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Title: Adapting and Making Changes
Series: Two of a Kind Love Author: Pat
Kelly
Rating: PG-13 Summary: Summer's nearing its end, and Buffyand Willow have had three months of "new relationship" bliss. It's time to start thinking about the upcoming school year, and maybe make some changes, while others have to begin adapting to certain things. Spoilers:
Season 2 -- "The Dark Age," "Innocence," "Becoming II."
Disclaimer:All hail Joss and his army of Mutant Enemies. I don't own BTVS. I make no money. Long live UPN! Burn the WB! ('Cept Angel's night.) Note: So what the heck am I doing? Giving my first Buffy/Willow story a facelift, an overhaul, a reworking...you get the idea. Looking back on it, I felt it could be much improved, and I hope it is. More parts will follow as I get done with them. Enjoy. :-) -----------
The girlfriends were trying to hold on, as Cordelia sped across Sunnydale's border. The redhead was sitting in the passenger seat ofthe car, while the blonde was in the back. Summer was ending, and it had been a great one. The best Willow could remember, thanks to Buffy and their expanding relationship. Their parents still didn't know, and school could be a problem, but she wouldn't trade it for anything. They were having such a good time together -- she didn't think she'd ever seen the slayer so cheerful.
She'd been responsible for it, too, which was unbelievable. With that knowledge came new confidence, and she felt a little daring. It might not be a huge step to many other people, but she wanted toget her hair cut. Unfortunately, she and Buffy had been talking about it, and Cordelia overheard. The cheerleader then insisted that she pick the place, because she had an issue with the barber in town. That was the reason why the car was rocketing along the road, and they were hanging on for dear life.
"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Buffy asked Cordelia.
"Because there's no stylist in Sunnydale. Just that old guy who doesn't know a thing about women's hair, and keeps fifty-year-old lollipops in a cash register." The brunette made a revolted face.
"I love Mario!" Willow said in his defense. "And his lollipops."
"Know what I think? I think Cordelia was lollipop-deprived as a kid." The blonde grinned.
"I was not." The driver glared at her passenger through the rearview mirror. "It's not my fault they're disgusting."
The slayer was complacent. "Whatever you say."
"But I've never been to a stylist before." The hacker said worriedly. "I don't wanna do anything too...drastic."
"She'll do whatever you want, Will." Buffy tried to assuage her fears, leaning forward to give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "And if she doesn't, I'll knock her out, k?"
"K." Willow sighed contentedly.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "It's your hair, but I'm telling you, it'll look great short. Shoulder length with highlights. I know these things -- have a little faith." She changed lanes then, and it was a tight fit, as she pulled in between two cars. "Jerks!"
"You better know hair better than you know how to drive." The blonde quipped.
"Shouldn't you use the turn signal when --?" The redhead started to ask, pointing at the steering wheel.
"Quiet." The brunette instructed both of them.
***
It was finished -- they had returned safely. Now Buffy was walking towards her front porch, praying that Cordelia got Willow home in one piece. Much to her girlfriend's surprise, the new haircut turned out well. The redhead thought the shorter length made her look more mature; she was very pleased. Chuckling, the slayer couldn't believe that had been the extent of Willow's comments. The hacker really didn't know how beautiful she was, how attractive. She most certainly was.
The first day Buffy met her in that hallway, she took notice of her. Of course at the time, she hadn't read too much into it, taking notice of other things as well. Mainly that Willow's lack of self-confidence made her feel ugly, and because of that, she hid behind clothes that Colonial people could've worn, which was such a shame. If the hacker had just been willing to take a tiny risk and try something different, guys would have been lining up to ask her out.
Yes, in an ideal world girls shouldn't have to change anything about themselves to get dates, but Buffy knew two things -- the world wasn't in any way ideal, and guys were shallow and superficial. But they weren't truly why she wanted Willow to realize there was nothing at all regrettable about her body. She only wanted the redhead to be comfortable with herself and her appearance; once that happens, self-esteem finally starts kicking in. Everybody needed that.
'And,' Buffy blushingly recalled, 'she looked gorgeous in that Halloween costume.'
Willow had grown by leaps and bounds since that first year; she was definitely surer of herself. The haircut, while not a huge deal to Buffy, was a huge deal to her girlfriend. She liked seeing the once shy girl come into her own, and was glad to be a part of it. She was even more glad to have the role that she did in the hacker's life. It was incredible how muchone person had changed her perception of things. Opening the door to her house,she felt better than she had in a long time.
Well, that was until she saw her mom, with arms crossed, waiting for her.
***
"Where have you been?" Joyce asked immediately, sitting on the living room couch. Her daughter slowly crossed through the foyer to join her in there, and then looked out the window, not responding. "Buffy?"
'Yep, still daylight.So what did I do?' The slayer wondered.
"Uh, Cordelia..." Buffy spoke, losing her concentration as she tried to understand what she was getting into. "Cordelia and I took Willow to get her hair cut. Didn't I tell you?"
