Switcheroony
by alicorn
Chapter 27
[reviews]
"Okay now?" Buffy had asked softly, still holding her Willow tightly and gently rocking her.
"Okay now," Willow had whispered, her eyes still closed in an attempt to keep back any remaining tears. She thought their lips had touched with the barest feather-light contact.
"I'll hold you until you fall asleep, okay?"
"Yes," Willow said, drowning in the gentleness of her Buffy.
Her body felt almost inconsequentially slender in Buffy's arms. Willow held her face against Buffy's throat, feeling strands of hair brush against her cheek. As she calmed her breathing, she was surrounded by the intricate and delicate fragrance of their lovemaking, exuding from their very hair and skin.
Buffy lay quietly, aware of pliant breasts that pressed softly against her with every breath from her beloved Willow. This had been the last thing she could remember as she drifted of into a dreamless sleep.
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Giles came to with a jolt. Harsh bright light assaulted his senses. Quickly closing his eyes he tried to center himself. A myriad of memories flooded his mind. He had been talking to someone? Yes ... Faith. She'd been helpful, answering questions. They were attacked ...
He mentally reached back to retrieve more information. He'd felt a sharp pain ... been drugged. Faith had been fighting vampires ... no men ... she was protecting him? Xander? Water ... stumbling ... a car drive. Xander, helping him to bed ... something about Anya and Faith??
Shaking his head, he reached for his glasses but his hand found a bare bedside table. His mind was still very foggy, thick making every mental step laborious. Slowly he began to piece together last night. He realized that it must have been well after midnight when Xander had helped him to bed so that neither of them had noticed that the curtains had been left open. That explained why his bedroom was now blindingly bright.
Throwing back the covers, he placed his bare feet into his slippers but they wouldn't fit! Standing he slipped, suddenly realizing he had stepped into his cold shoes with no socks which were still bunched inside them, stopping him from actually wearing his shoes. Where the hell were his slippers? "Xander!" he bellowed. It was bad enough that he had needed Xander to help him to bed, taking every opportunity to remind him of just how much older he was but the boy could be such a disorganized, if well intentioned, jackass. "And where the hell are my glasses?" he yelled.
As he made his way downstairs, carefully feeling his way, Giles recalled the occasion when Willow had inadvertently removed his sight with a magic spell. He had walked into so many pieces of furniture that his thighs and toes had complained for a week afterwards. Carefully making his way to the kitchen, he put the teakettle on.
Opening his cookie tin, Giles reached in but a frown crossed his brow. Retracting his arm, he held the piece of paper he had found before him. Bringing it in and out of focus, he read . "Cheeky beggar," Giles muttered, crumpling up the paper and throwing it into the trash.
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Willow could feel the fresh grass beneath her bare feet as she ran towards their picnic basket. Plopping onto the blanket, she laughed out loud.
"No fair," Buffy called to her as she caught up and collapsed beside her. "You go on three ... not two."
"Yeah, yeah. Rules. I read about them once. Bo-o-oring," Willow smirked in reply.
Buffy laughed and gently placed her forefinger onto the tip of the Wiccan's nose. "I think I'm teaching you some bad habits."
"Oh goody," she replied wiggling her nose beneath the Slayer's finger.
Buffy smiled and gazed lovingly into her eyes. Then leaning forward she replaced her finger with her lips. "Teacher's pet."
"What can I say? I love learning," Willow replied, reaching to draw Buffy back to her. She loved this kind of dream world.
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Giles pushed his glasses up onto his nose as he turned the page of Bolton's Celestial Emporium. He had finally found his glasses beside the telephone along with another note explaining that Faith had called Xander and directed him to the keys and the Magic Box. This had surprised him and filled him with a strange form of pride.
But his main concern this morning was to find a backup plan. The attack last night had left him in no doubt that they had an unknown factor to deal with and he could no longer risk placing all their eggs in one basket. If Willow and Buffy couldn't break the original curse, which appeared to be what their mysterious opponent was counting on, then he had to find another way to stop the eclipse.
He had been wracking his brains for the past hour searching every text he had on heavenly bodies, trying to find some glimmer of how he could prevent the eclipse that was due in just three days time. What little he had learned only made him more and more concerned.
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Buffy was sure that, for a moment, she had felt lips touching her neck. A melting softness washed over her, drawing her from her slumber. She tightened her arms and tilted her face down, brushing her lips over Willow's forehead; brushing her cheek against the silky smooth softness of her hair. As she felt Willow's gentle breath against the hollow of her throat, her pulse seemed to rise. How did Willow do this to her? How could she wake up and immediately be aroused by the nearness of her?
