Fic: Simple Choices...NC-17 Buffy/Willow (15/?)

["Chris " <elizabethrex1@xxxxxxx>]

Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and 
lots of people in expensive suits. I'm not making any money here, 
just trying to create a happier Buffyverse for my favorite characters.
Spoilers: Big alterations ahead for the remainder of S4, starting 
with "The I in Team." Eh, who am I kidding? This is really AU now.
A/N: Thanks to the best beta crew: Ivy, Malea, Zigpal, and Zenithar. 
There would be no writing without you guys.


Shaky hand pressed to her lips, Buffy stared wide-eyed as Willow ran 
from the room. The sharp report of the closing door jerked her back 
to awareness. Moving automatically to the bed and climbing under the 
comforter, Buffy didn't know what to think. Her mind whirled with 
images she doubted were real. Lips and body tingling from the kiss, 
she tossed and turned, trying to reconcile what she knew about her 
best friend and the unexpected emotions flooding her mind. Finally, 
though, her body simply gave in to its need for rest, and she drifted 
to sleep?

? "Hey! I didn't think you'd come," Willow grinned, showing all her 
teeth. "I saved you a seat."

Buffy dropped into the chair with a tired sigh. "Thanks. I don't 
think I ever remember the Bronze being so crowded before. What's 
going on? Some big frat thing?"

A small hand smacked her on the arm. "No, Buff. When did you get so 
Forgetful Buffy? I mean, we just talked about this an hour ago." 
Worried green eyes peered at her. "You didn't run in to any vamps on 
the way here, did you?"

Frowning, Buffy tried to remember. "Um, not that I know of." She 
waited a couple of minutes, examining the crowd. "I really don't know 
why we're here, Will."

"The Dingoes are back in town." Willow spoke slowly, exaggerating 
each word and then broke into a manic grin as she continued, "and I 
think Oz is going to propose." 

Buffy chuckled. "Nice one, Will." She tossed back some of the drink 
Willow had gotten for her. 

"You?you don't think he'll propose?" Willow gazed at Buffy, eyes 
slowly filling with tears. "We just talked about this and you said of 
course he would propose." Her voice turned shrill and picked up 
volume. "I don't want to be here if he's not going to. I mean, big 
with the awkward and I really want him to-"

"Will, breathe." Buffy grabbed the frantic redhead by the hand. "I'm 
sorry. Wow. We really talked about this? Why don't I remember that?" 
Anger snaked through her as she absently stroked Willow's hand.

Willow started to answer when Oz wrapped his arms around her from 
behind and Buffy's hazel eyes narrowed at his action. "Hey. If I'd 
know you were going to be here, sweetie, I'd have dressed up." His 
lips twitched in his trademark semi-smile. "Buff. You keeping my girl 
company?"

"You know me, Oz. Will's my number one priority." Buffy smiled, but a 
headache began to pound behind her eyes as she unwound her fingers 
from Willow's.

"Sweet." Pressing a kiss to his girlfriend's flushed cheek, he 
murmured, "You wanna dance, Willow? The next set doesn't start for a 
while." Willow nodded enthusiastically, and they headed to the floor, 
hand in hand. 

Watching them, Buffy rubbed a hand against her temple. The lighting 
in the Bronze flickered, and then came back on almost immediately. 
Now everything had an orange cast to it. Buffy shrugged at the 
suddenly dim club and glanced back to her friends. They made a cute 
couple, but watching them pulled a growl from deep inside. 
Unexplained rage burned through her. Confused, angry, and afraid, she 
jumped from her seat. She had to leave, right now. 

Stumbling through the throng of people, cold sweat slicking her skin, 
Buffy felt the anger pulse and throb. The orange hue deepened. She 
needed Willow. No way could she make it home alone like this. The 
vamps would be all over her. Altering course, she shoved people out 
of her way, desperate to find her friend. Relief temporarily 
overwhelmed the anger when she spotted the familiar red head. "Will!" 
she called out urgently.