Her mother did remember something like that being said, but had been concerned nonetheless. "So you weren't...slaying?" She asked uncomfortably.
The younger blonde raised her eyebrows. "Um, nope. Vampires kinda have a thing against sunshine."
Joyce looked at her child incredulously, then got up and walked to the kitchen. For three months she had attempted to come to grips with Buffy's unique place in the world, but still didn't understand it. Mr. Giles had given her the same speech he probably gave to everyone who found out, and it just wasn't good enough. She needed Buffy to talk to her, to give her some assurance that she'd come home every night. She couldn't shield her from this, had no say in that area of her life, and she hated that most of all. She didn't know if it would help or not, but she wanted her daughter to be open with her.
A confused Buffy trailed after her mother. "What'dI say?"
The elder Summers leaned against the island, and closed her eyes with a sigh. "I want...to accept this. To live my life like everything's fine -- I really do. But, Buffy, this isn't easy for me; you can't expect me to pretend that it is."
"I don't, Mom." The slayer said, going to sit downnear her. This was where she bridged the gap or made it larger. "But you know everything already -- about what I am, what I do...you've seen me do it. IfI knew a way to make the 'accepting' part easier for you, I swear I would. Only problem is," She'd given it some thought, "I'm pretty much out of ideas."
As was Joyce. Just like it was unfair of Buffy to expect her to 'deal and move on,' it was unfair of her to expect Buffy to say a few words and somehow magically make her comfortable with the fact that she wassome sort of superhero. She didn't want this to escalate and do further damage to their fragile relationship, so she kept her voice calm and apologetic when she spoke again.
"It's up to me to learn how to handle it, I know."The adult conceded, her eyes holding no blame. "Still, put yourself in my shoes, honey. If you found out that you gave birth to your seventeen-year-old daughter so that she could grow up to kill," She hesitated, "*vampires*, what would you think?"
It was beginning to sink in for the teenager. "That...that I was going crazy."
"Well, now you know how I feel." Joyce said with dry wit. "What hurts the most, though, is that I've been in the dark ever since we moved here, while you've been out risking your life." Her eyes grew sad. "What kind of parent am I, if I didn't know something as important as that? I should've picked up on it so many times, like you said. I just didn't wanna notice."
*Open your eyes, Mom. What do you think has been going on for the past two years? The fights, the weird occurrences. How many times have you washed blood out of my clothing, and you still haven't figured it out?*
"I'm sorry -- I had no right to say that to you." Buffy cast her gaze downward, but then took her mother's hand, looking back up. "You're a great mom; you always have been. Yeah, you didn't know about the slaying, but that's what?" She calculated. "One thing in the last seventeen years? Bet that's a better track record than most moms have." She smiled a half-smile. "And you didn't know, cause I really didn't want you to find out."
"Why?" The woman asked, not understanding. "I wishyou would've told me."
"I wanted to protect you. The first thing vampires usually do, is go after the people slayers care about. That's why I didn't tell the guys at first, but then I...sorta didn't have a choice." She paused, seriousness in her eyes. "I also wanted you to keep thinking that I was still just Buffy -- your completely average, wacky, teenage daughter." She sighed. "*Not* some abnormal freak of nature that's probably gonna disappoint you, and never make it through high school." She shook her head. "I suck at the double-life thing."
"Oh, sweetheart," Joyce's heart broke, "you could never disappoint me -- ever. I may not like that you have to do it, but Mr. Gilessays you're the best...slayer he's ever seen." The word still sounded strange. "That you save people's lives. Somehow, my baby girl became an amazing, young woman when I wasn't looking." Buffy blushed out of embarrassment, yet her mother didn't stop. "Whoever chose you, they knew you were special, just like I did when I held you for the first time." She smiled. "I don't think I've told you this enough, but I'm so proud of you, Buffy."
Buffy walked around the other side of the island, then, and into her mother's embrace, crying happily. "I love you, Mom."
"I love you, too." Her mother said, arms wrapped tightly around her. "And from now on, I promise to pay more attention to what's going on in your life. I don't wanna miss out on getting to know you, so come to me, okay? I'll always listen...even if I might not get it right away."
"Okay." The petite blonde promised. Her voice was muffled as she talked into her parent's chest, and she sniffed. "I'll try to help you deal, too. Ask me stuff...whatever. I'm not gonna lie; it's dangerous." She said, direct and to the point. "But I'm good at it, and everybody pitches in...whether I want 'em to or not. So don't worry."
"I'm a mom -- it's my job to worry." They both laughed, and pulled away. "I know you'll do everything you can to make it home safe." Joyce told her, believing it.
"I definitely will." Buffy swore, wiping her eyes.
"So...any other huge secrets I should know about?"The adult teased.
The slayer quickly thought it over, and now because of their talk, she started to think that maybe her mother wouldn't disown her for dating Willow. "You said you'd listen, right? And you meant it about never being disappointed in me?" Joyce nodded, curious more than anything else. "Then yeah, actually...I do hafta tell you something. Can it be later, though?"