Last night should have been more than enough for her but it appeared that the Slayer lust had not switched with her body as her strength had. As she basked in the warmth of Willow against her, Buffy regretted the darkness of their room last night. She quickly glanced at the closed drapes. She had wanted so much to look down and see her secret love. She had wanted to watch those beautiful green eyes open and that unforgettable smile shine up at her. She had wanted to watch her Willow - the one she had been picturing all night. Sighing, she made a promise - 'we will do this again my sweet darling. In the light of day, in our own bodies and then I will know that tonight was real.'
A small sigh escaped from Willow and Buffy broke into a smile. Then it seemed so very easy ... so natural for her to lift the chin of her slumbering Willow ... to raise her face and by doing so offer her lips.
She could see the shadowed outline of her beloved, a thousand memories filling her mind. Unable to help herself ... giving in to the swell of emotions that she felt, Buffy lowered her lips, allowing the warm softness of Willow's mouth to melt against her own. 'Heaven.' She felt Willow stir and her mind vibrated with alarm. 'Oh no.' She started to pulled away. But Willow's mouth moved to meet hers, tenderly searching and reaching for her, causing her heart to dance in joy.
Their lips met again and again with such tender brief kisses; then lingering and still more tender ones as Buffy gently held her dearest close. Willow felt so warm in her arms, her body so soft as she melted into Buffy's morning caress.
Willow yielded as in a dream, her lips parting as Buffy's mouth became her wakening world, the most exquisite velvet, as they kissed deeply ... slowly ... endlessly ... tenderly.
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The shrill ring of the telephone broke into the minds and hearts of the two women. It felt like the warmth they had been sharing was being doused by a cold shower, causing them both to pull out of their embrace and fully open their eyes. The harsh reality of day shattered the tender moment they had shared.
Buffy's eyes were full of apology and sorrow as she left their warm bed and threw on her nightgown, moving towards the ringing phone. "What?" she almost yelled as she answered the phone.
"Sorry, grumpy head. Did I wake you?" Xander's almost apologetic voice asked.
"YES. Yes, you did. So is the sky falling?" Buffy replied.
"Nope. More like a light shower. Giles came across Faith after Willow and he finished patrol," he explained.
"Oh hell! Is he okay?" Buffy demanded, suddenly filled with the urge to track down Faith and give her exactly what she deserved.
"Nothing that a large pot of his stinky tea won't cure," Xander assured her. "It seems they were attacked by some Commando type guys ... and Faith rescued him."
"She what?" Buffy exclaimed incredulously.
"I know. I'm big with the unbelievable too. But from what I can make out, that's exactly what happened," Xander assured her. "She got him back to the Magic Box, made him comfortable and then she phoned me. Really didn't enjoy explaining that call to Anya."
"I'll bet. So he's home? And safe?" Buffy inquired, not really wanting to break into her time with Willow, after last night, unless absolutely necessary.
"Yup. He's gonna be fine. I'll ring him in a bit and check up on the old chap," Xander said breaking out into his best 'British' accent.
"Cool. Well, I'll leave 'Giles watcher duty' to you. Let me know if anything changes," Buffy instructed Xander.
"I'm on it," Xander agreed, although somewhat surprised that Buffy wasn't heading out immediately to check on her Watcher. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. Why?" Buffy asked before she could stop herself.
"Oh, I just figured you'd be on the fast train to Gilesville, especially with Faith being involved. That's all," Xander commented.
Buffy sighed; she should have so seen that one coming. "You got him home safe and you'll check on him — Right?"
"You bet. I just thought ..." Xander trailed off, not sure what else to say.
"I trust you, Xander. If you say he's okay..."
"Ahhh ..." Xander exclaimed as he realized what was going on. "You don't want to leave your dorm room right now, do you? Willow's there too, isn't she? Why didn't you just say so? I'm cool. You guys have stuff to ... discuss ... You know ... have your whole ... 'Beaches' moment ..." Xander blathered on.
"Thank you for understanding, Xander," Buffy replied through gritted teeth. 'Could Xander be any more foot-in-mouth guy?' She took a deep breath and cut his chatter short with "I'm thrilled that Giles is safe and I am grateful that you'll keep an eye on him for me. Goodbye Xander," Buffy stated as she resisted the urge to slam the receiver down.
Turning back towards Willow, she shrugged. "Xander," she said simply as if that alone would explain everything.
Meanwhile, Xander smirked at the phone. He really loved it when he hit the mark. The gooey and icky buzz of knowing that right now his two favorite little love bunnies were finally sorting this stuff out was just a little more than his manly persona could cover up as a silly puppy dog smirk crawled across his face.
