The soft purr had been rumbling out of her non-stop for almost an hour. She now understood why panthers, why cats in general, purred. Her belly was full from all the spicy Thai food that she and Buffy had fed each other. Her body had not one ache, not one ounce of tension in it, thanks to Buffy who had given her the best massage she had ever gotten in her life. Buffy had worked, kneaded, stroked, and soothed every muscle in her body from the bottom of her feet to the tips of her fingers. She arched her back into the light scratching of Buffy's nails down her spine, her purring deepening and gaining volume.

"I take it you like this tickling-scratching, whatever-ya-wanna-call-it thingy too." Buffy chuckled and received a hummed-purred yes from Faith who was getting into the whole acting like a feline to the max.

She continued to run her fingertips and nails across the expanse of Faith's back, enjoying the sound of Faith purring from deep inside. She was more tickling, rather than scratching and it was something that Buffy actually liked having done to her. The touch wasn't meant to arouse, it was more of a comforting, loving, soothing touch. It was what she knew Faith would have called one of those 'just because' type of touches. The kind of touch that Buffy knew meant more to Faith than any sexual touch ever could. These were the touches that made Faith feel cherished, loved, special. The kind of touches that Faith had seen others share but had never experienced herself, until Buffy. And Buffy had made it her own secret mission to give them to Faith every chance she could.

Over the last few months Buffy had watched Faith learn that 'just because' touches, while different, weren't exclusive to just lovers. They were the friendly arm around her shoulder from Willow, or the spontaneous hugs from Tara. The kisses on the cheek and hugs the Immortals bestowed when they visited. It was Angel's hand upon her shoulder or his arm around her waist, or even Spike's gentle touch upon her arm. It was in one of Anya's impulsive squeeze-the-breath-right-out-of-you hugs. To Dawn who loved to sit behind Faith and braid her hair or jump on her lap to snuggle-hide when they watched a scary movie, which both Slayers found hysterical given where they lived. To Cordelia who had discovered she was ticklish, or Gunn's playful punch on the arm and Fred who would always hold Faith's arm when they walked. James and Gary's chic, though clich�d kiss on either cheek greeting. Xander's shy, though tight bear hugs. To Giles and Wesley, much to Buffy's amusement and Faith's chagrin, who liked to stroke Faith's hair or pat her head when they passed by her.

Buffy watched; watched as Faith's face lit up with joy and amazement each time it happened. Watched as she slowly relaxed and began to return the gestures, little by little, over time with other's besides her. Buffy watched with a warmth that suffused her soul as Faith learned what it meant to have a family and people who loved you, 'just because.' Buffy watched and she learned as well.

Her fingers hesitated as she brushed over the scars on Faith's shoulder. Her eyes refocused on Faith's back and she watched as her hand which seemed to have a mind of its own start to follow the lines of the scars. Normally she avoided the numerous scars Faith had that weren't from Slaying, but tonight she gave into an urge, a need she had, had deep-down inside since the day she first realized how Faith had gotten the scars. Buffy wished with all that she was, she could just erase the scars and the painful memories they carried, with the pads of her fingers. If she couldn't erase them, then she wanted to replace the memories they elicited with a touch, a feeling, a memory of her own. She felt Faith tense as her fingertips traversed them, then relax as if she too wanted Buffy to replace their memory with something of her own, of theirs together.

Her touch became calming, soothing, gentle and light, as if her love for Faith flowed out through the tips of her fingers. She traced each scar with a reverence for the woman who had survived and the spirit that lived within her. She leaned down over Faith and placed delicate, kind, loving small kisses along them. Her touch and kisses speaking of innocence, life, joy, love, all the good things in life, all the things they shared together. She searched out with her Slayer eyes each and every scar and even those from the images that Faith had shared with her through their bond. Praying silently as she found them that somehow, the internal scars that they had created would begin to heal as well.

