, or maybe Dawn should have her own room."

"I'm not sure if that would be much better if at all."

"There you go being insightful again."

"Thanks, do I get a prize or something?"

Buffy smirked, quickly nodded at her bedroom door, and spoke.

"Or something."

Faith joined in with a smirk as she saw that Buffy was pulling her to their bedroom. She broke the hold, swept the blonde into her arms, and headed to the bedroom. When she arrived at the door, she opened it with one hand while holding Buffy. After they had entered the room, Faith closed the door with a slight kick.


	32. Chapter 32

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 32

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Buffy and Faith talk about Dawn some more and spend an evening with her. Jessie admits to her changing feelings about Dawn.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

About thirty minutes later

Buffy was lying comfortably in bed with Faith's arms wrapped around her.

"So what should we do about Dawn?" Faith began as she looked at her girlfriend's peaceful smile.

"What do you mean, Faithy?" she asked as a slight smile grew on the brunette's face, "You're starting to like that nickname, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I didn't think I would, but I do like it. That doesn't mean you can say it outside of this room. Like I was trying to say earlier, I'm worried about Dawn. Has she ever acted like this around someone before?"

"The only one that comes close is a football player that went to Sunnydale High School. His name was RJ, but it's different in more ways than one."

"What way other than that Jessie's a girl while this RJ was a guy?"

"RJ's letterman jacket was used as part of a spell. Whichever girl he talked to while wearing it became convinced that they were in love with him. We began to fight over him. We tried to decide who loved him more by doing different thing to get his attention."

"How many made up this we you're talking about?"

"Well, it was Dawn, Anya, Willow, and me."

"Whoa, but Red was already into girls by then."

"Yeah, so you can imagine how powerful the spell was."

"Yeah, so what did the four of you do?"

"I almost took Robin out with a bazooka, Willow was going to turn him into a girl, Dawn was going to kill herself by getting run over by a train, but we never found out what Anya was going to do or did."

"Well, there's one more thing I can say about you Summers women."

"And that would be?"

"That your tastes when it comes to dating have improved over the years."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, take away my past life of crime and a slightly psychotic mind, and you can't get much better than me. J's smart, beautiful, very caring, and has a good sense of humor."

"Well, we'll tell Dawn what we said earlier and see what she wants to do."

"Would it be wrong for me to sort of hope that J and hotstuff break up, so Dawn could be with her?"

"It might be, but honestly, I think it might happen even if you don't hope for it."

"You think so?"

"Yes, I got you, didn't I?"

"That you did. So should we get dressed and head down to the gym for a workout of another kind?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Any idea on what the other slayers are doing right now?"

"Well, it's too early for slaying, so I think some were going to hang around and train while the others were going to the movies."

Faith and Buffy got dressed and headed to their front door when Buffy decided to check on her sister. They hadn't heard anything coming from Dawn and Jessie's room since hearing the soft sobs. Faith walked over and stood behind Buffy at the doorway as the blonde slowly opened the door and saw Dawn asleep with tear streaks drying on her cheeks. Buffy carefully made her way over with a tissue and softly wiped away the tears. Then she gently brushed the hair from Dawn's face and kissed her just as gently on the forehead before heading out of her room.

"Damn, she's really got it bad, huh?"

"Yeah, can we go? I really don't feel like talking about this anymore right now."

"Anything you want, B."

"Thanks. Oh, by the way, Dawn heard us talking awhile back."

"Could you be a little less vague, B?"

"You know. The first night we…," the blonde tried to answer but couldn't continue when she started blushing.

The blushing only got stronger with the smirk on Faith's face.

"I don't know why it still makes me…Hey, stop it," Buffy demanded as her girlfriend was still smirking.

"Sorry, you just look so cute when you do that."

The gym

For at least fifteen minutes, Faith watched Buffy furiously attack the punching bag with several types of punches and kicks. There were a few times she thought Buffy was going to actually hit it hard enough to knock the bag to the floor.

"Ease up a little, B. Others might want to use that bag soon."

When Buffy avoided her, Faith walked up and pulled her away from the bag.

"Hey, I wasn't finished."

"Well, you're taking a mandatory break. Grab some water and cool down."

"Who says so?"

"I do."

"And if I don't?"

"Don't try to find out."

"Fine."

"Good lord, what was that noise?" Giles interrupted as he entered the room.

"B was trying to get out some aggression on the bag. She's taking a break right now."

Giles watched with concern as Buffy drank some water while Faith wiped Buffy's forehead with a cold and slightly wet towel. Buffy stopped and smiled as Faith continued by wiping the rest of Buffy's face before moving lower and getting the entire neck. Faith then sat beside her as she laid the towel around the back of the blonde's neck.

"Are you ok now, B?"

"I'm a little bit better, thanks."

"It's cool, yo."

"Buffy, do you mind telling me what got into you over there?" Giles questioned as he took off his glasses, wiped them off, and put them back on.

Buffy sighed and got ready to tell him but was stopped by Faith's fingertips on her lips.

"It's about Dawn."

"What about Dawn? She isn't hurt, is she?"

"Well, in one way, no, and in another way, yes."

"What?"

"She was crying over Jessie," Buffy revealed, "I'm supposed to be this kickass slayer with the power and ability to protect the world, yet I can't protect my sister from a possible broken heart. Why couldn't the powers that be give me that power?"

"Because hearts can't be protected that way. Sooner or later, it happens to almost everyone," her mentor informed her.

"Yeah, Willow told me the same thing when we first realized the hero worship was turning into a real crush," Buffy stated before seeing Faith with a slightly raised eyebrow, "What?"

"Nothing," Faith muttered. _I love her, but she can be kind of dense sometimes._

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing," Faith replied before strolling over to the bag and taking her turn attacking it with punches and kicks but not as hard as Buffy's had been.

Buffy became so distracted by ogling Faith constantly hitting the bag that she didn't know Giles was trying to get her attention. He finally got her attention by roughly shaking her shoulder.

"Huh, what, were you saying something?"

Giles rolled his eyes and responded, "I was trying to tell you that if you or anybody else here needed me, I was going to be busy with phone calls. So unless it was serious, then it could wait until I was finished."

Faith, who had been listening from about fifteen feet way, couldn't stop smirking at knowing what had kept Buffy distracted.

"What's his problem?"

"He was trying to tell you something, but you were too busy watching me. Not that I could blame you. Sometimes, I have a problem not staring at myself too," Faith told her before laughing.

Buffy blushed at being caught staring at her girlfriend.

"How about we do a quick jog around the campus and then grab a bite to eat?" Buffy suggested.

"Catch me if you can," Faith dared as she pinched Buffy on her butt and ran out of the room.

Later that night

True to her word, Faith helped Dawn pick out the movies when Dawn had decided to stay home. While they were going through the available selection, Buffy was getting the snacks ready. She had gotten out various candy and chips, some soda for Dawn, and a few beers for her and Faith. She had also placed Dawn's favorite pizza into the oven.

"So are you having fun, D?" Faith inquired as they finished the first movie and began the next one.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for doing this. Are you two having fun too?"

"Yes," Faith answered as Buffy nodded in agreement.

Buffy and Faith smiled as Dawn seemed to be able to eat everything in front of her while only stopping for air or to guzzle some soda.

"Dawnie, slow down," Buffy ordered, "Do you want to get sick?"

"Wasn't this the plan for tonight? We watch movies, and Ihave ahuge amount of junk food and soda to take my mind off of other things. Well, that's what I'm doing."

"Yeah, lighten up, B. If she's having fun grossing you out, I say let her."

"Thanks, F…," Dawn tried to say before it was interrupted with an unexpected burp.

"That was gross. We can actually smell the pizza and candy you ate," Buffy informed her sister before staring at Faith.

Faith almost dropped the beer she was drinking and laughed as Buffy rolled her eyes at her.

"Impressive, D. But I can do better."

"Prove it."

"Please don't," Buffy begged.

Buffy's begging was done in vain as Faith chugged the rest of her beer and let loose a belch that shocked both Buffy and Dawn.

"Ugh, you're both disgusting right now," Buffy declared before getting off of the couch and walking to the kitchen.

Faith followed her girlfriend as Dawn continued to watch the movie.

"Stay away from me until you and my sister are done with your gross out contest," Buffy insisted.

"Ease up. We were just having fun, yo. Besides, look how much fun she's having," the brunette said as she watched the younger girl on the couch before ending her opinion in a whisper, "It's been awhile since I've seen her this genuinely happy, not involving a certain blonde."

Buffy observed her sister and had to agree as she rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, "Ok, you're right. Why are you so good to us?"

"I thought I already told you why. Because I love both of you. Not in the same way, but it's there."

Buffy could only react by softly kissing Faith.

"If you two are finished kissing and talking low enough that I can't hear you, then come back and watch the movie with me."

"Alright," the couple relented together.

As much as Dawn tried to stay awake after starting a third movie, the binge wore her out. She fell asleep with her head on Faith's shoulder. Shortly after Dawn had laid her head on Faith's shoulder, Faith had began running her fingers through the girl's hair. She couldn't understand why she started or continued doing it. That was until Buffy caught her and appeared like she was going to start losing it again. Faith felt an internal groan as tears formed in the corners of the blonde's eyes.

"What is it now?" Faith whispered, so she wouldn't wake Dawn just yet. _Great, she's getting ready to lose it again. I wonder what I did wrong this time._

"You are doing that to my sister and have to wonder why I'm doing this?" Buffy told her as she wiped a tear away from each eye and felt her heart melting. _Look at her. She thinks that I think she's doing something wrong when it isn't by a long shot. _

"I'm only running my fingers through her hair. I'm not sure why, but for some odd reason, it feels comforting for both of us. Why is that?"

"Because it's a good feeling to know that someone trusts you enough to do something like that." _I REALLY love her._

"Yeah, I guess." _I'm glad she's not mad at me. She wouldn't have had a good reason to though. She knows how I feel about her and D._

After Buffy and Faith had finished viewing the third movie along with another beer, they decided to go to bed. This meant they would have to wake Dawn.

"Hey, D, wake up."

"Huh? What?" Dawn mumbled as she noticed what she had been doing and was happy she hadn't drooled, "Uh, sorry about that."

"No problem. B and I are going to bed. Maybe you should go too," Faith suggested as she and Buffy cleaned up the mess and turned off the tv and DVD player.

"Sure, Mom," Dawn teased before gasping at realizing what she had just said.

Dawn and Buffy waited anxiously for Faith's response.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth, sweetie," Faith joked as she went along with the teasing, making the sisters sigh happily.

"Before you go, Faith and I would like to talk to you about something."

"Is it about Jessie?"

"Yeah."

"What about her?"

"Do you think it's a good idea for you to still be roommates considering how Katie feels about it and how you feel about Jessie?"

"She's my best friend. Maybe we'll get together some day. If we don't, I'll deal with it. It would be more painful if she was sharing a room with someone other than me."

"Are you sure?" Faith challenged as she gazed at the other girl carefully.

"I'm positive. If I change my mind, you'll be the first to know."

"Ok," the couple conceded before they each gave her a hug goodnight.

About five minutes later, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

Faith was lying in bed as she eyed the blonde who stripped down to her underwear, climbed into bed beside her, and laid her head on Faith's shoulder.

"What are you doing, B?" she quizzed as she focused on the half dressed blonde beside her.

"I'm living a little dangerously like you suggested before. That's ok, right?"

"It's five by five."

"Is it ok if we just go right to sleep and not…Well…you know?"

"It's cool, yo."

"I really love you."

"I know, and I really love you too," Faith admitted as she caressed Buffy's hair until they were both asleep.

After getting ready for bed, Dawn carefully opened the door between the bathroom and her sister and Faith's bedroom. When she saw the caring hold Faith had around her sister, she closed the door just as carefully and went to bed with a smile on her face.

Sunday morning, 10:00 AM, Katie's dorm room

Jessie peeked over her shoulder to the mirror behind her. She was admiring her tattoo as she was pulling her shirt back on but blinked when something worried her. Jessie felt herself beginning to freak out as she thought she saw the K in the tattoo briefly change to a D before turning back into a K. As she rubbed her eyes, she was surprised by a hand placed on her shoulder, making her jump a few inches in the air.

"Could you not do that when my eyes are closed?" she yelped.

"Sorry, Billie. Are you ok? Are you sure you're not tired?"

"Yeah."

"Then why were you rubbing your eyes?"

"I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."

"So what did you think you saw?"

"I was admiring my tattoo when I pictured you standing beside me and showing a tattoo on your back almost like mine."

"What did it say?"

"It said 'Jessie's Girl'."

"Why would that freak you out?"

"Because you said that you thought certain tattoos were unnecessary."

"Ok, so how did it look?" she asked with a smirk and a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Good, but I don't expect you to do that just because I imagined it."

"You're right, I wouldn't. Somebody else..," Katie tried to say but was stopped instantly with a small glare from Jessie, "I'm sorry, I …"

"Just stop it. I don't want to fight anymore about this before I leave."

"I'm going to miss you already."

"I haven't even left yet. Besides, I will see you every weekend. We'll chat online and have webcams when chatting isn't enough."

"True."

After grabbing some breakfast, Jessie decided it was time for her to head back and called Dawn.

"Hi, Dawn. How are you this morning?" Jessie questioned as she watched Katie sigh.

"I'm fine, so what did you want? Are you ready to come back now?" Dawn asserted as Buffy and Faith spied on her.

"Yeah, can you teleport me again, or is it too much trouble? If it is, I can find another way back."

"No, I can do it. Just give me about five minutes to get everything set up," Dawn assured as she glimpsed back to see the couple smiling at her.

"Cool, I'll see you soon then."

"Do you really have to go now?" Katie playfully whined.

"Yeah, I have some homework, and I don't know how long it will take. Anyway, it's time for you to be an adult and see what it feels like to be alone in this room until your roommate gets here in a few weeks or however soon it will be. Then be the wonderful person I know you are, and the two of you will get along fine."

"If you say so, Billie," Katie announced before giving Jessie a hug and began kissing her.

They were still kissing as the blonde disappeared right in front of her.

"Welcome back, J..," Dawn greeted until noticing what the blonde had been doing before the spell.

"Making the most of your time together, huh?" Faith guessed before being slapped lightly on the arm from Buffy.

"Yeah, I guess so," Jessie confessed as she saw Dawn turning away from her while she put the ingredients for the spell away and cleaned up the remaining mess.

"I'm going to see if there's any breakfast left in the cafeteria," Dawn decided before leaving the apartment.

"Now that D's gone, give us the details."

"Details?" Jesse exclaimed as if she had no idea what the older slayer was thinking.

"You know what I mean. How was the campus, her dorm, and the rest of the trip?"

"Faith, maybe she doesn't want to talk about it, and I'm pretty sure that I don't want to hear it. You don't have to tell her anything."

"Well, I do. Maybe you could go join Dawn while J and I talk?" Faith advised.

"Ok, I'm leaving then," Buffy claimed as she headed for the door.

"I don't mind. But I have a question for both of you before I go into the details."

"What is it?" Buffy inquired as she prepared on how to answer since it was obviously going to be about her sister.

"How was Dawn? I mean was she ok after I left?"

"Yeah, she was fine. However, she knows that you looked at her butt when she left the bathroom that night after Katie did those paintings and how you reacted to what she and Willow did at the club before Willow left," Buffy divulged.

"I thought you weren't going to tell her about that night?" Jessie growled as she almost sneered at both of them.

"We weren't going to tell her," Buffy confided, "She overheard us from the bathroom as we talked."

"It was my idea for Willow to do what she did, so I wanted to know Dawn's reaction to your slight jealousy," Faith happily confirmed.

"I wasn't jealous."

When they stared at her unconvinced, she admitted, "Ok, I was a little jealous."

"Are you in love with my sister?" Buffy prodded suddenly.

"What? No, of course not. Not that nobody could fall in love with her. I am starting to become more attracted to her though. I guess that's what brought it out," Jessie babbled to Faith's amusement.

"Fine, we'll accept that for now. If you hurt her though, you'll have to answer to more than just me. Understand?"

"Yes."

"So, what about Oxford?" Faith cut in.

"Well, the campus was nice, and her dorm room was a little bigger than I thought it would be. As for the rest," Jessie described but paused when Buffy signaled for her to stop before she left the room.

"And?"

"We had a great time."

"Cool, tell me more."

"I don't think so."

"Please."

"Fine, it was so great that she thought we were going to break the bed. That's all I'm going to tell you."

"Alright," Faith grunted before leaving the room.

Before Jessie followed her, something on her bed caught her eye. The shirt with the red sleeves appeared to be lying on her bed differently than when she had left. When she inspected closer, she discovered that the shirt was almost completely turned inside out. She knew this could only mean one thing.

_Dawn tried on my shirt. Why would she do that? Not that I mind. I bet she looked good in it. Just as good as it would be to help her take it off. Whoa, stop right there. This is Dawn we're talking about, not Katie. You won't think about her in that way yet. There's a yet? Shut up. _

Jessie sighed sadly as she tried to erase those thoughts from her mind.


	33. Chapter 33

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 33

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: This is the first of some chapters that Jessie/Katie fans have been dreading the most.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I gave Katie's roommate the same first name as my biggest fan. There is more Xander bashing too.

* * *

Almost a month and a half later

For the first few weeks after Katie arrived at Oxford, she had the room to herself. It gave her time to write down any habits that her roommate might consider annoying. She had been nervous at first around her roommate, Jamie Foster.

However, Jamie was just as easy going and open minded as she was and happened to be bi-sexual. She was clearly smart enough to get straight A's and beautiful. She knew she was beautiful but never showed any signs of being conceited about it. Best of all, in Katie's mind anyway, was that she and Jessie got along great every time the blonde would visit. Whenever Jessie and Katie wanted some time alone, Jamie would make herself scarce until she got a call from the couple saying it was ok to come back to her and Katie's room.

"So how's blondie doing?" Jamie asked as she came in from a night at the library.

Katie recognized the humorous tone in the brunette's voice and smirked a little.

"Billie's doing ok," Katie said as she covered the microphone on her headset to hide the small fight she and Jessie were having before Jamie walked in. She turned around to look at the girl behind her and almost shouted, "Whoa, get caught out in the rain again?"

"Yeah, I thought I had enough time to get back before it started. A few minutes after I stepped out of the library, it just came in a downpour and now I'm soaked," Jamie explained as she quickly stripped down to her underwear, changed into some sweat pants and a blue pullover, and began smiling.

Katie laughed until she heard the same thing coming through the headphones. She turned back to look at the computer screen and saw Jessie giggling lightly on her webcam.

"Did Jamie get caught out in the rain again?"

"Yeah."

"When's she going to learn to pay more attention to the weather before she goes out? I thought she was smarter than that."

"I don't know, I'll ask."

Jessie waited patiently as the sight of Katie and Jamie laughing at Jamie's frequent misfortune eased the anger that had been growing that night. As she reached for her drink near the computer, she watched Jamie take the headset away from her girlfriend. Jamie then playfully pushed Katie out of the chair and sat down in front of the computer.

"I guess after tonight I will do that, Jessie," Jamie responded sarcastically before laughing with Jessie and Katie, who was standing just within the camera's view with a fake look of disgust at what Jamie had done to her.

"Is Katie ok?" Jessie teased.

"Yeah, hotstuff is fine," Jamie assured as the three girls laughed before something on Jessie's camera caught her attention, "Who's the hottie?"

"The hottie?"

"Yeah, the half dressed girl behind you standing just close enough to be seen by the camera. She's a hottie."

"That's my roommate, Dawn."

At hearing Jamie say that, Katie quickly stood beside her roommate and saw Dawn walking around while apparently not caring who might see her. After Jessie looked into her camera and turned around to obviously tell Dawn, Katie let the anger show again. Jamie wasn't sure how to react after seeing the glare on Katie's face, but she covered the microphone with her hand and turned to talk to her anyway.

"Why are you so angry about that? We've done that since day one of me being here."

"I'm not angry at Dawn. Well, I guess I am a little angry. But I'm a little angrier at Billie."

"Why? What did she do?"

"See how she's looking at Dawn?"

"No, how's that?"

"That she almost wants to pounce on her."

"I think you're exaggerating just a bit."

"Hey, D," Jessie stated as she removed her headset to talk to Dawn.

"Yeah, J?"

"You know that I'm talking to Katie right now, don't you?"

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"Then do you think it's a good idea to be walking around like that?"

"What? It's not like we both haven't done this before."

"Yeah, but you usually wait until the webcam is off."

"The what?" Dawn questioned as she began to turn her back to the computer to open the dresser and pull out some pajamas.

Jessie saw this in enough time to place her hand over the eye of the webcam.

"The webcam. The one I have on every night when I talk to Katie."

"That's still on?" Dawn gasped as she suddenly remembered what she was wearing at that moment and stepped out of the camera's view, "Uh, how much did Katie see?"

"Well, they almost saw you with your back to the computer, so they just missed a good view of your butt. I'm not sure how much else."

"They?"

Yeah, they. Jamie saw you too."

"Jamie?"

"Yeah, Jamie, Katie's roommate. She said you were a hottie."

"Really? That's nice I guess," Dawn answered before blushing and added, "Can you ask them how much they saw? Oh, and I'm sorry, J; I just got a little distracted."

"Sure, but you might want to be more careful in the future."

Jessie made sure Dawn was fully dressed before taking her hand away from the camera. When she looked back at the computer screen, she saw that both girls on the other end were frowning. She let out a sigh as she began talking to Jamie.

"Jamie, Dawn wants to know how much you saw."

"Why? Will she let me see more if I tell her?"

"Probably not, but could you do me a favor and tell her the truth?"

"Ok, tell her I only saw only side views from both sides. Maybe if she can get away this weekend, she can come with you. You are coming, right?"

"Probably." _Yeah, if Katie and I don't end this conversation in a fight like last time._

"Can you have her come to the computer for a minute?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to talk to her for a minute."

"Alright."

Jamie smiled as Dawn sat down in front of the computer and put on the headset.

"Uh, hi, J-Jamie. What did you want?"

"I wanted to tell you how cute I think you are."

"Thanks, J said that you called me a hottie. You're cute too."

"J? Oh, yeah, I did. Are you busy this weekend?"

"Why?"

"Maybe you could come with Jessie to Oxford, and we could meet in person. You know…maybe go on a double date with Jessie and Katie."

"I don't know. I might have plans." _There's no way I'm going on a double date with my best friend and her girlfriend. I'd sooner streak some classes._

"That's too bad. Maybe another time?"

"Yeah, maybe. So, uh, how much did you see?"

"Just side views. It was enough to know that you had a nice body." _Let's see if that changes her mind._

"Thanks, well, I need to go now," Dawn explained with a yawn before handing the headset to Jessie and climbing into her own bed.

"Does Dawn really have plans?" Jamie and Katie inquired from Jessie a few minutes later.

"I don't know. Why, do you want her to come over too, Katie?"

"Maybe it would help both of us if D hooked up with Jamie."

"And how would that help us again?" Jessie argued as she sensed Katie was going to say something she shouldn't.

"After some time here, she might be more willing to climb into bed with Jamie instead of with you."

"So you think that after one night, Dawn would be willing to hop into a bed with someone she has just met?"

"Better Jamie's bed than yours," Katie growled as Jamie appeared shocked.

"Do you think Dawn's that easy?"

"Maybe if Jamie wears a blonde wig and..."

"KATIE, that was totally uncalled for. Bye."

"B-Billie, WAIT!"

Katie's plea went unanswered as Jessie angrily turned off the camera and shut down the computer. Jessie got up and walked close enough to see if Dawn was asleep. She saw the brunette's eyes closed and called out Dawn's name to see if she'd answer. When she didn't get a response, she sighed happily and headed into the bathroom to brush her teeth. At the sound of the door closing, Dawn opened her eyes, looked back and forth between the bathroom door and the now turned off computer, and smiled at how Jessie had defended her yet again. Then she got up and eavesdropped on the conversation going on between Jessie, Buffy, and Faith.

Meanwhile, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

After hearing what sounded like a fight coming from Dawn and Jessie's bedroom, Buffy and Faith entered the bathroom and confronted the blonde. Jessie calmly explained what happened. Buffy internally seethed at what Katie had said about her sister. The only things stopping her from yelling were Faith's arms wrapped around her from behind while whispering calming words into her ear, and the fact that Jessie had quickly defended Dawn. It didn't stop the nightmare from coming though.

Buffy's nightmare

Jessie, Buffy, and Faith were laughing about something Willow had told them

about Xander. Apparently, he had stuck his foot in his mouth again in front of Vi, and Grace ended up having to help him get back on Vi's good side again.

"So the Xan-man messed up again, huh?" Jessie chuckled but didn't appear surprised.

"Yeah, fortunately, Grace knew exactly the right thing for him to say to get out of trouble," Buffy commented to the other blonde.

"Why does he even open his mouth like that? Shouldn't there be limits put on him?" Jessie quizzed.

"You're proud of Grace, aren't you? And not just for bailing Xander out of trouble."

"Yeah, I am, but don't tell her I said that."

"Want to protect your roles of occasionally feuding stepsisters, huh?" Faith smirked.

"Yeah, and it's fun sometimes to drive our parents a little crazy when we fight or make them think we're fighting."

"Isn't that a little mean?"

"Hey, she's just having fun when she can, yo. Sometimes the slaying and curing the second h after that isn't enough."

Faith and Jessie both smirked as Buffy rolled her eyes at them.

"Is that Dawn and Katie up there?" Jessie announced as she pointed to two girls arguing on a balcony.

"Yeah, what are they doing on the balcony?" Faith muttered as fear entered the blondes' heads.

"KATIE, DAWN, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" Buffy screamed as loud as she could while a crowd began to grow and follow them.

Buffy, Faith, and Jessie started running as they saw both girls start shoving each other before each began to fall over the railing. The girls were able to get a hold of the railing and struggled to climb back over the side. Katie was able to pull herself back over. Instead of seeing Katie help Dawn climb back onto the balcony, they saw her kick Dawn's hands hard enough that she lost her grip and fell to the ground too quickly for any of the slayers to catch her. When Buffy, Faith, and Jessie reached Dawn, they saw her body lying at unnatural angle. Dawn's eyes were wide open in fear. As Buffy gently lifted Dawn's head up, she saw blood on the edge of the sidewalk. She put her hand on the back of Dawn's head and felt something on her skin.

"Giles? She's alright isn't she? I mean she's not…,'" Buffy exclaimed to her mentor, who was checking the other girl for any signs of life.

"I'm sorry. She's dead," Giles informed them as he slowly and gently closed Dawn's eyes.

"No, she's not dead. She just needs some stitches and a partial body cast until her bones heal," Buffy suggested in denial as the other girls around her and Giles began to cry.

"She's dead, B, and J's psycho, bitch girlfriend killed her. Let's go get her NOW!"

Jessie sat on the ground while holding Dawn, crying loudly, and almost yelling, "I'M SO SORRY, DAWN! I DIDN'T THINK KATIE WOULD KILL YOU! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"

"It's not your fault, it's Katie's," Buffy reminded her before racing up to their apartment.

The girls' apartment balcony

Katie was sitting in a chair enjoying the view beyond the campus as Buffy reached her.

"YOU CRAZY BITCH! YOU KILLED DAWN! SHE DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE, BUT NOW YOU DO! I'M GOING TO ENJOY KILLING YOU!" Buffy yelled as she leapt at Katie and tackled her to the floor.

"B-BUFFY!" Katie let out as she struggled to get away from the furious slayer's chokehold.

Buffy felt someone trying to pull her away from Katie, assumed it was Faith since she was the one that followed her, and was confused at why Faith was stopping her.

The end of the nightmare

"BUFFY, STOP IT! YOU"RE CHOKING HER AND TRYING TO KILL HER!" Jessie shouted as she tried harder to pull the blonde off of Faith while Dawn looked on in fear.

"No, I'm not. I'm killing her," Buffy insisted as Jessie was able to pull her far enough away for Faith to break the chokehold.

"Jessie, I have to kill her. She can't get away with it," Buffy claimed while trying to get a hold on Faith again.

"DAMN IT, B, SNAP OUT OF IT!" Faith demanded as she slapped Buffy hard against her left cheek.

"OW! WHY IN THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT! Wait, where am I, and what's going on?" Buffy replied to the three girls in front of her.

"You tell us," her sister requested nervously as she clung to Jessie.

Buffy scanned the room and discovered she was sitting on her bed, Faith standing beside the bed in her underwear while trying to get her breathing back to normal, Jessie holding Dawn with a confused expression, and Dawn seeming scared of her sister. She got up and made her way over to Dawn, only to be blocked by Jessie.

"Please come here, Dawn, I'll explain everything," Buffy pleaded as tears began running down her cheeks.

Dawn slowly made her way to her sister and was caught up in hug as she could feel Buffy start kissing her forehead as tears continued to flow.

"What happened? Why were you choking me and trying to kill me? What couldn't I get away with?"

"You killed Dawn. I had to kill you," Buffy revealed as she was trying to shake the dream out of her head.

"Why would I kill Dawn? I love her like you do."

"I mean somebody else did. I started choking them in the dream. I guess since you were beside me in bed, my unconscious state must have mistook you for her. Please don't hate me. I didn't mean to do that to you," Buffy declared as she released the hold on Dawn, ran to Faith, and hugged her tightly.

"Her who?" Jessie mumbled as Dawn and Faith gawked nervously.

"Katie. Katie killed Dawn in cold blood. We all saw Dawn die. You held Dawn's dead body as Faith and I raced back up here. She showed no signs of regret, so I was going to kill her but not as quickly as Willow killed Warren. I was going to choke the life out of her."

"Why would she kill Dawn?"

"Isn't it obvious? The unreasonable jealousy she has toward Dawn sent her over the edge mentally and physically in the dream. I don't want Dawn and Katie alone together ever."

"Buffy," Jessie tried to argue but gave in at the pain she saw on Buffy's face, "Ok, they won't."

Jessie watched speechlessly when Buffy broke down again in Faith's arms as the brunette sat them down on their bed. Dawn sat down on the other side of Buffy and hugged her as a tear ran down her cheek. Jessie wanted to be mad at Buffy for saying that about Katie, but the pain she had seen and heard stopped her. She came to the conclusion that Buffy wouldn't make up something like that and almost cried at the possibility of Katie doing something so evil.

"You two can go back to your room now if you want. I'll be ok. You two need your sleep anyway."

"Are you sure?" Jessie and Dawn challenged together.

"Don't worry, I'm here for her."

"If you two need anything, you'll let us know, right?" Dawn concluded softly.

"Yeah, D."

Jessie waited by the door as Dawn kissed Buffy gently on the forehead and shared a smile with her, got off the bed, end walked toward her best friend. Then Jessie slowly closed the door behind them, made her way back into their own bedroom with Dawn, and closed the door.

"It was only a dream. We won't let that happen to D."

"I know. I just can't lose her. I've lost too much already. I'm sick of losing loved ones."

"It'll be ok. I'm here, and I don't plan on going anywhere soon," Faith whispered as the blonde in her arms slowly closed her eyes.

Dawn and Jessie's room

"J."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Katie would ever kill me like that?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think she would do something that crazy or evil. If she ever tried to hurt you physically, I would stop her."

"Thanks."

"No need for thanks. That's what friends do."

"Alright," Dawn told her as she leaned to kiss Jessie but stopped herself right before Jessie reached out to stop it as well, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I mean I kind of wanted to, but the more sensible side didn't."

"I understand. Try to get some sleep."

"Ok, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Jessie echoed as a brief thought of what it would have felt like if they had kissed popped into her head before leaving almost instantly.

That Friday, Katie and Jamie's dorm room

As soon as Jessie appeared at their doorstep, Jamie left with a few books to grab a cup of coffee at the nearest café before making another trip to the library. She assumed that it would be awhile before she would be able to go back to the room, but she had no idea how wrong she would be.

Ten minutes later

"I can't believe we're having this discussion again. They're my friends. Why is it so hard for you to accept that?"

"I do accept that. It's just that every time we talk, it's Dawn, Faith, and/or Buffy did or said this or that. Every damn time, Billie."

"Two words, Katie, broken record. They're not the only ones or things we talk about. We talk about how I'm doing with my classes, the slaying, my family, your life at college, and how happy you are to be away from your BIGOTED family. We both hate them so much, but you're the one who always brings them up. Why bring them up? I LOVE you, they DON'T."

"Yeah, but I think that you're also starting to fall in love with a few others or at least are attracted to them."

"Great, more about Dawn. Did you miss the words broken record? Who's the other one?"

"Faith. Don't think I forgot about how disappointed you were when she left after just meeting you and how happy when she came back."

"I'm not in love with Dawn or Faith."

"But you are attracted to them, just admit it."

"Alright, I am attracted to them, but I would never cheat on you. You know that. You can't say that you don't find them, Buffy, or Willow at least slightly attractive. You even called Dawn a hottie."

"I do, but I would never let them get close enough to kiss me repeatedly or climb into bed with them, no matter what excuse they used. I CERTAINLY wouldn't kiss their neck and run my hand under their shirt as a joke," Katie described with a growing sneer.

"But you certainly didn't have much of a problem calling someone who considered me their best friend easy or accusing your devoted girlfriend being ready to cheat as soon as those two girls were alone."

"So what should we do then?"

"You obviously think you know a lot more than me, so why don't you tell me?" Jessie growled.

"Maybe you should…," Katie started as she tried to think of a way to say what she was thinking without making Jessie even angrier but couldn't.

"What? Give up slaying?"

When Katie said nothing and looked away from her, Jessie knew what was possibly coming. She couldn't believe it would come from Katie of all people.

"You want me to quit slaying? I promised them I would do it for at least two years. I'm not going back on a promise. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I do. You were the one offering the strongest support, not counting Grace. You know what happens if I quit, don't you?"

"No, what?" Katie responded with overflowing sarcasm in her voice.

"I go home, dummy. I won't be an hour away. It will be six."

"At least I won't worry about some other girl climbing into bed with you."

Jessie became so full of anger and sadness that she had to stop herself from raising her hand to Katie or breaking down in front of her.

"So what are you saying? Are you honestly giving me an ultimatum? You know the ways that it could backfire."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes. It's either your new friends and slaying, or the girl who fell in love with you almost at first sight and hid the relationship until you were ready to tell your family. So what's it going to be?"

"So it's either I enjoy doing something that my entire family supports even it keeps me away from them and only an hour away from the girl I love and who I thought loved me or be six hours away from the girl I love and thought loved me until a major holiday or summer comes around?"

"Yeah."

"I…I ch-choose them over y-you," Jessie decided as she felt her heart breaking.

"What?" Katie asked astounded.

"I choose them over you," Jessie repeated with more conviction in her voice.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Goodbye, Billie," Katie spoke sadly as she opened the door of the dorm room.

"Bye," Jessie voiced as she held back any tears, grabbed her backpack, and walked out of Katie's room and possibly her life for who knew how long.

"You know what the one good thing is about this?" Katie expressed sarcastically.

"No, what?"

"I won't have to hear about their stupid friend, Xander, anymore. Could you imagine what it would be like if he used his brain as much as his mouth? You might want to tell Vi to dump him before his stupidity rubs off on her."

Jessie chose not to say anything even though some of her agreed with Katie. Katie then closed the door without looking at Jessie. As Jessie stood against the wall across from Katie and Jamie's closed door and tried to get herself under control, she heard music coming from Katie's clock radio and soft tears. She gaped as she recognized the song to be Michelle Branch's "Goodbye To You". After the first chorus was over, the music stopped. The next thing she heard was the sound of Katie's clock radio getting broken as it hit the door and fell to the floor in many pieces. Jessie let tears flow as she left the building and headed in the quickest way off the campus.


	34. Chapter 34

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 34

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie kills a vampire after leaving Oxford's campus and deals with her break up with help from her friends.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

Meanwhile

Jamie was making her way back to the room to get a book she had forgotten when she noticed a girl getting attention from several people. As the girl got closer, Jamie saw the girl was barely caring about the stares she was getting from everyone. When she was about three feet away, Jamie realized that it was Jessie, and that she was crying.

"Jessie, why are you crying, and where are you going?"

Jessie seemed to be unaware of Jamie trying to talk to her.

After she bumped into the brunette, Jessie looked up and stuttered, "S-Sorry, I c-cant t-talk r-right n-now. I've got to get out of here as fast as I can."

"You're not going anywhere until we talk," Jamie warned her as she grabbed Jessie's hands and pulled her to a nearby bench.

Jessie knew she could have easily pulled away and ran as fast as she could. It probably would have taken less than ten minutes to get off the campus with her slayer speed, but she let the other girl drag her to the bench.

"I need to leave and get back to London."

"How bad was the fight this time?"

"What makes you think it was another fight?" Jessie asked before Jamie rolled her eyes, "Ok, it was another fight."

"What was it about this time?"

"The same thing as usual, my friendships with Dawn, Faith, and Buffy, and why I'm here in England."

"Why are you here anyway? Katie never told me any specifics."

"Uh, what did she tell you?"

"Just that it was something important and had to be kept a secret. You're not an undercover agent working for the United States government, are you?" Jamie chuckled, making Jessie smile and laugh for a few minutes, "Even though it wouldn't make any sense for one to be here."

"No. But it is important, and I can't tell anyone else."

"Ok, I respect that. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes, can you look out for her from now on? I can't do it anymore."

"Why?"

"Because it's over, for now anyway."

"Are you serious? This isn't something that can be fixed if we both go back to the room and talk to her?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Why?"

"She gave me an ultimatum. You don't do that to people you love. Please don't hate me or her for what I have to do."

"I won't, and I'll look out for her until she can do it herself, or you want to take over again. If you need anything, give me a call."

Jessie smiled gratefully as Jamie wrote down her phone number and finished by giving her a gentle hug. They started to walk away from each other. Before Jamie had gotten even a few feet away, she turned around to say something to Jessie. She stood still for a moment as the blonde had seemed to just vanish behind her. Jamie sighed and made the trip back to the dorm room.

Fifteen minutes later

Jessie had sprinted off the campus and was now walking along a slightly busy street as she debated whether to call Dawn and teleport back or take the bus back to London. She searched the pockets of her pants and backpack. When she didn't find any money, she decided to walk for a bit before calling Dawn. As she made her way down the sidewalk, she felt her slayer senses tingling. She immediately peeked over her right shoulder. A few seconds later, she heard a man ride by on a sleek and almost new motorcycle. While he passed her, the tingling got stronger. A grin appeared on her face as she thought of a plan to get the vampire alone. The plan became clear when the vampire had pulled up along the sidewalk about ten feet ahead and tried to convince at least one of the four girls standing outside a movie theater to go for a ride. As she got closer, it sounded like he was on the verge of convincing two of the naive girls, who couldn't have been any older than fifteen or sixteen. She had to act quickly, so she faked a crying spell that immediately got the attention of the four girls and the vampire. She also made sure that she used a perfect British accent.

"What's wrong, love?" the vampire questioned as the two girls closest to him rolled their eyes.

The other two seemed slightly worried.

"I-I j-just b-broke u-up w-with my b-boyfriend, and I-I d-don't kn-know wh-what I-I'm g-going to d-do. I have no money to get back home."

"Where's home, love?"

"London."

"If you don't mind, I'd be happy to take you home," he offered with a fake display of concern.

"I-I d-don't kn-know. My mummy and daddy told me to never accept rides from strangers."

Jessie held back a laugh as all four girls were now gawking at her as if she was most immature teenage girl they had ever seen.

"Well, why don't you make a collect call home to Mummy and Daddy, baby?"

"No need to fight, ladies. I'll take the girl home and come back, so we can continue getting to know each other."

"Fine, we'll be here," the same girl responded.

"Ever been on a motorcycle before?"

"Just once, my daddy took me for a ride. It was scary, so I never went on another one." _This is going to be so easy and fun. Maybe I should let him drag it out, so he thinks he actually has a chance of killing me._

The girls were definitely sick of this display as the vampire felt this kill was going to be the easiest of all of them.

"Let's go, they'll be fine until I get back," he stated as he waved to the four girls who nodded in agreement.

"I just want to give them my number. They can call me in about an hour, so they know you're on your way back."

"That's mighty kind of you, love."

The vampire waited patiently as Jessie quickly scribbled something onto a piece of paper and handed it to the girl who had done all of the talking. When he turned his head away from them, handed Jessie a spare helmet, and started the bike, the four girls looked at the paper. Jessie smiled as their eyes began to bug out, and they began to turn pale. Then she flashed Mr. Pointy, which she carried in case of situations like this. The girls gasped as Jessie quickly put it away, put on the helmet, and wrapped her arms around the vampire. As they pulled away, Jessie could hear the sounds of the girls mumbling something. She looked back once more to see the girls running quickly in the opposite direction.

On the piece of paper

"Just a few words of advice for you. Always remember what I told him. You never know when you could come across a vampire."

Below that were pictures of a guy's face with vampire fangs and a heart with a stake stuck in it.

A half an hour later

The vampire stopped the bike along the side of the road when he saw there were no other vehicles within what seemed like at least a two mile radius. He turned it off and turned to Jessie, who returned to the naive girl routine just as quickly.

"Why did we stop? I thought you were going to take me home to my mummy and daddy. They're probably worried about me right now."

"It's a shame you didn't listen to them, love. You'll NEVER see them again."

"Why?" Jessie challenged as she faked being terrified.

"Because I'm going to kill you. I'm going to suck your blood and turn you into a vampire."

"A v-vampire? Vampires are real?"

"I'm afraid so, little girl," he informed her as he pushed her off the bike before he stepped off, removed his helmet, and showed his fangs.

"No, this is just a bad dream," Jessie said as she did the clichéd run and stumble.

He smiled as she fell to the ground ten feet in front of him.

"Any last words?"

"Yeah, I guess since vampires are real, then so are slayers."

"Huh?"

"You see, you didn't pick up some naive girl who was going to run home to Mummy and Daddy," she answered before dropping the accent, "You picked up a slayer, a vampire slayer to be more specific."

Jessie stood up, pulled off the helmet, and removed Mr. Pointy from the inside pocket of her coat.

"I'm going to love turning a slayer."

"Go ahead and try," Jessie replied as the vampire charged toward her. She quickly stepped to the side, tripped him, grabbed him by the back of his coat, spun him around, and staked him easily with a smile. Then she griped to herself, "Stupid vampire. That almost wasn't any fun."

Jessie chuckled, put the helmet back on her head, strapped the other helmet to the back of the bike, started it back up, and headed back to London as the tune "Born To Be Wild" got stuck in her head.

About forty five minutes later, in front of the slayer campus

Buffy, Faith, and some of the younger slayers were coming back from a very slow night when they heard the sounds of a motorcycle getting closer.

"Whoa, B, look at those wheels," Faith smirked as the younger slayers stood a little behind their leaders.

"It's coming up pretty fast, isn't it?"

"Maybe."

"I guess we should stop it then," Buffy declared a little sarcastically.

"Be my guest."

They waited patiently as the biker seemed to be slowing down and became a little confused when the stranger stopped right beside them. Buffy then began the interrogation.

"You do know this is private property, right?"

The stranger nodded yes after focusing straight ahead and then back at Buffy.

"Then you know you're not invited until we say so, right?"

Buffy received another positive nod.

"Then you know what you have to do."

The person nodded yes before facing ahead again. Before Buffy could say another word, the stranger revved the motor and took off in the direction of the dorms.

"HEY! GET BACK HERE!" Buffy yelled as she and Faith chased after the biker while the younger girls locked the gate and joined them at a slightly slower speed.

Giles and Dawn, who were heading back from the library, heard the constant yelling and ran to where the strange lights were going. They found out that it was a motorcycle as it stopped in front of the apartment building.

"Be careful, Dawn, we don't know who or what that could be."

"Ok," Dawn announced as she slowly moved closer to whomever or whatever was on the bike. She got more nervous as the stranger seemed to be staring directly at her, "You're not going to try and hurt us are you?"

It was answered with a negative nod, making Dawn sigh in relief.

"Do I know you…I mean do we know you?"

Dawn smiled slightly at the positive nod that followed.

"Can we see what you look like?"

The stranger seemed to be thinking it over as Buffy appeared at her sister's side.

"Get away from him or her, Dawn," Buffy ordered.

"Why?"

"Because you don't know who or what that is, and he or she didn't listen when we told him, her, or whatever to stop."

"Buffy, he or she told me and Giles that we knew them."

"Sure we do, I guess that's why we ended up having to chase after the person who didn't listen to us," Buffy muttered sarcastically as Faith laughed.

"Ask Giles then."

"Well?"

"Not exactly," he explained as he wiped off the lenses of his glasses and put them back on.

"Not exactly?"

"Whoever it is didn't speak, they just nodded."

"Ok, whoever or whatever you are, take off that helmet right now," Buffy demanded as she stepped protectively in front of her sister.

They showed various expressions of curiosity as the supposed non-stranger slowly looked down at the bike, turned off the engine, and took off the helmet. At the sight of familiar, blonde hair, there were loud gasps.

"J, is th-that y-you?" Dawn stuttered in shock.

Jessie sighed and gently raised her head until her friends could the misty tears in front of her beautiful eyes.

"What's wrong?" Dawn inquired as the blonde got off the bike and strode over to the nearby gym.

Everyone followed her carefully as she entered and headed over to where the water fountain was. When she turned back around, she had the attention of the entire room.

"Is it about Katie?" Buffy quizzed before realizing how stupid the question was, "Sorry, stupid question."

Jessie smiled momentarily before sitting down against the wall.

"What happened?" Dawn interrupted softly as she sat down beside her best friend.

"Katie and I b-broke u-up," Jessie revealed as she wiped away a tear.

"Why?" Dawn blurted out while hoping she wouldn't get the answer she was afraid of hearing.

Jessie then told them the entire conversations between herself, Katie, and Jamie. After she was finished, she looked around to see everyone's reaction. Buffy was holding in her anger with clenched teeth, Faith held Buffy in hopes of calming her girlfriend down while showing an almost equal amount of anger, Giles was watching her with what could be considered fatherly regard, the other slayers stood there with combined expressions of anger and disbelief, and Dawn seemed troubled on how to react.

"I'm s-sorry. It's my fault this happened," Dawn apologized with overwhelming guilt.

"No, it's not, D. Katie was jealous of both of us. She was just better at hiding her feelings about me," Faith reminded her.

"If you don't want to be my friend anymore, I'll understand," Dawn mumbled before peering down at the floor.

"D," Jessie began as she lifted Dawn's head with the tips of the fingers on her right hand, "I lost Katie. I'm not losing you too."

Dawn sat still for a moment before hugging Jessie and starting to cry.

"It's going to be ok, D," Jessie assured her.

"Th-That's supposed to be my line," Dawn claimed as she heard light giggling.

Dawn looked up in surprise as she saw it was coming from Jessie.

"How did you get the great ride, J?" Faith commented and became amused as Jessie's laughter got louder.

"I didn't think it was that funny of a question. Care to tell to tells us the whole story?" Buffy chuckled.

"Ok, here it comes," Jessie began as she broke the hug, stood up, and moved away from the wall.

Jessie told them the entire story from when she stepped off the campus to when she started the bike up again and headed back to London. She showed them every move she made during that fight and used the same, perfect, British accent when she repeated the conversation. When she finished, all the girls broke out into almost hysterical laughter.

"Did I do bloody well?" Jessie asserted to Giles in the British accent.

"Yes, you did," Giles complimented before chuckling at Jessie's perfect imitation.

"Thank you, I'll be sure to tell Mummy and Daddy," Jessie added while still using the accent

"Enough already," Buffy groaned.

"I think the creative slaying calls for a few drinks," Faith suggested as Buffy and Dawn nodded along,

"Who wants to join us?" Buffy spoke to the other slayers.

A few raised their hands while the others chose to stay there. Jessie got a few pats on the shoulder, a hug, or a high five as those slayers walked past her.

A few hours later at the club

The girls had some drinks before walking to the dance floor. Buffy, Faith, and the few other older slayers had beer while Dawn and the few younger slayers had soda. Jessie had soda but got in sips of beer from Faith's bottles when the brunette gave her the all clear signal. Dawn turned to Jessie as her best friend got in the last sip from Faith's beer. Jessie froze for a few seconds when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Then she turned around to see a surprised Dawn observing her.

"Uh…"

"Don't worry, I won't tell Buffy."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Uh, do you want to dance…with me? It's cool if you don't want to."

"Alright," Jessie agreed as they both hopped out of their seats.

Dawn blushed as Jessie took her hand and led her to the floor. The two got a lot of attention as they rubbed against each other for the remaining minutes of the song. When the next song turned out to be a slow one, Jessie spun Dawn around until they were facing each other, wrapped her arms around her, and pulled her close enough for Dawn to get slightly uncomfortable.

"Are you sure you want to be doing that?" Dawn advised the blonde.

"Relax, it's just a dance," Jessie insisted with a smile while pulling Dawn even closer.

"Ok," Dawn complied as she got a little daring, rested her head on Jessie's shoulder, looked up at her, and sighed happily as Jessie smiled at her.

A few seconds later, she discovered Jessie was glancing past her with a slightly raised eyebrow. She lifted her head, turned around, and found herself gazing directly at Buffy and Faith. Faith was smirking at them with an arched eyebrow while Buffy alternated between slightly worried and stunned.

A few minutes earlier

"Hey, B. looks like J and D are getting their freak on."

"What?"

"Take a look."

Buffy turned around to see the two girls rubbing up against each other just as suggestively as Dawn had done with RJ.

"I should stop them."

"Why?" Faith wondered as she was enjoying the show.

"Because it can only lead to more trouble."

"Let it go. If it gets out of control or something else bad begins to happen, we'll both stop it."

"Ok," Buffy consented but kept her eyes on the couple.

When the slow song started, Faith became almost lost in the great feeling of Buffy holding her so close.

Current time

Jessie and Dawn heard the song coming to an end and prepared to either dance fast again, keep dancing slow, or sit down, which the rest of the group was getting ready to do. At hearing another slow song, Dawn continued holding onto Jessie. It didn't matter to her that it was a sad song, but she could feel Jessie start to struggle to get away with slight force.

"What's wrong? Don't you like Michelle Branch? I know it's a sad song, but it's still good."

"Let me go. I need to leave NOW," Jessie exclaimed as she broke away from Dawn with tears starting to show again.

Dawn and the rest of the gang gaped in shock and confusion as Jessie quickly walked off the floor, grabbed her coat, and ran out of the club.

"Come on, we need to go after her and see what's wrong," Dawn pleaded as she chased after her best friend.

The rest quickly grabbed their coats and followed after the distraught blonde and extremely worried brunette.

Outside the club

Shortly after leaving the club, Jessie fell against a nearby wall and slid down until she was sitting on the sidewalk. She pulled her legs up, so she could rest her head on her knees and hid the still coming tears.

"J, what's wrong?" Faith asked before anybody else could say or ask anything.

"I don't want to talk about it. I mean I can't talk about it." _Why did it have to be that song?_

"Why not?" Buffy interrupted as Dawn was getting ready to talk again.

"I can't," Jessie voiced with as much pain as Buffy had after the nightmare.

"Please talk to me. I obviously did something wrong again," Dawn almost begged as she kneeled in front of Jessie.

"Yeah, you did. However, since you didn't know, it was unintentional."

"What didn't she know?" Buffy interrupted again, annoying her sister.

"The last song I heard Katie play before leaving her at Oxford was Michelle Branch's 'Goodbye To You'."

"I'm so sorry. I should have let you go as soon as you began to struggle."

"You don't need to apologize. Like I said, you didn't know. Do you mind if we leave now?"

"No problem, J. We're all five by five, right?" Faith assumed as she scrutinized everyone in their group.

"Yeah," was the unanimous decision.

"Thanks," Jessie sighed as she stood up.

"Well, that was certainly a disgusting display back there," a strange voice from behind the group spat less than a minute later.

"Huh?" Jessie, Dawn, Faith, and Buffy spoke together as the rest of the girls turned around to face whoever was behind them.


	35. Chapter 35

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 35

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie goes postal on another vampire, Dawn surprises Buffy and Faith, and the couple talks about Jessie and themselves. Faith also has a dream about a possible future with Buffy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

The girls saw that the strange voice came from a man at least twice the size of Buffy, Faith, and Jessie.

"I said that was certainly a disgusting display inside the club," the man sneered at Dawn and Jessie, "At first I thought it was just to drive the younger men crazy. Then when you got so close, I concluded that you weren't teasing the men but just a couple of dykes."

"Watch your mouth, you asshole. That's my sister and her best friend you're talking about there."

"Oh, I see that that homosexuality runs in the family. I thought it wasn't hereditary. I guess you do learn something new every day. You two must be the butch ones," the man scowled as he pointed at Jessie and Faith.

"Dude, watch your mouth, or you're going to be in a world of serious pain," Faith warned him.

"You think I'm afraid of you?" he chuckled before indicating to the girls behind the couples, "Are you trying to CONVERT those lovely young girls and women? Will the sickness never end?"

The girls watched as Faith stepped toward the man and threw him into the nearby alley. They followed Faith as she walked into the alley. As the man stood up, he glared at them and flashed some fangs.

"You've GOT to be kidding me. How did we not sense that you were a vampire?" Buffy snarled.

"I guess I can thank this charm around my neck. I was able to get an evil witch to bless this with the power to hide from most magical detection in case that I came across a slayer or slayers. That is what you sickos are, right?"

"We're not sickos, but the four of us are lesbians," Faith divulged as she took another step toward the man, "How can a vampire be such a bigot?"

"I've probably been a vampire for less time than you girls have been that dis…," the vampire tried to say but was stopped as Jessie ran up to him, grabbed him by the wrist and the back of his neck, and slammed him face first into the wall behind him.

The rest of the girls stood there stunned as they heard bones breaking. When he started to fall backward, Jessie caught him and pulled at his left arm so hard that it became dislocated. He screamed in pain as he hit the ground. Jessie continued with a hard kick to both sides of his ribs. The girls gasped as more bones seemed to break. They watched speechlessly as Jessie leaned over him and used both hands to punch him in the face over and over. They heard what had to be his jaw breaking. His face steadily became black and blue and blood appeared around his nose and lips.

"YOU, NO GOOD, BASTARD VAMPIRE! YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET A CHANCE TO TALK LIKE THAT OR KILL ANYONE EVER AGAIN! SAY GOODBYE FOREVER!" Jessie yelled at almost the top of her lungs.

"J, calm down," Faith advised her as she directed the other slayers to block the alley even though they were at least ten feet away from the slightly busy street.

They were all thankful that no one seemed to be coming their way.

"J-Jessie, please stop hitting him and stake him," Dawn cried out.

Her cry went unanswered by the blonde.

"Jessie, stake him already," Buffy ordered as memories of her past fights with Faith came back to her along with Willow's anger over Tara's death.

"BACK OFF, B. He's mine," Jessie growled, scaring Dawn enough that she hid a little behind Buffy as Jessie continued to pummel him.

"Stake him or I will, J," Faith demanded as she had the same thoughts as Buffy.

"Fine," Jessie relented as she lifted him up far enough to turn his head, so everyone could see how much damage she had done.

A few of the other girls' faces started to turn green as they all noticed the only part of the vampire's face that remained untouched was the chin. Jessie grinned as one of the girls took out her camera phone and snapped a picture. Jessie let him go, and his head bounced once off the ground. Jessie wiped her hands off on his shirt, spit in his face, and staked him. Then she began walking to what was now her motorcycle. She turned around to see them all staring at her.

"What now?"

"Sorry for being a little rude, but what in the HELL happened to you back there?" Buffy asked.

"You saw it. We were interrupted by a vampire, and I staked him. That's what slayers do."

"True, but you almost completely lost it back there, yo."

"What's the big deal? He was a vampire, not some innocent person," Jessie argued as she became a little confused at Faith's anger as the older slayer glared at Buffy.

"We didn't tell her anything, I swear," Buffy promised to her girlfriend.

"Did I say something wrong?" Jessie questioned the still angry brunette. When all she got was silence, she continued, "Well, I guess this is something we'll talk about later. Hey, Dawn, want a ride back? You enjoyed the ride over here."

Jessie smirked as she prepared to start up the motorcycle.

"There's no way my sister is getting on that bike while you're like that," Buffy claimed as she stepped protectively in front of Dawn.

"And how is that?"

"Like a slightly crazy person."

"I'm sane enough to ride home. Besides, she's old enough to make her own decision. Well, D?"

Dawn stared at Jessie but didn't move from where she stood.

"She just made her choice. The only way she's getting on that bike again tonight is if Faith takes your place."

"Are you sure, B? She is your sister after all," Faith told her after she had been able to calm down extremely well. She credited that to the kiss Buffy gave her when Jessie turned away from them a few minutes ago,

"Trust her, I'll get home in one piece if it's you, not her," Dawn chuckled as she looked over at Buffy, who shared the humor with Dawn over her terrible driving skills.

"She'll have to take them out of my pocket then," Jessie declared as she put the keys in one of the front pockets of her pants and basically dared for either Buffy or Faith to try.

"Don't make me do that," Buffy requested as she stood in front of the younger blonde.

"Go ahead and try."

Buffy got in the first punch, and the fight was on. They exchanged a variety of punches and kicks.

"For your own health, just give her the keys," Dawn recommended.

"Not a chance," Jessie hissed seconds before getting hit by a roundhouse kick to the left side of her head that knocked her down.

Buffy then leaned over and tried pulling the keys out of the front pocket but was met by a punch to her left cheek. Buffy quickly responded by punching Jessie's right cheek, putting her left leg on Jessie to hold the blonde down, and removed the keys from the pocket of Jessie's pants.

"Here, get her home safely," Buffy commanded as she stood up and tossed the keys to Faith.

"No problem, yo. We'll both be five by five. Are you going to be ok?"

"Buffy, look out," Dawn shouted as she saw her best friend getting up behind her sister.

Buffy dodged the punch she knew was coming, grabbed Jessie by an arm, twisted it enough to make her fall to her knees, and spoke, "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Which is?" Jessie inquired as she groaned in slight pain.

"The easy way is to let Faith take Dawn home, and the rest of us will walk home as you calm down."

"Or?" Jessie challenged.

"Or we can fight until I knock you out and carry you home."

"I'll go with option number three."

"Option three? What's that?" Buffy quizzed calmly.

"It's where you let me go, Dawn and I take off on my bike, and we see the rest of you back at home."

"No, I like my ideas better."

"Well, I guess you'll have to try the second one because the first isn't happening."

"Ok," Buffy agreed as they exchanged a few punches while Dawn cried on Faith's shoulder.

Then Buffy got in another shot that knocked Jessie out. Buffy caught her as she began to fall down and draped Jessie over her shoulder.

"What now?" Buffy prodded from a smirking Faith.

"Now, all three of J's roommates have gotten into her pants in one way or another," Faith answered with another smirk, "Was it good for you too?"

"Faith, get out of here already," Buffy insisted as she heard the girls behind her laughing at Faith's remarks.

Buffy rolled her eyes as Faith whispered something to Dawn and pointed to Jessie. Dawn glanced over to them, turned back to Faith, whispered something, and smacked her on the shoulder, making the older girl smirk before advising Dawn to hold on tight. Dawn glimpsed sadly once more at Jessie and listened to Faith's advice before they took off.

About half an hour later, the girls' apartment, the family room

Dawn was sitting on the couch with Faith as Buffy entered with the blonde still on her shoulder.

"Damn, B, you must have hit her pretty hard if she's still out."

"I don't think it was just my punch that did it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Faith asserted.

"I mean the energy she used in beating up the vampire took a little out of her and…"

"And?" Dawn interrupted.

"And I smelled beer on her breath. Would you know anything about that?" Buffy pried as she arched an eyebrow at her girlfriend.

"Yeah, I let her take a few sips now and then."

"Faith, what if someone saw you giving her beer? Did you even think what could have happened if you two had gotten caught?"

"Relax, I made sure no one was watching."

"Uh, I saw her," Dawn admitted.

"How much did you see?" Faith asked.

"I guess just the last sip. Can I help you put her to bed?"

"Ok," Buffy agreed as she walked into Dawn and Jessie's bedroom.

Faith decided to accompany the sisters into the bedroom and sighed at the sight of Jessie lying on the bed with a few bruises on her face after Buffy had removed the blonde's coat.

"Goodnight," Faith and Buffy voiced as they turned to leave the room. Faith was closing the door when something made her turn back around, "Whoa, D, what are you doing? It's not a good idea to do that when she's asleep."

Buffy immediately twirled around to see that Dawn had removed Jessie's shoes and was unbuttoning Jessie's shirt.

"Dawn, stop. You shouldn't be doing that. What do you think Jessie will do when she finds out? Why are you taking off her clothes anyway? Especially after she saved you from what that asshole did?" Buffy remarked.

"Because this is different," Dawn confirmed.

"How is it different?"

"Because the guy was going to rape me. I'm only helping her into her pajamas."

"I think she should do that herself."

"She's still out and wouldn't mind that I did that."

"Why wouldn't she mind?" Faith cut in this time.

"Because she already did that to me…I mean for me," Dawn mentioned before turning around to grab some pajamas and not noticing the astonished gawks on Buffy and Faith's faces.

"You two do this a lot? I mean take off each others clothes to catch the other in their underwear under the disguise of trying to help?" Faith guessed with a smirk.

"I don't have to take her clothes off to see her in her underwear," Dawn revealed before moving away from the couple and removing Jessie's shirt.

"Dang, D, what do you two do in private? Give each other free peep shows?"

"Faith, stop talking about my sister like she's a pervert. There has to be a reasonable excuse for what she just said. Well?" Buffy grilled as she spun to face Dawn, who had pulled one of Jessie arms through a sleeve of the pajama top and was working on the other arm.

"We're both comfortable with changing in front of the other, so it's not a big deal."

"Want help?" Faith offered suddenly.

"I guess if you want to, but you can't tell her that you helped. That would probably upset her."

"Then I'll just watch."

"No, you won't," Buffy informed her as she dragged the disappointed brunette out of the room and closed the door.

After she heard the door close, Dawn removed Jessie's pants and finished helping the blonde. Then changed for bed and went to sleep.

A few minutes later, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

"Why did you do that? That was kinda hot, B."

"You didn't just call my sister helping her best friend into pajamas hot."

"Yes, I did."

"If it's so hot, then why haven't you done that to me?"

"Because I prefer just undressing you, not dressing you too," Faith explained before patting Buffy on her butt, removing her own jeans, and climbing into bed with only a tank top and underwear on.

"Ok," Buffy blushed as the stripped down to her underwear before putting on pajamas and climbing into bed beside Faith, "What did you say to Dawn before you took off on Jessie's bike?"

"Huh?"

"I saw you two whispering, but I wasn't able to hear it."

"Oh," Faith laughed, "I think my exact words were, 'Hey, D, get a look at that ass.'"

"You actually said that?"

"Yeah, you had her draped over your shoulder like a bag of cement or potatoes. Can you honest say you wouldn't have ogled it if you were Dawn?"

"Um," Buffy mumbled.

"That's what I thought. What should we do about J? That was some pretty wicked ass kicking. Almost reminds me of our fights, but at least our faces didn't look like the vampire's after that."

"F-Faithy, could you not talk about that anymore?" Buffy begged.

"I'll try not to bring it up again."

"Thank you. When we get up in the morning, we'll talk to Willow and Grace. We'll have Willow teleport herself and Grace over here. I don't think either one of them would have a problem coming early. Then later in the day, we do the same thing for her parents."

"Do you really think we need to tell her parents?"

"If something like that happened to our daughter…I mean my daughter, I'd want to know about it as soon as possible."

Buffy had to look away from Faith when she had smirked at hearing "our daughter".

"What time do J and D get up on Saturday morning?" _She wants to have kids with me?_

"Well, they usually sleep a little later. I think around 11:00 AM," _Oh no, I hope that doesn't scare her away. I can almost see a mini Faith running around after a mini me and yelling, "That's my toy, yo." and telling us that she's five by five, "_So we should probably call them by 10:00 our time. That would give them enough time to get ready before Willow teleports them here."

"What time would that be for the rest of them?"

"Well, it would be about 4:00 AM for Jessie's parents, 5:00 AM for Grace, and 7:00 AM for Willow."

"Maybe we could have Grace be the one to call the parents. They would be less angry with her."

"Good idea. What's wrong now?"

"I don't know, B. I don't think J will like the whole intervention thing. That's kind of what it's going to be, isn't it?"

"More like consoling then letting her try to get by while helping along the way."

"Ok, uh, have you thought about having kids with me a lot?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Maybe because you said our daughter before you said your daughter."

"Not a lot, just once or twice."

"So what happened during those times?"

"Just picturing a mini you chasing after a mini me while saying, "That's my toy, yo." and a mini you telling us that you're five by five."

Faith couldn't stop the laughter from coming, which aggravated Buffy.

"I'm sorry. That just sounds so cute. What would we call them? Faith Jr. and Buffy Jr.?"

"I think we could come up with something better than that."

"Probably. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

They both ended up dreaming of that very thing.

Saturday morning, a little before 10:00 AM, London, England time

Buffy had woken up around half an hour earlier and gotten cleaned up as Faith continued sleeping. As Buffy re-entered the bedroom, she heard Faith mumbling something and wondered what kind of dream the brunette was having.

Faith's dream

Faith was trying to put her and Buffy's daughters to bed. It was just like they had talked about earlier. Faith was torn between being tired and overwhelmed by how cute they were.

"It's time to go to bed, girls."

"But we're not tired, yo," Mini Faith decided before yawning.

"Yeah, Mommy, we're five by five," Mini Buffy added before yawning as well.

"I just saw both of you yawn. You need to get some sleep."

"Why, Mommy?"

"Because you'll be too tired to enjoy Disney World tomorrow with me, Mama Buffy, Aunt Dawn, and Aunt Jessie."

"Ok, can you read us a story?" they murmured together.

"Aren't you too old for that?"

"But you have a great voice, Mommy."

"So does Mama Buffy."

"Yeah, but she's in bed already."

"Well, what did you expect with you two constantly running and shouting, 'Catch me, yo.' and 'Tag, you're it, yo.'?"

"We're sorry, Mommy. Is Mama mad at us, and that's why she's not in here?"

"No, sweeties, she's not mad. She loves you as much as I do. She's honestly tired. So what story is it going to be?"

"Green Eggs and Ham."

"Green Eggs and Ham again? How about something else?"

"Green Eggs and Ham," they chanted three times before Faith gave in.

"Fine, Green Eggs and Ham it is, but it's straight to sleep after that."

"Mommy?" Mini Buffy asked carefully.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Are Aunt Dawn and Aunt Jessie going to have kids soon?"

"I don't know. They're so busy with work and spending time with you, they don't have much time for themselves."

"That's too bad, they'd make great mommies."

Faith began reading to them, but before she had even gotten through half of the book, they were asleep. She slowly got up, put the book away, kissed them softly on their foreheads, turned off the light, and closed the door behind her. Faith sighed as she climbed into bed beside her beautiful wife.

"I see they went to sleep pretty fast," Buffy chuckled as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey, you're not asleep. You were faking it, weren't you?"

"I fake it a lot," Buffy confessed with a straight face.

"HEY!"

"Sshh, you'll wake the girls. I was only kidding, Faithy. They are so cute when they talk like you."

"I have to admit it is adorable when I hear them say yo or five by five."

"So that's why they get a kiss, and I don't?"

"Yeah, not jealous, are you?"

"No, it's wonderful. I told you that you would make a good…"

"Sshh," Faith whispered to stop Buffy from finishing that sentence as she turned away from the blonde.

"Uh, Faithy."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for what I almost said. I…"

"Don't sweat it, B. I know what you want to say, but it's all good. No need to say it," Faith exclaimed before she rolled back over and kissed her.

"Well, now we can sleep if that's what you want."

"Hmm, yeah, sleep good," Faith murmured in a caveman tone.

Buffy smiled before joining Faith in peaceful sleep.

End of the dream

Faith opened her eyes to see Buffy smiling at her while wiping away a few tears.

"What?" Faith grunted as she hoped Buffy hadn't overheard her dream.

"Have a great dream?" _She married me? We had daughters? Is this a sign or just a dream? And what was that about with Dawn and Jessie? Did they get married too?_

"Uh, how much did you hear?" Faith asked nervously.

"Mama Buffy heard everything you said from when you told our daughters it was time for bed to when you spoke like a caveman."

Faith then blushed redder than she ever had before, which wasn't a lot in her mind.

"B."

"I know you want me to keep that a secret, but I can't promise you I can do that. So what did they look like?"

"Just like mini versions of us."

"Alright, you should get up and get ready if we're going to have visitors."

"Ok," Faith yawned as she removed her tank top, threw it behind her, laughed when she heard it hit Buffy in the face, and walked to the bathroom door.

"Uh, Faithy."

"Yeah?" Faith wondered as she turned to face Buffy again.

"In your dream, did Dawn and Jessie…you know…get married to each other?"

"Yes, they did. They were as happy as we were, minus the kids as you heard already," Faith confided with a smile before leaving the room.

The next thing she knew, Buffy was gently opening the door to Dawn and Jessie's room and looking directly at her sleeping sister.

"Something wrong, Buffy?" Dawn questioned as she opened her eyes all the way.

"No, why?"

"Because you're looking at me a little funny. It's kind of freaking me out."

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep."

"Alright, Mom, close the door," Dawn giggled.

As she closed her eyes and went back to sleep, she missed the tears and small smile on Buffy's face before the blonde peeked at Jessie and gently closed the door.

"Hi, Willow."

"Buffy, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? What makes you think something is wrong?"

"It's only around 7:00 AM here, and you say nothing. I know you know about time zones enough to remember how early it is," Willow babbled in a tired voice.

Buffy became distracted by the redhead's cute babble.

"Huh? What?" Buffy muttered.

"Are you even listening to me? You call me before 7:00 AM, say nothing's wrong when it's an obvious lie, and then don't answer me."

"Sorry, Will. I miss that babble sometimes."

"Ok, you're forgiven. So what's the problem?"

"It's Jessie."

"What do you want me to do about it?" The redhead groaned.

"Can you teleport Grace here?"

"I guess so. Is it that bad? What happened?" Willow babbled again.

"Yeah, it's bad. Katie and Jessie broke up last night. We went to a club to try and cheer her up. It worked until she heard a sad song while dancing with Dawn. After leaving the club, we were interrupted by a bigoted vampire if you can believe that."

"A bigoted vampire?" Willow gasped.

"Yeah, apparently he had been a bigot a lot longer than being a vampire."

"Well, how hard could have it been for either of you to stake a lousy vampire?"

"It's not that simple."

"Why?"

"After he started spewing out homophobic slurs, Jessie launched a vicious attack."

"How vicious?" Willow mumbled as she became nervous.

"I had ALMOST never seen someone so angry."

"Are you sure you're not exaggerating?"

"Spike looked better after his fight with Glory. WARREN got off EASIER than that vampire did."

It was at that moment Willow dropped her phone and was grateful that it didn't break.

"Willow, are you there? WILLOW!"

"Sorry, I dropped the phone. I'll be there with Grace as soon as I can."

"Thanks, but you might have Grace call her parents and possibly teleport them too."

"Alright, see you soon."


	36. Chapter 36

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 36

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie's family learns what happened to her in the previous three chapters and gets a tour of London afterwards.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

A few minutes later, Grace's apartment in New York

"H-Hello?" Grace mumbled half asleep.

"Grace, I know it's early, but Buffy needs you asap in London."

"What's wrong? It isn't Jessie, is it?"

"Yes."

"Oh no, she's still alive, isn't she? I mean she isn't…," Grace tried to say as she began to panic.

"No, but Buffy thinks it's important enough that you should get there quickly."

"Ok, give me a few…Hold on for a few seconds," Grace requested as she began talking to someone in the room with her, "Ok, I'm back."

"Who were you talking to?"

"Xander."

"Why is Xander at your apartment that early? You're not secretly dating him are you? Because I don't think Vi would like that," Willow giggled.

"No, she's here too. We tried to have a movie night like you did back in Sunnydale. I guess we weren't able to stay awake either. They want to know how bad it is too. They want to come with me if it's really bad."

"Do you remember when I showed all of you what was going through my mind after Kennedy left me?"

"Uh huh," Grace answered nervously.

"Buffy said that Warren got off easier than a vampire that Jessie staked last night."

Willow heard Grace gasp before telling Xander and Vi, who immediately wanted know if they could come with Grace.

"Just give us about ten minutes to get ready."

"Ok."

Five minutes later, The Sammler/Manning home

"Hello?"

"Gracie, what is it? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yes, I do. It's about 4:10 over there, right?"

"Yes, what's wrong? Are you and Jessie ok?"

"I'm fine, but Jessie isn't. Willow wouldn't tell me what exactly what was wrong, but Jessie is still alive. It most likely has to do with her and Katie. Buffy seems to think it's important enough for you to be there. If it isn't as bad as they're making it out to be, I'm sure Willow can quickly teleport you back home."

"Give me a minute to talk to Rick," Lily suggested before putting her daughter on hold, "He says ok. Just call us when Willow's ready."

A few minutes later, the home of Karen Sammler

"Rick, it's only a quarter after four in the morning. What's so important that it couldn't wait for at least another five hours?"

Karen started to shake a little as Rick let her know it was about Jessie.

"What? Jessie did what? Grace said that? Buffy thinks that? Ok, I'll get ready as soon as I can. Call me when she's ready."

Around 11:00 AM; London, England time; the girls' apartment

Buffy and Faith had been sitting on the couch as people kept teleporting into the apartment. First it was Willow; then Grace, Xander, and Vi; then Lily and Rick, and finally, Karen and Eli.

"Wow, she does have a nice sized family."

"Yeah, where are your younger kids, Lily? I think their names were Zoe and Matthew."

"My sister Judy is watching them. We made up a lie about something Jessie and Grace sent having some problems getting through customs, and we'll make up more if we have to cover up the trip."

"Good, it's better that she doesn't know the real reason Jessie is here. We have some coffee for those who want it. We only have regular coffee though."

"That's fine," they said in unison.

Everyone else except Buffy and Faith smirked when Eli became focused on the couple in front of him. Faith grabbed Buffy's hand protectively as she stared back at him, making Buffy sigh happily.

"I guess, I'll give the introductions for the few who don't know each other. Mom, Rick, Karen, and Eli, this is Xander and Vi. He's been friends with Buffy since high school and with Willow since they wore footy pajamas," Grace paused when everyone laughed as Willow's blush was as red as her hair. Grace continued after it had died down, "Vi is a slayer that lives in New York, like Xander and I do. The brunette on the couch beside Buffy is her girlfriend, Faith. I'm sure Eli remembers her though."

The Scoobies, Grace, and Vi laughed as Eli looked away from the happy couple.

Grace then finished the introductions, "This is my mom, Lily; my stepdad and Jessie's dad, Rick; Jessie's mom, Karen; and Jessie's brother, Eli."

"So how much longer will it be before Jessie wakes up?" Karen questioned seconds before Dawn and Jessie's bedroom door opened.

The girls walked out into the family room while rubbing their eyes. They all could see that the two didn't know that they were being watched by someone other than Buffy and Faith.

"Oh, sweetie, what happened to you? Was it a vampire or maybe K…"

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" Jessie asked as she and Dawn then got a look at everyone in the room. Dawn quickly sat down on the couch between Faith and Willow as Jessie started again, "What are all of you doing here?"

Nobody said a word. They only directed their attention to the four girls on the couch.

"You TOLD them, didn't YOU? Why? You didn't give me a chance to tell them in my own way," Jessie growled as her anger began to rise quickly.

"Buffy felt it was important that you told them in person," Faith interrupted as she felt the need to defend Buffy.

