FIC: These Roads We Travel (3/?)

[Kimber <kacoe@xxxxxxx>]

TITLE: These Roads We Travel (3/?)
AUTHOR: Kimber (kacoe@xxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
SUMMARY: The long awaited next story in "The Road Series".
SPOILERS: Everything is fair game.
DISTRIBUTION: The usual suspects. Anyone else, e-mail me please.
AUTHOR?S NOTES: This comes because I've had so many great responses to the series and
many people begging for another. Be careful what you wish for.

-----------

"Xander." Buffy breathed.

He stood in the doorway to her home and bobbed his head in acknowledgement the way that
only Xander could. "Hey, Buffy. Where's my girl?"

"Getting dressed." She smiled and stepped aside to allow him access to the house, then
hugged him as soon as she closed the door. "It's so great to see you, especially?" She
stopped herself and hugged him even tighter.

"I know." He whispered into her hair.

"Uncle Xander, is that you?" Laurel called from upstairs.

He smiled. "The one and only!" He looked down at Buffy. "God, she sounds more and more
like Willow every day."

Buffy nodded somewhat sadly and retreated to the kitchen.

Just then, the redheaded teen bounded down the stairs and jumped into her uncle's arms.
"Whoa, Laurel." He tried to regain his balance. "You're getting so big. Let me take a
look at you." He held her at arms length for inspection.

"I think I grew two inches from last time you saw me, Xand-man." She smiled.

He narrowed his eyes at her playfully. "Xand-man, huh? Lemme guess. . .Faith's been by
recently."

"Yup!! She took me shopping in L.A. for new clothes for school and we went to the Chinese
Theatre and then to Rodeo Drive and," She looked around conspiratorially and dropped her
voice to just above a whisper. "She even bought me a pair of leather pants for when we go
out on patrol."

"I take it you're whispering cause Buffy doesn't know yet." He whispered back.

Laurel shrugged and headed toward the kitchen. "I'm not worried about it, Uncle Xander.
Everything's five by five." She smiled at him and disappeared through the kitchen door.

Xander shook his head in disapproval, but couldn't help chuckle a bit.

---------

Buffy, Laurel and Xander finished up breakfast and were washing the dishes together. It
was almost the perfect family scene, except one important person was missing. Willow.

Buffy stepped back and watched Laurel and Xander finish up. She remembered a time not
long ago when the four of them would do this every time Xander came over for dinner. It
would usually end in a water fight, which usually sent Willow into 'resolve-face' mode in
record time. They'd get scooted out of the kitchen while she cleaned up the mess, then
she would bring them all ice pops and they'd sit on the front porch watching the night go
by.

It was such a simpler time back then. Buffy frowned. <Back then?> In reality, it was
only six short months ago but now it felt like a lifetime. She was shaken from her
thoughts by the sound of a loud motor right outside the house. She knew it could only
mean one thing as she watched Laurel's eyes go wide with delight.

"Faith!" Laurel yelled from the window as she waved at the Dark Slayer. She smiled wider
when Faith beckoned to her to come outside.

"Jacket." Buffy reminded her.

Laurel stopped in her tracks, ran to the living room, grabbed the beaten up old leather
jacket Faith gave her and ran outside.

Buffy enjoyed the silence for a few moments and leaned back against Xander. They watched
as Faith showed Laurel the ins and outs of the motorcycle, and Laurel stood there
listening intently. Buffy noticed that she began to ask Faith questions, and as soon as
Faith started to answer, Laurel pulled a small pad and pen out of her jacket.

"Looks like Faith is in trouble now." Xander commented.

"Yup." Buffy smiled. "After all, Laurel is the daughter of the one and only research
queen. Willow taught her well." A tear trailed down Buffy's cheek.

"I know that tone, Buff. You taught her lots of things too." Xander tightened his grip
on her waist a little in reassurance.

Buffy was about to comment when she heard Laurel say to Faith, "That's wicked cool! Can I
try?"

"Uh oh." Buffy and Xander said in unison as they went outside to stop any of the ideas
the redhead may have just come up with.

--------

Rupert Giles woke in the morning feeling all of his sixty plus years. He yawned and
padded his way to the bathroom to begin his morning ritual. Showered, shaved and dressed,
he grabbed his trusty walking cane from beside the bed and headed downstairs.

In the forefront of his mind, he knew what today was and knew what was to come. He'd
spend the day alone in quiet refection, perhaps go through an old photo album or two,
check on impending prophesies, then there would be a knock on the door. He would get up
to answer it, only to have the joy of his life be impatient as always and burst through it
with a resounding 'Papa' before falling into his arms and showering him with kisses.
Laurel. His precious 'granddaughter', with the smell of youth surrounding her and life
behind those soulful green eyes would make him feel ten years younger or more any time he
saw her.

