Open Up Your Heart to Me:
Show Me All You Are and I Would Be Your Slave
Rating: PG angst.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and for their sake it's just as well
Part I: The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell
Forever she'd loved him, no matter what happened, the other people in their lives. It always came back to him, the boy she'd known since kindergarten and her best friend.
Willow sighed, the events of the night had broken her and she had nothing left. The answering phone blinked at her, she knew her friends had left messages but she wasn't ready for them yet. She was sure she never wanted to hear them: the platitudes and uneasy words spoken in sympathy but not understanding. All the times they'd fought the darkness that infected Sunnydale, the danger had always been real but never before had it been brought home so abruptly and with such horror.
This time there was no apocalypse, no prophesy from Giles' books, or rising of a destructive demon but like all the other times Giles and Buffy were sure it would all work out. Except this time it wouldn't, the hurt was too deep for things to things to turn out for the best.
It had happened on the way from the Bronze, Angelus and Drusilla had ambushed them. Drusilla distracting Buffy while Angel and the other vamps had taken Xander. Giles had been positive it was a ploy to trap Buffy and they just planned to kill him. Buffy hadn't found where they were keeping Xander and there was no word from the so-called kidnappers. Willow had found it difficult to keep going. The endless days not knowing where he was and if the vamps had killed him. Although Buffy had said that they wouldn't until they got what they wanted but Willow wasn't so convinced. Angel had killed Jenny just for the hell of it, he hadn't stopped there and Willow knew that he'd have more planned before the end.
It was five days after and Willow had been in the library, while Buffy and Giles were out looking for Xander. She'd wanted to go but Buffy persuaded her to stay behind. She'd been reading the same sentence for the past ten minutes, when she realised she wasn't alone. Turning she came face to face with Xander. Willow had been too shocked to speak but ran to hug him. Eventually she did saying "but how? How can this be?" Xander had told her about his miraculous escape and how much he'd missed her. Willow had thought he looked pale and said so but Xander assured her he was fine and just tired and hungry.
Willow had wanted to stay and tell Buffy but Xander said that all wanted to do was go home and rest. They could phone her in the morning, it was late and all he wanted to do now was sleep. Willow had insisted the best thing was for her to take him to her house where he could rest in peace away from his parent's arguing. Xander hadn't protested and leaning on her, as they walked slowly to Willow's, had said that thinking of her had been the only thing that had kept him going through his ordeal. She'd smiled inwardly and had felt her heart skip.
Sneaking him past her parents had been easy and soon he'd been lying on Willow's bed asleep, Willow had watched him for a long time before dozing off in her chair.
She woke up with a start, bleary eyed she'd turned towards the bed to check Xander and found him sitting up watching her. He'd said he was feeling much better and wanted to thank her for being so kind. Willow had laughed at this telling him they were best friends and she would have done nothing less. Xander had keeled in front of her with his hands on the chair and looked up at her. It was then Willow had noticed something different about him, not just how pale he was but something else not there before. She'd started "Xand...." But at that point he'd chosen to reach up and kiss her and her heart had soared. He was kissing her and there was nothing else the cool touch of his lips but her creeping doubts that made her push him away. She'd become aware suddenly that she was trapped in this chair.
"There's no hiding from you is there Will?" He'd smiled softly at her not at all hurt to have been pushed away.
"What happened to you?" Willow had asked knowing the answer but not wanting to find out the truth.
"Oh Will it's amazing the gift I've been given." Xander had stared directly at her all the while he talked it had made her feel nervous. He had never looked so intensely at her before, it had been as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Willow it will only hurt a little and then you'll wake up and we can be together I know you want that. I love you Willow."
Willow had recoiled back in horror "No you're not my Xander you're a demon, a thing with his face. You don't love me."
He'd shaken his head saying "no I feel more like me than I ever have I'm not hiding anymore this is it me and I do love you Will. I need you to want this, don't you want this?"
He'd looked so pleadingly at her and she was so confused. She didn't want to die but he'd said that he loved her. It was too hard a decision and she'd thought her heart would brake.
Willow had looked into those brown eyes and had found her answer, she did want him and if this was what it took to be with him then she would do it. She'd opened her mouth to speak but he'd kissed her again and she'd fallen into his arms.
Pulling back Xander told her he had to go it was nearly sunrise and not the best time to caught out and about. Unless she wanted him to be a crispy critter and that she'd see him again after the sun went back down. Then he'd said she could give him her answer and with that he'd jumped out the open window.
