Re: FIC: Never Free VII

["bslayedw" <bslayed@xxxxxxx>]

Vary glad for the update and it was worth the wait. I can't wait for 
more!



--- In buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Jophes" <xenarip13@...> 
wrote:
>
> Please see Prologue for all disclaimers and warnings
>  I apologize for the delay.  Bad case of writer's block and it 
> shows.  I hope to have a better chapter for you soon.
> 
> Bynx
> 
> 
> Never Free VII
> 
> Willow awakens to the sound of sparring outside.  She pulls 
herself 
> out of bed to go to her window.  As she looks down, she sees a 
sight 
> she has not seen in over a year.  Buffy is out back training 
> slayers.  13 months ago, the woman had walked away from this and 
from 
> all of them.  As she watched the Slayer now, she can see it is 
only 
> going through the motions for the woman.  The witch has seen this 
> before as well.  It was when Willow brought her back from the dead.
> 
> "When I tore her out of heaven, because?"  Willow swallows finally 
> voicing the truth to herself instead of just in her head, "because 
I 
> couldn't live without her."
> 
> `Tore her out of heaven?dead?'  Willow's mind stops on this 
thought.  
> Something is digging at her, but she can't make the 
> connection.  `Damn it, Spike.  I need to know the truth and Buffy 
> will never tell me.'  Willow walks out of her room heading to the 
> bathroom to shower.  As she enters the warm water, her mind will 
not 
> let her relax, `You want the truth, yet you have never offered her 
> the same.'  Willow closes her eyes at her own accusations.  `How 
do I 
> tell her that now?  She just came back.  I am not prepared to have 
> her run away again.  I?you what?  I love her too much to lose 
her.'  
> Willow steps from the shower drying off.  `If you look in the 
mirror 
> at yourself that is clearly evident in the reflection you will 
see.'
> 
> "Shut up."  Willow scolds herself, "She came back didn't she?"
> 
> `Yes, but how did she know to come back is a question that should 
be 
> asked.'  Willow's logic answers the spoken question. 
> 
> "Spike, she knew because Spike knew and he told her.  He came here 
> with her, but he would either have had to have been here first or 
> someone gave him that information.  He came with her and not 
before?I 
> know this.  He is tied to her meaning someone or something told 
him 
> about me.  Damn it, none of this helps except giving me more 
> unanswered questions."  Willow takes one last look at herself as 
she 
> finishes dressing.
> 
> The witch calmly makes her way back through the house.  It is 
> decidedly quiet with the young slayers still outside with Buffy.  
> Willow shakes her head still not used to the idea that Buffy is 
here 
> and outside right now.  She passes the front room looking to see 
> Giles, but he is not there.  Xander would be at work and Dawn is 
> probably outside with the others since the kitchen is quiet.  She 
> continues into the basement after quickly looking outside to see 
> Buffy showing the new slayers some techniques with a staff.  She 
> comes to the open door of the office where she spies Giles sitting.
> 
> Giles sits steeped inside a mound of dark tomes as Willow walks 
into 
> their own private research library.  She walks right to him 
without 
> him noticing.  Quietly, the red-head reads over his shoulder from 
one 
> of the oldest books she has ever seen.
> 
> `It is the council's understanding that a balance must always be 
> maintained between good and evil.  This would, at first thought, 
seem 
> too simplistic to need to be recorded; however the required 
balance 
> extends to the slayer line as well.
> 
> Since the slayer's power comes from demonic forces, it was first 
> placed into an innocent female.  A female was chosen after it was 
> determined that the male candidates could not survive the ritual 
or 
> so our translations tell us.  Only one slayer could exist and 
carry 
> the balance of power within her.
> 
> To this day, we are not exactly certain how Buffy Anne Summers and 
> Faith Connors have existed together except the possibility that 
this 
> was due to one carrying more darkness and not a balance.  Buffy 
> Summers appeared to carry the true balance where as Faith Connors 
> appeared to carry an imbalance between the darkness and 
innocence.  
> It could be surmised  from this break in the balance of the slayer 
> line that any disturbance to the power balance would be 
disastrous?'
> 
> Willow is interrupted as Giles realizes she is behind him and 
closes 
> the book.  He stares at her sternly.  She moves back from him 
with  
> sigh, but feels no remorse in her actions.
> 
> "Willow?" he looks at her noticing the difference in her, "You 
look?
> better."  He removes his glasses to clean them.
> 
> "Thank you.  I'm not going to apologize."  Willow points out.
> 
> "No, I didn't think you would, but it isn't very polite young 
lady."
> 
> "Neither is keeping things from the group.  What have to been 
> researching Giles?"
> 
> "Balances of power.  I thought perhaps it would give me some 
insight 
> into Buffy and the slayers."  Giles tells her part of the truth.
> 
> "Balances of power?"  Willow repeats as her mind grabs onto 
another 
> thought. `Tore her out of heaven?dead?'
> 
> "What are you thinking Willow?"  Giles interrupts, "I can see your 
> mind churning."
> 
> Willow shakes her head to clear it, "I'm not sure.  I haven't been 
> able to put it together yet."
> 
> "Is Buffy still outside?" 
> 
> "Yes, she was when I came down here.  Do you need her?"
> "No, I just wanted to know where she was."  Giles replaces his 
> glasses.
> 
> "Do you want help with this?"
> 
> "No, I'll let you know if I do.  I think you have a puzzle you are 