"Well, she's wrong. I didn't want to tell them in person. I was going to tell them in a few days by either a phone call or e-mail."

"Oh, sweetie, this is something that we should know about within a day, not two or more," Karen declared as she stood up to hug her daughter, "So how did you get those bruises?"

Jessie didn't say a word before staring directly at Buffy.

"YOU hit my daughter? Why would you do that?" Rick questioned.

"Because she almost put Dawn in danger and scared her and all of the younger slayers that were with us last night."

They all faced Jessie this time.

"Yeah, she's right, unfortunately," Jessie revealed as she walked over to Dawn, hugged her, and apologized, "I'm truly sorry, D, I never meant to scare you like that. I guess I just sort of lost it for about five minutes."

"More like closer to ten minutes," Buffy informed her.

"Whatever," Jessie responded before turning back to Dawn, "I'm still your best friend, right?"

"Always," Dawn promised as she returned the hug and smiled.

"Aw…," Faith chuckled before her mouth was covered by one of Buffy's hands. Buffy held it there until Faith assured her that she wouldn't say anything else to embarrass Dawn.

"Sorry, D, I couldn't resist."

Dawn frowned at her for a few seconds before gazing at the floor.

"What happened between you and Katie, sweetie?" Lily inquired carefully, "Did you two break up?"

"I'm not ready to talk about it. Sorry you made the trip for nothing."

"Please talk to us," Karen begged.

"I don't want to…," Jessie tried to speak but was interrupted by Willow. The rest looked on in silence as the redhead and blonde whispered back and forth, "Ok, you can do that."

"She can do what?" Dawn said this time.

"I'm going to show you what Jessie saw and heard from the break up until Buffy knocked her out, so she doesn't have to talk."

"You knocked her out?" Grace gasped.

"Only because of the slayer strength," Buffy described, "This is going to be like when you showed us what you were thinking, right, Willow?"

"Exactly, whatever expressions you see on my face will only be Jessie's emotions at that time," Willow explained as she put one hand on the top of the tv and the other on Jessie's forehead.

Everybody's eyes shifted back and forth between the TV screen and Willow. As Katie and Jessie's entire fight was played out, they saw Willow's hair color change constantly between red and black while tears ran down her cheeks. They became worried when this started.

"Will, are you going to be able to handle that?" Buffy quizzed with concern written all over her face.

"Yeah, Red, will you?"

Willow smiled briefly at both slayers caring before going back to the task at hand.

"I'll be fine."

They saw the confrontation between Jamie and Jessie and felt a little relieved but still nervous about what was to come. When it got to the meeting of the first vampire, Jessie's family, Xander, and Vi couldn't contain the laughter. They looked over to Willow as her hair had stayed red through the entire fight while she laughed louder than all of them. They came to the conclusion that the accent and the run and stumble fake out were the reasons for the loudest laughs.

"I should have told the slayers how vampires and other demons can't resist the run and stumble," Buffy spoke through laughs.

The sadness came back when it got to the last dance between Dawn and Jessie. Dawn began crying as she watched, for the second time, Jessie run away from her and sit on the ground outside the club. When it got to the most dreaded moment, they saw Willow's hair color immediately go back to black and blood start to run from her nose. This paled in comparison to what happened next. They were stunned as Willow's face became so red the blood was almost undetectable.

"WILLOW, STOP IT BEFORE YOU GO TOO FOR US TO BRING YOU BACK!" Buffy yelled.

Willow paused the action on the TV before speaking to her best friend, "Buffy, I have it under control. These are Jessie's emotions, not mine, remember?"

"Then why are you bleeding because Jessie didn't?"

"I guess it's taking a little bit more out of me, but I can handle it until it's over."

Everyone focused on Jessie, who nodded as tears were flowing down her cheeks at a fast speed before advising, "Watch the TV, not me."

When anyone tried to get closer to Jessie, she held them back by raising her hand in front of them. They noticed the pain on Karen's face as she regretfully sat down. Karen, Lily, and Grace began turning green as Jessie showed the slayers on the screen how much damage she had done to the vampire. The sickening feeling remained as they observed Buffy and Jessie fighting. When the fight was over, Karen got up and ran to the bathroom. She didn't even take the time to close the door. The sound was like high definition to the slayers. Willow released the hold she had on the TV and Jessie's forehead. As she stepped back from Jessie, she began to sway from side to side. Jessie caught her and led her safely back to the couch.

"Are you going to be ok, Red?" Jessie began as she wiped away sweat and the blood with a towel.

"Yeah, I'll be ok in a few minutes. Wow, that was intense."

"Yeah," Jessie agreed as she saw her mom return.

They made their way slowly to each other as the rest waited patiently for whatever would happen next. The group smiled in relief as the blonde collapsed in her mother's arms and let the tears fall.

"OK, I know why my family and Willow are, but why are you two here?" Jessie babbled to Xander and Vi when she stopped crying.

"Believe it or not, they really care about you," Grace told them as she smiled with pride.

"Why, I'm not that special, just another slayer."

"That's where you're wrong. You're not special, you're extraordinary. You have protected Dawn so many times whether it was physically or vocally. How could I not care about someone like that," Xander confirmed as he hugged the blonde.

"I care because I really respect you. Sure, I was a little disappointed when Buffy and Faith put you in charge so quickly, even after kicking Kennedy's ass. But you never let that go to your head. You treated all of us with respect, and only disciplined us when it was justified," Vi stated as she also finished with a hug and a smile.

"Better watch it Xan-man, J might steal your girlfriend away," Faith teased as everyone except Xander laughed.

"I wouldn't do that. Well, I probably could, but I won't," Jessie chuckled, "Ok, since you know everything that happened, is there anything you want to ask?" Jessie mentioned to her family.

"Yes, we understand you getting angry with the comments that vampire made, but was it necessary to be so vicious? It there something else you're not telling us?" Lily assumed as the rest agreed with her.

"Yeah, when Katie and I were still together, we got just as many insults as we got support. One day it was so bad, I almost called it quits. Katie was able to somehow convince me to ignore them. If it hadn't been for her, you would have never found out that Katie I were ever a couple. Yes, Grace?" Jessie voiced as her attention was drawn to her stepsister.

"Uh, what do you want us to do if she tries to contact us when she fails with you?" Grace prodded as she stepped back to be ready for another attack of any kind.

Jessie sighed before answering with, "Well, if the caller id shows it's her, just ignore it. I don't see her going home for the holidays unless Tad invites her. So what would you like to do now? Would you rather go back home now or get some sleep here for a few hours and then go on a tour of the campus and the city of London?" Jessie smiled as the rest of her family voted for some sleep and a tour, "Ok, that's settled. I don't think there are any empty dorm rooms right now, so could Dad and Lily use your and Buffy's bed, Faith?"

"Sure," Faith consented as she pretended to lead Buffy to the bathroom, "B and I will just be in the tub."

"Faith, not now."

"Geez, B, I was only kidding. I meant the shower anyway."

"FAITH!" Buffy yelped.

"Relax, you all know I was kidding, right?"

"Yes," they insisted unanimously with a nod while trying to ignore the way Eli was blatantly gaping at Buffy and Faith.

"D, can my mom use your bed while Eli uses mine?" Jessie pleaded in hopes of getting him to quit ogling her friends.

"Ok, uh, J."

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you say anything when Katie said those things about Xander?"

The rest became interested as they had been wondering the same thing.

"Can you handle the truth and not be mad at me, or should I lie?"

"I want to hear the truth. I can't promise I won't be mad, but I will still want you to be my best friend."

Jessie surveyed the room as they all showed that they wanted to know too.

"Because part of me agrees with her. I'm sorry, but it's just the way I feel."

"Ok, well, thanks for being honest," Dawn sighed.

Jessie then gave her family a tour of the apartment. They were pleased to see that Jessie had a nice place to live. They became curious about the three pieces of wood lying on Jessie's side of the dresser.

"What are those?" Rick asked as he pointed to them.

"Oh, the two smaller ones are the ones I used to kill my first two vampires. You remember that story, don't you?"

"Yes," Karen told her as they all smiled at her.

"The third is a gift from Buffy. She gave it to me after I got back later that night. It used to belong to a former slayer named Kendra. That was her name, right?" Jessie guessed as she turned to Dawn, who was standing right beside her.

"Yes. Now, just give us time to get cleaned up, and then the beds are yours for a few hours," Dawn claimed with a smile.

"Thank you, Dawn," Karen asserted with a smile.

"You're welcome," Dawn replied as she couldn't help blushing at the smile on Karen's face. After the entire family left the room, Dawn turned back to Jessie and asked, "What?"

"I just wanted to thank you for letting my mom use your bed. So thanks. You can use the bathroom first, if you want."

"Ok, cool," Dawn answered before removing most of her clothes while being unaware at how Jessie was checking her out.

While Jessie was taking her turn in the bathroom, Dawn got dressed and headed to the family room. When she entered, she saw Buffy having a pleasant conversation with Karen while Eli was passed out on the couch. She felt herself jump a little at the feeling of a hand on her shoulder and a voice whispering into her left ear.

"So when are you going to make your move on her?"

"I-I don't know. Don't you think I should give her at least some time? I mean she probably still loves Katie."

"Even after Katie broke her heart?"

"Yeah, it's something you don't necessarily get over in a day or two, a week, or even a month."

"Ok, but I wouldn't wait too long. You don't know how long the other members of the Jessie Sammler fan club will wait until they make a move on her."

"Don't you think some of them will be scared off when they learn about what she did last night?"

"Maybe. Hey, I think J's done. Go get her, D."

"Can you please be quiet?" Dawn ordered softly as she opened the door just enough to see Jessie wink at her as she walked over to the dresser.

"Did you catch her naked?" Faith whispered after seeing the smile on Dawn's face as she closed the door.

"I thought I asked you to be quiet? And no, I didn't."

"Ok."

Dawn made her way to the kitchen in search of some juice while Karen joined her in search of another cup of coffee.

"I thought you promised to quit teasing Dawn about Jessie," Buffy reminded her girlfriend.

"I did, that's why I'm giving her advice about when to make some kind of move on J," Faith confided.

Five and a half hours later

After Jessie's family had gotten enough sleep and Willow had teleported Grace, Vi, and Xander back to New York, the remaining Scoobies had accompanied Jessie as she showed her family around the campus and the city of London. After almost two hours of seeing mostly museums, Eli had enough and was informed on how to get to the clubs he might be interested in.

"Hey, Red, could you do some sort of spell to keep the doors to my and Buffy's bedroom locked until we get back? You know, so he won't able to look around and other stuff?"

"Sure," Willow assured her as they noticed Buffy and Jessie giving Faith an "Ew, yuck" expression.

Faith then explained to her girlfriend, "I just didn't want him to be touching anything he shouldn't be touching."

"Do you think he would do something like that?" Jessie questioned the brunette.

"Yes, I do. Sorry, J."

"No problem, I understand. I would too if I was…," Jessie muttered before covering her mouth with her right hand, making Faith's smirk come back as Buffy's eyes almost bugged out.

"Hey, what are the four of you talking about? You're supposed to be showing us the city," Karen teased her clearly embarrassed daughter.

"Sorry, it wasn't anything too important," Jessie told them as Faith and Willow laughed, Buffy smacked her girlfriend on her arm, and Dawn gazed curiously at her best friend and possibly future girlfriend.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you later," Jessie conveyed to Dawn before continuing to mention and point out other sights to her family and missing how Dawn reacted to Jessie's breath on her skin.

However, her friends clearly noticed, and the four of them went into telepathic mode again.

_Are you ok, Dawnie?_

_I think so, Willow. Why can't Jessie see what that stuff does to me? She knows I love her, so wouldn't she think twice about whispering in my ear or holding my hand innocently?_

_I guess she assumes you can handle it, D._

_Well, obviously it's getting harder to not do anything. I just want to kiss her and hold hands constantly. And…_

_Ok, oversharing_ Buffy cut in.

_Sorry._

_Well, she's single now, so make your move._ Faith encouraged her.

_What, just go ahead and ask her out or kiss her the next time we're alone?_

_Yeah, or get even more daring._

_Faith, could you stop giving my sister tips on how to seduce her best friend? _

_Why? They worked on you._

_Ok, it's my turn to say oversharing now. _Dawn frowned.

_We better stop. Jessie and her family are watching us. _

Willow nodded to the people behind them.

"Sorry, J."

"It's ok, D," Jessie announced with a smile before turning back to her parents.

Buffy, Faith, and Willow glanced at Dawn with consoling smiles as she sighed very softly.

A few hours later, the girls' apartment

Jessie's family had seen everything they had wanted to see in London and was ready to go back home. Her family still wasn't sure though if Jessie was going to be ok, or if she should come home with them.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok and don't want to come back home with us?"

"I'll be fine. I'm sorry, I worried all of you."

"It's ok, sweetie. You know if you change your mind we're just a phone call, or maybe I should say a teleportation spell away," Rick chuckled at his own attempt at light humor.

The rest indulged him in his attempt and laughed too.

As they started to say their goodbyes, Faith spoke up, "Uh, Karen, Rick, Lily, can B and I have a word with you for a minute?"

She signaled for them to join her over by her and Buffy's bedroom door before winking quickly at Willow, who quickly nodded back. Dawn stood beside Eli and Jessie as she tried to appear confused but had a feeling that Faith was talking about her. She glimpsed toward Jessie, who seemed to be slightly distracted.

"Anything wrong? Do you hear something?"

"Just you and Eli talking," Jessie divulged as she rubbed her ears, not understanding that Willow was blocking her slayer hearing from what the other slayers and her parents were talking about.

"Ok," Dawn answered as knew what was happening and eyed Willow. _I knew it. They're talking about me. Most likely about how much I love J. I hope they don't embarrass me._

_Don't worry, Dawnie. They're not going to embarrass you._

_So they are talking about me. What are they saying?_

_Nothing for you to worry about. Just don't let them know we're talking like this._

_Alright._

"Karen, Rick, Lily, I know after seeing that stuff on the TV, you're worried about J again, but you don't need to be. We'll take good care of her."

Buffy could help but smile too when Jessie's parents smiled at Faith's nickname for their daughter.

"We know that, Faith, but thanks for saying so. We see how all of you care about her, especially Dawn. It's good to know that she'll have such a devoted friend like her," Karen interrupted before giving the slayer a smile.

Faith smirked at how Jessie's parents seemed to have no idea on how much Dawn liked her best friend.

"It's a little more serious than that," Faith continued as she held back the sarcasm that wanted to come out.

"What do you mean?" Rick asked confused.

"She's in love with your daughter. Maybe Dawn will be able to help J get over Katie. Or as I liked to call her, hotstuff."

"Faith, remember what I said about oversharing?" Buffy groaned.

"Is she really?"

"Yes, Karen, she is," Buffy confirmed.

Jessie's parents failed to glance briefly at Dawn. Then they along with the Scoobies discovered that Jessie was in a slightly intense discussion with Eli and had to glare into his eyes each time he started to shift his attention to Buffy and Faith. Faith and Willow shared a smirk as Buffy let out another groan. They walked back over to Dawn, Jessie, and Eli and finished their goodbyes. Dawn had grown a little uncomfortable at the hugs she received from Karen and Lily but succeeded in hiding it. To her, they felt like the same type of hugs she would get from her own mom. And to be honest, it almost freaked her out as much as Buffy's stare had done earlier that day.


	37. Chapter 37

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 37

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn gets some advice from Faith and takes the first step to possibly changing the state of her relationship with her best friend. Jessie defends herself and Dawn again from the insults from yet another slayer.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I came up with names for a few other slayers. There is a small reference to the movie "Bring It On" with Eliza Dushku near the end of the chapter.

* * *

After Jessie's parents and Willow had left, Faith had gotten the urge to borrow Jessie's motorcycle and hoped Dawn would take advantage of the situation.

"Hey, J, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Can B and I borrow your bike? I want to see how it feels at a faster speed."

"Sure, that is if Dawn doesn't want to go for another ride again first?"

"No, it's ok. They can go first. I kind of have a few things I need to do…I mean want to do first."

"Ok, where did you two put the keys?" Jessie asked Faith.

"I'm not sure, maybe you and Buffy could check the bedrooms while I search out here."

"Ok, sure," Jessie agreed as the blondes each went to their rooms.

As soon as the doors closed, Faith turned to talk to Dawn.

"So is one of those things that you want to do is to make a move on J?" Faith asked as she used her fingers to make quotation marks to emphasize the words "want to do".

"Sort of, yeah. Can you give me some advice?"

"Well, you could just ask her out, or if you want to get a little more daring, you could try my motto."

"Which one, don't you have a couple of them?"

"You could go with the 'want…take...have' one."

"Want…take…have?"

"Yeah, want," Faith said as she looked seductively at Dawn. "Take," Faith continued as she pulled Dawn as close as possible. "Have," Faith finished as she leaned in to kiss Dawn.

Dawn noticed that as Faith was doing this that one of the brunette's hands was moving toward her butt. When their lips were just under an inch apart and she could almost feel Faith's hand on her butt, Dawn gasped softly.

At the sound of the gasp, Faith stepped back and chuckled, "Understand now?"

"H-How could you do something like that with Buffy in the next room?"

"Relax," Faith declared as she stepped back even more, "I wasn't actually going to kiss you or grab your butt. I was just giving you a hands on, or I should say an almost hands on demonstration. I love Buffy, you know that. Besides, been there, done that. Or did you forget already?"

"No, I…," Dawn began to say but was interrupted by her sister.

"They weren't there, Faith. Are you ok, Dawnie?" Buffy questioned as she looked away from Faith, who seemed to still be hunting for the keys.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Dawn inquired a little nervously.

"You looked a little out of it for a few seconds," Buffy told her as Dawn's question distracted her enough for Faith to quickly remove them from her coat and act like she found them under the couch.

"Here they are," Faith announced as she shook them lightly in front of her before walking toward Dawn and Jessie's bedroom door, "I found them, J."

"Where were they?" Jessie quizzed as she reached the doorway.

"They were under the couch. They must have fallen out of my coat pocket."

"OK, bring my bike back in one piece. I want to go out on another ride with Dawn after she's finished doing what she wanted to do. Whatever that is."

Faith held back a slight smirk as Jessie was apparently having a "blonde moment".

"Let's go, B."

Faith smirked at Dawn as she heard the girl make a gulping sound.

"Have fun," Dawn encouraged her sister and Faith.

"We will," Buffy assured her as she grabbed the helmets from inside a nearby closet.

After waving good bye to the older slayers, Jessie turned to Dawn.

"So what was it that you needed to…I mean wanted to do?" Jessie asserted with a sweet smile.

"I…I…," Dawn stuttered as she saw Jessie's smile growing each second, "You know, don't you?"

"Know what?" Jessie chuckled.

"What I wanted to do."

"I think I do, but why don't you say it anyway?"

"Ok," Dawn paused for a few seconds before continuing, "J-J, I was kind of wanting to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"I know you just broke up with her last night, but would you be interested on going on a date with me sometime? I know it's probably too soon to ask, but I thought I better ask before one of the other members of your fan club decides to make the first move."

"My fan club?"

"Yeah, you do know that the three of you have each developed a fan club at this place, right?"

"Yeah, we know. You're not the only one who isn't that subtle, whether it's simple idol worship or a full blown crush."

"So do you…want to?" Dawn muttered as she felt her palms start to sweat.

"Um," Jessie replied as she tried to think of the best way to answer the question truthfully.

Dawn took that as a rejection and felt she needed to get away from her best friend as she felt her heart breaking.

"Never mind, it's cool. I understand. I guess I'm not the type of girl you're attracted to enough to take out on a date. Maybe I was imagining the staring, and you're more interested in Faith or one of your other followers. Someone you think is cuter than me."

"D, wait," Jessie insisted as she grabbed Dawn by the shoulders when the brunette began to shake, "I didn't answer quickly because I was just trying to say I'm not ready to date anyone yet. I'm not sure how long that will be. It might be a month. It could be longer. When I'm sure, you'll be the first to know."

"R-Really?"

"Yes, how could you think that I felt that way about you? You are beautiful. Both Jamie and Katie called you a hottie. You weren't imagining it. I was staring at you. I'll let you in on a secret. I got a little jealous when Willow kissed you at the club awhile back."

"I know."

"You know? Who told you?"

"Faith, Buffy, and Willow explained it to me. That's why Willow kissed me. Faith saw you getting jealous when it was just a dance. She dared Willow to do that or something else."

"Oh, what was the something else?"

"She dared Willow to grab my butt for a few seconds. She thought it would get a better response. Would she have been right?"

"I guess we'll never know."

"Can I ask you something else?" Dawn wondered.

"Yes."

"Since you know that I love you, then why did you hold my hand when we left Grace's loft that day, and why did you put your hand on my shoulder when you whispered to me while we walking around London with your parents? Don't you know what stuff like that does to me?"

"I had an idea, but I honestly thought you could handle it. I'll try to be more careful from now on."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. So are we good now?"

"Yes."

"I bet Faith was thinking I was having a 'blonde moment' earlier, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw her holding back a smirk before she and Buffy left. I was just having a little fun with her."

"Ok."

"Do you want to go to the gym or walk around the campus?"

"Why?"

"So we can see if the news of my vicious slay has been told to everyone."

"Alright."

As they made their way around the campus, they got varied reactions. It ranged from scared/worried to unconcerned. They noticed some of the fan club shoot dirty looks to Dawn at the sight of how close they were walking to each other. Jessie whispered to Dawn and waited for her friend's response. When she got the response she was hoping for, she gently grabbed Dawn's left hand and began to lead her to the gym. A few minutes later, they passed by Giles, who had just left the library for who knows what time it was.

"Hi, Giles," Jessie greeted him with a smile.

"Uh, hello, Jessie. How are you feeling today?"

"I'm doing better, thanks. I guess everyone knows by now, huh?"

"Yes, it was well known by 11:00 AM. You know if you want to talk, my office is open."

"Thank you, we're on our way to the gym. Would you like to join us?"

"Actually, I was on my way there. I was going to let them know who was going patrolling tonight. Do you feel up to going out with them tonight?"

"Of course, it's the reason I came here, right? After all, some will be leaving soon."

"True."

The gym

When the trio entered the gym, the noise that had been going on came to a complete stop. Jessie scanned the area and noticed she was getting the same response as before. Dawn whispered into Jessie's ear, and the blonde realized that the picture that had been taken last night was printed out and posted on the wall near the water fountain. Then one of the girls made her way over to Jessie and Dawn. When Jessie and Dawn saw the slightly pained expression on the other girl's face, they gently broke the grip they had on each other's hands.

"Hi, J-Jessie, are you g-going to be ok? I was worried about you after I heard the news and saw that picture," the same girl asked.

Jessie couldn't help smiling at the girl, who was just as obvious as Dawn about her infatuation with the blonde.

"I'm going to be fine, Jennifer. Thanks for caring. You don't need to be scared of me."

"Good," she replied as she gave Jessie a hug before going back to training.

Jessie walked over to the same punching bag Faith and Buffy had used earlier and practiced a few punch/kick combinations. About half an hour later, she was interrupted again by the same girl.

"J-Jessie."

"Yeah?"

"Uh, would you like to uh, help me train?"

"Uh…alright," Jessie answered as she held back a smile at the nervousness of the younger girl in front of her, "Hand to hand combat or with weapons?"

"Uh, weapons," Jennifer responded as she walked into one of the storage rooms and returned with two swords.

Dawn smirked as the girl carefully handed Jessie one of the swords before taking a defensive stance. A few of the girls decided to stop their training to watch Jessie and Jennifer's swordfight.

"On guard," Jessie said teasingly to put the other girl at ease.

As the fight continued, more girls stopped to watch them. Soon they had the attention of the entire room. Most of the girls cheered on their leader as Jessie skillfully moved around the younger girl. Jennifer began to get more daring in the hopes of impressing Jessie. Jessie clearly knew this and began to smile before taking a moment to spot Dawn, who was almost beaming at her. They battled for a few more minutes before Jennifer tried a tricky move to knock the sword out of Jessie's hand but ended up getting her own sword knocked away before landing on her back. Jessie took a step forward, pointed her sword about three inches away from Jennifer's neck. As the younger girl peered up in fear and gasped, Jessie chuckled, pulled the sword away, and stretched out her left arm to help the girl back to her feet. Jennifer sighed in relief as she grabbed Jessie's hand and was quickly pulled to her feet.

"Are you ok?" Jessie asked her.

"Sure," Jennifer answered as she began to smile at the girl she idolized.

"Questions…Comments?" Jessie challenged. When she got nothing but silence, she stated, "Giles and I are now going to go over the list of slayers patrolling tonight, who they're grouped with, and where they will be headed."

"I have some comments and a question for you," a redheaded girl near the back affirmed with obvious sarcasm, "I don't see why people are making such a big deal about you. I don't care that Buffy and Faith made you third in command here. What makes you special? Not much from what I can see. I could take you any time, with or without weapons. I'm so much more attractive than you too. The only reason you get with girls is because no boy would want you. You were a charity case to Katie. If I was gay, I could definitely do better than her," the girl finished as she nodded to Dawn.

Most of the girls became silent when Katie's name was brought up in fear of how Jessie would react and were just as shocked as the redhead had the nerve to put down Dawn in front of the blonde. They all knew the girls were best friends.

"You honestly think that?" Jessie smirked.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it, blondie," the redhead sneered.

"Ok, prove it, Ashley," Jessie dared as the redhead reminded her of Kennedy before smiling at Dawn.

It was loud and clear that Dawn was thinking the same thing.

"Bring it," Ashley scoffed, "If I win, you have to admit to everyone here that I'm just as good as you if not better."

"Fine," Jessie declared confidently, "but there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. I'm going to show you that you just crossed it."

"And when you lose?" Dawn added as she glared at Ashley.

"When and if I lose, I'll admit I'm wrong, but I'm not worried."

Dawn happily watched Jessie defend her again. The girl was good, but Jessie still dominated most of the match. When Ashley landed on her back with a thud, Jessie stepped forward and smirked down at the girl victoriously.

"Are you done?"

"Not yet," the redhead hissed as she got up and tried a roundhouse kick.

Jessie caught the girl by the ankle and used a foot to trip up the other leg, making Ashley land on her back again.

"Now?" Jessie determined as she surprisingly helped the girl to her feet.

"Fine, you're better, but don't think that'll last forever."

"Maybe, maybe not. At least you know why I was put in charge for now."

Suddenly, they heard clapping, and all of them whipped around to find Buffy and Faith displaying mixed emotions. Faith was laughing while Buffy was definitely holding back a growl as she glared at Ashley.

"Hi, B, how long have you two been standing there?" Jessie asked in the hope of getting Buffy to calm down.

When Buffy didn't respond, Faith answered for her.

"Around the time you helped your fan off the floor," Faith confessed as she started to glare at the redhead.

The girls standing or sitting between Ashley and Buffy basically jumped aside as Buffy started to march up to Ashley.

"No need to do anything you'll regret, B."

"Trust me, I won't regret it."

"Yes, you will," Jessie commented as she stepped in front of Buffy, "She's learned her lesson, right, Ashley?"

"Yeah," Ashley mumbled.

"Ok, but you better watch your mouth next time," Buffy warned her.

"So did you enjoy the ride?" Jessie interrogated with a smile.

"Yeah, nothing like the freedom of the open road with a hot blonde holding on to you for dear life," Faith chuckled as Buffy blushed, "Can B and I have a few words alone with Dawn?"

"Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of J," Dawn assured them as she remembered that she was holding Jessie's hand and immediately let go.

"Are you sure?" Buffy wondered.

"Yeah, let's go," Dawn remarked as they four girls gathered outside.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Dawn questioned her sister.

"Uh, Faith and I were curious on how things went between you two after we left?"

"Things?" Jessie smirked.

"Yeah, you know what I mean," Faith implied as she winked at Dawn.

"We didn't do anything like that," Dawn blurted out as she began to blush.

"So then you did nothing with the advice I gave you?"

"What advice did you give her?" Buffy wondered.

"Three words, B, want…take…have."

"You didn't," Buffy grilled her as she appeared stunned.

"Yeah, I did."

"Want…take…have?" Jessie babbled.

Faith searched to see they were still alone before making another move.

"Yeah, want," Faith started as she stared seductively into Buffy's eyes, "take," she continued as she pulled Buffy up against her, "have."

Buffy and Dawn blushed briefly before Faith leaned in, kissed Buffy, and gently grabbed Buffy's butt.

"You told her to do that?" Jessie chuckled as Faith broke her hold on the other blonde.

"Yeah, did she?"

"Faith," Buffy pleaded in the hope that Faith would stop right there.

"N-No, but I did ask her out," Dawn mumbled. _I hope they don't make fun of me_.

"Way to go, D. What did you say, J?" _Please say J said "Yes"._

"Umm," Jessie mumbled this time. _Think carefully now._

"Umm?" Faith repeated. _Uh oh._

"She said no," Dawn responded as she observed Faith and Buffy casually.

"What? Why?" Buffy interrupted. _Please let it be for the reason I think it is._

"Yeah, why?" Faith griped.

"Because I haven't been broken up with the first girl I loved for that long. I'm not ready to date again so soon. When I am, I told her I would let her know," Jessie explained.

"Uh, ok," Buffy conceded as she began to back off on the questioning.

"But there's still hope for her?" Faith kept talking with more concern. _Come on, there's got to be hope._

"Yes. Hey, B, do you think you could teach me that menacing glare?"

"Sure, but another time."

"Ok, cool," Jessie giggled before smiling at Dawn and walking back into the gym.

Buffy watched Dawn trail behind Jessie before she stepped in front of her girlfriend.

"What?"

"You're really rooting for them aren't you?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"It's like you're Dawn's personal cheerleader. All you need is the pom poms and the uniform."

"Yeah, right, can you even picture me like that?" _I can picture her like that. Me not so much._

"No, not really," Buffy chuckled. _Of course I can. I already have a few times._

"Yeah, that's more your style anyway."

Faith and Buffy then returned to in the gym. When they joined the others, the Scoobies let the rest know everything they needed to know. Many hours later, the ones assigned to patrolling headed out.

Later that night

After patrolling for a couple of hours, with only various amounts of action, they called it a night. A few decided to head to the club with Buffy and Faith while the rest went home with Jessie. As they went in two different directions, Faith pulled Jessie aside and whispered into the blonde's ear.

"So, are you going to see if Dawn will help with the double h's?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't stake any vampires. No urges need to be cured."

"Your group saw some. I heard that girl Jennifer say that she got lucky and staked one, Ashley complained that hers got away, and I see how you can't seem to stand still for even a minute. You only get that way after you stake one."

"OK, so I got one."

"Don't wear Dawn out too much," Faith chuckled before catching up with Buffy and the rest heading to the club.

Buffy had seen Faith and Jessie talking but was too wrapped up in her own conversation with a few other slayers to hear what was said between them.

"So, uh, what were you and Jessie talking about?"

"Just about how she and a few of the girls in her group did tonight."

"I didn't get a chance to talk to her, so how did they do?"

"J and Jennifer each got one, but that redhead, Ashley, complained about how hers got away."

"Looks like she isn't as good as she thought. Uh, Jessie got one? Does that mean…"

"Uh huh, don't worry. I told her not to wear Dawn out too much."

"What? How could you tell her that?" Buffy almost snapped as she headed after the other blonde.

"Hold up, B. What are you going to do, stop her?"

"Well, yeah."

"Let them have some fun."

"But…"

"No buts. D's going to lose her virginity sooner or later. Wouldn't you prefer it be with someone she loves?"

"Yeah, but not until that person loves her just as much. I don't know if Jessie will be that person. I know that they got married in your dream, but it was probably only a dream. She's not ready."

"You don't know that. Come on, let's quit talking about D and have some fun."

"Ok," Buffy complied as they and the rest of the slayers headed to the club.

A little bit later, the girls' apartment

Jessie tried to make her way quietly into the apartment and noticed Dawn spying down from the balcony. Jessie had a rough idea of what Dawn was looking at but got closer to make sure. Dawn heard her coming and tried to act like she hadn't. When Jessie was close enough, she quickly turned around and surprised her.

"Hi, J. How did it go tonight?" Dawn chuckled as Jessie jumped back.

"Dang, D, don't do that to me."

"Why, you were going to do that to me, weren't you?"

"No, I just wanted to see what you were looking at."

"Well, come here and find out."

Jessie stood beside Dawn, scanned below in the other girl's direction, and saw her motorcycle.

"I guess that means you want me to take you on a ride tomorrow?"

"Yeah, so you know what it feels like to have a girl holding on to you for dear life."

"Ok, tomorrow it is then."

"Cool, I guess you didn't want to hang out with the others?"

"Not really," Jessie answered as she tried not to stare at Dawn.

"Ok, well, I guess I'll get ready for bed, and we can just hang around here and watch movies until we're tired enough to actually go to sleep."

"Cool," Jessie announced as she shuffled after her.


	38. Chapter 38

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 38

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: What happens between Dawn and Jessie after they enter the bedroom, and Jessie gets a disturbing e-mail from Eli.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

A few minutes later, Dawn and Jessie's bedroom

Dawn began to remove her clothes while not noticing the way Jessie was leering at her. Since she had her back to the blonde, she assumed that Jessie was getting changed too. Meanwhile, Jessie was already down to her underwear and felt the urge growing steadily as she watched Dawn. When her friend was down to just underwear, Jessie felt herself moving closer as her right hand began to reach out to touch Dawn. As Jessie's hand had gotten just a few inches away from her lower back, Dawn turned around and was staring in clear confusion.

"Something wrong, J?"

"No." _Don't do it, she won't be ready. Go ahead, she is probably ready and willing to help cure the urge. You don't know that. Just take a cold shower, and you'll be fine._

"Are you sure? You seem a little anxious about something. Come on, tell me. Maybe I could help." _I hope I can help._

"Well…" _Don't do it. Do it. Don't do it. Do it. No. Yes._

"Yeah?"

Before either girl could say another word, Jessie wrapped her arms around

Dawn and began kissing her. Dawn felt herself resisting for a few seconds then caving in. She felt herself moaning into the blonde's mouth as hands caressed her back. Dawn felt the hands on her back move lower until they were on her butt. As Jessie began to grab her butt like Faith did, Dawn was torn on what to do. The sensible half of her wanted to stop because she knew she wasn't ready to go all the way while the less sensible half was willing to submit to whatever the blonde had on her mind. That half seemed to be winning at the moment. Dawn let her continue and moaned again as Jessie's mouth moved to her neck. The sensible half took control again as she felt her bra become unhooked.

"Stop."

"Why?" Jessie asked as she stepped back to get a look at Dawn's face.

"Because…"

"Because?"

"Because I'm not ready," Dawn announced as she fixed her bra.

Jessie gasped as she noticed what she had almost done. She started moving backward and was prepared to head to the bathroom depending on what Dawn's next response would be

"I'm s-sorry. I sh-shouldn't have d-done th-that. I'm not much better than…," Jessie muttered before realizing where her thinking was leading to. She walked quickly to the bathroom and locked the door.

"J, w-wait. You …," Dawn said as she began to think that she had just destroyed any chance of them becoming a couple and ruining what was left of their friendship, "Please come out of there."

"No, not yet," she heard Jessie cry out.

Dawn felt tears form on her cheeks as she heard Jessie turn on the shower. She decided to put on a t-shirt and pajama pants. When she was finished with that, she lay down on her bed and began to cry more.

_She hates me now. Way to go, Summers. You just lost your best friend. You ruined it between yourself and one of the people you care the most about. She'll probably want to move into the dorms. Most likely share one with someone who won't reject her._

Meanwhile

Jessie didn't stop the tears coming as she took off the rest of her clothes. She turned on the shower and got in as cold water beat down on her body.

_You deserve those tears. Do you even realize what you almost did? How could you do that after what she went through back in Evanston? You're the one who saved her from that asshole, and now you almost do the same thing. Your friendship is over. That's the least of your problems. You're going to have two very pissed off slayers after you very soon. Don't forget one of the most powerful witches alive too. You'll be lucky if you get out of the country without serious injury. You lost Katie, and now you can add Dawn, Buffy, Faith, Willow, Giles, and Xander to that list too. Wait, who cares about Xander? He's almost worthless anyway._

After Jessie was sure she had enough of the cold water, she turned off the shower, dried most of herself off, put her underwear back on, sat down on the floor, and leaned against the same tub her and her roommates had shared the first night she had started to become attracted to Dawn. She started shivering as she rested her head on her knees and began to cry for the second time that night. Meanwhile, Dawn had stopped crying as she heard the water be shut off. She knew that the door was probably still locked, but she wasn't sure about the other two. She quietly made her way out of the room and gently checked the door between the bedroom doors and found it locked as well. That only left the one between the bathroom and Buffy and Faith's bedroom. She quickly made her way to that door and was relieved that Jessie had forgotten about that one. Instead of knocking, she chose to just enter the bathroom. As she entered, she saw Jessie resting her head on her knees with her arms wrapped around her legs while only in underwear. Then she noticed the blonde was shivering a little.

"J."

Jessie didn't say a word. She only peeked up with the saddest eyes Dawn had seen since that morning.

"Come on, talk to me," Dawn pleaded.

"Why would you want to talk to me after what I did?" Jessie responded before looking down at the floor.

"Because I still love you, and hopefully, we're still friends," Dawn explained as she grabbed Jessie's robe hanging on one of the hooks near the shower and wrapped it around the blonde, "How about this idea? We get up off the floor, you dry your hair, come back into our bedroom, get changed into some pajamas or whatever, and we have a talk. Or you could wait here, possibly catch a cold, and be told the same thing from Buffy and Faith."

"Ok, just give me a few minutes," Jessie requested as she stood up, put on the robe, and walked over to the bathroom sink.

"No problem," Dawn consented as she followed the blonde, kissed her softly on the cheek, and left the room.

After Dawn was gone, Jessie sort of smiled and thought to herself as she used the hair dryer.

_She still loves me and hopes we're still friends? Maybe the talk won't be so bad. _

Five minutes later

Dawn watched Jessie as the blonde entered the room, shed the robe, tossed it to the end of her bed, and changed into some pajamas. Jessie then faced Dawn but didn't move until Dawn patted the spot beside her on her bed. Jesse timidly made her way over to the bed and sat down but didn't look at her friend. She missed the sad look on Dawn's face.

"So, uh, what did you want to talk about?" Jessie questioned nervously.

"About us."

"U-Us?" she stuttered.

"Yeah, us. Did you think I wanted to talk about the weather?"

Jessie laughed despite the way she was currently feeling and glanced up to see Dawn smiling at her.

"What about us?"

"I need to know that you're not mad at me for telling you to stop. I should have been able to tell that the urge was almost raging inside. I've seen that expression before."

"Me mad at you? Shouldn't you be mad at me? I came on too strong, and I almost…," Jessie babbled before looking away.

"Listen to me," Dawn insisted as she took Jessie's face into her hands and made the blonde look at her again, "Yes, you came on a little strong, but I didn't exactly stop you at first, did I? That kiss was everything I hoped for. You didn't do what that guy did. When I told you to stop, you listened. He was going to rape me whether I was awake or not. He just preferred me to be asleep. That was until you stopped him. I will never forget that you did that. I will be eternally grateful that you were there for me then and will continue to be. I still love you and hope you will still want to be my best friend."

"I really do want that. I thought I had ruined everything and that you were going to have Buffy and your friends kick my ass. I thought I'd be lucky if I got out of this country without being seriously hurt "

"I would never let them do that to you. I thought I had ruined everything. I was almost positive that you were going to move into the dorms and get together with some girl who wouldn't reject you. You deserve that."

"I wasn't going to do that. I understand why you rejected me and am happy that you still want to be my friend."

"I do. So did the cold shower work?"

"Yeah, so do you still want to watch movies?"

"No, I kind of changed my mind. I think I'm just going to go to bed."

"Uh, ok. I guess I will too. Goodnight," Jessie stated as she got off of Dawn's bed.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To my own bed."

"Don't do that, stay here."

"I don't know."

"Please. We'll just sleep," Dawn promised with a hopeful gaze.

"Ok," Jessie answered as she watched Dawn pull back the covers, climb into bed, and pat the spot beside her again.

Jessie climbed into bed beside her friend, brought the covers back up until they almost reached their shoulders, and laid them down.

"What?" Jessie inquired when she saw Dawn smirk at her.

"You looked at it again, didn't you?"

"Looked at what?"

"You know what."

"No, what?" Jessie lied as she tried to deny being caught.

"The same thing that first caught your eye about two months ago."

"No…," Jessie muttered as she still tried to deny it but gave up when Dawn showed that she didn't believe her, "Ok, just for a few seconds."

"That's what I thought," Dawn replied before slowly snuggling up next to Jessie and sighed as the blonde wrapped her arms around her.

Both girls were thinking the same thing as they fell asleep.

_I'm glad she doesn't hate me_.

A few hours later

Buffy and Faith quietly entered the apartment. Buffy saw that Faith seemed a little sad.

"What's wrong?"

"It's quiet."

"Yeah, so?"

"It's too quiet," Faith emphasized with clear disappointment.

"Please tell me that you weren't hoping to catch Dawn and Jessie having sex."

"I can't do that, B."

"Why?"

"Because I was."

"I would like it if you didn't keep trying to get them together so quickly."

"Why? Don't you think they would be good for each other?"

"Maybe."

"So what's the problem?"

"Because if it's going to eventually happen, they won't need your help."

"Ok, but I'm still going to check on them," Faith declared as she made her way to Dawn and Jessie's bedroom door and opened it enough to get a peep inside. She smiled as she and Buffy saw them snuggling, "It looks like it happened."

"You don't know that for sure. You can see they're dressed. Maybe they just shared the bed for some reason."

"Yeah, I'm sure it's for the same reason we do."

Buffy just rolled her eyes before walking away from her girlfriend.

After they had gone into their room and closed the door, Faith quizzed, "Are you mad at me, B?"

"No, we can ask them tomorrow if anything happened, but don't get your hopes up."

"Alright, yo," Faith relented as she stripped down to her underwear before grabbing some of Buffy's pajamas and put them on.

"Hey, those are mine."

"I know; I just want to see how it feels to sleep in them."

"Ok, but if you like them, we're going shopping tomorrow and buying you some," Buffy told her before grabbing some for herself and putting them on.

"Sounds good."

The next morning

Faith and Buffy had gotten cleaned up and were waiting for Dawn and Jessie. Faith had been wondering all night about how far they might have gone. She began to tap her fingers on the table in front of her. It started to annoy Buffy.

"Faithy, would you stop that?"

"Sorry, B,"

"They should be up pretty soon."

"I hope…"

Faith didn't even get to finish before Dawn and Jessie shuffled into the kitchen. On the way there, Dawn stretched out her arms and yawned. As she stretched, the t-shirt rose up past her belly button and exposed the skin underneath, which Jessie definitely saw.

"Good morning," Buffy greeted with a slight smile as Faith smirked at Jessie.

"Uh, good morning," Dawn and Jessie mumbled together.

Jessie spotted the smirk and blushed, knowing she had been caught ogling her friend.

"Did you sleep well?" Buffy asserted.

"Yeah, did you?" Faith joined in on the interrogation as the smirk remained on her face.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Dawn wondered while being unaware about what she had done unintentionally.

"Just curious," Buffy commented with another smile.

"Cut to the chase already. Did you two do it or not?" Faith pried as she was getting tired of waiting for the girls to get to the good stuff.

"Huh?" Jessie responded.

"We know you two shared a bed last night. Is that all you shared?"

"Are you seriously asking if she and I had sex last night?" Dawn challenged in shock but wasn't sure why she was shocked.

"Yeah, and if you did, who was better?"

"What?" Jessie gasped.

"Who was better, Dream Buffy or reality Dawn?"

"Faith, maybe they don't want to talk about it," Buffy advised, "Or maybe I don't want to hear it."

"Would it be so bad if we had?" Dawn snapped at her sister as she suddenly felt offended.

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Jessie interrupted.

"I mean since it involves my sister, I don't really want to think about it."

"So nothing happened?" Faith guessed as they all observed the disappointment on her face.

"Well, I wouldn't say that, but we didn't have sex," Dawn informed Buffy and Faith.

"Well, spill it, D."

"I said I didn't want to hear it," Buffy reminded them.

"Well, then cover your ears if it gets too much to hear," Faith ordered.

"Fine."

"So?" Faith repeated with an arched eyebrow.

Jessie and Dawn stared at each other and the other two before telling them. Jessie started the story as Dawn would occasionally interrupt to include her side of the story. They saw Buffy get more uncomfortable as the story progressed. When it got to the point where Dawn mentioned how Jessie's hands moved down her body, Buffy tried to get away from them. Faith managed to pull Buffy toward her and restrain her, so she had no choice but to listen. While doing this, she also let out a laugh.

"Faith, let me GO!"

"Not a chance, this just keeps getting better. Keep going, J."

Jessie and Dawn both hesitated briefly before getting to the point where Dawn told Jessie to stop. Buffy then began getting angry as she started glaring at the blonde sitting in front of her.

"How could you do that to her after everything you've done to protect her?"

"Buffy, I wasn't stopping her until she got to that moment. When I told her to stop, she listened."

"Yeah, B," Faith stated as her thoughts were torn between being impressed that Jessie got that far and a little disappointed that Buffy was right about Dawn not being ready.

Buffy and Faith eased up as Jessie and Dawn each revealed how they both thought they were responsible for what possibly could have been the end of the friendship. Buffy looked at Faith, smiled when the brunette let her go, and walked over to stand in front of the younger blonde and her sister. Jessie became scared at what Buffy could be thinking.

"Don't worry, I'm not mad anymore. Dawn told you to stop and you listened. This proves I can totally trust you now. If you two become a couple like me and Faith, I won't stand in your way."

"You didn't totally trust me after I saved her twice and defended her against Katie?"

"Most of me did, but the big sister in me wasn't completely sure."

"Ok, I understand. I'm going to take D for a ride on my bike if that's ok."

"Sure," Buffy confirmed before accidentally telling her, "As long as that's the only ride you're giving her today."

Buffy blushed bright red as Faith laughed and Dawn and Jessie gaped in shock.

"Damn, B. I thought I'd be the one to say something like that."

"Shut up," Buffy grumbled before heading to her and Faith's bedroom in embarrassment.

"Have fun, you two," Faith suggested before trailing after her girlfriend.

The rest of the day went by without any other embarrassing moments.

Monday morning, the girls' apartment

Faith and Buffy were drinking coffee at the kitchen table while Jessie was checking her e-mail before classes that day.

"What's wrong?" they prodded as they heard the younger blonde growl.

"Eli."

"What about him? He's ok, isn't he?" Buffy assumed as she sat down her coffee mug.

"He did it again. This is your fault, Faith."

"Whoa, what did he do, and how is it my fault?"

"He's asking about you and Buffy again. If you hadn't made the joke about getting into either the bathtub or shower with Buffy when they were here, I wouldn't have to be reading this junk," Jessie complained as she continued reading the e-mail and growling louder the second time.

"What was that one for?" Buffy wondered.

"He finished off the e-mail by asking if the two of you would be interested in a…you know…with him."

Buffy groaned as Faith laughed. Dawn decided to enter the family room at that very moment and noticed the smirk on Faith's face, the look of anger on Jessie's, and annoyance on Buffy's.

"What's up? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, there is," Jessie admitted as she almost glared at Faith, "Thanks to Faith's sense of humor Saturday morning, Eli e-mailed me and wanted me to ask Buffy and Faith if they would be interested in a ménage a trios with him."

"Ew," Dawn responded as Jessie shuddered in agreement, "Any ideas on how to stop him this time?"

The room was silent for a minute.

"I've got it," Faith answered before winking at Buffy, who seemed to have an idea of what was going through her girlfriend's mind.

"No, we're not doing that," Buffy remarked while Jessie groaned in recalling what they had done the last time after talking about Eli.

"Come on, B, if this doesn't get him to leave us alone, then I don't know what will. J, meet us back here after your classes are over for the day."

"Ok," Jessie sighed as she and Dawn strolled to the front door.

"You look…uh…nice," Dawn complimented as she glanced at Jessie and tried not to blush in front of the other three.

"Thanks, you look cute too, D," Jessie affirmed as Dawn blushed before Jessie peered over at her friends.

Dawn spied over her shoulder at her sister and Faith and blushed even more before running out of the apartment with Jessie not too far behind her.

"Dang, B."

"What?"

"If watching D like this before she and J even hook up is this fun, can you imagine what it will be like when they're actually a couple?"

"Yeah," Buffy confessed as she began picturing Dawn and Jessie sharing the same types of sweet moments she had with Faith before being brought out of those thoughts by Faith snapping her fingers in front of the blonde.

"Huh, what?"

"Were you were even listening to me?" Faith asked with some irritation.

"Of course,"

"Oh, really? Then what was I saying?"

"Uh, you were saying…," Buffy spoke as she tried to think of something quick, "That maybe we should go get some breakfast in the cafeteria?"

"That's not it, but the breakfast idea sounds good. Before we leave, I want you to tell me what you were thinking about before I snapped my fingers in your face."

"I was thinking about what it would be like when they get all sweet around each other, like the way we are."

"Ok, want to know what I was asking you?"

"Yes."

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out on an official date. We never did that since I came back or at all, unless you count that afternoon slaying in that vampire nest back in Sunnydale. We just sort of jumped into this relationship."

"You're right. Is tonight ok? We could have Jessie lead the patrol along with a few that led the night we spent time with Dawn."

"That sounds good to me."

"Great, it's a date. Where will be going?"

"Leave that up to me, B."

"Alright," Buffy conceded as they left the apartment.

For the rest of the morning and early afternoon, Jessie pondered on what all was going on in Faith's head and how much it would affect her.


	39. Chapter 39

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 39

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The girls get even with Eli once again. Jessie and Faith have a little talk before Buffy and Faith go on their first official date.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: For those who don't recognize the song Faith uses in this chapter, it was used at the end of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It started as the school bus driver pulled up along the edge of the street and offered the principal a ride home. I also use one of my favorite lines from the movie "Final Destination". It was also used in the Buffy episode, "Faith, Hope, And Trick".

* * *

Around 3:30 PM, the girl's apartment

As Jessie made her way back to the apartment, she tried to prepare herself for almost anything. Knowing Faith, whatever she had on her mind earlier that day would almost positively push the limits of what she'd normally do to get her brother to leave her alone.

"Faith, Buffy, are you here?" Jessie asked as she closed the door behind her. When she heard nothing, she called out their names again, "FAITH, BUFFY, where are you?" _Great, Faith asks me to meet them back here, and they're not even here. I wonder where they are._

A few minutes later, she got her answer as the easy going slayer and her beautiful girlfriend arrived at the apartment.

"Sorry, we're late. We haven't kept you waiting long, have we?" Faith questioned with a smirk.

"No, actually, I just got here a few minutes ago."

"Good," Buffy said with a smile before raising an eyebrow and looking at Faith.

"So where were you two?"

"Well, Giles and I have been talking with the other slayers around the world and their watchers. We wanted to do our best to make it possible for those slayers who want to be close to home when the holidays come. It apparently is going to take some reorganizing to make sure everyone's happy."

"Ok, speaking of the holidays, I wanted to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My family also wants to know if any of my friends can make it too. Would that be alright?"

"Yes, we pretty much assumed most would want to be close to home during the upcoming holidays, even if it was just for a few days. That was another thing Giles and I prepared for as we started sending the slayers to all those places we talked about at your first official Scooby meeting. After the problems we've encountered during previous Thanksgivings, we kind of quit celebrating that one."

"Like what problems?"

"Just fighting off an attack by Chumash Native Americans. But we'd be willing to join you for the Christmas/Chanukah holidays. I think Willow would be willing to come. I'm not sure about Giles. Xander might be spending it with Vi. I heard from Willow that Vi already asked him if he would spend it with her and her family. I'm sure he quickly said yes. I would too if I was him."

"They're that bad, huh?"

"They started a fight at Xander and Anya's wedding before we found out that he took off."

"Ok, what about you?" Jessie directed to Faith.

"I was making plans for tonight."

"What plans?"

"I'm taking B on our first official date. We never really did that. We just sort of jumped into the relationship. I always meant to do that earlier, but it just kept getting put off."

"That's sweet. Need any help?"

"No thanks, it's already been taken care of completely."

"Do you want to borrow my bike?"

"No, it wouldn't go well with my outfit for the night," Faith revealed.

"I guess that means I should dress really nice too?"

"Yeah, unless you want to be shown up by your date."

"So what did you have on your mind for getting back at Eli?" Jessie commented with an arched eyebrow.

"Remember what we said when we took pictures the first time?" Faith reminded her.

"Uh, yeah," Jessie mumbled.

"Well, that's what I had planned. Can you handle it?"

"I think so."

"Then grab your digital camera and come into our bedroom."

Jessie watched her friends head into their bedroom before going to her and Dawn's room. She searched around her room for a few minutes before finding the camera. Then she left the room and knocked on Buffy and Faith's door.

"You don't need to knock this time. Just come in, J."

When Jessie entered the room and closed the door behind her, the couple was already down to their underwear and sitting on the bed with smiles on their faces. Buffy's was obviously filled with some nervousness.

"Are you ready?"

"Just a moment," Faith told her before she and Buffy got more comfortable on the bed, "Oops, I almost forgot this."

Faith chuckled as she removed her bra and tossed it at Jessie. She let out yet another smirk as it landed directly on the camera.

Buffy couldn't resist smiling at how nervous Jessie became, especially since Jessie was the only one there fully dressed.

"Relax, J, you're not the one showing skin. Besides, I know you've wanted to see these since the morning you and Dawn caught me in Buffy's robe."

Jessie began to relax after Faith leaned back against Buffy, and the blonde wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's chest. It was just enough to keep Jessie at ease while driving her brother almost crazy. The couple kept smiles on their faces as Jessie took a few of them like that before Buffy removed her hold on Faith. They both laughed as Jessie gasped when Faith sat up, did an almost 180 turn, and leaned up against the left side of Buffy's body, exposing almost all of her bare back to the camera while using her left arm to block the slight side view of her chest. Jessie gasped again as Faith put her bra back on while Buffy removed hers and quickly had Faith wrap her arms around her the same way she had done to Faith. Then they posed in the same positions again for more pictures. After they were done, Buffy put her bra back on. Jessie got a little nervous again as Faith smiled at her, whispered something to Buffy, smirked when Buffy shook her head no, and turned back to her.

"What's on your mind now?"

"B and I were wondering if you could do something else for us."

"What is it?"

"Can you show us how you posed for Katie that one time?"

"I'm not getting naked in front of you and Buffy," Jessie immediately responded.

"You don't have to get naked, just underwear will be fine."

"Why?"

"We're just curious. Well, me more than Buffy. I also kind of had an idea of you joining us for a few pictures. That's if your camera has a timer on it. Would you be up for that?"

"It does have a timer, and I guess it depends on how we'd pose for them."

"Ok, I'll tell you, and then you can decide then whether you want to or not."

As Jessie began to take off her shirt, Faith began reciting the lyrics to "Oh Yeah!" by Yello. Jessie rolled her eyes at Faith but also began laughing. This got Buffy to start laughing as well. As Jessie tossed her shirt onto a nearby chair and started on her pants, Faith repeated the lyrics in a huskier tone. After Jessie lay down on the bed and posed like she had done for Katie back in Evanston, Faith whistled and Buffy smirked at the now slightly blushing blonde.

"Dang, that's hot, yo."

"Thanks."

"And you're saying you willingly posed the same way naked?" Buffy interrupted.

"Uh huh, but only because I thought Katie and I would be the only ones to know about it. So how did you want me to pose with you?"

"Just like that with us sitting right behind you. If you don't mind, we'd each have a hand resting on your body," Faith informed her.

"Where?"

"Probably just your back," Faith decided.

Jessie thought about it for a second and agreed. She got up, did a 180 turn, and lay down on the bed again.

"Ok, now, Buffy's going to rest her hand on your upper back while mine's on your lower back."

"Uh, ok."

Jessie liked the feel of Faith's hand on her lower back. However, when Buffy gently put her hand on Jessie's back, just above the bra line, she jumped as if she had been burned.

"Are you ok, J?" Faith teased.

"Y-Yeah."

"Jessie, I thought you said things wouldn't get weird between us?" Buffy inquired with slight concern.

"Sorry, maybe we could try it again with Faith's hand on my upper back and yours on my lower back. We could see if that would make a difference."

"I don't think it would, but ok," Buffy told her as she and Faith did as Jessie suggested.

Faith laughed when they got the same response.

"How about this? We go back to the original positions, and you just imagine it being Dawn instead of Buffy?"

"Ok," Jessie relented and was relieved when she didn't jump at the touch.

Jessie got up, set the timer, and quickly joined the girls back on the bed. After it was taken, she got up to check it and was happy to see it turned out well. She let Buffy and Faith see how well it turned out.

"So then we're done?" Jessie wondered.

"Not yet, J, I want to take two more, but this time I was going to put my hand someplace else."

"Where?"

"Do you trust me?" Faith quizzed.

"Yeah."

"Then come here. I promise to be gentle."

Jessie carefully got into the same position while Buffy put her hand on her back again. However, Faith chose to put her hand on Jessie's butt.

"It's just for the pictures, B. See, J's ok with it."

Buffy looked down at Jessie as the younger blonde stared innocently up at her. Buffy smiled, Jessie set the timer again, and they smiled as Jessie liked the feeling of Faith's hand on her again.

"Ok, now one like this," Faith described as she gently grabbed the blonde's butt.

Jessie jumped slightly, but only for the initial touch. She gulped when she heard a slight growl come from Buffy and felt Faith release the slight hold on her.

"B, chill out. Once again, it's only for the picture. It'll be over in a few seconds. Are you ok with it, J?"

"I'm ok with it if Buffy is."

"See, B, no harm, no foul."

"Alright, can we make it quick?"

"Definitely," Faith and Jessie agreed with her.

The three of them somehow missed the sound of Dawn returning to the apartment. Dawn, however, had heard them and was pacing to Buffy and Faith's bedroom as Jessie quickly made her way to the bed. Immediately after the picture was taken, Buffy, Faith, and Jessie saw the bedroom door open. They hadn't even taken their hands off of Jessie before Dawn saw them.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Don't you knock anymore?" Buffy hissed as she pulled her and Faith's hand away from Jessie.

"I figured since I heard all three of you, it would be safe to enter. I didn't expect this. So this is how you decided to torture Eli? You have a ménage-a-trios with his sister instead of him," Dawn chuckled but still couldn't hide slight hurt.

"D, we only took pictures. There was no ménage-a-trios, and there never will be. No offense," Jessie insisted as she turned to the two slayers behind her.

"None taken, we're not into that kind of thing," Buffy assured as Faith nodded along wholeheartedly.

"See for yourself," Jessie encouraged as she showed Dawn the first few pictures where Faith was the one topless and then skipped to the last three.

"Ok, I guess I understand. Sorry if I sort of snapped at you."

"It's ok," Jessie confirmed as she hugged her best friend and ignored her other friends.

Faith and Buffy started laughing at the sight of Jessie hugging Dawn while in only underwear as Dawn tried to remain unaffected. It wasn't working that well as Buffy and Faith could see that Dawn was barely touching Jessie.

"Uh, J, you do remember that you're just in underwear while hugging your best friend, who's also in love with you, right?"

"Uh, yeah, sure I do," Jessie exclaimed before quickly letting go and reaching for her clothes. She was fast enough to grab her pants and put them on, but Faith grabbed her shirt, "Faith, give me my shirt."

"Ok, here," Faith declared as she acted like she was going to throw it to Jessie before intentionally throwing it to Dawn. "If it helps, D, J jumped when Buffy put her hand on her. She only relaxed when she pictured it was you."

"Really?" Dawn chirped before looking at Jessie and carefully handing her the shirt without trying to stare directly at Jessie's chest.

"Yes," Jessie answered after putting on her shirt.

"Now, if you two don't mind, B and I are going to get dressed. We're going to hang out for a bit until we get cleaned up for our date."

"Your what?" Dawn gasped with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Faith is taking me on an official date, but she won't tell me where or why she can't wear her outfit on Jessie's bike."

Ten minutes later, the family room

The girls watched as Jessie uploaded the pictures to her computer and prepared the e-mail to Eli. Buffy and Dawn giggled as Jessie included a warning that the pictures might make him faint.

"I say you title the e-mail 'Buffy, Faith, and the ONLY Sammler they'd ever want'," Faith recommended to get Eli worked up even more.

"Good idea, Ok, done and sent. Take that, Eli," Jessie chuckled before leaving to train the other slayers.

"Where are you going, D?"

"I…I was going to go with Jessie."

"Why?" Faith challenged with a smirk, "I think she can handle it by herself."

"I know. I just like watching her train the other girls and being there if she needs something. We'll be back soon. Call us if you are ready to leave before we get back."

"Why?"

"Because we'll want to get a picture of the two of you before you leave."

"Alright, have J bring up Giles's car keys when you do."

"Ok," Dawn complied with a smile.

A little over two hours later, the family room

Buffy and Faith were almost finished getting ready for their date as Jessie and Dawn came back upstairs and re-entered the apartment. They saw Buffy sitting on the couch in a sleeveless, black dress with a slight frown on her face as Jessie's digital camera sat on the coffee table.

"What's wrong, B? Did Faith cancel on you at the last moment?" Jessie questioned in what she hoped Buffy could realize was a teasing way.

"No."

"Then why the frown?" Jessie wondered.

"Because she insisted that we dress in separate rooms. I hope you and Dawn don't mind that I used your room."

"We don't mind. Maybe she just wants to surprise you," Dawn determined.

"Or maybe she's messing with my mind and not as serious about getting dressed up like I am. I wish she'd hurry up already, the suspense is really getting to me."

"Do you want one of us to see if she'll be ready soon?" Jessie offered as she smiled at the beautiful, yet slightly frustrated blonde sitting in front of her.

"Would you? I asked her once, but she only told me to be patient."

Buffy smiled as the other blonde marched up to the door and knocked on it lightly.

"I told you to be patient. I'll be out in about five minutes."

"It's J, Faith. I have the keys for you."

"Alright, can you help me with something?"

"Uh, sure," Jessie replied while being confused at what Faith would need that would require help.

Dawn and Buffy turned their heads to the bedroom door when they heard Jessie gasp a little. As they got up, they saw Jessie pulled into the bedroom before the door was quickly closed behind her.

A few minutes later, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

"You didn't need to…Faith, you look…"

"Let me guess, silly or strange?"

"Hardly, you look beautiful. Not that you haven't been beautiful or hot since I first met you. But tonight? WOW! You obviously didn't need my help. So why did you bring me in here?"

"I just wanted a second opinion before Buffy sees me. I normally don't dress like this. I also need help making sure the knot in the back is tight enough to last until we get back and Buffy unties it," Faith explained with a smirk before continuing, "I was hoping that I could borrow one of your coats and possibly a purse. I wanted to wear something nicer than what I usually wear."

"Sure," Jessie assured her friend while checking the knot.

"What?" Faith groaned as she became unusually nervous at the smile on the blonde's face.

"You look more than beautiful. You're stunning."

"Really?"

"Yeah, if you weren't already involved with Buffy and Dawn wasn't interested in me, I would kiss you right now and make you forget the reservation."

As Faith did a last minute check of her hair, makeup, and outfit, Jessie went to get the coat that would go best with it. She also brought back a purse if there wasn't enough space in the pockets of her coat.

"FAITH, come on already, or I will start to think you're standing me up."

Dawn chuckled as Jessie was pushed out of the room and had the door almost hit her on the butt.

"That was rude, Faith. Just for that, I might not let you borrow my coat and you know what else."

"Sorry, J," Faith apologized as she took a few seconds to prepare herself for whatever reaction she might get from Buffy and Dawn before entering the room.

"It's ok."

"So, uh, how do I look? J said beautiful then stunning."

"Turn around in a circle, so we can see the entire dress," Buffy requested as Dawn sat beside her on the couch.

They were almost speechless as they got a full view of the red dress that Faith was wearing. Buffy wasn't sure what she liked best about the dress: the low neck line exposing some cleavage, the completely exposed back, or the hemline that stopped just above the knee. Then they got a good view at how her hair was swept up regally.

"Well?"

"All you need is the tiara, Princess Faith," Buffy claimed as she smiled at her beautiful girlfriend.

"Thanks, but I'll be the queen, you can be the princess, B."

"J's right you are both stunning and beautiful, Faith," Dawn mentioned with a smile.

"What about me?" Buffy grilled Faith.

"You'll always be my beautiful B."

"And you'll always be my stunning Faithy," Buffy replied before remembering that they weren't alone.

"Hey, you promised."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, we won't say anything, right, D? You're beautiful too, B," Jessie complimented as she reached for the camera on the table.

"Yeah," Dawn confided as she began to wonder about what her first date with Jessie would be like.

"OK, picture time."

"No pictures," Faith pleaded.

"Why?" Jessie and Dawn asserted.

"Because it's just a regular date, not the prom."

"Just a regular date," Buffy gave a fake scoff as she tried to appear angry.

"You know what I mean. During the prom, a guy hopes to get the girl in bed with him by the end of the night. I already know we will be."

"Gee, you really know how to romance a girl, don't you?" Buffy announced with fake sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, I…I mean…"

"I know what you meant," Buffy giggled.

"Then why did you react like that?"

"I was just having fun, yo. I thought it would ease the unusual nervousness between us tonight, was I right?"

"Yeah, I feel better now."

"Besides, wouldn't you like a picture to remind us of this night when we're older? You know to show our daughters. Oops," Buffy finished as she covered her mouth and watched Faith with a hope of forgiveness.

"Dang, B, can't you keep anything I tell you in private a secret?"

"You dreamed about having kids with my sister?" Dawn yelped as she tried not to laugh at Faith's irritation toward Buffy.

"Since the secret's out, yeah, I did. You're not going to tell anyone else, got it? Oh, in the dream, you had also married J."

"I did?" Dawn gasped as those thoughts immediately came into her mind.

"Yeah."

"Were we happy?" Jessie questioned suddenly.

"You were honestly and extremely happy," Faith affirmed with a smirk, "Well, J, take those pictures, so B and I can leave."

"Before I take them, didn't you forget something, Faith?"

"Oh, right, thanks, J."

Jessie smiled as Faith quickly walked back into the bedroom and came back with a bouquet of flowers.

"Faith, that was so sweet, but it wasn't necessary."

"I know, but I wanted to do it."

"Well, thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. Save that for when we get back."

Buffy and Faith wrapped their arms around each other, smiled, and posed for a few different pictures. Then Faith helped Buffy with her coat before putting on the one she borrowed from Jessie.

"Have a good time," Dawn demanded as Jessie handed Faith the keys to Giles's car.

"Thanks, Mom," Buffy teased her sister, making Dawn giggle.

"Yeah, thanks for the keys, D...," Faith said as she started to tease Jessie but stopped abruptly when she heard what she was about to say, "Uh…"

"Just go and have fun," Jessie commanded as Buffy and Faith left the apartment.

A few minutes later

"So, um, I mentioned to Buffy that I wanted to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas."

"Yeah, what did she say?"

"She said that she and Giles prepared for that before they started sending slayers out across the world. I told her that my family wanted to know if any of my friends could come too. She said you and your friends sort of quit celebrating Thanksgiving, but that the three of you and Willow could probably come for Christmas/Chanukah. She wasn't sure about Giles. Xander was supposedly going to spend it with Vi and her family."

"Ok, I would love that."

"Cool."


	40. Chapter 40

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 40

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Buffy and Faith's date

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's note: There is more Xander bashing and the mention of Faith's grandmother; who I believe was mentioned positively in an episode of Angel.

* * *

After leaving the campus in Giles's car, Buffy was finally able to get some details out of Faith about what the plans were.

"So are you going to tell me what we're doing on this 'regular' date, Faithy? Before you say anything, we're alone, so you can't get mad this time. Even though we're not in the bedroom," Buffy finished with a smirk.

"Ok, I can tell you. I made a reservation at Sarracino. I hope you like Italian food. I thought after that, we could go dancing or to a movie. If you're up for it, maybe both."

"Yes, I do like Italian food. This is like a prom date, not counting the movie. What's next, a promise ring?" Buffy asked as she beamed at Faith, making her girlfriend unexpectedly blush.

"Hypothetically, if there was a ring involved, what would you say?"

"I honestly don't know what I would say. I guess it depends on how this night goes," Buffy said with a light giggle.

"If that's the way you're going to be, then I guess I can hold off on the diamond, engagement ring," Faith informed her with a smirk.

"I guess I will just have to wait for at least a few years, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm not the marrying type. Well, at least not yet."

Outside of Sarracino

After arriving at the restaurant and turning off the engine, Faith stepped out of the car, quickly walked around to open the door for Buffy, and helped her out of the car. Then Faith closed the door behind her, wrapped an arm with Buffy, and escorted her through the door and up to the hostess stand.

"Two for Lehane."

"Follow me," the hostess ordered politely before grabbing two menus and leading them to a table for two in one of the corners of the restaurant.

Before Buffy had a chance to choose which seat, Faith pulled one out and indicated for Buffy to sit there. After Buffy sat down, Faith slowly pushed the chair in until the blonde was comfortable. Then she took the seat across from Buffy and sat down.

"Is this place ok?"

"Yes, nice job. Thanks for the escort inside and help with the chair."

"I just want to make you happy."

"You do."

"Same here," Faith replied before being interrupted by a waiter, who couldn't help but stare momentarily at both women.

"Would you ladies like something to drink while you decide on what you want to order?"

"Yes, how is your red wine selection?"

"It's very good."

"Is red wine ok with you, B?"

"Red wine would be nice, thank you," Buffy answered before smiling at her.

"A bottle of some of your finest red wine, please."

"Have you decided what you want yet?"

"Could you give us a few minutes?" Faith requested before starting to scan through the menu.

"Yes, I'll just be a moment with the wine," he announced before walking away with a smile on his face,

"How can you afford this?" Buffy questioned, "And do you have something else special planned for me?"

"That's a secret we'll talk about when we get home. You know I don't normally plan too far ahead, so no need to worry about the second question."

"Ok," Buffy relented while checking out the menu herself.

"I think I know what I want," Faith stated with a smile. _Don't do it. It's way too soon. Do it. It's romantic, and she won't expect it. That's exactly why you shouldn't do it. She'll say no because she will be thinking it's too soon too._

"Me too, could you order for me? I need to go to the ladies room for a few minutes."

"Sure," Faith assured her before Buffy told her what she wanted and walked away.

When Buffy was gone, Faith quickly reached for the small box hidden in the inside pocket of Jessie's coat, opened it, and smiled at the sparkling, diamond ring in front of her. Then she sighed before quickly putting the box back in the coat pocket. A minute after she started searching for the waiter, he appeared at her side.

"Uh, you didn't just see that, did you?"

"See what, Miss?" he inquired as it was clear he had no idea of what Faith was talking about.

"Never mind," Faith declared as the waiter set the bottle of red wine in an ice filled bucket on the table.

Faith watched nervously for Buffy as the waiter poured the wine and took their order. A few minutes after he left, Buffy returned to the table. Buffy smiled at her as she sat down.

"So I guess the waiter just left, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Is something wrong?"

"Nope, I'm five by five."

"Are you sure? You look a little nervous."

"I just want this date to go well since it's our first."

"That's sweet. For a second, I thought you were going to do something crazy like propose. That's silly, huh? Not the proposal, I mean just thinking about doing it this early."

"Yeah," Faith smirked, "It will take awhile before I can be tied down."

"I thought you'd like something like that," Buffy teased, getting Faith to almost choke on her wine.

"You know what I meant."

"Of course, I just wanted to see your reaction. Oh, don't be mad," Buffy pleaded softly before giving Faith a quick kiss on the lips, not caring about the mixed reactions she had just gotten from the nearest tables.

As Buffy looked around to get a better view of the restaurant, Faith felt a slight pain in her heart.

_This is how Angel and B probably felt when they broke up. I'm not going to propose tonight._

The rest of the time at the restaurant went well. The food was delicious and the wine was just as enjoyable. Their talk consisted of various topics: Dawn's future education, the plans for the upcoming summer, and where they might relocate to after Dawn went to college. The girls spent the next few hours after leaving the restaurant dancing at one of the nicer clubs before heading back home.

"Are you ready to go upstairs and be interrogated by Dawn and Jessie about how things went?" Buffy challenged with a smile and an arched eyebrow.

"In about ten minutes," Faith suggested as she led them to a nearby bench and looked up at the sky.

"It looks a little cloudy. I think it might rain," Buffy commented as the smile from a minute ago came back.

"Yeah, probably."

About five minutes later, they felt the first few drops and went up to the apartment. After a few minutes of silence in the elevator, Buffy quizzed her girlfriend.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know. You just seemed happier when we were dancing."

"I guess I'm just a little more tired than I expected to get."

"Well, we could go to bed after the interrogation or ask them to hold off until tomorrow."

"Either one is fine."

They arrived to see smiles on the faces of Jessie and Dawn as soon as they opened the door. Faith made sure to have a smile on her face although she was still feeling the pain of Buffy's comments at the restaurant.

"I take it from those smiles, you had a great time. You must have treated my sister very well," Dawn exclaimed as she began to smile more.

"Yes, she did. It was everything I hoped for and more," Buffy revealed as she was clearly happy and a little tired.

"So where did you go, and what did you do?" Jessie asserted as she studied both girls' faces and could sense conflicting emotions from Faith.

"Can I tell them?" Buffy responded as she bubbled over in excitement as her tired appearance began to fade away.

"Be my guest, yo," Faith offered as she noticed the stare she was getting from Jessie and tried to act like everything was fine.

Buffy then described every moment from getting in the car to sitting on the bench until the rain came.

"That was so sweet," Dawn mentioned to the couple, "I want to have a date like that."

"Well, if J's paying attention, you will in the future."

Jessie just rolled her eyes at Faith's smirk before smiling at Buffy and Dawn. Then Dawn noticed something was up with the brunette.

"What's wrong, Faith? Did Buffy turn down a proposal or something?"

"Of course not, we're both just a little tired. I think we're going to call it a night and go to bed, right, B?"

"Right," Buffy confirmed as she started to walk toward their bedroom.

"I think I'm going to study a little bit more in my room and then go to sleep," Dawn decided before giving Buffy a hug goodnight. Then she turned to Faith, "Thanks for making sure Buffy had a good time. Sorry about the proposal thing. I was just kidding."

"I know. It's five by five," Faith muttered as Dawn gave her a hug before pacing to her bedroom.

"Goodnight, Faith. Are you coming, J?" Dawn voiced as she opened the door and missed the sad expression on Faith's face.

Jessie, however, had seen it and chose to have a short talk with the brunette.

"In a minute, I need to get my coat and purse back from Faith."

"Ok, see you soon."

After the door closed, Jessie turned back around to Faith.

"You were going to propose tonight, weren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, J."

"Don't give me that. I saw that sad look on your face. I've seen that sad look before. I've given sad looks like that before."

"You're wrong."

"If I'm wrong, then you won't mind if I look through MY coat for a ring box," Jessie remarked as she took her coat from Faith's hands.

"There's no ring box, but I do have a few others things in there," Faith insisted as she tried to grab the coat back, but Jessie was already taking the box out of the pocket.

"Well, look what I have here. There was just a ring box in the pocket like I suspected. Why didn't you carry it in the purse you also borrowed?" Jessie pried with a smirk.

"I thought if B got curious, she would try and see what I had inside it when I went to the rest room. I figured it would be safer in the coat pocket. I was right because when I came back, I caught her going through it. She said she was trying to find some gum or mints."

"Ok, so may I?"

"Go ahead."