Oz and Willow didn't hear her. They were too wrapped up in each 
other, gazing into each other's eyes and swaying to the bluesy 
ballad. Another, louder growl, burst from Buffy's lips, earning her 
looks from the couples nearby. Unable to control herself, she grabbed 
Oz by the back of his shirt, throwing him away from Willow. "Keep 
your hands off!" Her voice emanated from her chest. 

"Buffy! What?Leave Oz alone." Willow pulled at Buffy's arm. "Are you 
OK?"

Spinning around, Buffy stared hard at her friend. Willow was pale, 
but she wasn't going away. "He was touching you."

A hand waved in her face. "Hello! Earth to Buffy. Oz is my boyfriend. 
That's allowed; it's even expected." Willow frowned. "You don't look 
so good. Do you need to sit down?"

Buffy shook her head again. Thoughts jumbled up inside and she 
couldn't focus on anything. "No, he can't?I?" 

"Willow, maybe we'd better go." Oz sidled up to Willow. 

It was too much for Buffy. Wrenching Willow out of Oz's arms, she 
shoved the redhead behind her and faced off with the musician. "I 
said to keep your hands off." The people clustered around them faded. 
She saw only Oz, and the need to hurt him, kill him roared through 
her. That need to kill saved the werewolf's life. Recoiling from Oz, 
Buffy sprinted for the door, running, fleeing the hate and bloodlust 
in her veins?

Bolting upright, panting, Buffy stared around the room. Not the 
Bronze...No Oz?As her heart rate slowly returned to normal, Buffy 
remembered she was in the safe house. She tossed off the blankets and 
slid from the bed. She needed to know what was going on.

***


Willow paused just outside the door and scrubbed at her eyes. She 
couldn't go into the living room crying. Too many questions, and no 
possible way to answer them. Trying to take a deep breath hurt. Her 
stomach churned. Willow dropped her head for just a minute, giving in 
to the confusion and pain. Buffy didn't remember. Didn't remember the 
kiss at the Bronze, admitting she wanted to try a relationship. A 
bitter smile twisted Willow's lips. Not the first time she'd been 
wrong about love. Xander, Malcolm, Oz?Buffy. 

She'd deal later. Now, the Scoobies needed her help with Adam. 
Forcing reluctant feet to move, she plodded into the living 
room. "Any news?"

"Well, we have a list of demons Professor Walsh might have used to 
make Adam," Xander offered. "Only twenty five names long and still 
adding more."

"That seems like a lot," Willow groused, dropping to the floor next 
to her old friend. "I can't believe I couldn't get the information 
from the computers." She sighed, standing back up. "You guys keep up 
the strategy session. I'm going to set up in the kitchen and keep 
hacking."

Giles shook his head. "That seems to be a poor use of your talents, 
my dear."

"I'm not exactly an expert in the arcane, Giles," Willow snapped. 
Then waving an apologetic hand at the older man, "Sorry. Besides the 
Great Demon List, what are we looking for?"

No one spoke. 

Throwing her hands in the air, Willow half shouted, "This is like the 
Ascension all over again. We need a better way, guys. I am so not 
sitting here going through every magical book ever written, hoping 
something will just jump out at me." Green eyes snapping, she glared 
at Tara. "Did you get anything from Adam when you felt him during the 
spell?"

Flushing at the harsh tone, Tara shook her head rapidly. "N-no."

"Why not?" At Tara's confused look, Willow tried again. "Why didn't 
you feel anything? He traced your signature, Tara. He had to at least 
touch you in order to do that."

"I don't?I don't know." The blonde witch ducked her head, hair 
cascading in front of her face. "When he re-reached for me, I just pu-
pulled back."

