Fic: The Times In Between Part 6/?

["frank_8281" <frank_8281@xxxxxxxxx>]

Author: Bob Head
Disclaimer: None of the characters below belong to me. All the BtVS 
people belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox. I'm 
just trying to have fun.
Pairing: Buffy/Willow, of course.
Spoilers: Anything up to and including the Series Finale is possible 
Rating: NC-17, mostly for language, but who knows what might happen.
Feedback: Well, Yeah! frank_8281@xxxxxxxxx   



The Times In Between


May 1st, 2004 10:17 am

Buffy was so deep in thought that she almost drove past the non-
descript little office park that the new Council had converted into a 
training center and housing for the Slayers. She slammed on the 
brakes and threw the little red convertible into a scary-looking skid 
to make the turn into the parking lot. Barely bringing the car to a 
halt, inches from the wooden gate attached to the guard shack. 

The guard raised the gate to allow Buffy through. (He had learned on 
her first visit to the campus that any comment he might make would be 
hazardous to his health.) She drove through, somewhat more sedately, 
to park in front of a sign that read `reserved for Buffy Summers'. It 
was supposed to make her feel important, but lately, all it made her 
feel was old.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and thought to herself, `How sad 
is my life, twenty-three and already I feel old.' Buffy 
sighed, `Shake it off Summers! You're here on business, remember? 
Something's going on with& Willow.'

The thought of the redhead was enough to cause Buffy to slip back 
into the memory of the last confrontation she'd had with Kennedy. 
Willow had just stepped off the elevator and was glaring at both of 
them. 

"What the HELL is wrong with you two?" When they'd tried to answer 
simultaneously she'd said "No," shaking her head, "Upstairs, right 
now! Both of you!"

Just then Faith came limping through the front door, "Red, you got 
this? The cops are on their way."

Willow sighed in exasperation, "Go. I'll send Xander down to deal 
with them."

"Thanks Red." Faith took off through the back. The last thing she 
wanted was to be tangled up with the police. Still being a wanted 
fugitive and all.

It had only taken a few minutes to rouse Xander out of bed and send 
him downstairs with instructions to tell the police whatever was 
necessary to get rid of them. Buffy had told him to check on Giles 
while he was at it. For almost five minutes Willow paced back and 
forth across the hotel room. Later Buffy would swear that she saw 
smoke billowing from her ears.

"Well." She said, "Which one of you wants to tell me what caused 
that& that disaster in the lobby?"

"Will, I&" Buffy began.

"Wait, let me tell you." Willow interrupted, "You," pointing to 
Kennedy, "were upset that we broke up. So you went to confront Buffy 
about it and then ran your mouth until," she pointed at Buffy, "you 
lost your temper and knocked her on her ass! How close am I?"

Kennedy said, "It wasn't& exactly like that."

"Really?" the Wiccan asked sarcastically, " Then how WAS it, 
Kennedy? This I've GOT to hear!"

"Well, I& and then& and she& Okay, it was like that." She said, 
hanging her head in defeat.

"Typical Slayer reaction," Willow shook her head in disgust, "You get 
stressed out emotionally, and you go out to find someone or something 
to pummel!" She took a deep breath. Both Slayers looked guiltily at 
anything but each other. Managing to look (and feel) like misbehaving 
children.

"Kennedy," Willow said, "I don't expect you to understand these 
things yet. Hell you've only BEEN a Slayer for a few days, but YOU," 
she pointed at Buffy, " I thought you'd know better. What? Did you 
think I'd be impressed by the sight of you two fighting over me like& 
like two dogs over a particularly tasty bone?"

"No," Buffy said, " but you're right, I should have known better, and 
I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to Buffy."

Buffy mouthed the words, `Do I have to?' earning another glare from 
Willow.

"Fine," she muttered, "I'm sorry Kennedy, I shouldn't have hit you."

"So that's it?" Kennedy sounded bitter, "You gripe me out like I was 
a little kid, she says she's sorry and that's supposed to make it all 
better? Tell me Willow, did Tara know?"