The visits had grown shorter and shorter now. It wasn't that Laurel was too old for him
or not interested in her Papa anymore. No. It was far worse. Buffy had grown too old
for him, too old and uninterested and bitter and hateful and. . .Giles shook his head.
<What's the use?> She'd never forgive him, never be his Slayer again or the daughter he
never had.

---------

"What happened Willow?" Willow and Jesse were walking along a cobble stoned street
reminiscing about high school and all the good times they had together growing up. Jesse
tried to broach the subject of Buffy a few times, but Willow skirted the issue. He
thought it was best to leave it alone but now it was time for the hard stuff. "Will?"

"Jesse, I really don't?"

"?Wanna talk about it, I know. But?" He shrugged. "you know how your tummy gets all
acidy when you keep bad stuff inside. Come on, Will, I'm here for a reason. You have to
know that."

She sighed. "I know. It's just. . .a touchy subject for me right now. Buffy, well, it's
kinda hard to explain."

"You love her."

Willow smiled up at him. "Apparently not that hard." She walked beside him in silence for
a while. "It started in high school, kind of. I admired her, wanted to be like her. It
always seemed so, I don't know, exciting and daring. . .you know, all the Slayer stuff she
did and even that aside. . .she's an amazing person ? so full of life and funny and sweet
and romantic and sexy and?"

"Willow?"

"Sorry, too much information I guess." She blushed.

"No, it's not that, it's just, well, why are you here? Have you asked yourself that yet?
I mean, do you even know where here is?"

Willow stopped in her tracks and looked around. It was as if she was noticing for the
first time that things were very different. She tried as hard as she could to remember
how she got there but couldn't. Then she tried to remember the last time she saw Buffy
and Laurel. She couldn't do that either. A look of panic crossed her face. "Jesse?"
She looked at him quizzically. "How did you get here?" She began to back away from him
almost fearfully. "You're. . .you're dead. I saw it. . .I saw Xander stake you in the. .
.oh God, that was sophomore year of high school."

"Take it easy, Will."

"Take it easy? Take it easy? I'm dead. . .am I dead?. . .oh God, I'm not dead, am I?
Cause I have a sixteen year old daughter that needs me and Buffy, Buffy doesn't know how
to cook! And she doesn't know when Laurel's doctor's appointments are and. . .and I think
there's a load of laundry in the washer. . .the last time Buffy did laundry everything
turned out pink! And Giles still isn't fully recovered from the fall he took last year, he
needs me and?"

Jesse placed his hand on her shoulder. "Willow, breathe."

"Breathe? Dead people don't breath, Jesse they. . .well, they don't do anything. . .cause
they're dead!" She ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She closed her eyes
and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm calm. . .somewhat." she opened her eyes and looked at
him. "You can tell me the truth, I can handle it, really. Am I dead?"

Jesse looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "Well. . ." He hedged.


--
Your humble bard,
~~Kimber

::: I WALK, I TALK, I SHOP, I SNEEZE :::
E x q u i s i t e + C o a l e s c e n c e
http://www.redrival.com/exquisite
Your source for fanfiction based on the Buffy & Angel shows.
::: I'M GONNA BE A FIREMAN WHEN THE FLOODS ROLL BACK :::
* Member # 10 of THE Citzens of Kane - I have Christian's tousled hair on retainer
* Member #102 of the Amber Benson is a Hottie Club
* Member # 4 of The Cult of Amber Benson. Where the Bahama Mama bar is open all night!
* Member #21 of Miss Kitty's Minions - Contributor of a little pink collar with Miss
Kitty's name engraved on it.
* Member #133 of Fury's Fanatics
::: THERE ARE TREES IN THE DESERT SINCE YOU MOVED OUT :::
* Keeper of Tara's ability to make Willow's eyes sparkle in "Superstar"
* Keeper of the sparkle in Willow's eyes when she looks at Tara in "Superstar"
* Keeper of Tara's smokin sleeve ability in "Superstar"
* Keeper of Willow's ability to rappel down the elevator shaft in "Primeval"
* Keeper of Tara's stutter when she says the word Scoobys in "New Moon Rising"
* Keeper of the shovel Willow used to beat the Indians in "Pangs"
* "Heavy lesbian witches rock!"
::: AND I DON'T SLEEP ON A BED OF BONES :::