Willow looked around the street, her green eyes sweeping over every shadowed corner. When she was positive that she was alone on the empty street, she knocked on the door. Three brisk knocks. The door opened, eyes sweeping over her, taking in the tight black leather skirt and the emerald green shirt that molded her breasts, ending just above her belly button displaying the creamy skin. She steeled herself, gathering all the courage that she had ever needed as she faced the demon guarding the door. She felt a moment of relief when he nodded, moving to the side to allow her to pass.
Willow entered the club, her green eyes taking in every detail as she started down the staircase. She felt eyes on her as she held her head high, confidence radiating from her. She wished she felt the confidence she was projecting. Sometimes she wondered why she thought of these plans. They never worked out and she usually ended up in more trouble than before. But, she wanted to help Buffy. After everything that had been happening to her, from her mother dying to Riley leaving to dealing with Dawn to having Spike suddenly fall in love with her, Buffy deserved someone to take some of her problems away. Willow only hoped that she didn't end up making things worse. This time, she wasn't going to have the slayer to save her.
Willow moved towards a table that sat near the shadows but close enough to the dance floor to be seen. She sat down, ordering a mineral water as she watched the various demons and humans mingle on the dance floor. She smiled when her water was put in front of her, taking a sip from the glass. She had no idea what she was looking for. Sure, she had some vague idea but nothing solid. She hadn't wanted Buffy or the others to know what she was planning so she hadn't been able to ask some of the more important questions. Sighing, she frowned as she found herself wishing that Tara was still around. But, she had lost her lover nearly two weeks before, shortly after Joyce had died. The blonde witch had left Sunnydale to go to school back east. She and Willow had split up on amicable terms, but Willow still felt the loss. The second person that she had loved that had left her.
"Someone so beautiful shouldn't look so sad."
Willow looked up, keeping her face bored as she studied the blonde woman that was smiling so seductively at her. "I've heard better lines."
There was a husky laugh, "Confident. I like that."
"And I should care what you like?" Willow asked, smiling slightly as she realized she was openly flirting with a gorgeous woman that seemed interested in her.
"You should."
Willow laughed, looking at the table, having no idea what an alluring image she projected. She needed to remember why she was there in the first place. To help Buffy. Not to flirt with some blonde. She looked back up, caught by blue eyes that were studying her with interest. She could feel a blush spreading over her cheeks, rather ruining her sophisticated facade. "You're staring."
"Really?" an amused smile, "You're very beautiful. That pale complexion, those sparkling green eyes, that lovely red hair. You don't belong in a place like this."
"Like this?" Willow asked, looking around the club.
"So ordinary, so mortal. There is such a stench from all these demons."
"I hadn't noticed," Willow confessed, feeling again that she didn't belong here.
"That's because you're human, sugar. You wouldn't smell it."
"Why are you here if you find it so distasteful?" Willow asked, a bit annoyed with this woman's holier than thou attitude.
"I was bored. Thought I might find something to keep my interest," a smile as blue eyes again moved over Willow's face. "And see? Here I've found you."
"Do you do this often? Come slumming to pick up humans?" Willow asked, not letting the flirtatious words affect her. She had a mission. She needed to remember that. Her green eyes moved from the blonde as she again surveyed the club, finding nothing that appeared to be what she was looking for.
"Never," the word was said sincerely. "I don't like humans. You, you're different. I can smell the magic on you. There's power in your soul that you haven't begun to understand."
"Really?" Willow asked, caught by those beautiful blue eyes. What was she thinking? No room for lust in her life. Nope, not this girl. She had enough on her plate with school and taking care of Buffy. Of course, the slayer would deny needing her to take care of her. She knew better. They'd been best friends for years after all. Buffy was still in shock after Joyce's death. It had been two weeks and the slayer was still walking around in a daze. Willow sighed, knowing that was the main reason she was there that night. She was going to help.
"I can hear your heart racing. Do you want to leave this place?"
"I can't," Willow said, wondering if she was really being hit on by this beautiful woman.
"Please?"
Willow looked at the pout and laughed, her hair falling forward to cover her eyes before she slowly nodded. "OK. I don't think I'm going to find what I was looking for anyway."
"If you come with me, you'll be in my bed before dawn."
Willow's eyes widened at the blonde, "I'm not....I don't do things like that."
"If you come with me, you will."
"Then I guess I'll stay here," Willow said, knowing she sounded like a priss, but she had only had sex with two people, both of whom she was dating at the time and in love with. She had only just met this woman. There was no way she was going to sleep with her. Not like that.
"You find me attractive. I can see it in your eyes. Why won't you have sex with me?"
"I don't even know you. Why would I share something that personal with you?" Willow asked.
There was a sexy laugh, "How decidedly old fashioned. You're charming."
"Glad I could provide you with a laugh," Willow said tightly as she stood. She shook her head, knowing this had been wrong. She should have stayed out of it, just let Buffy continue doing things her way. What was that saying? The road to hell was paved with good intentions.
Willow left the club, breathing in fresh air as she stepped into the alley. It had been stuffy in the club, too many people in such a small space. She pulled her coat around her as she started to walk, hearing the sound of high heels clicking behind her. She turned, surprised to see the blonde from the club chasing after her.
"You didn't say goodbye."
Willow frowned, "Sorry. I wasn't aware that I was supposed to."
"I like you, Red. You intrigue me. I'd like to explore that, if you want to?"
"I told you, I don't do things like that," Willow said, wondering if Buffy would still be awake if she dropped by. She had started dropping by most nights to check on the slayer, usually ending up staying over. Her breath caught when she felt a warm hand on her face, her eyes staring into the blonde's.
"I'm not asking you too. I just...I'm tired of being alone. No one here interests me. I'm sick of being bored. You, you amuse me. I do want you, and fully intend to have you in my bed, but it's more than that."
"We only just met," Willow pointed out.
"Have coffee with me," a tempting smile.
"Just coffee?" Willow asked, figuring she could have a cup of coffee with the beautiful blonde before checking on Buffy.
"For now."
"Fine, but just coffee," Willow clarified, not wanting it to go farther. She was not in any position to start a relationship.
"That sounds wonderful," a large smile as a hand was held out.
Willow looked from the hand back to the pretty blonde. Sighing, she took her hand, wondering what she was doing. She had intended to find someone that might have information about Buffy's latest enemy, something to help protect Dawn and the slayer. Instead, she had allowed herself to be picked up by this pretty woman. "My name is Willow."
"Willow? I love that name," the blonde said, walking beside Willow and smiling. "You can call me Glory."
********************
Willow kept her eyes in front of her as she heard the beautiful blonde speak her name. This was Glory? The enemy that wanted Dawn and wanted to kill Buffy? And she was going to have coffee with her! What the hell was she doing? "They have delicious pie here," Glory said as she looked at the diner. "The food is one of the only things that I can tolerate on this plane."
"Plane?" Willow asked, looking at the pretty woman. Trust her to get picked up by the person she was supposed to be researching. She felt so stupid. All that time she had been flirting with the woman that had tried to kill Buffy.
Glory slid into the booth, making a general sweeping motion with her hand, "This existence. That's not important right now. I don't like mortals. Really have no use for them. You pique my curiosity though. You're not like the others, are you?"
Willow shrugged, "I don't know. I'd always thought I was pretty normal."
"You're anything but," Glory said, laughing softly. "Trust me. I've seen millions of humans and none have caught my interest the way that you have."
"Lucky me," Willow said, forcing a smile.
"Tell me everything about yourself," Glory said, her blue eyes studying the redhead. She could sense the slayer on this girl, knew from first spotting her in the club that she must be friends with Buffy. It was only after being face to face with the redhead that she had found her curiosity running away with her. There was something attractive about the green-eyed human. Glory had decided that she could overlook whatever connection Willow had with the slayer. She'd take care of the slayer without using the little twit's friends to get to her.
"I'm twenty," Willow said, her mind still trying to deal with the fact that she was sitting opposite Glory. She should have known not to try to find out information to help Buffy fight the woman. When was she going to learn that her plans never worked. "I go to college here, in my second year. Not really sure what I'm majoring in, but I love history and computers so...."
"And magic," Glory said. "I can smell the magic left over from a recent spell. You're a witch?"
Willow nodded, "You could say that. I've been teaching myself off and on for the past couple of years."
"Why did you look so sad earlier?"
"My best friend recently lost her mother. Shortly after that, my girlfriend moved to the east coast," Willow explained. "It's been a tough couple of weeks."
"Your girlfriend?" Glory asked, eyes sweeping over Willow again. She smiled, her boredom suddenly leaving as she realized she had a single, beautiful woman sitting across from her. Not only that, a girl that enjoyed playing with magic and interested her more than anyone had in hundreds of years.
"Yeah, she went to school back east," Willow said, not liking the calculating look that entered Glory's eyes. She suddenly felt like a bug on a microscope. Seeing the flare of lust enter those blue eyes, she shifted on the seat, not used to such open admiration.
"I want you, Willow. You entertain me and you're so beautiful. I get so bored being alone," Glory said, sighing. "Do you know how lonely eternity can be?"
"Not really," Willow said, frowning. She looked at her watch, making an excuse, "I really need to go. I have a friend that I need to check on."
"I'm scaring you," Glory observed with an amused smile. "You're running back to your little slayer, hoping that she'll keep you safe from me. Honey, she can't keep you safe."
"You know?" Willow whispered, feeling frightened as she saw the steady blue eyes regarding her carefully.
"Sugar, I can smell her scent on you. Thing about slayers, they always stink up the area around them," Glory said with distaste. "I don't mind that she's one of your little friends. You will be mine, sweetie."
"I don't think so," Willow said, shaking her head. "Just coffee, remember?"
"That was then. This is now," Glory said with a smile. "I just thought I'd be honest and tell you my intentions, seeing as you're such an old fashioned creature and all."
"Your intentions?" Willow said, shaking her head. "You were just flirting with me. Trying to get to Buffy."
Glory laughed sharply, "Honey, I can take care of Buffy with my hands tied behind my back. I don't need you to get to her. No, my lovely, this is about you. I've made up my mind, simple as that. I want you with me. You've gotten fair warning. I surely hope you don't fight me on this....too much."
"You're crazy," Willow said, shaking her head. "I'm not going to be with you. I don't care if that's what you want or not. And Buffy? You underestimate her, Glory. She's going to kick your ass."
Glory laughed, "See? There's the spunk that caught my attention. I don't think your admiration of the slayer is justified, but soon you'll see that yourself. Deny it all you want, lovely, but you want me. I know that as sure as we're sitting here. It won't take long before I have you."
"Keep dreaming," Willow said, getting to her feet. She started to leave before she said, "Thank you for the coffee."
Glory just laughed, "Willow, honey, there's something I thought you should know."
Willow looked at the blonde, wondering if she was going to tell Buffy about this coffee outing or just keep it to herself and not worry the slayer anymore. "What?"
"I want you," Glory said again, "and I always get what I want."
Willow gulped, backing away from the blonde's confident gaze. "Sorry...not this time."
Glory watched her leave, smiling as she put her fork in the piece of pie, "We'll see, Willow....we'll see...."
********************
Willow slowly walked up the sidewalk to the porch. She noticed that the downstairs lights were still on, the second floor looking dark. She had left the diner nearly an hour ago. Instead of going straight to Buffy, she had wanted some time to think. She was still confused, having no idea what had happened. She had intended to try to get some information about this Glory person to help Buffy and instead found herself being seduced by the very demon that she had been looking for. Glory's words still echoed in her mind, that promise of finding her and claiming her. Why did something that should frighten her instead make her pulse race? Sure, Glory was an attractive woman. At the club, before Willow had realized who she was, there had been an attraction and some major flirting. But, Willow now knew this was Buffy's enemy, someone that was after Dawn and would stop at nothing to get the key. A hell God or something like that, Willow remembered Buffy saying. How could she have found someone that evil attractive?
And why did she feel guilty for having those thoughts? Willow felt like she had betrayed Buffy by flirting with Glory. That didn't make any sense at all to Willow. And now Glory seemed to have decided that she wanted her. Maybe the blonde had just been talking, wanting to scare her. Willow could understand that. Yet, the look in Glory's eyes had not been threatening. It had been a promise, a mixture of lust and curiosity and need that scared Willow to death. No one had ever looked at her like that, as if she were the answer to all their questions. Willow didn't know what frightened her more, that Glory had just been trying to scare her and meant to use her to get to Buffy and kill the slayer and take Dawn or that Glory had been completely serious and that she believed Willow to be the cure of her boredom in the human realm. Willow had belief that Buffy could slay anything, but, so far, Glory was proving to be very powerful and a tough opponent. Willow couldn't even imagine her world without Buffy in it, and wouldn't even consider the slayer being killed. Either way, Glory seemed certain that she would defeat Buffy, showing no fear at all, instead amusement that the slayer thought she could win. That was a bit unbalancing. Facing a demon that had no fear of the slayer. Even Angelus had been a bit afraid of Buffy, having seen what she could accomplish. Did Buffy stand a chance at winning this fight?
Before Willow could debate an answer, the door was flung open. She blinked as she saw Buffy standing there, framed by the light. Her blonde hair was clouded around her face, her hazel eyes worried and angry and confused. Willow frowned, wondering what had happened. "Buffy."
"Where have you been?" Buffy demanded, moving onto the porch and impulsively hugging her best friend. "I was so worried. Damn it, Willow. You scared me!"
"I'm sorry," Willow said, clearly puzzled as to Buffy's behavior. "How did I scare you?" Buffy didn't answer, instead tightening her hold on the redhead. She inhaled, finding comfort in the familiar scent of Willow. The confused look on her face grew worse as she became aware of Willow's breasts pushed against her own, of her hand on Willow's lower back, of just how close her mouth was to Willow's graceful neck. Buffy pulled back suddenly, turning so that Willow couldn't see the weird look she knew must be on her face. This was Willow, her best friend. She wasn't supposed to be aware of how good she smelled, or how soft her body was or how right it felt to hold her so close. She was just reacting because she had been scared. Yeah, that had to be it. She decided not to explore the idea that she had been having strange feelings for her best friend for the better part of four months, since before Riley had gone, before her mother had died, before Tara and Willow had even broken up. She was just confused, she decided. Mistaking friendship for something more. So much had happened in such a short time.
"Buffy?" Willow questioned as she followed the slayer into the house. She was confused, not having any idea how she could have scared Buffy.
"You weren't here," Buffy finally answered, turning to look at the redhead. "You always come by after I get home from patrol. I've come to expect you by eleven. You were late tonight. I overreacted I guess. I was so worried that someone had taken you, killed you. It hurt. I've lost so much lately. Riley leaving, Mom dying, even Spike moving to LA....I couldn't lose you too."
"You'll never lose me, Buffy," Willow said with an easy smile, finding that she couldn't look away from the clouded confusion covering those beautiful hazel eyes.
"Promise?" Buffy asked, knowing she must sound like a petulant child but not caring. Riley leaving had probably been the best thing for both of them. She still couldn't believe her mother was dead, but knew that no amount of crying or denial could bring her back. It had been nearly a month and she and Dawn were slowly moving past it, though it still hurt like hell to not have her Mom. And Spike, well, strangely enough that one had hurt too. While she hadn't returned his bizarre proclamations of love for her and honestly doubted what he really felt was love, he had become an ally over the last year. In a way, she thought they might have been able to be friends if there hadn't been so much past between them. He had left only a couple of days before, having found her on patrol to tell her that his Gramps needed him and that he was going to LA. She doubted that Angel even knew he was coming, but so far she hadn't heard that Spike had been killed. It had hurt, to look into his blue eyes and see something that might have been love for her and not feel anything at all. She had said some horrible things to him, when he had first admitted everything. She couldn't believe he had still come around after that. She'd been the worst type of bitch. It had surprised her, though. She had lashed out, honestly having never felt anything for him except contempt and hate and admiration and respect. It was the admiration and respect that she believed was behind his ideas of loving her. Had she thought it might be love, she might have reacted differently. No, she decided. He was Spike, a former enemy that had become a friend of sorts. He would never have her heart. She knew that and he must have realized it too. Deciding to go bother Angel rather than stay in Sunnydale wanting something he could never have. It was the best choice for him, Buffy knew. Besides, Angel needed someone to keep him on his toes and Spike would be just the man for that.
"Promise," Willow said, asking, "What's that smile for?"
