Whatever You Say
by TutorGurl
Chapter 20
[reviews]
Faith was starting to get worried. Buffy left nearly two hours ago and she still hadn't been back. When Buffy had run out of there earlier, Faith had known what was going on, she saw the mark on Xander's pants too. She knew exactly what Buffy was off to do and she was afraid that Buffy would go and do something stupid. She was originally going to follow after the older slayer, but decided that this was something that Buffy would want to do on her own. She was currently regretting that decision at the moment. Cordy saw the worried look on her face.
"What's with the worry lines?" she questioned her. She leaned back in her chair, throwing the book she was looking through on the table. They had been researching since Buffy left and they still had nothing. Faith snapped out of her daze and turned to the cheerleader.
"Just wondering what's keeping B," Faith informed her, looking back at the door.
"Well, she said she was gonna go on patrol after so I'm sure she's just out hunting." Cordy shifted in her seat and moved the now warm ice pack to the back of her head. "You know how slayers can be. What was that you said before about slaying?"
"It makes you hungry and horny," Faith answered, distracted. As she said that, something came to Faith's mind. Maybe Buffy had found Willow and killed the vamps and now they were alone. Doing the deed. A smiled came to Faith's face.
"I guess that's your answer," Cordy said with a smirk. The two girls laughed as Giles walked out of his office. His hair was a mess and his glasses were in his hands. His collar was undone which meant that he had been in deep research mode. If they didn't know any better they might think that he had been sleeping.
"I see you two are deeply engrossed in your research," Giles said sarcastically as he sat down in one of the chairs at the table. He sighed as she rubbed the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes closed at the same time.
"You alright, G-Man?"
"Up until you used that horrible name," he replied, straightening himself out and putting his glasses back into place. "I'm afraid that I have come up rather empty handed."
"Don't sweat it, G," Faith told him. "When B ran outta here she was off to go rescue Red. They're probably over at B's house getting it on at this very moment." Giles flinched at the choice of vocabulary. That was something he really didn't need to be picturing.
"Ew," was Cordy's response.
"Was that last part quite necessary?"
"Hey, come on," Faith laughed. "I figured you'd be used to it by now. I've been around for what, three months now? It's not like I've ever walked around on eggshells about it before." Giles decided it would just be best to leave it alone for now. He went back to what she had originally said.
"Did you say that Buffy was going to get Willow?"
"Well, yeah," she answered, confused at the anger in her Watcher's voice. "She was gonna trail Xander. I don't get why you're so..." She was cut off when there was a loud banging coming from the hall. The three of them all looked at the door, waiting for whatever it was to enter. A minute later, Buffy came charging in with a passed out Willow in her arms. "Jesus, B! What happened?"
"Hi, Faith," Buffy replied. "Thanks for the help. Don't worry, I got it." Faith and Giles both quickly made their way over to help her. As much as it killed Buffy to let Willow go, she gently laid her in Faith's arms and watched as Faith brought her into Giles' office to lay her on the couch.
"What happened to her?" Cordy asked as she stood up to join them. Buffy ran a shaky hand through her hair as she took a breath in an attempt to calm herself. Giles put a hand on her shoulder to help her calm down. Buffy looked up at him.
"She's hurt," she answered. "Her leg, it's bleeding. She passed out on the way over here." She looked toward the office where she saw Faith tending to Willow. "Just help her." He nodded and made his way into his office. When Faith was sure Giles had everything under control, she emerged from his office.
"Red just woke up," Faith informed them. "Giles said he'd clean it out and then stitch it up. Apparently it didn't hit any major cartilage or nothing. Whatever that means."
"I means she'll be alright," Cordy replied, smiling when she saw Buffy relax a bit.
"Could you go by the factory," Buffy asked Faith. "Angel's dusted, but Spike got away. Can you just make sure he's really gone? I really don't want to have to deal with him in the next lifetime."
"Sure thing, B," Faith said. She grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair and slipped it on. "I'll check on you later, Red," she called to the office. "Later, C." With that she walked out the door leaving Buffy and Cordy alone.
"Did you catch up with Xander?" Cordy asked, trying to sound casual. Buffy closed to eyes, dreading what she was about to tell Cordy. Cordelia saw the look of pain cross her face and a sinking feeling entered her stomach. "What?"
