FIC: Flying Without Wings (1/?)

["Red Demon" <eternal_light2000@xxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Flying Without Wings (1/?)
Author: Red Demon
Email: eternal_light2000@xxxxxxxxx
Disclaimer: Buffy and Company belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th
Century Fox and the WB.
Pairing: Buffy/Willow
Rating: PG
Distribution: If you have a story of mine then your welcome to this
otherwise ask me and I'll say yes..
Feedback: Always wanted. Always welcome.
Summary: Set in an alternate reality. Buffy is injured before
becoming the slayer causing a certain redhead to be called instead.
Spolers: There is a slight refrence to Prophecy Girl.

PART ONE

Everybody's looking for that something
One thing that makes it all complete
You find it in the strangest places
Places you never knew it could be
Some find it in the face of their children
Some find it in their lovers eyes
Who can't deny the joy it brings
When you've found that special thing
You're flying without wings
Some find it sharing every morning
Some in the solitary lives
You find it in the works of others
A simple line can make you laugh or cry
You find it in the deepest friendship
The kind you cherish all your life
And when you know how much that means
When you've found that special thing
You're flying without wings
So impossible as they may seem
You've got to fight for every dream
'Cos who's to know
Which one you let go
Would make you complete
~ Westlife, Flying Without Wings ~

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

Joyce smiled at Buffy before sitting next to her half asleep daughter
on the bed. "Wake up sleepyhead. You don't want to be late
for your first day do you?"

"Do I have to go? I should wait a few days... you know to get
used to the town." Joyce followed Buffy's gaze to the
wheelchair sitting next to the bed. She patted Buffy on the leg.

"I know that kids can be cruel but honey you have to go back
sometime. Besides you don't know what these kids will be like.
That's why we decided to give Sunnydale a chance." Buffy
felt the tears forming behind her eyelids. Joyce stood up placing a
kiss between the twin scars on Buffy's forehead. "Do you need
help?"

Before the accident she had been independent, she'd even been a
cheerleader but now she had to rely on her mom for help with the
things she would have done with ease just a year ago. "I'll
be all right." At times she felt like crawling out of her skin
at how dependent she was on other people.

"Okay. I'll be in the kitchen." Buffy waited until she
heard Joyce moving around in the kitchen before pulling the covers
off her useless legs and she damned the drunk driver for the
millionth time. If only she hadn't agreed to go out to dinner
with
her dad that night. If only they had stayed a second longer at the
restaurant then the other car wouldn't have hit them. But all
the if
only's couldn't change the past.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

"You must be Buffy Summers." Buffy looked up from the
computer she was typing at when a redheaded girl sat next to her.
Buffy felt her heart skip a beat when she looked into the girls
beautiful green eyes. They held the same sadness that she often saw
when she looked in the mirror.

"Uh, yeah."

"Oh, I'm Willow. The troll wanted me to show you around but
I was
running late this morning."

"The troll?"

Willow brushed her on the arm when she bent down to pick up a book
and a tiny bolt of electricity passed between them. "Principal
Snyder. Anyway, I see you found the computer class." Buffy
could feel the energy coming from Willow but before she could say
anything the bell rang signaling the end of class. Buffy waited for
the classroom to empty before rolling into the crowded hallway.

Willow fell into step beside the her and a dark haired guy ran up and
slung his arm across Willow's shoulders. "Man Wills I'm
glad you're back, Snyder wasn't buying my story." Xander
glanced at Buffy. "Who's this? I'm Xander."

"This is Buffy. She's from, um, I'm not sure where
she's from." Xander pulled a twinkie out of his backpack and
stuffed
it into his mouth before wiping his sticky hands on his blue jeans.
He pulled out another twinkie and stuck it in his mouth. Buffy
couldn't help but laugh at him. He reminded her of one of her
closet friends from Hemery.

"Wuft." She translated that as what.

"You eat like a pig." Willow opened the library door and
Buffy followed Xander in.

"I've been trying to tell him that for years but he
doesn't listen."
A dark haired girl sat with her feet on a long table in the middle of
the room. An older man, surrounded by books frowned at the
girl. "How did slaying go last night, Willow?"

Xander coughed drawing the older man's attention. "Oh hello,
er, um, how can I help you?"

Buffy felt the tension in the air. "I, um, I need books."
The man, flipped the book that he was reading shut and stood up.

"Good, I'm Giles, er, Mr. Giles... the librarian. What did
you say your name was?"

"Buffy Summers." Buffy placed the schedule that she'd pulled
out of her pocket onto her legs. She didn't like the look that
the man was giving her. Out of all the changes that had happened in
her life she couldn't stand the looks of pity people would give
her when they thought she wasn't watching. Most of them came from
teenagers and young kids and she could understand that. They
didn't know better but when the looks came from adults all she
could
feel was hatred towards them. "Why don't I come back when
it's
less busy."

Willow watched Buffy exit through the library doors before turning to
Giles. She could feel her face starting to turn red. "Why did
you just run her off like that!"

"I didn't run her off... she left on her own free will."
Giles crossed to his office and returned a second later with another
book in his hand. He placed the book between Willow and Faith
ignoring the fuming slayer. "Here read this."

I went to the hospital today to visit Ms. Summers. I barely
recognized the young girl that I have been secretly watching for
the last month. She has yet to begin breathing on her own and
that blasted contraption remains attached to her head. The
doctors have told me that it is a halo brace and it will keep her
shattered backbone immobile while her body continues its slow
recovery. The doctors have also informed me that Ms. Summers will
never walk again. That is what brought about my trip to the
hospital today. I needed proof that she will not be able to
perform her duties and that is what I saw today. I am heading
back to England within the week to request the calling of a
different slayer. I wish the best of luck to the forgotten
slayer. - Merrick, watcher

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

Willow walked next to Faith through the graveyard. Her slayer senses
were still tingling from the slight contact with Buffy earlier in the
day. She had felt the jolt when they touched but the blonde
hadn't seemed to notice.

"Spill it Red." Willow stopped walking and sat down on a
headstone and watch the brunette pace in front of her.

"Why do you think there's something to spill?"

"Well first you answered my question with a question. Second
you've barely said a word all night. Usually you can't stop
babbling and I have a feeling this has to do with a certain
wheelchair bound blonde babe who should have been the slayer, but
instead you were called and when the master drowned you, I was
called... and you get the point."

"And you say I'm the babbler."

"Well..."

"Did you see her green eyes? They were intense. And when we
touched in computer class it was like wow."

Faith punched Willow in the arm. "Someone has a crush."

"I do not..." Willow melted under the younger slayer's
intense gaze. "Well okay I do, but I'm sure Buffy's not
into me
like that. She thinks of me only as a friend."

"She likes you in same ways that you like her."

"You're lying." Willow blushed knowing that Faith
wasn't lying about this. She'd caught Buffy looking at her a
couple
times in the hallway during the day."

Faith pretended to look offended. "Have I ever lied to you
before?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

"No. But I'm not lying to you about this. She likes
you."

"You think?"

"Yeah I do. It's the weekend, you should take her out to
lunch."

"I don't even have her address." Faith stopped pacing in
front of
her giving her fellow slayer a wicked smile.

"Where there's a will, there's a way. And seeing how
you're Will there has to be a way."

EEND PART ONE


I've had this idea in my head for quite a while now and decided to go
ahead and write it.