"Just thinking about Spike and Angel becoming roommates," Buffy said with a slight giggle.
"With the history between them," Willow said, "I think it might be fun to watch."
"God, I'm sorry I acted so silly," Buffy said with a sheepish smile. "I mean, you never even said you were coming by tonight anyway."
"I didn't mean to make you worried," Willow said truthfully. "I'd never want to do that."
"Where were you?" Buffy asked as she sat down, watching Willow sit down on the sofa. She saw Willow's eyes widen as her friend looked at the floor. Uh oh, why did she not like that? "Willow, what happened?"
"I uh went to this little club I heard about. It's not really for humans, you know?" Willow said, watching as Buffy's eyes narrowed. "I got in because of magic. I'm a witch so I'm not exactly human even though I am."
"Why did you go to some demony club?" Buffy asked, knowing that Willow would ramble for hours about being a human and a witch if she allowed it rather than answer her question.
"I was looking for information about Glory, to help you," Willow explained.
Buffy smiled at that, an honest smile, "Really? To help me?" she felt a sharp tug on her heart at Willow's shy smile.
"Yeah," Willow answered back, wondering what she should tell Buffy about Glory.
"Is that why you were late?" Buffy asked.
"Not exactly. See, while I was there, this beautiful woman came over and picked me up," Willow started.
"What?" Buffy said sharply, her tone angry as a wave of jealousy washed over her. "You were late to see me because you were with another woman?"
"Sort of," Willow said, frowning at Buffy. She studied the slayer, clearly confused by Buffy's tone of voice and anger.
"And what? Did she take you in the parking lot? Up against an alley wall? Are you that horny, Will?" Buffy asked, anger making her lash out. She didn't know why she was so upset. She should be glad a beautiful woman had flirted with Willow. Her best friend deserved all the happiness in the world. But, the thought of some woman touching her Willow made her blood boil. She wished she had a demon to kill. Suddenly, she scowled. Her Willow? Since when had Willow become hers? Realization began to dawn on her as she sank back against her chair. She was jealous. Those strange feelings for Willow, the need she felt to be with the redhead, it all began to make sense. She was in love with Willow. She looked at Willow, seeing the struck look on the redhead's pretty voice and felt horrible. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean...."
"We went for coffee," Willow said tightly, not sure what had prompted Buffy into saying those things but not really caring. They must have been on the slayer's mind. "Tara is the only woman that I have ever been with, Buffy. You know that. I've had two lovers in my entire life. I'm not likely to start picking up random strangers at some club that caters to demons. Is that what you think about me? That I'll get horny and go fuck the first person that looks my way?"
"No, of course not," Buffy said, wishing she had kept her mouth shut. "I know that you would never be with someone that you didn't love. I just reacted. I'm sorry."
"Forget about it," Willow said, hurt evident in her green eyes. "It's not worth fighting over. I'd better go."
"You're not staying?" Buffy asked, wishing she could go back and erase what she had said. Why did she do that? Lash out when confronted with emotions that confused her. She had hurt Willow, something she had vowed never to do.
"It's been a long night," Willow said.
"Please stay," Buffy said, looking at the floor. "I didn't mean those things. You know me and my big mouth. I speak without thinking. I was just surprised, I guess."
"Surprised that a beautiful woman would flirt with me?" Willow asked, still hurt that her best friend thought she was some kind of whore.
"No," Buffy said, her mind thinking of all sorts of things to counter that claim with but each one would be admitting to her secret and she didn't want Willow to know that she loved her. Not yet at least. She was still so confused and unsure about it all. What if it wasn't love? She couldn't hurt Willow like that. And besides, Willow might not return her feelings which would hurt even more. "Can we just go to sleep and start over tomorrow? I'm tired and spoke without thinking. I'm sorry."
"I'm tired too," Willow said, sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. "Fine. We can talk tomorrow. I need to be more awake before I tell you more anyway."
"Thank you," Buffy said softly, knowing that she had to get her shit together before she lost Willow completely.
"Is Dawn asleep?" Willow asked as she started up the stairs.
"Yeah. She's having trouble sleeping since Mom died, trying to deal with it all, poor kid," Buffy said.
"You're having to deal with it all too," Willow reminded, looking at her best friend and seeing the circles under her eyes. "You're not sleeping either."
"Yes, I am," Buffy said, adding, "whenever you're here. When you're not, I just can't give in and sleep. I don't know. Your being here makes me feel safe, lets me let go long enough to sleep. Silly, isn't it?"
Willow smiled as Buffy moved towards the bed, touched by the slayer's admission. "It's not silly, Buffy."
Buffy looked at the redhead and smiled as she tossed over a pair of shorts and a tank top. "Here. You can go shower while I get the bed ready. I took my shower after patrol so I think I'll go ahead and lay down."
"Good night," Willow said as she turned to go into the bathroom as Buffy pulled the covers down and began to change into her sleeping clothes. Tomorrow, she'd confess the truth about Glory and the statements the blonde had made while they had had coffee.
********************
Willow was in the shower when Buffy woke up. The blonde slayer could hear the water running, could hear the slight splashing the redhead made while bathing. She closed her eyes and was able to imagine a too vivid picture of her best friend. She could see the water droplets moving across breasts that she knew were small but pert. She figured they would fit perfectly into her hand, could almost feel the hard nipples pressing against her palm. She could see the red curls wet from the shower and maybe something more. Her hazel eyes flew open as she felt a tightening in her stomach. She sat up, a hand shakily running through her hair. She couldn't believe she was laying in bed thinking about Willow. A wet, naked Willow. Bad, Buffy, she scolded herself. Willow's your best friend. That's it. She doesn't want you like that so just push those naughty thoughts from your mind.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed, feeling the plush carpet against her bare feet. She stretched, running the back of her hand over her eyes. She had slept well, nestled against Willow. She hadn't been lying the night before. She seemed to only be able to sleep when laying beside Willow. Thankfully, the redhead had been spending many an evening with her. She didn't know how she would have made it through the past few weeks with Willow. Couldn't imagine her life with the redhead. She pushed away her new feelings for Willow, knowing it was definitely not the time or the place to bring them up. They were too new, too confusing. She had never considered herself gay before, but there was something about Willow that changed all of her ideas about herself. Maybe it was that Willow made her see herself as she had always been. Either way, it was too fresh to share her emotions. She would stay silent until she was one hundred percent positive that it was love and not just need or friendship. Of course, considering her fantasies of late, and the fluttering that was always in her tummy whenever she was beside Willow, she was about ninety-nine percent positive already. But, she had no intention of losing Willow, not when she had lost so much this year. And maybe, just maybe, she could find out if Willow might feel the same way about her.
Willow turned off the shower, leaning her head against the wall as she felt water dripping down her back. She let out a sigh before pulling back, her right hand going to wring out her hair. She reached for the towel, drying herself off as she continued to be lost in thought. She had decided to not mention Glory to Buffy. It wasn't really lying, just more like omitting a truth. She honestly didn't expect to ever see the blonde demigod again unless it was during a fight, so she figured it would be better to remain silent. She really hoped Buffy didn't get too nosy, or she might not be able to keep her resolve not to spill every detail. It just didn't seem necessary. Telling Buffy meant that the slayer would never let her out of her sight, would insist on protecting her just in case Glory was serious, would not be able to concentrate on the task at hand. No, it would be better to just be quiet about it all. With a nod, she brought the towel to her head, working it over her wet hair. When she got most of the water off, she put the towel over the shower curtain to dry. She got dressed, glad that she had started leaving extra clothes in Buffy's room. She didn't like the idea of not having a shower before school. She used some of Buffy's lotion, taking a moment to inhale the sweet scent that reminded her of the slayer. Deciding it would be better to ignore the squidgy feelings that thought brought to her, she put the lotion on her face. Finally finished, she moved to the door, opening it quietly in case Buffy was still sleeping.
She wasn't. The slayer was sitting up on the bed, her hazel eyes watching the bathroom door. Willow saw that her friend had changed into a pair of blue Jean shorts and a blue tank top. Casual but on Buffy it looked elegant. Of course, everything looked good on the slayer. Willow glanced down at her own blue jeans and orange T-shirt, feeling slightly over dressed. Oh well, Buffy could get away with wearing shorts with her tan muscled legs. Willow had pale sticklike legs. Definitely didn't look that good in shorts. She smiled at her friend, "Did I wake you?"
Buffy shook her head, her eyes drinking in the sight of her best friend. She could see the spots where the T-shirt was sticking to the redhead, the faint hint of water turning the orange material a darker color. She almost forgot the question, her eyes tracing every inch of Willow. She saw Willow looking at her and said, "No, I woke up and then heard the shower." "Good. I know you need your sleep," Willow said with a smile as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She leaned over, looking through her backpack until she found her brush. Reaching up, she ran it through her damp hair. She jumped slightly when she felt warm hands taking the brush away from her. She looked at Buffy with a questioning look in her green eyes.
"I'll do that," Buffy said giving what she hoped was a best friendly type of smile. It must have worked because Willow smiled back then looked towards the wall.
Buffy began to brush Willow's hair, letting her fingers run through the silky strands. She could smell vanilla and roses, the scent doing things to her that should have been illegal. She leaned forward slightly, taking a deep breath near Willow's hair. She could feel the red hair brushing against her face and moved back before she made Willow suspicious. She set about brushing her Willow's hair with steady, even strokes. "Does that feel good?"
Willow nodded as she moaned softly, "Yeah...I used to love when Tara brushed my hair."
"It's so soft," Buffy said softly, bringing her cheek to rest against Willow's head. "Smells so good."
Willow froze when she felt the warmth of Buffy's face against her head. She swallowed as her mouth suddenly became dry. Buffy had no idea what that little touch, what her words were doing to her. She could feel her nipples hardening against her cotton bra, her eyes closing as she licked her lips. She could feel Buffy's full breasts pressing against her back, was almost certain she could feel her friend's nipples. Could Buffy possibly be as turned on as Willow? She turned her head slightly, her eyes moving to look at her friend, wanting to see if she could read the answers to her questions. Before she could face Buffy, the door opened and Dawn poked her head inside.
"Willow! I didn't hear you come in last night," Dawn said with a smile. She watched as Buffy's hand fell, the brush resting against the blanket. "Hey Sis. Can we get breakfast today? I'm really wanting something edible."
The moment was lost as Buffy smiled at Dawn, "Are you suggesting that I can't cook?"
"Not suggesting. Stating it as a fact," Dawn said with a wink at Willow.
Willow laughed, "Kids, don't start. Dawny, we'll get breakfast. I'm in the mood for some pancakes myself."
"Is this how it's going to be? You two ganging up on me?" Buffy said, her amusement lightening her words. She saw Willow nod as Dawn laughed and rolled her eyes. Seeing Willow stand, she was suddenly struck with a realization. She was head over heels in love with Willow.
********************
"Someone's been a naughty naughty girl."
Willow looked up from her book, her eyes widening as she looked at the beautiful blonde smiling at her. "Wh..what are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, of course," Glory said in a matter of fact way.
"Me?" Willow squeaked, looking around to make sure no one was watching her. Luckily, the university library was rather deserted.
"Really, Willow. Why else would I be at this place if not for you?" Glory asked.
"This isn't a good idea. You're not supposed to be here," Willow said, trying to rationalize things.
"Oh, did I miss out on a rule book or something?" Glory asked in amusement. She smiled, already feeling better than she had in the last two days and she'd only been with Willow for a few minutes. "Too bad that I never play by the rules."
"Stop that," Willow said, trying to pull her hand away from the blonde demigod. Her eyes closed briefly as Glory ran her tongue over her palm, nipping at a finger and almost purring.
"Have you thought of me, Willow-mine?" Glory asked, her voice seductive. "As you lay in your bed, do you imagine me beside you? My hands on your breasts, your stomach, your wetness. Do you play with yourself wishing it were my fingers instead of your own? Kneading those beautiful breasts while thinking of me. I do, love. Every night since meeting you, I move against my hand with my eyes closed and your face in my mind. It's your name that I scream as I cum, you that affects me so."
"Stop it," Willow whispered, her nipples hard and a wetness growing in her panties as Glory's soft voice hypnotized her. "Please, just go."
"I can't go, Willow. You've claimed me. I have to have you," Glory said. "It's becoming a bit of an obsession, I'm afraid. I'm quite at a loss, honestly. I've never felt like this before, not really sure what to do. I just had to see you, to see if you wanted me as much as I want you."
"I don't," Willow said, pulling her hand away. "You need to stop this. It's not doing anyone any good."
"It could do us both a world of good," Glory said, winking. "Think about it, love. My face buried your sweet thighs, my tongue tasting your sweet juices while my hands caress your beautiful breasts and ass. You have such a glorious ass, Willow. Has anyone ever taken you there or will I be the first?"
"I'm not listening," Willow said, her breathing slightly hitched.
"Have you ever taken an entire fist, Willow? All five fingers stretching you so wide, touching you in places you can't imagine. Have you ever fucked a demon? A true demon? We can do things that will boggle your mind, sweetness. I can be as rough as you want or as gentle as you fantasize about. It's entirely up to you. Everyday will be an adventure for us," Glory promised, moving her legs together as she felt a tingle. She inhaled, smiling as she smelled arousal. "You want it, Willow. It scares you to death, but you want it. You want to shatter from my touch, you want to go places that no one else could ever take you."
"No," Willow whispered softly, knowing that she was lying. All she could think of was laying on her back, her legs spread, as Glory's fist thrust into her or kneeling and pushing back against a large dildo as Glory took her anal virginity. What was happening to her? Neither Tara nor Oz had ever made her feel like this. She was beyond horny, every nerve ending on edge, her panties soaking, her nipples hard. And they hadn't even touched.
"Have you told your slayer about us?" Glory asked, watching as Willow shook her head. "Why not? Scared that she won't save you? Or that she will?"
"She has enough to worry about," Willow said, sighing.
"Ah, I see," Glory said, shaking her head. "It's too bad she's the slayer. For you, I would have allowed her to join us. Think of that, pretty one. Feasting on her as I fuck you into next week. Maybe have her tied up for your enjoyment, you fucking her until she forgets who she is. We could have such fun together. Have you fucked her, yet, Willow?" "No," Willow said, her mind still on the image of playing with a Buffy that was tied to a bed with Glory buried deep inside her as she played. "Buffy's not like that..."
"But you love her," Glory said, her tone giving no arguments. "I will kill her if she tries to keep you from me. For you, I would share, but you are going to be mine. If she comes after me, she will fail."
"She'll destroy you," Willow said.
Glory laughed, "Your loyalty is refreshing still. We shall see who wins this fight, won't we?"
"Please, just leave me alone," Willow said, her eyes clouded with arousal and desire.
"Can't do that," Glory said, moving in to claim Willow's mouth.
Willow couldn't believe she was sitting in the library kissing Glory. And she didn't want to stop. She felt fingers on the outside of her jeans, rubbing at her as they kissed. She whimpered low in her throat as she felt an ache for more. She needed contact. Needed to cum. She groaned out as Glory pulled back, the blonde straightening her hair and smiling.
"Remember that tonight when you try to sleep, Willow," Glory said with a wink as she turned and disappeared into the shelves.
Willow moved to sit down, resting her head on the table as she asked herself what she had gotten herself into.
********************
"Hey you."
Buffy looked up and smiled as she saw Willow approach her, "Hey there."
"Why are you sitting out here all alone?" Willow asked as she moved to sit beside her friend, leaning back against the tree as her green eyes watched the passing students.
"Waiting for you," Buffy said, closing her book. "I knew you'd be getting out of class soon. Thought we might have some lunch."
"Lunch would be good," Willow said, making no move to stand. It felt nice to just sit and feel the sun on her face.
"You want to see a movie tonight?" Buffy asked, her eyes looking at a group of students studying beside the fountain. "Dawn is sleeping over with a friend from school and I thought you might want to get out of the house."
"A movie would be nice," Willow said with a smile. "Did you want to get some dinner afterwards?"
It was Buffy's turn to smile as she felt her nervousness fade. Why was she nervous? This was just Willow. Just two friends hanging out together, going to a movie and getting some dinner. Why, then, did she feel like she had just asked Willow for a date? And the redhead had said yes. Her smile widened, "Dinner sounds good."
"Let's go get some lunch before our next class starts," Willow said, finally getting to her feet. She held out a hand, helping Buffy up.
"I thought we could get something to go then maybe eat outside," Buffy suggested, slinging her book bag over her shoulder. "It's such a pretty day."
