One Last Shot
by Whedonist
Chapter 18
[reviews]
A/N: I start back to work tomorrow after an emergency trip home. I will be unable to update pretty much anything for at least a week or possibly two. Because of the upcoming insanity, I wanted to post what I had done. I hope you guys enjoy.
Disclaimer: You may not know the man...and love well...maybe stretching it for some, but these wonderful, crazy, characters belong to Joss Whedon. I'm just havin' some of that wacky stuff called fun.
Chapter 18
How? How could they think that things were ok between everyone? Are they that stupid? Sure I can be slow on the uptake, but having them here is fucking with Buffy. I can't let that happen. They've chosen their path when it comes to my slayer. I'm trying to right the things that went wrong. Getting them here was a mistake. I shouldn't have called and neither should Buffy. Letting them alone and letting them live their life was the best solution. Buffy was right in moving here and I think I went and screwed that up for her to.
Where does he get off putting all of the blame on me? Sure I'll take the majority of the blame, but I'm not the only one that was there. It took all of us to agree. It took them to be there for me to do what I did. And Giles is he that detached that he doesn't see that Buffy can barely look him in the eyes. First he abandons her when she comes back and then he pulls that shit with Spike and Wood and one could argue that it should be water under the bridge, but no one besides me has taken the time to apologize for abandoning the one person that's kept us all alive. Merciful Zeus I'm surrounded by a bunch of Ostriches.
Willow stopped when she came to a building. It was the city morgue and she charged inside hoping to talk to Nekko. She walked into the reception area and asked to speak with him.
He came out to the reception area and hugged the redhead.
"You look like you're ready to strangle someone. Come on to the back. I'm getting ready to post the new vic's body."
Willow followed him down to the basement where his office was and plopped down into a chair.
"Everything ok Willow?"
"Yeah just got into an argument with my friend. Nothing I can't deal with. So uhm...you haven't done the autopsy yet?"
"No I was having my assistant prep the body and I was getting ready to suit up. Do you want to sit in and see what a real one looks like?"
"Sure."
"Come on set your stuff down and we'll get changed. Sorry we don't have girls changing rooms, but I'm not that ugly so you should be ok."
Willow laughed and followed the doctor to the locker room.
*********************************************************************************************************
Buffy walked in from the loading bay of the morgue and stopped when she saw Willow and Nekko talking. She stopped and observed the two talking. Willow seemed so comfortable with the man and if she didn't know better she would assume that they were a couple. Both were kind of touchy to be just friends and Willow easily laughed at whatever the doctor said. Jealousy reared it's head and she stalked over the two.
"Willow, what are you doing here?"
Buffy took notice of her girlfriends outfit and got further upset.
"Buff, hey. I just dropped in to talk to our favorite doctor and he offered to let me sit in on the autopsy of the new girl. It was seriously educational and kinda boring."
"Hey there gorgeous, what no hug for your favorite man in the morgue?" He smiled at Buffy and then pointed at some of the blood spattered outfit, "Or ya know, not hugging would probably be better. I'm a walking biohazard right now anyhow."
"Sorry Nekko been a bad day. Uhm Wills can I see you privately for a moment?"
Willow set down her coffee cup and walked with the blonde outside.
"What the hell is going on?" Buffy spun around and asked.
"Uh? Buff uhm nothing...?"
"Willow don't lie to me. Why are you here?"
"I told you Buffy I took a walk and came in to talk to the guy that's all. What else could be going on?"
Buffy stepped back a little less sure of herself. "I just...you guys..."
It dawned on Willow that Buffy was jealous. Deciding that it was one of the cutest looks the girl had in her arsenal.
She walked over and forced her arms around the slayer. "Buffy, relax. Put the green eyed monster away."
"You just...sorry it's been a rough couple of days."
"Tell me about it. I just got into a huge fight with Xander."
"Why?"
"You," was all the redhead offered.
"Uhm more please?"
"You've been kinda distant and Xander's like all she'll be okay, but I said you wouldn't. I know it's been really hard having them all around and I know that I've been some of the cause of tension and he's just being a big old poopy head right now."
"You're right I have been, but I can be better."
"You shouldn't have to be though. I mean who else has taken the time and apologized for all the crap that happened in Sunnydale. No one. And they're acting like nothing's changed when everything has changed. I'm sorry."
