Willow was utterly exhausted. She was dragged around all day by Buffy and Xander to the mall, then The Grotto, the Espresso pump and they finally ended up at the Bronze.
Buffy was sitting next to Willow laughing at Xander. “He never changes.”
Willow laughed too. “Do you think that’s some odd interpretation of the Snoopy dance he always does?”
Xander made his way over to the couch. “I don’t know about you ladies, but I’m beat. I think I’m gonna head back to the house. Coming?”
Buffy shook her head. “I think we’ll hang out a little longer. You up for it, Will?”
“Sure. Not to long though.”
Xander waved and headed out the door.
“You’re right, Buffy. I don’t think he’ll ever change.”
She nodded. “He’s been great. We’ve gotten really close since we moved in together and you left.” Buffy looked over at her. “Will, I didn’t mean. . .”
”I know. It’s okay.” She smiled and put her hand on Buffy’s arm. “It’s hard, I know that. You guys need each other for support.”
”I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately, Will. I just can’t seem to do or say anything right.”
Willow took Buffy’s hand and squeezed it. “How about I go on a quick patrol with you and we get some ice cream?”
“Okay.” She got up and put her hand out to Willow. “Come on. . .the quicker I dust, the quicker I get chocolate chocolate chip.”
They walked through the cemetery for the third time. “Nothing. Nobody wants to come out and play with me tonight.” Buffy crossed her arms and frowned.
Willow looked at her and laughed. “What? I’m not a good enough playmate for you? I could always catch the next plane to England.”
Buffy gasped and walked over to her. “Will, no! You wouldn’t do that. Would you?”
“Buffy, no, relax. I’m not leaving yet.” She hugged her. Something was definitely going on. “What’s wrong with you?” She whispered.
Buffy shrugged and tightened her grip around Willow’s waist. “I don’t know, Will. I’m just not myself lately.” She sighed. “I just miss you.”
Willow smiled. “You keep saying that.”
She pulled away, hurt. “I’m sorry, if you don’t want to hear it then. . .”
”That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Willow frowned and pulled her back into a hug. “I miss you too. That’s why I’m here.”
“God, Will. . .when you left, I didn’t realize. . .I didn’t know how much I depended on you. . .then you were gone and.”
”Shh. . .I know.” She whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I would have come.”
”You shouldn’t have to jump on a plane every time I turn into miss insecurity.”
Willow looked at her and smiled. “But I would have.”
“Really?”
She nodded.
The realization at how beautiful Willow really was crossed Buffy’s mind right before she leaned in and kissed her. Willow stiffened a little then relaxed into the kiss. It wasn’t so much just one kiss but a bunch of light touches and brushes with their lips. Her stomach fluttered and she pulled Buffy in closer, if that was at all possible.
A noise broke off any further exploration. Buffy’s eyes shot open and she gazed behind Willow.
“What is it?” Willow whispered.
“I don’t see anything.” She reached into her jacket and pulled out a stake. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” She handed another stake to her. “Keep out of it. If it gets ugly, run.”
Before she had a chance to say anything, Buffy was off into the night. Willow watched her until she couldn’t see her anymore. She walked over to the nearest tree and sat down. “Great, just great.” She whispered to herself. “Kissing Buffy. . .genius!” She put her head on her knees.
A noise startled her and she looked up. “Xander?” She scrambled to her feet. “What are you?”
“I can be stealthy when I wanna be.” He smiled at her, a little sadly she noticed, and reached into his shirt for the crystal. “Here. I wanna show you something. . .”
----------------
Cordelia slammed the phone down. “Damnit! Where the hell is she?”
Angel looked up from his book and smirked. “Probably having a good time. You really shouldn’t be calling her you know. What if Buffy or Xander picks up?”
“It’s her cell phone, Angel. . .I’m not stupid.” He glanced at her. “Don’t say it vampire. Just don’t.”
He smiled and returned to his reading.
-------------
“Xander? I thought you were heading back to the house.” Buffy approached them about ten minutes after she’d left.
“I figured you’d be on patrol and I thought you could use a hand. Our Will here has been outta action so long and. . .”
”Hey! Do you really think they don’t have vampires in England?” She punched him in the arm.
Buffy laughed. “English vampires. . .now that’s interesting.”
Xander smiled. “Yeah, can you imagine? ‘Pardon me, would you mind if I had you for dinner?’”
Willow shook her head. “Keep your day job, guys. Trust me.”
They began the short walk back to the house. Buffy fell in step behind them and observed Willow and Xander making small talk. She was berating herself over the kiss. It just happened out of the blue – it wasn’t like she planned it. Kissing Willow. It should have frightened her half to death but the feeling was. . .oddly familiar.
“You there Buffy?”
She looked up and saw that they had reached the house. “Present and accounted for.” She smiled.
They walked in and Willow headed straight for the couch. Buffy went to sit down next to her but Xander intercepted. “Buff – can I see you for a sec?”
She nodded and followed him into the bedroom.
Willow’s cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“Red.”
