Through The Fire
by J. C. Wade
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ch. 1
Willow had just finished the grueling spell to resurrect Buffy calling her through the flames among having to undergo some bad stuff herself. She went home and sat with Dawn and Giles realizing it failed.
She'd lost people in her life before but was shocked at the anguish she felt some three months after Buffy died. It was like part of her was gone plus the fact no matter how hard they tried they couldn't fill Buffy's shoes fighting the baddies on the hellmouth. Buffy truly was a hero Willow thought, sacrificing herself more than once to stop evil, sacrificing her love for Angel to stop evil, Buffy always came last in Buffy's mind. Never again would she hear those witty little remarks, see the comforting looks or feel the comforting hugs. She had to realize that now.
"Willow, you didn't try," Giles looks at her somber face and knows the answer.
ch. 2
From her lovely spot of beauty Buffy suddenly hears a voice chanting, then calling to her to rise through the flame. She was in the most beautiful peaceful place ever. She knew to go back would be going to live in hell but Wills needed her. She'd never let her Wills down before. She had to go, she had to take the heavy burdens off of the one she secretly cared for more than Angel even.
Through the fires she tread not feeling a thing and suddenly awoke in her grave. Digging, pounding and clawing Buffy Summers arose. One vampire saw it and immediately ran screaming here comes the slayer as she drop kicked another using a tree limb to stake him.
Here she was alive, but something wasn't right, her mind felt numb, no emotion, she knew why but Willow would never know she swore to herself.
Buffy walked gently onto the porch of her home, stopped and looked around. Her head was in a daze, sadness in her mind, all but something tugged at her heart.
She opened the door and looked at her friends.
"Oh God," Xander shrieked as Giles jaw dropped and both Willow and Dawn ran to her crying ecstatically throwing their arms around her.
"Guys, slayer breathing hasn't kicked in yet," she forces a smile as they release her. "I need to fix my hands up, shower and rest," she walks up the stairs.
"Willow, you must realize their may be complications both," he's cut off by the girls racing to fix Buffy's room as Xander races to find Anya. He wipes his glasses off both happy and worried.
ch. 3
For the last four days Buffy continued in her daze, slaying, eating, carrying on small conversations, but not feeling much. In the cemetery she had a run in with Spike in which he informed her her heart wasn't in slaying anymore, that she was on the dark side now to which she punched him and headed home. Willow was seated in the kitchen when she came in. "Wills, you're still up."
"Yeah," she hands Buffy a sheet of paper with a demon on it.
"Ok, what or who is it," Buffy sits down.
"It's a demon that feeds off the essence of witches and all males between ages of 18-25 for strength. I guess that's when they're in their prime. Once he gets his strength level to where he needs it, well," she frowns.
"He'll open the hellmouth," Buffy chimes in. "So what else is new?"
"He's in town, three males are in the psych ward and one witch has been got."
"Then lets go find him," just then a hand comes through the wall and grabs at Willow's chest but Buffy shoves her down and stands in front of her.
He materializes. "Damn you slayer, you will pay," he hisses going after her.
"What's the price, I'm a little short on money right now," she says kicking him to the side of the head then jumping on him as he rolls across the floor. He shoots energy out of his hand at her but her lightening speed helps her escape it and two more before she knocks him cold with a lamp to the head. "Ok Wills, help here please."
"Um, the things I need to destroy him, I'll call An to get all but, um one thing," Willow picks up the phone calling Anya who reluctantly rushes out of the comfort of her play time with Xander.
"What is the one thing," Buffy asks getting an object ready to strike again if need be.
"His, um, his manly fluid has to be used," Buffy's eyes widen as she bursts into laughter. "Well Wills, your first lesson in extracting sperm is about to occur."
Willow blushes ten shades of red, she'd never done that sort of thing, heck she'd only kissed a couple guys before and they never stayed, only hurt her so she'd stopped trying to date since a little over a year ago. "B-Buffy please don't make me do this."
"Hey Wills, I'm kidding. Use magic to make his hand, um get it for us, that isn't exactly my cup of tea either."
Willow does being grossed out as Anya comes in with the rest of the things.
Willow begins the ritual as the demon awakes. They have it out and just before she finishes it dissolving the demon he throws her through a Window hard. "Damn it," Anya yells jumping over finishing the ritual just in time as Buffy races out to Willow.
She's cut up badly with a lot of bruises. "Hang on Will, you'll be ok, I promise," Buffy carefully picks the girl up in her arms running as fast as she can to the hospital.
ch. 4
(one week later)
It's around midnight when Buffy gets back to Willow's room after patrol. She has some bandaging still on one side of her face where permanent scars will be but the rest of her was about healed.
"Hey Wills," she gives her a Pepsi and chocolate bar. "You're going home tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah," she says glumly.
"Then why so down," Buffy sits next to her on the bed.
"Well, not that my social life was booming but, now no one will want me for sure, not like they did before."
"It's not going to be that bad Wills. I saw the diagram," Willow noticed a certain look in Buffy's eyes that she hadn't noticed before, at least after her return and thought maybe she's getting better.
Truthfully she was, when she thought Willow was going to die, something stirred inside her, pain, living pain, want for the girl to live which triggered her own renewal to want to live. Willow had, in an instant, given her emotions back just as quickly as she'd given her life back and now Buffy was grateful.
It was during the Mayor's pointing things out to her and Angel, how he'd hold her back from a normal life, how he'd have to watch her grow old, how she'd have to hide with him, no picnics, no daytime activities outside with children, etc, that both he and she realized who she really loved. This is really why Angel walked away, he couldn't keep Buffy's heart from Willow any longer and he knew it. They both deserved happiness and he was overjoyed they'd find it in each other. He knew he, like most every other male, really liked Cordelia chase.
"Buffy," Willow snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Sorry, I was just thinking I'm glad you're ok and stop thinking that way of yourself."
"It's not easy, you can get anyone you want."
"Can I," Buffy looks at her then stands up. "I don't think so Wills," she hugs her. "Now you get some rest."
The next day Willow is sent home and not left alone for one second. It's rather late when Buffy gets back from patrol going in to check on Willow. "You're still awake."
"Yeah, just thinking about my life, Buffy would it bother you if I were gay?"
"No, why would it. You can date whatever gender you wish, I'm not that shallow."
Tears form in Willow's eyes and Buffy embraces her. "It doesn't matter, I think I was meant to be alone, even the baddies wouldn't like me."
"Wills, don't you get it?"
"Get what?"
"They're afraid to like you, they all think you're mine," Buffy was telling the truth in part, since their 11th grade year it was widely spoken among the demonic world, the witch belongs to the slayer, we better back away. "Besides, do you really want a demon or vamp liking you?"
"No but still," Buffy wipes the last of the tears away. "You're just trying to make me laugh."
"No Wills, they know how I feel. It's a demon/slayer thing, we just know each other. I heard you calling me, I wasn't in hell Wills. Yet I came because you needed me, it was all my choice because I care deeply I left heaven for you Wills."
She's crying again. "Oh Goddess I can't do anything right, I took you out of heaven."
"No Wills, it's right, I want to be here, I didn't at first, but, I want to be here with Dawn and you. Don't you get it yet, I really like you Wills, I hid it first because I was convincing myself I wasn't gay then I convinced myself you weren't."
"I think I always liked you," Willow says the sniffling slowing.
"Then it's a match," Buffy gives her an ever so gentle kiss and both women know just how right it is. "Now you rest and we'll go for dinner and a movie tomorrow."
Will you stay in here," she asks.
"Sure," Willow snuggles up to her for sleep with a big smile on her face for the first time in a long time.