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There was still a slight chill in the air as Cordelia had walked to Angel Investigations. She'd put off coming in for the past two days. Without the guys around it seemed pretty pointless. Besides, she'd figured she was due some vacation time. But the pile of mail and number of telephone messages had almost made her wish she hadn't held off coming in.
Cordelia stared at the telephone. She was somewhat uneasy at the thought of speaking to Giles before she could talk to Faith. But his message had been very insistent and she really had put off calling as long as she dared. If she wasn't careful this could go very wrong. She wanted to speak to Faith. She'd hoped for a phone call today, as she had begun to everyday. It unnerved her that when Faith did call she could feel a swelling of happiness. She'd never really needed a female friend before but faith had somehow become important to her. Cordy's high school clique had had a purpose. They'd been her buffer but she'd never been really close to any of them. She'd never cared about any of them.
The concern and worry that was beginning to build within her was new. She worried about the guys all the time. But this ... this was different. It wasn't fear for Faith's life. It was fear for her very soul, for the precarious cliff edge the woman walked everyday, for all the future hopes and dreams that the brunette slayer had chosen to tie up and risk in doing this thing for Buffy and Willow.
These feelings disconcerted her and so she shook them aside. Now was not the time to get all 'Thelma and Louise'. She just needed to think clearly. She needed to concentrate on finding out what Giles wanted and then work out what best to do or say to Faith the next time she called. Just like Angel, Faith hadn't liked modern technology much, let alone cell phones, so Cordelia had been happy to let the dark slayer do the calling. She was beginning to wish she'd insisted on at least a beeper.
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Buffy stood staring at herself. Well, not her self so much as her body. At Willow. It always took her a moment in the mornings to remember that her body was no longer her own. 'You'd think by now I'd be over what she looks like.' She knew that she should say something. But what? This was some kind of weird 'morning after' block. The 'morning after' with a stranger was one thing but this wasn't a stranger. This was her Willow.
With Willow she couldn't reinvent herself. She couldn't present her best foot because Willow knew both her best and worst feet equally well. She opened her mouth ... but nothing came out. So she closed it again. 'Oh, get a grip, will you? She'll think your brain damaged,' she scolded herself. Taking a deep breath she dove in. "Are you hungry?"
"Sure," Willow replied. 'Oh goddess I'm staring at her.' Dropping her eyes, she collected herself, grateful that Buffy had begun their 'morning after' conversation in a familiar area that she could cope with. After that good morning kiss she was fairly certain that she couldn't have recited her two times tables. "Wha'd you have in mind?" Willow asked unable to lift her eyes and look at the woman and the lips she hungered for, knowing they were her own. 'Today's weirdness exists on so many levels.'
Buffy also broke her stare. Dragging her mind back to the memory of how she had awakened Willow and how eagerly Willow had responded ... she needed to remember that it had been Willow ... that the body before her was but a shell. Seeing herself clutching the sheet to cover her nakedness was really throwing Buffy. She shook her head as she struggled to remember what she had asked. "Oh right. How about mochas, danish and donuts?" Buffy smiled to herself as she recalled the many mornings that they had gone through this very conversation. It was so familiar ... so comfortable.
"Why change a good thing?" Willow automatically responded, beginning to sit up pulling the bed sheet up with her. "So shall I do the run or..."
"No way. I'm already up. You stay put," Buffy responded heading for her clothes. "You're all warm and comfy. How about we do breakfast in bed? I love eating in bed ...," she commented before she could stop herself, freezing as the words left her mouth. 'Geez! Why did I say that? Okay, do I have to say everything I'm thinking when I'm around her?'
"Oh ... I ... That sounds ..." Willow dried up, suddenly feeling as if someone had taken all of the air out of the room. 'Did she just ... yes, she ... '
Buffy let out the lung full of air she had been holding. "Okay ... I won't be long," she said throwing off her nightgown and climbing into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. "Chocolate sprinkles?" she threw in, as her mind filled with images of sharing breakfast in bed with ... 'Oh, I've died and gone to heaven.'
"Uh huh," Willow confirmed as she watched Buffy rush for the door. "Buffy?"
"Yes," she replied, turning back nervously, her still tousled hair falling over one eye.
Willow laughed quietly before asking "Shoes?"
Buffy looked down at her feet and immediately felt a rush of heat to her cheeks.
"What? ... oh ... aaah ... " She searched around her and, seeing Willow's loosely tied sneakers, slipped her feet into them. "Not awake yet, I guess. Won't be long." She offered by way of excuse as she bolted out of their dorm with urgent intent and purpose.
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Willow had become a complete coward and within just a few minutes of Buffy heading out on the breakfast run, she'd pulled on a large t-shirt. So now she sat back under the covers wondering why the hell this morning was so different from yesterday.
