Loving Willow
by Rin
12
[reviews]
Part XII:
"Do you think we should call Angel in LA, Giles?"
"I'm not sure that would be safe. Having him nowhere near the situation is probably better. I'm only glad that he had the maturity to leave after the things settled down from the mayor's defeat." Giles and Fred had spent three days researching and gathering ingredients for the spell that would destroy the crystal. So far, everything had gone according to plan. Faith and Buffy stayed away from each other, much thanks to Joyce, and the fact that Faith never returned back to the Summers resident after that first night with Willow. Fred worked almost non-stop, fearing the worst for her friends, and especially her girlfriend. Despite the aching pain from catching her girlfriend with another woman...again, Fred knew that Willow wasn't responsible. Still, the pain was there, embedded in her mind, and she wondered if she was going to be able to get through it in time to help her Willow adjust back to real life after the memories of her life during the crystal's thrall consumed her in guilt. Fred needed to be strong for her girlfriend, and loved her too damn much to let go that easily. She practically lived in the library the entire time after the discussion that night. When she arrived the next day, she brought a toothbrush, and other needed toiletries, to keep there until things were fixed. She refused to take a break, and Giles was overly concerned for her well being, since it was obvious the girl hadn't slept in over two days. He admired her determination to restore Willow's mind but he couldn't help but wish there was an easier way than just waiting. Fred was ready to do the spell when the crystal was found. With the time she spent with Will, she had picked up on some minor power that would help her girlfriend and the slayer. With Giles at hand, she knew that there would be no problem returning the original minds back to the four involved in the crystal holder's twisted game. Finally, she realized that there was nothing else to be done but wait, so she pushed the books aside on the table. She looked over her notes, trying to find something to do besides sit in solitary pain waiting to find the crystal. Thinking back to a happier time, she remembered Willow showing her how to color code her notes according to subject and point, and she smiled fondly at the memory. As the memory faded, she found herself staring down at jumbled notes that looked unorganized. She went into Giles's office, brought back some different colored pencils, and started to rearrange her notes.
Giles returned to the library with two coffees in hand, and she suddenly realized that she didn't know that he had left. They had barely talked during those three days, and she started to feel guilty for not recognizing his presence more often. Looking up, she forced a smile as she took the offered Styrofoam concoction. Giles sat down in the chair next to her, realizing that yes; all they could do was wait. All research was final, and now the real torture began: searching for the crystal. There had been barely any leads that Xander and Cordelia could note about the patrol routes, and the few leads that they did have turned up empty. Still, they kept trying, deciding that wrong leads were better than no leads.
"This is frustrating." Fred sighed sadly, and she tried to hold back her tears from falling again. She had hid behind the research to avoid dealing with the situation. Now that everything was finished, there was no place to hide anymore.
"I know. I do promise you that we will have them back, though."
"It hurts so much, Giles." Fred leaned forward, burying her head in her hands. Giles placed a comforting hand on her shoulder briefly before sighing himself.
"I know."
"Seeing her at school...and actually not getting to see her. Having Faith follow her everywhere around the school, sneering at me when she sees me in Physics with her. The worst part is that Buffy does the same thing to me in Lit class. My glass is at the breaking point, and I'm not sure how much more I can hold before I shatter. I feel so empty." She started sobbing uncontrollably, as Giles tried to condole her the best his British manner would allow him. When her sobs started to die down, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "The thought that Faith and Willow...after we have...it just seems too..."
"Wait, what?" Giles looked at her shocked for a moment. Then, removed his glasses, rubbing at them fiercely, while his mind reeled with this new information. "Go back...I believe you said that you and Willow, er...um..."
"Yes, and it was perfect. Every time it was beautiful." Fred's eyes were a mixture of longing, frustration, fear, and love.
"Of course, why didn't I think about this? How silly of me to assume that you haven't...um...become physical in your relationship." He placed his glasses back on his head as he disappeared into the stacks, coming back with a new book, a hopeful look on his face. He started flipping through pages rapidly until his face showed excitement and possible relief. "We just might be able to find this crystal after all."
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"Faith, what do you think about this one?" Willow held up a dress as Faith's gaze surveyed the formal gown with caution.
"Well...anything looks good on you. Just pick the one you like the best." Willow smiled at her lover as she placed the dress back on the rack, moving to kiss Faith sensuously where she was seated. "Mmmm...what was that for? Not that I'm complaining..." Faith opened her eyes lazily as she stared into the lust filled green eyes before her.
"Because I love you so much. Do I need another reason to kiss you?"