"Sure." Her mother answered, but the wait was going to be excruciating. She didn't want to push, however. "Why? Have plans?"
Buffy shook her head. "Not really. I was just gonna see how Giles is doing, and maybe go to the Bronze with the gang for a little. That okay?"
"Yeah. Have fun." The elder Summers gave her permission. "Um...when you talk to Mr. Giles, can you tell him I apologize, and that I'll make it up to him?" She got an idea just then. "Hey, we could have him overfor dinner one night."
The younger blonde tried not to pale. "I dunno, Mom. Giles is the private type, ya know? But I'll tell him."
Her daughter was preparing to exit the kitchen as she remembered something. "I, uh, was thinking about renting a movie tonight...interested?"
"Yeah," Buffy turned to smile at her mother, "I'm in."
Then she ran upstairs to get some supplies before she left -- just in case.
***
Rupert Giles was sitting on his sofa, reading and drinking tea -- his two favorite things to do. It wasn't often that he was able to relax, so he didn't intend to waste the rare opportunity. It had been a difficult summer for him, though not because of any "end of the world" type situations. Summers were generally quiet, which he appreciated. No, the difficulty stemmed from having to cope with varying degrees of injury, inflicted upon him by a creature he despised with all of his being.
He was tortured for hours by the vampire, Angelus.By treatment standards, his physical injuries weren't that extensive. His chest and sides had been severely bruised, and two fingers had been broken. It had all healed pretty well over the past few months, but that was simply the first layer of pain. The mental and emotional stress he'd endured, on the other hand, was a different matter. He was still getting over that, and he knew the scars would be there a very long time.
Angelus was a definite master of mental torture. Even though Giles had read extensively about his methods, he hadn't been ready to experience them -- there was no way he could have been. Sure, one of the primary lessons a Watcher did have to learn was how to survive several types of torture, but the Council had no guideline for what he went through. He hadn't counted on Druscilla coming into the room to use his memories against him. She made him believe she was Jenny, and as a result, he told her how to destroy the world. At that very moment, grief flooded into him -- for Jenny and for Buffy. He'd let them down.
He didn't feel deserving, but his slayer had savedhim. She sacrificed her love to keep the world turning, and when she did that, any anger he had felt towards her for Jenny's death, evaporated. He was hit with guilt, as he should have never blamed her at all. He'd been prepared to be there for her, to make it up to her. Surprisingly, however, that hadn't been necessary. She was happier now than he had ever seen her, but she wouldn't tell him why. Whatever the reason, he enjoyed seeing her happy again. Still, if he were honest with himself, he'd admit that he wanted to know.
'She'll be here any minute.' He realized, closing his book and setting it aside.
Buffy had been coming by two evenings a week since the beginning of the summer. At first, it was just to check with him about any demonic activity, but then it had become regular visits -- something they both looked forward to. They would discuss their lives, and for a few hours, they stopped being a Watcher and a Slayer. He would talk about Jenny, his life before his employment; she would talk about her mom, her dad...whatever crossed her mind. They became people who found out that they weren't entirely dissimilar.
Giles smiled when he heard the knock, and then gotup to open the door.
"Hey, Giles." The blonde greeted him.
"Hello, Buffy." He said, pleased to see her.
She walked in and sat down on the couch, while he shut the door. "Before I forget, my mom says she's sorry, and that she'll make it up to you. Without screaming."
"I have to admit, I was rather unprepared for the strength of her anger." He grimaced, recalling the unpleasantness. "I wasn't aware it was possible for someone to get that loud." His grin was fleeting,so she almost missed it. "Though now I see from whom you inherited that particular skill."
Buffy grinned in return. "Yeah, I think it gets passed down -- my grandmother has it, my aunt has it...you don't wanna mess with Summers women." She looked at his hand. "How they doing?"
He slowly flexed the two fingers in question, sitting down beside her. "There's still some discomfort, but in a week or so, they should be fine."
"Good." She seemed satisfied with his answer, yet within a second, her eyes practically bulged out of her head. "A week?"
"That's what I'm assuming..." He verified, confused by her reaction. "Are you all right?"
"School starts in a week!" She had just remembered, and couldn't help announcing it with fear.
"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" He said with a smile, before sighing at his charge. "I honestly don't understand why children have such a negative attitude towards learning."
The slayer shrugged. "We just do." She frowned -- she did
*not* want to go back. "I feel sick." Her objection to school wasn't solely based on thefact that she was against teachers, homework, and the Principal; the student body's reaction to her and Willow's involvement also played a part in her reluctance to get back to the grind. The summer had been free of major problems and enjoyable, but school could become uncomfortable in a hurry. It was brutal enough to begin with -- two girls together, who were already considered freaks, might take things to the boiling point.
