1
The fall of footsteps on the stairs echoed through the hallway. She tensed, the clenching of her muscles reminding her why there were people treading up the stairs in the first place. Dawnie and Buffy are home from the hospital…wonder how badly Dawnie was hurt. The tension left her shoulders and became a knot in her stomach as feet shuffled past her door and moved down the hall. Putting Dawn to bed first, then in here for the lecture. She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Goddess, she's going to kill me.
The knock on her door startled her, made her jump in her skin even though she was expecting it.
"It's open, Buff." Willow watched from the corner of her eye as Buffy shouldered through the door. She could see the repressed anger in the way the Slayer moved--all short strides and choppy movements. Much of Willow wanted to apologize, just drop to her knees and beg Buffy to forgive her, but she held her tongue and waited for Buffy.
"I don't understand." When Buffy spoke, she wasn't looking at Willow, she continued to stare out the window into the deep darkness of Sunnydale at night. Willow noted her stance, arms crossed, closed off, unreceptive. Where to start? How do you apologize for nearly getting your best friend's sister killed by your own sheer recklessness?
"I don't think I understand it all, either. How is Dawnie?" Buffy's brow furrowed and she risked a quick glance at the witch huddled protectively under her blanket.
"Fractured wrist, some bruised ribs. She'll be fine in a few weeks."
"Good, I was so worried--"
"What the fuck were you thinking, Willow?" Buffy's interruption threw Willow a little. She gaped as the Slayer continued. "You took my little sister to a magic dealer! I work so hard to keep her away from shit like this while you . . . You just jump and never mind the carnage you leave behind."
"What?" Willow bristled.
"You act without thinking. You're dangerous, Willow. I can't let you live here. Not like this."
"What are you saying? You want me to leave?" Buffy finally turned from the window and met Willow's gaze with burning hazel eyes. Willow tried not to flinch at the hard stare. Don't be weak, Rosenberg. Don't break down just because your world is getting turned upside down.
"Yes. I want you to leave. Get whatever you need tonight. Xander is on his way. He'll take you, well, someplace other than here. We'll pack your stuff and send it to your new place." Willow took a deep shuddering breath. Fuck her. Fuck this.
"You want me gone?" Buffy kept her icy stare as she nodded. Willow's answering smile was just as cold. "Well then, just say the magic word." The confusion barely had time to register on Buffy's face before Willow and all of her things disappeared in a shower of sparkles.
"What the . . ." Buffy's voice trailed off as she took in the mass disappearance. She glanced around the room, not quite believing Willow and her things had just vanished. "Huh. If she can do that, good riddance to that kind of danger. Got enough evil lurking around with Spike." Buffy took one last sweep of the room with her eyes before switching out the light and closing the door behind her as she left.
"Good riddance. Fight beside someone for years and this is the thanks I get?" Willow form emerged from the shadows in the corner of the room. Her glamour had completely fooled the Slayer, but left her the question of how to extricate her things from the house without detection. Frowning, she waved her hand at her closet. Clothes folded themselves before dropping into a pair of suitcases that sparkled into existence. Meanwhile, Willow methodically packed up her laptop, sliding it into her backpack. Various odds and ends from around the room floated into the remaining space in the suitcases. With a final glance around the room, Willow opened the window and floated her belongings and then herself out and to the ground. She took a long look at the exterior of the Summers' home before turning on her heel, her suitcases following behind on a cushion of air.
2
Xander's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. Anya was beside him, reciting a litany of the wrongs she felt Willow had visited upon her. Normally, he could tune out Anya's vitriol where it concerned his best and oldest friend. Not tonight, though. He knew Willow was in trouble, but had been so wrapped up in his and Anya's wedding plans to really give it thought. What kind of friend am I?
"Xander! Are you even listening to me?" He risked a look at Anya out of the corner of his eye. She actually looked radiant under the sodium streetlights.
"I love you, Anya."
"That is no excuse to not pay attention to our conversation. I want you to listen to the way your friend has used me and my livelihood to support her little habit." Xander frowned, taking a deep breath.
"Ahn, her little habit has saved our collective asses more than once. Do you think we would have survived while Buffy was gone without her?"
"We could have moved away. Left and gone somewhere safe--"
"Drop it, Ahn. We're here anyway," Xander admonished, releasing the catch on his seatbelt. "Please, be nice to Willow. I'm sure she's devastated by this."
"Hmph. We'll see."
"Ahn."
"I'll try, pointless as it is. She's the one that--" Xander covered Anya's mouth with his hand.
"Trying is all I ask." Xander held her gaze a moment before knocking on Buffy's door. He waited a moment before pushing open the door and heading inside. He met Buffy coming down the stairs. "Hey Buffster. She packed and stuff?"
"I guess you could say that. She disappeared."
"What? She left? Ran off?"
"No. Kinda literally disappeared. Magicked herself and her stuff out of the house with a snap of her fingers. Wiggy." Xander tried to wrap his mind around the fact that his best friend could do that. How powerful is she? Buffy inclined her head toward the den and they all sat as Buffy recounted the whole evening. When she finished, Xander dropped his face into his hands.
"I'm going to look for her. I know a couple of places she could have gone."
"I don't think that's the best idea, Xan. I think Tara had the right idea. Let her see that we won't accept this kind of behavior, she'll clean up her act and we can feel safe around her again." Buffy put on her best stoic, I'm-in-charge face and whatever protest he was going to make died on his lips. He would always fall in line behind Buffy. Even if it tore his heart out.
3