Yesterday she'd been in a strange kind of denial for most of the morning and then the shock of what they had done had hit her like a sledgehammer. But this morning none of that seemed to matter. What concerned her was how different Buffy had been. The way she had kissed her awake. Her mind was lost in the need to ask a thousand questions, and yet the same very real fear of the answers prevented her from asking them.
She could have put last night down to need, desire, sex, curiosity or all of the above. But that kiss ... It had been so tender, so sweet, so without motive. Buffy had taken her time; tasting and caressing ... She had seemed so assured, so still, so with her. No one had ever kissed Willow like that. It was as if a thousand words had been spoken without a sound. And yet here she sat trying to translate a language she had never heard before.
Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the door handle being turned. Buffy burst through the door, kicking it shut behind her. As she gazed at the bed and Willow, her face momentarily dropped. 'She's disappointed ... because I'm dressed?' Willow wondered and a flutter coursed its way through her heart.
"Breakfast has arrived," Buffy announced, quick to hide her disappointment in the fact that Willow had dressed. She kicked her shoes off and placed the tray of mochas and danish onto the bed.
"Looks yummy," Willow noted, as she saw that Buffy had practically crammed the tray full of all of the Wiccan's favorite pastries. Carefully she pulled the tray towards her to allow Buffy to get back into bed without creating a mocha shower.
Lifting the covers Buffy noticed flesh ... bare legs ... 'It's only a t-shirt.' A smile crossed her face and a tingle shot down her spine. She quickly scooted out of her sweats and under the sheet. Pulling it back she scooted closer to Willow and breakfast.
"Hey," Willow yelped as she felt Buffy's cold leg brush hers. Surprised by the alarmed look that had crossed Buffy's face, she quickly added, "You're ... legs ... they're cold."
"Sorry," Buffy apologized, moving back slightly and feeling somewhat foolish for rushing to be close to Willow. Putting her hands under the covers she began to rub her thighs vigorously, not sure how she would manage to reach her feet.
Willow smiled at her efforts and moved the breakfast tray to the floor.
Buffy tried so hard not to turn and look at the small of Willow's back and rear as she moved the tray but the evil eye took over. 'Ohhhh! Shouldn't have looked,' she realized dragging her eyes back. 'I'm staring at my own ass. What kind of freak have I turned into?'
Willow turned back to help Buffy. Unable to make eye contact, she moved her own hands under the covers and firmly began rubbing Buffy's cold lower legs and feet. "There you go. We'll have you all warmed up in no time. Then we can get back to the hot pastries."
Buffy felt herself freeze as Willow's hands suddenly ran over her inner thighs - so close, so warm. Buffy closed her eyes. 'Ohh Willow ... You're killing me here,' she screamed to herself. But reopening her eyes, she caught a small smile at the corners of Willow's mouth and she realized that Willow, her shy sweet Willow knew exactly what she was doing ... 'Oh! The little vixen! Willow Rosenberg, you're so gonna pay.'
Leaning into Willow slightly, she lowered her voice and moaned in appreciation, "Mmmm ... Willow ... I think I'm ready for something warm and wet ... if you are?" Buffy stated in her sultriest tone while slowly pulling back a loose strand of hair from Willow's cheek.
"What?" Willow squeaked, quickly bringing her hands back above the covers as panic washed over her ... 'she ... oh my ...' and slowly she turned to stare questioningly at Buffy, her heart in her mouth.
Buffy plastered a saintly and innocent smile upon her features and replied "I'm all warm now. Thanks. Time for breakfast. Chocolaty mochas and sweet goodies?"
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Giles perused the chapter on celestial transits, frustration building with every new 'this won't help' piece of information he came across. Suddenly the telephone burst into life, making him jump slightly. Reaching for the handset, he expected to hear Xander's voice. The young man had already called him twice to check on his condition. The Watcher was really becoming most irritated by the distractions that were plaguing him today. All he wanted was to fix this and get everything back to normal.
"Hello?"
"Hi Giles, I'm returning your call," Cordelia announced.
"Ah yes, Cordelia," he acknowledged. "Thank you. I was beginning to think no one was ever going to ring back."
"Sorry. The guys are out of town and I just got back myself," she stated, stretching the truth a bit.
"Ahh I see," Giles noted, realizing he was being put off with a somewhat less than truthful response. "Well in any case, I appreciate you getting back to me. I need some answers, which it would seem only you can provide," Giles explained, drawing his mind back to the several questions he had been waiting to have answered.
"Gee, when did I become miss 'know-it-all'?" Cordelia asked, trying to make herself sound, at least, a little surprised by his call. "So ...What's up?"