She was more worried about her girlfriend than shewas about herself, though; she didn't want to see the redhead ridiculed. Every time Willow got hurt, some, tiny piece of Buffy died, as it was a horrible thingto witness. She wanted to be able to prevent all of the rude, vulgar comments from reaching the hacker's ears, but that'd be impossible, even for her. She knew that they'd just have to deal with it -- they couldn't let peer pressure intimidate them into calling it quits. That decision was Willow's alone, and she prayed it never had to be made.
Giles' voice shook her from her reverie. He sounded like he was in the middle of telling her something important. "It's best to stay alert, Buffy. If the past is any indication, there could very well be an attack before the school year begins, and most likely, it'll be a forceful one."
Luckily, she'd been able to follow that. "You think the vampires have 'back-to-school' blues, too?" She questioned with a smirk. "I'm armed twenty-four-seven, Giles -- if they want a fight, I'll be ready."
"Well, it's nice to know that you've absorbed *something* I've taught you, at the very least. Perhaps there's hope for the lot of you, after all." He spoke dryly, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "May I...ask you a question?"
His curiosity had won.
Her eyebrow arched. "Shoot."
"Forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds, but...for someone who's been through such a taxing and traumatic ordeal, in these last few months you've seemed awfully..." He struggled to explain.
"Chipper? Non-mopey?" She offered helpfully, a lightness in her hazel eyes. His face was slightly red, as he had no business inquiring. "You wanna know why."
"I've wondered, yes." He admitted shyly, glancing away. "But if you don't wish to --"
"I guess it's cause I'm sort of in love, Giles." She interrupted him, getting this faraway look in her eye.
The Englishman was understandably shocked. In all of their talks, not once had this come up, and now his interest was even more piqued. "Oh?"
She was hesitant to reveal the next part. "With...Willow."
"Ah." Stunned, that was the only response he could manage at first. "And she...she feels the same?"
"Yep. Unless she's lying to me." The slayer grinned, because the redhead was a terrible liar. Besides, if there was one thing she was confident about, it was that Willow loved her. She anticipated his next question, then. "I've dealt with all the 'Angel' stuff, but if I told you how, you'd just call me crazy."
He'd take her word for it. "Then I suppose the only thing to say is..." Pressing her teeth firmly together, she waited nervously. "...Congratulations."
"You don't, like...have moral objections or anything?" She asked, not ready to be relieved just yet.
"Should I?" He questioned in all seriousness. "Never given it much thought, really." He removed his glasses and started to clean them, as he reflected on his past. "I, uh...I didn't know it at the time, but two chaps I went to preparatory school with were...involved. They had probably been afraid of my using it against them."
"Cause of your reputation, right?" She asked, her deceptively innocent _expression_ telling him to take the bait.
"However," Wisely choosing not to, he just continued, "once I had graduated from Oxford and been in London for a while, we eventually crossed paths again. By then, thankfully, I was a different person." He cleared his throat. "You see, when Randall...passed on," She touched his arm supportively, knowing he didn't like thinking about the 'Eyghon Period,' "I became...out of sorts. Miserable, actually."
"I know what that's like." Buffy told him, not joking.
Her gave her an appreciative smile. "Any desire I had to be 'Ripper,' slowly left me -- the cost of 'fun' was far too high. For the first time in my life, I desperately wanted to find my way onto the correct path.I returned to the university, though I wasn't sure they'd have me back."
"Oh yeah...you dropped out." She suddenly felt victorious, and had to tease him. "See? You *were* like us, you school-hating rebel."
His grin was slight, and it vanished, just like the previous instance. "When I was *reaccepted*," He purposely drew attention to that word, "I completed my schooling, and then my next goal was to join the Council...much to my father's delight." To this day, he still remembered the joy in the old man's normally hardened voice. "I simply hoped to battle demons instead of unleashing them."
She nodded. "Makes sense to me."
He placed his glasses back on his head. "The Council's entrance exam was infamous, so I studied night and day for weeks. Knowing Ihad to take a break or else I'd go completely out of my mind, I forced myself to get some fresh air. I decided on Hyde Park, which is where I ran into my old schoolmates that I mentioned before. We exchanged pleasantries, that sort of thing. I believe one of them was going to be a barrister."
"A what?" She wondered quizzically.
"A lawyer." She silently told him she got it, so he moved on. "They said they had just rented a flat together somewhere in Greenwich,and it was then that I realized they were...uh, is 'partners' the appropriate term?" He paused for an answer, but he could see by her face that she had no idea. "Anyhow, I also realized I wasn't bothered. They seemed content enough, andhad certainly planned out their lives better than I."
"Then what happened?" She prodded.
"I wished them well, we went our separate ways, and not long after, I was training to become a Watcher." He smiled warmly at her. "So...no, Buffy, I don't have any objections. If you and Willow love each other, that's wonderful. Take full advantage of it, and don't waste a moment. Life is...too short for that." His voice lowered during that final statement, and he withdrew into himself.
Jenny was never far from his thoughts, and now shewas at the forefront. He'd squandered so much time. In his life, in progressing his relationship with her...she was the first he'd truly loved. Maybe if that had happened for him when he was younger, he wouldn't have strayed. But 'what ifs' were pointless. The only thing he could do, was hope that love wasn't finished with him yet, and live out the rest of his life being the best manhe could.
