"I think you've got the wrong number."

"This isn't Buffy Summers?"

"No, it is," the blonde confirmed into the phone. "But I never entered any kind of contest."

"Hold on, just a second." The receiver was filled with the sounds of papers shuffling around while Buffy waited. "Ah, here it is. Do you know someone named 'Dawn'?"

The Chosen One made a face. "Unfortunately. She's my sister."

"Well, congratulations, Buffy. You've got an awfully considerate sister to have signed you up to win our big contest."

"That's me," the blonde sighed. "Luckiest girl in the world."

"Who makes you a winner?"

"Uh, I don't know the name of your radio station. I don't really like popular music," Buffy awkwardly admitted.

"Just say WJMX The Hits," the radio DJ grumbled. This girl was quickly becoming his least appreciative contest winner.

"Okay. WJMX The Hits," Buffy stated in a monotone voice.

"Thanks," the announcer deadpanned. "We'll be sending you more information about your prize and how to pick it up."

Before Buffy could protest the prize any further, her ears filled with the sound of the dial tone. The radio DJ had hung up on her.

"Great. Just great," Buffy mumbled to herself. She returned the cordless phone to its cradle in the kitchen of her two-bedroom apartment.

Nearly as soon as Buffy hung up the phone, it rang again. The blonde blew out an exasperated puff of air, ruffling the golden strands that had fallen out of her ponytail. Buffy picked the phone out of its cradle again.

"Hello?" she answered in an impatient voice.

"I just heard you on the radio at work, Buffy! This is so exciting!"

Buffy grimaced and smacked her palm against her forehead. Great. She'd been live on the air. "Hey, Willow," she greeted her best friend. "How are things down at the Magic Shop?"

Using some Council funds as capital, Willow had revived the Magic Shop franchise in downtown Cleveland. The gang helped out with random shifts, and the store served as Scoobie-central just as the Sunnydale version had.

"Kind of slow, but I'm sure it'll pick up soon with the holiday seasons coming. Nothing says Happy Hanukkah like Eye of Newt, right?"

"Did you know Dawn entered me in this radio contest?" Buffy pressed. If anyone would know, it was probably the red-headed Wicca. And experience told Buffy that Willow couldn't keep things from her.

"She might have mentioned something about it, but I don't really remember," the other girl honestly admitted.

Buffy audibly sighed. Leave it to her younger sister to find new and creative ways to embarrass her. "How do you think I can go about un-winning this thing?"

"Wow, Buff." Willow's tone revealed her surprise. She'd never heard her long-time friend so adamant about something so insignificant. Except that one time when she thought her college roommate was a demon…and well…

"You should feel really lucky," Willow countered. " I think I remember it being a pretty fancy prize."

Buffy frowned into the phone. "Well, maybe I'll really get lucky and the radio station will forget all about it."

Three Days Later…

Buffy opened the nondescript manila envelope. She didn't recognize the return address, but it was a local Cleveland PO Box.

She audibly groaned when she saw the letterhead the message was typed on – WJMX - The Hits.

Congratulations again, Miss Summers, on being the Big "Busy Bee" Christmas Date winner – the prize that rewards YOU for being a selfless worker bee! You've worked long and hard all year long and now it's time to be rewarded for being on Santa's 'Good' list. You and a date are about to experience one Christmas Eve you'll never forget. All you need to do is show up at the WJMX radio station at 5pm on Christmas Eve with your date and we'll take care of the rest!

Best regards and Happy Holidays,

The staff at WJMX – The Hits

Buffy crumpled the piece of paper in her hand and tossed the balled up note into the recycling bin in the kitchen. There was no way she was going to embarrass herself by showing up at a radio station to collect her prize.

Besides, who would she even take as her 'date'?, the blonde bemoaned. Even if she wanted to collect her radio station prize, she had no significant other to share the night with. Ever since the Hellmouth in Sunnydale had imploded, she'd been so busy establishing herself in Cleveland, there'd been far too little time for a social life, let alone a love life.

Maybe everyone will forget about it, Buffy reasoned. She, for one, was going to try to put it far out of her mind.

Xander, Buffy, and Dawn sat around a table at the Magic Shop, helping Willow with the winter inventory. It was late on a weekday night, just a few days before Christmas. Faith was present as well, sitting in a corner reading a comic book, trying to ignore the others and any work she might be asked to do. She normally didn't help out around the Magic Shop since a monkey's hand tried to strangle her, but she and Buffy were supposed to go on patrol afterwards so she had agreed to hang out at the magic store until Buffy was ready to go.

"Did Buffy tell you guys she won a radio contest for a hot date on Christmas Eve?" Willow threw out conversationally.

Buffy glared at the Wicca.

Dawn burst out laughing. "Oh my God, you won? I can't believe that lame, sob-story letter actually worked."

"Oh God, Dawn. What did you tell them?" Buffy asked. She felt her face turn red from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. Even though she was amongst her family and friends, she still didn't enjoy being made fun of.

Dawn shrugged. "Just how you work so hard, blah, blah, never take time to have fun, blah, blah, need a date desperately…you know…standard Buffy stuff."

"Thanks," Buffy groaned. "Now everyone at that radio station knows what a helpless loser I am."

"Whatever." Dawn made a face at her older sister. "It got you a kick ass prize, so what are you complaining about?"

"What did you win?" Xander asked, joining in on the conversation.

"Two tickets to a Broadway-type show, dinner at some fancy restaurant, and an hour of unlimited ice skating," Dawn informed everyone. "They close down one of the hockey rinks to the general public and you get the run of the place."

"I'm not doing it," Buffy said flatly.

"What? Why not?" Xander asked.

"Buffy! You should totally do it!" Willow joined in. "It sounds like your perfect night. The theater, a fancy dinner, plus ice skating? It's like the radio station knew you'd win this and designed the evening with you in mind."

"But it's not like it's a prize for just me, or me and five of my closest friends," the blonde slayer pointed out. "It's supposed to be a date thing. I haven't exactly dated anyone since we moved here."

