Willow's POV

Today it is 2 months exactly to date since Sunnydale changed into a hole. We are now in Cleveland; we have this school here. I'm a teacher-not exactly what I expected since I met Buffy. Not that I thought about my future … when you can die any day, you don't fall into a fantasy world. Well you do fall, but I didn't, did I?

I frown at my inner babbling.

I look at the food I am playing with. It's scrambled eggs with bacon. I absently made a smiley face on the plate. Today is a good day-Kennedy and Faith came back yesterday from a trip. They were looking for a new slayer. They make a good team. If the girl has a dark past, Faith can sympathize with the 'been there, done that' or 'did worse' attitude and Ken can relate to those who are rich or arrogant. Not that she is arrogant. She isn't. Mostly …

Well it's not always a bad thing …

"Those scrambled eggs made you all red, Red?" Faith comes into the kitchen.

I smile at her joke. Sure she caught me blushing, but …

"Hi to you too, Faith."

"Someone is all bright and shiny in the morning. Watch it or I'll have to call you dreamy."

"You gotta have faith, Faith," I say mocking her joke.

She smirks at me and goes to the fridge, taking some leftovers from breakfast.

It's nearly 10:30-that's the reason why no one is here. Everyone is at their lesson. Faith teaches fighting techniques along with Buffy and Kennedy, but soon we will test some of the girls that helped us in Sunnydale, Because when Ken and Faith leave to look for new slayers, Buffy can't teach all the lessons by herself.

Buffy … we all kinda expected she would take a break or go to Europe after Sunnydale, but Xander was so broken about Anya that Buffy thought she would stay as a support.

I frown again. Xander-that's the only dark spot in our lives now. Well, along with vampires who want to kill you every day.

"What are you thinking about?" Faith says, snapping me out of thought.

"Xander," I answer sadly.

"Just give him some time. He lost the love of his life."

"I know ... been there, done that." I turn to the side so Faith can't see the tears building up in my eyes. Unbelievable-I still can't think about her without tears.

"I am sorry." This is one of those things that old Faith would never do-she would laugh about it, tease you about it, but no, no apologies. And especially no apologies for things she hadn't done. Faith really came a long way since prison. After I killed …. after I killed Warren, I could bond a lot easier with her. And then when I saw her with Angel, how she saved him, risking her own life in the process, I knew she had changed. I forgave her right then and there and Sunnydale only confirmed I was right. We are friends now or at least I'd like to think we are.She is part of the family now. Dawn admires her as always and as Faith would put it, Ken is her "best buddy."

"Willow."

"Yeah?"

"You spaced out-what about?"

"You." I blush when I realize how it sounds.

"Really?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Not like that! You know being a lesbian really limits my language; I can't say anything without the wrong impression…" I trail off, "but you as a bi should be even more limited, everything you say has the wrong impression!"

"Whoa Will, stop the train—"

"Stop the train of thoughts? Since when you are using that sentence?"

"I spend too much time around the Scoobies." She shrugs and starts her second plate.

"We wouldn't want it any other way," I say, partly to remind her we want her here and partly because it's true. Sometimes she still feels disconnected from us, even though she isn't …

"Even though if you keep eating like this, we may have to reconsider it." I smirk at her once again empty plate.

"Slick and B eat just as much as I do!" she says in defense, just as Ken comes in the room.

I can't help but check her out. Her body is … she is beautiful.

I subconsciously smile but I realize that I don't shine. I am glad to see her but I am not jumping in joy. She is not my second sun.

I have been sitting here for the last ten minutes and my mood already changed from happy to sad and from excited to nostalgic.

I know Ken is trying. She even learned stuff about magic, which she so dislikes, but she is no Tara. Tara was gentle and soft, but still firm. Ken, on the other hand, fights and then gives up. If I went through my addiction again, through the stuff with Rack again, I don't think Ken would be able to stop me.

"Are you okay, Will?" Ken asks me concerned.

"Yeah," I say with a fake smile. "We could go to Silver tonight." Silver is a club here in Cleveland.

"Sounds good, Red."

"I'll tell everyone and we will go there at nine?"

"Ok." Ken nods.

I move to find Xander and try to convince him.