Fic: Later... (A Willow's Birthday Story)

["Angelina Martin" <angelina2006@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

TITLE: Later?
AUTHOR: Angelina
EMAIL: angelina2006@xxxxxxxxxxx
FEEDBACK: Most appreciated.
PERSONAL ARCHIVE: http://members.aol.com/bufpop/default.html
ARCHIVE: http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~shadow27/angelina.htm
DISTRIBUTION: Take it, just drop me a line.
SUMMARY: It?s Willow?s birthday
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: They don't belong to me, they're the property of Joss & Mutant 
Enemy.
NOTES: This is utterly stupid and pointless. As in, there?s no plot, 
nothing happens, it?s just Willow?s birthday and she?s getting her presents. 
So don?t expect anything. It just came into my head and I wrote it down. 
Enjoy, or not.

*****

?Ooooh, presents! I love presents! I love my birthday?with the presents 
and the cake and making with the merry?and all the presents!?

Willow noticed a number of raised eyebrows in the room. She collected 
herself somewhat before continuing.

?And of course, with the presents comes the chance to spend time with my 
lovely friends and reflect on the past year, cuz that?s good too, reflecting 
and friends, yeah.?

?It?s OK Will, you can open the presents now.? Buffy said, grinning 
indulgently at the exuberant red-head.

Willow let out a tiny squeak of joy and held out her arms to the gathered 
crowd.

?Ok, who wants to bestow me with gifts first??

Anya stood up immediately and thrust a paper bag into Willow?s hands.

?Open mine first, I don?t hold with this strange custom you have of spending 
good money on brightly coloured paper which just ends up being ripped up and 
put in the trash so it?s in a bag. And also, my present is the best.?

Anya smiled brightly at Willow before sitting back down next to Xander.

?Was that OK, honey??

?Ummm, yep, an almost perfect gift-giving ceremony An.?

Willow smiled politely and slipped her hand into the bag warily?slightly 
concerned as to what she would find inside. Her hands connected with a 
seemingly spherical plastic?something. She pulled it out.

?It?s a pig that you can put your money in!? Anya spoke up excitedly.

Willow regarded the red piggy bank, unsure of how to express gratitude. But 
Anya was already getting up and reaching into her pocket.

?See, you put money, say this quarter, into this little slot, and it stays 
in there and accumulates and then you have lots of money!? Anya nodded. 
?And now you can use the key to open it so I can get my quarter back.?

Willow obeyed and Anya sat down, happy that her present was the best.

?Here, open mine next.? Dawn said, holding out a small parcel and a card.

Willow accepted the gift and drew Dawn into a hug, kissing her on the cheek.

?OK, OK, enough with the mushy stuff, just open it.? Dawn said, blushing at 
the display of affection, but secretly happy.

Willow went with the tradition that said it was polite to open the card 
first before ripping into the gift. She opened the envelope and drew out a 
hand made card. Dawn had cut pictures out of magazines of clouds and 
puppies and goldfish and stuck them all over the front of the card. Along 
the top she had painstakingly written in fancy writing: ?To my sister?s 
girlfriend on her birthday?.

?They don?t make a card for that?I looked.? Dawn said, shrugging at the 
lameness of the card.

?A niche in the market, honey, write that down.? Anya said, nudging Xander.

?Yeah, you could be the Hallmark for dysfunctional families.? Buffy said, 
smiling sweetly at Anya.

?Dawn I love it!? Willow said, struggling not to cry.

She opened up the card to see ?Happy Birthday Willow, love from Dawn? 
spelled out in cut-out letters. It slightly resembled a ransom note but the 
sentiment touched Willow deeply. She turned to the present before she 
started all-out bawling and made everyone uncomfortable. She unwrapped the 
gift to find a single leaf, framed and mounted.

?It?s uh, it?s a Willow leaf?it made me think of you.? Dawn said, growing 
increasingly fidgety as Willow continued to stare at her present.

?It?s perfect.? Willow?s voice was thick with emotion as she pulled the 
embarrassed teenager in for another hug.

When they parted Dawn was smiling, glad that her present was liked. As she 
sat back down Buffy cuffed her lightly around the ear.

?Great going squirt, now how am I supposed to top that?? she asked, grinning 
good-naturedly.

?Oh I think you just might!? Anya said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively 
at Buffy.

Willow was about to ask what the gesture meant when the phone rang. As she 
was closest to it she picked it up.

?Hello??

?Hi, Willow??

?Yeah, Cordelia? Oh how sweet of you to call on my birthday!? Willow 
squealed excitedly.

?Uhhhh?birthday, right?yeah, Happy Birthday!...so, is the next apocalypse 
scheduled for this weekend or the weekend after, cuz I need to know whether 
or not to cancel my facial and Wesley can't decide. He says ?hi? by the 
way.?

?Oh, um, right, I think it's next weekend.? Willow mumbled, trying to 
pretend that she hadn?t thought the call was for her birthday.

Willow was taken aback by the indignant sigh that greeted her response.

?Don't you have a therapist somewhere to traumatise??

?Excuse me?? Willow asked, completely baffled.

?Oh, not you, it's just our new little recently released psychopath, leering 
at my cleavage...again.?

?Oh, right, Faith.? Willow said, remembering hearing that she had been 
paroled.

?Yeah, I?m trying to house-train her. It?s a chore.?

?Right?so, was that all??

?Ummm, yeah, OK bye! Have a nice birthday!?

?Yeah, bye.?

Willow hung up the phone, the strangely familiar, almost nostalgic, feeling 
of confusion brought on by a conversation with Cordelia settling over her.