"There's got to be someone you could take though," the youngest Summers girl noted. "I'd hate for that prize to go to waste."

"You signed me up for this thing," Buffy pointed out to her sister, "so you should go with me."

Dawn frowned. "Sorry," she mumbled guiltily. "I already told Todd I'd go to Midnight Mass with his family."

Buffy grumbled. Even though she might have had issues finding a social life beyond slaying, her younger sister had wasted little time finding herself a steady boyfriend.

"What about you, Willow?" the blonde turned her attentions to her long-time friend. "You can't have plans on Christmas Eve – you're Jewish."

The redhead blushed. "I know…but Kennedy's not. It's going to be our first Christmas Eve together as a couple."

"Xander?" Buffy squeaked, grasping at straws.

The one-eyed carpenter frowned. "Gee, Buff. I-I really wish I could hang out. You know how much I love Broadway shows," he chuckled. "But I'm pretty sure I've already got plans," he excused himself vaguely. "I'll see you the next morning for Christmas brunch and opening presents though."

"Great," Buffy complained. "So I can either totally embarrass myself by going on this 'date' by myself, or I pick up some stranger off the street to go with me. I feel like I'm in a Lifetime movie."

"What about Faith?" Dawn innocently proposed.

The Boston girl's ears pricked at the sound of her name and everyone seated at the table in the Magic Shop turned to look at her.

"What about Faith for what?" the brunette slayer asked warily from her position in the far corner. She removed her feet from the tabletop and settled them back on the floor.

"Yeah!" Willow beamed, as she thought about Dawn's idea. "You and Faith could go together. I'm sure she doesn't have any plans."

"Woah," Faith protested. "What are y'all volunteering me for this time?" She eyeballed the redheaded witch. "And what makes you think I don't have plans?"

Willow back-pedaled before the Boston girl could get defensive. "It's just that you haven't been dating or really doing anything social outside of the group since we got to Cleveland."

Faith shrugged. "What of it? Buffy hasn't either, and ya'll aren't stringing her up about it."

"My sister's social awkwardness aside," Dawn appeased on behalf of the group, "it might be nice if the two of you went to collect the contest prize Buffy just won together. I signed her up for a date thing on Christmas Eve without her knowing. I did it just as a joke, but she ended up actually winning."

The blonde remained silent while her friends continued to cajole Faith into taking the proposed offer. Could she really go on a 'date' with Faith, even as friends? Were they friends?

Since they'd all relocated to Cleveland, tensions had ceased between the two former enemies, but they certainly weren't best friends. They patrolled together once in a while, but mainly only talked about slaying. The other slayer had an apartment across town, but she leased it month-to-month claiming that she still wasn't committed to sticking around the Hellmouth, even though nearly half a year had passed.

Buffy nodded to herself. Yes. She could do this. And who knows, maybe trying to bridge the friendship gap between her and Faith would make this Christmas a little less painful. Although she was still surrounded by friends and family this holiday, it had still proven to be a little lonely without someone to call her significant other. Not that Faith was going to be a replacement for that, she quickly told herself. No, they could hang out as friends. Everyone could always use more friends.

"How about it?" Buffy proposed, interrupting Willow's endless babbling. Her voice caught Faith's attention and the eternal bored look on the brunette's face momentarily flickered. "We don't have to really go 'together,' " Buffy pointed out. "Just show up at the radio station at the same time to pick up the prize, and we can split the winnings. It'd be a free meal on Christmas Eve at least. You wouldn't have to cook for yourself."

Faith shrugged. "Sure, whatever." She yawned and flipped her comic book onto the table top. "Just tell me where to be and when. I'm always down for free food."

Buffy fidgeted anxiously outside the radio station. She absentmindedly blew into her gloved hands for warmth. She had told Faith to be on time for once, but leave it to the brunette to be fashionably late even for this.

The California woman briefly panicked. What if she didn't show up at all? What if Faith had blown her off or forgot or found something else to do that night? Should she still go inside, or just head home and spend the evening alone with a bowl of ice cream and an old black and white movie. The more she thought about it, the more the ice cream and film sounded appealing – at least more so than letting some big mouthed radio DJs know she was undate-able.

But just when Buffy had all but given up, the local city bus stopped in front of the radio station and a dark-haired woman dressed in leather and dark denim stepped out. Buffy rushed away from the radio station building and up to the Boston woman.

"What took you so long?" the blonde demanded, looking cross.

Faith gave the elder slayer an easy smile. "I was gettin' all pretty for our hot date, B," she winked.

Buffy took a brief moment to take in the sight of the taller girl. Nothing about Faith's appearance looked out of the ordinary. Instead of dressing up for dinner and a show, she looked like she'd just left a biker gang meeting. She wore masculine black boots with black, faded jeans that hugged at her toned thighs and made her calves look longer than normal. Buffy couldn't make out her top because the Boston girl wore her trademark leather jacket with the collar popped to ward off the brisk, Cleveland chill.

"Whatever," Buffy rolled her eyes. She grabbed the taller woman by the elbow and ushered her towards the front entrance of the building. "C'mon," she urged. "The sooner we get my prize, the sooner this night will be over."

Faith snickered at the other slayer's sour demeanor and allowed the smaller girl to drag her along. "If I didn't know any better, Sweet Cheeks, I'd say you weren't excited to be spending the evening with me."

Buffy paused. "It's not that," she excused herself. "It's just this whole thing is totally embarrassing."

"You're embarrassed to be seen with me?" Faith asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, no," the other girl quickly responded. "It's just embarrassing that Dawn entered me into this contest in the first place."

Faith nodded her understanding and the two girls continued to make their way to the radio station front doors. "She's right though."

"About what?"

"About you being the Busy Bee worker or whatever," the Boston slayer replied. "You should take more time to smell the roses."

Buffy frowned. "I know I should; I'm just not build that way anymore. When all this slayer business first started, I couldn't wait to hand over all these responsibilities to someone else. And now that there's more than two thousand of us, I should be ready to retire." The blonde shook her head. "But after all this time, I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't the Slayer anymore."

