The Simple Black Dress
by cathy nort
chapter 5
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Willow and Buffy flushed with embarrassment. It was one thing to expose their lesbianism to each other, or to a few close trusted friends, but for some one they neither knew or didn't know anything about, was another. The girls looked at each other nervously. Morgan? Would she find out? Would this girl tell.........those that knew Buffy's mother? Joyce knew of Buffy's and Willow's relationship as did Dawn. On the other hand they weren't in the position to have to face it as common knowledge where ever they went.
Buffy and Willow climbed to their feet as the girl, Daphne, crossed over to them. She seemed very unperturbed by the sight she had just witnessed. Her demeanor was almost non-chalant but she was aware of the discomfort Willow and Buffy were feeling. That was probably why she did what she did. It was how she defused the girl's guilt for when she reached them she spun Buffy into her arms and before Buffy could protest she was being kissed.
A shocked Buffy finally was able to separate herself. Daphne was smiling broadly. "No need to be flustered guys. See? I like girls too. At times. So we're all in the same boat here. And just to ease your minds I promise I won't tell on you."
Daphne then went over and sat on one of the lawn chairs. "I just stopped over to see Morgan. But I see her car is gone. I didn't mean to prowl around unannounced. It was thoughtless I suppose but, you see, this place is almost like home to me. Since Amy's disappearance I think Morgan kind of adopted me. And me her. My folks are strictly alpha types. Work, work, work. Make money, money, money. The truth is I spend more time here than at home. At least it seems so."
Buffy offered her hand. "I'm Buffy Summers. And this here is my friend Willow Rosenberg." Buffy felt the introduction of Willow as a 'friend' was rather lame considering she and Willow had just been caught with their tongues down each others throats.
Willow's mouth, which had dropped open when Buffy was kissed, remained that way. Still, Daphne had disarmed her anxiety so she nodded to Daphne. Crazy world, Willow thought.
Buffy sat on one of the recliners and Willow joined her. "What ever happened to Amy? Morgan seems so nice. Why would a girl run away from here? It's such a lovely place to grow up in." Willow asked.
"I agree. I've been afraid to ask Aun..............to ask Morgan about it. It must have crushed her." Buffy, though was relieved not to have to worry about being discovered in a clinch with Willow, still didn't know what to make of the girl across from her. Up and kissing someone they didn't know was rather a bold action and it left Buffy more than a bit unnerved.
Daphne was fiddling with a strand of her dark hair and for a moment she found something interesting across the pond. When she turned back, they could see she had brown, intense eyes, Daphne had grown serious. "Why did Amy run away? Not certain she did but that's what I think. She was really a horribly unhappy girl despite all that Morgan and her dad did for her. About four years ago, two years before she left, she had a serious accident. She was splattered with grease from a deep fryer. She was such a pretty girl. And she was THE catch of the school. That ended. She was, to be frank, hard to look at she was so burnt."
Daphne paused then ran a finger down the length of her scar. "Like this. It so ironic that I too am a horrid sight."
"But you're not." Willow injected. "I mean people will get used to it. It's about the person not about........"
Daphne held up a hand as if to ward off an attack. "That's sweet of you to say. But I don't believe you mean it. I'm not trying to be nasty. It's just that I see myself every day in the mirror and every day I have to face the reality. Just like Amy did. My face disgusts me."
Daphne leaned forward. "It's one reason I kissed you. I wanted to see just how repulsed you'd be."
Buffy jumped in immediately. "But I wasn't revolted, was I? Shocked. Surprised. Yep. But not repulsed. You have to admit it wasn't something one would expect."
Daphne studied Buffy for a moment then continued. "I fell five months ago in the living room. Against and over our coffee table. It shattered and slashed me like a Jack the Ripper. I was hoping it would heal but it was such a deep cut..............they can't, the surgeons, can't do any thing about it. An infection set in and..........oh well, this is how I'm going to look the rest of my life. I've resigned myself to that. And I now know how Amy must have felt. It's a burden I wouldn't wish on my worse enemy."
