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Birthday Fiction Challenge Response Title: Second Chances Chapter: One Rating: R Pairing: Willow/Buffy Timeline: Last seen episode Spoilers: Only for aired episodes Beta Readers: Drakes Shadow > the cute bat > and Dark Gremlin Summary: With Willow's 21st birthday coming up, she's haunted by past mistakes that cost her the only real family she's ever had. But in the process of dealing with her own medical problems and searching for answers in her brothers apparent death, she might find that sometimes what you're searching for is right in front of you. Note: Shadow and Gremlin were huge helps in the writing of this fiction. In fact, you could say they tag teamed me. Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Paramount Studios. <------->nbsp; T he nine year old red head tackled her fifteen year old brother with a squeal. The athletic red haired teenager barely grabbed the abnormally small girl before she could knock him down. Laughing at her antics, she found herself pinned to the floor while he tickled her mercilessly. " David!!! " The football player sat back letting her get her breath back. " That's what you get for trying to ambush me. " " I wasn't. " She protested weakly. " I was testing your reactions. " David laughed at the innocence she was practically radiating. " Willow, if I didn't know you so well I might believe you. " Willow sat up turning on her best pout. " Can we go to the Diablo house now? " David sighed at the question she'd been asking non-stop for days. " That's absolutely out of the question and you know it. " " But it's my birthday. " " We've already been over this, I am not taking you to that house. " Willow glared at the bigger Rosenberg, " Fine. I'm going to my room. " " Willow...." She ignored his plea and stomped up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her. If he wouldn't take her than she'd go herself. She didn't care what all the stupid legends say, there was no such things as ghosts and witches and all that other mumbo jumbo, and tonight she was going to prove it once and for all. She scrambled out the french doors and down the trail. The only problem now was getting to Diablo forest before her brother discovered she was missing and spoiled her fun. Normally she'd take her bike, but after Xander crashed it while trying to show off for Cordelia it wasn't rideable. The only bike in riding condition now was David's, in point of fact, his bike was one of those speed bikes. Twenty One gears.... She quickly went to the porch where the bike was propped up. From there it was rather simple getting to the stretch of forest on the out skirts of town, so much so that she didn't remember much about it. The first thing she could clearly concentrate on was the long dark dirt road, disappearing into the thick trees that ran along the untouched area not more than a few miles from the main road. The trees blocked out the small amount of light that the moon produced making it almost impossible to see very far. She slowed slightly, turning onto the over grown dirt road, using the bike headlight to see. Strangely there didn't seem to be any of the noises she expected from an untouched piece of land. Animals, insects, owls... They were all silent, and it made her slightly nervous. " WILLOW!!! " She sped up at the sound of her brother calling to her. If she could just find the ruins of the house, than maybe he'd let her... She screamed out as something... Willow sat up quickly strangling her scream with her hands. " It was a dream, it was only a dream. It was a dream..." She flicked the lamp on, climbing out of the bed on unsteady legs. She couldn't seem to stop the shaking in her hands or the panicked breathing that had her on the verge of hyperventilating. It had been years since she'd had those nightmares, or memorymares, or whatever they were called. She'd hoped that those were behind her, but it seemed they weren't. Maybe it was her up coming birthday, or the fact that the last time she'd had dinner with her parents they'd heaped the blame of David's death on her more than usual. Or maybe it was the news report on the bodies discovered near the old ruins. Whatever it was they were back. " Well I won't be getting anymore sleep tonight." She muttered sadly. Resigned to going without any sleep, she quietly left her room in search of something cold to drink. All she wanted to do was to forget everything. The problem was that with her birthday, the same day that was the anniversary of her brothers death, was coming up which meant there would only be lots of reminders. It