"It is, isn't it?" Willow smiled. "Makes me wish that it was Saturday and we didn't have class."
"You know, all I have in history today is more lecturing," Buffy said, raising an eyebrow and looking at her friend.
"That's all I have schedule in Lit today. Lecture with some reading," Willow remarked, smiling. "We could cut, if we wanted."
"I want," Buffy said, her hazel eyes looking over Willow swiftly before looking ahead. "We can run home and change. Maybe make some sandwiches for a picnic."
"That sounds better than greasy hamburgers," Willow said, following her friend off campus and towards home.
********************
Willow laughed as she followed Buffy towards the porch. They had gone to a movie, seeing some silly action movie that had no plot but cute guys battling evil beings. It had been amusing and they'd laughed a lot. After the movie, they had gone to a nearby cafe, sitting for nearly two hours just talking and eating. It had been nice, the first time they'd been out together since Joyce had died and Tara had left. She almost hated for it to end. She had decided midway through the outing to ignore the little tingly feelings that were in her tummy every time that Buffy touched her. This was just Buffy, her best friend. She should not be having these thoughts about her. She definitely should not be thinking about the taste of the slayer's lips or how soft her skin was. Nope, those were bad thoughts.
Buffy walked up the stairs and rested on the edge of the railing. She smiled, her eyes looking over Willow. She found her eyes tracing Willow's lips, an action that was becoming almost normal lately. She'd been to several dozen movies with Willow since they had become friends back five years before. Never had she been more aware of the heat that her friend gave off, of the soft smells of Willow's shampoo and lotion, or of the sounds that Willow made, the sighs and giggles and groans. Needless to say, she couldn't remember anything from the movie. She vaguely remembered some explosions and something having its head explode, but that was about it. Now, she could give in explicit detail every action that Willow had made, from how many times she had eaten popcorn to when she had opened her candy.
"I'm so glad you had such a wonderful idea," Willow said with a smile as she sat in the chair on Buffy's porch. "I do have them sometimes," Buffy said, smiling wryly.
"It just happens so rarely, they always surprise me," Willow said, laughing as Buffy glared at her.
"So now you're dissing me," Buffy said, shaking her head. "This is just because I took the last M&M isn't it?"
"Yep. I told you I'd get my revenge," Willow said with a smile.
"You staying over tonight?" Buffy asked as subtly as she could.
"I don't know," Willow shrugged. "I haven't slept at home in a couple of weeks."
"You should just move in here," Buffy said, her eyes widening slightly as she realized she had spoken her thoughts out loud.
"You want me to move in?" Willow said quietly, looking at the street as she thought about it.
"Well, I mean, you're here most the time anyway," Buffy explained, feeling so stupid. "And we have a spare room just going to waste."
"I don't know," Willow said softly. "It sounds like a good idea. I do hate being alone all the time. Let me think about it."
"Yeah, sure," Buffy said, smiling a hopeful smile as she got to her feet. She asked, "So, staying tonight or is this good-bye?"
"If you don't mind," Willow said, "I'll stay."
Buffy smiled as she helped Willow to her feet. "Cool. We can watch a movie or something. It's still pretty early."
"That sounds good," Willow said with a smile. She was caught off guard when Buffy hugged her, the blonde brushing her lips over her cheek.
"I love you, Willow," Buffy whispered, closing her eyes briefly before pulling back and smiling a bright, friendly smile. "Come on, let's go get comfy."
As the two girls walked inside, a figure appeared from behind a tree in the neighbor's yard. Glory scowled, her eyes narrowed as she watched the lights turn on inside the slayer's house. She had caught sight of Willow and the slayer nearly two blocks from the house she was now standing in front of. Willow hadn't even noticed her following, too caught up laughing with the slayer bitch. She shook her head, wondering again if being in this realm was driving her insane. She was obsessing over some little human, a friend of the slayer. There was just something about the redhead that got to her. She had realized just that evening that she hadn't even thought about the key in two days, the redhead taking up most of her spare thoughts. She hadn't like that realization. The key was the only thing important to her. She had to go home. She hated this place. A slow smile crossed her face as she turned to leave, looking back and whispering, "You want to play, slayer? I can play...Winner gets Willow."
********************
Buffy scowled as she looked at the eggs. They didn't' look right. When her mother had cooked them, they had always been yellow and puffy. These looked dry and rather inedible. She sighed, deciding that they would have to do. She had already gone through a carton of the damn things, burning most of them to a blackened mess. Cooking was not her forte at all. She dumped the scrambled eggs onto the plate and put the pan back on the stove. She glanced at the toaster and saw that the bread was up. She picked up the first piece, glancing around before using the knife to scrape away the burned part. The other slice didn't look that bad. She put them on the plate beside the eggs and moved to the microwave. Finally, something she hadn't messed up. The bacon was crispy and cooked. She placed the four strips of bacon next to the messy looking eggs. She put the plate on the tray, moving it until it looked just right next to the flower and glass of orange juice. She grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured it half full with coffee. Looking at the tray, she smiled. She'd remembered everything, even a fork and a napkin.
She picked up the tray and left the kitchen. She stopped in the living room, picking up the newspaper and tucking it under her arm. She then headed towards the stairs. Last night, she and Willow had gone to a movie. It had seemed so much like a date that she had wanted to kiss her friend goodnight. That wasn't good at all. But, Buffy had enjoyed the night more than any she could remember in years. Willow had stayed over again, sitting up with her until nearly three in the morning just talking about nothing in particular. Buffy had slept for over three hours straight, the redhead cuddled up next to her. Buffy had to smile as she remembered the warmth of her friend, wondering if Willow had any idea that she tended to cuddle while she slept.
Buffy entered her room, stopping in the doorway as she simply looked at Willow. Even in sleep, she was so beautiful. Buffy moved quietly into the room, setting the tray on the floor before moving to sit on the edge of her bed. Without thinking, she moved her fingers softly along Willow's face. She traced her friend's lips before moving down her chin. She hesitated when she reached the collar of Willow's cotton tank, her hazel eyes looking at the swell of the redhead's breasts pushing against the fabric. She saw hard nipples pushing against the cotton, wondering if they were caused by Willow's dreaming, the cold or by her touch. She was finding it increasingly difficult to be around Willow without touching. Ever since she had finally realized that her feelings for the redhead surpassed those of friendship, she found her eyes moving over the girl's body in appreciation, bringing forth lusty images and tingles that she hadn't felt in years. Buffy looked at Willow's face, seeing that the other girl was still asleep.
She felt a moment of guiltiness at touching her friend while she slept. She pushed it away as she gave into temptation. Her thumb brushed against Willow's nipple, her eyes watching as Willow's mouth opened in her sleep, a soft moan coming from between those perfect lips. Buffy smiled, licking her lips as her fingers closed around Willow's breast, squeezing gently. Willow moved in her sleep, arching her body towards the warmth. Buffy felt a slight wave of fear at her reaction and her actions. She was molesting her best friend while the girl slept. There was no excuse for her actions. Not even the love she felt for Willow could excuse this. Yet, she couldn't move her hand away. She was drawn to Willow's mouth, needing to taste the redhead. Buffy leaned over, her hand leaving Willow's breast to rest on the bed and provide support for her. She ever so gently brushed her lips against Willow's, resisting the urge to deepen the kiss. She felt Willow stirring under her, sitting up quickly and smoothing her hair in a nervous gesture.
Buffy got to her feet, not wanting Willow to be suspicious. She could see explaining to her friend why she had practically been raping her as she slept. She had a flash of Willow naked and chained to her bed, completely at her mercy and felt herself wetten. Good God, she was starting to frighten herself. She'd never felt such intense emotions for anyone, not even Angel. She needed Willow, wanted her, craved her, loved her. Buffy watched as Willow's eyes opened, blinking a few times before settling on her. A smile crossed Willow's face and Buffy felt even more guilty for what she had done.
"You're up early," Willow said, smiling at her friend.
"Yeah," Buffy said, bending down and picking up the tray. With a smile, she said, "Look. I made you breakfast in bed."
Willow looked at the tray then back at Buffy's face. With a smile, she said, "Ah, honey. You shouldn't have."
"Wait until you eat those eggs," Buffy said, moving towards the bed and putting the tray on Willow's lap. "You'll be wishing that I hadn't."
Willow looked at the eggs in question and laughed, "Aren't they supposed to be yellow?"
"Just shut up and eat," Buffy said, taking her former place beside the redhead as her eyes watched Willow.
********************
"Well, well. It looks like the slayer let you out alone for once."
Willow froze at the voice. She hadn't heard it in nearly a week, had convinced herself that Glory had forgotten her and given up whatever she had been planning. She turned, saying, "Buffy doesn't control me."
Glory snorted, her hand moving through her thick hair, "Could have fooled me, lover. It seems little miss slayer controls just about everything. Didn't realize you were so submissive, Willow. I gave you too much credit, I guess."
"You're nuts," Willow said, turning to walk away. She cried out when she felt a hand on her upper arm.
Glory turned Willow to face her, leaning forward as her eyes lovingly looked over Willow's face, "You're not going anywhere yet, Willow. I'm not finished with you."
"You're hurting me," Willow said, cringing.
"You don't like to be hurt?" Glory asked innocently, moving her body closer to Willow's as she tightened her hold. "It can be such fun, pretty pet. I would have thought the slayer got off on pain."
"Let me go," Willow said, feeling Glory's breasts pressed against her own. Before, the flirting had seemed playful, harmless almost. Now, looking into Glory's blue eyes, she felt fear. Why had she ever gone to that club in the first place?
"I'll never let you go, Willow. I told you before, you're mine. You let that bitch touch you, didn't you? I bet you spread those legs and let her bury her face between your thighs. Naughty little bitch, cumming all over the slayer's pretty little face. Did she fist you, pet? Ram her entire hand up your tight cunt while you writhed around and begged for more? I bet she used toys, didn't she? She looks like a girl that likes to fuck. I'd wager she had a big piece of plastic that she used on you. Probably fucked your cunt then your ass then your mouth. Pretty little mouth. Did you make her cum? Did you feast on slayer juices as she rode your tongue? She came screaming your name and you kept right on sucking, tonguing her clit until she finally pushed you off. My little spitfire, did you fuck her tight ass? Fuck her so hard she couldn't sit the next day? Goddess, you're so wet," Glory whispered, her right hand having snaked its way into Willow's pants, her left still holding on tight as she spoke. "Did she make you feel like this? So alive and aroused and needy?"
"We never," Willow's breath caught as Glory's fingers entered her tightness. She whimpered as the demigod's mouth found hers, fingers moving deeper into her as Glory's thumb danced across her clit. Glory's words had aroused her so much. All her thoughts about Buffy verbalized. Her nipples were so hard, pressing against the fabric of her bra as she moved against Glory's hand. Glory's fingers brought her to orgasm as Willow cried out.
Glory pulled back, blue eyes studying the flushed face in front of her, "If you ever let her touch you, I'll take you to my world, tie you up open and let every demon that I can find fuck you until you're unconscious and maybe even more afterwards. Then, I'll lick you clean of the blood and cum until you're begging for more. Do you understand? I don't share, especially not with that bitch."
"I'm not scared of you," Willow said, gasping as she more pain in her arm.
"You should be, Willow pet," Glory said, an indulgent smile on her pretty face. "You see, I will not stop until you're mine. Anything that I do to you, I can make you enjoy. I'd rather not be forced into proving that, but I will if needed. Come to me willingly, and there will be no extreme pain. Fight me, and I promise that you will see your little bitch friend die before becoming mine. I wonder if pretty little slayer bitch could handle fucking a dozen demons. Ramming their huge cocks into her tight little pussy and ass and mouth until she's bleeding. Sad thing for a slayer to die after bleeding to death from being gang raped by demons, wouldn't you say?" Glory said with a smile, letting Willow know her threat.
"Leave her alone," Willow said, any attraction she had previously felt for this woman leaving as she was faced into realizing that the flirting had just concealed a monster.
"We'll see," Glory said, leaning over and brushing her lips against Willow's as the redhead turned her head. She laughed, "You can't escape me, Willow. I am your life, your future. Soon, you will be mine."
"Leave me alone," Willow whispered, hating herself for having become involved with this demon. "Please, just leave me alone."
"Save the begging, pretty pet," Glory said, releasing Willow's arm. "You'll be doing enough of it later."
Willow slid to the floor of the alley, tears on her face as she realized she was in way over her head this time.
********************
Willow entered her new house, a hand quickly checking her hair and then running over her face. She knew she must look horrid. She had been crying for nearly an hour. Her eyes were red and her cheeks stained by tears. She didn't know why she was crying. It wasn't as if it was going to help. It didn't even make her feel any better. It just seemed an instant reaction to such a hopeless situation. Even now, thinking about Glory and the threats, Willow felt tears threatening to flow. What was worse than anything was that this entire situation was her fault. She could have walked out of that club and not taken the invitation for coffee. Hell, she could have told Buffy first thing. Instead, she had gotten a bit of a thrill at having someone want her. She had felt attractive again, wanted. It had been nice though a bit scary. Now, after tonight, she just felt defeated. If she had protested even once, she could have told herself that it had been rape. She hadn't though. She'd simply leaned back and let Glory's fingers fuck her silly. She had almost begged for it.
That's what scared her most of all. Glory had told her before that anything she did to her, she could have her begging for more. Willow had to recognize that the words had a ring of truth to them. She didn't understand why she reacted so easily to Glory, but she had to accept that she felt more alive around the God. She would like to blame it on mind control, to believe that Glory forced her to feel this attraction. It seemed like such a weak argument though. No one could force her into becoming aroused. Even tonight, when listening to Glory, Willow had been so wet. She had been threatened in the most vile way and she had been aroused. She hated that, hated herself. Hated that she had gotten Buffy involved in Glory's stupid game. She couldn't live with herself if anything happened to Buffy because of her. She just didn't know how to fight Glory.
How was one supposed to refuse a God? She had read stories before, mythology and history of cultures, of gods and their lust for mortals. Never once had she read of a mortal successfully escaping a God's lust. True, Glory was a different kind of God. Also true that she hadn't read or studied such stories before so there might be dozens with different endings. Right now, all she could think of was Glory winning. She didn't want that at all. She had no feelings for the blonde except hatred and fear. OK. So there was a bit of an attraction that confused her and clouded her mind. That didn't outweigh the fear. Willow knew that Glory would not stop, though. For some reason, the woman had decided that she had to possess Willow. That Willow was going to be hers. What could she do to stop that from happening? Was there anything she could except either get all of her friends killed while resisting or simply give in and hope that Glory would leave everyone she loved alone once she had what she wanted?
Willow entered her room, thankful that she had not run into Buffy or Dawn. She'd hate to explain why she was so upset. She flinched as she imagined Buffy's reaction when she revealed who the mysterious blonde from the club had been and about her current obsession. The only good thing that seemed to have come lately was that Glory was so preoccupied with stalking her, the key seemed to have been forgotten. Dawn was safe for the time being. Willow fell back on her bed, green eyes looking at the ceiling as she became lost in thought.
Outside, Glory leaned against a familiar tree, her eyes watching the light upstairs. She could feel Willow slightly, the taste and scent of the girl still covering her hand. She inhaled the sweet aroma, her tongue licking her finger as she wished it still held the girl's juices. She had scared Willow that night, she knew. That was what she had wanted. For some odd reason, the redhead seemed to have forgotten just who she was playing with. She seemed to actually believe that she had a chance of resisting. Glory laughed softly, wondering why Willow didn't understand that it wasn't the question of whether or not she would become hers, it was a question of when. Frankly, Glory could feel her patience starting to fade. She wanted Willow. She wasn't accustomed to waiting for what she wanted. Add that damn key and there were two things that were annoyingly elusive. While she could do nothing about the key, there was plenty she could do about Willow. Images taunted her mind causing her to smile. The smile faded as a frown crossed her pretty faces. "Not now," she groaned, her eyes closing as she leaned forward slightly. Straightening up, dark eyes looked around in confusion. Where was he? Ben frowned as he turned and headed down the street, away from the tree and whatever mischief *she* had been up to.
