Getting Ahead of Myself
by sailor80
Getting Ahead of Myself
[reviews]
Getting Ahead of Myself
© 2006 MF Vinson All rights reserved
Buffy and Her Friends belong to Joss Whedon and a bunch of suits. I'm just adjusting their realities for fun, not profit.
When we last saw our heroines, their friends had performed an ancient spell to concentrate their individual strengths in and increase the power of the Slayers so they could defeat the cyborg Adam. After their success, they all returned to the Summers home, where all but Buffy and Willow were shown dark dreams of the past and possible futures.
Buffy woke the next morning to the sound of retching. She hurried from their empty bed to find Willow laid across the toilet seat. When the redhead finished, Buffy helped her to her feet and back to bed. "You're going to the doctor today," Buffy said firmly.
Willow felt too bad to argue with her. She closed her eyes and moved the cool cloth down over them.
A few moments later, there were three tentative knocks. "C'mon in," Buffy called.
Joyce, Tara, and Faith filed in. Joyce asked first, "Is Willow all right?"
Willow sighed while Buffy answered, "No."
"Can we do anything?" Tara asked.
Buffy looked at Willow before answering, and Willow shook her head cautiously. "Not right now," Buffy replied.
Willow moved the washcloth and leaned up on her elbow. "I'm okay," she said to the assemblage.
"You're going to the doctor anyway," Buffy said, and Willow rolled her eyes.
Willow babbled all the way home from the doctor. Buffy, her lips in a tight line, drove carefully and tried to keep her emotions in check.
"I can't be pregnant, Buffy," Willow said. "It's not physically possible. There's got to be some mistake."
"We'll talk about it at home."
"No, we won't. You'll go out and patrol all night, and pretend that everything is okay. And it's not. There's something really weird going on."
"So we'll call Giles. He specializes in weird. Just, can we please not talk about it any more until we get home? Please?"
Willow fell silent and closed her eyes. Her brain searched frantically for any reasonable explanation, and came up empty, so it continued to spin in hyperdrive.
"Will, you have to remember to breathe," Buffy said calmly.
"Huh?" Willow opened her eyes with a start as Buffy pulled into the driveway.
"We have enough time to call Giles before I have to pick up Mom and Faith."
Willow scooted out of the seat. "I'm not calling him."
Buffy sighed. "Fine. I'll call him."
"Nuh unh," Willow argued. "No need to drag him into this."
"C'mon, Will, be reasonable." Buffy opened the front door and waited for Willow to enter.
"I'm being perfectly reasonable. The test was defective."
"Three times? I don't think so."
"Can we at least wait for the blood tests to come back?" Willow asked. "Please?" She gave Buffy her best lost puppy eyes.
Buffy sighed. "All right. But after that, we're calling him."
"Okay," Willow acquiesced.
"Now go put your feet up or whatever it is you're supposed to do."
"Buffy!"
"I don't want to hear it, Willow. You haven't eaten since when? And you need to rest."
"I'm not an invalid."
"And I'm not the queen of Spain. But that doesn't have anything to do with anything either. The doctor said you need to rest. Go rest." Buffy's tone made it clear Willow would lose this round.
Willow, knowing she was beaten, sighed heavily and headed upstairs. Once she was out of sight, Buffy sank on the couch and held her head in her hands. Her mind raced, and none of the outcomes were good.
"B, can I ask you a question?" Faith asked as they walked out the back gate of a cemetery.
Buffy looked at her quizzically. She thought about saying, 'you just did,' but changed her mind when she saw Faith's expression. "Sure," Buffy answered.
"What's love feel like?"
Buffy stopped. "Wow, Faith, ask something hard, why don't you?"
"C'mon, B, I'm serious." Faith turned to look at Buffy.
"Ok." Buffy adjusted her thinking and began walking again. "This about Tara?"
"Yeah." Faith fell into step beside Buffy.
"This about what you feel or how Tara feels?"
"Both." Faith kicked a pebble.
"Well," Buffy started, "if you want to know how Tara feels, you should ask her."
"I thought I should know how I feel first." Faith kicked the same pebble again.
"How's that?"
"That's what I asked you."
"You like Tara."
"Duh." Faith kicked the pebble again.
"How do you feel when you're with her?"
Faith smiled. "Good."
"You need to tell me more than that."
"Well, how do you feel when you're with Red?"
"We're talking about you," Buffy said.
"C'mon, B, help me out a little."
"All right," Buffy answered after a moment. "When I'm with Willow, I don't need anything else."
Faith nodded but didn't say anything.
"So?" Buffy prompted, "you feel like that around Tara?"
"Yeah."
"Then you got it bad," Buffy grinned.
"Guess I do." Faith smiled back.
"What're you going to do about it?"
"I dunno. I never did anything like this."
"That's not what you said before."
"That was sex," Faith shrugged. "I never had a girlfriend before or anything."
"Oh," Buffy said as the light came on.
Faith ignored her and continued. "I dunno how I'm s'posed to act or anything."
"Tara likes you, Faith. Just be yourself. And be honest with her."
Faith snorted. "You make it sound easy."
"If she's the one, it is." Buffy vaulted the low stone wall of another cemetery.
Faith was right behind her. "I'm gonna hold you to that, B."
Buffy laughed and broke into a trot. This cemetery was closed to burials and was usually quiet. Faith caught up to her and they both slowed, turning in the same direction. They stealthily approached the noise.
Dust billowed from a mausoleum, and vampires carrying buckets trekked in and out. They counted 12 moving around, and figured there were more inside. Buffy pulled Faith away. They moved out of range and compared notes. Faith wanted to attack immediately, but Buffy persuaded her to return during the day to take a closer look.
They continued their rounds. In the last graveyard on the tour, they encountered another group of vampires. Six were in view, and after the fighting started, two more appeared. The Slayers made quick work of them, and high-fived each other when they finished.
"Let's go through the park before we head home," Faith said.
Buffy shrugged. It was on the way, and they frequently caught vampires preying on couples too stupid to court indoors. Tonight, it was quiet, and they walked home without talking.
Willow was asleep when Buffy returned from patrolling. Tara, she knew was awake by the soft murmur of her conversation with Faith. Buffy stood over the bed for a few minutes, watching the rise and fall of Willow's chest. When Willow's brow furrowed, Buffy leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'm home," she said softly, and Willow immediately quieted.
The redhead rolled over and put her back to Buffy. Buffy watched her for a few moments more before stripping and heading to the shower.