"Perhaps we could recreate the tracking spell?" Giles interrupted 
quietly. Everyone looked at him and he smiled slightly. "What I mean 
is, there must be a way to magically allow Tara to experience the 
situation again." He looked at Tara. "My dear, without the external 
distractions, you might be able to tell us more about Adam and his 
abilities."

Still looking unsure, Tara nodded. "Mr. Giles, do you have a spell in 
mind?"

"Well, ah?" Looking sheepish, Giles mumbled, "No."

"Nice, G-man. Get us all wound up and ready to go, and then tell us 
you don't have a fricken clue." Faith yawned. "You got more spell 
books for us or can we catch some sleep?"

Xander stood up and stretched. "You must have forgotten, Faith. 
Scoobies don't sleep until after the bad guy's dead." He held out a 
hand to the grumpy Slayer. "Come on, let's take a walk into the 
kitchen. Drinks for all."

Two dimples peeked out. "I don't know, Xan. You aren't afraid I'll 
steal your `Doughnut Getting Guy' title?" Taking his hand, Faith let 
him pull her off the couch. 

"There are two things horribly wrong with that, Faith." Xander slung 
an arm around Faith's shoulders. "One, in your current weakened 
condition, I might be able to take you. And, two, you so could never 
be the `Doughnut Getting Guy.'"

"I'll give you number two," Faith allowed, before reaching out and 
grabbing Xander around the waist and picking him up. "But number one?
not happening." She dropped him back to the floor.

"Right. OK, good point." Straightening his clothes, Xander followed a 
laughing Faith into the kitchen.

Willow watched them go with a small smile.  "Tara, do you have any 
idea where we can look for the spell we need?"

"Not really. It would need to be fairly complex." Tara shrugged. "It 
might be simpler to skip the books and try writing one."

"You know, that didn't really work out the last time we tried it." 
Running a hand through her hair, Willow leaned back into the couch, 
stretching. "But, it's a lot more exciting than days of pouring 
through the spell books."

"It worked, Willow. We just didn't expect Adam to fight back." Tara 
chewed on her lip. "What if we used Harptos' Vicis Regeneration as a 
base and build from there?"

"Isn't that simply a visual recreation of an event?" Giles unhooked 
his glasses and cleaned the lenses with a handkerchief.

"Like watching a movie, yeah," Willow agreed, bouncing slightly where 
she sat. Faith and Xander came back, laden with drinks, and she 
absently mumbled a thanks. "So, that gives us the visual; how do we 
get the full emotional effect as well?"

"Hypnotism?" Xander volunteered. He blushed and grinned when the 
three magic experts looked at him. "I know. Shut up, Xander."

"It's not without merit," Giles opined.

"Really?" Faith looked dubious. "Wow. Things have so changed. The X-
man with an idea." She moved quickly out of the way when Xander 
lunged for her.

Tara giggled at their antics, but quickly sobered when both Giles and 
Willow frowned at the two brunette Scoobies. "If we try hypnotism, 
how will that help with the recreation?"

Willow scrunched her nose, thinking hard. "It won't really be 
hypnotism. We'll put you into a trance and then trigger the memory." 
She looked up at Giles. "If this works, then maybe you guys should do 
it to me, too. I was right up against Adam, and I borrowed a little 
of his energy."

Taking a sip of the tea Xander had handed him, Giles nodded. "Indeed. 
However, are we quite sure we have enough in the way of planning to 
even attempt the spell?"

"I'm sure I can do the Vicus spell," Tara said. She hesitated. "The 
trance, though? Willow, can you show us how it will work?"

"Sure." Willow stood up. "If it works the way I think, it'll be like 
triggering Xander's soldier memories. The images will play out for us 
all to watch, but you'll actually experience the feelings from the 
thing with Adam." Frowning, she looked at the other Scoobies. "But, 
it may need some fine tuning. Any volunteers to help me out?"

"Count me out," Faith was quick to say. "No way am I gonna be some 
kind of lab rat."

A quiet voice in the corner said, "I'll do it."





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

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