"He's dead, Cordy," Buffy told her. "Angel killed him." Cordy's stomach fell to her feet. She couldn't believe what the blonde was telling her.
"What?"
"He was working with them," Buffy informed her. The brunette's eyes widened at the news. "I followed him to the factory. He led me to where they were. He set us up."
"He was..." Cordy choke back a sob. "He was working with Angel and Spike?" Buffy nodded. Suddenly she didn't feel so bad about it. "He gave Willow to them? I can't believe he would do...Is he gonna be a vampire?"
"No," Buffy answered sadly.
"Damn," Cordy muttered. Buffy smiled at her, finding it funny that they were apparently thinking along the same lines. "Cause I really wanted to kill him."
"Me too," Buffy sighed. "Believe me, I did too." She looked up and saw that, despite what Cordy was saying, there was still a lot of sadness in her eyes. "Did you want anything?"
"I think I just wanna be alone for a while," Cordy answered, trying to hold back the tears. She knew that Xander wasn't a good guy anymore. Somewhere along the way he had turned into a jackass, but she still didn't want him dead. He was still technically her boyfriend and at one point she did actually love him. Buffy nodded, telling her that she understood. "I'll see you later."
"Later," Buffy mumbled as she watched Cordy leave the library. She hadn't let herself grieve for him yet. Right now she was much to angry at him. She figured it was safer that way. If she just thought of him as the asshole that had tried to have Willow killed she didn't have to remember what a great guy he used to be. She wiped her eyes and walked towards the office to find that Giles was almost done with the stitches.
"Ow," Willow muttered. She had her eyes squeezed shut, not wanting to look at what Giles was doing. She had her hands balled up into a fist. Buffy walked over to her side and took a hold of her hand. Willow's eyes fluttered open at the touch. "Hey, you."
"Hey, baby," she whispered, kissing Willow on the forehead. She looked down to see how much Giles had left. "He's almost done. It'll be over soon." Willow smiled at her.
"I don't know how you do this all the time," she commented. She had watched Buffy get stitches all the time. Hell, she had given the blonde some at times, but she never heard a word out of Buffy.
"Well, I got slayer strength," Buffy answered back. "After what I went through to get the cut, the stitches aren't anything."
"Still," Willow protested. "All the stuff you go through... You're my hero."
"I think you're delirious," Buffy teased her. Before Willow could protest she felt Giles cut the thread.
"All done," he told them as he stood up and went to clean himself up. "Buffy, can I speak to you for a moment?" he called for the main room.
"Yeah," she called back. She ran a hand through Willow's hair, rubbing her forehead with the pad of her thumb. "Rest here for a few, baby. I'll take you home as soon as I'm done." Willow nodded. Buffy stood up, but stopped when she felt a hand on her arm.
"Thanks for coming to get me," Willow whispered. Buffy smiled down at her.
"Always," she promised. She gave her one more kiss before walking out to meet a waiting Giles. She knew what he was going to say and she could tell that he was nervous.
"Buffy," he began. "About what I said earlier..."
"Don't sweat it, Giles," she told him, smiling at his behavior. "Emotions were running high, I get it. You didn't mean it."
"I meant it, Buffy," he corrected her. Her face fell. "I still believe that I have a point, but I didn't mean what I said about your feelings for Willow. I have no doubt that you love her and I should never have said anything of the contrary"
"But you still don't approve of us being together?"
"No, that is not what I'm saying," he told her. "While I do believe that you dating will put Willow in more danger, I am well aware that you would never let harm come to her. I just wanted you to know the risks."
"I know them, Giles," she told him. "Believe me, I thought about this a million times, but I love her."
"I know you do," Giles said with a smile. "I've never seen either of you happier and that's all I could ever ask for."
"Thanks," she smiled. "That really means a lot to me and I know Willow will be happy to hear it."
"Good." Suddenly a thought popped into his mind. "Uh, Buffy?"
"Yeah?"
"There was something Faith said earlier," he explained. Buffy raised an eyebrow, knowing that if it had something to do with Faith, it couldn't be good. "After you saved Willow... You did come directly here right?"
"Yeah," she answered, confused at the question. "Why?" He shook his head.
"No reason." Buffy gave him a weird look before heading back in to check on Willow.
~~~~BtVS~~~~
OKay, so that's it for now. I hope you all still like it. Sadly the next chapter is the last. Please tell me what you think. Peace.