FIC: Feather Roads-Talking the Talk

[Mad-Hamlet@xxxxxxx]

Disclaimer: All this belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy Inc.
(Grrr..rarrr)



Drain Brameged Inc. Proudly Presents
A Mad-Hamlet Production

We walk the roads that fate lays before us. More often than we'd like
that path is strewn with blades and teeth. Shadows with claws that
try to gut us from within, most of us struggle foward, over, under,
through all these obsticles hoping, even in the face of all evidence,
that we'll be stronger for it.

On occasion, through mercy, or mayhaps the whim of Gods
needing entertainment, allow Fate's way to be softened. Cool breezes
flow over our skin, all the living things around seem to speak to us
and our existance is not only possible but worthwhile. The road is
soft and comfortable and we can rest as we journy onward, wounds
heal, blood stops and strength returns..just so we can face the next
shadowy terror with a far too wide, sharp, grin just around the
corner.

On occasion we're gifted with Feather Roads. This is theirs.


Feather Roads
Talking the Talk


"Give me the remote." I say.

"No." Buffy smiles holding it away from me. With her other
hand she dips into the bowl of chips and munches a handful.

"Give me the remote!" I say again, I try and use my 'resolve'
face to add power to the command but her smile, and slow wink makes
me giggle instead. This is just no fair.

"Please Buffy, give me the remote." Puppy dog eyes, that'll
do the trick.

"No go babe. I got the Anti-Puppy factor going for me." She
smirks.

"That being what?" I say with a pout.

"I have your feet." She says and her grip slams around my
ankles.

"Oohh no no no no no no no no!" I beg..in vain. I know where
this is going and I love every second of it.

Nonchalantly she puts the remote down, still safely out of
reach.

"Why what do we have here?" She says with a fake look of
surprise. "Helpless and defenseless Willow feet!"


"No no no no no no no please Buffy..no no no no.." I'm still
begging. She's too good at this.

"We all know what happens to unprotected Willow Feet don't
we?" She asks with a lecherous grin.

"No no no no please no no no oh Goddess save your..." I'm
interupted by Buffy's truimphant shout of "TICKLE MONSTER!"

And I can't say anything for the next few minutes.


It takes me about ten minutes to regain my
composure..er..catch my breath..

"Please can I have the remote?" I ask quietly.

"Sorry lover." Buffy quips. She's sat back on her end of the
sofa, eating another handful of chips, "But it's my house, so my
rules..I grew up watching this show and I want to re-live some of the
good old days. So there." And she sticks her tounge out at me.

"But..but..but.." I stammer. "Betwiched? I mean..that show is
so..insulting to witches and..and..that nose thing? I mean..who
believes that..and all this matter just popping in and out. And
Samantha's mother, what respect in her right mind would dress like
that? I absolutly adore you Buffy and knowning tonight we'll be
making mad passionate love does make me feel all warm and tingly but
if you actaully try and make me watch this whole 'Bewitched' marathon
I'm gonna-"

"Uh..Hi! Mom!" Buffy says loudly.

"Wish the Earth will swallow me up right this very second." I
squeak.

Please be kidding, please be kidding, please be kidding,
please be kidding...I look at Buffy. Back ramrod straight, eyes big
and wide, mouth kind of slack..oh..this is so not good.

Turn the head..slowly..slowly..don't want to be all panicky
if she's faking, she'll think she got me, I'm not going to let her
get me, and..and..if..she..oh big time trouble no..if she isn't
faking I have too..have too..look..oh..oh oh oh...no.

"H-hi..Mrs...ah..Summers." I stammer out.

Then fall out of the sofa.



"Willow?" I hear.

"Willow? Can you hear me?" Don't think I recognise the voice.
Mmm..sleepy.

"Mom, give me some room." Hi Buffy..what are you doing in my
dream?

"Buffy, what was that Willow was saying..making..."

"Not now Mom, later. I promise..just let me get Willow on the
sofa."

"Here, put this blanket on top of her. I'll get some water."
Ah..now I recognise that voice..that's Buffy's mom, Joyce. She's nice
though she did have rather bad timing coming back home unexpectedly
just when I was telling Buffy about how..

I sit bolt upright.

"IwasjustkiddingMrsSummersIswearwhateveryouheardwaswrong!" I
blurt out.

"Shhh..." Buffy's on her knees beside me. Stroking my
hair..it's nice... I can feel my heart hammering really loudly, but
still her hand feels nice. I lean into the touch.

