FF: Stranger in my house (3/?)

["Christeen Demons" <Shyfox30@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Heh, this one is for Shadow because you wanted to see her.:-) Thanks to 
Quin for betaing, and to my partner in crime for keeping me going.:-) I 
couldn't do this without you guys, you're my lifesavers.:-)
disclaimer: Yup, they belong to Joss.:-) Storyline is mine.

Chapter three: On the wild side

Well, we all have a face that we hide away forever.
And we take them out and show ourselves when everyone has gone.
Some are satin, some are steel.
Some are silk and some are leather.
They?re the faces of a stranger but we love to try them on.

Well, we all fall in love but we disregard the danger.
Though we share so many secrets, there are some we never tell.
Why were you so surprised that you never saw the stranger?
Did you ever let your lover see the stranger in yourself?

You may never understand how the stranger is inspired.
But he isn't always evil, and he is not always wrong.
Though you drown in good intentions, you will never quench the fire.
You'll give in to your desire when the stranger comes along.

The Stranger
Billy Joel

<Thump>

<silence>

<Thump>

<silence>

<Thump>

The noise assaulted her with a steady beat. It was the only thing she could 
make out in this dank, dismal corridor, so she followed the direction of the 
sound, knowing when she was getting closer by the steadily louder thumps. 
She was soon able to make out a series
of grunts intermingled with the other sounds, and her curiosity about what 
was causing them increased. The hallway widened into a small room, lit by a 
single torch, which contained a sturdy looking steel cage, and a rather 
intimidating looking creature.
The mere sight of this dirty, rather feral looking creature was enough to 
increase her heart rate and make her want to back out of the room, but the 
look in it?s eyes intrigued her enough that her feet, rather without her 
permission, propelled her forward to get a better
look.

It snarled at her in a predatory rage, teeth showing white around the 
corners of it?s mouth, as blue fire blazed beneath furry eyebrows. It?s 
hands were clenched in fists around the bars of the cage, and although the 
beating had stopped, Buffy?s heart still hammered wildly in her chest, as if 
to make up for the absense of it in the air. She inched closer, looking up 
into the creature?s wild face, surprised to see images of her own face 
peering back at her.
She closed her eyes, afraid she was either going crazy or dreaming. ?I?m 
dreaming.? She whispered, hoping she?d wake up any moment, but the other 
still stood there glaring at her, even after she?d reopened her eyes.
After a moments careful guard, she relaxed again, inching even closer to the 
cage that contained the beast. ?What are you?? She asked at last, unable 
to contain her curiosity any longer.
The other grunted at her, then looked past her, sniffing the air as if she 
expected to find someone else behind the perplexed blonde. Buffy looked 
behind, wondering if she?d find anyone else sneaking up behind her, but she 
only saw the darkened hallway she had emerged from.
?Who are you looking for?? This question seemed to regain the creature?s 
attention, but Buffy suddenly wished it hadn?t because she found herself 
under the heated gaze of the other again.
She felt like she was under the heated lamp of a microscope as her more 
primitive half examined her from head to toe, seemlingly unimpressed with 
what she saw, for she sneered in her direction, hatred seemlingly burning 
from the bright blue eyes. ?You stupid.? The creature declared finally, 
causing Buffy to blink for she didn?t think her more
primitive half was capable of speech. It started moving around it?s small 
cage, glancing down the long corridor every few seconds, and growing more 
agitated with every turn of the small space as the one she was seeking 
failed to make an appearance. Buffy watched the movement with a growing 
sense of apprehension, and felt like stepping back a pace or two when it 
turned menacing eyes on her.
?Buffy want.? The creature declared, suddenly and slapped the plastered 
wall at the back of the cage with a closed fist, causing a reverbation of 
noise to echo throughout the small room, and Buffy to jump out of her skin.
?What does Buffy want?? The clearly confused woman asked, feeling the pure 
rage radiating off her more primitive half.
?Buffy WANT!? The growled words were followed by another loud thump against 
the wall, bringing Buffy?s attention to it?s surface. She was expecting to 
see plaster crumbling amidst the closed fist, but was surprised to see a 
picture she hadn?t noticed before painted on the crudely made wall.
Buffy didn?t even want to imagine what this creature would use for paint as 
she examined the stick figure representation of a person, that was only 
distinguishable by the shock of red hair that sat haphazardly on what 
appeared to be the figure?s head. She was shocked by the flutter of 
sensation that shuddered down her spine at the sight of the drawing, and 
even more so by the way the creature reacted to it.
The creature had it?s nose pressed gently against the painting, sniffling at 
it, as if it gave off an odor only she could detect, while she stroked it 
with a gentleness Buffy hadn?t even suspected she was capable. ?Buffy 
want...Buffy want...? The creature continued to
mumble, while Buffy stared at the scene transfixed, wondering why seeing her 
more primitive half like this caused a twinge of regret in her own heart.
?Why does Buffy want?? She found herself emulating the creature?s speech 
pattern, completely captured by the intensity of it?s bright blue eyes. She 
was overwhelmed by the amount of sadness that reflected from them, and even 
more so by the words she enunciated so clearly.
?Life mate.?

