Spike draws deeply on the cigarette, his mind working furiously as he strokes his finger through his dark love’s hair.
“Daddy doesn’t want me here anymore, does he, my prince?” Drusilla plays with the new doll-y Spike stole for her.
“No, pet, he doesn’t.” Spike answers softly. “Have you seen anything lately, my beautiful one?”
Drusilla shakes her head. “Little Tree has come back, but without her bite. She was naughty and had all her batteries drained permanently by the Goddess’ daughter.”
Spike frowns and blinks at Drusilla’s words. Figuring out who Little Tree is, but the whole daughter thing is throwing him for a loop. “Willow had her magic taken from her, eh?”
“Little Tree was very, very naughty. She killed the dark one. Goddess’ daughter didn’t like that and she and the light one brought her back.” Drusilla starts to hum and sings softly under her breath as she becomes lost dreaming and playing with her doll.
Spike sighs heavily as he loses Dru. Confused with what she’d said, but knowing he won’t get anything clearer from his dark princess. Eventually it’ll make sense, but he won’t try and figure it out right now. Right now he has to decide if he’s going to give the slayer a head’s up about The First and his plans, or if he’s going to throw all-in with The First Evil.
***
“You need to call them and let them know.” Jacqi looks over at the Watcher who is frowning and walking beside her as they do patrol. Dawn staying at the Watcher’s house, instead of joining them on patrol. Actually thankful that the young woman didn’t argue the point, as either one of the other slayers or Tara had spoke with her about only going out when they’re in a bigger group to protect her properly.
Giles frowns even heavier. “They aren’t exactly… in a very forgiving mood when it comes to Willow.”
Jacqi chuckles without any real humor. “What gave that away? Giles, I can’t really blame them for the way they feel. I’ve heard some of the comments being made, and Dawn has explained what she knows of what exactly happened at that time… and we’ve both seen the scar on Tara’s back. I wouldn’t be here, at least not in full slayer capacity if it wasn’t for what she’d done, either.”
Giles sighs heavily. “I’m not arguing the fact that what Willow did was wrong.”
“A world of wrong. I know Tara’s been trying to discuss what happened with the other two. Surprisingly enough I think she’s more willing to give Willow something of a chance, with Faith closest behind her. Buffy seems to be the most resistant to forgiving Willow.” Jacqi explains her view on the way the three women are reacting regarding Willow. “Of course, we both know how Dawn feels about her.” Jacqi purses her lips to try and keep from smiling at the other young woman’s reaction to Willow, the hard smack she’d given Willow still ringing in her ears.
Giles hesitates for a moment before finally asking Jacqi something about what she’d just said. The young woman living with the others would give her more insight as to what’s going on. “Why do you think Buffy is being the most stubborn?”
Jacqi tucks her hands in her jean jacket and looks around the quiet town. Now with three slayers patrolling, along with Tara doing her witchy mojo, it’s usually relatively quiet except for whatever new demons decide to show up. “She saw Faith die at Willow’s hand, and she had to stitch Tara’s body after Willow tried to fillet her. In one day, hour whatever, she almost lost both women that she loves completely. To the woman that’s been her best friend since she was a Sophomore. If you were in her shoes, would you easily forgive her?”
“You have multiple points, but they have been friends since their Sophomore year of high school, you would think she would give her more leeway.” Giles points out.
“Willow wouldn’t listen to reason, Giles. She let jealousy, anger and power go to her head. She was in that mindset that either she was going to have Tara or no one was. Don’t you think they tried to talk sense into Willow? How can you talk to someone that completely ignores what you’re saying, cuts you off before you can say anything or just disappears on you? What are you supposed to do in those cases?” Jacqi slows down to a stop and turns to face the Watcher. “I like Willow, Giles. I liked her basically from the first moment I met her over in England, but I don’t agree with what she did. It really didn’t affect me on a personal level except for it having me called as a slayer at the time. Now… now I see it from the three women she’s wronged side of things. If I was in their shoes I honestly don’t know if I ever would be able to forgive her. That’s an extremely hard thing to judge and I would like to think I could, but I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Giles rubs a hand roughly against the back of his neck, trying to loosen the tense muscles. “It’s just that they all have been through so much together over the years. The things they’ve been able to overcome by working together, when you think about it, is miraculous. I hate to see them split as they are now.”