"Faith." Giles stated, seeing no reason to beat around the bush especially as he was able to hear the slight hesitation in Cordelia's tone. He really didn't have the patience or the time to deal with a prima donna right now. His frustration at events and his inability to do anything or find anything to help matters was rising to the surface. "It would seem that you were, at least, partially responsible for her current visit to us."
"Ahh huh," Cordelia non-committally responded, so casually that Giles could almost see her 'so what' posture.
"She appears to be trying to get Willow and Buffy together," he stated.
Cordelia swallowed, "Really?" Her feigned surprise fooled neither one of them.
"Indeed," he stated, his tone harsh and brokering no argument. "She has placed a curse on Buffy and Willow, effectively swapping their bodies. It would seem that the only way they can return to their own bodies is to ... declare their mutual ... to show their ... to say they are in love," Giles summarized.
"Aww, how cute. Who knew Faith was so into 'lonely hearts'? Personally, I think she should have picked a less socially challenged couple to practice on," Cordelia giggled.
"Young lady, this is no laughing matter," Giles responded in an annoyed tone. "Events have somewhat ... escalated to a dangerous situation."
"Well, fire away and I'll see what I can do to help," Cordelia advised him.
"Where to begin ... let me see ... oh yes. Why did you send Faith here? Why not send Angel or Wesley? Why, on earth, was a curse was necessary? Why didn't you contact me first? I refuse to believe there wasn't a better way of dealing with this. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" Giles barked into the phone, unable to hold himself back any longer.
"Oh boy, that English reserve really is only a cover, isn't it? Underneath you're just a rude old man," Cordelia proclaimed. "Listen up Giles, you may be the mega-hot watcher of the demonology library or whatever, but when it comes to dating — I'm the slayer ... the total expert. So trust me when I say that sending some lame-brained guy to sort out two women in love — so not an option! Despite what you may think, we thought this through ... and Faith was the best choice."
"I find that somewhat hard to believe," Giles commented, if with a little less certainty than he would have had just a few days ago. Faith had really surprised him last night. Hearing the lack of conviction behind his assertion, Cordelia laughed. "Oh right, you really think sending some love sick vampire or a sexually immature British guy ... Geez, get real. This is about women ... two women ... two very special women. I didn't need some fantasy-ridden guy screwing it up. Faith has no sexual hang ups about two women. She's honest ... a straight talker, pun most definitely intended. PLUS ... she really wanted to help," she stated with complete certainty.
Giles fell silent, not quite sure how to respond to Cordelia's comments. He tried to picture Angel or Wesley talking to Buffy about her feelings. 'Awkward, ridiculous, painful' were the only words that came to mind as he recalled his own stumbling efforts. "You may be right that a man ... though I'd like to know where your absolute certainty on this subject originates. But really, a curse?"
"Talking just wasn't going to do it. Trust me on this. Big hidden love - not gonna be dragged out of the closet by a late night chat over hot milk and cookies. Those two are so totally screwed up about what they mean to each other. They always have been. Something major was needed, something that could shake them up and force them together. They hold it all in everyday. They're really very good at the hiding, Giles. But the mutual attraction, the affection, loyalty, devotion and the love are all there. You've seen it, we all have. That's why any relationship that tries to overshadow or interfere with their friendship implodes sooner or later."
"But, and I hate to repeat myself, ... a curse?" Giles questioned, still unable to see how and/or why they had chosen to use a curse.
"Oh right. I remember now --- you're the guy who's always against any one but you doing the magics. How does Willow put up with you anyway? So go on then. Had you even noticed what was going on? Would you even know what to look for?"
"I'm sure that had I been looking ... I mean ... had someone raised it as an issue ... I would have noticed ... probably that they were ... that the classic symptoms ... of unrequited ... secret ... " Giles struggled mightily to recall what the symptoms of unrequited love were. It had been so long since he had made himself vulnerable by investing his heart in the unknown. "Eating too much chocolate ... impulsive retail therapy ... driving too fast ..." Giles dryly commented, realizing he was struggling and clearly out of his depth.
"Are you kidding? That just about describes the perfect day for everyone I know," Cordelia smirked. "You've just proved my point. Unless someone had pointed it out to you, you'd have brushed over the signs. And considering your damn English reserve, you probably would've ignored them or more likely kept your thoughts to yourself."
Giles was getting just a little sick of women telling him that his English reserve was a bad thing. "A little reserve from your end and I wouldn't have to be ringing you, let alone be forced to trawl my books for solutions to the additional problem you've created," Giles irritably advised her. "I know that your 'Vision' of the future really scared you but to run to magic for a solution ... well, that shows a level of shortsightedness that I find incredible to believe."
Cordelia's world was suddenly very focused. 'How the hell does he know about the 'Vision'? However, all she could say was "Huh?"