Jessie opened it slowly and gasped, "Faith, how were you able to afford this?"

"Uh, well, my maternal grandmother, who was the only one who cared about me, died not too long ago. I got everything in the will. I gave the clothes to charity, kept the ring, and sold the small house she lived in."

"If I'm out of line say so, but how much did you get for it?"

"I guess I don't mind telling you if you promise not to tell anyone."

"I promise."

"After settling the debts she left behind, I ended up with about $25,000."

"Nice."

"Can I ask you a question?" Faith continued nervously.

"Yeah."

"Hypothetically, if you were B and didn't know about the money beforehand, would you have said yes?"

"Well, if I was Buffy, who has obviously forgiven you for everything and loves you, then I would say yes. So ask her. She might surprise you."

"But she even said at the restaurant that it would be crazy to do it and silly to even think it," Faith admitted as she felt tears coming that she immediately had to wipe away and added, "Dawn thinks of it as a joke too."

"Hey, I'm here for you," Jessie reminded her as Faith glanced down at the floor while leaning on the kitchen counter. When Faith looked back up, there was a small smile on her face. Jessie smiled, wiped away a tear still on Faith's cheek, and encouraged her again, "Just ask her. If she says no now, it doesn't mean she won't say yes in the future."

"Alright, I'll ask her, but if she says no tonight, I'll come right into your room and tell you I told you so. "

"I can live with that." _Please say yes, B._

They gave each other a brief hug before heading to their own bedrooms.

A minute later, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

Faith entered to see Buffy struggling with the back of her dress and hid the ring box before moving over to her girlfriend.

"Need some help, B?"

"Yes, for some reason, this dress is harder to take off then put on."

"Not while I'm around," Faith said before smirking at making Buffy blush.

Within a few minutes, Faith had Buffy out of the dress.

"Thanks, I'll help you now."

"I can handle it, but if you want to, go ahead."

Faith was out of her dress almost as fast as Buffy was with hers.

"Uh, didn't you forget something when you got dressed?"

"I couldn't find one that would hide under this dress," Faith explained as she reached for a tank top and a pair of shorts, "What?"

"You're doing it again," Buffy mumbled as she put on some pajamas.

"I'm doing what again?"

"Acting like nothing is wrong when it's clear that something is wrong. Tell me what it is. That's what you do with the people you love."

"Ok, close your eyes and hold out your hands."

"I can't believe you got me a promise ring," Buffy chirped excitedly as she sat down on the bed with closed eyes and extended palms.

"Maybe," Faith confessed as she retrieved the ring from the hiding spot and laid it gently in Buffy's hands, "Ok, open them."

"I knew it, it's a promise ring," Buffy bragged with a calm smile before even opening the box. However, when she did, it was a different response, "Oh…my…god. Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes, it is," Faith confided before pausing for a few seconds, "Buffy Anne Summers, will you marry me?"

"But…But, I thought you weren't the marrying type? You even said so before we even got to the restaurant."

"That was just to throw you off in case I was being a little obvious. After what you said at the restaurant, I was going to wait a little while longer. Then J said…"

"Stop. Explainy."

"After you had come in here and Dawn had given me a hug goodnight, J could see the sad look on my face. We had a little talk, and she told me to take a chance. If you said no, then I could always try again later," Faith told her. When Buffy continued to sit there speechless, Faith took that as rejection, "I guess that silence means no. I'll ask another time."

"Don't you dare," Buffy demanded as Faith attempted to take the ring back, "The answer right now is yes. Tomorrow, it will still be yes, and it will always be yes. You're mine and I'm yours, forever."

"Really? But I thought you said it was crazy do this so early and silly to even think about it?"

"Well, on the way back, I thought about it some more. We've known each other for awhile, and I have done crazier things. Can we tell people now?"

"I guess so. It's only around 8:00 PM in Rio and 6:00 PM in New York."

"Can I be the one to tell them? Please!" Buffy playfully begged.

"Well, I'm sure J has already heard, but you can tell the rest of them. I'm sure J will tell her parents. Who knows? Maybe we'll get flowers too."

Buffy chuckled before shouting to her sister and Jessie, "DAWN, JESSIE, GET IN HERE QUICK!"

Meanwhile

Faith had been right. Jessie had heard everything and was waiting for either the rejection or acceptance but was seriously hoping for the second. She really cared about all of her roommates and wanted them to be happy.

"What are you smiling at?" Dawn asked her roommate.

"I'm happy for Buffy and Faith and picturing them with kids. I also think when we have our first date, it will go just as well. We might not end up in the same bed at the end of the night though. That's ok, right?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't want you to think I'm that easy," Dawn muttered before looking away and hoping that she hadn't given away the secret.

"Of course I…Wait, you heard the fight?" Jessie questioned while still paying enough attention to Buffy and Faith's conversation.

"Yes, I heard it all. Your fight with Katie and the talk you had with…," Dawn tried to say but was interrupted by Buffy's shout.

Dawn jumped off her bed and cut through the bathroom to get to her sister and Faith with Jessie following closely while trying not to stare at Dawn's butt.

Less than a minute later, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

"What's with all of the shouting?"

"Look," Buffy squealed in delight as she almost stuck the ringed finger in her sister's face.

"Faith proposed to you, and you said yes?"

"Obviously," Jessie said with a chuckle.

"Wait, you knew about this? How long have you known?"

"I've known since you hugged her goodnight in the family room. I saw the sad expression on her face that you missed after that. She got like that because both of you thought it was silly."

"Ok."

"Are you happy for us, Dawnie?" Buffy inquired a little worriedly.

Dawn dove onto the bed, landed on both Buffy and Faith, and hugged them.

"Yes, I really am. I love you both," Dawn affirmed happily before focusing directly on Faith, "Does this mean I can call you Faithy too?"

"No, you can't."

"Then I'll have to settle for occasionally calling you Sis."

"I can live with that."

"What are you waiting for?" Dawn quizzed as she gazed at her best friend.

After seeing signs of approval from both slayers, Jessie dove onto the bed as well, landed next to Dawn, and hugged Buffy and Faith. Then Dawn and Jessie climbed off the bed, so Buffy could call her best friend.

Around 8:00 PM, Rio de Janeiro time, the house Willow was sharing with some of the slayers.

"Hello."  
"WILLOW, IT"S BUFFY!"

"No need to shout, Buff, I know it's you."

"Right, you have caller id. Sorry, Will."

"It's alright. So what's got you all hyped up?"

"I'm getting married, Will. Want to be a bridesmaid? I promise nobody will get ditched at the altar."

"WHAT? YOU"RE GETTING MARRIED?"

"Now who's shouting?" Buffy chuckled.

"Sorry, so tell me everything."

Faith, Dawn, and Jessie watched with much amusement at how specific Buffy was being when talking to Willow. Faith almost had to stop Buffy from jumping up and down on the bed. Buffy hung up the phone with a huge smile on her face, kissed Faith quickly, and then dialed Xander's number. The girls laughed as it appeared that Buffy had to yell at the phone. They could imagine him passed out on the floor as Vi tried to revive him. She hung up the phone with a chuckle a few minutes later.

"I guess he fainted, huh?" Dawn assumed.

"Yes, it took Vi a few minutes to revive him," Buffy chuckled before eyeing her sister, "I guess I only have one question for you before we end the excitement for tonight."

"What?"

"Would you like to be my Maid of Honor?"

"I would love to be your Maid of Honor."

"Want to be my Maid of Honor, J?"

"I would be honored to, Faith."

"When are you going to tell Giles?" Dawn interrupted with a smirk.

"Tomorrow, when I ask him if he could give me away. I hope he says yes this time," Buffy laughed as the memory of Willow's miscast spell came back temporarily.

A little after 12:00 PM, Tuesday, Giles's office

Ever since Buffy had woken up that morning, she felt like she was on cloud nine. The only problem she had up until then was keeping what had happened last night a secret. Dawn and Jessie wanted to be there when she told Giles and after at least five minutes of pleading and reasons why they should wait, Buffy gave in and took off the ring. She carefully hid it in her room until right before the classes let out for lunch. She had raced back to her room and put on the ring before meeting Faith, Dawn, and Jessie in front of the cafeteria. After quickly eating lunch, they made their way to his office.

"What's the matter, B?"

"I'm just nervous. Giles has been more than a watcher to me. He's been like a surrogate…," Buffy explained before pausing at saying something that might upset Faith.

"You can say the word. It won't bother me as much as you think. Just because my dad was never around, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't be afraid to admit your feelings about Giles to me."

"Thanks."

"No sweat, yo. Go ahead and knock. I promise to catch him if he faints."

Buffy sighed in relief as she leaned in to knock on his door. As they all looked at the painting Katie had done a few months ago, a sigh directed their attention to Jessie.

"Are you going to be ok?" Dawn inquired from her best friend as she rested her hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Yeah," Jessie mumbled as she turned her head to Dawn.

At seeing the blonde smile, Dawn immediately pulled her hand away.

"Sorry."

"It's cool."

"Since you two can't seem to keep your lips, hands, or eyes off of each other, just go out on the date already," Faith suggested.

"I'm not…," Jessie tried to tell the brunette.

"Not ready, right, sounds a little like denial to me," Faith scoffed at Jessie.

"Drop it, sweetie," Buffy recommended, "This day is about us, not them."

"She's right," Dawn agreed before smiling along with Jessie.

"Ok, it's dropped…for now," Faith grunted while Buffy knocked on the door.


	41. Chapter 41

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 41

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The girls tell Giles the good news. Buffy, Faith, and Dawn spend Thanksgiving in Brazil with Willow as Jessie heads home to Evanston.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I know the name I use for another slayer in this chapter is the same as the one who killed herself in the episode "Get It Done", but I like the name. I'm going to have her be from the southern part of the United States.

* * *

Less than a minute later

"Come in," Giles announced as he wondered who would be coming to his office at this time of the day. Considering it was around lunchtime, it could be almost anyone on campus. He began to smile as he saw it was Buffy, Dawn, Faith, and Jessie. They all seemed to be trying to hide something from him, but the most obvious was Buffy.

"Buffy, is there something wrong?"

"No, it's just that I have something to tell and ask you. They're both important. Your approval means a lot. I'm not sure how'll you take it, but I…," Buffy babbled before being cut off by her mentor.

"Dear lord, Buffy. Just say it," he chuckled.

"Well, remember how I told you that Faith and I were going on a date last night?"

"Yes," he answered as he removed his glasses to clean off the lenses before putting them back on, "Should I ask how it went?"

"I was coming to tell you that it went extremely well and…," Buffy stopped again and saw the rest were acting like Buffy's babbling was just as cute as Willow's.

"And?" he echoed after about twenty seconds.

"After we got back, I…we…," Buffy muttered before looking away from him.

He simply responded with a smile. When Buffy remained quiet and faced her fiancée, Faith chose to help out.

"What B is trying to say is that we're engaged. I proposed and she accepted. Should I ask him?"

"Um," Buffy said before looking back at Faith and nodding yes.

"She wanted to ask you if you would give her away. She said you're like a surrogate father to her."

"Buffy, I would be honored to give you away. Have I ever given you an impression I wouldn't be there for you on a day like that?"

"Well, you weren't going to do it the first time I asked you," Buffy laughed.

"The first time? Oh, right," Giles sighed as he now remembered the miscast spell that had made him go blind and Buffy to accept that dreadful proposal from Spike.

"Want to see the engagement ring?"

Buffy happily showed him when he nodded.

"Pardon me for asking this, Faith, but how did you afford this?" he asked as they could tell he was impressed with the ring.

"It sort of belonged to my grandmother. It was one of the few things my mom wasn't able to steal and pawn, so she could have some money for alcohol."

Buffy walked over to Giles when he got up from his desk and gave him a hug, which he instantly returned with the same amount of love.

"I'm going to be her Maid of Honor, and J's going to be Faith's Maid of Honor," Dawn interrupted.

"That's wonderful," Giles replied, "So have you set the date yet?"

"I just proposed last night, yo."

"Right," Giles responded with a smile, "I guess that gives you something to do for the next few months or whatever."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, "Well, we'll talk to you later."

Buffy gave him another hug before the four of them left his office.

"Buffy, do you think you and Faith can make a promise to us?"

"Depends on what it is, D," Faith interrupted with a smirk.

"That we and Willow won't have to wear some ugly dresses," Dawn stated as she nodded to Jessie.

"We promise," Buffy assured her as memories of those horrid dresses popped into her head.

"I guess we should get back to our classes now," Jessie decided as she strolled away from her sister slayers.

"Uh huh," Dawn groaned as she was the one to catch a glimpse of the other's butt this time.

"We're still here you know," Buffy reminded her in a sarcastic tone.

"I wasn't doing anything," Dawn insisted before running to catch up with Jessie.

Faith just rolled her eyes at Dawn's denial, bringing a smile to Buffy's face.

Almost a month later; November 27, 2003 (Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A.); 2:00 PM; the girls' apartment

"Are you sure you can't come with me?" Jessie questioned as she prepared for a possible round of twenty questions from her family when she got home. She hadn't made any comments or answered questions concerning how she was doing after the break up with Katie since the last time she saw them.

"No, Willow's really looking forward to us visiting her in Brazil," Dawn revealed as she tried her best to not act sad about Buffy and Faith's choice of going to Brazil instead of going to one of Jessie's homes back in Evanston, IL.

"Well, try to have fun," Dawn suggested as the two gave each other a hug.

"You too, feel free to call if you need anything or just to talk. PLEASE don't hesitate to call. I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow then," Jessie told them before laughing.

Dawn sort of smiled while Buffy and Faith laughed as Jessie disappeared. After doing the spell, Dawn sighed and cleaned up the mess left behind.

"Cheer up, D, she won't be gone that long," Faith reminded her.

"Ok, can you call Willow and let her know we're ready. I'd prefer her to do the spell this time."

"Alright, promise us that you won't be moping while we hang out with Willow," Buffy requested.

"I promise," Dawn mumbled.

"Maybe we could have Red teach you another spell. Would that help?" Faith inquired as she imagined what Dawn's pain felt like at that moment.

"I guess so," she declared as she began to smile.

As Dawn turned away from the couple and headed to her bedroom to get ready, Buffy kissed Faith softly and whispered into her ear.

"Thank you so much."

"No problem," Faith answered before giving Buffy a kiss.

11:15 AM; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the house Willow and a few slayers share together

When the girls arrived, Willow could instantly tell who or what was on Dawn's mind.

"I hope three of you prepared for some fun. I thought maybe we could check out some of the sights and then hang out on the beaches. I hope you brought your swimsuits."

"Yeah, we did," Faith confirmed as a smirk began to form on her face while Buffy began to blush.

"Something up, Buff?"

"You'll see," Faith chuckled as Buffy's blush increased.

"So what are we going to do first?" Dawn quizzed as the warm weather and the sunny day definitely improved her mood.

"Well, first there's an amusement park. Then there are some beaches you should check out."

At hearing the words "amusement park", Dawn's second smile grew to twice the size of the first smile. After spending a few hours at the amusement park, they were ready to hit the beaches. The girls could barely hold back their smiles and laughter as Dawn's extremely happy mood never changed. It was like she was in her own little world a few times. They had made sure to bring the camera Jessie said they could borrow. The condition being that they took plenty of pictures, so Jessie could see how much fun the four of them had everywhere they went.

"Faith, isn't that bikini a little much, or maybe the correct term is too little?" Willow advised at what most would describe as a "barely there", red bikini. That started to get the redhead worked up at the possibility of what her best friend would be wearing.

"I just want them to see what only B can have."

Buffy then stripped down to a black bikini that was more revealing than the one she borrowed back when they first met Jessie. Willow could almost feel herself start to drool at the sight when Buffy turned around. Then the redhead noticed Faith watching her with a smirk and an arched eyebrow.

_Sorry, Faith, I didn't mean to. Please don't be mad at me._

_Don't sweat it, Red. I can't blame you for looking._

_Thanks_.

To take her mind off of her best friend, Willow shifted her attention to Dawn and began talking to her.

"Want some help, Dawnie?" she offered as Dawn was trying to apply some suntan lotion.

She knew that if Jessie could see the slightly revealing bikini her best friend was wearing, she might have been caught staring but probably without drool.

"Sure, that would be great," Dawn stated as she briefly thought of Jessie doing that to her instead, her doing the same thing to the blonde, and then lying beside her.

Unfortunately, Willow hadn't got the thoughts of Buffy out of her head while applying lotion to Dawn's lower back. A few seconds later, Willow saw that Buffy was frowning at her.

_Could you please not stare at or think about her like that?_

_I wasn't._

_Then what were you doing?_

_I was just thinking how great it would be if Tara was here right now. She'd be having a great time too and would love seeing how happy Dawn is right now._

_Ok, sorry._

_It's alright. I can understand why you thought that._

At that very second, Willow could have sworn she heard someone whisper into her ear. She was grateful that the other three weren't able to hear it.

"You're right, sweetie. I would be, but I can see her right now."

Willow then let a few tears fall down her cheeks.

"Are you going to be ok?" Buffy grilled as she became worried about her best friend.

Dawn immediately spun around to glance at the redhead after she felt a few drops hit her lower back. She saw the expression on the redhead's face and knew who she was thinking about.

"Sorry," Willow almost whimpered her apology.

"Don't worry about it." _Poor Willow. It must suck to have a crush on someone and know nothing will ever happen and then have thoughts about her beloved Tara._

Their thoughts were then interrupted as a few hormonally charged boys passed by and whistled. Willow and Buffy realized their hands were still on Dawn and Faith's lower backs. The girls then all seemed to be thinking the same thing as Willow and Buffy continued rubbing the lotion on Dawn and Faith's backs. Willow leaned over Dawn and whispered into her ear, making the younger girl giggle loudly as Buffy briefly applied lotion to Faith's butt. Then they lay down, so Dawn and Faith could apply lotion to Willow and Buffy's backs. After the boys had disappeared from their sight, the four of them shared smirks and high fives.

A few hours later

"Are the rest of you getting hungry?" Willow prodded as she sat up on her towel.

"Yeah," Dawn and Buffy asserted together.

"I could put away some food, yo."

The girls then found a place that they all agreed on. After a fulfilling meal, Buffy and Faith picked up souvenirs for themselves and Giles while Dawn picked up some for herself and Jessie. Then it was back to the beach for another hour where they attracted more attention. The four decided to go for a dip and then went back to their towels while driving the same boys and men crazy as they slowly and seductively ran their fingers through their hair to get it out of their eyes. After that display, the girls headed back to the house being occupied by Willow and a few slayers.

"How about we all get cleaned up and some rest before we enjoy the night life here?"

"Sounds good, me and B will be in the shower," Faith replied with a smirk.

"One at a time," Willow insisted as one of the slayers entered the room on her trek to the kitchen.

"Hi, did you and your friends have a good time?" the slayer asked with a smile.

"Yes, we did. Thank you, Chloe. Would you like to join us when we go out to the clubs tonight?"

"Can I?" she babbled as she tried to hide the eagerness she had at possibly joining the witch she had a crush on, the great Buffy Summers, Faith, and Dawn.

She knew none of the other slayers knew Faith's last name but assumed it was because she didn't care for it that much.

"Sure," Willow assured her as the other three nodded along.

They watched the girl smile before she left to go to the kitchen. As Willow shuffled toward her friends, Chloe took a good peek at the witch again.

"What?" Willow groaned at seeing them smile at her.

"That girl likes you," Buffy informed her. _Finally, someone I think we could all see make her happy and like._

"Really?"

"Please tell us that you had some idea," Dawn insisted before giggling. _Finally, somebody that she deserves and who deserves her._

"Uh, maybe. Are you saying that I should ask her out?"

"Yes," Buffy and Dawn demanded at the same time.

"You think she'd say yes?"

"Definitely, Red, she was checking out your ass as soon as you looked away," Faith replied with a smirk as Buffy and Dawn nodded along.

"Go for it. She's seems nice, not too pushy or aggressive," Dawn encouraged the redhead.

"You really want me to," Willow spoke to Dawn as she was touched at the encouragement.

"Please do," Dawn recommended in a hopeful tone.

"Alright, I will, just for you."

"Don't do it to make me happy. Do it to make yourself happy," Dawn exclaimed before racing for the bathroom.

"Hey, I said B and I were next," Faith shouted.

"Let it go, sweetie," Buffy ordered.

"Fine, give Red another view of your ring."

Buffy easily complied as she showed it off with pride.

"That really is a nice ring. So, uh, how is she doing?" Willow wondered as she peered at the ceiling above her.

"She's great. I think Jessie's going to ask her out very soon," Buffy informed her.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because they are almost always smiling when they look at each other," the blonde divulged with a smile before doing the same.

"That's good," Willow commented as she began to smile.

"Yeah, and they can't seen to keep their eyes, hands, and lips off each other. We could see the disappointment D tried to hide when J had to say goodbye."

"You could have let her go, Buff, I would have understood." _More than you'll probably ever know. _

"I just want to protect her."

"She's almost an adult. You're going have to let go more."

Later that night, Dawn, Buffy, Faith, Willow, and Chloe hung out at one of the popular clubs. As they talked and danced, Dawn, Buffy, and Faith saw how well Chloe and Willow got along. She was intelligent, funny, open-minded, and had the cutest southern drawl they had ever heard. When they felt the time difference catching up with them, Dawn, Buffy, and Faith decided it was time to leave.

"Well, thanks for coming. I'm glad you all had a great time," Willow declared before hugging her three friends.

They smiled as Chloe hugged them as well.

"Me too," Chloe added quickly and a little eagerly, "Maybe you could come back for their version of Mardi Gras. I hear it gets pretty wild here," she finished before observing Willow with a beaming smile that Willow decided not to comment on.

"Thanks," Buffy and Dawn yawned together before sharing a laugh. _She's perfect for Willow._

Faith just smirked at Willow and Chloe before they reappeared in their apartment.

A few minutes later, the girls' apartment, the family room

Dawn started giggling as she trudged to her and Jessie's bedroom. Buffy and Faith couldn't help but smirk at the giggling teenager.

"So I guess you liked Chloe and hope she and Red hit it off well?" Faith guessed before walking to the bathroom.

"Yeah, I hope they really do. I love her and want her to be happy," Dawn answered with an almost as bright smile as Chloe's.

"I do have to admit that was just as cute as your love for Jessie," Buffy added.

"Or like the puppy dog eyes Faith still gives you sometimes," Dawn told them as she blushed at Buffy's comment.

"Hey, leave me out of the attempt to embarrass the other. Besides, she does that more than me."

The girls then went to bed thinking about how great their day was and hoped that they would have fun when the holidays came around again.

The next day, around 3:00 PM, the family room of the girls' apartment

The first thing the girls saw when Jessie arrived was a smile of relief.

"So was it that bad?" Dawn questioned her best friend cautiously.

"I love my family, but yes. Well, actually, I might be exaggerating it a bit. I am happy to be back here though."  
"Care to talk about it?" Buffy tempted the other blonde.

"Yeah, how was it?" Faith interrupted.

"I guess a little quieter, but still the same amount of questions thrown my way."

"Quieter?" Dawn began before understanding what Jessie was talking about, "Oh, right, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I expected it. Anyway, they all wanted to know how I was holding up since it happened. I told them that I was getting better thanks to help from my friends. Judy asked if I was going to come back home now that Katie and I are done. I believe her exact words were, 'Jessie, now that you and Katie are no longer together, does that mean you're going to transfer back to Upton Sinclair from the boarding school in London? She is the main reason you went there, right? I mean there's no reason keeping you there.' It was a little hard to keep it a secret about the real reason why I'm still here. She thinks now it's just because of the three of you. They asked how my classes were and how other things were going. They were actually able to be subtle enough that Judy had no clue when they were talking about slaying. They also wanted to know if I was seeing anybody new. I told them not yet. I could tell Eli wanted to say something about Buffy and Faith, but the glares Grace and I gave him kept him quiet. So how was Rio de Janeiro? I wish I could have gone there instead."

"Good, want to see my tan lines?" Faith chuckled until she noticed the glare she was getting from her fiancée.

"Geez, B, I was kidding. Did you forget what I told you back on the beach?"

"Care to tell me what I'm missing here?" Jessie cut in.

"You missed a lot…I mean not much…I mean there wasn't a lot to see….I mean..," Dawn babbled under Faith's smirk and Buffy's slight glare.

"Lighten up, B. What your best friend is trying to say is that we had fun on the beach thanks to my "barely there" bikini. These two also apparently wore more revealing ones than the ones they borrowed from you back in Chicago," Faith chuckled as she pointed to Buffy and Dawn.

Dawn saw the smile on Jessie's face and instantly turned red.

"Care to tell me more about the trip?"

Faith joined Dawn and Jessie on the couch while Buffy sat on Faith's lap and lie back with her head on Faith's shoulder. They smiled as Dawn's descriptive babble about the trip went on for at least five minutes. Jessie smiled and nodded at just the right moments while being caught up the cuteness of the whole thing.

"So did you bring back any souvenirs to make me jealous?"

"Yeah," Buffy confirmed before jumping off Faith's lap and rushing to her and Faith's bedroom while Dawn bolted for her and Jessie's.

As they went into the bedrooms to get everything they brought back, Jessie picked up the camera she had let them borrow and examined the pictures while forgetting Faith hadn't moved. Jessie was happy that they obviously had a lot of fun. She had definitely enjoyed seeing the pictures Dawn had taken of Faith, much to Buffy's annoyance. She saw that Dawn and Buffy's bikinis were more revealing as well. She was busy trying to decide how jealous she was of the pictures of Willow's hand on Dawn's back and how cute Dawn looked when she was interrupted with a soft chuckle.

"Uh," Jessie muttered.

"I see you liked ALL of the beach shots, huh?"

"Yeah, did she…miss me?" Jessie inquired as she tried not to blush under Faith's smirk.

"I think so, but she still had fun without you. No offense."

"None taken, I…I wanted her to have a good time. What?"

"When are you going to stop this denial and ask her out? You say you wanted time, but it's been a month and you seemed ready around week three. We know you loved Katie or you still do, but you can't deny the attraction to D."

"I'm not denying anything. It's just that Katie and I went through a lot and for it to suddenly end," Jessie tried to say but was finding it hard under Faith's stare, "Ok, maybe not as sudden as I just said it was. I owe it to Katie and myself to make sure I'm a hundred percent ready. If I do ask her out before I'm ready, it won't work between me and Dawn. The last thing I want to do is hurt her. Understand?"

"Ok, I do. I'll quit trying to push you two together so quickly."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that for much longer."

"And how long is that?"

"I'm going to ask her out tomorrow, but you can't say anything."

"Cool."

"So who was the brunette with four of you in the last few pictures?"

"That would be Chloe. She's a slayer too. She has it bad for Red. We were able to convince Red to ask her out after we left."

"Good."

A minute later Buffy and Dawn set out every souvenir they had brought back. They described which ones were for themselves and the ones for Giles. Jessie tried not to act like that she was curious if they got her anything.

"Were you expecting something too?" Dawn assumed with a smile as Jessie was admiring everything she saw.

"No, I wasn't. The pictures are good, and I'm really happy the three of you had a good time. I shouldn't expect anything."

Faith and Buffy couldn't help laughing at Jessie's answer.

"You think I forgot you, didn't you?"

"No, I know you wouldn't. I was hoping for something, but I wasn't going to be upset if there wasn't anything."

"Well, I didn't forget. Here you go," Dawn announced as she handed Jessie a gift bag,

Jessie opened it up and pulled out the first thing she saw. She slowly unfolded the t-shirt, and smiled at the design and what it said on the front.

"Thanks,"

"Read what it says to Buffy and Faith and show them what it looks like. I didn't let them see it," Dawn said as she winked at Buffy and Faith.

All three knew there was something else in the bag and could tell Jessie hadn't seen it yet.

"My friends went to Rio de Janeiro, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt," Jessie read before showing them the beach scene on the front. She laughed a little as she folded it up and prepared to hug Dawn. Then, she noticed there was a smaller bag inside of the first bag, "You got me something else too?"

"Of course, I wasn't going to leave with just a shirt. Take a look," Dawn said with a look of anticipation and nervousness.

Jessie opened the smaller bag to find a bracelet made of various gemstones on what looked like a pretty sturdy chain.

"It's beautiful. It must have cost you a lot. You didn't have to spend that much on me."

"Don't worry about it. I know how to haggle plus the guy who sold it to me thought I was cute."

"Are you sure it didn't cost you too much?"

"I'm sure."

"Ok, I'll wear it on our first date. Whenever that is, and when I go home for holidays again. The three of you and Willow can still come, right? If Willow wants to bring Chloe, I'm sure my family won't mind," Jessie mentioned as she tried to ignore the way Faith was looking at her.

"Whoa, slow down, Jessie. As far as we know, Willow still hasn't asked out Chloe out yet," Buffy informed her.

"Ok, I just really want all of you there."

"So the pressure will be on the three of us and off of you?" Dawn wondered.

"Yeah, and my family really seems to like you. I kind of do too," Jessie almost mumbled as she began to blush at how Buffy had joined in with Faith on the staring.

"Won't Eli bother us again?" Faith growled as she thought about how to get him to back off if needed.

"I don't think so. He hasn't e-mailed me about any of that stuff since he got the pictures, and like I told you already, he kept his mouth shut after the glares we gave him."

"Ok, we'll go," Buffy conceded as Faith and Dawn shook their heads in agreement.


	42. Chapter 42

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 42

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn gets some advice from Willow about Jessie. Jessie has an intense dream about Dawn and finally asks her out. The next morning, she finds out what she did at a club the previous night.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

Around 7:00 PM that night, the girls' apartment

Since telling Faith of her plans to ask out Dawn the following day, Jessie spent the rest of the day either getting some training in, thinking when to ask Dawn out, and where they would go. She wanted the first date to be special for both of them but more for Dawn than her. Buffy told Jessie about Dawn's pretty much non-existent dating history. She had chuckled about Dawn's first kiss being with a boy who turned out to be a vampire and the crush she had on RJ. Then Faith had mentioned how she told Buffy that at least the Summers' tastes in who they wanted to date had improved. The couple saw how Jessie wanted everything to go well and told her not to worry so much. They told her that Dawn wouldn't care where they went. To Dawn, all that really mattered is who she would be with. Since Dawn was already in love with Jessie, anything would be great in her mind. It wasn't like she would be proposing to Dawn anyway. When Faith had said that, Jessie and Buffy laughed. Dawn had been busy teleporting slayers back and beginning to devote a little bit more time to both watcher training and learning a few more spells to even notice Jessie's slight anxiety.

"So are you going slaying tonight with the other girls?" Dawn asked as she was sitting on the couch and studying the different languages used in some of the research books Giles had copies of at his old home in case of emergencies like buildings blowing up and towns becoming craters.

"Well, part of me says yes while the other part is saying no."

"Tell me more. Maybe I can help you decide."

"Ok, uh…," Jessie stuttered as she stood behind the couch and tried to decide on where to start. _Take it slower this time. You don't want a repeat of that other night._

Dawn smiled briefly at Jessie's hesitation before focusing back on the books.

"You want to go because?" Dawn said in her attempt to help Jessie.

"I want to see if some if the slayers will be ready to leave soon and to make sure Ashley doesn't hurt Jennifer and say it was an accident."

"Aren't both of them on the list to leave at that time?"

"Uh huh, but they will be going to different cities."

"And you don't want to go because?"

"Because I have been kind of distracted today. I might do more harm than good."

"What has got you distracted?" _Is it me? Maybe, but don't get your hopes up just yet._

"Well, more like who or maybe it's both," Jessie explained as she briefly put her hands on Dawn's shoulders before joining her on the couch and sitting right beside her.

"You're just going to supervise, right?" _It IS me. Is she getting ready to ask me out? Maybe I'm wrong, and it's Jennifer she's thinking about. She did specifically mention her name. That could be because Jennifer was supposed to be in the next group leaving for spots around the world. Just be patient. You'll find out soon enough._

"Yeah. If they have a problem, they will have back up. So what should I do?"

"I…I think you should go. If Ashley does that, Buffy is likely to hurt her. Maybe after a good night's sleep, you will know what to do about what's distracting you."

"You're right. Thanks, D," Jessie told her before going to her room to get Mr. Pointy and leaving to meet the rest of them down at the gym.

After Jessie was gone, Dawn sighed and made a call to Rio de Janeiro.

"Willow."

"Yes, Dawnie, is something wrong? Nothing serious, I hope."

"Well, I guess the answer to the first could be either, and no to the second. I thought I should ask Buffy first, but they're getting ready to go on patrol. Besides, I think you will be just as good of help as she would be right now."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Willow said with slight sarcasm.

"I didn't mean it like that. I mean…"

"I was only kidding. What's up?"

"I think Jessie's getting ready to ask me out, but I'm not sure. Should I take a risk of embarrassing myself and ask her out again or wait a little bit longer for her to make the first move?"

"Tell me what happened to make you think this, so I can have a better idea on how to answer that," Willow requested as Chloe was sitting right beside the witch and watching in curiosity.

Willow listened closely as Dawn began describing the dilemma in a cute babble that she had picked up from the witch.

"So what should I do?"

"Well, it sounds like she is very close to making a decision. If she hasn't asked in about two weeks, I say ask her again."

"Two weeks? I don't know if I can do that. When she put her hands on my shoulders, I could feel my mind starting to go blank. It only took five to ten seconds. If it would have been ten seconds longer, I would have kissed her again. I know it. That could have ruined it, or maybe we'd be kissing right now or more."

"Oversharing."

"Sorry."

"It's ok. Just take my advice. If anything happens and you're still confused, let me know."

"Thanks, I love you, Willow."

"I love you too, Dawnie. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

"So what do you think?" Willow questioned the smiling brunette.

"I think you gave her great advice."

"So where would you like to go on our first date?"

"Since I got one of the other girls to cover for me and you're a pretty powerful witch, we could go almost anywhere. I've been wanting to see what "The City Of Love " looks like from the top of the Eiffel Tower for awhile."

"Wouldn't you rather see Paris during the daytime? There's not much to see from the top at night other than lights."

"Well, we could make it an overnight trip, right?"

"You little vixen," Willow teased, "trying to get me into bed already?"

"N-No, it was just an idea. Nothing has to happen if you don't want it. I don't want to give the impression I'm some kind of slut who puts out on the first night."

"I was kidding, Chloe, but I'm not sure if I want to do the overnight thing on the first date, no matter how innocent. We could go to dinner and a movie first. If it goes well, we could go to Paris tomorrow late in the morning and spend most of the day there."

"Ok," Chloe sighed before kissing Willow.

"Let's go check on the other slayers before we go out on the date," Willow suggested before they left the house in search of the other slayers.

Sometime later that night, the family room of the girls' apartment

Dawn was woken from her sleep by what sounded like her roommates staggering into the apartment.

"Sorry, we woke you, D," Faith greeted as the younger blonde clung to her while her fiancée was walking on the other side of the blonde and chuckling.

"How drunk is she, and why did you let her drink?"

"She wanted to celebrate, and I decided to let her this time," Buffy revealed as Faith decided to see if Jessie could stand.

"Whoa, the room's sp-spinning. S-Stop the r-ride, I want off," Jessie slurred as she began to stumble before Buffy caught and prevented the blonde from falling on her face.

"Where do you want help to, Jessie?" Buffy inquired with concern as Faith smirked at them.

"To the…the bathroom and quick, I think I'm going to throw up," Jessie admitted as she covered her mouth with her right hand.

Buffy wasted no time in rushing her to the bathroom. Ten seconds later, they could hear Jessie throwing up.

"Ok, she wanted to celebrate, but why did you let the girl I love drink so much? What caused the celebration binge and puke?"

"Jennifer, the second biggest member of her fan club, staked two vampires with less than a minute between them. She's definitely ready to be sent out. Ashley only got one and was pissed but kept her snide comments to herself."

"Are they the only ones who killed tonight?"

"They were the only ones in Jessie's group. A few others in our groups got lucky too."

"You let those two patrol in the same group? Are you crazy?"

"J said she'd watch them. There were no bruises, so apparently she's good at cracking the whip."

"That better not be followed by any sexual innuendo," Buffy warned her fiancée.

"I wouldn't dream of it. It sounds like J is done."

They all went to check on her. Faith smirked again before handing Jessie a glass of water and a roll of breath mints.

"Thanks," Jessie mumbled before putting two in her mouth and quickly making them dissolve.

"You're welcome."

"Do you want any other help?" Dawn offered carefully.

"A help up would be nice," she answered as she held out her hand to Dawn.

Dawn smiled before helping her best friend up.

"Feel better now?" Dawn asserted.

"Yeah," Jessie murmured as she smiled at Dawn, "Uh, sorry. Does my breath still stink?"

"No, it's fine," Dawn assured her.

"Cool, yo," Jessie responded before kissing her on the cheek and walking into her and Dawn's bedroom.

"Don't say it," Dawn begged.

"Ok," the couple replied in agreement.

"What did she have to make her get like this?"

"Well, she sort of dared me. So she ended having about three shots of Jack D's and a few beers."

"Faith, please don't do that to her again," Dawn pleaded before going to check on Jessie for the second time, "Uh, do you want some more help? I could grab some pajamas for you."

"I'm fine," Jessie announced as she started to lie down on her bed in just underwear.

A few seconds later, she was passed out on her bed. Dawn closed the door when she realized Buffy and Faith had begun watching Jessie while Faith let out a whistle.

"How soon is the next group of girls leaving?" Dawn began as Buffy and Faith could tell Dawn was still worried about the passed out slayer.

"We'll talk to Giles tomorrow. Then we'll decide where they are needed the most. I'd say within the next few days," Buffy guessed her before rolling her eyes at Faith.

"So are you going to help J into some pajamas?" Faith quizzed.

"Yeah, I think I better. She's going to be embarrassed when she finds out you both saw her in underwear."

"Maybe, but it's nothing we haven't seen before," Buffy reminded her.

"Yeah, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Buffy smirked as they watched her start to close the door.

"Ditto," Faith said before Dawn closed the door behind her.

Then Dawn removed some pajamas from the dresser, walked over to Jessie, quickly dressed her, brushed the hair away from her face, and covered her with the sheet and comforter. She sighed as she changed into pajamas, turned off the overhead light, and climbed into her own bed.

A few hours later

Dawn had been woken for the second time by her roommate, who had started dreaming about her. Dawn would soon find out it wouldn't anger her. A few seconds later, her sister and Faith entered the room and stood beside Dawn's bed. Dawn rolled her eyes at seeing Faith walking into her room while only wearing a tank top and underwear. At least her sister knew the purpose of pajamas.

"Do you become allergic to pajama pants or shorts before going to bed?"

"Tomorrow is my pajama night. I like to alternate between the two."

"She's kidding, right?" Dawn grilled her sister.

"No," Buffy confirmed before all eyes turned back to Jessie.

They had decided it was the rustling of sheets that had caused them to wake up at this time of the night. They assumed Jessie was having a possible nightmare or just a case of tossing and turning that would hopefully end soon. That idea was gone after hearing the first moan. It got more interesting as they watched Jessie's back arch off the bed and appeared to be moving her shoulders as if her clothes were being removed in the dream.

"Who do you think she's dreaming about, D?" Faith pried as she glanced at Dawn before turning back to Jessie.

"Probably you. She already had one about Buffy."

"What makes you think it's me? It could be you."

"Because you were the one she let touch her butt."

"But you're the one she can't keep her eyes and hands off of. Besides, you let her touch your butt."

"Will you two be quiet? I have a feeling we'll find out soon," Buffy ordered as Jessie moaned the second time.

"Whichever one of us it is, we're definitely doing a good job," Faith joked before smirking.

"Buffy told you to be…," Dawn tried to warn the brunette before hearing Jessie telling whoever it was not to stop.

The suspense was nearly killing them. Then it was cured as they heard Jessie moan out Dawn's name.

"I told you it was you. It was the bikini pictures that did it," Faith determined as she began to gloat about being right.

"But she saw yours, and you were barely wearing anything."

"I know, but…"

The conversation ended when they heard the blonde shriek. They began smiling as Jessie quickly sat up. They watched anxiously as the blonde rubbed her eyes before looking directly at them.

"Uh, how much did you see and hear?" Jessie challenged nervously before looking down at her bed.

"Dawn was up when B and I came in. We heard everything from the first moan to the shriek that woke you."

"I'm SO sorry," Jessie apologized as she instantly began blushing while running to the bathroom.

"What should we do?" Dawn stated as she studied the bathroom door that was probably locked now.

"You talk to her. B and I are going to bed. We'll talk to her later," Faith advised as she took Buffy's hand, led her out of the bedroom through the other door, returned to their room, and went to bed.

"Please come out," Dawn pleaded to her best friend.

"No, I'm not coming out until I know you're asleep."

"How will you be able to tell if the lights are off? I don't think you'd leave them on because that would keep me awake."

"I figured at least fifteen minutes should be enough time."

"Well, I'm just going to sit here until you do. So I guess neither one of us will be sleeping anytime soon."

"Are you really going to do that?"

"If that's what it takes for you to come out before we are supposed to get up."

"Fine, I'll come out."

As soon as Jessie stepped into the bedroom, Dawn gave her a hug.

"I'm not mad at you."

"You promise?"

"Yeah, and I'll make you a deal. If I tell you why I'm not mad, you tell me what finally made you have that dream about me."

"Ok, you first," Jessie demanded as she broke the hug and sat down on her bed.

"I'm not mad because I had the same type of dream about you that you had about me."  
"Really, when?"

"After you had the nightmare where you killed Katie. I was just as embarrassed as you were just now."

"What made it so embarrassing?"

"Buffy and I were sharing her bed. I started out being just as dressed as we are right now, but when I woke up, I was down to just underwear. I was so embarrassed that I broke into tears. Buffy was able to convince to come back to bed. She promised to never tell you. I felt it would make you feel better to know you were in mine."

"It does. I guess the reason I dreamed about you was because throughout Thanksgiving dinner I pictured how much fun the three of you were having in Brazil. When somebody mentioned Katie, I started thinking about you more. Since I came back, I've been thinking of the best way to ask you if you'd want to go out with me sometime soon. I'm ready now, and this isn't what's left of the alcohol talking. I honestly mean it."

"I would think there is no alcohol left in your system or not much else either. All you have to do is ask."

"Ok, Dawn Summers, would you like to go on a date with me?"

"I'd love to. It doesn't matter where we go or what we do. As long as I'm with you, that's all that matters."

"Ok, I guess we should go back to sleep now. Goodnight." When Dawn didn't budge, Jessie added, "You want to know if you can sleep here, don't you?"

"Can I? Nothing has to happen. We can just sleep. If it would make you uncomfortable, say so, and I'll go back to my own bed."

When Jessie moved over and patted the space beside her, Dawn slowly climbed into bed beside her. They smiled as Jessie turned out the light. Then they closed their eyes and went to sleep.

Saturday morning, 10:00 AM, the kitchen of the girls' apartment

Buffy and Faith were getting ready to head to the cafeteria as Dawn and Jessie made their way into the kitchen, walking hand in hand. When they saw Buffy and Faith looking at them, Jessie let go of Dawn's hand and heard her sigh immediately after that.

"You don't need to stop holding hands in front of each other. Especially after last night," Faith stated as she was able to hold back a smirk.

"Good morning, sleepyheads," Buffy greeted as she began smiling at them.

"Good morning," they replied before yawning.

"Do you need any aspirin, Jessie?"

"Yeah, I bet you have a wicked hangover," Faith chuckled.

"No, I'm good. Thanks anyway."

"Nice choice of pajamas, D. Don't you think so, J?"

"Huh?"

"I said D made a good choice when she picked out those pajamas for you. You know she dressed you, right?" Faith affirmed as Jessie scanned down her body to find out what she was wearing.

"Not really. Uh, what all happened last night?"

"What do you remember?" Buffy started as they all wondered what Jessie would say.

"I remember you two letting me drink a lot. After the first beer and a few shots, everything until we left the club is a blur. Then next thing I remember is Faith helping me into the apartment, Buffy helping me into the bathroom, and throwing up. It gets blurry again until the dream that woke you up," Jessie confessed before blushing and facing the floor, "Can you tell me what I'm not remembering?"

"I will tell you some of it. Dawn will have to tell you the rest."

"Uh, ok."

"Well, after a little talk, the three of us went to check on you. I handed you a glass of water and some breath mints. Dawn asked if you were ok or if you needed any more help. She helped you to your feet. You kissed her on the cheek before walking into the bedroom," Faith said before pausing long enough for them to see that Dawn was blushing, "We checked on you again and watched you fall asleep while you were only in underwear. We told each other goodnight, and I guess that's when Dawn put the pajamas on you."

Jessie was blushing now.

"You don't need to blush; it wasn't anything that we hadn't seen before. I put those pajamas on you, brushed the hair out of your face, covered you with the sheet and comforter, and then went to bed," Dawn informed her as Jessie's blush started to slowly disappear.

"Did anything happen when we were in our room?" Buffy interjected.

"Yes, I asked Dawn out. She said yes instantly and that it didn't matter where we went or what we did. As long as we were together, that's all that mattered. Then we slept together in my bed. I mean literally slept," Jessie described.

"I told you so, J."

"Wait, Faith knew about this?" Dawn questioned Jessie.

"Yeah," Jessie revealed, "Well, actually both off them knew."

"Why?"

"Because she wanted your first date to be great, so we told her what you apparently told her last night. I guess there were no other dreams?" Buffy presumed as she grabbed Faith's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"No, the rest of the night was dream free," Dawn told them.

"Well, I guess D and I should get cleaned up and join you and Faith for breakfast downstairs,"

"One at time in the shower though," Buffy chuckled.

"Why would you say something like that?" Dawn almost snapped in shock that Buffy would say something like that.

"Since you two seem to like sharing a bed, you might be tempted to share a shower," Faith implied with a smirk before leaving the apartment with Buffy.

After getting cleaned up, Dawn and Jessie went downstairs and were relieved that Buffy and Faith had saved some food for them. Then they headed over to the gym. Jessie saw that she had become the center of attention again. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know why but eventually decided to ask.

"Obviously, you and Buffy aren't telling me something. I'm assuming something happened at the club. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it didn't involve me or B."

"Then who does it involve?"

Faith smirked as she and Buffy nodded to Jennifer. Jessie turned to see the girl slowly and a little timidly walk over to her.

"Uh, hi, J-Jessie. Are you feeling better?"

"I guess, not counting that things were kind of a blur shortly after I started drinking up until we left."

"So then you don't remember what you did with me?"

"What did we do?" Jessie gasped as she became worried and briefly stared at Dawn before turning her attention back to the girl in front of her. _Oh no, what did we do?_

Jessie had eyed Dawn long enough to see a sign of dread on her best friend's face.

"Well, some of the others saw us getting a little close to each other, so they dared us to kiss. We kissed for about a minute before you led me to the dance floor. We sort of rubbed against each other for a fast song, then you held me as we danced to a slow song," Jennifer confided as Jessie began to look away from her and over to Buffy and Faith. She knew what Jessie was thinking and continued, "They didn't stop you because Faith was getting more drinks while Buffy went to the restroom. By the time they both got back, we had just finished dancing. I'm sure they would have stopped us if they had been there. I'm sorry, Jessie. I'm sorry, Dawn. I knew I should have stopped her, and that she only did it because she was drunk. I'm not gay. I just wanted to see what it felt like to kiss and dance with a girl."

"And what better choice than a girl you idolize, right?" Faith joked.

"Yeah."

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Dawn wondered even though she had a rough idea what the other girl was thinking.

"Aren't the two of you like an unofficial couple? We've all seen how close you walk beside each other and hold hands now and then. I figured it would only be a matter of time before we saw you two kiss."

"No, we're not a couple yet. We're just friends," Dawn claimed as she glanced at Jessie, Buffy, and Faith. _Did I just say yet? Yeah, I did. Why do Faith and Buffy have to look at me like that?_

"More like friends with benefits," Faith commented.

Jessie chose not to respond to what Faith said but could also feel the sadness in Dawn's voice.

"So then you don't hate me?" Jennifer chimed in as she observed both Dawn and Jessie.

"I don't hate you," Dawn and Jessie confirmed at the same time, which made Dawn giggle.

"Good, because I can see that you two would make a cute couple," Jennifer exclaimed as she began to walk away.

"Hold up, Jennifer," Jessie instructed.

"Yeah?"

"In case I forgot to tell you before, I was impressed with how you handled yourself last night," Jessie complimented before Jennifer hugged her, Jessie then turned to the rest of the girls, "Buffy, Faith, and I are proud of all of you that came with us last night. We think you're ready to leave here and fight the good fight someplace else, right?" Jessie challenged as she whipped around to see their leaders.

"She's right, yo. We are proud of you," Faith agreed honestly.

"Giles will be here shortly. When he gets here, we will have a talk with you and come to a decision where you will be sent," Buffy added.

"We'll catch you later, B," Jessie muttered as she grabbed Dawn's hand.

"And where do you think you two are going?" Buffy asked sternly before laughing at seeing the pleading look from Dawn.

"If it's ok, I was going to go for another ride on my bike and take my unofficial girlfriend with me," Jessie remarked before seeing that the other girls had gathered around them.

Faith smirked at the unnecessary hesitation coming from her fiancée.

"Ok, be careful,"

"So then no stunts like popping a wheelie with my slayer strength?"

"You wouldn't dare," Buffy warned her.

"We'll see," Jessie suggested as she quickly left the gym and raced back to the apartment.


	43. Chapter 43

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 43

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn and Jessie go on their first date.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's note: A few movies that Evan and Michelle are in are mentioned in this chapter.

* * *

About ten minutes later

Jessie returned with a couple of coats, the helmets, and the keys. The rest of the girls stood waiting around Jessie's bike to see what the blonde would actually do.

After making sure they were both ready, Jessie revved the motor and took off. When she was about fifteen feet away, Jessie did exactly what she said she was going to do and lifted the front of the bike a foot off of the ground as she picked up speed.

"HEY, I WARNED YOU!" Buffy yelled at Jessie before running after her.

"YOU BETTER STOP DOING THAT, J, BEFORE B CATCHES UP WITH YOU!"

At hearing Faith's warning, Jessie slowed down just long enough to set the front back onto the ground and then sped away again.

"Why did she do that? Dawn could have been hurt. It looked like she was about to fall off."

"She was just showing off because you sort of dared her. She wouldn't let anything happen to her best friend. Wouldn't you have been tempted to do the same thing if you were her? I understand the urge to get daring like that."

"I would have never done…," Buffy muttered, "Ok, maybe I would have if I was her and alone."

Jessie decided to take Dawn just outside of the city, so she could see how fast she could get the bike to go before Dawn got a little scared. She got it up to a hundred mph before Dawn let her know by tapping her helmet on Jessie's back. When they returned to the campus, they were met with a glare from Buffy and a smirk from Faith.

"What's up, B?" Jessie chuckled even though she knew she was responsible for the other blonde's anger.

"You try a stunt like that with my sister and have the nerve to ask me that? She could have been hurt."

"Relax, she'd never hurt me," Dawn insisted, "Besides, it wasn't the most daring thing she did on the bike."

"What's she talking about?" Faith asked as she smirked again at the couple still on the bike.

"Geez, one round of playing chicken and the person behind you doesn't know how to be quiet," Jessie answered with a smirk of her own before turning to Dawn, "Just see how long it is before we make out on the bike again. Consider your benefits revoked."

"Dawn, get off that bike right now!" Buffy ordered, "Jessie, I want a few minutes with you…ALONE."

"We were kidding, Buffy," Dawn revealed before taking off the helmet, kissing Jessie softly on the cheek, and hopping off the bike.

"Why do you constantly feel the urge to do that to me?" Buffy questioned her sister.

"Because you still treat me like a kid. Give me and J some credit. I know how to handle things, and when I can't, she'll be there to help."

"So when are you two going on your first date, D?" Faith inquired as Jessie took off her helmet, turned off the bike, and then hopped off.

"I'm not sure," Dawn replied before turning to her best friend. "When should we?"

"I guess next Friday night, unless your sister will let me out of patrolling tonight?" Jessie suggested before smirking at Buffy.

"I don't know," Buffy responded as she thought about what Dawn had just told her.

"Please, Buffy," Dawn pleaded lightly.

"Ok, just no more jokes about getting daring on the bike."

"Deal," Dawn and Jessie agreed together before they headed upstairs.

After making the plans for the date, Dawn and Jessie rejoined the girls in the gym.

"So what are your plans for tonight?" Buffy quizzed Dawn.

"Just the normal dinner and a movie. Maybe hit one of the clubs after that, depending on how late it is and how the first two go."

"What are you going to see?"

"It's called "The Missing". It's supposed to be a suspense filled drama. It sounds interesting."

"Anything to get closer to J, huh?" Faith chuckled as she looked at Jessie.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dawn wondered.

"Don't you get a little scared at movies like that?" Buffy implied with a slightly raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Yeah, so?"

"A suspenseful movie plus a slightly scared Dawn equals Dawn snuggling up against a very protective J."

Dawn couldn't stop the blush from forming as Jessie and Buffy smiled at her.

"Leave her alone, Faith."

"Whatever you say, B."

Many hours later, Dawn and Jessie's bedroom

After a Scooby meeting in the library and a good workout in the gym, Jessie and Dawn got cleaned up for the date.

"Are you sure you don't want to do something more special on your first date than a dinner and a movie?"

"I'm positive. If we try to go to someplace as nice as where Faith and Buffy went to and get all dressed up like they did, we won't be able to relax on the date."

"Good point. Besides, I haven't had a chance to go ring shopping anyway," Jessie joked, "Do you want to use the bathroom first?"

"No, you go ahead," Dawn recommended as she got out the clothes she was going to wear on the date.

"Ok, thanks," Jessie stated before heading into the bathroom.

After Dawn had laid her clothes on the bed, she looked to the bathroom and saw Jessie hadn't closed the door all the way. The sound of the shower running was drawing her closer to the bathroom. She had to struggle with not spying on Jessie before leaving the room. Buffy and Faith could see the frustration on Dawn's face as she entered the family room.

A minute later

"What's the matter, D? J had second thoughts about the date?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem," Buffy interrupted.

"Jessie's taking a shower."

"That's good, right? I mean she doesn't want to smell bad on your date," Buffy informed her.

"That's not the problem."

"Then what is it?" Faith interrupted this time.

"Jessie didn't close the door all the way before she got in the shower. It's like she was daring me to spy on her."

"That's wicked, yo. So did you see anything?"

"I didn't spy on her. If I had, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on our date."

"Ok, so are you going to do the same thing to her?"

"I'm thinking about it," Dawn mentioned before facing Buffy, "What do you think I should do?"

"I refuse to give my sister advice on whether or not to let her best friend spy on her like that before their first date has even started," Buffy muttered with a look of contempt at Faith's smirking.

"I'll give you some advice if you want it, D."

"Ok."

"Let's go into my and Buffy's room, so B can't hear us."

A few minutes later, Faith and Dawn came back to the family room as Jessie let Dawn know that the bathroom was free. Then Jessie finished getting ready and waited patiently in the family room. When Dawn reappeared, Jessie smiled at the beautiful girl standing in front of her.

"I guess we'll be leaving now," Jessie declared as she helped Dawn with her coat before putting hers on.

"Wait," Buffy recommended.

"What now?" Dawn groaned.

"Since this is your first date with Jessie, maybe we should take a picture or two before you leave," Buffy decided, "Can you go get your camera, Jessie?"

"Ok."

After a few pictures, Dawn and Jessie headed out on their date. The movie had gone just as Dawn had described. When Dawn got a little scared, she clung to her date. It helped her relax, but the fact that one of the main characters in the movie looked exactly like her date made her a little confused on how to talk to her as they left the theater.

"I guess from the way you held on to me that you thought it was just as good as we thought it would be."

"Yeah, just like how we both noticed one of the main stars looked like you. Is there something you're not telling us?" Dawn laughed.

"No, it was just a coincidence. They say everyone has a twin out there somewhere."

"Yeah, people say I look like that girl who played Harriet in 'Harriet The Spy'. Hey, J, look."

Jessie turned to where Dawn was pointing to and saw a photo booth.

"We already had our picture taken twice."

"Yeah, but we could do the goofy poses some people like to do when they get in them."

"Ok."

Just like Dawn had encouraged, they did every goofy pose they could think of. Dawn surprised Jessie before the last picture by kissing her on the cheek. She had done it in enough time that Jessie was blushing when the last flash went off.

"Hey!" Jessie yelped as Dawn stood up to exit the booth.

"Oh come on, you can't tell me you didn't see that coming. Are you mad?"

"No, if it made you happy to do that, then it's fine. This night is all about making sure you have a good time. Are you ready to grab something to eat?"

"Yes, let's go," Dawn remarked after grabbing the pictures.

They chose a pizza place and ordered a large, veggie pizza. After filling up on the pizza, they decided to go to one of the other dance clubs in London. They spent the next few hours dancing and generally having a good time talking about the movie they had seen earlier that night and other movies that they had enjoyed in the past. As they were getting ready to leave, they noticed a guy twice their size bothering another girl. Jessie gazed at Dawn and smiled as they both agreed to help.

"Excuse us, but she told she wasn't interested, so leave her alone."

"Mind your own business, blondie. You already have a girl, so bug off."

"I can't let you continue to bother the poor girl," Jessie warned as she indicated to the woman that it was safe for her to leave.

"She's not leaving yet."

"Yes, she is. If you want her, you're just going to have to go through me."

"And me," Dawn added as she stood by Jessie.

"I'm not going to be threatened by two little girls."

"You don't want to mess with us," Dawn advised him.

"She's a hair puller," Jessie teased as Dawn rolled her eyes at the blonde.

For the next few minutes, the obnoxious guy explained to the couple why they should leave him alone.

"Bored now," Jessie muttered to stop the man in his rant.

As the woman, Jessie, and Dawn began to leave, they were stopped when the guy made the mistake of grabbing Jessie's arm.

"What do you think you're doing? You just can't interfere with something that's not any of your business and walk away."

"Leaving now," Jessie announced as she broke the hold and pushed him away while using some of her slayer strength.

Everyone else in the club watched silently as the man was pushed back about ten feet before he fell backwards over the table he had been sitting at and was drenched by the pitcher of beer that had been on the table. Then they passed the bartender on the way out.

"Sorry about the mess," Jessie told the man before handing him some money.

"Keep it and don't ever come back. I don't tolerate fights in my place."

"Not a problem," she claimed with a smile before leaving with Dawn.

As they reached the bike, Dawn smiled at Jessie.

"What?"

"You were great back there."

"It was nothing really," Jessie told her as she reached for the helmets and handed one to Dawn, "So how about we call it a night?"

"That sounds good to me."

"Cool," Jessie exclaimed as she started up the bike again and fought the urge that was building inside.

Around forty five minutes later, Dawn and Jessie's bedroom

The girls stood still as they tried to think of what to say next. Dawn decided to go with the traditional response at the end of a date.

"So, uh, thanks for everything tonight. I had a great time."

"Me too," Jessie replied as she watched Dawn set the pictures taken at the photo booth on her side of the dresser.

As they stared into each other's eyes again, Dawn wasn't sure what to do while Jessie could feel the urge getting stronger. Jessie leaned in and started kissing Dawn. Dawn went along with it and slightly increased the heat of the kiss as Jessie wrapped her arms around Dawn's neck. When Jessie decided to break the hold and move her hands down Dawn's back, Dawn took a few steps back.

"Well, goodnight," Dawn finished as she walked back to the dresser, removed some pajamas, and prepared for bed.

Jessie was a little confused at why Dawn stopped what she could tell the other girl was enjoying just as much as she was.

"What, that's it?"

"Yeah. What, you expected me to go all the way with you on the first date just because I'm in love with you?"

"No…kind of…I mean I wasn't sure how long it would take. Uh...how long will it take?"

"That depends," Dawn revealed as she removed her shirt and turned her back to Jessie.

"Depends on what?"

"On how many more dates we go on," Dawn determined as she removed her pants and put on her pajamas.

"When would you like to go out again?"

"How about next Friday? Hey, where are you going?" Dawn pried as Jessie began to move away from her.

"Friday's good for me. I'm going to take a cold shower. I won't be long," Jessie admitted before closing the bathroom door behind her.

After the door closed, Dawn smiled at how Faith's advice helped in the way she said it would. Jessie returned about ten minutes later, said goodnight, turned off the light, and climbed into her own bed before falling asleep.

Later that night

Buffy and Faith entered their apartment and were met with nothing but silence. Buffy saw the disappointment on Faith's face and felt the urge to say something.

"You're disappointed again, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you always hope to catch them doing something? Am I not enough for you?"

"You're enough. It's just the silence means we will have to wait until morning to find out how their date went."

"Ok, but if you're quiet, you could open the door and try to see the expressions on their faces."

"It's too dark to see anything," Faith complained after taking a quick peek and closing the door.

"Then you'll just have to wait until the morning," Buffy smirked.

"You like that I have to wait until morning to find out, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Fine, but if you're going to be like that, I'm going to ask for ALL of the details."

"That's fine with me as long as I have enough warning, so I won't have to hear what I don't want to hear."

Sunday morning, around 10:00 AM

The girls were sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee as Faith continued to tap her fingers on the table as her right foot did the same thing to the floor.

"Stop it, Faithy, they should be up soon. Then you can probably get the answers you're hoping for."

"You don't know that for sure. J could be listening on the other side of the door right now."

"Well, let's go find out then," Buffy dared as they stood up and marched over to the closed door.

As they reached their destination, they heard the sound of the shower start up.

"Which one do you think is in there?" Faith prodded as she leaned up against the bathroom door in the hopes of finding out by who was in there by any detectable sounds.

"We'll have to wait a little longer to find out."

Faith shrugged her shoulders before heading back to have more coffee. Buffy sighed happily as she got a view of her beautiful fiancée and the ring that only came off before a training session or patrolling. After Buffy would get cleaned up, it would immediately be put back on.

Meanwhile

Jessie felt her eyes opening and sat up. The memories of the previous night came rushing back into her mind and brought a smile to her face. She recalled Dawn having a good time throughout the date. After stretching a little, she got up and began making the trip to the bathroom. Before she got to the door, she was interrupted.

"Is that you, J?" Dawn assumed as she yawned, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and started to sit up.

"Yes, who else would it be?" Jessie answered as she smiled at the cute smile appearing on her best friend's face.

"I thought maybe it was going to be Faith wanting to know what happened last night. Uh, you had a good time last night, right? Considering what we didn't do."

"Yes, I wanted you to have a great date, that's all that mattered to me. Hopefully, we'll have just as much fun on the second one without having to deal with the jerk we dealt with last night."

"Didn't it feel good to help that woman out?"

"Yeah, but I would have preferred for something like that not to interrupt a date. I'm going to get cleaned up and head downstairs in search of breakfast. I'll save you some for when you come down. So catch a few more minutes of sleep, and I'll wake you when I'm done."

"Ok," Dawn consented before lying down and falling asleep again.

About twenty minutes later, Jessie was finished and woke up Dawn. She smiled at how at how cute Dawn looked as she woke up the same way as she had done earlier.

"Ok, I'm done. The shower is free. See you again soon."

"Thanks," Dawn responded as she got out of bed, stretched a little, and almost skipped into the bathroom while unaware that Jessie had been watching her.

A minute later, the family room

Jessie noticed the happy couple a few seconds before they saw her. She quickly decided how she was going to react to their inevitable questions about the date.

"Hi, J, sleep well?"

"I slept fine, Faith, how was patrol last night?"

"Slow, uh, how did your date with Dawn go?" Buffy cut in before Faith had a chance, making Faith frown at her.

"Ask Dawn, I'm going to go get some breakfast," Jessie griped as she faked a frown in front of the other blonde.

"Uh, ok," Buffy said as she gawked with worry at Dawn and Jessie's bedroom door. _Oh no, they had a bad time. Faith and I really wanted it to go really well. I think I was just as nervous as Dawn was._

Since she had her back to Jessie, she didn't catch the smirk between Jessie and Faith before the blonde left the apartment.

"Don't worry, B, I'm sure they had a good time." _Yes, they had a great time. I can't wait to hear Dawn talk about it after the smirk that B missed._

"Didn't you see the look on her face? It didn't go well. I feel bad for Dawn. We both wanted it go so well, but for some reason it didn't. Do you think they got in a fight about something?"

"Only if one of them accidentally brought up Katie's name." _Man, this suspense is really getting to me._

"You don't think that would happen, do you?"

"Not intentionally, but we could both see that Dawn was a little nervous. Dawn should be out soon. We'll decide what to say when we see the look on her face."

What the couple didn't know was that Dawn had spied on the conversation they had with Jessie. Dawn could tell that Jessie was faking disappointment and smiled at what she had done. She would definitely thank her later. She took a quick shower, returned to the bedroom, turned on the stereo, and scanned it for the first song that she could stand. As she got dressed, she began to get into the song that was playing. Before she even realized she was doing it, Dawn was lip synching the lyrics into a hair brush while dancing around.


	44. Chapter 44

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 44

Author: j_rock873

Rating: R

Summary: Buffy and Faith find out how the first date went. Dawn and Jessie go on a second date and get closer then they ever have before. Katie makes a surprise appearance.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's note: There is a Star Wars reference when one of the characters does a few Yoda impressions. I know a few of the things Katie does in this chapter aren't things a normal person would do, but just go along with it.

* * *

Back in the family room, the music had gotten the attention of Buffy and Faith as soon as it started.

"Do you hear what song she's playing?" Faith asked before laughing.

"Yeah, but I haven't heard that version of the song before."

"Do you think there's a chance she's singing along?"

"Maybe," Buffy guessed as Faith quickly walked over to check if the bedroom door was unlocked.

When Faith found out that it was locked, they headed to their bedroom in the hopes that Dawn had left the door between their room and the bathroom unlocked and the door to Dawn and Jessie's room open. They weren't disappointed as Faith gently opened the first door and crept to the other door that was open just enough for them to catch Dawn singing with her back to them. As the song continued, Dawn began to sing a little bit louder. They had to hold back laughs at the song Dawn had picked to sing. She was so into the song that she didn't know that Buffy and Faith had gotten a brief glimpse at the smile on her face and the way she danced. When the song was over, Dawn had heard laughs and clapping coming from behind her. She spun around and blushed.

"Don't stop, D, sing some more," Faith encouraged before laughing again, "Out of all the songs I thought I'd hear you sing, 'Then She Kissed Me' by Kiss was one of the last ones on the list."

"Leave her alone," Buffy requested before giggling at how cute she thought the whole scene was but confused at why Dawn was acting this way.

"What is it?" Dawn questioned as she noticed Buffy's confused appearance.

"Jessie gave us the impression that the date went bad. So what really happened?"

"I guess she wanted to play a trick on you. It went great."

"Faith and I wanted it to go well. Tell us a much as you can, or until it gets to a point where I don't want to listen anymore."

"We didn't have sex if that's what you're implying."

She smirked at Buffy's sigh of relief.

"So then you took my advice, huh?" Faith asserted with pride.

"Yes, and it worked just like you said it would."

"Cool, yo."

"What did you tell her to do?" Buffy wondered.

"I suggested she tease J enough that it would make J need a cold shower. Kind of like what I did to you the first night we shared the bed. Tell us everything."

Buffy and Faith listened as Dawn described it from the time they arrived at the theater until they told each other goodnight, Buffy smiled as Dawn gushed about how well Jessie treated her. They both had gotten a little concerned when Dawn got to the confrontation with the guy at the club, but Dawn repeated word for word what was said between the three at the club. Faith laughed as memories of the talk the Scoobies had with Tara's family came back to Buffy and Dawn. Then Dawn showed them the pictures from the photo booth, which were still on her side of the dresser.

"I'm so happy for the two of you and proud too," Buffy announced as she hugged Dawn.

"Yeah, that was a great story. So when are you two going out again?" Faith inquired as Buffy stepped back to see Dawn's face when the younger girl answered the question.

"We decided on next Friday."

"That's good. I have some more advice if you want to hear it."

"Sure, but it can wait until it's closer to Friday. Uh, could you please not tell her that you two caught me like that?"

"I won't," Buffy confirmed.

"Neither will I, it's perfect blackmail material," Faith chuckled before seeing Dawn's eyes almost bugging out, "I'm kidding, yo. It's five by five."

Dawn sighed happily as the three of them headed to the cafeteria.

About fifteen minutes later, the cafeteria

Buffy, Faith, and Dawn arrived to see some of the other slayers eating at various tables as Jessie was sitting at their usual table with Jennifer. Buffy could sense the insecurity coming from her sister as Dawn sighed.

"It's ok, Dawn. They're probably just making small talk," Buffy whispered into one ear.

"Yeah, D, don't worry about it," Faith whispered into the other ear before humming the song she had just heard.

As they reached the table, Jessie raised an eyebrow slightly at the smirk on Faith's face while she was lightly slapped by both Buffy and Dawn.

"Hey, I saved all of you some food. I hope cereal and some fruit is ok."

"That's fine," her friends agreed as they sat down at the table.

"So what were you talking about?" Dawn quizzed as she tried to ignore the insecurity growing inside her at the moment.

"She and I were talking about how excited she was to be leaving to do her part in protecting people."

"Won't you miss some of the people here?" Faith interrupted without thinking.

Buffy kicked her as quietly as possible.

"Actually, I'll miss everyone at this table and a few of the other slayers, but we can keep in touch, right?"

"Right," Jessie confirmed as she gently patted Dawn's left leg under the table with her right hand, which made Dawn smile.

"Anything else?" Buffy challenged.

"Jennifer and some of the other slayers have decided when they wanted to leave. Willow was going to help some teleport to where they wanted to go, so Dawn wouldn't have to do it herself."

After everyone had eaten breakfast, the girls were then teleported to their destinations with the help of Willow and Dawn.

About a week later, Dawn and Jessie's bedroom

Dawn and Jessie's second date had gone just as well. They went to another movie and had chosen another decent place to eat. Both were happy that their night was vampire and jerk free. Now came the time Dawn had been waiting for and slightly dreading. Dawn and Jessie stared at each for a few minutes before talking again.

"So did you have a great time?" Jessie began calmly.

"Yes, didn't you?"

"Yes, we usually have fun together. I guess this is where the date ends, we say goodnight to each other, and then go to sleep."

"It doesn't have to end yet," Dawn said before leaning in and kissing Jessie on the lips.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Jessie quizzed carefully after stepping back from the kiss.

"Yes, I just need to know that you don't think I'm easy since this is only our second date. I'm doing this because I love you, I'm ready, and I want you to be my first."

"I will never think of you as easy. Are you ok with me not being in love with you yet?"

"Yes."

"Even though I don't love you like the way you love me right now, there is a chance that it could change."

"I know," Dawn assured her before removing her own shirt and helping Jessie off with hers.

They each kicked off their shoes and socks before unbuttoning and unzipping the other's pants. Then Dawn began kissing Jessie again with more passion. When Dawn attempted to pull down Jessie's pants, Jessie playfully pushed her back hard enough that Dawn fell backward onto Jessie's bed. As Dawn started to remove her own pants, Jessie told her to stop, which confused her. Jessie took off her own pants as Dawn pulled back the covers and lie down. Jessie leaned over her as she slowly removed the brunette's pants while Dawn giggled lightly. Dawn smiled as Jessie climbed into bed beside her and covered them with the top sheet and comforter. After getting under the covers, they removed the rest of their clothes and tossed some of it to the floor beside the bed. Jessie made sure to hide them under the pile already on the floor before turning back to her best friend. Dawn began to moan as she felt one of Jessie's hands caress her upper body. Jessie stopped the moaning briefly by kissing Dawn on the lips. Then she made her way down Dawn's body.

About ten minutes later

Buffy and Faith entered the apartment after another slow night of patrolling and an equally slow night at the usual hangout. As soon as they heard the noises and music coming from the bedroom, Faith smirked while Buffy groaned. Buffy tried to force the brunette out of the apartment but failed as Faith stood her ground.

"Finally, at least they tried to block out the sounds with music."

"I'm not listening to this," Buffy declared before walking into her and Faith's bedroom and putting in earplugs that blocked out the sounds coming from the other couple, but she could still hear the slight sound of music.

After about twenty minutes, Buffy was relieved to not to hear music, but to make sure she removed the earplugs and was met with even more silence.

"Do you think J wore her out enough that she went right to sleep?"

"Would you quit talking about that? If you don't, we won't be doing that for a long time."

"I'm sorry. I'm just so glad they got together that I forgot how you didn't want to hear them doing that. Can you forgive me?"

"Since you love us so much, I can forgive you."

"Thanks," Faith replied as the girls made sure the bathroom was empty, got ready for bed, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

Saturday morning, 10:00 AM, Jamie and Katie's dorm room

Jamie was preparing to go for a late breakfast when she saw her roommate staring at a picture taken of Jessie and Katie hugging each other while posing for a picture at Katie's graduation party. She really cared about Katie, but after a month of Katie's constant depression, it was starting to get on her nerves.

"Katie, not to be insensitive here, but you need to try and get over Jessie. I know you still love her, but you need to get out of the dorm for more than to just go to classes or eat. It's been at least a month."

"Alright, master Yoda, what should I do first?" Katie stated with an abundance of sarcasm.

Jamie smirked before answering in a perfect Yoda impression.

"Give her shirt back you must."

Since Katie didn't expect an actual impression, she laughed for the first time since her break up.

"Feel better do you?"

"Alright, stop. I'll catch up with you later. I'm going to get cleaned up and then go to London to see her."

"Can't you mail it to her?"

"I want to give it to her in person. Maybe we can work something out. I'll find a way to get there."

"I would just mail it to her, but good luck anyway. Bye." _This is going to blow up in her face. I just know it. Why can't she see that? _

After watching her roommate leave the building, Katie put her plan into action. She got out the teleportation spell instructions and ingredients along with the same things for the invisibility spell that she had taken from Dawn and Jessie's room. After doing the invisibility spell, she looked at herself in the mirror and saw nothing. She was pleased that the spell had gone right. Then she did the teleportation spell and vanished from the room.

Meanwhile

As Katie was casting the spells, Jessie woke up slowly and smiled at Dawn's head resting on her shoulder and right arm draped over the comforter covering them as her right arm was wrapped around Dawn's back. She continued smiling as she looked at the peaceful expression on Dawn's face. When Dawn started to move, Jessie decided to make her waking up as pleasant as possible. She gently ran her fingers through her best friend's hair while the other girl slowly opened her eyes. As Dawn looked at her, Jessie smiled back.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yeah, how about you?"

"As good as I could with a beautiful, naked girl resting her head on my shoulder."

"What?"

It was at that very moment Dawn realized why waking up this time felt different than any other time.

"You do realize where you are and what we're both not wearing, don't you?"

"Yeah, we're…"

After a minute of silence, Jessie spoke.

"We're naked and in my bed."

Dawn began to panic and almost instantly reached for her underwear under the covers beside her. Then she quickly put it on.

"Calm down, we're alone. You don't regret what happened last night, do you? Because I don't," Jessie insisted as she did the same thing without the panic and rush.

"Of course I don't regret it. I'm just glad it wasn't some dream that would never come true," Dawn answered as both girls rested comfortably on their sides.

"Dream or not, it would have eventually come true."

"Really?"

"Well, I might not have been the person," Jessie chuckled before continuing, "but eventually this would happen with you and somebody. Possibly somebody at college or maybe another slayer."

Jessie laughed when Dawn playfully slapped her on the arm.

"Maybe, but I'm glad it was with you. Somebody I'm in love with. I hope that doesn't scare you away from me."

"Well, if it hasn't scared me away by now, it probably never will."