“I’m sure you’re not the only one that hates it, Giles. I just know if it was me, I’d want to know at the earliest opportunity that she was here. You waiting and not telling them she was coming is going to piss them off even more. Buffy and Faith can be very volatile as it is on a good day in regards to anything Willow-wise. Tara’s been working with Faith, since Faith had her previous experience with Willow and can probably be a little more lenient with her, but Buffy’s the hard sell right now.”
“I assume you’ve overheard them talking?” Giles waves them towards the next cemetery as this one is void of life and seems to be quiet.
“A lot more than I want to, to tell you the truth. Buffy isn’t willing to give an inch in regards to Willow. I think Faith is about to give in to Tara and just ignore Willow without planning on making any comments, or actually even dealing with Willow, if she doesn’t have to. Tara pretty much looks at it as Willow is no longer a threat to any of them and she’s willing to forgive her as long as she doesn’t play any other kind of games. Of course she made it abundantly clear she’d never FORGET what happened.” Jacqi shrugs her shoulders at the thought of the three women.
“If Buffy caved that would end a lot of the attitude.” Giles tucks his hands in his jacket pockets and smiles somewhat sadly at the youngest slayer. “That’s going to be a tall order, now that you’ve explained how Buffy’s looking at it. When people she loves are endangered, it has a tendency to make her see red and it’s very hard for her to forgive. It took her almost two years to forgive Faith.”
“And it may be two years before she forgives Willow. I just hope that she’ll at least work with Willow, because I have this gut feeling that we’re going to need everybody working together for whatever is to come.” Jacqi shivers uncontrollably as she looks around. A cold chill flows through her body as if something evil is within touching distance of her.
“I hope it doesn’t take that long.” Giles murmurs, not noticing the slayer’s actions beside him as she seems to search the darkness.
“I hope not, also.” Jacqi picks up her pace as she urges the Watcher to continue on patrol her senses alive as she stays on her toes prepared for whatever may come.
***
“I thought we had the whole weekend booked for some alone time?” Buffy grumbles as the three women walk down the street towards their house, her eyes narrowing on Giles’ automobile.
“We did. I wonder if somethin’s happened?” Faith frowns in consideration as she looks from the empty vehicle up to the front door as they turn up the walkway, her hand kneading Buffy’s suddenly tense neck gently.
Tara’s hand rubs gently on Buffy’s lower back as she tries to help lessen the tension vibrating through her lover, unconsciously glancing over at Faith on the other side of Buffy as her dark-haired lover looks somewhat worriedly at her. “If it was an emergency, he would have called.” Tara pats her free hand against the phone hooked on Buffy’s belt before trailing it up over the slayer’s muscular stomach.
“Giles interrupting our get naked and nasty occasional weekend is NOT a good thing. Especially birthday induced weekends.” Buffy growls lowly, the words rumbling up from deep in her chest even as her body reacts to the feel of her lovers’ hands on various parts of her body. The anger and desire rolling around inside her heating her blood to the point where she’ll need to work it out one way or another if it boils over.
Faith smirks as she hears the desire fighting the anger in Buffy’s tones, still worried as to why Tweed is here but having to be somewhat tickled at her lover’s easily sidetracked anger. Of course she and Buffy had been known to become a little more physical themselves as they worked through things willingly with each other upon occasion.
Tara rolls her eyes as she looks at the smirk on Faith’s face and the desire coming up on Buffy’s face. She loves both women completely but sometimes she wonders what she’s gotten herself into as they both were extremely sexual women and kept her on her toes. A slow smile crosses her own lips as she slides her hand from Buffy’s lower back to caress over a muscular cheek, squeezing firmly knowing she wouldn’t trade anything for what she has now. Blinking as firm lips press hard against hers, she looks into darkening hazel eyes.
Buffy laughs softly as Tara blinks a couple times, the haze obvious over her beautiful eyes. “Let’s find out what’s up.”
Faith holds the door open as Buffy leads the way into the house, Tara slowly following before she follows the two women inside, her gut starting to rumble somewhat as she has a feeling that whatever it is, isn’t going to be good.
***
Willow twists her hands together as she stands on the outside of the barrier, looking through the fence as she watches the construction crew pack it up early for the day. Her eyes caught by her best friend since forever smiling and waving to one of his workers. The sight of Xander obviously healthy and happy makes her smile somewhat sadly. Silently wondering if she maybe shouldn’t have just tried to call him at his apartment later instead of just showing up at his work place, she shakes off her second guesses as she silently remembers Anna telling her she has to face up to her past and take the lumps with, hopefully, the good.