Faith flinched, then tensed when she first felt Buffy stroking along the scars on her shoulder. Her immediate reaction was to pull away, cover herself and hide in shame. Then it was almost as if she could actually hear, not just feel Buffy through their bond and she understood what Buffy wanted, wished she could do. She relaxed under Buffy's compassionate, caring touch and let herself finally, after all these years, truly begin to heal. She rolled over onto her back at Buffy's tender urging and felt as Buffy began again to search out with her hands and soft kisses all her scars, both external and internal and even the bite marks on the inside of her thigh. Every touch, every small kiss brought a new sense of wholeness and well-being to her. A sense of being loved, cherished, adored, cared for, wanted, clean and whole, in a way that transcended words and even the bond they shared.

It wasn't until Buffy began to touch, kiss the knife scar on her abdomen that Faith felt the wash of tears on her skin. She reached down her hand and tried gently to pull Buffy up to her and away from the knife scar. Buffy's trembling, whispered 'no' floated to her and she stopped trying to move Buffy away, understanding Buffy's need to erase this scar too. The only scar on her body that was from Buffy's own hand. Buffy needed to do this, so she too could truly begin to heal and forgive herself. So, Faith moved her hand, resting it lightly, lovingly on Buffy's back, letting her own tears flow with Buffy's and let her replace the memory associated with this scar with another, one that was of love instead of hate.

When Buffy finally moved up and lay next to Faith, Faith gently rolled her onto her stomach. And then she too sought out and found all the scars both external and internal that Buffy bore. Touching and placing small kisses on Buffy, with the same intent, same emotions as Buffy had on her.

It was, in a way, a cleansing for them both, a final letting go, a replacing of the hate that had been between them, the guilt they both had, from not only their shared past, but their time spent in Glory's hell. And they replaced that hate and guilt with the unconditional, eternal love they now had for each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had fallen asleep curled up in each other's arms, drained by the emotions their spontaneous ritual had stirred up within them. Faith woke up first and just lay watching Buffy as she slept. All the worries and cares gone from her face in sleep, making her look much younger then her twenty-one years. The lyrics from a song ran through her head as she listened to her soul-mate's even steady breathing;

'I'm finding my way back to sanity again -- Though I don't really know what i'm gonna do when i get there -- I take a breath and hold on tight -- Spin around one more time -- And gracefully fall back to the arms of grace -- Cause I am hanging on every word you're saying -- Even if you don't wanna speak tonight -- That's alright, alright with me -- Cause I want nothing more than to sit outside heaven's door -- And listen to you breathing -- Its where i wanna be, yeah -- Where I wanna be'

Angel, Cordy, Wesley, Buffy, all of them had helped her to find her way back to sanity. Even Joyce, Buffy and Dawn's Mom had helped her to find her way back. If Joyce hadn't been in the courthouse that day to convince the Judge to call Angel instead of institutionalizing her because of her mental state, she would have ended up in some state-run loony-bin. A loony-bin where the Watcher's Council could have easily gotten to her and eliminated her or alternatively where she would have spent the rest of her life locked up and drugged out of her mind.

Like in the song, she had headed towards sanity blindly with no idea what she was going to do when she got there. It hadn't stopped her from making the trip, she had dug her heels in and planted herself firmly on the road towards her own redemption, her own forgiveness. She had taken a few falls, gotten a few scrapes and had a whole ocean full of doubt, but she had held on tight. Held on and headed towards that light at the end of the dark tunnel that had been her life.

Along the way, she had found that when she fell or needed a helping hand, that the arms of grace for her, had worn many different faces. And she had lucked out in a way that she had only dreamed of, because she didn't need to sit outside heaven's door, because the door had been swung wide-open and she had been welcomed by many wide-open loving arms. Here, with Buffy, here with all of them, was beyond doubt where she wanted to be. Where she intended always to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She watched Buffy sleep for a good half-hour before she decided to wake her. Wake her like she normally woke Buffy in the morning, with soft kisses and slow touches, bringing Buffy to that in-between place, where the world only consisted of the two of them. To Faith it felt like forever since either of them had woken the other that way, in reality, it had only been two weeks. She lowered her head, dusting whisper-light kisses over all the contours of Buffy's sleeping, peaceful, beautiful face.

