Disclaimer : Everyone knows who own Buffy and co ! Obviously, it's not me!

The story is the third episode in a series called 'Rocky path' and begins around one year after 'Chosen'

(01x01 : Friends and 01x02 : Guilty are the two first episodes, I strongly recommand to read them to understand that one)

You can check it out on my website

Please let me know what you think.

And I'm still looking for beta-readers !

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Buffy's room was lighted by the sweet light of the afternoon. The window was open, diffusing a light breeze lifting up the thin curtains and let the town's noises in.

Several clothes piles were put on a side of the bed, carefully folded and organized. On the other side of the mattress was a big opened suitcase.

Buffy began to fill the suitcase delicately with one of the clothes piles she had prepared. Then a second pile found its place near the first. Then a third.

Sat in an armchair near the bad, Xander was looking at her with a distract look.

"I can't believe we already split" The carpenter said.

Buffy looked up to him. Then she stopped what she was doing and came to sit beside him near the headboard.

"I know." She replied. "Those weeks went so fast"

"Yeah" Xander confirmed.

Silence fell again, each of them wanting to talk about the same thorny problem but neither of them knowing how to start. Finally Xander did :

"it's been a long time since we got back" He began

"I know, I know" Buffy exclaimed immediately. "That wait drives me nuts!"

She got up and began to pace the room.

"We don't even know if it worked! Gideon just told us to go and that we'll find her in time!"

"And it's been more than a month we're back…" Xander added.

"One month!" Buffy repeated. « More than a month now ! Gideon never mentioned it will be that long!"

"Have you talked to Giles?"

Buffy nodded and resumed her sit on the bed beside Xander.

"Yeah"

"And?"

"And you know Giles" Buffy replied with evidence. "He made a whose lecture about resurrection, the different methods and problems, all this in an almost incomprehensible language to conclude he doesn't know"

Xander sighed.

"So Giles has no idea if that delay is normal or not?"

"According to Giles, it might be normal or not. Which doesn't help us"

Buffy looked at her suitcase with despair.

"And we're going back to Rome tomorrow evening." The Slayer wailed. "It's getting hard to postpone my return again," she whispered in an apologic tone.

Xander offered her a sympathetic gaze.

"I understand," he said gently. "You can't do more. Your job's waiting for you. Giles and I will be there if something happens"

"Something WILL happen" Buffy said with certainty.

"Buffy" Xander began. " It might not…"

"No" The Slayer protested without letting him finish.

"Buffy" Xander insisted. "It's something we should think about"

Buffy shook her head.

"No Xander. I'm sure it worked."

"Buffy, it might not. Nothing allows to be sure after all this time"

"No" Buffy repeated. "I fell it. It worked"

Xander didn't insist in front of the stubborn look on his friend's face. She softened her expression when she saw resignation appearing in the carpenter's face.

"If nothing happened soon, I'll pay a visit to Gideon"

Xander let escape a sarcastic laugh.

"I'm not sure resurrections are warranted"

Buffy smiled almost unwillingly to her friend's comment.

"Probably not" she whispered