Giles continued, "With Magic, there are always consequences ..."
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Willow had never been so nervous and yet happy all at once. She'd felt like a kid, all giddy and almost sick - like she had eaten too much of her favorite candy and cake. Every sweet consideration or kind word from Buffy plunged her into excited confusion until they had run down a bit and fallen into a nervous silence.
Willow's mind was a babbling mess. 'What's going on exactly? Is she just being kind or trying to avoid the wiggins we had last time? No. I mean there was that ... kiss. The way she ... oh heavens ... I need to just slow down ... stop analyzing. Don't over-think this. She's just being nice, Buffy-nice. I'm just wanting this to mean more. That's my fault. I mean we had a ... we had to ... Oh god, what we did last night!! She thinks I have the cutest giggle. Wait. When, when did I giggle? Oh, OH! No, she can't have meant ...'
"I suppose we should get up," Buffy said finally, breaking into Willow's thoughts. She had run out of small talk, the delicious mochas were finished and she just couldn't face another donut. "I'm sure I could do with a shower," Buffy reluctantly admitted, all the while wishing that she could think of a way to delay the inevitable. She was enjoying her time alone with Willow - there had been so little of it this semester.
"There's one thing I'd love to change about dorm life," Willow said wistfully.
"What?" Buffy asked, as she started to leave their bed.
"A private bathroom," Willow declared longingly. "What I'd give for a long hot soak right now."
"Deal!" Buffy almost snapped, as her brain kicked into high gear. "Mom's at an exhibition in Seattle this week. The house is empty. We could enjoy a real bath ..." Buffy froze as she realized what she had said. 'Oh no, not again ... Quick, fix it. Fix it.' "I mean we could get out of here and you could ... have first dibs," Buffy explained falling over her words.
Willow beamed. "Great idea." She felt herself flushing slightly and her breath catching at the thought of sharing a bath with Buffy, whose slip of the tongue had presented Willow with several images and the wish that she had been brave enough to jump at the idea. 'Shouldn't I have ... like ... Slayer courage or something?'
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"What?" Cordelia was clearly shocked.
"I am fairly certain you heard me, Cordelia," Giles chided. "I need to know. What will happen to Buffy? What did you see happen to her ... in your vision?"
"I ... I ..." Cordelia stumbled. "How did you...?"
"That isn't really relevant right now. Cordelia, what did you see?" Giles insisted. "I need to know. What could happen if they are not able to work through Faith's curse?" he asked in a quieter tone.
"I ... Okay. But your not gonna ... Are you sitting down?" Cordelia asked trying to delay having to remember, let alone recount one of the most disturbing visions she had ever had to Giles of all people. "I'm not sure you ..."
"Cordelia," Giles said gently yet firmly in his most reassuring manner. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't feel that it was vital, absolutely necessary that I know exactly what you saw."
"Okay," Cordelia agreed, sighing and taking deep breath before she began. "Spike - remember that sweet, oh so helpful, guy? Well Spike was ... he was using her ... forcing her to ... to ... to be intimate with him. Buffy was being blackmailed by him. He was using his knowledge about how she felt about ... Willow ... to make her ... He ... he raped her, Giles ... and she let him." Cordelia finished, as a sob escaped her lips.
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Now at the Summers house, Buffy had very quickly excused herself and headed downstairs as Willow prepared for her bath. There had been a brief moment when their eyes had met but even though she could have sworn she could see straight into Willow's soul, the sudden realization that she was staring into her own eyes connected to her own body made her pull back yet again.
And so Buffy found herself standing in the kitchen when the totally irrational thought struck her. "I'll cook lunch", she said aloud to herself. "That's a 'what good friends, best friends do for each other' kind of thing that can't be misunderstood as ... I mean she should be able to cope with that." Buffy was trying so hard to make Willow comfortable with her. She didn't want to scare her. She didn't want to rush headlong into how she felt, throwing everything at her Willow. She had to be very careful.
'Just take it easy. Woo her. Did I just say woo her? Just let her warm to the idea that ... this could work ... that we ... Oh please let her ... I mean after last night and this morning ... I thought ... I was so sure ... She kissed me back, didn't she?' Buffy asked herself, as self-doubt began to rear its head yet again. This self-doubt was so unlike her. But this was just too important and she had to get it right.
She shook her head to clear it and moved to the fridge, opening it to search the contents for a clue as to what she could make. Deciding to allow her heart to revel in the joy at having Willow all to herself, she thought 'This is what it could be like. Always ... just us ... Willow and me.'
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"What difficulty?" Cordelia asked.
