Fic: "Starlight", part two

["jbstories _" <jbstories@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Starlight"
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Part Two
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"Willow, please," Giles said looking down at the young redhead once again.

"No," Willow responded firmly not moving from her position.

"Willow…"

"No."

"Willow, I really…"

"No."

"Would it kill you to respond in complete sentences?" Giles asked running a
hand through his hair. As much as he cared about the scoobs they were
absolutely exasperating at times. At least he had managed to convince
Xander to go home and get some rest.

"Yes, Giles it would actually kill me," Willow responded. "So, no."

"Alright," Giles said sighing. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do," the hacker responded before returning to her vigil.

Spike watched as Giles exited the room, then slipped out of the shadows and
headed towards the room where the Slayer and hacker remained. When he
reached the door he fully intended on entering, but something stopped him.
Instead when he reached the door, he just stood there leaning against the
frame and looked into the room.

Willow was hunched over in her chair holding Buffy's hand. He'd often
wondered about the two of them, Willow more than Buffy as the Slayer was
able to keep a tighter leash on her emotions than her friend. He'd been
walking the earth for just over two hundred years and during that time,
especially after he died, he had a lot of time to observe the mortals. It
wasn't because he particularly cared about them, or was curious about them,
he just wanted to learn how to read them so that he could better manipulate
and torture them. And over the decades he learned that he was very good at
reading people, in fact he was certain he could have been a bloody good
shrink. And although he couldn't torture or manipulate Buffy and Willow (at
least not anymore) he still watched them. There was something compelling,
something special about the two of them-although if someone asked him he
would never admit it. In fact, watching them almost made him wish he was
still human…almost.

He shook his head and smirked darkly as he watched Willow smooth away a
strand of Buffy hair. The chippies were in love with each other, but were
to afraid to tell the other. It was beautiful. He could have had such fun
with this if he was still a bad-ass vamp. Three months ago he would have
milked this discovery for all it was worth. But now, now that he had spent
so much time around them and gotten their cooties he wouldn't even enter the
room because he didn't want to disturb them. It was enough to make him want
to jump on a table leg.

"Well, isn't this quaint," Spike drawled finally making it into the room.

"What do you want?" Willow asked turning around to look at the Billy Idol
clone.

"Just paying my respects," Spike said coming to a stop beside her chair.

"Yeah, and VIP is quality entertainment," Willow said turning away from him.

"That's a bloody good show," Spike said looking down at her.

"Is there a reason you're here?" Willow asked.

"Is there a reason any of us are here? I mean, do any of us really know
what we were put on the this planet for? And if we did would we even be
able to achieve it…."

"Buffy knows and does," Willow said cutting off his mock philosophical
diatribe.

"Yes, well isn't she lucky," Spike said making a face. "Buffy's brave and
strong and courageous isn't she? Makes you really wonder why she'd waste
her time on a sub-par witch who's as afraid of her own feelings as she is of
her shadow, doesn't it? It sure makes me wonder."

"I only did that once," Willow said in response to the shadow comment.

"I'm so sure," Spike responded rolling his eyes.

"You're just trying to annoy me," Willow said tilting her head up to peer at
the vampire.

"You're right, I am. That doesn't mean that I'm wrong."

"Wrong about what?"

"About you…being afraid of your own insignificant emotions."

"I'm not afraid of my own emotions, in fact I'm very in touch with them. In
fact right now they're telling me that I don't like you."

"Really, then why don't you just tell her…if you're not afraid that is?"
Spike challenged.

"Are you insane?"

"Ah, yeah," Spike answered sarcastically. "Where have you been for the last
three years?"

"Alright, I'll admit it was a stupid question," Willow acknowledged. "But
in my defense it was an excited utterance."

"I'll bet you were excited," Spike commented lecherously.

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked finally turning around to peer at
the vampire.

"You and the brave little tank engine," Spike said casting a look in Buffy's
direction. "You're obviously hot for her. She makes you randy doesn't
she?"

"I am NOT, I repeat…emphatically…NOT hot for Buffy," Willow said her voice
rising defensively. "And…who say's 'randy' anyway…you stupid-head."

"Ohhh, that was convincing," Spike said in a voice that oozed sarcasm.

"Shut up," Willow said turning away from him. She wasn't sure what she was
more upset about, Spike being right about her feelings for Buffy, or Spike
disturbing the silence? It was probably an equal combination.

"She's really got your digits, huh?" Spike asked with an obnoxious grin.

"You want you know about digits? I'll show you a digit," Willow responded
flipping Spike the bird.

"The cat has claws," Spike responded making a clawing motion with his hand
and growling suggestively.

"Have you ever heard the expression 'three's a crowd'?" Willow asked turning
around irritably.

"Have you heard the expression 'I don't give a flying fuck'?" Spike
responded.

Willow didn't responded and Spike bounced on the balls of his feet for a
moment observing Willow and the Slayer, smiling.

