Re: [buffywantswillow]FIC: Thank You

[Jessica Cioffi <cioffi@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, my name is Jessie, not Jossie. Therefore, I
am only taking these characters out to play.. I promise to return them
to the toy chest in the same condition in which I found them.

?Thank You? is (also) not my creation. Dido wrote it, therefore, she
gets the credit. If you have not heard this song but would like to,
please let me know. I have it posted on a different egroup and would be
happy to share it with anyone who is interested.

Notes: I am a colon fiend. No, not the organ (icky icky), but the
punctuation. :thoughts:
: ?songs? : :_writing_:

I just started watching Buffy (I know, I know), so I am still in the
process of learning ?Buffy-speak.? Never fear, I am a quick study.

This is my first story (of any kind, not just FanFic), please be kind.

TITLE: THANK YOU
AUTHOR: JDC
RATING: PG (actually, kinda G except that it?s two girls at the start of
a romantic relationship)
SPOILERS: I don?t think there are any, just so long as you are aware
that Oz and Angel are out of the picture.
TIME FRAME: February 14th
THEME: V-Day (from the website)
ARCHIVE: If you want it, take it. Just e-mail me so I know where it?s
gonna be.


The rain tapped against the window to the beat of the music spilling
out of Willow?s headphones. Buffy couldn?t hear the lyrics, but she
could hear the soft beat and a light flute. For the last hour, the same
beat and flute had been the only noise coming from Willow?s side of the
room.

: How many more times is she going to listen to the same song? Slow +
sad + Valentine?s Day = Oz. Shouldn?t I be thinking about Angel? :

Willow was busy writing in her journal. Buffy watched in awe of her
best friend?s patience and perseverance as Willow would read a page,
then flip back two pages, then flip forward about 10 pages, and then go
back to the original page. After 10 minutes of reading, she would write
a line, then start flipping through the pages again.

?Will.? Buffy waited for a response. When there was none, she
repeated herself, ?Will.?

Willow looked up from her book, uncovered one ear and smiled.

: ?and then you call me, and it?s not so bad, it?s not so bad ?? :

?Sacred duty time. I won?t be long, even the demons, ugly as they are,
have somewhere to be tonight.? Buffy frowned.

?I don?t get it. How is it that we are alone? Demons are paired up,
right? But you?re alone, and I?m alone,? Willow?s brows furrowed as she
concentrated on the meaning of this revelation. ?I know! We could be
alone together, no, we could both be alone, but together, but not alone
together like that, just alone and together, making us not alone ? not
that I ??

: ? ? all I see is you ?? :

?Will, please don?t say ?alone? again.? Buffy moved toward the door.
?You and me for V-day. Great idea, Will. I expect to be back shortly ?
and listen to another song, you?ve been listening to that one all night.
Overkill, hear of it??

: ? ? I wouldn?t have a clue ?? :

Willow stood up, took a deep breath, and put the headphones in Buffy?s
hands. ?I know you can?t on patrol, but if you take break, you could
listen to it. It?s Sarah McLachlan-ee, not N-Sync-ee, you?ll like it.
It reminds me of you.?

?Me? I?ll have to take a listen, but not now. I?ll listen to it when I
get back from patrol.?

Willow?s face fell into a small frown. Disappointment ran unabashedly
across her face.

?Or, I could take it with me and when I take a break, I could listen to
it.? Buffy said, immediately bringing a smile to the sensitive
red-head?s face.

***

: She?s right, it doesn?t make sense. Ugly demons are doing the love
thing tonight and I?m not. And Willow isn?t. :

Buffy couldn?t help but smile at the prospect of spending the evening
hanging out with Willow. They hadn?t seen much of each other since the
semester had started up again. Willow was into her Wicca group and
wasn?t around as much as she had been the semester before. Buffy didn?t
realize how much she enjoyed being with her until she wasn?t there.

Leaning against a headstone, Buffy pulled the headset out of her
backpack. : Time for a break. Let?s hear what Will thinks of me ? :

: ?My tea?s gone cold, I?m wonderin why, I got out of bed at all ? The
morning rain fogs up my window, and I can?t see at all ? Even if I
could, it?d all be gray, but your picture on my wall, it reminds me that
it?s not so bad ? it?s not so bad ?? :

The sweet sprinkle of rain started to fall with more haste, turning
into a downpour. Buffy, wanting to pay attention to the lyrics of
Willow?s song, tried her best to sit it out. The temperature was
dropping rapidly. Buffy knew she had to start heading back. Slowly
taking the earphones off, she listened to every word as they became
more faint.