Willow said quietly, "Did Tara know what?"

"That she was just a stand-in for your one true love."

All the blood drained from Willow's face as Buffy shouted "Kennedy! 
What the hell is WRONG with you?"

"No, Buffy." The blonde Slayer snapped her head around to look at 
Willow.

"Will, let me&" Buffy began.

"No." She moved across the room until she was right in Kennedy's 
face, "I understand that you're hurt, and I understand that I'm the 
reason for that, but if you EVER use Tara's memory like that again& 
it will be bad for you."

Kennedy tried to backpedal, "Willow, I-I'm sorry I don't&"

Willow shook her head, "It's too late for that, get away from me 
Kennedy. I don't want to see you anymore."

The young Slayer's eyes filled with tears as she ran from the room. 
Buffy stared after her, torn between the need to comfort Will and to 
kick Kennedy's ass for what she'd said. Then Willow began to cry, and 
Buffy spun to face her.

"Oh God Buffy, what if she's right? What if was I just using Tara as 
a& a substitute for you?" Willow sobbed.

"Oh Will no! That's just not true." Buffy led Willow to the bed and 
sat down drawing the redhead into her lap and rocking back and 
forth. "It's not true Will, I was there, remember? I saw how you were 
with Tara. You loved her with everything you had and to be honest, if 
you ever love me half as much I'll feel very lucky."

"Buffy, you okay?" Buffy looked up to find Rona standing next to the 
car. "You've been sitting here for a while and I was wondering&"

"I'm fine. Is Giles here?" she asked.

"Seven A.M. every morning." Rona nodded, "I don't know how he does 
it, he's here most nights till past midnight. Then right back every 
morning."

"He's Giles, that's what he does." Buffy got out of the car and 
walked with Rona to the front entrance of the building, only catching 
about half of what her companion was saying. It was mostly shoptalk 
anyway. The latest kill counts, which newby showed the most promise, 
who was hooking up or breaking up. The last comment caught the blonde 
Slayers attention.

"Wait, say that again." She said.

Rona, a little confused said, "Uh, Vi made her team run the obstacle 
course five times in a row?"

"No, after that." Sounding a little irritated.

"Oh," Rona said finally getting it. "Principal Wood took that job in 
New York and he and Faith broke up."

"Shit." Buffy sighed, "Where is she?"

Rona shrugged, "I don't know, she left."

"Left the campus?"

"Left town."

"Goddammit!" she said, turning on her heel and going straight to 
Giles' office, which typically, was just next to the library. Buffy 
walked in and found the office empty.

"Giles?" she called, "Where are you?"

"In here." Buffy heard his voice coming from a door behind Giles' 
desk. She crossed to it and stepped through into the past. 

For long moments all she could do was stare. It seemed like an exact 
replica of the old Sunnydale High library. To her left she saw the 
entrance. To the right, the table they had done all their research 
on, the raised area with the book stacks and Giles with his nose in a 
book as usual.

"Oh. My. God." She finally got out. "What the&"

"Oh, Buffy, that's right. You uh, haven't been here since Xander 
finished the library have you?"

"No, not since& Giles we need to talk, but not in here. This is& 
really creepy." She fled to the outer office.

Giles followed, sitting behind his desk and watching this young woman 
he looked on as a daughter pace back and forth across his office.

"Buffy, what's wrong?" 

"I need to know where Willow is." She said without facing him.

Giles sighed, "Buffy, we've discussed this before. Willow 
specifically asked me not&"

Buffy whirled, reaching Giles' desk in a single stride, "I know what 
she asked you Giles! I'm having Slayer dreams about her and I think 
she's in trouble! So either you help me, or I'll find somebody who 
will. Because I am going to find her Giles! Times up!"

TBC&



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/RoMolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

Community email addresses:
     Post message: buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     Subscribe:    buffywantswillow-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     Unsubscribe:  buffywantswillow-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     List owner:   buffywantswillow-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shortcut URL to this page:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow

Official archive for the list:
     http://www.ikoly.com/fanfic

Other links to Buffy/Willow fics:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow/links  

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/