An Eternal Love
by Angela
Part 2
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Willow lifted her eyes from the book she was reading and looked at the clock.
"Wow, it's 3 am already." She said stretching. She looked around Giles' living room to see Xander and Giles asleep.
"Hey guys, time to get up."
Giles and Xander stirred and raised their heads.
"It's 3:00 guys. I think we should call it a night."
"Right, we'll reconvene tomorrow evening. We really should get some rest. It's been a long couple of days" Giles said, running a hand through his hair.
***
Willow walked slowly down the street. She walked with her head down. She had a lot of things on her mind. They hadn't found anything new. Willow was so worried about Buffy, she could barely think about anything else. Between her worry for Buffy, and her newfound feelings, Willow found herself just wondering around. When she looked up, she found herself in the park. They had fought many evil demons and vampires in this very park.
Willow sat on a swing and started to rock. All the feelings she had were surging through her and she couldn't hold the tears in any longer. She tried to hold it in, but she couldn't stop the tears from flowing from her eyes anymore than she could stop her feelings of love for Buffy.
Willow hopped off the swing and decided she'd better get home before Buffy did. Just then, she heard a noise off to her left. She looked, but she couldn't see anything there.
Willow started to walk when she heard the noise again. She whipped around quickly. Still there was nothing there. She began to run toward the road.
***
Buffy drove down the street with her windows rolled down. She figured she'd just air out the car until she got to the gas station to pick up more spray. As she was driving past the park, she heard a scream.
"Willow!" Buffy shouted as she pulled over.
Buffy jumped out of the car and ran toward Willow's voice.
***
Willow was running as fast as she could. She thought her heart was going to burst from her chest. Then she heard Buffy's voice.
"Willow!"
"Buffy! Over here!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
Willow kept running toward the road. As she was running she heard a crash behind her. Willow turned to see the vampire and Buffy wrestling on the ground. Buffy must have leapt out of the bush and surprised him. Buffy was having a hard time with this one. He was a big man and he had her pinned. Willow didn't know what to do, so she did the only thing she could.
Willow slowly started chanting under her breath. Slowly a fireball started forming in her hand.
"Goddess Hecate hear my plea. I must punish the monster who is pursuing me. Grant me the power to make him see, not to mess with fire. Blessed be blessed be."
Willow shot the fireball through the air hitting the vampire in the face. The vampire brought his hands up to his face and writhed in pain, letting Buffy throw him off.
Buffy felt around her pockets for a stake, but found hers had gone missing. So she got up and ran as fast as she could. Willow was about to faint, but Buffy grabbed her and continued running toward the car. She set Willow down by the passenger door and ran around to her side. She climbed in the car, started it, and peeled away as fast as she could.
***
"Buffy, what was that?"
"Just your normal run of the mill vamp." Buffy glanced over at Willow in the
passenger seat.
"I'm just not up to my best slaying right now. I'm a little tired."
"I know you probably won't tell me, but where did you go? I really wish you wouldn't run off like that. And why does the car smell like cigarettes? Have you been smoking again?" Willow said with increasing intensity.
"Woah, Will. Mom alert. Calm down." Buffy said. Buffy turned the wheel to the right and winced.
"Are you all right? What happened?" Willow's voice was full of concern.
"Oh nothing. I must have hurt my wrist while I was wrestling with that vamp on the ground. No biggie."
Willow looked at Buffy's right wrist and saw the bone sticking out of her skin.
"Oh my God Buffy! We have to get you to the hospital. It's broken!"
"All they're gonna do is put a cast on it. To bad guys, it's an easily visible sign of weakness. I don't need that now. Besides, they'll wonder why it's healed in a couple of weeks. I'll just set it with a bandage I can tuck in a sleeve so it heals right."
"Are you sure? I mean, it's kinda serious. Look at it, it's sticking out of the skin!"
"I'd rather not look. It seems to hurt more if you can see it."
"Oh, yeah. That's true. You probably shouldn't look then. It's kinda gross. So, where were you?"
