A New Start
by Bwriter
Chapter eight: Lost or found
[reviews]
Chapter eight: Lost or found
Long after Buffy left the redhead she was sitting on top of a tomb waiting for vamp number nine to make its appearance when she felt it. The earthquake started with a few rumblings then went into what Buffy would say was probably a six on the Richter scale. When the ground stopped moving she noticed that she was now surrounded by demons.
The closest one to the Slayer took what he thought was a menacing step towards her with a grin on his face.
"Well looks like that was the sign we've been waiting on huh boys?" Out of the corner of her eye Buffy caught a familiar shape coming towards her pretty damn fast. With a screech of ties Giles drove into the mass of demons and jumped out with Xander and Willow in tow.
"What the hell are you guys doing get out of here now before you end up as happy meals on legs!"
"Buff we know how you feel about us being here with you on patrol but Will said you got the wrong idea about something and looked kinda upset when you left her so we called Giles and figured we could drive round and see if we could see you. Which by the way was a good idea seeing as how your outnumber fifteen to one!" Was Xander's answer. If he noticed her flinch when he said Will said she got the wrong idea he didn't show it.
"Okay you're here now but believe me if anyone or you get hurt I'm gonna be mad." This was said while she was looking at Giles and he got the message loud and clear: protect them.
As if they were waiting for a starting shot to be fired the demons attacked as one. The Slayer came fully forward as Buffy's fear of her friends dying powered her. With a wild battle cry she launched herself at the nearest demons and ripped his head off with her bare hands. Not even waiting for the now dead demon to fall she moved on. Giles watched in awe as his Slayer cut down demon after demon with her bear hands or the knife she now held.
"Should we help?" came Xander's question. He was glad his voice was strong even though he felt ill at watching his friend killing so savagely and the result being that she was now covered in blood, both hers and the demons.
Not even ten minutes from she had killed the first demon the Slayer stood among the now dead demons, most of who had limbs missing. The Slayer raised her head and her eyes connected with Willow's. She opened her mouth to speak one word but for some reason her mouth couldn't form the word Mate. It came out gargled sounding like "Ma.. Mauuh" then promptly passed out.
The three hefted her into the car and drove to Giles' house to get her cleaned up. When they arrived the guys left Willow to change Buffy's ripped and bloodied clothing, then they started about stitching her up. One hour later they heard moaning coming from the spare room where she was resting. The site that greeted them was one of Buffy withering in pain on the bed.
"You guys go make so food, she'll probably be hungry and I could eat to. I'll look after her." After the two men left Willow walked over to the bed and sat on its edge. Lifting the Slayer's hand she felt her relax her tense mussels soon after. "So I take it this is what you mean by the over-protectiveness huh? You knew you couldn't let us-me-get hurt so you shut down and the Slayer came out to party? I wish you were awake we have a lot to talk about." Leaning over she placed a small kiss on Buffy's mouth before leaving to join the others.
When she woke she had no idea where she was. It took her a few seconds to get her bearing then she was charging out of the room to check on Willow. "Where is SHE?" Startling the Englishman into spilling his tea the Slayer approached.
"Now Buffy calm down and tell me what's the matter." Giles was trying to appear calm but inside he was quaking with fear for this wasn't Buffy he was talking to, at least not totally Buffy. "MATE! Where is she!?!" Giles had no idea how to respond but luckily he didn't have to because Xander and Willow took that moment to come back from the grocery store. "Buffy! Your up. How you feeling?"
As soon as she stepped into the house the slayer knew she was there. Ignoring Xander's concern she rushed over to Willow and pulled the girl into a firm hug. "Not hurt?" The broken English let everyone know that they were still dealing with the Slayer and they wondered if their friend would be okay. Willow was looking as if she was craving oxygen and the Slayer sensing this loosened her hold.
"Ah Will maybe you shouldn't stand to close to her right now." Xander for all his wit was a dumbass sometimes. As he starting pulling Willow towards him and Giles, Buffy let out a low warning growl before hiding her face in Willow's neck and purring.
"Did she just growl at me? And is she purring?I"
"Xander do shut up before the Slayer kills you." Giles carefully edged toward Willow, intent on making sure she was okay. Catching his eyes Willow nodded that she was fine.
"Xander come with me and help me research those demons tonight incase it was part of something bigger."
"Giles you can't seriously be considering leaving-" An even louder growl from the Slayer cut off whatever it was Xander was going to say.
"Why don't we go into the back room.?" Willow carefully led the Slayer into the spare bedroom and sat down on the bed. The Slayer lay down and pulled Willow with her. Feeling the girl tense up the Slayer immediately let go and scooted to the edge of the bed.
"Sorry." The one nearly inaudible word caused Willow to turn her head and stare at her companion. Seeing that she had hurt the Slayer's feeling she moved over and pulled Buffy's arm around her. The Slayer curled herself around Willow and whispered "Mine" before falling once again into a peaceful sleep.
