Fic: Groundhog Slayer (1/?)

[annelise@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Part 1 Of A ChallengeFic.
Comments/Flames/Etc. to: ladyvyxen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

#INCLUDE <Disclaimer.txt>

Anne-Lise.

--

"But do you wish things could be different?" Anya persisted as she
followed Cordelia into Sunnydale High.
Cordelia paused, looking over to where an infatuated Xander ogled
Buffy much to her own and Willow's dismay. She caught the look of
resignation in Willow's eyes and thought, 'Loser.' "I wish... I wish
all Xander's friends would just... lose all interest in him."
"D..." Anya began, but was silenced by Cordelia raising an
admonishing finger.
"Furthermore," she blithely continued, "I wish that Buffy and Willow
would just come of the closet and admit they're both gay."
"D..." Again the admonishing finger mesmerised and silenced an
impressed Anya, who gloried in this girl's loathing.
"I mean, have you seen the way they dress? P-lease! They *must* be
gay." Cordelia rolled her eyes expressively as Anya boggled, mouth
open. "Now me," she added, "I'm young, free and beautiful!" she
pointed out. "And now I'm single, I can have any man I choose." She
shrugged, smiling sweetly. "In fact," she continued, "I wish this day
would last forever!"
As Cordelia headed towards class, Anya's face took on a demonic
scowl. "Done." she said, trying to remember exactly what Cordelia
wished for. "I think?"

*

"Who's the new girl?" Willow asked as she, Buffy and Xander sat by
the entranceway steps.
"Where?" Buffy looked round. After all, new girls were possible
friend material.
"The one with Cordelia," Xander chipped in.
Buffy shrugged, getting up. "Who cares." She staggered a little as
a sudden dizzy spell hit.
"What's wrong Buffy?" Willow asked.
"Guess I just got up too quickly," Buffy admitted.
"I get that a lot," Xander nodded.
"Yeah, whatever." Buffy trudged into school to experience the true
wonder of modern education.

*

"This," claimed Snyder, "is your new school mascot."
"Its a rat." Buffy pointed out.
"No Miss Summers, although I thank you for your interest. No, this
is a groundhog."
"A rat." Buffy pointed out.
"Can we eat it?" Xander asked from the back of the crowd causing a
few people to turn and stare at him. "Hey, we ate the last mascot!"
"No, Mr. Harris, we will not be eating Wild Willy." Snyder said in
an exhausted voice.
"Wild Willy?" Xander smirked. "Who gave him that daft name?" He
quailed under Snyder's sudden glare. "Well, not really daft. Just
kind of hokey." Still the glare. "Not even hokey. In fact, its an
excellent moniker, a true focus for school spirit, and I for one am
proud to have a school squirrel."
"Its a rat." Buffy pointed out.
"Actually Miss Summers, your mentally challenged friend was right.
Its a squirrel. And you shall be in charge of feeding it."
"I was right?" Xander happied until the insult sank in. "Hey!"
"Rats." Buffy sulked.

*

"Homework? We had homework?" Buffy chewed her lip.
"No big," Willow pulled some loose pages out of her bag. "I knew
you'd be busy last night, what with Angel and all, so I copied mine
out twice. Except I did the second one in shakier handwriting and
slightly worse punctuation and spelling." Willow's eyes widened. "Not
that your punctuation and spelling is all that bad, really, I..."
"Hey, Will," Buffy gave her friend a dazzling smile. "I kinda love
you."
Willow smiled back, but said nothing.

*

"Ah Buffy," Giles looked up from his text as the Slayer entered the
library. "Is something wrong?"
"Not at all." Buffy shrugged. "Willow's in the computer room, so
like, colour me bored."
"No Xander?" Giles asked.
"Who cares? What, you're not happy to see me or something?" Buffy
walked over to get a closer look at Gile's book. "Did I disturb some
seriously fun reading?"
"Um," Giles removed his glasses and nervously polished them.
"Incubi and succubi; A Channeler's Guide." Buffy read. She threw
Giles a Look. "You've one seriously skewed idea of fun."
"Er, yes," said Giles taking away the book before she could open
it. "Boring old fuddy-duddy me, eh."
"So, teach me something interesting?" Buffy pleaded. "I'm in learn
mood."
"What?" Giles dropped his book.

