Please, Buffy
by Red
Please, Buffy
[reviews]
[Joss' people, just playing here.]
"You okay?"
Buffy looked up and found Tara standing in the doorway.
"No," she replied honestly, shaking her head.
Tara walked over to the bed and sat down next to her.
"You know she's in love with you, you know."
"No, no, she loves you."
"Oh, I know that," Tara said, smiling. "But she's in love with you. She always has been."
Buffy looked away as the witch's words engulfed her. Always, Willow had always been in love with her? How was this possible? They were best friends, buddies, as close as two people could be. Sure, Will loved her. She loved Will. But it was best friend love. Willow had Oz, she had Angel. Then there was Riley and Will had found Tara. Buffy had never seen her as happy as she was with the blonde. The Slayer's brow shot up and she quickly turned to face Tara... Tara, with the long, golden blonde hair. No, no, now she was just being crazy.
"Ya see it, huh?" Tara mused, smiling again. "The oh so subtle resemblance. " The expression that crossed Buffy's face made the witch chuckle. "No, Buffy, it's okay. I may have started out as a sort of, Slayer substitute, but I know that Willow loves me for me. I know that I have a piece of her heart and I always will." She reached over and gently brushed a strand of blonde out of Buffy's eyes. "And I know that you have a piece, as well. When you died, I thought Will would too. I think she actually did. It was the most heart breaking thing I had ever seen. She didn't eat, didn't sleep. That beautiful smile left for what I feared was forever. She wasn't Willow anymore. Goddess, Buffy, a whole summer without cute Willowy babble! I cried every night."
Buffy put a hand to her eyes, the threat of some tears of her own, knocking on the door. Her heart ached for the pain of her best friend. She would have done anything to spare the redhead every ounce of suffering. Suddenly, sitting there next to Tara, the Slayer understood the true magnitude of her best friend's love for her. She also understood the true depth of her own feelings for Willow. Yes, they were best friends, the best of. But it was more. She wasn't sure exactly how to describe it, or even how to explain it, but she was sure that it was there. And she was sure that she would not ignore it.
"You have feelings for her, I know," Tara softly stated, reaching out and tilting the Slayer's chin so they were eye to eye. "I'm glad." Her smile grew. "Waking up next to you every morning has been the desire of my sweet Willow for such a long time. To see her that happy is worth more than anything in this world."
"And you?" Buffy's voice was barely above a whisper, her hazel eyes looking sadly into Tara's blues.
"She has two sides," Tara noted, grinning.
Buffy laughed out loud and threw her arms around the witch. Tara returned the embrace, hugging the Slayer tight.
"Will is so very lucky to have you," she said, finally releasing her.
"Ditto," Tara replied, taking her hand.
Buffy ran her free hand through her hair and sighed deeply.
"My life lacks all that is normal," she mused, the smile on her face showing her apathy toward the word.
"Ditto," Tara repeated.
This time, they both laughed.
"And, speaking of," Tara purred, when they stopped. "What about our little Willow? She's downstairs, waiting."
The smile nearly leaped from the Slayer's face.
"OUR Willow. I so love the sound of that!"
"Me, too."
Buffy's thoughts turned to the redhead and her smile faded.
"She doesn't need to be punished, Tara. She had no idea. She was trying to save me. How could she have known where I was?" Buffy jumped up from the bed. "My gosh, we live on the hellmouth! What else could she think?"
"This is something Will needs, Buffy, for her own sanity. She nearly went insane with guilt while you were away. I can't watch her go through that again."
"There's no reason for her to. She did nothing wrong, Tara, NOTHING. Why would I want to punish her?"
Tara reached for Buffy and pulled her down to her knees.
"You want to punish her, Buffy," she began, brushing her fingers lightly across the Slayer's cheek, "because you are in love with her. Because you want to do whatever is in your power to help her and this will. It will cleanse her guilt. It doesn't matter that she has no need for it, the guilt is there and it's going to destroy her. You can prevent that, dear Slayer. Willow needs this and you will give it to her because you will do whatever it takes to keep her safe."
Tara wiped the tears from Buffy's cheek then kissed her softly on the lips.
"Now go, take care of our Willow," she instructed.
Buffy smiled softly, got up and went downstairs. Willow needed her. Her Willow needed her.