Ages Apart
by dawnm
Ice Cream & Awakenings
[reviews]
Title: Ages Apart
Author's Note: Please read and review. I'd love to know what you think of the story. Also, feel free to email me with any questions or comments if you like. Email: dawnm92@yahoo.com.
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Chapter 7 - Ice Cream & Awakenings
"Buffy...are you still awake." Willow asked, turning onto her side to face her friend.
"Yep. Wide awake. You?"
"I can't sleep either. I guess I'm still a little wound up from what happened." Willow confessed.
"Understandable." Buffy replied. "You know what would help? Junk food." She proclaimed. "Works every time."
"You don't have to ask me twice." Willow said, giggling as she climbed out of bed.
Minutes later, Buffy and Willow were settled on the couch with two spoons and an extra large container of Triple Mocha Fudge ice cream. "I had fun tonight." Willow said. "I mean...before all of the panic, screaming and blood-sucking." She clarified, with a chuckle.
"Yeah. It was a pretty great day, until that last part. Things have been so crazy lately...I've missed this...just spending time with my Willow." Buffy said thoughtfully.
"Me too." Willow confessed, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach that were awakened every time Buffy called her 'my Willow'.
"You learn to appreciate the little things, huh? Cause, living on the hellmouth, every day is a potential disaster." Buffy pointed out with a half-laugh.
"Exactly. Like someone once told me, you've got to seize the moment." Willow chuckled then. "That should be the Sunnydale town motto."
"Hey! I told you that...the day we met." Buffy said with a knowing smile.
"Yep."
"You still remember that?" Buffy asked, realizing it had been nearly three years ago.
"Of course I remember." Willow replied. "Meeting you...it changed my life, Buffy." The redhead confided. "I just can't believe that you remember it."
"Will, you're the best friend I've ever had." Buffy said sincerely, looking into the redhead's shy green eyes. "I'll never forget that day."
"Aww, stop." Willow said, trying to fight the urge to cry.
"Right...too much mushy stuff." Buffy said, trying to lighten the mood. "Know what else I remember about that day?"
"What?" Willow asked, smiling around another spoonful of ice cream.
"Wanting to throttle Cordelia." Buffy replied matter-of-factly.
"Really? Why? I thought you wanted to be her friend." Willow said in disbelief.
"Yeah. I thought so too, until I saw the way she treated you. Then I pretty much just wanted to throttle her." Buffy said decisively.
"You never told me that!" Willow exclaimed.
"I was skating on thin ice after getting kicked out of Hemery, so I fought the urge...didn't think it would be wise to get into a fight on the first day of school."
Willow laughed and nodded in agreement. "Cordelia tortured me for years. I dreaded school because of her. Then you came along...I can't believe that you wanted to beat her up for me. That's so sweet." She mused. "But just being my friend made all the difference, Buffy. She's still the same old Cordelia, but...she doesn't really get to me anymore."
"I'm glad." Buffy said, smiling tenderly at the redhead.
"I've always wondered why...you know...why you wanted to be friends with me." Willow confided.
"Are you serious, Will?"
"Kind of. Yeah." Willow replied slowly.
"Why wouldn't I want to be friends with you? You're kind and smart and funny. And you're loyal and honest and caring...pretty much the best friend that anyone could ask for." Buffy said.
"You really think so?" Willow asked shyly, looking down at her hands.
"I know so." Buffy said with a decisive nod, lifting the redhead's chin to meet her gaze. "We've been through more together in the past few years than most people face in a lifetime and you've always been there for me, always trying to help or just giving me a shoulder to cry on. When everything is crumbling around me, I take comfort in the knowledge that Willow will be there."
"I always want to be here...if you need me, Buffy." Willow said, battling tears once again.
"Good. Cause I don't know if I could face life on the hellmouth without you, Will." Buffy said, pulling the redhead close for a hug.
"You know...the ice cream's all melted." Willow said a minute later, attempting a smile.
"Oh yeah...so not appetizing." The slayer said, reluctantly breaking the hug and rising from her place on the couch. "I'll put it away."
"Okay...you wanna watch a little TV before we go upstairs?" Willow asked hopefully, not wanting their time together to end.