Inevitably, she made her way to Buffy's mouth and just as inevitably, she pulled Buffy's bottom lip between her own. There was just something about Buffy's pouty bottom lip that got to Faith every time. Maybe it was how cute Buffy looked when she pouted, or maybe it was just how sweet it always tasted in her mouth. Whatever it was, Faith had never been able to resist it or Buffy when she pouted. And Buffy knew it. What Faith thought Buffy didn't know was that she knew Buffy had the same little obsession with her bottom lip and pout as she did with Buffy's. She was wrong, Buffy knew that too.

She nibbled, sucked, and flicked feather-like touches with her tongue along the line of Buffy's bottom lip. Making her way eventually to offer up the same sweet caresses to Buffy's upper lip too. It was just as inevitable too, that she would finally seek out and capture both sweet lips with her own. Her kiss just a whisper, her tongue delicate as it traced along between the line that separated Buffy's lips coaxing them to open for her. A small moan escaped her when Buffy's lips parted and allowed her access to the warm cavern of her mouth. Another moan escaped her when she felt Buffy's hands come up around her neck to tangle themselves in her hair.

She moved herself over on top of Buffy, one of her legs slipping in-between Buffy's. She rubbed her body along the length of Buffy's, the oil making her slide much more easier, much more sensually. She deepened their kiss, half moaning, half purring, as she continued to slide, rub against her Light Slayer, acting once again like the cat she was so often compared to. She knew Buffy was awake, when Buffy's mouth began to dance with hers in their own private erotic ballet.

The slow burning ember's of her desire began to flare brightly again. Her desire was, always would be Buffy and could only be quenched with Buffy. Her mate sang through her veins in so many different ways that Faith didn't think she would ever have enough time to count them all. It was amazing, awe-inspiring and something she had until recently thought only existed in the fairytale fantasy of the sugar-sweet gothic romances she had read to escape from reality when she was younger. She finally understood that need, that feeling, that want, so often depicted in novels, the need to be closer, to want to crawl underneath their lover's flesh, to become a part of them.

Even though she had desired it, she had always thought that the need for someone to love her, made you weak, and weak was something Faith had never wanted to be. The craving for another, the need to feel that close to someone, the whispered words of nonsense and love; flowers, romantic cards, candlelit dinners, holding hands, just because touches and kisses, spontaneous hugs, all of it made you weak and vulnerable. So, she had pushed people away, kept them at arms length and pretended not to give a shit. She had been wrong. So wrong. She knew that now. Loving, being loved, and asking for help, needing someone, it didn't make you weak, it made you strong. Strong in ways she hadn't ever thought of, had realized existed. It was a strength that came from deep inside and made her feel like everything and anything was possible.

She wanted all of that with Buffy and in a sudden moment of clarity, she realized that she already did have all of it with Buffy. Everyday they gained, experienced and became more with and to each other. She broke their kiss and lifted her head up. She stared down at Buffy, watching as Buffy's tongue peeked out to taste and trace along her own lips, a soft sigh of longing escaping at the same time. Faith watched her and waited for Buffy to open her eyes, waited to see the window's to her mate's soul.

"Like when you wake me this way Fai..." Buffy husked as she slowly opened her eyes.

This time, it was Buffy, who opened heavy eyes to pools of iridescent chocolate-emerald-flecked eyes staring down lovingly at her.

"'S good 'cause I like wakin' you this way B..." Faith husked back.

Buffy felt Faith's fingertips start to roam down over her side and stomach. For a second she had thought it was nothing more than a slight breeze, Faith's touch was so light. But, a breeze had never caused her body to tingle, to heat up, to feel what Faith's touch always made her feel. She relished the weight of Faith's body resting so intimately entwined on top of hers. It was exquisite; it was a feeling that was familiar and new at the same time, every time. A feeling she had never had with another lover, this fitting together like jigsaw puzzle pieces, this rightness.

