FIC: Thunderstorms

[montevallo64@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi!

This is in response to a challenge posted here some time 
today/yesterday. 

Disclaimers: I don't own Buffy. Or any of those other people. Anywho..
Notes: [ ] thinking, "" speaking.



Willow Rosenberg leaned back against the stone wall. [Great! Just 
great! We get a tip about a new vamp nest, and we just have to go see 
it tonight!] Willow looked around at her surrounding again, trying to 
see if there was a way out the she had missed. [Nope. Still a room 
full of bits of the roof and the walls.] A moan caught her 
attention. 

"Buffy? How's your head?" The blonde's eyes blinked before finally 
settling for staying open.

"Wha? What did I get hit with?" Willow sighed and shuffled closer to 
the blonde.

"We came here to see if there really was a nest of vamps like Spike 
had said, and there was. And they discovered us, which lead to a big 
fight, with me cowering and trying to remember a useful spell, and 
then there was the you getting hit in the head part. Then last, but 
not least, the part where they locked us in. Inside this demolished 
building, and, and..." Willow feels something cool hit the back of 
her hand. "And now it's raining." [Buffy can't get us out, not good. 
I wonder how long it will take for them to notice we're gone. Months? 
No wait Buffy's the slayer Giles will notice she's gone and.. get 
here to late because we'll die of pneumonia! Or...] 

"Yup." Buffy started to get up, knowing just how far Willow's 
thoughts could go on, and by the expression on her face none were any 
good. The movement was STRONGLY protested against, causing bright 
bouts of pain to rack Buffy's head. [Ow! When did stars turn 
different colors?] Willow immediately snaped back into reality, 
concerned for her friend.

"Buffy?"

"It's okay, just hurts a little. I'm more worried about you catching 
a cold though. Take my jacket."

"I couldn't 'cause then you would get cold, and that wouldn't be 
good." Buffy smiled at her friends concern. 

"If you can move some of the debris out of the way you can come over 
here and I can share it with you." [Geez! You have a concussion, adn 
you still find a way to get close to the girl! That is so obssesive 
like!] Willow did clear away the debris, needing to be comforted 
more than anything right now, but wouldn't move closer to the blonde 
afraid of hurting the blonde.

"Just lay down." Willow did, her head resting carefully next to 
Buffy's on her jacket.

"Hey what is our heads on?"

"My jacket." Buffy began to remove her warm jacket, secretly glad to 
know that Willow had tried to make her comfortable in the worst of a 
situation. The redhead accepted the offered half of the jacket and 
snuggled into Buffy and the coat.

"So. They'll come rescue us tomorrow. We just gotta get through this 
rain. At least it's not like it's a storm or anything Wills."

CRACK!

The sound of thunder rolled around them, causing a few more bits of 
wall to come down around them. 

"You just had to say that didn't you?"

"I'm sorry, at least i didn't say mmph" The redhead covered Buffy's 
mouth.

"No more talking." Buffy grinned.

"Okay."

******************************


[I don't know if I should dust Spike or hug him for this night.] She 
looked down, checking to see that Willow was still asleep. [I'm 
thinking the hug.] Buffy smiled and continued to think about the red 
head who had her arms wrapped around her. Buffy loved time like this. 
The weather raging, her thoughts running rampant. It was these 
moments that she found more of herself. A memory of a night like this 
one entered Buffy's mind.

*FLASHBLACK*

Buffy held Willow in her arms, enjoying the feel of her friends 
support. [After all else is done, my Wills is still here.] A giggle 
from the red head caused her to grin even more. [She is so innocent 
while she's asleep. The picture of a cute- What? Did I just say cute 
about my best friend?!] The steady beating of the rain brought her 
back from her thoughts, now noticing Willow's whimpers.

"Shh. It's all right." Buffy began to run her hand over Willow's 
cheek, the gesture calming the redhead. [She calmed down. I calmed 
her down. Wow.] Buffy's smile returned, and fell asleep memorizing 
every detail of holding Willow.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

"Seems like everything is all right when your here in my arms. I love 
you." Buffy leaned down and kissed her beloved's forehead, falling 
right to sleep.

Willow blinked, trying to control her breathing. [Did she just say 
she? No, she wouldn't, because I, no-] Despite what she had just her 
head, she still felt safe in Buffy's arms and was asleep in seconds.

****************************

Sunlight pierced through the building, quickly stunning the two girls 
in the building.

"I now have new respect for farmers." Willow laughed at Buffy's joke.
"I mean it. No more cracks for me about farmers. You are now looking 
at the number one non-farmer farmer supporter." Willow was rolling on 
her back, Buffy's antics lifting the ominous mood.

"Ow!" Willow sat up, holding her shoulder. 

"Let me see." Willow moved so the blonde could see. A nail, sticking 
into Willow's shoulder. "I'm going to pull it out okay?" A 
nod. "This will probably hurt, but I promise icecream when we get out 
of here."

Willow tensed as Buffy reached over, still confused about last night, 
but didn't move. Buffy quickly pulled out the nail. 

"Thanks, Buff."

The blonde sat still not knowing what was wrong, why Willow would 
have been nervous around her. 

"Will? Why did you flinch?"

"What do you mean?" [Not now, please.]

"You jerked a bit when I reached over to pull out the nail."

"Because it hurt." [Drop it Buffy.]

