Re: FIC : "Of Stakes & Spells" 10/? [W/B]

["bighotvirgo" <BHV@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I too read this one on some other list (IKOLY maybe?) and loved it. It's a great 
series-are you putting in new parts? 

I particularly like this last installment-the kitchen scene is perfect!

Sorry I haven't offered more in the way of FB-post finale, I'm sort of "skimming" 
through all the Buffy lists I usually checked religiously and not spending as much time 
as I was before. Part of it's summer, part of it's post-finale, part of it is melancholy 
over the state of the B/W ship at the end of the series. 



--- In buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "satanslilangl" <satanslilangl@y...> 
wrote:
> HEY Y'ALL! Sorry about the Gap in my Up-Dates, but since i don't 
> get paid for this my lack of feed-back was disheartening (*Sad 
> Face*) I hope that those of you that do read it like this chapter, 
> and that those who start from here will go back and read the rest 
> (they all are pretty short chapters) OH WELL! that's all that can 
> be said......... ENJOY!
> ~VixenRaign~
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> = = = (*In Need Of Explanations*) = = = 
> 
> Willow awoke slowly the next morning, thinking about the odd dream 
> she'd had. It had something to do with talking bunches of broccoli, 
> and a Labrador on Ice-Skates. {I think I had too much Turkey before 
> bed!}. Willow was just about to cozy-up and go back to sleep when 
> she realized The Slayer had gone. She shot up, only to find that 
> she was slightly trapped. Both she and Buffy had crawled under 
> tucked sheets, and she was having a good deal of trouble getting 
> herself out. {How did Buffy crawl out of this without me noticing?} 
> She wondered.
> 
> Once she had finally freed herself form the confines of the bed, she 
> looked around the room. No sign of Buffy anywhere. She looked at 
> the desks for a note, but there was none. She had just gone to the 
> phone to call Giles when the door opened. Buffy walked through, 
> looking at the carpet. She rested against the back of the door, and 
> Willow walked over to her. The Slayer raised an arm, silently 
> asking the Witch not to come any closer. Willow didn't. 
> 
> "Buffy! Where were you?" Buffy looked down at her shuffling feet 
> for a few moments, not answering. Willow started walking forward, 
> wanting to comfort the Slayer, but she raised her hand again. 
> {Angel's visit must have effected her more than I'd thought . . .} 
> Little did the Witch know that is was Willow that had Buffy so 
> upset. She frowned, wanting to comfort her best-friend. "Buffy, 
> please . . . tell me?"
> 
> "I . . . I . . ." Buffy started, but faltered. She found it very 
> hard to look at the redhead. "I went to take a shower." She lied. 
> She noticed Willow look at her toiletries sitting across the room 
> (untouched), and glance at her hair (which was completely dry). She 
> heard Willow heave a small sigh.
> 
> "I know you're lying to me," she said, "I don't know what makes you 
> think you have to . . . or why you're acting so skittish, but I just 
> wanted to make sure you're okay." She paused and made another 
> attempt to came closer. Buffy stopped her again. "ARE you okay?" 
> Willow asked feebly.
> 
> "I'm Fine." Buffy answered, a little too quickly for Willow's 
> liking. Buffy turned the knob and started walking through it. She 
> turned to face her friend, finally looking her in the eye. "Get 
> dressed, I told Giles we'd all meet at his house for a post Indian-
> Raid Clean up." She looked at the floor again, then looked up, "Plus 
> I left some of my mom's dishes. I'll see you there." 
> 
> Then she walked down the hall, leaving a scared Willow in her 
> tracks. Buffy had never really acted like that around her before. 
> Certainly not recently. Willow changed as quickly as possible, and 
> jogged over to Giles' apartment. She stood on the stoop for a few 
> seconds, not sure what she should do. She needed to talk to Buffy, 
> but she didn't want to have to do it in front of all the other 
> Scoobies. She nervously ran her fingers through her short Copper 
> locks. 
> 
> "Hey! Will, What's up?" Willow jumped. Xander had appeared out of 
> nowhere behind her. He had Anya with him, and they seemed to be 
> waiting for her answer.
> 
> "Uh, I was j-just-"
> 
> "She looks nervous." Anya stated in her blunt way. "All fidgety and 
> stuttering." Xander gave her arm a small squeeze, and whispered 
> something in her ear. "But it's true!" Xander smiled at Willow and 
> walked past her to the door. He rang the bell and the three of them 
> waited to be let in. Giles opened the door and welcomed them inside.
> 
> Willow walked in slowly, looking around at all the damage that had 
> been done. The small side table had been turned right way up, many 
> of the small windows had been broken, and there were arrows 
> everywhere. Willow looked around for something to do. Then she 
> heard a clatter coming from the direction of the Kitchen. Looking 
> through the breakfast-nook, the witch spotted Buffy, washing dishes 
> in the sink. Gathering her courage, she walked over to help the 
> blond. 
> 
> "It's okay Willow, I got. Go help Giles with the arrow-removals." 
