Reveal
by DawnBTVS
Chapter 10
[reviews]
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, Joss, etc.
Rating: PG-13 (think Buffy show for violence/subject matter/language)
Time Frame: Season 2 nearing "Halloween"
Pairings: G/J
A/N: Song = "No. 1 Crush" by Garbage... really invigorated my mood (good or bad is a different subject altogether). Hope you all enjoy.
To Howard: Don't worry, the Angel tidbit wasn't "dropped" so much as it was put in a holding bay. It'll rear its head within the next couple chapters.
Willow ignored the interruption Buffy brought when she placed her bag by the side of the table they normally worked at. Instead, she focused intently on the test she had studied for, and spent extra time going over her notes in the library while waiting for the blonde to show... which, Buffy never did. Willow felt a soft nudge of a pointed elbow and lifted her head, shooting Buffy an icy glare. Buffy paled and looked down at her test but Willow's glare softened. Buffy's eyes were red and still a little puffy. She'd been crying. Willow returned her attention to her own test, wondering what happened.
~~~BTVS~~~
Willow paced outside of the classroom, waiting for Buffy to finish a test that she likely bombed but if the blonde were lucky, the teacher would curve like she usually did. Most of the class were either slackers or deceased. Willow lifted her eyes up to the door, seeing Buffy step out, offering the redhead a nervous look. Willow stood back, still trying to figure out if she should be sympathizing to Buffy's pain or at least project her anger at being ignored. "You didn't show up, Buffy. I-I thought maybe..."
"Will," Buffy tried to interject but Willow didn't hear her, glancing anywhere but at the blonde.
"It was the whale, wasn't it? Oh! The ice cream! I stepped over that line, the boundary line, didn't I? Too friendly and you, with the distancing, and with Angel and all."
"Will," Buffy scolded, managing to quiet the redhead amidst a few looks from other students standing by their lockers. Buffy lowered her voice, grabbing Willow by the arm to follow her. "Don't. It's been a testy situation. We talked... well, he talked and talked for me, but over the past few weeks I've been thinking."
Willow swallowed. "About how they do the quarter behind the ear trick?"
"I know how to do that trick. Xander showed me."
"Were ya thinking about the Nitroglycerin? Did ya get that right on the test?"
Buffy exhaled, knowing the redhead was jittery about any relationship talk in general and had always been staunchly supportive of her relationship with Angel. "I've been soul searching, Buffy. You're wigged, and don't be, Will," Buffy remarked, noticing Willow growing slightly paler as they continued walking. "Angel has been telling me to follow my heart... part of our row."
"Sorry," Willow apologized. Buffy stared at the redhead, cupping her cheek to bring Willow's eyes back to hers. Willow blanched at the contact.
"I thought I said don't. Breathe. Anytime I think about you, I get confused. I don't know if that's good or bad, honestly. What I do know is I wouldn't trade my time with you for anything."
"Are you...?" questioned Willow softly, excited and yet, horrified at the possibility of... desire becoming reality.
"I'm not sure, Will. I'm still progressing, step by step on this."
Willow nodded her head, lips pursed together. "This isn't to get back at Angel or anything, is it?"
"No," Buffy stated, her eyes narrowing slightly at the insinuation. Willow gave a sheepish smile, still pale.
"Good..." Willow mumbled, pushing the library door open, and walking in. Willow swallowed as the two walked over to the deserted table, easing down into the chairs. Buffy listened and looked for any other signs of movement but the library was empty. A rarity with Giles around.
Willow smiled softly, leaning back in her chair with a soft hiss. Buffy creased her eyebrows in concern. "You look pale."
"I tried this spell the night before we went to the ice cream place. Bad choice. Amy said - said..." Willow whispered, giving a lazy smile to Buffy as the redhead closed her eyes.
Buffy frowned, worried that Willow could kill herself from whatever she did. Buffy patted her cheek, rousing Willow enough to open her eyes to a half lidded state. "What was the spell for, Will?"
Willow swallowed. "It was a spell. Giles asked me to research. Amy showed me — showed - showed this thing. Self-induced insomnia. Said it worked for a week, roughly. And different people had," Willow stopped, swallowing again. She closed her eyes. "Symptoms stopping. Different."
Buffy bit her lip, not wanting to leave Willow in this state, but needing to find Amy immediately and give her a good thrashing... or find Giles to get a quick fix to Willow's problem. Buffy lifted her head at the sound of the door opening and sighed with relief. "Xander!"
Xander grinned, walking up to the two girls. "Willow's taking a power nap? Wow... Must've been an easy test."
Buffy glared. "Xander, watch her. Make sure she... just try and keep her awake somehow, okay? Amy and I need to have a girl talk," Buffy growled, glancing at Willow. The redhead was now resting her head on folded arms, cheek down, and eyes closed. Buffy walked off, pushing the library door open with enough force to cause it to slam against the wall. Willow let out a groan and turned her head towards Xander.
"You're missing a homework assignment, Willow," Xander remarked, easing himself down in a chair in front of the redhead. Willow blearily opened her eyes, stared at Xander, and closed them again.
"I'm awake, Xander. Just pretend I'm Janet Tyler after surgery by those pig looking people in the Twilight Zone marathon we endured last month."
"It's not nice to insult that race's perception of beauty, Will."
"Nothing is beautiful about a pig snout, Xander," Willow replied. Xander sighed, shaking his head. "Not even on Mr. Gordo."
~~~BTVS~~~
Buffy balled her fists at her sides, barely restraining the urge to spin the girl around, and throw her up against the locker with her hand wrapped around her throat. "Amy," Buffy announced tightly. Amy turned around, surprised, and confused at both the reason behind Buffy's appearance and the vitriol the blonde was displaying towards her.
"Does Willow need more ingredients?"
Buffy clenched her jaw, her hands trembling at her sides at the look Amy was giving her. How could she not know what Willow was going through right now? How could she be acting so oblivious? "Did she ask you to do a spell?"
"It was a simple spell. It's nothing to be alarmed over."
"How'd she get involved?"
Amy shook her head, wondering why Buffy was so concerned over this. "Willow overheard Ms. Calendar and me talking. I had a big week, papers, tests, and a presentation so I asked Ms. Calendar if she knew anything to help. She didn't tell me the whole thing but gave me enough to find the spell myself. Will came up to me last week, saying she needed to pull a few all nighters for work reasons. So I obliged and gave her a little pick me up."
Buffy sighed. Willow's devotion probably trying to stay up to do research to help Giles... and her. Buffy took a step back and crossed her arms, staring at Amy with a steady gaze. "Will mentioned different symptoms. What did she mean?"
"When you do the spell, it varies on how long it lasts. Some people, it lasts a day or two. Others, it can last as long as two weeks. When it ends, people have different symptoms, no real rhyme or reason. Me? I had stomach cramps and a rash on my leg. Is Willow in trouble?"
"Would you call being suddenly exhausted to the point of possibly passing out, trouble?"
Amy's eyebrows furrowed in concern, not expecting something like that passing through the blonde's lips. "Is she okay?"
"You tell me, Sabrina. I'm out of the loop on spell casting. Right now, all I know is my best friend is in trouble and I don't know how to fix it. Any ideas?"
"I could see if Ms. Calendar's around. If she knows about the spell, she might know of a quick cure."
Buffy cast a suspicious look at Amy, but nodded her head carefully. "Fine. Tell Ms. Calendar Will's in the library. I'm gonna go back and check up on her." Buffy started walking off but paused. "If I learn you did anything to hurt Willow, you better know black magic before I come after you," Buffy warned icily, not bothering to turn around. She strode off, her body tense with the anger she held.
TBC