"I'm glad you're my watcher." She smiled at him, still not sure if they hugged during regular, 'non-life threatening' situations.
Her words brought him back to reality. "So am I." He returned the sentiment. "Have you told your mother?"
She bit her lip. "I'm going to, yeah. Later. How do you think she'll take it?"
"I think she'll be pleased to discover that you're capable of having a relationship with a human being." He responded, straight-faced.
"Funny, Giles." She told him sarcastically.
His _expression_ remained neutral. "I try."
Buffy sighed dramatically, unimpressed. "Well, I gotta book. Meeting the gang at the Bronze." She stood. "Oh, and she says you're invited to dinner whenever."
"Thank you, Buffy." The man was pleasantly surprised. "I-I appreciate the offer."
"Don't thank me, thank her." The blonde knew that she'd taken license with what her mother had said, but repeating something word-for-word wasn't her specialty.
"I will." He rose to show her out. "If there's any trouble --" He began, going into 'Watcher mode.'
"I promise to send one of the guys to come get you." She assured him, heading for the door. "See ya."
***
A collective groan was heard around the group's table at the Bronze, as Buffy reminded them that school was starting. Well, almost collective. They were missing Oz, who was onstage, and Willow had quite a different reaction.
"I can't wait!" She said excitedly, showing teeth as she smiled.
"You always say that, Will." Xander reminded her, smirking. "Everybody knows you keep a three-ring binder on standby."
"But...but I'm extra ready this year." She insisted, ignoring his quip. "We'll be seniors! We'll rule the school with an iron fist."
Cordelia nearly choked on her soda. "Iron fist?"
The redhead stuttered nervously, wringing her hands together. "Oh, did-did I say...? I meant kindness. We'll rule with kindness."
She wasn't bitter about the years of name-calling and abuse, oh no. They all took a moment to move past her uncharacteristic statement, and then Xander thought it was probably a good idea to compliment her.
"Gotta say, lovin' the new do." He told her appreciatively.
"Told you, didn't I?" Buffy whispered to her girlfriend, who blushed.
"Of course, I get *no* credit whatsoever." The cheerleader griped, shaking her head.
So she was a risky driver who almost cost them their lives. In her opinion, it wasn't fair to hold it against her -- the style of the haircut was her idea, therefore, she wanted credit. There were no further comments, though, so she just got annoyed in silence. She always hated reigning herself in; it went against her nature.
After a few minutes of listening to the band, she grew steadily more impatient, and her boyfriend's rapidly tapping foot seemed louder and louder with each passing second. He just had to get it over with. Discreetly, as she didn't want to be noticed, she kicked him under the table, and gave him a, 'Well?' look.
Sucking in a sharp breath, he maintained his manly exterior, before focusing on the blonde. "Hey, Buff...uh, feel like gettingyour boogie on?" He asked her, trying to cover up his uneasiness by sounding suggestive.
Cordelia didn't reprimand him; instead, she smiled encouragingly, because she knew what he was doing.
"Um...sure, Xand." The slayer said, letting the tone slide.
They got out of their seats and walked to the dance floor, but not before she looked over her shoulder at Willow, perplexed -- the hacker didn't appear concerned. The next song was slower than the last, so there was to be no boogie; that was good, though, because Xander had developed a limp all of the sudden. When they found a spot, they just kind of swayed gently, standing a few inches apart. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that he had something on his mind.
"What's up?" Buffy inquired, cocking her head to the side.
He gave her a boyish smile. "I just wanted to tell you...that I'm happy for you and Willow, cause I already told her earlier."She smiled back at him; he hadn't ever said anything to the contrary, but he'd also never shared his opinion. "I didn't know how to bring it up before. You don't just come out and say, 'Cool! My best friends are gay! Together!'" She smirked, trying to not to laugh. "Besides, you guys were doing your own thing a lot -- exactly what was that thing, anyway?" He playfully wondered.
"Stay on track, Xander." She advised warningly, her eyes narrowing.
"Yes, ma'am." Grinning, he chose his next words with care. "It took a little getting used to, though. I mean, I've known Willow my whole life, you know? I thought I had her pretty figured out, and then...bam, she's all into you. Wasn't expecting that."
"I don't think she expected it, either." She worried that he might not think her feelings were as strong. "But I'm into her just as much, you know that, right?"
"Yeah, I've noticed." He smiled again. "Watching you two have so much fun this summer...it helped me deal, and I'll deck the first guy who can't. I don't care how darn big he is."
"Thank you." That was all she said and did, because she didn't want to cry again -- especially not in the middle of the Bronze.
"Just...take care of her, okay, Buffy?" He requested of her. "She's Willow."
Oz had recently asked her the same thing, and no explanation had been needed.
She simply nodded. "Count on it."