"Nowhere." Buffy said casually
"Buffy, please. I know you have trouble coping with your problems sometimes, but I really want to help you. I never say anything, but I really wish you would at least tell me where you were going all those times you left. Buffy, your my best friend and I love you, but I couldn't stand it if something happened to you and I didn't even know about it because I had no idea where you were going."
"I love you too Will. I don't mean to hurt you, but it's just that I don't like burdening all of you with my problems. You all have problems of your own. You don't need mine worrying you." Buffy glanced a look into the depths of Willow's eyes. She felt all her resolve to keep it a secret melt away and it was replaced with nothing but the urge to tell Willow everything she knew about anything. Anything she could give her, including her love.
"If it means that much to you I'll tell you where I go."
"It does Buffy. It really does."
"I go to see Angel."
Willow felt like her heart was being squeezed. After all these years she still loved Angel and ran to him in her times of need. She couldn't breath.
"Will, are you OK?"
"No, pull over. I need some air."
Buffy pulled over at a gas station.
"I need some gas anyway," she said.
Buffy got out and walked into the little store.
Willow opened the door and stepped out into the bright fluorescent lights above the gas pumps. She leaned against the car. It figures she would go to him. To the one she loves. He's probably the one she'll die trying to save. I wish she could love me like she loves him. Or like I love her.;
Buffy stepped out of the gas station and opened up a pack of cigarettes. She placed one in her mouth as she stepped up to the pump.
"Buffy, your not supposed to smoke by the gas pumps. We could explode."
"Oh yeah. Well, I didn't light it yet."
Buffy grabbed the nozzle with her right hand and dropped it.
"Ow," Buffy said calmly, the cigarette flopping loosely in her lips. She bent down and picked it up with her left hand. She went to put it in the gas tank when she noticed she forgot to take the cap off.
"Um, Will, wanna give me a hand? I only have one right now."
Willow was staring down at her hands deep in thought. Should I tell her? I know she deserves to know my feelings for her. If I'm not honest with her, how can I expect her to be honest with me.
"Earth to Will," Buffy waved her right hand in Willows face then whimpered softly at the pain that shot through her arm.
"What, Buffy are you OK?" Willow said snapping out of her thoughts.
"So it takes me getting hurt to get your attention, eh? She joked. "Could you get the gas cap please?" Buffy motioned toward the cap with the gas nozzle.
"Oh, sure sorry. I was just thinkin'."
"'Bout what?"
"Nothing," Willow lied. She unscrewed the cap and set it on the roof of the car.
Buffy struggled to put the nozzle into the tank. It was awkward for her to use her left hand.
"Want me to do that for ya?" Willow asked.
"No, I can manage," Buffy said missing the hole again. Willow reached out and guided the nozzle into the hole.
"Thanks," Buffy said.
"How are you gonna be at your best with your wrist that way?"
"Well, you see, with my wrist this way, I couldn't possibly be at my best because it's hurt and you know that your not at your best when your hurt."
"Buffy, if it hurts that much, you can cry. I know your strong, but that's gotta smart. Besides, you only babble when your hurt or embarrassed and your not embarrassed."
"I'm fine, I swear."
"Liar"
Buffy finished pumping gas and hung the nozzle back up.
"Your right I'm lying."
"So give up, I'll drive. We should head to Giles'. house"
Buffy tossed her keys to Willow and sat on the passenger side. Willow walked around and climbed in to see Buffy lighting her cigarette.
"Buffy..."
"Oh come on Will give a person in pain a break would ya."
"You already have a break. A broken wrist that is."
"Very funny Will," Buffy slapped Willow lightly with her left hand.
"Fine, but only one. Those things are nasty."
"How about two?"
"OK two."
"How about..."
"Don't push your luck slayer."
"OK, OK"
They rode the rest of the short way in the first cigarette. Before exiting the car, Buffy lit her second.
"I don't know if Giles wants that in his house."
"Hey, I have permission for this. Besides" She lifted her right arm. "I
earned it."
They knocked on the door and Giles quickly opened it.
"What is it, is everything all right?
"Yeah Giles, Buffy broke her wrist though." Willow lead the way into the living room.
