FIC: The Road to Recovery (12/12)

[~~Kimber <kacoe@xxxxxxx>]

All good things must come to an end I suppose. Following is the 12th and final chapter in
the Willow and Cordelia saga. (Pat can commence jumping for joy any time now.) Things
are left WIDE open for the next part in the series. I'm kinda sad to see this one end - I
had a blast writing it. Hope you enjoy and remember to feed me, it's what keeps me alive!

~~Kimber


Title: The Road to Recovery (12/12)
Author: Kimber (kacoe@xxxxxxx)
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
Summary: Part 2 in The Road series.
Spoilers: Everything is fair game.
Distribution: Pat Kelly, Rodrigo, Gary Thompson, Syrenslure and Serendipity. Anyone
else, e-mail me please.
Author's Notes: The more feedback I get the more fic I write. . .nuff said. Thoughts are
enclosed in < >
------------

“Take care of yourself.” Willow was hugging Xander for the tenth time. “And Buffy. I’m
worried about her.” She whispered in his ear.

“I will, don’t worry.” He pulled back and gave her a sad smile.

She turned to Buffy. “Well.” She shrugged.

“Yeah. You’d better get going.” She was staring at her feet.

Willow reached out and put her hand on Buffy’s shoulder. “You’ll come for a visit.
Promise?”

Buffy looked up with tears in her eyes and nodded. She pulled her into a fierce hug and
let out a sob. “It was too short. You weren’t here long enough.”

”I know. I’ll call when I get back.” She pulled away with tears brimming in her own
eyes. She looked up and the pilot was waving at her to climb aboard. “I gotta go now.”

”I’ll miss you.”

”I love you. Never forget that.”

Buffy didn’t get a chance to answer. Willow ran off to the helicopter and climbed on. As
she ascended into the air, she waved at them. Xander waved back but Buffy stood there
with her arms wrapped around herself looking down at the ground. <I love you to, Will.>

----------

She was pacing by the fence when the helicopter landed. So many muddled things were
running through her mind. How she felt about Willow, Angel in all his crypticness. What
exactly was he trying to tell her? Was Willow right when she said he cared for her?

“Well that’s not a happy face.”

Cordelia looked up. “Hey. How have you. . .” she was cut off by a kiss. She wrapped
her arms around Willow’s waist and smiled. “been.”

”Better now.” Willow smiled into her hair.

“You’re not gonna be better for long.” Cordelia pulled back and worry washed across her
face. “Something’s up with the Council. . .Angel’s on it. He got a call from Spike last
night.”

Willow sighed. “Never a dull moment.” She let her go and pulled out her cell phone.
“Let’s see what’s going on.”

”Will, I don’t think Angel’s talked to Giles yet. You shouldn’t call him.”

”I’m not calling Giles. I have contacts.” She dialed the phone and stepped a few paces
away. “Hello? Yes, looking for news on the home front. . .I see. . .are you sure? Fine.
. .no, I’m in the states. . .yes. Thank you.” Willow closed the phone and sat down at
the nearest bench.

Cordelia sat down next to her. “Is it bad?”

She stared off into space for a few minutes before responding. “Something’s got the demon
population running scared.”

“Do they know what it is?”

She shook her head. “Something about a prophesy.” Cordelia gave her a worried look.
“Not now. He said it was going to happen in three years and the events of the prophesy
were going to trigger another bigger one. Like a domino effect.” Willow looked over at
her and took her hand. “Cordy. . .”

She looked up at her. “You have to go back.”

Willow nodded. “It’s my job. . .or it will be. It’s what I went all the way out there
for and not that I know about it, I can’t ignore my. . .”

”Willow, it’s okay. You don’t have to justify yourself to me.” She leaned over and kissed
her gently. “When?”

Willow reached up and touched her face. “Tomorrow night.”

Cordelia gasped. “Tomorrow! That’s. . that’s. .” She closed her eyes.

“I know.” Willow closed the gap between them and hugged her. “What do you say we go home
and make the most of the time we have left?”

-----------------

“Angel. . .Cordy told me. I made a call and it’s a prophesy.”

He paced back and forth in his apartment, listening to her on speaker phone. “Yeah, I
just talked to Spike again. Something’s got him spooked.”

”Spike spooked? Now I’m wigged.” She sighed and looked over at Cordelia sitting on the
couch. “Angel, I’m going back tomorrow night.”

”I figured you would.”

”I need you to do me a favor.”

“I’ll take care of her, Willow. I promise.”

She gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you. If I don’t see you before I leave, thank you for
everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you two these past couple of
months.”

”No need to thank me. Just returning the favor. Tell Cordelia I can handle things
tomorrow by myself. Okay?”

“Thanks Angel. You’re the best vampire a girl could ever have.”

He chuckled. “Take care of yourself little one. I’ll see you soon.”