*

Sunset saw the Slayer sharing a seat at the bronze with a seriously
subdued Oz.
"I just needed some space," Oz confided. "I mean, I got pretty
wigged back there."
Buffy glanced at Oz's expressionless face. "Wigged? That'd be the
day. If you got any more laid back you'd be horizontal."
"I'm just giving her the space she needs," Oz admitted. "I think she
loves me, but she has to figure that out for herself."
Buffy nodded jealously. "Yeah," she agreed.
Xander came over to join them. "Hey guys!"
"Hi." Oz acknowledged. Buffy didn't even look up from her drink.
"Any of you guys seen Will..." Xander broke off as Willow entered
the Bronze. "What the hell?"
All three stared at the unsubtly-changed Willow as she breezed past
wearing skintight leather.
"Willow?" Buffy called out, but was ignored. She got up and went
over to her friend, followed by Oz and Xander. "Hey, Willow, you
okay?" she reached out and put her hand on the red-head's shoulder.
Willow turned and her face altered into a vampiric scowl. "Leave me
alone!"
The three stood unmoving, shocked, as what was once their best
friend left.

*

"I can't believe this is happening." Xander claimed.
"Me either," Oz agreed.
"I feel... numb." Buffy wiped at her eyes. her best friend, gone.
No, more than her best friend, *but I never got to tell her*. The
pain hit her again, an aching tear in her heart.
"She was the best of all of us," glummed Giles.
"Much better than me," Xander agreed.
"Much, much better." Giles couldn't argue.
"I can't believe this is happening." Xander claimed.
"Shut up." Buffy pulled herself shakily to her feet and found
herself in bed.

*

"Then put your little hand in mine. There ain't no hill or mountain
we can't climb. Babe." The music faded away. "Good morning and this
is Sunnydale FM giving you a warm weather forecast on this gloriously
warm Groundhog Day..." The radio broke off as Buffy slayed it. After
last night she just couldn't face chirpy breakfast AM shows. How did
she get back to bed anyway? She couldn't remember coming home last
night after... She couldn't remember much of anything after...
Willow. There, she'd thought it.
"Oh Willow!" The Slayer, destined to face evil and drive fear into
the heart of darkness, felt as weak as a kitten as she let the grief
consume her.

*

Somehow she ended up at Sunnydale High, and there she saw Xander
and Willow sitting beside the steps to the entranceway. In daylight.
Willow.
"Willow!" Buffy screamed, and threw herself into Willow's arms,
kissing her with wild abandon. Willow's eyes widened to the max and
Xander, as well as most of the in-crowd that hung outside the school
until the last minute, stared as Buffy sensuously smooched the dazed
witch. When oxygen became a serious issue, Buffy ended the kiss, and
most of the now-huge crowd cheered wildly causing both Buffy and
Willow to turn crimson.
"I'm glad you're alive!" whispered Buffy.
"Nnh!" Willow replied, suffering severe motor-function withdrawal
symptoms.
Bells rang out breaking the spell, and the crowd began to drift
into school. A few people stayed for a moment or two more though,
because after all, this was far more interesting than anything class
had to offer.
"Um," Buffy asked, "how come you *are* still alive?"
"This may be a stupid question," Xander addressed Buffy, "No, this
*is* a stupid question," he amended, "but are you okay?"
Buffy slipped her arm into Willow's and guided the shell-shocked
wicca into school. Xander stood nonplussed outside the entranceway as
if still waiting for an answer.
"Am I invisible?" He asked the universe in general.

*

End Part 1.