FIC: These Roads We Travel (9/?)

[Kimber <kacoe@xxxxxxx>]

TITLE: These Roads We Travel (9/?)
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.
DEDICATION: This is for Lisa. . .(yes, she's real!! lol) I'm merely her "pit pet" and
bow down at her reigning cuteness factor.

{{Indicates flashbacks}}
-----------

"So you'll go right to Giles'. No stops or side trips or window shopping. Got it?"
Buffy was relenting to Laurel's wishes, again. She wanted to walk to Giles' alone and not
have Faith and Buffy escort her.

"Yes, *mother*. I understand and I'll be fine. I'm a Slayer. . .geez!" Laurel was
exasperated. She just wanted to go, to think. The walk to Giles' was close to twenty
minutes and it was a beautiful night. She wanted to enjoy it alone.

"Keep the Slayer thing under your hat, kid. We may have been living in this town forever,
but the towns people are still pretty clueless." Faith jumped in with more words of
wisdom.

Laurel rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't turn the neon sign on over my head with the
big pointy arrow and lights flashing and---"

"I get it." Buffy put her hand up. "Got it. Good." She hugged Laurel and gave her a
kiss on the cheek. "Call me when you get there." She turned and walked down the street
with Faith.

Laurel watched them go. "Finally."

"I thought they'd never leave." A voice came out of no where.

Laurel was immediately on the defensive. "Alright. Come on out and play. I promise to
make it quick, I don't have all night." She opened up her Slayer senses to take in her
surroundings. She didn't sense anything undead, but there was an unfamiliar scent in the
air.

The person chuckled. "If I wanted it to be quick I wouldn't have come *all* the way over
here from *all* the way over there."

"Li?" Laurel dropped her stance and looked around. <It can't be.> She thought to
herself.

She came out from behind a tree ten feet or so away from Laurel. "In the flesh,
Lau-Lau." She smiled. "Surprised?"

"How? When? How?" Laurel shook her head and rubbed her eyes. Her friend was still
standing there. "How did you get here?"

"Bus. Then taxi. You have no idea the look I got when I told the driver to drop me off
at this cemetery. He thought I was nuts." She smiled.

Laurel laughed and nodded her head. "You are. Completely and totally bonkers. You've
lost it totally. . .I'm sure of it now."

"Are we gonna chit-chat in a graveyard all night or do I get a proper hello?"

"Huh?" Laurel went pale as all the possibilities of what a 'proper hello' could be.
"What do you mean?" She asked in a very un-slayer like voice.

"A hug silly! I want a hug! You owe me a few of them and I intend on collecting each and
every one." She smiled and walked up to Laurel who stood there with a dumb expression on
her face. "Laurel?"

"Huh?" She blinked.

Lisa put her arms out. "Hug?"

Laurel gulped and stepped closer to the girl and put her arms around her. Suddenly,
everything fell into place. "Wow. It's so great to see you, Li. Really."

Lisa squeezed her a little more tightly. "Good, cause I thought I lost you in the clouds
at some point." She looked at her. "You okay?"

Laurel nodded. "Very. I just, was. . .you know. . .shocked to see you and all. You're
the last person I expected to see on patrol. Ever."

Lisa smirked. "Well, with as fast as you ran off today, I thought something was wrong.
I've been looking for an excuse to finally come see you. That seems as good a one as
any."

Laurel backed away and dropped her head. "Oh, um. . .my uncle showed up so, I had to sign
off." It was lame, she knew, but it was the only thing she could think of.

Lisa nodded her head. "I see."

They stood there in silence for a while. Looking around, not really looking at each
other. Laurel was at a loss. She didn't know what to say, what to ask, how to say it.
They'd never had a problem talking on the computer at all. They talked almost every day
and always had funny stories to exchange. They even told each other secrets. . .things
that you would never even dare to write in your diary because there was a chance your mom
would be 'cleaning' and just happen to find it under your bed, but now. . .now it was as
if they were strangers. "So. . ." Laurel peeked up at her from under her bangs.

"So. . ." Lisa kicked at a loose stone on the ground.

"I kinda have to, you know. Go. I'm spending the night at my grandfather's and. . .look
out!" Laurel grabbed her and tossed them both to the ground. A newly risen vamp came out
of no where and lunged at them. Laurel saw him just in time and got her friend out of the
way.

