Baby's Coming Back
by willow
Honey, I'm home!
[reviews]
Chapter 4: Honey, I'm home!
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Willow was just finishing putting Paige's hair in little pigtails when Joyce rang the doorbell.
"You ready to go see Buffy?" The brunette asked her daughter, nervously. Paige nodded with a smile for her mommy. "Oh, good... 'cause I'm not so sure." Willow picked up the little girl and opened the door.
"Hey, you ready?" Joyce asked with concern, but showing a comforting smile.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Willow said, smiling half-heartedly.
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Paige sat in her bumper seat in the back of the car, playing with her stuffed bunny that went everywhere with her, whilst Willow and Joyce discussed Buffy in the front.
"She still slaying every night?" Willow asked, hoping the answer was 'no'. Before she left, she'd worry each night Buffy went out on patrol about whether she'd come back or not or whether she'd get hurt.
"Yes," Joyce answered and Willow's face dropped, "well, what's left to slay anyway. Since the hellmouth was closed she only gets two or three vamps a night now."
"Oh, that-that's good," she said, a little shakily. The Summers' household was getting closer, and so was Buffy.
"Willow," Joyce reached over and squeezed Willow's boney hand. "It's gonna be ok, she'll be so happy to see you, you know."
"Yeah I know," Willow nodded. "I just don't know how I'm going to explain..." she glanced back at Paige, "... everything."
Joyce smiled warmly, "she'll understand."
"I hope so," Willow said, after a deep sigh and a smile at Joyce. "Looks like we'll find out now anyway," she said, more to herself than anything, as they pulled up outside the house.
Both women got out the car, and Willow went around to Paige's door, lifting her out and hugging her close before following Joyce up to the house.
"Does she know I'm here?" Willow asked, quietly.
"No, I told her I was sorting a few things out at the gallery this morning... which wasn't a lie, I just didn't tell her I'd be picking up her best friend, who she hasn't seen for three years, after." Joyce finished with a smile. They reached the front door and Willow froze.
"M-maybe you should tell her, before I come in... Or maybe you should give her a day for it to sink in... I mean, I can come by tomorrow... it might be too awkward if I just walked in now without her knowing and everything and say, 'hey, look, I'm back!' and then she'll be all..." Willow babbled before Joyce cut in.
"Willow," she said her name sternly but not harshly as she rubbed one of Willow's arms. "Come on," she said, quietly, trying to comfort Willow.
She opened the front door, but, Willow still couldn't move.
"S'Matter, mommy?" Paige asked, wondering why her mother wasn't following the nice lady.
"Nothing, sweetie, I'm fine," she smiled before slowly entering the house, so as not to alarm her daughter. The house was exactly the same, it's like she'd never left. "Just as I remember it," she said quietly and smiled to Joyce.
Joyce took Paige from Willow and wrapped an arm around her, leading her into the living room where Buffy was sitting watching TV.
"Hey, mum," she called without taking her eyes off the screen. "Who you talking so sneakily to?"
"Buffy," Joyce said, quietly, making her turn her head.
Buffy's eyes widened as she jumped off the sofa and stood numbly for a second. "Willow?" she whispered, mainly out of shock.
Willow smiled meekly, "Hey, Buff." Buffy's eyes made their way from Willow to the child her mother was holding and back again. She stood there for a few moments before rushing Willow into a bone-crushing hug. Willow was suprised for a second, then squeezed back letting a few tears roll down her cheeks.
"Oh, my God, I have missed you so much," Buffy's voice croaked as she pulled out of the embrace a little, revealing her own tears. She then slapped Willow's arm and wore her annoyed face.
"Ow, what was that for?" Willow asked, letting go of Buffy to rub her arm.
"Where the Hell have you been?! I've been worried sick!" Buffy said through small sobs hugging Willow tight again.
"I'll just take Paige upstairs," Joyce said, hand on Willow's back and Willow nodded best she could.
"I'm so sorry," she apologised, through her tears, barely above a whisper.
Buffy took a few deep breaths and forced her crying to stopped. "It's ok, you're back now, that's all that matters."
Willow pulled out of the embrace to wipe away her stray tears. The girls shared a smile before Buffy took Willow's hand and led her to the sofa.
"Where've you been, Will?" Buffy asked again, this time expecting a reply.
"W-well, after... um... that day, I went to the airport, got the cheapest ticket I could to England and, before I know it, I'm back here again." She finished with a smile.
"S-so, the little girl? Is she... yours or... a sister or something?" Buffy asked gently.
Willow shook her head, "No, no, she's mine. Her name's Paige."
Buffy smiled, "She looks just like her mommy."
Willow smiled back, "Mom said that." Her eyes widened, "errr... your mom, I mean." She looked down, embarrassed a little by her mistake. Buffy smiled and grabbed her hand to let her know it was ok.
"How was she... you know... well, I mean, I know how, but... I thought, you... with the girl lovin' and... stuff." Buffy frowned at herself, "You get any of that?"
Willow chuckled at her best friend's babble. "Yeah I did," she sighed a little as she turned serious. "I did some stuff in England. Stuff that I'm really not proud of... " she trailed off.
"It's ok, we can talk about that later, if you want to, that is? I don't want you to feel like you have to be all... explain-y first day you come back." Buffy squeezed the hand she still had hold of.
"Uhh, well I've been here a few days actually... was just getting up the nerve to come and see you."
"Oh," Buffy said, trying to hide the hurt. "Do any of the others know?"
"No, no, just you and your mom, so far..."
Not for long.
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Upstairs Joyce was swinging a laughing Paige round and round, when Dawn walked in, still in pyjamas it being 10:30 and all. She'd come in to see why her mom was laughing so much.
"Oh, my God, please tell me that's not yours!" Dawn said to her mother.
Joyce laughed at her daughter, "No, she's not mine."
Dawn smiled and walked over to her mother and the two year old who were now sitting on the bed. "Hey," she said to Paige in a small voice. Paige smiled back but got shy and hid behind Joyce, popping her head out and cheekily smiling at Dawn every now and again. Dawn laughed, "Aww, she's so cute." She paused and thought for a moment, the little girl looked familiar. "She looks like a mini, brunette Willow." Joyce stopped laughing looked away from her daughter, trying not to give anything anyway. Buffy still needed time alone with Willow. "Oh, my God, she's Willow's isn't she?!" Joyce slowly nodded, the smile reappearing on her face. "Oh, my God, is she here?" Joyce nodded again, smile getting bigger. "Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God!" Dawn ran out the room.
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Buffy and Willow were still sitting on the sofa talking. Buffy was telling her all about the battle with the first evil, and how the new council now paid her to continue slaying, so she didn't need to find a job.
"I told them I'd be happy to do a bit of slaying on the side, but they insisted on paying me for it. The new council guys are *so* much better than the old ones!"
"Sounds like it!" Willow said, smiling at her friend who hadn't stopped talking.
Buffy smiled back and hugged her close. "It's good to have you back, Will!" She meant it. She couldn't talk to anyone the way she could talk to her Willow.
"Good to be back, Buff," she pulled back but not out of the embrace to smile at her again.
Both girls realised how close their faces were to one another. Almost similtaneously, they started to lean in...
"WILLOW!" Dawn squealed as she ran to the sofa, practically pouncing on Willow and hugging her for all her worth. "You're back!"
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