Fic: Simple Choices...NC-17 Buffy/Willow (25/?)

["Chris" <elizabethrex1@xxxxxxxxx>]

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: General spoilers for S5, starting with "The I in Team." Eh, 
who am I kidding? This is really AU now.
A/N: Thanks to Ivy for pre-reading and Zigpal and Lilly for the beta. 
There would be no writing without you guys. 


Willow whirled to face Anya. "The Slayer?" Her voice squeaked on the 
word. This was bad. Very bad.  Buffy was already afraid of the 
Slayer, terrified of losing control again. 

"Did I stutter?" Anya wasn't pleased at the questioning. "Buffy needs 
to get in touch with her masculine side or something. My Xander 
thinks it's the only way to win."

"You're joking, right?" Wrapping her arms around herself, Willow 
flinched as Buffy entered the conversation. "Do you have any idea 
what the Slayer can do? She tortured Spike, beat him to a bloody pulp 
and enjoyed it. You want me to let that loose? How is that better 
than Adam?" Buffy was nearly shouting at the end.

Slowly, not wanting to provoke the Slayer before the showdown with 
Adam, Willow turned. "It'll be alright, Buffy. We'll find a way to 
control her. It won't be like it was with Spike." She took a careful 
step forward. Buffy was pale, hands clenched. 

"I can't do it, Will. I can't." As suddenly as it appeared, the anger 
was gone. Tears glittered in Buffy's eyes. "I can't let the Slayer 
have control again."

Willow was painfully aware of their audience. "It won't be like that 
this time." She took Buffy's hands in hers. The small fingers 
twitched restlessly, as if Buffy were seconds from running. "You were 
still coming down from the drug at Willie's."

"That's just it, Will. I don't want to feel like that again. When the 
Slayer was there, it felt like the drug. All angry and powerful and 
out of control." Buffy was shaking now.

Willow heard the rattle of a pan; she ignored it. Ignored the four 
human-shaped statues surrounding them, listening to Buffy come 
unglued. "Buffy, the drug and the beer, Spike trying to kidnap you. 
The situation was bad. The Slayer was all about saving you and 
getting answers about Adam. It saw a threat and it took action." 
Willow kept her voice low and soothing, and she took another step 
forward, wrapping Buffy in her arms. 

"When I came up to you, did you hurt me?" she asked, pressing her 
point. Buffy's eyes lost a little of the wild look; the blonde head 
shook slightly. "No, you didn't. You were able to take control back. 
I wasn't a threat, was I?" Another shake. "Is your Mom a threat? Is 
Giles?" Willow felt Buffy relaxing. "See, baby? There's no problem. 
The Slayer will go after Adam. He's the threat."

"I won't let him hurt you, Will." Willow blinked at the change in 
focus. Buffy went on, "The Slayer protects what's hers." Buffy's 
voice had deepened. For just an instant, Willow glimpsed a hint of 
orange to the normally hazel eyes. 

Responding to some inner call, Willow pressed a light kiss to Buffy's 
neck. "I know, Buffy. I expect her to keep me?all of us safe. I'm no 
more important than your family."

A cleared throat penetrated their intense exchange. "Before this go 
any farther," Joyce said dryly, "breakfast is ready."

Willow felt the blush race up her face. "Uh, yeah. Thanks, Mrs. 
Summers. Dinner was a long time ago and with all the running around 
and magic and stuff, I'm hungry." 

"Hungry for Buffy, sure," Anya dropped into the vacuum left after the 
Willowbabble ended. 


***

When Xander and Faith didn't move, Graham gripped their arms, 
dragging them down the path. "I'm not joking. I've got information on 
Adam. My bosses didn't want to give it up. There are armed Marines 
not far behind me."

Faith started trotting, easily matching Graham's pace. "How many are 
we talking?" If it were just a few, she might be able to take them 
out.

"Not sure. At least a platoon," Graham gasped out.

"Numbers, soldier boy. I need numbers." Faith glared at the young man 
running next to her. 

Xander beat him to it. "Don't even think about it, Faith. Even you 
can't handle a platoon; that's thirty, maybe forty guys with machine 
guns."

Thirty or forty? Faith picked up the pace. "These guys local?"

If Graham was surprised, he didn't show it. "No. The Pentagon shipped 
them in after Adam broke free." They were at the edge of campus, the 
lights of downtown visible ahead.

"We're going to lose your friends without marching the troops through 
the streets of SunnyD." It might have been a while since Faith hunted 
evil, but she remembered every back street, alley, and 
hideout. "Follow me."  Avoiding Main Street, Faith led Graham and 
Xander down an alley behind the movie theater. 

