FIC: An Unresolved Issue

["Pat Kelly" <bandits@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey.

Small fic. Hope you've seen "Fear, Itself". Enjoy.



AN UNRESOLVED ISSUE



"Will, I'm telling you..."

'Cause I love you too much to see you hurt.'

"You're telling me? You're telling me?"

'Can't you see I just want to help you stay alive?'

"I can't do my job if I have to worry about each of your safety."

'I don't want to lose you.'

'You don't think I worry about your safety? You're not invincible.'

"It's not your decision!"

'It's not some hero kick. I know you're independent. I respect you for that. But my Slayer instincts are in control. I can't help it.'

'A part of me knows it is, but I want to stand by you.'

"Got to disagree with you there."

'My mouth won't shut up.'

"Oh, of course you do."

'What do I have to do to prove myself to you?'

"Let's all take a breath. Buffy, maybe..." Xander said, not realizing his presence went unnoticed.

"Being the Slayer doesn't automatically make you boss. You're as lost as the rest of us."

'Which is why WE need to stick together.'

'I'm not the boss. But I'm making spur of the moment decisions here. Not well thought out, but I'm just trying to do the right thing.'

"What are we talking about?" Oz asked.

"It's a simple incantation, a guiding spell for travelers when they become lost or disoriented."

'I can do this. I need you to believe in me.'

' I know you're doing the witch thing, and I envy you. That's something I could never do.'

"And how does it work?"

"It conjures an emissary from the beyond that - lights the way."

"Conjuring. Will, let's be realistic here. Okay, your basic spells are usually only fifty-fifty."

'Shut up, voice!'

'I'm not great, but I know you don't mean that.'

"Oh yeah? Well, - so is your face!"


'You're so beautiful when you're angry.'

'What the heck did I just say?'

"What? What does that mean?"

'Beats me. Your face is a hundred percent. Really.'

'Don't go away. I need you, but I can't help wanting to protect you.'

"I'm not your sidekick!"


'Don't you know I love you? I wanna be your partner. I gotta go before I really do say something mean.'

'Why are we even fighting? No, I won't let you go.'

Willow ran off into the other room, and Oz started to follow. Buffy ran past him, and caught up with her.


"Wait, Will. Please."


'You're supposed to be angry and run away. But she's too close.'

"I know where I am on your priority list. Just let me go."

'No, you don't.'

"You're at the top. You're above the top. You're so far up the list I can't remember what the others are."

'Don't sweet-talk me. Wait.you're sweet-talking. To me.'

"Coulda fooled me."

'I'm not trying to fool you.'

"Don't you get it?"

'I want to.'

"Now I'm an idiot cause I don't get it?"

'Who said that?'

"No! You're the smartest.I don't like fighting with you. It makes me sick to my stomach."

"Me too. All I want -"

"Is to help."

'Now you're getting it.'

Buffy stepped closer to her. "And I want you to. But don't try to rush it to try and prove something. You don't have anything to prove to me. But we've proven something."


"Fighting is bad."

"Uh huh. Gets us nowhere."

"I don't want to do it anymore."

"I second that. So what do you want to do?"

"Get out of here for one. And I.need to tell you something."

'Are you gonna say what I think you're gonna say?'

***


Buffy's eyes shot open. She was in her bed, in the dorm, and she was sweating. It had been months since that fight on Halloween. It had haunted her dreams since then and just as they were about to clear the air, and forgive each other, the dream ended.

There was never closure. They had both forgotten about the fight, seemingly left it as a fluke due to the Gachnar's influence. But the fact they never settled it scared Buffy more than anything.

The dream changed over time, to where it was now at the point where her newly realized feelings for her friend had seeped into the argument. The words the same, but the thoughts behind them took on new meaning.

She changed the fight. In reality she never went after Willow, but in the dream, it was her attempt to fix things. But she never got the chance. Then she heard Willow over in her bed. She was crying. And awake.

Buffy silently crept over to her bed, and got on it. Willow's eyes went wide.

"Oh.I thought you were asleep.oh."

"Sssh. Bad dream?"

"Yeah. It was.Buffy I -"

She didn't know what made her do it. Maybe it was because the dark let her hide, maybe the moment was right, but it was something she had to do. Apologizing with words just didn't seem good enough. At least not before she showed her.

She leaned over and kissed Willow. Like she was a lifeline. She was gonna to stop, but then she felt Willow respond, and hold her there. For minutes, they just sat there in the dark, kissing. Well it was one long kiss. One of apology, one relieving the bottled up tension from the fight, and one of love.

Finally, they stopped and started they both started to cry. Then they fell down on the bed in an embrace, feeling the tears roll down their faces.

"I'm sorry."


"I have misplaced my pants." (Homer J. Simpson)

"You know what the secret of life is?"
"Your finger?"
"One thing. Just one thing."
"That's great, but what's the one thing?"
"That's what you gotta figure out."
(Jack Palance, Billy Crystal, City Slickers)

"I heard your heartbeat." (Buffy Summers, to Angel, ANGEL)