********************
Buffy studied Willow from beneath lowered lashes as the she moved her straw in her drink. They had met Anya and Xander at the Bronze for a before patrol drink and some relaxing time. Only, she wasn't relaxing. Something was on Willow's mind. She knew the redhead well enough to see it. She just had no idea what it could be. And, it seemed that Willow wasn't ready to talk about it. She sighed before leaning down and taking a drink. Unrequited love was a bitch, she decided. She was Willow's best friend, which gave her some rights and privileges. Unfortunately, it didn't give her permission to pry or insist that Willow talk to her. True, she could try, but she knew that Willow would just smile and tell her that everything was perfect. It was damn annoying.
"Buffy, they're dead," Xander said stoically.
"Huh?" Buffy looked up, blinking as she was dragged from her thoughts.
"Your ice," he pointed, a smile crossing his face, "you've managed to slay them."
With a glance down she saw that the cubes had melted quickly due to her energetic stirring, a sheepish smile crossing her face as she said, "Would you believe that they were evil and had plans to take over the town?"
Willow laughed softly as she shook her head, "Sorry, slayer. That theory doesn't wash."
"Honey, I want to dance," Anya said, seeing from Buffy's obvious discomfort that she didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering her. Willow had been quiet all night too, making for a rather boring evening out. She saw Buffy shoot her a grateful smile and felt a small smile cross her face in response. It was rather strange, sharing secret smiles with someone she called friend.
"Sure," Xander said, taking a quick gulp from his soda before following his lover onto the small dance floor.
"Anya must be real bored if she actually wants Xander to dance," Willow said with an amused smile as she watched her friends begin to dance.
"Yeah," Buffy said, deciding that if Willow could give her one word responses all day then she could do the same. Let her worry for a change. She had woken up by five, going for an early morning run before heading home to shower and get dressed. By seven, she had cereal and orange waiting for Dawn and Willow. Her sister had eaten then run to catch her bus. Willow had smiled but hardly spoken the remainder of the day. They'd met for lunch, a new routine over the past few weeks. Again, she'd carried most of the conversation while Willow had spoken up every little bit when she wasn't staring into space with a thoughtful statement on her pretty face. When Xander had called to ask them to the Bronze, she'd honestly expected Willow to refuse.
Willow looked at Buffy, waiting for more. When Buffy just leaned back and watched the dancers, she frowned. It wasn't like Buffy to not elaborate. She pushed her problems with Glory to the side for the moment as she asked softly, "Is everything OK, Buff?"
"Perfect," Buffy said with a fake smile as she kept her hazel eyes on Anya and Xander. She rolled her eyes as Xander gave them a big wave before Anya pushed his arm back down.
Willow felt her lips twitch as she sighed dramatically, "I don't think I've been that bad today. You have to be exaggerating."
Buffy glanced at her, raising her eyebrow as she said, "Nope."
"Buffy, quit that," Willow said, trying to conceal a giggle without success, "I'm sorry I've been distracted today, but I know I've said more than one word. Your point has been made."
"What point?" Buffy blinked innocently though a smile crossed her face, "I never said a word."
"I know you," Willow reminded with a smile.
"Yeah, you do," Buffy's smile softened as she looked at Willow with love before looking away. "Anything I can help you with?"
"No," Willow shook her head, "just some things I need to work out for myself. I'm sorry if I worried you."
"It's OK. I worry pretty easily lately," Buffy admitted, poking her drink with her straw as the band began a new set.
"Come on," Willow took her friend's hand as she stood, a smile on her face as Buffy looked at her with a questioning look. "I want to dance."
"With me?" Buffy tried to hide her surprise and happiness though a large smile covered her face.
"Why not?" Willow asked with a shrug.
"Yeah," Buffy stood, her fingers curling around Willow's hand as she led the redhead to the dance floor beside Anya and Xander, "Why not?"
********************
Willow looked at Buffy and smiled shyly, wondering what had possessed her to ask the slayer to dance. At the time, it had seemed absolutely normal. Now, though, standing on the dance floor, there could definitely be a moment of awkwardness. The music was fast with a good beat, some band that she couldn't identify. She watched Buffy begin to move, acting as if their dancing together was something that happened all the time. With a smile, Willow followed her best friend's example, deciding she was thinking too much. She had been a lot of that lately. She began to move, laughing as Xander and Anya moved to their side, the four of them dancing in a bit of a square. Then, the music changed.
A sultry voice began to sing about love and want, the music changing to a haunting tune. She looked at Buffy from under her lashes, expecting the slayer to move to sit. Instead, Buffy was looking at her, watching. She glanced over and saw Anya and Xander dancing closely, Anya's head on Xander's shoulder, her eyes closed. They looked happy, caught up in their own world. She felt a hand on hers, knowing that it was Buffy. She looked at her friend, giving her a smile as she allowed herself to be pulled closer towards the blonde. Their bodies fit perfectly, Willow being just slightly taller than her friend. She felt Buffy's hand move behind her back, resting above her butt. Just a little lower and Buffy would be touching...stop it, Willow, she scolded herself. Now was not the time or the place to begin getting squidgy feelings for her best friend. She counted to ten, calming her nerves as she tried to figure out where to put her hands.
"Willow, just dance," Buffy said softly, feeling the tension in her friend.
Willow sighed as she let her hand rest on Buffy's hip, the other laying across the slayer's shoulder. She moved closer, not thinking about the soft fullness of Buffy's breasts brushing against hers, about the smell of peaches and vanilla that surrounded Buffy, about anything except the music. They began to move slowly, Buffy's warm breath against her neck, the blonde's hand on her hip, fingers holding her through the thin material of her shirt. Willow let her head fall, her cheek on Buffy's shoulder as they moved closer, the music making them move. Willow's eyes closed as they danced, not noticing when Buffy's hand drifted down her back, resting on the soft swell of her ass. Nor did she noticed Buffy laying her head against her shoulder, a small smile on the blonde's face as they moved.
Someone else did notice though. Across the room, a glass broke. Glory stood up, moving towards the dance floor. She ignored the cuts on her hand made from the breaking glass, her eyes focused on the two girls swaying to the erotic music. She'd warned Willow to stay away from Buffy. Threatened her. Yet, here they were, dancing together in front of the entire world. Did Willow doubt the sincerity of her threats? Was she not aware of who she was playing with? Well, Glory decided, if she didn't know before, she certainly would now. The gloves were coming off. It was time to win this silly game, slayer be damned.
Glory smiled as she turned, her eyes flashing gold as she moved towards the entrance. She'd spent enough time waiting, seducing. She'd never been one for games. It was time to find that damn key and get out of this world. She was tired of it all. The smell, the people, the air. It all bothered her. Soon, she would be home. Away from the stench of humans. She glanced back at the dance floor, easily finding Willow. With a soft laugh, she whispered, "Enjoy the dance now, Willow. Soon, we'll be going home," before turning and leaving, the door shutting silently behind her.
********************
"I don't know. I think things have been too quiet lately," Buffy was saying, shaking her head as the four walked through the park.
"Is there such a thing as too quiet?" Xander asked, shaking his head. "No, there isn't."
"No Glory news is good news, isn't it?" Anya asked, watching as Buffy shrugged.
"I don't know. I tend to think that the quieter they are, the more you have to fear," Buffy made a face. "She could be working on some huge plan and we wouldn't even know it."
"Way to think positive happy thoughts there, Buff," Xander scolded. "Bad slayer."
"I won't be happy or positive until the bitch is gone," Buffy said, sighing. "This not knowing what to expect is getting to me."
"She won't get the key," Willow said softly, not using Dawn's name for fear of being overheard. "We'll keep it safe."
"I know," Buffy smiled at her friend, wondering if Willow had felt anything like she had during their dance. If so, the redhead was good at hiding it. "I just don't like having someone around that is a threat to my friends and family. Makes me feel, I don't know, helpless."
"You're not even close to helpless, Buffy," Willow assured her as they reached the end of their block. "Night Xander, Anya."
Xander hugged her and Buffy before he and Anya continued down the street to their apartment. Buffy and Willow continued to walk silently.
"So," Buffy started just as Willow said, "well," Both girls laughed as they reached their house.
"You go," Willow said, smiling at Buffy.
"I was just going to see if you wanted to watch a movie, make some popcorn," Buffy smiled hopefully. "It's kind of early."
"That might be fun," Willow said, wondering why there were both acting so strange. "If Dawn is up, she can join us."
"Her room's dark, but I doubt she's sleeping," Buffy said, moving to open her front door. She looked down and frowned, "What's this?"
"What's what?" Willow asked, looking at the box the slayer held. Buffy opened it, showing a dozen blood red roses. "Wow."
"I'll second that," Buffy said, reaching into the box. "Ow," she cried out as her finger brushed against a thorn. She lifted her hand, seeing the blood. "They have thorns."
A feeling of apprehension spread over Willow as she carefully pulled out the card, closing her eyes briefly as she saw the blank envelope. She opened them as she tore open the envelope. Reading, she shook her head slowly. It simply said, Red~It's almost time. Are you ready for me?
"What is it?" Buffy asked, seeing the color fade from Willow's face. "Willow, honey, what does it say?"
"Nothing," she said, hastily wadding the card up and putting in her pocket. She gave Buffy a pained smile, "It was the wrong house," she lied, "meant for some other girl."
Buffy watched as Willow took the box, entering the house and going straight to the kitchen. She followed behind, confusion on her face as she watched Willow push the box into the trash. "Why are you throwing them out?"
"They're bad," Willow said, looking at Buffy, wishing she could explain. Instead, she just shook her head, "Just trust me, Buffy. We don't want them."
"OK," Buffy said hesitantly, knowing that Willow was lying to her. Someone had sent Willow flowers that she now wanted destroyed. What had that card said? Why was Willow lying? Who had sent the redhead flowers? She sighed, knowing she would not get any answers from the stubborn look of resolve in Willow's eyes.
"You're still bleeding," Willow said, moving to take Buffy's hand. "We should put something on that."
"It's just a scratch. A small one at that," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. She moved to the sink, "I'll run some cold water on it to clean it out."
As she lifted her hand, she stumbled, her vision blurring as the world began to tilt. She saw Willow, heard her voice, then the world went black. "Buffy!" Willow yelled, moving to where the slayer lay. She put her head down, hearing a heartbeat. She looked around, not sure who to call. Had she just fainted? Was there something else wrong? Before she could move, the phone was ringing. She stumbled to her feet, picking it up, "Hello?"
"Miss me?"
She closed her eyes as she heard the voice, knowing instantly, "What did you do to her?"
"Aw, little slayer had a fall," Glory said, laughing softly.
"What did you do?" Willow demanded, tears on her face as she looked at the unconscious blonde.
"I warned you, Willow. What's mine stays mine," Glory said, her tone sharp. "Did you not understand?"
"Please, what did you do?"
"Did you like the flowers? I knew that bitch would reach without looking first," Glory said, a note of triumph in her voice. "Should know she might not like what she finds."
"The thorns...you put something on them...was it poison?" Willow asked.
"You're not listening to me, too busy thinking of *her*," Glory said. "Who do you belong to, Willow?"
Willow remained silent, watching as Buffy breathed slowly, not sure if her best friend was now going to die because of her.
"Willow....answer me," Glory taunted in a sing song voice.
"You. I belong to you," Willow said in defeat, knowing that she couldn't resist if it meant that Buffy might die.
"If there is a next time, she won't be waking up. Consider this your free pass, Willow," Glory warned before hanging up.
Willow slid down the cabinet, letting the receiver fall as she pulled her knees to her chest and began to sob as Buffy moaned softly.
********************
Buffy slowly opened her eyes, wondering how she had ended up on the floor. She didn't remember falling. She heard crying behind her and turned her head. Whoa, too fast, she scolded herself. She saw Willow leaning against the kitchen cabinet crying. "Willow?"
Willow looked up, relief in her green eyes as she crawled towards Buffy, "Are you OK? Do you feel OK?"
"I'm fine, just a bit groggy," Buffy said truthfully. "What happened?"
"You fainted," Willow said, her hand moving along her friend's face. "You feel like you have fever. We need to get you to bed."
Buffy closed her eyes as images flooded her mind at Willow's innocent comment. Good grief, she turning into a pervert. Taking everything Willow said and turning it into some debauched fantasy. But, she decided with a faint smile, there were far worse things to be than perverted. She felt Willow's hands on her, felt her flesh become more heated as the girl tried to soothe her, "I fainted?"
"You must be sick," Willow said, feeling a twinge of guilt. This was the perfect time to tell Buffy the truth. Tell her that she had poisoned because they had danced, because she had forgotten for one moment that some insane bitch thought she owned her, because she was falling in love with her. Instead, all that came out were lies. She was horrible, lying to the girl that she loved. Not telling her that Glory had made things personal. Not warning her that she was in danger every time they touched or spent time together. No, being honest would mean that Buffy would push her away. That she would lose the most important thing in her life. She couldn't do that, couldn't risk that. She dropped her hand when she realized that she was touching Buffy. Glory could be watching. She might be insuring Buffy's death from the innocent gesture. She was at a loss. What could she do?
"I don't feel sick," Buffy frowned when Willow moved her hand, aching for the touch.
"It could have been something you ate," Willow suggested with a soft sigh. "I was so scared, when you fell. I thought you were dead."
"I wouldn't leave you, Wills," Buffy said, giving her a smile.
"It hurt, Buffy," Willow confessed softly, catching her friend's eyes. "I felt as if I were dying, too."
"Willow," Buffy started to tell her that she loved her, but she knew it would be misunderstood, taken to mean friendship.
"We need to get you to bed," Willow said again, getting to her feet before she said something she couldn't take back. "You need to rest."
"So, you're my doctor now?" Buffy said, her lips twitching as she slowly got to her feet, standing still until the room stopped spinning.
"Yep. Someone has to take care of you, after all," Willow said, her voice making it sound like a chore.
"I'm glad that someone is you," Buffy said softly, looking at Willow with a tender statement.
"Me too," Willow gave her a small smile as she helped the slayer upstairs.
********************
The sky was a mixture of orange and red as the sun began to rise. A cool chill hung in the early morning air as Willow made her way through the empty streets. She had left Buffy sleeping, the slayer more affected by the poison that she had originally thought. She just prayed that Glory hadn't been lying, that Buffy would be OK. She actually did believe the demon, though, knowing that this had just been another one of Glory's games. Something to prove to Willow that she was powerless to protect the people she loved. She had spent all night thinking, watching Buffy sleep, wondering how she had allowed herself to get into such a mess, wondering how she was going to get out of it. She had finally made a decision, a small one, but a decision nonetheless.
She had gotten up early, waking Dawn for school and explaining to the girl that Buffy had gotten sick the previous night. Once she was sure that Dawn was ready for school, she had left the house, making sure that Buffy was still asleep. Now, with every step, she was getting more nervous. What if this wasn't the right decision? Would she be able to go through with it? Did she really have any other choice? Willow was scared. She hated feeling fear, didn't like the helplessness she was feeling. She felt as if she should be doing something, anything. Not just sitting by and waiting for Glory to make a move. There wasn't a lot of hope, though.
She had originally gone after Glory for any details to help Buffy fight the woman. They had nothing on how to destroy the demigod, had no way to protect Dawn from her. Not only had Willow not learned anything helpful, she had drawn Glory's attention to herself. She had made it worse. Why did she always make it worse when she tried to help? Was it a curse of some sort? She should have learned by now not to ever try to help. But, no, she always managed to mess it all up. The only positive that she could see was that Glory seemed to have become so obsessed with her that she had forgotten the key for the time being. Was it a positive thing for a seemingly indestructible demigod to be obsessed with her? She sighed, knowing that she would rather have Glory after her than after Dawn.
There had to be some way to destroy Glory. She knew there had to be. They just hadn't found it. She was going to start researching more vigorously, knowing that the time was growing to a close. Glory had poisoned Buffy, had said that it was almost time. Time for what? Willow wish she knew, though she had a terrible sinking feeling that she did know. She wasn't going to think about it, though. Dwelling on it would not protect Buffy, it wouldn't give her the strength she needed so desperately. She had to find answers. Something to give her hope before she simply gave up. No, there would be no giving up. She had brought Buffy into this mess. It was her fault that Glory was personally attacking the slayer, going after her in her house. Before, Glory had just struck when Buffy had been in the way of the key. Now, the demigod was hunting the slayer, playing with Buffy to get to her, trying to weaken her resolve.