”Bye.” She smiled and hung up the phone in the kitchen. Slowly she walked over to the
fireplace and built a fire. Cordelia observed her, but didn’t move. Willow disappeared
into the bedroom and brought out a two comforters and all the pillows and laid them down
in front of the fire. She walked over and stood in front of Cordelia. This was hard,
harder than either one of them had imagined it would be. They’d come to mean different
things to each other – much different than they’d ever expected.

“Cordy.” Willow whispered.

She looked up and a tear fell down her cheek. Despite the knowledge that this may be the
last time she looked at her like this, she smiled and got up from the couch. “The
cheerleader and the hacker. . .who would’ve thought?”

Willow leaned in and kissed her. “No thinking.” Kiss. “No talking.” Kiss. “Just
kissing.” Kiss. “and maybe a little touching.”

“No complaints here.”

------------

They came together that night again and again. Without words, they both told each other
it was the last time. Life awaited them, and love, although neither one of them knew it
yet. Both still had a lot of growing up to do, a lot of lessons to be learned.

Willow cried in Cordelia’s arms. She swore to herself that night that she’d have to be
strong from here on out, but on this night and this night alone she’d allow herself to be
the frightened victim and the one who needed comfort.

Cordelia cried with her. She knew what she was losing and with that lose she knew she was
gaining something too. A friend she never had before and she never realized just how
valuable this friendship was until it was just being taken from her. Life’s that way
sometimes.

Hours afterward, as she boarded the plane bound for England, Willow took a small ring out
of her pocket and placed it on her finger. She bravely wiped the tears away and sat down
in her seat. It would be the last time she'd cry for three years, the last time she'd
feel anything significant. She had a job to do and a life to lead - no use in crying over
someone you've let go and someone else you'll never have. That second thought made her
shutter but she quickly pushed it out of her mind. She didn't know where it came from or
who she was even refering to so there was no use in thinking about it. At least for now.

----------------

A vampire sat alone in the dark. It doesn’t matter what time it was or what day. He sat
there most nights with her on the fringes of his mind. Guilt. Why did he feel so much
guilt at the realization that he saw her as more than a friend – or would have liked to.
He knew well where love got him – every day he hurt a little less from the disaster that
was him and the Slayer. It hurt a little less, but it still hurt. He wasn’t sure if he
could do that to someone again. Love them. Redemption was still on his mind and he’d
protect her at any cost. Even if it cost him his own happiness.

------------

A boy who turned into a man much too soon packed the last of his things. This was the
hardest thing he’d ever done in his life, but he knew it was for the best. He simply
couldn’t go through with it anymore, he couldn’t interfere. They deserved happiness and
it wasn’t fair that it was taken away from them every time they found it. How many times
had he twisted their memories and whispered lies into their believing ears? He’d lost
count by now. Well, not any more. If they loved each other so much that they somehow
always came together then he wasn’t going to stop them. Never again. They belonged
together, he knew that, he knew it even when he agreed to this. The guilt roiled around
in his stomach – if this was going to turn out right then he’d have to remove himself from
the situation. It was the best decision he’d made in his life – and quite possibly the
hardest. He left a note right by the phone and quietly slipped out the door and into the
world.

-----------

A young girl wandered the streets of a small town. Young in appearance, but then again
looks are always deceiving. She kept going over and over in her mind the dream she’d had
the night before. None of it made any sense – but then again this was Sunnydale. The
ache in her heart and the emptiness she felt was only felt one other time for one other
person. To miss her best friend the way she missed a lover felt almost wrong. Almost.

She stopped short and looked around. They were close, four maybe five of them looking for
action. She pulled a wooden stake out of her pocket and was ready for anything they had
to offer. If she hit them a little too hard, played with them before the kill a little
too much, well. . .she needed this release, need to get rid of the negative energy she
felt hanging over her head.

One, two three. They went down like flies. It was just too easy sometimes, she almost
felt bad about how dumb they were. She let herself get hit a few times, let them take pot
shots. Let them throw her to the ground and punch her in the face. It wasn’t that it
felt good – it never felt good – it was the fact that deep down inside, she knew it was
better to feel something, anything, than nothing at all. At the least this was a familiar
feeling, and she could live with it. Everything else would have to wait. Every
unfamiliar thought and unsure feeling she had would wait till the pain was gone. Then
she’d have to do it again. After all, it was her job – her destiny.

----------------
--
http://www.Kimbers-Corner.net

"Sure Willow is bi! And she's getting it on with a man! To all you fanboys out there:
Damn, I am an *evil bastard* ain't I?"
Joss Whedon, Creator BTVS

". . .and so far, well, the only thing that I know she likes is you."
Riley to Willow, 'Initiative'

"It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
"I kinda love you."
Buff and Willow, 'Choices'