North and South...and West
by Rin
Brothel Tales
[reviews]
Everything was almost packed, Faith's case was almost over, and Willow's exams were next week. The Rosenberg/Summers household was coming along nicely, and all seemed well for the time being.
Buffy was constantly in dreamland, where she and Willow could play 'law' by themselves. Soon, Samuel would have a room of his own, and they would be alone again...which was definitely of the good in Buffy's book. She missed seeing Willow's eyes sparkle, and her brow crease in concentration whenever they made love. It had been too long. It was just hard with Samuel in the room with them. To say she was extremely looking forward to a room of their own was a vast understatement.
Today, Willow would be coming home late from the trial. The judge was reading Faith's outcome, and Mr. Law, Travers himself was coming over for dinner. He wanted to speak to Will after the trial was over, presumably to offer his good tidings.
What Buffy didn't expect was an officer standing at her door, telling her that her husband had been arrested. Officer Angel had befriended them through Will's work, and thought it upon himself to inform Buffy of her husband's misfortune. Truth be known, he was very much in love with his friend's wife.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Mrs. Rosenberg." Liam's strong Irish accent was hard to decipher at first but eventually Buffy become used to it.
"What...what exactly did he do? Do you know? Is he in trouble?" Buffy allowed Jenny to take Samuel away, while she spoke to Angel.
"I'll do all I can to help Will but he may be held for the night, just to prove a point. The chief isn't exactly keen on these types of situations. He's been tryin' to shut down Maggie Walsh's brothel for some time." Liam was actually surprised to find out Will had been hanging with a brothel girl. How could anybody go out of a marriage with a wife like this?
"Brothel? He was at a brothel?" Buffy took a deep breath, unsure what to think. In her heart, she knew Willow would never go to a brothel but her mind was telling her all sorts of things.
"Well, he and several of his colleagues, actually...from that lawyer's office. Travers is a regular over at Maggie's, and we've been tryin' to catch him in the act for some time. It just happened that he dragged along all his aides as well. Apparently, they were celebratin' their victory today. They claim to have been takin' their client home but an officer followed them there." Liam took off his hat, as Buffy ushered him in the house further. "Thanks, ma'am."
"I...I don't understand. Will? I mean...was he....uh...was he with...with anybody?" Buffy wasn't sure she wanted the answer.
"Apparently, he was with a woman there. I'm not sure the details." Angel tried not to stare at the cleavage showing from Buffy's dress but it was hard. He was close to hard himself. "I should be heading back to the station. I just didn't want you to think Will wasn't comin' home."
"And being arrested is so much better?" Buffy closed her eyes to calm herself. "Can I see him? Can I go down there? Do somethin'? Get him out?"
"I'm not sure...but it never hurts to try." Angel placed his hat back on his head before opening the door. "I could escort you there, since it's getting dark."
"Just let me grab my shawl." Buffy didn't hesitate. She had half a mind to let Willow rot in that cell if it was all true. However, she loved the redhead so much that her heart kept her at peace...somewhat. 'Don't jump to conclusions,' it kept telling her.
When things were settled with Jenny and Dawn to watch Samuel, Buffy headed downtown with Liam to the jail. She didn't even bother with her shawl, her skin already too heated to mind the cold anyways. Walking in the door, she almost pushed another policeman out of the way when she saw Willow sitting in the cells beside Faith of all people. She knew she couldn't trust that hussy.
"Buffy!" Willow jumped from the bench when she saw her wife walk in the door. "Thank god."
"What's goin' on, Will? Angel came to the door to tell me you were arrested in a brothel? I don't understand." Buffy was about to walk to the cell but the officer on duty stopped her from going any closer. "Hands off, Mister, or I'm liable to redefine the phrase 'obstruction of justice.'"
"Buff...please calm down. It's not what you think." Willow swallowed hard. She could see the fire burning in the blonde's eyes, and knew she was probably safer behind bars. "Travers wanted to take Faith home...but he didn't. The carriage took us further out, and we stopped at that house outside of town."
"The blue one? Maggie Walsh's? That brothel house?" Buffy steeled her jaw, and glared at the man holding her back. "You're standin' right there. What harm could I possibly do?"
"Ma'am, you might just stand back anyways. Will's about to be let out, and you don't wanna do anything to hurt that." Liam placed a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder, and the redhead noticed the glance. She never liked it when other men touched her wife. A jealous streak ran through her veins, and she wanted to rip the bars off. She was already frustrated at the entire situation. Travers was truly an ass, taking Faith to her mother's house instead of where she'd been staying. Faith had confided in Willow that she didn't want anything to do with her mother anymore, that she was through with that life, and she wanted to be a better person. Today was her big break, as the judge had ruled that she only serve as a house servant for two years. It was a success in Travers' book, since the ruling could've been much stricter.
"Yeah, B...it's all a big misunderstandin', that's all." Faith saw how Will's face turned redder than a blush, and she knew the redhead was angry. Seeing how the other officer touched his wife, it was understandable. "We'll be out in a bit, and you can have your boy toy back, no scratches or dents."
"If you'll stand back, we were about to open the door." The officer that had been holding her back had a menacing look on his face. "You can dish out all the punishment you want in the comfort in your own home."
"Just open the thing!" Buffy yelled at this point, already too upset to breathe.
When the door was open, Willow immediately went to Buffy, nonchalantly pushing Angel out of the way. Faith just sauntered up to them, and had this smirk on her face, this knowing grin that Buffy always hated.
