FF: Razor's Edge - 8/9 - Willow/Fitz - PG13

["Hunter Ash" <carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Razor's Edge, Part 8 

Author: Frau Hunter Ash 
Copyright © 2002 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/ 

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, 
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. The storyline, 
however, is the sole property of the author. This story cannot be 
sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made 
for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright 
notices.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship 
between people of the same gender. If this offends or is illegal for 
you, then please leave. Come back when you are older, have an open 
mind, moved, or changed your laws. 

Spoilers: Sometime after Hush but before New Moon Rising

Summary: Willow and Fitz work on their relationship, pregnancy and 
healing.

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: Pairings: a/u FitzHugh/Willow, X/An

* * *

Buffy was surprised to find Willow sitting on the back porch several 
nights later when she returned from Slaying.

"Will! What the hell? You know it's not safe!" Buffy snapped and 
jumped over the railing, coming face to face with a cross and a 
crossbow in either hand of the witch.

The red-haired witch smiled.

"I've lived in Sunnydale and been your friend long enough to take 
precautions," Willow smirked as she lowered the crossbow.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Buffy smiled, sitting down on the chair 
swing with her best friend.

"Couldn't sleep. I finally got Jess to take her pain meds and she's 
sleeping peacefully for once and now I can't sleep," Willow 
complained. "Maybe I got used to her punching me in my sleep."

"What's up, Will?" Buffy asked, knowing her friend extremely well.

"Something Jess said tonight, Buff," Willow said softly. "Slayers 
attract trouble."

"Yeah, even when I ran away it seemed to follow me," Buffy 
nodded. "I still ended up fighting supernatural evil."

"Jess is worried that she won't be able to protect me and Caleb," 
Willow said.

"I understand that," Buffy nodded. "And I've still got my body in 
one piece. I worry all the time about all of you. That's why the 
Council insists that Slayers don't have friends or close family, they 
think it makes us weak because we worry."

"I think your friends have made you stronger," Willow frowned.

"I agree," Buffy nodded. "That's why I told them to drop dead on my 
birthday. I'm only alive this long because of you guys."

Buffy watched as Willow continued to frown.

"You remember that day I told you I was staying in Sunnydale?"

"Yeah, one of the best days of my life," Buffy nodded. "You could 
have had your choice of any university in the world and you chose to 
stay here and help me fight."

"Yeah, I couldn't leave," Willow nodded.

"But now you need to," Buffy finished and smiled as Willow's eyes 
widened in surprise and filled with tears.  

"How?" Willow whispered.

"Makes sense, Will," Buffy said softly, fighting back her own 
tears. "Xander and Anya can get married and then slowly back away 
from full time Slaying and lead a normal life. Well, as normal as you 
can get in Sunnydale. You, you're marrying a Slayer and that means 
trouble will find you, especially in Sunnydale. If you weren't 
having a baby it would be different, you could still be research and 
magick girl and keep up the good fight."

Buffy looked up at the star filled sky.

"With a baby, things change," she said softly. "You need to think 
about a future, not the fight anymore, Will. I know that. Being a 
Slayer, Fitz will always attract supernatural trouble but not as much 
if you're not living on top of a hellmouth."

"Buffy," Willow choked out.

"It's okay, Will," Buffy said softly, wrapping her arm around 
Willow's shoulders. "I'm going to miss all of you but things change 
and you've got to protect Caleb and Fitz."

"I've talked with the Council," Willow sniffled. "Jess doesn't know 
it yet but I've been talking with them. They're willing to set Jess 
up in a good job doing research and book stuff up in San Francisco.  
They've got a strike team up there that we can be the brain part of 
without getting close to the danger. They want my computer skills."

Buffy frowned. "San Francisco is definitely bigger than Sunnydale, 
not as much danger of tripping over a vampire every time you go out 
at night," she said thoughtfully. "What about school?"

"I can transfer to night classes up there after Caleb is born," 
Willow said calmly. "School isn't the most important thing anymore.  
I could get an extremely well paying job with several companies right 
now and I've been approached by a couple of government types already."

"Wow," Buffy smiled, loving how Willow blushed. "When are you going 
to talk to Fitz?"

"Tomorrow," Willow said softly, wiping away at her tears. "I don't 
want to leave, Buff. I love you guys."

