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

[Kaz <kardeb97@xxxxxxxxx>]

Angelina,

This was so cute! I loved it! Since the distribution
says just take it and tell you-- I'm going to take it
and archive it atmy Willow site, Near Her Always -
http://nearheralways.com

I loved how you wrote Anya btw! And Dawn was the
perfect "traumatized" little sister! Excellent job on
all the characterizatiosn!

~Kaz

--- Angelina Martin <angelina2006@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 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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=====
Don't knock on Death's door. Ring the bell and run away- he hates that.

~ Anonymous

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