Willow knew she would do anything to protect Buffy, having realized last night just how deep her feelings for her best friend ran. She was in love with the slayer. Had been since they had first met, when Buffy had first smiled at her, holding out her hand and introducing herself. Willow could still remember that first touch, the electricity she had felt, as if their meeting had been destined. She had always known that they were meant to be together, their connection to each other instant. She had just assumed that it was in friendship. Lately, though, she had begun to have doubts, knowing that she was falling in love with the slayer. She knew there was a very slim chance that Buffy would ever feel the same way, knowing there had never been any sign that the blonde was interested in girls. But, reciprocation didn't really matter. Willow's destiny it would appear was to love Buffy, and she would do *anything* to keep the woman she loved alive.
Finally, she reached her destination. She pushed away her doubts and fears as she walked up the stairs. She could do this. For Buffy, she would be able to be honest. No matter how guilty she felt, no matter how disgusting it made her, she would be truthful. She could not tell Buffy the truth, not yet. Not until she knew that she could protect Buffy from Glory. She also knew that she might lose her friend, that thought scaring her far more than anything Glory could threaten her with. With a resolve in her eyes, she raised her hand to knock, hoping that Giles would be awake. She needed help.
********************
It was too bright, she decided as she closed her eyes tightly. That wasn't good enough, she decided as she pulled her extra pillow over her face. There, that was better. Buffy moaned softly as she tried to focus on getting the pain to leave her head. It wasn't working. The little men inside her brain were still using jackhammers it seemed. Didn't they know when a person was trying to sleep? She moved on the bed, unable to get comfortable. It was too hot, the sun coming in her window and bathing her body in its heat. She kicked at her covers, wishing that she had huge heavy curtains instead of thin pretty ones. When she finally accepted that she was not going to be able to go back to sleep, she moved the pillow beside her and groaned loudly as her hazel eyes slowly opened.
She felt horrible. There were muscles aching that had never been disturbed in years of slaying. Her head was pounding. Her vision was slightly blurry, though that may have been due to sleeping so she was reserving her right to whine about that aspect of her health until she had been awake for longer. She was also thirsty and could hear her stomach rumbling. She glanced at the clock, able to make out the bright red numbers after looking at them for a minute. It was after nine. She stood up quickly, falling back on the bed as she found herself caught up in a dizzy spell. After she let her head clear, she stood again, moving much more slowly. She was relieved when she was able to keep her balance. She took small steps to her door, listening and hearing nothing. The house was silent.
She found herself wondering what had happened to her the previous night. She had been fine, wonderful in fact. Then, suddenly she had found herself passed out on the floor. She could still remember how worried Willow had been, the tears in the redhead's eyes. For a few moments, Buffy could have sworn that Willow's love for her went beyond friendship. Of course, she'd felt too awful at the time to give it much thought or to try to deliberately pursue the suspicion. She could remember walking upstairs, changing then falling into bed. After that, things got a bit confusing. She'd dreamed a lot, weird dreams that had scared her but that had also made her feel happiness. Upon awakening, she'd not remembered any of them. They'd had to have been caused by the fever that Willow insisted she had since she was usually able to remember most of her normal dreams.
Buffy moved along the wall at a slow pace, using it for support as she checked Dawn's room. Buffy was relieved to see that her sister had obviously left for school without her help. She looked into Willow's room, not surprised to see that the room was quiet, the bed neatly made and no sign of the redhead anywhere. She could distantly remember Willow holding her during the night, a wet cloth being run gently over her face, soft words whispered to her. With a sigh, she moved to the stairs, feeling her energy growing the longer she stayed on her feet. She was getting her strength back, though she didn't think she'd be slaying any demons for at least a few hours.
"Hey, Will, you here?" she called out softly, moving her tongue in her mouth to get rid of the strange taste. When she didn't get a response, she went to the kitchen. She smiled when she saw a note on the cabinet written in Willow's handwriting.
'Buffy~Dawn made it to school. Went to run errands. Back soon. Get your butt back in bed. You need to rest. Love Will'
Buffy sighed, knowing she wouldn't be going back upstairs. She felt much better than she had even when waking up. She poured a glass of orange juice and took a sip, making a face as she drank. It didn't taste right, seeming bitter and unusual. She drank anyway, needing to get rid of the weird taste in her mouth and throat. She didn't bother getting anything to eat, knowing she felt hungry but not sure she could keep anything down at the moment. She also feared that any type of food might also have the awful taste like the juice did. Instead, she refilled her glass and went to the living room. She laid on the couch, knowing she would be missing classes that day. She turned on the TV, smiling slightly as she saw that Courage the Cowardly Dog was on earlier than usual. She moved the pillow behind her to a more comfortable position as she settled down to wait for Willow, secretly pleased that her friend had skipped classes to be with her when she was feeling sick.
********************
Giles looked up when he heard the soft knocking on his door. He glanced at the clock, frowning when he saw how early it was. He closed his book after marking his place, setting on the table as he stood and moved to the door. His steps were rushed, a slight frown of concern on his face as he wondered what might have happened to draw a visitor this early. When he saw Willow standing on his door, his worry increased. He unfastened the lock and opened the door, watching as the redhead faced him, her eyes focused on some point behind him. He understood with sudden clarity that something was indeed wrong. "Willow?"
"Hey Giles," she said, giving him a bright smile, "I hope I didn't wake you up, but since you're dressed and all, I guess I didn't. Unless you feel asleep in your clothes, but they're not really wrinkled so I guess you were awake."
"Willow," he smiled softly as he stopped her babbling, "come inside."
"Thanks," she said softly. She followed him inside, listening as he closed the door. Why did that sound so ominous? Because, she didn't have a chance to run now. She couldn't let her fears at what he would think of her overpower her common sense and force her into running. No, she would do this, no matter how humiliating it all was. Goddess, what if he hated her? What if he blamed her for what Glory had done to Buffy last night? He wouldn't be able to lie to her. She'd know if he thought negatively about her. The thought of Giles being angry with her was horrible. She didn't like it one bit. He had become a father to them all over the past five and a half years. She'd hate it if he looked at her with distaste instead of affection. This was for Buffy, though. She'd have to take that chance to help the slayer.
"Would you like some tea?" he asked, knowing it would be best to wait for Willow to tell him what had brought her to him.
"Guess you don't have any coffee, huh?" she asked, glancing at the kitchen.
"I believe there is some instant," he said.
"Tea is fine," she decided, "I can get it."
"I believe there are some leftover doughnuts from research the other day," he offered, "they may still be edible."
"No thanks," she smiled at him, "Xander ate all the good ones. Besides, I'm not very hungry."
"I really should toss them out," he decided, throwing the white box in the trash. "Would you care for some lemon?"
"This is fine," she said, taking her cup and moving back into the living room. She handed Giles a book she had been carrying, "I brought you your book back."
He took the book she offered, recognizing one she had borrowed months before. He moved to his bookcase, "Thank you, Willow."
"I was cleaning and found it. Thought you might want it back," she said as she moved to sit down, glad to be off of her shaky legs.
"Has something happened?" he finally asked after Willow sat on his sofa, her attention now focused on his coffee table. He moved to sit in the chair beside the table. When she failed to respond, he asked, "Is everything OK?"
"No," she said softly, looking up at him, "it's not OK."
********************
Buffy covered a yawn as she moved the pillows behind her back. Using the remote, she flipped every one of the nearly 200 stations on her TV, not able to find anything to keep her attention. She glanced at the clock, noticing that it had only been three minutes since she had last looked at it. She'd only been awake about an hour, but was already growing impatient with laying on the sofa and taking it easy. People like her were not meant to get sick, she decided. She finally let the channel rest on a movie that she had seen a dozen times, giving herself a chance to think. She wondered when Willow had left. The note said the redhead had to run some errands, but Buffy had no idea what Willow was going to be doing or how long it would take or even what time she had left. It was frustrating not knowing.
She closed her eyes, listening to the movie but not bothering watching. She felt so drained still. She knew she shouldn't expect much yet, having not been awake very long. But, she'd only been sick a few times in her life. Each time had left her rather at loose ends. One time had resulted in a hospital visit, but she was trying to block that from her thoughts. It usually brought forth memories of Angel and Angelus and weakness and vulnerability. That was a time of her life best forgotten. Not because she regretted what she felt for Angel. She had loved him, still loved him in a way, would always care about him. It had just been her own private hell, that entire year. Her friends had been in danger and she'd been helpless to protect them. Not helpless, her inner voice corrected. She had saved them all, in the end. She'd almost lost Willow though. Not once, but twice.
Thinking of her friend made her smile. Over the last couple of weeks, she'd spend a lot of her sleepless nights thinking. Buffy had realized that she had always loved Willow. It felt weird to think that, to know that she had wasted so many years. To imagine all the things that might have been different had she been open to the idea from the beginning. Then, she'd catch herself going through an endless list of what if's, dwelling on things that could never be changed, knowing that things always happened with a purpose. If she had recognized her feelings for Willow earlier, Willow might not have been ready for her. Maybe Angel had been meant to lose his soul, to become Angelus again, to learn who really was so that he could now save so many people. Riley, Oz, Tara...maybe she and Willow had been meant to learn from those relationships so that they could grow up. It hadn't been their time was all that Buffy could determine.
It was now, though. She had to believe that the fates were finally being kind, smiling on them, allowing them to find the forever kind of love she would often read about or see in movies. She had found the other half of her soul that day nearly six years ago when Willow had smiled at her in their first class together. It had always been Willow that had kept her going, that gave her the push she needed to become who she was today. Willow who had forced her into growing up, to becoming responsible for her actions, for not letting her get into the same trouble that Faith had found herself in. Willow who had saved her far more times than the redhead would even guess. A flash of green eyes, a familiar voice in her mind telling her that she was the slayer and that she would survive. Why had it taken her so long to see what she now saw so easily?
Laying here, she could bring forth every memory of Willow. The jealousy she had felt when Willow would talk about Xander or when she had started dating Oz or, the worst, when Tara had entered the redhead's life. The way Willow always seemed to know what she was thinking, seemed to know when she was needed, seemed to know what do say or do to make it all better. The knowledge that her enemies, the ones who knew her, had been aware of her love for Willow before she had been. Angelus and Faith, hell, even Spike, they'd all gone after Willow. Had they seen what she had ignored? Angelus had taunted her several times during their fights with threats of what he would do to Willow, what he would mold the redhead into becoming. She had fought him more at those threats than at the threats on her own life. How could she had been so stupid no to see it? During their senior year, when Anya had messed up that spell, when she'd been convinced that Willow had been turned, she'd felt more pain, more loss, than when she had pierced Angel with the sword. Did that make her a bad person? Why had it taken her two more years to admit to herself what she seemed to have always known?
Fear. It could all be brought back to one four-letter word. Fear of losing Willow, fear of accepting her desires and wants, fear of what others might say, fear of putting Willow into more danger by loving her, fear of everything. She was a slayer. She'd already lived longer than most. If she died tomorrow, she'd go without Willow ever knowing how much she meant to her, without ever feeling Willow's soft embrace, without ever experiencing the joy of being loved by Willow. If she lived another dozen years, they would be empty years, lonely and shadowed by visions of what she might have had. Years without Willow by her side, in her arms, in her bed, would not be living at all. She was tired of living in fear. She was a slayer, damn it. She had faced death, hell on Earth, things that would drive a normal person crazy. She could certainly face the daunting task of telling Willow that she loved her. A determined look entered her hazel eyes as she opened them, deciding then and there that, as soon as she was feeling better, she and Willow were going to have a long talk. She was not going to waste another day being too scared to love.
********************
Giles sighed softly at Willow's words, having somehow expected that answer. He put his mug on the table, turning his complete attention to the redhead, "What's wrong, Willow?"
Willow looked away, not able to meet his eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to figure out the best to say what she had to say. She didn't want Giles to be disappointed in her. She looked back at him, seeing him watching her patiently, though a nerve in his cheek was twitching. She kept her eyes on him as she spoke, knowing that Giles often said the most without ever opening his mouth. "I need your help."
"Of course," he said, thankful that she was finally speaking. "You know that I would do anything for you, Willow."
"I know," she smiled softly, her right hand pushing her hair behind her ear. "You know that you're like a father to me, that you've always been there anytime I needed you."
"And you're like a daughter to me," he said slowly, "you children are my family."
"What I'm going to tell you," she hesitated, wondering how she should say it, "I don't want you to hear it like a father."
"Excuse me?" he said, slightly confused by what she was saying.
"Just promise me that you won't listen to me like a father," she said, her eyes begging.
"I can't promise something that I don't understand," he said, looking at her curiously.
"This isn't going well," she said with a sigh. "I don't know how to tell you what I have to tell you, but I need you to know because I've been trying to deal with it alone and I just can't anymore and I'm so scared and I just don't know what to do."
"Willow, calm down," he said quietly, his concern growing as he realized that whatever her problem was, it was far worse than making a bad grade in school. He began to think what could have happened to bring her to him, to ask for his help. Buffy had not mentioned anything, no experiences of strange behavior. He, himself, had not witnessed anything. He watched as she smiled sheepishly, clearly upset by whatever it is she was going to tell him. He knew not to push Willow, knowing that the girl would tell him on her own time. He didn't want to disturb her even more by demanding the answers he was waiting to receive.
"I did something stupid," she whispered, her eyes on his. "I was trying to help, I really wanted to help Buffy. She's been through so much these past months, I thought I could help."
"What did you do?" he asked.
"I went to this club to try to see if I could find out anything about Glory," Willow said, grimacing as she spoke the demon's name.
"I can imagine the sort of club," he said, trying to keep the disapproval from his voice.
"I knew you'd be upset," she said softly, looking at the carpet.
"I'm not upset with you, Willow. You believed you were trying to help your friend. It's just, I've warned you before about that bad habit of yours of jumping in without thinking," he reminded quietly.
"I thought I could listen, see if anyone mentioned her," Willow looked up again, "I didn't really think it through, I guess. I had this vision of going in and miraculously hearing how to defeat her and saving Buffy from the stress and fear she's been feeling for the last couple of months. It was stupid. I know that. I think I even knew it when I went. I was just so tired of not being able to do anything to help. Buffy was dealing with all that stuff and all we could do was look through some dusty old books that had no answers. I never planned for any of this to happen."
"We all feel a bit helpless at the moment, Willow," Giles said gently, deciding to move on, "This club? Is that the problem? Did something happen? Did you learn something?"
"When I was there, this woman tried to pick me up," she said, rather proud that she wasn't looking away. She felt more frightened by telling Giles about Glory than she had facing the mayor. She didn't even want to get into the depth of fear at telling Buffy. That was beyond her comprehension at the moment. "I left the club and she followed me, asked me for coffee."
"Continue," he said.
"After I agreed, she introduced herself," Willow said, "it was Glory, Giles."
********************
"Bloody hell!" Giles yelled without thinking, watching her cringe at his raised voice. A flash of guilt entered his eyes, but he was too upset to apologize.
"I didn't know it was her," she defended, "not until I'd already agreed to go with her."
"Willow," he spoke quietly, "you agreed to go out for coffee with some woman that picked you up in one of those kinds of clubs. That was a very dangerous thing to do."
"See, you're doing it!" she said, "You're listening like a father. I need you to listen like a watcher!"
"Willow, I'm listening like Giles," he said in a tense voice. "You could have been killed, or worse. What help would that have been to Buffy?"
"Don't," she warned, tears entering her eyes. "I can't go back and change it. If I could, I would. Nothing can change it. It happened. I'm not dead, but that might not have been as bad as what did happen."
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "don't cry. I just can't believe you did something so foolish."
"I have to cry," she said, sniffling, "Everything went wrong and it's all my fault. I was trying to help and I made it so much worse. I deserve you yelling at me. I deserve you being ashamed and disappointed in me."
"I could never be ashamed of you," he corrected, "nor would I ever be disappointed in you, Willow."
"You haven't heard it all, yet," she said, shaking her head.
"Are you going to tell me the rest?" he asked, watching as she wiped tears from her face.
"Promise not to yell?" she asked with a faint hint of a smile.
"Willow," he warned, removing his glasses and rubbing his nose.
"I had coffee with her, with Glory," she said, her fingers moving to pick at a stray thread at the bottom of her T-shirt. "She knew about my friendship with Buffy somehow, didn't seem to be scared of her at all. Giles, she showed no fear of the slayer. She was amused when I told her that Buffy was going to kick her ass. When I tried to leave, she told me that she had decided she wanted me. That I was some cure for her boredom or something like that."
"Good Lord," he said softly, seeing the fear flash in Willow's green eyes.