"And I love you, Will," Buffy nodded, hugging her friend. "More than 
you know but I want you safe and happy. Fitz is incredibly wonderful 
for an anarchist."

Willow smiled and playfully whacked Buffy on the leg.

"She's the best, Buffy," Willow said with a gentle smile.  

"Someday I'll find my Jesse James," Buffy said softly.

"Well, there is Spike in his black leather duster," Willow teased and 
Buffy glared at her friend.

"Don't even think it!" Buffy growled. "Bad enough we let him hang 
around after he was chipped."

"Any clue as to what he and Druscilla are up to?"

"No, none. I've spent the last four days dragging vampires into 
sunlight and threatening every demon I can find and none of them know 
anything or aren't talking. There is something I thought of tonight."

"What's that?" Willow asked, curling up in Buffy's arms as they swung 
gently in the moonlight.

"When you told me about that attack in the dorm, you said that you 
heard screams and stuff and the phones were out," Buffy said.

"Yeah," Willow nodded. "I grabbed a cross and tried to go for the 
pay phones in the main lobby but Spike and Dru were there with a 
bunch of vampires."

"You said that night that they were waiting for you," Buffy said 
thoughtfully.

Willow frowned. "I guess it seemed like it. Spike and Dru were just 
standing there with hostages and the other vampires were holding 
students and killing a couple of them but they weren't moving on or 
anything."

"Like they were waiting for you to go out of your room?" Buffy 
suggested.

"Could be. They grabbed me and one of them took a really bad burn 
getting the cross out of my hand before tossing me to Spike and Dru," 
Willow said, remembering. "Dru placed her hands on my face and 
looked in my eyes. Goddess, that was scary as hell. It was like she 
was seeing deep in my soul or something. Then she smiled and said&oh 
hell, what did she say?"

Buffy waited patiently.

"She said 'the stars sing to you,' and then she hit me," Willow 
said. "Next thing I knew was you guys were there and Druscilla was 
about to snack on my neck."

"The stars sing to you?" Buffy questioned and Willow shrugged.

"I think Angeleus was the only one who really understands anything 
she says," Willow complained.

"They were waiting for you and we were a surprise," Buffy said 
thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"They cut the phone lines, attacked several students, causing the 
screams to draw you out. Spike and Dru attacked late at night, after 
I was done slaying. If I hadn't forced Fitz into agreeing to talk to 
you that night, we would have been in bed. Spike and Dru weren't 
expecting us at the dorms."

Willow's eyes widened. "You think they were after me and me alone? 
But why?"

"I don't know," Buffy complained. "I do know that not even the CIA 
could get near you since then, so we may have missed that their 
intention was to grab you."

"This isn't funny!" Willow grumbled. "Especially with Caleb on his 
way and the doctor wanting to put me on bed rest soon."

"You are looking awfully tired, Will," Buffy said softly.

"I know. It hurts all the time, the back, the feet, my breasts and 
places I didn't even know could hurt inside," Willow admitted.

"Well, let's get you two married and little Caleb out of his hiding 
place," Buffy grinned.

"I'll talk to Jess tomorrow and we'll make arrangements with the 
Council to move right after Caleb is born," Willow said softly, 
fighting back tears again. "I don't want to leave but Jess was right 
the other night, I've got a wife and son to think about. It's not 
some vague future now."

"I know and I'm envious as hell," Buffy said softly, holding her 
friend.

"Buffy, have we checked on Faith lately?" Willow said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I called Angel and he went out and saw her personally," Buffy 
smiled. "She's doing alright in prison and is actually behaving 
herself. Now stop worrying and go to bed and get some sleep."

"Okay, I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow, late in the 
afternoon and no classes. I'm sleeping in," Willow declared.

"Who's taking you?"

"Mom," Willow answered as they both stood up and stretched. "We'll 
be back in time for her to make dinner."

"Okay," Buffy smiled and held the door open for her very pregnant 
friend. "I'm meeting with Tara and Sarah tomorrow to work on the 
Handfasting ceremony. Since I'm your best friend, they want my input 
before they present you with the ritual for your approval."

"You're more than my best friend, Buff," Willow said softly. "You 
just are the best."

"God, your hormones are making you mushy with your friends!" Buffy 
teased. "Anya and Xander are planning a surprise baby shower next 
week, by the way."

"Then why tell me if it's a surprise?" Willow teased back.

