Choose
by sailor80
Eight
[reviews]
Before daybreak, Tara rapped on their door, then entered. Buffy awoke and looked over at her.
"We have to go," Tara said quietly.
Buffy nodded, hating what she knew was coming.
This time all of them were there. The coven circled the four of them, chanting. Buffy saw Tara's lips moving, but couldn't make out what she was saying. Buffy held Willow's and Tara's hands; Willow had Xander's hand in her other; and Anya linked Xander and Tara, completing their circle. They faced outward, so they were face to face with the coven members, separated by less than a foot.
This ritual was longer than the previous one, and Buffy was relieved when no one became sick from it. When they finished, the four of them were herded to a large dining room. Buffy made sure Willow got something before she started eating. Six eggs, a dozen sausages, two stacks of waffles, three bowls of cereal and pitcher of juice later, Buffy was finished. Willow had eaten half of the plate Buffy fixed for her before pushing it away. Everyone else had finished long before Buffy, and when she pushed the last bowl away, she realized the coven members were staring.
"What?"
"You ate all that?" one of the younger ones asked.
Buffy shrugged. "I'm the Slayer." Then she thought of something. "Can we get some marshmallows? For hot chocolate later?"
"We'll see what we can do," Quentin Travers answered from behind her.
"Good," Buffy answered.
Willow watched the hair on Buffy's neck stand up. She rested her hand on the Slayer's thigh, and felt Buffy untense slightly.
"Might I have a moment of your time, Miss Summers?"
Buffy stood up slowly and turned to face him. "Be right back," she murmured to Willow, and followed Travers from the room.
He took them to a small room across the hall. They both ignored the chairs.
"Rupert tells me William the Bloody followed you here."
"Yes."
"He seems rather fond of you."
Buffy shrugged. "I'm a likeable girl."
"He's killed two Slayers all ready, Miss Summers."
"And he'll die the next time I see him, Mr. Travers," she answered calmly.
Travers nodded. "I trust the accommodations are acceptable?"
"Everything's fine."
He smiled at her. "I'll see to the marshmallows. Is there anything else you need?"
"I'll let you know if there is, thank you."
"Thank you, Miss Summers."
"Anything else?"
"Not at this time."
"Ok." Buffy left before he could answer.
All eyes were on her when she returned to the dining room. She winked at Willow, and told the others, "It's all good," as she slid back into her seat. The coven members, she noted, were gone. "So what's the up?"
Tara spoke up. "The coven wants us to rest today. Tonight, there's another ritual. Longer."
Buffy sighed.
"You don't get to complain about this," Anya told her. "It's all your girlfriend's fault anyway."
"Hey," both Willow and Buffy said at the same time.
"Ahn," Xander started.
"Oh, please. Look at them. And it is Willow's fault. She insisted we resurrect Buffy."
Buffy glared at Anya. Willow looked at her lap. Tara waited to see what would happen next. Xander looked at the women around him and hung his head, sure that whatever it was would somehow become his fault.
But nothing happened. Anya didn't push the issue, and Buffy let her comment go unanswered, mostly because it was true.
"I have some bad news," Buffy told them, to change the subject. "Spike's here."
"How?"
"I don't know how. I ran into him last night. So be careful."
"Great," Anya muttered. "Now we have to worry about creepy dead English guys, too. Like the live ones here aren't bad enough."
"Are they bothering you?"
"No, they're just creepy. All that tweed and none of them make any sound until they're on top of you."
Buffy laughed out loud. "Watcher training. Remember Wesley trying to be stealthy?" Xander chuckled and Willow giggled. "That worked about as well as me trying to sneak into Willie's."
Tara and Anya watched the three of them laugh together. They looked at each other and shrugged. they would always be outside, since they weren't there from the beginning. There were years between Willow and Xander and Buffy that they weren't part of.
The friends talked a while longer before going their separate ways. Buffy and Willow headed outside. Buffy steered them in the opposite direction than she had taken the night before. They walked without talking, their joined hands swinging between them. "I'm glad you're feeling better," Buffy smiled.
"Me, too." Willow skipped a step.
Buffy's smile widened. Willow hadn't acted like this since high school. She hadn't, either, the Slayer realized, and her smile grew a little more.
The informal garden was lovely. The day was warm, and the girls stopped to bask on a bench. Their fingers slipped over and caressed each other's. Buffy pulled Willow's hand to her lips. She kissed each knuckle while Willow watched, then turned her hand over and started on the palm. She moved to Willow's wrist. Buffy felt Willow's pulse with her lips, steady but fast. Willow's breathing began to change and she used her other hand to massage Buffy's neck.
Buffy reached the hem of Willow's sleeve and raised her head. Willow met her lips. They kissed slowly, tasting and exploring and enjoying each other. They were content with that for nearly an hour.
"Will."
"Hmm?" Willow kissed Buffy's jaw.
"We need to stop."
"No."
"Uh huh." Buffy turned a little, trying to separate from Willow, and pushed her breast into Willow's hand. Both women moaned, but neither moved.
"Have to," Buffy panted and pulled away from Willow.
Willow smiled and slid her hands down to Buffy's waist. "You feel so good."
"Mmm, you too." Buffy leaned forward again to kiss Willow's cheek. "I'm so bad at this, Will. I don't want to mess us up."
"You can't." Willow turned to catch Buffy's lips. She kissed her gently. "There's nothing you can do to get rid of me. There's nothing you can say to make me leave you. I love you, Buffy." She kissed her again, slowly and thoroughly. "You want to go slow, we can do that."
"It's not that." Buffy worked to control her breathing. Willow was flushed, her lips darker and swollen. "God, you're so beautiful," Buffy exhaled. She stroked Willow's cheek reverently. "You're so special to me, I want everything to be perfect."
"It will. It is." She covered Buffy's hand on her cheek. "You are." She frowned and dropped her hands.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know."
Buffy looked around, but saw nothing. When she looked back at Willow, the witch's appearance had changed dramatically. Her head was thrown back, eyes closed. Her hair streamed out behind her, darkening as Buffy watched. "Willow," she said sharply.
Willow levitated off the bench. She looked down at Buffy with black eyes and began to scream. A second later, she disappeared. Buffy sprang off the bench and ran toward the manor house.
Nothing was in disarray and no one was hurt. They gathered in Giles' room. When Buffy entered, Dawn left Tara's side and leapt at Buffy. Buffy's arms closed around her sister, and she said in a stunned voice, "Willow's gone. She disappeared."
"What?"
"We were in the garden, and everything was fine and then it wasn't and Will disappeared," Buffy said. She looked at her family. "Are you guys ok?"
Dawn stayed in her sister's arms. One at a time, the others affirmed that they were uninjured. "Dawnie?" Buffy asked.
"I'm okay, Buffy."
"Good." She looked around again. Her eyes rested on Giles. "You said we were safe," she said emotionlessly.
"I believed we were." He was polishing his glasses furiously.
"We need to get Will back."
"We will," Giles said.
Buffy closed her eyes and bowed her head against her sister's shoulder. She wanted to cry, to scream. She wanted to beat something to death, and then beat it some more. She wanted it to be a lie or a dream or anything that ended with Willow whole and unharmed in her embrace.