"Wow."

"What?" Buffy rumbled her eyebrows together.

"I think that's the first time you've strung together so many sentences," the Bostonian grinned. "That might have been your longest conversation with me."

The Californian scoffed. "Whatever."

Faith shrugged. "It's true, B. Ever since I busted out of prison, it's not like you and I have been very chummy."

"Well, we've all been busy," Buffy explained away. "What with the First and then relocating."

"Yeah, but we've been in Cleveland now for over 6 months. What's your excuse now?"

"I…"

The front door to the radio station flew open and a red-faced man stood just on the inside of the building. "Is one of you girls Buffy Summers?"

Buffy turned away from her sister-Slayer, thankful for the man's interruption. "Yes. I'm Buffy."

The local radio personality eyeballed the attractive brunette. "And you're her date?"

Faith leered at the balding, pot-bellied man. "You got a problem with that? Cause I've never met a guy who wasn't into two chicks gettin' down and dirty with each other. Unless you're gay?" Faith snapped her fingers. "That must be it."

Faith heard a choking noise coming from Buffy, but she just continued to smile at the startled man.

The DJ's eyes grew wide. "No. I-I'm not gay," he sputtered.

Faith pursed her lips. "Then I guess you won't have a problem with me and my girlfriend going out tonight."

The man's eyes roamed over the two women's highly disciplined forms. He cleared his throat and readjusted his belt buckle. "Uh, no-no problem at all. Wait right here," he instructed, "and I'll be back with your tickets and vouchers for tonight. Your limo is waiting around the corner."

The man hazarded another brief glance at the two slayers and then walked off.

"Ow." Faith's hands went to her lower ribcage.

"What was that?" Buffy hissed. She was sure her face was bright red.

Faith rubbed at her ribs, sure there would be a bruise in the morning from the blonde's elbow. "I was just having fun with the guy," the brunette explained.

"By why does your definition of 'fun' always have to be at my expense?" the elder slayer pouted.

Faith grinned at the other girl. " 'Cause you're damn adorable when you're embarrassed, and nothing turns you redder than a tomato like the topic of sex."

Buffy looked cross. "It's not like I'm a virgin."

The Boston slayer snickered. "Might as well be."

The Chosen One threw up her hands in frustration. "This night can't get over with soon enough."

"And just think, B," Faith winked, choosing to ignore her sister-Slayer's negative attitude, "we've only just begun."

Buffy stepped out of the limo and involuntarily shivered. It felt as though the temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees since they'd left the radio station. Her hands went to her backside when she felt a sharp pinch.

"Hey!" she squealed, hopping away from the back limo door.

Faith chuckled as she climbed out the rear door. "If you don't want your ass pinched, next time, let me get outta this thing."

Buffy grumbled under her breath from Faith's antics and headed towards the front entrance of the restaurant. When she walked in, the maître d swept up to her.

"Ms. Summers?" the short, dark-haired man greeted, lilting up the final syllable.

Buffy was slightly taken aback, but nodded. "Yes, that's me."

Faith shuffled in behind the blonde. "I hope we don't have to wait long for food," she announced loudly. "I'm ready to strap on a feed bag."

The restaurant host eyeballed the two women. "If you and your date will follow me," he sniffed.

"She's just a friend!" Buffy blurted out defensively. The maître d didn't react to the blonde's outburst. Instead, he merely guided the out-of-place pair to their table in the center of the dining area.

Buffy followed deeper into the Italian restaurant with her head down and eyes glued to the floor. She was sure all the other patrons were staring at her, knowing she was on a date with a girl. When she'd originally asked the Boston slayer to split the radio prize with her, it had never occurred to her that people might actually interpret she and Faith being together as an actual date.

Did she give off gay vibes, or something? Not that there was anything wrong with being gay – her best friend was gay and she had no problems with it. But Buffy Summers wasn't a lesbian. She'd never done anything with a girl, at least not if you didn't count that one game of "Truth or Dare" at cheerleader camp back in high school.

Buffy allowed the host to pull out her seat and she sat down. The blonde finally lifted her head and hazarded a glance around the restaurant. She'd never been to the Italian eatery before, but she knew it to be one of the best – and priciest – restaurants in the area. The kind of place a date took you for a special occasion. The thought seemed to sour Buffy's mood. Her first fancy dinner in Cleveland, and she was going to waste it with Faith sitting across from her.

The Californian mentally shook herself. She needed to stop thinking like that – being so prejudiced against the other slayer. Cleveland, the new Hellmouth, was supposed to be a fresh start for all of them – Faith included.

"It's kind of, uhm, empty in here," Buffy noted, looking around the nearly vacant restaurant.

"What'd you expect? It's Christmas Eve, plus it's hella early for dinner," the brunette seated across the small, intimate table observed. "Why'd they drop us off here so early?"

"Because the show starts at 7," Buffy replied. She unwrapped her oversized silverware and carefully placed the red cloth napkin on her lap. "It was either that or we'd have a really, really late dinner."

"I guess this is better," Faith said, digging into the basket of complimentary bread on the table. "Wouldn't want to embarrass you with a growling stomach all through your fancy play. What are we going to see, anyway?"

"I honestly don't know," Buffy admitted. "Everything about this night is supposed to be a surprise," she glumly stated.

Faith leaned forward, resting her elbows on the white tablecloth, causing the other girl to flinch. "So you're telling me if some dude picked you up at your apartment for a date, and whisked you around from one fancy location to the next, you wouldn't like it?"

"I don't really like surprises," Buffy remarked with a small frown.

Faith smiled cheekily and leaned back. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you and I aren't dating 'cause I'd wanna surprise you all the time."

Buffy wasn't entirely sure how to respond to the other slayer, so she shoved a piece of ciabatta bread into her mouth instead.

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Hungry?"

The Californian took her time chewing and nodded as she swallowed.

Faith's gaze left Buffy's face and she caught the eye of a waiter in their area and beckoned him to their table. "My girlfriend and I are gonna need a bottle of wine, pronto, to soak up all this bread. Bring us your house red."