"The difficulty being that it ... Buffy and Willow haven't ... that is they ... ahh humm what has been tried didn't work and I'm not sure that ... In any case, let's set that issue to one side, shall we? It has become evident during the course of our investigations that hidden within the curse, apparently without the knowledge of Faith ... and I am now quite certain that it was indeed done without Faith's knowledge," Giles added, uncertain why he felt the need to assure Cordelia of this. "There appears to be another curse embedded within her curse which could bring about an apocalypse, to be triggered by the upcoming eclipse, unless the original curse is broken."
"And this became evident how?" Cordelia asked suspiciously.
"During our own vision quest. Thanks to a moment of Xander's inspiration, we managed to use a vision rod to focus the Slayer's ... that is to say Buffy's ... natural ability to have visions," Giles explained.
"Xander? Well I never would have believed it," Cordelia commented.
"I agree it was something of a surprise," Giles agreed. "But the results were very enlightening. That's how we found out that you had a vision about possible future events and that Faith was, indeed, sent here at your behest."
"And these ... 'vision rod' visions ... they told you that there's a curse hidden within our curse?" Cordelia demanded, "How? What did you see? Who was it? How did they do it and when?"
Giles sighed, realizing that this call could take far longer than he had expected. "Cordelia, I really don't have time to go into the detail that I am sure you deserve. Trust me when I say that the visions were detailed enough to assure me that this is the case. If I may ask - were you aware that Faith was using a firm of lawyers to help her acquire the elements necessary to place the curse?"
"No. She said that she knew a contact that could provide what she would need. I hadn't realized she was dealing with — 'Suits'," Cordelia stated, somewhat surprised that Faith even knew a lawyer. She stopped mid-thought as her memory suddenly opened a door. "Why?"
"One of the visions showed her talking with a firm of lawyers who wanted her to kill Angel. Then we saw the same lawyer requesting the hidden curse and organizing the specifications of the curse with the wizard," Giles explained.
"Geez," she sighed in exasperation. 'What kind of idiot would take a curse from ... Oh hell. Why didn't she say that was where she'd gotten it? Because I didn't ask! Angel will blow a fuse when I tell him,' she mentally cursed herself for not having quizzed Faith over the acquisition of the curse. She should have realized that Faith still hadn't quite sorted out where certain lines existed. And she had been so caught up in how to prevent the events in her vision that she had dropped the ball. She hadn't followed up. She should have taken more time to talk to Faith about this ... about other things as well. "We've come across a group of lawyers but only briefly," she advised Giles. "They're into the ... you know ... the representation of the big and bad of the underworld, so to speak. And I don't mean human criminals."
Giles couldn't prevent a laugh from escaping as he asked, "Are you serious? Demons need lawyers!? Only in LA."
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Willow lay happily in the tub, her mind drifting back to last night until she heard movement downstairs and then a beaming smile swept its way across her face as she recalled the last thing Buffy had said as she had headed into her bath. "While you're in there turning all prune-like, I think I'll scrape together a nice lunch for us."
Down there in the kitchen was a Slayer with the cooking talent of ... well ... of Snoopy. Her rock hard cookies and burnt popcorn were almost legendary, only to be surpassed by Xander's sheer acting ability when it had come to eating Buffy-fare with gusto. 'Geez, what he would do in the hopes of winning her heart,' Willow recalled. 'Would I try that hard? Just watch me.'
She sank back, lowering her ears below the bath water, blocking out the sounds of the world. She needed to find her center, her courage and confront the fear that was beginning to build once again. Last night had been so wonderful, as had this morning, but knowing that at some point she had to keep her promise to Xander and risk ruining everything ... that just plain invited the fear in.
Hearing a movement upstairs, Buffy jumped guiltily. Then looking back at the sink, she realized that her furious scrapings of the burnt toast had turned everything in the sink a motley brown. At least the pile of un-toasted bread was greater than the pile of toast still waiting to be scraped.
Buffy grimaced. She'd thought that since the bread was still partially frozen, it would take a lot longer to brown. As she surveyed the sink, she took a deep breath "I know I'm cursed but give me break," she pleaded. Then collecting herself, she glared at the toast and stated "Damn it, I can do this." Picking up her burnt offerings, she unceremoniously tossed them in the trash and moved back to the remainder of the thawing loaf. "Okay, second time lucky." She took four more slices and moved them into the still warm toaster. "You guys just thaw for a bit," she instructed them.