"That was nearly three weeks ago," Willow confessed in a whisper, watching as Giles looked away.
********************
"Three weeks," he repeated quietly, finally looking back at her. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"At first, I planned to tell Buffy," she said, wrapping the thread around her finger, "she and I got in a fight, though, that night. The next day, I didn't think it was that important."
"Not important?" he sputtered, "Willow, you had a date with a hell God who told you that she wanted you to be the cure for her boredom and you think this is unimportant?"
"I thought she was just talking," Willow said, wishing he could understand, "you know, trying to scare me to get to Buffy. I never thought I'd see her again."
"But you have," he said, shaking his head. "Willow, how many times have you seen her?"
"Three or four," Willow said, drawing her bottom lip into her mouth. "I thought it was just a game when she found me. I knew that Buffy would be mad at me for not telling her sooner, so I decided that I'd deal with it alone. I thought that if I resisted, Glory would leave me alone. She's been following me, Giles. I've seen her outside watching the house. She told me that she's found herself rather obsessed with me. She cornered me the other day, and um, well, she..."
"Yes, I get the idea," Giles said, his eyes closing. "Willow, I don't know what to say. I can't believe you kept this from us for so long. As you said, nothing can change what happened. We just need to find a way out of this mess."
"You're angry with me," she said softly.
"I love you, Willow," he said, choosing his words delicately, "you were trying to help, and that is commendable. But, by not being honest with us, you've put yourself in a very dangerous situation."
"I know," Willow whispered.
"May I ask, what finally made you come to me?" he asked, knowing there was something else that Willow had not told him.
"I can't do it alone," she admitted, "I tried and it all got so out of control. It's all my fault and now there may be nothing that I can do to stop it."
"Have you told Buffy, yet?" he asked quietly.
"No," she shook her head. "It's so complicated. Glory seems to think that Buffy and I are um involved. You know, more than friendly like."
"What has she said?" he asked.
"It's not what she's said, it's what she's done," Willow said, guilt on her face as she continued, "last night, she sent me flowers with a card that told me to get ready, that it was almost time. She put poison on the thorns, Giles. She almost killed Buffy last night because of me. Buffy's still in bed recovering from the poison, and she has no idea what really happened. She thinks it is some sort of illness. Glory called and told me that it was a warning, that next time, it would be real." She felt a fresh wave of tears in her eyes as she whispered, "Buffy almost died, and it's all my fault."
********************
Giles looked at Willow, completely at a loss of how to respond. She said that it was her fault, and, in a way, that was true. He did not blame her for Glory's obsession or whatever game that the hell demon was playing, but by keeping silent, the events had grown beyond their control. Now, his slayer had been poisoned. Glory had gotten that close to killing Buffy. It scared him, more than he would like to admit. Every year, Buffy grew stronger, smarter, better. And every year, she was tested more than any girl deserved. He knew that being a slayer was a gift, but, many times lately, he had begun to realize that it was also a curse.
Now, not only was Buffy dealing with the loss of Joyce, with protecting Dawn, but she also had to learn that her best friend had become the object of some elaborate game. Giles rubbed his temples, moving his thoughts further. He had been watching Buffy the last few months, seeing the changes in her. He had begun to suspect that there were feelings between his slayer and Willow that went beyond friendship nearly six weeks before. He knew that there was a slight chance that he might be seeing something that wasn't there, but he had begun preparing himself to deal with this change in their relationship when it happened. He had lost no sleep over the idea of Buffy and Willow as a couple. Their friendship had always been so strong, the connection between them instant. He, in fact, was not at all surprised that they had fallen in love.
Willow was good for Buffy. Any fool could see that she had kept the slayer going many a time in the past. Much better than Angel or that fool military boy had been. He was biased, of course. He considered both girls like daughters, wanting nothing more in the world than for them to be happy. He knew how difficult it was for a slayer to find happiness. If Buffy were indeed lucky enough to find the other half of her soul, who was he to object because it happened to be a woman? Besides, after his past with Ethan, he clearly wasn't in a position to be judgmental. He looked back at Willow, seeing the guilt in her eyes and sighed. He still had no idea what to say.
Willow looked at the floor, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. She had been right. It was her fault. Giles had denied it, nor could he. Buffy had almost died because of her. She looked back at Giles finally, the silence growing almost uncomfortable, "I was so scared, Giles. Seeing Buffy laying there, she looked dead. I have no doubt that Glory won't kill her if she believes Buffy's the reason I don't want her. I just don't know what to do."
"Willow, I have to ask you something and I need your honest answer," he said after clearing his throat, clearly uneasy broaching the subject, but knowing that there could be no secrets if they were going to try to find a way out of this mess.
"Of course," she said, frowning as she waited.
"Yes, well, I don't quite know the delicate way to ask, so I'll just ask," he said, looking into her eyes, "Do you love Buffy?"
********************
"Of course I love Buffy," Willow said, confused by the question.
"Willow, honey, I meant, do you love Buffy?" he asked again, stressing the word love this time.
Her eyes widened as a faint blush crossed her cheeks, "Oh...that way. Um, well, I don't know."
"Glory clearly sees Buffy as a threat to her hold over you," Giles said softly. "As long as Glory is here, Buffy's life is in danger. She is in a position as protector of not only you, but also the key. Glory proved last night that she can get close enough to kill. I will not allow Buffy to remain unaware."
"I think I love her," Willow whispered, running a hand through her hair. "Last night, when I thought she was dead, it felt like part of me had died. I never really thought about why it hurt so much. She's my best friend. I assumed it was just that. Now, though, I just don't know anymore. I love her so much. Oh Goddess, I can't lose her."
"She has to know, Willow," Giles said quietly, still trying to figure out what they could possibly do and not coming up with any ideas.
"I know," Willow sighed. "I should have told her that first night, but I was stupid enough to think that it was nothing. Now, I've let it go so long I wouldn't be surprised if I did lose her."
"I won't lie to you, Willow," Giles said, "she's not going to be any more happy than I was at hearing the truth. But, she cares for you. You won't lose her."
"Promise?" Willow asked, giving him a sad smile because she knew that no one could make such a promise, not even Giles. She sighed again, "I'll tell her this afternoon, as soon as I get home. She deserves to know. Besides, I don't want Glory to have any kind of edge. I know that Buffy can defeat Glory, I just don't know how."
"I'll make some calls, call in a few favors," he said, "see if I can find anything new."
"That would be good," she said as she got to her feet, knowing that she had already stayed long enough. Buffy would be awake by now, wondering where she was. She gave him a brave smile as she said, "I'll tell her everything."
"If you need to talk," he offered, making a gesture, "I'm always here."
"I know," she moved towards him, giving him a tight hug and whispering, "Thank you."
"Yes, well, I just hope I can find some answers," he gave her a small smile as he walked her to the door. After he shut it behind her, he leaned against it, sighing as his eyes closed.
********************
After Willow left Giles apartment, she took the long way home. She needed to think, though that seemed to be all that she had done lately. Thinking was what had gotten her into this mess in the first place. Thinking she could actually help Buffy, going to that damn club. It hadn't helped at all. It had just made things far worse. She now had to go and tell Buffy the truth. The entire truth. Not only about Glory but about these weird mixed up feelings she was having concerning her best friend. It would be two reasons for Buffy to hate her, Willow supposed. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to tell Buffy, either. Somehow, 'I love you and Glory is stalking me' just didn't seem exactly perfect. It wasn't like she was going to find the perfect words. What could be perfect about an event that would probably ruin her life? She couldn't lose Buffy. That thought, more than anything Glory threatened, scared her to death. Life without Buffy wouldn't be a life.
Keeping that thought in mind, Willow continued to debate on the best way to be honest without losing her best friend. She knew that no amount of planning would change things. She honestly had no idea how Buffy would react, what her friend would say, what Buffy would do. It was completely unknown, and that knowledge was pretty terrifying. Giles had taken it better than she had anticipated. He'd been disappointed in her, she knew, but he hadn't condemned her. He'd tried to help. And he had guessed her real feelings towards Buffy and not been judgmental. For that, she owed him. He could have yelled and screamed and she would have taken it, knowing that her silence had escalated an already bad situation. His trust, his faith in her, well, it meant a lot. For him, she would find the strength to be honest with Buffy, without dwelling on the consequences.
Willow glanced at her watch, seeing that it was half past eleven already. She'd been wandering for half an hour and was still no closer to a solution to her problem. There was actually not going to be a solution this time. No easy answers. If she were the type to whine, she'd be telling everyone that it wasn't fair. Just when she was realizing how deeply she loved Buffy, when she was beginning to think that there might be something beyond friendship for their future, she might lose it all. All because she had tried to help. No, that wasn't entirely true. It was because she hadn't told the truth that first night. Since then, she had hid the truth from those around her, putting them in danger. She'd been so weak around Glory, letting the woman's words and touch make her forget everything except that moment in time. Now, she would be paying the price for her silence.
She could only hope that Giles found out some new information in their fight against Glory. Depending on the outcome of her talk with Buffy, Willow had no idea what her life was going to be like in a few hours. She knew that, no matter how much Buffy hated her when it was all over, the slayer would try to protect her. But, by doing so, it would put Buffy's life more in danger. It would also leave Dawn without the slayer's full protection. Willow was not going to allow anyone else to get hurt because of what she had done. She knew she was going to have to make Buffy understand that, force the slayer into keeping her attention on Dawn and not worrying about Glory's obsession with Willow, not that she doubted that would be a problem. Dawn was what was most important for everyone's sake. Hell on Earth and all that jazz. Buffy just had to be aware of Glory's newest interest so that she could better protect herself and Dawn. This was one time that Willow knew Buffy couldn't save her. She was going to have to take care of herself. She'd made the mess, it was up to her to clean it up.
She turned the corner and stopped when she saw her house. It was too soon. A slight fear entered her as she began walking even more slowly. She was so confused, unsure of anything anymore. She loved Buffy, was in love with Buffy. She couldn't do this, couldn't tell the slayer the truth. It was bad enough having to admit that Glory was stalking her, but to confess her love right after that news? It wasn't fair, damn it! Buffy wouldn't believe her, would think she was lying so she wouldn't yell, would be disgusted even more and stop speaking to her. Every possible outcome she could think of ended up with her alone and losing the one person that meant the most to her in the world. How could Giles think it would help? It would all just make things far worse. The Glory situation she could possibly deal with, handling Buffy's judgment and justified anger. She'd promised him. Oh Goddess, how was she going to make it through this?
********************
"Hello?" Buffy answered the phone, wondering if it might be Willow. She'd been up for two hours and still had seen no sign of the redhead. She was becoming a bit worried.
"Buffy, how are you feeling?"
Buffy frowned as she replied, "Much better, but how did you know I was sick?"
Giles sighed as he said, "I suppose that means Willow isn't back yet. I suspected as much."
"Willow told you," Buffy smiled as she sat back, not at all surprised that her best friend had told her watcher about her illness. "Good. For a second there, I was thinking you might be reading minds or something equally Hellmouthy."
"She came to see me this morning," he said quietly, relieved to hear in her voice that she was doing well.
"She didn't just call?" Buffy was a bit surprised that Willow had gone all the way to Giles instead of just picking up the phone. A nagging began at the back of her mind as she asked, "Why did she see you, Giles?"
"It's not my place to answer that question, Buffy," Giles said, knowing he would not betray Willow by telling her secret unless she failed to do so as she promised. He was far more worried than he had let on to the redhead, not having a vague idea how they were supposed to fight Glory's interest in the key much less this new obsession with Willow. She'd already proven that she could kill Buffy, if she wished. He knew there was a way, they just had to find it, he just had to find it.
"I don't like the sound of that," Buffy said softly, her tone becoming worried. "Is Willow okay? Is this because of last night, when I fainted? She was so scared, Giles. She thought I had died. Did she freak out? Why didn't she wait and talk to me today?"
"Buffy, calm down," Giles warned, noting the agitation in the slayer's voice. "Willow promised to tell you everything when she got home. I need you to do something for me, though. A promise."
"Anything," Buffy said, trying to figure out why Willow had seen Giles and why her watcher was being so damn cryptic.
"When she gets home, when she's telling you what she told me," he stopped as he debated whether to say the next words.
"Yeah?" Buffy waited, not very patiently as her hazel eyes moved to the door when she heard footsteps on the stairs.
"Remember that you love her," he finally said.
"What?" Buffy's eyes widened as she said, "How did you? I never said...."
"I'm your watcher, Buffy. I'm also your friend," he said with a small smile as he heard the disbelief in her voice, his guess confirmed. "If you need to talk, I'm here."
"I know. I was planning on telling her today. I'm so tired of being scared, you know? Giles, I love her so much," Buffy stopped when she heard the key in the lock, "she's home."
"I'd better go," he said, saying a small prayer that his slayer would make it through this latest development in her life, hopefully with the love that she deserved, "Bye."
"Bye," Buffy said as she placed the phone back in its cradle, still shocked that Giles knew she loved Willow, maybe even before she had, and that he was fine with it. She was also curious as to what had driven Willow to the watcher so early in the morning and scared as to what Willow was going to tell her. She had to be thankful that she at least had a moment to prepare herself for the news, whatever it might be. If Giles was worried and telling her to remember her feelings for Willow, she somehow knew it must be serious and not good. She also knew that, now that she had confirmed her feelings for Willow to Giles, she had to tell the redhead how she really felt. That scared her more than thinking about whatever it was Willow was going to tell her. Gathering all of her strength, she looked up and gave Willow a smile as the redhead came into the room.
********************
Willow walked into the living room, a small smile on her face as she saw Buffy sitting on the couch watching her with a smile. She tried to look stern as she scolded, "You're supposed to be in bed, young lady."
"I got bored," Buffy said with a smile, "besides, I'm feeling much better."
"You are?" Willow said with a relieved smile as she sat down in the large chair beside the sofa.
"Yep. Head is no longer dizzy and that blech taste in my mouth seems to have faded," Buffy gestured to the plate with the remains of her sandwich and said, "and I even ate a little bit. Kept it down and all, so I guess it was just a twelve hour bug."
"I'm so glad," Willow replied, guilt going through her as she realized that Buffy still believed it to have been a virus of some sort. Her smile faded as she realized that it was now or never. "Buffy, we need to talk."
"I was afraid you were going to say that," Buffy said softly, sighing as she hit mute on the remote, not needing the constant jabbering of Scooby Doo to interfere with their conversation.
"You were?" Willow looked at her friend with surprise, wondering how Buffy had known.
Buffy nodded, giving her a shy smile, "I was planning on talking to you when you got back, had everything I wanted to say planned in my head. But, when I saw you, I couldn't remember any of it. And you had that same look in your eyes that I figured was in mine, that we need to talk kind of look."
"What?" Willow was getting confused, not really following Buffy's reasoning.
"You can go first," Buffy said, chewing on her bottom lip. She was so nervous, butterflies in her stomach as she thought of confessing her love for Willow.
"Okay," Willow said, her eyes looking at the silent cartoon. "This isn't easy for me to tell you, Buffy. You know that you're my best friend in the entire world, that I would never do anything to hurt you. Goddess, this is tougher than I imagined."
"Willow, look at me. What's wrong? You're starting to scare me here," Buffy frowned as she waited, not able to remember a time that she had seen Willow so serious, her nervousness fading as an uneasy fear settled in the pit of her stomach.
"I'm sorry," Willow whispered as she looked at Buffy with teary eyes. "I'm so sorry. I was trying to help you and it all went so dreadfully wrong and I didn't think it would and then it did and then it was too late and you got hurt and I'm so scared, Buffy. I'm so scared that I'm going to lose you. I can't lose you."
"Will, deep breath," Buffy said, able to follow Willow's rambling after years of practice, but having no idea what it all meant. "You're not going to lose me. You're never going to lose me, so stop being scared about that. Now, what went wrong? And when was I hurt?"
"You should never say never," Willow said softly, her hand moving over her face as she took a deep breath. She let it out slowly before continuing, "Do you remember that night I went to that club, when I was trying to get information to help you?"
"I remember," Buffy said, not wanting to think of the fight that they had had that night because of her silly jealousy.
"The woman I met that night, that followed me and wanted to have coffee," Willow's voice was almost a whisper as she somehow managed to keep the strength to hold Buffy's gaze, "it was Glory."
********************
"What?" Buffy looked at Willow in disbelief, shaking her head slightly. "No way. It couldn't have been. You said it was some random girl."