The thin man flicked his gaze from the blonde back to the brunette. "Right away," he murmured.

When the waiter was out of earshot, Buffy kicked the brunette under the table.

"Fuck, B," Faith hissed. She leaned down and rubbed at her tender shin. "Why you gotta keep beatin' on me?"

"Why do you keep telling people we're girlfriends?" Buffy countered. Her features revealed her displeasure.

"Because you keep changing the subject and ignoring me just when we're gettin' to the good stuff."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Define 'good stuff.'"

Faith opened her mouth to respond, but paused when their waiter returned with the bottle of red wine. When he left their table again, she continued. "I dunno," she shrugged. She filled her large wine goblet nearly to the top and took a long sip. "I'm just trying to hold a conversation with ya that doesn't involve killin' shit."

Buffy gave a short laugh. "And you think all this wine will help our conversation skills?"

The Boston girl looked smug as she lifted her glass to her lips once again. "I'm kinda hopin' it loosens you up so we can have a good time."

The blonde raised an amused eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Faith gulped again from her glass and swished the dry, red wine around in her mouth. She was more of a beer girl, but as long as it was alcohol, she was game. "Uh huh," she confirmed. "Plus, if we're gonna go to some Broadway show, I'm not gonna make it without at least bein' buzzed.

Buffy snorted at that and allowed herself a generous sip from her own wine glass.

A little fun wouldn't kill her, after all.

Faith leaned across the armchair that separated she and the blonde girl. "So this is like the Wizard of Oz or something?" she whispered to the other slayer.

Buffy's eyes never left the stage. "Kind of," she replied quietly. "Think of it as the prequel."

The blonde could hardly contain her excitement as she sat in the orchestra pit and waited for the curtain to rise. Dinner had been lackluster, the highlight being the never-ending supply of wine and breadsticks. But when the limo had pulled up in front of the Playhouse Square's State Theater after their meal was finished, she had literally squealed out loud.

The theater lights slowly dimmed and dramatic music filled the Cleveland playhouse. A large metal dragon, which seemed more a part of the theater than simply a prop, began to flap its wide-spanning wings. It dipped its head toward the crowd and clouds of smoke plumed from its nostrils.

Buffy glanced at the Boston girl out of the corner of her eye to gauge her reaction, and was pleasantly surprised to see a look of awe and wonder on the normally stoical girl's face.

Small, costumed creatures that resembled winged monkeys scampered to center stage and jumped around in a choreographed frenzy. The curtain rose, revealing a handful of strangely dressed actors and actresses. Music swelled and the ensemble cast burst into song.

"Oh God," Faith groaned, sitting deeper into the red cushy seat. "It's a musical."

Buffy giggled and wiggled down into her own chair as well, making herself more comfortable. "Keep an open mind," she instructed the other girl. "You might actually enjoy this."

Faith snickered quietly. "That's what she said."

Buffy hummed one of the major soundtrack themes to herself and practically skipped out of the theater towards their waiting limo. Faith begrudgingly followed behind, dragging her feet.

"Wasn't that amazing?" Buffy gushed.

"Uh huh," the Boston woman deadpanned.

Both slayers stopped at the back end of their elongated vehicle and waited for the driver to open the door for them.

"Only one stop left, ladies," the driver said cheerily.

Buffy ducked her head and entered the vehicle.

"Where to now?" Faith asked weakly. Dinner had been fine, but she just wasn't built for Broadway musicals. She couldn't imagine a dude having fun on this kind of date. Maybe she'd get a medal at the end of the evening for putting up with all these girlie-Buffy-type activities.

The driver smirked at the despondent girl, clearly recognizing her reticence. "Time for ice skating."

Buffy breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of the cold ice. It was about the only time she enjoyed the chill, actually, because inside the ice pavilion it was a controlled temperature. You never had to worry about a blizzard or sub-freezing winds when ice skating inside.

Buffy stepped out onto the empty ice rink and made a tentative stride. She hadn't been skating in a number of years, but knew that after a little while she'd be back to her old form. Gaining confidence, she started to skate faster in a wide loop around the oval rink. She crossed her right foot over her left, making a sharp, crisp turn around the first corner. The sound of her sharp blades cutting into the ice was familiar and comforting, bringing her back to simpler days.

A loud crash pulled Buffy out of her trance, and she looked in the direction of the noise to see the Boston girl awkwardly opening the large gate to the rink. Faith stumbled out onto the ice surface and immediately grasped onto the sideboards surrounding the hockey rink to keep from falling.

"Devil shoes," she complained under her breath. "God never intended for people to fly or to skate."

"Well, for starters, you didn't tie your laces tight enough." Buffy pointed to the younger girl's unsteady feet and laughed. "That's why your ankles are wobbling around like that."

"And here I thought I'd just gotten skates made out of Jello," the Boston girl quipped.

Buffy cocked her head to one side, amused by Faith's lack of balance. "How does a girl from sunny California learn how to ice skate when someone from Boston doesn't?" she posed.

Faith scowled and her legs continued to wobble unsteadily. "It's Boston, not the fuckin' North Pole."

The Californian skated easily over to the other girl and wrapped her arm around Faith's waist. 'C'mon," Buffy cajoled, "I'll help you."

With a minimum amount of convincing, Faith released her tight clutch on the boards and allowed the other slayer to glide her back towards the zamboni entrance.

"If I'd known this was all I had to do to get ya to feel me up, "the brunette joked as they slowly made their way to the side of the rink, "I woulda strapped on a pair of skates a long time ago."

Buffy released her hold on the Boston girl. Without Buffy's support, Faith immediately spilled onto the ice.

"Hey!" the brunette loudly complained, her back flat on the ice. "What was that for?"

"I'm sorry." Buffy held a mittened hand over her laughing mouth. "I didn't think you'd fall so easily."

Buffy reached down and pulled her sister-Slayer off the slick surface and back onto her feet. The two slayers wobbled unsteadily, both threatening to tumble, until Buffy planted her feet in the ice for better balance.