"Definitely. You pick something and I'll be right back." Buffy happily agreed, handing Willow the remote from the coffee table.
"I'll get a blanket." Willow offered. "I think I had too much ice cream." She said shivering on her way to the stairs.
Minutes later they were settled on the couch with blanket and remote, flipping through the channels. "Oooh, Oh, Tomb Raider." Buffy exclaimed.
"So, I guess we have a winner." Willow said, retiring the remote to the coffee table.
"Totally cheesy I know, but it's about a female action hero. Gotta love that."
"But the stunts are just soooooo bad." Willow giggled. "See, look at that. There's no way she could do that." She said, rolling her eyes and pointing.
Laughing, Buffy conceded. "You're right...totally impossible."
"Angelina Jolie an action hero? I mean, come on." Willow said.
"Not a fan?" Buffy asked.
"She's okay I guess, but I don't think she was right for this part."
"Today we have with us casting director, Willow Rosenberg. So, tell us, Miss Rosenberg, who would you have cast in the role of Lara Croft?" Buffy asked in a mock interview voice, passing the imaginary mic to Willow for a response.
"I think Buffy Summers would be perfect for the part." Willow answered assuming a serious, adult voice, while trying to stifle a giggle.
"Buffy who?" The slayer asked.
"Buffy Summers." Willow repeated. "I know, I know...nobody in "the business" has heard of her, but I've seen her work and that girl's got it all. Take my word for it, she could be the ultimate female action star." She said with a decisive nod.
"Very funny, Will." Buffy laughed, finally breaking character.
"Funny is good. I'll take funny." Willow replied with a smile. "But seriously Buffy, you are amazing when you fight. You kick major vampire butt every day. You'd be much better than her."
"Brownie points for the ego boost, Will, but if you keep talking like that I think you'll find it much easier to get into Bellevue than Harvard." Buffy teased, dodging the compliment.
"You really don't see it?" Willow asked, looking seriously at Buffy.
"See what?" Buffy asked confused.
"I had no idea." Willow said, experiencing a moment of clarity. "Of course, I didn't think it was possible." She added, lost in thought.
"Hey, Will..." Buffy said, waving her hand in front of the redhead's face. "You lost me there."
"Oh, sorry. It's just...I get it now, Buffy. I can't believe it, but I finally get it."
"Share please." Buffy prodded.
"You're beautiful and cool a-and popular and funny. Plus, you're the slayer. But I never realized before...that you don't see yourself like I see you, like everyone sees you. You seem so strong...but underneath it all, you really don't have much confidence in yourself, do you?"
"That obvious, huh?" Buffy asked, fidgeting with the blanket in her lap.
"Kind of." Willow admitted. "All these years you've been trying to make me feel better about myself. And I didn't even see that you needed that from me too. Well, no more self-involved Willow." She pledged, taking Buffy's hand. "I'm a girl with a mission. You're an amazing person, Buffy, and I'm going to keep reminding you of that until you see it too."
"You don't have to do that, Will." Buffy weakly asserted, looking down at Willow's hand entwined with her own.
"Yes...I think I do." Willow said with a decisive nod. "No use arguing. Resolve face, see." The redhead said.
"Okay, you win." Buffy conceded with a wide smile. "You know I am powerless against your resolve face."
"Good." Willow said with a satisfied smile.
"Thanks, Will." Buffy said softly. "You're the best."
"No...I thought we just agreed...you're the best." Willow replied, giggling.
"Very funny." Buffy said, playfully poking the redhead in the side and setting off another round of giggles.
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Xena tossed and turned for some time, her mind replaying the day's events and her body acutely aware of Gabrielle. The bard had drifted off to sleep snuggled against Xena's back. It was much later when the warrior finally fell asleep. She woke in the morning and found the bard still sleeping peacefully by her side.
Needing to put some distance between her and Gabrielle, she quietly left the bed and got dressed. Hearing voices downstairs, she descended the stairs to join Buffy and Willow. When she reached the living room, she found them curled up together on the couch, both sound asleep, and realized then that the voices she had heard were coming from the box in the corner that they had called a television. She watched, entranced for a minute by the images dancing across the screen, before finally opting to go out for a walk.