"Anya's planning it, I didn't want you to be too surprised by 
whatever she comes up with," Buffy grinned.

"We do have some unusual friends," Willow grinned as she slowly 
walked up the stairs, stopping every few feet to rest for a moment.  

"Yeah, de-rat Amy and we'll have a full house," Buffy agreed, keeping 
her voice low.

* * *

Fitz growled from the pain as Buffy carefully massaged her lower 
leg. The former Slayer hated having to depend on anyone and 
especially hated asking for help but collapsing to the floor with 
painful leg cramps had alerted the blonde Slayer that Fitz was in 
pain.

Together Xander and Buffy had helped Fitz to the sofa. Buffy quickly 
worked the straps that held the complicated leg brace on Fitz' left 
leg off and began massaging the cramping muscles as Fitz gritted her 
teeth.

Xander and Anya made excuses to leave and go make some tea so Fitz 
wouldn't feel so weak in front of them.

"Sweet Mary, that hurts today!" Fitz whined.  

"The muscles are really tight," Buffy commented. "I can feel them 
going bananas. You overdid it at therapy, didn't you?"

"Nay, I didn't!" Fitz protested and clenched her hands into tight 
fists as she cried out and threw herself back against the sofa in 
pain. "I don't know what set this off!"

"Fitz, this isn't easing up," Buffy said, her voice sounding 
worried. "I'm getting your muscles relaxers."

"Not during the day," Fitz growled and clenched her jaw as another 
wave of pain hit.

"I don't care, this is the worst yet!" Buffy snapped. "Anya! Bring 
those pill bottles!"

"You got it!" Anya shouted from the kitchen and appeared a moment 
later with a basket of pill bottles. Buffy quickly looked them over 
as Fitz cried, clutching at her leg. Xander appeared a moment later 
with a glass of water.

"Tea will be ready in a few minutes," he said softly, watching the 
Irish Slayer crying from the pain.  

"Good thing we got used to having tea around here for Giles," Buffy 
teased as she opened one of the pill bottles and then a second 
one. "You Irish and English with your tea habits, you know."

Fitz nodded as she took the pills and downed them without a struggle.

"What did you give her?" Xander asked as Buffy resumed massaging the 
muscles.

"Two heavy duty codeine and a cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxer," 
Buffy said as Fitz whimpered, trying to find any position that would 
take the stress off her leg muscles and unable to find relief.

"Isn't that her usual night time dose?" Anya asked with a frown.

"Yeah, she doesn't know why the pain is flaring now," Buffy 
complained, unsure how to help beyond what they were doing for the 
rebel.

"Red," Fitz muttered.

"Aren't they due home yet?" Xander complained, looking at the clock 
again.

"Past due," Buffy growled, glancing at the window and the darkening 
sky outside. "Anya, do me a favor and call the doctor's office, ask 
if they've already left or not. If they haven't I'd like you and 
Xander to go over there and follow them home."

"Okay," Anya nodded and headed for the phone.

"How long before those pills hit?" Xander asked, bending over to 
massage Fitz' uninjured leg, trying to help calm the thrashing 
Slayer. When Fitz opened her eyes they were almost glazed with pain.

"Another 10 or 15 minutes," Buffy muttered. "Then they only work for 
half the time they're supposed to. I've had to go to drug dealers 
and get more. Doctors do not understand Slayer strength when it comes 
to pain pills."

"The doctors won't give her a proper dose because they don't know how 
much you two can take," Xander said thoughtfully, trying to 
understand.

"Exactly, it's like giving a rhino the same dose you would a zebra to 
put them to sleep," Buffy agreed.

Buffy and Xander looked up as Anya walked back into the room. "They 
said that Willow and Joyce mother left about 10 minutes ago."

"Then they should be here soon," Xander nodded, relieved.

"The office person said that the doctor official person was running 
late," Anya complained.

"Figures," Buffy complained and felt Fitz' muscles beginning to 
relax. She looked up and sighed with relief when it looked like Fitz 
wasn't in as much pain. Buffy, thankful for Slayer strength and 
stamina, continued massaging the leg muscles until Fitz' hands 
unclenched and the dark Slayer nodded gratefully, letting her head 
drop to the cushions on the sofa.

