Fic: A Day Too Long (4/4, PG-13) Willow/Buffy

["Electronis Zappa" <teutoniccelt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

YAY! I thought it would take forever to come up with an ending I liked.
I was originally planning on working the Bob Dylan song ?Mississippi?
into it, but I guess it just served to inspire the title and the
setting. For the record though, I the version they would have done
would have been closer to Sheryl Crow?s.
 
Title: A Day Too Long (4/4)
Author: Electronis
Email: teutoniccelt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Buffy/Willow eventually
Spoilers: Anything up to and including 403 ? The Harsh Light of Day is
fair game.  
Disclaimer: As usual, everything Buffy belongs to Joss. Wonderful
Tonight belongs to God aka Eric Clapton. Roland The Headless Thompson
Gunner belongs to Warren Zevon. Chances Are belongs to Bob Seger.
American Pie belongs to someone, I?m just to lazy to look it up. Lisa,
Amber, Wayne, Clewyn, Duane, Ray and Sarah are mine.
Feedback: Most definitely.
Archive: my site www.electroniszappa.com. Anyone who wants it for
theirs, just let me know where it's going
Summary: Semi-AU, branches off just before the beginning of season 4
Dedication: Lisa again, the inspiration for the Lisa in this story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Previously
?We?ll probably stop by tomorrow night to check out the competition.?
 