"Can I, uh, cut in?" Willow asked, having come outto join them. They smiled at her, and Xander wordlessly stepped aside, going to retrieve his own girlfriend. "I always wanted to say that."
Buffy laughed, while Willow smiled up at Oz. After receiving a smile in return, she beat back the butterflies in her stomach, and put her arms around her girlfriend's neck. Instantly, Buffy followed the redhead's lead, and did the same. Much to Willow's surprise, no one was paying much attention to them. She didn't know if that was because it didn't bother them, or if they were afraid of what a slayer would do to them, but she didn't care -- she just relaxed, and smiled.
***
"So you seriously like it?" Willow asked, still somewhat uncertain about the change.
They were still dancing, and were in no mood to stop.
Buffy sighed. "For the last time, *yes*. You're beautiful." The hacker's face turned the color of her shortened hair, whileher partner continued to speak. "I'm...I'm gonna tell my mom about us."
Willow looked slightly frightened. "You are?"
"We started working things out today, and," The slayer relayed to her significant other, "I think she'll be cool with it."
"How do you know?" The redhead wondered, going from frightened to skeptical.
"Just have a good feeling." Buffy knew that wasn'tmuch of an explanation, but it was the best she could do. There was certainty inher _expression_, though, which helped to appease Willow some. "I'm tired of hiding from her, Will -- I don't wanna do it anymore. Not after everything."
Sometimes Willow almost forgot that she had parents, as she hardly ever saw them. She would love to talk to them, be around them, but that was literally impossible. When she came home, there was a routine: she'd call out their names, they didn't answer, and then she went to the kitchen, every time finding the same, pointless information pinned to the refrigerator by a magnet. The paper had a listing of the fridge's contents (like she didn'thave eyes), told her to make sure she knew who was at the door before opening it (like she was eight-years-old again), and asked her to, "take a moment for herself" (she just sighed at that). Did they even have any idea who their daughter was anymore?
Her parents were intelligent people, but could be really stupid sometimes. They wouldn't leave the phone number of the place where they went, or were staying at. Her mother never cooked, so there was always someform of leftover, uneatable takeout, and no money to order something that at least resembled food. She usually wound up eating at Buffy's. Xander's family had stopped pretending to get along years ago, meaning she didn't go to his home much. But Joyce was the complete opposite of both of their parents, and the mom her and Xander wished they had -- she was an amazing, caring woman. The hacker would readily support the slayer's desire to keep a mother like thatin her life.
She just hoped Buffy was right about the reaction, because she didn't want to fall out of Mrs. Summers' good graces. "Yeah, hiding is bad."
"Does that mean I'll have backup?" The blonde's voice was hopeful.
"Don't I kinda hafta be there when you tell her?" Willow asked curiously. "If you're gonna be talking about me and all..." She didn't know if she liked that.
Buffy smiled at her reassuringly. "It'll go fine, really." She tried to calm her nerves. "And my mom thinks you're adorable, Will. You're just the loveable type."
"Adorable? She really said that?" The redhead smiled, feeling immediately soothed. Her ego got a small boost from the parental affection, too. She giggled. "I'm adorable. Me."
The slayer couldn't believe how cute her girlfriend was. "She's not the only one who thinks that, you know."
"She's not? Who else...?" When the hacker saw Buffy start to gape, the question died on her lips, and she grinned sheepishly. "Good. You-you better." Her girlfriend wanted to look mad, but couldn't do it. "Uh, so when are you gonna...?"
"Bring it up?" Buffy considered that. "We're staying in and watching a movie later, so...after, I guess." Then she thought of something. "You should come over. You're my backup, remember?"
"O-okay. If you don't think she'll mind." Willow agreed, more than happy to spend time at the Summers' house.
"Nah." Anything else she was going to say was forgotten, because when she looked over Willow's shoulder to the right, she spotted something more important that required her attention. Pulling the redhead tighter to her, she whispered. "Vamp -- three o'clock. Act natural."
"This is natural to you?" Willow questioned with atouch of surprise.
"Most natural thing in the world." The slayer said in all honesty, and then got focused on the problem at hand. "We've gotta move closer to the table."
Xander and Cordelia looked on as the girlfriends 'danced' in their direction, having sat down a while ago, because the cheerleader's heels were killing her. Willow's back was to them, though it didn't take long before they could see Buffy's face -- she mouthed, 'vampire.' It took several tries, but they eventually understood; they started to stand, so they could go open the doors. When the growl came, they knew it was about to get messy.
Back on the floor, Buffy broke off their intimate position. "Help them get everyone out."
"But --" Willow wanted to protest.
"Go." The blonde instructed, giving her girlfrienda quick kiss. "I'll be okay. Hurry."
The redhead nodded reluctantly, unable to argue with the girl when she was in 'slayer-mode,' as a flood of people came running by, pushing and shoving.
***
Buffy made her way through the crush to the vampire causing all of the ruckus, and pulled a stake out of her back pocket. "You're it?"
She wanted to laugh, as she didn't see any others.One? This was going to be a cinch.