”Cordy, hi! Did something happen?” She whispered.
“No, I just wanted to talk to you. . . that’s all. Having fun?”
“Yeah. We just got back from patrol. They’ve dragged me all over the place today. Good thing my parents don’t live here anymore otherwise I’d have to do a spell to split myself in two.”
”Now that could be fun!”
Willow giggled. “Cordy, stop! Big, evil, vampire me was so not fun. Remember?”
“I know, I know. So when do you get back tomorrow?”
“I think I should get there around seven.”
”Good. I’ll be there to get you then.”
”I gotta go. Buffy and Xander will be back any minute.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She paused. “Will, I. . .I”
”I miss you too.” She smiled.
“Yeah. Bye.”
”Bye.”
-----------
Cordelia hung up the phone and there was a knock at the door.
“Angel?”
“Hope you don’t mind.” He stepped in. “You talk to Willow?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. She’ll be back tomorrow around seven.” She smiled.
“Cordelia, “
”Angel, don’t. I know what your gonna say and I really don’t want to go through it again with you.”
”I was gonna say there’s something going down, something big.”
“Sorry.”
“I just got a call from Spike.”
”Oh, God. He never calls you. . .this must be really big.”
Angel nodded. “There’s something going down with the Council. I don’t think Giles knows and I’m not gonna tell him until I know more.” He hesitated, then continued. “Willow may be involved. Not in a bad way, but. . .she may be in danger.”
Cordelia stood expressionless. “Angel.”
”I don’t know, Cordy. I don’t know if she’s gonna be okay. I’ll do everything I can to protect her, she means as much to me as. . . “He didn’t finish.
“As much as anyone whose ever saved your soul. Buffy being at the top of your list.” She shook her head and started to walk away.
“Actually, I was gonna say you.”
She stopped and turned. “Angel, what do you mean?” She was totally confused.
He crossed the room and looked at her for a long moment. “I’m not saying anything that you can’t understand if you’d just open your eyes a little wider.” He looked at her again and crossed the room to the door, letting himself out.
---------------
“Take care of yourself.” Willow was hugging Xander for the tenth time. “And Buffy. I’m worried about her.” She whispered in his ear.
“I will, don’t worry.” He pulled back and gave her a sad smile.
She turned to Buffy. “Well.” She shrugged.
“Yeah. You’d better get going.” She was staring at her feet.
Willow reached out and put her hand on Buffy’s shoulder. “You’ll come for a visit. Promise?”
Buffy looked up with tears in her eyes and nodded. She pulled her into a fierce hug and let out a sob. “It was too short. You weren’t here long enough.”
”I know. I’ll call when I get back.” She pulled away with tears brimming in her own eyes. She looked up and the pilot was waving at her to climb aboard. “I gotta go now.”
”I’ll miss you.”
”I love you. Never forget that.”
Buffy didn’t get a chance to answer. Willow ran off to the helicopter and climbed on. As she ascended into the air, she waved at them. Xander waved back but Buffy stood there with her arms wrapped around herself looking down at the ground. <I love you to, Will.>
----------
She was pacing by the fence when the helicopter landed. So many muddled things were running through her mind. How she felt about Willow, Angel in all his crypticness. What exactly was he trying to tell her? Was Willow right when she said he cared for her?
“Well that’s not a happy face.”
Cordelia looked up. “Hey. How have you. . .” she was cut off by a kiss. She wrapped her arms around Willow’s waist and smiled. “been.”
”Better now.” Willow smiled into her hair.
“You’re not gonna be better for long.” Cordelia pulled back and worry washed across her face. “Something’s up with the Council. . .Angel’s on it. He got a call from Spike last night.”
Willow sighed. “Never a dull moment.” She let her go and pulled out her cell phone. “Let’s see what’s going on.”
”Will, I don’t think Angel’s talked to Giles yet. You shouldn’t call him.”
”I’m not calling Giles. I have contacts.” She dialed the phone and stepped a few paces away. “Hello? Yes, looking for news on the home front. . .I see. . .are you sure? Fine. . .no, I’m in the states. . .yes. Thank you.” Willow closed the phone and sat down at the nearest bench.
Cordelia sat down next to her. “Is it bad?”
She stared off into space for a few minutes before responding. “Something’s got the demon population running scared.”
“Do they know what it is?”
She shook her head. “Something about a prophesy.” Cordelia gave her a worried look. “Not now. He said it was going to happen in three years and the events of the prophesy were going to trigger another bigger one. Like a domino effect.” Willow looked over at her and took her hand. “Cordy. . .”
She looked up at her. “You have to go back.”
Willow nodded. “It’s my job. . .or it will be. It’s what I went all the way out there for and not that I know about it, I can’t ignore my. . .”
”Willow, it’s okay. You don’t have to justify yourself to me.” She leaned over and kissed her gently. “When?”
Willow reached up and touched her face. “Tomorrow night.”
Cordelia gasped. “Tomorrow! That’s. . that’s. .” She closed her eyes.
“I know.” Willow closed the gap between them and hugged her. “What do you say we go home and make the most of the time we have left?”