"You know, you can stick up all the fingers you like, but you know that I'm
right. You're in love with the Slayer," he said gleefully. "How
staggeringly pathetic," he went on. "If I were you I'd get my jollies while
I can, because even Buffy's not stupid enough to blind to your feelings for
her for much longer…and once she wises up…well, let's just say you'll be
begging to have you sidekick status back."

"You're wrong," Willow said softly. "Buffy's my best friend…nothing will
come between us. We're stronger than that," Willow said not sure if she was
trying to convince Spike or herself.

"Nothing except for the fact that you want to jump her bones," the vampire
responded. "If you don't think wanting to engage in sexual congress with
your best friend is going to cause anything but total fall out, you're
stupider than Xander looks."

"Like you would know anything about it. You don't even have a heart, how do
you expect to know how those of us whose hearts still beat will feel?"

"I know because you know," Spike responded smugly. "If you really believed
all of this 'unconditional friendship' crap that you've been preaching you
would have told her already. The fact that you sit here in the dark holding
her hand when she's unconscious because you know it's the only way you'll
ever be able to do it tells me everything that I need to know."

Spike watched as the hacker dropped her gaze and stared at her shoes. He
smiled.

"Merry wallowing," the vampire said in closing, then he walked out the door.

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Buffy slowly become aware of her surroundings. One sound, one smell, one
touch at a time she slowly came back into herself. The room smelled vaguely
of herbs, it was a combination of hospital smell and the Magic shop, but it
wasn't her olfactory senses that were primarily engaged. What she was
almost hyper-naturally aware of was the hand on hers. Gently tracing
patterns on her skin. Even in her barely conscious state she knew that the
hands belonged to Willow and it caused her heart to flood with warmth.

"You know, there's a law against molesting the unconscious," Buffy said
smiling as she opened her eyes.

"I wasn't…" Willow said pulling her hand away quickly.

"It was a joke Will, granted it wasn't a very good one, but I'm not exactly
at my peak right now," Buffy responded cutting Willow off. "It's alright,
it wasn't a bad way to wake up…and believe me I know for I have woken up a
number of bad ways."

"How do you feel?" Willow asked leaning forward slightly, but not touching
Buffy. The conversation that she had with Spike was still playing through
her head like a broken record that she couldn't shut off.

"I've been better," Buffy responded. "I've been worse."

"You're being vague," Willow responded gently.

"Hurt and I are very close friends right now," Buffy said smiling a little.
"I don't really like Hurt though…she's a bit of a wise-ass."

"Hurts bad," Willow agreed.

"Very bad. Hurt needs a cap in her ass like nobody's business," Buffy
responded grinning. "How are you?"

"I'm not the one with the demon bite," Willow responded meeting Buffy's
gaze.

"True enough, but you are the one who looks like she hasn't sleep since the
reign of Louis XIV," Buffy responded. Even in her weakened state the worry
in her voice was clear.

"I'm okay," Willow responded. "I…I've just been worried about you…you
looked so pale Buffy, I was so worried we didn't know what to do and…"

"Shhh," Buffy said reaching out and grasping Willow's hand which was
thankfully near by. "It's all right now, no 'if's', 'ands', or 'buts'
about it. It's all roses."

"Roses?" Willow asked softly.

"Red, yellow…what ever kind you want," Buffy responded smiling.

A few moments later Willow noticed Buffy's eyes close briefly and saw a
shudder run through her body.

"Buffy?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah…it's okay," Buffy answered quickly. "I'm just cold," she added
softly.

Willow started to stand up.

"What?! Where are you going?!" Buffy asked trying to maintain the weak hold
she had on Willow's hand.

"I'm going to get you another blanket," Willow said looking down at Buffy.
"I'll be right back, it'll be okay."

"No, Will, just stay…I don't need…"

"Yes, yes you do. I felt that shudder run through your body, and you told
me yourself you were cold."

"I…there's…listen, I don't need a blanket…"

"Buffy…"

"No, wait, just hear me out. I…I'll be alright if you just…if you come lie
down with me. Body heat's the best heat…or so the saying goes."

"Buffy, really the linen closet is just down the hall," Willow said looking
at the door.

"I…Will…I don't want to be alone, can you understand that?" Buffy asked.
Willow nodded. "Can you…"

"Yeah," Willow responded. "No 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts' about it," she
continued smiling as she moved around the other side of the bed to slip in
beside Buffy.

"Thank you," Buffy said softly once Willow had settled in beside her.

"There's no need for thanks…I'm glad to be of service," Willow responded.

"Well, then I'm glad to have you in my service," Buffy said softly. "Don't
take this as an affront but I'm probably going to fall asleep very, very,
soon."

"No 'fronts' will be taken…Scouts honor," Willow said.

"You were never a Scout," Buffy said through a yawn.

"True…but my heart was in the right place. Are you comfortable?"

"Despite all reason, yeah," Buffy responded soaking in Willow's warmth and
the feel of her friends body pressed up against her. "Definitely a yeah."

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