"Don't you dare let go," Faith grunted through clenched teeth.

Buffy laughed. "I've got you," she reassured the shaky girl. The blonde steered the taller slayer back through the rink entrance and helped her step off the ice and onto the thick, black rubber flooring.

Faith wobbled over to a wooden bench and sat down. She breathed a sigh of relief to be on solid ground again. Buffy stood in front of her and grabbed onto the brunette's right ankle and elevated it so she could rest the skate blade between her knees.

"This is how my dad used to tie my skates for me when I was little," Buffy explained. She undid Faith's skate laces and retied the Boston girl's shoddy work. "You gotta get the laces really tight, especially around your ankles."

Faith grunted slightly when Buffy pulled the laces tight. "Damn, B. You trying to cut off the circulation to my feet?"

"Do you wanna flop around on the ice like a fish out of water, or do you want my help?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow. Without waiting for the Boston girl's answer, she grabbed her other foot and retied her laces on that skate as well.

With both feet back on the ground, Faith flexed her toes, coaxing the blood back into her tiny appendages. "I don't think magic shoelaces are gonna keep me from fallin' on my ass," she stated sourly.

Buffy laughed. "That's why you've got me to help you out," she reassured.

"Sure," Faith rolled her eyes. "Help me fall on my ass again, you mean."

"Oh, c'mon," Buffy protested with a soft laugh. "It was just that once. I won't let you fall again, I promise."

Faith sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why am I doing this again?"

"Because it's almost Christmas, and you don't want me to have to skate all by myself," the blonde lightly pouted. Her bottom lip made an appearance, signaling the end of Faith's protesting.

"Fine."

With the help of the Californian, the normally graceful brunette stumbled back onto the ice. Once again, she clung to the hockey boards on the perimeter like an amateur swimmer staying afloat in a pool.

"Here," Buffy stated with a smile. "Do what I do."

The Bostonian hesitantly allowed the smaller slayer to wretch her grip from the sideboards. Buffy held onto one of the brunette's gloved hands and carefully pulled Faith towards the center of the rink.

The lights turned off in the pavilion accept for an overhead spotlight that focused on the two skaters. Romantic slow music began to play over the P.A. system.

"This is kind of creepy," Buffy mumbled, looking around at the darkened edges of the hockey arena. If a demon were to suddenly pop out at them, she wouldn't be surprised. Her body tensed at the thought.

"Really? I thought you'd be all over this," Faith remarked, allowing herself to pick up speed. Her legs felt more solid, but she was still unsure about letting herself go too fast.

"Sure, if I was on a real date," Buffy noted, "and there wasn't some creeper DJ watching us skate."

Faith gingerly turned her skates, causing her to slow down. "You want this to be a real date?"

Buffy wasn't quite sure what Faith was asking or what the right answer was, so she merely shrugged.

The Boston girl made a move towards the small blonde, but her toe-pick caught on a divot in the ice and she started to fall. Her arms flailed comically at her sides as she tried to latch onto something to catch herself, but it only resulted in her plopping down hard on her backside.

Buffy tried to not laugh as she stared down at the brunette. "You're not particularly graceful tonight."

Faith growled and rubbed at her tailbone. Falling on the ice felt like wiping out on concrete, only you got wet. "That's what I get for trying to kiss you, I guess."

"You were doing what?"

Buffy suddenly lost her balance and fell onto the ice surface, joining her sister-Slayer.

The blonde groaned unhappily. "I did that on purpose."

"Uh huh."

Buffy rolled onto her stomach and stared intently at the brunette girl. "Why would you try to kiss me?"

"You know, so you'd be on a date."

Buffy's features scrunched together. "That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard for kissing someone."

"Well I couldn't very well say it's because I wanted to kiss you," Faith snorted.

"Why not?

"Because I've got a little pride, Blondie," Faith sniffed, "and I know you don't swing that way."

Buffy scowled slightly. Who was Faith to assume things like that about her? She dug her toe-picks into the ice and pushed off, forcing her body to scoot across the ice, closer to where Faith still lay. She used her elbows to army-crawl until her body was parallel with the brunette.

"Are you a human zamboni now?" Faith cracked.

"No," Buffy pouted. "You've been calling me your girlfriend all night," the blonde observed, "I might as well start acting like one."

Faith's eyes went wide and she followed the trajectory of Buffy's pink mouth. She watched the Chosen One bite down on her lower lip before pressing her mouth fully against the brunette's. With their lips moving against each other's, Faith threw caution to the wind and shut her eyes, throwing herself eagerly into the embrace.

The golden-haired slayer was taken aback by how soft and pliable the younger slayer's mouth was. Although she'd often found herself staring at the brunette's thick, dimpled lips (although she'd always told herself that it wasn't unusual for one girl to admire another pretty girl), she'd never imagined anything about the hard-edged slayer being so tender.

Taking the lead from Buffy, Faith hooked her gloved fingers through the front belt-loop of Buffy's jeans and pulled the smaller woman closer. The Californian gasped into the other slayer's mouth when the material of her pants rubbed against her sex.

"Not that I want to stop what we're doing," the Boston slayer murmured into Buffy's mouth, "but my ass is freezing."

"Mine isn't," Buffy laughed. She kissed the other girl again.

The Boston woman used her size advantage to roll them over. Faith grinned down at the other slayer pinned beneath her. "How's that ass now, cutie?"

Faith looked up when she heard someone knocking on the Plexiglas surrounding the hockey rink.

"Ladies?" It was the limo driver. "An hour's up," he stated. "Time to go home."

The two slayers were quiet on the limo ride home. Buffy stared out the back tinted windows at the illuminated houses outside. She hazarded a quick glance in the direction of the Boston slayer, but Faith appeared to be more interested in the scenery as well. It was far easier than broaching the topic of the unexpected kiss they'd just shared.

The limo came to a stop and Buffy turned her gaze away from the colored lights outside to see the driver rolling the separation partition down. "Ms. Summers, I believe this is your stop."