"Oh..oh that was scary." I say to Buffy, closing my eyes. "I
dreamed your mother came home and..."

"Here's the water and..oh..Willow. You're awake. Are you
alright dear?"

Eep.

"YesImquiteallrightMrsSummersthanksforaskingBuffyitsbeenfunbut
IreallyreallyreallythinkIhavetogonow!"

Panic!

Panic!
Panic!
Panic!

Panic!

"No, you better stay here Willow." Mrs. Summers says sitting
next to me. "You did just suffer a fainting spell after all."

Her smile is warm and friendly but her eyes are really
serious. What I can see of them, I'm not exactly looking her in the
face as my chin is trying to merge with my breastbone.

Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!

"Buffy..what was that Willow was saying as I came in the
room?" Mrs Summers asks. I can't really tell how she's looking. My
fingers are very, very intresting right now.

I hear Buffy sigh. I know that sigh it's the, 'Okay here we
go this should be a real bucket of laughs.' sigh.

"Yes mom, Willow and I are lovers, yes mom I'm sure, no mom I
havn't tried not being in love with her, yes mom I'm going to stick
with her, yes mom we should have told you, yes mom I'm sorry but we
were scared. I'm sorry." Buffy says in one breath.

I try real hard not to giggle.

"Oh." Mrs. Summers says. I glance at her. She's still sitting
next to me, looks relaxed enough, she's not looking at either me, or
Buffy, just..off into space.

"Mom?" Buffy asks.

Mrs. Summers doesn't say anything.

"Mom?" Buffy asks again.

Still nothing.

"Did..did..we break her?" I ask quietly.

"I..don't think so." Buffy leans foward. "Mom, this is the
part where you smile and say 'Whatever makes you happy dear.' right?
You're not going to go homophobe on us are you?" Buffy waves her hand
in her mother's face a few times.

Mrs. Summers snaps back. "Are you really sure Buffy? Lord
knows I experimented in College when.."

I give a loud yelp and pull the blankets over my head, stick
my fingers in my ears and loudly beging to hum 'These Boots are Made
For Walking' as loudly as I can. Doesn't work.

"Mom!" Buffy interupts her. "If you never, ever finish that
sentence I swear I'll not bring up the band candy incident ever
again!"

"I was going to say with dope Buffy." I peek my head out from
under the blanket.

"You tried marijina Mrs. Summers?" I ask hesitantly.

She smiles at me. She still looks a little serious but
nowhere near 'crush little jewish girl who you just discovered has
been having sex with your only daughter' class homicidal.


It's the quiet ones, I remind myself..gotta watch out for the
quiet ones.

"Once Willow." That was enough. She looks at the two of us
with that 'mom' look that somehow they learn from..somebody.

"I take it..." She says slowly. "This was not a one time
thing."

"About a year mom." Buffy easily replies. How can she be so
relaxed? If my parents find out they'll have me excommunicated!
No..wait..we're Jewish we don't do that..well..it'll be bad.

"And...you love Willow, is that correct?" Joyce asks her
daughter.

"Do you..." Buffy replies. She seems to be thinking. "Do you
remember what I told you about Angelus mom? About two years ago?"

Slowly Mrs Summers nods. Where is Buffy going with this?

"Let me put it like this then." Buffy says. "If I had had to
do to Willow, what I had to do to Angel, I would not have gotten on
the bus leaving Sunnydale.

What?

"Buffy, I'm afraid I don't.." Mrs. Summers begins.

"I would have let it run over me." Buffy finishes.

Aww..what a sweet thing to say..oh..wait..no it
isn't..well..maybe I mean..but..suicide..that's bad..but feeling so
strongly so..that's good and..uh...mmm..

"Ah." Mrs. Summers says. She's using that tone of voice that
parents use when they want to appear 'wise'. "I see." She pauses,
eyebrows creasing. "I think."

"I love Willow mom." Buffy says very matter-of-factly, taking
my hand. "Nuff said."

"And..you..Willow..you love Buffy?" She turns to me.

Ohmygoshshe'slookingrightatmeandI'mgonnadie!!
Helphelphelpehelphelp!

"Yeah!" I say loudly. I'm sure I'm waring some manical
grin. "She's..she's..Buffy's..ah..sweet..really sweet..and no..that
didn't come out right I mean she's very, very, nice and I love her a
lot can I go to the bathroom please?"

"Do you have too?" Mrs. Summers asks very quietly, using that
Wise voice again.