Dawn was so touched that she leaned in and softly kissed Jessie on the lips. A second later, Katie arrived in the bedroom.

"I KNEW IT!"

"Katie? Where are you?"

"Right here," Katie admitted before chanting some words and became visible again.

Dawn immediately pulled the covers tightly to her and Jessie to better shield their still naked upper bodies from Katie's view.

"I can't believe you stole spells from them. Don't you know how dangerous that is?" Jessie asked in shock at the nerve her ex had at that minute.

"Yeah, it could have backfired drastically. You're extremely lucky that nothing bad happened."  
"Shut up, Dawn, I think finding my ex naked in bed with her roommate is pretty bad. I told Jessie that something like this would happen and that you were easy. I bet as soon as you heard she was single, you did the teleportation spell and waited for her naked in your bed."

"That's not what happened," Dawn affirmed angrily as both girls carefully sat up, "Anyway, you said it yourself. She's your ex. You have no right to just show up here like that."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Jessie argued as she put her right hand on Dawn's bare back to hopefully comfort her despite what they weren't wearing under the covers while her left arm held the covers to her body.

"I came here to give you back this shirt and hoped that maybe I could convince you to get back together with me. But Slut Summers beat me to it," Katie explained as she noticed where Jessie's right hand was at the moment.

"KATIE, give me my shirt and…"

"D's not a slut, you bitch," Faith sneered.

"How DARE you talk to and about my sister like that," Buffy growled.

Three sets of eyes turned to see the angry slayers slowly enter the room. Dawn and Jessie saw Buffy and Faith stalking toward Katie as they tried to control their anger and were grateful that both girls were wearing pajamas this time.

"Buffy, Faith, and Katie, stop right where you are right now. Katie, toss me my shirt. Then the three you turn around until I say so," Jessie ordered before Katie angrily threw the shirt to Jessie and turned around. Buffy and Faith weren't budging and were glaring at Katie. Jessie turned the order into a plea to the slayers, "Please!"

This got the slayers to spin around, so they didn't see the other three girls. Jessie put on her shirt, climbed out of bed, put on the pajama pants at the end of the bed, and tossed her blue robe to Dawn. Dawn turned her back to Jessie, put on the robe, and tightly wrapped it around her before making a tight knot with the belt strap.

"You can turn around now," Jessie determined.

The other three had calmed down just enough to keep themselves under control, but Buffy and Faith had started glaring at Katie again.

"So how much did you see?" Dawn hesitantly asked Buffy and Faith.

"Faith and I were walking to the bathroom when we heard Katie shout. We thought our ears were playing tricks on us."

"Then B and I kind of spied on you through the space of the slightly open doorway. We waited because we wanted to see how well J would defend you. However, when Katie called you Slut Summers, we didn't want to wait anymore."

"Then you didn't see anything," Jessie concluded.

"No," Faith chuckled.

"So how long did it take for you two to get together, Billie? Probably that same night, huh?"

"That's none of your business since we're not a couple or maybe not even friends right now," Jessie claimed while Katie glared at her. When she had gotten tired of the glare, Jessie divulged, "Fine, I waited for a month before we went on our first date."

"So was last night the first date?" Katie assumed.

"It was the second," Dawn muttered without thinking.

"Only two dates? Sounds kind of slutty to me."

"I only did it on the second date because I'm in love with her, but you already know that. If I was a slut, I would have given it up the first two times she wanted it," Dawn snarled as her anger won out again over the urge to stay quiet.

Buffy and Faith gasped, Jessie smirked, and Katie felt her eyes almost bug out and her mouth open all of the way.

"You can't call me Billie anymore. In fact, you can't call me or anyone in my family at all from now on. You have no idea of what I went through the night you broke up with me."

"Yeah," Dawn added when she reached out her hand to Jessie, who took it as soon as she saw it and delicately squeezed it.

Dawn felt herself get carried way by the simple display of affection and laid her head on Jessie's shoulder. Jessie smiled at the touch of Dawn's hair on her right cheek. Faith smirked at them while Buffy was both angry at Katie and touched by the actions between her sister and Jessie.

"So why don't you tell me then?" Katie hissed.

"Ok, you asked for it," Jessie warned her.

Jessie then went through every detail, just like she had done with her roommates and the other slayers, and then later on to her family with the help from Willow. Katie remained emotionless until the point where Jessie viciously attacked the second vampire. As the story had progressed, Jessie felt tears coming and was pleased to feel Dawn slightly squeezing her hand back in support. The description of the vicious attack definitely affected Katie.

"B-Billie, I…"

"I told you that you can't call me that anymore. Did you even think about how much Buffy, Faith, and I could hurt you physically before you did this? We could give you some severe bruises. We could make you scream in pain. But we won't, and you want to know why?" Jessie snapped as she stepped forward until she was less than a foot away, making Katie back up against a wall in actual fear.

"W-Why?"

Jessie frowned for a few seconds before turning it into a smirk.

"Because it'd be wrong," Jessie chuckled before focusing on Faith, who didn't want to but laughed anyway.

"What's so funny?" Buffy babbled with a confused smile.

"Yeah," Dawn wondered as well.

"I'm only going to say this once. If you have the instructions for those spells in your pockets, give them to me now," Jessie commanded to Katie before ripping up the paper Katie handed to her, "Don't bother us again."

"Fine."

"Do you think you could teleport Katie back to Oxford, D? If not, she can take the train or bus back."

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Thank you, I'll get everything set up."

Around five minutes later, Katie was back in her door room. After Katie was gone and the ingredients for the spell were put away, Jessie gave Dawn a hug that was quickly returned and then faced Buffy and Faith.

"I hope you two aren't mad that I didn't let you hurt Katie. I just felt her catching Dawn and I naked in…"

"Too much information," Buffy groaned as she and Faith began to go back to their room by passing through the bathroom.

"Why did you two laugh after telling Katie what the three of you could have done to her?" Dawn questioned Jessie before Buffy and Faith had reached the bathroom.

Buffy raised an eyebrow in equal curiosity after turning back around to face them.

"It was one of the last things I said to Spike during the body swap," Faith confessed, "So who was better, J?"

"Huh?"

"Who was better, Buffy or Dawn in your dreams or the real Dawn?"

"Not now," Buffy insisted as she started to pull Faith along with her.

"Hey, you never told me how it felt to get your hands on some Summers…," Faith tried to say to Jessie.

"I SAID not now," Buffy demanded as she reached for the doorknob.

As Buffy closed the door to the bathroom, Jessie and Dawn could see a smirk on Faith's face. After the girls had gotten cleaned up and had something to eat for breakfast, Jessie noticed that Dawn was still occasionally staring at her. To get Dawn to stop, Jessie suggested that they go for yet another ride on her bike and offered to let Dawn drive. When she received pleading glances from Jessie and Dawn and an encouraging gaze from Faith, Buffy gave in and let Jessie hand over the keys to Dawn. Dawn smiled in excitement as she climbed onto the bike and started it up. She felt her heart race a little when Jessie wrapped her arms tightly around her. While the girls took off, Faith convinced her fiancée with a soft kiss on the cheek that she had done a good thing.

During that same time, Jamie and Katie's dorm room

Jamie returned and was surprised to see a somewhat sullen Katie sitting at the computer checking to see if she had any new e-mail.

"That was too quick. Did you decide to mail it after all and were you burning candles or incense in here?"

"Yes, to both," Katie responded before shutting down her computer, "I thought you left to get a late breakfast?"

"I forgot my cell phone. Are you hungry? We could go find someplace to eat at together."

Katie saw the hopeful display on her friend's face and agreed to join her.

"Sure, let's see what we can find out there."


	45. Chapter 45

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 45

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn and Jessie celebrate their birthdays.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: According to the show, Jessie's birthday was sometime after Thanksgiving. Since they didn't give an actual birthday for Dawn, I'm having the girls share a birthday. I'm sorry that this chapter is probably not as good as some of the previous chapters.

* * *

Later that day, the slayer campus

Everyone on the campus couldn't help but notice the smile Dawn had on her face as the four girls left their building. Buffy and Faith gave the girls there the day off to go shopping for the upcoming holidays. As Dawn and Jessie were making their way off the property, Buffy stopped them and pulled Jessie aside to have a short talk.

"Can I talk to you alone for a few minutes?"

"Sure, I have something to ask you anyway. I'll be right back, D."

"Ok," Dawn said with a happy sigh.

"So what's up? Is something wrong?" Jessie asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"No, nothing's wrong. I wanted to know if you could do me a favor," Buffy exclaimed as she saw Jessie and Dawn share a smile.

"Depends on what it is."

"Ok, well, Dawn's turning seventeen next Friday, and I wanted to know if you could help us throw a surprise party for her."

"And how could I help?" Jessie continued as she began to smirk.

"Maybe you could take her out on another date. After you leave, we could get the cafeteria set up for the party. Then you'd make up some excuse to come back a little early. I don't know, maybe fake an illness. When you get back here, you tell her that you thought you heard something coming from around there. As soon as you enter, we'll all shout surprise. What's with the smirk? I know it's not a very original idea."

"Well, it's just that my seventeenth birthday is the same day as hers."

"Really?"

"Yeah, my family was kind of hoping that I could come home for that."

"Ok, I guess we'll talk about it a little later. Besides, it looks like Dawn is starting to get impatient."

Jessie turned to see Dawn giving her a hopeful look.

"Later then," Jessie replied before walking back over to Dawn, grabbing her hand gently, and leaving the property.

About twenty minutes later

As Dawn and Jessie strolled down the sidewalks in their search for the perfect or almost perfect holiday presents, Dawn tried to think of the most subtle way to find out what Jessie and Buffy talked about. In the end, she decided to go with the direct approach.

"So, uh, what did you and my sister talk about?"

"If she wanted to let you know then she wouldn't have wanted to talk me alone, wouldn't she?" Jessie responded with a small laugh.

"So then don't tell her you told me," Dawn suggested before giving her the same puppy dog expression that Jessie found adorable that day back in Chicago.

"Ok, fine, we talked about the plans for the upcoming holidays and what were thinking of getting for our family and friends. I also told her I wanted to take a trip home on next Friday."

"Why next Friday?"

"Because next Friday is my seventeenth birthday."

"Really? Mine is too. I thought that might be what Buffy was trying to talk to you about instead. Did she say anything?"

"No," Jessie lied successfully by keeping a straight face, "Maybe she'll say something a bit later when she's sure you're not so close by."

"Yeah, right. She's probably too busy going over plans for her wedding to remember her only sister's birthday," Dawn muttered before looking away with a sad look on her face.

"Don't be like that, D. I'm sure she's thinking of something," Jessie advised her before softly kissing her on the cheek.

"Ok, so is there anything you want for your birthday?"

"I can't think of anything. I don't make that big of a deal about my birthday anymore. I'm going more for my family than myself. What about you?"

"I'm still thinking about it actually." _Oh come on, what you want is her as your girlfriend._

"I guess I'll just surprise you with something and hope you like it." _You know what she wants is you as her girlfriend. The question is, "Are you ready for that?"_

"Then I'll have to do the same."

"How about we agree not to spend a lot on them since we were already shopping for Christmas presents?"

"It's a deal," Dawn agreed.

A few hours later, the slayer campus

Everyone was returning from the shopping trips with at least one bag. After Buffy, Faith, Dawn, and Jessie had reached the apartment at the same time, they agreed to give each other a few minutes to hide the presents they had bought. Dawn and Faith went first as Jessie and Buffy talked about what they had gotten for them along with plans for the upcoming double birthdays.

"So what did you get Dawn for her birthday?" Buffy asked her.

"Since we still have the holidays, we agreed not to spend a lot on a birthday present. I got her a nice picture frame. When she's not looking, I'm going to grab the pictures and the ticket stubs from our first date and put them in the frame, so she'll always have something to remind her of our first date. For Christmas, I got her a robe that's a little bit nicer than mine. If you can keep a secret, I'll tell you what I got for Faith, Willow, and Giles. You'll have to wait and find out about yours."

"You got something for us too? You didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I felt like it. You don't need to do the same thing."

"It's too late. Faith and I already got you something for Christmas. I tried to convince Faith that we should get you something for your birthday, too, but she didn't think we needed to do that."

"She's right."

"Ok, I promise not to tell, so what did you get them?"

"I got Faith some comfortable pajamas," Jessie said with a smirk before revealing the rest, "I bought Willow a DVD copy of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' since Dawn told me that Willow and Xander would watch that every year. Because Giles likes to read a lot, I got him a gift card at a nearby bookstore."

Faith and Dawn made their way out of the bedrooms so their roommates could hide their presents as well.

"So, what did you get J for Christmas?"

"Well, for the brief time we split up to shop for each other, I got her a nice necklace with a cross on it. Since it's her birthday on Friday, I got her a cover that she could put over her bike during any bad weather."

"Ok, so how old is she going to be?" Faith questioned as she acted like she hadn't already had this conversation with Buffy.

"We're both going to be turning seventeen."

"That's strange. B didn't say anything about your birthday coming up. Maybe she just forgot to tell me."

"Maybe she just forgot completely. She's probably got other things on her mind. Like planning your wedding," Dawn mumbled before glancing down at the floor and missing Faith's smirk.

"Well, you and J can celebrate together."

"I guess so, but she wants to go home for it. I guess her family is making a big deal about it," Dawn said with a sigh as Faith tried to give her a hopeful smile.

"I bet she'd be willing to spend a little time with you before she leaves, and it's not like she won't be coming back."

"True. So did you two get your shopping done?"

"It's all done, yo. We got presents for Willow, Giles, Xander, you, and J."

"You got her something? What did you get her?"

"I'll tell you what we each got her if you promise not to tell anyone. We shopped early for one of them."

"Alright; and if you do the same, I will tell you what we got for Buffy. I got her a jewelry box and Jessie got her some cute slippers to wear around the apartment."

"It's cool. Since she likes to talk like me sometimes, I thought maybe she'd like to dress like me, too, so I got her the same type of boots I wear. They're perfect for kicking demon ass. B got her a specialized license plate for her bike. It's says J's ride on it."

"That's a good idea. I think she'll like that. We just hope that you'll like what we got you and that you'll use them," Dawn said with a smirk as Jessie and Buffy returned to the family room.

That following Friday

Dawn's roommates had been able to keep the surprise party a secret with a few close calls. The closest being as the girls were coming back from classes earlier in the week while Buffy was on the phone with her best friend. Buffy had been too busy to notice her sister and Jessie entering their apartment, but Jessie had been paying close attention with her slayer abilities. She said hi to the other blonde as they entered the family room. While Dawn was in the bathroom, Buffy and Jessie went over the final plans one more time. They had decided on going along with the original idea of Jessie taking Dawn out on a date but making up an excuse to come back early. They would then have the party. After the party, Jessie and Dawn would make the trip back to Evanston.

"I'm sorry, we had to come back early. I just had to have my phone with me in case my family had to make any calls before we went over there."

"It's ok. Thanks for inviting me. You didn't have to. I assumed they just wanted it to be family."

"It's no problem," Jessie assured her as she started the fake search for her phone throughout the apartment, "If I could just find my phone, we could get back to our date."

"Well, it doesn't appear to be here. Do you know anywhere else it might be?"

"It's either in the gym or the cafeteria. We'll check the gym first."

"Ok," Dawn agreed as she believed the hoax Jessie was pulling off.

After a second fake search, they headed to the cafeteria. Dawn began to get suspicious the closer they got to the main door.

"What?" Jessie inquired.

"I'm getting the feeling you're setting me up, and we're walking into a surprise party."

"I'm not. Buffy never said anything to me. Why else would she be so willing for you come with me if she remembered your birthday?"

"Because she knows I'm in love with you and that going with you would make me happy."

"Yeah. Anyway, they said they were going to check out the nearby bridal shops and then have a date of their own."

"Uh huh," Dawn stated with a small amount of sarcasm as she opened the door to the pitch dark room.

"See," Jessie declared with a straight face as she flipped the switch to reveal an empty room.

"Ok," Dawn sighed as she saw they were alone before pointing to a nearby table, "There's your cell phone."

"Thanks," Jessie said as the girls turned to leave, but she stopped and appeared to be looking for something else.

"Was there something else?" Dawn wondered.

_Now, Jessie?_

_Yes, now, Red_.

"Yeah, one more thing," Jessie implied as indicated for Dawn to turn around.

A second later, they were no longer alone.

"SURPRISE!" the gang shouted after appearing in front of Dawn and Jessie.

"Whose idea was this?" Dawn quizzed as she gaped at Buffy, the rest of the Scoobies, Giles, and the other slayers that felt like attending.

"That would be mine," Buffy admitted, "Did you really think I'd forget my own sister's birthday?"

"Well, I hadn't heard you say anything to me about it, so I assumed you were too wrapped up with other plans to remember it," Dawn informed before receiving a hug from Buffy, the Scoobies, Giles, and Jessie.

"So the whole date was just part of the surprise?" Dawn guessed as she turned to Jessie.

"Yeah, are you mad that I lied to you?" Jessie grilled with a curious smile.

"Of course not," Dawn answered before placing a slightly heated kiss on the blonde's lips before stepping back and smiling at her.

The momentary silence that followed was broken by a whistle from Faith.

"Down, girls," Willow teased Dawn, Jessie, and Faith, "It's time for Jessie and Dawn to blow out their candles."

Suddenly, two cakes big enough to feed the crowd appeared with candles already lit on the long table about three feet in front of them. Hey began to sing to the girls as they headed over to the table.

"Make a wish, you two," Willow ordered after they had finished the singing.

"NO, no wishes," Buffy yelped.

"B, we haven't heard of or seen any vengeance demons since Sunnydale."

"Ok, you're right this time," Buffy claimed before focusing on the birthday girls, "Go ahead."

They watched as both girls thought about it for a few seconds and leaned in to blow out the candles. They held back smirks as Dawn glimpsed over at Jessie while the blonde blew out the candles before turning to her cake and doing the same thing. Next came the traditional clapping. Then the cakes were cut into several pieces. When they were completely gone, they moved over to another table where some presents sat. Dawn smiled as she saw all of them were for her. They watched in amusement as Dawn opened them like it was already the holidays. She received clothes from her sister, Giles, and almost all of the Scoobies. Willow had gotten her a book to be used to write spells in or as another diary. Dawn smiled nervously as she slowly opened the present she got from Jessie. When she saw what it was she quickly and tightly hugged the blonde.

"I'm glad you like it," Jessie asserted as she felt a tear from Dawn's cheek touch her cheek.

"I don't like it. I LOVE it."

Dawn wiped away the tear at seeing Jessie smile at her before Jessie peeked over Dawn's shoulder. She spun around to see all of them smiling at her while Faith was trying hard not to tease her.

"How about we make some room in here and play some music?" Willow advised to prevent any teasing that would come from anyone.

"That sounds good, Red. Could you use a little magic to help us with that?" Faith recommended.

"Sure."

A few minutes later, music was heard throughout the room, and it went on for a few hours. After everyone had enough, Dawn and Jessie told them goodbye, Dawn did the spell, and they disappeared.

A minute later, Evanston, IL

"Are you sure it's ok that I came? It seemed like it was a family only kind of get together," Dawn announced as they arrived on the porch of the Sammler/Manning home.

"Well, it's my birthday, so I get final say on who comes," Jessie reminded her as she opened the front door, "Hello, the birthday girl is here. I mean girls are here."

They were greeted with hugs in the family room. Jessie gladly accepted the expected hugs and laughed as Dawn was unable to avoid them. Then they were led to the dining room where they enjoyed a dinner of all of their favorite foods. When it came time for cake, Dawn was a little surprised to see them bring out two cakes.

"You didn't need to get me a cake too. Inviting me was enough."

"Don't be silly, it's your birthday too," Lily requested before they all smiled at the girl who was in love with her best friend.

"Ok, stop, you're making her blush," Jessie chuckled before turning and whispering into Dawn's ear, "Are you going to be ok?"

"Y-Yeah, I'll be fine," Dawn whispered as the feel of Jessie's breath on her skin and a hand on her leg was making it hard to have a coherent thought.

After being sung to and blowing out candles for the second time that day, Dawn felt the urge to fight fire with fire and started by using her hand to caress the hand Jessie had placed on her thigh. However, Jessie simply smiled as Dawn felt her plan backfiring. Dawn stopped as she heard a brief laugh from Grace, who was sitting across from her.

"What's so funny, Grace?" Zoe remarked as she was confused at why her sister, who just a minute ago had been rolling her eyes at Lily, was now laughing at their guest.

"Nothing," Grace lied and was happy the rest of the family let it drop while Dawn tried to hide the slight anger of Grace's happiness at her frustration.

"Did you two make a wish?" Karen interrupted.

"We've been there, done that once already," Jessie giggled and smiled at Dawn; who smiled back at the group.

"So what did you wish for?" Grace pried with a smirk directed at Dawn.

"If I told you that, it won't come true," Dawn spoke as she almost gave it away with the quick glance she gave Jessie when the blonde wasn't watching her.

The party moved into the family room as Jessie and Dawn sat beside each other on the couch. Once again, Dawn was surprised when a few presents were set down in front of her on the coffee table.

"First the cake and now presents? You REALLY didn't need to do that."

"We did it because we wanted to," Karen confirmed as she shared a smile with Rick and Lily.

"So what did you get, D?" Jessie asked as she waited patiently for Dawn to open her presents before she would open hers.

"It's a watch," Dawn confessed before smiling at Karen, "It's beautiful. Thank you, Ms. Sammler."

"You're welcome, sweetie, and please call me Karen."

"Ok."

"We figured that you might not be used to too much cold after living in California," Lily assumed as Dawn smiled at the cute turtleneck sweater she was holding up.

"Try it on," Jessie instructed.

Dawn carefully pulled it on over her head and slowly pulled it down. Lily sighed happily as it seemed to fit Dawn perfectly.

"You look cute in it," Jessie complimented before whispering the rest in her ear, "And it will be able to hide any bites I might feel like making on your neck."

Jessie smirked as she heard Dawn let out a soft gulp.

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Sammler."

"It was our pleasure, and please call us Lily and Rick," Lily pleaded as Dawn began to blush for the second time since her arrival.

"It's your turn, Jessie," Rick mentioned as Jessie was smiling at the blush on Dawn's face.

They smiled as Jessie opened the presents to reveal clothes and her favorite perfume. After talking with Jessie's family a little bit more and getting to hold Matthew, Dawn thought she'd see if Jessie was ready to head back to London.

"Uh…J-Jessie."

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you thought we should be heading back now. What do you think?"

Jessie examined her watch and saw how late it would be in London.

"Yeah, I think we better go. We'll see you all again soon."

Both girls received hugs again before wandering out the front door. As soon as they saw they were alone again, Dawn did the spell. Less than a minute later, they were back in London. They returned to see Buffy and Faith sitting on the couch and watching a movie while Faith was drinking a beer and Buffy's head was lying on Faith's shoulder.

"So did you have a great time?" Buffy questioned them.

"Yes," Dawn almost immediately replied, "We had a nice dinner and more cake. Jessie's parents got me a few presents too."

"Really?" Buffy gasped as she lifted her head off of Faith's shoulder as the curious brunette set her beer down on the coffee table.

"See," Dawn commanded as she took off her coat and showed them the sweater and watch she still had on, "Karen gave me the watch, and Lily and Rick gave me the sweater."

"That was nice of them. I hope you thanked them for everything," Buffy stated.

"Of course I did, duh. I think I'm going to get ready for bed," Dawn yawned as she made her way to her and Jessie's bedroom.

"I'll be there in a minute or two, D."

"Ok, J," Dawn relented with a happy sigh.

After they heard the door close, Buffy and Faith's attention turned back to Jessie.

"So you two really had a good time, huh?" Buffy assumed as Jessie began to smirk at her.

"I know I did. Dawn did until what I did to her at the dinner table."

"What did you do to her?" Buffy questioned as she wasn't sure how to react while Faith arched an eyebrow and smirked at the younger blonde.

"Well, my family began to make her blush when they placed a cake in front of her at the dinner table. I asked her if she was going to be ok."

"How could that bother her?"

"Well, I guess it was because I whispered it into her ear while I placed my hand on her thigh. It got her a little worked up," Jessie admitted and began to laugh, "She tried to get back at me, but it failed and only got to her more."

"What did she do, yo," Faith inquired as she was definitely enjoying the story.

"She tried rubbing my hand with her hand. I only smiled at her though. I think the simple touch was affecting her, and Grace laughing at the attempt didn't help either. She also got to hold my baby brother, Matthew. You'll get to meet him at Christmas. He was sleeping the first time we met you. Well, goodnight."

Both girls smiled at Jessie as she left the room. After the girls went through the normal bathroom routine, Jessie followed Dawn back into the bedroom. Dawn smiled as they both reached for pajamas. Jessie began changing without a second thought but stopped and turned around at hearing Dawn sigh.

"What's wrong, D?"

"Nothing, why do you ask?"

"I heard you sigh."

"I'm just tired," Dawn determined as she decided to turn away from Jessie.

"So then it's not because of what's on my lower back?"

"N-No," Dawn stuttered as she looked down at the floor.

"Yeah, right."

"Ok, it is. D-Do you regret getting it?"

"I'm not sure how to answer that."

"Just be honest."

"I'm not really sure. There are some times I don't. Other times, I do."

"Really?"

"Yeah, like now. I don't like seeing you in pain whenever I know you were staring at it. How about we do something about it?"

"Like what?"

"Do you know any spells that could cover up a tattoo?"

"Yeah, Willow taught me how to do one."

"Then let's try it."

"I don't know. It could be a little risky."

"I trust you, and if it doesn't work or backfires, you or Willow can reverse it."

"Alright, give me a minute to find the spell book to make sure I get it right."

Jessie nodded and continued changing as Dawn located the book.

"Ok, come here."

"What do you or we have to do?"

"Just stand still. I will recite the spell while I place my hand over the tattoo. When I'm done, the tattoo will be covered up. It can be reversed easily."

"Cool, yo," Jessie commented as Dawn's hand was placed on her lower back.

Jessie smiled at the feel of Dawn's hand touching her skin. She held back a giggle at the idea of Dawn trying to concentrate as the girl she loved stood in front of her without a shirt on. After Dawn was finished, she put away the book and the two of them stood in front of the mirror.

"Well, it worked, D."

"Yeah,"

"So your bed or mine?" Jessie challenged as she put on her pajama top.

"I was going to sleep in my own bed."

"Can I join you?"

"I don't know," Dawn groaned before being subjected to Jessie's best puppy dog look, "Ok, you can join me. Just don't give me that look."

Dawn then crawled into bed and was quickly joined by Jessie. They shared a hesitating gaze before Dawn moved closer.

"Night, Dawnie. I'm happy that we could share our birthdays," Jessie exclaimed as she gently wrapped her arms around Dawn.

"Me too. I love you."

Jessie didn't know what to say at that moment. Sure, they all knew Dawn loved her, but she wasn't sure of her feelings. Were they strong enough for her to say that to Dawn?

"I…I…"

"You don't have to say it if you don't. I can wait."

"Ok."

Unknown to the two sleeping girls, Buffy and Faith had been spying on them since the girls went into the bedroom. This was due to the fact that Jessie had forgotten to completely close the door between their bedroom and the bathroom.

"Why must she do that to Dawn?" Buffy complained as they reached their own room, "It's like this is all just a game to her. I don't want Dawnie being Jessie's rebound girl."

"Chill, B, we'll talk to her tomorrow."

"How about now?" Buffy suggested as she took a step toward the bathroom but was pulled back by Faith.

"Let them sleep," Faith commanded as she removed her clothes and changed into the pajamas Buffy had bought her awhile back.

"Alright," Buffy reluctantly agreed, "You look beautiful in those pjs, Faithy."

"Thanks, B," Faith chuckled as she climbed into to bed and patted the spot beside her.

Buffy quickly changed into a pair as well, lay down beside her, and placed her head on the brunette's chest. Buffy was lulled to sleep by Faith's right hand running gently through her soft, blonde hair.


	46. Chapter 46

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 46

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Katie spends the holidays with Jamie and her family while Jessie and Grace spend it with some of their friends in Evanston.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: For those who don't know or just forgot, DB Woodside played both Karen's physical therapist, Henry Higgins, on Once and Again and Principal Robin Wood on Buffy T.V.S.. I'm using a few cop jokes used in "Wayne's World" and a lawyer joke from "Philadelphia". Katie and Jamie will be using these to make fun of Jamie's brother and parents. Jamie does a few more Yoda impersonations. There is also more Xander bashing.

* * *

December 20th, 2003; 2:00 PM; New York City/Manhattan region, NY

Katie had accepted Jamie's offer of her spending the holidays with her roommate and her family in New York City. Tad had invited her as well, but the possibility of seeing Jessie around town had made the polite rejection she gave Tad pretty easy. He was hurt but understood the situation.

"Before you go in, Katie, I should let you know something."

"What's that?"

"My brother's a cop, so you should get all of the pig jokes you can get in on one night."

"Alright, anything you can tell me?"

"He's a pretty decent brother, but also kind of nerdy in how big of a Star Wars fan he is."

"So that's why you do the occasional Yoda impersonation when I'm in a bad mood?"

"Yeah, it cheers him up every time he's sad or in a bad mood."

"Ok, uh, how is he with you being bisexual?"

"If you're worried about him being some bigot, don't be. He loves me. No matter what, he's always there for me. He told me once, "No matter how old you get, you'll always be my baby sister." Our parents love us unconditionally. When I went to my first Gay Pride march with a friend whose parents didn't support her choice, my mom was marching right beside me."

"Must be nice," Katie said a little bitterly.

"I didn't mean to say that to make you jealous or anything. I just wanted you to know that you don't have to hide who you are from them."

"Thanks."

Both girls smiled as they entered Jamie's spacious home.

"Mom, Dad, Justin, I'm home. I brought Katie along with me like you said I could."

They were greeted by Jamie's parents, who came in from the kitchen. As they hugged their daughter, Katie took a look around the family room and liked what she saw. Jamie's family had really gotten into the holiday spirit: a wreath on both sides of the front door, mistletoe hanging from a few areas of the room, stockings hanging from the chimney, and a nice sized tree in a corner beside a staircase. When she looked back at Jamie and her parents, they were smiling at her.

"Mom, Dad, this is Katie Singer, my roommate at Oxford. Katie, this is my mom, Michelle, and my dad, Eric."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Foster."

"Please call us Eric and Michelle," he insisted.

Jamie smiled at how Katie had been caught by surprise with the hugs she quickly received.

"Why didn't you tell me they were going to do something like that?" Katie laughed

"I thought it'd be funnier if I didn't tell you."

"Was it?"

"Definitely. It didn't bother you, did it?"

"Not at all, I wish my parents were like yours."

"Where's Justin at?"

"He should be here very soon. He wanted to come over on his lunch break to see you then he'll have to get back to work," Michelle told them.

"Ok."

"So, Katie, would you like some eggnog?'

"Yes, I would, Mr….I mean Eric," Katie answered as Jamie's dad began to smirk at her.

About five minutes later, a brown haired man in his mid to late twenties came through the front door.

"Jamie, I see you and your friend made it in alright. What?" he asked as he noticed his sister start to sniff the air around him.

He sighed because she did the same thing every time she brought a friend home for the first time.

"I thought I smelled bacon. What about you, Katie?"

"I definitely smelled a pork product of some kind."

"Ha ha, very funny. Aren't you getting tired of doing that?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Ok, I won't do it anymore," Jamie promised before going directly into another Yoda impersonation, "Forgive me do you?"

Jamie smiled as her family and Katie laughed.

"I guess Jamie told you her reason for doing that?" Justin questioned Katie as he smiled at his sister.

"Yes, it always cheers me up."

Katie, Jamie, and Jamie's family had a brief talk before Justin had to leave again. After taking their bags up to Jamie's room, Jamie decided to give Katie a tour of the city. Along with some the special sights to see around the holiday season. The last thing they saw before heading home were what the huge, lighted Christmas trees at Rockefeller Center looked like at night time.

Around five hours later, Jamie's home

"So did Katie like the tour?" Michelle inquired as she noticed their red faces.

"Y-Yes I d-did," Katie replied as she and Jamie took off their coats.

"There's some hot apple cider in the kitchen that's just as good as Starbucks," Eric revealed before they watched the girls walk quickly into the kitchen.

The girls came back with huge mugs filled to the top with the hot beverage.

"So what do you and Eric do for a living?" Katie quizzed politely.

"We're both lawyers," Michelle admitted with a smile.

"What do you call a thousand lawyers chained together at the bottom of the ocean?" Katie giggled.

"A good start," Eric chuckled.

"I'm happy to see that your family can handle jokes about their jobs," Katie stated with a warm smile.

"Yeah, they're cool like that."

"So what kind of law do you practice?"

"My dad is a disability lawyer. He's helped hundreds of people get Social Security benefits when their clients were rejected the first time. My mom specializes in all types of crimes against minors. We'll leave it at that for now if it's ok?"

"Sure."

Ten minutes later

Justin returned and brushed the snow off his hat and coat before hanging it up in the closet. He seemed to be distracted or puzzled by something

"What's wrong, Justin?" the parents began at the same time.

Justin gave them a look that they all seemed to understand, except Katie.

"That again?" Jamie responded with a concerned expression.

"What again?" Katie interrupted before they all turned to her, "Sorry, I…"

"Don't worry about it. Tell her, Justin, it's interesting, and she might get a kick out of it," Jamie smirked.

"I don't know."

"Talking about it you love."

"Ok, just hold off on the Yoda impersonations for a few days. I knew I should have never let you watch 'Return of the Jedi'. Ever since then, you do it constantly when you come home. I'm a Stars Wars fanatic, I get it," he frowned before turning it into a smile.

"So what's Jamie talking about?" Katie cut in.

"At the beginning of this past summer, word got around of a new gang in the city. It only started as a few members, but it seems to grow every month or so. They're different from the usual gang members we've seen before."

"What makes them different?"

"Well, they're mostly girls, but once or twice, there has been a few different men seen with them. And the way they're recognized is a little weird too. Most gangs have hand signals or wear the same colors. These girls all seem to wear crosses around their neck. And they don't carry normal weapons either."

At this moment, Katie felt herself have a nervous twitch. _No, it can't be. Who are you kidding? You know who they're talking about._

"Are you ok?" Jamie grilled her roommate.

"I'm fine. Sometimes for no reason, I just get a twitch. It doesn't happen too often fortunately. So what do they use?"

"They seem to like sticks, kind of like wooden stakes. My fellow officers seem to think that they probably take part in ritual sacrifices like a cult of some kind. They seem to have some martial arts skills too."

Katie gulped loud enough for all of them to hear her.

"Are you sure, you're ok?" Jamie pried as she became worried about her.

"Yeah, it just seems a little weird, maybe even a little eerie."

"Tell her the best part, or should I say the weirdest?" Jamie suggested.

Justin had Katie's complete attention again.

"When any members of the other gangs see them, they just step aside and let the girls pass without a second thought. They clearly are respected by all of them. We're not sure what makes them do this. Rumors around the city are that one of the gang leaders was about to pick a fight with the girls when they were suddenly interrupted by what a few strangers described as "freaks". When a few of the guys in departments around the city responded to it, it was already over. The girls just walked away while the rest stood there in shock. They've been seen in every part of the city: Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and here in Manhattan. When we asked our superior officers about them, we were told to ignore them. Act like they didn't exist. A couple of my friends in the force seem to think these girls are actually on a secret city payroll. Another rumor has been going around that these girls saved some higher ups' kids and their kids' friends a few months after their first arrival. Crime has also seemed to drop around five percent, particularly the murder rate. Weird, huh?"

"Yeah, weird," Katie muttered, "So, uh, you said they were mostly girls, but what did those few guys look like?" _Please tell me it's not Xander or Robin._

"Well, one guy was an African American, around six feet tall, bald, in his thirties or forties, and knew some martial arts. The other guy was around the same height, had black hair, kind of goofy looking, in his early to mid twenties and always seemed to be accompanied by a cute redhead who was around eighteen, I think. Another strange thing is that nobody appears to know their real names. Most of the time, it's just an initial. My partner heard a name used one time. It apparently slipped out among the guy with black hair and the redheaded girl. She searched around and assumed that he heard them. I guess when he turned his back to them, the girl must have slapped the guy on the head. Because he heard the guy let out a low yelp. He heard the name, Grace. Which adds a little support to them being a religious cult theory. Other officers have heard the initials: B, D, and J. It sounds like they might be the higher ups in the gang, mentioned but never seen. A friend in another department swears she heard another religious name which increased the cult theory more."

"You didn't tell me that one. What name did she swear she heard?" Jamie asserted as she didn't see Katie's reaction.

"Faith. Another girl had said it in front the African American male. He mumbled something to her. I'm assuming it was to tell her to be quiet because the girl became silent after that."

Justin had seen the reaction on Katie's face and encouraged his sister to glance at her best friend. Jamie noticed that Katie was becoming pale now.

"That's it, you're obviously not ok. Something's bothering you. Come with me," Jamie insisted as she pulled Katie up from her seat and led her to her bedroom.

"Dinner is in about fifteen minutes, sweetie," Michelle informed her daughter.

"Ok, we'll be back by then."

A few minutes later, Jamie's bedroom

"Ok, what's gotten into you? I know what Justin said is a little weird but nothing to get freaked out about. A gang that has seemed to help lower the crime rate is a good thing."

"Yeah, it's just that it sounds like the same the same things Jessie's new friends do back in England."

"I never pictured Jessie hanging with people involved in gang activity."

"Well, sometimes people can surprise you," Katie divulged as she got a better inspection of the room and saw the only bed in there was a queen size bed.

"I guess so. You don't have problem sharing a bed with me, do you? I would offer you Justin's old room, but he's staying here while his apartment building is being remodeled after a fire in a nearby apartment that reached a few other apartments on his floor. Want to see his room?" Jamie giggled.

"If you're going to laugh like that, then yeah, I would."

On their way back downstairs, they passed by his room. Katie laughed as there was a poster from every movie in the Star Wars saga up to that time, a Yoda Lamp on the desk, and a light saber replica in a corner of the room. By the time the girls reached the dining room table, Katie was back to being the girl Jamie liked hanging out with on the weekends. For the majority of the time Katie was in New York, she and Jamie seemed to have fun. It didn't matter if it was just checking out places around the city, going to a few sporting events, going clubbing at night, or even just hanging around Jamie's home.

Christmas Day/Chanukah 2003; around 3:00 PM; Evanston, IL; the Sammler/Manning home

Grace, Jessie, Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow appeared on the porch with the help of Willow.

"So are all of you ready to spend this day with our family?" Jessie challenged as Grace smiled at them.

"Y-Yes," Dawn mumbled as the rest nodded along.

"Relax, D, our family likes all of you."

"They especially like Dawn," Buffy chuckled.

The rest of the girls smiled as Dawn blushed.

"I'm sorry Chloe couldn't come with you. My family was interested in meeting her."

"It's alright. She felt it was too early in the relationship to be meeting my parents and vice versa. Besides, we haven't met Grace's aunt, Judy; Karen's boyfriend, Henry; or your baby brother yet. Faith also hasn't met Zoe yet," Willow reminded them.

"Plus, we'll have to deal with Eli," Buffy groaned.

"Don't worry about him. My mom promised he would be on his best behavior."

Grace responded to that with a laugh, making Jessie frown while the rest just stared at them. As Jessie opened the door, Grace whispered to her.

"Did you tell them?"

"Tell them what?"

"You know what I'm talking about," Grace smirked.

"Now what fun would that be?" Jessie commented.

"What's so funny?" Willow declared.

"You'll see," Jessie confirmed before laughing again.

"Everybody, we're here," Grace announced as the gang removed their coats and placed them in the nearest closet.

Jessie and Grace smiled as they were greeted with big smiles from everyone except Henry, who seemed to be absent. Then they noticed Eli gawking at Buffy and Faith, who were holding hands.

"Anyway," Jessie interjected loud enough to get her brother to stop staring at the couple, "where's Henry?"

"He just went into the kitchen to get me and himself a drink," Karen confided as she got out of her seat and walked up to hug her daughter.

After Karen released her daughter, Jessie spoke up again.

"Most of you remember Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow. I know Eli remembers them. Don't you, Eli? Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow, this is Judy. She's Lily's sister. Faith, this is Grace's sister, Zoe," Jessie introduced as she pointed to the girl standing beside Lily.

Most of the Scoobies were met with hugs and accepted them warmly, but Faith settled for handshakes.

"I hope I didn't offend you. I'm just not comfortable with hugging someone I've never met before or only once."

"It's ok," Lily assured her.

Before anybody had a chance to say something, Jessie paced over and picked up her baby brother.

"It's ok, Matthew. These people are just some of your sisters' friends," Jessie told him carefully as she strolled back to them, "This cute girl beside me is my best friend, Dawn. The blonde and the brunette beside her are her sister, Buffy and Buffy's fiancée, Faith. The redhead is our friend, Willow."

"Jessie, he's not going to remember that," Grace affirmed with a smirk.

"When and where did you get those?" Karen questioned as she pointed to her daughter's wrist and neck.

"Oh, Dawn got the bracelet for me when they went to Rio de Janeiro for Thanksgiving and the cross necklace for Christmas."

"They're beautiful," Karen complimented as she smiled at the now blushing girl standing beside Jessie.

"If you r-really l-like the bracelet, I can get one for you too," Dawn offered before blushing again.

"That's a sweet offer but not necessary."

The rest focused on Matthew as it seemed that he smiled at them before yawning. As Jessie laid her brother back down, she heard gasps from her friends. She spun around to see them gaping in shock at Henry, Grace smirking again, and their family watching in confusion. She began laughing as she saw the one most shocked was Faith.

"Hi, I'm Henry Higgins. It's nice to meet you," he greeted before noticing the stares he was receiving from the women and added, "Are your friends ok, Jessie?"

"Yeah, it's just that you look a LOT like a friend of theirs."

"Really?"

"Yeah, are you originally from here or from someplace else?" Faith voiced almost nervously.

"I've lived here my entire life, but my father lived in New York for a bit before moving here."

"Ok, well, I guess this proves that everyone has a twin out there somewhere."

"I guess so. Are you two pretty close?" Henry continued as he started to smile.

"Yeah, we…Ow."

"Oops, sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to squeeze your hand so hard," Buffy murmured as she quickly tried to cover up the reason for making Faith yelp.

The rest of their friends just gazed at the slightly angry slayer, who almost glared at her regretful fiancée.

"I'm five by five."

Judy, Henry, and Zoe became confused at the response and eyed the couple.

"That's Faith's way of saying she's ok," Buffy explained with a smile.

"That's a nice, little rock you have on your finger, Buffy," Karen described before giving Henry a meaningful glance.

"Yeah, it was one of the few things my alcoholic mother couldn't steal and pawn."

"Ok, well, dinner's ready," Lily determined to break the rising tensions before leading them to the two tables in the dining room.

There wasn't enough room at the first table, so Lily and Rick had set up a second table for Jessie and her friends.

"Since this is both Christmas and Chanukah, there is traditional food for all of us," Rick announced, bringing a smile to Lily, Judy, Zoe, Grace, and Willow's faces, "Now, I would like to make a toast. This is to Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow. Thanks for being such great friends to Jessie and Grace and joining us during the holiday season."

"Cheers," the rest of Jessie and Grace's family directed to their guests.

"May we all have a happy holiday," Buffy requested before repeated sounds of clinking glasses could be heard around the room.

As dinner was finishing up, Lily interrogated the entire room, "I hope everyone has room for dessert?"

"I do," Willow, Eli, Zoe, Grace, Henry, and Judy answered.

"No thanks, honey, I'm stuffed," Rick relented as he patted his stomach.

"Same here," Karen, Jessie, Dawn, and Buffy sighed with smiles on their faces.

"That was wicked, yo. I could handle some dessert. Whatcha got?"

Buffy then elbowed her fiancée while being as subtle as she could.

"I'm sorry, I mean that was delicious. I would love some dessert. What do you have?" Faith said politely as Dawn giggled at the way Buffy made Faith give a better response to Lily's question.

Faith then gave Buffy the same pout that had softened Buffy's heart the first time she saw it.

"I'll take both as a compliment. We have a few different flavors of pie, cherry cheese blitzes, glazed lebkuchen, and some cookies," Lily claimed as she smiled at Willow. Her attention then turned to Dawn, who had instantly become a little sad, "Is something wrong, Dawn?"

All eyes turned to Dawn, who was trying to avoid the stares.

"I'm sorry, I need to…I mean can I be excused?"

"Sure, the bathroom is that way if…," Rick tried to explain but was cut off by Dawn's response.

"Thanks," Dawn exclaimed before getting up and almost running from the table.

"What's wrong with her, Buffy?" Lily replied as all eyes shifted to Buffy and Willow; who were looking sadly at each other before looking at the rest of the group.

"Let me go check on her," Jessie whispered to Buffy. When Buffy agreed, Jessie said to her family, "Excuse me."

Jessie went in search of Dawn and found her coming back from the upstairs bathroom while wiping away a tear and stopped her in front of the stairs

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make a scene in the dining room. I just…"

"It's ok. The holidays can be a really emotional time."

"Still, I didn't want you to see me cry again, making me seem like nothing but a drama queen."

"I won't. You were thinking about your mom, huh?"

"Y-Yeah," Dawn admitted while wiping away another tear.

"Come here," Jessie ordered as she reached out her arms to Dawn.

Dawn took the few steps to Jessie and was caught up in a hug.

"Are you going to be ok now? Or do you still have a few tears left?"

"Maybe a few."

"Then go ahead, I've got you."

Dawn proceeded to let tears to come for another minute before smiling at Jessie.

"Ok, all done. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Jessie responded before wiping away Dawn's tears, peeking up for a few seconds, and then smiling at Dawn.

"What?"

Jessie simply nodded upward and smiled as Dawn did the same thing.

"It's m-mistletoe," Dawn stuttered.

"Yeah, and I kind of like this tradition," Jessie confessed before kissing Dawn softly on the lips. When Dawn stepped back for a moment, Jessie added, "Don't you?"

"Yeah," Dawn answered as she put her hands on Jessie's hips and kissed her softly on the lips.


	47. Chapter 47

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 47

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The rest of the girls' trip to Evanston. Dawn, Jessie, Buffy, and Faith celebrate New Years Eve in London while Katie celebrates with Jamie in New York City.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

A few minutes later

"Ahem," Rick stated, successfully getting the girls to break the kiss and turn around at his voice.

"Uh, sorry," Dawn mumbled as she saw everyone staring at her and Jessie.

"We understand," Karen said.

"Ok," Jessie replied as they made their way back into the dining room to eat some dessert.

"So, Jessie, tell me about this boarding school again. I guess that's where you met Dawn?" Judy asked as the rest of Jessie's family and her friends smiled at Judy.

"Yeah, she's my roommate. Buffy and Faith are sort of our self defense teachers, and Willow is our computer teacher. I thought we already talked about this enough on Thanksgiving?"

"You're right, I'm sorry. So how's Katie doing? Have you talked to her at all since the break up?"

"No," Jessie answered as she squeezed Dawn's hand gently under the table.

"Then you're going to finish out the year there?"

"Yes, I've made good friends there. That gives me a good reason to stay."

"Are you and Dawn a couple?" Zoe blurted out as she saw them occasionally glancing at each other.

"Why do you ask, Z?" Jessie questioned with a smirk, getting laughs from her friends, Grace, and Lily.

"Huh?" Zoe muttered.

"Sorry; thanks to Faith, I've gotten into the habit of calling almost everyone in London by their first initial. I won't do it again."

"No, I like it. I asked if you were dating because we've seen the way you look at each other, and that kiss didn't look like one between two girls who are just friends. It just seemed like a question worth asking."

"It was just the mistletoe and the spirit of the season that made us kiss. We're just best friends," Dawn replied as she tried to hide how she really felt about the kiss.

"That's how Jessie and…," Zoe stated before Grace glared at her enough to make her stop.

"So are there any other traditions that four of you have for the holiday season?" Karen questioned their guests.

Buffy, Dawn, and Willow shared a smile at hearing that.

"When I was younger, I would have to go over to Xander's house to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special. He could even do the Snoopy dance," Willow revealed.

"Really?" Rick chuckled, "Jessie liked to watch that too."

"Can you do the Snoopy dance?" Karen challenged with a smirk.

"Possibly."

"Could you show us after we finish eating?" Jessie pleaded with growing curiosity and a cute smile that made Dawn want to kiss the blonde again.

"We'll see."

Shortly after that, the entire group headed into the family room. After playful begs from Jessie and Dawn, Willow gave in. She prepared as Jessie picked the right music. The room was filled with laughter as Willow flawlessly did the Snoopy dance. When Willow was finished, she was rewarded with a round of applause. Then Jessie and Grace exchanged presents with their family.

"So what did you girls get each other for the holidays?" Lily inquired as she looked at their guests.

"Buffy got me this necklace," Willow declared as she proudly wore the necklace with a Jewish star on it before smiling at Jessie and continuing, "Jessie got me a DVD copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas."

"Since we barely made it out of Sunnydale, we mostly got clothes," Dawn announced before looking over at Jessie.

Dawn blushed as she realized that Jessie was the only one who didn't catch her staring slightly at the blonde. Then they quickly moved onto other topics. As they continued talking, each one of the Scoobies was able to hold Matthew for a few minutes. The cutest reaction came when Faith was holding him. Matthew appeared to be smiling as he gripped one of Faith's fingers as tight as he could. When Faith handed him back to Lily, she noticed Buffy's loving smile, which made her roll her eyes at her fiancée. The rest of them saw this and either smirked or laughed softly at the couple. After that display, the gang decided it was time to head back to London, Rio, and New York City.

"Well, I guess we should head back now," Dawn suggested as she could feel herself get the urge to stare at Jessie again.

"Yeah," Willow and Buffy agreed.

"But if you and Grace want to spend some more time here, we can work something out," Buffy offered while knowing how Dawn would miss Jessie even if was for only a day.

"Do you have to catch your flights already?" Judy wondered.

"Yeah, it seems too soon," Henry commented as he was the only other one who didn't know the truth.

"Flights? Oh yeah, right," Faith mumbled as she held in a smirk.

Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow then said their goodbyes to the Sammler/ Manning family. They were pleasantly surprised as Faith willingly hugged Karen, Lily, Judy, and Zoe. Then she exchanged handshakes with Rick, Eli, and Henry. When Henry and Judy went to the kitchen, Buffy felt like joking around with Jessie's family.

"I guess next time, Faith and I will have to be one the ones sending you a DVD of Jessie."

Everyone laughed as Dawn smacked Buffy on the shoulder.

"So are you and Grace coming or staying for another day?" Willow quizzed.

"I'll come now," Grace said as she hugged her mom and Zoe one more time.

"Jessie?" Willow questioned with a smile.

"Uh…," Jessie muttered as she looked back and forth between her parents and her friends.

After a minute of silence, Karen spoke up.

"It's ok, Jessie. You can go now if you want. We understand what you're doing is very important."

"Thanks, I'll keep in touch," Jessie promised as she gave every family member a hug again.

Everyone watched Jessie walk over to where her baby brother was sleeping, kiss him gently on the forehead, and then rejoin her friends. When Willow was sure that Judy and Henry were still in the kitchen, she quickly did the teleportation spell and they vanished. The family smiled as the sight still had the ability to silence them briefly. As Willow made the stops at both New York City and London, she made sure to make the same joke.

"Thank you for selecting Rosenberg Airlines. Please come again soon."

New Year's Eve, 11: 55 PM; London, England time; the slayers' hangout

As Buffy and Jessie were getting drinks for Dawn, Faith, and themselves, Dawn and Faith were talking while sitting at a table near the dance floor. The place was a little crowded, and almost ever person had on the party hats passed out every year.

"So, D, are you going to kiss your girlfriend as the new year comes?"

"She's not my girlfriend, and I'm not her rebound girl," Dawn answered a little angrily.

"B only had that talk with her because she was concerned about you."

"I know. I'm sorry. I just wish she'd let me handle my relationship with Jessie on my own. Sure, we have gone on some dates and have kissed a few times after that, but we're not an official couple."

"Don't forget the constant hand holding, the glances you think no one sees, and how well the second date went. You two also share each other's bed a lot. Sometimes it's yours, sometimes it's hers. It seems like you're a couple to me. Ever talk about it with her?"

"I don't want to ruin what we have now."

"What you have is an "unofficial couple" or "friends with benefits" relationship. Just kiss her to ring in the new year. Don't tell her you're going to do it. If she doesn't react the way you want, say it was to keep up the tradition or blame me. I'll take the blame. You can tell her I dared you while they were getting us drinks."

"I don't know."

"I'll buy you a drink to drown your sorrows in if I'm wrong, but I don't think I will be."

As Dawn was shaking her head to show that she was going to do it, their dates returned with drinks.

"What's up with you two?"

"What do you mean, B?"

"You two have this look on your face that you did something wrong. You didn't let her have some of your beer, did you?"

"And risk not getting kissed as we rang in the new year? Not a chance I'm willing to take."

"Good, here are the drinks," Buffy declared as she and Jessie handed the girls their drinks.

"Are you ok, D?"

"I'm fine, J."

"Just checking."

Right before the new year came, Dawn planted a kiss on Jessie's lips. Jessie was slightly surprised but happy that Dawn had made the first move. She wanted to do it; but for some reason, she had doubts about if Dawn would want to do it. Their kiss had lasted throughout the singing of Auld Lang Syne. They broke the kiss and turned around to see what the reaction would be from Buffy and Faith. They were happy to see a smirk on Faith's face and a heartwarming smile on Buffy's.

"Happy New Year," Dawn and Jessie announced to them.

"Happy New Year to you too," Buffy and Faith asserted before Buffy gave her sister a tight hug.

"Ok, oxygen becoming an issue here," Dawn chuckled.

"Sorry, Dawnie."

"It's five by five, B," Dawn assured her sister.

When Buffy looked a little aggravated, Dawn spoke again.

"You started it by calling me Dawnie when I asked you not to."

"She's right, yo."

"You should know by now not to provoke my g…," Jessie reminded before stopping suddenly at almost calling Dawn her girlfriend.

At hearing gasps from Buffy and Dawn while seeing Faith smile at being right again, Jessie started to look away from them.

"I told you so, D," Faith gloated after sipping some of her beer.

"Let's go dance," Jessie commanded as she felt the need to get away from the looks she was getting from Buffy and Faith.

"Alright," Dawn consented as she let out the smile she was holding back.

When they reached the dance floor, Dawn wrapped her arms around Jessie's waist and started another conversation.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend? Officially I mean," Dawn babbled before nervously biting her lower lip.

"Yes, I would like that," Jessie assured her after smiling at the cuteness of a nervous Dawn.

"Then why did you get embarrassed back there? Did you actually think I would be against that idea? I've wanted that since our second date."

"Well, I guess I was worried about ruining what we have if we made it official. I mean what if we date for a while, and then I do something that hurts you? Or I never fall in love with you? Then you break up with me, find someone else, and we're never as close as we are right now ever again."

"We'll take this day by day, alright?" Dawn mentioned as she leaned in and kissed her before resting her head on Jessie's shoulder.

"Alright, and we'll deal with any problems when and if they come along."

Jessie softly kissed Dawn before looking to her right. Jessie smiled as she saw Faith's arms wrapped around Buffy as they observed the now official couple. Buffy had a tear on her right cheek, which Jessie let her know by tapping her own right cheek. She grinned as Buffy gently wiped her tear away.

Back at the table, as Dawn was kissing Jessie.

"You aren't going to get weepy on me again, are you, B?" Faith groaned after both had watched the first kiss.

"What if I do? You said you didn't mind it. If it bothers you, then why did you say it?" Buffy growled as she felt irritation rise inside her.

"Easy there, I was only asking," Faith demanded her as she wrapped her arms around the blonde.

Buffy sighed happily before leading Faith to the dance floor.

"See, B, they're happy, and everything will be five be five," Faith confirmed as she and Buffy both smiled at the couple in front of them.

"They will, won't they?"

"As long as they have each other and us for support, they will be," Faith stated as Buffy got the same loving expression on her face from their Christmas back in Evanston, "Not again."

"Sorry, but I can't help it. It was so cute. You can't tell me you felt nothing at that moment. We all saw that smile you tried to hide."

"It was only a smile because the kid's got a strong grip for a baby."

"Sure it was,"

"It was," Faith insisted.

Buffy reacted by smiling before resting her head on Faith's shoulder while they danced.

A few minutes before midnight; Times Square; New York City, New York

For the majority of the time since Katie and Jamie arrived in New York, she and Jamie seemed to have fun. It didn't matter if it was just checking out places around the city, going to a few sporting events, going clubbing at night, or even just hanging around Jamie's home. Now, Jamie wanted to show Katie how much fun New Year's Eve was in New York City and was happy that their fake ids had worked well at the clubs they stopped at before partying in the streets with other New Yorkers around Times Square. As they arrived there a few minutes before midnight, Jamie asked Katie a question.

"I know we're just friends, but I was wondering if I could do something with you."

"What is it?"

"Since I became a teenager, I've always had someone to kiss when the new year came around. So would you mind if we do that? Nothing has to change, I just like keeping up with holiday traditions."

"I guess it would be ok," Katie giggled at Jamie, who appeared to be both hopeful and nervous.

"Cool."

When the crowd started the countdown, Jamie pulled Katie to her and leaned up against the light pole she had been standing by at the time.

"TEN…NINE…EIGHT…SEVEN…SIX…FIVE…FOUR…THREE…TWO…"

Jamie then planted a kiss on Katie's lips.

"ONE. HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the crowd yelled before they began singing Auld Lang Syne and hugging their friends or family.

The girls kissed until the song was over and were getting cheers from several guys in various stages of being drunk. After they broke the kiss, both girls had smiles on their faces. As Katie hugged her, something caught Jamie's attention. Jamie broke the hug when she saw a redheaded girl begin to pull away a guy with black hair; who apparently had taken a picture of them with a camera phone. She thought to herself.

_Typical reaction from a guy to something like that._

"What's up? Something wrong, Jamie?"

"Maybe. This guy was staring our way. I thought it was just because we were kissing, but he was looking directly at you before a girl who was possibly his girlfriend dragged him away. I think he also got a picture of us kissing."

"Ok, so what did they look like?"

"Kind of like those people Justin was talking about."

"What makes you say that?"

"The guy had black hair while the girl was a redhead who easily pulled him away. And…"

"And what?"

"I could see the cross around her neck from the light pole beside them, and the guy was wearing an eye patch over his left eye."

"Which way did they go?"

"That way," Jamie revealed as she pointed to the left, "Hey, where are you going?"

"I need to find out something," Katie told her as she tried to get through the crowd quickly in search of the couple Jamie had pointed out.

When she got to a point where she could pick up speed, the couple was nowhere to be seen.

"Did you find them?"

"No, they got away pretty fast_." That was probably Xander and Vi. I'm sure they're calling Grace right now. Could Jessie be with her? No, she's probably had another roll around in the sack with Dawn by now._

About five minutes later, the couple was sure that Katie had stopped chasing after them. The guy then got out a cell phone to make a call.

"Should we tell Grace what we saw?"

"You can if you want, but it doesn't matter since Jessie's still in London with Dawn, Buffy, and Faith. There's no chance she will see them."

"I'll call her anyway."

"Fine, but don't be surprised if she gets angry with you."

"Hello?"

"Grace?"

"Hi, Xander, what's wrong? Nothing happened with Vi or any of the other slayers, did it?"

"No, but that's not why I'm calling. I thought you should know something. I saw two girls making out around Times Square."

"What's the big deal about that? Unless you pissed off Vi with your staring."

"Well, Vi pulled me away," Xander paused as Grace began to laugh. When she stopped, he continued, "No, I just thought I'd let you know one of the girls was Katie. I'm assuming the other was her roommate. I think her name was Jamie, right? I wasn't sure what to do, so I thought I should call you. Jessie's still in London, right?"

When there had been a minute of silence, he spoke up again.

"Grace…Grace…Grace, are you there?"

"Uh, yeah, I am. Sorry about that. Yes, Jessie is still in London. You know that." "So should we tell Jessie? I mean I know Dawn and Jessie have gone out on a few dates, but should we let her know about this?"

"No, you and Vi are to tell no one. Got it? Dawn and Jessie seem to be happy together, even if they're not an official couple yet. Have a good night, and I'll talk to you, Vi, and a few other slayers later."

As he hung up the phone, Vi couldn't tell whether Grace had argued with him or not.

"So what did she say?"

"She said that she didn't want us to say anything to anyone, and she'd talk to us later."

"So she let you off easy this time, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Come on, we still have some more patrolling to do."

"Ok," Xander complied as Vi walked down the street while looking down darkened alleys.

Three hours later, Jamie's home

Katie and Jamie had spent a little over the next two hours partying with the crowd at one of Jamie's favorite clubs. They found themselves almost staggering through the front door. They had scored enough free drinks to get a little drunk, and all it had taken was a few more kisses and dancing together while occasionally rubbing up against each other. Katie had begun giggling at how they were hanging on each other to prevent themselves from falling on their butts.

"Sshh," Jamie whispered to Katie.

"Why, will your parents be mad when they found out that you got drunk?"

"No, they told me how they had done that once or twice before turning twenty one. They might be a little angry if you wake them before they're ready to get up."

"Ok," Katie relented as they locked the front door, headed upstairs to Jamie's bedroom, and closed the door behind them.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, didn't you?"

"My goal was to make sure you had a good time, and if you had a good time, then I would too. So, uh, would you like some pajamas or something else comfortable to sleep in?" Jamie suggested as she reached for some pajamas.

"No, I came prepared. Would you like me to change in the bathroom while you change in here?"

"You don't have to. We've changed in front of each other enough times. This is just another night, right?"

"Yeah, you're right. Forget I brought it up," Katie sighed as she removed her shirt and began unbuttoning her pants.

She carefully laid them down on a nearby chair and turned around to look at Jamie. Jamie was already changed and heading to her bathroom. Katie grabbed her bag holding all of her bathroom needs and followed Jamie. The girls shared smiles as they went through the routine of brushing their teeth and gargling before heading back into the bedroom. Jamie could sense Katie become nervous as she pulled back the covers.

"Are you sure you're ok with sharing a bed? It should be enough room for both of us, but if you would be more comfortable, I think I might be able to find one of those aero beds we have saved for visitors."

"No, I'm fine," Katie reassured her, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Jamie echoed as she lie down and closed her eyes.

About ten minutes later, she was awoken by soft sobs coming from Katie.

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," Katie sniffled as she tried to stop the crying that had woken up her friend.

"You're lying. Look at me," Jamie ordered as she rolled over onto her side and looked at Katie.

"I'm sorry I woke you. It's just…"

"You were thinking about Jessie again, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I didn't meant to, but when you described that couple earlier, it sounded like some of her friends. I just thought of her again. Which reminded me how I caught her and Dawn in bed together while they were slightly naked," Katie griped and then realized she better come up with a quick excuse for the spells that caused the pain she was in at that moment.

"How is that possible? You didn't go there because you mailed the shirt."

"Well, when you came back you saw that I was online, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, the instant messenger she and I used showed Jessie was online. I guess she hadn't blocked me yet. She had stayed logged in and had left her webcam on. I didn't know whether she did it on purpose, or if it was an accident."

"Dang."

"Yeah, anyway, I got a clear shot of them sharing Jessie's bed. I could tell from the way the covers were laying on them that they were at least topless. Jessie was lying on her back with the covers just below her shoulders while Dawn was lying beside her with her head on Jessie's shoulder. Something woke Jessie up. She then noticed her computer was still on because she carefully put on a shirt and a pair of shorts that were on the floor near the bed, walked over to the computer, and shut it down."

"I know it sucks right now, but I will help you get through it."

"Thanks," Katie replied softly as she saw Jamie smile at her.

Against her better judgment, Katie leaned in and began kissing Jamie, who didn't seem to be stopping her. This encouraged Katie to push the other girl onto her back and kiss her more passionately. Katie then felt her hand making its way under Jamie's pajama top and gently touching the brunette's stomach. A few seconds later, Katie was pushed back hard enough to fall onto her back.

"What are you doing? I mean I know what you're doing, but what made you decide to do that? Was I leading you on when we kissed at the clubs? I thought we made it clear that we are just friends."

"What, you don't want me? I guess you both would rather be sleeping with Dawn," Katie complained as she moved as far away from Jamie as she could and still be able to sleep comfortably.

"It's not that. You surprised me."

"Maybe you should see if you can find one of those aero beds. I'll sleep on the floor."

"You're not sleeping on the floor. My bed is big enough," Jamie insisted as she pulled Katie to her.

"I get it, alright. You don't want me either."

"You're only acting this way because we're both a little drunk, and you miss Jessie. If we do anything, we'll regret it in the morning."

"Yeah, right," Katie scoffed as she tried to roll over on to her other side, so Jamie wouldn't be able to see her face, "Goodnight, again."

Jamie wouldn't let her do that, and her roommate gave up the fight. Katie let Jamie wrap her arms around her and kiss her on the forehead.

"We'll just sleep like this, and when we wake up later this morning, you'll see I was right."

Katie wiped away a tear before she fell asleep in Jamie's arms.


	48. Chapter 48

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 48

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: This chapter is about Jamie and Katie spending time together in New York City on New Years Day.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I will use probably the most popular quote from the movie "Weird Science". Since there have been a few stories where the author made Katie a klutz, I decided to do the same thing by making her a klutz on the ice. I don't know how popular the ice skating rink at Rockefeller center is, but when Jamie and Katie get there, it will be an unusual slow time that day. To get an idea of how good of a skater I'm having Jamie be, watch Tara Lipinski's long program routine at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano on YouTube.

* * *

Around 11:00 AM, Jamie's bedroom

Jamie woke to the feeling of Katie's head resting right besides hers on the pillows while one of Katie's hands was resting on her stomach just under the pajama top. She smiled at the peaceful expression on her roommate's face. Katie woke as Jamie gently brushed the few stray hairs away from Katie's left cheek.

"Good morning," Jamie greeted her as Katie yawned and slowly opened her eyes.

"Uh, good morning. Sorry about that," Katie said as she realized her hand was resting under Jamie's shirt and pulled it away.

"It's ok. How are you feeling?"

"I have a headache and am maybe slightly nauseous. But I'm glad I…I mean we didn't…," Katie mumbled.

"I told you so. Would you like something to eat?"

"Possibly, any suggestions?"

"How about a nice, greasy, pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray?" Jamie asked with a chuckle before Katie jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom.

She laughed a little more at hearing Katie throw up.

"That was mean," Katie replied as she came back into the bathroom holding a glass of water while swallowing some aspirin.

"I'm sorry. Justin said the same thing to me the first time he caught me with a hangover. Feel better now?"

"Yeah, I think I can eat something now."

About five minutes later, the Fosters' kitchen

"You two look like you had a good time last night," Justin stated while he set a plate full with a stack of pancakes onto the kitchen table as Eric and Michelle looked on from their seats while drinking some steaming coffee.

"Yeah, we did. And it was cheap too. We only had to pay for our first drink. The rest of the night we got free drinks," Jamie responded with a smile.

"How did you manage…Oh, never mind," he muttered as Katie blushed in front of all of them while the parents tried to act like they hadn't heard anything.

"So what are you two going to do today?" Michelle questioned her daughter.

"I don't know. Would you be up for going ice skating?" Jamie suggested to her friend.

"I don't think so," Katie muttered.

"Why not?"

"Because when I put on skates, I seem to fall on my butt a lot."

"Please!" Jamie playfully begged to the delight of her family, who knew how great of a skater Jamie was.

"Fine, but if I break or twist anything, you're paying the medical bills."

"Deal."

After the entire family and Katie had full stomachs, Justin left for work while Eric and Michelle decided to relax on their day off from work. Jamie and Katie made their way back upstairs to Jamie's bedroom. Jamie let Katie take a shower first and got out the clothes she was going to wear for the day and her ice skates.

"The bathroom's free," Katie announced before noticing the ice skates at the foot of Jamie's bed.

"Don't worry, if you don't have fun, we don't have to stay long," Jamie confirmed softly while walking into the bathroom and closing the door.

Twenty minutes later, both girls were fully dressed and headed downstairs to the front door.

"Have fun, girls," Eric commented as he and Michelle were watching a movie on TV.

"Have the ice packs ready just in case," Katie joked.

"Could you come here for a minute, sweetie?" Michelle ordered her daughter.

Katie waited by the door as Jamie trekked over to her mom.

"What is it?" Jamie whispered.

"Don't show off too much out there, ok?" Michelle whispered back before the three of them smiled at Katie.

"Ok," Jamie answered before giving her parents a kiss on the cheek and strolling back to Katie.

Katie wasn't sure what to think when they had smiled at her, so she glanced at them with an arched eyebrow. After the girls had left the room and waited for the elevator, Katie looked over at Jamie.

"What was that all about?"

"They wanted to tell me how much they liked you and asked if we were secretly dating. I guess she thought if she said it out loud, it might embarrass you," Jamie lied as the elevator doors opened.

"Ok," Katie relented as they stepped inside and hit the first floor button.

About half an hour later, the Rockefeller Center ice rink

The girls arrived at the rink with looks of hope and hesitation. Every time Katie would almost stare at her and then look away, Jamie would smile. Jamie removed her shoes and laced up her skates as Katie made her choice of the rental skates. Katie remained a little nervous as she laced them up.

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" Katie questioned.

"Yes."

"You just want to see me fall on my butt, don't you?"

"Maybe a little. If you fall more than a few times, I will help you get up and hold your hand as we skate together. If that doesn't help, we can leave."

"You promise?"

"Of course."

"Shouldn't it be busier?"

"I guess we came at an unusual slow time," Jamie declared as there weren't many others there.

They saw some kids of all ages, some of the kids' parents, and a few elderly couples. Katie got onto the ice first. She was only on there for a few minutes before falling for the first time. She landed hard in her opinion and got angry as she saw Jamie laughing.

"It's not funny. I told you that I was kind of a klutz."

"Sorry, it was cute, that's all," Jamie admitted as she helped Katie up and encouraged her to try again.

Jamie skated beside her as Katie seemed to be getting the hang of it. Then she started to skate backward in front of Katie while occasionally looking to make sure nobody was getting in her way. Katie began watching her friend more often and smiled at her confidence. Katie decided to try and move a little faster and fell on her butt again. This time it was a little faster but just as hard as the first time.

"You're my friend, so don't smirk at me like that. Besides, how good are you anyway?"

"I sort of promised my parents not to show off in front of you for your sake. I would say pretty good, but it's because I'm pretty athletic."

"Ok, let's see what you've got. No holding back for my sake."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Jaime told her before checking to see where everyone was located on the rink.

When she saw there was enough room, she began to skate around in some figure eights; sometimes backward. She then picked up the pace a little while still skating backward. When she stopped for a few seconds, she saw that all others had stopped, moved to the side, and began observing her.

"Want to see some more?" she inquired from all of them.

She heard various people saying yes or yeah and saw some nodding positively.

"What are you waiting for, superstar?" Katie challenged with both sarcasm and humor.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Jamie informed her before turning to the small crowd, "If you have cameras of any kind, you might want to start using them now."

Jamie began to skate even faster. Every so often, she would do a double lutz before starting to spin in a circle on one skate. Each time she glimpsed at Katie during a spin, she had a smile on her face. Katie was becoming impressed as Jamie was beginning to shine like an Olympic skater. As time went by, Jamie got even more daring and pulled off a few triple lutzs and triple loops. Then she spun on one skate while the rest of her body rotated diagonally. The crowd was stunned as they watched the stranger show off amazing skill. When she stopped, they congratulated her. Some even offered to buy her and Katie either coffee or hot chocolate from the nearest coffee shop. Jamie thanked them but politely turned down the offers before grabbing Katie by the hand and leading her around the rink for awhile. When they decided they had enough, they headed off the ice to put their shoes back on and leave. Jamie let go of Katie briefly before stepping off the ice. It didn't seem that long to her after that when she heard a yelp and turned around to see Katie sitting on the ice and holding her left ankle.

"Did you sprain your ankle?"

"I think so," Katie grumbled as Jamie helped her up and led her over to the closest empty seat.

"I'm sorry. I thought you could handle the two feet to the end of the rink," Jamie teased as she let out a small smirk.

"Whatever, take me to a doctor to be on the safe side," Katie insisted as Jamie helped Katie remove the rental skates.

Jamie came back with a smile on her face after returning the skates.

"Thanks to my outstanding performance, the skate rental and the time spent were free."

Jamie then let Katie drape her left arm over her shoulder as they left the rink and hailed a cab. Then they went to the nearest medical center to have Katie's ankle checked out. Katie was fortunate about being right that it was only a sprain.

About another half later, Jamie's home

Jamie's parents were returning from the kitchen with cups of coffee when the girls walked through the door.

"What happened, sweetie?" Michelle began as she gazed back and forth between the two girls.

"Uh, Katie kind of injured herself at the rink. She's got a sore butt and a sprained ankle."

"How did it happen?" Eric interrupted.

"Before or after your daughter showed off?" Katie remarked with a touch of sarcastic humor.

"I thought you promised us that you wouldn't do that?"

"Mom, she asked me to show her how good I was and not to hold anything back."

"She's right, Michelle. I fell on my butt twice before she showed everyone at the rink how well she could do. When we were leaving the ice, I fell again, but this time I sprained my left ankle. So how come I don't see any figure skating trophies or medals anywhere around this place?"

They turned to focus on Jamie, who got this sad look on her face before eyeing the television screen.

"I guess the best way to explain is to show you. Dad, can you help Katie up the stairs to my bedroom while I go get something to snack on. I think we'll just watch movies until dinner. When's that going to be?"

"Well, Justin has to work a little later than usual and has a date after that, so we'll have dinner a little earlier. I think we'll order in if that's ok?''

"Sure, what are we having?"

"Is Cajun food ok with you two?"

"Sounds good," Katie agreed before grimacing in pain.

The three of them smiled at Katie as Eric picked her up, carried her into Jamie's room, and carefully sat her down on the bed. He was just as careful when he put the sprained ankle on a pillow and laid an ice pack on it. Eric placed a gentle kiss on Katie's forehead and smiled as Jamie reached the bedroom. When she saw this, Jamie couldn't help but chuckle at how caring her dad was to Katie. Eric smirked at her as Katie blushed. He then kissed his daughter's forehead before leaving the room.

"Feeling better now are you?"

"Yes," Katie decided after laughing at another Yoda impression.

"Then you're not mad at me anymore?"

"No, so are you going to show me the reason for the sad face downstairs?"

"Do I have to?" Jamie playfully whined.

"Yes."

"Ok," Jamie conceded as she placed a VHS tape in the nearby VCR, and started it up, "This was the first and only competition I was in."

"How old were you in this? Katie grilled as she studied it closely.

"Twelve," Jamie told her with a sigh.

The girl on the video seemed to be doing a good job although it was clear that she was nervous. Katie viewed with pride as Jamie pulled off the double lutz. However, Jamie landed hard while attempting a triple lutz a few minutes later. Katie felt bad as Jamie held her ankle while she cried out in pain and had to be helped off the ice.

"What happened, you were doing so well?"

"Well, as you can see, I was nervous. I made the mistake of looking into a fully packed arena. I just lost my concentration. The rest is self explanatory," Jamie claimed as a few tears appeared on her cheek, "Can we please stop it now and watch movies?"

"Sure, but you're usually so confident in everything I've seen you do."

"I know, but it wasn't until I reached high school that I gained the confidence that you see every day. Now, I only skate for fun."

"Ok," Katie sighed as Jamie got comfortable beside her and selected the first movie.

