So many choices...

Looking over the brochures spread out before me on the bed, I feel kind of lost. I take a deep breath to try and keep from going nuts.

So many choices and no real answers, I'm graduating in a few months and I have no idea what I'm going to do. There are so many places I could go next year. I could go to a college nearby, or one far away. All of them have sent me brochures trying to get me to go to school with them. I guess that year I had all those problems didn't really hurt my grades after all. That's kind of a relief. Buffy and I were so worried that after I skipped all those classes and went nuts on my teachers for so long, it would keep me from getting a decent college education.

It was just that so much happened in that year and a bit. Finding out I was The Key and wondering if a hell god was going to kill me, my mother getting sick and nearly dying. Then after getting better for a while she actually died. I didn't think I would ever be able to deal with that. I mean, she's my mother. She kept me safe and warm all my life. Took care of me when I was sick and helped me with any and all questions I had about anything. After she died, I felt like I had no one I could count on. And just when I thought I could trust Buffy the same way I trusted my mom, Glory came after me, trying to end the world.

If that wasn't bad enough, Buffy ended up having to jump off Glory's tower and kill herself to save the world. When my mom died, I thought I was alone. But when Buffy died and came back to life, I found a whole new level of loneliness that I never knew existed. She just wasn't around enough for me to feel like I could come to her and talk to her about all the things that were bothering me. It wasn't until just before everything started happening with The First that we started talking and I realized why she was never around.

Now things are better though. Buffy and I have found a way to actually talk without yelling at each other. It took us a while. We weren't exactly on the best of terms after Sunnydale became a hole in the ground. And I know that Buffy finding out about me and Faith didn't help, but we've actually managed to figure out how to talk to each other. She's really come to accept the fact that Faith and I are in love and happy. I wasn't sure that it would happen at first, especially after finding out about the history between Faith and my sister.

They aren't in love though, and I feel so good knowing that. Faith loves me and only me. I couldn't be happier about that. She loves me and I love her. We've been together almost a year now and everything still feels as new as it did when we had our first kiss. She's shown me so many things. The kinds of things that until Faith I'd only ever heard about but never experienced. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher either. All the things that she's shown me have been so incredible. She does so much and made sure I knew exactly how to make her happy.

When I lean forward to pick up the brochure farthest away from me on the bed, I use one hand to pick it up and the other to run a hand through my hair and keep it out of my face before straightening up. The brochure is for StanfordUniversity. It's got a nice bright picture of a college campus on the front. Opening it, I look over all the pictures and little slogans plastered across it.

But nothing she's taught me can help me make this decision. I have to make this decision on my own, and I have no idea what it's going to be. This would probably be so much easier if I could go to a school for the occult or something, except there aren't any. Most of them don't even acknowledge that vampires and demons exist. Some of them have courses that study different cultures and stuff that talk about Wicca, but it's mostly in passing before they move on to 'more important' things.

Giles offered to tutor me personally while I studied to become a watcher, but Buffy wants me to get a real education at a real school first. Apparently I need to experience the college lifestyle and learn to expand my mind. Personally I think my mind is just fine the way it is. Faith wants me to get a college education too. It's one of the few things that my sister and my girlfriend actually agree on when it comes to me. They want me to have all of the things that they never got to have for one reason or another. So I guess I have to get one. The two people I love more than anything else in the world want what's best for me. There isn't much I can do to argue against that, or them. No matter how much I might want to.

I let the brochure fall onto the bed and drop my head into my hands in frustration.

Now if only I could figure out where I'm going to go to get what's best for me.

The bedroom door opens slightly and I look up to see Faith coming through with a smile on her face. She makes her way to the bed wearing her usual nightwear, her naked skin.

"How's it going, any breakthroughs yet?"

All I can do is shake my head and sigh as she sits down next to me on the bed.

"Nope..."

Her smile becomes a sympathetic look.

"Well, maybe you should pack it in for the night. You've still got a couple of months to decide. No reason to force a decision yet."

My girlfriend holds out one of the two glasses she has in her hands.

"Here... have some of that water you asked for."

Taking the glass from Faith, I put it to my lips and taste the incredible refreshment inside.

Mmm, this is exactly what I needed right now.

