~ Faith's Crossing ~ by Cbzeer

Disclaimers: Uber alert!!! The characters in this story belong to me. And although they do tend to favor (in looks, anyway) a couple of ladies who may seem familiar, no copyright infringement is intended.

Violence: Possibly, you never know with Lex - but once again, nothing too graphic. Pg-13 at most.

Subtext: Uh, yep! More like maintext, and again nothing graphic (still not talented enough to write the steamy stuff!).

Quality Disclaimer: Okay, this story picks up right where my first one, Destiny's Bridge, left off. It probably won't make much sense if you don't read my previous story first (shameless plug!). Let me know what you think. I'm still pretty new to this writing thing, so please be gentle. Feedback (good and bad) is accepted at cb.zeer@worldnet.att.net.

Part 1

Chapter 1

Lex woke at her usual time - before the sun had the opportunity to rise. Groaning slightly to herself, the dark haired woman used her right hand to rub her weary eyes, debating with her more practical side that was telling her to get out of bed. Just when she had decided to listen that annoying little internal voice, she felt the small body that was partially draped across her to snuggle even more tightly to her side. Lex sighed. Not like I have a good reason to leave this. Her lips turned upward into a small smile. Not like I'd leave this even if I did have a good reason. She pulled the small woman closer, feeling the blonde head turn upwards.

"Morning." A sleep-roughened voice grumbled, then soft lips kissed Lex's tan throat. "I've got to figure out a way to make you sleep in until at least sunrise, just once." Green eyes tracked up the sharp planes of the rancher's face, absorbing the relaxed look on her companion.

Lex smiled, working her hand under the soft material of the younger woman's sleep shirt, gently scratching the smooth back. "I dunno if you can, but it will certainly be fun watching you try."

Amanda crawled up the long body until their faces were inches apart. "You're on." She dropped her head slightly, brushing her lips gently against Lex's. Feeling strong hands running along the inside of her shirt gently mapping the route of her spine, Amanda deepened the kiss, noticing that the body under hers trembled. "Mmm…" she smiled against the older woman's lips. "Cold?" She loved the way Lex responded to her touch, knowing that she responded to the taller woman in much the same way.

"N…n…no…not…at all." Lex stammered, unable to control her voice when she felt small hands exploring under her shirt - hands that knowingly found just the right places to touch, leaving behind an almost electrical charge. "Amanda…" she cleared her throat, "we shouldn't…" But her body was happily rebelling - arching forward towards the younger woman's touch. "Your…ah… grandparents…" she mumbled, losing the battle as small, soft hands began tracing down towards her stomach, closely followed by insistent bites and small licks from the chuckling blonde's mouth. "They might…oh, God…" her eyes closed as Amanda found a particularly sensitive spot just below her ribs.

"Shhh…" the younger woman murmured. "It's okay, sweetheart…they're at the other end of the hall, and won't be up for hours." She slowly worked the soft shirt up the quivering body below her. "Besides, "she chuckled, "the risk of getting caught is half the fun." Then she stopped talking, and concentrated on the enjoyable task at hand.