The blonde glanced outside again and was shocked to recognize the brick façade of her apartment. She hadn't expected the driver would bring them back here instead of the radio station, where she'd left her car. It was late though, and she didn't want to make the driver feel bad. Plus, it would feel good to just be home after all the driving they'd done that evening.

"Ms. Lehane," the driver continued as he put the vehicle into park. "I'll bring you back to your apartment too, if you'd like."

Before Faith could answer, Buffy grabbed the other girl's hand off the backseat. "Do you...uh...wanna come up for a nightcap or something?"

Faith looked down at their enjoined hands, surprised. When she looked back up at the blonde's face she could clearly see the fear of rejection playing across the Chosen One's beautiful features. "Sure, B," she smiled easily. "I don't know what a nightcap is, but it sounds good."

Both slayers exited their respective sides of the limo, not waiting for the driver's help. When the driver stepped out of the vehicle, Faith fished out her wallet from her back pocket and began pulling a few of the larger bills from the inside folds.

The limo driver held up his hands. "Oh, that's not necessary, Ms. Lehane. The radio station has taken care of everything."

The Boston woman shrugged and put the money back inside her duct-taped wallet. "Okay. If you're sure."

The man tipped a finger to his hat and climbed back into the car. "You two have a nice night."

The slayers bid the gracious limo driver good night and watched as the long, black car drove off.

"That was a nice gesture," Buffy commented as they climbed the concrete stairs to her three story walk-up apartment. "I wouldn't have even thought of tipping him."

Faith put her wallet more firmly in her back pocket. "When you grow up in a blue-collar family, tipping everyone who has an hourly wage just comes naturally. You can appreciate how hard other people work for their crappy pay."

Buffy nodded, but remained silent. She knew all-too-well how hard it was to make ends meet on an hourly wage. She wasn't sure if Faith knew about her stint at the DoubleMeat Palace back in Sunnydale, but she wasn't going to mention it. There were some memories better left buried.

"Let's get inside," Buffy said briskly. "I'm freezing."

Faith allowed the smaller slayer to walk in front of her to unlock the apartment entrance. Her eyes reflexively fell to the blonde's perfect backside, and she tried to not think of all the ways they could warm up.

Faith followed the blonde girl up the three flights of stairs to her two-bedroom apartment. The brunette didn't say a word and the silence started to rattle the other slayer. The Bostonian had been chatty from the beginning of the night, and now that Buffy felt wildly uncomfortable, Faith's silence wasn't helping.

Buffy pulled her keys out of her small clutch purse and fumbled to find the right one. "Dawn's probably still out," she absentmindedly chattered. "She said she was going to Midnight mass with her boyfriend and his family. I don't know if that means church is actually at midnight or not though."

Finally finding the right key, Buffy unlocked the door. "Home, sweet home," she mumbled.

The golden-haired slayer strode into her apartment, Faith following behind. Since she was so familiar with the layout of her home, Buffy didn't bother to turn on the front foyer light while she took off her ballet flats. It took her a moment to realize that Faith hadn't moved since they'd entered the apartment, however, no doubt waiting for the blonde to turn on a light so she could see.

"I suppose I should turn on a light," Buffy laughed at herself. It dawned on her how often she came home by herself and never had need of the foyer lights.

"We don't really need it," the brunette breathed.

Buffy was suddenly aware of how close the other girl stood.

"At this point," Faith stepped disconcertingly near and placed two fingers gently on the blonde's temple, "I could draw your face in my sleep."

Buffy closed her eyes as if caught up in a spell cast by the rasp of Faith's voice and her velvet touch. She felt Faith's fingertips slowly move down the side of her face, over her cheek, and along the sweep of her jaw.

Buffy caught her breath with a faint hiss. The exquisite strokes descended the slope of her throat until Faith's fingers came to rest in the hollow at the base. They lingered there, as if considering going lower.

Buffy opened one eye to see Faith studying her, gauging her reaction even in the dark. "What's…what's happening?" the blonde slayer asked.

A small, coy smile played at the corners of the brunette's generous mouth. "Isn't this how all dates end?"

Buffy released a deep shuddering breath she didn't realize she had been holding in. "Truthfully, most of my dates end with me running off because I have to go kill something."

Faith carefully licked her lower lip. Buffy watched the tip of the brunette's tongue swab across its length, and she couldn't help but imagine what else the Bostonian could be licking in moments if she ignored the flashing 'Danger' signs in her head and obeyed her aching body instead.

"Do you feel like running off right now?" the brunette asked simply.

Acting before her brain could tell her to stop, Buffy slipped her hands into Faith's open shirt. She placed her hands on the taller woman's hips and pulled her close. She felt momentarily smug, enjoying the fleeting surprise in Faith's eyes before she pressed her lips against the brunette's red mouth.

At first, the kiss was slow and hesitant, just Faith's pliant lips molding to the blonde's, feeling warm and tender. The Boston woman's tongue brushed against Buffy's lips, not demanding entry, but testing. Buffy's lips parted and the brunette's tongue slipped between them. There was a sense of exploratory wonder that ripened into something hungry. It became more than a kiss that said 'I want you'. Instead, it was a kiss that said 'I need you.'

After a few moments, Faith pulled away, breathless from the kiss. "I…You surprised me."

Buffy audibly swallowed. She could feel her heart working hard, pumping hot blood throughout her body. She reached out blindly and finally found a light switch. When she turned on the overhead light, the spell she'd been temporarily under seemed to dissipate.

"I-I promised you a drink," Buffy responded shakily.

Faith nodded, looking relieved that Buffy hadn't slapped her, run away, or forced her to leave.

As she watched the blonde retreat into the back kitchen, Faith wiped her unsteady hands on the back of her jeans. Normally she was comfortable in these situations, being alone with someone at the end of a long night. She always had the right words to say, the right gestures and moves to get what she wanted. However, she rarely went on dates, and her date had never been Buffy Summers.

Buffy cringed when she slammed the doors to the cabinet near the sink with too much enthusiasm. In the short distance between her living room and kitchen, she'd somehow forgotten where she kept her coffeemaker.