-----------------
“Angel. . .Cordy told me. I made a call and it’s a prophesy.”
He paced back and forth in his apartment, listening to her on speaker phone. “Yeah, I just talked to Spike again. Something’s got him spooked.”
”Spike spooked? Now I’m wigged.” She sighed and looked over at Cordelia sitting on the couch. “Angel, I’m going back tomorrow night.”
”I figured you would.”
”I need you to do me a favor.”
“I’ll take care of her, Willow. I promise.”
She gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you. If I don’t see you before I leave, thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you two these past couple of months.”
”No need to thank me. Just returning the favor. Tell Cordelia I can handle things tomorrow by myself. Okay?”
“Thanks Angel. You’re the best vampire a girl could ever have.”
He chuckled. “Take care of yourself little one. I’ll see you soon.”
”Bye.” She smiled and hung up the phone in the kitchen. Slowly she walked over to the fireplace and built a fire. Cordelia observed her, but didn’t move. Willow disappeared into the bedroom and brought out a two comforters and all the pillows and laid them down in front of the fire. She walked over and stood in front of Cordelia. This was hard, harder than either one of them had imagined it would be. They’d come to mean different things to each other – much different than they’d ever expected.
“Cordy.” Willow whispered.
She looked up and a tear fell down her cheek. Despite the knowledge that this may be the last time she looked at her like this, she smiled and got up from the couch. “The cheerleader and the hacker. . .who would’ve thought?”
Willow leaned in and kissed her. “No thinking.” Kiss. “No talking.” Kiss. “Just kissing.” Kiss. “and maybe a little touching.”
“No complaints here.”
------------
They came together that night again and again. Without words, they both told each other it was the last time. Life awaited them, and love, although neither one of them knew it yet. Both still had a lot of growing up to do, a lot of lessons to be learned.
Willow cried in Cordelia’s arms. She swore to herself that night that she’d have to be strong from here on out, but on this night and this night alone she’d allow herself to be the frightened victim and the one who needed comfort.
Cordelia cried with her. She knew what she was losing and with that lose she knew she was gaining something too. A friend she never had before and she never realized just how valuable this friendship was until it was just being taken from her. Life’s that way sometimes.
Hours afterward, as she boarded the plane bound for England, Willow took a small ring out of her pocket and placed it on her finger. She bravely wiped the tears away and sat down in her seat. It would be the last time she'd cry for three years, the last time she'd feel anything significant. She had a job to do and a life to lead - no use in crying over someone you've let go and someone else you'll never have. That second thought made her shutter but she quickly pushed it out of her mind. She didn't know where it came from or who she was even refering to so there was no use in thinking about it. At least for now.
----------------
A vampire sat alone in the dark. It doesn’t matter what time it was or what day. He sat there most nights with her on the fringes of his mind. Guilt. Why did he feel so much guilt at the realization that he saw her as more than a friend – or would have liked to. He knew well where love got him – every day he hurt a little less from the disaster that was him and the Slayer. It hurt a little less, but it still hurt. He wasn’t sure if he could do that to someone again. Love them. Redemption was still on his mind and he’d protect her at any cost. Even if it cost him his own happiness.
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A boy who turned into a man much too soon packed the last of his things. This was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life, but he knew it was for the best. He simply couldn’t go through with it anymore, he couldn’t interfere. They deserved happiness and it wasn’t fair that it was taken away from them every time they found it. How many times had he twisted their memories and whispered lies into their believing ears? He’d lost count by now. Well, not any more. If they loved each other so much that they somehow always came together then he wasn’t going to stop them. Never again. They belonged together, he knew that, he knew it even when he agreed to this. The guilt roiled around in his stomach – if this was going to turn out right then he’d have to remove himself from the situation. It was the best decision he’d made in his life – and quite possibly the hardest. He left a note right by the phone and quietly slipped out the door and into the world.
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A young girl wandered the streets of a small town. Young in appearance, but then again looks are always deceiving. She kept going over and over in her mind the dream she’d had the night before. None of it made any sense – but then again this was Sunnydale. The ache in her heart and the emptiness she felt was only felt one other time for one other person. To miss her best friend the way she missed a lover felt almost wrong. Almost.
She stopped short and looked around. They were close, four maybe five of them looking for action. She pulled a wooden stake out of her pocket and was ready for anything they had to offer. If she hit them a little too hard, played with them before the kill a little too much, well. . .she needed this release, need to get rid of the negative energy she felt hanging over her head.
One, two three. They went down like flies. It was just too easy sometimes, she almost felt bad about how dumb they were. She let herself get hit a few times, let them take pot shots. Let them throw her to the ground and punch her in the face. It wasn’t that it felt good – it never felt good – it was the fact that deep down inside, she knew it was better to feel something, anything, than nothing at all. At the least this was a familiar feeling, and she could live with it. Everything else would have to wait. Every unfamiliar thought and unsure feeling she had would wait till the pain was gone. Then she’d have to do it again. After all, it was her job – her destiny.
END