"Not quite." Once those words were out of the vampire's mouth, six of its buddies dropped down onto the stage, and she got an evil grin. "Let's go, Slayer."
'Damn...the skylight.' She mentally cursed.
"I hate being rushed." Buffy informed her foe as she round-housed it in the head, causing it to drop. "Makes me testy."
She looked to the stage, then. The rest of them were cornering three members of the Dingoes, who didn't want to become snacks. The fourth member of the band, Oz, had managed to slip out of the way, and duck behind the drums. He rose up slowly, and then slayer and guitarist saw each other -- she noticed the pair of drumsticks in his hand. With a nod to him,she leapt onstage, grabbing the demon nearest to her. Once she had turned it around and her grip was firm, Oz rushed over to plant one of the sticks in its chest.
The dusting got the attention of the five others, and they faced their enemy, angry. Getting a running start, she charged downstage and somersaulted to the floor, the lunging vampires just missing her. Her feat accomplished what she wanted -- it got them to jump down after her. Oz wasted no time in getting his frantic band mates to their feet, and out through the backstage door. Before leaving completely, though, he checked out her situation. She was on her own with six, pissed vampires, and who knew how many stakes.
Buffy had backed against one of the pool tables. "Now what?" She asked herself, aloud.
***
Outside, the last of the people that had been in the club, were running home. Willow was nervous, itching to go assist her girlfriend. Just when she thought she couldn't stand it anymore, Oz ran around to join them in the alley. She felt relief upon seeing him, but Buffy wasn't with him, so that meant the slayer was still inside. The hacker walked up to her ex-boyfriend -- first, she smiled at him, glad he was all right, and then second, her eyes begged him for information.
"Six." He told her, his face a mask. "Didn't look too good."
That was it. "I'm going back in." She announced. "Get Giles."
"Me and Oz can handle it. You and Cordy should --"Xander started to say.
Willow wasn't hearing him. "*Get. Giles*." She spoke with a 'no nonsense' forcefulness she hadn't known she was capable of.
He wanted to argue with her, but there wasn't time. "Be careful."
Discussion over. Willow watched the couple take off together, rushing towards her car. Cordelia's reckless driving would eithercome in handy, or be detrimental. Oz remained at her side, and not a word passed between them. Determined, she picked up a metal pole that was lying againstthe building's wall, while he still had the drumstick. Opening the side door, he followed behind her, ready to do this.
***
Buffy had hoisted herself up onto the pool table to try and get the higher ground, and they swarmed, so she spent an exhausting amount of time kicking them away, not letting them get too close. As fun as that was, she needed a more permanent solution to her predicament. Before she could think of one, however, the first vampire she'd run into, grabbed hold of her ankle, made her lose her footing, and pulled her down to the ground. Her head smacked against the hard surface; she grimaced -- it hurt like hell. Seeing stars and little, black spots, she blinked in an attempt to make them disappear. She just concentrated on her breathing, her rage becoming more and more volatile.
Unfortunately for the smug culprit, it made the mistake of pouncing down on her, and the stake she hadn't lost thrust up to greet adead heart.
Not giving the ash time to settle or the now smaller group time to counterattack, she flipped back up into a standing position, and removed a stake she had hidden in her sleeve. A she-vamp got in her path, while a young-looking male got behind her. She gave the female two, quick punchesto the face, an impressive uppercut, and a swift kick to the chest, resulting in it staggering backwards. She sensed the strike coming from the male, then, so she crouched, and the forward momentum of the missed punch caused it to fall over her. The slayer grasped the vampire just above the elbows as she straightened, hoisted it over her head, and then brought it around, slamming it back first onto the floor.
She crouched again fast, and brought the stake to the correct target.
The she-vamp had recovered at that point, and witha growl, began to run at her. She backpedaled, groping behind her for the pool cue that had been sitting on the table, and all the while, her assailant drew nearer. Finally, her fingers touched it. Permitting herself a small smile, she snatched the cue, snapped it in half over her knee, and kept her arm stiff as she held out the sharp, makeshift weapon in front of her. It was still longer than her average stake, and she could never get used to seeing this happen,so she shut her eyes tightly, waiting for it. Hearing the squish of the objectas it slid through flesh, and the gagging sound, she slowly lifted her lids --the worst part was over.
The demon was impaled on the broken cue, and wore an _expression_ of utter disbelief as it disintegrated.
'Three to go, and no more stakes. Why didn't I grab Mr. Pointy?'
From behind her a door opened, and she turnedaround just in time to see Willow and Oz rush in. One of the three left used the distraction to sneak up to the slayer, and get her in a sleeper hold. It squeezed, choking her rather efficiently. Willow saw this and switched on some sort of protective, love-induced autopilot. The pair of vampires who weren't currently occupied moved to her and the guitarist, and with strength provided by fear and adrenaline, she used the pole to sweep one off of its feet, and the other she cracked atop the head. The only reaction Oz had to this was the lifting of his brow. They hurried over to the vampire harming Buffy. Her eyes full of fire,Willow faced its back, in a wide stance.
