A/N: This is my first fanfic in a while, and I've just now been struck with a good idea for a short story that I can post right now. (I'm listening to "Prayer of St. Francis" if you must know what struck me). Anyway, here's my first (short) fic in a while :)
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.
Setting: Set right after "Grave," after Xander helps Willow. (In Buffy's POW)
"Seek to Be Consoled"
by SparkingDiamond (Darry)
She wouldn't look at me; she wouldn't look at anyone. No one could blame her either; no one was sure what to say, what to do. We hadn't been able to talk to her when she was bent on destroying the world, would we be able to now? Willow's body shook with silent sobs, and watching her thin frame shake so much made me want to break down and cry too. It also made me want to hug her and not let go; to hug her and tell her that it was okay, that it was all going to be okay in the end. Even though I knew that was a lie. How could it be okay after everything that happened? After Tara was killed right in front of her, after she killed Warren and tried to kill me and my sister and Giles and then tried to destroy the world. Would it ever be okay again?
Dawn walked up behind me and took my hand, seeking the comfort in my grasp. It seemed that my little sister had grown up so much in the past night, in the past few hours and I had to resist the urge to step back and admire the woman that she had become. But I couldn't right now; now I had put the pieces back together for my best friend, or at least as best as I could. If this were any less the situation, Xander would surely crack some joke or another to make us laugh, to make Willow laugh. But the way she sobbed on the foot of my bed made me wonder if she would ever laugh again and that thought made me want to cry even more. Where was my Willow? The fun redhead who was afraid of frogs and who had constantly dragged me through test after test in high school. Where was the Willow that had almost burned at the stake with me and then laughed about it later? Where was the Willow that insisted that everyone use "I Statements" when we got in a fight and was the only one that never joined in?
Xander was in the corner of the room, his head bowed, staring at the floor; I could tell he was thinking the same thing, where was our Willow? The Willow that consoled us just as much, if not more, than we ever consoled her. We were family, a tighter Family than most and now we couldn't even say a single word to each other. What could we say? "Willow, we forgive you for trying to kill us all and for trying to end the world, want to go to the Bronze?" Even if Willow knew that she had the love of her friends, she would still feel the burning pain of not having the love of Tara.
I knelt down in front of Willow, resting my hand on her shoulder; she flinched slightly, though I think she was just surprised. She looked up at me, her eyes bruised and swollen with tears, which streaked her cheeks and the front of her shirt. "Oh, Will." I breathed and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her against me. She began to cry again, returning my hug and sobbing into my shoulder. I felt tears trickle down my cheeks and I hugged her tighter, my best friend, my friend who wore fuzzy shirts that looked like a birthday cake.
"Oh Will, Willow, it's okay to be okay." I whispered, joining in on her tears, holding her tightly.
And we sat there, for who knows how long, consoling each other the best we knew how.
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.
Setting: Set right after "Grave," after Xander helps Willow. (In Buffy's POW)
"Seek to Be Consoled"
by SparkingDiamond (Darry)
She wouldn't look at me; she wouldn't look at anyone. No one could blame her either; no one was sure what to say, what to do. We hadn't been able to talk to her when she was bent on destroying the world, would we be able to now? Willow's body shook with silent sobs, and watching her thin frame shake so much made me want to break down and cry too. It also made me want to hug her and not let go; to hug her and tell her that it was okay, that it was all going to be okay in the end. Even though I knew that was a lie. How could it be okay after everything that happened? After Tara was killed right in front of her, after she killed Warren and tried to kill me and my sister and Giles and then tried to destroy the world. Would it ever be okay again?
Dawn walked up behind me and took my hand, seeking the comfort in my grasp. It seemed that my little sister had grown up so much in the past night, in the past few hours and I had to resist the urge to step back and admire the woman that she had become. But I couldn't right now; now I had put the pieces back together for my best friend, or at least as best as I could. If this were any less the situation, Xander would surely crack some joke or another to make us laugh, to make Willow laugh. But the way she sobbed on the foot of my bed made me wonder if she would ever laugh again and that thought made me want to cry even more. Where was my Willow? The fun redhead who was afraid of frogs and who had constantly dragged me through test after test in high school. Where was the Willow that had almost burned at the stake with me and then laughed about it later? Where was the Willow that insisted that everyone use "I Statements" when we got in a fight and was the only one that never joined in?
Xander was in the corner of the room, his head bowed, staring at the floor; I could tell he was thinking the same thing, where was our Willow? The Willow that consoled us just as much, if not more, than we ever consoled her. We were family, a tighter Family than most and now we couldn't even say a single word to each other. What could we say? "Willow, we forgive you for trying to kill us all and for trying to end the world, want to go to the Bronze?" Even if Willow knew that she had the love of her friends, she would still feel the burning pain of not having the love of Tara.
I knelt down in front of Willow, resting my hand on her shoulder; she flinched slightly, though I think she was just surprised. She looked up at me, her eyes bruised and swollen with tears, which streaked her cheeks and the front of her shirt. "Oh, Will." I breathed and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her against me. She began to cry again, returning my hug and sobbing into my shoulder. I felt tears trickle down my cheeks and I hugged her tighter, my best friend, my friend who wore fuzzy shirts that looked like a birthday cake.
"Oh Will, Willow, it's okay to be okay." I whispered, joining in on her tears, holding her tightly.
And we sat there, for who knows how long, consoling each other the best we knew how.