These Roads We Travel 23

["Kimber" <feralspirit@xxxxxxxx>]

Just a little teaser chapter to keep you guys sated. :)




TITLE: These Roads We Travel (23/?)
AUTHOR: Kimber (feralspirit@xxxxxxxx)
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. 

{{Indicates flashbacks}}
** indicates a story in third person**
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**They met by chance, if that is what you want to call it. They had known each other before, but never met. The wonders of the Internet and things like that. Well, that sort of brought them together, but not really. I like to think of it as fate and destiny. The planets aligning, the moon being in the right phase and all that. My grandmother knew all about that stuff. I half paid attention to her when she would go on and on about it. Now I wish I had listened more. She's not here any longer, neither of them are. 

I'm getting ahead of myself here though. That's the ending and I'm not quite ready to write that yet. Perhaps one day it will write itself. Where I need to start from is the beginning. . . **


<No, that doesn't sound right at all.> She mumbled to herself out of frustration. She ran her hand through her hair for the umpteenth time and sat back with a huff. This was never going to get done. Any of it. She detected a presence behind her and didn't even have to turn around to see who it was. "What are you doing up?"

"I was just going to ask you the same thing." The figure smirked.

"I'm earning a living." She turned around and smiled. "Wipe that smirk off your face young lady, you know I need to get this done."

"At the expense of my loosing snuggles?" She said in a little-girl voice.

"Oh, now you're not playing fair." She rolled the chair forward and clasped her arms around the petite waist of the woman in front of her. She looked up with puppy dog eyes. "Not fair at all."

"Like looking at me like THAT is fair?" She bent down slightly and placed a kiss on her partner's forehead. "Gonna be long tonight?"

She thought for a moment then shook her head. "I don't think so. The words aren't coming to me tonight."

"It's. . .hard. I know." She whispered softly and stroked the red mane of hair.

"Yeah." She shrugged half-heartedly. "I still need to get through mom's notes again and. . ."

"Can't that wait?" She knelt down in front of her love and held her hands lightly. "I don't want you to get upset. It always upsets you when you go through mom's notes."

"I know, but. . .just a few more paragraphs and I'll be to bed. Okay?"

"Alright. Make it quick and quiet. Don't wake the baby."

She smiled. "Okay. Love you."

"Love you too."

**The hospital. A source of pain and comfort for us all in my vagabond little family. You make your own family I was told once, and that's true. Who needs blood when you have love and respect and admiration and. . each other. That's all we ever really needed was each other but somehow, someway, one of us was missing at one time or another and it was very rare for us all to be in the same room. The most important time that stands out in my mind was when. . . . .**

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Willow had been out of the hospital for three weeks. Laurel, Buffy and even Lisa had been waiting on her hand and foot and frankly it was beginning to get on her nerves.

"Buffy," Willow smirked. "I don't need it, really."

"But what if you get cold?" The Slayer stood in the doorframe with two comforters in her arms and one great big pout on her face.

"Buff, remember when I said in the hospital that I'd probably never be able to get warm again?" The slayer nodded. "I wasn't serious. You keep planting those blankets on me and I'll melt away into nothing. We're in Sunnydale, not Antarctica."

Buffy rolled her eyes and dropped the comforters in the corner. She then turned around and was surprised to see Willow standing behind her. "Will, you shouldn't be up. You should lay back down. You're still weak, and"

Buffy's protests were cut off by a soft set of lips on hers. Willow pulled back a little and smiled, "Relax, Buffy. I'm fine." To demonstrate her point, she leaned in again to steal more of the kisses she'd been dreaming of for the past year.

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She peered through the glass, observing them. As always, they were a perfect fit. She'd dreamed of this moment for what seemed like ages, and now it was finally here. 

Nervous didn't even begin to describe what she was feeling. Had it really been almost ten years? Yes, yes it had. Right after Laurel turned seven, she left without explination. She knew they looked for her - knew that they still had detectives in this realm and the others searching. 

But they should have known she would come around in her own good time. That time was now. So what if they weren't expecting her or the person she'd brought with her? After all, they said that she could always call this home and that she'd be welcome. She was about to put that theory to the test.

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