The girls became silent. What was there to say? It would be lame to try and comfort because the truth was the scar was horrible. It was only human to constantly be drawn to it.
It was Daphne who broke the silence. "So how was the wedding? I talked to Gerry Brown. She said she saw you there."
"Oh, we had a wonderful time." Buffy said.
Daphne addressed Willow. "Gerry said you were wearing one of Amy's dresses. The black one." Daphne rolled her eyes. "I love that dress. It's not elegant but.......oh I don't know, it's comfortable and Amy wore it all the time."
Willow was in total agreement. She giggled into her hand. "Isn't it awesome? I have to admit I've been trying to scheme ways I can take it with me when I leave. I felt so darn good in it. I've never worn anything like it........anything that made me feel so......,"
Willow paused in mid-sentence a frown crossed her face. The flashbacks of a car careening off the road that she had envisioned at the reception came back to her.
Buffy, noticing Willow's expression touched her hand. "Some thing wrong, Will?"
"No.No," Willow said quickly a smile returning to her face.
"Well, if I know Morgan I bet if you asked she'd be more than happy to make you a gift of it."
That excited Willow. "Do you really think so? I don't think I could do that though. It was her daughters and all"
"Tell you what, I'll ask for you." Daphne offered. "She's pretty well given up hope on ever finding Amy."
"You said you didn't think she was dead, didn't you?" Buffy asked.
"I don't think she is because she disappeared in the middle of the night. From her bed. Someone would have had to break in and have snatched her. Nothing was disturbed. There were no signs of a struggle or anything out of the ordinary." Daphne seemed to be visualizing those days as she spoke. her head tilted to one side as if she was peeking through a doorway.
"And nothing was missing?" Buffy asked.
"Oh yeah. I few clothes. And her diary. She always kept her diary up to date. She was meticulous that way."
"Was there any reason she would run away? What good would running away have solved?"
"It wasn't just her appearance." Daphne explained looking down at the intertwined fingers in her lap. She was speaking in a low voice now. "Her dad. Amy was not getting along with him at the time. She told me they argued constantly. And he wasn't getting along with Morgan either. I guess it got to be pretty ugly."
Daphne suddenly popped to her feet. "Hey, I have to go. It was good meeting you.Tell Morgan I stopped by." Daphne pointed across the pond. "I live over that-a- way. Down the road about a half mile. Why don't you come by before you leave. We can try to find less gloomy things to talk about."
* * * * * *
"So what do you make of her?" Willow asked after Daphne had left.
"Interesting. Getting kissed wasn't what I expected." Buffy touched her fingers to her lips. "How about you?"
"Jealous. I'm green eyed jealous." Willow reached over and gave Buffy's hand a squeeze. Then she gave her a quick kiss on the mouth. "There. Now I feel better."
"Me too."
"Ya know Buffy, Daphne didn't just happen over here. I think she was checking us out."
"Could be. But why?"
Willow thought for a moment. Why? Good question. She mulled it over in her head but she couldn't think of any reason it was because of something sinister. Curiosity. That was probably behind her visit.
"Were you surprised, Buffy, that Amy seemed to be having trouble with her dad?"
"Not really. Probably normal teen age rebellion against parental authority. How many times have we been told that? I tell what did surprise me. That Morgan and her husband were at odds. The way our mom talked they were the happiest couple on earth. Mr. and Mrs. Compatible. Just goes to show ya."
Willow giggled. "Do you think Daphne will tell Morgan? A few minutes later and she might have caught us with our pants down. Literally."
Buffy groaned. "I hope not. I don't think I'm prepared to be outed yet. I'm not ashamed of my feelings toward you.Don't ever take it that way, hun. It's just that I'm not sure it would make anything easier for either of."
Willow put her arm around Buffy's shoulder. "One day I want to shout it to the whole world. I LOVE BUFFY!"