Fic: The Buffy and Willow Song 1/?

["batoutofhell25" <acepilot87@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've become so guilty about being a fly on the wall for so long that
I've finally written a fanfic...apologies if it's not any good - it's
my first.

"The Willow and Buffy Song"
Acepilot 87

Disclaimers: Joss owns them and all that standard stuff...Except he
doesn't own "Somebody To Love" or "A Day At The Races" - the song and
album respectively that Giles is listening to. They're by Queen, and
the specific song is by the late great one, Freddie Mercury.
Pairing: Buffy/Willow (as the title suggests) But not quite yet...just
laying the foundations.
Rating: PG-13 (God knows I can't write NC-17...)
Feedback: Let me know what you think...if you like, then tell me, and
I'll keep on going. (If you want to make a non-public comment about
the story, then either batoutofhell25@xxxxxxxxx or acepilot87@xxxxxxxxx)
Distribution: Just let me know where it's going - I'm not picky.
Spoilers: Well, it's set during season four, so there might be some.
It starts somewhere between "Harsh Light Of Day" and "Fear, Itself"
(Eps. 4.03 and 4.04 respectively)
Authors Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction (alright, second, but
the first one can't be found anywhere for a reason, and it wasn't even
BTVS fic anyway...) so be gentle - but if it's crap, let me know.
Oh, and I'm a big Queen fan...so the conversation about the legendary
band might give me laughs that it doesn't give anyone else.
Dedication: To Luke, who kept on telling me that if I wanted to be an
author, I had to write...something which had kind of slipped my mind.

Chapter 1:
Can't Anybody Find Me...
Acepilot87

<Can't anybody find me somebody to love?>

It was days like this that Giles lived for. Nothing but the sun
shining down into the courtyard, his copy of 'A Day At The Races', a
good book, and the notable absence of both his neighbours and
the...scoobies.
It was also this kind of day that tended to have him looking over his
shoulder. Just when everything seemed so perfect, it was inevitable
that he would be interrupted.
'No,' he schooled himself, 'I will enjoy this day as much as I can.'
He opened his book.

<Each morning I get up I die a little
Can barely stand on my feet
Take a look at myself in the mirror and cry
Lord what you're doing to me?
I've spent all my years believing you
But I just can't get no relief - Lord!
Somebody - somebody
Somebody find me somebody to love>

"Don't you own any new music?" A familiar voice inquired.
Giles tapped the spine of the book against his head after closing it.
Less than a minute into the song. Less than a minute.
"Hello, Buffy. How are you and what are you doing here?" Giles asked,
trying to keep irritation out of his voice.
"Nice to see you too, Giles." Buffy responded. "I'm fine, and I just
thought I'd drop by and see what you were up to today."
Giles turned around and looked at her with a strange look in his eyes.
"I can't be interested in your life?" Buffy asked, mock-offended.
"No." Giles responded plainly.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Alright. Willow has Oz over at the dorm...I
wanted to get out of there."

<I work hard every day of my life
I work till I ache my bones
At the end of the the day I take home
My hard earned pay all on my own - 
I get down on my knees and I start to pray
Till the tears run down from my eyes
Lord - somebody - somebody
Can anybody find me somebody to love?>

"Why?" Giles asked, somewhat confused. "I thought you liked Oz?"
"I do!" Buffy said defensively. "He's a great guy...I'm just not sure
that Willow should be spending, like, *all* her time with him."
Giles raised an eyebrow. "They're still together, aren't they?"
"Yeah, so?" Buffy asked.
"You're beginning to sound like Xander did when you were with Angel." 
Buffy glared at him. "I resent that"
"It's true." Giles said.
"Yeah, but then Xander had that big crush on me and all that..." Buffy
trailed off as Giles gave her a knowing look. "Don't even suggest it."
Buffy warned. "I am in no way whatsoever into Oz. He's all small and
wierd."
"I didn't suggest anything of the sort!" Giles said. "I'm just saying
you're starting to sound like Xander, and one of you lot doing that is
quite enough." Giles paused for a moment. "Small and wierd?"
"Well, you've got to admit he's kind of tiny!" Buffy insisted.
"You're not huge yourself." Giles said.
Buffy slumped down into one of the chairs around the courtyard table.
"Thanks Giles."
"For what?" Giles asked.
"Giving me a headache."

<He works hard
Everyday - I try and I try and I try -
But everybody wants to put me down,
They say I'm goin' crazy
They say I got a lot of water in my brain
Got no common sense
I got nobody left to believe>

"Would you like some asprin?" Giles asked unconcernedly, re-opening
his book and relaxing back into his chair.
"No. And what are you listening to?" Buffy asked.
"Queen."
"As in the woman who sits on a throne in England?" Buffy asked.
Giles sighed exasperatedly, burying his head in his book a little
further. "No. As in the band, Queen. We Will Rock You, We Are The
Champions, Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites The Dust. These names
ring any bells?"
Buffy thought for a moment. "Yeah, of course. But aren't those all
traditional?"
Giles breathed deeply. "No, they're by Queen."
"You need to buy a CD player." Buffy said.
"You can get Queen on CDs as well." Giles said, half just wanting to
see Buffy's reaction.