> Willow pouted, but Buffy didn't see. She was too focused on 
> cleaning. She walked over to Giles for instructions. They worked 
> for about half an hour, then Xander offered to go out and get them 
> some coffee and doughnuts. They all agreed, and he took Anya with 
> him. Once all the arrow holes had been patched, Giles offered for 
> Willow to go help Buffy with the Kitchen clean-up.
> 
> "Giles sent me in here to help you. Seems this is all that's 
> left . . ." Willow walked forward to the sink, but Buffy interrupted.
> 
> "Do you know how to clean an Oven?" She didn't even look up at the 
> Witch, but knew that she'd nodded. "Then why don't you do that, I 
> didn't really understand the instructions on the bottle." She just 
> kept scrubbing. That's when Willow noticed something. Buffy was 
> still scrubbing the same pot. She put her hand over the Slayer's, 
> but Buffy shook it off. Willow grabbed her hand and forced it out 
> of the sudsy water. She took the basting ban by the handle and 
> lifted it. Once it'd freed the water surface, Willow's eyes 
> bugged. Buffy had scrubbed right through the copper through to the 
> lead center.
> 
> Buffy snatched it back, and started dying it. {Buffy's avoiding 
> me . . . Why is Buffy avoiding me? Just last night she told me she 
> hadn't lied to me in a 'long' while, and then first thing she does 
> the next day is just that! What did I do?} Buffy suddenly turned 
> to Willow, looking like she was going to yell at her. Willow 
> recoiled, and backed against the closed over. Buffy's face 
> softened. She turned back to her pots and pans.
> 
> "Buffy?" she whispered, reaching out to touch the Blond. Buffy 
> slammed the pot down, and turned angrily towards the Witch. "Buffy 
> what's wrong?" Willow asked terrified at the way her best-friend was 
> acting.
> 
> "What's Wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?!" She roared, unaware of the startled 
> Giles watching from the living room. Willow was shocked, she'd not 
> expected a reaction like this to Angel visiting. Buffy picked up 
> the new pot again and returned to cleaning it. She glanced 
> furiously at Willow every few seconds. He was huffing like a Bull 
> getting ready to charge. Then it slowed. The heated cleaning 
> wound down, her near growling silenced, and she closed her eyes. 
> Taking a deep breath, she clamed. "Why?" she whispered.
> 
> "W-w-why What?" A scared Willow asked quietly.
> 
> "Why did you lie to me, Willow?" Buffy asked, turning a teary face 
> towards her friend. 
> 
> "He asked me not to tell you he was-"
> 
> "NOT ANGEL!" Buffy roared again, "ME! Why did you not tell ME!" she 
> asked desperately. Willow looked confused. "When I asked you what 
> Happened when I was Cave-Slayer, why didn't you tell me 
> everything?" Willow's eyes bugged as she realized what Buffy 
> meant. "Is that why?" Buffy whispered, her voice horse from bother 
> her yelling and her tears. "Is that why you would always blush when 
> I talked about it? . . . . . Why didn't you tell me?"
> 
> "I-I-I . . . . I thought-" she stammered.
> 
> "What?" Buffy asked gently, her voice still horse, "Please, just tell 
> me why you lied . . . why you kept this from me . . ." Willow now 
> had silent tears rolling down her face, as she tried to think of 
> words to explain what'd happened. "Was I just a moment of 
> weakness? Another Xander?" She whispered, fear making her voice 
> shake.
> 
> "No! No, Buffy, not at all like that! The whole thing with Xander 
> was over you-" Buffy looked at her confused, "But I'll explain that 
> later . . ." she finished quietly.
> 
> "Then why?" she whispered. Willow leaned dejectedly against the 
> counter. Unable to find the words to explain it without scaring the 
> Slayer away.
> 
> "Shame. Not because of you, but more because of me. Buffy, I've 
> liked you . . . for a while now. And that was the first time I ever 
> even thought you liked me back. You of all people must know what 
> it's like to want something you know you can never have?" Willow 
> looked at Buffy sadly. {Angel} Buffy thought. 
> 
> "I was weak. You wanted to be with me, and I was so lonely. Oz 
> had been spending so much time with Veruca, and I knew that I wasn't 
> going to get him back." Willow accidentally let out a sob she'd been 
> trying so hard to hold in. "He was the only person that even 
> showed an interest in me . . . EVER, really. Xander just wanted me 
> because I was there." Willow looked at the floor for a few seconds, 
> then looked Buffy in the eye again. 
> 
> "Buffy. What would you do if Angel showed up, telling you he loved 
> you, and that he was human again?" More tears slipped down the 
> redhead's cheeks, but she never broke eye contact. "I was just so 
> happy that you actually wanted to be with me that I didn't even stop 
> to think about why at first."
> 
> "At first, but you did remember eventually. Why didn't you tell 
> me?" Buffy too was crying, though she had regained control of her 
> voice. 
> 
> "I knew that you'd never want me if it hadn't been for the cursed 
> beer. I knew that THAT was the only explanation. You were only 
> with ME because I was convenient . . . even with the beer. But 
> Oz . . . he was the only person that really liked me for me (with out 
> the influence of magic). And although I knew he was getting over 
> me, I wanted to be with him as long as possible. I couldn't tell 
> him . . . . and I couldn't tell you." She heaved a sigh and sank to 
> the floor, her back against Giles' cabinets. Buffy gently sat down 
> next to her, wanting to hear the end of the explanation. 