"No but you'd better kiss me again just to keep me convinced."
"Yes, ma'am." Willow smiled as she moved to kiss her more passionately. When they broke the kiss, they noticed several eyes glancing towards them in a mixture of shock, disgust, and arousal. Faith quickly glared at all of them, and they all went back to their shopping. "You always take care of me."
"Always, and don't forget it."
"Never." She kissed her gently one last time before returning to finding her prom dress. Picking a purple shiny one from the rack, Faith stood up, and grabbed it as she pulled Willow towards the dressing room in a hurry. When she shut the door, she quickly went about removing a flustered, shocked Willow's clothes from her body until she was standing in nothing but her underwear. Aware of the cold on her skin, and the arousal dripping from her body from the sudden attack, Willow snapped out of her sudden daze. "Faith, what are you doing?" Willow's whisper was so low that Faith almost had to use her slayer hearing to pick up her words. Almost.
"I'm getting you to try on this dress. What does it look like I'm doing?" She began removing the dress from the hanger, and unzipping it to allow Will access.
"Well, I wasn't sure there for a minute. I've only ever seen you move that fast once before."
"What? We only had five minutes before your next class...what'd you expect me to do? Leave you unsatisfied? Because that will never happen." Faith helped Willow into the dress as she zipped the back. She moved back to savor her lover's beauty, and gaze a nod of approval. "This one is perfect."
"What did you just say?" Willow was confused for a second, as a hint of some familiarity to that word rang in her mind. She brushed it aside, instead moving to view her figure in the mirror. Faith moved behind her, wrapping her into a tight embrace while kissing her exposed neck.
"I said that this dress is perfect. You are perfect." Again, Willow's mind was reeling trying to place the familiar phrase but letting it go again, not wanting to worry her lover over something small. "See, it's even easy access. So, when we're dancin', I can just move my hands a little like this..." Faith moved her hands down the back of Willow's dress, eliciting a small moan of approval at her choice. "All set then?" Willow smiled lovingly into the mirror, noticing the familiar lust looking back at her. Knowing what her lover had in mind, she nodded, causing Faith to jump into action. Her body was still healing from all the cuts, bruises, scrapes, welts, and other injuries from their four days and nights of practically endless sexcapades. When Faith finally had the dress removed, she gently placed it back on the hanger with care that still amazed Willow. Faith was so amazing...one minute so gentle, the next so fierce. Making sure that everything Willow wanted was taken care of, and that no need or want was left unsatisfied. They oozed sex, and every chance they got, no matter where they were, they made sure that that was exactly what happened. Here, in the dressing room, things would be no different. Willow reached up to kiss her lover passionately, while Faith's hands moved over her body, relishing in the contact. "God, Will...the magic in those lips..." Willow's head shot up with an image of those words being said to her before but she couldn't place it, only the voice sounded familiar but still no face. "What is it? Something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong. I just got...an itch...that's it! My back...I need to scratch it. Could you?" She moved around, letting Faith move her nails along her back, eliciting a wince when she touched the still healing injuries. "That's better." She turned back around, and went back to pleasing her lover, trying to forget the flash of memory that escaped her mind.
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Buffy was staring at herself in the mirror, trying to decide if her dress was good enough to win Will over...yet easy enough to kick Faith's ass at the same time. Deciding that it was perfect, she removed it, and placed it gently back in her closet. Joyce walked into her open door, and smiled at her daughter as she returned the dress to her closet. Her senior prom...something that both overjoyed and scared Joyce at the same time. She was scared because she could tell that Buffy was planning something big, even though she still couldn't figure out her plans without being caught in the crossfire of a very angry mind-controlled slayer. There were times when there were still remnants of her Buffy, the one that smiled when she helped in the kitchen, or the tears when they watched "Fried Green Tomatoes." Even when she took a large amount of time getting ready for school in the morning, Joyce couldn't help but feel that part of Buffy was still in there somewhere. She still loved her unconditionally. No matter if this person was only small remnants of her daughter, she was still just that: her daughter, and nothing was going to change that.
"You're going to look gorgeous, Buffy."
"You really think so?" Joyce nodded, and Buffy smiled warmly, eliciting a smile from her mother. "I just hope Willow likes it. She just has to like it." Joyce tried not to avert her gaze at the sadness she was internally suffering at having to play her daughter in order to save her mind, and herself to some degree.
