My first attempt at Buffy fanfiction. Be kind! Bad feedback will likely cause me to crumble up and die.
Title: Switching
Author: The Psycho (psycho@xxxxxxxxxx)
Pairing: Buffy/Willow (sorta)
Archive: Go ahead. Just keepit intact and send me an email knowing where…. Please!
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. (wish I did) Just borrowing. Characters and stuff owned by Joss and Mutant.
Summary: Willow casts a spell that backfires in a totally unusual way.
Timeline: Sherman set the wayback machine! Angel got sent to hell but never came back. Somewhere around season 3.
Chapter 1
"Buffy, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." not sounding too convincing. Buffy knew she couldn't hide her feelings from her friend.
"Buffy…"
"Willow, I wish you could…"
"I can!" Willow interrupted her "… or at least I can try… I mean, 'cause you're my best friend… and Ilike helping you… and friends help each other right… And…"
"Willow…"
"Sorry. I just don't like tosee you upset." Eyes downcast.
// I am so lucky to have this girl in my life, // Buffy thinks to herself. // She wants so much to takecare of me. // Buffy gives her best friend a hug. "I love you. What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you? I'm sorry but this is something I have to work out for myself."
"I understand." Willow knew she needed to give her friend some space for now.
"I guess we should go. Classes, studying… higher education and all that."
"That's right! I'm gonna be late!" Willow hurried herself to get ready for class.
* * *
Willow knew what the problemwas that Buffy was having. Angel was in hell, and Willow's spell to give Angel his soul back didn't work. Buffy missed Angel. She wished there was something she could do to help Buffy. She decided to see if there was a Wicca solution. After classes she headed over to the library to check out Giles' 'secret' spellbooks that he kept hidden away in his office. She had often read them and thoughtshe remembered a certain spell that might work.
She found the spellbook. It was particularly old and burned. It must have been through a fire sometime in the past. She quickly flipped through the pages and found the spell.
. . . . eturn Spell
. . eturn at once a banished soul,
.nd bring him back safe and whole,
Place the components in a cup.
And with a fire, burn them up.
Recite the chant with convic . ..
Use exactly the proper dic . . .
If one is miss . . . . . cca beware,
The so . . . . ..ess the caster there.
There were a few parts missing but it seemed like it should work. She copied the spell and left for home. She opened her chest where she kept her spellcasting components. She found the right ingredients and sat down to prepare them. She waited until dark… whenshe was sure Buffy was on patrol. She read the chant silently first to get the feelof it.
"I think I have it. The ending is missing but I guess I can wing it."
She placed the ingredients in a cup, lit a match and dropped it in. They ignited with a flash. She recited the chant once… twice… then all was dark.
* * *
Sunlight! Angel started withalarm. He ran and hid in a corner when he realized he wasn’t smoking. The sunlight didn’t burn! Angel looked at his surroundings. He seemed to be in a bedroom. A girl's bedroom. It definitely wasn't Buffy's. He tried to stand up. His body felt strange. He walked around the room when something caught his eye. The mirror. He turned and looked into Willow's face.
"This isn't good…" he said in Willow's voice.
Chapter 2
Angel walked outside slowly,still fearing the light. He looked up at the sun. The last time he looked up at ablue sky was over 200 years ago. // This is so cool! // He just started walking, marveling at the seemingly new world, a world previously only seen in the darkness. He wasn’t even aware of where he was going. He didn’t care. It was a beautiful world, children playing in their yards… trees seemingly who’s only purpose was to hide demons and vampires ready to pounce on the unwary, now shimmered in the sunlight.
“Willow.”
Angel recognized that voice instantly. He turned to see Buffy standing on her porch. He must have instinctively walked all the way to her house. But now seeing Buffy after all that time in Hell was like a dream come true. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. He was so mesmerizedby the sight of her he didn’t even realize Buffy was talking to him.
“Willow… what’s…”
Without even thinking, he ran up to her. He folded his arms around her and kissed her with all the passion he had been building up during his time in hell.
* * *
Buffy had seen Willow walking up the street staring dreamily up at the sky. She called out to her when Willow was about to pass by her gate. Willow turned and looked at her with such alarm. She was just staring at her. She tried asking Willowwhat was wrong but she only got a few words out before Willow was suddenly kissing her!
All concerns over what was wrong suddenly vanished. For a moment she was too stunned to think. All she could think was how good Willow’s lips on hers felt. Buffy was suddenly brought back to reality when she felt Willow’s tongue find it’s way between herlips. As good as it felt to have this secret dream of hers come true, she knew something was wrong. She pushed Willow away.
“Willow… are youok?”, Buffy asked concerned.
Willow’s face faded from a look of passion to anguish. “I’ve got to go.” And ran away.
* * *
Angel was in heaven. Kissing Buffy again was incredible. He felt Buffy start to respond tohim and kiss him back when she suddenly pushed him away.
Angel suddenly realized whatwas going on. He wasn’t inhell. He was back in Sunnydale and he was in Willow’s body. If he was here, where was Willow? He feared the answer to that. He dared not tell Buffy what was going on. He had to talk to Giles. He’ll know what happened.
He desperately wanted to stay with Buffy, but he then realized… He was in Willow’s body… He kissed Buffy… and Buffy responded! He never knew Buffy had those feelings for Willow. Apparently neither did Buffy… Buffy seemed surprised by his/Willow’s advances… even though she was turned on by it.
He didn’t have time tofigure it all out right now. He first had to find out what happened. He didn’t want to upset Buffy, if Buffy had feelings for Willow then she wouldn’t beable to think straight. He had to get away from her before she suspected too much. He had to find Giles. He just made up something and left.