"I lied," Willow admitted with guilt flashing in her green eyes. "I was going to tell you and then we had that fight and the next day it didn't seem important."
"It didn't seem important?" Buffy laughed a bit hysterically, "Willow, you had coffee with the demon bitch that is after Dawn and me and you didn't think it was important that I knew?"
"I didn't think about it," Willow said, knowing how stupid it sounded now but knowing that it had made sense to her at the time. "Buffy, I thought it was just coffee. I didn't know all this would happen or I would have told you. I never meant to lie."
"Well, you did," Buffy said sharply, her arms moving to wrap themselves around her as she glared at Willow, "All of what? You just said that you didn't know that all of this would happen. What is all of this?"
"Glory has been stalking me since that night," Willow whispered, wishing she could look away from Buffy's accusing eyes but unable to break the contact.
"Stalking you how?" Buffy asked quietly, her anger mixing with fear.
"Following me, watching me, she cornered me in an alley the other night and um, she touched me," Willow felt a blush crossing her face as she spoke.
"Touched you?" Buffy stared at Willow as she asked, "You had sex with her?"
"No," Willow denied, "she touched me, Buffy. And she threatened me as she did, telling me that she'd kill you if I didn't go with her. She warned me to stay away from you. Last night, the roses, it was her. She poisoned them so you'd get sick and I could see that she was serious."
"It was poison?" Buffy shook her head, "She's been doing this for nearly a month? And you're just now telling me? Why, Willow? Why lie about it? Do you want her? Do you want to be with her? Why did she come after me?"
"No, I don't want her!" Willow said, "How could you even suggest that? I never wanted this. I wanted to help you. I never planned on her meeting me or wanting me or any of it. I hate it! I hate being so scared, of knowing that she has the power and ability to hurt the one person that I love so much. She scares me to death, Buffy. I didn't tell you because I thought she'd get tired of it, get bored. That she was playing a game. I never thought it would go this far. I know I should have told you that first night, but I didn't. I can't go back and change that. I never wanted anyone to get hurt."
"Well, they did," Buffy said with anger. "I was poisoned, Willow. You knew and you didn't say a word. I could have died! I thought it was just some illness, some silly little virus, and you agreed with me. You didn't tell me the truth! Do you know how much that hurts? You've put me *and* Dawn in danger by not being honest. What if Dawn had found the flowers? She's not a slayer, Willow. It might have killed her while it only made me slightly sick. You obviously never thought about that! I just can't believe you've been dealing with that for weeks and you never told me. I just can't understand!"
Willow felt tears sliding down her cheeks as she struggled to find the words, knowing nothing would make it all better. The slayer's eyes were accusing and angry and hurt. She finally looked away, not able to say her next words when looking at Buffy, "I'm sorry. You're right. About everything. I was stupid and dishonest. I didn't think she'd see it, you know?"
"See what?" Buffy asked, wishing she had a demon to kill. She had never felt so angry or betrayed, honestly hurt even more than after Angel lost his soul, Willow having made the decision to deceive her, to put her and Dawn at risk.
"That I love you," Willow whispered, looking up as the tears fell from her eyes. "She went after you because she knew that I was in love with you. She sees you as competition in this fucked up game of hers. I know that you hate me, and I can't blame you. I never thought she'd come after you, that you or Dawn would be in danger. I thought I could handle her alone. I didn't want you to know how badly I'd messed up. I've lost you anyway."
"You love me?" Buffy whispered, seeing the truth flickering in Willow's green eyes. She should feel happiness at those words, seeing the depth of emotion. But, she was still reeling from the news that Glory was after Willow, angry that she hadn't been told. Anger far outweighed her happiness at the moment. She stood up quickly, her hand running through her hair as she said, "I need to think. I need some time."
"I understand," Willow looked at the floor.
Buffy looked at Willow, studied her for a moment before moving her hand to the redhead's chin. She lifted it until she was looking into teary green eyes. She spoke forcefully, "Don't leave. I'll be back soon. I just need to be alone, to think. Be here when I get back, so we can talk."
"Okay," Willow said softly, not sure what was running through the slayer's mind.
"Promise me, Willow. I need to know you'll be here," Buffy said, her own love for Willow overriding the anger and fear for a few moments.
"I promise," Willow whispered, knowing that she would do anything for Buffy.
"Stop crying," Buffy scolded softly, her thumb brushing away a tear as she sighed, "I don't hate you, Willow. I could never hate you. You haven't lost me. I just need to absorb everything, to think."
"You don't?" Willow felt relieved as she accepted Buffy's words as truth. She gave a small smile as she said, "I'll be here, waiting for you."
"I know," Buffy smiled slightly before dropping her hand and moving towards the door, not at all sure where she was going, but knowing she needed to get away so she could process everything.
********************
Giles opened the door, not at all surprised to see his slayer standing there. Buffy looked at him, looking so much older than her twenty years. He sighed as he opened his arms, the girl rushing forward and hugging him tightly. He stroked her hair as he whispered, "It's going to be okay, Buffy."
Buffy sniffled, allowing the tears to flow as she pulled back, giving him a wry smile, "How can it, Giles? How can it be okay?"
"I don't know," he admitted, wiping away a tear with his thumb as he said, "But we'll find a way."
She laughed softly, moving into his apartment as he shut the door. She looked at him, "Sorry about this," she gestured at her face, feeling rather silly to have been crying. "It's just, I've been thinking about it the entire way here and it just seemed so overwhelming."
"I assumed you've spoken to Willow," Giles said as he sat back down.
"Yeah," Buffy said, sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked under her. She drew her bottom lip into her mouth as her eyes grew thoughtful. Finally, she smiled shyly as she said, "Willow loves me."
"I know," Giles said, giving her a small smile.
Buffy's eyes clouded over as she continued, "And Glory is after her. Did Willow tell you everything? Do you know what she did?"
"Yes, she told me," he said, running a hand over his face. "It wasn't the smartest thing she's ever done."
"She did it for me, to help me," Buffy defended before groaning, "that's what makes it worse, you know? I can't even really be angry with her because she was trying to help me. But, I am angry, Giles. It's been weeks and she never told me."
"She was scared, Buffy," Giles pointed out, not able to defend the redhead's actions but also wanting his slayer to understand that the girl hadn't been acting with bad intentions.
"I know that," Buffy said, making a face. "I just feel like she didn't trust me, that she put all of us in danger."
"She did," Giles said truthfully.
"She's in danger, Giles," Buffy looked at him, looking lost as she whispered, "I'm scared."
********************
"It's only natural for you to be scared, Buffy," Giles said quietly. "Glory did nearly kill you last night."
Buffy shook her head, "I'm not scared about dying, Giles. Been there, done that. I'm scared that I may lose Willow. I love her so much, she's my life. I can't lose her, I won't lose her."
"You won't lose Willow," Giles promised, hating to see his slayer in pain.
"I want to figure out how to destroy that bitch," Buffy said, her eyes flashing. "I'm sick of her games. She's after the two people I care for most in the world and I can't do a damn thing except wait. I hate this!"
"We'll get lucky, Buffy. We'll find something," he said.
"I just feel so helpless," she whispered. "I want to protect Willow and Dawn, but I can't. I don't know how to fight Glory, I never win. How can I win?"
Giles looked into her eyes, seeing the desperation in their hazel depths. He sighed, wishing he had the answers. Unfortunately, he didn't. In this case, he was just as helpless as Buffy. He'd been unable to find anything useful in any of the books he had read. They had no idea what Glory was, in many ways, or how to destroy her. But, he had faith in Buffy. They'd faced miserable odds before and succeeded. He gave her a smile as he said, "You *will* win, Buffy."
She nodded, smiling back, "I *have* to win. Glory isn't going to take Willow or Dawn from me. If she tries, she's going to find out what fighting a slayer really means."
Giles heard the determination in the girl's voice, knew that she serious. She would destroy Glory, or die trying. It was his job to find a way to defeat the God before dying ever became an option. "As I told Willow, I'm going to make some inquiries. I will find a way, Buffy. I promise you that."
She got up and hugged him, pulling away as she said, "I know you will, Giles. And we'll help. I'd better get home. I left after Willow told me everything, needed some time to think, needed to talk to you. I don't want to be gone too long or she might get worried. She'd been through so much the last few weeks, I don't want to add any more stress to her life."
"So, you and Willow?" he smiled as he walked her to the door, approving of the match.
Buffy opened the door, not able to stop the smile from crossing her face. She nodded, her eyes shining happily as she said, "Yeah, me and Willow."
********************
Willow flipped through the channels on the remote control, unable to find anything worthy of her concentration. She had been sitting on the sofa for over an hour, since Buffy had left. She had been rather relieved to receive a phone call from Dawn not half an hour before asking for permission to go to her friend Rebecca's house to study for a test, permission that Willow had gladly given. She hadn't want to involve Dawn in the mess that she was in, knowing that she and Buffy would have to talk when the slayer returned. The less Dawn knew about Glory and the poisoned roses, the better. She found herself wondering where Buffy had gone, what she was thinking, when she would return. She also found herself thinking about Glory, wishing they knew the way to destroy the demon. Maybe some of Giles' contacts would have the information. Something good had to happen eventually, didn't it?
Willow continued to flip channels and think until she heard the front door open. She froze, not sure what was going to happen next. She fought the impulse to run upstairs and hide, instead turning to face her best friend. She couldn't read Buffy's eyes, the slayer looking at her with a small smile as she came into the living room. "I stayed."
Buffy smiled shyly when she heard Willow's whispered words, nodding, "I'm glad."
"We need to talk," both girls said at the same time, laughter easing the stress slightly as Buffy moved to sit beside Willow on the couch.
"You first," Willow offered, wanting to know what the blonde had decided in regards to the entire Glory situation.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Buffy said as she sat down. Her hand moved through her hair as she tried to figure out exactly what to say. She'd spent the entire walk home imagining the most eloquent way to tell Willow the truth, trying to be as poetic as she could. Now, though, looking into Willow's beautiful green eyes, the words left her mind. Finally, she opened her mouth, hoping the speech would come to her. Instead, she said, "I love you, Willow."
Willow froze, not sure exactly what kind of love her friend was speaking of. Hesitantly, she said softly, "I love you, too, Buffy."
Buffy shook her head, "You don't get it. I *love* you, Willow." The slayer took Willow's hand as she faced her best friend, "I had this great speech prepared before I walked inside. It was about how you're the bright spot in my life, my reason for living, the reason that I haven't been killed yet, my love, my hope, my future. I can't remember any of it now. All I can remember is that I love you, and I am *not* going to lose you and I really hope that you meant the same kind of love earlier because all I want to do right now is kiss you and hold you and never let you go."
"Buffy," Willow stopped, not at all sure how to respond. She was in shock, unable to believe that, after everything that had happened, Buffy could love her. It was unbelievable. Willow had never felt such intense emotion before and it was shocking and scary and wonderful. But, before she could be happy, she had to ask, "What about Glory?"
Buffy's eyes narrowed as she promised, "I won't let her hurt anyone that I love. I don't know how, but we will stop her. Giles is working on it now. Together, we will destroy her. About the other thing, about you not telling me the truth, I won't lie and tell you that it doesn't hurt, Willow. It does. I hate that you weren't honest with me from the start. But, I can't lose you. I won't lose you. From now on, though, no more secrets between us. Okay?"
"Okay," Willow said softly, hating herself for hurting Buffy. She realized that she hadn't responded to Buffy's brave declaration of love, having been too worried that her friend hated her for the Glory mess. Glory could wait a couple more hours, Willow decided as she looked at Buffy. With an innocent smile, she said, "I almost forgot to tell you. Dawn called earlier. She's gone to Becca's for dinner and to study for some test. I told her to be home by ten."
"Oh," Buffy said, wondering if she had been wrong, if maybe Willow did love her only like a friend. Since she admitted her feelings, the redhead had brought up Glory and now Dawn. Suddenly insecure, her eyes moved to look at the carpet as she decided that she had misread the situation.
"You know what that means, don't you Buffy?" Willow asked in what she hoped was a flirtatious manner as she moved her finger across Buffy's hand. She watched as hazel eyes swung to meet hers, "I think you mentioned something about a kiss......"
Buffy smiled with pleasure as she realized that they had the house to themselves for a couple of hours. She saw the lust and love in Willow's eyes and found herself wondering how she had gotten so lucky, deciding finally that she could up with the negatives of slaying if she got to come home every night to find Willow waiting for her. She licked her lips as she huskily said, "I love you, Willow. You're my everything."
"I love you, too, Buffy," Willow said with a smile. "Now, shut up and kiss me!"
********************
Buffy leaned forward, her lips brushing ever so gently over Willow's. She ran her tongue over the redhead's lips, teasing them open before deepening the kiss. Willow's hand moved into her hair, drawing her closer. Their body met as they gave themselves to the kiss, drawing apart and gasping for air before continuing the kiss. Willow felt as if she were drowning, her entire body on fire from just that one kiss. She moved her free hand down Buffy's back as she laid back on the sofa, taking the slayer with her. She squeezed Buffy's ass as her legs went around the slayer, her need making her more brazen than normal. She cried out in surprise when she felt a hand on her breast, fingers twisting her hard nipple before Buffy pulled back.
Buffy looked at Willow, a possessive smile crossing her face as she saw the pink cheeks, the lusty eyes, the heaving chest. "Mine," she whispered softly, finally understanding what Angel had always told her about vampires and mates, not at all surprised that she felt a need to mark and claim the love of her life. A slayer was a bit like a vampire, she guessed. She wanted everyone to know that Willow was hers, just as she was Willow's.
"Is it too soon?" Willow asked quietly, wanting nothing more than to see Buffy's clothes on the floor as well as her own, but not wanting to rush into anything they both didn't want.
"Not soon enough," Buffy whispered, having spent years waiting for this moment. "If you don't wanna, we can just kiss again."
Willow smiled slightly, looking down between them where her shirt was pushed up, "That was some kiss."
"It was, wasn't it?" Buffy smiled, her fingers moving over Willow's face. "I want you, Willow. I've wanted you since I first met you, I suppose. If you want to take it slower, I can try to wait, but I can't promise anything. I need you."
"I need you, too," Willow said quietly, struck by the raw emotion in her voice. She wanted this, more than anything she could ever remember wanting. "Buffy, will you fuck me?"
"No," Buffy said, shaking her head as she smiled softly, "but I will make love with you."
"Should we go upstairs?" Willow asked with a pleased smile at Buffy's words.
"Not yet," Buffy decided as she leaned over for another kiss. "I don't want to let you go yet."
"Okay," Willow agreed as she moved her hands to the bottom of Buffy's shirt. "I want to see you naked, slayer."
"That can be arranged, witch," Buffy said with a mischievous smile as her hands covered Willow's. She took her shirt off, tossing it to the floor. Her bra soon followed. Reluctantly, she stood, pulling her jeans and panties off before straddling Willow again. Self consciously, she looked down at her body, wondering what Willow was thinking about her.
"You're so beautiful," Willow whispered, finding that the real package far surpassed her imagination. Full breasts, flat stomach, perfect patch of light brown hair. Athletic but feminine. Her hand moved to Buffy's breast, squeezing the flesh as her thumb toyed with the nipple. She lifted up, her mouth replacing her hand as Buffy cried out. Willow sucked on her friend's breast, dragging her teeth over the nipple, her tongue wetting the flesh before she moved to the other breast, repeating her actions.
"Willow, stop. I need to see you," Buffy said, her voice cracking as she pushed the redhead away from her breasts. Feverishly, she pulled Willow's shirt off, ripping the redhead's bra in her urgency to make her friend as naked as she. Willow lifted up as Buffy unfastened her jeans, moaning when the slayer sat back down on her stomach, the wetness dripping from the blonde. She knew that she was soaking wet, having never felt such arousal. Any pretense of going slow was forgotten as her jeans were tossed to the floor. Their mouths met as they lay on the couch, hands moving over flesh as Buffy straddled her leg. Willow gasped as Buffy moved against her, the slayer's nimble fingers finding her red curls just as the slayer's mouth found her breast. Buffy chuckled against her as she began to tongue her sensitive nipple in rhythm with her fingers movements against Willow's clit. Willow felt Buffy began to move faster against her leg, wishing she could reach down and help the slayer, but unable to do anything except moan and beg for more. Another cry escaped her lips when she felt Buffy's teeth bite into her breast. She was surprised to find that the rough action made her more aroused. She heard Buffy whisper the words Mine a second time right before she felt the tension inside her snap, the slayer's lips sucking on her neck as Willow cried out in orgasm.