"NotreallybutIthinkI'mgoingtocombustI'msoembarrssed!" I
squeak.

Mrs Joyce pats me on the head. Hey! I'm no kid I'm in
college, I'm an adult, I'm mature, I'm..I'm..not hyperventilating
anymore. Neat!

"Nothing to be that embarrssed over Willow." Mrs. Summers
says quietly. "Okay, so it was kind of alkward. Myself walking in at
just the wrong time..." She pauses. "Or the right time maybe."

She turns to her daughter. "When exatly were you going to
share this with me?"

Buffy turns bright red and flaps her hands around helplessly.
She shoots me a pained look, a plea for help but I'm barely hanging
on as is.

"Uh..that is..the..er..right time?" She says helplessly.

Mrs. Summers sighs. "Well..I suppose now will do. I didn't
discover about Angel for nearly two years so I should be used to it
by now."

"Well..that and Parker." I chip in..oh god no I said exactly
the wrong thing. Buffy levels a 'I will kill you later' glare my
way. "Uh..did I say Parker? I meant..umm..barker..yeah..don't see too
many good carnival barkers these days, what with there being no
Carnivals to bark for I mean..wow..television really killed them huh.
Intresting that.

Mrs. Summers doen't buy it.

"Parker?" She looks at her daughter with a raised eyebrow
crossing her arms over her chest.

"College experiment mom. Failed..big time. Savor the irony."
Buffy says in reply, also crossing her arms. Like mother, like
daughter.

"Another time then." Mrs. Summers says. She looks betweent
the two of us again.

"Just exactly how did this start?" She asks.

NO! Don't wanna remember, won't remember..just..push it
back..breathe..breathe..shh shh...
I feel Buffy wrapping her arms around me, take strength from
Buffy, Buffy's here..shhh..shhh..you're alright..you're alright....

"Not a good question mom. Let is drop okay?"I hear Buffy
saying. She sounds a little far away.

In one two three
Out one two three
In one twho three
Out one two three

Breathe..relax..breathe..relax..okay..I'm okay..

I open my eyes and look at Mrs. Summers. She's wearing a look
of real concern, she's shifted foward a little and looking me in the
eyes ernestly.

"Are...are you sure honey?" She asks.

"I'm sure." Buffy says.

"Surley sure." I echo.

"Hey." Buffy kisses the top of my head. "Welcome back."

"Did I leave?" I ask.

"Zoned for a second, but ya toughed it out." She replies back
to me, I can hear her smile. I can also hear her heart too. It's
hammering like mine, so..she's not the only nervous one. Still..it
could have been the 'question' not getting caught.

I inhale deeply..ah..Buffyscent. Much, much better.

"So..let me get this straight." Mrs. Summers says. "You two
are engaged in a lesbian relationship, have been for nearly a year,
are deeply in love and you can't tell me how it all started?"

"Uh..yeah?" I answer her quietly.

"That about sums it up mom." Buffy says.

"So much for grandchildren." Mrs. Summers sighs.

"MOM!" Buffy says loudly.

"Sorry dear." Mrs. Summers says.

I, personally, find the entire exchange quite funny.

"Well..ah..mm..you never know..Mrs. Summers. Her first love
was a vampire, mine was a werewolf, we've beaten vampires, demons,
nearly been sacrificed, involved with a goverment conspiracies, and
fought things that would make a terminator seem like a teddy ruxpin."
I shrug. "What's the big deal of two women having children?"

Mrs. Summers gives me a pained smile. "Well..I suppose so
Willow."

"You can stop helping me at any time you know" Buffy says.

I tilt my head and kiss the tip of her chin. "But I like
helping." I say with an arched eyebrow.

Buffy just groans and buries her face in my hair. Tingly!

"Oh, Betwiched is on." Mrs. Summers says. "Remember when we
used to watch that together Buffy?"

"Sure thing mom!" Buffy says letting me go and squeesing into
the space between me and
Mrs. Summers. "How about we catch up on times huh?"

"Sounds like fun." Mrs. Summers says and makes herself more
comforatable on the sofa.

Buffy turns her face to mine and mouths the words 'Neener,
neener.'

I stick my tounge out at her but accept my fate.

We watch the television for a few minutes.

"Your boyfriend was a werewolf?"




Authors notes: A little short, a little rushed..but a friend was in
desperate need of a WAFFY fic after reading Sundowning. I _live_ for
those moments.