didn't help that she spent twenty four seven helping the slayer save the world and stop evil. Yet another reminder. She ran one of her twitching hands through her hair, and flicked on the kitchen light, taking pleasure in the cold tiles against her bare feet. She probably should've taken the time to put on something over the slightly damp boxers and tank top. Except her mind wasn't exactly engaged yet. It was still running so fast that she couldn't do anything but let it. " Stupid mania..." She complained, jerking the refrigerator door open. " Nightmare?" ' Just what I need. ' She thought dryly, turning to glance at the slayer leaning in the doorway. " I didn't mean to wake you. " " I was already awake. " Buffy entered the kitchen with that look that said that she was trying to be careful and that she wasn't going to stop until she got some answers. " I heard a muffled scream from your room and I was worried. " " I'm fine, it was just a bad dream. " " It might help if you talked about it. " Willow gritted her teeth against the sudden flood of memories threatening to break free. " Actually I wanted to talk to you about something. " " Whatever you want, I'm always here for you. " The witch turned to the slayer, trying to push back the guilt of what she was about to do, but she needed to stop Buffy from questioning her about her dream. " What did you mean when you said that once someone falls for me they stay fallen? " Buffy blanched visibly, gripping the counter with clenched fists. " Wh-what? " " I mean, it sounded like you were saying it from experience. " " You think I'm in love with you? " Buffy choked. " Are you? " " Nonono, of course not. I-I mean you're my best friend, and I wouldn't want to do anything to lose you. " Willow slowly approached the dirty blonde, suddenly understanding what the slayer was hinting at. " You'll never lose me, and especially not over something like that. " Buffy tensed slightly as Willow came to a stop a few inches from her. " It doesn't matter. " " Of course it matters. " Willow said sharply. " Now answer the question. " " It doesn't matter, because even if I did have feeling for you, you wouldn't return them. " " You don't know that. " Buffy moved forward quickly, claiming Willow's lips in a short kiss. Their lips lightly brushing against the other before deepening and retreating. Leaving the slayer whimpering softly, and Willow surprised. The witch eyed the slayer than started out of the kitchen. " We should go back to bed. " " Yeah.." Buffy slammed her fist onto the counter, holding back the tears. She'd waited years for some sign that Willow returned her feelings, she'd stood by while she'd discovered that her friend really was gay. She'd even given her a shoulder to cry on whenever something happened with Tara, and through everything she'd been so careful not to let any hint of her feelings show, only for her to slip up. Now she blew it, she'd not only been rejected but she probably lost her best friend in the process. The saddened slayer made her way towards the stairs not sure what to do. She should talk to Willow of course, but was it better to get it over with or to wait until tomorrow? Should she lie and say it was some spell that the nerd brigade put on her, or just tell the truth and promise it would never happen again? She put her hand on top of Willow's boxers that were hanging off the rail and started... Buffy froze, slowly turning her head to look at the emerald green silk boxers. They were Willow's, and they had been on Willow just a few minutes earlier, so why...? She firmly stopped the naughty ideas that were threatening to come out and play. " She probably just..." She choked as no logical, innocent explanation occurred to her. " I..I should return them. Now..right now. She'll get cold, and I don't want my best friend cold. " She quickly walked up the rest of the stairs, pausing just before reaching the top as she spotted a small white tank top that looked suspiciously like the one a certain red head had been wearing. Suddenly those outrageously naughty ideas were rampaging through her lust idled brain. Snatching up the tank top she turned to Willow's door and nearly choked on her own tongue. Hanging from the knob of the half opened bedroom door was a pair of sheer satin emerald green thongs, and just inside the door she could clearly see bare skin lighting candles. ' Naked. Bare. Skin. Willow. ' She slowly inched into the room, absently grabbing the thongs as she passed them, and closed the door. If Willow killed her for seeing her like that, than at least she'd die happy. On the other hand, if