After and hour or two Willow really needed to use the bathroom. "Buffy, please let me up I need to go." She expected the other girl to simply roll away but to her horror the Slayer contracted into a small ball and starting sobbing out "I'm sorry" over and over.
"Hey what's this? What's wrong with you?" Buffy was lost in a haze of pain and hatred at herself that she never heard Willow's cries to tell her what was wrong but Giles and Xander did and they came rushing into the room armed with baseball bats.
"What's the matter?"
"I don't know. I told her to let me up cause I need to go to the bathroom, and she just broke down." Giles set down his bat and walked over to his Slayer.
"Buffy can you hear me?" At the sound of his voice Buffy stiffened, if possible, even more.
"Xander, Willow could you wait outside for a moment please?"
"No I-"
"Willow go please!" Waiting for the door to close Giles sat himself beside Buffy and attempted to rouse her from wherever she was in her mind. After a while her mumbling started to make sense. "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry." He was wondering what she was talking about when something Willow said came back to him.
Buffy, you never hurt Willow. She fine, right outside in fact." This quieted the distraught girl somewhat. When she spoke it was with a voice full of pain,
"I hurt her, she was begging for me to let her go. I HURT her!" After everything She said to me. Told me She'd never hurt her and look what happens the first time I give her full control. She HURTS Will."
"Buffy neither you nor your Slayer half of you hurt Willow. She was asking to be let go because she needed the Bathroom." She raised her head slowly.
"I never hurt her?"
"You never hurt her. In point of fact I don't think you ever could. It's not in you to hurt the ones you love, and it's really not in you to hurt your Mate."
Buffy whipped her head to face her Watcher.
"Yes I know you think of Willow as your Mate. Would you like me to send her in?"
"You sure I never hurt her?"
"Buffy you never hurt her."
"k, then will you ask her to come in?"
"Get some rest and I'll send her in."
"Giles?" She waited 'til he had turned to her again. "Thank you." He nodded and left.
Willow entered the room and rushed over to the bed. Sitting down on its edge she grabbed Buffy's hand. "Are we going to talk about tonight and put it behind us or are we going to let things fester?" Buffy shook for a moment, taking in the intensity of Willow's stare. She felt Willow's fingers touching her cheeks while brushing her hair away from her face. For a long moment they stared at each other, Buffy shuddering again by the enigmatic pull of Willow's eyes. Willow's hands kept stroking her hair, uncovering her face and her right ear.
Whenever she was with Willow, she felt good about herself. But she didn't know if Willow felt good being with her. Buffy reached for Willow and hugged her, feeling the softness of her skin.
"When you Giles and Xander arrived tonight I was spooked because there was so many demons. If any of you had gotten hurt... " Taking a moment to compose herself she then added, "I couldn't let that happen and I couldn't take the risk you guys would be fine so I gave up total control to the warrior half of me. When the fight was over She, I , we needed to recharge so we conked out. When I woke up and you were trying to get away from me I thought that I had f... forced you to do something. "I thought you hated me. I thought I'd lost you." The last was said in a whisper.
Willow shook her head "no, you found me." Taking the initiative. She threw her arms around Buffy's neck and kissed her passionately. Buffy loved it. She'd never been kissed like this before, so passionately, so desperately. Willow held her tight, and it made her happy Her beautiful Willow, her best friend, was kissing her.
Suddenly Willow stopped. "Why did you stop?" Buffy asked, afraid that her best friend was having second thoughts. Willow smiled and kissed Buffy once again. "If we don't stop then Giles and Xander are going to hear things that I would rather they didn't." Buffy didn't say a word because she couldn't speak. She didn't want to think about anything. "Would you hold me while I sleep?" Willow beamed at her and lay down. Buffy rolled so that Willow was once again encased within her grasp.
"You know nothings going to get me in here you don't have to hold me so tight." "Sorry." Buffy loosened her arms but that was all. Buffy was asleep in seconds. Willow soon followed.
The sun shone in from the window. As Willow awoke, she tried to stretch, and realised she wasn't alone. She was wrapped tightly in Buffy's arms. As Buffy stirred, Willow found it easier to move, and stretch. As she did, Buffy woke up, and smiled her sleepy smile. "Morning." As she greeted her with a sweet morning kiss, Buffy was amazed that she was actually waking up next to her love.
"Wills, what time is it?" She asked, wiping the sleepy from her eyes. Looking over at the bedside table she found no clock there. "We're going to have to go out to the living room to find out."
"Uhh, I don't wanna." Willow could hear the pout before she saw it, but before she could answer her stomach started making growling noises. Laughing Buffy said, "come on we can find out the time and you can get some food."
"Aren't you hungry?" At that moment Buffy's stomach staring making noises too. "Guess I am."