?Life mate?? She echoed, surprised that this primitive being could even 
have such a partner.
Her confusion seemed to rekindle the anger in those blue eyes for the 
creature started pounding the wall again, growing more loud with every 
swing. ?Bring her back. Bring her back!?
The fury hit her just as if the creature had picked up a nearby boulder and 
thrown it at her. She knew in that moment that if she didn?t find some way 
to bring back whatever it was she was missing, the creature would take 
matters into her own hands and do the job for her.
*****

Buffy woke up clutching the picture she had fallen asleep with, it?s hard 
frame pressed against her chest, as if she had been afraid to let it go. 
She studied it again, like she had nearly a thousand times before, thinking 
about how strange her dream had been, and
wondering yet again why she was so drawn to this person whom she could 
hardly even remember and felt like she had just met.
What was it about her that stroked and inflamed her curiosity and 
imagination so much that she?d end up having such bizarre dreams? What kind 
of past did the two of them share? She knew that they were friends, that 
much was evident by how relaxed and happy they both looked in the picture. 
But what else?
The questions nagged at her like a sore tooth, burdening her mind with idle 
possiblilities, and more theories than could ever be possible. ?Well, 
whoever you are, Willow Rosenberg. I intend to find out. Today, if 
possible.?
*****

?Are you sure this is a good idea?? Giles asked, rather fretfully, as 
Willow continued to place items into her already overburdened backpack.
?Of course I?m sure. Buffy loves Yatzee.? Willow replied, nonchalantly, 
struggling to squeeze the last remaining items in. ?She?s going to need 
help in order to keep up with her classes. Besides, it?s not like I can 
avoid her forever. She?s going to start to wonder
why, and I?m not sure I can come up with a reasonable explanation, can you?? 
Willow asked, eyebrows raised, pointedly at the Watcher.
?I just think that if you just give it more time...? Giles said gently, 
noticing sad green eyes pick up from their examination of her idle work to 
look at him.
?It?s been a week. I miss my wife...and I want to see her.? She explained, 
looking away as she finished fastening her backpack.
?But...?

?I won?t give anything away. I promise. I?ll let her remember everything 
on her own. It?s just...it?s too hard to stay away from her. In the 
beginning I thought it was harder to be in the same room with her, but 
now...I just miss her so much I can barely stand it. At
least, this way, I?ll be able to talk with her, and play games, and help her 
with her homework. Just like I used to do.? There was a faint glimmer of 
hope in the far reaches of the deep green now, and Giles thought he saw a 
flash of life reemerging from the sheltered waters Willow had been 
protecting herself in. But still, he felt the need to
caution her from revealing anything before Buffy was ready to hear it.

?Look...I know it?s difficult...?

Willow saw the warning coming from his sincere eyes and for some reason 
felt like fending it off. ?No...you don?t know. You don?t know what it?s 
like to have the person you love most in the entire world wake up one day 
and not have a clue who you are. You don?t know what it?s like to wonder if 
she?s ever going to remember you, or if you?re ever
going to hold her in your arms again and tell her how much you love her.? 
She felt the steam running out of her engine as soon as she noticed the 
shuttered look coming over his face. ?You don?t know.? She finished 
quietly, studying his eyes with her own, hoping he
understood.