* * *
Chapter 3
Angel burst in the door to Giles’ place. He took a quick look around.
“Giles!”
“Thank you for knocking.” Giles said with slight sarcasm.
“Giles… There’s a big problem. I’m not Willow.”
Giles suddenly had visions of the Buffy/Faith body switching incident. Had Faith come back and switched bodies with Willow? He started backing away from Willow.
“Then who are you?” Giles said nervously.
Angel knew Giles was scared,and tried not to push it any further. “I’m Angel.”
“Angel’s in hell… Prove it.”
Angel tried to think of something Giles might know but Willow wouldn’t. “I killed my parents and brother. Darla was my sire, I was Spike’s sire…”
Giles knew Willow wouldn’t know that. Giles knew of course from his chronicles. “Good enough. So, if you’re in Willow’s body… where’s Willow?”
Angel suddenly got a fearfullook on his face. “I don’t know! Do you think she might be… in… hell?”
“I’m not sure Angel. We first have to figure out how you got here in Willow’s body before we can find Willow.”
“Angel?”
Angel turned upon hearing Buffy’s voice.
* * *
Buffy had only heard the last line. She feared something was wrong with Willow so she decided to go see Giles. When she walked in, Giles seemed to be talking to Angel. She calledout to Angel. She didn’t see him, but after addressing Angel… Willow turned.
* * *
“Will… Angel?” Buffy was looking at Willow expectantly.
Angel knew he couldn’thide it from her. “Yes.”
“Where’s Willow?”
“We don’t know yet.” Giles spoke up.
“We have to find her!” Buffy said concerned.
“We will. Angel, where were you when you came back?”
“Willow’s bedroom I think… now that I think about it, there was spell stuff around.”
“Willow must have casta spell.”
Buffy spoke up. “I’ll go to Willow’s and see if I can find anything.”
“I’ll go with her. Giles, you stay here and see whatyou can find out.”
Chapter 4
Walking to Willow’s home, Angel instinctively took Buffy’s hand in his as they walked. Buffy was conflicted. She knew it was Angel but she loved the feel of Willow’s skin on hers… even if they were only holding hands. Buffy didn’t say anything. All the time Angel was gone, she had been trying to accept him being gone forever. She had started developing hidden feelings for Willow. Feelings which had been brought to the surface after Willow had kissed her. But it wasn’t Willow…not really. But she couldn’t shake the feelings she was having for Willow… now in the open.
As if answering her thoughtsAngel spoke up. “We’ll get her back.”
Angel and Buffy soon got to Willow’s room and started looking around. Angel soon found the scrap of paper Willow had written the spell down on. “Buffy… I think I found the spell but it doesn’t look complete. Let’s get it back to Giles’ and see what he can make of it.”
They didn’t speak the entire trip back. Angel knew Buffy was conflicted. She had loved him, but she now loved Willow… even if she didn’t completely realize it. Angel saw how much Buffy loved kissing Willow. They were best friends, they would be very happy together. He knew what would have to happen.
* * *
Angel and Buffy walked into Giles’ home. Giles came up to them,“Did you find anything?”
“Yea, Angel found the spell I think.”
Angel handed the spell to Giles. Giles looked it over, “It’s not complete…” Gilesthen grabbed a book, flipping through he found the page he wanted. “This is a Return Spell. Normally if it’s cast correctly, the ‘banished soul’ will return whole. But if it’s mis-cast…the entity will end up possessing the spell-caster.”
“She mis-cast it?” Buffy said worriedly.
“Yes, the spell’s not complete. This spell came out of the Tome of Bromeus. It was in a fire back in the 1800’s.”
Buffy turned away. “She must have been trying to bring Angel back for me. It’s a dangerous spell, and Will risked her life for me… I was feeling bad this morning, she must have thought it was because I missed Angel… She didn’t know it was because…” Buffy trailed off.
“Because…”Giles asked curiously.
“Never mind that.” Angel stopped him. He knew why. “What about Willow?”
“Well, if the spell went bad… then it’s simply a matter of possession. Willow’s consciousness is simply buried. A simple banishment spell should get Angel out of Willow’s body and Willow will simply re-surface.”
“… and send Angel back to hell.”
Chapter 5
Angel took Buffy aside. “Buffy. You know how much I want to be with you, but not at Willow’s expense.” Angel turned to Giles. “Giles, can you cast the banishment spell?”
“I think I can. I have the spell and reagents here.” Giles started gathering up what he needed. “Angel… stand here in the center.” Angel stood in the center of the circle while Giles poured a while sand around him. Giles then handed Angel a medallion. “Just hold this talisman… the holder will have their primary consciousness banished.”
Buffy put her arms around Angel. “Angel… I don’t want to send you back to hell!” Buffy said with worry on her face.
“Buffy. We had our time. Maybe someday we can be together again… But now it’s yours and Willow’s. I know you love her. This is the only way.” By this time Giles had started chanting. “Buffy, I’ll always love you.”
Angel held Buffy tight with Willow’s arms. He felt the spell start to take hold of him. He managed captured Buffy’s lips with his before he saw nothing but darkness.
* * *
Willow didn’t know where she was at first. The first thing she realized was Buffy was kissing her. She didn’t know why but she wasn’t about to complain. Willow had long had feelings for Buffy and now here she was! Kissing Buffy! She gave in to the feeling and kissed Buffy back.
Giles broke the moment. “Ahem.”
Buffy broke contact and Willow whimpered from the loss. “Willow?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
Willow’s emotions soared. She didn’t know what happened but she was so happy she didn’t care. “Oh Buffy, I love you so much!”
The next kiss not even the gods could stop. Buffy and Willow kissed again with such passion even Giles blushed. Lips melding together… best friends… soon to be lovers.
End.