Buffy woke up next, finding Willow curled up in her arms with her head resting on the slayer's stomach. The scene was reminiscent of the previous morning, she realized, only this time the redhead's position left her no real avenue of escape. The slayer smiled at the sight, slightly amused at her predicament this morning.
She gently brushed back a few locks of red hair that were obscuring her view of Willow's face. The hacker was sleeping peacefully, wearing a sweet Willowy smile that evoked a powerful response in the slayer. Buffy was still trying to put a name to her feelings when the redhead began to stir.
"Morning, sleepyhead." Buffy said softly, momentarily shelving her deep thoughts.
"Mmmm...morning Buffy." Willow said dreamily, instinctively snuggling closer to the slayer. Buffy's heart skipped a beat then bringing her previous thoughts back in a jumbled rush.
Suddenly wide awake, Willow sat up like a shot, reverting to full-scale Willow-babble when she realized what she'd just done. "Oh Buffy, I'm soooo sorry..." She said, inching farther away on the couch with every word.
"Will..."
"I had no idea...I mean, I don't know what I was thinking..."
"Will..."
"I didn't mean to...I'm soooo sorry." Willow continued, avoiding Buffy's gaze.
"Will, please...relax. This amount of Willow-babble first thing in the morning could cause permanent brain damage." Buffy said with a chuckle. "No harm done." She said seriously, touching Willow's knee lightly.
"But..." Willow stuttered, feeling her blush deepen at Buffy's touch.
"Did you hear me complaining?" Buffy asked pointedly. "Nope. No complaints here. It was kind of nice actually." She confessed with an endearing smile, leaving the redhead uncharacteristically speechless.
"Well, it's clear that I've thoroughly blown your mind." Buffy said, noting Willow's nearly catatonic state. "I guess my work here is done." She said playfully, getting up from the couch and leaving Willow to contemplate her own deep thoughts.
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"Good morning." Buffy said, greeting the warrior as she stepped out onto the porch. "I saw you through the window..."
"Good Morning." Xena said.
"Have you been up long?" Buffy asked.
"A little while."
"No offense, but you look kinda tired." Buffy noted.
"Gabrielle kept me up most of the night." The warrior stated.
"Oh. Was she sick?" Buffy asked, assuming that Xena was up taking care of the bard.
"Quite the opposite. I think she was feeling too good." Xena said with a lopsided grin, thinking back to the bard's alcohol-induced advances toward her.
"Huh? OHH!" Buffy said knowingly, giving the warrior a curious look. "Well, it's none of my business really. I'm just glad that you two, uh, made up." She said suggestively.
"What in Tartarus are you talking about?" Xena asked, irritated by the tone of Buffy's voice.
"Hey, it's the nineties." Buffy said, as if that should mean something to the warrior. Seeing Xena's confusion, she continued. "What I mean is that a lot has changed in the past two thousand years. People are more tolerant of...alternative lifestyles now. Besides...I'm the last person who would judge you." Buffy added, reminding herself of her own complicated feelings for her best friend.
"Judge me for what?" Xena asked defensively.
"Seriously, Xena," Buffy said, "It's obvious that you and Gabrielle are more than friends. I mean, you sleep with each other, bathe together, you even bicker like a married couple. Besides, the way that you two look at each other...it's a dead-giveaway." She informed the warrior.
"You think that Gabrielle and I are...lovers?" Xena asked, lowering her voice. Buffy's comments suddenly started to make sense to the warrior. "Well, you're way off. Gabrielle is just a kid. It's not like you think."
"Are you serious?" Buffy asked, laughing.
The warrior's only response was a stern glare, silently warning the slayer to back off.
"All right." Buffy said, putting her hands up in surrender. "If you don't want to talk about it, I totally understand. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I mean, I think Gabrielle's a great person and it's obvious that you really care about each other. But if I offended you, I'm sorry."
"It's okay." The warrior said, realizing that she was overreacting.
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"Hello..." Gabrielle called weakly, holding her throbbing head as she walked down the stairs. "Is anybody here?" She said, wandering from room to room.
"Oh, hi." Willow said, rounding a corner and nearly colliding with the bard. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been run over by a chariot." The bard replied flatly. "I don't know which is worse, my head or my stomach."
