FIC: Tiger by the Tail (3/?)

["Shadowlander" <Shadowlander1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Tiger by the Tail (3/?) 
Author: Shadowlander 
Email: Shadowlander1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx - or - Tankesly@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters commonly associated 
with Buffy the Vampire Slayer; they are used without permission. No 
copyright infringement is intended. 
Pairing: Buffy/Willow 
Rating: PG-17 
Archive: The usual places; all others ask first. 
Spoilers: Hmm, Amy is not a rat. She was never a rat or she was but 
got a lot better in time to go to university. J 


TIGER BY THE TAIL (3/?) 

"Huckleberry?" Buffy Summers questioned her roommate with a frown. 
Trying to place the name with the face that was so far eluding her 
sleep fogged mind. She never could understand Amy's insistence on 
holding meaningful conversations first thing in the morning. It just 
wasn't natural being that cheerful first thing in the morning. 'Just my 
luck.my roommate is a morning person.' She told herself in mild 
disgust. Wondering for the millionth time if Amy's cheerfulness was 
something directly hellmouth related. 

"Yeah, you know that TA in our Psych class. The one with all the 
muscles and little head." Amy Madison clarified with a grin, taking 
perverse pleasure at Buffy's incoherence first thing in the morning. 
"The one Spike wouldn't bite on a dare." She added after a moment. 

"But would torture over a long weekend if we supplied the blood and 
duct tape.gotcha." Buffy replied suddenly placing the name with the 
face. While Angel's bleached blonde pain-in-the-ass childe, also know 
as Spike, did tend to annoy her most days, the two had recently 
discovered a mutual hatred for the TA. While on one hand they were 
quite disturbed that they had actually found common ground, they 
were also secretly united in making the life of one Riley Finn as 
uncomfortable as possible. Especially after the Slayer learned all about 
the Initiative and their wannabe demon hunters. Nothing peeved her 
more then a bunch of amateurs running lose in her town endangering 
people's lives. 'Who would have thought that there would be a day 
that William the Bloody would actually agree with a Slayer on 
something?' She silently questioned herself , recalling that night four 
years ago she and Angel had stumbled across a badly beaten Spike 
while on patrol. 'That was just after Wills.' She stopped herself before 
she could complete the thought. Not wanting to think about the 
possibilities that her best friend may not even be alive anymore. 

It was hard not to think about Willow, the redhead was always on 
Buffy's mind. She was reminded of all the lost moments they would 
never have because of the damn demon. The heart and soul of the 
Slayerettes got ripped out that night in the Rosenberg house. 
Thankfully they had been able to pull themselves together and keep 
going. They owed it to Willow not to give up, to keep fighting the good 
fight. No matter how much it hurt not to see her smiling face during a 
long night of research or hear her quiet determination in the face of 
something really gross that was trying to kill you. There were days 
that she would give her best stake to see Willow's "resolve face" just 
one more time. 

"I miss her too. You know?" Amy's low voice brought her out of her 
memories. 

"Yeah, I know Amers, I know," Buffy replied wiping at the tears 
threatening to overwhelm her. She hated this day. She had hated it for 
the past four long years. It was the grim reminder that she hadn't 
been good enough to protect one of her friends. That she let a demon 
come into her town and kill her best friend. But she honoured the day 
nonetheless, if nothing more then to serve as a reminder of all the 
innocent people that were counting on her to do her sacred duty. She 
didn't want the blood of anymore Willows on her hands, one was more 
then enough - too much in fact. "We better hurry if we want to get to 
Giles's for breakfast." She said pushing aside her dark thoughts. This 
was Willow's day, the one time all the Slayerettes got together and 
remembered their missing friend. 

The trip to Giles's flat was made in a relative light mood, the two 
roommates actively trying to keep the other from sinking into brood 
mode and start doing Angel impersonations. After about an hour or so 
it tended to be annoying no matter how many times Xander did it 
wearing a pink tutu and a pirate's hat. 

"Giles?" Buffy called out using her spare key to open the front door 
when the Watcher failed to answer her knock. It wasn't like him not to 
be padding around his flat in the mornings. He was always awake 
doing something; usually reading or research on one of the countless 
prophecies that were threatening the town this week. 

Exchanging puzzled looks, the two decide to investigate. Each silently 
praying that they were not about to walk in on Giles and Olivia having 
sex again. That one time last Christmas was more than enough to 
least them a lifetime. They still had unwanted mental images about it, 
although for the life of them they couldn't figure out why Giles had 
been wearing that elf's hat, nor did they really want to know. 

"Er, hello?" A voice questioned politely, effectively stopping their 
progression through the living room, causing the two, to look behind 
them at the young man standing behind the couch calmly studying 
them. 

Amy was immediately drawn to the young man's Asian features, his 
shoulder length hair hanging damp around him as he toweled dried it. 
Dark brown eyes watching the two girls with amusement. 

Buffy however, was drawn to the couch or more importantly to the 
figure laying on it, one of Giles's spare blankets covering her. 
"Willow!?" 

End Part Three.