"And Fai... this is where you're supposed to be." Buffy whispered low, then a bewildered look crossed her face, she hadn't a clue why she had said that, there had just been an almost overwhelming need to say it to Faith. She noticed a stunned look cross Faith's face, "I haven't a clue why I just said that."

"I do." Faith smiled down at Buffy and sensed in an almost surreal way that their bond had expanded or grown in some subtle way tonight. "I was watching you while you slept and listening to you breathe. The sound of your breathing was soothing somehow, and I started to think about how I got here and in my head..."

"You started hearing a song..." Buffy finished for her, the image of Faith watching her sleep and the song started to play in her own head as it drifted to her through their bond. Like Faith, she realized that in some way their bond had changed, had become something more. "You know, you're the one who brought me back to sanity. You were, are, the arms of grace that caught me, gave me shelter and so much more when I stumbled and fell. And you still are and always will be Faith."

Faith moved her arms up so that they were on either side of Buffy's head. She leaned up on her elbows, her hands cupping each side of Buffy's face, her gaze seeing past Buffy's dilated pupils to the heart, the soul of the woman that was her soul-mate. The woman, who was the light to her dark, the dark to her light, her mentor, her pupil, her lover, her best friend, her home and was once again awed, amazed to see all those same emotions reflected back and felt for her in Buffy's eyes.

Just as it was only minutes before, it was inevitable that Faith leaned down to capture Buffy's mouth for a soul-searing kiss.

Just like, it was inevitable that Buffy leaned up to capture Faith's mouth for a soul-searing kiss at the same time.

Just like it was inevitable that their kiss changed from one of a simple expression of love to a kiss of passion, of desire and of love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith worshipped Buffy with her hands, her mouth. She couldn't seemed to get enough of the silken, creamy texture of Buffy's skin, or the feel of the muscles rippling at her touch. Nor could she get enough of the taste of Buffy in her mouth, on her lips, on her tongue. The small sighs, moans, whimpers Buffy made were music to her ears, food for her soul.

She sat up straddling Buffy's thighs, trapping them in-between her own. A slow, lazy sensual grin, that was innate to Faith herself, spread across her face at Buffy's groan of protest. A shudder screamed through her as Buffy slid her hands along each of her thighs, then she watched as the same slow, innate sensual grin spread across Buffy's face.

In an exaggerated, languid move, Faith bent from the waist, placed a hand on either side of Buffy's chest and unhurriedly lowered herself down towards Buffy. She stopped lowering herself when her nipples brushed against Buffy's. She fixed her eyes on Buffy's face, watching her reaction as she lethargically began to tease herself and Buffy as she circled Buffy's nipples with her own. She slid her legs out straight, then in a graceful move casually slipped both of hers between Buffy's, not once taking her eyes off Buffy's face. Her whole body now brushing lightly in the same teasingly leisurely circles against the whole of Buffy's. A ragged moan escaped her as she felt Buffy's body arch into her to join her in this slow, passionate dance.

Neither had any thought of shutting down the part of their bond that allowed them to feel the ghost-like sensation of how the other was being touched. It was otherworldly in a way, but it also deepened the impact, the feelings that echoed through their bond when they touched.

In the beginning for Buffy, after their return from hell, this shadow-like touch had let her know that Faith did indeed welcome her touch, had guided her on where and how to touch Faith. For Faith, after their return, it had given her the chance to remember without a real touch how it felt to be touched or made love to in a certain way. It had helped both Slayers to acknowledge fears, limits, and to erase, replace little by little his touch. They had not conquered all of Faith's fears, there were still moments, still nightmares, and still a touch not welcomed.

