North and South...and West
by Rin
Courting Buffy
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Xander had cleaned and dressed extra nice this morning for breakfast. He'd written to Cordelia, claiming that he could not marry her anymore, and now he was free to court Miss Buffy Summers. This morning, he had arranged to meet with Joyce to ask for permission.
It had been two weeks since that party, and he had finally gathered his courage to write that letter to Cordy, knowing that it would come back to haunt him, and haunt him it did, as her reply came in the mail the other day. In the letter, she had mentioned that her father had arranged for her to marry a young Irishman named Doyle, and that she was becoming quite fond of him during his courtship of her, though she was reluctant at first. It had been 8 years since they had seen each other, and they had grown into young adults. Cordelia couldn't wait any longer to get married. She promised to continue writing him, though...to continue to give him updates on the family and town.
Now, a month after moving into SunnyDale, Xander was prepared to ask Joyce Summers, his employer, if he could court her oldest daughter. It was the bravest thing he had ever done. He wanted to talk to Willow about it so bad but she always seemed too preoccupied. She was always out in that damned cotton barn anymore, doing work, and he rarely saw her. If Ms. Summers agreed that he could court Buffy, and Buffy agreed to marry him, then he would be delighted to tell Willow that she didn't have to rush the work on account of him going back home to marry Cordelia anymore.
"Now, Xander...what seems to be the problem?" Joyce joined Xander for tea in the den, and noticed his nervous behavior.
"I wish to court Buffy." Xander saw Joyce shut her eyes, and take a deep breath. He wasn't sure if that was a good sign.
"Xander, you know as well as I that Buffy has many suitors. I would hate to see you hurt by her. You're a good man...but you're a Western man, and a Yankee soldier. How do you think Buffy would feel about that?" Joyce knew Xander would make a fine husband...but not for her daughter. She'd already had this talk with Buffy...about not doing anything foolish, and becoming too attached to the two boys. The redhead was the one she had in mind. She didn't want Buffy to get any foolish ideas like marrying young Will, and it was obvious that was what her oldest daughter had come to talk to her about that day. Joyce didn't give her a chance to ask, though. She made it clear that she would never give Will her blessing if it came to that...although she had included Xander in that, too.
"I realize that, ma'am...but I would make a wonderful husband. I'm in love with your daughter, Ms. Summers. I wish for her to be my wife. I'm not going back to California anymore, so we could stay here. I could continue helping with the land." Xander was trying his best to convince Ms. Summers.
"Xander, you are a dear boy...but you have to understand that Buffy is still a lady of society, and to the society, you are a mere farmhand." Joyce hated letting the boys hopes down. "Tell me...what does your friend Will think of your wanting to court Buffy?"
"He doesn't know, ma'am. I try to talk to him but I rarely see him anymore. He's always out in the cotton mill, or doing something on the farm. I can't keep up with him anymore." Xander was sad that he was always too tired (because of his leg) to continue helping Willow, and upset that he couldn't catch her to tell her that she didn't need to work so hard and fast anymore.
"Yes. He has done wonders for the production around here. I've never seen such dedication to work before, and I'm sure you would be out there helping him if it weren't for your injury. I believe that wholeheartedly." Joyce placed a comforting hand on his knee. "But I'm afraid I can't give you my blessing to court Buffy."
"Not even if I told you my father was Senator Harris of California?" That's something he kept in the dark...but he felt it important in this case, if he were to be granted this blessing. His father being an important man may have just given him a blessing. He saw Joyce's eyes light up, and knew that it was true. He now had her blessing...he could court Buffy.
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"This is amazing, Will...you built this??" Buffy had finally let her curiosity get the better of her, and couldn't take it anymore, so she went out to the cotton mill to see what in the world Willow had been doing out here day in and day out.
"It was easy really, and it'll help a lot when we're ready to bundle things, or even when we're ready to pick the gardens. I can build this along the entire thing. It runs on the water running upstream from the lake, so it'll move...sort of like a line of people except without the people. They're little holes instead, to place the crop in..." Willow had been out here, building a conveyor line to aid them in their farming. She had the idea one day when Buffy mentioned she wished they had a way to take lighter loads to the barn to drop but it was just too time wasted. Upon hearing that, Willow started the project, and only saw the rest of the family during mealtimes. She had even fallen asleep on the cotton a few nights, too exhausted to trek back to the house.