Willow didn't kill her, it would be enough to get her through the rest of her life. She felt her arms go boneless, dropping the cloths to the floor, not that the slayer was capable of noticing at that moment. All she could seem to notice was the smooth pale skin on Willow's back, the way it blended into two round firmly shaped cheeks, and two muscular thighs. The red head's arms were slim and trim, covering her view of her breasts, but giving her a glimpse of her sides and just a hint of the small pert orbs. She wanted to take the larger woman into her arms and explore the size ten body until she'd memorized every imperfection and crevice. She wanted to go over and over the satin skin with her tongue, lips, fingers, palms, and press their bare bodies together, soul to soul, heart to heart, body to body until they were no longer Buffy and Willow, but one soul, heart, and body. " ...." She clenched her hands into fists desperately trying to stop the swiftly building pressure in her stomach. If she didn't regain some kind of control then she was going to... " Oh god....!!!! " She felt two warm arms pull against her skin as her legs gave out under her. The sheer enormity and the resulting shame she felt drove her into burrowing her face in the ex-witches neck. " Please kill me now. " Suddenly that damned bedroom scene in American Pie wasn't so funny anymore. Nope, definitely not funny. She was never going to watch that movie again. " That was cool. I've never ever had that reaction on anyone before. " She risked looking up at her friend, to make sure that the pride she'd heard was there, and sure enough the red haired woman was blushing with a silly grin on her face. A silly grin that made her look incredibly sexy and edible. A sexy, naked, red haired witch. ' Naked. Bare. Skin. Willow. ' " ..... " She gripped her friend in a death grip as she felt the problem resurface and then Willow's mouth was over her's, cutting off her scream. ' Oh....i-is it even possible to do that with your tongu....oh.... ' <-------> Willow finished splitting the eggs onto the three plates, careful to keep them from getting mixed up with the hashbrowns and turkey bacon. She was feeling extremely happy that morning, and wanted to surprise the household with a large breakfast. After all, it wasn't everyday that she became lovers with the person she loved the most in all the world. " Someone's in a good mood. " Willow beamed at the teen grumbling her way into the kitchen. " Good morning, Dawnie. Here you go, just like you like it. " The dark haired girl took the heaping plate and one of the glasses filled with juice, but made sure to throw a glare in her direction. " Oh sure, fine, keep the teen up all night and try to buy her off with breakfast. " " What were you doing awake? " " Gee I wonder. " Dawn muttered. " Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you and Buffy finally pulled your heads out of your..." " Dawn Josephine Summers, if you finish that sentence you will spend the next month cleaning this house, Xander's apartment, and the magic box. " Willow pulled the blonde slayer into a soft kiss. " Good morning. " " Yes it is. " " Like I was saying. I think it's great, but do you think you guys could keep it down from now on. " Willow squeaked turning a deep red at the teens remark. She knew exactly what the dark haired girl was talking about. After she'd finally managed to get the slayer undressed and into bed, she'd spent the first couple of hours playing with the dirty blondes over sensitivity, and discovering just how loud she was capable of screaming when she had the right incentive. Of course after that it had been the slayers turn, and while the blonde had fumbled quite a bit, it had still been an incredible experience emotionally. " I can't promise anything what with Willow having such a talented tong...." " NOOOOO!!!! " Dawn clamped her hands over her ears and began to hum loudly. " You give up? " Buffy asked. " Yes!!! Just no more Willow talk, please." Dawn's eye went wide as she turned to Willow with a deer in the headlines look. " Oh, when I was putting your laptop back I noticed the birthday card from your great aunt. Why didn't you tell us that your birthday was in a few days? " " What? It's your birthday? " Willow stepped out of Buffy's arms, " It's no big deal. " " How can you say that? " Dawn asked. " If it was you you'd be having a mega tantrum over not knowing...." " Dawn...." " She's right Will. " " Oh my gosh, you know what we should do, we should have a party. " " We can invite the entire gang, and her parents of course, but we might want to have it