As they moved against each other, drowning in the feel of the others warm flesh pressed, sliding against the other, they realized that this part of their bond too had changed tonight. They could still feel the ghost-like touches, but it was somehow more merged with the feelings the touch carried rather than the ghost-touch itself. Somehow too, they knew, that the ghost-like, or shadow-like touch had only changed when they were like this, together making love, or a simple just because touch between them. They would still know, still feel the shadow-touch in a different way if another touched one of them.

Their bond was becoming, or truly was inherent, a part of themselves, in no way invasive, or intrusive. They still had the ability to surprise the other, or keep a secret. They didn't know how it worked, they didn't care. Nor were any of these thoughts in their conscious mind right now, they just became a part of their knowledge of each other and their bond, as if they were born knowing it already. Simply put, it just was.

"I love how you feel on me," Buffy ran her hands over the straining muscles in Faith's biceps. She kept her eyes locked with Faith's and smiled. They were both seducing the other right now, the lazy movement of just sliding against the other's fevered flesh, stoking the slow burning embers of their combined desire. She wrapped one leg around Faith's hip, she lifted her other leg to skim her foot along Faith's leg. "I love your weight on me. Your sweat mixing with mine. How warm you feel. The taste of your skin, just the taste of you on my tongue. The way you arch when I scrape my nails down your back. The feel of your breasts against mine..."

Faith's mouth came down on Buffy's in a breath-stealing kiss. Her tongue sought, demanded entrance and received it with a moan of longing from Buffy. They kissed each other with a passion that left them trembling and breathless with desire. Buffy's arms wrapped around Faith's back and pulled her down to her with an almost bone jarring impact. Her hands moving restlessly, lasciviously over all of Faith's flesh within her reach. The pads of one hand's fingers and nails tormenting the length of Faith's spine, back, neck and arms. Her touch both loving, gentle and needy at once. The other hand snuck around to burrow its way between their bodies, finding unerringly Faith's rock-hard nipple. Her earlier carnality coming to the surface again as she caressed Faith's breasts with wanton abandon. The slow burning ember of their desire flared up hotly, becoming a bonfire.

Faith slid her mouth away from Buffy's and blazed a trail of hot kisses down to her neck. She nibbled on the sweet-tasting flesh she found there, "You taste so sweet... Like..." She couldn't think of an analogy so she just gave up and continued to taste the flesh beneath her mouth.

Faith made her way to her mate-mark and flicked her tongue against it. Then flicked it again, when she felt Buffy arch up fiercely into her and heard the deep moan that exploded from Buffy at the touch. She daintily bit down on it, then scraped her teeth against it, eliciting the same reaction from Buffy again. She needed to taste all of Buffy's heated flesh and decided that Buffy needed her to taste it all too. Faith began such a slow, torturous exploration of Buffy's sleekly, seductive body, that by the time she made it to the soft line of hair that hid Buffy's sex, both of them were mindless, breathless, shaking and deeply sunk into their bond and what the other was feeling.

She stared enraptured by the sight of Buffy, the sheen of moisture that clung to her soft downy hair, the physical expression of Buffy's desire for her. She could feel the heat coming from Buffy, almost like a caress across her own flushed face. She inhaled deeply the musky scent of Buffy's arousal and her senses reeled, like they had the first time, like they did every time, a teeny, tiny part of her still not believing this wasn't just a dream. She turned her head and softly kissed with adoration the inside of one of Buffy's thighs, then with the same adoration she kissed the other.

Her hands slid along Buffy's thighs of their own volition to Buffy's wet heat and opened Buffy to her gaze. The feel of Buffy beneath her hands like the silken, soft petals of a dew-soaked flower. Her touch was dainty, delicate as she explored as if it were truly the first time that Buffy had granted her the honor of touching her so intimately. She looked up to see Buffy staring down at her with love and the same look of wonder that Faith was feeling inside. As their eyes locked both Slayers realized that for them, the fact that they lived so close to the edge of death every day, made the times when they made love precious, sacred, special, new, exciting in a wholly different way than it did for others. For them it was a celebration that they were alive, together, a way of expressing all that they could never articulate, achieve with just mere words.