Truth was, she was partially trying to avoid Buffy. It had been two weeks since they had kissed, and she had confessed everything at that party on Hellmouth plantation. The morning after those sweet kisses, Willow's mind was clear from the mint juleps...albeit after the headache. Buffy would try to find time to spend alone with Will but she would always claim that there was too much work. It was frustrating to the blonde. This was the 'man' she wanted to marry. She wanted to feel Willow's lips pressed against hers again. She wanted to feel what it was like to be held in her arms, to return to those lazy afternoons where they would sit on the porch and talk like best friends. Willow had admitted that she was in love with Buffy, so why was the redhead suddenly so distant? Buffy had told her she didn't care about her soldier status, about her being a girl, too...she just wanted Willow. Yet still...the redhead turned away her affections.
"It's amazing. Mom is going to love it." Buffy took a risk coming out to the barn by herself. They had finished breakfast earlier, and were taking the Saturday off...everybody but Willow, who was still out in the cotton mill pounding away. She looked so handsome, in William's old tan corduroys that were being held up by suspenders, the olive green top Mary had made for him. Willow's eyes were brought out so much more with the green color, and Buffy couldn't help but stare. "I've missed you, Will."
"Please don't, Buffy...this is hard enough..." Willow knew this was coming. Why else would Buffy take the risk of coming out here alone? They both knew Joyce would condemn such unladylike behavior.
"I tried to talking to my mom...about you courting me...but she made it clear that I couldn't marry a simple farmhand." Buffy saw Will's face deflate for a moment, and knew that spark was still there. "Don't you know that I love you? I don't care...we can run away together...just you and me..."
"Buffy, I like your family, and your mother has been more than generous to Xander and I. I would never do something like that." It was tearing Willow up, knowing that she could never reveal her true identity, less she be found out as the missing daughter of famed author and educator, Ira and Sheila Rosenberg. Her family held such high status in society, which qualified her as an appropriate suitor for Buffy...but Joyce could never find out.
"It doesn't matter. I love you. I won't marry anybody else. I only want you." Buffy moved closer to Willow, hoping not to be turned away. Will just continued sanding the wood crates for her water machine.
"Buffy...please don't make this harder?" Willow was crying inside. It was obvious in her eyes, and Buffy was actually about to cry.
"Will...please...you love me, too. Why can't we..." Buffy started to cry, and Willow couldn't take it anymore, as she opened her arms, and cradled Buffy's sobbing form to her.
"I do love you, Buffy. That's what makes this so hard. I would give anything to marry you; I would...but there are too many risks, and I adore your family and respect your mother way too much. You have to understand that." Willow held Buffy tighter, as the blonde wrapped her arms around the redhead.
"I do understand it, Will...but I hate it. I hate society. I just wanna be with you...love you..." Buffy held her closer, and fought the urge to just take what she wanted. Willow was right. She couldn't give up her family. "I'll die an old maid without you."
"You can get lots of cats to keep you company..." Willow chuckled slightly but Buffy panicked. The blonde inched her head back to look at the redhead with utter worry and abandon on her face. "What's wrong? Don't you like cats?"
"You mean...you're really leaving?? Still?"
"Of course...I have to take Xander back to Sunnydale to marry Cordelia. After that...well, I don't know when I'll have enough money to make it back east...if ever." Willow realized Buffy's train of thought. "Oh, Buffy..."
"But Xander's not even marrying Cordelia anymore. You don't need to go to California anymore. You can stay here...with me...so I won't need cats. That way I can still have you..."
"I'm sure that would look good..."
"I told you I don't care about society; as long as I have you, I don't care about any of that stuff. Let them talk. Let them say things..." Buffy wouldn't let Willow go, not now that she had a tight hold around her, and the redhead was stroking her blonde locks. It was the most comforting gesture, and it was sending shivers up her entire body.
"I don't think I could survive it here."
"You've been more than great so far. You're a natural born farmhand."
"Actually, not really...but the risks are way too high."
"It's not fair. Mom would let me marry a lieutenant if he fought for the south. Couldn't you just lie a little?" Buffy looked up again, hopeful expression on her face.