A few hours later

Michelle entered Jamie's bedroom to find the girls asleep on the bed with Katie's head resting on her daughter's shoulder. She then reached for the digital camera on the dresser and snapped a picture. The flash woke her daughter, but not Katie.

"Oh, you're awake now," Michelle joked.

"Yeah," Jamie groaned while turning to Katie, "Katie, time for dinner."

Both of them laughed as Katie mumbled something they couldn't understand.

"You'll have to try harder, sweetie."

"I guess so. Katie, wake up," Jamie demanded as she shook her a little.

"Ok, I'm up," Katie exclaimed as she sat up, slowly opened her eyes, and planted a soft kiss on Jamie's lips. When she realized where she was and who she had kissed, she went into a slight panic mode, "I'm s-so s-sorry. I didn't mean to do th-that. Please don't hate me. I know you said we're only friends."

"Calm down, Katie. It's cool, and I'm not mad. I am hungry though," Jamie determined as she peeked over at her mom, who was looking on in concern for Katie.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Michelle," Katie apologized before inspecting her sprained ankle.

"Don't be. It's not the first time I saw a beautiful girl kissing my daughter. At least that's all you were doing," Michelle confessed without thinking.

"Thanks for oversharing, Mom," Jamie griped as Michelle left the room, and Katie started gawking at her.

"So she caught you before, huh? What happened then?"

"Well, it was the first girlfriend I had after revealing to my family that I was bisexual. She was lying on my bed while I was leaning over her and nibbling on her neck when both of them caught me. Oh, and our shirts were off too. I was so embarrassed, but they just warned me not to do that when they are around."

"I thought they were ok with your bisexuality?"

"They are. It's just them catching their daughter nibbling on anyone's neck while the two of us were without shirts was something they didn't want to see. I try not to think about what could have happened if they had come in ten minutes later."

"You mean you…," Katie gasped.

"No, my parents kind of killed the mood that night. I mean I'm not sure how far we would have gone otherwise. It was worse when Justin caught me a few weeks later."

"How much did he see?"

"We were doing the same thing, but our jeans were off too," Jamie said with a laugh.

"So then just underwear?"

"Yeah."

"I understand. Karen was the same way the first time she caught Jessie and I…

Sorry about that. I thought I was getting better."

"You were until that moment. It's ok. Since you brought it up, how far did you two get when you got caught?"

"Almost as far as you. We were making out, but our clothes were on. Although, I had pulled up her shirt to right under the bra, and mine was untucked from my pants and up just past the belly button."

"Was that the only time you were caught?" Jamie pried before seeing Katie blush a little, "I take that as a no. So who, when, where, and how much did they see?"

"A month later, we were just like you were when your parents caught you except I had just unbuttoned and unzipped her pants. She was reaching for mine when Grace caught us. I thought Jessie was going to freak. She just sat up and politely asked Grace to leave. Then we…"

"Ok, we'll stop it right there."

"I was only going to say that we put on our shirts, buttoned and zipped up our pants, and then joined everyone downstairs for dinner. I think I'll call her and see how her Christmas was."

"You shouldn't do that. I thought she told you not to call her or her family anymore?"

"I know, but I want to try at least once."

"I may not know Jessie as well as you, but even I think she won't answer the phone when she sees it's you calling. If you would like, I could call instead. She might be willing to answer if I did."

"You still talk to her after what happened between us?" Katie hissed as she felt anger rising up inside her.

"Yes, I do. She's still a friend. It's only been a few e-mails lately though."

"Why?"

"Because I promised her that if she ever needed anything, she could call me. The first time she called, we exchanged e-mail addresses."

"Can I see the e-mails?"

"No."

"Did she at least ask or talk about me?"

"I'm sorry, but no she didn't."

"What did you talk about then?"

"Just her classes, Eli bugging her about Buffy and Faith, and how she spent Thanksgiving with her family."

"What did he say?"

"What do you think he said?" Jamie asserted with a roll of her eyes.

"Ok, ew," Katie chuckled, "So how did Billie…I mean Jessie respond?"

"Remember how you told me Jessie took those pictures of Buffy and Faith before you two broke up?"

"Yeah, Eli almost fainted after he had seen them."

"Well, according to Jessie, they sent him another set but took it a few steps further."

"When did they do this, and how far?"

"I think it was about a week or so after your break-up. Somehow, her family made their way over to London to see her. Jessie said it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Anyway, Faith made some jokes that got Eli all worked up because less than a week later he e-mailed her and tried to see if Buffy and Faith would be interested in a threesome with him."

"What a pig."

"Yeah, so when they took the next set, Buffy and Faith were even less dressed than before. Then they…," Jamie paused as she debated how much more to tell her.

"Then they what?" Katie requested with a combination of anticipation and dread.

"They uh… got back to the same way they were in the first set, but…"

"But?" Katie interjected as she felt only dread now.

"But this time they got Jessie to join them for a few more."

"Oh. Do I want to really hear the rest?"

"Well, we got this far," Jamie commented before Katie gave her a nod, "All three were on Buffy and Faith's bed. Jessie was lying in the same pose that she did for you. Buffy put her hand on Jessie's upper back while Faith put hers on the lower back. Then Buffy's hand stayed in the same place while Faith moved hers to Jessie's butt for the final two."

"And then?" Katie questioned after gasping in shock.

"Jessie let Faith squeeze her butt for the final one. Buffy wasn't thrilled about that but didn't stop them. Since then, Eli never mentioned them again."

"Ok, so are you going to make the call?"

"If you want me to," Jamie continued after getting another positive nod, "Ok. After dinner, I'll call her and make up some excuse to put it on speakerphone. You have to be quiet though. If you aren't, she'll know you're here. Then she'll avoid both of us. I've noticed she has the best hearing I've ever known. Care to tell me how she posed for you?"

"If you can promise to keep it a secret."

"Ok."

"I was able to convince her to pose naked."

"Jessie got n-naked?" Jamie stuttered in surprise.

"Yeah," Katie informed with a smirk, "But she was lying on her stomach with her left arm covering most of the side view of her chest."

"WOW!" Jamie yelped as she actually pictured it.

"Please stop picturing it," Katie commanded as Jamie helped her off the bed.

"Oh please, you can't tell me something like that and not expect me to picture it. Just like you probably pictured me the two times I got caught," Jamie smirked when Katie wouldn't look at her; "I knew it," Jamie chuckled as she closed her bedroom door and led Katie downstairs.

"You knew what, sweetie?" Michelle asked as she and Eric caught the very last thing that their daughter said.

"Nothing for you to worry about," Jamie replied with a reassuring smile.

"Ok," Michelle said as she returned the smile before the four of them sat down to enjoy their dinner.

After dinner, the girls headed back up to Jamie's bedroom. As she promised earlier, Jamie used her cell phone to call Jessie. However, Jessie didn't answer. Jamie ended up leaving a message for Jessie to call her back as soon as she could.

"Not there, huh?" Katie guessed. _Maybe she's out slaying or maybe she's … No, don't think about that._

"Maybe we caught her at a busy time, and she couldn't get to the phone in time."

"Sure, I bet I know who or what was keeping her busy," Katie assumed with clear sarcasm.

"Don't do that to yourself. I mean think that's what she's doing. She could be eating or doing that important thing you and her have to keep a secret."

"Yeah, so what do you want to do now?"

"Well, we could…"

Suddenly, the girls were interrupted by the sound of Michelle asking them to come downstairs. The curiosity changed to amusement as Eric and Michelle asked the girls if they would be interested in taking part of a family tradition during holiday get-togethers. Katie couldn't hold in a laugh as the activity turned out to be a round of the classic trivia game, Trivial Pursuit. Jamie groaned at the offer but happily gave in as Katie appeared to be willing to play with no hesitation. They had played the original edition and were just finishing up playing the 90's edition when Jamie's cell phone went off. She smiled at Katie to let her know it was Jessie. Jamie and Katie thanked them for the good time they had before heading back upstairs to talk to Jessie.


	49. Chapter 49

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 49

Author: j_rock873

Rating: R

Summary: Jamie and Jessie have a talk while Katie listens nearby. Dawn and Jessie celebrate a successful night of slaying but are interrupted again by Buffy and Faith.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

Back at the girls' apartment

Jessie had been in the process of slaying a demon her group had been searching for when her phone had gone off. It caused enough of a distraction for the demon in question to hit her hard enough to knock her to the ground and almost land on the sword she had been carrying. The demon saw it had two choices: stay and probably die or run and live to fight and/or feed on an innocent human another day. The demon chose to run. The other girls that were in her group were busy battling a few demons of their own. Jessie jumped up and chased him. After catching up with him, she lunged and stabbed the demon through the back. She laughed as he fell over on to his side. She walked around to the front to check to see if he was truly dead. She smirked as she saw the sword sticking out of him where his heart would be if he had been human. The group of dead demons were then put in a pile and set on fire, so the only thing left would be ashes.

Jessie congratulated each girl on her kill as the fire died down. After the girls decided they weren't going to come across any more that night, some headed to the club while a few headed back to the campus with Jessie and Dawn. The two other girls went back to their dorms as Jessie and Dawn headed upstairs to their apartment. As soon as they closed the door and were passing by the couch, Dawn began kissing Jessie and successfully pushed her until she fell backwards onto the couch. When Dawn leaned in to kiss her, Jessie pushed her away and explained she had to call whoever called her earlier. Dawn sat down beside Jessie as the blonde sat up and dialed the number.

"What's up, Jessie?"

"You tell me. You called first, Jamie," Jessie reminded her.

"Why didn't you answer the phone when I called you earlier? Did I catch you at a busy time?" Jamie asked after hitting the speakerphone button on her cell phone.

"Yeah."

"Were you eating, watching something on TV, or doing that thing that has to be kept a secret?"

"The last one."

"Oh, ok, I just wanted to know how your Christmas went back in Evanston."

"How did you know I went home for Christmas?"

"Because you told me you were going to in an e-mail, goofball. Besides, it seemed only logical since you're so close to your family. So tell me all about it."

"Is Katie with you because nobody in my family saw her around town?"

"No, she's not here," Jamie lied as she was directly facing Katie.

"Then where did she go?"

"A classmate of hers needed a girl to pose as his girlfriend to get his parents off his case for being single."

"Why? Is he secretly gay and afraid to tell his parents?"

"No, he's straight. They won't let up though about him finding a special someone. He just wants to focus on deciding what to do for a living."

"Ok. Well, both Grace and I went home for the holidays. I was able to get Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow to join us."

"So what did you get for Christmas?"

"My family got me clothes and perfume, Willow and Faith got me clothes too, Buffy got me a personalized license plate for the bike I told you about. Dawn got me a cute necklace with a cross on it. Stop it, D, you can see I'm on the phone," Jessie insisted as she was interrupted by Dawn kissing her neck while hugging her.

"Huh?"

"Oh, sorry, Dawn was kind of kissing me. She thought it would be funny to interrupt me while I was talking to you."

"Alright," Jamie muttered as she glanced toward Katie, who was about to cry, "So you two are getting pretty serious, huh?"

"What made you ask that?"

"Well, she wouldn't be kissing you if there wasn't anything going on, right? Anyway, I know you slept with her at least once."

"Did Katie tell you that? Because I never told you."

"Well, after she mailed your shirt back, she told me she caught you on your webcam. She could tell that you two were sharing a bed and weren't completely dressed," Jamie told her with the slightest trace of jealousy.

"Was that jealousy I heard?"

"Maybe. So you did sleep with her?"

"Well, we have slept together literally. What you're referring to right now though technically can't be called sleeping," Jessie lightly chuckled, "I'm sorry. I know you were interested in her. You're a beautiful girl, but she wanted me. You don't hate me do you? I've already lost Katie. I don't want to lose you as well. D, I swear if you don't stop, you're sleeping alone tonight. Uh, sorry, I should have learned the first time not to try to talk to both of you at once."

"How was she?"

"I'm not telling you that."

"What about Katie?" Jamie questioned as she saw Katie silently wiping away tears.

"What about her? We already went through this. When she ended it, it broke my heart. I can't be with her right now. I h-have to m-move on. Katie should as well."

"You make it sound easy. Is it?"

"Does it sound like it's easy right now? It's going to be hard, and it sucks. It has to be done though."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be that way. It's just that you two were so good together before this whole Dawn issue."

"Please, Jamie, not you too."

"Ok, well, my Christmas was great. I got mostly clothes as well. My New Years Eve was fun."

"Do tell," Jessie playfully ordered.

"Well, I kissed one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen when the new year began. We also managed to score free drinks by kissing and dancing together. Then I took her home with me," Jamie laughed as a smile appeared on Katie's face.

"You are a naughty girl."

"Yeah, I am when I want to be. How about you?"

"If I tell you, you promise not to tell Katie?"

"Sure."

"Dawn and I did the kissing thing too, and…," Jessie paused as she debated whether to continue or say nothing.

"And?" Jamie interrupted as she could see fear and desperation in Katie's eyes.

"Dawn's my girlfriend now. What do you honestly think about that?"

"Well, honestly, I'm a little jealous and not sure whether or not to be happy for you since you and Katie are both still my friends."

"Well, be a friend and try to be happy for me. Even if you have to fake it."

"Ok, then I'm happy for you," Jamie responded before shaking her head no at Katie, making the girl smile again temporarily.

"That's better. It's getting late here, so I'm gong to call it a night. Keep in touch, alright?"

"You too, blondie."

Jessie laughed at Jamie's disguised teasing tone before hanging up.

"It's really over, isn't it?" Katie mumbled, "She's moving on."

"Yeah," Jamie replied.

Katie laid her head on Jamie's lap and cried for the next three minutes as Jamie tried to calm her by running her fingers through Katie's slightly messy hair. After it was over, the girls decided to watch movies until it was time to go to sleep. Between movies, Katie had snuck down to the kitchen and returned with a few beers for herself while Jamie grabbed a soda out of the mini fridge in her room.

Meanwhile, the girls' apartment

As Jessie had what the two thought was a semi-private conversation between her and Jamie, Dawn tried to remain patient by Jessie's side. She wasn't having much luck though. The excitement of seeing Jessie and the other slayers killing demons was getting to her in a not so pure way. Both girls knew that the feeling was mutual. So Dawn decided to playfully torture Jessie by kissing her neck while hugging her. After Jamie mentioned Katie for the third time, Dawn stopped completely. Jessie noticed the growing sadness in Dawn's eyes and decided she needed to end this call soon. Dawn cheered up when she heard Jessie use the word "girlfriend". She began to smile as she waited for the call to end. Jessie gazed over at her and sighed in relief that Dawn was happy again. Jessie smiled as she closed her cell phone.

"You're certainly happy again, and all it took was one word."

"Well, it's a pretty powerful and meaningful word, J."

"Yes, it is, D."

As soon as Dawn heard that answer, she pushed Jessie back down onto the couch. She sighed when Jessie let out a groan.

"What's wrong?"

"Just a little sore from the demon fight."

"Ok, I can cure that."

"Oh, you can? Brains and beauty, the double threat," Jessie finished with a small laugh.

"More like a triple threat. I'm smart, beautiful, and have a good sense of humor."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you can be funny."

"Hey," Dawn yelped as she faked being offended.

"It's just my turn at humor."

"Come on, funny girl," Dawn suggested as she helped Jessie up and led her to the bedroom.

"Hold on a sec, I need to make another call."

"To who?"

"Grace. I forgot to tell her the news as well."

"Ok."

Dawn once again waited patiently as Jessie went through a happier conversation with her stepsister. About ten minutes later, the girls were relaxing in the tub while the whirlpool jets were doing their job. Dawn smiled as the girl she loved sighed in happiness at the peaceful feeling in the room.

"Feeling better now?" Dawn assumed although they both already knew the answer.

'Yeah, I'm feeling good. And you?"

"Could be better," Dawn implied with a playful pout.

Jessie knew what that pout meant and pulled her even closer before starting to kiss her. Dawn quickly reciprocated and let one of Jessie's arms wrap around her back. Dawn felt the need to get more comfortable and pulled away from the blonde. Jessie was obviously confused until Dawn sat down on her lap with her back to Buffy and Faith's bedroom door. Neither paid attention to the fact that there was just enough space for them to be spied on. Then Dawn leaned in and began kissing Jessie on her lips before moving back to the neck that she had been kissing earlier. Jessie sighed happily at the feeling as her hands caressed Dawn's back and playfully messed with the knot of the bikini top. She could feel Dawn laugh softly into her neck before she pulled back again. As the girls stared at each other, Jessie arched an eyebrow while Dawn smirked at her. Jessie returned the smirk as Dawn reached behind her back, untied the knot of the bikini top, and laid it at the edge of the tub. Dawn leaned in for the second time with a smile and kissed Jessie softly on the lips. Then she intensified the kiss. As Jessie let out a soft moan, Dawn felt Jessie's hands move down to her butt under the water.

"D's a naughty girl," Jessie teased after briefly breaking the kiss.

"Shut up," Dawn demanded softly before kissing her again and running her fingers though Jessie's blonde hair.

Jessie was now officially worked up as she broke the kiss again and moved to Dawn's neck as Dawn sighed happily. For the second time, the emotions running through them helped block out the sounds of Buffy and Faith entering the apartment after their own patrol.

"Dang, B, when did D become such a horn dog," Faith inquired as they could hear the faint moans coming from the bathroom.

"Shut up," Buffy growled.

"Chill, I was only kidding, yo."

"Sorry," Buffy apologized as she glared toward the bathroom, "Should we stop them?"

"It's up to you, she's your sister."

"Yeah, but you said you love her too."

"Let's see what we'd be interrupting first."

"Why do you always want to spy on my sister?"

"Because sometimes it's better than TV."

Buffy groaned as they quietly made their way to their bedroom. Faith smirked at seeing the door, which seemed to hardly ever stay completely closed, open enough to spy on the happy couple. Buffy silently gasped as she saw Dawn's bare back and realized where the blonde's hands were at that moment by the way her arms were resting on Dawn's hips.

"Dang, B, this is better than HBO," Faith tried to whisper but was still heard by the younger, blonde slayer.

"Great, she heard you," Buffy tried to whisper even softer than Faith as they watched Dawn's body freeze in motion before lowering herself deeper into the water.

"She heard you too," Faith stated as Jessie reached for the top and handed it to Dawn; who remained still and silent.

After Dawn had put on and adjusted her top, she turned around to see a smirking Faith and a speechless Buffy. The older couple then discovered bite marks on both girls' necks.

"You two are like horny bunnies that can't reproduce right now due to obvious reasons," Faith commented with a smirk.

"Shut up," Buffy ordered for the second time since they had arrived home.

Jessie and Faith eyed each other and then Buffy and Dawn, who seemed to be caught up in a memory.

"You ok, B?" Faith quizzed with curiosity and a little worry thrown in as well.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. We just got caught up in the memory of Anya's hatred toward bunnies."

"What would she have against bunnies?" Jessie challenged with a giggle, "Hey, earth to D and B."

Faith laughed at how Buffy seemed to go right back to the memory of Anya's little, musical rant about bunnies while Dawn remembered a brief tirade Anya went on about bunnies and any other cute animals that the blonde ex-demon hated. After Faith shook her fiancée out of the memory, Dawn explained it to them.

"Awhile back, Xander accidently summoned a demon who made everyone burst into song," Dawn chuckled and instantly remembered Buffy's sad ballad and almost breaking down in tears.

"What now?" Jessie asserted as both she and Faith were subjected to Dawn fighting back tears and a expression of concern as Buffy paced over and kneeled by the tub. Then she pulled Dawn toward her and briefly hugged her.

"What's D upset about, B?" the brunette inquired as her fiancée was kneeling beside the tub after hugging Dawn.

"All of the Scoobies learned that when Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya brought me back to life, they pulled me out of Heaven. For a long time, I kept secrets from them and wished that they hadn't brought me back. We were all pretty miserable. It took Willow's fury over Tara's death and my near death to realize I wanted to be happy again and see my friends happy. I also wanted to see this beautiful girl grow up and show her the world, which is what we will be doing this summer."

"Really?"

"Yes, Dawnie. After you two are finished with high school and the rest of the slayers are sent to where they're needed, Faith and I are going to show you the world.

"So, B, you and Faith want to join us here?"

"I told you B and I aren't into that type of thing."

"I mean just to relax. D and I will be on our best behavior. Won't we?" Jessie guessed as she observed her girlfriend.

"Yeah, we'll behave ourselves since you killed the mood."

"That's what happens when you forget to close a door," Faith announced as she began to pull off her boots.

"What do you think you're doing? Our swimsuits are in our bedroom," Buffy declared.

"I know, but they cover the same amount of skin as our underwear. It's just the four of us anyway."

"You're right," Buffy agreed she pulled off her shoes

"Last one in has to go grab drinks for all of us." Faith mentioned as she and Buffy both tried not to be the last one in.

Faith immediately hopped in after removing everything but underwear. Then Faith, Dawn, and Jessie laughed at Buffy glaring at Faith after her loss to the brunette.

"I'll have a beer, B. A few sodas for the happy couple too. Quit looking at me like that. You lost fair and square."

"Yeah, she did, but I'll go get them though," Dawn offered as she stood up in the tub and prepared to get out.

"Thanks," Buffy remarked as her sister stepped out and gently dried herself off.

"It's no problem," Dawn assured her as she opened the bathroom door and began to walk out to the kitchen, unaware that Jessie was watching her.

"Hey, D, could you make mine a beer too?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, one beer won't hurt."

"Three beers and one soda coming up."

"You're so whipped, D," Faith joked between smirks directed at the younger girl.

"I'm not whipped," Dawn denied while closing the door behind her.

"What?" Jessie grilled as she saw Faith's smirk and a glare from Buffy.

"You were doing it again, yo."

"Doing what?"

"Staring at my sister's butt. You stare at her a lot, share each other's beds at least three times a week. You two also frequently hug, kiss, or just put your hands on each other whether it's innocent or not."

"What's your point, B?"

"When are you going to tell her that you love her? You wouldn't be doing that if you didn't love her. Unless you've been lying to her and the rest of us, and this is really a game to you."

"First, she's more than your sister, she's my girlfriend now. Which gives me the right to do those things as long as she doesn't object, which she rarely does. Second, it's not like we take it too far in front of everyone else. Third, I like sharing a bed with her occasionally. It's comforting to know she's within hugging distance whenever one of us needs one. Finally, it's not your concern when I tell I love her. When I'm ready, I'll say it. Not even one moment earlier. Understand?"

"Fine, but if you hurt her…," Buffy tried to say but was interrupted by Jessie.

"Then you, Faith, and Willow will hurt me. Enough already."

"So, J, if we had come back a little bit later, would we have seen two tops and not one?

"Faith," Buffy growled before glaring at the brunette.

"Maybe," Jessie revealed with a smirk before receiving a glare from Buffy and hearing footsteps coming their way.

"What did I miss?" Dawn exclaimed as she came into the room with the drinks and saw Buffy and Jessie looking directly at each other.

"Nothing, D, they were just seeing who could make the other blink first," Faith explained as she tapped Buffy on the leg under the water with her knee.

Buffy went along with it and blinked.

"See, I win," Jessie bragged, making the lie Faith told believable.

"Ok," Dawn relented as she handed beers to the girls before sitting down beside Jessie and opening her soda.

The girls toasted to the great night they had. After finishing their drinks, Jessie caught Dawn starting to doze off on her shoulder. She gently shook the girl's shoulder.

"I think it's time we got ready for bed, D."

"Yeah, you're right," Dawn yawned in way that the other three considered cute.

"Of course, I always am."

Dawn rolled her eyes at Jessie as she brushed her teeth while Buffy and Faith watched quietly. After both had brushed their teeth, Dawn gently grabbed Jessie's hand and led her back to the bedroom. Both changed into dry clothes with their backs to each other for the sake of some privacy. Dawn had fallen asleep within a minute of her head hitting the pillow. Jessie stood and ogled her as the other slept while her conversation with the other couple went through her mind. Then she quietly made her way to her own bed. As she checked to find out if the door was closed, she saw Buffy and Faith staring at her. She peeked over her shoulder and saw Dawn was still asleep before walking slowly over to them.

"Did the two of you watch us change?"

"No, J, B and I waited until we heard the sound of one of you climbing into bed. You do need to learn how to close a door completely though."

"Are you going to share a bed again?" Buffy pried.

"No, I think she can handle it by herself."

Buffy smiled as Jessie climbed into her own bed. Then she and Faith decided it was time to sleep as well. They quickly brushed their teeth. When Buffy was getting ready to turn off the light, they heard Dawn wake up and call out to Jessie.

"J-J, where are you?" Dawn called out as she patted both sides of the bed and felt nothing.

"In my own bed, silly."

"Well, get up and come over here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, don't you want to?"

"I'm fine either way."

"Well, I would like it if you joined me."

"Ok, give me a minute," Jessie conceded as she gave the couple a "Sorry, but she wants me there" expression.

Buffy was thankful again that Dawn didn't seem to be aware that she was being watched by her sister and her sister's fiancée. They watched Jessie lie down beside Dawn, Dawn roll over to face Jessie, and finally, Dawn drape an arm across Jessie's body as her head rested near Jessie's shoulder. Buffy carefully closed the door and headed to her and Faith's room after seeing the angelic smile on Dawn's face while Jessie still had the same look on her face.

"Damn it," Buffy mumbled as she opened the dresser to grab pajamas for both her and Faith.

"Calm down, B. I'm sure she'll say it soon enough."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because who could resist both you and Dawn, besides Katie?"

"I'm sure Willow could," Buffy teased.

Faith rolled her eyes as Buffy spun around while putting on the pajamas.

"Well, then there would have to be something wrong with her," Faith chuckled as she put hers on as well.

"Nothing's wrong with her. We're just friends," Buffy told her before lying down on one side and facing Faith.

Buffy smiled as Faith joined her in bed and pulled the brunette closer. After Buffy closed her eyes, Faith rolled her eyes again at Buffy's inability to see how Willow truly felt about her.


	50. Chapter 50

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 50

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The girls celebrate Valentine's Day.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

Just like Buffy and Faith had talked about, Dawn and Jessie's displays of affection became more frequent. It varied between innocent hand holding, kisses, hugs, and staring matches. Most of the slayers had no problem with the idea of the two girls as a couple and considered the displays as "sickeningly sweet". Buffy and Faith both had a laugh the first time they heard that phrase. The few times Buffy and/or Faith had caught them outside the apartment, it reminded them of how they would act some times. Buffy would also occasionally be reminded of moments she had witnessed between Tara and Willow. Dawn and Jessie made sure to save the more heated moments for their apartment. The most their classmates had to deal with watching was the couple kissing and having to occasionally straighten out their clothes after a brief make out between classes and during lunch time.

February 14th, 2004; Valentine's Day, around 4:00 PM

"So, B," Jessie started as she, Buffy, and Faith were walking down the sidewalk to the nearest bridal shop.

"Yeah," Buffy interrupted.

"Care to explain something to me?"

"Explain what?"

"What D has in store for me tonight?"

"What makes you think she made special plans for tonight?"

"Because it's Valentine's Day, and instead of you being alone with Faith and me with Dawn, we're searching the dress shops for wedding and bridesmaids' dresses when we could just as easily do a search online. Which can only mean she's preparing whatever she has planned, right now. So what is it, a night out on the town or a romantic dinner and a movie for two? Possibly followed by dancing or the bathtub scene from American Beauty? Maybe the flower petals are laying on one of our beds in the shape of a heart instead of floating in the tub."

Faith had smirked when Jessie continued the conversation with Buffy. She almost let out a snort at Buffy becoming uncomfortable when the younger blonde mentioned the popular movie. Buffy glared at Faith, making Jessie laugh before she, too, was caught in a glare.

"She's not doing any of that," Buffy lied unconvincingly by the expression on Jessie's face, "Ok, fine, we're supposed to be asking for your advice on dresses while she cooks a vegetarian dinner for two. We were also supposedly to say that whatever the three of us agreed on for bridesmaid dresses, she would go along with. So let's at least go along with her idea, ok?"

"Sure, so how did she decide on what to make?"

"She can thank Karen and Lily on that one, yo."

"When she calls me, we tell you we've decided to finish the search online. Then the two of us go out to dinner for ourselves. After we leave, she surprises you. The most experienced slayers after us are leading the patrols."

"So did you two make reservations for tonight?"

"Yeah, Faith made them but won't tell me where," Buffy replied and frowned a little when Faith smirked at the blondes.

"And I don't plan on telling."

"Please, Faithy," Buffy playfully begged when she saw no one was around them.

"I told you not to say that in public, B," Faith groaned before Buffy gave her a pouty look that made the plan to stay silent fail, "Fine, it's at Sarracino."

"Th-That's were we had our first date, and you almost proposed," Buffy said with a beaming smile,

"Yeah, I know," Faith informed as she stopped herself from blushing at the way Buffy smiled at her.

"I don't know who's sweeter, you or my sister," Buffy announced as she felt her heart flutter at Faith's response.

"I would think that the answer should be me since I'm the one you share a bed with and…," Faith declared before stopping at just the right moment and smirking.

Jessie laughed as Buffy became temporarily embarrassed.

"Well, I guess we should check out those dresses until Dawn calls," Jessie suggested as they reached the entrance of the bridal shop.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed as Faith took her fiancée by the hand and led her into the shop.

The girls tried on a few dresses at that shop before moving on to the next one. After the girls had spent around an hour combined at both shops, Buffy heard the vibration of her cell phone.

"She's ready for us to come back," Buffy stated as she stepped out of the dressing room that her and Faith had been in while Jessie waited for them and quickly closed the door.

"Well, then get out of those dresses, put your clothes back on, and let's get out of here," Jessie advised as she was waiting in a chair about five feet away from the dressing rooms.

"I'm working on it, J," Faith responded as Jessie saw Buffy pulled quickly back into the dressing room before the door was almost slammed shut.

Jessie smirked as she swore to herself that she had seen a brief glimpse of Faith's almost naked upper body before the door closed. She looked around and smiled that the other customers were too busy to notice. Her assumptions were confirmed as she heard the couple mutter low enough that only a slayer could hear.

"Faith, not here, not right now," Buffy insisted as Jessie could also hear a dress being unzipped.

"Just a few minutes, B," Faith requested at the sound of a dress hitting the floor.

Jessie glanced down and from where she was sitting, she could see the space between the door to the dressing room and the floor. She noticed a small, white heap where Buffy's feet had been. A second later, another heap appeared by the first one. Jessie then carefully made her away over to the door.

"Ok, knock it off, you two."

"They are off, why else do you think the door is closed, J?" Faith chuckled.

"Faith," Buffy almost moaned before Jessie heard the sound of what had to be Buffy pushing Faith away, "we both need to get dressed."

"Fine," Faith mumbled as Jessie could hear clothes being put on.

Jessie quickly walked back to her seat. She smirked as the door opened. She saw Faith smirking back at her and Buffy blushing while trying to hide what appeared to be a hickey on the lower right side of her neck. It was around 6:00 PM when the girls arrived at the front door.

"Now try to act surprised after we leave," Buffy pleaded.

"It's five by five," Jessie told her.

"Good," Buffy asserted as she and Faith both smiled at Jessie before opening the door.

"So how did the shopping go? Sorry, I didn't go with you. I just wasn't in the dress searching mode." _I hope they kept their mouths shut. I want her to be surprised, but maybe in my attempt to do that, I made it obvious about what's really going on._

"It went ok," Jessie conceded while closing the door and trying not to smile at Dawn's attempt to remain cool at their return, "B said that you'd go along with whatever the three of us agreed on." _She's so cute when she tries to hide something from me. Just play it cool too._

"Well, if you two don't mind, me and B have got plans. So give us enough time to get ready, and then the place is yours for the night. That's in case you two have plans."

"Why would we have plans, it's just another Saturday night," Dawn asked smoothly.

"Well, it is Valentine's Day, D. The over-commercialized holiday that you're supposed to spend time and money on the one you love the most," Faith reminded her while holding in an urge to laugh and blow Dawn's cover. _Come on, don't blow her cover. You know she was working hard while you and Buffy kept J busy. _

"Oh crap, J. I'm sorry. With the stress of homework, studying demon texts, practicing spells, and worrying about college acceptance letters, I kind of forgot to make plans until the restaurants were already full with reservations, and I'm a little tired too."

"It's ok. I guess being your girlfriend doesn't rank high enough for you to remember this over-commercialized holiday," Jessie sighed with fake hurt.

"I'm really sorry, I honestly forgot." _Does she actually think I forgot, or does she know the truth? _

"Honestly, it's ok, D. There's always next year. Although, I might not be as forgiving if you forget it again."

"Uh, alright. Where are you going?"

"I thought I'd go online and send out a few e-mails. Maybe talk to Grace since she hasn't got a date this year. If you need me for anything, just let me know," Jessie sighed as she turned away from Dawn.

"Sure," Dawn confirmed as she turned back to look at the TV while trying to think of the best way to get Jessie to come back out after Buffy and Faith had left.

As Dawn became distracted with these thoughts, Jessie turned back around and shared a wink with Buffy and Faith. After she was done getting ready, Faith walked into Jessie and Dawn's bedroom to talk to the blonde acting like she had no clue on what Dawn was doing.

"So did I make it look like I believed her?"

"Yeah, you did, J."

"Wicked," Jessie giggled before seeing Faith smirking at her, "What?"

"You have something planned for her too, don't you?"

"Maybe," Jessie giggled again.

"Will she like it?"

"It's something she's wanted for awhile," Jessie revealed before realizing that she might have had said too much.

"You're going to say it to her, aren't you?" Faith whispered into Jessie's ear since she immediately knew what Jessie meant.

"Say what?" Jessie questioned as she acted like she didn't know what Faith was talking about.

"You're going to tell her you love her."

"I don't know, maybe. You can't say anything to either Buffy or Dawn, got it?"

"It's five by five."

Five minutes later, Buffy and Faith waved goodbye from the bathroom before leaving to say goodbye to Dawn and making their way to the restaurant.

"Later, D, and good luck too."

"Thanks, Faith."

"Have a nice time, Dawnie. Just try to stay calm, and it will go ok. Don't be upset if you don't hear what you want to hear, alright?"

"Don't worry. I'm not expecting to hear it tonight. I just want to spend time with her," Dawn confessed to her sister.

"Ok."

A minute after the door closed, Dawn recited the spell, and a delicious meal appeared on the kitchen table along with two lit candles and a few spread out around the apartment. Dawn took a breath as she turned off the lights and prepared for every possible reaction.

"J-Jessie, could you come out here?"

"Is it important, D? I'm kind of busy right now," Jessie exclaimed as she got ready to appear surprised by what she knew was happening on the other side of the door.

"Yes, it is._" Come on, no need to be afraid. She won't laugh at you._

"Ok, I'm coming," Jessie muttered as she opened the door and went immediately into the surprised act.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

"WOW, D! Everything looks great. Happy Valentine's Day to you too."

"Thanks," Dawn said softly as she turned on some music.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm a little nervous."

"Why? It's just me. We've been alone together several times."

"But it's our first Valentine's Day as a couple. I just want it to go well."

"True. Maybe this will help you relax," Jessie offered as she placed her hands on both sides of Dawn's face and softly kissed her on the lips.

"What?'" Dawn inquired before getting caught up in the kiss.

Dawn felt herself getting weak in the knees and had to hold onto Jessie to prevent herself from falling. Jessie felt the grip Dawn put on her shoulders and almost broke the kiss with a soft giggle. When they finally broke the kiss, Dawn saw the look on Jessie's face and began to panic.

"What's wrong, D?"

"Don't laugh at me, please!"

"I wasn't going to laugh at you."

"For a few seconds, it looked like you were."

"I would only laugh if you made a joke. Not when you're being so sweet to little ole' me."

"Stop it," Dawn ordered through a blush.

"Ok, let's eat then. So what did you make tonight?" Jessie quizzed as Dawn pulled out a chair for her and helped her push her chair closer to the table before seating herself.

"Since you're a vegetarian, I called your mom and Lily. They told me your favorite vegetarian meals."

"You did that for me? That's so sweet," Jessie complimented her girlfriend before leaning around the candles and kissed Dawn on the lips again.

"Yes, thank you," Dawn commented as she felt herself inwardly swoon at Jessie's kind words and before soft lips touched hers.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly as topics ranged from where they were going this summer, the anxiety of waiting for college acceptance letters, how Jessie liked her responsibilities at being a high ranking member in the chain of command of the new slayer generation, and how they celebrated the little anniversaries couples sometimes celebrated, like the monthly anniversaries.

"So what should we do now?" Jessie began with a slightly raised eyebrow as they turned off the music, put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and started it up.

"How about we watch a couple of movies?"

"Any suggestions?"

"Are you up for romantic comedies?"

"Yes, what do you have?"

"I was thinking of 'The Wedding Singer' and/or '10 Things I Hate About You'."

"I'm up for both, D. Let's watch The Wedding Singer first."

"Cool," Dawn agreed as they sat down on the couch and snuggled up against each other.

The girls shared laughs at the antics of Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore's sweet personality. When it came to the scene when Adam was singing to Drew on the plane, both girls gazed at each other and saw a tear running down the other's cheeks. Both decided to remain silent as the movie ended. They quickly put in the second movie and laughed at several scenes. Jessie laughed at memories of Tad during the scenes involving the stereotypical jerk played by Andrew Keegan. Both laughed at the humor of Julia Stiles and Larry Miller. However, both shed tears again at the heartache shown by Julia Stiles at the end of the movie. After a few minutes of awkward quiet, Jessie made a suggestion.

"Would you like to dance with me?"

"Sure," Dawn consented as she slowly stood up while Jessie turned on the music.

Dawn froze at the first song Jessie seemed to stop at before turning around to face her.

"Are you ok? It's only Kiss's 'Then She Kissed Me'."

"Yeah, it's just been awhile since I heard that song," Dawn mentioned with a smile before being pulled close to Jessie.

"Relax, D, it's just that two of us. Nothing to be afraid of," Jessie assured at the tense vibes she was getting from her girlfriend.

Dawn decided to try and relax by laying her head on Jessie shoulder as Jessie wrapped her arms around Dawn's waist.

"Better?" Jessie assumed

"Yeah," Dawn sighed happily. _I could almost die of happiness right now._

After the song was over, Jessie changed the music to a radio station that was currently playing love songs for couples on this holiday. Dawn tried to stay in control as Jessie would occasionally sing along to a song she liked. After Jessie had finished singing another song, she stared at Dawn. This made Dawn a little nervous for the second time since Buffy and Faith had left them alone.

"Wh-What is it, J-J?"

"I was wondering something."

"Yeah, about what?"

"I was wondering if you were planning on saying those three words couples say to each other during holiday moments like this."

"What three words?"

"I think you know what words."

"I don't need to say it. You know how I feel about you." _I say it a lot. What makes this day any different?_

"Yes, but humor me, ok?" Jessie teased. _I can't wait to see the look on her face when I say it back. _

"No," Dawn teased back but gave in at Jessie's "puppy dog eyes" look, "Don't look at me like that. I love you, Jessie. Happy now?"

Then Dawn playfully rolled her eyes at her girlfriend.

"Yes, I am. And, D…," Jessie admitted and paused to make sure she had Dawn's complete attention.

"Yeah?" Dawn encouraged casually.

"I love you too," Jessie divulged before softly kissing Dawn on the lips.

"Wh-What? D-Did y-you j-just s-say y-you l-loved m-me?" Dawn stuttered as she broke the hold Jessie had on her and fell back until she was sitting on the couch again.

"Y-Yeah, I-I d-did," Jessie answered playfully and smiled until Dawn frowned a little at her.

"Are you just saying it because it's Valentine's Day, or do you really mean it?" Dawn grilled as tears began to steadily flow down her cheeks.

"I mean it, D. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

Dawn hugged her tightly for a moment as tears continued to run down her cheeks. Then a question popped into her head. Part of her wanted an honest answer while the other part of her didn't want an answer at all.

"Jessie."

"Yes?"

"When you say you love me, how much do you mean?"

"Huh?"

"How much do you love me?"

"Explainy," Jessie demanded to prolong this playful torture directed toward Dawn.

Dawn rolled her eyes again before getting more specific.

"I mean do you love me as much as Buffy and Faith love each other or how much you loved Katie?"

"Well…," Jessie said before hesitatingly biting her lower lip.

She was afraid of how to answer this one. The wrong answer could possibly break Dawn's heart. For a minute, she actually began thinking she shouldn't have said the three words at all.

"Be honest with me. I have a rough idea of the answer already, but I want to hear it from you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Ok," Jessie paused again to take a breath before answering the serious question, "I don't love you as much as Buffy and Faith love each other, or how much I loved Katie."

"Oh," Dawn sighed as she didn't take the time to wipe her tear streaked face.

"It doesn't mean that it can't ever get that strong. It means it might take a little longer, but I do love you. Is that the answer you were expecting?"

"Yes," Dawn stated confidently.

"You don't love me any less now, do you?"

"No, don't be silly. You were honest with me. I still love you."

"Good," Jessie voiced with a smile as she stood and began walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom to get you some tissues because your make up is running a little," Jessie confided as Dawn began to blush, "Unless you want to try the punk or gothic look."

"No, I'm not a big fan of that. Go get some, I'll wait here."

"Alright."

As Jessie made her way to the bathroom and Dawn let a few more tears come out, Buffy and Faith were slowly making their way back to the apartment. Faith had decided they should be quiet and spy on them as they reached the front door. They heard soft music and a very slight sound that sounded like a sniffle. Each had different reactions. Faith began thinking the younger couple would once again be caught in an intimate situation while Buffy was more negative. She feared Dawn had said those three words again to Jessie but got nothing back. The sneer on her face clearly said that she was ready to tear into the heartbreaking blonde. Faith took that as a cue to say something.

"Don't jump to conclusions."

"I don't want to, but it doesn't sound good."

Buffy casually opened the door to find noise coming from the bathroom, the stereo on, and Dawn hiding her face in her hands as she sat on the couch. Jessie heard them but chose to act like she hadn't. She stood just out of sight of the three girls in the family room.

"Dawnie, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," Dawn sniffled.

"Then look at us," Buffy gently commanded.

"Ok," Dawn relented softly as she slowly peered up into her sister and Faith's eyes.

Buffy felt her anger rise at seeing the tear streaks and the messed up make-up and asked, "Did Jessie say something to you?"

Dawn nodded slowly.

"What did she say, D?"

"She said…She said that…," Dawn muttered before focusing toward the bathroom in the hope that Jessie would be back soon.

"Hi, B, Hi, Faith, how was your evening?" Jessie greeted too happily in Buffy's mind after seeing that her sister looked like a wreck.

Buffy stormed over to Jessie, glared at her, and was prepared to hit her if needed.

"What did you say to my sister to make her cry like that?"

"Ease up, B, I told her that I loved her," Jessie told her with a smirk before walking around Buffy, stopping in front of Dawn, and handing her a few tissues.

Buffy spun around and eyed her sister so fast that Faith and Jessie were surprised the blonde didn't get whiplash.

"So those are happy tears?" Buffy gasped before groaning at the memory of Dawn asking basically the same thing back in Sunnydale after Xander had prevented Willow from destroying the world.

"Yes, dummy," Dawn replied with a laugh as she knew exactly what Buffy was thinking the moment she groaned.

"Another inside joke?" Jessie determined as the sisters hugged each other.

"Yeah," Buffy spoke as she broke the hold on Dawn and stood in front of Jessie, "I'm sorry I acted like that. I jumped to conclusions and wrongly accused you of hurting Dawn. Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. You were being a protective sister. Honestly, it's five by five."

As Buffy hugged her, Jessie saw Faith smirking at her and Dawn wiping away tears while smiling.

"You talking like me is kind of turning me on, J. How about we ditch the Summers women and test out each other's mad skills?"

"FAITH!" Buffy and Dawn shouted and ended it with menacing glares.

"Dang, I thought you Summers women had a sense of humor these days? I was only kidding."

"Well, it wasn't funny," Buffy warned her.

"I'm SO sorry, B," Faith apologized as she walked over and hugged Buffy, who was wiping away a tear.

"Ok, now maybe you'll learn to be more careful about what you say during moments like this," Buffy instructed as she almost melted into Faith's hug.

"Do you forgive me too, D?"

"Yeah, if you remember for future reference what Buffy just told you."

"Done," Faith complied as she and Buffy watched Dawn hug Jessie.

Before calling it a night, each couple told the other how their night went. Dawn and Jessie smiled at Buffy saying how romantic Faith had been and regretfully laughed at Faith telling them how the whole restaurant witnessed a girl coldly dumping her date that night. Buffy snuggled up to Faith as Dawn and Jessie described their night. When Jessie revealed what the first song they danced to was, Buffy held in a laugh but Faith couldn't. This irritated Dawn. However, she finally gave in and told Jessie why Faith laughed. Jessie kissed her before telling her that was one of the cutest things she's heard in awhile. All four of them went to bed with smiles on their faces that night.


	51. Chapter 51

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 51

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The girls celebrate getting into college and deal with the loss of a slayer.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: Sorry to disappoint you, but it won't be Kennedy who dies.

* * *

March 5th, 2004; the girls apartment, around 4:00 PM

Dawn and Jessie were in the mood to celebrate. They had gotten into almost every college or university that had applied to. The acceptances all seemed to come earlier this week. All of them offered at least a partial scholarship.

"So where did you two get into again?" Faith asked as she shared the excitement and happiness with Buffy, Dawn, and Jessie.

"I got into Harvard, NYU, Columbia, Stanford, and USF," Jessie answered with a smile.

"I also got into Harvard and NYU. I got into Yale, Princeton, and UC/Berkley as well," Dawn said with an equally big smile.

"So which ones do you two think you want to go to the most?" Buffy questioned even though all of them pretty much knew the answer.

"I was thinking of either Columbia or Harvard, but I'm leaning toward Harvard. If I went to Columbia, I would be close to Grace, maybe even live with her again if you can believe that," Jessie commented with a laugh before speaking again, "Harvard is close to her but not too close. Both are around demonic hotspots in case I want to be a slayer for more than a few years. Then again, going to college in California or Florida has also seemed interesting."

"I kind of like idea of both Harvard and UC/Berkley, but I'm leaning toward Harvard."

"Well, we know the reason for Harvard, yo, but why UC/Berkley? I mean you've lived in California for almost your entire human life."

"Well, Berkley isn't too far away if Jessie wanted to go to Stanford."

"So she's the main reason for your choices?" Buffy assumed although she could understand why.

"Well, she is my girlfriend, and I don't want to be too far away from her because long distance relationships never work."

"What do you think about that, J?" Faith inquired as she arched an eyebrow at the blonde.

"I agree with her," Jessie declared before looking directly at Dawn, "but I want you to make sure that I'm not the only factor when you make a final choice."

"Why, don't you think we'll last? Are you planning on dumping me after you find someone that you might like better at Harvard?"

"No, I don't plan on dumping you at Harvard. I'm just being realistic, ok?"

"I still choose Harvard. If things get really bad, I could always transfer. I don't think I could handle being away from you. If we went to separate schools, the frequent teleporting could put a strain on our relationship too."

"I guess I can understand that, so it's Harvard for both of us?" Jessie guessed with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, if that's ok with you?"

"It's five by five, D," Jessie announced before being caught up in a kiss with her girlfriend.

"We're still here you know," Buffy mumbled as she saw Dawn try to intensify the kiss.

"Sorry," the happy couple apologized together before Dawn started giggling.

"It's ok, D. I think we should celebrate. What do you think, B?"

"Definitely," Buffy agreed before giving Dawn a tight hug.

"Uh, B-Buffy, I can barely breathe," Dawn gasped.

"Oh, sorry, I'm so happy for you, Dawnie. I'm proud of you too, Jessie," Buffy stated as she turned around and hugged the other blonde.

"Thanks, I'm kind of proud of us myself," Jessie mentioned as Dawn hugged her this time, "What no hugs for us, Faith?"

"The hugging thing isn't me, yo."

"But you hugged my family on Christmas Day," Jessie reminded the brunette.

"That was only because it was the holidays."

"One hug won't kill you, will it?" Buffy challenged as she smirked at Faith.

"Ok," Faith relented before hugging both girls at the same time.

Both girls laughed at how Buffy got Faith to hug them.

"So we go tell Giles, grab something to eat, patrol, and then celebrate at the club?" Dawn suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Jessie decided with a smile.

After Giles congratulated the girls, they grabbed a bite to eat and headed back up to the apartment. As Jessie called her family to let them know the good news, Dawn sat beside her on the couch. Buffy and Faith sat on the loveseat by the couch. Faith had sat down first and pulled the blonde onto her lap. Jessie then handed her phone to Dawn. Apparently, Jessie's family wanted to congratulate Dawn as well. That night's patrol had pretty much been eventless, so when it came time to hit the club, they were more than ready.

"Cheers to the happy couple and their future at Harvard," Buffy told them as she raised her glass in the toast.

"Yeah, make me and B proud, girls," Faith added.

The girls knocked their glasses together and began to drink when Buffy's cell phone rang.

"Hello? What?"

The girls watched as it seemed Buffy was having trouble understanding the person on the other end. Dawn became confused as Buffy handed the phone to her.

"Here, your Spanish is better than mine. I don't know what's going on. All I understood were Willow and Chloe's names."

"Uh…ok, and the official language in Brazil is Portuguese. Although they also speak some Spanish, English, and a variety of others," Dawn replied as she took the phone, listened for a minute, and began talking to whoever was on the other end.

"When did you learn to speak Portuguese?" Buffy interrupted

Dawn then whispered a few words over the phone before facing Buffy.

"Oh come on, I thought you knew I was bi…lingual," Dawn chuckled, making Buffy groan while Jessie and Faith laughed loudly, "Actually, multilingual since I also speak Spanish and a few others. Oh by the way, she was speaking Spanish. I just felt like teasing you a little," Dawn informed with a smirk before continuing the phone conversation.

Jessie and Faith smirked at Buffy's annoyance at Dawn's comments. As Dawn continued to talk and listen to the other person, her roommates saw her getting more upset.

"No," Dawn murmured softly, worrying them a little before shouting, "NO!"

When Dawn hung up, she saw that she had the attention of half of the club.

"What's wrong, D?" Jessie quizzed softly as she placed her hand on Dawn's shoulder.

"We need to get out of here now. I'll explain as soon as we get outside," Dawn described as she grabbed her coat and ran out of the club.

A few minutes later, outside the club

When Jessie caught up to her, Dawn hugged her and let tears run down her cheeks.

"What's wrong with Willow and Chloe, Dawnie? Did one or both of them get hurt in a demon fight?" Buffy grilled as she became really worried.

"It's more serious than that. We need to get to Brazil as soon as possible. When we get there, I'll teleport Xander too."

"What's so bad that you need to teleport Xander, D?" Faith muttered as she wrapped her arms around Buffy.

"Chloe was out patrolling with one group while Willow was with another group."

"I thought they were usually in the same group?" Jessie interrupted.

"They normally are. Apparently, one of the other slayers had a family emergency, so Willow filled in for her."

"And?" Buffy interrupted this time.

"Unfortunately, this night they came across some demons Chloe's group was having trouble with. Long story short, Chloe's dead."

"WHAT? Chloe's DEAD?" Buffy interjected.

Shock appeared on Jessie and Faith's faces as Dawn nodded.

"We need to get over there before Willow snaps again. As soon as we get there, I'll teleport Xander. She's going to need all of her friends there."

"Damn," Buffy and Faith groaned at the same time as all four girls raced back to the apartment.

They informed Giles of the terrible news before getting everything they needed together and teleported to Brazil.

A few minutes later; Willow and the slayers' home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the family room

The girls arrived to see Willow weeping on one of the other slayer's shoulders as her hair flickered between red and black every ten seconds.

"Willow, what happened?" Buffy chimed in as she quickly sat down on the other side of her best friend.

Willow just sobbed as the other slayer let go of her, and she fell into Buffy's arms. Dawn began speaking again to the slayer that had been holding Willow. For a second time, Jessie, Buffy, and Faith listened to a conversation they didn't completely understand.

"She says her and Chloe's group were battling a few demons when the one Chloe was fighting somehow got the upper hand, When its talons crossed over Chloe's chest, it was deep enough to puncture her lungs and cut into one of the valves to her heart. She died within minutes. The last thing she said was, "Tell Willow and my family I love them. Also, tell Jessie, Buffy, and Faith I'm sorry I let them down."."

"Why did she think she let me…I mean us down?" Jessie wondered.

"Because you were the one who trained her the most, and she idolized Buffy and Faith. She was one of the members of their fan clubs. Not that she didn't idolize you; it's just that she idolized them more since they battled The First."

"Ok."

Faith and Jessie stood silently as Buffy continued to hug Willow and offer words of consolation. Dawn chanted the spell and a minute or two later, Xander was running to his best friends as Vi stood by Dawn, Jessie, and Faith. Jessie and Dawn both felt a tear running down their cheeks at the sight of the trio hugging and hearing what were Chloe's last words.

A week later; Dallas, TX; Chloe's home, after the funeral

Chloe's parents had made all of the funeral arrangements. They chose to have a small ceremony. Willow was honored that Chloe's family offered for her to sit beside them during the funeral, but she politely refused. She chose rather to sit with her best friends, who sat beside her on both sides. Dawn, Jessie, Giles and a few other slayers chose to sit behind her and their friends. When the girls gathered at Chloe's home, they talked briefly with Chloe's family before grabbing a bite to eat and talking with each other. As Willow's best friends tried to comfort her, Dawn, Jessie, Faith, and Vi sat in the few chairs across from the couch. While Dawn and Faith became wrapped up in a conversation of their own, Jessie began thinking back to the moment she first met Chloe's family. They were introduced to her family by Willow after arriving shortly before the ceremony.

Around two hours earlier

"Mr and Mrs. Smith, Melissa, and Brian, I'd like to introduce you to my friends. This is one of my best friends, Xander Harris and his girlfriend Vi; my other best friend, Buffy Summers and her fiancée, Faith; Buffy's sister, Dawn and her girlfriend, Jessie Sammler. Everybody, this is Chloe's parents, Mr and Mrs Smith; Chloe's younger sister, Melissa; and her older brother, Brian."

"Yeah, we kind of figured that, Red," Faith teased the redhead, getting small laughs from everyone.

Jessie and her friends couldn't help but notice Chloe's family had begun staring at her. It had started making her uncomfortable.

"Oh, you're that 'Jessie'," Melissa determined with a half smile as the rest of the family realized the same thing and smiled at her.

"Uh…Maybe," Jessie mumbled as she took a step back.

"What do you mean by that Jessie?" Dawn asked as she took Jessie's hand before Jessie could take any more steps away from the group.

"The first time we talked to her after she went to London, she talked about you, Buffy, Faith, and Dawn. You came up first though."

"Uh, what did she say about me?" Jessie prodded a little nervously.

"She told us about how you were the one who trained her the most," Chloe's mom explained before Jessie attempted to take another step back in fear of what they would say or do to her next, "Don't worry, Jessie. We're not mad at you. She and the rest of us knew the risks of her choosing to join in on the fight. When she came home for Christmas, we saw how well you trained her. You all gave her the confidence she never felt she had before then. She also mentioned how she enjoyed watching you beat another slayer in a fight. I think her name was Kennedy."

"Or as she put it, you kicked Kennedy's ass," Melissa revealed, making almost everyone else listening laugh as Jessie blushed and Dawn gave her a loving smile.

"She also mentioned that you sang like an angel, Dawn had a crush on you, and you had your own fan club," Brian confessed before smiling at Dawn.

It was Dawn's turn to blush. She glanced down at the floor until Jessie whispered into to her ear to look at them.

"Would it be too much to ask for a favor from you?" Chloe's dad directed to Jessie.

"I guess it would be ok."

"I know it might be a lot to ask, but would you sing at our daughter's funeral?"

"Uh, sure," Jessie murmured a little hesitantly, "What song or songs would you like me to sing?"

"Well, she liked a few kinds of music, but her two most favorite songs were a little sad. They're 'Calling All Angels' by Jane Sikenberry and that one you sang after the fight. What was that one again, Melissa?" Chloe's mom muttered to her daughter.

"'Hallelujah' by Jeff Buckley," Dawn divulged as she accidentally interrupted Melissa, who was getting ready to answer her; "Sorry," Dawn finished as all eyes turned to Jessie.

"It's ok," Melissa told her as she didn't take her eyes off of the blonde.

There was a brief silence as Jessie fought back a tear while Dawn squeezed her hand gently.

"If it's too painful for you, we could pick some other songs," Mr Smith offered.

"No, it's alright. I can sing those," Jessie answered. _What are you thinking? You know how that song gets to you. You should have listened to them. They gave you a way out of singing that song._

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Smith asserted.

"Yes," Jessie confirmed with a smile as the grip Dawn had on her hand got a little tighter in support of her girlfriend.

"Cool," Brian smiled at the cute display between the young couple.

The funeral had gone well. As Jessie sang "Calling All Angels", Chloe's slayer friends, who agreed to be the pall bearers, carried Chloe's coffin slowly to the burial spot. Unfortunately, Jessie made the mistake of remembering seeing the smile on Chloe's face during the pre-funeral wake. As Jessie began singing "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley, everyone saw her fighting back more tears and heard the heartache as she sang. It had brought everyone except Faith and Xander to tears. When she finished, Jessie slowly paced back to her seat and cried as Dawn wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The comforting gesture helped Jessie relax into the hold.

Back to the present

"J, are you alright?"

"Huh?" Jessie chirped as she now saw all of her friends watching her.

"She asked if you were alright," Dawn responded as she nodded toward Faith.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about something I'd rather not discuss right now," Jessie confessed calmly.

"Alright, as long as you're ok," Dawn told her before giving the blonde a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Jessie," a male voice called out from behind her.

"Yeah?" Jessie asked as she turned to look at Chloe's family.

"We just wanted to thank you for singing those songs. We saw how painful it was for you to sing that last song," Mr. Smith stated with a smile.

"Chloe was right," Mrs. Smith announced as she walked toward Jessie.

"About what?" Jessie wondered as she stood up.

"You can sing like an angel," Melissa complimented before Jessie was hugged by both her and Mrs. Smith.

Everyone smiled while tears ran down Mrs. Smith and Melissa's cheeks.

"Th-Thanks," Jessie stuttered before being kissed softly on her forehead by Mrs. Smith.

The family then excused themselves politely before walking away to talk to some other family members.

"Are you ok?" Dawn asked this time as she lightly placed a hand on Jessie's shoulder.

"I think so," Jessie mumbled, "I'm going to get a drink, do you want anything?"

"A soda would be nice," Dawn admitted.

"Ok."

"Hold up, J, B and I will join you. Right, B?"

"Yeah, would you like something too, Willow?" Buffy questioned her best friend.

"W-Water, please," Willow pleaded as Dawn sat down beside her.

Faith smiled for a second as a memory of her first meeting of Tara popped into her head. Both Jessie and Buffy were smirking at her as the three entered the kitchen.

"What?" Faith grunted with a smirk.

"What were you just thinking about?" Buffy inquired as Jessie reached for some glasses and filled them with soda and ice.

"The first time I met Tara at the Bronze. You know…during the body swap," Faith chuckled.

"Oh, right," Buffy groaned with a roll of her eyes before hearing Jessie sigh, "What's up, Jessie?"

"It's just that after hearing all of the nice memories you have of Tara, I wish I could have met her."

Jessie waited as they grabbed a few beers for themselves and some water for Willow.

Meanwhile

Willow was resting her head on Dawn's shoulder and wiping away more tears while Xander and Vi were talking with Melissa and Brian.

"Dawn."

"Yes?"

"I don't mean to sound selfish, but is something wrong with me? I mean am I cursed or something?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Whenever I get close to someone I love or like at least a little, they leave me. Both Oz and Kennedy cheated on me and left. Well, we kicked Kennedy out, but you know what I mean. Tara and I had just got back together before she was killed. I didn't even get a chance to figure out my true feelings for Chloe before she died. I'm starting to think I'm destined to be alone forever."

"You're never totally alone. We're here for you, and I'm positive you'll find someone else."

"Thanks," Willow said softly.

Before either of them realized it, Dawn's kind words at Willow's grief had made Willow begin kissing Dawn. The kiss was broken by the sound of breaking glass. They turned to see Jessie start crying again as shattered glass, soda, and ice lay on the floor just in front of her shoes. Then they noticed everyone else's shocked and confused gapes.

"J-J, w-wait. It's not what it looked like," Dawn yelped as she chased after the sobbing blonde. There were various expressions shared among everyone else in the room before Buffy, Faith, and Willow followed the couple.

When they reached the other girls, they saw Jessie crying on a porch swing while Dawn stood there with tears on her face.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME, D!" Jessie let out through sobs.

"It's n-not wh-what it l-looked l-like, I sw-swear," Dawn bawled.

"So then you weren't kissing one of our friends while I was getting us something to drink? Why did you do it? I thought you loved me. Didn't I say or show it enough that I loved you too? Or did you just get impatient and/or angry because I said to you on Valentines Day that I didn't love you as much as Faith and Buffy love each other or as much as I loved Katie?"

"Jessie, it wasn't..," Willow tried to say before being cut off by Jessie.

"And how could you do that to me, Red? I've saved and defended your best friend's little sister many times and was able to admit to her that I loved her on Valentine's Day. Sure, it's not as much as I just said, but it's there. You think that just because you lost your girlfriend that you can kiss mine? Maybe I should leave you two alone, so you can finish what you started."

"JESSIE!" Buffy warned her and concluded as she looked at both Dawn and Willow, "Don't be that way. I'm sure there's a reason why they did what they did, right?"

Dawn was now sitting beside Jessie, hugging her, and crying too. Willow's head was now lying on Buffy's shoulder as tears could be seen on her face as well. Jessie had resisted at first but gave in and laid her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"O-Ok, ex-explain," Jessie stuttered as she removed her head from Dawn's shoulder, wiped away tears, and glimpsed back and forth between Dawn and Willow.

"Well, I've been a mess since Chloe died. It took so much energy not to lose it like I did when Tara died or Kennedy cheated on me. I know that everyone's trying to comfort me. It just felt so good that when it was Dawn's turn, I was overwhelmed. I lost control and kissed her. I would never intentionally hurt either of you since the time I spent in England after Tara's death and the chaos following that. I swear."

"Ok, I understand. Can we go now? I've embarrassed myself enough."

"You haven't. We understand how seeing that could upset you," Dawn affirmed.

Jessie got up and headed back into the house without saying a word to anyone. Dawn looked at the rest of them before following her. When they entered the house, they found Jessie apologizing to Chloe's family.

"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I didn't mean to cause a scene at your daughter's funeral and in your own home. Can you forgive me?"

"There's no need to apologize. Crying happens at funerals. As for what happened here, Melissa and Brian explained what happened. No harm done. Brian cleaned up the mess after you left," Mr. Smith explained.

"Ok, well, I think we're going to head back home," Jessie revealed.

"We understand. Have a safe trip, and don't ever think that we're mad at you for what happened to Chloe," Mrs. Smith informed her as she hugged Jessie again.

Then the rest of Chloe's family gave her a hug before they hugged Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow. Willow paused for a second before speaking to Melissa and pointing to the cross around her neck that used to belong to Chloe.

"I think Chloe would have wanted you to have it. Take good care of it, ok?"

"I promise," Melissa pledged before hugging the redhead one more time.

Almost ten minutes later, the girls' apartment

"So do you two want to join me and B at the club?" Faith encouraged the younger couple.

"I'm not really in the mood for hanging out at the club. I think I'm going to go down to the gym for a workout," Jessie revealed as she headed for the bedroom.

"Can I join you?" Dawn asked carefully since she wasn't sure what to think about Jessie's current mood.

"I kind of want to be alone right now," Jessie admitted before entering the bedroom and immediately closing the door behind her.

"Do you think she's going to be upset with me for a long time?" Dawn questioned as she sadly peered up at her sister.

"I really don't know. I'm sure she's still hurting from seeing the kiss."

"But it was an accident."

"That doesn't mean it stops hurting instantly. Give her some time, D," Faith added, "Pretty soon, things will be back to normal, and you two will be all over each other again."

"Faith," Buffy growled, "I really don't want to hear about my sister getting all hot and heavy with her girlfriend."

"Wouldn't it be more like hot and skinny, or hot and sweaty?" Faith teased.

"Shut up," Dawn requested before chuckling.

That stopped as Jessie left the bedroom in a pair of sweats and a tank top, grabbed her coat, walked past the three of them without saying a word or even looking at them, and closed the door behind her.

"Damn, did you two just feel a brief chill too?" Faith joked.

"Shut up," Dawn snapped at Faith's ill timed attempt at sarcastic humor before heading into the bedroom and almost slamming the door.

Buffy glared at Faith as the girls left the apartment in their trip to the club. Faith just sighed as she closed and locked the door behind them.


	52. Chapter 52

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 52

Author: j_rock873

Rating: R

Summary: What happens after Buffy, Faith, and Jessie leave the apartment, and Faith embarrasses herself in front of her roommates the next morning.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's note: I'm pretty sure you'll love the way I have Faith embarrass herself. Or at least really like it.

* * *

As the girls left the building, they managed to stop by the gym and spy on Jessie as she worked out. Buffy could see the pain Jessie was going through by the look on her face. However, Faith was paying a little bit more attention to the way Jessie's body moved than the look on her face. The anger Jessie showed was kind of turning Faith on. She was brought of her stare by Buffy, who pulled her outside and almost glared at her.

"What did you for that for, B?" Faith asked as she was a little confused.

"You watch our friend like that and then ask why?"

"What way was that?"

"Like if you were both single, you'd do the same thing to her that you did to Dawn and try to do more."

"And what would that be?"

"You would go all the way with her," Buffy almost growled.

"Of course I would."

"I knew it."

"What's the big deal, B? You said if both J and I were single, which means I wouldn't be cheating on you."

"It would be like you wouldn't care that Dawn's in love with her."

"Of course I would care, but if she wanted it, I wouldn't turn it down. We'd just have to keep it a secret. Before you get angry with me, take a good look at the beautiful girl in there working up a sweat."

"Ok," Buffy replied as she walked back and stepped inside long enough to get another gaze at the blonde whose back was to the door.

"Now imagine that both of you were single and you and Dawn weren't in love with us," Faith whispered into Buffy's ear, making a few hairs stand up on Buffy's neck.

"Ok," Buffy repeated as she stared more intensely at the way Jessie moved during her workout.

Faith smirked as she saw Buffy ogle the blonde the same way she knew she and Dawn had done before.

"Are you telling me that if she came up to you under those situations and wanted you physically, you'd still turn her down?"

"Um…," Buffy mumbled as she could almost picture herself and Jessie together in that way.

"See the point I'm trying to make here? Besides, if you remember correctly, I told you when Dawn and I started getting into it even more, I was thinking about you while D was thinking of her."

"Ok, you're right. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, B."

As they walked away, another girl who had been working out had seen how her leaders were checking out Jessie. And from what she could see, she was pretty sure that they didn't pay attention to the other girls in the room. She decided to let Jessie know what had been going on behind her back after both girls were finished with their workouts.

Twenty minutes later

"Uh, J-Jessie."

"Yeah, Christy?" Jessie questioned as she stopped what she was doing at the moment and wiped off the sweat from her face, neck, and around the neckline of the tank top.

"I thought I'd let you know that Buffy and Faith were staring at you for a few minutes."

"When?"

"About twenty minutes ago. I didn't want to disturb you during your workout. I wasn't sure if I should tell you or not either. After watching you for a bit, they stepped away for a few minutes. Then they did again except Buffy looked at you differently the second time."

"Oh, really?" Jessie continued with a smirk.

"Uh huh," the younger girl answered as she got nervous in front of the third in command.

"Relax," Jessie requested as she smirked at how she had unintentionally intimidated the girl in front of her, "How did they stare at me?"

"Well, the first time, Buffy seemed concerned while Faith had a look that she wanted you in a purely physical way. The second time, Faith was smirking at both you and Buffy while Buffy was watching you the way Faith was the first time."

Jessie laughed at that, making Christy laugh too.

"So what do you think about that?"

"About how you, Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow are gay or the way Buffy and Faith were looking at you?"

"Both."

"I'm ok with all of you being gay. It's not like it's the only thing you are. It's just one thing about you. You're three kick ass slayers, a powerful witch, and a girl with potential to become either a great watcher or witch, or maybe both. As for how they were looking at you, I don't know if I like it while you're with Dawn. Where is she anyway? You two are almost always together. I would hate to see whatever you two have end. When I see you two or Buffy and Faith together, it gives me hope that I will find someone special too."

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah."

"Ok," Jessie said before sitting down and motioned for the girl to join her, "The only other people that know what I'm about to tell you is Dawn, Buffy, Faith, Willow, Xander, and Vi."

Jessie explained what happened from the moment Willow had kissed Dawn until Jessie reached the gym.

"That's horrible. How could they do that to you? Everybody here can see that you and Dawn love each other, and I thought Willow wasn't capable of doing something like that."

"It was an accident. I know that now, but it doesn't mean it didn't hurt to see that."

"Are you going to be ok, Jessie?"

"Yes, I think I will be better by the morning. Say, isn't it time you should be back in your dorm room?" Jessie teased her.

"Gee, thanks, Jessie, I'm only three years younger than you."

"I'm still right though."

"Yeah, goodnight, I guess," Christy muttered to her as both girls picked up the towels on the floor besides them and tossed them into the laundry basket by the locker room door.

They grabbed their coats and headed to the front door of the gym.

"So your lips are sealed about we just talked about?"

"Sure," Christy confirmed as she gave Jessie a light hug.

"Good," Jessie responded as she returned the hug and playfully messed up Christy's hair before they went their separate ways.

Christy had tried to do the same thing but gave up after Jessie dodged the first two attempts.

Fifteen minutes later

Jessie returned to the apartment and expected to find Dawn watching TV. She was met with silence though and sighed as she shuffled into the bedroom. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Dawn peek up from her laptop.

"Can we talk, J?" Dawn pleaded softly.

"I don't want to talk right now."

"What do you want to do then?"

"I want to take a shower. Then I plan on grabbing something from the fridge before I get ready for bed."

Dawn sighed as she watched Jessie strip down to her underwear as if nothing was wrong, grab some clean clothes, walk into the bathroom, and promptly close the door. Dawn was tempted to spy on Jessie as she heard the water turned on. She didn't want to anger her girlfriend and thought of another way to get the blonde's attention. She tried to be daring like Faith and changed into the shortest pair of shorts she had and removed her shirt, exposing her bra. When Jessie returned, she glanced briefly at Dawn but kept a straight face and headed to the kitchen. Jessie had a few glasses of juice before she went back to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. As she pulled her covers back, Dawn walked up to her.

"Can we talk now?" Dawn almost begged.

"I said I don't want to talk right now. I want to sleep."

"Can I join you then?"

"I need some more time alone, and I can't do that if you're snuggled up beside me."

"You're still mad at me, aren't you?"

"I'm not mad. I'm still hurt though."

"Fine, hurt, whatever. Don't shut me out though. I love you, J, and I want us to be the way we were before the …"

"Don't say it. We'll talk tomorrow, I promise," Jessie assured as she climbed into bed, pulled up the covers, lay down, and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight then," Dawn announced as she put on a t-shirt that stopped just below her belly button.

When Jessie didn't say anything back, Dawn turned off the lights and left the bedroom. Dawn decided she'd watch TV until she was sure Jessie was asleep, so she wouldn't hear her cry if it happened. Dawn ended up falling asleep on the couch and remained there until Buffy and Faith returned a few hours later.

"Whoa, B, look at D over there."

"I guess Jessie's still not in a talking mood. I wish she'd just get over the kiss. It was an accident and didn't mean anything."

"What about what happened between me and Angel when I went bad? Are you over that?"

"Yes, it took a few years, but I'm over it now."

"Good to know."

Faith and Buffy then noticed that as Dawn slept, her shirt had ridden up a few inches and exposed most of her stomach.

"You better not be thinking of anything perverted about Dawn right now," Buffy ordered.

"I wasn't. Honestly, I'm worried about her. Jessie must still be upset if Dawn couldn't get her attention with that choice of sleepwear," Faith described while trying to wake Dawn, "Hey, D, wake up."

After shaking Dawn a few times and getting nowhere, she just decided to pick the girl up and carry her. Buffy quickly met them at the door and opened it for Faith. Buffy then pulled back the covers of Dawn's bed and tried to keep her emotions under control as Faith gently laid Dawn down and pulled the covers back up to Dawn's shoulders. Faith then did something even sweeter. She leaned in and softly kissed Dawn's forehead. Dawn seemed to sense this and smiled in her sleep. Buffy and Faith then quietly walked back to their room after leaving the girls bedroom and closing the door.

A few minutes later, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

"What?" Faith replied as she prepared for bed.

"I love it when you act that way around Dawn."

"I can't help it, B, I feel for her. I really do. I know what it feels like to be in love with a beautiful blonde that seems almost too good to be true."

"Almost too good to be true?" Buffy spoke with mock anger.

"Yeah, you haven't been as tightly wound up since I unwound you," Faith commented with a chuckle, "But some times you still need to find the fun, B."

"Oh really?" Buffy stated with an arched eyebrow as she remembered a previous conversation she had with Willow after Faith's first arrival in Sunnydale.

"No, not really. It's just a better opening to this," Faith told her as she abandoned the search for pajamas and pulled a half dressed Buffy into bed with her.

As soon as they were under the covers, Faith quickly discarded her and Buffy's underwear and began kissing her. Buffy giggled as Faith tickled her side while kissing her neck. About ten minutes later, Jessie woke up to make a trip to the bathroom when she heard the sounds coming from the other bedroom. She rolled her eyes before smiling at what was going on with the engaged couple. As she came back to the bedroom, she walked over to Dawn's bed and checked on the sleeping girl. At seeing the small smile, she couldn't help thinking to herself.

_Does it really still bother me that she and Willow kissed? Of course it does, but what does that say about me? I know in my heart that she still loves me, but it still hurts. I don't want to become jealous. What if what she told me was a lie or just a crush that's about to end. She seemed to enjoy it. I don't want to wake her up, but I kind of want to talk to her now. Why is she smiling? Is she thinking about me or is it Willow?_

After contemplating on what to do, Jessie slowly pulled back the covers and climbed into bed beside Dawn. She carefully ran her fingers through Dawn's hair, kissed her softly on her left cheek, and gradually laid her hand gently on Dawn's exposed skin. She caressed it just as gently. However, Dawn still awoke to the comforting feeling of Jessie's skin against hers. She struggled with the idea on whether or not to let Jessie know she was awake. A minute later, she chose to remain still and tried to go back to sleep without letting out a peaceful sigh. The sounds of Buffy's light moans, Jessie's soft giggles, and Jessie briefly drawing a heart around her belly button with the tip of a finger didn't make it any easier for Dawn. The feeling of Jessie snuggling up beside her made it almost impossible.

The next morning, Buffy and Faith's bedroom

Buffy opened her eyes to see Faith eyeing her for a few seconds before motioning toward the bathroom.

"What are you doing, Faithy?"

"I'm wondering whether or not to check on Dawn and Jessie. While we were…you know, I heard one of them use the bathroom, and I was wondering if they're still sleeping in separate beds. I was thinking that if it was D, maybe she tried to sneak into J's bed afterward."

"Don't you think that maybe Jessie would have heard her?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Since I don't want to wait, I'm going to find out right now," Faith declared as she stepped out of bed and began the trek to the bathroom.

"Uh, Faithy."

"Yeah, B?"

"As much as I'm enjoying the view from behind, don't you think you should at least put these on?" Buffy announced as she leaned over the side of the bed, picked up Faith's underwear from off the floor, and held it up in front her. Faith smirked as she turned around and watched Buffy instantly blush at her.