?Well then we?ll probably see you tomorrow night won?t we??
~~~~~~~~~
He?ll come in useful with this little ring of ours. He?s one of the
slayer?s friends.?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wayne and Clewyn entered the Bronze, hoping to see some familiar faces.
Sure enough, they found them, and moved in their direction.
 
?So you decided to show after all.? Buffy stated matter of factly as
the two Southerners sat down with them. ?So, where are your friends??
 
?Ray?s passed out back at the motel and God only knows what Duane?s
doing. I wanted to go someplace and pick a fight, but Famine wanted to
see ?the cute blonde? again.?
 
?Famine?? Buffy inquired
 
?The rider of the black horse. That and I don?t eat very much? Clewyn
explained. Both he and Buffy chose to ignore Wayne?s last comment.
?So, they have a disc jockey on a Friday night??
 
?They don?t have anything set in stone. Next Friday could be Karaoke
night.? Wayne flinched at the mention of Karaoke.
 
?You don?t like Karaoke?? Buffy asked.
 
?We write our own songs. I always say the only song I would ever sing
Karaoke style is ?Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner?.?
 
?Someone other than Giles knows that song?? Buffy asked. Wayne gave
Buffy a slightly confused look. ?Giles is my watcher. He told me about
the song when we found out he was in town last year working for the
mayor. He?s gone now.?
 
?Roland or the mayor?? Wayne requested clarification
 
?Both actually. The mayor turned into a giant snake at our graduation a
few months ago.?
 
?That was here? I heard something about that on the news? Clewyn
rejoined the conversation. Just then, he and Wayne were distracted by
guitar chords that were very familiar to them. The DJ was playing the
song ?Wonderful Tonight?. A look of sadness crossed Wayne?s face.
 
?You going to be ok man?? Clewyn asked his friend.
 
?Eventually. But I can?t let tradition die. Willow, would you like to
dance??
 
?But I have a boyfriend.?
 
?That means you can?t dance with other men. Pity a widower of sorts??
 
?I guess, but why couldn?t you ask Buffy?? she asked. Wayne directed
her attention to the blonde who was already dancing with his friend.
?Ok, if it?s tradition.? Wayne took her hand and led her onto the dance
floor.
 
?So I take it this was your song??
 
?We?re huge Clapton fans. I was ?Layla? to her. Even though we went to
different schools, we were best friends. Our families go way back.
When Amber dumped me, she was there for me. Like in the song, as she
was consoling me, she fell in love with me. And she didn?t have to try
hard to win me over, she was just so loveable.?
 
?Been there? Willow added, thoughts of Buffy drifting through her head
as she listened to the lyrics.
 
?Your boyfriend??
 
?Hunh? Oh yeah. Sorry I was just thinking about her..im?
 
?I understand.? They remained silent for the rest of the dance. When
the song finished they sat at the table Buffy and Willow had claimed.
 
?Hey ladies, who?re your new friends??
 
?Xander! How long have you been back?? Willow excitedly asks her best
friend.
 
?I got home around four.?
 
?You?ve been home three and a half hours and you didn?t let us know??
Buffy inquired
 
?Well, I had a flat tire earlier that I had to change. Then when I got
back I just unwound for awhile. I had a feeling I?d find you two here.
I mean, where else is there to be on a Friday night. I could swear I?ve
seen you two someplace before.?
 
?Oh sorry, this is Marion Wayne and Clewyn Sipe, they?re in a band
called the Four Horsemen.?
 
?That explains it, I saw you guys play in El Paso. But you played
country that night, what are you doing at the Bronze??
 
?We play all kinds of music. Country, Blues, Rock, we don?t limit our
selves. Though if you hear us rapping, we?re possessed.?
 
?Possessed? Buffy, care to tell me anything??
 
?They know about me. His cousin is a watcher and his girlfriend is a
vampire. That?s why they?re here. Where?d you get that ring??
 
?This?? He asked as he thought about it. ?A girl I met gave it to me.
She said it would give me luck.?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two and a half hours later
 
?Well, I?d say it?s dark enough for patrol. I?d invite you along, but I
don?t want to put you in the line of fire.?
 
?That?s ok, I saw that American Pie is showing at 11, so I think we?re
going to check that out. I hope it?s as funny as in the commercials, I
could use a good laugh.?
 
?Just be safe ok? It?s getting to be the time of year when they start
coming out. Xand, Will, ready to catch some early birds?? Both voiced
their agreement. ?See you tomorrow night? Buffy told them as she
started towards the exit
 
?Hey Giles said you guys were here. I was just checking my cage on the
way into town, making sure it?s ready for tomorrow night, when I was
attacked. I only have a cross on me, so I trapped her.?
 
?Ok, we?ll go there first and stake her?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When they got to the crypt, both girls immediately recognized the
vampire in the cage. ?You?re Lisa.?
 
?And you?re dead.? Came a familiar British voice from the doorway.
Buffy, Willow, and Xander turned to see Spike and Oz in full game face.
?My girl there has the gem of Amara. With it, nothing you can do can
harm her. Oz, let her out.?
 
?You know, Buffy, I?m going to love watching you die. You think no one
can tell you want Willow, but you forget that I was a werewolf. I could
smell your arousal whenever you were around her. It sickened me.?
 
?Enough yammering already and open the bloody doo?.? Was all Spike
could get out before he turned to a pile of dust, revealing Giles
standing behind him with a stake in hand.
 
?Stake Oz Buffy.? She did as she was told. Oz dropped the key to the
cage as he turned to dust at Buffy?s feet
 
?I could tell it was a trap when he showed up at my door. Oz knows the
dangers of a Sunnydale cemetery at night, and would have had a stake on
him. Spike was right, there is nothing you can do to harm the one in
the cage. It?s best to leave her there while we look into what we can
do.?
 
?Actually, I have an idea. We know her boyfriend. He really misses
her. What if we give her her soul back??
 
?Happiness clause Will. That?s not fair to Wayne or to her if they
can?t make love without her losing her soul and going evil.?
 
?That?s if it?s a curse. I?ve been researching Celtic magic, and found
that if you do it as a blessing, the soul stays with the body until it
gets all dusty. No more happiness clause. All I need is a Thessulan
Orb and a few other things and I could do it right now.?
 
?Xander, I have one on my desk, using it as a paperweight again.
Willow, do you have the other things you?ll need at home?? She nodded.
?Very good. Xander, get the orb, Willow, get the ingredients. Buffy
and I will guard her till you get back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
?Ok, I?m all set.? Willow stated as she took the orb in her hand.
 
?This isn?t going to work. I?m going to get out and drain each and
every one of you, and then? I?m going to hunt down Wayne and his group
of friends and suck them dry too.?
 
?Where once you were empty, now be you full. May that which you lost be
returned to you. May it stay with you until the end. So mote it be!?
Willow felt a jolt of power flow through her. The delicate glass orb
glowed a bright white before dissolving into nothing. In the cage, Lisa
fell to the floor. Willow began panting, nearly gasping for air.?
 
?Will, are you ok? Buffy raced to her side, concerned for her best
friend, the object of her affection.
 
?I don?t think I?ll ever get used to how much that takes out of me.?
She looked up at Buffy, noting the worried look on her face. ?Was what
Oz said true??
 
?Yes. I love you Willow. I?m sorry I had to stake Oz before you could
have given him his soul.?
 
?Sometimes things happen for a reason Buffy. I?m sure wherever Oz?s
soul is now, it?s at rest. The real Oz would have understood. He?d
just want me to be happy. I?ll need some time to mourn of course?
 
?Of course.? Buffy pulled Willow into her arms, hugging her tightly.
 
?Where am I? Who are you people? Oh god, what have I done??
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
12:45 AM
 
?That was great. I don?t see how anything could be funnier.? Wayne
stated while exiting the theater.
 
?What about the look on Amber?s face when Sarah Carter was crowned prom
queen and not her?? The two young men turned in the direction the
familiar voice came from. ?It?s really me honey. I?m back? she moved
so she was standing right in front of her boyfriend.
 
?She is Wayne. I gave her her soul back.?
 
?Lisa??
 
?Right here babe.? She said as she closed the distance and kissed him
deeply.
 
?Oh when we go home again this is going to be fun to explain. ?Hey Mr.
and Mrs. Charles, Lisa?s not totally dead, just a vampire. Don?t worry,
a witch in California gave her her soul back so she?s ok. She just
can?t go out in the daylight?.?
 
?Actually, I can.? She held up her hand so that they could see the ring
on her finger. ?This is some mystical ring that prevents any vampire
that wears it from being slain. I was out in broad daylight, and didn?t
burst into flames. And hey, it?s after midnight, so happy anniversary
baby.?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that night
 
?I still can?t believe you two are a couple now.?
 
?Well what can I say, it was move in with a thousand year old ex
vengeance demon or live in the basement and pay rent.?
 
?You know you still have to pay rent in our apartment??
 
?Yes Anya. But I?m saying it?s way better than the basement.?
 
?So, I guess that ring did bring you some luck after all.?
 
?Ok, we?re going to slow things down a bit. This is a song we debuted
exactly one year ago tonight. It?s called ?Chances Are?, and it goes
out to Willow and Buffy. Thank you both for helping me get Lisa back.?
 
?Would you care to dance Willow??
 
?I?d love to Buffy. I love you Buffy.?
 
?I love you too Willow.?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She brought colors to my life that my eyes had never touched
And when she taught me how to care, I never cared so much
I try not to think of her, but I fall asleep and do
I drift off where the grass is green and the sky is baby blue

Baby Blue
George Strait
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Y ddraig goch ddry cychwyn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Electronis Zappa
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