A/N: Ok so not sure where this came from or why, but I hope that you are enjoying. Please review kindly.
Summary/Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
116 days have now gone by according to the calendar on the fridge, 116 nights of slaying that I survived without him here to help me or to train me. I'm surprised I'm still in shape without Giles being here. Anya refuses to let me use the training room when there are customers for fear the sounds I make will scare them away, so I limit my training to after store hours before slaying and sometimes first thing in the morning, that is however if I don't have to work a double shift at work. I picked up a lot of doubles this week in the hopes of bringing in some extra money and having a full day off on Friday which is two days away.
I hear Willow come in and pull away from the fridge and the calendar that draws me to it, I really need to have Dawn move it, then perhaps I wouldn't stare at it so often. As I'm walking up the stairs to get ready for work, Willow stops me.
"Buffy, is this all the mail?"
"Afraid so."
"Oh, its just Giles normal responds by now, but I haven't gotten anything, do you know if Dawn has."
"I don't think so."
"Oh ok, thanks."
"Welcome."
I go the rest of the way up the stairs and into my room, I shut the door and just stare at the pictures next to my mirror, the gang is all there staring right back at me, even a picture of Giles in the library, I pull it from its place and am taken back in time to when it was taken, so many years ago. How much everything has changed since then and yet it all seems to have remained the same.
I furiously get ready for work, my trip down memory lane has made me late. At least the roads are clear as I make my way across town in the Jeep. I'm not sure how, but I managed to make it to work on time with 5 minutes to spare. Of late my attendance at work has improved and my manager is thrilled to say the least. Today is not quite a double shift but I will be working 12 hours today so this is just the start of a long day.
The letters keep staring at me from the end table where I left them two days ago after reading them, I thought that Dawn was trying to sugar coat things and tell me that they were better than they were, but Willow's letter really got me thinking that perhaps I should return, or rather must return for the sake of my slayer. I read her letter again in hopes of one final clue to help me make my decision.
Giles,
Dawn and I were both giddy over your last set of letters, neither one of us expected for you to write back so fast and the extra money you sent along was able to provide us with pizza, we told Buffy that Xander bought it so she wouldn't get upset, she doesn't know that you send money sometimes, if she did I think it would upset her.
You would be so proud of her Giles, she has managed to get the house in order and Dawn buckled down on her school work and absences, although I think that it helped when she was invincible for that one day. You would like her hair now its all short again just like it was when she first came to Sunnydale. Even I am amazed at all the progress that she is making. Me, Dawn and Xander have a bet as to when you are coming back and what not, I occasionally catch Buffy looking at the calendar just to see how many days you have been gone. I'm not sure she believes it.
The slaying has slowed some, which is odd but it is the Hellmouth, but I consider it a good thing since Anya no longer allows Buffy to train while the shop is open. I know she tries to go in at night before slaying but not always successful because of all the double shifts she has picked up in the past month. I think Spike is helping her, but he won't admit that to me or anyone. Even when Riley and his new wife came by last week, Buffy still held her ground and never let it show that she was in need of any help.
Most of us wish that you were here, but we know that you won't return before you are ready to, if at all. We wish you the best!
Love Willow.
Of the two letters that I received Willow's concerns me, when did Buffy become invisible, and why? Its hard to comprehend all that has happened in my absence, they seem to be doing well without me, well everyone but Buffy that is.
I'm concerned about how she handled seeing Riley again after all this time and the fact that he is married and brought his wife along with him could not have been easy to deal with. I fight my own feelings for as long as I could before I picked up the phone and made reservations for a flight back to Sunnydale. I need to see for myself that she really is ok.