Fic: Rough Magic (8/?)

[inell@xxxxxxx]

Title: Rough Magic
Author: Inell
Email: Inell@xxxxxxx
Disclaimer: Joss owns them all
Distribution: My site, Kiss or Kill, 
http://members.fortunecity.com/kissorkill Anyone that has permission, take. 
Otherwise, just ask.
Rating: R
Pairing: Willow/Buffy
Feedback convinces me that I should continue posting
To Dan for always saying such nice things and making me feel appreciated :)


ROUGH MAGIC (8/?)


Xander entered the hospital room, quietly closing the door behind him. He 
moved to the bed, relieved to find Anya watching him. She was awake. "Hey 
babe. How are you feeling?"


She looked at him, not sure what to say. She was still confused, everything 
had happened so fast. They'd been performing the spell and the next thing she 
could remember was waking up in the hospital. The doctor had come to see her, 
telling her things that she didn't understand. She was alive. Her baby was 
dead. She didn't know what to say.


"Anya, honey, are you feeling okay?" Xander asked again, "Do I need to get a 
doctor?"


"The baby is dead," Anya whispered, wondering how he could look at her with 
so much love. 


"I know," he said quietly, sitting in the chair beside the bed and taking her 
hand. He brought it to his lips, kissing it as she looked at him.


"Our baby is dead," she said again, not able to stop the tears from flowing. 
"I'm alive and our baby is dead!"


"I love you," he said as he stood, taking her into his arms as she cried. He 
was careful not to hurt her, feeling the wetness of her tears on his 
shoulder. He felt a tear run down his cheek as he sat down, not letting her 
go.


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

Buffy looked through the door, smiling sadly as she saw Xander holding a 
crying Anya. She leaned her head against the door, again wondering how so 
much could happen in such a short time. Poor Anya. She'd been so excited 
about the baby, planning the nursery and everything from nearly the moment 
she had discovered she was pregnant. Buffy hated to think what she must be 
feeling. The slayer turned away, giving the couple privacy as she looked down 
the hallway. Willow had been gone too long. 


Buffy moved down the hall towards the restroom, trying to figure out what she 
should do. She was the slayer. She was supposed to protect her friends, not 
stand by as everything fell apart. Nothing could bring Tara or the baby back. 
She knew that. But there had to be something she could do. She hated feeling 
so powerless. It was near the women's room that she felt it. She couldn't 
explain what it was, but she ran the rest of the hallway to the door, opening 
and rushing inside. She found Willow sitting on the floor by the sink, crying 
and rocking back and forth. 


"Oh, honey," Buffy murmured as she knelt on the floor.


"My fault," Willow said as she reached for Buffy desperately. She repeated 
those two words over and over as the slayer held her.


"It's not your fault, Willow," Buffy said softly, sitting on the bathroom 
floor as she pulled Willow against her. She brushed the crying redhead's hair 
as she spoke, wishing she could take away the pain. 


"My fault, all my fault," Willow said as she sobbed, holding onto Buffy 
tightly as she cried, finally letting it all out. 


"Why don't we go home," Buffy suggested softly, her eyes moving to the door, 
glad that they were alone. "We could both use some rest."


"Okay," Willow finally relented, knowing that Xander was all right and that 
Anya was at least alive. Buffy moved to stand, helping Willow up. The redhead 
wiped her face, wishing she hadn't broken down like that, especially in front 
of Buffy. Despite everything that had happened, Buffy had remained strong. 
There had been no tears from the slayer. Willow didn't care what Buffy said, 
though. She knew it had all been her fault. She'd been in charge of the 
spell. She didn't know what had gone wrong, but she had been responsible. 


"Willow, please don't," Buffy said, seeing the guilt in her best friend's 
eyes. "How many times do we have to tell you, it wasn't your fault. Something 
happened. None of us could have stopped it. I'm the slayer and I couldn't 
even stop it. I hate seeing you in so much pain."


"I love you, Buffy," Willow whispered as she hugged the blonde, wishing she 
had half her strength. 


"I love you too, Willow," Buffy said quietly, holding her friend tightly as 
she closed her eyes, wishing she never had to let go.