Faith kept her now emerald eyes locked with Buffy's now golden-amber eyes as with an exquisitely sensitive touch she slid her fingers into the scorching heat of her mate. A tremor ran through her at the warmth of Buffy surrounding her so intimately, and an answering shudder came from Buffy. Like everything before, she started a torturously slow exploration of her Light Slayer. She watched as Buffy's eyes fluttered closed, then she let her own close, letting herself feel with all her other senses.

She nestled down between Buffy's legs, making herself comfortable, making herself at home, she planned on staying here for a good long while. She tortured herself along with Buffy by only allowing herself to taste her golden-haired mate with brief, feather-like flicks of her tongue each time Buffy's hips rose to greet the slow rhythm her fingers had set.

At first Buffy had thought she was going to go insane from the languorous way that Faith had, was touching and mercilessly teasing her. Then she had allowed herself to relax into the almost dream-like state that Faith was bringing her to. Every part of her body felt alive. Each touch, each kiss was felt with every cell in her body. Her arousal building ever so slowly, lazily, it was different in a wholly new way. Her world encompassed by Faith's eyes watching her, the tenderness in each touch, each kiss. She was being swaddled like an infant by the infinite love that was flowing to her through their bond, and in each of Faith's touches and kisses.

She wasn't idle either. Her own hands and mouth sought out Faith's warm skin with equal tenderness and abandon. She sought to bring Faith with her into this dream-like world of scintillating sensations, exotic, erotic warmth of what they both felt for each other, until Faith slipped further down her body and out of her grasp.

She had no words, knew no words that could describe what she felt when Faith touched her so intimately, nor were there any words to convey what it felt like when Faith finally let her mouth and tongue join in the erotic dance. She felt a tightening in her womb, a sense of well-being, anticipation and a shockwave of desire so deep and so fierce Buffy had to remind herself to breathe. The emotions, the sensations, the peak that Faith was carefully, lovingly leading her to was more intense then anything Buffy had ever felt before and she knew only one thing. She did not want to freefall over its edge alone, she wanted her heart, her soul, her Dark Slayer there with her on the fall.

"Faith..." Buffy called out to her softly.

"B..." Faith murmured, hummed out around the swollen nub in her mouth as her fingers found Buffy's sweet spot within her.

Buffy's whole body arched off the floor as Faith's voice vibrated through the very core of her. It was only her sheer will power and determination that Faith experience this new journey with her that kept Buffy from taking the fall alone.

"I need..." Buffy tried again, teetering on the edge of release.

Faith stilled and raised her head hearing the longing for something other than release in Buffy's voice. "Tell me, what you need, B?"

"I need you to come up here. I need you..." Buffy paused as Faith slid up her body, letting the feel of Faith's body, her weight on her wash over her again.

"What's wrong? I didn't..."

"No... never... You didn't do anything wrong." She smiled up into Faith's concerned eyes and gently urged her onto her back. "You did, are doing everything right. Always right. I need... Want to share this with you... How you are making me feel... Want you to feel it too..." She watched the relief cross over Faith's face and she leaned down and gently kissed Faith's lips.

It was inevitable too; that this kiss transcended to become more than just an innocent loving kiss to one of barely suppressed molten desire. Buffy smiled softly once again after their kiss before she began to take Faith on the same slow journey to the dream-like place that Faith had built for her with her loving touch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"B..." Faith rasped out when she remembered how to breathe, her voice filled with the same longing, as Buffy's had been full of.

Buffy couldn't resist one last taste of the nectar that was her Dark Slayer before she began to kiss her way back up Faith's body. Faith sat up to meet her halfway, her whole body suffused with a longing for release that was so different from anything she had ever experienced before, and she understood now what Buffy had wanted. She pulled her legs up under her and sat back on her calves, her knees spread wide. She lifted Buffy so that she was straddling her thighs and sitting on her own calves at the same time.