<Oh lord, somebody - somebody
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
I got no feel, I got no rythm
I just keep losing my beat
I'm ok, I'm alright
Ain't gonna face no defeat
I just gotta get out of this prison cell
Someday I'm gonna be free, Lord!>

"Actually, that's kind of nice." Buffy said, listening intently to the
music.
"Glad you had that revelation." Giles said. "So, was there anything
other than escaping Willow and Oz - for reasons you are yet to
sufficiently explain - "
"They were explained quite sufficiently, thank you very much!" Buffy
rose, defending herself.
"Alright, alright." Giles waved her down.
"No, not alright!" Buffy said, now quite angry. "It's all sorts of not
alright. I explained my reasons."
"Which were..." Giles prompted.
Buffy raised a finger, then stopped.
Giles waited.
Buffy's eyes darted around the courtyard, as if looking at possible
answers.
Giles fought the urge to grin.
"Alright! So I don't have reasons. It's just all wierd, with them
being all smoochy!" Buffy said.
"What were they doing?" Giles asked.
Buffy looked at her feet. "Trying to get me to play cards with them."
Giles eyebrow rose once again. Before he could speak, Buffy snapped on
that fact. "Would you like me to raise that eyebrow permanently?"
Giles rocked back on his chair and regarded her somewhat like someone
regards a person after they've threatened to give you a permanently
raised eyebrow.
"Okay, that was the lamest threat ever." Buffy admitted. "What were
you going to say?"
"I was going to say that, unless they were playing some bizzare game I
don't know about, they were being perfectly, uh," Giles searched for
the word, "un-smoochy." He couldn't believe he'd just said that, but
he'd honestly been at somewhat of a loss.
"First -" Buffy said, "Never say 'smoochy' again in any context."
"I'll make every possible effort," Giles said, for once this morning
completely lacking in sarcasm.
"Secondly, they were playing Five Hundred." Buffy said.
Giles was about to raise his eyebrow and stopped himself. "So?"
"So...you were right." Buffy admitted. "There was nothing even vaguely
romantic going on."
"Why did you come here, then?" Giles asked.
Buffy breathed deeply and sat back down. "I don't like them being
together." She admitted quietly.
Giles nodded. "But you've got nothing against Oz, aside from his
being, ah, 'small and wierd'."
Buffy glared. "Right."
Giles shrugged. "Then I'm afraid you'll just have to work on it."
"Work on what?" Buffy asked, confused.
"Being around them." Giles said. "They're a couple, and they're
inevitably going to spend a large amount of time together."
"Do they have to?" Buffy whined.
"Yes - if they want it to work." Giles said. He quickly cut Buffy off
by sharply saying - "And if you want your best friend to be happy, you
won't try to break them up."
Buffy's glare increased in intensity. But she said, "Alright." She
stood again. "I should probably go."
"I think you should talk to Willow." Giles suggested, but not giving
any particular reasons why.
"I'll keep that in mind." Buffy said, turning to climb the stairs out
onto the street.
"Oh, and Buffy?" Giles called out after her.
"Yes?" Buffy turned to look at her former watcher.
"Next time you need to...get away, from Willow and Oz -"
"Yes?" Buffy asked.
"See if Xander's home first." Giles finished.
Buffy grinned. "I'll see you later, Giles."

<Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Somebody - somebody
Somebody - somebody
Somebody find me
Somebody find me somebody to love>

---

Willow stared out the window.
She was kind of concerned. She'd been in this position since Oz had
left. She wasn't worried about her kind of strange boyfriend. He was fine.
She was worried about Buffy. The Slayer had bailed when asked to play
cards. Excusing herself with something about having to go to a class.
She was out the door before Willow could point out it was Saturday,
and she thus didn't have any classes.
Oz hadn't commented on the blonde's strange behaviour, but he had a
kind of concerned knowing look in his eyes that suggested to Willow
that, if Oz didn't know what was going on, he had a strong suspicion.
Willow, at any rate, was worried that Buffy was unhappy with her. Or
Oz. Or her and Oz...it was very confusing. She considered paying a
visit to the audiotorium (AN: Is that how you spell that?) but quickly
decided that, what with this being the middle of Saturday, it would
probably be packed with students.
Instead, she ran her mind back over recent events, trying to work out
what could have upset Buffy, when she realised that this had been
going on for somewhat longer than she'd like to admit. Buffy had been
finding excuses - generally valid ones - to not be around her and Oz
together.
Willow lay back against her pillows, lost in her thoughts - and she
thus didn't notice that the slayer had returned.

---

"Wills?" Buffy said, looking closely at the witch, who looked for all
intents and purposes like she had fallen asleep with her eyes open.
There was no visible response.
Buffy raised an eyebrow, then scolded herself. 'I must look like
Giles.' She made a concious effort to flatten out her eyebrow, then
walked closer to Willow.
"Wills?" She asked again. She was a little more concerned when the
redhead again didn't answer.
Buffy snapped her fingers on either side of Willow's face, and that
seemed to shake her out of her trance. "Hey, Buffy." Willow suddenly
realised that Buffy was sitting on her bed, the Slayer's hand resting
close to her thigh, and that they were somewhat close together...
Resisting the urge to leap halfway across the room, Willow smiled.
"What's wrong?"
"Uh, does you looking like you'd been posessed count as wig-worthy?"
Buffy asked, with no small degree of sarcasm.
"Granted." Willow admitted, taking a deep breath. "Just thinking,
that's all."
"What about?" Buffy asked.
'The fact that you seem to have a problem with me lately.' "Oz."
Willow wouldn't have normally noticed, but in this heightened state of
attention, she saw that Buffy's expression was one of...pain? "Ah."
Buffy said, standing up and wandering over to her side of the room.
"Knew there was nothing that captivated you quite like he did."
Willow was puzzled. "Buffy, are you -"
"Sorry Will, I've got to go." Buffy said, and was out the door in a flash.
Willow had to fight the urge to cry.

<Anybody, anywhere
Anybody find me somebody to love
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, love...
Find me, find me, find me...>

To be continued....