"What are you blushing for, yo. I'm the one that's standing around naked," Faith inquired before smirking.

"Just get dressed. I don't want them to see you naked. I'm the only person that should get to see you like that."

"Whatever you say," she conceded as she took the clothes from Buffy and put them on before quickly yanking Buffy out of bed.

"Hey," Buffy yelped as she didn't get a chance to grab her underwear or cover up, "You could have at least let me get dressed first."

"It's not like I haven't seen you naked before," Faith reminded her as she pulled Buffy to her and began kissing her softly on the lips.

Buffy let the anger go as Faith turned up the heat of the kiss. When she felt Faith's hands began to wander down her back, she broke the hold and stepped away to put on her underwear and robe.

"See what I mean about finding the fun?"

"I'm all for fun, but you need to space out the fun times like this a little more."

"I guess you're right," Faith sighed as she observed Buffy also put on her robe.

"Cheer up, we'll continue this tonight."

"Really? You promise?"

"I promise. See, it's all good."

"Did you just say it's all good?"

"So what if I did?"

"It just sounds weird coming from you," Faith said with a smirk.

"Fine," Buffy said with a roll of her eyes, "It's five by five. Is that better?"

"Yes, now come on," Faith demanded as she slowly pulled Buffy into the bathroom.

Faith then slowly opened the door to Dawn and Jessie's room and silently entered the bedroom. Jessie remained still, but the sound of the door and a brief glimpse of light, made Dawn open her eyes all the way. She looked over to the bathroom and saw Faith smirking and arching an eyebrow while Buffy wasn't sure how to react. She smiled at them before looking down at herself. She saw a peaceful expression on Jessie's face and realized that she hadn't dreamed it. Jessie was beside her with her head lying on Dawn's shoulder. The blonde hair was barely touching her neck as a hand rested on bare skin under the covers.

To cure Faith's curiosity, Dawn pulled down the covers with her free hand. Faith and Buffy were able to see Jessie's hand on Dawn's stomach with the tips of her fingers just under the hem of the shirt that had been slightly pushed up. Faith winked at her, making Dawn smile before Faith was pulled away by Buffy. Dawn tried to get up so she could talk to them but was pinned down by the blonde. Dawn resorted to tickling her long enough for the blonde pull away in her sleep. Dawn immediately substituted her body with a pillow after stepping out of bed. Jessie didn't appear to notice the difference as she cracked a smile.

Back in Buffy and Faith's bedroom

Buffy stood and watched as the brunette headed to the other door. She ran to the other door and blocked Faith from opening it.

"What gives, B? First, you pull me away from D and Jessie's room. Then prevent me from leaving our room when you said before I'd have to wait until tonight to continue what we were doing earlier," Faith grumbled before finishing with. "Did you change your mind about that?"

"No,"

"Then why?"

"I just wanted to know where you're going this time."

"I need some coffee, yo."

"Well, put something else on. I got you that robe for a reason you know."

"Alright," Faith agreed as she put on the robe Buffy had gotten her for Christmas, "but why didn't you have me put it on before we went and checked on them?"

"Like I said before, I kind of liked the view from behind."

A minute later, the kitchen

As Faith prepared the coffee, Buffy caught the smirk on her face.

"What?"

"What's with the smirk?"

"Just enjoying the smell of the coffee."

"I think it's more than that."

"Then what else is it, Sherlock?" Faith quizzed with a sarcastic smile while reaching for two coffee mugs.

"It looked like that when you saw them in bed together, you wanted to let out a cheer."

"Are you back on the cheerleader kick again? I told you that isn't me. I know it was more your style back in high school. I saw your cheerleader uniform in your closet."

"But I think you would make a sexy cheerleader."

"Well, I'm pretty hot, but I'm not doing that."

"Please, just once," Buffy playfully whined and threw in a puppy dog expression to seal the deal.

"Fine, I'm going to mock the stereotypical cheerleader."

"I'm ready," Buffy asserted as she watched Faith prepare.

"Ready…ok," Faith said with her hands on her hips. She continued as she raised one of her hands, acted like she was holding a pom pom, and shook it every time she called for a letter, "Give me a B."

"B."

"Give me a U."

"U."

"Give me an F."

"F."

"Give me another F."

"F."

"Give me a Y."

"Y."

"What's that spell?" Faith commanded as she lowered her hand, raised the other one, and continued the act of holding pom poms.

"Buffy," Buffy giggled.

"Say it again," Faith instructed as she shook her hand again.

"Buffy," Buffy giggled a second time.

"Who's the woman I love?" she challenged as she shook her hand for a third time.

"Buffy," Buffy repeated.

"Go, Buffy," Faith chirped as she acted like she tossed the imaginary pom poms away, briefly kicked up a leg, and did an actual cartwheel.

She ended it with doing the splits, putting her hands on her hips, and giving a fake smile. The type she had seen and absolutely detested from people like Cordelia, Harmony, and the Cordettes.

"See, I knew you could do it," Buffy chuckled before being interrupted by giggles and clapping.

They turned around to see their roommates continue to giggle and cheer as Faith blushed.

"Knock it off," Faith warned as her blush instantly turned into an intimidating glare, "I thought you were asleep, J, and that D was probably in the bathroom."

"I was, but when I found out I was hugging a pillow and not my girlfriend, I woke up. I guess D felt it was her turn to do the spying, but it's not really spying since you're in the family room, not the bedroom. When I saw what she was doing, I decided to join her. Nice routine by the way."

"I swear if any of you tell anyone what I just did, the next time D and J get all hot and sweaty, I'm taking pictures and posting them up in the gym and cafeteria. I might even e-mail them to Xander, Willow, and J's family."

"You wouldn't," they gasped.

"Try me and find out," Faith almost snapped at the trio, "I'm sorry, but I only meant for B to see it. I only did it because I love her."

"It's ok, Faith," Jessie assured her, "We won't tell. Besides, I don't want to know what my family would think about that."

"I'm still your girlfriend?" Dawn asked as it finally sunk into her mind what Jessie had said only a few minutes ago.

"Yes, if you still want to be?"

"You don't have to even ask that," Dawn informed as she actually jumped into Jessie's arms and planted a heated kiss but quickly broke it.

"Wh-why did you stop?"

"So it would be too late for Faith to reach for a camera."

"I won't really do that, but you can't tell anyone what I did. I have a rep to protect."

"Hasn't that rep been altered a bit already? I mean almost everyone here has seen the way we act around each other. Willow and Xander also know exactly how you proposed," Buffy babbled with a smile.

"Yeah, but them knowing this would just be too much."

"We understand," they said to her in unison.

"Can we talk in private now, J?"

"Sure. Excuse us," Jessie exclaimed as she took Dawn by the hand, led her into the bedroom, and closed the door.

"Don't worry, they'll be five by five, B."

"You think so?"

"Yes," Faith claimed before reaching for her cup of coffee and handing Buffy hers.


	53. Chapter 53

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 53

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Dawn and Jessie make up for what happened between Dawn and Willow in chapter fifty-one and the fight after that.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

A minute later, Dawn and Jessie's bedroom

Dawn became confident that Jessie had already forgiven her, but she had to make sure. Dawn saw a smile start to form on Jessie's face as the blonde scanned up and down her body.

"So I guess that since you crawled into my bed after you said you wanted to be alone, you're not angry at me anymore. Along with the smile and the way you're checking me out."

"Yeah, nice choice of sleepwear by the way. Sorry, I didn't comment on it earlier."

"Thanks, I thought maybe I was kind of pushing it without the shirt earlier. It was like I was kind of wh…," she began to say before being silenced by Jessie placing a few fingers upon Dawn's lips.

"It's not like I haven't seen you like that before. Wearing almost nothing or nothing would have been going too far though. Since I'm not mad at you anymore, I was hoping that maybe you could forgive me too. I overreacted and shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Maybe. So you completely understand that it was an accident?"

"Yes, I guess I kind of understand now how Katie felt when you told her how you kissed me after the vampire attack," Jessie quickly apologized again after seeing Dawn tense up at that memory, "Sorry."

"It's alright. I can see why that would pop into your head."

"Anything I can do to make it better?" Jessie offered as she saw Dawn gently bit her lower lip.

"You could kiss me."

"Sure," Jessie replied as she placed her hands on the exposed skin above Dawn's shorts and kissed her on the lips.

She couldn't stop herself from giggling as Dawn happily sighed. The touch was affecting her too. Her hands moved down to Dawn's butt, making the other girl sigh again. Dawn let out a third sigh when she felt the hands caress and gently squeeze its current location. She didn't resist as she felt the hands untie the knotted drawstrings. She felt her heart race a little at the same time the shorts fell down her legs and hit the floor. When she felt hands on her again, the memory of her and Faith's unexpected heated confrontation popped into her head, but it had been an exciting heat. Suddenly, she was lifted up and being carried toward her bed as the shorts were left behind. Dawn was then playfully tossed onto the bed behind her. Jessie laughed as Dawn landed on her back. Dawn smiled at the sultry look Jessie was giving her as the blonde licked her lips. She broke into giggles as Jessie kissed her all over her exposed stomach. The feeling of slightly wet lips left goose bumps on her stomach.

"Ok, we better stop," Dawn suggested as Jessie began to gradually push up Dawn's t-shirt until it was just below the bottom of her bra.

"Why? Making up is the best part after a fight."

"Yeah, but if we continue, you know where this will end up."

"It will end up with more clothes on the floor," Jessie said with a wink before glancing briefly at the shorts on the floor behind her.

"Exactly, it's a little early for this. Besides, I'm hungry and need to take a shower."

"So am I," Jessie responded with a smirk as she pushed the shirt more to expose some of Dawn's bra.

"I mean for actual food," Dawn explained as she got up, removed the shirt, quickly put on the robe, reached for some new underwear, and headed to the bathroom.

"Fine," Jessie playfully pouted.

"Aw, don't worry, J. We can continue this later."

"But what if I'm not in the mood then?"

"Then I'll call Ripley's. If I need to, I will just make a blonde joke to get you angry."

"I think they cancelled that show awhile back. I don't think it's even in syndication right now."

After Dawn had left, Jessie changed into different clothes, laid out some that she knew Dawn looked good in, left the room, and found her roommates looking at her from the couch.

"It sucks to get burned when you try to go farther, huh, J? Not that it's happened to me before," Faith chuckled.

Jessie frowned while Buffy gasped at the bluntness of Faith's comment.

"It's never happened to you before?" Jessie questioned with an unbelieving stare.

"Not ever. Who would turn this down for food?" Faith asked as she stood up opened the robe, and flashed the front of the skimpy underwear that only Buffy and Dawn had seen earlier, "The food came after because we worked up an appetite."

Faith laughed as Buffy rolled her eyes at her. Twenty minutes later, Dawn had exited the bathroom and found that Jessie had laid out clean clothes for her. She smiled at the sweet gesture until she realized what Jessie had picked out. The smile remained on her face as she shed the robe, put on the clothes, and checked herself in the mirror before leaving the room.

"Whoa, looking pretty hot there, D. Those clothes are kind of tight aren't they?" Faith chuckled.

"Yeah, they are a little snug. Who needs to breathe easily anyway?" Dawn joked as she smirked at Jessie.

"So J picked them out, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I think they look good on her. Are they really too snug? I mean I wouldn't want you to stop being able to breathe," Jessie said with a smirk.

"I'm kidding," Dawn giggled, "So what are the plans today?"

"You said you wanted breakfast. I figured we could hang out here for a little bit before catching an early afternoon movie."

The girls sat at the table and had some breakfast. When they finished up, Jessie grabbed her and Dawn's plates, silverware, and glasses. As Dawn got up to help her, Jessie knocked over her glass, which the others thought was empty. Dawn jumped as the cold juice splashed onto her and Jessie's clothes enough that they would need to change.

"You did that on purpose jut to get me out of my clothes again before tonight," Dawn accused as she tried to fake a sneer.

"It was an accident, I swear. I'm normally more agile since becoming a slayer," Jessie stated as she hoped it was a believable lie.

Even Buffy could tell it was a lie, and she had been too busy smiling at Faith to pay attention to what Jessie had been planning.

"Sure it was, J. I guess me and B will see you again downstairs after you…you know…finish."

Buffy just rolled her eyes as she and Faith went to into the bathroom to brush their teeth. Then Dawn and Jessie went back into their bedroom.

"What?" Jessie inquired as Dawn smirked at her while the two searched for some clothes to change into, "It was an accident, really."

"Oh please, even Buffy could tell it was a lie. And she isn't always the most perceptive person in the gang."

Jessie held in a chuckle at hearing a soft "Hey!" and a snort coming from the bathroom.

"Ok, maybe it was a lie. So what are you going to do about it?"

"This," Dawn exclaimed before kissing Jessie on the lips and unbuttoning Jessie's shirt.

Dawn moved her hands inside the shirt and touched the skin just above the blonde's hips while moving her lips to Jessie's neck. As Jessie sighed in happiness at the touch, Dawn pulled back. Jessie looked on in confusion until Dawn unbuttoned Jessie's pants and slowly pulled down the zipper. Within a minute, Dawn untucked Jessie's shirt and tossed it to the floor. Before Dawn had the chance to make another move, Jessie stepped back a little, rapidly unbuttoned Dawn's shirt, tossed it to the floor, and unbuttoned and unzipped Dawn's pants. Dawn quickly moved closer and put her hands down the back of Jessie's pants. When she heard the blonde let out a low moan, Dawn pushed the pants down past the hips. Both smiled as they hit the blonde's ankles. As Jessie stepped out of them, Dawn began working on her own. Jessie stopped her and gave them a swift tug. Within fifteen seconds, Dawn was stepping out of them. Jessie tossed the clean clothes that were lying on her bed onto Dawn's bed. Then she playfully pushed Dawn until the other girl fell onto her back again.

"Let me know when to stop altogether, or if you don't like something, ok?" Jessie requested as she leaned over the beautiful girl in front of her.

"Ok."

For almost the next ten minutes, Jessie kissed and caressed almost every inch of exposed skin from the waist up. Jessie heard Dawn occasionally moan as fingers ran through her hair. The few times Jessie tried to unhook her bra or tug at the bottom half of her underwear, Dawn politely grabbed Jessie's' hands and placed them on the bed beside her. Jessie showed a little disappointment but didn't stop with the kisses. When she was sure Jessie had touched enough exposed skin, she decided to return the favor.

"My turn," Dawn declared as she flipped the blonde onto her back.

She then did the same thing to her, minus trying to remove more clothes. Jessie encouraged her to try more by lifting herself off the bed from the middle of her back to her butt. When nothing happened, she sunk back down in disappointment and frustration.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't feel like going all the way this time. Later tonight, I promise," Dawn revealed before putting on the clothes that were lying on her bed.

"So then you're not losing interest in me, and this wasn't only for my benefit?" Jessie babbled as she watched her girlfriend get dressed.

"You thought I was losing interest in you?"

"Possibly, I mean it isn't totally unheard of to chase after something or someone that you want but think you can never have. Then when you actually get it or them, you lose interest. It's then you realize it was the thrill of the chase and not that you liked or loved them."

"Jessie, I LOVE you. This isn't a game I felt like playing or something done just for you. Like I just said, I was only going as far as I wanted us to go this time. Understand?"

"Yes," Jessie assured as she got dressed too.

When the girls stepped out of their bedroom, they saw Buffy and Faith standing by the couch. Buffy was glaring at Dawn. However, Faith was smirking. The sight of this made Jessie's slight frown immediately turn into a smirk as well.

"What's wrong, Buffy?" Dawn inquired as she casually grabbed Jessie's hand.

"Who's the not so perceptive one now?" Buffy softly growled.

"You heard that? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"You wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it. What is it that I don't know? What are you hiding from me, and are you the only one who knows?"

"It's something that has to be kept a secret, and I'm not the only one who knows."

"Who else knows, and can you tell me what it is?"

"That would defeat the purpose of a secret, B," Faith commented.

"Fine, but who else knows, Dawn?"

"Faith, Jessie, Willow, and Katie," Dawn confessed before smiling at the other two slayers.

"Do you plan on revealing this secret in the future?"

"Maybe," Dawn divulged as Faith and Jessie nodded along beside her.

"Ok, but it better be worth the wait."

"It is, trust me, B," Faith insisted as she took Buffy by the hand and headed for the front door with Dawn and Jessie a few steps behind them.

After the girls grabbed their coats and umbrellas, Buffy reminded the younger couple of the scheduled Scooby meeting. Dawn sighed at what could possibly be the subject of this meeting.

Fifteen to twenty minutes later, the campus library

"What's this meeting for, Buffy?" Dawn quizzed after being pulled onto Jessie's lap, who was sitting in her usual chair for the meetings.

When Jessie wrapped her arms around Dawn's waist, Dawn seemed to think that this meeting wouldn't be so bad after all.

"There are other chairs in here you know," Buffy groaned at the cute display as their previous talk was still running through her head.

"Chill, B, I'm ok with it, they're ok with it, and Giles is probably ok with it, right?" Faith guessed as she whipped around to face him.

Giles simply responded by removing his eyeglasses and wiping the lenses clean with what appeared to be a handkerchief. Buffy took this opportunity to gaze smugly at the rest of the girls.

"Is this better?" Dawn mumbled as she got off of Jessie's lap and slid into the chair beside her.

"Quite," Giles announced before smiling at all them, "The point of this meeting is about what's going to be happening in the next few months."

"And that would be?" Jessie interrupted, slightly irritating the man, "Don't worry. I know what you are going to say, but say it anyway."

"As the head of the new Watchers' Council, I have gone over many aspects on the placement of the new watchers and slayers that will be joining the fight soon."

"Huh?" Faith muttered as she had the urge to be a smart ass for a moment.

"Fire bad, tree pretty," Buffy chuckled at Giles's groan at being interrupted a second time.

"Within the next few months, a small group will stay in here in the city and keep it safe. The rest of the slayers here will be sent out to where they're needed. They will meet up with the slayers and watcher or watchers that are already there. Any future slayers will be trained by their watchers. After Dawn, Jessie, and the other girls are finished with classes for the year, the teachers will be let go."

"What's going to happen with this place and the five of us?" Dawn grilled as she stared at Giles and Buffy.

"We're going to move into a smaller apartment building and set up Council headquarters in an office building around the middle of the city."

"We?" Jessie challenged.

"Yes, the four of us in one apartment and Giles will be in a nearby one. Then while Giles is running the council, Faith and I are going to show you two the world, like I promised Dawn. Or since we're going to have Dawn teleporting us, I guess I should say that she'll show the three of us the world."

"Wicked, yo," Jessie told them.

Faith laughed before adding, "Then you two are going to make us proud by doing well at Harvard."

After ending the meeting, the girls met up with the other slayers to discuss plans for the day. Then the girls went their separate ways. Some girls went to the gym to work out like Buffy and Faith while others decided the movies was a good idea and left for the theaters. Buffy and Faith noticed Dawn and Jessie leave together hand in hand. Before they were out of the couple's sight, Jessie glanced back to see that they were being watched by their roommates. She felt like doing something that would get the reaction she was hoping for from everyone. She smiled as she broke the grip Dawn had on her hand, moved her hand to Dawn's butt, and gave it a soft squeeze while peeking back at Buffy.

She giggled at how her girlfriend jumped in shock at the touch. Then she relaxed into it and glimpsed back briefly too. They spotted Faith laughing as Buffy glared at Jessie for doing something like that in front of the other slayers. At hearing gasps and laughs, Buffy turned around to see Faith laughing along with a few other slayers. The rest were just standing silent while they tried to quit gawking at what Jessie had done in front of them. Jessie had gotten the response she was hoping for, so she let go of Dawn's butt and took her hand again. Buffy shot the other slayers that were laughing an intimidating glare that shut them up. Buffy was thankful that it wasn't until the girls were out of sight that Giles had made his way out of the library. The sight of that might have given the poor man some sort of attack.

Two and half months later, the girls' apartment, the living room

Other than preparing for the shut down of the school and moving into an apartment temporarily, Dawn and Jessie's weekly schedule remained the same. They went to class and did their nightly homework. On the weekends, Jessie would lead the younger slayers on patrol. Some nights proved totally eventless. Buffy, Faith, and Jessie made sure on the nights where there was some activity, that each girl got in a few shots before the particular vampire or other demon was staked or slayed. Buffy and Faith took some time every couple of days to work on the details of their upcoming wedding and where they would move to after Dawn went away to college with Jessie. When Buffy and Faith talked to Dawn, Jessie, and Willow about all of the wedding details, Willow couldn't stop herself from reminiscing about when Buffy almost married Spike.

"So then 'Wind Beneath My Wings' won't be your first dance as a married couple?" Willow teased.

Buffy frowned at her best friend as the rest of them laughed.

"B, I love you, but there's no chance in hell I'm dancing to that song. There has to be a more fitting song."

"How about 'I Can't Help Falling In Love' by UB40?" Jessie encouraged.

"Or 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' by Aerosmith?" Dawn added.

"Either sounds ok to me. What do you think, B?"

"Both are great choices. I mean we couldn't help ourselves from falling in love with each other, and I can't think of a moment that I don't want you around."

"Well, since you've probably dreamed of your wedding day unlike me, I think the choice should be left up to you."

"That's sweet, Faith, but it will be OUR day, not just MINE."

"Ok, I'd be happier with the second one," Faith decided as she shared a smile with Dawn.

"Good, now that's settled, are the three of you happy with the bridesmaids' dresses?" Buffy asked as she and Faith eyed Dawn, Jessie, and Willow.

"Yes," they answered at the same time.

"So have you decided where and when you want the wedding and honeymoon to be?" Willow questioned as she felt a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

"What's wrong, Will?" Buffy inquired as all eyes turned toward the redhead.

"Not that I'm not happy for the two of you because I am, it's just…"

"Yeah?" Dawn interrupted even though both she and Buffy could tell what Willow was thinking.

"I…I…," Willow muttered before looking away from her best friend.

"You were thinking that you and Tara would have gotten married before I would have," Buffy stated as she grabbed Willow's hands in what she hoped was a comforting way.

"Yeah, I'm sorry if it bothered you that I said that."

"It's ok, Will. Actually, I thought you would too."

"We're not sure on the wedding, but I was kind of leaning to some place tropical for the honeymoon. Possibly one with a clothing optional or topless beach," Faith admitted before smirking at all of them.

"Faith, could you not say something like that in front of my sister," Buffy demanded.

"Yeah, Faith, I don't want to think of Buffy like that," Dawn groaned.

"Just Buffy?" Faith teased.

"Faith, in case you just woke up out of a third coma, I have a girlfriend. I don't need to picture my sister's fiancée like that," Dawn voiced while not thinking how that could upset the brunette. When Faith almost sneered at her, she apologized, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, D. I understand how things can just slip out," Faith told her with a look of understanding.

After talking about the flowers to have at the wedding and the food to be served at the reception, the attention turned to Jessie.

"Jessie," Buffy started carefully.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something about Katie? I remember what you told us when you broke up. After that, you didn't really say anything. I wanted to give you some time before any of us asked this."

"What is it, B?" Jessie remarked just as carefully.

"Was her jealousy about your friendships with us, mainly Dawn's of course, the only reason you broke up?"

"Buffy, maybe she doesn't want to say it, or maybe I don't want to know," Dawn informed her sister as she attempted to get up.

However, Jessie grabbed her by the hand and refused to let her leave the room.

"It's ok, D. I'm ready to answer the question, and you should be here for it."

"Alright."

"To answer your question, no, it wasn't the only reason. Yeah, she wasn't happy about the crush Dawn had on me, and how I told her I was at least slightly attracted to all of you. She couldn't deny that she was also slightly attracted to you. It's just after we had been together for about six months, we actually began planning our future together. You know…going to the same college, choosing our majors, getting married, and having kids. Then along came the newfound power due to the spell Willow cast. You saw when we met the three of you and the bitch, she was being supportive of my decision. Even though she was supportive, part of me knew that she was slightly jealous. I could see it in her eyes before I made the choice to join you. During a fight before then, she said how she could see our plans slipping away."

"Jessie, we…," Buffy and Willow tried to say but were stopped by Jessie.

"I know. You didn't mean to break us up. To be honest though, there's no guarantee we would have lasted anyway. You can love someone so much, but something like going to college can wreck relationships even if both go to the same school. People can be together or have friends and still grow apart from them."

"Whoa, that's deep, yo," Faith butted in before chuckling.

"Yeah, that's what happened with me, Willow, and Xander," Buffy confided as she smiled at her best friend.

"And you three are still friends," Jessie announced with a smile.

"So then it was partly my fault?" Buffy affirmed.

"How was it your fault? Willow was the one who performed the spell," Jessie babbled as she saw the redhead get a little uncomfortable and upset, "Not that I'm mad at you for doing it. I understand why you did."

"Because I was the one who came up with the idea, it makes it my fault."

"Buffy, you and Faith were forced into it by some powerful people. You gave me a choice. I deeply respect you for that. I chose to join you for at least two years. I plan on keeping my word. If I decide after that time to quit, I won't have any regrets about having joined you," Jessie determined before focusing on Dawn, "Whether you and I last or not is unknown. The point is I'm here now, and I don't plan on going anywhere without you for awhile."

Faith smiled as Dawn let out a tear and Jessie kissed Dawn softly on her forehead. Buffy gawked at them before observing Faith and Willow. When Willow sadly bit her lip, Buffy knew they were thinking about the same thing.

_You were thinking about when Tara accidentally revealed that Dawn was 'The Key' in front of Glory, weren't you?_

_Yeah, I can't help but think of her when they get like that._

_I agree, I think about the way you two were the morning after you got back together. You were so happy._

_Yeah, we better stop talking like this. They're looking at us again._

Buffy then turned to see Faith, Dawn, and Jessie staring at them. The other slayers both had curious expressions on their face while Dawn had figured out what they were talking about.

"You were talking about Tara again, right?"

"Yeah," Willow mumbled before being hugged by Dawn.

"So any ideas of where you and Faith were thinking of moving to after me and D get settled in at Harvard?"

"Actually, I was thinking of either Spain or Italy," Buffy responded.

"Italy sounds good to me, B."

Less than a week later, the girls said their farewells to the rest of the girls there and sent them out to the various hotspots. The following day, they grabbed their possessions, and prepared to move into the apartments/flats that Giles and Buffy had picked out. Giles left as the girls had a brief talk.

"I'm actually going to miss this place and this city," Dawn said as she felt herself getting choked up.

"Why, D?" Faith interjected with a mischievous smirk, "We're all moving on to some place better."

"Because this is where Jessie and I fell in love. The first place we..," Dawn tried to finish but was prevented by Jessie's hand over her mouth. Dawn playfully bit Jessie's fingers.

"I can't believe you bit my fingers," Jessie giggled.

"Serves you right. I was going to say this city was the place for a handful of firsts, J. The first mutual kiss and first date. Not to mention, your first dusting of a vampire."

"Sure, but that wasn't the only first you were thinking about," Faith muttered.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Jessie ordered as the couple got onto Jessie's bike, "Whether she was thinking it or not, B doesn't want to hear about her sister like that."

Jessie smiled at Dawn before wiping away a tear on Dawn's cheek. Faith got behind the wheel of the moving truck they had rented while Buffy rode shotgun.

"You ready, B?"

"Yes, how about you two?" Buffy directed to the couple on the bike to the left of Faith.

"We're five by five," Jessie confirmed as the four took one last glance at their former home. Jessie then smirked and said to Faith, "Race you to the apartment."

Jessie then sped away before Faith could even start the count.

"HEY, NO FAIR!" Faith shouted as she hit the gas, "Can you believe that?"

"Let it go, Faithy," Buffy commanded she quickly put on her seat belt.


	54. Chapter 54

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 54

Author: j_rock873

Rating: R

Summary: We find out what Katie and Jamie have been up to since the call from Jessie on New Years Day. They're also saved by Jessie near the end of the chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

After that call from Jessie on New Year's Day, Katie actually decided to try and take Jessie's advice. She began talking to and hanging out with her other classmates and Jamie even more. Jamie was happy for her. She even went on a few double dates with her. When Katie began to get more into the routine of getting to know more people, she began to think of Jessie less. Some days this scared her. Other days it didn't. She came to the conclusion that she was gradually getting over the blonde. As Katie became more willing to meet new people, she had gained the attention of both girls and guys. She even went out with a guy who was convinced he could "change her back". Katie had decided to humor him. When the guy went home with nothing but a "Goodnight", he never bothered Katie again. When some of the people learned that she could paint and sketch well, they paid her to paint portraits for their families or significant others. Some girls even agreed to pose for her for nothing. Jamie would occasionally come home to the room just in time to see a girl sitting half dressed on Katie's bed or in the process of getting dressed. More times than Jamie liked to think about it, the girl would give Katie a hug or kiss before leaving. The kisses would usually be a quick peck on a cheek or softly on the lips. After seeing this enough times, she started to become a little jealous. She wasn't sure who she was more jealous of, the other girls or Katie. She made a choice after the last encounter.

"Hi, Katie, how was your day? Mine was..," Jamie babbled until she realized what was going on in front of her.

She saw a small pile of clothes at the one of the feet of Katie's bed that didn't belong to her. She looked up to see Katie lying on top of a blonde as the couple was in a very heated make out session. From what Jamie could see, Katie had gotten the blonde down to just the bottom of her underwear. Katie, however, still had on a bra and her pants. They were ready to be pulled off if Katie wanted them to be by the way the waistline of the underwear was exposed.

'Well, as you can see, my day was going great until you got back," Katie answered with a smirk while she climbed off the other girl and sat down on the bed, "You remember Beth, don't you?" Katie asked as she smirked at the blonde covering her bare chest with her arms.

"Yeah, I remember her. So what's she doing here?"

"She agreed to pose for me. After posing half dressed, we kind of started messing around, and you can figure out the rest."

Jamie rolled her eyes at the sight of Katie not even bothering to put her shirt back on or zipping and buttoning the pants back up.

"Wait a second, isn't she straight?" Jamie questioned as she continued to stare at the girl who seemed to be like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Not anymore," Katie chuckled as she leaned over and kissed the girl on the lips before looking back at her roommate. When Katie felt a knee hit her lower back, she continued, "I'm kidding, Jamie. She told me she always wondered what it was like to be with a girl. Now she knows."

"So how was she?" Jamie inquired as she felt to need to join in on the teasing.

"She was good," Katie replied as she received a glare from the blonde who then nodded toward Jamie, "Jamie, could you turn around, so Beth can start getting dressed?"

"What about you?" Jamie scoffed as she turned her back to Katie and Beth.

"I've already seen her bare chest. Hey, easy, I wasn't lying," Katie giggled as Beth began to sit up on the bed.

"Did she knee you in the back again?" Jamie quizzed while becoming aware of who she was more jealous of at that moment.

"Yeah, and you can turn around now."

Jamie whipped around to discover the blonde now had on a shirt and was putting on her pants. She was able to get a good view of the blonde's butt and had to admit the girl looked good. She knew that she had been caught ogling the girl's butt by the wink she had gotten from Katie. As the girl passed by Jamie on the way out, the blonde couldn't hide the blush.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Beth pleaded as she glimpsed back at Katie.

"You said this was only an experiment and wanted to keep it a secret, so that's what it will be."

"She won't say anything either?" Beth implied as she motioned to Jamie because she couldn't remember the brunette's name at the moment.

"Her name's Jamie, and both of our lips are sealed."

As Beth closed the door behind her, Katie noticed a strange expression on her roommate's face.

"What's the matter, Jamie?"

"Nothing," the brunette muttered.

"Are you jealous?" Katie challenged. When she was met with silence, Katie gasped, "You are jealous."

"Maybe."

"Who are you more jealous of, Beth or me?" Katie grilled before being met with silence again, "Well?"

"If you must know, it's her and any other half dressed girl I've seen over here since it started happening."

"Why are you jealous of them? You said back in New York that we were just friends."

"That was then. Now…"

"Now what? You want more from me?"

"Yeah, we've been getting really close and had a lot of fun together, but I was kind of hoping we could change the status of the friendship."

"To what? If you want me to be your girlfriend, you'd have to take me out on some dates first."

"Not that, I was thinking more along the lines of 'friends with benefits'. There would be no strings attached, so neither of us would get hurt. If it didn't work out, we could stop and go back to our original friendship."

"Ok, so when do you want to start this new status?"

"Is now too soon?"

"No," Katie assured as she stood up and pulled Jamie into a heated kiss.

Then she broke the kiss and pulled back the covers of her bed. She smiled as the brunette quickly removed everything and helped her out of the rest of her clothes. Then they crawled under the covers. After it was over, Jamie told her that it had been everything she hoped for with her roommate. Katie couldn't help but contemplate in the months that followed if she had made a mistake. Did she really want to lose another friend?

June 19th, 2004; Oxford University, Jamie and Katie's dorm room

A few weeks ago, Katie had told Jamie of her plans to transfer out of Oxford to a school in Italy. Even though she was getting better at not thinking of Jessie as much, the pain of this being the country where their relationship ended made her want to get out as soon as their finals were over. The finals were now over as of yesterday. Katie agreed to fly back with Jamie and spend the summer break with her. They had a little over three hours to get to their flight out of London. So they decided to rent a car for their trip to the airport.

"Are you sure I can't talk you out of this? You told me how you've always dreamed of living in a loft in London."

"That dream died on New Year's Day. If I want to get over Jessie, I can't stay at some place that is going to remind me of her."

"Good point. Will you still come back to New York with me around the holidays?"

"Yes, we're still friends, aren't we?"

"Last time I checked."

"Uh, have you heard from her lately?"

"Yes, why?"

"I was just curious. How's she doing?"

"Last time we e-mailed each other, she wasn't doing too well."

"What happened?" Katie voiced with an honest look of concern.

"The girlfriend of one of her friends died suddenly. The girl was murdered, and they never caught the guy."

"Damn, uh, what was the girl's name?" _Do you really want to know?_

"Chloe Smith. They had met at that school you told me about. Her semi-serious girlfriend, Willow Rosenberg, was almost devastated. And…"

"And?"

"And uh, I shouldn't be telling you this. So you have to keep it a secret."

"Ok."

"At the post funeral wake, Willow was grieving,"

"Of course she was," Katie interrupted again, "People do that when someone dies."

"Please don't interrupt me."

"Sorry, so what happened?"

"Like I said before, Willow was grieving and kissed Dawn."

"Whoa." _Is this my chance to get her back?_

Katie had tried to hide this thought but failed.

"Jessie, Buffy, and Faith caught them. The rest of the people there figured out what happened by Jessie's reaction. Jessie broke down in front of everyone. They had a fight outside. Things were on very unsteady ground, metaphorically speaking. I know what you're thinking. This is not your chance to get her back because they made up."

"I shouldn't have asked."

"You're right."

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have. I haven't heard from her since then."

"Would it be too much of a hassle to drive by the place where she was staying?"

"That's another bad idea."

"Please, I just want to see the place one last time. It will be like an ending to a chapter of my life."

"Ok."

After reaching London, Katie gave Jamie directions to what she knew as the slayer campus. Both were in shock at seeing a real estate sign in the front yard indicating that the place was now for rent.

"Are you sure this is the place? It looks like a ghost town."

"This is…I mean was the place."

Jamie watched Katie get out of the car, get a closer look at the place, write something down on a piece of paper and get back in the car.

"What did you just do?"

"I wrote down the address and phone number of the real estate company along with this address."

"Katie."

"Just one more stop, I promise."

Both girls slowly got out of the car after they pulled up in front of the business. As they entered, they were almost immediately greeted by an agent.

"Can I help you, ladies?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you could tell me what happened to the people who were renting a piece of property your business is now trying to rent out," Katie explained before giving him the address.

"I'm sorry. I'm not allowed to give out that information."

"Is there anything you can tell me?"

"Just due to private reasons, they moved out almost three weeks ago."

"That's it?"

"Yes, we have pretty strict rules on the privacy of our customers."

"Fine, thanks for the help. Come on, sweetie," Katie said with a smirk before kissing Jamie on the lips, wrapping an arm around her, and leaving the building with her.

"What was that for?" Jamie mumbled when Katie was still smirking after having gotten outside.

"Because it was fun. Did you see the look on his face? I swore I thought he was going to swallow his tongue. Didn't you like it?"

"Yeah, I did. I guess we go to the airport now?" _Whoa, what the heck was that? Could I be…? No, I will not fall in love with her. I said no strings attached and meant it._

"Uh huh."

After taking out their luggage and turning in the car, Katie felt the need to say goodbye to the place she was leaving forever

"Goodbye forever, London, England. I wish I didn't have to leave you like this," Katie declared before strolling into the airport while not caring about the looks she got from everyone who had seen her.

Around three months later; New York City, Manhattan region, New York

For the next three months after moving out of the slayer campus in London, Buffy, Faith, Dawn, and Jessie spent as much free time as they could travelling around the world. They had spent time in more European countries, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean Islands. They took in as many tourist attractions as they could along with tanning themselves on some of the nicest beaches. Faith was disappointed at being overruled by the other three when she voted on a clothing optional beach but happy and slightly surprised that she had convinced them to spend at least one hour on a topless beach. The deciding factor was that she offered to take care of anybody who dared looking at them for too long or aiming a camera their way. She kept her word as she chased after a guy who aimed his camera in the direction of the four of them. In front of everyone around her, Faith grabbed the camera, pulled out the memory card, and broke it easily in her hand. Then she told the guy, who was in his late teens to early twenties, that he was just a pervert who couldn't ever get a girl and lucky she didn't break the camera as well. As she marched back to her towel, every girl around them clapped loudly. Faith accepted their applause with a laugh before sitting down. When her friends and fiancée tried to thank her, she brushed it off with a "No big deal, I was just keeping my promise to you." response.

The girls decided to spend the last few days of their vacation in New York because Jessie had missed Grace and never been to New York City. On the last night there, Grace took them to a karaoke bar that she had wanted to check out. Since she missed her friends, Willow gladly teleported in from Brazil. They were happy to see that the redhead seemed to be coping as well as anyone could in her situation. When everyone arrived at the karaoke bar, they knew that Grace was hoping that she could get Jessie up in front of everyone at the busy place. They all let out a sigh when Jessie vowed not to sing. She encouraged the others to sing, but each one said no too. They ordered a round of drinks and got settled in for a night of hearing awful performances. However, they would be present for an unwanted surprise. None of them noticed as two particular girls entered and headed to the other side of the bar.

Two hours later

After absolutely dreadful singing, the girls were about to head out, but it was at that time the surprise came.

On the other side of the bar

"Oh come on, Katie, I've heard you sing before. You are definitely better than a lot of these people."

"Just let me wallow, please," Katie slightly begged before sipping on a free beer she had managed to score by simply kissing Jamie.

"What's the big deal? It was just a horse drawn carriage."

"Billie…I mean Jessie loved horses. She wanted to live on a ranch," Katie explained as she took a bigger sip of the beer.

"Sorry, I didn't know. Just sing one song, and then we'll go."

"Do you have a song in mind?"

"Any song will do."

"Ok," Katie relented before shuffling over to scan through the available songs.

Jamie smiled until she heard the song Katie had decided to sing. She then regretted not letting her wallow until she finished the beer.

"Hi, everyone, my name's Katie. This song is for anyone who has lost someone they loved whether it was their own fault or not."

This silenced most of the crowd. Katie then began to sing "I'll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me" by Expose. Most of the women and a few guys could feel Katie's pain as she sang the sad song. When the first chorus came, she let tears fall down her cheeks. More came as she continued to sing. Jamie started crying herself at seeing Katie's tears. Katie's had caused a chain reaction among most of the women. About halfway through the song, Jamie searched around to see if anybody else was reacting the same way. She had almost turned back to Katie when she came eye to eye with Jessie, Dawn, five other girls, and a guy.

Then she realized that the guy was wearing an eye patch. From what she could tell, it appeared to be the same guy she and Katie had seen right after their New Year's Eve kiss. Unfortunately, she had stared too long because the entire group had now seen her. When she shifted to notify Katie, she found out that Katie had glanced in the same direction and was now on the verge of losing it even more. Katie gazed directly at Jessie's table until she was finished singing. After she finished, she carefully put down the microphone, walked back to the table as she got applause from around the bar, chugged the rest of her beer, grabbed her coat, and immediately left the bar.

Meanwhile

As most of the gang had started teasing Grace about being put through this torture, Willow had begun checking out the rest of the place. At hearing the redhead gasp, the entire table stared at her.

"What's up, Will? Find a girl you might want to make a move on? Is your gaydar picking up something?" Buffy giggled as the rest joined in with laughs.

"N-No."

"Then what's the deal, Red?" Faith interrupted, making the rest stop laughing.

"L-Look o-over th-there," Willow stuttered as she nodded to her left.

There was a round of gasps as they all recognized Katie making her selection before she turned to face Jamie.

"Oh crap," Grace muttered as all eyes now turned to Jessie.

"Who's the brunette Katie's looking at?" Buffy asked as all of her friends seemed to wonder the same thing.

"Jamie," Dawn and Jessie revealed.

"Jamie? As in the same Jamie that Katie tried to hook up with Dawn?" Buffy guessed.

"Yes," they confirmed in unison again.

"Should we make a break for it, J?" Faith offered in concern.

"No, I'm fine as long as Katie doesn't see us."

"Are you sure?" Dawn voiced as the apprehension around the table rose at a steady pace, "Because I would be willing to leave if you're ready to go. I'm pretty sure the rest feel the same way,"

Dawn then laid a hand on Jessie's knee. After that, the couple watched as the rest shook their heads in agreement. Grace took it a step further and grabbed her coat.

"Yes, I'm sure," Jessie answered as she smiled at Grace before turning back and beaming at Dawn while taking the hand on her knee and giving it a soft squeeze.

"Ok," Dawn relented as she rested her head on Jessie's shoulder, "Uh, just out of curiosity, did you forget that Jamie lived in New York?"

Jessie saw that had gotten the attention of everyone at their table again.

"No, I didn't forget. But what were the odds we'd accidentally run into each other in a city filled with over eight million people?"

"At least eight million to one," Willow divulged with a smirk before the lyrics to the song started to get to her.

Everyone else observed silently as Willow laid her head on the shoulder of the person to her right, which just happened to be Buffy, and shed a few tears. Buffy then focused on Faith. Buffy smiled when Faith gave her an understanding nod. Jessie would occasionally see her friends glancing back and forth between her, Dawn, and Katie. After Katie saw them, the glances became more frequent, and Dawn could feel the grip on her hand get a little tighter. Jessie made sure it wasn't enough to hurt her though. When Katie headed to the door, Jessie got up as if she was going to follow her.

"Jessie, just let her go. It won't help her, regardless of what you say to her," Grace begged as Buffy and Willow wiped away tears from hearing Katie sing that song.

"I can't," Jessie affirmed.

"Why?" Dawn exclaimed as she agreed with Grace and tried stopping her girlfriend.

"Did you check out the clothes on the two guys that followed her and Jamie? They were seriously outdated."

"Vampires?" Willow gasped.

"Uh huh, I'll be right back."

"We're going with you," Buffy told her as everyone got up.

"No, B, I got this one," Jessie declared as she quickly made her way out of the bar.

The gang followed her anyway but stayed about ten feet behind her. Faith smirked in anticipation of Jessie possibly getting a little creative in this slaying while the rest smiled in pride at Jessie's laid back attitude toward to the two vampires. Dawn almost chuckled when Jessie casually twirled her stake as she slowly got closer to the duo making their way to Katie and Jamie. As Jessie sensed the vampires turning around to check if anyone was following them, Jessie turned her back to them and indicated to the others to act they were ignoring them. When Jessie turned around, the vampires were making their way down the street. After making sure one more time that they weren't being followed, the vampires grabbed Katie and Jamie, covered their mouths so they couldn't be heard, and dragged them into the alley. Jessie picked up the pace until she was able to peek around the corner into the alley. The one that had Jamie in his grasp began laughing as the other had pushed Katie until she had fallen onto her butt.

"What, do you want from us? We'll give you all the money we have on us if you let us go," Jamie stated as she had no idea of who she was dealing with.

"We want to suck you dry and make your friend watch you as you die," the vampire standing between the girls announced as he flashed his fangs.

Jamie could feel herself about to faint when she heard a familiar voice.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," the voice said behind her.

"J-Jessie, Is that r-really y-you?"

"Why shouldn't we?" the vampire remarked arrogantly as Jessie casually displayed her stake.

"Because I'm going to kill both of you. It will be easy if you let them go. If you don't, then you'll beg for me to stake you while I'm kicking your asses."

The one holding Jamie let her go as Jessie grabbed his free arm from behind and twisted it. He fell down to his knees and saw a stake out of the corner of his eye. As Jamie fell to the ground, Jessie pulled him back a little and thrust the stake immediately into his heart; turning him into dust. The second began to panic and ran down the alley while Jessie just stood there.

"J, he's getting away," Dawn yelped, "Stake him."

"In about ten seconds. I want to try something," Jessie confessed.

Ten seconds later, Jessie threw her stake like a javelin thrower with anger management issues. Dawn hugged Jessie as they and their friends watched and laughed at the second vampire turning into dust. Katie smiled while Jamie gaped at what she had just seen.

"Show-off," Faith said with a smirk.

"Just exercising my mad skills, yo."

"It's good to see you're still modest after what's happened to you," Grace commented sarcastically before laughing again.

"Dawn, could you go get my stake for me?"

"Why? What's in it for me?" Dawn griped before seeing the blonde give her a wink, "I'll be right back."

Dawn giggled before running swiftly to the stake, picking it up, and walking back almost as quickly.

"Whipped I tell ya," Faith chuckled as the rest of their friends rolled their eyes at what they thought the wink meant.

Katie tried to ignore the conversation going on around her and helped a stunned Jamie to her feet.

"It couldn't be…could it? W-Was th-that a v-vampire?"

"Good to see that the Oxford education is paying off," Jessie teased as Jamie turned to her and frowned, "I'm kidding, Jamie. Yes, it was a vampire."

"But how is that possible? I didn't think they actually existed. Just something you saw in movies, like Dracula."

"Don't even start," Buffy demanded as Dawn, Willow, and Xander smirked at her.

"What? He's real too?" Jamie gasped.

"Katie," Jessie murmured as she inspected her ex-girlfriend.

"Don't say it. There's nothing you can say that would make anything better."

"I was just going to say that you two should probably go back to her place, where it's safer."

"That's it?" Katie hissed as she became slightly angry as she had thought Jessie was going to say something else.

"Yes," Jessie admitted as she started to turn around, "Besides, you just said not to say anything because it wouldn't make anything better."

Jessie then spun around and began to trek out of the alley.

"Jessie, wait," Jamie begged as she put her hand on Jessie's shoulder and made the blonde turn around again.

"Yeah?"

"Th-Thank y-you."

"Don't mention it. Just make sure you two get home safely."

"We will," Jamie promised as she hugged Jessie as tightly as she could before letting her go.

Grace and their friends remained silent at seeing Dawn get a little uncomfortable at watching the hug. Katie seemed to enjoy seeing Dawn's reaction. Faith pulled Buffy back when she took a step toward Katie.

"Don't, B. It won't be worth it," Faith whispered, but her sister slayers heard it.

Jessie gazed back and forth between Dawn and Katie while Jamie broke the hug. She didn't like the smile she saw on Katie's face. She frowned before approaching Dawn to hug her. As Jessie wrapped her arms around her, Dawn got an idea. She surprised all of them when she broke the hug and gave Jessie a slightly heated kiss that lasted for almost a minute. After breaking the kiss, Jessie grabbed one of Dawn's hands gently and began the trip out of the alley for the second time. The rest followed almost right behind her.

"Thanks," Dawn whispered into her ear.

"For what?" Jessie whispered back.

"For not stopping me instantly when I kissed you like that in front of our friends and family and taking my hand after that. I wouldn't have done it if Katie hadn't given me that smile while Jamie hugged you."

"I can understand Katie enjoying it, but she didn't need to or shouldn't have done that. At least while any of us could see it."

Dawn grinned and gave her a soft, brief kiss on the cheek as they reached the end of the alley. Faith gave Katie a "take that" look as the rest of them left.


	55. Chapter 55

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 55

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie plays a joke on her friends and Dawn before they head to Harvard University. Buffy and Faith make the final decisions on their wedding. Jamie and Katie find out about the younger couple going to Harvard when they prepare to spend another holiday season in New York.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

Around thirty minutes later, the apartment Grace shares with Xander and Vi.

"So did everyone have a good time considering what happened before we left?" Grace asked the group that had remained relatively quiet on the way home.

"Yes, there's nothing like hearing the alcohol induced singing similar to nails on a chalkboard to make you appreciate the sound of a great voice even more," Dawn babbled as she smiled at her girlfriend.

"Excuse us," Jessie requested with a smirk as she and Dawn headed to Grace's bedroom hand in hand.

"That's MY bedroom, Jessie."

"I know. I don't think Xander or Vi would like us doing it on their beds. Well, Xander might," Jessie chuckled.

Faith laughed along with her while the rest watched Xander stare at Jessie with his mouth hanging open in shock. Grace rushed to her bedroom door and stepped in front of Jessie. Everyone else watched as Jessie whispered softly enough into Grace's ear, so that Grace was the only one who heard her. They stood there confused as Grace kept a straight face, stepped aside, let the couple enter the bedroom, and closed the door for them.

"Are our eyes playing tricks on us, or did you just give J permission to cure her urge or scratch her itch in your bed?" Faith chuckled.

"Faith, how could you ask her something like that?" Willow inquired as she gasped at the audacity of the brunette.

Then she secretly said a spell that placed a soundproof barrier around the bedroom that could only be broken by either her command or the opening of the door by the couple.

"Oh come on, you were all thinking it. Don't deny it."

"Maybe we were, maybe we weren't. However, you're the only one with the nerve to ask that," Vi stated as she glared at Xander, who stared at the closed door until he realized that his girlfriend was watching him with contempt in her eyes.

"More like guts," Faith said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door

Dawn felt both nervous and happy as she was led toward the bed. She giggled as Jessie playfully pushed her onto her back. Jessie leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. When Jessie suddenly pulled away, Dawn raised an eyebrow in confusion. That was until Jessie got a gleam in her eyes. Dawn gasped as she had never seen that look before in Jessie's eyes. She felt her breath shorten as Jessie slowly unbuttoned and unzipped Dawn's pants, untucked her shirt, and pushed it up a little. Dawn bit her lower lip gently as she glanced down to see the waistline of her underwear exposed.

As she peeked back up at Jessie, the blonde had gotten a look on her face that seemed to say that Jessie was about to devour her like a vampire. Dawn felt her heart beat faster and louder as Jessie leaned in again and placed a hand on Dawn's stomach while the other held Dawn's arms down by her wrists. Her breath shortened again while Jessie's mouth was making its way to her neck and her fingertips started pushing up the shirt even more. When Jessie's mouth was just under an inch away and her stomach completely exposed, Dawn closed her eyes and waited for whatever was going to happen. She was brought out of it and opened her eyes at what actually happened next.

"Psyche," Jessie whispered into her right ear before pulling away and laughing.

"Huh? Wh-What? You mean this was just an act, and you were only teasing me? I thought we were going to…"

"Uh huh," Jessie giggled until seeing Dawn frown in actual disappointment, "Oh come on, did you honestly think I was going to do something like that on my stepsister's bed?"

"Well, after that laid back attitude in the alley, I actually expected it to happen now," Dawn explained as she sat up, tucked her shirt back in, and buttoned and zipped up her pants, "So you didn't get worked up enough to get the urge at all?"

"No, and I'm sorry if I upset you," Jessie declared as she pulled Dawn up by the belt loops on her pants and hugged her, "I was going to see if I could get the others to believe I would do something like that. It made it more believable if you didn't know either."

"Is that what you mumbled to Grace, this plan that you had?"

"Yeah, she'd flip if her bed got more action than she did," Jessie giggled again as Dawn joined her, "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No, I guess not. But you owe me big time for this little stunt. And when the time is right, I will collect."

"Whatever you say, D," Jessie smirked as she took Dawn's hand, opened the door with the other hand, and led her girlfriend out into the family room.

A few seconds later, the family room

"Damn, that was quick," Faith commented as she heard groans from everyone but the returning couple, "You usually take longer than that."

"Yeah, I do when we actually take it that far. I have to make sure she's completely happy before I'm finished," Jessie chuckled, "I was just seeing if I could get you to believe that I would actually do that to my girlfriend on my stepsister's bed."

"So what did happen?" Faith questioned as she shrugged off the glare Buffy was giving her.

"Why don't you tell them, D?" Jessie suggested.

Dawn then told them everything that had gone on between them in the bedroom minutes ago

"We didn't hear anything. Even with our slayer hearing," Buffy informed the couple.

"Uh, I kind of did a spell that put a soundproof shield around the bedroom that would only be broken by my command or one of them opening the door," Willow confessed.

"So then everybody besides Grace believed the act? She's the only one I told. It's why she stepped aside with a straight face."

"Pretty wicked fake out there, J, you had me fooled. And I thought I was great at mind games."

"Thanks, Faith," Jessie laughed before they all heard Dawn sigh.

"That's our cue to leave," Buffy decided.

"I guess we'll see you later, Grace," Jessie stated as she hugged her, "But you are coming up to see us next weekend, right?"

"Of course I am."

"Good, Dawn and I should have our dorm room in order by then."

"You're going to come over to see us too, right?" Dawn directed to Willow.

"Sure. Should I remember to knock or call before teleporting?" Willow teased, irritating her best friend a little.

"That sounds like a good idea, Red," Jessie told her before hugging the witch.

Hugs were exchanged between the entire group. Willow smiled at them before casting the spell and teleporting herself back to Brazil. Grace, Xander, and Vi smiled as Buffy, Faith, Dawn, and Jessie then teleported back to London. The girls decided to celebrate Dawn and Jessie's last night in London by another trip to the hangout that seemed to die down a little in business after the departure of almost all of the slayers.

Friday; September 3rd, 2004; 9:15 AM, Harvard University, Dawn and Jessie's dorm room

Dawn awoke and smiled at the blonde lying beside her before taking another look around the room. She and Jessie were happy that Giles had some connections at Harvard and managed to get them one of the nicest rooms in the freshman dorms. It reminded her of the one Buffy shared with Willow before Joyce got sick and Buffy moved back home. When she looked at Jessie again, she saw a slightly sad look forming on the blonde's face as she slept. She knew that it meant that Jessie was thinking of her family again. Earlier in the week, Faith and Jessie had organized the dorm room as Buffy and Dawn watched them with a smile. They all noticed Jessie stare at the pictures of her family as she unpacked a few boxes. After they were finished, Dawn and Jessie gave Buffy and Faith a tour of the campus. This led to a private conversation between the sisters.

"So do you think you'll be happy here, Dawnie?"

"I think so. As long as Jessie is here, I should be alright."

"Do you think she'll be ok too? We saw that even though we stopped by Evanston for a few hours during our trip around the world that a small part of her still misses them from time to time. Then there was that moment back in the room."

"She'll be fine. I have a surprise for her."

"What kind of surprise? R rated or PG-13?"

"Actually, G. Her family lied when they said they couldn't come any time this week to see us. They're going to be knocking on the door promptly at 10:00 AM Friday."

"Nice," Buffy claimed as she patted Dawn on the shoulder and smiled.

The next few days were spent registering, getting their class schedules organized, and learning the quickest paths between the dorm and their classes.

"Dawn, are you awake?" Jessie muttered as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up in bed. When she saw that she was alone, she spoke to herself, "I guess that's a yes."

She got out of bed, put on her robe, and walked over to the window to see what she might expect to be the daily routine of the students on campus. She was so caught up on what she considered beautiful scenery that she almost didn't sense footsteps getting closer from behind. At the fruity smell of Dawn's shampoo and body wash and arms wrapping around her, Jessie sighed happily and leaned back into the embrace.

"Good morning, D."

"Good morning to you too, J. Did you sleep well?"

"Of course. I had you right beside me," Jessie lied cheerfully to hide the disappointment from the news that her family couldn't make it this week.

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying."

"I think I know you well enough to be able to sometimes recognize a lie."

"Ok, if I tell you the truth, will you not tease me and treat me like a little kid?"

"I promise."

"Ok, I know we spent a little time in Evanston during the past three months, but I still miss them occasionally. I'm a little disappointed that they couldn't make it over here to see our new school. I mean it's not like they needed to drive or fly."

"I understand. I kind of wanted them to see the room we were able to get our hands on thanks to Giles. We're going to have a great year here. You know the whole college experience: living in a dorm, lousy cafeteria food, getting drunk at parties, next morning hangovers. Well, maybe for me. You slayers know how to hold your liquor. Most of the time anyway. There's also the all-night studying for exams."

"Last time I checked, Harvard wasn't on the list of the biggest party schools in the country, but yes to the all night studying. We kind of experienced the other stuff in London. So what's on today's agenda?"

"I was thinking of you getting cleaned up, so we can grab a late breakfast."

"Can't you whip one up with magic? We could make it breakfast in bed."

"That's a great offer, but it's a nice day outside."

"Alright, and Dawn…"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks…for everything."

"You're welcome," Dawn asserted as she turned around and prepared to remove her robe when she saw Jessie watching her, "Go on, the showers won't come to you."

"I just wanted to get another look at the beautiful girl standing in front of me," Jessie explained as she took a few steps forward, leaned in, and kissed Dawn softly on the lips.

Jessie then casually grabbed everything she needed and headed to the co-ed bathrooms. After locking the door behind her, Dawn picked out her outfit for the day, shed her robe, and got dressed. She smiled when Jessie returned and turned around, so Jessie could change with some privacy.

"Are you ready to go? It's almost 10:00 AM," Jessie challenged as Dawn seemed to suddenly be having second thoughts by how she was acting.

"Come here," Dawn ordered softly.

As soon as Jessie walked up to her, Dawn began kissing Jessie a little passionately and slowly pushed her until the blonde landed backward on the bed they shared. The second bed was mainly for appearances. For example: if Jessie's family wanted to make a surprise visit.

"I thought you wanted to go out for breakfast?"

"I do, but there's nothing wrong with working up an appetite," Dawn smirked.

"Good point," Jessie agreed as she pulled Dawn down on top of her, kissed her again, and ran her fingers through Dawn's hair.

Five minutes later

As Jessie was getting a little worked up and moving her hands down Dawn's back, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who could that be? The gang said they wouldn't be here until tomorrow."

"Well, go answer the door and find out."

"I swear if it's some punk who interrupted our pre-breakfast make out, he's going to pay dearly."

Dawn giggled while making the bed as Jessie checked herself out in the mirror and then the rest of the room before answering the door.

"Hi, Jessie," Karen, Rick, and Lily, who was holding Matthew, said together while Zoe and Eli stood there with smiles on their faces.

"B-But I thought you couldn't make it this week?" Jessie mentioned as she happily hugged Karen.

"We wanted to surprise you, so we lied to you earlier this week."

"Well, it worked," Jessie exclaimed before turning to her girlfriend and roommate, "You teleported them, didn't you?"

"Uh huh," Dawn revealed with a nod as she got off the bed and walked up to her girlfriend.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

After both of them received a round of hugs from Jessie's family and comments on how the room was unusually clean for a college dorm room, they all went out to grab some breakfast. When they were finished, Dawn and Jessie spent the next hour and a half giving them a tour of the campus. Then they headed into Boston to see all of the tourist attractions. Before leaving, Jessie's family picked up some souvenirs from around Boston. Her parents also took a picture of Dawn and Jessie in their dorm room and a few of them by the nearest Harvard University sign they could find. They also picked up a couple of "My daughter goes to Harvard." bumper stickers. Zoe and Matthew each got a sweatshirt with the Harvard logo on it. They all laughed at how it would be years before he could fully grow into it. They also laughed at how Eli's slight flirting with the girl running the cash register where they picked up the Harvard souvenirs had gotten them a discount. The icing on the cake, as Jessie put it, was when the girl unsubtly gave Eli her phone number.

"Be good, and make us proud," Karen insisted with a teary smile.

"I will," Jessie promised instantly as she gave her mom another hug.

"Actually, I meant both of you," Karen informed she smiled again at Jessie before sharing one with Dawn.

Dawn was so touched that she hugged Karen as soon as Jessie let her go. They got another hug from the rest of the family. Then Dawn did the teleportation spell, and the girls were alone again. Dawn held Jessie as the blonde cried on her shoulder. The next day, Dawn and Jessie gave Grace, Willow, Xander, and Vi the same tour of the campus before heading into Boston again. That night, the gang caught a Red Sox game. As they made their way out of the ball park, Jessie saw a few faces she recognized. She followed a group of girls while Dawn, Grace, and their friends chased after her. When the only ones around were them and the group of girls, Jessie called out to one of them. After the girls turned around to face the Scoobies, Grace, and Vi, they saw it was Jennifer and some other slayers that had been trained in London.

There were a few there that had joined the ranks later and been trained by the watchers in that city. So meeting the idolized duo of Willow Rosenberg and Jessie Sammler was definitely a treat in their minds. Grace and Vi laughed at Xander's frustration of not having the fame and recognition that his friends had. The best example being the way the girls' eyes bugged out at merely hearing their names. Willow and Dawn boosted his ego by mentioning how Xander was the one who stopped Willow from destroying the world and made Dawn feel better by telling her how she was extraordinary. There was some brief talk about how things were going in Boston for the slayers. When Jennifer assured them that they had everything under control thanks to how well they were trained by their idol, Jessie blushed. After Jessie vowed to join them for an occasional patrol in the following months, they said their goodbyes and headed back to the campus while the other girls finished up their patrol.

A month later, London, England, Buffy and Faith's apartment

Buffy and Faith were watching TV in their apartment when Faith noticed that Buffy was occasionally staring at her.

"What's up, B?"

"I was just wondering something."

"Yeah?"

"Do you realize we've been engaged for almost a year now?"

"Uh huh."

"Why haven't we talked about any final decisions on when and where we're going to get married? You still want to marry me, right?"

"Yes."

"Then what's the hold up?"

"Well, I wanted to make sure that we weren't rushing into anything, and there are things to consider before we actually get married."

"Oh, now you don't want to rush," Buffy giggled, "You proposed to me after our FIRST date."

"Well, you accepted," Faith pointed out before smirking.

"Ok, you're right. So what do we have to consider?"

"That gay marriage isn't allowed in that many places. So either we get married in one of those places or move to a country that allows same sex relationships or civil unions. Then wait until gay marriage is allowed. We also have to deal with what the weather is like in that country. It didn't get too cold in Sunnydale and only snowed once. But Boston was definitely different, and it wouldn't be a good idea to move back there for obvious reasons. I think someplace else in Europe sounds like the best idea. We could live in one of those countries for however long it takes to become citizens, get married, and then move to another country that recognizes them from other countries but doesn't allow them to take place in that country yet."

"Do you realize that's the most you've said to me at one time since we've met or at least since we got engaged?"

"Really?"

"I think so."

"If you say so."

"I think I could handle living in a slightly colder country if necessary. As long as I have you to keep me warm. If it gets too hot, you could always do the "sleep without a stitch on" thing. No wrestling other demons like that, ok?"

"You'd let me do that?"

"I wouldn't be against it," Buffy admitted as she felt a blush coming on.

"Wicked, B, but I can't make any promises on the wrestling though. Ok. I'm not normally up for research, but I'll make an exception this time."

A few hours later, Buffy and Faith had made their choice and called to let the Scoobies know.

December 22nd, 2004; around 5:00 PM, Jamie's home in New York

Jamie had convinced Katie to spend the holidays with her again. Katie was hesitant at first but realized Jessie most likely would go home for the holidays. Jamie and Jessie had only spoken twice since Jessie saved her and Katie in the alley. When she tried to find out where Jessie had decided to go to college, Jessie wouldn't answer her. After a few tries, she gave up and let Jessie keep it a secret from her. She and Katie would find out where before the holiday arrived.

"What's so funny, Justin?" Jamie chirped as she and Katie arrived at her home after doing some last minute shopping and saw him hanging up the phone.

"It's Mike. He claims to have fallen in love."

"Again?" Jamie smirked before they started laughing.

"Who's Mike?" Katie mumbled as she accidentally interrupted the girl who had become her best friend.

"He's our cousin. He lives in Boston."

"What's so funny about him saying that he has fallen in love? You should be happy for him."

"Because since he was sixteen, he claims at least twice a year to have fallen in love, and it never lasts more than two or three months. Most of the time, it's a mutual break up if they even get past the first few dates. He always finds something he doesn't like about them, no matter how trivial it is. This has been going on for four years now."

"It's a little different this time," Justin interrupted this time.

"How's it different?" Jamie responded.

"Because the girl is gay or at least bisexual and apparently has a girlfriend," Justin chuckled.

"How do you and he know that?"

"Because he saw her kissing another girl, and it wasn't a peck between friends either. He's kind of bummed about it. Anyway, he said that if he ever sees her again, he's going to find out for sure."

"Bummer," Jamie replied insincerely, "So tell us more."

"That from what he could see, she's blonde, cute, about an inch or two shorter than him, and the girl she kissed was a brunette with light brown hair."

"Anything else?" Jamie continued with a smile at the thought of her cousin not having a chance with the girl who caught his eye.

"Yeah, she also must like French fashion by the hat she was wearing."

"What kind of hat?"

"A beret."

"A b-beret? Wh-What color w-was it?" Katie stuttered_. Could it be Jessie she's talking about? Get real, Katie, what are the odds of that? She can't be the only blonde to ever wear a beret. You have no idea of where she is anymore either._

Katie looked at Jamie, who knew what Katie was thinking and shook her head no at the extremely unlikely idea that it could be Jessie.

"He said it was blue. He saw her when he and his friends were leaving a movie theater. She and the other girl were hanging out with a few girls. They were heading toward a nearby park when they must have heard some noise that made them run the rest of the way. He said they ran pretty damn fast. Mike decided to check it out too. By the time he finally got there, whatever was going on was over. He saw the girls talking to a few other people who appeared to have gotten scared. He saw some of the girls giving each other high fives. It sounds like that they're members of the same gang that showed up here last year. I guess it's spread to Boston. He saw from the light of a lamp post that the entire group had on cross necklaces. Then the blonde picked up her hat and brushed it off. It must have fallen off during whatever was going on over there. A few seconds later, he saw her kissing the brunette."

As Jamie had kept talking, Katie felt herself turning pale and getting a sickening feeling in her stomach. Jamie wanted to assure her that it was just a coincidence, but even she was starting think that it could be Jessie and Dawn.

"Whoa, that's a lot of info so far. Is that all?" _Could it possibly be them? No, I need…I mean we need to know more._

"No, there's more. I think we found out that the couple might be a few of the higher-ups in the gang. It could just be a coincidence though."

"How?"

"After the kiss, he thought he heard the initials D and J. The blonde politely told the girls who had said it to be quiet. If they are the same girls, then I guess she stopped them before they could say any other names. The blonde then spied over her girlfriend's shoulder and saw Mike and his friends. The brunette saw her do this and turned around. While the blonde yelled at him to get lost, he could see Harvard sweatshirts under their open coats. He wasn't affected by the yelling. It was the menacing glare that followed that made him bolt as his friends followed while laughing. About twenty minutes later, as they were coming out of a Starbucks, he swore he saw the same two girls. This time they were on a sleek looking motorcycle with a personalized license plate. He wasn't able to see what it said. He did see the blonde smirk while the brunette stuck her tongue out at him."

Both Jamie and Katie were convinced now that it was Dawn and Jessie. Justin stared at them as Katie sprinted up to Jamie's bedroom. Jamie trailed slowly as she carried her and Katie's bags. After hearing a door close, he headed into the kitchen.


	56. Chapter 56

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 56

Author: j_rock873

Rating: R

Summary: Jamie attempts to hide her feelings about Katie but fails. Buffy, Faith, Dawn, Jessie, and Willow talk again about the final decision the older couple had made about their upcoming marriage. This chapter also includes moments between Faith/Jessie, Buffy/Jessie, and Buffy/Willow.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: The country Buffy and Faith selected hadn't allowed gay marriage yet, but less than a year later they would. The Faith/Jessie moment is for Breyton2009 since she brought it up in one of her reviews, and I thought the Buffy/Willow fans would enjoy their moment. The Buffy/Jessie one was because Faith didn't want her to miss out on the fun of that experience.

* * *

A few minutes later, Jamie's bedroom

Jamie wasn't sure what to say or do as Katie continued to pace around the room.

"Are you going to be ok?" Jamie started as she sat down on her bed and looked up at her best friend and roommate.

"I don't know. It's been over a year since we broke up. Whoa, has it really been that long?"

"Yes, and I'm proud of you." _Don't you mean you love her? Shut up, you're not going to tell her that._

"Why?" Katie wondered as she stopped pacing and sat down beside her.

"Because you seem to have done a good job at not thinking about her as much except for this past August. Even though we've only talked through the computer a few times along with one phone call in over four months. You've seemed to be in a good mood. Plus, you've managed not to fall under my spell." _Too bad you can't say the same about her. Shut up before you give that away._

"Well, you can be irresistible when you want to be. And I've missed you. But thanks for saying that. It's been rough. There were times where I almost started thinking about her, but luckily, I met other girls that took my mind off of her."

"I've missed you too. So, uh, what about what Justin told us downstairs?"

"Well, I didn't know if I'd ever hear about her again. I mean I did like she said and haven't tried talking to her or any of her family since New Year's Day not counting when we saw her in August. I guess I'm getting close to being able to live without her. I'm happy that she got into Harvard. She's very smart and deserves the chance to show what she can do on a college level. I think she'll do well. If she ends up staying with Dawn for the long run, then I can deal. I mean I should be able to find someone too, right?"

"Yeah, so have you met any hotties over there in Italy?"

"I met a few now and then."

"Ok…good," Jamie said before letting out a sigh, "Did you…you know…have sex with them?"

"Occasionally."

"How were they? I mean were they as good as me…or Jessie?"

"None of them were as good as you and Jessie. But I think part of it was because Jessie was my first true love. You come a very close second to her though. One or two of them supposedly had their first times with a girl when they were with me. But they ended up being nothing but one night flings, which is what I think I needed at the time. Maybe it will be that way for awhile. I don't think I want more than that right now."

"So was that what I was to you?"

"No, we're still friends. Besides, it was more than one night. If you were, then I wouldn't have come back with you. I don't talk to those other girls anymore. You've been the only one to come close to what I used to feel with her. Sorry, I did it again."

"It's ok," Jamie responded before biting her lip.

"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

"You c-could kiss me." _Be careful_.

"Why are you getting nervous? It's not like we haven't done this before."

"Yeah, but how do I know you actually mean what you just said?"

"Well, we'll just have to find out," Katie replied before gently grabbing Jamie by each side of her face and slowly guided their lips together.

Jamie broke the kiss with a giggle after she heard Katie let out a soft moan.

"I guess that moan is a good sign."

"Yes, it is," Katie agreed as she began pulling up the sweater Jamie was wearing.

Jamie smiled and slowly lifted her arms so Katie could remove it and the shirt on under that. After both had been taken off, Jamie did the same thing to Katie. Katie then pushed Jamie onto her back and quickly removed the brunette's pants. When Katie began to unbutton and unzip her own pants, Jamie sat up, pulled Katie's hands away, slowly and seductively unbuttoned and unzipped them, and gave them a slight tug. Jamie pulled back the covers of her bed and lay down as Katie stepped out of the pants that had fallen to the floor. Katie decided to play the seductive one this time, climbed onto the bed, and crept like a predator until she was almost lying on top of Jamie. Before lowering herself onto the brunette, Katie removed her bra. Jamie moaned again at the familiar feeling of her skin against Katie's. When Katie smirked at her, Jamie lifted her back off the bed, making it a lot easier for Katie to remove her bra as well. Jamie watched as Katie pulled back long enough to grab the covers behind her and brought them up to Jamie's shoulders. Jamie let out a giggle as Katie moved down her body until she was completely under the covers and removed the rest of their clothes.

Around half an hour later

Katie and Jamie gazed at each other as they basked in the great feeling of holding each other closely

"Well, that alone was worth the trip to New York," Katie declared in a teasing tone until Jamie frowned at her, "I'm sorry. Honestly, that was as great as I remember."

"R-Really?"

"Yes."

"Katie…I." _Stop right there. Don't say it. She'll never feel the same way about you. Oh no, crying is not an option at this moment. Stop it now._

"Yeah?"

_Great, now you have to think of something to say instead of "I love you." Think of something, you're a very intelligent girl._

"I just wanted to say I missed this." _Not too bad of answer_.

"That's it?"

"Uh huh, did you think I was going to say something else?"

"Well, it seemed like you were going to say something like that you loved me."

"We promised no strings attached, didn't we? That means no falling in love with each other." _So much for promises_.

"Yes. I guess we should get dressed and go back downstairs."

"Why?"

"Well, it's almost normal dinner time, right?"

"We still have about an hour. Enough time to get in some brief sleep."

"I wore you out, huh?" _She's such a cute and sweet girl. Why she hasn't found someone is beyond me_.

"Maybe, aren't you at least a little tired?" _Why is she looking at me like that? Does she know?_

"I guess I could handle some winks. But what about if they come up here?"

"The door's locked, so there's no worry about them just walking in. They'll knock if they need to. Why are you staring at me like that?"'

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure how to describe it. I guess it's a 'Let's be more than best friends with benefits.' look."

"I was just wondering why someone as cute and sweet as you are isn't with someone right now."

"You're with me right now," Jamie commented with a chuckle.

"You know what I mean."

"Yes."

"Then why?"

"I guess I haven't found the right person yet. For most people, it takes time to find the right person." _Yes, you have found the right person. She's snuggled up right beside you. It's just that you're probably not the right one for her_.

"Yeah, you're right," Katie yawned.

"Then close your eyes and relax." _Even her yawn is adorable._

"Ok."

Less than five minutes later, Jamie wiped away a few stray tears as Katie's head rested on her chest. She could tell Katie was asleep by the same sound of soft breathing Katie made almost every night at Oxford. It became a calming effect that would help her fall asleep when everything else failed. When she couldn't resist any longer, she cautiously ran her fingers through Katie's hair. This resulted in Katie hugging her as she slept. She wiped away one more tear before falling asleep.

A few hours earlier; Madrid, Spain; Buffy and Faith's new home

Buffy, Faith, Dawn, Jessie, and Willow gathered together at the couple's new, two bedroom home that they had made a down payment on with the money Faith got from her maternal grandmother. Dawn, Jessie, and Willow hadn't seen it since the day Buffy and Faith had moved in. At the beginning of their vacation, Dawn had teleported her and Jessie to Rio de Janeiro. Dawn wanted to show her everything she had seen her first trip there. She explained it by telling her that pictures could only do so much. That she needed to experience it for real. Buffy and her friends had teased Dawn that she used that as an excuse to see Jessie in a bikini. Dawn shut them up by reminding them she didn't need a trip to see that or more. It didn't stop her from occasionally ogling the blonde as they tanned on a beach. She had also wanted to see how Willow was doing even though she had seen her recently. Some of the other slayers were happy to see Jessie again as well.

"So can you tell us again what made you and Faith choose Spain when you could get married in the Netherlands, Belgium, or a few states back in the USA?" Dawn questioned her sister.

"Even with the fake id we got for Faith, we agreed it would still be safer to live in another country. They allow same sex partnerships here; and from what we hear from the locals, there's talk of legalizing gay marriage here too. Somebody said it could happen here within a year. The weather here isn't too bad, and it's a demonic hotspot. Not as active as Sunnydale, but still a hotspot."

