Aftermath and College
by Bwriter
part 34
[reviews]
Part thirty four
It had been the first night in weeks that Buffy had slept for more than an hour.
Waking up beside Willow was the best feeling, especially after everything that had happened, but Buffy knew that the day was going to bring a few surprises, and not only for her lover, but Xander as well.
Staring at her lover, Buffy reached out, smoothing a stray piece of hair away from Willow's face.
It took her a minute it realise that she was purring. Buffy grinned and cuddled into her lover once more, letting her rumbles work through her body, easing her into sleep once more.
-----
She was sure it was a Slayer thing. The feeling that your being stared at. If it hadn't been a Slayer thing, there was no way that feeling could have woken her from her sleep.
Opening both eyes, Buffy saw Willow's face, an inch from her own.
Reaching out, Buffy pulled Willow into a kiss, stopping only when they both needed to breath.
"Morning."
Buffy echoed the greeting before stretching, not noticing the gleam in Willow's eyes as she did so.
Settling back down, Buffy opened her arms for Willow, and as soon as the redhead was safe in them, the purring started again.
Willow smiled and placed her hand over Buffy's heart.
"I missed this most of all I think."
Buffy smiled and buried her nose in Willow's hair, breathing deeply.
"It was like I was watching through a fog, and couldn't find my way out of it."
Buffy tilted Willow's face up to her own.
"Not remembering everything?"
Willow nodded.
"I could see and hear, but its like I couldn't connect with that part of myself." Willow reached up and stroked Buffy's cheek.
"I suppose you want to know what happened?
Buffy got what her lover was talking about.
"I think it would help if you talked about it yeah. If you don't want to talk with me, then I'm sure Giles or Xander even would listen."
Willow shook her head no.
"No, I don't want to tell them at all, not all the details, I just... I only wanna talk to you about it."
Buffy pulled Willow so she was completely on top on her, sighing as Willow snuggled into the crook of her neck.
"Okay, I have some things to tell you when you get through."
Willow frowned, wondering what had happened, but she knew it she didn't open up now, she wasn't likely to at all.
"Okay, here's what happened...."
-----
Everyone looked up as they heard loud shouting coming from the spare room.
As one, Tom, Jonny and Giles raced for the door. Before they had reached it, the Slayer's voice came through loud and clear.
"If you even think of opening that door I'm gonna hurt you."
The three Englishmen looked at one another before backing away.
-----
Buffy's golden flecked eyes locked onto Willow's green ones. The Slayer was beyond pissed. She wished Walsh was still alive, just so she could kill her again. The same went for Kim.
Willow wasn't frightened of the scary Slayer, though she knew that if Walsh was still in town, that Buffy would hunt her down.
"Let me finish, please?"
Buffy took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of her lover.
"Okay Wills, I'm listening."
-----
Xander looked at Anya again, wondering why his girlfriend was acting so weird.
She was actually being quiet. Anya. Quiet. He couldn't get his head around it.
"Anya, you okay?"
Anya looked up and met his eyes before nodding.
"Yeah Xand, I'm good."
-----
Willow had finally told her story, flinching as if she could still feel the scalpels, still hear the threats, the taunts.
Buffy pulled her lover close, no longer able to purr, the Slayer was angry. A low angry growl was all she could manage. Buffy couldn't remember feeling anger like she was at that moment, not even when they had first discovered Willow in the cell. Because although they had seen what had happened, to hear about it, from the person it happened to, the girl she loved, nearly drove the Slayer off the deep end.
The only thing keeping her on solid ground, was the knowledge Walsh was dead, and that Willow was in her arms.
Taking a deep breath, Buffy prepared to tell the story from when Willow was taken to hospital.
-----
Willow listened with wide eyes as Buffy told her of how she snapped Kim's neck, about the soldiers she had to kill in defence, about the demon Walsh was building and how it was killed. She listened to the story about the demon mother and her child, a tear in her eye her only reaction. She listened as Buffy told her of opening the cells and letting the demons have Walsh.
And she did it all in silence. It was unnerving the Slayer, who had expected some interruptions.
Willow let it all sink in. Her lover, the Slayer, warrior for good, protected of the people, had killed people because they had hurt her.
"I'm sorry Buffy."
Buffy frowned, wondering where that had come from.
"Its all my fault. Your supposed to protect people, and I turned you into a killer."
Buffy's eyes widened before she rolled them over, hovering above her teary lover.
"Willow no! If there's one thing I've learned from all this, its that just because we have souls, humans can be just as evil, if not worse that demons. We have the choice of free will that comes with the soul, most demons don't have that. Even if you hadn't been taken, and we had discovered the extent of their evil, I would have still killed them. I'm the Slayer Willow. As humans, we follow the laws of the state and of God, but as the Slayer, I follow the laws of Good and Evil. I never got that before, but I do now, I really do get it now. It means sometimes doing and saying things that others can't. That they wont. That they shouldn't. Never feel guilty for me protecting you, or the others. You're my m... everything Wills."
