Fw: FIC: Untitled(Chapter 2)

["uj18" <uj18@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: uj18
To: buffyloveswillow@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2000 8:16 PM
Subject: Re: [buffyloveswillow] FIC: Untitled(Chapter 2)


Hi,
Could Somebody please me chapter 1 of this.
Thanks,
----- Original Message -----
From: Pat Kelly
To: buffyloveswillow@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2000 6:38 PM
Subject: [buffyloveswillow] FIC: Untitled(Chapter 2)


From: "Pat Kelly" <bandits@xxxxxxxxx>


Hey.

Chapter 2. Not saying anything else.

CHAPTER 2

Torches lit the large, massive cave. Sets of steps carved out of stone lined the outside of the room, and they all led and connected to a stone table high in the air, with nine places to sit. The demons each walked up their respective set of steps and sat at the table. All different species, they nodded out of respect to one another, but were otherwise silent.

Then the rumbling began. The demons sat calmly, as the shaking increased.

Louder.

Louder.

Louder.

An echoing growl.

The torches' flames extinguished.

Spike shot awake in bed, doing something uncharacteristic for a vampire. He was sweating.

Buffy walked in. "It's an hour before dawn. If you take the sewers, we'll meet up with you at the airport. The Louvre is taking us all to France in a private jet. Willow must be a real big wig over there."

"She knows how to get in good with people. She know we're flying in with the Doc?"

"No. And before you say anything -"

"I'm not saying a word."

"Anyway.as long as we keep the shades drawn on the plane and haul ass when we get there, you should be sun-free."

"Yeah. Right. Hadn't thought of that."

"Hey, you okay?" She asked with concern, seeing as he looked a bit shaken up.

"Last time I checked."

She shook her head at him. "Then you better get a move on."

***


When Willow was close to discovering something, she had a tendency to overlook sleep. She knew it was a bad habit, but she couldn't help it. Not when she had a new puzzle to decipher. No one really understood her excitement. Certainly not Danton. He had partnered with her purely because the artifacts she found generally led to large sums of money. That was his reason for digging.

And there was nothing wrong with that. Danton had connections with people she didn't have, other diggers, archeologists, that helped the unearthing of the bones and artifacts go faster. However, there was resentment towards her because she was not officially an archeologist. She didn't have the title, yet she was the one making it big. She really didn't pay attention to all that, though. She cared about one thing.

Learning about demons. Finding possible weaknesses, histories. The conclusion she had come to was that most demon species' today had evolved and branched out from one core group of ancestors. Over time, the species' tended to develop major differences from one another, but there was one important similarity.

Somewhere in their blood there was one identical cell for all species. Vampire, Chaos, Mohra, Ethros, and so on and so on.

She needed more, but it was a pretty big revelation. Nobody else got it. The only ones who would have really appreciated it were Giles.and Buffy. But they weren't here. She wasn't here. Couldn't share it with her.

"Stop it." Willow told herself quietly. "You don't need to be depressed now."

They were below now. Her, Danton, and four others. They had gone to work immediately, chipping away at the sheet of rock that covered whatever the computer had said was underneath. They had come down from above, walking past the limestone plateaus, past wandering sheep, and into the caverns. They walked deep, until they found the weakest spot in the floor.

After a big enough hole was made, they dropped below, and carefully lowered their equipment. Willow had hooked her own, personally designed mini-satellite dish to her laptop, and was currently reading her email.

"Janice is on her way. She'll be landing soon. Hmm.she said she's bringing some others with her."

"We could always use some extra hands." Danton said.

"Someone from the Louvre is gonna pick them up at the airport and bring them here."

She shut down the laptop, grabbed a pick ax, and began to carefully chip away.

***


Buffy ended up sitting next to the Doctor, who was using her laptop at the moment. She hoped the woman would finish soon, because they were going to be landing, and she seemed to recall the pilot saying that electronic devices could interfere with the flight. She really didn't want to crash. Not when she was so close to seeing her again.

What would she say? Willow probably wouldn't care. She had a life now, and the last thing Buffy knew Willow would think about, was her. She would just disrupt her friend's life. But what if Willow wanted to see her? Had thought about her?

"Where do you know Willow from?" Janice was asking her, shutting down her laptop.

"Oh.uh.we went to high school and college together."

"Really? You must have been very good friends."

'Yeah. We must have been.'

"Both went our own ways after that." Buffy said aloud.

"How come?"

"It's complicated. How is she?"