Laurel quickly got to her feet and pulled out a stake. The vampire charged, but she threw
him off to the left. He was on his feet again, but sizing her up this time.

"The new Slayer." He growled. "You know, I liked 'em young when I was alive. . .this is
no exception."

"Vampire." She smiled eerily. "I like mine dead." She attacked head on and landed a
flying kick square in his chest. It sent him reeling backward to the ground. She jumped
on him and plunged the stake home. "and this is no exception." She got up, dusted
herself off and turned to Lisa. "You okay?"

She sat there in the grass, her mouth wide open. She looked at Laurel, then to where the
vampire got dusted then back to Laurel. Then she pointed.

Laurel walked up to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Li? You alright? I didn't
hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head. "No." She looked away from the grass and to Laurel. "That's
slaying? I mean, that's what you do?"

Laurel smiled. "Yeah. That's part of it, well, most of it actually." She shrugged. "He
was a newbie. . .didn't have a chance." She stood and put her hand out to her friend.
"Come on. Up you go."

Lisa took her hand and got up. "That was. . .so cool! I can't believe I just saw that!
You do that every night? Do they always turn to dust? Ever run into demony things. .
.you know, with like horns and stuff? Cause that would be awesome!"

Laurel chuckled. "Slow down, slow down." Her cell phone rang from her backpack and she
reached for it. "Hold that thought." She flipped it open. "Hello?. . .yeah, Buff, I'm
fine. Late riser. . .yeah, I know, I'm going now. I will. . .bye." She turned back to
Lisa. "See? Like a hawk! And even more now that I'm the active Slayer."

"Active Slayer? And why did you call her Buff? Wasn't that your mom?" She ran her
fingers though her hair. "I'm *so* confused."

Laurel smiled. "I know, but I'll explain everything, I promise. Which leads me to my
next question. You're here, which is nice, don't get me wrong but. . .what now? I mean,
I don't think the bus runs this late."

Lisa shrugged. "Um, crashing with you?" She walked over to the tree and grabbed her
backpack. "I was kinda, you know, hoping for a warmer reception but, if you want me to go
then I can just call a cab." She looked down and kicked the rock again.

Laurel frowned. "I'm happy to see you, I just, I wasn't expecting you and so much has
been going on with Buff and my grandfather. . .they're finally talking again and then
something funky's happenin with Faith and I don't know what yet and we had a picnic today
near mom's grave and it was so nice, not that, you know, grave side picnics are *supposed*
to be nice but it was and. . ."

"Laurel!" Lisa put her hand on Laurel's arm and she stopped talking immediately. "Now I
know what you mean about your tendency to babble."

"Hey!" Laurel pretended to be hurt. "I didn't tell you that so you could use it against
me, missy." She pouted.

"Okay, okay fine. I won't use it against you."

Laurel smiled. "Good. So, shall we? My grandfather's house isn't far and I'm sure he
won't mind you staying over."

Lisa brightened up. "Sure! Lets go."

------

Buffy and Faith sat facing each other in the kitchen. Faith had gotten in from patrol
about a half hour ago. She'd eaten and they made some small talk. Now there was nothing
left to do but make with the big talk. Laurel was at Giles' place for the night, they
ate, talked about patrol and there was only one thing left.

"Faith," Buffy started.

Faith put her hand up and stopped her. "Let me." Buffy nodded and Faith took a deep
breath. "What you and Red had, B. . . it's something that everyone in this world looks
for their whole lives. And if they find even a shadow of it, then they think they're the
luckiest person in the world. You got the real deal with her, a complete set, no missing
or broken parts. I can't, no, I *won't* interfere in that. It'll be like spitting on her
grave and as much as me and Red butted heads in the past, I won't do that."

"That's not what this is about, Faith. I. . .I don't know where to start or how to
begin. You know everything about Will and I. And I think that only makes this better. .
.easier. You know exactly what we went though to get to where we are. . .were. .where we
were." Buffy paused a moment. "I. . I don't know. I'm lonely. Don't you get lonely,
Faith? I don't think I've ever seen you hold a relationship for more than a few weeks."

"Lonely? Is that what this is about? Cause I'm no one's consolation prize, B, not even
yours." She said angrily. She got up off the stool and grabbed her jacket. "Maybe I
should just go."