"I hate lying...it's bad enough as it is..." Willow looked deep into Buffy's eyes, and found herself lost in them already. She let go of Buffy, now that the blonde had calmed down, and went back to sanding...hoping to keep her mind occupied on something other than kissing Buffy again.
"Willow?" Buffy had never said her name with such compassion before, and it made Willow even more tingly inside.
"Yes?" Willow just starting sanding harder, keeping her mind from the erotic place it was trying to go...
"Can we at least meet in secret? It's killed me not being able to touch you...be near you..."
"You've been around me every day."
"You know what I mean...when it's just us. Nobody else around...just you and me. Together...like we want to be."
"Buffy, you need to understand..."
"I DO understand, Willow. I understand that you won't take these so-called risks...that you won't give your all to me. I understand perfectly. You love me...but you don't want me." Buffy was searching for that flare in Willow's eyes...she knew without a doubt that the redhead wanted her. She just wasn't willing to prove it.
"That's not true. I want you so much that I can't sleep at night. I'm in here, day in and out, making things to better the farm to help you and your family...hoping to keep my mind off of you but sometimes, it's all I think about. You're all I think about...I can't get you out of my head, and it drives me insane." Willow threw her sandblock aside, and turned to Buffy, that flare in her eyes. "Never say that I don't want or love you. That couldn't be further from the truth."
"Then prove it." Buffy arched an eyebrow, and set her resolve.
Willow glanced outside the barn door, and listened to where everybody was...all in the house but these two. She walked up to Buffy, put her arm around her waist, and pulled her roughly to her. Taking one last steely glance, Willow attached her lips to Buffy with such passion that neither knew even existed. Buffy was weak in the knees, as she fell to the cottony floor, bringing Willow with her, their kisses heated and urgent.
Willow traced her hot kisses along Buffy's throat, sucking slightly on the pulse point...just to prove her point. Buffy was most definitely wanted. Buffy started to unbutton Willow's shirt but the redhead chose that moment to come back from cloud nine, and pulled Buffy's hands away, shaking her head no before standing, and helping Buffy up.
"We can't...and you know it. I won't take your innocence...especially not someplace like the cotton barn. You deserve the world, Buffy...and I could never give that to you." Willow went back to her sanding after she buttoned back the few buttons Buffy had undone. "Like your mother said, I'm just a lowly farmhand. It would never work out."
"Will...Willow...I know you're more than a farmhand. I know there's more to you than that. I know there's something you're not telling me. You can trust me..." Buffy cupped Willow's cheek, halting the redhead's movements.
"I do trust you. I just don't trust other people. If...if my parents found out...that I'm not really dead...do you realize the scandal? Buffy, you and your entire family would be caught in the middle of that scandal, and I won't do that to you, or them."
"So...you are important? You do have high society status...yet, you still won't marry me?" Buffy was about to cry again. She'd never wanted anything, anybody like before...so much...
"Yes...my parents are important...which is why I can never be..." Willow kissed Buffy again, intent on at least tasting those lips one last time. It was the last time...she promised herself...but more kisses followed...until they heard Xander yelling for Will on his way to the mill. "You'd better go..."
"Oh, Will...I..."
"Just go, Buffy." Willow was about to cry but all those years of soldier training taught her not to show emotion. It was so hard not to when around the blonde, though. Will was nothing but emotion then. She watched Buffy sneak out the back of the barn, just as Xander made his way in the main door. "Hey, Xand...feels like I haven't seen you in a long time. Why are you dressed so nice?"
"I'm going to marry Buffy." Xander was so excited when Joyce gave her blessing that he had to rush out to tell his bestest bud. He knew Willow would be ecstatic, especially when he told the redhead he wouldn't be marrying Cordelia.
"Huh?" Willow was still nothing but emotions, and when Xander said that, it hit her hard.
"When I told Joyce who my father was, she agreed to allow me to court Buffy, and thinks I really have a shot with her. She thinks that Buffy will agree to marry me. Isn't this exciting?!" Xander wanted to dance around. He didn't know how Joyce was going to 'butter him up to Buffy' like she said but he had never been this happy in his entire life. Willow was taken into a giant hug by a bouncing Xander but she found, she couldn't hug him back.