"Yeah, It's more painful than I remember though." Buffy entered the doorway. "And that's my good hand too. My writing hand, my turning the wheel hand." Giles looked at her with his stern face. "My smoking hand" She added.
"I thought you had given that up Buffy."
"Hey, Willow gave me permission for this one. Don't even think about it."
Giles looked over to Willow.
"She was in pain. I didn't want to deny her anything. Besides, I think she's been smoking all day. Her car smells like cigarettes."
"Tattletale" Buffy mumbled.
Willow stuck her tongue out at Buffy. Buffy put her thumb on her nose, wiggled her fingers, and stuck out her tongue.
"Really, you'd think one would grow out of such things. Now, let me see your wrist Buffy."
Buffy rolled up the sleeve of the black shirt she was wearing and held out her arm.
"That's quite bad. I think you may need an actual cast this time Buffy. The bone has to be pressed back into place before it can be set."
"Can you do it?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I could try but it would hurt tremendously. I might do more harm than good and it might not even stay."
"Well, try. I'm more worried about the present than the future. Who knows if I'll live till it's healed."
***
"OK Giles, I'm ready." Buffy was sitting on a chair in the middle of Giles' living room with a metal pipe in her left hand and her right arm out. Giles was holding her right arm in one hand and her right hand in the other.
Willow didn't really want to watch, but she wanted to be there for Buffy. Buffy wouldn't let her hold her hand. She was afraid she would break all the bones in it. So Willow just stood behind her.
"OK Buffy, brace yourself."
Buffy visibly tensed. Willow felt really bad for her. She knew this was really going to hurt. She set her hand gently on Buffy's shoulder. Buffy moved her head slightly to the side and smiled.
"1...2...3..."
On three, Giles pulled her hand and arm apart. Buffy was quite for a second as she squeezed the pipe. Then she screamed a short, loud, high, pitched scream before passing out from the pain. Willow grabbed her head before it snapped down to keep her from pulling the muscles in her neck.
Giles continued to pull her wrist until the bone slid back into place. He then placed two small pieces of wood on either side of her wrist to work as a brace.
"There, it will heal perfectly, I hope." Giles mumbled. Giles carefully lifted Buffy out of the chair and carried her to his room where he set her on the bed. Willow followed.
"Would you like some tea?" Giles whispered.
"No thanks, I think I'll stay with her." Willow answered. After Giles left, Willow sat down next to Buffy.
***
All Buffy could hear was the clanging of metal, the war cries of man and demon alike, and the roaring of the flames. Buffy, Angel, and Xander kept up their assault on the Matagrin. Wesley and Cordelia fired high powered rifles at the creature who had to have been over ten feet tall while Giles and Willow kept up their magic attacks and protection spells.
"Angel, watch the tail!" Buffy cried out as she dove under the wildly swinging tail the size of a tree.
"I'm on it!" Angel yelled as he swung his ax and leapt to the side, effectively slicing off the dragon demon's tail.
The monster's head rose sharply and he let out a loud piercing roar, causing everyone to drop their weapons, and guard, as they covered their ears. The Matagrin took this opportunity to strike. He dove past Buffy and Angel with surprising grace for such a huge being. Willow stood off to the left on her own. The Matagrin came straight for her.
"Buffy!" Willow yelled as she saw the creature start toward her.
Buffy ran as fast as she could, but it wasn't quite fast enough. The Matagrin swiped at Willow with his huge talons. He slashed across her abdomen. Blood sprayed across the Matagrin's evil face and over Buffy who was just arriving. The Matagrin then backhanded her with his deformed limb. Willow flew ten feet back.
"Willow!" Buffy watched helplessly as her friend was thrown like a rag doll. Suddenly filled with an immense amount of anger and fury, Buffy attacked the Matagrin. She landed punch after punch. A kick to the abdomen, a leaping punch to the face. Buffy grabbed the creature's leg and twisted. She wasn't satisfied when she heard and felt the breaking bones. She kept pulling and twisting with her inhumane slayer strength. She managed to twist it completely around before she started kicking and punching it again. Angel was then next to her beating on the creature. Everyone else came up to attack it also, now that it was down. Buffy grabbed Angel's ax from him.