During her employment with the Mayor, Faith had often stalked the 
Scoobies. She'd followed them, spying, listening for any hint they 
knew how to stop the Ascension. Boots echoing on the concrete and 
brick walls, the three pounded through the dim space. "Here!" Faith 
detoured abruptly, ignoring the complaints from her companions. "In 
here, hurry." Using a touch of Slayer strength, Faith forced open a 
narrow door well camouflaged by a dumpster and heavy shadows.

Once they were in the small blind, Faith slid the door home. 

Xander sank to the floor, sucking in massive amounts of air.  Graham 
was in a little better condition. "Thanks," he panted. "How did you 
know about this place?"

Shrugging, Faith avoided answering. "What did you find that was so 
important your bosses are hunting you?"

"I don't know." At her snort, Graham repeated, "I don't know. Really. 
I was going through some of Riley's files. He kept a stash of work in 
his room. Completely against regs." Faith watched him run a hand over 
his short hair. "One of the files had diagrams ? looked like some 
sort of circuitry. There were hand-written notes underneath, in Ry's 
handwriting. The diagram was of Adam. That's when I paged Buffy."

"Wires and notes. Willow will be so happy," Xander quipped, still 
mostly prone. "What happened? Why the unwelcome wagon?"

Graham grimaced. "I screwed up. The stuff in Ry's files didn't make 
sense. I went to one of the guys, asked him to take a look."

"He wasn't a team player?" Faith leaned against the wall, senses on 
alert. So far, she hadn't heard anyone pass by their hiding place.

"Not for my team. For the brass'? Yeah." The admission seemed to 
bother him. "Forrest was one of us. Like a brother to me and Riley. 
As soon as he saw the notes, though, he radioed for backup. He read 
me the riot act and called me a traitor."

Xander had finally recovered enough to sit up. "How long do we stay 
here?"

It took a minute for Faith to realize he was asking her. "Uh, they 
ain't even gone down the alley yet, X-man. I'm thinking we let them 
get past us then try to get back to the gang. Better question is: how 
long will they look before they pack up and go home?"

"Tomorrow." Graham sounded very sure of his answer. "The unit's being 
recalled. We were scheduled to ship out at oh-five hundred."

"That was before you got the goods, though," Faith said. She crossed 
her arms over her chest, meeting his eyes. "If the information is so 
important they're putting armed troops downtown, will they leave 
before finding you?"

This time, Graham didn't respond immediately. "Probably."

"Don't sound so convincing," Xander mumbled. "I mean, it's not like 
they've got big guns and won't stop to ask questions before shooting 
us."

"They've got a timetable. When the Initiative deployed here, there 
was always a risk of civilian exposure." Graham started to pace the 
small room. "Once the order to pull out was issued, the unit only has 
forty-eight hours. Two days to destroy all traces of our being there, 
delete computer files, shred documents, and create cover stories for 
those of us pretending to be college students."

Faith held up a hand. Multiple footsteps sounded in the 
alley. "Company," she hissed. 

***

Buffy sprang to her feet, taking a quick step in Anya's direction. 
Only a small hand on her arm kept Anya safe. 

"Eat your breakfast, Buffy," Willow said softly. "We need to find out 
how to get you and the Slayer safely together and see what 
information Graham has. Ignore her."

"Will-" Buffy protested. She was already holding hands with the 
Slayer. A growl echoed in the kitchen. 

She slumped when Willow pointed to her plate. "Breakfast."

"Fine. Breakfast." Dropping into her chair, Buffy picked up her fork 
and viciously stabbed the eggs. 

The fork bent in her hand when Anya's chirpy voice commented, "I 
don't know why you're so worried about the Slayer, Buffy. Willow 
seems to have her under control."

"Anya!" Joyce jumped in while Buffy pried her fingers off the now 
twisted metal. "Why don't we go and start some laundry? Those Council 
guys don't seem like good housekeepers."  She moved across the 
kitchen and pulled Anya from the room.
 
Relaxing a little, Buffy went back to eating. When Willow perched on 
the chair next to her, one hand on her thigh, she relaxed 
more. "Sorry, Will. She just?"

Giles' throat clearing interrupted. "Ah, Buffy, Willow, I take it 
congratulations are in order?" When Buffy hastily glanced in his 
direction, she saw the slight blush covering his face. The small 
smile, though, told her once and for all he was OK with the 
relationship.

However, before Buffy could catapult across the room and hug her 
blushing Watcher, Willow shattered the mood. "Um, guys, before we get 
all with the happies, I have a question." 

"Yes, Willow?" Giles met Buffy's eyes. He looked suddenly tense. 

"Anya said I was controlling Buffy's Slayer. Great. Whoo hoo." 
Despite the cheery words, Willow didn't sound very encouraged. "If we 
have Buffy and Faith go after Adam, who gets to control Faith's 
Slayer?"





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

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