"Will?" Buffy watched as the girl she loved reverted back to her old 
ways. The lowering of her head, trying to hide behind her short hair, 
the arms held protectively around herself. "You know that wasn't what 
it was." 

"I... I hear-last night, I heard you say you loved me." Willow looked 
up. "You meant it like a friend right? Your not IN love with me, 
because that would be..." Willow let it die off, unable to continue.

Buffy felt tears spring up. "It would be what?" Willow's gaze 
returned to Buffy's. [It's true she does love me like, like a lover.]

"It would be... I don't know what it would be! But I-"

Voices. People trying to get inside of the demolished building. More 
piercing light.

"Buffy? Willow? Are you in here?"

"Giles! Xander! Here!" Willow got up and ran over to the men. "I'm so 
glad you rescued us."

"Where is Buffy Willow?"

"She's- she got hit in the head, and she's back there." She absently 
pointed back over her shoulder, the past few minutes coming back into 
focus. 

"I have to go. I- I'm gonna go." Giles and Xander watched as the 
young woman ran off.

*****************************


Buffy sighed, glad to be home. After finding her, Giles had demanded 
she go to the hospital to be checked over, and was shocked when Buffy 
had not vehemently denied the request. The blonde had been diagnosed 
with a mild concussion, but was released with orders of bedrest for a 
few days. Now Buffy just wanted to be alone. Not surrounded with 
bright people she didn't want to see, there was only one person she 
wanted to see. [Not like she's going to come in here and declare her 
undying love for me.]

The door opened, and in walked Willow. 

"Willow!" [Why is she?]

"Hey." A silence reigned, and it seemed niether girl was going to 
break it. [If she's not going to talk-] 
The door opened again, and Joyce stuck her head inside the room.

"Willow I'm going to make lunch do you want any?"

"I- yeah." Joyce shut the door again.

"So...how is your head?"

"It's okay. A mild concussion that will be gone in a few hours for 
this slayer." 

"That's good. Not the concussion part, but the gone part." More 
silence, Willow tries to gather her courage.
"You love me, love me?"

"Yeah."

"How long?"

"I don't know. Always, sortof. You've always been there for me. 
Supporting me, helping me." Willow sat down right there on the floor, 
just staring at her hands. 

"Really?" Buffy's own eyes were on the window, tring hard not to cry.
[Why did I have to say anything?!] 

"Yes." Willow stood up suddenly.

"I need to think about this. I-just have to. Can you give me that? 
Time to sort this out?" Buffy shook her head yes, and Willow walked 
out of the room. Buffy got up and watched as the rehead walked down 
the stree. Tears streaming down her face as soon as the door was shut.
[Why did I have to- I couldn't of just held her! And I kissed her! 
She must feel so violated-God how could I have doen that?!]

"Buffy?" Joyce walked into the room, and set the tray down when she 
noticed her daughter's tears. "What happened?"

"I told Willow I loved her. She left, said she needed time. But what 
if she decides she doesn't want to be around me anymore! What if-" 
The blonde collapsed on the floor, a heap of sobbing limbs. Joyce 
went to the blonde and held her, whispering reassuring words to her 
until the blonde feel into a restless sleep.
*****************************

Shelia Rosenberg opened the door to her daughter's room. The lights 
off. 
"I wish Willow would leave a note if she goes out after dark." The 
door shut again.

"I wish I knew what to do." The redhead's thought's once again taking 
precedence. 
*****************************

Willow stopped talking as Buffy walked into the library. 

"Wills?" Xander looked, and saw Buffy. "Hey Buffy!" Buffy ignored 
him, looking at Willow.

"I didn't know you were here. I'll go." Buffy turned around and 
walked out. 

"Buffy! Wait!" But the blonde was gone.
*****************************

Buffy walked around her house, not really taking anything in. [I 
can't go on like this.]

KNOCK KNOCK!!

She walked over and opened the door to find Willow.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah." The blonde moved aside, allowing Willow to enter.

They sat down on the couches. Willow took a deep breath. [I can do 
this.]

"About what you said last weekend, I've thought about it and I, I 
can't love you like that. I, your my best friend, and you always will 
be, but I can't love you like you want me to." Willow tried to wipe 
the tears away, but they were just replace with more. "I'm going t go 
now. I'll see you tomorrow?" Buffy was silent. "Bye."

The door shut, and Buffy walked up the stairs to her room. She 
reached into a drawer and brought it out, the thing that would end 
her pain. A lone tear made it's way unnoticed down her face. 

"I love you Willow."
*****************************

BANG!!!! 
A shot rang out through the neighborhood. Willow stopped and turned. 
[She wouldn't! No!]She raced back up the porch, somehow managing to 
break the door down. Silently praying as she took the stairs two at a 
time. [She wouldn't. She wouldn't.] She turned the corner, the door 
to the room open. She reached the doorway and looked in. [NO!] Willow 
ran over to Buffy, and cradled her. "I didn't mean it I just thought 
I was protecting you! I just didn't want you hurt anymore! I can't 
believe you- You can't die. Not now! Do you hear me?! I love you! 
Buffy?! Buffy!!" Willow gently shook the body in her hands. "You 
can't leave me! Dammit Buffy you can't leave me! This is the part 
where your supposed to say you'll never leave me! God Buffy please 
say it! Damn you! Damn you!!! " The redhead held onto her love, 
crying, damning her, all the while wishing for her back.



TBC.