> trying to work out yourself."  Giles leans back over his now re-
> opened volume.
> 
> "Giles, have we always had that book?"
> 
> "No, it is one that Faith and Ken?"  Giles stops.
> 
> "It's okay Giles.  Kennedy and Faith sent it back.  It's also okay 
> that they found each other as well.  I am happy for them both.  
They 
> deserve to be happy and I couldn't do that for Kennedy."  Willow 
> turns away.
> 
> "Are you going to tell her Willow?"  Giles bluntly asks.
> 
> "Tell who what?" Willow doesn't turn around.
> 
> "Tell Buffy that you love her?are you going to tell her this time?"
> 
> "I?I don't know."
> 
> "Okay, but you should at least get something to eat.  You are 
looking 
> better and would be a shame to see it go to waste."
> 
> "Thank you, Giles."
> 
> The old Brit doesn't answer as the witch makes her way back 
upstairs 
> to the kitchen.  Even before entering, she can hear the noise of 
> conversation in the room.  She takes a deep breath and enters.  
The 
> younger slayers are busily chatting to each other of all the new 
> things Buffy ah taught them.  Dawn is quietly placing plates and 
> utensils into the dishwasher as Buffy looks out the sliding doors 
> lost in thought.
> 
> "How was training?"  Willow enters the room.
> 
> Dawn turns around to see Willow surprised to see her not only up 
but 
> dressed for the first time in months.  She smiles despite knowing 
it 
> is Buffy's return that has led to the red-head's beginning 
recovery.
> 
> "Buffy has definitely learned some new tricks," the younger 
Summers 
> offers darkly.
> 
> The younger slayers let out few supportive phrases to back up what 
> Dawn has said.  Dawn watches as Willow looks to the older slayer 
with 
> an unmistakable longing on her face.  Silently, Dawn makes a 
decision.
> 
> "Girls, training is done for the day.  Let's get on with our 
> schedule.  It's time for home study.  I believe today is 
Algebra."  
> Dawn grin as the girls groan in disappointment, "Come on.  Let's 
go."
> 
> Willow pulls her gaze from the inanimate blonde slayer back to 
look 
> at Dawn.  She catches the well meaning tilt of Dawn's head to her 
> sister.  Willow smiles shyly as she mouths the words thank you to 
> Dawn.  She waits as the Dawn and the others move out of the 
kitchen 
> on their way to the study.  Once she can no longer hear them, she 
> moves to sit in the way of the slayer's endless gaze out the 
doors.  
> It takes but a moment for Buffy's eyes to focus on her best friend 
> sitting across from her.  
> 
> "Willow, you look?better."  Buffy stammers.
> 
> "Thank you."  Willow halts the blush she felt coming.
> 
> "I?I'm sorry, Willow?about?about?"
> 
> "You never were very good at apologies."  Willow offers 
instead, "I 
> know Buffy, but you are always sorry.  One of these times it will 
be 
> too late."
> 
> "Is it too late this time?"  Buffy whispers.
> 
> "I don't know, but I hope not."  Willow answers as honestly as 
> possible.
> 
> The witch sees the hurt cross through the woman's bluer than blue 
> eyes at her declaration.  It pains her to have put it there, but 
she 
> cannot forget all she has been put through to get the blonde back 
> here.
> 
> "Willow, you look better, but you need to start taking care of 
> yourself.  Have you eaten today?"  Buffy stands.
> 
> "No, I was just coming to get something."
> 
> "Can I make you something?"
> 
> "I don't know.  The last time I saw you cook it wasn't pretty."  
> Willow smiles wickedly.
> 
> "Hey, I did a great job on Thanksgiving once, besides I have had 
to 
> cook for myself a lot."  Buffy looks away at that, "So, I can whip 
> you something up?if you trust me that is."
> 
> Willow looks at the hopeful expression on the slayer's scarred 
face.  
> She doesn't have the heart to say no so she simply nods her 
ascent.  
> Buffy nods back and begins rifling the kitchen for ingredients.  
As 
> Willow watches the changed woman work, she feels a little of their 
> bond begin to come forth.  It isn't much, but perhaps it is enough 
to 
> get things rolling.  Willow loses herself in watching the slayer 
move.
> `She isn't graceful anymore.  Now, she is economical instead of 
> fluid.'  Willow sighs as she realizes this, `It used to be 
beautiful 
> to watch her compact form move during the simplest of tasks, but 
now 
> she has had to make adjustments for her frame.  She is almost 
> militant as she makes lunch.  The last time I saw her so different 
> was after her resurrection?death?' Willow closes her eyes at the 
> recurring thought, `Balance?death?The First?'  She opens her eyes 
to 
> see Buffy staring at her with a plate of food in her hands.
> 
> "You okay there Willow?"  Buffy sets the plate down as her eyes 
peek 
> out from the mass of dirty blonde hair shadowing her face.
> 
> "F-fine?sorry?I'm still a little tired."  Willow covers, "Are you 
> eating with me?"
> 
> "If you want me to, I will."  
> 
> "Please Buffy, sit with me.  We can talk."  Willow watches as the 
> slayer flinches, "We can talk about the mission the rest of us 
have 
> been doing here."  Willow sees the blonde relax, "Buffy, I'm not 
> forgetting you owe me?all of us an explanation, but I won't push 
you 
> yet."
> 
> "Thank you."
> 
> "Don't thank me?I won't wait long."  Willow begins eating the 
chicken 
> concoction in front of her surprising herself by enjoying it.
> 
> Buffy looks on as Willow eats.  She feels a small measure of pride 
at 
> seeing the red-headed witch improve physically.  
> 
> `I need her at her best for what is coming.  I am so sorry 
Willow.'  
> Buffy turns to her own food as Willow begins talking about the 
newest 
> hellmouth they sit on.
> 
> 
> TBC
>




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

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