Maneuvering towards the opening as the rest of the construction crew leaves she nibbles on her bottom lip even as she unconsciously stiffens her back as she draws on the strength inside her that has steadily grown as she realizes that she is someone and that she’d allowed her own wants and desires with magic to screw her life up. Now she needs to start making amends and hopefully mending a few bridges she’d damaged along the way along with hopefully re-building some of the bridges even if they’re nothing more than a tightrope to begin with, something being better than nothing at this moment in her life.
***
Xander pulls off his hard hat as he walks through the construction site, running a hand through his hair as he glances at the new project the company he works for has started. Finally having finished the construction on the new high school, they’d gone from working there to this one. Chuckling as he knows that he’ll get a few calls in the coming months to fix ‘oddities’ at the school he tucks his hard hat under his arm as he strides to the gate, stopping in shock as he focuses in on a small, petite redhead standing there apparently waiting calmly for him to finish making his way out. “Willow?” He hoarsely calls for his best friend, wondering if his eyes are playing tricks on him. When a shy half-smile crosses her lips and vibrant green eyes look hesitantly into his, he drops his hard hat and covers the last distance in moments, his feet hardly hitting the concrete as he lifts Willow up in his arms, hugging her tightly as he spins her around.
Willow laughs even as the tears start to fall from her eyes as she wraps her arms around her best friend’s strong neck, resting her cheek against his rough-hewn cheek. Happier than she would ever have believed possible that at least she hasn’t screwed up her friendship with Xander to the point where he doesn’t want to have anything to do with her. Honestly not knowing what he thought of what happened, not that she really cared at the time of the height of her selfish wants and desires. As his arms tighten even more around her ribs, she laughs even harder. “Oxygen, Xander. Oxygen!”
“No!” Xander practically yells joyously even as he relaxes his tight grip but doesn’t release his best friend. “It’s really you?!”
“It’s me, Xan. It’s me.” Willow rests her cheek on the strong shoulder and relaxes her body more into Xander’s as he slowly lets her slide down to where her feet touch the ground but he keeps her in his warm embrace.
“I was starting to wonder if you forgot about us.” Xander admits, shifting Willow slightly so he can look into watery green eyes, happiness, sadness and guilt fighting for dominance in her gaze.
“No. I didn’t forget. I…” Willow closes her eyes and takes a deep, calming breath to center herself. “I honestly didn’t want to come back here, but for my own sanity and the people that I consider family and friends, I had to. I need to.”
Xander’s eyes widen and he pales slightly as he looks at Willow. “Umm… do they know you’re here?”
Willow’s lip quivers slightly and she shakes her head. “At least they didn’t. I came in yesterday afternoon.” Willow releases Xander, her hand going to her cheek that’s still slightly tender though there’s no visible bruise. “I take that back, Giles picked me up at the airport with Jacqi and… Dawn.” Willow hesitates somewhat before whispering the teenager’s name. Looking around she shakes off her misgivings and smiles sadly at Xander. “Feel like giving a girl a lift home and talking somewhere that isn’t quite so public?”
“Of course!” Xander hesitates for a moment, thinking about the fact he probably should take a shower at home and change but not quite willing to let Willow out of his sight yet. “Let me call Anya and tell her what’s up. Here, go ahead and settle in the car if you want I’ll just be a few minutes.” Xander pulls the keys to his vehicle out of his pocket and waves towards the last car parked in the small parking lot as he pulls the cell phone from its case and watches Willow take the keys and makes her way slowly towards the car. The way Willow had said Dawn’s name lets him know that obviously Dawn had said or done something to let her know that all would not be easily forgiven or forgotten.
Not knowing what to say or do about that particular can of worms if Willow asks him, just knowing he’ll have to ask her for her side of things and hopefully be there for her no matter what. But he can’t and better yet, won’t do anything to harm the relationship of the two slayers and Tara no matter what Willow might want. He loves the redhead but he’s come to understand that you can love someone but you don’t necessarily have to agree with everything they do, and Willow had screwed up royally with what she’d done.
Punching in the speed dial as he calls Anya at the Magic Box, he smiles as he hears his soon to be bride pick up the phone. Glad that at least Willow will be here for their wedding just not sure how things are going to play out as to who will be doing what in the wedding now.
