"I can't believe B made me stay home with you." Faith leaned against the wall, watching Dawn go through box after box.

"Please. Like this is a picnic for me?" Dawn pulled some books out of the box in front of her, and sat back. Picking up the first, she looked through it. "Ugh, I hate Sumerian."

Faith slid down the wall, until she was crouching, and pulled her cigarettes out of her leather jacket. Lighting one, she took a drag, and looked over Dawn's shoulder. "Find anything yet?"

Dawn screwed up her face in frustration. "You know Buffy is gonna kill you if she finds out you're smoking in the house." Dawn waved her hand in front of her face, dissipating the smoke. "Even if it is in the basement," she added.

Faith shrugged, and finished her smoke, putting it out on the cement floor. Picking up the butt, she put it in her pocket. "Whatever."

Dawn closed the last book on the pile, and moved it aside, reaching into the box for more. Sighing, she opened another one. "I can't believe there's nothing in any of these on the First." She gestured to the boxes of books in front of her. "I mean, it's incorporeal, not nonexistent."

"Well, didja stop to think maybe the people who faced the First ain't alive anymore? I mean c'mon, let's think about this, it's not the tooth fairy." Faith paced the basement, and threw a couple of punches at the heavy bag hanging from the ceiling.

Dawn rolled her eyes at the Slayer. "And I guess you've read a lot of books on the tooth fairy? But I suppose you're right." Dawn grunted in dissatisfaction, and placed the book on the pile, picking up another one. Just as she opened it, the lights went out with a flicker. "Great. I guess that means the people at the power company have gotten smarter and left town."

Faith walked over to the little window near the ceiling and squinted. "Yeah, it looks like the power's gone all over town." As her slayer-enhanced vision grew accustomed to the darkness, she saw Dawn hugging her knees in the midst of the piles of books. "Aw, shit, little sis." She moved across the basement, and knelt by Dawn's side. "Everything's gonna be okay, relax."

Dawn made a small noise like a whimper, and Faith uneasily gathered the younger woman into her arms. Snuggling into Faith, she put her head on the slayer's chest. She couldn't tell how long they sat like that, but after a bit, she looked up at Faith. "Sorry I freaked, Faith."

Faith looked down at Dawn, who looked so scared and vulnerable, and felt her heart jump. "We'll be fine, Dawn." She decided not to say any more, afraid her voice would give away her unease.

Dawn openly stared into Faith's face, as if searching. Apparently having found what she was looking for, she reached up and wrapped her slender fingers around Faith's neck, drawing her down into a searing kiss.

Faith hesitated, surprised by Dawn's boldness, and then deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around the smaller brunette. Her tongue pressed at Dawn's teeth, and slipped inside her mouth. She tangled her tongue with Dawn's for a long moment, and then pulled away for air.

Dawn looked at Faith, and whispered so low, only Faith's slayer hearing caught it. "Make love to me, Faith. Please."

Faith looked into Dawn's eyes, and swallowed, saying the hardest words she'd ever had to say. "I can't."

~Fin~