"Let's get that leg elevated or something," Buffy suggested, helping 
Fitz swing around on the sofa until she was lying down with her leg 
propped up on two pillows. "Just rest, Fitz."

"Where's Willow?" Fitz muttered.

"On her way home," Buffy said softly.

"Find her, Buff," Fitz whispered. "Something's wrong. Psychic stuff, 
something's wrong."

Xander was frowning as Buffy stood up.

"Psychic stuff?" he asked.

"Fitz is a little psychic, she knew Willow was pregnant before Will 
told her and she knew the doctors were going to tell her she'd never 
walk again," Buffy explained.

"She just said Will is in trouble," Xander grumbled.

"Yeah, let's get everyone together, we're going to look for Mom and 
Willow," Buffy said firmly. 

"Okay, I'll call Tara, Sarah and Giles and put them on stand-by," 
Xander said. "Someone will need to stay with Fitz while we're out."

"Good idea," Buffy nodded, glancing over at the sleeping 
Slayer. "With those meds, she's not moving for a couple of hours."

"That dose would knock me out all night, wouldn't it?" Xander asked.

"Sound asleep through an earthquake," Buffy nodded. "We'll be lucky 
if she gets three hours out of them."

"Downside to Slayer stuff?" he asked.

"In a way, if she hadn't been a Slayer she would have died from those 
injuries or totally lost the leg," Buffy nodded as she looked out the 
window. "Where are they?"

"They probably stopped at the store for dinner stuff," Anya suggested 
but everyone continued to frown.

* * *

Tara and Sarah arrived at the Summers' home just ahead of Giles and 
found Buffy pacing restlessly while Fitz was still asleep on the sofa.

"She's asleep?" Sarah asked softly.

"I gave her meds and knocked her out," Buffy explained in a 
whisper. "Fitz was having really bad leg cramps and pain. Xander and 
Anya have already retraced their route from the doctor to here and no 
sign of them. The car isn't at the grocery store either."

Giles frowned and he began cleaning his glasses.

"You said you think Spike and Dru might have targeted Willow that 
night at the dorm?" he asked.

"I think it's a possibility. They didn't expect us and she said they 
seemed to be waiting for her to come out of her room," Buffy 
explained.

"How could they get to Willow and your mother in a car?" Tara 
demanded as they moved into the dining area to let Fitz continue 
sleeping.

"I don't know," Buffy growled.

Xander and Anya poured coffee and tea for the newcomers.

"Suggestions?" Xander asked.

"Well, I've been looking for Spike and Dru for months now, I still 
don't know where to look," Buffy complained.

"What about tracking Willow magically?" Anya suggested.

"If we can find where she disappeared and if she had time to cast a 
track spell," Tara nodded.  

"Okay, how about we retrace the route from the doctor's office again 
and see if Tara can spot anything?" Xander offered.

As the gang started to stand up Buffy frowned at the sound of the 
doorbell.

"Hang on, guys," she said and ran to answer it. The Slayer glanced 
through the peephole and felt her heart skip a beat and a roaring 
fill her head. "Guys!" she shouted and opened the door slowly.

A uniformed police officer and an obviously plainclothes detective 
stood on her porch, as the gang rushed from the dining room into the 
living room behind Buffy. Everyone stopped in their tracks for a 
moment and Giles moved through the small group to stand behind Buffy, 
his hands on her shoulders.

"Does a Joyce Summers live here?" the detective asked.

"Yes, I'm her daughter," Buffy said slowly. "What's wrong?"

"May we come in, Ma'am?" the detective asked, flashing his badge.

"Of course, let them in, Buffy," Giles said calmly but Buffy could 
feel his hands shaking.

The police officer and detective gave the sleeping Fitz a strange 
look but Buffy ignored them as she went to the sofa and shook the 
dark Slayer.  

"Come on, Fitz," she said softly. "We've got company, Irish."

The Slayer grumbled but sat up blinking as she rubbed her leg.

"Miss Summers," the detective hesitated. "I'm afraid there's been an 
accident involving your mother's car this evening."

"Tell us!" Buffy snapped.

"It appears that your mother's car was struck by a drunk driver going 
at a high rate of speed," the detective continued.

"Oh God," Buffy whispered and Giles wrapped an arm around her 
shoulder as Anya gasped. "Is she and Will&.?"

"Will?" the detective asked.