outside during the day so that Spike can't crash it...." " NO!! No, no party, no celebration. Just forget it alright? " " But Willow...." Dawn whined. " I said no, Dawn! What about no do you not understand?!!" Willow yelled. The red head spun from them and stormed out the back door, slamming it behind her. The streets were a blur through the tears streaming down her cheeks, until she simply collapsed in mid sob in the middle of the nearby cemetery. She'd spent so much time keeping her friends from finding out when her birthday was. Every time they asked her she'd always say that they missed it, or she'd simply changed the subject, which until a few minutes ago had worked. Xander just couldn't dates straight so he wasn't the problem, and Buffy was easy to distract if the person knew what they were doing. Giles was usually to caught up in some apocalypse or some book to really do any snooping. Tara had agreed after a lot of begging and pleading to leave it alone. " Oh David, what do I do now? " She whispered to the cold marble tombstone. " I'm so scared. What if they find out what I did? I've nearly lost them once already and I don't think I could survive without them. I just....I just can't tell them. I mean, I could but I can't. I can't remember enough to explain, and even if I did, I can't stand to even think about what I do remember so how would I tell them about what I don't remember, not that that's an issue since I don't remember. " She hugged her legs to her chest as she squeezed her eyes closed. " It's killing me you know, not knowing. I... I go through each day wondering if this is going to be the day I remember, the day I'll get some answers, and it doesn't happen. It's like...." She trailed off as her mind wrapped around the imagery from the nightmare. She remembered the woods, how quiet it was, the... She snapped her eyes open with renewed fear. She'd brushed all the old legends about Diablo forest and the old house as urban legends. Stories the adults used to keep their children from wondering into the wilderness of Sunnydale. Even after she'd meet the slayer and discovered that all the big bad villains in fairytales were real, she still didn't believe the old tales. Because that's all they could possibly be right? But what if they were more than stories? What if they were real? What if...? She quickly stood as she came to a decision. She had some research to do. After all, she owed it to David, if not herself. <------->nbsp; Buffy stepped out from behind the tree with a sense of dread. She hadn't meant to listen to such a private moment, but she'd wanted to talk to the red head about the out burst. Even Dawn had been more worried than angry over the red head's yelling. Now she'd stumbled onto something that Willow had obviously wanted...needed to keep private, and damn it she should respect that. So why was the slayer in her making her stop in front of the grave? ' Don't look, don't look, don't look. You can still walk away, just don't look.. ' Her eyes slide over the head stone taking in each letter with a rapidly sinking heart. David Joseph Rosenberg Beloved Son and Brother 1975-1990 " Oh Willow..." What was happening? What did Willow mean about not remembering what happened? Why didn't she known that her lover had a brother? Why didn't Xander ever mentioned him? Was that why Willow's parents were always ignoring her? Was that why Willow always took people's deaths so hard? She sighed up at the clouded sky. How did Willow come to have so many secrets from them? No, it didn't matter. What mattered was making sure that whatever was going on didn't hurt her Willow anymore than it already had. What mattered was being there for Willow, unconditionally, the way the red head had always been there for her, and that was exactly what she was going to do. In the meantime, she was going to find out everything she could about David. <-------> Aeris Jade Orion Grey Fox, and cause of Discord. Gabrielle: "Do you deny spying on these women?" Joxer: "I resent that." Gabrielle: "Do you deny it?" Joxer: "No, I just _resent_ it." Joxer: Hello--heh-heh-- name's Joxer-- spelled, uh [Clears throat]-- J-o-x-e-rrrrrrrr. Rh: "Would you wanna make a baby with me?" Jox: "What?!" Rh: "Will you help?" Jox: "Wait a minute! You want me to-- to-- to-- make a-- " Rh: "Right-- will you?" Jox: "Of course not! Hey, listen! We're not just machines, you know, you can use to-- . Besides-- you know, uh-- we can't just do it on command. We need stuff like, uh-- cheap motel rooms and dirty pictures and lingerie-- stuff like that! We're _not_ animals! But I can get those things!" |