The blonde opened another set of cabinets and scowled when she came up empty again. Did she even own a coffeemaker? she silently wondered.

Buffy abandoned the hot beverage idea and opened the refrigerator instead. Milk, pulp-less orange juice, and V8 – not exactly drinks to offer someone late at night. "You could always just offer yourself," Buffy mused, but instantly discarded the idea out of embarrassment.

What was she even doing inviting Faith in at this hour? She should have just said her goodbyes at the front door and retreated to her apartment alone so she could over-analyze what had happened at the ice rink.

Buffy opened another cabinet and grimaced at its barren contents. She took out a long, slender bottle and prayed she was doing the right thing.

A small buzzing woke Buffy up. The room was blanketed in complete darkness thanks to her blackout blinds. Bleary-eyed and drowsy, the blonde grabbed her digital alarm clock and looked at the time. 10 am? Why would she have set her alarm for such a late hour?

Buffy sat up in bed and rubbed at her tired eyes. The buzzing continued and it took the slayer a moment to realize the noise was her front door and not an alarm clock.

Pulling on a pair of boots she remembered being under her bed, Buffy stumbled and tripped out of the bedroom and into the main hallway. Another buzz sounded and Buffy winched at the annoying noise. She pressed her intercom button. "Hello?" she croaked out in a voice still thick with sleep.

"Hey, Buff. It's me," called a cheerful, masculine voice.

"Xander?" Buffy blinked a few times. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, Christmas morning brunch?" the man's voice responded. "I've got presents and scrambled eggs."

Buffy pressed the palm of her hand into her forehead. With all the excitement from the previous night, she'd completely forgotten all her friends were coming over to eat and exchange gifts.

"Sorry, Xand. It slipped my mind," the blonde apologized. "I'm buzzing you up right now. Let yourself in. I gotta put on pants and brush my teeth." The Californian pressed another button to unlock the apartment's front entrance and turned to walk back down the hallway.

Buffy stopped outside the closed door of her sister's bedroom. She didn't remember hearing the younger girl come home the previous night. "Dawn," she called, rapping soundly on the wooden door. "Get out of bed – people are coming over."

The slayer heard some rustling and her sister groaned from the inside of the room. "I'm up," came Dawn's muffled voice. Satisfied, Buffy headed for the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Buffy spit into the sink and didn't look up when the bathroom door opened. "Dawn," she complained. "Wait your turn."

The slayer's hazel-green eyes went wide, however, when she realized it wasn't her sister entering the small room.

"I gotta pee," Faith grunted as she shuffled into the confined space. Buffy couldn't help but notice that the brunette's wavy locks were more unruly than usual and she wore only a long t-shirt that barely covered her backside. She had spent the night.

Buffy froze, like a deer in headlights. She realized that Faith could have been in bed with her the entire time, and she wouldn't have noticed because of the blackout curtains. Faith took no notice of the blonde and sat down on the toilet.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked when she finally found her voice.

Faith's eyebrows rose comically. "Do I have to draw you a diagram?"

Buffy closed her eyes and shook her head to the sound of the toilet flushing. "No – I mean what are you doing here?" she clarified.

The Boston slayer nudged Buffy out of the way with her hip so she could wash her hands. She looked into the vanity mirror, and her dark eyes smoldered. "Besides rockin' your world?" she smiled.

Her voice was enough to melt the hardest solid to liquid. Buffy's knees buckled. "Oh my God," she gasped. "What did we do last night?"

Faith chuckled lowly and dried her hands. "You want another diagram?"

Buffy's stomach dropped. "Oh God," she repeated, closing her eyes again.

The blonde tried to remember the details from the late night. After not being able to find anything appropriate to offer Faith to drink, Buffy had resorted to the bottle of tequila Willow had brought her from a vacation to Mexico.

She had originally intended to only have a few shots and then go to sleep, but she'd found herself enjoying the company of the other slayer. They hadn't discussed anything of importance, but that had been part of the fun.

Buffy pressed her palm soundly against her forehead, she eyelids still shut as she continued to piece together chunks of her foggy memory. They'd sat next to each other on her couch in the living room. The evening had begun with individual shot glasses, but after a while, the two had abandoned the miniature glasses in favor of simply passing the bottle back and forth.

The blonde opened one eye. "We kissed."

It wasn't a question – she could remember making out with the Boston girl with a teenager's gusto.

A small smile fluttered on the brunette's mouth, and she placed one hand on Buffy's hip. "You don't have to remind me," she practically purred.

The room began to spin, but Buffy didn't know if it was from Faith's proximity or the aftermath of an alcohol-filled night. She felt her heart race with the simple touch. She was all too aware just how half-dressed both she and the other girl currently were.

"Did we – did we sleep together?" she whispered, feeling lost under Faith's intense gaze.

The Boston girl touched the fingers of her free hand on Buffy's other hip. A small sigh escaped Buffy's slightly parted mouth. She felt as though she was under a trance. Faith slowly wet her lips and subtly leaned in.

"I slept on the couch," the dangerous brunette whispered.

Buffy pulled back abruptly. "What?"

"All that making out and groping was pretty awesome," Faith approved, "but when you started honkin' my tits like a bike horn, I figured you weren't in control anymore."

Buffy used the sink pedestal to steady herself. "I did what?" she rasped.

Faith shrugged. "Not that the girls don't enjoy it a little rough," she noted, fondling her braless breasts, "but the sound effects were a little much."

Buffy dropped her head. "This is the worst morning ever."

Faith leaned her head to one side and cracked her neck. "Stop your bitchin'. You're not the one who slept on a lumpy couch. If I'd known your couch was so uncomfortable, I woulda taken you up on that sex invite."

"I asked you to sleep with me?" the blonde squeaked in disbelief. It was official. She was a social pariah and could no longer spend time alone with anyone.

The brunette slayer nodded. "Yeah, but I turned you down. Figured you'd punch me in the ovaries this morning if you woke up next to me."

"Well, uh, thanks for being such a gentle, uh, gentlewoman, about all this," Buffy sheepishly thanked.