"Willow Rosenberg, she lives here with Buffy and Jessica FitzHugh," 
Giles explained.

"That would be the identification we found in the car," the officer 
nodded.

"What happened to them?" Buffy snapped.

"I'm sorry, Miss Summers," the detective said calmly. "I'm afraid the 
car caught fire after impact, almost instantly. I'm afraid both 
people in the car were killed."

"Mom?" Buffy whispered as tears filled her eyes. "Willow?"

"No, no, no," Xander muttered, sliding down the wall to the floor.  
Anya knelt beside him, pulling him into her arms as he began to 
weep.  

Tara quickly crossed the room and knelt in front of Fitz as the 
Slayer blinked in confusion. "Fitz?"

"Red?" Fitz said softly. "No, please."

"We found their identification in the car," the officer 
explained. "If it's any help, the firemen said that they were gone 
before the fire reached them."

Buffy and Fitz looked like they had been hit across the face with a 
cold, wet towel.

"Do you need Buffy to identify the&.uh&" Giles stammered.

"Well, we were unable to contact Miss Rosenberg's parents&."

"They have no contact with their daughter," Giles 
explained. "They're probably out of the country again. You'll find 
that Jessica FitzHugh over there is listed as her next of kin, 
emergency contact."

"Well, I'm afraid the Coroner will be identifying the bodies through 
dental records," the detective said softly and handed a card over to 
Giles. "You can contact her tomorrow at that number and the number 
for Victim's Assistance is also on there."

"How do we know for sure?" Buffy asked.

"Well, there was your mother's purse and this was on a chain around 
the other woman's neck," the detective pulled out a chain with an 
engagement ring on it and Fitz moaned. Giles reached out slowly.

"Her engagement ring," he muttered. "Because of the pregnancy it 
didn't fit so she wore it on the chain."

"What about the drunk?" Anya demanded.

"The car was stolen and the driver got away," the officer 
growled. "We're looking for him."

"You wouldn't have a description, would you?" Giles asked, his eyes 
narrowing.  

"Blonde, hair slicked back, black clothes, long black coat," the 
officer quoted from his notes.

"I'm very sorry," the detective said as he and the officer stood up.  

* * *

Fitz had no idea how she got back up to the room she shared with 
Willow. She knew someone must have walked her up but couldn't 
remember whom. The faces and words seemed to blur together as Tara, 
Sarah, Giles, Anya and Xander tried to help her and Buffy get through 
the next five minutes. Then the next five after that.

The Slayer sat on the bed staring at nothing as someone untied her 
shoes.

"How many meds did Buffy give her?" someone asked.

"I think it's more shock than the narcotics," another voice said far 
away.

"I&.Willow&."

"I can't think about this right now," the first voice snapped. "Let's 
take care of Fitz and Buffy and then I'm going to need you to hold me 
all night long as I cry."

"Fitz, can you hear me?" someone asked and the Slayer nodded slowly.  

"I don't want you getting up without someone to help you, okay?" the 
voice asked and Fitz nodded again and lay back on the bed.

"Buffy's the same way," the second voice said. "It's really creepy."

"Major shock, neither of them can process it right now," a third 
voice entered the conversation.

"What do we do, Giles?" 

"Keep an eye on them and get them through the next few days," Giles 
said softly. "Which won't be easy."

"I can't believe this!" the first voice snapped and Fitz realized it 
was Xander. "She can't be dead! Not with the baby and everything!"

<<Baby? Caleb? Willow? >>

"Shhhh," Giles urged. "Come downstairs. I've got Sarah and Tara 
sitting with Buffy."

"What about Fitz?" Anya asked.

"She can't go anywhere and I want a drink," Giles muttered.

Fitz heard the door shut behind them and sat up slowly.  

"Willow?" she whispered. The dark Slayer could feel the build up in 
her body and mind and moaned, trying to hold it back. Fitz knew once 
it broke loose she'd probably not come back any time soon. She 
struggled to move on automatic as she went to the dresser to stuff 
the loose bills and coin she found. She put on her jacket next.  

Getting down the trellis wasn't going to be easy, Fitz realized as 
she tossed her canes out the window but she still had the upper body 
strength that would make a body builder proud.

"Red," Fitz whispered when she reached the ground. "Won't take long, 
lass."

The crippled Slayer moved into the shadows, letting them fill her 
mind.