"We don't get to meet face to face that often, but if I had to, I'd say she's lonely."

"She never found anybody?"

"No. She lives alone. Archeology calls for sacrifices. You don't really have time for anything else. Especially if you're out in the field. Which is why I have an office with paperwork."

Buffy noticed the ring on Janice's finger. "Engaged?"

"Six months. We're getting married next summer."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. I used to do what your friend does. But I couldn't take it anymore. I needed someone. So, I work behind the scenes now. Mostly research. I teach too. If you let it, archeology can become your life. Believe me, it's not worth it to not live."

Buffy was quiet, thinking, as the plane began its descent. Willow was lonely? Willow wasn't happy? The thoughts crushed her. Mainly because she knew she was the cause of it. All she wanted to do was give her friend a life, so how come she kept screwing up?

***


"There's writing here." Willow said. She wiped away the remaining rock fragments and dust from the section of the wall she cleared away. There was definitely something there. "It looks like ancient vampiric."

"Got Fearal down here." A man called.

Two different demonic languages in the same area?

"Ethros too." Danton said. "And this thing goes on for miles."

Willow wanted to jump up and down. "Okay. We've gotta be careful. Download the writing into the portable scanners, and then we'll transfer it to the computer. It'll be easier to read that way. And I want to know how many languages are down here."

That's when they all heard growling, and two vampires stepped out from the shadows. One of the men ran directly to the demons, panicking.

"No!" Willow yelled. But it was too late. One of the vampires grabbed him and began to drain the man's blood. "Run towards me!"

Danton and the others did as they were told, and she whispered a quick protection spell over the group. The two vampires charged, and Willow held out a large cross that was around her neck hidden under her shirt. It was washed in holy water. They held their hands up to their faces.

"Back off." Willow said.

***


They reached the Causses still experiencing a good amount of jetlag. Buffy, Janice, and Giles got out of the car, and the driver pointed to the caverns.

"They went down through there."

"Okay, thank you." Janice said to him.

'Any second now. Breathe.' Buffy thought.

"Are you ready, Spike?" Giles asked.

Spike swung his legs over the side of the backseat, and raised his jacket over his head. "Yeah."

They ran as fast as they could to the caverns, and Buffy tried to run close behind Spike to block the sun. They got inside, and immediately heard the familiar growl of a vampire.

"Never a dull moment. I hope all of France is this exciting." Buffy said, running towards the sound. Spike followed closely behind.

***


Willow wondered what the heck she was supposed to do now. Why would vampires come down here anyway? They could travel under here, sure, but it was a pretty rural area. Not much to feed on. Maybe whatever was written on the wall to her right was more important than she realized.

That's when she saw two figures drop down the hole, and divert the vampires attention.

"You're not welcome here." A voice said to the vampires.

'No.it can't be.' Willow thought.

"Neither are they." One of the vampires responded.

"Then kick us out."

The vampires charged the two figures, who didn't move an inch. When the one turned to dust, Willow knew who it was. The other one was so surprised, that the second figure dispatched him easily.

Stepping out of the shadows came Buffy and Spike.

"We're okay, Giles!" Buffy called up.

"Were they the ones you lost in Minneapolis?" Spike asked her.

"No. These were different. The two that got away took a boat. It'll take 'em at least a day to get here."

Buffy looked at her. And she looked right back.

"It's too dangerous to do this now." Willow told her group. "We'll start again tomorrow. Gather up the equipment and put it in the jeep."

The shocked people robotically did as they were told, and made their way out. Willow walked up to Buffy. They didn't speak for almost two minutes. They just stared. Buffy finally gave, and made the first move, hugging her friend. Willow put her arms around her too.

"What are you doing here?" Willow asked, whispering.

***


"You can all stay here." Willow said later in her loft.

"We wouldn't want to impose." Giles said.

"Of course we would." Spike said.

"It's okay," Willow reassured, "this place has room for six people."

"I'll say. This is nice. It still looks new." Buffy said.

"I'm not here much."

The room was silent. After a couple hours of small talk, and Janice seeing what Willow had found, they had pretty much run out of things to say. Things were different now. They were all older, situations, everything.

"Well, the sun's just about down. I think its time I visited my old stomping grounds." Spike said. "For purely nostalgic reasons, of course."

"Yes, Dr. Carter and I will go with you." Giles said.

"I can go." Buffy said.

"Stay here. Relax."

"I could show you around." Willow offered.