Buffy jumped up and grabbed her arm. "No! That's not what I mean. That's not what this
is about, Faith." She shook her head. "I. . .I miss Willow terribly. I think you know
that better than anyone." Faith nodded and Buffy continued. "No matter what, nothing and
I mean *nothing* could ever compare or come close to what Will and I had, but that doesn't
mean I can't have something different with someone else." She took a step closer. "With
you." She whispered.

"It's been six months, Buffy. How do either one of us know that this isn't some rebound?
Some kind of an 'I need a warm body' thing?"

"We don't." she stated honestly. "But I'd like to find out, if you'll let it happen. I
need to get on with my life, focus on my daughter and the future. I'm not helping anyone
if all I do is sit around crying over Willow and mourning for her. You said it yourself.
I'm no use to anyone like that." Buffy stepped even closer and put her arms around
Faith's waist. She pulled her closer into a hug. "Help me, Faith. Help me to focus, to
move on. . .not to forget cause I'll never do that, but to maybe heal a little." She
hugged her tighter when she felt Faith's arms wrap around her. "I need you." She
whispered.

Faith sighed. That was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to her. People had
said it before but, it never had this much meaning, this much history behind it. Buffy
needed her and was asking her for help. Maybe even asking Faith to help her love again.
Could she do it? "I. . .I don't know, B. That's a hefty request." She said. "The best
I can tell you is that I'll try. . .I'll try to help you but, I've never been much of the
'healing touch' type. Ya know?"

Buffy smiled and looked at her. "I know but," she shrugged. "No time like the present.
Right?"

Faith nodded and smiled back. "Right."

"Can you. . .kiss me?"

Faith wanted to, but she still felt guilty. Willow was the only one Buffy had kissed for
years except for last night, and...

"It still feels like I'm movin' in on her territory."

Buffy was about to protest but something stopped her. A breeze came through the kitchen
window and fluttered through the wind chimes hanging there, causing them to clink together
and create an eerie yet pretty sound. "I don't remember opening the window. Did you. .
."

Faith shook her head and just stared at the chimes. "Uh uh. Nope." She looked at
Buffy. "That was. . "

Buffy nodded. "Very strange and *so* creepy. You know, I had the feeling that Willow was
close at the cemetery today."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Like she was standing next to me, with us. It was. . .nice." she smiled.

"You need to do that more often."

"What?"

"Smile. It looks good on ya." She looked at Buffy for a few moments. Was she sincere?
Did she really want this? Willing to try and heal. . .with her? What ever that meant,
Faith would have to stick around to find out. "oh, to hell with it." She leaned down and
kissed Buffy. It was light and short and very sweet.

Buffy smiled at her. "That was. . .nice. And slow. Slow is good." She nodded.

"Yeah." Faith agreed. "Slow."

Buffy took her by the hand and led her out of the kitchen and upstairs to the guestroom.
That's where Buffy had been staying since Willow was gone. She couldn't bring herself to
stay in their room. . .not yet, anyway. They changed in the cover of darkness and slipped
under the covers. Buffy snuggled up next to Faith, and Faith gladly put her arm around
her. They were asleep in moments.

-------

Willow stood in the middle of the kitchen. Her kitchen. Hers and Buffy's kitchen. She
smiled to herself, even if it was a little sadly, then turned to Jesse and chose her words
carefully. "I don't think I need you anymore."

"And why is that?" He wasn't surprised. He knew she'd arrive here at some point.

"Because you're not real." She shrugged and smiled again. "I made you up. You're a
comfort mechanism I created to help talk my way though this. But I don't need to tell you
that. Do I?"

He shook his head no.

"I think I figured it out. Why I'm here, what I'm supposed to do." She moved over to the
window and played with the wind chimes again. They echoed through the kitchen. "But it's
gonna take some time." She turned back to him and smiled. "You know. . .when I imagined
what it would be like to talk to my conscience. . .I always thought it would be a cute
little cartoon character like Jiminy Cricket or something." She laughed a bit.

"Well, even if you don't know exactly what you need right at the moment you need it. .
.you're soul knows, and your heart. Trust your heart, Will. It can never do you wrong."
He faded out of sight.


--
Your humble bard,
~~Kimber


Official Noodle wetter and distributor, Gutter-Slut and Vice President and Treasurer of
the Riley/Oz neutering society and garden club...Personnel Recruiter for all main gutter
and sub gutter affairs.



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