* * *

Buffy didn't really sleep through the night, she mostly stared at the 
ceiling. Finally at 4am she got up and wandered into her mother's 
room. The Slayer looked at her mom's favorite picture on her 
dresser, it was of her and Buffy taken the summer before and both 
were smiling and playful for the camera.

Finally the tears hit and Buffy curled up on her mother's bed with 
the picture held tightly to her chest.

* * *

Buffy opened her eyes with a frown.

"What do you mean she's not here?" someone demanded out in the hall 
and the blonde Slayer curled up around the picture, wishing the 
voices would go away and let her drift back into sleep. It didn't 
hurt when she was asleep. When she was asleep her Mom was okay, 
Willow was expecting a baby and Fitz' leg was mending.

"Where's Buffy?" another voice shouted.

"What do you mean? Both are missing?" Giles shouted and Buffy 
whimpered when the door to her mother's room slammed open. "Here she 
is!"

Giles crossed the room quickly and then hesitated by the bed, seeing 
his Slayer curled up on the bed in an almost fetal position, holding 
a picture frame in her arms.

"Buffy," he said softly, squatting beside the bed.

"Go away," Buffy muttered.

"Buffy, listen closely," Giles said slowly. "That detective, 
Detective Randy Gaiman called this morning. He caught what I said 
last night about Willow being pregnant."

"So? She was pregnant and now she's gone," Buffy snapped, her eyes 
beginning to show some life.

"That's just it," Giles continued explaining. "Something struck the 
detective as strange and he got the Coroner up bright and early this 
morning to examine the bodies. The young woman wasn't pregnant."

Buffy frowned, trying to absorb the information.

"But, Willow was more than pregnant, 7 1'2 months pregnant," she 
protested.

"Exactly and the other body in the car was a young male, not your 
mother," Giles smiled.

"This isn't funny, Giles," Buffy growled as she sat up on the bed, 
her eyes blazing.

"No it isn't," he agreed. "That means someone placed an innocent 
couple in your mother's car and rammed it and torched it so we would 
think your mother and Willow are dead."

"Spike," Buffy growled.

"Probably, the couple had to already be dead since he drove the car 
and can't hurt a living human," Giles said thoughtfully as he stood 
up. "There is another problem though."

"What?" Buffy snapped as she replaced the picture on the dresser.

"Fitz is missing," he said unhappily.

"This is before you told her that her only reason for living is 
alive, right?" Buffy asked bitterly.

Giles nodded as Buffy rushed past him and pounded down the stairs.

* * *

The driver of the pickup pulled over to the side of the road and 
leaned over to unlock the passenger door. The young hitch-hiker 
climbed in awkwardly, moving her canes out of the way as she slammed 
the door shut.  

The driver, a teenage male who had his worldly belongings packed in 
cardboard boxes in the back, looked at the girl not much older than 
he was with interest. Black clothing, leather wrist bands, and 
shaggy haircut and he nodded. They probably shared the same musical 
interests, that would be good, he decided.

"I'm Tom," he said cheerfully.

"Jessie James," Fitz said, her voice dull.

"Where you headed?" Tom asked as he pulled onto the road.

"The bottom of a bottle," Fitz said softly.

"Okay," Tom shrugged and clicked in the latest CD by Limp Bizkit. As 
he figured, his passenger didn't complain or frown at his 
choice. "What's with the dust on your jacket."

"Graveyard dust, happens," Fitz muttered.

"I can think of better places to sleep than a graveyard!" Tom 
exclaimed. "Especially in Sunnydale! That's why I'm leaving, too 
many weird things happen here and our high school has the highest 
mortality rate in all the world, I think. Just last night my best 
friend and his girl disappeared, right in front of me. This blonde 
guy and weird chick stood by as these gang types grabbed my friends 
as they got out of my pickup. Really weird. I'm leaving this freaky 
stuff behind."

"Me too," Fitz agreed, wondering if the dust on her jacket was from 
any of those that had grabbed his two friends. A night in the 
graveyard had led to Slayer instincts, several vampires dying and 
Fitz no closer to getting herself killed than when she started.

Half a bottle of Irish whiskey later, she was on the road just to 
keep moving. Fitz hoped if she drank enough and moved enough, she 
wouldn't have to think and remember. She wouldn't remember losing 
two Willows and a child.

* * *