"Piffle. I know this place inside and out." Spike said.

"Don't elaborate. Please." Giles said, as the three of them headed out the door.

***


Giles pulled Spike over to the side once they were out of building.

"Do you think they'll be all right?"

"We better hope so. The last thing we need is a distracted Slayer."

"Why do you say that?"

"Something's gonna go down here, mate. I can feel it."

***


"So." Buffy started, sitting on the sofa bed.

"So." Willow said sitting on the opposite end.

"Heard from Xander and Anya lately?"

"He called me about a month ago from some out of the way place in Russia. Says he's becoming cultured."

Buffy had skeptical look on her say. "I'll have to see that for myself."

"Seeing is believing. You never did tell me why you were here."

"Um.your doctor friend hired me. Demons we were chasing stole her notes. And we think they're coming here. What exactly did you find?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Well, whatever it is, it's making France a demon hotspot. More than usual."

"I'll be careful." Willow assured her.

"That's not what I -"

"You look really.worn out. Don't you ever take a break?"

Buffy rubbed her hand over her face. "There's no reason too."

"You want some coffee?" Willow asked, getting up.

"How about alcohol?"

"Even better." Willow walked into the kitchen area, and started gathering glasses and searching for possible drinks. Buffy stayed where she was. "How's your mom?"

"She's all right I guess. She got really pissed at me for not dropping the slaying after graduation and getting a job, and then she moved to Vermont."

"I'm sorry."

"It's no biggie."

Willow came back with to glasses filled with ice and a bottle of scotch. She handed a glass to Buffy, and filled it. She then proceeded to fill hers as well. They took their first sips. The first of many.

***


An hour later, their reservations about what to say and not to say were lowered considerably because of the alcohol. There was yelling now.

"Two years, Buffy! I thought.I didn't know what I thought. For all I knew, you were dead!"

"And what about you? You never -"

"Don't give me that! You were always moving around. I couldn't keep track of you. I gave Giles my address and number the one time I was able to catch you."

"Where?"

"Ohio. And I waited for you to write, to call, anything. I don't know why you didn't want to talk to me, but if you could have at least had the decency to call me and tell me you hated me so I'd stop worrying."

"I don't hate you."

"What then? I know we left on shaky ground, but every time I've tried to fix it, you weren't there. I don't even know why I tried. You're the one who pushed me away."

"It would've been too hard to -"

"To hard for who? You or me?"

"Both of us. I just wanted to give you a life. And if I talked to you."

"A life? Listen, because you're the only person I would ever admit this to. Even after two years, the only person." Willow set her glass down on the table. "I'm completely miserable. I've been that way for a long time.

"I tried Oxford, it didn't help. I tried shutting myself off, that didn't work either. And now I'm unofficially an archeologist. It doesn't make me happy either, but at least I get some recognition. That's all that keeps me going. Somebody telling me I'm doing a good job."

Willow started to cry, and Buffy instinctively guided Willow's head to her lap. "You are doing a good job, you are."

"But I don't have anyone to share it with."

"There's plenty of people that would -"

"Don't you get it? It's always been you. If you would have just said it."

"If I did -"

"It's my life. I would've done what I thought was best. Don't you ever think about me?"

Buffy lifted her friend's head up so she could look her in the eye.

"How can you ask me that? Of course I do. All the time."

"Then why? Two years we haven't talked."

"I know. I just wanted to keep you safe. I've been places, in fights, inside things that you were better off not seeing. Not experiencing."


"Maybe. But who was there to listen to you afterwards? Spike? Giles? I don't think so. How much have you kept bottled inside, Buffy?"

"I can handle it."

"Don't act all tough with me. It's not healthy."

"Neither is fighting demons, but you do what you gotta do."

"But you don't have to do it alone."

"I'm not alone."

"To you, inside, you are. Just let me in. You know you want to."

Buffy shook her head. "No, you don't need me to -"

"Let me decide that. Come on, Buffy."

"It's full of bad things. Pain, hurt, regret."

"I can take it."

"You shouldn't have to."

"I want to. Say it."

"Huh?"

"Say it." Buffy's eyes started to water. "I'm right here."

"No.I can't."

"Whatever happens, happens. Anything's better than what we've been going through. Say it. Please."

The Slayer's body started to shake. She started to sob. Willow held her, and began crying again too.

"I love you. God.I've loved you for so long. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left, I'm sorry, I.I love you, Will."

"Shhh.shhh.I know.I know."






"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)

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