When she finally came down, she opened her eyes to find Buffy smiling at her, the blonde pleased with herself. Willow pushed her friend back, catching her by surprise as she leaned down and ran her tongue over Buffy's wetness. She heard Buffy cry out her name as she began to suck the slayer's clit, wanting her lover to have as powerful an orgasm as she had just had. She pushed two fingers into Buffy, surprised to find her friend so tight. With a wicked smile, she realized that Farmer Riley must not have been very well equipped after all. She felt hands in her hair as she added a third finger into Buffy's tight cunt. It wasn't long before Buffy was screaming in release, the slayer babbling incoherently as Willow continued to suck and thrust. It wasn't until Buffy finally pushed her away that she stopped, looking at her lover with a smile as she licked her lips.
"I don't want to know where you learned that," Buffy decided, not wanting any images of her lover with anyone else. She smiled as she added, "I just plan on having you teach me." "That I can do," Willow said, her body already heating up at the idea of Buffy's head between her legs, her juices covering that beautiful face.
"Wow," Buffy said, laughing softly as her hand cupped Willow's cheek. "I never had any idea that it could be like that..."
"It's never been like that for me, either," Willow promised as she leaned down and kissed the blonde, sharing her juices with her.
"We should move this upstairs," Buffy said after that kiss ended, her eyes moving over the red mark on Willow's neck, noticing the bite on her perfect breast. "Did I hurt you?"
Willow glanced down and smiled, shaking her head as she admitted shyly, "I kinda liked it."
"Last one upstairs sleeps in the wet spot," Buffy said, storing Willow's admission away for a later time.
"With how we're going, the entire bed will be a wet spot," Willow laughed as she followed Buffy upstairs, catching the slayer at the door to her room. "Your room or mine?"
"Mine," Buffy decided, taking the redhead's hand and walking into her room, shutting the door behind them as they fell to the bed, their mouths joined in another deep kiss.
********************
"Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Collins," Dawn said as she smiled at her friend's mother.
"It's no problem, Dawn. Have a good night."
"I'll talk to you in class tomorrow, Dawn," Becca said as she waved at her friend.
Dawn said goodbye and started up the stairs to her house. She noticed the lights on downstairs as well as upstairs. Good, that meant Buffy and Willow must both be home. She knew it was silly, but she always worried when they weren't all together. After losing her Mom, she didn't want to lose any of the other people she loved. She unlocked the front door, walking into the living room and freezing. Her eyes widened as she took in the mess that greeted her. The cushions from the couch were laying on the floor. She ventured slowly into the room, her eyes cautious, waiting to see if someone jumped out at her. Instead, she saw that the room was empty. The TV was playing but no one was watching. She leaned over for the remote, her eyes noticing the T-shirt laying on the floor. She turned the television off and then picked up the shirt. She recognized it as belonging to her sister. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she surveyed the scene again, this time without adding demons to the scenario. She looked around the floor, finding another shirt and more clothes. A slow smile crossed her face as she held Willow's shirt beside Buffy's. No way. It couldn't be-
She tossed the shirts down and ran towards the stairs. She took them two at a time, a hopeful look entering her eyes as she passed by Willow's open door. She stood nervously outside Buffy's closed door, putting her ear against the wood and not hearing anything. She debated knocking but decided that she might lose the element of surprise. She took a deep breath and opened the door, eyes widening as she walked inside, her suspicions confirmed. She couldn't contain the smile as she exclaimed, "Woo hoo!"
Buffy moved against Willow, muttered, "Go back to sleep, Wills."
Willow slowly opened her eyes, a smile crossing her face as she realized she was in Buffy's bed, with a very naked slayer beside her. She turned her head, "Did you say something?"
"Sleepy," Buffy declared as she opened her eyes. She had to smile when she saw Willow, "Beautiful."
"This is great!" Dawn said from the doorway, seeing that they were both awake. Buffy's eyes widened as she sat up in surprise, "Dawn! Oh my God-forgot you. What are you doing here?"
"I could be upset that you forgot me, but since it was for Willow, I'll forgive you," Dawn said with a large smile, her happiness evident in her voice and eyes.
"Hon, put this on," Willow said as she handed Buffy a T-shirt, making the slayer aware that she was nude.
Buffy's face was flaming, not only from getting caught in bed with Willow, but because she'd just been about to chastise Dawn with her boobs hanging out. She pulled the shirt over her head, "Thanks, Will. Dawn, I can explain."
"Okay, stop right there. I'm fifteen. I know about the birds and the bees, or, in this case, the birds and the birds," she giggled at her joke, moving to sit in the desk chair.
Willow sat up, holding the covers up to her chin as she looked at Dawn, "You don' seem very upset."
"Upset?" Dawn looked at the redhead in surprise. "You guys have no idea how totally cool I am with all this. It's great."
"You don' think it's weird?" Buffy asked, wondering if this was normal for everyone or just her. Sitting in bed with her naked lover beside her and discussing the relationship with her teenage sister.
"I love Willow," Dawn said, glaring at Buffy. "In all honesty, I've suspected something was up between you two for weeks."
"Oh really?" Willow asked, arching a brow at Buffy.
Dawn nodded, "I had a talk with Xander and Anya about it, to see if they noticed too. They had. They'll both be happy too. Finally, something good happens to us. You two are just perfect, you know that."
"I wish you'd told me when you'd seen it," Buffy said, not able to hide her amusement. "It took me until today to realize how I felt."
"Well, you never were the smart one, Sis," Dawn said with a laugh.
"She's got you there, Buffy," Willow said, feeling relieved that Dawn seemed so excited about the change in her and Buffy's relationship. And, according to the teen, their other friends were not going to be upset either. Now, if Glory were gone, life would be perfect.
"Will, honey, you're supposed to be on my side," Buffy said as she rolled her eyes.
"No fighting," Dawn said, getting to her feet. "It's late and I'm going to bed, after I straighten up downstairs. I don' want to know what happened down there, eeew I can imagine, but, in the future, could you remember that I sit on the couch too."
"Hey, wait, there should be no imagining, Missy," Buffy said. "Just go on to bed. Willow and I will clean up down there later."
"Are you sure? I don' mind," Dawn said.
"We made the mess, we'll clean up," Willow said, knowing that it was just some clothes and cushions to straighten up. "Go to bed, Dawny."
"Yes, Mom," Dawn said as she moved to the bed and kissed Willow's cheek before doing the same to Buffy. "Sleep tight, Sis. I *am* happy for you both."
"Thanks, Dawn," Buffy said, giving her sister a brief hug. "Now, go to bed."
"Well," Willow looked at Buffy after Dawn left and shut the door behind her, "That was kind of weird."
"Yep," Buffy agreed before starting to smile, "but a good kind of weird."
"I believe you were telling me how beautiful I am," Willow said with a wicked smile as she moved to straddle Buffy, "and I also think this shirt wasn't here."
"You have such a great memory, Willow," Buffy said as she took the shirt off and caught the redhead's mouth in a kiss.
********************
"What time is it?" a sleepy voice asked.
"A little past six," Willow said as she glanced at the clock.
"Good. We can stay in bed longer," Buffy said as she snuggled closer to her lover. A smile crossed her face as she used that word to describe Willow. Of course, she hadn't really stopped smiling since she and her best friend had kissed the previous evening. Being with Willow, thinking about Willow, talking to Willow, pretty much everything about the redhead caused the slayer to smile. True, the smiles differed a bit. There was the goofy, look at me I'm in love with the most wonderful woman in the world kind of smile, and then there was the shy, my best friend is now my girlfriend kind of smile, and then there was the happy, I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be loved by such a beautiful and intelligent woman kind of smile, and then was the sexy, I can't wait to taste you and touch you smile, and finally there was the contented, I love holding you in my arms and love you so much kind of smile. Right now, Buffy's smile was a mixture of the shy smile mixed with the contented smile.
"I love waking up in your arms," Willow said softly, feeling her lover's arms tighten their embrace at her words.
"I love waking up with you in my arms," Buffy admitted with the shy smile as she looked at Willow. She gently brushed her fingers along the redhead's cheek, her eyes catching Willow's as she said, "You're so beautiful and sexy and smart and funny. I love you, Willow."
Willow smiled at her lover's words, having to admit that she'd been a bit nervous about how Buffy would react to the change in their relationship. She had no doubts that the slayer loved her, but she'd been worried that things might have happened too fast. She had loved Buffy for as long as she could remember, even if she hadn't admitted the truth to herself until recently, but she hadn't wanted the blonde to wake up this morning with any regrets. They'd made love all night, only stopping to get a snack shortly after midnight and then to finally sleep some time around two. She didn't have any regrets, knowing that being with Buffy, loving Buffy, made her happier than she'd ever been. Being loved in return, well, it was beyond anything she'd ever imagined. She brushed her fingers through her lover's blonde hair and whispered, "I love you, too, Buffy. Any regrets?"
"No regrets at all," Buffy said before she kissed Willow, her words sincere. She could have regretted that it took her so long to realize that her feelings for the redhead went way beyond just those of a best friend, but she had to admit that it had all probably turned out for the best. She didn't know if she could have handled loving Willow in a lover type of way when they'd been in high school, not even sure if Willow could have handled loving her. They had both grown up a lot in the past couple of years, had relationships and dealt with the curveballs that life had thrown them. Through it all, their friendship had remained, growing stronger with every passing day, as had the love they felt for each other. She might have ignored the feelings, tried to pretend that they were just friendly emotions, but they'd been there all along and they'd just gotten stronger and more powerful over time. She knew they were real, knew that the love she felt for Willow was true and the forever after kind they wrote about in fairy tales. She was ready to love Willow, to be loved by Willow.
"Me either," Willow said softly when Buffy pulled back from the kiss.
Buffy heard a noise in the hallway, glancing towards it before looking back at Willow. She sighed dramatically, "It sounds like the brat is already awake."
"Doesn't she realize it's Saturday? You'd think she'd want to be lazy and sleep all morning," Willow groaned, not wanting to get out of bed or leave Buffy's arms yet.
"What can I say? Dawn is a weird kid," Buffy said, her eyes widening as she asked, "Do you think she's freaked out about last night? I mean, she saw me without my shirt and I'm supposed to be the parent now that Mom is gone and...."
"Buffy, stop," Willow laughed, "I seriously doubt she's freaked out about last night. She seemed extremely happy that we were um, well, that we'd taken our relationship to the next level."
"I'd have said shagging like wild animals, but your way is more mature," Buffy said as she tried to keep the smile off her face.
"As I was saying," Willow rolled her eyes at Buffy's not so innocent smile, "I don't even think she noticed you weren't wearing your shirt. You covered up real fast. Dawn is going to be just fine."
"You're right," Buffy said, "I'm just still pretty new at this parenting thing and I don't want to mess things up. She did seem really happy that we're a couple now. Of course, she adores you and thinks you're wonderful so I'm not too surprised that she's cool with us being in love. I'm glad she's happy about it. She deserves some happiness. The poor kid hasn't had the easiest life so far. Losing Mom, just being a teenager has to suck pretty bad, not to mention being the Key and having that bitch after her."
"We'll keep her safe, Buffy," Willow said quietly, realizing that this was the first time Glory's name had been mentioned since the previous afternoon. She'd done her best to forget the God and concentrate on Buffy and the happiness she felt when she was in the slayer's arms. Now, though, she was reminded that everything wasn't perfect, that it was stupid to forget someone that had the power to destroy everything and everyone she loved.
"She won't win, Willow," Buffy said softly, feeling the tension enter her lover. She made sure Willow was looking at her as she continued, "Giles is calling people and trying to find out what we can do to destroy her. I won't let her get Dawn or hurt you."
"And who is going to protect you from her?" Willow whispered, remembering all too well that it wasn't even two days ago that Glory had successfully managed to poison the slayer. She didn't doubt Buffy's words, knew the slayer would do anything within her power to protect her and Dawn, but she also knew that Glory was stronger than anything that Buffy had faced.
"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. I love you so much, Willow. That's what will protect me from her. My love for you, for Dawn, that will keep me safe. I won't let her win," Buffy promised before she kissed Willow deeply. Pulling back, she was relieved to see that Willow wasn't looking as worried as she had been, though she knew that the redhead was scared. She couldn't say anything because she was scared, too. But, her love for Willow and Dawn made her stronger, gave her power, made her more determined to find out how to get rid of Glory. Buffy rested her head on Willow's shoulder as she said, "There *is* a way to defeat her, Willow. I know there is. We just have to find it."
********************
Willow and Buffy stayed in bed for another fifteen minutes before finally deciding to go ahead and get up. They showered together, touching and kissing until the water became cold. Once they were both dressed, they went downstairs. Willow could hear Dawn in the kitchen, glancing at Buffy and smiling, "I think she's cooking."
"I don't smell anything burning," Buffy whispered back after sniffing the air.
"The burning smell is usually when you cook, honey," Willow said with a laugh as she moved away before Buffy could hit her.
"I don't burn every thing I cook," Buffy grumbled as they entered the living room.
"You're cute when you pout," Willow declared with a smile as she moved closer to brush her lips against Buffy's for a quick kiss.
"I'm not pouting," Buffy denied before a smile crossed her face, "unless, of course, you feel inclined to kiss me again. Then, well, I'll do my best to pout as often as possible."
"You're nuts," Willow laughed as she walked into the kitchen, greeting Dawn, "Good morning, sunshine!"
"You guys are already out of bed?" Dawn looked around the kitchen at the breakfast that was only half fixed before looking back at her sister and Willow. She groaned, "It's not ready yet. I wanted to surprise you both with breakfast."
"You have surprised us, Dawny," Willow said with an affectionate smile at the teen. "I'm starving and breakfast sounds wonderful."
"It smells great," Buffy said as she looked at what her sister was cooking. With a smile, she pointed at the stove and told Willow, "Look, baby. She makes them like Mom used to. They really are supposed to be yellow. Dawn, how did you do that? Can you teach me?"
"She's kidding, right?" Dawn asked Willow, knowing that Buffy wasn't much of a cook but figuring that her sister was just teasing.
"Afraid not," Willow smiled, "She made me breakfast in bed recently and I think they were supposed to be eggs and that they were supposed to be scrambled, but she ended up with a lumpy mess."
"They were awful," Buffy agreed, smiling as she remembered that Willow had tried to eat them anyway, not wanting to hurt her feelings by admitting how bad the eggs really were. She caught her lover's eye and said, "It meant a lot, that you still tried to eat them. I was so glad you didn't sick or anything."
"Well, I had to try. I mean, you made them for me and it was really very sweet," Willow said.
"I love you," Buffy said before kissing the redhead.
"This is just so great!" Dawn smiled before turning to move the eggs from the burner.
"Sorry about that, Dawn," Buffy said, having forgotten for a second that they had an audience. How was she supposed to act all parental when all she really wanted to do was kiss Willow?
"Don't be sorry," Dawn rolled her eyes, "If it's not obvious, I'm so happy that you guys are together-together that I could do cartwheels! It's the best thing that has happened to us in so long, I just can't stop smiling."
"Me either," Buffy shared a smile with her sister before moving out a bar stool for Willow to sit on. She sat beside the redhead, resting her chin on Willow's shoulder as she watched Dawn finish cooking breakfast.
"I could tell!" Dawn teased, winking at Willow as the redhead laughed softly.
"Do you need any help, Dawn? I can set the table or make toast," Willow offered, pleased that Dawn had handled the change in her and Buffy's relationship so well. She actually wasn't surprised, since she and Dawn were very close and the teen had always been extremely accepting of her relationship with Tara.
"Thanks, but I can take care of it. You two just sit there and smile and be all loving and couply," Dawn instructed. She put some bread in the toaster and then went to the cabinet to get paper plates. She loved to cook, having spent many an hour in the kitchen watching and helping her Mother, but she hated cleaning up so paper plates were a must for her. She looked over and saw Buffy watching Willow, a smile on her sister's face that she'd never seen before. They looked so happy, so in love, so perfect together. She hadn't been lying earlier when she said she hadn't been able to stop smiling since she'd found out they'd finally realized they were meant for each other. Finally, something good had happened to them. She couldn't wait to talk to Xander and Anya and share the great news.
********************
End of Part 34
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
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