Truth and Consequences (2/2)

[keeper444@xxxxxxxxx (Alex)]

Okay here ya'all go, the end of my first sequel. Hope it was worth it.
Later
Alex
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Title: Truth and Consequences (2/2)
Author: Alex
Feedback: Please any comments or suggestions to: keeper444@xxxxxxxxx
Archive: Whatever or whoever Just tell me
 Summary: Sequel to A Higher Power
Spoilers: Still don't know still haven't seen that much of the show 
itself. (near future) 
Disclaimer: The characters of Buffy Willow Giles and any others from 
BTVS are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy etc. No
infringement of any kind intended. 
Notes: Bittersweet Memories 
***denotes flashbacks***
<>thoughts<> 
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Title: Truth and Consequences (2/2)
Author: Alex 
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................................... 
      Things settled down for awhile and Buffy and Willow
decided that the time was right for the next logical step in their life
together, telling Willow's parents. 
      Picking one of the rare instances when both her
parents were home they waked hand in hand up to the Rosenberg front
door. Things went down hill from there. 
      Buffy never did find out whether it was because she
was female, a gentile, a bad influence, her family being split, or her
genetics but what ever it was Willow's parents went totally off the deep
end. 
      There was crying, screaming, yelling, recriminations,
and finally the ultimatum. 
      Willow's father told her that either she gave up Buffy
and come home until they could arrange for her to transfer to another
school far away, or she would pack her belongings and get out of his
house and never come back. 
  Willow broke into tears and ran upstairs to her room, Buffy
followed her but couldn't get past the door because Willow had locked it 

**** "Willow..baby talk to me." Buffy called through the door her only
answer was the sound of Willow crying. "I'll be right here if you need
me." 

    Buffy sat down on the hall floor and leaned back against the
door. She could still hear Willow moving around in her room still crying
and she could still hear Mr. Rosenberg ranting about how the godless
gentiles were going to destroy the Jewish people by corrupting their
young people, 
      Mrs. Rosenberg was wailing hysterically wondering
where she went wrong. 
      Finally Willow opened the door. Buffy stood up and
looked into Willow's red rimed green eyes. She the anguish of loss in
those eyes but also her resolve. 

      "Buffy can you help me?" Willow asked indicating three
large staircases on her bed. "If you'll get those I'll carry the
backpack and duffle bag. I guess I'll have to rent a storage unit for
the rest of my things." 

    "It'll be alright Wills." Buffy said reaching up to caress
Willow's tear stained cheek "We'll get this to mom's she's got plenty of
room." 

Willow pulled back from the hand and went back into the room. They
gathered Willow's things and went down stairs. 
      When they got downstairs Willow stepped into the
living room to face her parents one last time. 

      "I'm leaving like you said father." Willow said
quietly and calmly "I'm sorry you both are too small minded to accept me
as I am." 

      She turned and left before either of her parents could
say anything and Buffy took her place. 

      "What you're making her do is wrong Mr. Rosenberg,"
Buffy said contempt dripping like venom from her words "No one should
have to do what you've forced Willow to do. 
        She loves you both but that isn't enough for
you." ***

        Buffy turned and hurried after Willow. That
night when Buffy tried to go to their dorm room she found that some of
their liberal minded fellow students had broken in and trashed their
room. 
      The university promised to look into it but Buffy
could tell that none of the smirking campus cops were going to exert
themselves but at least the university's insurance was going to pay for
their personal belongings and their room would be fully repaired. 
      It didn't make them feel any better or safer, so at
Buffy's mother's insistence they moved into her house and she drove them
to classes every morning. 
      All this brought a change in Willow and not in a good
way.
Her normally bright and cheerful personality was gone, she didn't
eat she didn't sleep and what was worse was every time Buffy would reach
out for her she would stiffen up and become totally unresponsive. 
After a while Buffy quit reaching for her and began sleeping on the
couch in the living room. 

 ***   "I don't know what to do," Buffy told Giles one afternoon
after a particularly bad work out. "All she does is sit there staring
out into space, she won't talk to me or let me do anything to help her.
It's making me crazy, sometimes I just want to pick her up and shake
her." 

      "I doubt seriously if that would help." Giles told her
"All I can tell you is give her some time. She has suffered a
devastating loss and that may take her a while to get over it. Be
patient with her and love her she will come around soon enough. In the
mean time pay attention to what you are doing so you will live that
long." 

    "Yeah right ." she answered absentmindedly ***

      The problem was not getting better and it was
beginning to effect Buffy's slaying. Then came the day it almost killed
her.

***   The sun had been up for nearly an hour and still Buffy hadn't
come home. Joyce was going crazy with worry. Someone starting pounding
on the front door 
Joyce heard Willow say she would get it so she went ahead making
breakfast for her wayward daughter. 

    "BUFFY" she heard Willow scream 

    Joyce dropped the bowl of pancake batter on the floor and
ran toward the sound. 
      As she entered the living room she saw Xander carrying
the limp form of her daughter to the couch and lay her down. 

      "I found her just outside the cemetery gate." he said 

      "Where were you?" Willow asked with a hard edge to her
voice. "Weren't you suppose to patrol with her last night." 