"You've got so much explainin' to do, I can't even begin to fathom the time you'll be sleepin' on the couch." Buffy and the others had spent all day preparing dinner and cleaning the house for their guest. To be interrupted for something like this...it was just unacceptable in her book. "Home. Now."
"You gotta take me with you." Faith almost panicked. There was no way Buffy would know the outcome of the trial, or the offer Will had giver her. She would gladly accept his offer to run out her sentence under his roof. She definitely wasn't going to do it under Travers or Walsh's. Besides, those two were in enough trouble of their own right now.
"No, we don't." Buffy just challenged Faith to argue but heard Willow sigh. "What?"
"We actually do, Buff. I just thought I'd break the news a little more gently...and not in a jailhouse." Willow had the decency to wince. "I'm sorry, baby...but Faith's coming with us."
"Fine...I don't wanna talk about this here anyways." Buffy glared at the other officer again before dragging Willow out of the jailhouse, a little rougher than usual. Liam just smirked. He liked feisty women, and Buffy was definitely feisty.
--
"What I don't understand is why you would go to a place like that." Buffy had managed to save the argument until they were locked in their bedroom alone. Faith was in the kitchen, a discussion to be had at a later time.
"I told you. Travers must've had the carriage drive us there. I honestly thought we were taking Faith back to her residence." Willow sat on the bed, tie loosened and vest undone. She was letting Buffy dish it out, knowing that it was hard to explain. "Nothing happened. I promise. You know me. There's nobody I want but you. Besides, how would I explain a certain missing part and a few added ones to a brothel woman?"
"This is no time for jokes, Will." Buffy's eyes showed how much she was hurting. "We're this close to moving back home, to you getting your license."
"I know, baby. I just...I wasn't going to leave Faith alone in a carriage with Travers, and the others. I don't trust them. Sure, they're good at what they do but I don't like how they do it." Willow pulled off her vest, and threw it unceremoniously on the chair, followed by her tie before loosening the top buttons on her dress shirt. "When we got there...I don't know. Faith just froze up, like she was scared of something. I wasn't going to leave her there, so of course I walked with her in the house. I thought Travers had a good reason to be there. How was I supposed to know? It's not like I've ever been there before tonight...or ever again."
"I was...I was scared, Will. When Angel told me...I...I didn't know what to think. I was angry, confused, sad...I wanted to cry and scream at the same time. I just...I wanted to believe it wasn't you but Faith? I see the way she looks at you. Hell, I see the way she looks at ME." Buffy closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "I'm scared of losing you...and Faith offers something I never could."
"No...she offers me nothing." Willow was confused.
"Then, you really haven't been payin' much attention." Buffy sighed at the naivety of her beloved before she sat down on the bed beside her. "I love you but you can be dense sometimes."
"I don't understand. Faith's never tried to..." Willow scrunched her brow in thought.
"How could she not? Will, you're the most gorgeous man I've ever met, and you're not even a man!" Buffy whispered the last part. "I get so jealous when other girls look at you, especially ones like Faith."
"She's not like her mom, Buffy. I've told you that. Sure, she's a little more...experienced and forward but I would never...I COULD never. You're my one and only. I've only ever thought about you naked, only ever stared at you, and wondered when I could get you naked again. It's only ever been you." Willow turned, and grasped Buffy's hands in hers. "You and Samuel are my world. Do you really think I would come this far, work this hard to prepare a better life for you...for us...just to throw it all away on a fling?"
"I didn't want to think that but...I guess my jealousy overrules my common sense sometimes. I know you would never...and I would never, either." Buffy grinned that knowing grin. "I saw how you reacted to Liam tonight. I love that I can still get you jealous like that...but I would never. COULD never, to quote a certain redhead."
"Buffy..." Willow stared down at their joined hands, as she ran her thumb across the top of the blonde's. "I know she upsets you but..."
"That's another discussion, okay? Can we have dinner, get some sleep? It'll allow me some time to calm down first." Buffy had already heard about the sentence, and the offer Willow made to Faith. The redhead's heart really was too big sometimes, even for criminals.
"Sure. I'm starving." Willow smiled wanly before pulling Buffy's hands to her lips, kissing the tops gently. "I love you."
"Love you, too." Buffy bent over, and pulled Willow in for a longer kiss on the lips, relaxing into the embrace of the redhead's arms around her. "Everything's always better when I'm in your arms."
"I know exactly what you mean." Willow leaned in for another kiss, this time putting all the love she had into it. The love must've been felt because responded in kind. Several minutes had passed before Buffy found herself pushed into the bed, an eager Willow tracing kisses down her jawline.
"Oh, Will...we can't." Buffy's actions contradicted her words, as she pulled Willow's head closer to her.
"They're watching Samuel downstairs...we have a little time. They won't be expecting us to be down anytime soon..." Willow's argument was quite tempting. "I need you to know that I would never..."
"I know." Buffy pulled Willow in for another passionate kiss, pushing the dress shirt from the redhead's shoulders. The redhead worked her hand underneath Buffy's dress until she found the bloomers. Those things always were a nuisance. Taking them off in a hurried frenzy was something she'd grown used to, and had no trouble derobing Buffy's nether regions before burying her fingers inside her wife, continuing her hot kisses along her lips, chin, and neck. Buffy just wrapped her own fingers in Willow's red hair, feeling the sweat pouring down both of them, as their movements started to become quicker. Maybe this is exactly what they both needed...