?Cordy phoned to wish you a happy birthday?? Buffy asked, slightly 
surprised.

?Ummm, kinda, yeah.? Willow nodded and smiled brightly.

?That girl should steer clear of wishing anything.? Anya put in, a grave 
look on her face.

?Ooookay, so back to presents then!? Willow said, not really wanting Anya to 
launch into one of her ?when I was a vengeance demon? rants.

?Here?s mine?oh, and the card?s from Giles, he sent it to my house so you 
wouldn?t open it before the big day.? Xander said, handing over a small 
rectangular shaped present and a card.

Willow opened Giles? card and read the verse.

?Adieu, dear, amiable youth!
Your heart can ne'er be wanting!
May prudence, fortitude, and truth,
Erect your brow undaunting!
In ploughman phrase, "God send you speed,"
Still daily to grow wiser;
And may ye better reck the rede,
Then ever did th' adviser!?
(From ?Epistle to a Young Friend? by Robert Burns)

She smiled, strangely sad. She missed Giles. She resolved to call him 
later and talk about?stuff, Giles stuff. She placed the card next to Dawn?s 
on the table and moved on to Xander?s gift. He had opted for the ?brightly 
coloured paper? route so she tore it off gleefully, unaware of Anya?s 
disgruntled expression.

??A Charlie Brown Christmas?!? Willow exclaimed, looking up at Xander with 
wide eyes and further speech prevented by over-excitement.

?Yeah, I figured you?re grown up enough to have your own copy now?you?re 
beyond corruption by our evil Christian customs. And maybe if you?re a good 
girl, you can get Buffy to do the Snoopy dance for ya.? Xander raised his 
eyebrows at Buffy.

?Hmmm, that might be interesting?you up for that Buff?? Willow asked, 
lowering her voice seductively.

?Willow, there are many things I would do for you?I would go to hell and 
back to get you a flame-grilled cheese-burger?but I will not be doing the 
Snoopy Dance.? Buffy said firmly.

Willow pouted.

?Even if I do that thing with the feather boa and the spray cheese?? she 
asked.

Buffy paused. Then she turned to Xander.

?So, you can teach me this Snoopy thing right??

A giggle rumbled round the room. Anya, spurred on by the talk of the goings 
on in other people?s sex lives, decided to share with the group.

?Xander once dressed up in my underwear and licked ice-cream out of my 
navel.?

Xander put his face in his hands, Willow took great interest in the back of 
her video-tape and Buffy covered Dawn?s impressionable young ears.

?Right?so?there?s one person who hasn?t given me a present yet?? Willow 
trailed off, looking at Buffy through her eyelashes.

?Yeah, uh, Spike says sorry but he?s a little short on cash so unless you 
want his extra copy of ?Sid and Nancy? you?ll have to wait a while.? Buffy 
said, feigning cluelessness.

Willow slapped her lightly on the shoulder. Buffy relented and pulled an 
envelope out from the side of the couch. She handed it to Willow, placing a 
slow, lingering kiss on her lips.

?Happy Birthday, baby.?

She sat back to watch Willow open the envelope. As an afterthought she 
reached over and dragged Dawn up out of her seat and placed her on the floor 
on the other side of her, away from Willow, ignoring her protests. Willow 
opened the plain white envelope and pulled out a Polaroid. It was Buffy, 
grinning, naked, with a large red bow tied around her midsection. Along the 
white strip was written one word in black marker: Later.

Willow?s breath had started becoming a little ragged. When she looked up 
Buffy could see that her eyes had darkened with desire. Buffy planted 
another searing kiss on Willow?s lips, leaving her panting, yearning for 
more. But they had guests.

?So what is it?? Xander asked, sitting forward in his seat.

?It?s uh?it?s?? Willow stammered, looking at the picture and trying to think 
of a fitting description for the vision of beauty in it.

?It?s a nude picture of Buffy.? Anya stated matter-of-factly.

Willow almost choked, Xander reacted similarly and Dawn stood up with her 
hands over her ears.

?Oh my God! That?s not what it is, is it? Oh that?s so gross. I cannot 
believe that. Are you trying to scar me for life?? she demanded as she ran 
towards the stairs, lest she catch a glimpse of her sister?s unclothed body.

?How did you know what it was?? Xander demanded of his fiancée.

?She walked in on me when I was trying to line the damn camera up.? Buffy 
said, flushing at the memory. ?We could fill an album with all the attempts 
I took before I finally got my whole body in.?

?That would be one to show the grandkids.? Willow said, trying not to think 
too much about lots of pictures of Buffy naked all contained in one album.

?But not to show Dawn.? Buffy said, reaching into her pocket.

She withdrew her hand, in it she held a small black box which she held out 
for Willow to take. Willow accepted the box curiously, she knew they were 
kind of strapped for cash lately and the promise that the picture held was 
more than enough of a present from Buffy. She carefully opened the box to 
reveal a simple, plain silver band. She inhaled sharply. Buffy reached 
over and took the ring out of the box, and with trembling hands, she slipped 
it onto the fourth-finger of Willow?s left hand. She looked up into 
tear-filled green eyes.

?I love you Willow, forever.?

?I love you, so much.?

Willow glanced around and saw that Xander was trying to get Anya out of the 
door with some degree of subtlety. She looked back into Buffy?s warm hazel 
eyes.

?So?is it later yet??

?It can be later any time you like.?

?I think we should take it upstairs though?we can?t afford Dawn?s therapy 
bills.?
No more words were spoken as Buffy scooped the red-head up into her arms and 
took her upstairs to give her a very happy birthday indeed.

END

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