Willow had tears running into the pillow by the time Buffy had finished her speech.
Reaching up, she cupped her lover's cheek.
"I love you too." She had caught her lover's slip at the end, but decided that they had enough to deal with without bringing that into it as well.
A thought hit Willow then.
"I wonder how I got my memories back? I mean, one minute I'm laughing at Xander, the next, its like bam! They hit me all of a sudden."
Buffy's large hazel eyes locked onto her own, and Willow just knew she was going to be surprised by the answer.
-----
Xander jumped up as Willow appeared from the room, only getting a quick wave before she locked herself in the bathroom.
Buffy appeared beside him, causing him to jump a little.
"What have I told you about doing that Buff?"
Buffy grinned and patted him on the head as she walked by.
"Will's gonna have a shower. Is there anything to eat? I'm starving."
Tom slapped Jonny on the head before he could make a comment.
Anya made her way into the kitchen, hoping not to draw the attention of her boyfriend, who luckily enough, was too busy arguing with Tom about the pros of American football, verses the cons of Soccer.
"Buffy."
Buffy turned, and surprising Anya, threw her arms around the demon.
"God Anya, thank you." Leaning in, Buffy whispered into her ear, not wanting anyone to overhear.
"I've told Willow how she got her memories back, because she asked and I'm not gonna lie to her. But she wont say anything. We both think its up to you to tell Xander the truth." Buffy kissed Anya on the cheek, once more shocking the hell out of the demon.
-----
Giles bumped into Willow just as she was leaving the bathroom. Surprising her, he grabbed her up in a hug. She had mixed feelings about him. She remembered that he had wanted to keep their world secret from her, keep Buffy secret.
Pulling out of his arms, she stepped back, resolve face to the fore.
Giles flinched and took a deep breathe.
"I'm sorry. I realise now that I shouldn't have kept things from you, nor should I have planned to. I truly did only want what was best for you Willow."
Willow kept her resolve face on for another full minute, watching him sweat, before a smile broke onto her face. Stepping forward, she gave her lovers watcher a hug.
"I know Giles. But I also know that since you screwed up so badly, your gonna help me with a little project."
-----
Anya was staring at Xander, wondering how he was going to take her news, when Willow sat beside her.
For the second time that day, Anya was shocked by a female member of the gang.
"Thank you Anya." Reaching out, Willow gave the stunned girl and hug before standing up to go and find her lover.
Anya took a deep breath before calling Xander's name.
"We need to talk. In private."
He gulped. Anya never wanted to talk about things in private.
Just what the hell was going on?
Buffy grabbed Willow's hand.
"Okay then, how about we gave these two some space and we can all go for ice-cream."
Her suggestion was met with enthusiasm, from all expect Jonny, who had to be pulled out by Tom.
When they were alone, Xander turned to Anya.
"Okay, what's going on?"
Anya led him over to the couch and sat him down, before pacing in front of him.
"I've got my powers back." Tact was never her strong point.
Xander's mouth dropped open, but before he could say anything, Anya rushed on.
"I became a vengeance demon a long time ago Xander, and not being one wasn't my choice, it was forced on me. My old boss asked me if I wanted my powers back and I jumped at the chance - no sit down, I need to tell you this so you understand."
Xander sat back down.
"I love who I was, the strength I had, the fact that I never had to rely on another person. All of that got stripped from me when I met Cordy, and through her, you. I love you and I'll always love you. And ... before I knew you, I was like a completely different person. Not even a person, really... So, I get it now. I finally get love, Xander. I really do. Which is why I'm giving you this."
Anya blinked back tears and sat beside him on the couch. Taking a deep breathe, she reached up and unclasped her necklace.
"I love you Xander. I don't mind having to rely on you, because I love you, and I know you love me. This necklace holds my power. It gives me back everything that was taken from me, and I'm giving it to you. I want you to keep it safe for me."
-----
"I wonder how its going?"
Giles turned to Buffy.
"Could someone please tell me why I was just dragged from my home for ice-cream?"
Buffy and Willow shared looks, before the redhead nodded.
"Anya has her powers back, she has had since two days ago. I made a wish for Willow to get her memories back."
Giles mouth gaped open.
"Buffy, are you telling me, that Anyanka is back?"
Buffy shook her head no.
"No Giles, she's still Anya."
He sighed and shook his head.
"Teenagers."
Tom and Jonny shared a look before turning their gaze on the Slayer.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Anya a patron of scorned women?"
Buffy nodded.
Jonny sighed, covering his bits.
"Right then. Good behaviour time boys."
Buffy scrunched up her face and turned back to her lover.
"So, you never answered my question. How do you think its going?"
Willow shrugged.
"Your guess is as good as mine Sweetie."
Giles looked up to the heavens.
"I've just have my couch steam cleaned, I do hope they don't ruin it."
Tbc
a/n - some dialog taken from Hells Bells, but it fit what I was trying to do - and lookie, another update...