They pressed tightly into each other as they devoured each other in a kiss. They tasted each other's breath, the warmth of the other's mouth, the velvetiness of the other's tongue. They pulled apart, locking their eyes as their hands discovered each other's body again. There was nothing hurried or rushed in their touches and kisses. This was their time; this was the world that they created with and for each other. And here, time held no meaning for them. It was only them and the gentle, but fiercely deep desire they had for the other. They touched and kissed for what was a small eternity and still not long enough at the same time.

Faith took Buffy's hand, slid it down, and pressed it impassionedly into her, not once breaking her gaze. She felt herself blush ridiculously enough, at her actions and prayed that her ability to express what she wanted, needed, wouldn't desert her, or that the fear would blindside her once again as it had all the other times since him.

Buffy brought her other hand up and tenderly, soothingly stroked Faith's face. She smiled as she always did when Faith leaned into her touch. She waited for Faith, she knew what she wanted, but this was Faith's dance to lead. They had tried this dance before but each time Faith's whole body had seized up in fear and remembered pain and so they had stopped. It was not a dance Buffy ever initiated and if Buffy never knew again, what it felt like to be surrounded intimately by Faith that was perfectly all right with her. For her making love, and she knew this was true for Faith as well, wasn't about what you wanted to do to the other, but about sharing and doing what felt right, felt good, felt more then good to each other.

Making love wasn't about the destination, it was about the journey itself and how you made each other feel on that journey and nothing about making love should ever be forced or unwanted by the other.

"Baby..."

Faith heard more than just an endearment, there was no questioning in that one word. Instead, there was a universe full of compassion, understanding, acceptance of whatever choice she made and of the results of that choice and always, there was always the unconditional love in whatever words Buffy spoke to her. She let go of Buffy's hand and at the same time she let go of the pain and the last of the fear.

She looked at Buffy with absolute love and trust and gave over to her the power to lead this dance with her softly spoken words, "I want... I need you to... I want... need to feel you..." She fumbled, the words not wanting to pass over her lips in any coherent utterance.

"Are you sure Faith?" Buffy asked her just as softly. "'Cause we, I..."

Faith stopped Buffy by placing her fingertips across her mouth, her thumb gently tracing along Buffy's jaw line.

"I want, need to feel you inside of me B..."

Buffy kissed those fingertips laying gently across her mouth, her heart beating a mile a minute at the trust Faith was placing in her. She reverently traversed the center of Faith's desire, until she could feel Faith's arousal become red-hot again in their bond. She carefully, with all the tenderness and love in her soul, slowly allowed her fingertips to enter her beautiful raven-haired mate. She listened with all of her being to what Faith was feeling within their bond, as their eyes remained locked. There was no fear, only desire, passion and love there. With a delicate, gentle touch she began to slowly erase the last of his touch from Faith and let her own joy at the feel of being so intimately embraced by and within Faith again shine through.

For just a millisecond Faith felt the fear clutch at her when Buffy's fingers first entered her, then it was gone. With Buffy's love cradling her safely, Faith's mind, her heart, soared with unmitigated ecstasy as she reclaimed the last piece of her soul that he had stolen from her.

As she felt Buffy's tender, loving touch within her with wonder and awe, the last tattered pieces of herself, of her soul began to heal. The smile Faith bestowed on Buffy was one that Buffy would remember until her dying day and the last tattered pieces of her own self and her own soul began to heal with Faith's.

Faith's own hands searched out Buffy's body again, wanting, needing to bring her soul-mate on this journey to the highest plateau with her, like Buffy had wanted to bring her.

They mirrored each other's actions, each other's emotions. They surrounded and cocooned each other on both the physical and the spiritual plane, through their eyes, their touch and their bond. When they reached the final plateau, they reached it together and held each other with their eyes as they plummeted over it.

Freefalling, safe, right, together, different from ever before, sharing their release which was gentle, powerful, intense, extreme, all-consuming and so much more. It started in their souls and spread outward to envelope them and begin the final healing of them both.

*****