"Here. Come and sit. I'll get you something for your headache." Willow offered, leading the bard into the kitchen.
"Take these." The redhead said, returning to the kitchen and handing the bard two Tylenol and a glass of water.
"These will help?" Gabrielle asked, looking down at the two little pills skeptically.
"Yep." Willow confirmed. "That should help with your headache. And after you eat breakfast, I'm sure your stomach will feel worlds better."
"Thanks." Gabrielle replied.
"Looks like Gabrielle is up." Buffy noted, seeing the bard through the kitchen window.
"Good Morning." Buffy said cheerily, greeting the bard as she entered the kitchen and chancing a glance at Willow who quickly went to work making breakfast.
"I'm not so sure about that." Gabrielle replied with a weak smile.
"Oh, come on, Gabrielle, it's a beautiful day!" Xena said enthusiastically, teasing the bard.
"Please, Xena." Gabrielle said, pleading for the warrior to have mercy on her.
"All right." Xena said in a mock whisper, flashing the bard a sympathetic smile.
"Help yourselves to some coffee. Breakfast will be ready soon." Willow said.
The phone rang and Buffy offered, "You want me to get that, Will?"
"That would be great, Buffy." The redhead replied, her thoughts drifting back to how she had woken up with Buffy that morning.
Buffy stepped into the living room and answered the phone. "Hello."
"Is that you Willow?" Oz asked, realizing that the voice didn't sound quite right.
"Uh, no. It's Buffy. I'll get Will for you. Just a sec." Buffy said, mentally scolding herself for the twinge of jealousy she felt as she walked back to the kitchen.
"It's for you, Will." Buffy said.
"Who is it?"
"It's Oz. You go ahead. I can finish things up here." Buffy offered.
"Oh. Okay. Thanks." Willow said, walking past Buffy to the living room.
"Hello."
"Hi. I just wanted to make sure we're still on for lunch today." Oz said.
"Lunch? Uh...was that today?" Willow asked nervously.
"You forgot." He said flatly. "You stood me up last night and now you're trying to back out on lunch."
"Nooo. I'm so sorry that I forgot." She answered, trying to quash her renewed guilt. "I want to go to lunch...really...a-and we can go wherever you want. Just tell me what time and I'll be ready."
"Noon?" Oz questioned.
"Great. I'll see you then." She said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "And Oz, I really am sorry."
"Everything okay?" Buffy asked, seeing the stormy expression on Willow's face when she returned to the kitchen.
"Yeah, perfect." Willow replied with a nervous chuckle. "I just kinda forgot that I had plans with Oz today."
"Oh."
Three pairs of eyes looked curiously at the redhead who fidgeted with her coffee mug. "It's just lunch so I shouldn't be gone too long." She added.
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"You guys made breakfast. We can take care of the dishes, right Gabrielle?" Xena offered.
"Of course. I'm feeling much better." Gabrielle assured them. "Besides, we could use something to do. Xena and I...we don't know what to do with all of this free time."
"I'll wash. You dry." Xena said handing the bard a dishtowel.
"Well, thanks. I guess I will go and put in a little research time then." Willow said, getting up from the table.
"Me too." Buffy added, following Willow out of the kitchen.
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"There's an email here from Jan." Willow said, looking up from the laptop. "She was a friend of Miss Calendar's. They were in the same coven. She sent us some information about a spell that she thinks might work." The redhead said.
"That's great news. We should tell Xena and Gabrielle." Buffy suggested.
"Yeah. If we can get the ingredients that we need today, then maybe we can give it a try later tonight." Willow said excitedly.
"Sounds like a plan." Buffy agreed with a nod.
"Wow...if this works...we'll never see them again." Willow said, her enthusiasm suddenly fading at the realization.
"I know...hard to believe that they'll be gone just like that. I'm gonna miss having them around." Buffy said, pouting.
"Yeah, me too." Willow said sadly.
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"That must be Oz." Willow said when the doorbell rang.
"Hi" She said, opening the door.
"Hi. You ready?" He asked.
"Yep." Willow answered, then turned to Buffy. "We can work on that...project when I get back." She said.
"Right." Buffy said.
------------------------------------------- Continued in Chapter 8