The Good, The Bad and The Fangy
by dawnm
Roughing It
[reviews]
Title: The Good, The Bad and The Fangy
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 2 - Roughing It
As they walked out of the town to set up camp, Xena led Argo by the reigns. "She's a beautiful horse. What's her name?" Willow asked the warrior.
"Argo. Say hi to Willow, girl." She said, fondly patting the side of the horse's face.
Argo whinnied in response and Willow smiled. "Wow, she's smart. Did you train her?" The redhead asked.
"Yeah, Argo's been with me for a long time. Haven't you, girl?" Xena said, rubbing the horse's nose affectionately. "There should be some apples in that saddlebag over there. Why don't you get one out for her?" Xena suggested.
"Sure." Willow replied. She found the apples and pulled one out, offering it to Argo. The horse looked at it, but wouldn't take it.
"Go on." Xena urged. Having the warrior's blessing then, Argo happily accepted the apple. "You want to ride her?" Xena asked. "I know you've had a long day."
"Oh, no thank you...but Buffy would like to. Wouldn't you, Buffy?" Willow prodded.
"Sure. Hop on." Xena offered.
"That's okay." The slayer declined, shaking her head.
"Come on...I owe you a pony, remember." The redhead grinned. "And I know Argo's a horse, but a pretty great horse, and this is the best I can do at the moment. You didn't get to do anything else that you planned for today, sooo..." Willow coaxed.
"I was only kidding about the pony, Will." Buffy pointed out with an amused smile.
"Humor me?" Willow asked, putting on her most adorable face.
"On one condition...you gotta ride with me." Buffy countered.
"Me? Way up there? Oooh no. I think not." The redhead said, shaking her head.
"I promise it'll be fun." Buffy said. Willow was not convinced. "I won't let you fall. I swear. You can hold onto me the entire time." The slayer offered.
Given the new terms, it suddenly sounded like a lot more fun to the redhead. She tilted her head to the side, as if considering it. 'Don't want to seem too eager.' Willow told herself. After a respectable pause, she agreed.
"Yay!" Buffy cheered.
Xena flashed Willow a knowing smile and stopped the horse to let them get on. Buffy climbed up first and offered Willow her hand. With a boost from Xena, the redhead managed to hop on behind the slayer. "Oooh, high. Really high!" She squeaked when she looked down.
"Just try to relax. And hold onto me." Buffy suggested, chuckling a little at her panicking friend. Willow happily complied, scooting in close and wrapping her arms around Buffy's waist. With every nerve ending in her body suddenly registering the contact, the slayer vaguely wondered if this was such a bright idea after all.
Xena and Gabrielle walked alongside, watching them, clearly amused. "Why don't you guys go on ahead?" Xena suggested. "We'll set up camp in that clearing over there." She pointed.
"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, sure. We're just going to gather some wood for a fire and then we'll be there." The warrior replied.
"Okay. We'll meet you there then." Buffy said, guiding Argo toward the clearing.
"You really like them, don't you?" Gabrielle asked as they watched Buffy and Willow ride away.
"They're all right, I suppose."
"Come on, Xena. Who do you think you are kidding? You don't let just anybody ride
Argo." The bard noted.
"So, what if I like them, what of it?" The warrior replied.
"Oh, nothing...I just don't think I've actually ever known you to like anyone before." Gabrielle teased.
"Sure you have." The warrior insisted.
"No. I can't think of anyone."
"I like you well enough, don't I?" Xena pointed out.
"Do you?" The bard asked, fishing for a compliment.
"Well, I don't keep you around for your cooking, Gabrielle." The warrior teased, putting her arm around the bard.
"You're letting them ride Argo?" Joxer asked in disbelief as he ran up beside the warrior.
"Yeah, so?" The warrior replied.
"You won't even let me brush her." He remarked.
Gabrielle poked the warrior in the side and flashed her a self-satisfied smile that clearly said 'see, I told you so'.
Buffy and Willow rode toward the clearing; both were silent at first as they took in the awe-inspiring sight of the lush green hills and untouched countryside. Though it was after dark, the full moon overhead was bright, casting a warm glow on everything that it touched.
"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" Willow commented, snuggling contentedly into the slayer's back.
"Uh huh." Buffy replied, her voice suddenly strained.
"Is something wrong, Buffy?" Willow asked, sensing the change in her friend.
"No. Nothing." She lied, trying to ignore the growing desire she felt when Willow touched her. 'Just think of something else. Something unappealing. Like...like seeing Xander in his underwear. That works. Or Joxer in his underwear. Eeww. Effective, but still eeww. Xander and Joxer in their underwear together.' With that image, the slayer laughed out loud.
"What's funny?" Willow inquired. "Are you sure everything's okay?"
"What? Oh, nothing. I'm fine. Really." Buffy answered. "You comfy?"
"Wha...? Oh, sorry. I'm holding on too tight, aren't I?" The redhead apologized, pulling away, embarrassed as she realized how intimately she'd been holding onto her best friend.
"What? No. That's not what I meant." Buffy assured her, feeling a sudden empty ache at the loss of contact. "I just thought you were enjoying the ride. I mean...you don't seem scared anymore." She explained.
"Oh! Yeah." Willow said, relaxing then. "It's neat. I've never ridden a horse before."
"Do you think you've recovered from the spell? For a while there, you had me worried." Buffy commented.
"All better, I think." Willow assured her. "Kinda wondering how we're gonna get home though."
"I know." The slayer said with a sigh. "Right now, I'm just focusing on this thing with Bacchus. You know...saving the old world." Buffy joked. "Then, we can worry about how to get back home. After all...wouldn't want to miss the mayor's Ascension, would we?"
"Yes, actually I would, now that you mention it." Willow chuckled.