"It looks beautiful." Buffy sighed, and then the phone rang. Joyce moved to pick it up before Buffy had a chance. She had made the mistake of letting her daughter answer the phone in this state the night after her mind was completely lost. Unfortunately, Buffy yelled at the person on the other line, causing Joyce to wince at the harsh tones that she used for no apparent reason. Fortunately, they would not be getting a call again anytime soon from that telemarketer. She picked up the phone, and tried to keep her face neutral when she heard Giles on the other end.
"Yes, Joyce. I need for you to do something. Fred and I have found a way to locate the crystal, and we need one of the girls to start to retrieving their memories. Certain phrases, words, or memories that are seriously dear to the girls will start to trigger an aversion the crystal has over the mind. Certain events have recently been revealed that give us added hope at finding the crystal sooner. Fred and I have just finished a spell that will start to add better access to the trigger, making the mind more aware of the things being said outside of their thoughts solely on Willow. When the happiest memory is completely revealed to the girls' minds, then whichever one has tapped into it will be released somewhat on the hold. However, they will still be under the thrall of the crystal so be warned. It will be just like going back to how Buffy was before the incident occurring between Faith and Willow. Do you understand me so far?"
"Yes, I do." She nodded for silent emphasis as she continued listening to his explanation.
"Right, well. Fred and I are going to do another spell that will allow the essence that leaves the girl to follow back to the crystal."
"Sounds easy enough. So all I have to do is help aid in memory revelations?"
"Well, I'm afraid it sounds much easier than it actually is. The memory revelation will be slower than we could hope for, which means that only certain bits will be revealed as things are said, or actions take place. In the meantime, we can only can watch carefully, and hope the right things are said. You should be warned that Buffy's mind is extra sensitive, perceiving everyone as a threat that asks too many questions, or mentions things about Willow and Faith. So, we can only hope that neither girl is involved in her dearest memories. This could cause her mind to repress them further, causing her to lash out even more so than before the memories were revealed. So, when you work on trying to reveal her mind to memories, stick to only words or phrases that you know she would recognize from a happier time that did not involve either girl. Are we clear?"
"Of course. I can do that. Is that all?"
"For now. Keep me posted, and make sure to keep a watchful eye on her, noting when she goes into a daze. It will happen quickly when the essence leaves, and the mist should be of a light pink variety. This is very dangerous, again I warn you. Are you sure that you can handle this?"
"I'll do anything at this point."
"Yes, well...good night, Joyce."
"Good night." With that, the two hung up, and Joyce turned to see Buffy carefully viewing her expression. Used to this after three days, Joyce stood from the bed.
"Who was that?"
"Oh, it was Giles, honey."
"What did he want?"
"He was calling to remind you about patrolling tonight with Xander."
"Yeah, I remember but why didn't he just talk to me?"
"He wanted to answer a question I had the other day concerning an artifact we received in the last shipment from the gallery. I wanted to make sure no more zombie master masks were sent. We all know how the last one turned out." Joyce smiled at her daughter but Buffy kept staring at her suspiciously. Deciding that she could accept that explanation, she nodded her head slightly, and relaxed her defensive posture. "Buffy, how would you like to make a trip to Los Angeles this weekend?" Trying to think of memories that didn't include Faith, and especially Willow, Joyce decided that life before Sunnydale was her only option.
"Why would I want to go there?"
"I don't know. I had a craving for that little diner that we used to always take you to when you were little. The one that always had the nice old man that would always give you a dollar every time we ate there. What was it he used to say to you?" She stopped to think for a moment until she remembered. "Ah, yes. 'A dollar for a pretty little girl.' I was just hoping that we could spend some time together, and take a trip to LA." She watched Buffy's movements and expressions to see if that returned a pleasant memory. Unfortunately, Buffy only fidgeted uncomfortably. "Something wrong dear?"
"No, I mean...I would love to spend time with you, mom. But it's so far away from Willow, and I only have bad memories from that diner."
"How so, honey? You used to love it."
"No. I just made you think that I did because I thought that you and dad did. That old man always scared the crap out of me. He still gives me the wiggins." She shivered as the memory seeped into her mind. "Besides, I have better times here with Willow. She's my everything." Joyce sighed as she realized that this task was going to be much more difficult, just as Rupert had warned her.
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They walked into the house, ignoring the foreign car in the driveway. The whole way back from the mall, Faith couldn't keep her hands off of Willow, not fully satisfied by the impromptu sex in the dressing room. She couldn't wait to get her girl home, and take all of their clothes off. When they shut the door behind them, Faith pushed Willow against the front door, and teased her by starting to lean in to kiss her but pulling back at the last minute, causing groans to escape from Willow's mouth.
