Causatum.alt
by sailor80
Twelve
[reviews]
Willow was checking the alarm clock when Buffy came into the bedroom and closed the door. She made sure the alarm was on and sat on the bed. Buffy came and sat beside her. "You okay?" she asked.
"I'm good," Willow smiled. She laid her head on Buffy's shoulder.
Buffy slid her arm around Willow's waist and lowered her cheek to rest against Willow's head. "You're better than that."
"With you." Willow turned enough to brush her lips against Buffy's skin. Then she pulled back to let Buffy know she wanted to stand up.
Buffy released Willow and watched her walk into the bathroom. While Willow brushed her teeth, Buffy turned down the bed and stripped. She walked naked into the bathroom and dropped her clothes in the hamper. Willow brushed her hand across Buffy's butt as she left the room.
When Buffy returned to the bedroom, the lights were out. In the shadows from the streetlight, she saw Willow lying on her side in bed. Buffy slid in beside her. Both sighed contentedly when they were comfortable.
"I love you, Willow. Sweet dreams."
"Love you too, Buff. G'night."
It seemed longer than the half hour they had been laying there. Buffy gave up first. She turned onto her back and looked over at Willow. "You still wigged?"
"Yeah." Willow sighed. "It's like it's right on the tip of my tongue."
"You'll get it," Buffy told her. She rolled onto her side and propped her head on her hand. With her other hand she touched Willow's face. She let her hand go from Willow's cheek to her hair and down her neck to rest just below her collar bone.
"Yeah," Willow said but she didn't sound convinced.
"What?" Buffy asked gently and moved her hand back to Willow's cheek.
Willow covered it. "It's probably nothing."
"Tell me anyway," Buffy asked.
"I feel like we're being watched."
Buffy frowned. "I don't feel anything, Willow."
"Like I said, it's probably nothing."
Buffy sat up. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know." Willow ran her fingers down Buffy's arm. "Stay here," she asked.
"Let's tell Giles first."
Willow sighed again. "Okay."
Three raps on the door stopped them. "Buffy?" Dawn asked.
"C'mon in, Dawn," Buffy answered.
"There's something creepy outside," Dawn said as she crossed the room.
"That's what Will said. Go get Giles," Buffy instructed as she threw the covers back. Buffy hurried to the closet and threw two pairs of jeans toward the bed. Two shirts followed.
Willow slid to the side of the bed. Buffy's Slayer mask was all ready in place. The girls dressed quickly.
Giles hung up the phone as Buffy and Willow entered the living room. "Aislin and Tara are on the way."
Buffy nodded as she steered Willow to the couch. Willow sat next to Dawn. Buffy sat and looked at Giles who sat in the chair. Willow and Dawn held hands and Buffy became aware of the sense of dread they shared. It strengthened her resolve. "Giles?"
"I don't know what it is, Buffy."
"Is it magicks?"
"I don't know," Giles repeated.
"We should be safe in here right?" Dawn asked. "Tara put those protections on."
"Good point, Dawn," Giles answered.
Willow looked worriedly toward the windows and reached for Buffy's hand. Buffy squeezed it gently and tried not to let Dawn and Willow's anxiety distract her. Whatever was out there wasn't a garden variety demon. It didn't tickle her Slayer sense but it scared Dawn and Willow and that was enough.
They waited for Tara and Aislin to arrive. Dawn and Willow kept looking toward the windows, but no one moved to open the drapes. The phone startled everyone. Giles, closest to it, answered. "Summers residence."
"Hi, it's Aislin."
"Yes."
"We can't find Buffy's house."
"I'm sorry?" Giles turned his back on the couch.
"We can't find Buffy's house," Aislin repeated. "It's not where it belongs."
"It hasn't moved," Giles said.
"We're sitting outside where it should be and there's nothing there. It's just an empty lot."
"It's got to be a glamour," Giles said, "or the phone wouldn't work."
"Tara says there's a huge amount of magick being used."
"There would be. Can you stop it?"
"We'll try. I'll call you back."
Giles returned the receiver to the cradle and turned back toward the couch. He could tell that the only reason Buffy was still sitting there was Willow. "Tara and Aislin are outside but they can't find the house. They're going to try to break the spell."
"This is not good," Willow muttered.
"I hate magick," Buffy answered.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again. Again, Giles answered, "Summers residence."
"Mr. Giles, I don't know what's going on here, but Willow needs to be as far away from it as possible."
"I'm not certain that's wise."
"Is she freaking?"
"Yes. Dawn, too."
"Let me talk to Buffy, please."
Giles handed the phone to the Slayer. "It's Tara."
Buffy nodded. "Tara."
"Buffy, this is not good."
"We kinda figured that."
"You need to bring Will and Dawn out to us."
Buffy looked from one of them to the other. "Not sure that's gonna work, Tara."
"I'll talk to them, but if it comes to it, you have to force them."
"No."
"Buffy, you don't understand."
"I understand fine. I won't do that."
Tara sighed. "Let me talk to Dawn first."
Buffy passed the phone to her sister.
"Tara, what's going on?" Dawn asked.
"We're not sure, Dawn. But we think you'll be safer out here with us."
Dawn hesitated a moment. "I don't think so," she said.
"Why not?" Tara asked.
"Whatever's out there is way creepy, but it can't get in."
"Yet," Tara answered.
"I don't think so," Dawn said.
Tara sighed again. "Let me talk to Willow."
Dawn nodded and gave the phone to Willow.
"Hi," Willow said.
"Will, are you okay?"
"Yeah, just feel a little weird. What's going on?"
"I don't know exactly. Your house isn't where it should be."
"Okay," Willow said slowly.
"Somebody's working some big magick, and it's being pointed at you. I think you should leave."
"Nuh uh."
"Willow," Tara began, and the line went dead.
"Tara?" Willow asked. When there was no answer, she handed the phone back to Giles. "We got cut off," she explained.
"What did she say?" Giles asked.
"They want us to leave the house."
"And you said no."
"Correct," Willow told him. Buffy and Dawn nodded their heads in agreement.
"Why, pray tell?"
"I think we should stay in. It's bad, yeah," Willow swallowed, "but it was worse outside."