"But you know...then there wouldn't be a home to go back to?" Buffy pointed out as she brought Argo to a halt in the clearing.
"True." Willow agreed.
Buffy swung her left leg around in front of her and effortlessly hopped down from the horse before turning and offering Willow a hand. "Speaking of the mayor...I've been wondering about something." The redhead said, accepting the offered hand and climbing down from Argo's back.
"What's that?" The slayer asked, leading Willow onto a small plateau before sitting down and coaxing the redhead down beside her. All thought left the hacker's mind when she looked over at Buffy smiling so adoringly at her, the soft glow of the moonlight framing the slayer's face.
"Earth to Will." Buffy teased. When the redhead still didn't snap out of her daze, Buffy reached out and touched Willow's arm, trying to get her attention. The touch brought the hacker back to her senses.
"Wha...?" Willow asked breathlessly. Startled by the intensity of her feelings for her friend, the redhead pulled back from Buffy's touch.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" The slayer asked, concern etched on her face.
"Uh huh." Willow said, blushing to the extreme. "Sorry. What were you saying?"
"I wasn't...you were." Buffy pointed out.
"What?" The redhead asked, clearly confused.
"You said you were wondering about something...about the mayor." Buffy prompted, chuckling.
"Oh! Right." Willow recalled with a nervous laugh. "It's not important. We can talk about it some other time." She added, avoiding the question she had been planning to ask. Buffy started to argue, but changed her mind when she saw Xena and Gabrielle approaching with Joxer trailing closely behind them.
"Can I help with something?" Willow asked as Gabrielle put some logs into a pile, preparing to light the campfire.
"Xena's going to catch dinner and I'm just getting the fire ready. So, I think it's all taken care of." The bard replied.
"Catch dinner?" Willow questioned. "You mean...like hunting?"
"Uh huh. She'll catch a rabbit or something."
"Let me just say, eeww." Buffy interjected, shuddering at the thought.
"Poor bunny rabbit." Willow pouted.
"We could put up the tent or something." Buffy offered, changing the subject.
"Tent?" Gabrielle questioned.
"You know...the thing you sleep in..." Buffy replied.
"Oh, we don't. We just sleep out under the stars." The bard informed them with an enthusiasm that baffled both slayer and hacker.
"You sleep on the ground...out in the open?" Willow asked. Gabrielle nodded. "But, what about bugs a-and snakes and...?"
"And wolves? Don't forget the wolves." Buffy added.
"Don't worry. Wolves are afraid of the campfire. They won't bother you." The bard explained.
"Oh." Willow said with a gulp, looking wide-eyed at Buffy.
"Look on the bright side, Will. If we get mauled to death in our sleep, then we don't have to worry about how to get home." The slayer remarked with mock enthusiasm.
"Are you gonna eat that?" Joxer asked, pointing at Willow's untouched bowl of rabbit stew. "Cause if not, I'll be happy to take care of it for you." Willow passed the bowl to him, grateful not to have to look at it anymore. All she could think about was the poor little bunny that was in there somewhere.
Buffy offered up her bowl too, which he eagerly accepted. The slayer and hacker looked at each other and then at Joxer who was disgustingly slurping the stew. "I think I'm gonna take a walk." Buffy said, getting to her feet. 'Before I throw up.' She thought. "Wanna join me, Will?"
"I thought you'd never ask." The redhead replied with a relieved chuckle.
They walked arm in arm to the edge of a small lake not far from the campsite and stood silently looking out over the moonlit water, both lost in thought. Finally, Buffy glanced at Willow and tried to verbalize what was on her mind. "Would you hate me if I said I'm glad that you're here? With me, I mean. Not that I wanted any of this to happen...but since it did and here I am, I'm glad that you're..."
Willow laughed and put a finger to Buffy's lips. "It's okay, Buffy. I understand. I feel the same way." She confided, momentarily getting lost in the enchanting hazel eyes that looked at her with such affection.
"I can't believe...that I almost lost you last night." The slayer said in a near whisper, overwhelmed by all that had happened in just twenty-four hours.
Unable to speak around the lump forming in her throat, Willow reached out to offer a reassuring touch, gently caressing Buffy's cheek before taking her in her arms. Their embrace was urgent, filled first with sadness, then contentment. Relaxing finally in each other's arms, the walls came down.
Buffy sank into the warmth and softness, burying her face at the redhead's neck and inhaling deeply to take in the subtle scent that was uniquely Willow. Instinctively, she clung to the hacker, her hands roaming the redhead's back. A dam broke in the slayer, releasing a wave of tender longing that threatened to drown her. She pulled back slightly, seeking Willow's lips, but stopped herself just short of the point of no return when she came to her senses. "We should probably head back." She blurted, avoiding Willow's questioning gaze as she abruptly pulled away.
They walked the short distance back to the camp in tense silence. Had she looked at Willow, Buffy would have seen the mixture of longing and disappointment clearly written on the redhead's face. Had she looked into Willow's eyes, she would have found the answers to all of the questions that haunted her thoughts. Instead, the slayer hid, wallowing in her doubts.
"We're gonna get some sleep." Xena said, as they approached. "We've got a big day tomorrow."
"You two can share my bedroll." Gabrielle offered. "Xena has kindly agreed to share hers with me."
"Thanks." Buffy replied, looking skeptically at the small bedroll that the bard had pointed to.
Neither slayer nor hacker slept easily that night. When it wasn't the sound of some nearby wild animal keeping them on edge, it was the heightened awareness of the other's body pressed so close. The bedroll, intended for one person, was so small that it was impossible for both of them to sleep on it without practically being on top of each other.
And when sleep should have come in spite of this, each lay awake contemplating her feelings. They had both accepted that it was time for brutal honesty, if not with each other, at least within themselves.
Continued in Chapter 3