"Ok, but weren't you worried about running into you know who?" Willow cautiously quizzed her.

"No, because the last time we tried to contact him, he wasn't in Madrid."

"So then as soon as they allow gay marriage the wedding's on?" Willow guessed to get off the topic of Buffy and Dawn's dad.

"Yeah, and if we get sick of this place, we could always move. But I would like to try living here for awhile," Buffy answered as she happily grabbed Faith's hand.

"What about Italy? You sounded like that was a very likely possibility," Jessie inquired as Dawn and Willow nodded along.

"It's not like we're forced to live here forever," Faith stated, "Before we talk about anything more, I have a question for ya, B."

"What is it?" Buffy requested with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"I know we're not the traditional couple, but how would you feel if one of us changed our last name?"

"I don't know. No offense, but I don't think I like the sound of Buffy Lehane."

"I was thinking more along the lines of Faith Summers."

"R-Really?" Buffy gasped as the rest looked on in shock.

"Yeah. After all, it's not too bad of a last name."

"Alright, I think I like the sound of that. But only if you really want to."

"I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't cool with it. Anybody else got any questions?" Faith offered as she glanced around the room.

"Did you two make sure you have no regrets before you get married?" Dawn asserted.

"I thought about it once or twice, but we never really talked about it."

"Why is that, B?" Faith muttered as she stared at her fiancée.

"Because I couldn't think of the best way to bring it up or if I would like the answer."

"I understand. Maybe we should have talked about this when I popped the question, but I didn't think we'd bring it up. So, if we were to marry within a month or two, you would have no regrets?"

"Only that it took us this long to get to this point. How about you?"

"Well, I might have had one besides that."

"And that would be?"

"I would have wondered what it would have been like to be with somebody else, even if it was a one time thing," Faith revealed.

"Why didn't you do something about it?" the rest exclaimed.

"Because she was involved with someone else at the time."

"Who's she? Oh, you mean J, don't you?" Dawn assumed as all eyes shifted to her girlfriend.

"Actually, yes."

"What would you have liked to do?" Jessie challenged although she already had an idea.

"I would have liked to go all the way or do at least a little bit more than what I did with Dawn. You know…When I came back to London after you kicked Kennedy to the curb."

Jessie and Willow stared at the sisters when they both slightly gasped.

"What did the two of you do, D?" Jessie spoke as she turned to face her girlfriend.

Faith smiled a little as Dawn whispered into Jessie's ear. She hoped for some type of amusing reaction but only saw a straight face. The couple talked for a few minutes before they heard them talk again.

"And you'd be ok with that?" Jessie voiced as she arched an eyebrow at Dawn. When she only got a nod, she continued, "Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes, I told you I was," Dawn claimed as she barely looked at Jessie.

"Not too convincing though."

"What do I have to do to prove it to you?" Dawn groaned

"Say it again while looking at me and without stuttering," Jessie politely ordered.

"I'm ok with it as long as it's only once."

"Ok, I'm ok with it, too, if the three of you are," Jessie admitted.

"But you've grabbed her butt once already," Buffy reminded her while forgetting that Willow was there.

"Wait, when did this happen and why didn't someone tell me?" Willow complained with a smirk.

"When we sent the second set of pictures to Eli," Faith chuckled as she turned to Buffy, "It was only for a few seconds, B."

"And that wasn't enough?"

"A few more seconds wouldn't have hurt, and I never kissed her either. What can I say? I have a thing for hot blondes. I think she even thought about it before she and Dawn got together."

"No, I didn't," Jessie insisted as she tried to lie, "Ok, maybe once."

"Why didn't you tell me?" the redhead mumbled as she faked disappointment at not being told while Buffy smiled and Jessie blushed.

"We were afraid that you'd let it slip out around Xander."

"You could have trusted me, Buff."

"You're right, I'm sorry, Will."

"So how was it?" Willow chuckled.

"Willow," Buffy gasped.

"Definitely something to remember," Faith mentioned as Buffy gasped again, Jessie blushed, and Dawn sort of smiled.

"Faith," Buffy hissed.

"Hey, she asked."

"That didn't mean you had to answer," Buffy griped.

"Ok. So are you ok with it if D and J are?"

"As long as you don't go all the way with her, I guess so. I don't want either of us to have regrets. What?" Buffy questioned as Faith smirked at her.

"This is your only chance, Red, so go ahead," Faith encouraged as she observed the redhead.

"Her chance to what?" Buffy inquired as she was obviously still clueless.

Faith, Dawn, and Jessie laughed as Willow blushed before gazing at Buffy.

"Willow's been in love with you since she returned to Sunnydale before the arrival of The First. That's the secret we wouldn't tell you earlier," Dawn informed her sister.

"Why didn't you tell me, Will?"

"What was I supposed to say? Thanks for helping me heal, Buffy. I'm sorry I tried to destroy the world. Oh by the way, I love you as more than a friend. You would have rejected me like you did Xander and were dealing with what the new evil could be. I thought if somebody else could take my mind off of you, then it would go away. It didn't though. I even dreamed about you while I was still with Kennedy. The same night as Jessie's, apparently."

"You should have told me anyway."

"Would it have made a difference? Would you be with me right now instead of Faith?"

"Honestly, we might have had something. It wouldn't have lasted though. I'm sorry, but I was struggling with my feelings for Faith. Then there was the whole Spike thing. I had thought about what it would be like to kiss you after you got together with Tara the first time."

"Really?"

"Uh huh."

"Then stop talking and kiss her already, B. I'm cool with it."

The girls watched with small smiles as Buffy walked over to her best friend and kissed her on the lips. The kiss lasted for a minute. They could see that it meant something to Willow but not much to Buffy.

"Well, did you feel anything?" Willow questioned nervously.

"I'm sorry, Will, but it only felt like a simple kiss between friends."

"Ok, I guess I can handle that as long as you two are happy, and she doesn't turn evil again."

"Don't worry, Red, I'm not going down that path again," Faith assured before leaning in and whispering into the redhead's ear.

Willow listened, immediately nodded, and began softly chanting, but the rest recognized it as the same thing Willow had done in New York for Dawn and Jessie.

"Well, come on, J," Faith commanded as she pulled Jessie out of her seat and led her to the guest bedroom.

A minute later, the guest bedroom

Faith smirked as Jessie eyed her while nervously biting her lip.

"What are you nervous about, J? You admitted you thought about it."

"But I didn't tell them exactly how far it went in a dream. Nobody knew I even thought about it until now."

"How far did it go?"

"All the way. It was after I beat you in the fight. In the dream, the fight guided us to the bedroom."

"How was it?"

"It was great. Almost as good as it was with Katie and D."

"What made it better with them?"

"I guess it was because Katie was my first love, and D used magic."

"Huh, what difference did that make?" Faith grunted with a confused smirk.

"When she used magic, she levitated us around three feet in the air."

"Dang, yo."

"Yeah, it was weird but fun. Because it took a fair amount of energy to keep us up like that for awhile, it was only during special times, like anniversaries and birthdays."

"Alright. So you should be able to handle this."

"I probably can."

"Yeah, come here," Faith suggested as she grabbed Jessie's pants by the belt lops and pulled her close, "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I ever will be," Jessie chuckled.

Faith then grabbed Jessie by the wrists and wrapped the blonde's arms around her neck before kissing her. The kiss slowly intensified as Faith's hands moved to Jessie's butt, caressed it, and gave it a soft squeeze. Jessie moaned a little while her tongue entered the brunette's mouth. Faith then whispered for Jessie to do the same thing before kissing her again. After a minute, Faith stepped back, unbuttoned and unzipped Jessie's pants, and gave them a tug. Faith smirked as the tug had been harder than the one she gave Dawn by the way they hit the floor. Jessie smirked as Faith instructed her to do the same thing to her, but she kept them at Faith's knees. She chuckled as Faith pushed them down until they fell to the floor. Jessie let out a gulp as Faith guided Jessie's hands to her butt and advised the blonde to repeat what she had done earlier. Jessie smiled as Faith moaned a little and grabbed her butt again. Faith decided to get more daring and pulled a little on the blonde's underwear.

"Faith."

"Just for a few seconds, J?" Faith pleaded as she attempted to put her hands down the back of Jessie's underwear.

"Ok," Jessie relented as she let Faith put her hands in her underwear, briefly touch her butt, and give it a gentle squeeze.

Faith smirked at hearing a slight moan come from Jessie and was surprised as Jessie slyly slipped her hands in Faith's underwear. Jessie quickly gave her butt a squeeze and pulled her hands back out just as quickly.

"It was only fair," Jessie remarked with a smirk.

Faith moved her hands from Jessie's butt to under Jessie's shirt and caressed the skin just above her hips. She started to pull up Jessie's shirt and was surprised again that she wasn't being stopped. The surprise caused her to stop briefly.

"No regrets, right?" Jessie giggled.

"Yeah."

Faith began to smirk as Jessie raised her arms to make it easier for her shirt to be removed. After removing Jessie's shirt, she tried to unhook the bra and received a playful slap to an arm. Faith smiled before moving her hands away. Jessie smiled as Faith stepped out of the pants at her ankles and picked her up. Both Faith and Jessie had laughed momentarily when Jessie's pants had fallen from her ankles to the floor before Faith carried her to the bed and laid her down on her back. Faith then pulled off her own shirt and teased the blonde as she unhooked the front clasp of her own bra, which Jessie responded to by waving her head no. Faith gave her a slight pout before she rehooked her bra. She then shocked the blonde as she took Jessie's hands, placed them on her ample sized chest, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Jessie wasn't sure on how to react at the feeling of her hands on Faith's chest. Her less sensible half liked the feeling and was tempted to let her take off the bra as originally planned. The more sensible half pulled her hands away.

Faith leaned over to kiss Jessie on the lips while her hands moved to the other girl's smaller chest. She expected to be slapped by Jessie again and was shocked herself when she wasn't. Jessie moaned at Faith's touch. She smirked when Faith pinned her wrists to the bed, climbed on top of her, and began kissing her all over her neck and down to just above her bra. Jessie gasped softly as Faith released the grip on her wrists and moved down her body before tickling Jessie's belly button with the tip of her tongue, making the blonde giggle. Then Faith repeatedly kissed her stomach. Jessie felt goose bumps each time Faith left soft, wet kisses upon her skin. As Faith continued, Jessie felt her back arch off of the bed and Faith's hands on the back of her bra again.

Before she was pinned down for a second time, she playfully slapped Faith on her arm. When she was done, Faith rolled over onto her back and pulled Jessie on top of her. From there, all it took was a nod before Jessie repeated what Faith had done for the third time. After Jessie was finished, Faith instantly pushed her onto her back again and pinned her wrists down with one hand. While Faith kissed her, Jessie felt fingertips touch her skin just past the bra. Jessie looked back and forth between Faith and her bare stomach after Faith broke the kiss. She remained silent while Faith smirked. Then both watched as Faith's fingers slowly trailed down Jessie's stomach and touched the waistband of her underwear. Jessie gulped when the brunette ran her fingers along the waistband.

"F-Faith, r-remember what B-Buffy s-said," Jessie stuttered as she realized she wasn't resisting her, "We can't do this. You know that."

"We can, we'll just keep it a secret. Besides, you know they can't hear us out there," Faith explained as she ran her fingers along the top of the waistband this time, touching skin and underwear at the same time.

"Please stop, Faith. Even though you're enjoying doing that, we…"

"Don't you mean we're both enjoying it?" Faith argued with an arched eyebrow as she interrupted the beautiful blonde.

"Ok…We're both enjoying it, but we have to stop because we have women who love us waiting in another room."

Faith seemed to ponder that truth while the tip of her fingers began to lightly lift up the edge of the underwear. Both girls noticed that Jessie gulped again but wasn't even trying to physically stop the girl leaning over her. Faith even thought she saw a look of encouragement in the blonde's eyes. Jessie's eyes began to bug out at the sight of Faith's fingertips slipping into the underwear. Then Faith abruptly pulled her hands away, took a step back, and chuckled.

"How's that for a fake out?" Faith asked between chuckles.

"You…You…," Jessie grumbled and breathed a little loudly as she tried to think of what to say next.

"Tease…, jerk…, punk…, possibly bitch?" Faith replied between smirks.

"I was going to say jerk playfully before complimenting you on the excellent tease. Long live the queen of mind games."

"Bow, my beautiful but lowly subject," she joked as she offered her hand out to help the blonde up, who accepted it with a smirk.

"I don't bow to anyone," Jessie said as she rose to her feet. Faith pulled her close for another kiss and placed her hands on Jessie's hips. Jessie tried to seem unaffected but failed. When Faith tugged slightly at the sides of her underwear, Jessie softly yelped, "Faith."

"Just another fake out, yo," Faith teased before letting go.

"Can I ask you something?" Jessie questioned as stepped back, reached for her pants, and put them on.

"Didn't you just do that?" Faith chuckled as she put hers on as well.

"I'm serious."

"Ok, ask."

"Why did you want to do all of that with me when you didn't do it with Dawn?" Jessie inquired as she put her shirt back on.

"Because I've known her a little longer, it would have just felt weird, and I'm not sure how B would have reacted if we had done that before she and I hooked up. Anyway, when D and I were making out, I was picturing it was B and couldn't see her as a girl daring enough to grab another person's butt."

"You heard that she had pinched Willow at the party we went to with Katie though."

"Yeah, but that only lasted for a few seconds. I know from watching you that you don't mind doing that. Now it's my turn to ask questions," Faith stated as she put on her shirt.

"Ok."

"How much did you enjoy everything?"

"More than I should have."

"So if we didn't have something going with those Summers' women, would we have done more?"

"Yes," Jessie determined as both of them put on their shoes.

"Should we tell them that?"

"I don't know. It could possibly hurt them, but it might be just as bad if not worse if they found out we kept this from them."

"True. What?" Faith inquired as Jessie pulled a few tissues from a box on the nightstand and wiped them over both of their lips.

"Smeared lipstick," she divulged before opening the door and leaving the room.

A minute later, the family room of the apartment

"How was it?" Dawn quizzed as she scanned back and forth between Jessie, Faith, and Buffy.

"I see why you have trouble keeping your hands off of her. Are you sure you don't want to do something too, B? J's a great kisser among other things."

"Faith, do you always have to be so blunt?" Willow snapped lightly.

"Yes," Faith decided almost immediately before turning to Buffy, "Well?"

"I don't think so. I couldn't do that to Dawnie."

"You wouldn't be doing it to D, you would be doing it to J. Weren't you paying attention?"

"You know what I meant," Buffy scoffed as she rolled her eyes at the brunette.

"Yeah, I just wanted to see the reaction from all of you."

"You can do it, Buffy. I'm ok with it if Jessie is too. No regrets, remember?"

"Since when did I become the girl all of my close friends want to make out with?" Jessie laughed.

"Since we saw how you kicked some serious ass," Faith said as she gave her a look of pride.

"Are you really ok with it, D?" Jessie chirped as she was a little skeptical.

"Yes."

"Ok, let's go, B," Jessie declared as she pulled Buffy off the couch, led her to the same bedroom, and closed the door.

"Relax, it's only a kiss," Faith demanded at hearing Dawn sigh.

"I know."

A few minutes later, Buffy and Jessie returned.

"So how was it?" Dawn began as she studied both of them.

"It was nice, but I didn't feel anything special," Jessie described to her girlfriend.

"It didn't stop you from grabbing my butt," Buffy giggled until Dawn frowned, "I was kidding, Dawnie. She didn't grab my butt, and I didn't feel anything either. Now this stays between the five of us, and we never talk about it again. Deal?"

"Deal," the rest agreed instantly and unanimously.

"We thought we'd let you know that if we weren't together, it wouldn't have been the last time J and I got together," Faith confessed while winking at Jessie.

"Well, thanks for telling us, even though you didn't really need to," Buffy told her before sighing.


	57. Chapter 57

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 57

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: More about Jamie and Katie spending the holidays in New York again while Buffy, Dawn, Faith, and Willow join Grace and Jessie back in Illinois. A wedding takes place at the end of the chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I thought I'd surprise everyone again with a Grace/Willow moment. I used Jill Sobule's version of 'I Kissed A Girl' because Katy Perry's version hadn't been released yet.

* * *

December 25th, around 8:00 AM EST, the Fosters' kitchen

Justin was making some coffee when his sister staggered into the room while half asleep.

"Good morning."

"I know it's Christmas, and you have the right to be happy, but can you tone it down a notch? At least until I've had my coffee and gotten cleaned up?"

"Ok, where's Katie?"

"She's still asleep. What?" she asked as she grabbed a mug, filled it up, and sat down at the table.

"You haven't told her, have you?"

"Tell who what?" she mumbled before taking her first gulp of coffee.

"You haven't told Katie you love her."

"How did you know…I mean what gave you that idea?"

"I've known you your whole life. I can tell when my baby sister is in love. Just like I can tell you're more than friends."

"I'm not a baby anymore," she growled before taking another gulp.

"Fine, but I'm right."

"Maybe. When did you know?"

"I've known since Thanksgiving. I saw how you felt after she turned down the invitation."

"Of course I was upset. My best friend turned me down to spend the time in Italy."

"Maybe you should tell her."

"Maybe you should butt out."

"I'm sorry. I just care about you."

"No, I'm sorry. I love that you care, but I can't tell her."

"Why?"

"I just can't. She doesn't feel the same way, and I could lose her friendship."

"I don't think she'd quit being your friend, but a small part of me worries that the same thing might happen between the two of you that happened between you and…"

"Don't," she growled again.

"Sorry."

"That's what I'm afraid of. I can't go…I mean I won't go through that again."

"How do you know that she doesn't feel the same way?"

"I just know."

"Jamie."

"Please don't," she begged before breaking down into tears.

Justin walked over to his sister and held her while she cried. Since she was looking at the floor, she didn't see the door open, but Justin did. He saw a wide eyed Katie staring at them. When Jamie started to look up, he motioned for Katie to leave the doorway. She did without questions.

Less than a minute later

Katie entered the room again but a little louder this time. She even faked the need to yawn.

"Hi, Jamie, have you been up long? Hi, Justin."

"Hi, Katie, I got up about five minutes ago."

"Ok, who made coffee?"

"He did," Jamie muttered as Katie smiled at the smell of it.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem."

"Hey, where are you going?" Katie questioned as Jamie stood up, walked over to the sink, gulped down the rest of her coffee, and set the mug in the sink.

"I'm going upstairs to get cleaned up."

"Don't you want any breakfast? I can make a pretty tasty omelet," Katie informed her as she poured herself some coffee.

"Maybe after I'm finished."

"I'll be up after I'm done with this."

"Ok, cool," Jamie stated as she left the room.

After they made sure Jamie was upstairs, Justin and Katie had a talk.

"So how much did you hear before you opened the door?"

"Just her growling then you two apologizing to each other. What were you apologizing for, and how long has she been in love with me?"

"You mean you couldn't tell?"

"Obviously not."

"Ok, but you can't tell her I told you. I found out around Thanksgiving, but I'm not sure how long it was before that. As for what I was apologizing for, we were talking about an ex. Did she ever mention an ex to you?"

"You mean the one you caught when they were only in underwear?"

"That's the one. Well, her name is forbidden around here now. The girl broke up with Jamie after her parents disapproved of their relationship. Jamie was devastated. She didn't talk to anyone for two months."

"Damn."

"Yeah, is she right that you don't fell the same way about her?"

"Unfortunately, she is. But I would never quit being her friend. She's always been there for me. Why would I give that up?"

"Ok, when and if she tells you, be gentle. She can seem tough enough some times, but her heart can break just as easily."

"Alright."

Around ten minutes later, Jamie's bedroom

Katie came back into the room armed with this new information that she had to keep secret. She walked over to the slightly opened door that led to the bathroom. From there she saw the frosted glass doors of the shower. She could just make out a blurred side view of her best friend. As she turned around to head back to the bedroom, she bumped into the door, making a loud enough sound for Jamie to hear.

"K-Katie is that y-you?" _Oh my god, she was watching me while I was in the shower. I guess I should be happy that the glass is frosted_.

"Well, it isn't Justin or your parents."

"Ok, let me just say, EW. If you wanted me to hurry, you should have said so."

"Well, you could have closed the door all the way."

"I thought I'd be done before then. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"No rush. I'm not going anywhere right now."

Katie made her way to the bed and waited. Two minutes later, she heard the water be turned off. She smiled when Jamie entered the room in only a towel that went down to about an inch above the knee.

"Can we talk about something kind of important?"

"Sure," Katie told her as she encouraged her to come closer.

When she did, Katie played with the end of the towel.

"Stop it, this is important."

"Sorry, should I turn around, so you can change first?"

"That might be a good idea," Jamie claimed as she waited for Katie to turn around.

When she did, Jamie turned around and let the towel drop to the floor. Since a mirror was on the other side of the room, Jamie didn't see Katie glance back for a few quick seconds. Katie smiled at the view she knew she would never see again after what Jamie had to say. Another few minutes later, Jamie spoke again.

"You can turn around now," Jamie replied as she buttoned up the shirt she had picked out.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Katie inquired although she knew what was coming.

"It's about us."

"What about us?"

"Katie, I…," Jamie started before sensing something in the way Katie was looking at her, "You know, don't you?"

"Know what?"

"Don't give me that. He told you, didn't he? Or did you overhear us?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Please don't lie to me. So which is it?"

"I guess I overheard it as I was coming into the kitchen."

"Ok, so you know. I'm sorry I broke the promise we made, but I can't help it. I'm in love with you. We started hanging out more and more and became really close. Before I could stop myself, I started falling for you. You're the first person I think about in the morning and the last in the evening. I even kiss your picture when I wake up and before I fall asleep. I didn't mean to fall for you. Now I've probably crept you out and ruined everything. I know you don't feel the same way, so go ahead and tell me I'm right. If you want to leave after that, I won't stop you. I'll even see if you can exchange your return ticket for an earlier time if you want to go right back to Italy or see your friend Tad," Jamie babbled before tears began to fall again, and she looked down at her bed.

"Jamie, look at me," Katie ordered and smiled as the brunette did as told, "That's better. It feels good that I can get someone else to love me. But also bad because even though I would like to, I don't feel the same way. However, don't ever think you've ruined anything. I still need you as a friend. You will always be a friend. I guess my benefits have been taken away, huh?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Not even one last time?" Katie smiled as she reached for the button of Jamie's pants.

"We can't ever do it again. I'm sorry. We have to go back to the way it was before."

"Ok."

Jamie started to cry again, but it was different this time. She smiled for a second as Katie wiped away the tears.

"Don't worry, Katie. These are good tears, not bad ones."

"Huh?"

"I cried because I'm happy that this time the rejection wasn't as bed as before."

"Not as bad as before?" Katie quizzed even though she knew again what was coming.

"I guess I should explain."

"Only if you want to."

"Remember that girl I told you about last year?"

"Yeah,"

"Well, what I didn't tell you was that after her parents found out about and disapproved of our relationship, she dumped me kind of coldly. The bitch broke my heart. I didn't talk to anyone for two months," Jamie revealed before Katie started to cry this time. Jamie was now officially confused, "What's wrong?"

"Why do I do this?"

"Do what?" Jamie challenged.

"Why do I continue to break hearts? I deserve to be alone."

"You didn't break my heart," Jamie assured her as Katie gave her a disbelieving look, "You didn't. It's a little wounded but not broken."

"Good to know, but I broke Jessie's heart. When I did that, I probably broke her mother's too. She was really supportive of us after the shock wore off," Katie concluded as she wiped away another tear.

"Ok, is there anything I can do to make those tears go away?"

"Can I have at least one final kiss on the lips?"

"I guess one wouldn't hurt," Jamie confirmed with a smirk before softly kissing Katie.

When Katie tried to turn up the heat just a tiny bit more, Jamie pulled away.

"Sorry," Katie muttered.

"It's ok, I can't blame you for trying more," Jamie chuckled, "Now what about those omelets?"

"Mind if I shower first?"

"If you have to, go ahead. I'll be downstairs waiting for you."

"Alright. Uh, Jamie."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember that teddy bear you bought me last year?"

"The one that says "I Love NY" on it?"

"Yes."

"Why do you ask? You didn't lose it, did you? Not that I'd be mad if you did. Accidents happen, right?"

"Yes, accidents happen; but I didn't lose it."

"Then why did you bring it up?"

"I was thinking that if I told you about how I sleep with it on the lonely nights and hug it tighter when I miss you, it would make you feel good. Does it?"

"As a matter of a fact, it does," Jamie answered as she walked up to Katie, kissed her softly on the lips, and then left the room.

After Katie finished getting cleaned up, she arrived to see all four of them waiting on her. She smirked at them before going to work. When she watched them almost inhale their breakfast, she let out a laugh. Then she served herself. They all complimented her, and Michelle even asked for her recipe since they had apparently hadn't tasted omelets that good in awhile. They spent the rest of the day celebrating the holiday by exchanging presents, watching holiday movies drinking eggnog and/or apple cider, and enjoying a delicious Christmas dinner that Katie helped prepare.

Around 3:00 PM CST; Evanston, IL; the family room of the Manning/Sammler home

The girls arrived and greeted Jessie and Grace's family again. Jessie smiled at seeing the ring on her mom's finger.

"So he finally proposed? When were you going to tell me?"

"It was only a few weeks ago. I thought I'd wait, so that I could surprise you in person."

"Congratulations," the Scoobies announced as Jessie hugged Karen.

"Thank you, and you're all invited to the wedding," she declared.

"Wicked," Faith commented with a smirk, getting everyone to laugh, "Nice rock, Karen, even though it's not as big as Buffy's."

"Faith, that was rude. Apologize now," Buffy demanded.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Karen. Sorry, Henry. Sometimes, I don't think enough before I speak."

"We kind of expected an answer like that. We're not offended. It's five by five," Karen chuckled.

Faith smirked as a collective groan was heard throughout the room.

"Is there anyone here who hasn't used that phrase yet?" Jessie responded as she rolled her eyes at her mom. The rest smiled as Rick, Lily, Eli, Grace, Zoe, and Henry raised their hands. Jessie insisted, "Let's keep it that way."

"So how are things going with all of you?" Rick cut in as he directed his attention to their guests.

At the sight of Faith and Jessie smirking while Buffy and Willow blushed, Grace had a feeling she knew what happened and spoke.

"Excuse me. Jessie, can we talk for a minute?"

"Can't it …," Jessie began to ask as Grace grabbed her by an arm and began leading her to Jessie's old room, "I guess not. We'll be right back."

"Can the four of you come too?" Grace pleaded as she stared at the Scoobies.

"I g-guess so," Dawn stuttered as they followed with confused looks.

A few minutes later, Jessie's old room in the attic

"What is it now?" Jessie requested from Grace.

"I know something went on between the five of you by the expressions you gave us. So what happened? If you don't tell me, I'll just bug Jessie until she gives in," Grace explained to all of them.

"R-Really?" Dawn stuttered again.

"Trust me. She isn't kidding," Jessie giggled.

"Well," Dawn began but was interrupted by her sister.

"We said we weren't going to talk about it again."

"I know. I just don't want her to bother J."

Jessie and Faith couldn't stop themselves from laughing at hearing that.

"Fine, we were talking not too long ago about regrets. Faith and I wanted to make sure there were none before we got married," Buffy revealed before looking at her fiancée.

"And?" Grace interrupted as her mind began filling with several possibilities of what was going to be said next.

"So we solved that when Buffy kissed Willow and both Buffy and I each got some time alone with your stepsister," Faith added with a chuckle as Dawn was slightly aggravated by Faith's attitude at that moment.

"But I thought she and Dawn were together?"

"We are," Dawn reminded her, "It's just that we didn't want them to have regrets, so I agreed when they asked if Jessie and I were ok with it."

"Can you tell me more?" Grace pried.

After the rest of the Scoobies shared a look with her and Buffy covered her ears, Jessie pulled her sister a few feet away and told her every detail of her moments with Buffy and Faith. Grace smiled when Jessie talked about Buffy, but the shock of what Jessie did with Faith caused Grace to fall back onto the bed. When she sat up, she stared at Faith, basically scanning over Faith from head to toe. Faith laughed even louder as this happened.

"Look, brainiac's checking me out. Like what you see, yo?" Faith asserted as she did a three sixty and winked at Grace.

"I was not," Grace denied.

"It's ok, it's not the first time that's happened to me, and it won't be the last I'm sure," Faith stated before focusing on Buffy, who was glaring at her, "Come on, B. Can you blame her? I mean you've seen what I look like wearing a lot less."

"FAITH, enough oversharing," Buffy argued.

"Dang, B. No need to shout. You know it's true."

"Once again, oversharing."

"Fine. You ever kiss a girl, brainiac?"

"No."

"Ever think about it?"

"Well, I guess I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it at least once."

"Well, how about now? Maybe you could kiss Red since the rest of us are taken and Jessie's your stepsister."

"Excuse me, I decide who'll I kiss and when. Don't go telling our friend to kiss me," Willow warned as she glared at Faith.

"Retract the claws, Red, it was only a suggestion."

"Fine, but don't go assuming things. Just because she's thought about it doesn't meant she'd actually do it. No offense, Grace."

Grace, however, looked slightly offended.

"You mean you wouldn't kiss me even if I didn't mind trying it because you don't think I'm as attractive as my stepsister and your friends?"

The room became dead silent as all eyes turned to Grace.

"You mean you want to kiss her?" Dawn gasped as Jessie and Faith laughed while Buffy and Willow eyed her with arched eyebrows.

"Well, she is cute, for a girl that is. And I kind of want to know what it feels like. If you're up for it, I wouldn't object."

"Ok," Willow conceded as she walked up to Grace, "Are you ready?"

"Uh huh," Grace affirmed before Willow put her hands on Grace's shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss.

Faith and Buffy smirked at seeing Jessie and Dawn watching Willow and Grace as their mouths hung open. When Grace placed her hands on the redhead's shoulders and opened her mouth, Dawn and Jessie's eyes began to bug out. Faith whistled and clapped her hands when it clearly became a French kiss.

The clapping shook Grace back to reality, and she pulled away from Willow.

"Dang, that was hot, yo," Faith exclaimed before Buffy slapped her on the arm, "What? It was, B. Right, D and J?"

"Since it involved my stepsister, I refuse to answer that question."

"It was a little entertaining," Dawn admitted, "I'm sorry, J, but it was."

Jessie sighed before doing a one eighty and singing a few, slightly edited lyrics from Jill Sobule's version of "I Kissed A Girl".

"Grace kissed a girl for the first time, and she may do it again. Kissing the girl won't change the world, but Grace's so glad she kissed a girl for the first time."

This time everyone laughed, even Grace.

"It looked like you really liked the kiss, Grace," Jessie giggled.

"It was nice," Grace confessed with a smile.

"Nice enough that your tongue got jealous of your lips," Jessie giggled again, not caring about the responses she'd get from them.

"Dang, J, I'm impressed. That's something I'm capable of saying," Faith complimented as she gave Jessie a high five.

"Faith's right," Dawn agreed as Buffy and Willow nodded along.

"So would you kiss her again, if Willow wanted to?" Jessie prodded her stepsister.

"Sorry, but no. I just wanted to know what it felt like. If I was gay, I wouldn't be against it. I'm sure you'll find someone again."

"Thanks, but I'm not so sure," Willow babbled.

"Yes, you will, Willow," Dawn insisted before facing Grace and teased, "So Willow didn't bring you over to our side?"

"That was almost as good as your girlfriend's, D."

"Enough with the jokes. Our family is waiting for us, and no, she didn't."

"It's ok, Grace, it was just some kissing," Willow voiced before smirking, "If I wanted to though, I SO could."

Grace stood there stunned for a second before her stepsister and their friends all left the room with smiles on their faces.

Another few minutes later, the family room of the Manning/Sammler home

"Took you long enough," Zoe grumbled, "Come on, we have presents to open, and dinner's almost ready."

"Sorry, I guess we had more to talk about then Grace originally thought," Jessie apologized as she hoped the lie would work.

It was pretty obvious that they didn't believe her but chose not to say anything. The Scoobies observed as Jessie and Grace's family exchanged gifts before they all talked about what the Scoobies got each other, Buffy and Faith's move to Spain, and Dawn and Jessie's life at Harvard. Then they had a delicious dinner, and Dawn was able to not have to leave the table suddenly again. After dinner and more talking, the girls headed back home.

June 4th, 2005; Evanston, IL; a local church, Karen and Henry's wedding.

The Scoobies and Giles were flattered to be invited to the wedding. Dawn smiled as her girlfriend marched down the aisle as Karen's maid of honor. She could see that Jessie was extremely happy that her mom was getting married again and about being Karen's maid of honor. Faith and Buffy smirked when they noticed Eli gawking at them briefly as he led his mom down the aisle. The rest of the Scoobies groaned at this. Jessie saw this clearly from where she was standing and held back a laugh before sharing a smile with Henry. He smirked at Eli before focusing his attention on his beautiful bride to be. During the ceremony, Buffy, Dawn, and Willow couldn't stop themselves from shedding tears of joy. Faith wrapped her arm around Buffy as the blonde wiped away tears. Buffy quickly gazed at her to see how Faith was reacting to this. She was prepared to glare if Faith was looking at her in a teasing way. She was pleased at seeing Faith smiling happily at her before whispering how that that would be them soon. Jessie subtly tried to wink at her girlfriend, but Buffy, Faith, and Willow caught it and smiled at her. When they had turned to Dawn, she was blushing again.

The reception, around twenty minutes after the wedding

After all of the guests had arrived at the reception, the wedding party was properly introduced: First Henry's best man, then Jessie and Eli, and finally, the newly, married couple. Jessie's friends couldn't help laughing at how Jessie tried to keep smiling in front of a handful of cameras going off in her face. One of them just happened to belong to Dawn. The line for the food moved smoothly as everyone got a full plate. After dinner and dessert, the guests watched as Karen and Henry danced to their first song as a married couple. Jessie was able to sneak up behind Dawn as the couple started to dance.

"How are you doing, D?" Jessie asked as the lyrics to "My Girl" by the Temptations could be heard through the room.

Jessie and the Scoobies laughed as Dawn nearly jumped out of her seat in surprise. When Jessie peered over at Karen and Henry, she could tell by the smiles that they had seen Dawn jump at her voice.

"Dang, J, don't do that to me at a time like this."

"A time like what?"

"A time where I could easily be embarrassed."

"I'm sorry," Jessie remarked a little unconvincingly.

"Yeah, right," Dawn scoffed and frowned until Jessie took her hand.

The frown turned into a smile as Jessie sat down beside her and they watched Karen and Henry for the rest of the song. When the song ended and a slow song played, Jessie stood up and turned to Dawn.

"Would you dance with me, D?"

"Anytime," Dawn confided as she was gently pulled out of her chair and led to the dance floor.

Dawn got a little nervous as she and Jessie danced alongside Karen and Henry. Jessie smiled and whispered into her ear that Karen really liked her, and she had nothing to worry about. Karen sensed what Dawn was thinking when she stared from Jessie to her. She gave Dawn a nod and smiled as the girl relaxed in her daughter's arms. After the rest of the people had seen this, they gradually made their way onto the dance floor. Smiles were shared among the following couples: Judy and Sam, Buffy and Faith, Giles and Olivia, Xander and Vi, and to everyone's surprise, Eli and Willow. The two seemed to be having a happy conversation, which confused them until they noticed that Eli and Willow briefly spotted Jessie and Dawn before going back to talking to each other. After that dance was over, they watched as Eli gracefully thanked Willow for the dance. He received a kiss on the cheek from the redhead before heading to the bar for another glass of champagne. The rest walked back to their tables, except for Jessie who sat down beside Dawn. They decided to sit down for a few songs.

"So what's up with you dancing with Eli, Will?" Buffy asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, my brother's not taking you back to Boys Town is he?"

"Not a chance. He was just being polite since I didn't have a date…I mean I didn't want a date to the wedding. We talked about how happy you and Dawn are together. He even admitted to being a little jealous of you."

"Ok," Jessie relented as she noticed Faith continually tap her fingers on the nearest table, "Something wrong, Faith?"

"No, just got a craving for something," Faith smirked as their eyes were now on her, "Not that. It's just that the nicotine patch I have just gave out on me. And I don't have any more with me or any nicotine gum."

"I'm sure you could find someone that could give you some. A few of Mom's friends are trying to quit smoking too."

"No need," Buffy said a she grabbed a nicotine patch out of her purse and handed it over to Faith, "I could help you put it on if want me to," Buffy whispered seductively.

"Thanks, yo, but I can handle it," Faith remarked just as seductively, "I'll be back in a few."

"You got her to quit smoking?" Dawn chirped with a growing smile.

"Yes. She knew that I hated it, and if we wanted kids, she'd have to stop."

"But why did you offer to help her?" Dawn chimed in as the rest held back laughs, "What?"

"Because with the dress she was wearing, there's not too many places to hide a patch," Buffy described before giggling.

"What does that have to…Oh," Dawn muttered before blushing at what Buffy meant.

Shortly after Faith returned, the DJ announced it was time for the tossing of the bouquet and garter. Buffy and Faith smiled as the rest of the unmarried women headed out to the dance floor, including Jessie, Dawn, Willow, and Vi. Karen took a quick search over her shoulder before throwing it as high as she could behind her. The crowd watched in anticipation as the bouquet flew over the Scoobies, Vi, and landed in Judy's hands. Jessie chuckled at the slightly stunned look on Sam's face. She chuckled again as Henry threw the garter behind him, and it almost hit Sam right in the face. At the end of the reception, all of the guests wished Karen and Henry well before the happily married couple left for their honeymoon.


	58. Chapter 58

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 58

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Buffy and Faith get married and are visited by two, very special guests.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I saw that weddings in Spain must be performed in Spanish, but translators are allowed to be present. So that's going to happen at theirs.

* * *

July 5th, 2005, two days after Spain legalized gay marriage, Buffy and Faith's home in Madrid, Spain

It was a warm and clear day as Giles and Xander were doing last minute checks to make sure everything was going smoothly, specifically the fans set up around the backyard. Buffy and Faith were getting ready with help from their maids of honor. Faith and Jessie were in Buffy and Faith's bedroom while Buffy, Dawn, and Willow were in the guest bedroom. Both girls were anxious as it got closer to the time to walk down the aisle. Faith would walk down the aisle first. Then Giles would escort Buffy down the aisle as promised. Faith had decided to march down the aisle by herself. They had managed to get a court official to preside over the wedding on short notice. This was due to the fact that Faith had saved him during a patrol. He was so grateful that he immediately agreed after Faith asked him.

Buffy and Faith's bedroom

"Relax, Faithy. Everything is under control. All of the guests are here, the backyard is set up, and the food is staying warm in the kitchen. Giles and Xander are doing last minute checks to make sure of it. I've made sure that you look beautiful even though it wasn't hard to do. What could go wrong?"

"You should know better to say something like that on a day like this. What if a demon attacks during the wedding?"

"They won't because demons don't attack in broad daylight."

"You're right, J, I'm just a little nervous. I mean we talked and dreamed about it a few times, but now the day is here. What if B gets cold feet and bolts? We both have worried about that from time to time."

"D and Red are keeping her calm," Jessie assured as she smiled at the thought of her girlfriend, "She won't leave. I think maybe's she's more worried about you doing that."

"I hope you're right," Faith said as she almost began to bite her nails before Jessie stopped her.

"Don't bite your nails. I just finished making sure they're perfect. Trust me; nothing is going to go wrong."

Less than a minute later, there was a knock on the door.

"As you were saying, J," Faith muttered as fear began to make her shake a little.

"It's probably just Xander or Giles," Jessie guessed as she paced over to the door, "Is that you, Xander?"

"No,"

"Giles?"

"No," the same voice announced again followed by a few giggles.

Jessie stared back at Faith, who seemed to be trying to see if she could remember the voice that sounded vaguely familiar.

"Then who is it?"

"It's a surprise."

"Stay there, Faith, I'll see who it is," Jessie declared as she gradually opened the door.

At hearing Jessie gasp, Faith turned back around and gasped herself at the two women walking through the now open doorway. Jessie quickly closed the door behind them.

"J-Joyce, T-Tara, is that r-really y-you?"

"Yes, it is, Faithy," Tara informed her before smiling at seeing Faith's shocked expression.

"B-But h-how? You're dead. I saw your pictures when I got to London," Jessie interrupted as Faith tried to figure out what the two girls were thinking by the smiles on their faces.

"Some higher powers decided to reward you and Buffy on this special day for all of the work you put in on protecting the world," Tara explained as she and Joyce smiled at Faith before turning the attention to Jessie and smiled again.

At seeing slight fear on Jessie's face, Joyce decided to calm her down.

"I know what you two are thinking. Sure, it was kind of a shock to find out both of my daughters are gay, but I'm ok with it. We've seen what Faith has done to redeem herself with Buffy, Dawn, and their friends. We've also seen how Jessie has protected Dawn just as well as Buffy has done," Joyce described as she strolled over to Jessie and hugged her.

Faith and Tara smirked at seeing how tense Jessie was for the first few seconds Joyce held her before relaxing. Joyce then hugged a surprised Faith.

"Wh-What do you mean you've s-seen us?" Jessie asked as she was hugged by Tara.

"We watched from above as the fight with The First took place. I was even allowed to help when needed," Tara revealed with a smile as the hug ended.

"How did you do that?" Faith questioned this time.

"I made sure that when Buffy landed on top of the bus, she stayed there until it stopped."

"You mean she wouldn't have otherwise?" Faith added.

"I wasn't taking any chances with her hanging on with one hand while she held the scythe with the other. We also saw when Jessie saved Dawnie from that guy at the party and the vampires."

"Are Buffy, Dawn, and Red going to be allowed to see you?" Jessie wondered as she tried to think of the best response when they answered that question.

"Yes," Tara answered as she giggled at the nickname that Jessie and Faith used for Willow.

"Then why did you come to see us first? Not that I'm not happy to see both of you after what you two said," Faith inquired with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Because we wanted Jessie to be the one to warn them before they saw us," Joyce commented with a smile.

"So, uh, I guess we should go see them now?" Jessie stated as she bit her lip gently.

"Yes," both Joyce and Tara claimed enthusiastically.

"Then, let's go," Jessie suggested as she walked to the door and opened it.

"You both look beautiful by the way," Joyce complimented as Tara nodded along.

"If they ask, do I tell them what we did last night?" Jessie quizzed as she stood in the doorway.

"Yeah, we didn't do anything that they wouldn't approve of," Faith proclaimed confidently.

"Ok," Jessie replied as Tara became curious of what they were talking about before the three of them left and closed the door behind them.

Meanwhile, the guest bedroom

Buffy was trying not to pace as Dawn and Willow made sure Buffy looked her best.

"Calm down. Everything is going to go well, and J's there to make sure Faith's ok," Dawn insisted as she smiled the same way at the thought of Jessie as Jessie had done at the thought of her, "What?"

"This is my and Faith's special day. You're supposed to be keeping me calm instead of thinking of your girlfriend. Maybe I should have made Willow my Maid of Honor instead."

"You're right, I-I'm s-sorry. It's just that I'm so happy that she decided to stay a slayer indefinitely after the two years were over."

"It's ok, I'm happy about that too. I was kidding to ease the fear. What if…What if she gets cold feet and runs away from me when Jessie's not looking?" Buffy babbled.

"I don't think Jessie would let that happen," Willow assumed, "Nothing's going to go wrong today."

"Don't say something like that. Any time someone says that, something happens," Buffy ordered as she tried not to panic.

"It's going to be ok, Buffy," Dawn tried to comfort her.

Before another word could be said, there was a knock on the door.

"As you two were saying," Buffy muttered as she felt panic setting in.

"Don't move. It's probably just Giles or Xander anyway," Dawn advised as she walked to the door, "Who is it?"

"It's Jessie."

"J-Jessie, is everything ok? I mean is Faith ok? She didn't leave me, did she?" Buffy pleaded with panic clearly heard in her tone.

"No, B, she's five by five," Jessie confirmed as Dawn swore she recognized a soft giggle, "It's just that I have a surprise for you."

"A good surprise?" Willow murmured as she smiled at both Buffy and Dawn.

"Yes, but you will need to sit down before I open the door."

"Ok, we're all seated," Dawn answered as she and Buffy sat on the bed while Willow sat in a nearby chair.

"But I would kind of like to talk to her a bit before the surprise," Buffy requested.

"About what?" Jessie challenged from the other side of the door.

"About last night."

Joyce and Tara hid behind the door as Jessie opened it, entered the room, and closed the door.

"So what do you want to know?" Jessie continued as she examined the worried faces of Buffy, Dawn, and Willow.

"Well, what did the two of you do last night while the three of us hung out here?" Buffy wondered.

"Faith and I went to one of the popular bars/dance clubs in town. We danced together, had some drinks, and kissed once. It was just to see what kind of reaction we would get from the guys there."

"You danced together? What kind of dancing?" Willow yelped as they saw Jessie trying to hold in a smirk.

"The kind that earned us free drinks the entire night."

"Oh," Buffy and Dawn mumbled softly.

"Don't worry. We didn't do anything that you wouldn't like."

"So then you had f-fun with h-her?" the sisters exclaimed together.

"Yeah, friends can have fun together. She thought about you probably most of the night if not the entire night."

"How do you know?" Buffy asked as she started to smile.

"Because I could see it in her eyes, and when we were rubbing up against each other during one dance, she said, 'Are you having fun, B?' She realized her mistake when I turned around and laughed."

"Could you show us how you were dancing?" Dawn interrupted.

"Ok," Jessie agreed before asking Dawn to dance like they had done at the clubs in the past.

After Dawn started dancing, Jessie stood in front of her, began rubbing up against her with her back to Dawn, grabbed Dawn's arms, and held them up against her stomach along with her own arms.

"You did that all night?" Buffy responded with a smirk.

"Yeah, sometimes we switched places though."

"What about the kiss?" Willow blurted out.

Jessie turned to face Dawn. They watched as Dawn was directed to get a good hold on Jessie's hips. Then Jessie placed one of her hands on Dawn's lower back while carefully grabbing the back of Dawn's head with the other and began kissing her. As soon as Dawn opened her mouth, Jessie turned it into a French kiss. After about fifteen seconds, Jessie broke the kiss and stepped back to find Dawn looking at her in a dazed state while smiling.

"Who broke the kiss, you or her?" Buffy demanded as she was getting a little emotional.

"She did. It didn't mean anything. We left ten minutes after the kiss and headed to the house some of the slayers in this city are living in. We crashed in one of their beds."

"One of their beds? You mean you slept together?" Dawn gasped.

"Yes, we LITERALLY slept together. I don't think going with the tradition of not seeing each other the night before the wedding was a good idea."

"Why?" Buffy continued as she arched an eyebrow at Jessie after glancing at Dawn and Willow, who did the same thing as Buffy.

"She refused to sleep alone, hugged me as she did, and cried until I calmed her down because she missed you."

"F-Faithy c-cried?" Buffy stuttered while forgetting about her promise not to say that in front of other people.

"Yeah, just soft sobs though. Don't tell anyone else, and I won't tell her that you called her that in front of Red."

"Deal, and thanks for watching out for her."

"No sweat, B. Are you ready for the surprise now?"

"Yes," the three of them affirmed in unison.

"You can come in now, but close the door immediately after that."

Buffy, Dawn, and Willow quickly directed their focus to the door and saw Joyce and Tara file slowly into the room before Tara closed the door.

"M-Mom, T-Tara," Buffy and Dawn stuttered before instantly starting to cry.

"T-Tara, is it really you, baby?"

"It's me, sweetie," Tara replied as Willow jumped out of her chair, hugged her ex-girlfriend, and began crying on her shoulder.

"I can't believe you're really here," Buffy sniffled as she wiped away tears and was thankful she had gone with the waterproof make up.

"Me either," Dawn blubbered on her mom's shoulder.

"We have you to thank for that," Tara admitted.

"How is that?" Willow asked as Buffy and Dawn wondered the same thing.

"If you hadn't done such a good job at beating The First, the higher powers wouldn't have let us come down to see you on this special day. We've also watched you from time to time. I even helped when I could," Tara described as she shared a smile with Joyce before gazing back at her friends.

"What do you mean?" Dawn questioned after staring at Buffy, Jessie, and Willow.

Buffy and Willow were anxiously awaiting an answer while Jessie had a big smirk on her face.

"Can I tell them? Can I, Can I?" Jessie begged with childlike excitement, successfully getting everyone to laugh.

"Go ahead, J," Tara giggled as her friends' hearts almost melted at her affectionately calling Jessie by her nickname.

"Along with how well you handled The First, they've seen how Faith made amends for the things she's done," Jessie told them before facing Dawn, "And how I've saved you from time to time."

"So that was you I heard and felt that night at the gym?" Dawn inquired Tara.

"And that day on the beach in Brazil?" Willow added.

"Yes," Tara announced confidently.

"She also made sure Buffy landed and stayed on top of the bus until it came to a complete stop," Jessie divulged with a growing smile.

"You s-saw wh-what happened at th-the p-party?" Dawn commented as she quickly became uncomfortable.

"Yes," Joyce and Tara responded at the same time.

"Then why didn't you help me?" Dawn hissed as she felt the anger welling up inside.

"Because we weren't allowed to help. You were saved by who you were supposed to be saved by that night. It was supposed to be the first big step in your growing relationship with Jessie," Joyce confessed while Dawn hugged her as tightly as she could.

"So what else have you seen?" Buffy grilled this time.

"We haven't invaded your privacy, but we did see what happened to Willow after I died."

"I'm SO sorry, baby. It's just that within a matter of seconds my whole world shattered again," Willow babbled before breaking down on Tara's shoulder again.

"It's ok, Will. You've made up for it. We also saw how Jessie dusted those vampires during Spring Break in Panama City, Florida," Tara added with a giggle.

"Well, I couldn't really hide a stake under my bikini top and skirt, could I? D and I went out to party at the clubs, not to stake vampires. They just happened to be there at the same time," Jessie remarked with a smirk, "Besides, seeing a vampire burn up at sunrise was a nice way to start the day."

"So…Uh, how are you with Dawn and I being gay?" Buffy voiced to her mom as Dawn pulled away in fear while the memory of the couple's Spring Break tales made her smile.

Dawn giggled at the memories too, but was still a little scared of what her mom would say.

"It was shocking; and Faith's not the person I expected you to end up with, but I'm ok with everything."

"How long can you two stay?" Willow chirped as she viewed Joyce hug her daughters again.

"Just 'til the end of the wedding reception," Tara confided.

"But what about everybody else, even Jessie's family knows you're dead," Willow mentioned as she started to get worried.

"Only the four of you, Faith, Xander, and Giles will be able to see that it's us. We will look different to everyone else. You just tell everyone that Joyce is a friend of the family, and that I'm her daughter."

"Has anyone else seen you yet?" Dawn spoke as she smiled at Jessie.

"Only Faith," Joyce informed with a smile.

"Why did you see her first? You didn't scare her did you?" Buffy chuckled.

"No, we didn't scare her, but she was definitely surprised," Joyce told her before looking at Jessie, "I think you need to get back to Faith. It's almost time, isn't it?"

"Yes, it was a pleasure to meet both of you."

"The pleasure is ours," Joyce claimed as Tara nodded in agreement.

A minute later, Jessie opened the door to see Faith talking to Giles and Xander.

Faith saw Jessie coming toward her and smirked. The smirk got bigger when Jessie told Giles that Buffy was ready for her. They waited patiently as the two men made their way over to the door and knocked briefly. At hearing Giles gasp, "Dear Lord." and seeing both men faint, Faith and Jessie began to laugh. Then they quickly went back into the bedroom for one final check before Faith walked down the aisle. The music started to play as Jessie made her way out of the house and down the aisle. Jessie's family, Vi, and a few other slayers smiled at how beautiful Jessie looked in her dress. The smiles were just as big when Faith strolled down the aisle a few minutes later. Faith and Jessie shared a smirk as Xander took every chance he could to occasionally stare at the surprise guests. After a third time, they could see Tara warn him to quit staring, so he wouldn't upset Vi. He was lucky she hadn't caught him yet.

All eyes turned back toward the aisle as the song started from the beginning again and Dawn appeared. Dawn peered ahead as she fought the need to know that her mom and Tara were observing them until she got to where she needed to stand. When she got there, she stopped and turned to face their guests. Dawn felt tears coming down her cheeks at the sight of Joyce and Tara smiling at her. She glimpsed over and saw Jessie and Faith smiling as well. She quickly wiped the tears away as Willow made her way down the aisle, who also tried not to gaze at Joyce and Tara before taking her place by Dawn. Jessie noticed the beginning of tears as Faith gaped at the beautiful blonde being led down the aisle by Giles. Faith wiped away the tears before the duo arrived in front of her. Their guests listened closely as the couple took a trip down memory lane during their vows. Jessie's family was shocked to hear about the history since nobody had told them the whole story. They were worried after hearing about the past, but decided that if the Scoobies could forgive Faith then there was no need to worry. The official then performed the rest of the ceremony in Spanish with the translator speaking immediately after that.

"Do you, Buffy Summers take Faith to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love and cherish her in good times and in bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Buffy choked out as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"And do you, Faith, take Buffy to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love and cherish her in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Faith echoed while holding back tears.

"Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you united in matrimony."

Whistles and claps were heard as Buffy and Faith kissed exactly like Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore during the practice kiss in "The Wedding Singer". The married couple then smiled at their bridesmaids before turning around and facing the audience.

"May I present to you Mrs. Buffy and Faith Summers."

As Buffy and Faith and Dawn and Jessie trekked down the aisle arm in arm, Willow followed closely behind them. She couldn't stop herself from eyeing Tara this time though. Tara held Joyce as the older woman cried tears of joy at seeing both of her daughters happy. The rest headed back into the house long enough for Dawn and Willow to work another spell. When everyone came back outside, they saw tables set up around the yard and the food on a few long tables set up along the side of the house. They even made room for a dance floor and a DJ.

Twenty minutes later

Everyone had filled up on food and drinks after hearing the toasts made by the bridesmaids and congratulating the couple too. Everyone smiled as Buffy and Faith danced to "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith. Then Faith, Dawn, Jessie, Joyce, Tara, and Willow watched with tears in their eyes as Giles and Buffy did the traditional father/daughter dance. After the dance, Buffy took the microphone away from the DJ and began speaking.

"Now that all of you have enjoyed watching our first dance as a married couple and the father/daughter dance, we ask for you do to the same for the next song. This song is dedicated to our beautiful bridesmaids. So come out with your choices for this dance."

Jessie's family, Vi, Olivia, and the few other slayers who had also attended the reception already knew who their choices would be considering that two of the three were already a couple and the third had occasionally been ogling someone who was, apparently, a daughter of a friend of the family. Laughs could be heard as Buffy and Faith had picked "My Girl" by The Temptations, just like Henry and Karen had done around a month ago. The Scoobies could barely keep their eyes off of Tara and Willow. They clung to each other as if their lives depended on it while tears flowed freely down their cheeks. Buffy rested her head on Faith's shoulder as she cried at seeing the couple together again, even if it was only temporary.

"Are you going to be ok?" Jessie asked as she watched Dawn continue to cry.

"Yeah, I just wish they didn't have to leave after the reception."

"That would be nice, but maybe you'll all be together again some day."

"Yeah," Dawn agreed before she leaned in and kissed Jessie softly on the lips.

After the kiss, something told Jessie to peek back over at Tara and Willow. When she did, she saw that they had been watched by the other couple. Dawn had peered over at the same time and saw the smiles on her friends' faces. Then they discovered that everyone was smiling at them as well. As the song ended and a slow one began, Jessie noticed that Dawn had started staring at Tara and Willow again and realized what her girlfriend was thinking.

"You want to dance with Tara, don't you?"

"Kinda," Dawn said hesitantly since she wasn't sure how Jessie would react.

"It's ok. If you want to, I wouldn't mind. Maybe I could dance with her once too. Let's go," Jessie commanded as they moved closer to them.

"M-May I c-cut in?" Dawn asked as she looked toward Tara.

"Sure," Tara consented after seeing a smile from the redhead.

The two couples broke apart for a few seconds before Dawn moved closer, wrapped her arms around Tara's waist, and began to dance again.

"Hey, where are you going, Red?" Jessie questioned as Willow began to leave the floor, "You're not going to leave me alone on the floor, are you?"

"N-No," Willow stuttered as she and Jessie saw and heard Tara giggle at them.

Jessie pulled Willow closer, wrapped her arms around her, and continued to dance alongside Dawn and Tara. As another slow song started, the four broke apart momentarily and danced again. This time it was Jessie/Tara and Dawn/Willow. After seeing the fun the two couples were having during the first two dances, some of the guests joined them. Dawn, Jessie, Tara, and Willow watched as the following couples joined them: Karen/Henry, Lily/Rick, Buffy/Faith, Xander/Vi, and Giles/Olivia.

"J."

"Yeah?" Jessie inquired with a smile to her current dance partner.

"Thanks."

"For what?" Jessie quizzed as the smile turned into a smirk.

"For everything you've done for Willow, Buffy, and especially Dawn," Tara mentioned before rolling her eyes at her.

"I was just helping out some…," Jessie began to explain before being surprised by something that wasn't missed by everyone else.

They heard gasps around them as Tara leaned in slowly and softly kissed Jessie on her forehead before pulling away a few seconds later.

"You really didn't need to do that, you know?"

"I know, but I wanted to show you how much it meant to me. Besides, you did more than help them. You fell in love with Dawnie. She needed that."

"Getting me a drink would have been enough," Jessie chuckled before smiling at Tara's cute giggle.

They searched around to see everyone's expression. They were met with gawks and soft laughter from Faith. They decided to take a break from dancing as the music switched to faster songs. As Joyce and Tara conversed with the Scoobies, Jessie's family came over to talk to them. Jessie saw them coming and introduced them to Joyce and Tara.

"This is my stepdad and my mom, Henry and Karen Higgins; my dad and stepmom, Rick and Lily Sammler; my stepsisters, Grace and Zoe Manning, and my brother, Eli Sammler. This is..," Jessie paused to quickly think of some names for them.

"Joan Brown and her daughter, Mackenzie," Dawn asserted as she smirked at Buffy, who was rolling her eyes at her. Xander smiled while Willow, Tara, and Dawn giggled.

"Nice to meet you, Joan. That's a pretty name, Mackenzie," Lily greeted.

"Th-Thanks," Tara said in the cute stutter that she used when she was a little nervous before giggling again.

They could see that both Karen and Lily found the stuttering and giggling adorable by the smiles on their faces.

"So, Joan, where did you and Mackenzie meet them?" Rick asked before turning to Dawn who had giggled at the name Joan again, "What's so funny? That's her name, right?"

"Yeah," Jessie lied as she covered for her girlfriend, "D just occasionally gets a case of the giggles."

"Yeah, I do. Sorry."

"Alright," Rick groaned as he clearly showed that he couldn't understand girls some times.

"We met them when Buffy came with Willow to Los Angeles for a gay pride rally shortly after Willow came out," Joyce explained with a smile.

"Ma-Mackenzie and I just sort of clicked together. You know what I mean?" Willow babbled.

"So does that mean you and Mackenzie dated for awhile?" Eli implied with a smirk.

"Yes, off and on for a few years," Tara revealed as she immediately grabbed Willow's hand to prevent the redhead from crying.

"Eli, don't be such a pig," Grace snapped at him, "Sorry, Joan, sorry, Mackenzie. What's so funny about the name Joan, Dawn?" Grace growled before rolling her eyes at Dawn having to bite her lip to stop from laughing again.

The glare Buffy gave her sister made it even harder for Dawn.

"Like I said before, Grace, my girlfriend gets a case of the giggles occasionally."

"Oh look, it's time I toss the bouquet," Buffy announced happily at seeing a nod from the DJ.

Buffy got up and quickly walked over to the DJ while Faith grabbed the bouquet Buffy had carried with her during both trips down the aisle and joined her wife in front of everybody.

"Ok, now to all of the unmarried women out there. Come up for your chance to catch the bouquet my stunningly beautiful wife is about to throw."

Buffy blushed at Faith's compliment before turning her back to the girls lining up. Faith smiled at Willow, Vi, Grace, Olivia, and few other slayers standing there and realized two girls were still sitting down.

"J and D, that means you too."

"Alright," Dawn called out with a beaming smile as she led Jessie up to the other girls and waited for Buffy.

Buffy took a deep breath before tossing it over her shoulder and immediately whipping around to see who the lucky woman would be. Gasps, laughs, and giggles followed when they all saw the bouquet fall into Jessie's hands. Rick and Karen definitely appeared uncomfortable as Henry and Lily tried to offer words of comfort in order to get them to relax. It didn't seem to be helping though.

"Oh come on, you don't actually believe that superstition, do you?" Jessie challenged with slight sarcasm, "After all, Judy caught Mom's bouquet, and I haven't heard anything about Sam proposing to her since then."

"Jessie, we didn't tell you this yet, but a few days ago, Sam proposed and Judy happily accepted," Grace divulged before laughing, which irritated Rick and Karen a little bit, "They're planning on a summer wedding too. It's possibly going to be in next June."

"Oh," Jessie sighed before looking and smiling at Dawn, who let out a soft gulp after hearing what Grace said.

"J-J," Dawn muttered.

"Chill, D, I'm not ready for that."

"Yeah, I love you, but I'm not ready for that either."

To get off that topic, almost everyone started dancing again. Buffy and Willow smiled at Faith and Tara, who wandered over to the bar to get a drink, before they joined the rest on the dance floor.

About five minutes later, the bar, about ten feet away from the dance floor

"What gives, T? You've been staring at them for at least a few minutes now," Faith grilled her after seeing the witch was spying on Dawn and Jessie with a contemplating expression on her face.

"I understand you like calling your friends by nicknames, but can't you call anyone by their first name once and awhile?"

"Fine, why are you staring at Dawn and Jessie like that? Is Jessie going to be one of the next ones here to get married? Come on, I promise not to tell anyone."

"Alright," Tara conceded after making sure no one else was listening, "To answer your question. Yes, she will be."

"Wow, I can't wait to see B's reaction when that happens. When will it happen?"

"I'm not allowed to say that."

"Ok. So I'm going to have to learn to say Dawn Sammler?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what, Jessie Summers?"

"Not that either."

"Huh? Now you're confusing me. If it's not either of those, then what will it be?"

"Even though you promised not to say anything, it wouldn't matter because it's going to happen anyway."

"What's going to happen?"

"Jessie will get married, but it won't be to Dawn."

"Then who?"

Tara leaned in and whispered to Faith.

"Whoa, but what about D? Is she going to be happy with someone else too?"

"Uh huh," she answered as she looked at their friends again.

"Who will it be?"

Tara looked back at her and whispered again. She laughed as Faith's eyes bugged out, and the brunette actually spit out the beer onto the ground. The sound had been loud enough to get the attention of the Scoobies, who made their way over to the two women. Jessie's family just looked on curiously.

"Are you ok?" Buffy questioned her with a small chuckle.

"Five by five, B."

"Then what happened?" Willow prodded as Tara played innocent.

"Just went down the wrong pipe for some reason."

"Are you sure?" Dawn interrogated although she was sure Faith was lying.

"Yeah, it's cool, yo."

"If you say so," Jessie snickered before smiling.


	59. Chapter 59

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 59

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The Scoobies say their goodbyes before everyone has to head home and Buffy and Faith leave for their honeymoon. Later on, Buffy and Faith become parents and see someone from the past.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

Two hours later

Even though the Scoobies tried to stretch out the time of the reception, they could feel it winding down. The gang then exchanged hugs with Joyce and Tara while Jessie's family went into the house and the other slayers went home to prepare for another patrol. The Scoobies were thankful that Jessie's family had left them alone to say their goodbyes to Joyce and Tara.

"Sorry, but we have to go now," Joyce told them sadly as Tara nodded just as sadly.

"N-No. C-Can't you p-please s-stay l-longer?" Dawn pleaded.

"I'm afraid not, my little pumpkin belly," Joyce declared, hoping to put a smile on Dawn's face.

It only worked for a few seconds.

"It's not fair," Buffy said as tears started to appear on her cheeks.

"It's not fair, but we have no control over it," Tara reasoned.

"Will we ever see you again?" Willow wondered.

"Yes," they both answered.

"How soon?" Dawn interrupted.

"In less than a year and a half," Tara revealed before she or Joyce were able to stop her from talking.

"WHAT!" Buffy and Dawn shouted.

"Sorry," Tara muttered before the two vanished.

"Oh no. What do you think she meant by that?" Dawn babbled before she cried on Jessie's shoulder, "Does that mean at least one of us is going to die soon?"

"Not necessarily," Faith stated in an attempt to reassure Buffy, Dawn, and Willow, "Let's not worry about it, ok? It won't do any good if we did that."

"Why did I have to ask her that, and why did she have to answer?" Dawn asked before her sobbing got louder.

Jessie grabbed Dawn and gave her a tight hug, but not enough to cause any breathing problems. The rest watched as this eventually calmed Dawn down. The finishing touch came as Jessie softly kissed her on the forehead. Dawn smiled as it felt the same way Tara had kissed her that night in the gym a few years ago. A group feeling of "Aw" seemed to hover among them. When Dawn looked back up at her, Jessie wiped away a few tears and gave her a soft, brief kiss on the lips. A few minutes later, Jessie's family reappeared in the backyard.

"I guess we should be going too," Karen determined after hugging Jessie, Dawn, Buffy, Faith, and Willow.

Dawn and Willow went back into the house and grabbed the ingredients they needed for the spell. They all saw Henry get a little uneasy at the sight. He was still a little uncomfortable with the whole teleporting spell that had brought him and Karen to Spain.

"Relax, Henry, this won't be any different from the first time. You didn't feel any different after the first time, right?" Jessie questioned as the rest of her family, and the Scoobies laughed a little.

"No," he muttered after the smirks he received from Karen, Eli, and Jessie.

"Ok, then," Dawn giggled before she and Willow said the spell, and Henry, Karen, Rick, Lily, Eli, and Zoe disappeared.

Then Willow headed back to Brazil while Grace, Vi, and Xander headed back to New York. Dawn and Jessie let Buffy and Faith know that they'd watch over the house while the couple went on their honeymoon to the Caribbean Islands. Jessie even went on a few patrols with the girls there.

August 14th, 2006; Madrid, Spain; a hospital waiting room

Buffy and Faith decided after being married for four months that they were ready to have the kids the couple had dreamed about. So after Buffy retired from slaying and agreed to be the one to give birth to them, she and Faith picked out the sperm donor. Then the sperm and a few of Faith's eggs were put inside of Buffy in the hopes that one would be like Faith and the other like Buffy. During the summer, Buffy had Dawn and Jessie taking care of her while Faith was working. Faith had gotten a job as security at a local bar when the gang went out to celebrate the announcement. Faith had gone up to the bar to order some drinks. On the way back, she had accidentally gotten between two guys who had begun fighting. As she attempted to break up the fight long enough to get back to her table, she was stopped by one of the guys. He had gotten a good look at the woman in front of him and stupidly tried to flirt with her.

Faith politely told him to get out of the way. Unfortunately, the guy didn't take the advice and did something even more stupid. Her friends gasped as the guy grabbed her butt and tried to get Faith to leave with him. It got even worse when the other guy had seen this and thought if the other guy was able to get away with that, then he should try something too. He pulled Faith and the guy apart, wrapped an arm around Faith, and kissed her hard on the mouth. The next thing the entire bar saw was Faith punching both of them hard enough that they fell to the floor. Everyone got out of her way as she dragged both of them to the door by the collars of their shirts. A bouncer who had been too slow to get to the trio before the fight broke out held the door open for her. One by one, she picked them up and threw them out the door. One had dared to continue the fight with her by lunging at her. Faith easily stopped it and threw a punch that sent the guy flying back almost ten feet past the door. The entire bar watched as both guys got to their feet and staggered away without even looking back at them. As soon as Faith had reached her friends, the manager walked up, hired her, and fired the guy who had been too late to intervene.

"I can't believe Buffy and Faith are going to be parents, and that they're having twins," Dawn exclaimed as she remembered the excitement on the couple's faces when they told everyone the news.

That joy had been short lived as they began to think about what Tara had said accidentally at the wedding about thirteen months ago. They quickly had moved on to other topics concerning the upcoming birth, but that answer lingered in the back of their minds up to this very day.

"In less than a year and a half."

"Me either, Aunt D."

"Same to you, Aunt J," Dawn giggled before realizing what she had just said, "Uh…Uh, I d-didn't m-mean th-that."

The rest of the Scoobies watched them closely to see how Jessie would react.

"It's ok, D, I know you're just excited about being an aunt and said the first funny response you could think of," Jessie chuckled as the rest sighed in relief.

"How long has it been, Will?" Xander inquired nervously.

"Only an hour, I'm sure she's fine. If she wasn't, we would have heard something by now."

A minute later they saw someone in scrubs walking toward them. Dawn and Willow gripped Xander and Jessie's hands in fear. The fear eased up a little when the person pulled down the mask and revealed that it was Faith.

"Is everything ok? I mean Buffy's doing ok, right?"

"Yeah, D. She just wanted me to let you know everything is five by five. The doctor said it should be about another thirty minutes before they come."

"What did she say exactly when you asked how she was feeling?" Willow quizzed with a combination of curiosity and worry.

"She said she feels like cookie dough being put into an oven. Whatever the heck that means."

"Really?" Willow and Dawn chirped together before giggling.

"Those were her exact words. What did she mean by that, Red?"

"When Angel asked how she was feeling the night before the battle with The First, she said she felt like cookie dough. Meaning she was still trying to figure out the person she's supposed to become and until she was finished baking, metaphorically speaking of course, then she wouldn't be able to share her life with the right person. She didn't expect that to happen for many years. I guess she was wrong."

"Alright," Faith chuckled, "I better get back now."

"Ok, tell her we love her, and we'll be waiting patiently," Dawn ordered before seeing their reactions and not realizing how sappy that sounded, "What? We do, don't we?"

"Of course we do," Willow smirked.

"My D is just so sweet," Jessie said lightly before softly pinching Dawn's cheek, making Dawn blush and peer down at the floor, so she wouldn't end up blushing a brighter shade of red.

Faith stared at the couple with a smirk before heading back to Buffy's room.

About thirty minutes later

The Scoobies were met again be a person in scrubs, but it wasn't Faith.

"Are you Mrs. Summers's family?"

"Y-Yes," Willow stuttered.

"Ok. I'm Mrs. Summers's obstetrician, Dr. Maria Lopez."

"Is everything ok? I mean are th-they ok?" Willow interrupted.

"Yes, everything went well. She gave birth to two, healthy, baby girls. They asked me to come out to tell you they would like to see all of you in the recovery room. Please follow me."

As the Scoobies made their way to the room, they grabbed each other's hands in support and anticipation of what they were about to see. Dawn grabbed Jessie's and Willow grabbed Xander's as Giles followed with a smile on his face.

Between five and ten minutes later

"How's it going, Buff? I mean how do you feel?"

Buffy and Faith shared a smile before Buffy answered.

"Like freshly baked cookies," Buffy revealed with a giggle as she held one of the babies.

Faith sat beside her while holding the other one. They could already see that each baby slightly resembled the mother holding them.

"So what did you name my nieces?" Dawn grilled with a smile and a slightly raised eyebrow.

The new parents shared another smile before they answered.

"We named the one who looks like me after two of our best friends. The one that looks like Faith is named after two, dearly departed, loved ones," Buffy replied before gawking at a teary eyed Faith, who was protecting the baby she was holding like a mother lion.

Since they were so happy that Buffy and the babies were ok and how happy the two women were, they decided against teasing Faith about her tears.

"So what are their names?" Dawn began again.

"We'd l-like y-you to m-meet Jessica Rose and Tara Joyce Summers," Faith introduced them. She quickly wiped away her tears, only to have more appear almost immediately.

Dawn, Jessie, and Willow felt their hearts melt as tears fell down their cheeks.

Giles and Xander just smiled at the feeling of love that seemed to be floating around the room.

"You named one of your daughters after me…and Red?"

"Yes, unless you know of another Jessica and any other girls with Rose anywhere in their names," Buffy teased the younger blonde.

"Th-Thank y-you," Jessie stuttered before resting her head on Dawn's shoulder.

"Buffy, please don't tease my girlfriend."

"Ok, sorry, J."

"It's c-cool, B."

"Yeah, thanks for picking those names. I…"

"What is it, Will?" Buffy grilled as everyone noticed the redhead was internally debating on whether or not to say what else was on her mind.

"I kind of wish they could be here, but after what Tara said after the wedding reception, I'm afraid of what would happen if they were."

To try and get off that topic, Dawn requested, "Can I hold one?"

"Which one?" Buffy and Faith challenged at the same time.

"I think I kind of want to hold Jessica Rose."

Buffy carefully handed the baby girl in her arms over to her sister.

"C-Can I h-hold T-Tara J-Joyce?" Willow begged nervously as she took a step closer to Faith, who almost growled as she held the baby closer.

"Faith, I know you love our daughters, but you can let Willow hold her. She'll be really careful."

"I know, B, I'm just a little hesitant if Red's going to be that nervous around Little T."

"She's nervous because of that expression your face. Just relax and she will too."

Faith relaxed into a small smile and slowly handed her daughter over to the redhead. The smile grew at seeing that Willow held her just as protectively.

"See, I told you so," Buffy stated before kissing Faith softly on the cheek.

"I'm your Aunt Dawn, Jessica Rose. I'll always be there for you and your sister, Tara Joyce. I love both of you SO much," Dawn announced in the sweetest tone she could use.

When Dawn searched around the room, she saw tears coming from everyone. She smiled at seeing even Giles and Xander wiping away a few tears. Giles even took off his glasses and wiped them off with a cloth before putting them back on.

"Can I hold her?" Jessie asked sweetly as she looked back and forth at Dawn, Buffy, and Faith.

After sharing yet another smile, Buffy nodded yes to the other blonde. Everyone observed with smiles as Dawn was extremely careful when she handed over her niece to her still choked up girlfriend.

"She's b-beautiful," Jessie commented as she held her close in one arm while gently caressing the baby's head with her free hand.

"Would you expect any less, J? We are the parents after all,"' Faith chuckled.

"Of c-course n-not, I was just…"

"Chill, I was just kidding, yo. It's true about them being beautiful though."

After everyone had the chance to hold both of the babies, they were carefully handed back to their moms. This time, Buffy was holding Tara Joyce while Faith was holding Jessica Rose. As the entire group was smiling at the babies again, a knock was heard on the door before it opened. Their faces turned pale at seeing Joyce and Tara walking toward Buffy and Faith. Buffy, Faith, Dawn, and Jessie felt the need to protect the babies rise up quickly. Willow quickly put up the same soundproof spell around the door that she had used in New York and back at Buffy and Faith's home.

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING OUR DAUGHTERS AWAY FROM US!" Faith yelled as Jessie and Dawn stepped in front of Buffy and Faith.

"We're not here to take them away from you. We're only here to see my granddaughters," Joyce greeted calmly as she reached her daughter.

"What makes you think we came to take them away?" Tara muttered with an almost hurt reaction on her face.

"We're sorry, baby," Willow explained as she hugged Tara, "It's just after what you said the last time we saw the two of you, we've been a little on edge. We weren't sure what to think when you said that. I guess with our past, we just assumed the worst."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. It just sort of slipped out. I almost wasn't allowed to visit again. I kind of had to plead my case to the higher ups with help from Joyce. Can all of you forgive me for making you worry for no reason?"

"I forgive you, just please be careful from now on," Buffy suggested.

"Ditto, yo," Faith added instantly as her anger faded away.