"Faith..." Willow's voice was pleading, while her pout tried to tempt her to give in from her teasing. It worked because Faith moved in to kiss her promptly, pushing her body further into the door against hers.
"You're so kissable when you pout." Faith claimed her lips again, as Willow's mind once again escaped, taking her back to a time when somebody else had said those words. Still, there was only a familiar voice that she couldn't place, and a truly content, happy feeling that consumed her entire being. She was becoming frustrated as these thoughts had kept randomly invading her mind when she was with Faith. Suddenly, there was the sound of glass shattering on the floor, and an apparently feminine voice gasping in surprise.
"Willow Danielle Rosenberg!" Faith gently extricated herself from Willow, and released her lover, both of them turning to see Will's mom standing there in an angry stance. Faith looked down, and noticed the broken Snapple bottle on the ground. "What in the world do you think you're doing?!" Faith noticed her lover's tense posture, and turned to glare at the woman.
"Don't yell at her." Her scowl caused Sheila to be taken aback, seeing the danger emanating behind the young brunette's eyes. "She didn't do anything to you."
"Yes, well. May I ask who you are? And why exactly you were molesting my daughter in my foyer?" Faith's eyes narrowed, preparing for an attack if this woman didn't back off soon.
"Mom, this is my lover, Faith. You haven't had a chance to meet her yet. Faith, this is my mom." The two women glared at each other, one seeking answers, and the other seeking a way to protect her lover.
"Yes, dear. When did this happen?"
"Not that long ago. We've known each other for about a year now but we just officially found each other the other day." Willow smiled at Faith lovingly as she took her hand, and moved to kiss her cheek gently. Faith relaxed a little at the attention, deciding that the woman was the mother of her mate, and that she was also trying to protect her in some way. "I love her. She's my everything." She sighed longingly, deciding that she needed to dispose of her mother quickly before jumping Faith's bones in front of her.
"What happened to the other one?"
"Other one?" Faith's jaw set, and was prepared to attack again.
"Winifred. She was a nice girl, though we only met a few times."
"Fred? I never dated..." Faith clenched her fists tight at the thought of her Willow being thought of as somebody's other than hers. Willow gently caressed her arm, and Faith relaxed, reassuring her that it was okay. She'd only ever loved her, and always would.
"Yes, well. Your father and I will be home until your graduation. I assume that your little friend here will be staying for dinner?" Sheila looked back and forth between the two girls, noticing the predatory way in which she protected Willow from her, and the hold that Willow had over her with just a glance. Saving that for further research later, she made a mental note.
"She'll be staying for always." Faith smiled, and kissed her passionately on the mouth again, causing Sheila to clear her throat at their display of affection.
"Well, then. I'll call when dinner is ready."
"Alright, mom. We'll be in our room." Sheila nodded, and Faith practically dragged Willow to her room. When she wasn't moving fast enough, she picked her up, and kicked the door open further, slamming it behind her with her foot. She tossed Willow on the bed, and began her plan to ravish the redhead's body. When she had finished stripping them both, and was placing them under the covers. After several longing kisses, Willow managed to roll on top of Faith. Faith suddenly had a thought occur to her. Willow's parents were home, and Will was very vocal when they had sex. Knowing that she should respect her mate's pride, she stopped her kisses. Willow looked at her confused for a moment. Faith just smoothed auburn locks behind her right ear.
"Will...we should stop. You get kinda loud, and ...your parents are underneath us." As if on cue, her mouth took control of her reply.
"Okay, that was a mood crusher." As soon as she said that, she looked down, and she didn't see Faith. At first, she began to panic but when the blurry image came to show an out of focus Fred, and the love that was in her eyes, Willow's heart melted. The gaze was familiar yet she couldn't shake the feeling that her mind was playing tricks on her. Deciding that Faith was right, she nodded, and the image of her dark lover reappeared below her.
"Where'd ya go there, Will?"
"Huh?"
"Did you go to Willow land?"
"Willow land...ha ha...yeah, that's it." Willow tried to keep her thoughts in tact but she couldn't help but remember that look in Fred's eyes, and the way it made her feel. She rolled off of Faith, and just wrapped her body around her lover comfortably. Faith held her gently, stroking up and down her back in a loving manner. However, Willow just could not forget her thoughts of Fred. She remembered how the girl reacted a few days ago when she came to visit, and the things that her mother said earlier. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something but her mind didn't apparently want her to dwell to long because she just snuggled closer to Faith's warm body, deciding to relish in the feel of skin on skin, even if it wasn't exactly what she wanted to do at the moment.