Faith grinned. "No problem, B. But don't think that I won't take you up on that offer next time."

"Next time?" Buffy sputtered. "You think there's going to be a next time?"

"You can bet your sweet ass there will be." The Boston girl winked. "But not before I can take you out on a proper date."

"What was last night if not a date?" Buffy pointed out.

"I was the consolation prize last night," the brunette noted. "So next time, I'm gonna be the only one you'll want takin' you out."

Buffy's eyes narrowed slightly. "You sound very sure of yourself."

"If you looked this good half-naked, you'd be cocky too," Faith smirked. "Although you do come in a close second," she remarked, raking her eyes over the smaller slayer's lithe figure. "But before I take you out, I've got one condition."

"What?" Buffy asked warily. She knew she should just flat-out refuse the other slayer instead of encouraging her, but Faith's confidence was unarming, and Buffy forgot herself.

"Let me surprise you."

Buffy stared up into Faith's dark chocolate eyes. It could be so easy to give in to her. "We'll see," she replied in a quiet voice.

"Buffy! I'm here!" came Xander's voice from inside the apartment. "You should really find an apartment with an elevator. It wasn't fun hoofing up three-flights of stairs with all this stuff."

"Shit," the blonde cursed under her breath.

Faith nodded towards the door. "Go on," she urged. "I'll be fine."

Buffy hesitated, but finally left the bathroom without another word to the Boston slayer. "I'll be right there, Xand," she called down the hallway.

The blonde slayer hastily grabbed a pair of jeans from her bedroom floor and hazarded a glance in her vanity mirror. She didn't look too bad, all things considered – besides, it was just a morning with her friends. She didn't have to impress them.

Satisfied with her appearance, Buffy padded down the hallway. She hesitated outside the bathroom door. She'd left it open in her hurry to put on pants, but now the door was closed. Before she could knock on the door to see if Faith was still in the bathroom, however, the apartment buzzer rang again.

Buffy sighed. There was too much going on this morning.

"Hello?" she called, pressing the intercom button for the second time that morning.

"Morning, Buff! It's Kennedy and me," came her best friend's voice.

"Hey Willow," Buffy greeted. "C'mon up. Xander just got here."

Just as she pressed the button to let her best friend and her girlfriend come upstairs, she heard Xander's laughter floating down the hallway. Buffy momentarily panicked, expecting to find Xander and a half-dressed Faith in the living room. As she traveled down the hallway towards the front of the apartment, Buffy racked her brain to create some excuse as to why Faith would have spent the night.

Buffy felt the tension in her body leave when she saw Xander talking to her sister, not Faith. She quickly scanned the living room. There wasn't any visible evidence that Faith had even been there the previous night. The bottle of tequila was gone, along with their abandoned shot glasses.

The front door opened and Willow and Kennedy entered the apartment.

"Merry Christmas, everybody!" the redheaded Wicca greeted.

"Happy belated Hanukkah," her girlfriend chimed in. Willow smiled at Kennedy and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Can we open up presents now?" Dawn asked with the impatience of a teenager.

"Not yet," Willow laughed as she took off her jacket and hung it up in the front foyer. "We're still waiting on Faith, right?"

A wash of panic flooded over Buffy's body. Faith was trapped in the bathroom. She couldn't come out or everyone would know what had happened last night. Her apartment seemed suddenly too warm, so she sat down on the couch.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Willow chirped as she walked into the living room. "How was your date last night?"

"Wait," Kennedy interrupted, coming in behind her girlfriend with a stack of presents. "Buffy had a date?"

"Not a real one," Dawn noted. "Just one with Faith."

"You went on a date with Faith?" Kennedy pressed. She fanned her face and grinned. "This is getting hot."

"No, they just went out as friends," Willow noted before Buffy even had a chance to open her mouth.

"So how was it?" Dawn asked. "Did you have a good time?"

Buffy could feel all of her friends eyes on her, waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Uh."

For the third time that morning, the apartment door buzzed. Buffy jumped to her feet. She had no idea who it was, but she could kiss them for the timely interruption.

"Hello?"

"You gonna let me in or what?" came Faith's voice. "It's freezing out here."

So much for the kissing. She's already done that.

Buffy stood dumbfounded, but she managed to press the button that unlocked the front entrance. How and when had Faith slipped out amongst the morning scramble and chaos of her friends showing up?

Instead of joining her friends in the living room, Buffy waited by the front door. She heard Faith's heavy boots clomp up the wooden staircase, and the blonde threw open the door before Faith had the opportunity to knock. The Boston slayer stood in the doorway, her hair slightly tamed, wearing the same clothes she'd worn the previous night.

"Where did you go?" Buffy whispered in a tone low enough that only her sister-Slayer could catch the words.

"Outside," Faith stated obviously. "I didn't want your friends thinking anything happened last night since you seemed so horrified," she revealed. "I wanna start off on the right foot." The corners of her mouth curled up. "Surprised?"

Buffy nodded. "Very."

Faith leaned her face close to Buffy's ear. "See?" she breathed. "Surprises aren't all bad." The blonde's legs wobbled when Faith's lips brushed against her ear.

Buffy expected the taller girl to take advantage of their closeness, but the taller slayer pulled her face away and simply smiled. The blonde was surprised again at the realization that she wanted Faith to take advantage of their proximity, but once again the Boston girl had shown her self-restraint.

The elder slayer threw her arms around Faith's neck and eagerly pressed her lips against the raven-haired beauty's slightly parted mouth. The Boston girl made a noise of surprise, but quickly regained her composure and kissed the smaller slayer back with equal enthusiasm. Her hands went to Buffy's backside and she squeezed. Buffy groaned into Faith's mouth and pressed her front more fully against the taller woman. She slipped her tongue between the Bostonian's lips and ran the tip along the front of the brunette's even, front teeth. Faith moaned her approval and deepened the kiss as well.

Over the pounding of her rapidly beating heart, Buffy could just make out the sound of Willow's voice: "I think it went well last night."

The Chosen One couldn't help but smile.

FIN