Grasping the pole with both hands, she brought it across her body, and then swung -- the sharp pain in her victim's lower back, resulted in her girlfriend being freed.
Following that, Oz bagged his second evil creatureof the night with the drumstick, as Willow worried over the coughing slayer. "She okay to move?"
Buffy answered for the redhead, nodding. "What are...you...doing here?" She managed.
"Helping you." Willow responded with a smile, and then glared at the dust on the floor.
"Thanks." The blonde smiled in return, breathing easier now. The trio sprinted for the door, and Oz struggled with the push handle. "What is it?"
"Stuck." He replied, as they each turned their gazes to the two, upright and advancing vampires.
Buffy began kicking the door, trying to get it unstuck, as the redhead suddenly remembered what she had on her.
"Ooh! I have holywater!" She exclaimed reaching into the hip pocket of her pants.
"Use it!" The slayer exclaimed back at her.
Just as the bottle was thrown, the door opened roughly, giving its hinges a beating. Buffy grabbed her girlfriend by the hand, and they all ran outside.
***
As soon as they stepped into the alley, they saw Giles and their friends. The librarian had a crossbow aimed at the door, so they hurried to move out of his line of sight. The two vampires emerged together, and he fired. The bolt sliced cleanly through its initial target, scoring a direct hit, but got lodged in the chest of the second, right above the heart. Annoyed, the vampire dislodged the projectile with a swift yank, and threw it to the asphalt.
Xander, seeing that the job wasn't finished, tossed the slayer the stake he was holding. Buffy caught it without a problem, and went to end it. She stood toe-to-toe with the last crasher, its yellow eyes daring her to begin the fight. Not wanting to drag this out, she decided to bring the vampire to its knees by bringing her foot into contact with its crotch, smirking as the thing groaned. It was a trick she'd used with Angelus, which had served her well.
The gang rushed over as she grabbed the demon by the throat one-handed, and then she offered the redhead her weapon. "It's your shot, Will."
The corner of Willow's mouth quirked up to form a tiny grin, and she accepted the wooden object; her accuracy dead on, she staked the vampire. "Whew." She exhaled in relief. "Glad that's ov --"
Buffy crushed her immediately in a grateful hug. "You saved my life in there."
Willow hugged her back. "All I did was stop that big meanie from giving you really nasty laryngitis. You woulda got him eventually."
"Maybe, maybe not. Point is, you were there for me, and I appreciate it. You were something else." The blonde grinned at her, and then ceased the hug to look at the guitarist. "You too, Oz -- thanks."She smiled. "I'd hug you, but..."
"Not necessary." He assured her, and if she watched close enough, she could almost see the beginnings of a happy _expression_.
The slayer then faced her watcher. "Giles, do me afavor. Next time you tell me the vamps are gonna attack...be wrong."
The older man eyed her. "Technically, I said they *could*. It wasn't definite."
"Yeah, but with you, 'they could,' translates to, 'they will.'" She pointedly told him.
The gang started to walk out of the alley, and Xander spoke what was on all of their minds. "Goodbye, summer -- we hardly knew ya."
Buffy nodded, her face sullen. "And hello, horror-filled school year."
"At least it'll be the last horror-filled school year." The hacker optimistically said, which made her girlfriend shift closer to her -- Buffy loved this girl.
"What about college?" Cordelia wondered, tactlessly ripping away the momentary contentment. "That'll probably be an even bigger freak-fest."
They each shook their heads disapprovingly at that remark.
"And once again, you manage to effectively destroyany possible silver lining, Cordelia." Giles said, speaking for the whole group.
The cheerleader stared at him, open-mouthed, while everyone except Willow snickered quietly. She was reflecting on what she'd done in the Bronze, and kept muttering to herself:
"I can't believe I did that..."
***
At the Summers' residence, by the time the three females sat down to watch the film, it was late, and they fought to keep theireyes open. The girls were wiped out due to the night's events, and Joyce couldn't remember the last time she'd been able to sit through a movie without falling asleep. Whatever her daughter had planned to tell her would have to wait until morning, because about halfway through, the children had dozed off on the couch -- what a picture they made.
Buffy's head was resting on one of the sofa's arms, while Willow's head was situated comfortably on her friend's chest. The slayer's arm was also draped protectively over the hacker's body. Not wanting to wake them or join them in their slumber, Joyce got out of the chair she was sitting in, grabbed the blanket off of the back, and put it around the pair of peaceful-looking teenagers. Then she turned off the TV and VCR.
Before heading upstairs, however, she turned to look back at them with a smile.
'Buffy lucked out, meeting her.' The woman thought.
There was this glow her daughter had in Willow's presence lately, and she'd been trying to put her finger on it. It almost reminded her of...
'Oh my God...' Her mind was quite pleased that she understood. 'See where paying attention gets you, Joyce?'
Her smile broadened, and with one last look for confirmation, she went to bed. ----------- End. |