A rap on the door broke the silence and she turned to look at it unsteadily. 
?They?re here.? She said, referring to Xander and Oz, who would be 
joining her in her visit. ?I?m sorry I yelled at you, Giles. I didn?t 
mean...it?s just that it?s been building inside of me for
so long that I just...? Green eyes pleaded with hazel, as the older man 
looked back at her sympathetically.
?I understand. And things will work out, it?ll just take some time. I 
really believe that. And I?ll be here for you both if you need me. I want 
you to know you?re not alone in all of this. You have friends who?ll love 
and support you and see you through.? Willow could see how much this 
conversation had gotten to the normally reticent Britain, and
deliberately and purposefully gave him a great big bear hug. He stiffened 
at first, unexpecting the move, then put both arms around her and hugged her 
back.
Xander chose that moment to burst into the apartment, having grown tired of 
waiting outside. ?Hey Will, come on. What?s keeping you? I?m looking 
forward to seeing the look on Buffy?s face when you give her all of that 
homework. Whoops...? He stopped, noticing the scene that was playing out 
in the living room.
Giles and Willow looked over to where he was standing, jaw gaping, eyes wide 
open as he took them in. Willow raised a questioning brow in his direction, 
and he closed it quickly. ?You know I could go out and come back in.? He 
said, pointing his thumb behind him in the direction of the door. ?You 
know, if you two wanted another few moments alone.?
?Xander!? Willow broke away from Giles and swatted her best friend on the 
arm. ?You and your sick, depraved, dirty little...? She continued hitting 
him, letting him pick up her backpack as they continued walking toward the 
door. Giles grinned as the sounds of Xander?s grunts and ?ow?s?, mixed in 
with a good ?Hey...Willow...cut that out!? floated
back to him on the breeze, just before his apartment door slammed shut.

*****

?Go ahead, Will. Ring the bell. It?s not going to bite.? Xander whispered 
in a de Soto voice, as he stood staring at a Willow that had suddenly gone 
very white.
On her part, she really hadn?t felt nervous about seeing Buffy today until 
she had found herself standing on this familiar porch, after walking up that 
familiar driveway, and reached out to ring a bell for the first time in what 
seemed like forever to a house that she
used to live in.

The strangeness of the situation seemed to hit her all at once, and she felt 
herself freezing on the spot, unable to move an inch, not even her finger 
the half an inch it would take to press the button.
?Uh oh. I think she?s frozen.? Oz commented from the other side of her, 
exchanging an amused glance with Xander.
?Wonder how long we?ll be standing out here before someone finally notices.? 
Xander whispered back, knowing that their teasing would get to her 
eventually.
?Okay, okay. You two can stop. I?m ringing the bell. See?? Willow said, 
pressing her finger to the button for a long moment before she could change 
her mind. She winced internally as she waited to see just who would be 
answering the door. In her mind, she could clearly picture Buffy opening 
the door, taking one look at her, sweeping her up in
her arms and carrying her away, just like in a fairy tale.

Reality proved just as interesting though.

*****

?Buffy...somebody?s at the door. Would you mind getting it? My hands are 
full.? Joyce called from the kitchen, smiling secretively. She knew 
exactly who it was, having received a call from Willow and Giles earlier to 
set it up. She hadn?t told Buffy, wanting to surprise her with the visit. 
It was about time the two of them were in the same room
again, she just hoped that the visit went well.

?Sure, mom.? Buffy hopped up from the sofa, where she had been watching old 
home movies, and trying to reconcile herself with the girl she saw running 
around across the big screen TV. Finding out they hadn?t always lived in 
Sunnydale had nearly blown her mind, and seeing pictures of her old schools, 
especially her old high school had brought back
feelings of...something. She couldn?t really put her finger on how it had 
made her feel, just that there was something there, nagging at the back of 
her mind. It was an annoying feeling to say the least. Especially since it 
happened more often than not these days.
Upon opening the door, she found herself standing face to face with the 
woman who had haunted her thoughts and dreams for days now. Her breath 
caught in her throat as she stood, staring awkwardly at her, at least until 
her common sense stood up and kicked her in the butt. 
?Uh...hi...guys...come on in.? She smiled, backing up so they could enter.
She watched as they settled themselves in the living room, feeling a little 
uncertain as to what to do now. ?Uh...would anyone care for a drink?? 
Buffy asked, trying to break the ice.
?Sure.? Willow commented, glancing up briefly from where she was unpacking 
her bookbag. Buffy had to raise her eyebrows at the amount of books, games 
and other paraphernalia that had been piled into the not so big bag. 
?Uh...just don?t make lemonade, okay?? She asked, with a smile on her face, 
even as she shuddered with a not so distant
memory.

<How much sugar did you put in this? Willow asked, her mouth puckering and 
watering wildly with the all too sour taste.
Sugar? I was supposed to put sugar in there? Buffy asked, in a near panic, 
thinking she?d single handedly ruined parent/teacher night in one fell 
swoop.
Don?t worry...I?ll get the sugar. You...uh...just stay calm.>

?Buffy? Are you okay?? Willow asked, noticing the strange, distant look on 
her face as she lost herself in the memory.
Buffy blinked, noticing the concern richly painted on the red-head?s face. 
?Uh...yeah. Just thinking. No lemonade. Gotcha.?
...to be continued.:-) Heh



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