After a few sips I look at Faith and smile.

"Better?"

I take a deep breath and nod my head at the same time.

"Much... you always know exactly how to make me feel good."

The woman I love gets this mischievous grin on her face that I always find so sexy.

"You better believe it."

She leans into me slowly and we kiss passionately. It's slow and soft and I love every moment of it. We finally break apart after a while and I just know I have a grin on my face now.

"I think you're right... the world isn't going to end if I put off choosing a college for a week or two."

Faith takes my cup from me sets both glasses down on her nightstand so they're out of the way.

"It better not, because otherwise I'd have to go stop it."

We smile at each other as I wrap my arms around her neck and she snakes her arms out around my waist between my t-shirt and panties.

"Well if it happens, we can let Buffy handle it. Tonight I want you all to myself."

She chuckles as I pull her forward and lean back at the same time, pulling her onto the bed with me.

"Now there's a plan."

It isn't long before I'm lying on my back and Faith is climbing on top of me, brushing my college applications to the floor.

That's probably the only plan I'll be having for the near future.

* * *

The alarm clock blares in my ears and I squeeze my eyes shut because it woke me up.

No... I don't wanna wake up.

I roll into the warm body beside me and wrap my arms around her waist, getting as much body contact as I can while lying next to her. She stirs in my arms and I know she's awake now too. Hitting the alarm's snooze button, she shifts towards me.

"Dawn... you awake yet?"

My eyes stay closed and I don't move.

"No..."

She chuckles and I feel her hand gently brush the hair out of my face.

"So I guess that means you're talking in your sleep now?"

"Yes..."

This time there's a little more of a laugh from her and I can't help but smile myself.

"Come on Dawnie, we gotta get up."

Faith tries to move away to get up but I tighten my grip on her waist, keeping our bodies pressed together so she can't get away.

"I don't wanna."

My slayer girlfriend puts her hand under my chin and brings my head up so that we'd be looking into each other's eyes if I didn't have mine closed. She kisses me sweetly on the lips and I open my eyes as the kiss ends. The look in her eyes is happy and loving.

"I know Dawn, I don't really want to either. But you've got school and I've gotta get to work."

Hearing her say that makes me groan in frustration.

"How about we don't and say we did?"

I lean into Faith a little more, letting my thigh rub against hers seductively.

"We could just stay in bed all day and... have breakfast."

She rubs up against me appreciatively, that feral look I love so much on her face. We share another kiss, this one long and drawn out but no less filled with passion. A low growl deep in her throat escapes her lips when the kiss finally ends.

"As much as I know, we would both love to do that... you know we can't."

Why did she have to say that last part? I don't like that last part one bit.

Faith reaches up and caresses my cheek lovingly. Then with one final short kiss, she puts some distance between us on the bed and gets up.

She is right though. We have to get up and actually do things.

I roll over and sit up on the edge of the bed, stretching a little before I stand. Combing my hands through my hair to straighten it out as much as I can, I look over the floor to find my clothes.

"So do you wanna take the first shower or should I?"

Our eyes meet as I turn around at her question to see her tying her robe around her waist. It isn't tied tightly though so it shows off the valley between her breasts and a good portion of her stomach. The sight of her puts a smile on my face and I just know I'm not gonna give up on this.

"Why bother choosing? We could save water by washing each other."

She grins as she makes her way over to me. On her way, she picks up my t-shirt and holds it out to me when I get in range.

"Nice try ya little vixen, but that's how we ended up taking the day off last time. And if I remember right, we didn't exactly save much water that day."

I grin at her while I respond.

"I know... that's why I suggested it."

My sexy as hell girlfriend throws my shirt in my face, blinding me for the split second it takes me to get it off. She grabs me by the shoulders and turns me towards the door, smacking me playfully on the butt to get me to move.

"You go first sweet cheeks. I'll make us something to eat while you're busy."

I start making my way out of the bedroom and towards the shower, scoffing at her happily as I go.

"When did you become the queen of responsibility?"

Faith yells out from the bedroom at me.

"Right about the time I fell head over heels for a delinquent like you. Now get in the shower so we can have breakfast."

For some reason I just have to skip the last step into the bathroom.

I don't think I could feel happier if I tried.