"Alright. We forgive you too, don't we?" Dawn guessed as she scanned around the room.

Tara and Joyce smiled as the rest nodded in agreement.

"How long can you stay this time?" Willow asserted.

"Just long enough for both of us to hold each of them for a few minutes," Tara confessed.

The Scoobies watched silently as Joyce held Jessica Rose while Tara held Tara Joyce. After a few minutes, Joyce handed her back to Buffy. Tara then handed over the baby she was holding to Joyce and was cautiously handed the other baby.

"They're really beautiful. I'm so proud of you and Faith."

"Thanks, Mom," Buffy murmured with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks, Joyce. See, Tara, I can use someone's first name when I want to," Faith chuckled as Tara blushed.

"Th-Thanks f-for n-naming o-one of y-your b-babies after m-me…I m-mean u-us," Tara responded in that adorable stutter before looking at all of them and blushing again.

The following day, Faith and Buffy brought home their daughters from the hospital. When they walked through the door, they were a little surprised to see the entire Scooby gang, Giles, Olivia, Grace, Vi, and Jessie's family waiting for them.

"What are all of you doing here?" Buffy wondered as she and Faith smiled at her sister and Jessie.

"Since we never got a chance to throw you a baby shower earlier, we're doing it now," Willow exclaimed.

"Aw, that's so sweet. Thanks, everybody," Buffy said as both she and Faith walked over to the couch and sat down while holding their sleeping babies.

"Yeah, thanks, yo," Faith directed to their guests with a smirk before smiling at Buffy.

When Dawn confirmed it was time for them to open the stack of presents, Buffy and Faith handed their daughters over to Dawn and Jessie. The smiles never left everyone's faces as the presents were opened. They had gotten several outfits for the twins and some stuffed animals. The biggest smile came when they found out Xander had constructed cribs for their daughters. As their daughters were held again by almost every guest, Faith smiled while Buffy rested her head on Faith's shoulder. Buffy smiled and shed a few tears at how happy she was right now. After Faith saw the tears, she wrapped her arms around Buffy and gave her a hug. They broke the hug at the sound of the babies starting to cry as Xander and Vi were holding them.

"Let me see if I can get them to stop," Jessie offered as she and Dawn got up, walked over to them, and were carefully handed the crying babies.

They sat down beside Faith and Buffy before Jessie began to sing. First, she tried "Hush Little Baby" but got nothing. Then she switched to "I'll Fly Away". The crying stopped almost immediately after Jessie started singing that one.

"Th-That w-was b-beautiful, Jessie. Thank you," Buffy cried as Jessie finished and carefully handed her namesake over to Buffy while Dawn handed Tara over to Faith. Jessie turned to see Karen, Lily, Olivia, Grace, Zoe, Willow, and Vi all wiping away tears as well.

"No problem, B," Jessie assured with a smile to the crying mom before wiping away the tears on Buffy's cheek with a tissue.

"Yeah, we should make a CD of you singing for the babies when they get like that again," Faith suggested.

"Been there, done that," Dawn admitted with a smirk as she showed them a CD, "This has a lot of the popular lullabies and sing-a-longs for kids, as well as the ones Jessie just sang."

"Really?"

"Uh huh," Dawn giggled as Jessie smiled at her.

"Thank you,"' Buffy and Faith said together to the younger couple.

"You're welcome," Jessie told them with a smile.

Buffy and Faith held their daughters for another twenty minutes before they decided to take the babies to the bedroom. They all followed the new parents to the babies' bedroom and marveled at the great job Xander had done while Buffy and Faith laid the babies down gently in the newly made cribs. After leaving the room, the group headed back into the family room and talked.

"Thanks for the great job on the cribs," Buffy sniffled.

"No prob, Buffster. I was happy to do it."

"And thank you for helping us get the room ready," Faith added as she smiled at Dawn, Jessie, and Willow.

"You're welcome," the trio replied together.

During the next hour, Buffy, Faith, and their guests ate and talked about whatever was on their minds. Jessie's parents told Buffy and Faith everything could expect for the next three or four months, and that if they ever had questions, they could call any time. Then everyone said their goodbyes. Willow teleported Grace, Xander, and Vi back to NYC, New York and Giles and Olivia back to London, England while Dawn teleported Jessie's family back to Evanston, IL. After giving each other another hug, Willow went back to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Dawn and Jessie went back to their apartment in Cambridge, MA.

August 19, 2008; a beach in Sperlonga, Italy

Buffy and Faith were strolling along the beach with their daughters after checking out houses for sale in the city of Rome. Buffy was holding Jessica's hand while Faith was holding Tara's. All of a sudden, the girls saw something that apparently interested them. Buffy and Faith glanced at each other for a few seconds as the twins broke the grip they had on their parents' hands and took off running to their destination, which seemed to be where an artist was sketching a picture of three kids while the kids' parents were watching from behind the artist. As Buffy and Faith got closer, they realized it was a woman. The woman was dressed in a bikini top and shorts. Jessica and Tara got closer until they were standing not too far away from the girl who was obviously putting the finishing touches on the picture. After the picture was exchanged for cash, the woman appeared to discover the twins smiling at her and the few pictures by her side.

"Well, you two certainly are beautiful girls, what are your names?" the woman asked sweetly after looking around and not seeing Buffy and Faith. _Where are their parents? They could get kidnapped. Such irresponsibility makes me sick. Why do they look a little familiar?_

"Jessica," the blonde answered with a cute smile.

"Tara," the brunette answered with a slight smirk that made the woman stare at her before abruptly shaking the thought that they looked familiar out of her head.

She didn't hear the gasp that Buffy let out while Faith wasn't sure how to react.

"Those are pretty names," she continued without bothering to take a second peek around for the girls' parents, "How are you and your sister doing today, Jessica?"

"Five by five."

Faith held in a chuckle as the woman gasped, stepped back a little, knocked over the easel, and dropped the bag that she had just put the money in.

"What did you j-just s-say?" the woman stuttered. _No, it can't be._

"She said she's five by five," Faith affirmed as she and Buffy marched up to her. She chuckled as the woman froze before continuing, "What's up, Katie?"

"B-Buffy, F-Faith, wh-what are you d-doing h-here in Italy?" Katie muttered as she slowly turned around to face the slayers.

"Hi, Katie," Buffy mumbled a little coldly before Faith nudged her with her right arm, "What are you doing here?"

Katie unsubtly looked around to see if they were alone, getting Faith to roll her eyes at her.

"Well?" Buffy asked as she held back a glare.

"Just getting ready to take a late, lunch break, and you?"

"B, our daughters, and I were checking out homes in Rome. We're planning on moving there. We were told there were some nice beaches here."

"Ok. Your daughters are beautiful. What are their full names?" Katie asked in the hopes of getting Buffy to let go of the anger she was holding inside.

"They're Jessica Rose and Tara Joyce Summers."

"N-nice n-names," Katie stuttered again in front of the intimidating couple.

"Ease up a little, yo," Faith requested as she glimpsed at Buffy before turning her attention to Jessica and Tara, who were smiling at both her and Buffy.

"Fine," Buffy grumbled before smiling back at Katie, "So you like the names, huh?"

"Y-Yeah, just as beautiful as the girls themselves."

"Thanks," both slayers stated as Buffy joined Faith at sharing smiles with their daughters.

The smiles helped rid Buffy of her anger at that moment.

"It was n-nice to see you a-again, but I must be going," Katie expressed as she planned her escape route, picked up her things, and began walking away.

"Not so fast," Faith advised, "Can we join you? I think we're all a little hungry and it will give us a chance to catch up some more."

"I guess it would be ok if you want to. But you don't have to," Katie informed them as she gaped worriedly at Buffy.

Faith turned and saw Buffy give her a display of pure shock.

"Come on, B, just out of curiosity."

"Fine," Buffy relented before picking up Tara, who got Buffy's attention by giving her the sign that she wanted to be picked up.

"Wicked," Faith chuckled as she picked up Jessica, who had followed her sister's lead with another smile.

Faith shrugged off the slight glare Buffy was giving her. Katie couldn't stop herself from giggling at how cute it was to see the girls get Buffy and Faith to pick them up, causing Buffy to frown with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, I just thought it was cute seeing them do that."

"Ok," Buffy conceded with a smile as both Jessica and Tara were now smiling at Katie.

Katie carried everything to a nearby car, stashed them in the trunk, and led the girls to one of the nearest places to eat.


	60. Chapter 60

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 60

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Buffy and Faith learn about what's been happening with Katie since her break up with Jessie.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

Around twenty minutes later

The women had found a place to eat and were now seated at a table. They had given their orders to a waiter and were drinking soda when Faith started off the conversation.

"So, Katie, what have you been up to since the last time we saw you. I meant what brought you to Italy?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes," Buffy interrupted with actual curiosity.

"Well, it was Jessie," Katie informed them and paused until they gave her looks to show they wanted her to continue, "When we broke up, it was really tough. I didn't want to stay in a country where our relationship ended. But I was actually getting better until the night you saw me. I saw a horse drawn carriage. It triggered the memory that Jessie once told me she wanted to live on a ranch after I told her I wanted to live in a loft in London. Then Jamie was trying to get me to sing when I really just wanted to wallow in misery. So I gave in and decided to sing. For the obvious reason, I chose that song. I seriously didn't see you when Jamie and I walked into the place. Seeing Jessie and Dawn so happy together hurt," Katie stopped Buffy from interrupting her by adding, "And I know I deserved it for what I did to Jessie and Dawn. So you don't need to remind me."

"What have you been doing here since then?" Buffy questioned calmly.

"I finished up my college classes and got a job with an advertising company. I make enough to get by for now, but hopefully I will get a raise, promotion, or both soon. I occasionally paint and sketch for the tourists. The money I make for that is usually split between in case of an emergency and charity. On a good week, I can make around $100.00 U.S. dollars. During the busiest part of the tourist season, I can make about another $60.00. On the hot and clear days like this, I'm here. On the cooler days, I'm in Rome. I try to find where the biggest tourist crowds seem to be at that day."

After smiling at her, Faith asked what Katie knew was coming.

"So are you seeing anyone?"

"Not at the moment, but before I left England, Jamie and I kind of developed a 'friends with benefits' relationship."

"What brought that on?" Buffy wondered.

"We started getting closer as friends after…you know. I had begun going out more and even went out a few dates. Word kind of got out that I was at least a slightly talented painter and sketch artist. So I made some money by doing that for other students who used them as gifts for various things like birthdays, anniversaries, and the holiday seasons," Katie said before they were interrupted by the waiter bringing their food. They began eating with Katie taking a break after three bites to continue talking, "Some even willingly posed for me half dressed or not at all for their boyfriends or just for the heck of it. Some of those times led to make out sessions if they were at least slightly cute and curious about the making out with a girl thing. Some went even further and became flings that lasted a few weeks or more. No serious relationships though."

"Is that what made Jamie want to move your relationships to the next step?" Buffy inquired after momentarily stopping and drinking a little more soda.

"Yeah, I guess so. I think she got a little jealous of the other girls, but not in the possessive kind of way. She kind of caught me with the last one I was with before her. That girl and I had just…," Katie said before being interrupted by Buffy again.

"Not in front of our daughters, Katie," Buffy reminded her.

"Uh, sorry, I…"

She was then interrupted a third time but by Jessica and Tara this time as the slayers could tell by their enhanced senses that the girls needed their diapers changed.

"Excuse us for a few seconds," Buffy stated as she stood up and helped Jessica out of her chair.

"Want me to help you, B?" Faith offered as she helped Tara out of hers.

"No, I got it. It won't take that long."

As soon as Buffy, Jessica, and Tara were out of listening range, Faith began talking to Katie again.

"So what were you going to say before B stopped you?"

"I was going to say that the girl and I had just had sex and were making out a little bit more when Jamie walked in," Katie described after taking a long sip of her soda.

"Really, what all did she see?"

Katie noticed that they had gotten the attention of a few tables, so she whispered the rest.

"Beth, the girl I was with at the moment, was only in the bottom half of her underwear while I was in a bra and pants, but they were unbuttoned and unzipped."

"Why weren't you just as undressed?"

"Well, she was one of the girls who offered to pose only in underwear. While I was finishing up, she mentioned she had never been with a girl in that way before and was curious on finding out what it was like. So we started making out. I took off her bra, and she pulled off my shirt and unbuttoned and unzipped my pants."

"And?" Faith continued with a smirk.

"And what?"

"You know what."

"Do you really want to know the rest?"

"Yes."

"Ok. After she let my hands wander a bit, one of my hands made its way into her underwear. You can guess what happened next. Then after a few minutes, she let me pull them off, so I could…"

"AHEM!" Buffy muttered from behind Katie.

"You couldn't have come back a few minutes later?" Faith teased with a smirk that immediately vanished after a glare from Buffy.

Buffy, Jessica, and Tara rejoined the two women at the table. Katie watched a little timidly while Faith helped Buffy put the girls in their chairs again. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence.

"So I guess I'll see you around some time then? That's if you find a house that you like," Katie declared as she signaled the waiter that they were ready for the check.

As Katie got out some money, Faith stopped her.

"Since it was my idea to join you, let us pay for everything."

"Not necessary, but if you want to, here it is," Katie mumbled as she handed Faith the check and stood up.

Faith got out some money and laid it on the table before she and Buffy helped the kids out of their chairs.

"What are your plans now?" Buffy quizzed as she led the group out while holding Tara's hand.

"I don't know about you, but I was going to maybe try to do a few more sketches then hang out with some friends on the beach before going home."

"Friends, huh?" Faith asked with challenged with a smirk.

"Yes, I have friends. Jamie came for a visit and brought her girlfriend with her. They're somewhere on the beach."

"Well, B, Jessica, Tara, and I were going to hang out on the beach for a bit. Maybe we could talk some more when you're finished. And if you're up for it, maybe you could show us your place."

"I guess it would be alright."

The women reached the beach again and located Jamie and her girlfriend. Buffy and Faith got out some towels and stripped down to the bikinis they had on under the rest of their clothes. They watched as Jessica and Tara played in the sand in front of them. After a few minutes, Faith began playing with them and started building a sand castle. This brought smiles to the faces of Buffy and Jamie, and a brief smirk to Jamie's girlfriend, Brooke.

About an hour later

Katie reappeared to see Jessica and Tara asleep with the four adults speaking casually.

"So, what did I miss?" Katie began with a smile before seeing how cute Jessica and Tara looked while they were sleeping.

"We were just catching up with Jamie as well. As soon as Little J and little T fell asleep, we began talking about the same thing we were talking about at lunch."

"You didn't tell them about Bianca, did you?" Katie pleaded to Jamie in a worried tone.

"No, I promised you I never would do that without your permission," Jamie replied as she looked a little upset.

"I'm sorry," Katie explained, "I don't like reliving that mess when I don't have to."

"Alright, you're forgiven," Jamie assured with sincerity.

"Who's Bianca?" Faith responded while not caring about the gawk Buffy was giving her.

"Just an ex fling. Can we talk about her later? Like maybe when I show you my place."

"Sorry," Buffy apologized for the both of them before Faith could answer the question.

Faith sighed as the group moved on to other topics. They all had a good laugh about hearing how Jamie and Brooke had met. Jamie and a few friends had gone down to Miami, Florida during Spring Break in her final year of college. She had met Brooke's brother on the beach and agreed to go out a date with him that night. When the couple had returned back to the hotel, Brooke and their friends were having a party in their room. After only one look at Brooke in a bikini top and a short skirt, Jamie was hooked. Brooke's brother had gotten upset at seeing Jamie kiss his sister without being dared to and Brooke not stopping her. When his sister revealed to him that her best friend at college, who was just as cute as Jamie, had a crush on him, he instantly forgave her and wished the both of them well. He ended up spending the rest of Spring Break with her friend while Jamie spent it with Brooke. When about another twenty minutes had gone by, all of them decided to head back to Katie's place. Katie caught her friends staring at Buffy and Faith as they put the rest of their clothes back on and cleared her throat to get them to stop. Katie, Jamie, and Brooke then got into Katie's car while Buffy, Faith, and their sleeping daughters followed in a rental car.

Katie's apartment in Rome, Italy

After they had all arrived at Katie's place, Katie gave Buffy, Faith, and their daughters, who had woken up on the ride back to Katie's place, the tour. She showed them the guest bedroom and the bathroom before Jamie and Brooke walked into the guest bedroom and closed the door. Katie then continued the tour. As she showed them around, they missed her friends sneak into the bathroom at the same time. Suddenly, Jessica gave Buffy's hand a slight tug.

"Something wrong, Jessica?" Buffy voiced sweetly.

"Why is Aunt Jessie naked?"

"What?" Buffy gasped in shock as Faith instantly glanced at both of them with an arched eyebrow.

Without hesitation, Jessica pointed to the open doorway of Katie's bedroom. The rest turned in the same direction and saw the famous painting hanging on one of the bedroom walls. Katie gaped as she realized that she had been busted. When she hurried to close the bedroom door, Faith ran and blocked Katie from closing it. At seeing her mom run to the doorway, Tara followed her. As soon as Faith spotted her, she covered the little girl's eyes. Buffy reached the doorway shortly after with her hands over Jessica's eyes.

"Aunt D told Mommy that only she was allowed to see Aunt J like that," Tara laughed.

"FAITH, close that door now," Buffy demanded, "And what is Tara talking about?"

"Ok," Faith relented with a smirk as she closed the door, "Can we talk about that later?"

"You can COUNT on it," Buffy growled before turning to Katie, who seemed to be a little affected at hearing Tara say Aunt J, "How could you leave your bedroom door open like that when you knew that was hanging on the wall and we had little kids with us?"

"I'm sorry, B-Buffy. I guess thinking about what could have happened if we met again, the shock of seeing the two of you again, and knowing that you two are married and have daughters made me forget it was there."

"I guess that answers the question of whether or not you're still in love with J."

They were then interrupted by the alarm on Buffy's watch going off.

"What's that for?" Katie wondered.

"It's time for their milk. Excuse me," Buffy revealed as she made her way to the front door.

"Where are you going, Buffy. I have some milk in the fridge."

"But we have some cups with the sip lids in a cooler."

Buffy returned less than five minutes later with two cups that both Jessica and Tara reached for as soon as they saw them. Buffy and Faith then sat down on the couch besides their daughters, who seemed to be almost chugging down the milk.

"So are you still in love with Jessie?" Buffy grilled just to make sure.

"I guess I am. I think I will always love her," Katie confessed and added when Buffy was about to interrupt her, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to interfere with her relationship with Dawn. If she's happy with your sister, then good for her. Um…are they happy?"

"Yes, as far as we can tell," Buffy informed her.

"How long has it been again?" Katie murmured as she bit her lower lip.

"It will be five years on New Years Day," Faith claimed.

"Really?" Katie gasped and was instantly met with positive nods, "Well, g-good for h-her. I mean them."

For a few seconds, Buffy actually felt a little bad for the girl who had broken the heart of her sister's girlfriend.

"Katie…," Buffy started but was interrupted.

"You don't need to say anything else about it. I've worked on my jealousy issue, and I'm ok now," Katie tried to assure them before they gave her unbelieving stares, "Really, I am. So tell me what everyone else has been up to."

"Has Jamie told you anything since the last time she talked with Jessie over the phone?" Buffy challenged as they all noticed that Jessica and Tara had fallen sleep against their mothers' sides.

"No," Katie lied successfully before hearing noise coming from the bathroom and realizing they hadn't seen the other two since they had entered the guest bedroom, "Excuse me."

They watched as Katie stood up and stalked over to the bathroom.

"Some day, huh, B? First, we run into Katie, Jamie, and Jamie's girlfriend. Second, we got to see J naked. Third, we watched as Katie realized she was busted. And finally, Katie busting her friends while they were doing you know what in her bathroom."

"Yeah, but you REALLY didn't need to mention the last part," Buffy mentioned while she rolled her eyes at Faith.

They heard some arguing coming from the bathroom for a few minutes before Katie came back with a frown on her face.

"Cheer up, Katie, at least you're not the only one who got busted today," Faith chuckled.

"What? How did you…Oh right, the enhanced, slayer hearing. So where were we?"

"You asked what everyone else was up to," Faith reminded her as she and Buffy began hugging their daughters.

"Right, so?"

"Well, Jessie's still studying to get a PHD in psychology to become a licensed psychiatrist. Dawn's finished with college, has become a watcher, and learned a lot more spells thanks to Willow. But without going over the edge."

Katie and Buffy then saw Faith get a little anxious before speaking again.

"Can I tell her the rest, B?"

"Sure," Buffy agreed at seeing Faith get like that.

"What else is there?" Katie exclaimed.

"We're not the only ones who got married."

"Huh?"

"We got invited to Karen and Henry's wedding, which was about a month before ours. J was Karen's maid of honor, my maid of honor, and caught Buffy's bouquet at our wedding. D was Buffy's maid of honor, and Willow was a bridesmaid. On a sad note, one of Red's former girlfriends, Chloe Smith, died years ago. We found out when we were celebrating D and J getting into a bunch of schools."

"What schools did they get into?"

"They both had got into Harvard and NYU. Jessie also got into Columbia, Stanford, and USF. Dawn also got into Yale, Princeton, and UC/Berkley."

"Pretty impressive. I'm sorry to hear about Chloe. I remember talking to her a few times. She was pretty nice. I hope Willow's better by now," Katie said with absolute sincerity.

"Thanks. She was a mess. When we got there, she was crying pretty hard," Buffy divulged.

"Plus her hair did that whole color changing thing like when Kennedy broke up with her," Faith confided.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, Xander and Vi are in a semi-serious relationship, but he's being more careful not to make the same mistake he made with Anya," Faith noticed Buffy beginning to glare at her, "I only mean about the mistake he made by leaving her at the alter."

"Ok," Katie sighed as Buffy smiled at Faith.

"Can you tell us about this Bianca chick?" Faith pried after smiling back at Buffy.

Katie took a deep breath before seeing that Jamie and Brooke were now watching them. Jamie quickly approached her friend, sat down beside her, and held her hand as Katie began. Brooke didn't seem to mind and sat down beside her girlfriend.

"Bianca was the last girl I went out with that lasted more than a month. In fact, she was the last girl I went out with. She was about my height, smart, funny, cute, really sweet, and had a nice body. Oh, and she was also messed up in the head. I didn't learn that until I broke up with her."

"Why did you break up with her?" Buffy questioned as she was clearly interested in what the answer would be although she had a good idea that it was because of Jessie.

"Sometimes she got on my nerves because I could tell she was not saying how she felt about things to avoid a possible fight. And even though I have no right be hypocritical, she had a jealous streak. The only reason I mentioned it was because it was a lot worse than mine around Dawn and Jessie."

"How bad was it?" Faith inquired as her interest began to grow with Buffy's.

"She used to stalk me. The first few times she tried to act like it was just a coincidence. But because I knew what her daily schedule was supposed to be, I knew she was lying."

"How bad did it get?"

"I had a few restraining orders put on her, but that didn't stop her. It took me catching her after she broke into my apartment to get it to stop."

"What was she doing?" Buffy and Faith kept the interrogation going.

Katie glimpsed at Jamie, who had just squeezed her hand in support.

"Are you sure you want to hear it? It's sickening."

"Yeah," Faith encouraged as Buffy seemed to be having second thoughts at Katie's choice of words.

"I caught her naked in my bed. I could tell by how all of her clothes were in a pile on the floor. Normally, I wouldn't mind a cute, naked girl in my bed, but it was different with Bianca though."

"How?" Faith said.

"Because of what she was doing."

"Which was?" Faith interrupted.

"She was holding the bath towel I had used earlier that day in one hand and sniffing it while slightly moaning and moving under the covers. You can imagine what she was doing with her other hand."

Brooke instantly gasped in repulsion at hearing what Bianca had done.

"YUCK!" Buffy shouted as she almost woke Jessica and Tara.

"That's seriously twisted, yo." Faith determined before turning to Buffy, "Keep it down, B. You don't want to wake them."

"Sorry," Buffy grumbled as she and Faith checked on their daughters.

The slayers then stared back at Katie, Jamie, and Brooke. Katie was obviously waiting to tell them more.

"Is there something you would like to add to this trip down memory lane?" Faith asked as she began to smirk at Jamie and Brooke.

"After the cops took her away, a few others searched her apartment and found something just as disturbing."

"What could be just as disturbing as that?" Buffy asked in slight confusion.

"They found out from a monitor in her bedroom that she had placed hidden cameras in my apartment. There was one in my bedroom and one in the bathroom."

"That's definitely just as disturbing," Buffy agreed while the rest nodded, "It wasn't this apartment, was it?"

"No, I moved here shortly after that. I couldn't stay there after what she did. I don't even want to think about how many times she watched me while I was naked and not always alone."

All of the girls shared a shudder at that comment.

"I'm not worried anymore. She's in a pretty secure, mental institution now."

"Ok, new topic," Jamie decided.

"Like what?" Faith suggested as they all tried to think of one.

"I've got a few questions for you two," Katie confessed after they all smiled at the sleeping girls, "How old are Jessica and Tara?"

"They turned two about five days ago," Buffy confirmed proudly.

"Cool. I've heard them say their names and the phrase five by five. What were their first words, and what else can they say?" Katie questioned with a smile.

"Well, what they said earlier were the longest sentences they had ever spoken. But Jessica's first word was 'Mommy' while Tara's was 'yo'," Buffy confided as she rolled her eyes at Faith before smiling.

"When I came home from work, I heard Buffy trying to get them to talk. It only took a few seconds before I heard Jessica call out "Mommy". I was so happy that I said, 'That's pretty sweet, yo.' The next thing we heard was Tara saying "yo" and giving us the smirk she picked up from me. They can also say our real names and the rest of the Scoobies' names and nicknames. Jessica calls them by their first names, but Tara's like me though and prefers using their nicknames. They both call Giles 'Grandpa' though. The looks on Dawn, Jessie, and Willow's faces when they heard their own names and nicknames were priceless. They actually shed a few tears."

"Oh come on, Faith, you know you got a little emotional when they said your name and called you Mommy for the first time."

"Yeah, I did," Faith admitted before looking at her watch, "I think we should be heading back, B. Jessica and Tara should be sleeping in their cribs."

"Yeah, we better go."

"Wait," Katie pleaded as the slayers stood and picked up their daughters.

"What is it?" Buffy wondered.

"I was just hoping that maybe…I could have a picture or two of your daughters. I mean I don't know if there will be kids in my future. It would be good inspiration though."

"I guess it would be alright. I have some in my bag," Buffy announced as she carefully sat Jessica down on the couch, grabbed the pictures, and handed them to Katie.

"Cool," Katie voiced happily.

"Wait," Buffy ordered as she tried to grab back one of the pictures she handed over to Katie.

"What's the deal, Buffy? You said I could have them."

"I only meant for you to see one of them," Buffy divulged as she tried to take one of them away again.

"Why wouldn't you want me to see…Oh," Katie groaned as she took a good look at the picture.

She quickly handed it back to Buffy, but Faith snatched it out of the blonde's hands and looked at it with Jamie and Brooke. Jamie couldn't hold back the "Aw" at seeing Dawn and Jessie sitting on a couch as they held the babies. Dawn, Jessica, and Tara were sound asleep with Dawn's head resting on one of Jessie's shoulders while Tara's head rested on the other. Jessie had a sleepy looking smile on her face.

"When was this taken?" Jamie grilled as Katie and Brooke waited for the response.

"The first night Dawn and Jessie babysat the twins. We had just gotten back from a…date," Buffy stated with what she hoped as a believable cover up.

Katie knew what she meant and nodded that she wouldn't tell Jamie and Brooke the truth.

"How many others have seen this one?" Jamie babbled as she handed it back to Buffy.

"All of our friends. Both sets of Jessie's parents have one. Jessie says that she saw them framed and displayed with the family pictures. They care so much about them. They treat Jessica and Tara like surrogate grandchildren," Buffy finished with a sniffle.

Faith temporarily wrapped her free arm around Buffy as Katie handed her a tissue with a smile.

"Are you going to be ok, B?"

"Yeah," Buffy assumed before facing to the rest of them, "Sorry about that."

"Nothing to be sorry about," Katie offered with another smile, "I would feel the same way. Can I keep the other picture though?"

"Sure," Buffy consented as Katie showed her friends a picture of Buffy and Faith holding the twins while sitting on the same couch.

In the picture, Buffy and Faith were smiling as the twins appeared like they were smiling in their sleep.

"Where are you going?" Faith asked as Katie headed toward a hallway closet.

"To find a frame for the picture," Katie chuckled as she began rummaging through the closet.

"Can I have the one of Jessie and Dawn with Jessica and Tara?" Jamie whispered.

"Why?" Buffy whispered back.

"Because Jessie and I are still friends, and you don't have to worry about me wanting your sister anymore."

"Ok," Buffy replied as she quickly handed the picture to her.

While Katie put the picture in a frame and placed it on the coffee table, Jamie hid the other picture in her bag by the kitchen table. Then Buffy and Faith said their goodbyes and left with their daughters sleeping in their arms.

"What's with that smile, Jamie?" Katie cut in as she arched an eyebrow at her smiling friend.

"I guess seeing their precious daughters in person makes me kind of want to have kids too," Jamie declared before giggling at hearing her girlfriend gasp, "Relax, I don't mean right now. More like after I get married. I'm not sure how soon that will be though."

Katie and Jamie both giggled at hearing the other girl sigh happily.


	61. Chapter 61

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 61

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: This is the beginning of what everybody has been waiting and/or hoping for. Buffy reveals who she, Faith, and their daughters saw in Italy. Dawn asks for advice from Buffy and Faith and has an important talk with Jessie.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show.

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

* * *

Meanwhile, Buffy and Faith's home in Madrid, Spain

Dawn and Jessie were making out in a pool Dawn had conjured up to beat the hot weather when they had gotten the call from Buffy and Faith that they were ready to be teleported back home with the twins.

"Hello?"

"Dawnie, it's Buffy."

"Ok, so I guess you're ready to be brought back home?" Dawn sighed.

"Yeah, is that problem?"

"I guess not. Just give me a few minutes."

"Ok, bye."

"Bye."

Ten minutes later, Buffy and Faith appeared in the family room to see Dawn putting away the supplies needed for the spell she was able to recite with ease.

"Hey, D."

"Hey," Dawn mumbled.

"Did we interrupt something?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"I don't know. Maybe because your hair is a little damp, you seem to be missing some clothing, and the aggravated tone in your voice," Buffy said with sarcastic humor.

"Huh?" Dawn muttered as she realized she had only put on a t-shirt to cover her bikini, but it hadn't completely covered the hickey or her butt, "Oh right."

"And from the hickey on your neck, you and J were at it again, weren't you?" Faith chuckled.

"Kind of," Dawn revealed.

"Please tell me it wasn't in the shower," Buffy pleaded.

"No, it wasn't in the shower, despite what my wet hair might imply."

"Then where is J?"

"She's in the pool," Dawn answered as she nodded her head to the door leading to the backyard.

"What pool? We don't have a pool," Buffy reminded her.

"The one I conjured up a few hours ago."

"Really?"

"Well, get back out there. B and I will join you after we put Jessica and Tara in their cribs," Faith stated enthusiastically as she headed to the twins' bedroom.

Dawn walked outside to see Jessie climbing out of the pool just like Phoebe Cates without the rest of the dream montage and removed the t-shirt she had on. Dawn froze in her tracks at the sight of the beautiful blonde moving toward her. When their lips met, Dawn instantly wrapped her arms around Jessie and intensified the kiss. They pulled back as they heard the back door opening and closing. Dawn turned around to see Buffy smiling at interrupting her sister's make out session just as it had started. Faith was smirking as she quickly removed her shirt, shorts, and shoes and ran to the pool. Buffy watched her with a smile as she sat the baby monitor on the table about ten feet away from the pool.

"CANNONBALL!" Faith shouted before landing in the pool. Buffy laughed as Dawn and Jessie got splashed by the water coming out of the pool thanks to Faith, who replied, "Come on in, B, the water feels good."

"It's not cold is it?"

"No, it's just right," Faith lied with a straight face before she briefly looked over Buffy's shoulder and smirked at the couple behind her.

They laughed at hearing the blonde shriek as she hit the water.

"You lied. IT'S C-COLD!" Buffy yelped before glaring at Faith.

"Just give yourself a minute to get used to it. The water's just right," Jessie told her before suddenly scooping Dawn up in her arms and staring at the pool again with a smirk.

"You wouldn't dare throw me in like that," Dawn exclaimed as she caught the expression on Jessie's face.

"You're right, I wouldn't," Jessie giggled before running and jumping in with Dawn in her arms.

As soon as they hit the water, Jessie let her go and both girls disappeared under the water and re-emerged less than a minute later.

"I can't believe you did that," Dawn hissed as she brushed her hair out of her face and slightly glared at Jessie, who was smirking along with Buffy and Faith.

"Aw, come here, D," Jessie playfully begged.

"No," Dawn argued with a little anger.

"Fine, then I'll come to you."

"Stay way from me," Dawn warned her weakly.

Jessie ignored her. She quickly pulled Dawn very close and softly kissed her. Buffy and Faith watched in amusement as whatever anger Dawn had faded away almost instantly.

"Don't go there," Buffy ordered as she saw Dawn's hands move to Jessie's back and attempt to unhook the top.

"Sorry," Dawn apologized as she and Jessie made their way over to the shallow end of the pool and sat down on the steps under the water.

Buffy chose to sit down beside them while Faith decided to sit on the edge of the pool.

About an hour later

Faith was sitting back down on the edge of the pool after taking a quick dip into the water. Buffy couldn't stop herself from ogling Faith as the late afternoon sunlight made the brunette's wet skin glisten. Buffy's mind started to wander until she was shaken out of those thoughts by the sound of Faith's voice.

"Hey, earth to, B. Come in, B," Faith chuckled.

"Wh-What?"

"I know I'm hot, B, but you should answer D's question since it was directed to you."

"S-Sorry, what was the question?" Buffy asked as she turned to face her sister.

"I asked how the trip to Italy went. I mean did you find a house you liked?" Dawn questioned after rolling her eyes at her now slightly embarrassed sister.

"Yes, we did. Before we called you, we made an offer on one that's about the same size. It's a nice, two bedroom house. One of the other rooms in the house could easily be converted into a third bedroom for either guests or if Jessica and Tara ever decide they want their own rooms."

"When will you hear back from them?" Jessie inquired as she and Dawn watched Faith wink at Buffy.

"They said by the end of this coming week. If we get it, then we'll probably move within a few weeks after that," Buffy informed her as they heard what sounded like crying coming from the monitor.

"Can you get that, B? I have a feeling that their diapers might need to be changed."

"So? You know how to change their diapers. The three of us showed you how to."

"But what if they're more than just wet?"

"Then you need to learn how to change those too. You can't get away with always having either me or their aunts do it. If you can't handle that, then how do you expect to handle potty training in a few weeks?"

"I'm already potty trained," Faith declared in the hope that the well timed humor would get her out of possibly changing diapers again.

Even though the three other laughed, it still didn't get Buffy to change her mind.

Jessie decided to take pity on her and offered to help.

"Come with me, Faith. I'll show the quickest way to change a very dirty diaper."

"Thanks, J."

Jessie climbed out of the pool, adjusted her bikini bottom out of the slight wedgie it had gotten into, and dried herself off before putting on the shorts laying on one of the nearby chairs. She could tell from the silence that Dawn had probably been ogling her while Buffy and Faith were prepared to tease Dawn about it. When Jessie turned around, Dawn was trying to hide a serious blush while Buffy smiled and Faith smirked.

"Come on, Faith, let's see if it's as bad as you think it is," Jessie demanded in the process of helping Dawn out.

"Ok, I'm coming," Faith groaned as she stood up and paced over to where her clothes were.

Faith made sure all three were watching her before seductively drying herself off and adjusting her bikini bottom out of the wedgie she had gotten as well. She smiled as she put her shorts back on. As Faith and Jessie went into the house, Dawn noticed that Buffy seemed to be thinking about something other than the hotness of her wife.

"What's up?"

"Huh?" Buffy quizzed as she debated on whether to get out of the pool and sit down at the table.

"You seem to be thinking about someone or something other than Faith right now."

"No," the blonde denied momentarily, "Ok, something happened when we went to a beach just outside of Rome."

"What was that?"

"We were walking along the beach when Jessica and Tara saw something and took off in that direction. We trailed a little behind them but had our eyes on them the entire time."

"What did they see?"

"Just a group of kids being sketched by a female as their parents looked on happily."

"What's the big deal about that?"

"The female was…Katie."

"K-Katie? As in Jessie's ex, Katie Singer?"

"Yes."

"I g-guess that had to be awkward," Dawn guessed as she paid attention for any signs of Faith and Jessie coming back.

"Yeah, but also amusing," Buffy laughed.

"Why was that amusing?"

"Because of how she found out who Jessica and Tara were. After they had got her attention, she asked them what their names were. Then she asked Jessica how she and Tara were doing, Jessica said five by five. Katie was so shocked that she gasped, stepped back a little, knocked over her easel, dropped the bag she had just put money in, and asked them what they had just said in a stutter."

Buffy smiled when she heard Dawn laugh.

"So what happened after that?"

"Well, we had lunch with her, hung out with her friend Jamie and Jamie's girlfriend while she sketched some more, and then with her for a little bit before we all left the beach."

"Is that all?" Dawn responded as she remembered how Jamie had wanted her in the past.

"No, we saw her apartment. She lives in Rome," Buffy admitted before stopping at the sounds of Faith and Jessie getting closer.

"She wh…," Dawn began to ask until she saw Jessie again.

"Did we miss something interesting?" Jessie and Faith challenged together after seeing the expressions on Buffy and Dawn's faces.

"Just a private conversation I was having with Dawnie. Jessie, could you uh…give us a few more minutes alone?"

"Why just me?" Jessie playfully complained before glancing at Faith

"Because it was something Faith and I were talking about before."

"Ok. I guess as long as it's nothing bad about me," Jessie relented with a smirk.

"It isn't."

"I'll just go prepare dinner while the three of you talk."

"Did they need to be changed?" Buffy asserted with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes," Jessie giggled before looking at Faith, who kept quiet but showed signs of how grossed out she was at the sight, and talking again, "They didn't stop crying after that, so we thought we might try feeding them. They're in front of the electronic babysitter right now."

"How bad was it?" Buffy continued as both she and Dawn smirked at Faith.

"It couldn't have smelled any worse," Faith grunted, "J showed me how to quickly change them by changing Tara. She made me change Jessica. I'll be so happy when they're able to go to the bathroom by themselves."

Jessie giggled again as she went back into the house. After they heard the door close, Buffy told Faith everything she had told Dawn before they came back.

"So what did all of you talk about?" Dawn began again nervously.

"Almost everything," Faith divulged.

"What did you say about me and Jessie?"

"That you two were still happily dating and that it would be five years this coming New Year's Day," Buffy confessed.

"We also told her which schools you got into, but not where you actually chose to go," Faith assured her before turning to Buffy, "Should we tell her what Katie told us?"

"Maybe, just don't be too specific on everything."

"Well, she told us that she transferred to a school in Italy after finishing up her first year at Oxford. She didn't want to stay in a country where she and Jessie broke up," Faith added.

"Is…Is she still in love with Jessie?"

"Yes, she is," Buffy confirmed.

"Uh, ok," Dawn grumbled as she looked away from her sister, "How do you know for sure?"

"Because when she showed us her apartment, Jessica saw that the famous painting of Jessie was hanging on her bedroom wall."

"The painting? Oh, you mean the one where Jessie posed naked? You actually let her see that?"

"It was an accident, D, and she only saw it for a few seconds, I covered up Tara's eyes before she got a chance to see it," Faith affirmed with a smirk.

"How much of her did you see?"

"Do you remember how she was posed when you caught us taking those second set of pictures that we sent to Eli?" Faith asked with an even bigger smirk.

"Yes, I remember although sometimes I wish I didn't."

"Well, she was just like that except naked," Faith chuckled.

"Oh," Dawn sighed again as she stared at the back door of the house.

"Look at me, Dawnie," Buffy requested. Buffy continued when Dawn did, "But she also said that if you and Jessie are happy together, she won't interfere. She wants Jessie to be happy, even if it's not with her. She apparently worked on her jealousy issue and has changed."

"Is she seeing anybody right now?" Dawn questioned as she couldn't believe she was actually doing it.

"No, she isn't. I think the psycho she dated briefly kind of turned her off from dating for awhile," Faith interrupted.

"The psycho? How psycho?"

"The girl's in a mental institution as far as Katie knows," Faith finished.

"Dang, anything else I should know?"

"Yeah, we told her what Jessica and Tara's first words were, how they can say everyone's real name and nicknames, and how we all reacted when we heard them say it for the first time. I have one last thing I need to ask you before we go inside. Tara said that you told Faith that only you were allowed to see Jessie naked like that. What was she talking about?"

"Uh," Dawn mumbled before almost sneering at Faith, who only smirked at them, "Before you left for Italy this morning, Faith sort of saw her naked."

"How did she sort of see your girlfriend naked?"

"Well, um, J was just getting out of the shower when Faith entered to brush her teeth. She forgot to lock the doors again."

"And how do you know this?"

"Because she entered from the hallway after I had entered from our bedroom," Faith informed her wife.

"Should I even ask how much she saw?"

"Only if you really want to know," Faith chuckled.

"How much did you see?" Buffy commanded after hesitating for a second.

"A partial side view when she was stepping out of the shower and then an entire view of her while her back was to me."

"When did she find out that you had seen her like that?"

"When I yelled at Faith to leave and close the door behind her," Dawn griped.

"So that's what the yelling you wouldn't tell me about was for."

"Yeah," Faith announced with another smirk before looking at Dawn.

"How upset was she?"

"She was pretty upset with both me and herself until…"

"Until what?" Buffy interrupted with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Faith just gazed at Dawn again before laughing, which irritated Buffy.

"Until she showed J her butt," Dawn answered.

"You're telling me you played a game of 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours.' with my sister's girlfriend," Buffy growled before being stopped by Dawn and Faith's laughs, "I really just said that, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did," Dawn giggled, "Faith only did it so Jessie would be less embarrassed."

"Did you, um…," Buffy tried to say as she focused on her sister.

"No, she didn't look too, B," Faith reassured her.

"Good," Buffy spoke with a happy sigh.

A second later, they heard Jessie tell them dinner was almost ready for everyone.

"Hey, D, promise us you won't tell J anything we told you. We weren't supposed to tell you about Bianca the psycho."

"It's five by five," Dawn remarked as they headed to the back door.

Dawn stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face the pool. Buffy and Faith watched in curiosity as Dawn chanted something they didn't understand. They sighed sadly as Dawn then made the pool vanish with a snap of her fingers. The couple cheered up again as they consumed the delicious dinner Jessie had prepared for everyone. However, things did get a little uncomfortable when Jessie learned that Buffy had found out about what had happened earlier.

December 5th, 2008; Rome, Italy; Buffy and Faith's new home.

Buffy and Faith were feeding their daughters dinner when they heard the phone ring. Buffy got up, grabbed the cordless phone on the kitchen island, and brought it back to the table.

"Hello?"

"Buffy?"

"Hi, Dawnie, what's up?"  
"Not much. How's Italy?"

"It's not too bad. We're feeding Jessica and Tara. They'll be going to bed soon."

"Oh, how are they doing?"

"They miss their Aunt Dawn and Aunt Jessie," Buffy said before she felt a tug on her arm, "Can I put this on speakerphone? I think they want to say hi to their aunt."

"Sure," Dawn agreed before pausing for a few seconds and then said sweetly, "Hi, Jessica, Hi, Tara. It's your aunt, Dawn."

"Hi, Aunt Dawn," Jessica replied just as sweetly.

"Hi, Aunt D," Tara said before smiling at Buffy and Faith.

Dawn giggled because the sweet voices of her nieces always made her do that.

"So what's wrong, Dawnie?"

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Because you called in that 'I have a problem, but I don't want them to know I have a problem.' tone."

"Ok, I need some advice."

"From me or both me and Faith?"

"Both would be good."

"Don't you normally get advice from your girlfriend?" Buffy inquired in an amused tone.

"Yeah."

"So then why are you asking us? Not that we mind, yo."

"Because it's about her."

"Is it about your five year anniversary that's coming up in less than a month or your birthdays that are a week away?" Buffy quizzed.

"You want some ideas on what to do or get for her?" Faith interrupted; annoying Buffy a little.

"Not exactly."

"Then what?"

"I…I h-have to b-break up w-with J-Jessie," Dawn stuttered.

"WHAT?" Buffy yelped before realizing she shouldn't have.

The next thing they all heard was the sounds of Jessica and Tara crying.

"Sshh, it's all right, girls. Mommy B didn't mean to shout, right, B?"

"I'm sorry, girls. I was just shocked by what Aunt Dawn just told us."

That seemed to quiet the girls down.

"Why do you have to break up with J, D?" Faith replied although she was one of three who already knew why.

"Yeah," Buffy interrupted this time, "You two are always really happy when we see you."

"Well, we have had fights before."

"Really?" Buffy gasped as she studied Faith, who kept on a straight face.

"Yeah, there was no name calling. Just minor arguments about leaving messes and whose turn it was to cook. They were brought on by the stress of studying when we were both in college. Now it's just J that gets a little stressed, but we never hold it against each other for long. By the end of the night, we always end up in each other's arms in bed."

"Then why? You still love her, don't you?" Buffy responded as she was becoming confused.

"Of course I do," Dawn answered as they could tell she sounded offended, which confused Buffy even more.

"But you just said…"

"I mean I still love her, but not in that way anymore. I kind of like someone else more."

"Do you know if this person feels the same way?" Faith prodded. _I know she does, and I'm sure J does too. _

"No, I don't," Dawn muttered.

"So let me get this straight," Buffy pried before being interrupted by laughter from both Dawn and Faith at the word 'straight', "You're going to break up with the first person you honestly fell in love with for someone who might not feel the same way?"

"Yeah. I know it's crazy, but I can't be with J if I'm thinking about this other person. She and I have always been honest with each other. I'm afraid I'm going to hurt her. I don't want to hurt her. Wh-What am I g-going to d-do?" Dawn whimpered before starting to cry.

"Oh, Dawnie, it's going to be ok. Like I said to Willow when she was having a hard time on deciding what to do when Oz came back, just be honest. If you're honest, she'll stay your best friend. Can you tell me who the other person is?"

"No, I can't. Not until I find out how they truly feel," Dawn explained while being happy that Buffy couldn't see her right now.

Faith was happy that Buffy wasn't staring at her for the moment, or she would have caught Faith rolling her eyes at her.

"What do you think, Faith?" Buffy added as she turned to gaze at Faith, who had quickly gone back to having a straight face.

"Yeah, be honest, yo. I'm sure J will stay your best friend. So when are you going to tell her?"

"She's going to be back in about three hours. She has a few more classes before her day is over. I'll tell her after we've finished dinner, which I'm going to prepare."

"Ok, good luck, D," Faith encouraged in a hopeful tone.

"Thanks, Faith."

"I hope things go well. If there are any problems, feel free to call us," Buffy offered honestly.

"Ok, give Jessica and Tara a kiss for me."

"Say goodbye to Aunt Dawn, girls," Buffy requested as she smiled at her daughters and held the phone in front of them.

"Goodbye," the girls declared together just loud enough to be heard on the other end.

"Goodbye, I love you."

"We love you too," they echoed just as easily as Dawn had done before Buffy ended the call.

"Do you have any idea on who Dawnie was talking about?" Buffy asked Faith, who was taking the girls' empty plates to the dishwasher.

"No." _Yeah, I know. I'm not going to be the one to tell her. She's probably going to flip when she finds out the truth._

"Oh, ok. I just hope everything turns out ok for her," Buffy muttered as she believed the lie Faith told her.

Three hours later

Dawn had been going over in her mind what exactly to say and what Jessie's possible responses could be. She listened to music while going over the words in her head. Dawn gulped at the sound of footsteps getting louder by the moment. She put on a happy face while inside she was racked with fear and sadness.

"Hey, D. How's my sweet girl doing? I'm so glad to be home," Jessie greeted after closing and locking the front door of their apartment before walking over to a nearby desk.

"I'm glad you are t-too," Dawn stuttered.

"That's always good to hear from a woman I love," Jessie announced as she set her books and her bag on the desk and hung up her coat before walking over to Dawn.

"What?" Dawn exclaimed at seeing Jessie arch an eyebrow at her.

"Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

"Maybe."

"I thought so. Excuse me for a few minutes. I need to go to the bathroom. When I come back, we can talk."

"Ok, good." _No, not good. Bad, very bad. Can I do this? I don't know, but I have to try. I owe it to her._

A few minutes later, Jessie returned, sat down beside Dawn on the couch, and gave her the smile that Dawn had fallen in love with at almost first sight. She felt herself starting to get choked up after seeing that.

"D, it's ok. You know you can tell me anything." _Is she actually going to say it?_

"Are you s-sure?"

"Definitely."

"J…, I…," Dawn said as she felt whatever courage she had quickly leaving until she saw the look Jessie was giving her, "You know, don't you?"

"Know what?" Jessie wondered with another arched eyebrow.

"You know what I need to say."

"I think so, but say it anyway to make sure."

"J-J, I…We…have to b-break u-up," Dawn insisted as she began sob lightly.

"Ok."

"Was I right?"

"Yeah, and I know why. It's because you love someone more and only love me as a best friend now."

"Uh huh," Dawn mumbled as she wasn't sure of what to think about the way Jessie was acting.

"I also know who it is because you dreamed about her the other night."

"How do you know I wasn't dreaming about you?"

"Because the last time I checked, I was a blonde haired slayer, not a redheaded witch," Jessie commented as tears made their way down each cheek.

"Oh no, I've hurt you. Please forgive me, I n-never m-meant to hurt y-you. You're one of the last ones I would want to hurt," Dawn babbled before sobbing louder and falling into Jessie's outstretched arms.

"I'm not hurt," Jessie confided softly.

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because…"

"Because?"

"Because you've fallen for someone who loves you just as much as you love her. You have to know something though. I REALLY tried to love you as much as you loved me, but I couldn't. I'm sorry."

"I know. Wait…What?"

"I said I tried to love you as much as you loved me, but I couldn't. I'm sorry."

"No, I got that. Can you repeat the first thing you said?"

"I said you've fallen for someone who loves you just as much as you love them."

"What makes you think that? Willow will never feel that way about me. I will always just be Buffy's little sister or the former Key," Dawn stated before sobbing again.

"I need to show you something," Jessie claimed as she turned on her laptop and went straight into her e-mail account, "Look at this."

Dawn checked out the screen and saw a list of folders along the left side of the screen. She looked closely at one titled "Red". Jessie clicked on it, and the folder opened to reveal three e-mails from Willow.

"What's this?"

"Just start reading the one at the bottom and work your way up to the most recent one. "

"Ok," Dawn complied as she started reading the first one.


	62. Chapter 62

Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer

Chapter 62

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: This is the final chapter. Jessie and Katie get back together and Dawn confesses her love for Willow by singing to her. Will Willow really feel the same way?

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either show

Reviews: I would like them. Constructive criticism is ok.

Author's notes: I'm sorry if after reading the beginning summary, you felt this story didn't live up to your hopes or expectations. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed this story. I also want to give a special shout out to those who left so many reviews that it broke a milestone of a 100 reviews. This chapter is dedicated to you. I promised no more Xander bashing. So when Xander runs his mouth again about Katie, Jessie doesn't hurt him. She only embarrasses him. The slightly edited statement made at the end is from the classic movie "Casablanca".

Jessie's current smile grew as Dawn began to get more emotional when she moved on to the second one. She could see tears coming as Dawn moved onto the third and final e-mail. When she was finished, she turned to Jessie.

"Well, what do you think about that?"

"Oh my god. She l-loves me t-too. Why didn't you or she tell me? And if she loves me, why is she with Serena?"

"She doesn't know you feel the same way. That's why she's with Serena right now. If Willow knew the truth, she'd probably dump her in a heartbeat. She knows some of us can barely stand Serena while the rest of us don't like her. I didn't tell you because I wanted to wait until you came to me. But if you hadn't come to me by our birthdays, I would have said something."

"How long have you known?"

"It started when you checked out her body, especially her butt, on the beach in Italy after all of the Scoobies went there for Jessica and Tara's second birthday."

"You saw that?"

"Yeah, the stare you gave her as she asked for help in putting on suntan lotion gave it away. Your feelings for her got stronger and the ones for me changed a bit after that."

"If you knew then, why did you want to continue the physical part of our relationship?"

"Because I saw you were struggling with your feelings for both of us and suddenly stopping would make you tell me before you were ready to admit it. Besides, why would I give up that part until I had to?" Jessie concluded with a smile.

"Do you think anyone else knows?"

"I think Faith is the only other one who knows since she and I shared a smirk when nobody else was watching us. So when are you going to tell Red you're in love with her?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure I can. I'd be too nervous to tell her."

"But you just saw that the love is mutual. How about I help you? Imagine I'm her."

"I can't. I'd feel weird doing that."

"What are best friends for?"

"Ok," Dawn relented before taking a breath, "I love you…"

"Try again," Jessie suggested after waiting for about twenty seconds.

"I love you, W…"

"Again. Third time's the charm."

"I love you, Willow."

"See that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"It was a little hard. So, um, what are you going to do now?"

"About what?"

"About Katie. You couldn't love me the same way I loved you because you still love her, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I don't think I ever stopped. Even after what happened between the two of us. I don't know if she feels the same, if she's worked on the jealousy, or even if she's still in England. I haven't heard from Jamie in awhile. And when I did she barely said anything about Katie. I've even talked to Tad, but he was the same way. So if she's no longer there, I wouldn't know where to look," Jessie admitted with a sad sigh.

"I do."

"What?" Jessie gasped as she looked wide eyed at her.

"When Buffy and Faith went to Italy again, they saw Katie. They went to some beach in Sperlonga after checking out homes in Rome. She was on the beach selling sketches when they got there."

"And?" Jessie said anxiously, putting a smile on Dawn's face.

"She has worked on her jealousy and still loves you. But she also told them that if you're happy with me, then she won't interfere. She just wants you to be happy, even if it's not with her."

"R-Really?"

"Yes."

"So then she lives in…Sperlonga?"

"No, she's in Rome too. The beaches in Sperlonga are just kind of popular places to visit near Rome as far as beaches are concerned."

"Then let's go see our girls…I mean women and tell them we love them. If it's true, then we won't have anything to worry about. There's something else we need to do first."

"What's that?" Dawn asked before seeing Jessie untucking her shirt and pulling it up, "You want to do it one more time?"

"No, not that, silly girl. I mean this," Jessie stated with a giggle as she turned around and showed Dawn her lower back.

It took Dawn about five seconds before it sunk in.

"Oh, right, the tattoo," Dawn giggled back.

"You still know the word or words to reverse it, right?"

"Yes," Dawn confirmed as she gently put her hand on Jessie's back and chanted the words to reverse the glamour spell.

"Is it visible again?" Jessie questioned as she shivered at the tingling sensation caused by the reversal.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, it just tingled a little. That's all."

"Ok, it looks great," Dawn claimed before they hugged each other, "When do you want to go to Italy?"

"Since it's after 10:00 PM there, how about we leave here around 9:00 AM tomorrow? It will be around 3:00 PM there."

"That sounds good. When should we, I mean I tell Willow?"

"How about on our birthdays? All of our friends are coming. We could do the whole trip to a karaoke bar again."

"Alright, but I don't know what song to sing to her."

"Since Willow's bringing Serena, I got one that will get the point across and be entertaining to everyone who watches you sing."

"What song?"

"How about Avril Lavigne's 'Girlfriend'? Although, some of the lyrics don't apply since the two of us and Faith are the only ones who know."

"I don't know."

"It will be great. Willow will find out and dump her."

"But what if Buffy freaks when she finds out her only sister is in love with her best friend, especially when that same friend confessed her feelings for her years ago?"

"She might freak at first. If she sees how happy you are though, then it might make it easier. Be willing to give her time to get used to it."

"Alright."

After having dinner an hour later, they spent the rest of the night watching their favorite movies and talking about all of the good times they had as a couple.

The next day, a little bit before 9:00 AM EST, Dawn and Jessie's apartment

"Are you ready?" Dawn began as she was getting out the supplies for the teleportation spell.

"Yeah, how do I look?" Jessie inquired as she strolled into the family room in the nicest pair of jeans she had and a nice long sleeve shirt, and the cross necklace Dawn had gotten her from their first Christmas together.

"You're beautiful."

"How beautiful?"

"So beautiful that if we were still a couple, we'd be back in the bedroom by now."

"Thank you," Jessie stated with a smile before hugging Dawn and giving her a friendly kiss on her cheek.

"Well, everything's ready, so just put on some shoes and a coat."

Jessie smiled before putting on her shoes, a coat, and the beret she still wore frequently. About five minute later, Jessie and Dawn were standing outside the front door of Katie's apartment

"Are you ready?" Dawn asked for the second time in ten minutes.

"I think so. But what if she's not there, or if she's not alone, or is getting ready to leave, or…," Jessie babbled nervously before seeing how amusing her best friend found it to be, "Great, I'm nervous, and you're trying not to laugh at me."

"Yesterday, you said we had nothing to worry about. What changed?"

"A lot can happen in a day," Jessie answered before looking around to see if Katie was anywhere close outside or if she was watching from a window.

"The day has just begun."

"For us, yes, but not for her."

"Hide around that corner," Dawn requested as she pointed to the corner to their right, "When and if Katie answers the door, the first thing she'll ask is why I'm here. I'll tell her I want to know if what she told Buffy and Faith is true. If it's true, I'll say I have a surprise for her. Then you come back here. And we'll see what happens from there."

"Alright," Jessie consented softly before walking around the corner and hiding.

Less than a minute later, Dawn rang Katie's doorbell and waited anxiously to see Katie's initial reaction.

"Dawn, I didn't expect to see you here. Since it's obvious how you found me, why are you here?" Katie greeted as she tried to see if either Buffy or Faith were close by.

"I want to know if what you told Buffy almost four months ago was or is still true."  
"We talked about a lot of things. What are you referring to?" Katie prodded with a smile before gently biting her lower lip.

"Do you really still love Jessie?" Dawn pried before playfully rolling her eyes at the woman standing in front of her.

"Why do you want to know?" Katie continued as she became uncomfortable at the expression Dawn was giving her.

"Because it's important."

"If you really want to know, yes, I do. Like I told Buffy and Faith, I am still in love with Jessie. But I won't interfere if you two are in love with each other. Are you happy now?"

"Yes, and now I have a surprise for you."

"What is…," Katie began to reply but was interrupted as Dawn took a few steps to her left and Jessie strolled over and stood right in front of Katie.

"J-Jessie, is that really y-you?"

"Yes, can we…," Jessie started to say before giggling and nodding toward to the opened apartment door.

"Oh, right, come in," Katie insisted as she stepped back, so they could enter before closing the door behind them.

"Nice place," Dawn and Jessie commented together before giggling at how they had just talked at the same time.

"Th-Thanks," Katie stuttered while becoming even more uncomfortable.

Her guests inspected the room until Dawn nudged Jessie's arm and pointed to an open doorway.

"Not again," Katie groaned before she tried to beat her guests to her opened bedroom door and failed again as Dawn leaned up against the door.

"Let me close the door, Dawn."

"What's the big deal? We've both seen her naked, and there are no kids around this time," Dawn chuckled as she gazed at the painting still hanging on the bedroom wall.

"I didn't think you'd keep it after what happened," Jessie exclaimed while not being embarrassed that both exes were looking at the painting.

"Does it bother either of you that I did?"

"No, I would have kept it too," Dawn revealed.

"Would you two like to sit down while I get something for us to drink?"

"Yes, I would," Jessie informed her with a smile before heading back to the couch.

"Me too," Dawn decided as she joined Jessie and saw the framed picture of Buffy, Faith, Jessica, and Tara sitting on the family couch, "Did you ask for a copy of that picture or did they just give it to you when you saw them in August?"

"I asked, and they let me have it. I didn't want a copy of the other one I saw."

"Which one was that?" Jessie challenged with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"The one of you two holding them on the same couch while Dawn, Jessica, and Tara were sound asleep and you were on the verge of falling asleep."

"Oh, I'm sorry if you were upset after seeing that," Dawn told her with complete honesty.

"Well, it was an innocent picture, but I didn't like seeing it."

"So what happened to that one?"

"After Buffy and Faith left, I saw it sticking out of one of the pockets of Jamie's bag. She denied what it was, but confessed after I took it out of the bag."

"Jamie has it?" Jessie quizzed with a smile, "How is she doing? I haven't heard from her in about three months."

"What was the last thing you remember talking about?"

"She kind of let it slip out that she had fallen for you in the past, but that you didn't feel the same way. And that you two previously had a 'friends with benefits' relationship."

"Jessie, I…"

"Which is none of my business because it's your and Jamie's personal lives, not mine. She also mentioned how she went on a few dates with some girl named Brooke and how they met at Spring Break," Jessie replied with a laugh.

"How did they meet?" Dawn wondered after watching Katie join in on the laughter.

Dawn listened closely as Jessie told her everything she knew about it. After hearing it, Dawn had to laugh too.

"Ok, let's get back to what brought you here," Katie advised calmly.

"We came because we thought you should know that D and I broke up. If you have changed and still love me, I would like to give US another shot. How about it, Katie?"

"Why did you break up?"

"Because Dawn loves someone else, and I could never love her as much as I love you. To be honest, I tried and failed."

"So you're saying that you want to let me back into your heart?" Katie responded as she began to cry.

"Katie," Jessie announced as she placed her hands on Katie's cheeks and made her look her in the eyes, "You don't have to be let back in. You NEVER left it."

This made Katie cry a little bit more.

"Even after what I did to…both of you?"

"Yes. The ultimatum and the insults that followed moved you into to a smaller space in my heart," Jessie confessed as she grabbed one of Katie's hands, placed it over her heart, and took a deep breath, "But you remained here."

Katie wiped away a few tears as she could almost feel Jessie's heart beating under her hand. When Katie saw Dawn smirking at her, she blushed and pulled her hand away from Jessie.

"What about you?" Katie muttered as she turned to Dawn, who was still smirking, "Who are you in love with now?"

"I can't tell you now."

"Then when?"

"Next Friday."

"Your birthday?" Katie guessed as she faced Jessie.

"Actually, it's her birthday too."

"Really? So you want to tell the girl you love her on your birthday?" Katie spoke as she turned back to Dawn.

"Yeah."

"But what if she doesn't feel the same way?" Katie wondered and immediately took a step back as Dawn faked a glare, "Not that she couldn't because you're beautiful."

"Chill, yo. D's only kidding with that glare."

After seeing Dawn smile again and hearing Jessie talk like Faith, Katie laughed.

"I've missed that."

"Missed what? Me talking like Faith?"

"Yeah, I never told you this before, but it kind of turned me on hearing you talk like that."

"Even after those accusations?"

"Uh huh," Katie divulged a little timidly.

"So can you come to our birthday party? I mean it would kind of suck if my girlfriend couldn't make it."

"Sure, I can make it. Will Dawn be teleporting me there?"

"Of course I would," Dawn agreed before looking at her best friend, "Consider that your birthday present from me."

"Wicked," Jessie declared with a giggle that was instantly followed by laughs from Dawn and Katie.

December 12th, 2008; Dawn and Jessie's birthdays; Boston, MA

Jessie, Katie, the rest of the Scoobies, Grace, Vi, and Serena met up at a local karaoke business where they had reserved a room for the party. Dawn, Jessie, and Katie made sure they were the first to get there. As far as their guests, not counting Buffy and Faith, knew, Dawn and Jessie were broken up but didn't know why. When the rest arrived to see Katie sitting with Jessie and Dawn, there was complete silence. Jessie and Katie left briefly to check on the drink orders. While they were making their way back, Jessie heard Xander talking.

"Pardon me for asking this, Grace, but is your stepsister crazy?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because she broke up with Dawn to get back with an ex who broke her heart and called Dawn a slut."

"It was a mutual break up," Dawn assured him.

"Whatever, it doesn't make it much less crazy."

"Xander, you should really watch what you say. J could be back any second," Faith reminded him as the rest nodded in agreement.

"I think I still have a few…," he assumed before being interrupted and lifted easily out of his chair by Jessie, who held him up like a weightlifter.

"You think you still have a few what, Xander?" Jessie warned as she glanced around to see everyone's reactions while smirking.

Faith, Grace, Katie, and Serena - huge smirks followed by laughter

Buffy, Willow, and Vi - nervous looks between the three of them, Jessie, and Xander

Dawn - nervous chuckling

"Jessie, please let him down," Vi almost begged.

"Apologize to Jessie and Katie," Buffy and Dawn demanded.

"Please don't hurt him," Willow pleaded lightly.

"I'm s-sorry, Jessie. I'm sorry, Katie. Can you let me down now?" he asked a little anxiously.

Everyone smiled as Jessie carefully set him back on his feet.

"I would never hurt D like that. She's right though. It was a mutual break up."

"But why? You were so good together," Grace asserted before turning to Katie, "I'm sorry, Katie, but they were."

"I know. I'm just glad I got her back," Katie mumbled before shifting to face to Jessie, "I'm never going to let something break us apart ever again, B…"

"It's alright, hotstuff. You can call me Billie again," Jessie affirmed before sharing a smirk with Faith over calling Katie "hotstuff".

"If it was mutual, then why did you break up with my stepsister, Dawn?" Grace grumbled with a slight frown.

When Dawn's only response was to look over at Jessie while biting her lip, Jessie gave Grace the reason as the rest of them leaned in to hear it.

"Because she's in love with someone else."

"Who is it?" Buffy interjected before the rest of them could.

Everyone seemed to miss the brief glimpse shared between Dawn, Faith, and Jessie.

"I think D and I have some candles to blow out and presents to open before she tells you that."

Buffy and Katie lit the candles for the birthday girls. They all smiled as the girls obviously made a wish before blowing out all of the candles. Then Dawn and Jessie opened their presents. After that, the gang basically begged for Dawn to reveal who Jessie was talking about. Dawn agreed to let them know who it was by singing to that person. They all started to get excited as Dawn winked at Jessie and selected her song. She explained that even though some of the words didn't exactly apply yet, it would explain in the best way how she felt about the person she would be singing to. The next thing they saw was Dawn chanting a few words and waving her hand in front of Willow and Serena. They watched as the couple seemed to be unable to get out of their seats and Willow's chair moved until it was in front of the table. Dawn gave Jessie another wink before starting up the song.

It was safe to say almost everybody's eyes bugged out and mouths hung open at hearing Dawn sing Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" to Willow. They continued to watch in shock as Dawn did some of Avril's moves during the music video. As Dawn sang, they couldn't stop themselves from looking back and forth between Willow and Dawn. The attention also turned to Jessie after Willow stared at the blonde in shock before gaping at Dawn. Buffy and Xander almost fell out of their seats as Dawn actually sat down on Willow's lap and sang about what she wanted Willow to do to Serena before getting back up and continuing to sing. At hearing herself be called stupid, Serena became absolutely livid and tried repeatedly to get out of her seat, only to fail each time. After the song was over, Dawn waited for everybody's reaction.

Grace, Katie, and Vi - loud applause

Jessie - smiling while hugging Dawn for a job well done

Faith - loud applause with a shout of "Wicked, yo!" thrown in

Buffy and Xander - silence due to still being in shock

Willow - sitting there quietly with tears running down her cheeks

Serena - yelling to be released immediately

"I'll let you go as long as you don't try to put your hands on me," Dawn insisted even though Jessie and Faith were quick to stand close enough to stop any kind of attack.

"Fine," she spat. As soon as they were released from the spell, Serena turned to Willow, "Are you going to stand there and let her get away with calling me stupid and everything else she said about me?"

"Don't forget about the almost lap dance," Faith added as she happily cut into the rant by Willow's current girlfriend.

"I'm your girlfriend. She's just your best friend's sister with a history of whining," Serena described before sneering at Dawn and Faith.

"Do you really love me, Dawnie?"

"Yes, I do," Dawn promised loud enough for everyone to hear as the redhead moved closer to her.

"I can't believe you asked her that. Are you going to pick that whiny brat over me?"

Just as Willow was going to answer, she was interrupted by Jessie.

"D never whined around me. Sure, she giggled, laughed, smirked, moaned, and one night even let out a whimper or two but never whined," Jessie taunted with a laugh.

There were a few gasps as Dawn blushed and looked down at the floor.

"Dang, J. You made her whimper?"

"Faith, shut up," Buffy commanded before glaring at Jessie.

"Yeah, I believe it was on our one year anniversary."

"Jessie, shut up. I don't want to hear you talk about my sister like that."

"Well, Willow?" Serena asked irately, "Who's it going to be, me or the whiny brat?"

Willow gave her an answer by making Serena vanish right before their eyes with a snap of her fingers.

"So you choose me?"

"Yes, but I have to know one thing before we get together."

"What is it?"

"How can you be sure you love me? I mean how do you know that in around five years you won't fall for someone else?"

Dawn smiled at Buffy before facing Willow again, which confused Buffy.

"Because once you fall for Willow, you stay fallen."

After hearing Dawn tell her the same thing Buffy had told her years ago, Willow kissed Dawn softly on the lips and hugged her as more tears fell down her cheeks. When she stepped back to stare into Dawn's eyes, everyone noticed her tear streaked cheeks. They all remained silent as Willow felt a finger tapping her shoulder. At seeing the look of slight fear on Dawn's face, she turned around to see Buffy eyeing her without saying a word.

"B-Buffy, I…," Willow began but was stopped by the blonde raising a finger to silence her.

"Before you say another word, listen to what I have to say and answer as quickly and honestly as you can. Do you love Dawn as much as she loves you?"

"Y-Yeah. I never thought I would feel that way about her, but I do. I didn't know she'd feel the same way too."

"How did this happen?"

"Do you remember the times I called for advice or needed a shoulder to cry on?"

"Yes."

"Well, I wanted a second opinion, so I called her too. The few times I couldn't get a hold of you, I called her again. She let me come over to cry on her shoulder," Willow explained as she shared a smile with Jessie.

"Ok," Buffy conceded before turning to Jessie, "You knew and didn't tell me?"

"It wasn't my place to tell you, B."

"When did you realize that Dawnie loved or was at least falling for her?"

"When Faith and I caught her checking out Willow's body at the beach during Jessica and Tara's second birthday. She seemed to be almost hypnotized by Red's butt. Not that I can blame her for ogling."

"I was not," Dawn denied weakly as Katie playfully slapped Jessie on the arm.

"Don't lie, J and I saw you almost drool when she laid down on her stomach and asked you to help to apply lotion since Serena was getting drinks for both of them."

"Ok, maybe I stared. But not enough to almost drool."

"So are you going to be ok with Dawnie and I being together?" Willow questioned her best friend.

"Yes, given a little time to get used to it."

"Told you so, D," Jessie said with a smirk.

The rest of the time there was spent as each person sang a song or two while trying not to make Grace feel left out for not being part of a couple. Jessie had asked her why she didn't bring the guy she was seeing back in New York. Grace mentioned it was because they had just met, and she wasn't ready for him to meet any of her family. As Grace described the new man in her life, Jessie and Katie realized Grace was possibly talking about Jamie's brother, Justin. They asked her a few questions to make sure and laughed when Grace found out they were right. After telling the Scoobies who he was, the rest laughed along with Jessie. They had also decided to torture Xander since he was the only guy in their group.

When he returned from the restroom, Jessie and Katie sang "All The Things She Said" by the faux lesbian duo, Tatu. It only got worse for him as he, Vi, and Grace watched as the other six kissed during part of the song. They finished the torture as Vi abruptly kissed Grace for a few seconds before singing "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry. After some laughs at his reaction, the gang decided to call it a night. In the next few months that followed, Dawn moved to Brazil to be with Willow while Katie left Italy to move in with Jessie. Katie had been lucky enough to be able find a job with an advertising company in the Boston area. She and Jessie had found a nice apartment there. Katie would drop Jessie off at Harvard for her morning classes before going to work. She would then pick up Jessie after work.

About a year and a half later; Boston, MA; Jessie and Katie's wedding reception

It had only taken a year for Jessie and Katie to get back to how things were before their break up in England. On their anniversary, Katie nervously proposed to Jessie, who immediately accepted it. The wedding ceremony had been absolutely beautiful. From the first moment of seeing Jessica and Tara as flower girls to the I do's, Karen and Lily couldn't stop themselves from occasionally crying tears of joy. Buffy and Faith had sniffled at seeing how well their daughters did their job. Jessie had chosen Grace as her maid of honor and Dawn as a bridesmaid. Katie had picked Jamie to be her maid of honor and Brooke as a bridesmaid. Katie had even gotten Tad to give her away. Jessie and Katie had chosen "God Bless The Child" to be the song for their first dance as a married couple.

Everyone got at least a little choked up as Jessie and Rick danced to "Butterfly Kisses" during the father/daughter dance. It got stronger as they saw a couple of tears fall down both Jessie and Rick's cheeks. When it came time for the bouquet and garter tosses, Dawn had caught Jessie's bouquet while Grace caught Katie's. Jessie and Katie took great pleasure from the whistles they got from their friends when they slowly and seductively removed each other's garter. The silence and nervous looks shared among the Scoobies after Dawn's catch returned as Willow caught Jessie's garter. This was broken by Jamie's laughter as Justin had caught Katie's garter.

"Katie," Jessie started the conversation during the first slow song after the tosses.

"Yeah, Billie?"

"I can't believe you gave up Italy for me. I'm also sorry that your family still hasn't accepted you and returned our invitation unopened with you know what written on the back."

"I would give up my life for you, Billie. As for my so called family, forget them. I had years ago. Besides, you and your family are my family now."

"Oh, Katie," Jessie murmured before she almost broke down in front of her wife and kissed her softly on the lips.

When they looked around, they realized that her sister slayers, Dawn, and Willow had heard the talk. They smiled as Buffy, Dawn, and Willow wiped away tears before continuing the dance. Then they saw the rest of their guests smiling at the simple display of affection they had witnessed. As they observed Grace and Justin dancing with each other, they both began giggling.

"I never thought Grace would fall for someone who's a Star Wars fan," Katie revealed as she tried not to laugh.

"Yeah, me either," Jessie admitted with a giggle, "I still can't believe she found the way he told her he loved her adorable."

"How did he say it? You haven't told me that yet."

Jessie and Katie peered around at Jessie's Scooby friends, who were obviously still listening.

"Grace, fallen in love with you I have," Jessie stated in a Yoda impersonation.

"Oh my god, did he really say it like that?" Katie inquired before laughing.

"Kidding I am not," Jessie replied in another Yoda impersonation.

"What did Grace say after that?"

"I believe her exact words after telling him she loved him too were, 'Of all the doughnut shops, in all the towns, in all the world, I walked into yours.' The funny thing is he understood where she got that from. I think Jamie probably reminded him though."

Jessie couldn't hold in her laughter, which was followed by almost everyone before the attention turned to Grace and Justin. When Grace saw this, she knew what had been said. She rolled her eyes at Jessie and Katie before laughing herself. After Grace confided to Justin that everyone knew that now, he began blushing bright red. It only got brighter when he saw Jamie laughing at him.

The End


	63. Chapter 63

Changes and a challenge

I just thought I'd let you know that I've made some changes over the past three months or more to my story, Jessie Sammler, Vampire Slayer. This will hopefully clear up some earlier confusion about who was talking during some of the conversations; which was mentioned in a few reviews. I would like to also issue a challenge to anyone else to try and write a crossover with these shows.


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Once and Again, Romance, Supernatural