Glancing at her watch, urgency filled her as she focused on the bacon, turning each strip. "Bacon and Eggs," she continued aloud. "Who can't cook bacon and eggs? — EGGS!" She hadn't done the eggs. The bacon was almost half cooked but the eggs were still standing totally untouched by the side of the toaster. "Oh, great! How much more 'not potential girlfriend' material can I be? Cereal. I should have done cereal. Nice and simple. Cereal and milk. Maybe a little fruit. But Oh, No. I had to try to be little 'miss apprentice homemaker'. I should have applied for the position of 'girl least likely to get a second date with a certain gorgeous red-head'"
She turned the last of the bacon and focused her attention on breaking the eggs into a bowl. Miraculously, she didn't have to extract the usual shell fragments. Sighing in relief she seasoned the eggs and proceeded to whip them together. 'Okay. That wasn't so hard. Now I just need to fry ... A pan? I need another pan!' she realized. Turning back to the counter, she was relieved to see that she had already taken out two pans.
Willow could smell cooking and it ... well it smelled good? She reemerged from her prone position, a slightly puzzled look forming. "Buffy?"
Realizing that her toes were starting to crinkle up, Willow began to wash her hair, rubbing the shampoo in with renewed vigor. She had made up her mind. Today she would say something. She would find a way ... make a moment. It was worth the risk and this morning had to be a sign! Didn't it?
Buffy found herself shaking as she placed the plates of food next to the coffee and juice that she had already added to the large tray she had prepared. She surveyed her handy work unable to believe that she had made the food she was looking at. She had really done it.
An idea occurred to her as she heard the bath water emptying and grabbing a pair of scissors she quickly rushed to the back door. Opening it, she reached out and cut one of her mother's lovely red roses. Closing the door she moved to the nearby cupboard and removed a single stem vase and, filling it carefully with water, she placed the rose into it and carried it back to place on the corner of her tray. "Perfect."
Buffy picked up the overloaded tray and carried it uneasily as she made her way to the stairs. She hated not having her usual slayer balance and coordination. But that wasn't important. What was important was that she really wanted to revisit their early morning togetherness and just maybe her little gift of a home cooked meal would result in that.
Willow wrapped a towel around her hair and stepped out of the bath. Reaching for the bath towel, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Momentarily she lost her center as anger threatened to fill her. 'Why? What did I ever do to her?' Willow demanded, focusing her thoughts on Faith, the cause of all her woes. Pulling the bath towel about her, Willow moved to open the bathroom door. As she did so the aroma of bacon and eggs wafted up to her, removing all thoughts of Faith and her revenge. She smiled and secured the towel about her as she moved down the hallway.
Buffy was nearly at the top of the stairs when Willow appeared before her in nothing but a bath towel. Their eyes met and Buffy stared transfixed by the warm feeling that those eyes brought to her heart. Losing her concentration, she missed the last step and, as if in slow motion, she saw the landing quickly moving up towards her.
Willow was about to speak ... to say something when she saw Buffy start to fall. The cups of hot coffee flew towards Willow who instinctively reached out to stop Buffy's fall, dropping her bath towel.
Buffy continued to fall forward, her face turning into a picture of horror. "No!" She had prepared it all. And it was edible! But her train of thought was broken by the sight of Willow's bath towel falling to the floor!!
Buffy, who had been vainly trying to catch up with the falling tray, froze in her tracks. But its contents hurtled towards Willow as she headed towards Buffy oblivious to her nakedness and the distress she was causing. The hot coffee landed first followed by the juice, bacon and eggs ... and a single rose in a bud vase.
"Woahhh. Ahhhh.... What th... Ooowwww," Willow screamed as her skin was assaulted by the myriad of temperatures.
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Xander had taken his lunch break early, concerned that he hadn't been able to reach Buffy or Willow. He had telephoned them four times in the past hour. He just knew that something was wrong. Giles had been fairly insistent that they needed to get together this evening. As he walked towards their dorm room it occurred to him that it was probably best that he knock first. Just in case.
Stopping just outside of the door he did his best to wipe what he was sure was a silly grin from his face as he raised his hand and knocked on the door firmly. Hearing no response he tried again. "Oh well, can't say I didn't try to warn them," he stated as he reached for the handle. "It's Xander," he said loudly as a last courtesy before pushing the door open.
Suddenly he was pushed from behind and falling forward he thought he heard the sound of several feet following him. Turning he was confronted by two masked men, with several more right behind them.
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On all fours at the top of the stairs Buffy couldn't move. She knew she should be rushing to Willow's aid but the vision before her was her own naked flesh, even though it was on her best friend. Somehow she just couldn't get past the thought that Willow had just washed that body ... her body. She had probably run her soapy hands over every inch. She dropped her head embarrassed by the thoughts filling her mind.
Willow finally reached Buffy and fell to her knees. "Buffy, are you okay?" she asked, trying to make eye contact.
Hearing her own voice, Buffy raised her head. Mistake!
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Much Thanks to Lilly a beta Treasure