      "I did I mean I was " He explained quickly "We
finished our sweep and she sent me home. She said something about not
wanting to go home yet and that she was going to take a walk. 
        I just happened to go back because I forget my
jacket and I found her and got her to my car. I called Giles on the way
over here and he said he'd be right over." 

    "Alright you did the right thing, so lets get busy." Willow
said taking charge "Xander you go get some hot water and cloths . 
        I'll get the first aide kit." 

      Joyce watched take charge of everything and before she
could go to her daughter's side Willow was back with a big military
style firs aide bag. 
        With efficiency acquired through experience
Willow began cutting away Buffy's blood soaked clothes from her wounds,
exposing a bone deep cut down her side along her ribs some deep
scratches all over her back and shoulders all of which were bloody but
not serious. 
        The ones that worried Willow were the deep gash
across Buffy's stomach and the large lump on the side of her head that
was cut open and matted her soft blonde hair with blood. 
        Xander returned with a huge bowl of hot water
and a pile of soft clean rags that had once been his shirt. 
        With the help of Buffy's mother Willow soon had
the smaller wounds cleaned and dressed and was moving to the more
serious ones, she began with the wound on Buffy's stomach cleaning it
and putting in the necessary stitches like Gies and Brigit had taught
her.
Willow was just finishing cleaning Buffy's head wound when Giles
walked in carrying some special medicines he and Willow had learned from
the book they'd brought back with them. 
        Willow stepped back to let Gies get to Buffy's
side and finish treating her. 

      "Does this happen often?" Joyce asked after observing
Willow's skill. 

    "Never this bad before." Willow said her voice breaking
"This is my fault." 

      Joyce stared at the girl as she backed out of the room
and into the hallway. 
      She kept backing until her back was against a wall
then she slid down the wall to sit on the floor, she drew up her knees
and hugged them tightly against her chest. 
      She wept quietly,Xander heard her and tried his best
to console her. 

    "No way Will " he said "If it's anybody's fault it's mine I
shouldn't have left her alone no matter what she said." 

      "No Xander," Willow corrected him softly "I let her
down. It's my place to be there for her, t help her face her enemies and
I didn't. I was too busy feeling sorry for poor pitiful little me. I
wasn't there for the one I love." 

      "Your wrong Willow." Xander scolded her "Buffy knew
you were hurting she told me herself. 
      She said she was afraid she wasn't there for you
because she couldn't seem to help you." 

      Willow was shaking her head in denial. Xander slammed
his fist into the floor. 

        "DAMN IT!" Xander growled at his life long
friend. "I'm so tired of both of you taking the blame for all this when
you both know whose fault it really is." 

      Willow looked u at him shocked by his unexpected
outburst. 

      "What are you saying?" Willow asked in a tiny
frightened voice. 

      "You damn well know whose fault it is." Xander said
his voice low and full of deadly menace, "If your parents are such
narrow minded bigots that they can't recognise that their daughter's in
love just because she happened to fall in love with another woman. Face
it Will it's their fault."


      "No Xander," Willow said softly "you don't understand.
It was me. I'm supposed to be above all that and when things got a
little rough I pulled away from her. 
I deserted Buffy and made her feel she wasn't important to me and
that's my fault and no one else." 

      Before Xander could answer Giles came out of the
living room. 

      "I have applied the medicine as the book instructed."
he said "All we can do now is wait and see." 

      "Wills." came a weak call from the living room. 

      Before anyone else could react Willow was off the
floor and rushing to Buffy's side. She knelt on the floor beside the
couch and took Buffy's hand. 

    "I'm right here sweetheart." Willow reassured her "I won't
leave your side again. I'm sorry I let you down, it won't ever happen I
swear it." 

      "It's alright Wills, I'm gonna be fine." Buffy
whispered "It's not your fault, it's mine, you've given up so much for
me. I'm sorry I cost you your family, I didn't mean to." 

      "THAT"S IT! I've had just about enough!" Joyce snapped
angrily. "Willow you stay here with Buffy you're all she needs right
now. Xander you stay here and do whatever Willow tells you to.
Rupert, you come with me, we have something to take care of that
can't wait another second." 

      Joyce grabbed her purse and wit Giles in tow she swept
out of the house. She was gone for almost four hours and when she
returned she was closely followed by a very subdued and very apologetic
Mr and Mrs. Rosenberg. 
        At Joyce's suggestion Willow and her parents
went into the dining room and had a long private talk. By the time they
left they had made a happily beaming Willow promise that when Buffy was
better they were come to dinner so they could get to know her better. 
          When Buffy questioned her mother about
what she had said that had made them come around, she would smile
mysteriously. 

      "Sometimes only another parent can explain the facts
of life to a parent." she said vaguely "and sometimes it takes an
outsider to point out how truly lucky other people are." *****
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End part 2/2 
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No matter where you go - there you are.
                   ~Buckaroo
Bonzai~ 
.............................................. 
The second worst tragedy in the world:
Not getting everything yo want. 
.............. 
The worst tragedy in the world:
Getting it. ~Oscar Wilde~