: ? ? there?ll be hell to pay, I?m late for work again ? and even if I?m
there, they?ll all imply that I might not last the day, and then you
call me, and it?s not so bad, it?s not so bad ?? :

Buffy reached the dormitory just before a large cloud opened up. She
could hear the storm rumbling. Looking back over her shoulder, she
could see the rain slamming against the pavement.

: Even loveless demons would be inside tonight. :

A shiver ran through Buffy?s body. Although she managed to escape the
biggest cloudburst, she still got drenched from walking in the mist and
then, even more, from the sudden downpour.

Buffy?s hand reached out to open the door to her room, when she
remember that she hadn?t finished listening to Willow?s song. She could
see the disappointment on Willow?s face already. Buffy turned toe and
headed to the television room.

***

: I won?t be long. : Will walked to Buffy?s side of the room. : It?ll
be a slow night : She walked back over to her side of the room. : What
is taking her so long?! It?s pouring out there.:

Willow could feel herself getting tense. She knew that something had
happened to Buffy. Her mind raced. : A vampire. No, worse, a water
demon. No, worse, what? worse? : Suddenly, Willow found herself sitting
on her bed with a very disturbing thought on the tip of her brain. :
Worse. She heard the song and figured me out. :

Her spell journal was open on her bed. Before she knew it, she was
flipping rapidly through the pages. :What am I looking for: Her eyes
darted from the pages to the door and back the pages. Then it hit
her. She was looking for the ?love spell? she had written when Oz
left. :It didn?t make him come back any faster ?:

***
An hour passed. Buffy had listened to the song so many times that she
had it committed to memory. She didn?t need to listen to it, it was
branded in her mind. A smile crept across Buffy?s face.

She opened the door and stood in the rain, making sure to get her hair
really wet. She dried her hands, turned the volume to full and hung the
earphones around her neck. She cued the CD and made her way upstairs.

***

Willow had been holding Buffy?s towel, waiting for her best friend to
show up. Suddenly, the door flew open and Buffy was standing there.
Her blonde hair looked darker from the rain and her face was flushed.
Willow ran over and wrapped a towel around her.

?You okay? You look ?? Then Willow heard the click of the portable
player.

: ? Push the door, I?m home at last and I?m soaking through and through.
Then you handed me a towel, and all I see is you. And even if my house
falls down now, I wouldn?t have a clue ? because you?re near me ??

?Will ??

The red-head?s eyes grew wide as her friend held the earphones closer
to her.

: ?just to be with you is giving me the best day of my life ?? :

?You like?? Willow asked with trepidation. She looked almost afraid of
what the slayer might say.

?No, Will.? Buffy said. Seeing the wounded look on Willow?s face, she
added, ?I love. But you were wrong. The song isn?t about me.? Willow?s
face moved from wounded to confused. ?Not the way you meant. It?s about
me, with you.?

Buffy took the CD out of the small machine, walked over to her stereo
and cued the song. ?Listen again.?

: ?My tea's gone cold, I?m wondering why I got out of bed at all. The
morning rain clouds up my window and I can't see at all And even if I
could it'd all be gray, but your picture on my wall, it reminds me that
it's not so bad ? it's not so bad? :

Buffy moved closer to Willow.

: ?I drank too much last night, got bills to pay my head just feels in
pain. I missed the bus and there'll be hell today I'm late for work
again and even if I'm there, they'll all imply that I might not last the
day and then you call me and it's not so bad ? it's not so bad and? :

A smile spread across Willow?s face. It was the kind of smile Buffy
looked forward to seeing all day.

: ?I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life? :

?I like this next part.? Buffy admitted.

?But there are no words. It?s all music.? Willow said quietly, so as
not to make Buffy miss her favorite part of the song too much.

?I know. The words aren?t anything I haven?t thought to myself a
million times, but the music ? I never thought of that. It?s perfect
for ?,? Buffy noticed Willow stepped back from her, eyes wide with
wonder, ? ? dancing.?

The slayer took her best friend in her arms and swayed gently to the
music. Both hearts beating out the rhythm, the two friends rested their
heads on each other?s shoulders.

: ?Push the door, I?m home at last and I'm soaking through and through,
then you handed me a towel and all I see is you. And even if my house
falls down now, I wouldn't have a clue because you're near me and? :

?You know I love you, right Will??

Willow didn?t say a word. Her eyes, filled with emotion, told Buffy
everything she needed to know.

: ?I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life? :


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