Show Me All You Are and I Would Be Your Slave
Rating: PG angst.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and for their sake it's just as well
Part I: The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell
Forever she'd loved him, no matter what happened, the other people in their lives. It always came back to him, the boy she'd known since kindergarten and her best friend.
Willow sighed, the events of the night had broken her and she had nothing left. The answering phone blinked at her, she knew her friends had left messages but she wasn't ready for them yet. She was sure she never wanted to hear them: the platitudes and uneasy words spoken in sympathy but not understanding. All the times they'd fought the darkness that infected Sunnydale, the danger had always been real but never before had it been brought home so abruptly and with such horror.
This time there was no apocalypse, no prophesy from Giles' books, or rising of a destructive demon but like all the other times Giles and Buffy were sure it would all work out. Except this time it wouldn't, the hurt was too deep for things to things to turn out for the best.
It had happened on the way from the Bronze, Angelus and Drusilla had ambushed them. Drusilla distracting Buffy while Angel and the other vamps had taken Xander. Giles had been positive it was a ploy to trap Buffy and they just planned to kill him. Buffy hadn't found where they were keeping Xander and there was no word from the so-called kidnappers. Willow had found it difficult to keep going. The endless days not knowing where he was and if the vamps had killed him. Although Buffy had said that they wouldn't until they got what they wanted but Willow wasn't so convinced. Angel had killed Jenny just for the hell of it, he hadn't stopped there and Willow knew that he'd have more planned before the end.
It was five days after and Willow had been in the library, while Buffy and Giles were out looking for Xander. She'd wanted to go but Buffy persuaded her to stay behind. She'd been reading the same sentence for the past ten minutes, when she realised she wasn't alone. Turning she came face to face with Xander. Willow had been too shocked to speak but ran to hug him. Eventually she did saying "but how? How can this be?" Xander had told her about his miraculous escape and how much he'd missed her. Willow had thought he looked pale and said so but Xander assured her he was fine and just tired and hungry.
Willow had wanted to stay and tell Buffy but Xander said that all wanted to do was go home and rest. They could phone her in the morning, it was late and all he wanted to do now was sleep. Willow had insisted the best thing was for her to take him to her house where he could rest in peace away from his parent's arguing. Xander hadn't protested and leaning on her, as they walked slowly to Willow's, had said that thinking of her had been the only thing that had kept him going through his ordeal. She'd smiled inwardly and had felt her heart skip.
Sneaking him past her parents had been easy and soon he'd been lying on Willow's bed asleep, Willow had watched him for a long time before dozing off in her chair.
She woke up with a start, bleary eyed she'd turned towards the bed to check Xander and found him sitting up watching her. He'd said he was feeling much better and wanted to thank her for being so kind. Willow had laughed at this telling him they were best friends and she would have done nothing less. Xander had keeled in front of her with his hands on the chair and looked up at her. It was then Willow had noticed something different about him, not just how pale he was but something else not there before. She'd started "Xand...." But at that point he'd chosen to reach up and kiss her and her heart had soared. He was kissing her and there was nothing else the cool touch of his lips but her creeping doubts that made her push him away. She'd become aware suddenly that she was trapped in this chair.
"There's no hiding from you is there Will?" He'd smiled softly at her not at all hurt to have been pushed away.
"What happened to you?" Willow had asked knowing the answer but not wanting to find out the truth.
"Oh Will it's amazing the gift I've been given." Xander had stared directly at her all the while he talked it had made her feel nervous. He had never looked so intensely at her before, it had been as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Willow it will only hurt a little and then you'll wake up and we can be together I know you want that. I love you Willow."
Willow had recoiled back in horror "No you're not my Xander you're a demon, a thing with his face. You don't love me."
He'd shaken his head saying "no I feel more like me than I ever have I'm not hiding anymore this is it me and I do love you Will. I need you to want this, don't you want this?"
He'd looked so pleadingly at her and she was so confused. She didn't want to die but he'd said that he loved her. It was too hard a decision and she'd thought her heart would brake.
Willow had looked into those brown eyes and had found her answer, she did want him and if this was what it took to be with him then she would do it. She'd opened her mouth to speak but he'd kissed her again and she'd fallen into his arms.
Pulling back Xander told her he had to go it was nearly sunrise and not the best time to caught out and about. Unless she wanted him to be a crispy critter and that she'd see him again after the sun went back down. Then he'd said she could give him her answer and with that he'd jumped out the open window.