> 
> "Buffy, the next morning, you told me you didn't remember 
> anything . . . I was so torn. I wanted you to remember SO 
> BADLY . . . but at the same time I didn't. I knew that you'd feel 
> grossed out and disgusted. I thought you'd think I was sickening 
> and perverse . . ." she looked at Buffy, tears still running down her 
> face, "And I was right, wasn't I?" After a difficult internal 
> struggle, Buffy wrapped the crying Willow into a hug. She held her 
> tightly, hushing her comfortingly. 
> 
> Willow held onto her for dear life. She'd never regretted anything 
> as much as she did this. She wished she'd told Buffy the truth from 
> the beginning, though she wasn't so sure that would have had much 
> better results. She wished she had never kissed Buffy while she was 
> cursed, and yet it had been one of the best experiences of her life.
> 
> "Willow, Shh. Shh. It's gonna be okay." Buffy whispered, trying 
> to be gentile with the already fragile girl. "To tell you the 
> truth, if Angel had showed up yesterday, human and saying he was in 
> love with me . . . I would still have said no." Willow still clung 
> to her, though her tears had lessoned. "You have meant so much to 
> me for so long, I just didn't see the change. When you stopped 
> being 'Best-Friend-Willow' and became . . . So much more." Buffy 
> whispered. "There were always these little moments that would make 
> me realize there was something in you. Something amazing. Even 
> you must have noticed a few of them?"
> 
> "Well, there were a few maybes . . ." she whispered, slightly more 
> comfortable, "But they were so fleeting I kinda played them off as 
> wishful thinking." She still clung to Buffy, whom she noticed 
> hadn't let go yet. Buffy gently stroked her soft red hair, trying 
> to calm the Witch. Willow knew that she was in for it now. There 
> was no way Buffy could go from screaming like that to comforting 
> her. She was about to get some bad news, and she was sure of it.
> 
> "Willow, I need to ask you some thing?" Buffy said 
> delicately. "Will you do me a favor?" Willow nodded, looking 
> Buffy in the eye, trying to show her she'd do anything to make it 
> right. Buffy smiled sadly at her. "Will you give me a few days? 
> Juts to think things threw?" Willow went numb. {Buffy's kicking me 
> out! She doesn't want me to be a Scooby anymore! Oh god, it's 
> like I can't breath . . .} Buffy's eyes bugged as she noticed Willow 
> turning from red to purple. "WILLOW?! What's wrong?!" The Witch 
> realized she hadn't been breathing and opened her mouth, gasping for 
> air. 
> 
> "God, Willow, don't ever scare me like that again!" she grasped the 
> girl and pulled her tightly to her, "You're not a commelion! Stay 
> one color! No more turning purple!" she hugged tightly, worried 
> that she'd hold her breath again. 
> 
> "Buffy, you really want me to leave?" Willow asked feebly. Buffy 
> pulled back and looked at her best friend, very confused.
> 
> "Why would I want you to leave?" she asked.
> 
> "Because you're kicking me out of the Slayerettes." 
> 
> "No I'm not! Why would you think that?!" She looked offended at 
> the very idea. Then Buffy realized, Willow didn't 
> understand. "No, Willow, I just meant the whole You-And-Me thing. 
> You know, how we keep having these things . . . where we, ya know. 
> Have little romantic moments. I just meant that stuff. I might go 
> and stay at my mom's tonight, but I was going over to have dinner and 
> return the pots anyways, But . . ." She trailed off and ran her 
> fingers threw the red tendrils hanging near the Witch's neck. "It's 
> just for now. I still want to be with you, Will. I juts need some 
> time to think, Okay?" 
> 
> Willow nodded. She was happy to hear that Buffy still wanted to be 
> with her, but worried over the fact that Buffy wasn't going to be in 
> the dorm tonight. {Am I really that bad? Can she not stand to be 
> in the same room as me?} Buffy got up, lifting the Witch, and 
> placing her upright on her feet. She handed her the Oven cleaner, 
> smiling and went back to her dishes. Just then Xander and Anya 
> burst through the door.
> 
> "Who wants Jelly-Filled?!" Xander yelled excitedly.
> 
> "Me . . ." came the slow drawl from the Kitchen door way. A 
> smirking Spike pushed himself off the door frame towards Xander. 
> Buffy and Willow looked at each-other, realizing they hadn't noticed 
> him standing there. {{HOW MUCH DID HE HEAR?!}} 
> 
> .
> 
> (Author's Note: hope you like it, I took me a fair chunk of time to 
> write! Gotta love the Spike-Shaped Cliff-Hanger too! . . . . Lets 
> see where this leads!)
> 
> (SPOILER: Next Chapter Will Take Place During "HUSH" [look-out! Here 
> comes some Crazy Willow-Tara-Buffy chaos in the next few chapters!] 
> ENJOY!)