"You're right Wills, but it's not like they will. I was so surprised when you called and said you were coming for a visit and to be honest I really didn't want you to, but you get here and you kinda turned my world upside down. I'm glad you did. I'll work out my stuff with them. Maybe it's time we all cleared the air. You ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine now, but I don't want to go back to the apartment. Not yet."
"I may have a solution."
"That would be?"
"Well Jimmy said that he has some spare room and while I was thinking that maybe we should put some of the gang there I've changed my mind. I'm thinking we should stay there. Jimmy's uber cool with us and he really likes you. So let's let them have the apartment and we invade my partner's place for a while."
"It's not a horrible idea."
"I'll take that as a yes and call Jim. Go back inside and flirt with the doctor."
Willow hugged the blonde tightly and then placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you Buff."
"I love you to Wills. I want to get through this with you and I intact. That much I know."
Willow walked back in and Buffy made a call.
*********************************************************************************************************
Buffy stepped out of the unmarked Jimmy was driving and told Willow and him that she would be back down in about 15 minutes. She righted herself and went up to her apartment. Unlocking the door, she found everyone in the living room and kitchen area. They all looked up and nearly asked at the same time if she had seen Willow.
She held up her hand to silence the questions. "Give me a minute and I'll be right back."
She made a beeline for her bedroom and started packing a duffel bag. She gathered her and Willow's toiletries, her spare gun, and few of Willow's books and files and headed back to the living room.
"Willow's downstairs."
"Buff what's up with the bag?" Xander asked from the couch.
"Wills and I are going to stay at Jimmy's for bit. There's just too many people in this apartment and it'll be easier."
"Buffy surely there's a better way to deal with this?" Giles asked.
"Not right now there's not. Look you guys in case you haven't noticed things have changed and I'm tired of acting like nothing has. Xander what you said to Willow was so out of line that I can't even talk about it right now. I can't believe you think that everything is all shiny and happy in the land of Scoobydom. Why in the hell do you think I moved here? The weather? I needed to get away from you guys. I love you all, but I can't...being around you makes me feel like I should be better or more than what I am. I'm nothing like I was when you first met me Xand and you've refused to see that. I've left the keys on the front table in the entry way. I'll call as soon as we have more information. If you guys find anything call me or Wills cell."
"Buffy," Dawn cried out, "you just can't go and leave."
"I'm sorry Dawnie, but it's better this way."
"You're just running away again. You're such a fucking coward."
Buffy spun around at the anger in Dawn's voice.
"You called us remember you said to come here and help out. Well that's all we've been doing and you act like we're nothing but a burden. Screw you Buffy."
"Dawn..." Buffy warned.
"No she's right Buffy, I mean what the hell? You called us." Faith said.
"Faith shut up. You're right I called you hoping that it would be different or better or whatever, but I can't. I won't sit around and act like you guys are still my friends."
Xander stood up, "We are your friends Buff, you've been to self absorbed to notice like usual. What does it take to get you to realize that we've always been here? You're the one that runs away. What do we have to do get you to notice, fuck you? It worked with Spike and it looks like it's working for Wills. Hell Buffy if I had known that's what it would take I would have tried it sooner."
"I'm going to forget you said that. Leave Willow and Spike for that matter out of this. You've always been jealous Xander. It doesn't matter who I'm with. If it wasn't you, you decided to shut me out. If we're gonna be all honest about now then let's. Why is that you're with Faith? Is it 'cuz she's a slayer? They have to beat you down to get any play from you is that it? Ya know you and Spike aren't that much different no wonder Anya screwed him after you left her at the alter."
"B you're crossin' some serious lines."
"Faith shut up. Stay out of this. I'll get to you next." Buffy turned a cold pair of hazel eye's to Xander, "well what is it Xander? Are you just settling for Faith because I would never touch you?"
"You bitch. How could you...? I guess Spike really did rub off on you? Does Willow? Does she hurt you like he did? Are you going to dump her when you've had your fill? What does a person have to do to get in you're pants Buff? Oh that's right, they have to kill some one, flay a guy alive, try to kill you multiple times. Yeah that makes sense; they've got to be soulless or at one point evil for you to take notice. I've no need to defend my relationship with Faith, but you and Willow? Come on Buff, who do you think you're fooling."
"Someone besides Xander call me if anything comes up." Buffy walked out of the room with the bags and ran down the stairs. She stopped at the bottom of the landing and punched a sizable whole in the wall. She slumped down and held her head in her hands. Trying to compose herself before she walked back out to the two waiting in the car.